Pip the guinea pig, peaking out from his blanket fort By Brady Crain I have, based on the orders of everyone, been taking it much easier.  I lift or do pushup/pullup sets every two days, walk at least once a day, and trail run every two to three days, between four and 12 miles. Easy…

By Kevin Theissen It doesn’t take a degree in finance to see that the cost of college continues to rise. In its 2015 report, the College Board showed that public four-year institutions raised prices an average of 3.4 percent annually between the 2005-06 and 2015-16 school years. Put another way: A $5,000 education in 2005-06…

By Marguerite Jill Dye I feel as if I’m abandoning a sinking ship, leaving America for a pilgrimage across Spain during this perilous time of crises, turmoil, and uncertainty. Keeping up with the news, one can only wonder, has Armageddon begun? Scenes from “Mad Max” and “Water World” flash before my eyes, movies I never…

drawn by Adelaide Tyrol By Brett Amy Thelan I once heard of a biologist with a clever party trick: regardless of where or when a given party was taking place, he claimed that he could produce a wild salamander in 15 minutes or less, and more often than not, he delivered. I suspect he never…

By Brett Yates I’m aware that nearly everyone is probably tired of hearing about Confederate statues by now. But before I finally move on from the Unite the Right fallout and restore this column to its regularly scheduled programming, I want—for one very particular reason—to go back to Trump’s Charlottesville response last month, when he…

By Dom Cioffi Years ago, I spent the summer break in between my sophomore and junior years of college living in Cape Cod with several friends. The idea was to earn a little money and partake in the party scene as much as possible. I was used to living with a roommate in college, but…

Illustration by Adelaide Tyrol By Declan McCabe My students and I were conducting research in the Winooski River floodplain at Saint Michael’s College last week when the buzzing became particularly intense. A brisk walk is enough to outdistance mosquitoes, but deerflies combine fighter jet speed with helicopter maneuverability. And a slap that might incapacitate a…

By Kevin Theissen In March, the Harvard Business Review (HBR) offered some ideas about innovation in America. It’s a topic that deserves some attention as “recent data suggests that innovation is getting harder and the pace of growth is slowing down. A major challenge in business and policy spheres is to understand the environments that…

By Brady Crain A crowd in the Boston Common recently marched in protest of the Free Speech rally and against white supremacy. By Brady Cain It took me quite a while to digest what happened in Boston. One of the most memorable parts of the march was the heat (standing in a crowd on sunny…

By Marguerite Jill Dye We attended the very first gathering of the Woodstock Social Justice Initiative, a last-minute rally for love, equality, and peace on the Green in Woodstock. Seventy-plus local residents demonstrated in solidarity with the people of Charlottesville and took a stand against white supremacy, racism, and anti-Semitism. WSJI co-founder Mary Ellen Solon…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Coffee shops seem to be the trend these days. People want a spot to sit and relax, enjoy a cup of coffee and have something light to eat. Back in my youth, during the 50s and 60s, people did that at lunch counters. Of course, they were not staring at their…

By Brett Yates Last week, I wrote a column whose conclusion I myself found, at the very least, debatable. Fortunately, my conception of my job here has never included a requirement to be correct—every week, I try my best only to put forth a single thought that might be interesting, and that’s all: my opinions…

By Dom Cioffi I want to believe this chapter of my life is over. On Friday of last week, I traveled to Jacksonville, Fla., for another check-up concerning my cancer battle. It was exactly a year ago when I went down for my first appointment after having agreed that the doctors at the Mayo Clinic would…

By Cal Garrison - a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a late, Scorpio Moon and a newly birthed Sun in Virgo. If this gives us free reign to approach things any way we want, I am going to take full advantage of that option and use…

DOUG MIANULLI By Dave Hoffenberg Nearing the end of summer is no fun, but it does mean something good and that is the return of Dougiepalooza at the Clear River Tavern on Saturday, Aug. 25 from 6 p.m. til midnight. This annual event is all about good tunes and family fun. This year’s event kicks…