LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Author: [no author name found]

To The Editor:

I write to thank the Middlebury College student body for its support for my candidacy during the election for Student Co-chair of Community Council. While the outcome of the election is a disappointment for myself and those who had supported me, it is yet an overwhelming victory for the cause of student participation.

Over the past few weeks, I have had the privilege to speak with a cross-section of the student body — social houses, academic interest houses, international students, cultural organizations — and to actively engage and involve them in the issues I had focused on for my platform. The election campaign had been an opportunity to elicit the participation of various groups that are often not involved in or represented in the student government. It is my hope that this will mark the beginning of a more involved student body, and a more representative student leadership.

I also write to congratulate the newly elected President, Ginny Hunt '03, and Student Co-chair of Community Council, Ben Labolt '03. I have no doubt in my mind that they will provide the dynamic and forward-looking leadership that the student body deserves. I wish them all the best and urge you all to rally behind them as they lead us into what will, hopefully, be a productive year for the Student Government Association. And finally, I thank The Middlebury Campus and WRMC 91.1 FM for their coverage of the elections that played no small role in achieving the large turnout.

— Fahim Ahmed '03



To The Editor:

In last week's article entitled "Awareness Event Sparks Fiery Debate," I was quoted as saying, "As a Jewish organization, we don't support Israel wholeheartedly."

This, however, is far from the truth. In fact, Hillel, the Jewish organization here on campus, has, does and always will wholeheartedly support Israel. While as individuals we may disagree on policies undertaken by the Israeli government, we as a group defend the country's right to exist behind safe and recognizable borders. I speak for Hillel when I say that wherever we stand, we stand with Israel.

— Amichai Kilchevsky '04.5



To The Editor:

As we are in the registration season here at Middlebury, students are running around wildly trying to obtain their Priority Access Key (PAK number), find the easiest class and get that elusive 'Other' credit. I recently overheard a student outside my room asking another student, "What are you going to do with a theater major?"

The interrogator is totally missing the point of a liberal arts education. Middlebury College is not here to prepare students for a career (if you want that, go to Vermont Technical College), but instead to enlighten students and prepare them for life. This is why we have distribution and cultural requirements. While here at Middlebury, students should experience the varied academic and extra-curricular activities available.

A major is just one part of the higher educational experience. It is a rigorous study of one discipline. It is by no means a job-training program. It should prepare you to be a good candidate for any graduate school, internship, or entry-level job that you should choose. The value of a liberal arts education is that a degree from Middlebury College should be strong enough proof that a student has the discipline and skills needed to start any career.

So next time someone asks you what you are going to do with a theater major, tell them you are considering going into law. Because here at Middlebury, a theater major or a political science major are both well prepared for law school or any other post-graduate program.

— Ted Lester '05



To the Editor:

I am writing to point out what seems to me to be incredible hypocrisy on the part of Middlebury Open Queer Alliance (moqa). As everyone knows, a few weeks ago some members of moqa and Feminist Action at Middlebury (FAM), protested at the "Art of Kissing" presentation, sponsored by the Middlebury College Activities Board (MCAB). According to the protesters, the show was heterosexually biased and confirmed negative gender stereotypes. The way I feel is that the Drag Ball, sponsored by moqa last Friday night, confirms negative homosexual stereotypes, and that the event was potentially far more offensive to gays than the "Art of Kissing" was to women.

As a gay student at this college who doesn't cross-dress and who isn't into the gender-bending aspect of gay culture, I feel like the Drag Ball promotes solely the image of the flamboyant "queen." I'm not saying that the Drag Ball really offends me, because it doesn't — the group it portrays is a viable element of the gay community, which I certainly support as whole. The problem is that the Drag Ball seems to be the only major event that moqa puts on each year, and the main image that it projects onto the campus community. Where are the fundraisers for AIDS research, or the speakers on gay adoption and civil unions? If events such as these occur, they are certainly ill publicized, unlike the heavily advertised Drag Ball.

I really just want to advise moqa to take a look at the stereotypes that their own events promote before staging another inarticulate protest against stereotypes at other events. Nobody likes a hypocrite.

— Karl Whittington '04

To the Editor:



Despite hard work in less than desirable weather conditions, Middining's recent "Earth Day" dinner was a painful experience for anyone other than hardcore vegetarians. The menu choices at this dinner represented a sort of vegan tyranny that limited non-vegetarian options so seriously that boatloads of students were forced to either buy food from somewhere else or go hungry.

I'll begin with the proposition that vegetarianism has absolutely nothing to do with environmentalism or "Earth Day." What you eat and what you believe in, for a vast majority of students on campus, are two very different things. In light of this fact, there are a great number of meat eating environmentalists here at Middlebury, and to implicitly tell them that they aren't the real thing just because they like a steak now and then is a little like telling foreigners that they aren't allowed to like the American pastime of baseball.

Now, to be perfectly frank about it, when I think of "Earth Day," I think of nature and all things natural. In terms of what is natural, I cannot think of many things that rank above the age-old practice of humans eating cute, furry animals because they taste good. Processing soy product in a way that gives it the flavor of dog food and the shape of a hot dog, on the other hand, strikes me as anything but natural. If those responsible for the menu this past Monday wanted to feature vegetables at the "Earth Day" dinner, they at least ought to have had the common sense not to try to make them taste like something else or pretend that masking them in such a way is even remotely natural.

Including vegetarian options that go above and beyond the usual offering at Proctor is an understandable thing to do on "Earth Day," particularly to serve those students who choose to link their beliefs and diets. Forcing individuals who prefer not to eat vegetarian food to do so, on the other hand, is quite another thing. There are plenty of environmentally sound meat products out there — the least of which might be venison made available by reducing the Northeast's outrageous deer overpopulation.

Its about time we stop surrendering our diets to the falafel mafia from Weybridge on "Earth Day" and start planning a meal that takes into consideration the interests of carnivores and vegetarians alike.

— Kevin F. King '02