Quiet companions thrive at Midd

Author: Rachael Jennings

During their initial months at the College, many first-year students struggle with the transition to a different environment, with new friends and new responsibilities. Luckily, they can rely on a group of silent supporters who are there to help comfort them through these bouts of homesickness.

These eager listeners are less celebrated for their good deeds than First-Year Counselors, but are vitally important on campus. Wondering how can you take advantage of this secret resource? You might want to check next to your pillow.

That's right, we are talking about your stuffed monkeys and floppy dogs, patched bunnies and soft woodland creatures. Stuffed animals are more than just a youthful distraction to be abandoned

When the time comes to gain more independence and an access card at college. In fact, a significant number of Middlebury students still depend on their furry friends for comfort and constancy - after all, many years of cuddling with a beloved bear or ratty rabbit is a hard habit to break.

Indeed, some of our plush buddies are world travelers. Maddie Niemi '11 has a "Sleepy Bear," so named because his eyes are perpetually sewn shut. The sporty critter has accompanied her on every vacation she has taken, dabbling in everything from soccer (at Niemi's camp in Florida) and skiing (in the Swiss Alps).

These childhood friends can also serve to keep students tied to their lives before Middlebury. Many attach a memory of a person or a group of friends to a specific animal. Adam Dede '11 cherishes a Kent State squirrel his friend sent to him earlier this year.

"I'm not embarrassed to have it," Dede said.

Others are equally forthcoming about their emotional attachments to their cherished toys. Alison Fonseca '11 lugged along a bunny named Lola when she moved here from Florida. Lola symbolizes her good memories of the animal with her friends, with whom she purchased the rabbit.

Gregg Miller '11 explained that these companions are important because they help you to remember your own personal identity. Miller expressed his regret that he neglected to bring his to school with him.

"They're cuddly, they comfort you, they fill a hole in your heart and they're not to be shared," Miller said. "My identity is in shambles."

A student leaving for college without something so beloved can be just as unthinkable to his or her parents. Alison Holley '11 recalled that her father packed her childhood stuffed bear when she was not looking, knowing that though she was trying to leave it behind, she would ultimately want it.

Of course, first-years may tote along their stuffed animals as a source of stability and to help ease their adjustment to living away from home. The question is, will they bring them back for the subsequent three years?

In the case of recent alumna Meira Lifson '07, the answer is a resounding yes. Meira first encountered Elliott, a noble dragon, at Disney World when she was just four. From that moment on, she took him everywhere, even making a passport for him so he could travel with her overseas. Through all of these travels, he became ragged, lost some of his scales and Lifson had to repaint his pupils, but she still brought him with her to Middlebury each year.

When Lifson decided to study abroad in Chile, she went without Elliott for the first time. But then she became lonely in her unfamiliar new environment, and she decided she could not go on any longer without her magical friend. She missed him so much that she even risked the uncertainty of the Chilean mail system and had her mother ship him over.

Some students do choose to leave their stuffed animals behind, if only for purely logistical reasons. Sarah Wilson '08 left Yellow Dog at home "with his friends."

"I never developed the habit of bringing him everywhere as a child, and he is rather large, so leaving him home seemed practical," Wilson said. "It's kind of like a pet you only see when you come home."

All in all, stuffed animals are an integral part of our lives on campus. They bring an instant intimacy to our potentially impersonal dorm surroundings and lend a friendly, never judgmental ear to even our most petty concerns. Most students will eventually abandon their sleeping companions at some point later in life, but, until then, Sleepy Bears and Elliotts remain the silent, constant lifeblood of Middlebury College.