A Hunt submission

To The Campus,

They say that home is where the heart is. So, when I was preparing to come to college last year as an awkward first-year from Dallas, Texas, I was concerned about how I was going to make this new, scary, cold place called Middlebury College my home. My parents told me that it would be uncomfortable for a few days and, maybe, even for a few weeks, but that I would eventually find my stride. They gave me great advice: find a close group of friends and confide in them, but also make sure that you get to know the people who are working to make your life here a comfortable one. Taking their advice, after my first month of living in Stewart Hall, I decided that I would have a conversation with the Brainerd Commons Coordinator Diane Burnham.

After our initial meeting almost a year and a half ago, I have come to appreciate and understand what an amazing person Diane Burnham is. The sheer importance of her job is hard to comprehend (who else would sign up to supervise 135 first-years?), and yet she does it with a selflessness and grace that many of us here at
Middlebury could learn from. There has never been a day when I haven’t seen her with a smile
when I’ve stopped by to say hello, or been greeted by her secret stash of candy. She has a good sense of humor and is able to deal with an onslaught of problems and issues better than most people I have met, and from her I have learned what it is to take control in a stern yet kind way.

Few people probably know the name of their commons coordinator, although I wish this wasn’t the case. The amount of work they put into making our lives at Middlebury as wonderful as they are is astounding. Without them, we have no commons events, custodial staff, funding, free goodies, parties, etc. They are the backbone of commons life and serve to act as not only our coordinators, but our support system while at Middlebury. Diane has been a boon to me while I’ve been at college and I sincerely hope that people throughout Midd can take time in their day to stop by and thank their commons coordinators for all of the hard work they do every single day.

Sincerely,
Cody Gohl ’13