Editorial Maintaining Momentum on Social House Survey and Compassion, Learning Erode Powerlessness and Isolation

Author: Jonathan White

Maintaining Momentum on Social Life Survey

Student response to the Student Government Association's social life survey has been lacking, disappointing all concerned about the social options available at Middlebury.
Seven years have elapsed since a similar survey was completed. Social life patterns are always in flux, yet the College has committed itself to opportunities for enrichment and entertainment beyond the classroom. Its efforts are manifested in excellent programs by MCAB, the commons system, music in the Gamut Room and by student organizations such as RIDDIM. The last such survey initiated the development of The Grille.
The Campus joins with the SGA and the administration in a curiosity about what students think about social options on this campus and whether current opportunities are popular and worthwhile. All too often complaints arise about the school's rural environment as lacking the stimulation and excitement of a metropolitan setting. The administration and SGA are cognizant of this concern and have made great strides. Now is the chance for students to provide feedback so that further progress might be made.
The SGA itself has tackled sparse social options on campus with efforts such as reduced drafts on weekends at The Grille. The desire to promote social options on campus is sincere and informed by well-grounded concerns, not the least of which being the number of off-campus social gatherings and concomitant safety hazards.
We hope that while the window for response to the SGA's initiatives may be closing as the term winds down, the current problem of a lack of responses should not put an end to this canvassing effort. Perhaps a renewed effort and a rethinking of the survey will yield the desired results if not this semester, then perhaps next. The key is not to stop at this one obstacle. The Middlebury experience will improve for all students by proceeding with this survey.

Compassion, Learning Erode Powerlessness and Isolation

The war in Iraq inspires innumerable emotions, with powerlessness being a primary feeling. We are mere spectators in this war, second-guessing Pentagon plans and watching televised explosions rock Baghdad. Unless we witness terror attacks on American soil, we remain somehow aloof. In addition, going to college in Vermont provides a layer of insulation from this crisis and from anxieties over terrorism that rankle in larger cities.

As this page has called for education and dialogue to make the experience of this war one steeped in debate, we also applaud the efforts to stem the problem of isolation and powerlessness felt as the war unfolds. The Student Government Association's Tuesday lunch meetings are a welcome response. This week we see the efforts by Krista Siringo, Associate Director for Career Development and Counseling, and Chaplain Laurie Jordan to create a fundraising drive for American troops and humanitarian causes. This weekend's ISO Symposium will be another venue for learning with discussion on homeland security and its estranged relation to civil liberties.

These several events and efforts make the war immediate and the learning experience tangible. Furthermore, the demonstration of compassion forged by Krista Siringo and Laurie Jordan should be met with broad support by all members of the community. Our concern for those whose lives are so severely impacted by the conflict in Iraq can be expressed through the grace of Middlebury College's compassion and generosity.