Feb celebration falls outside ICC

Author: Members of the ICC

To the Middlebury College Community:

Throughout the last semester, the Intercommons Council (ICC) has been discussing the future of the Commons and attempting to establish a line between what we feel is a Commons based initiative, and what is a general program aimed at the student body as a whole. There has been a considerable amount of dialogue, and while we are constantly refining our boundaries, we all believe that our purpose is to first provide worthwhile activities for the students in our Commons.

For the past month, we have been discussing Feb Celebration and the Feb Committee's request for funding from the ICC. Needless to say, this has not been an easy decision. After discussing the situation at length with the Feb Celebration Committee, it appears to us that Feb Celebration is not receiving adequate funding. Despite the fact that Middlebury College puts such a large emphasis on the Feb program throughout the admissions process and when new Febs arrive each spring, it seems as though the administration is unwilling to support this group of students financially as they prepare their Celebration. Since Febs comprise a significant portion of each graduating class, it seems to us that it is the administration's responsibility to fully fund an event that impacts such a large percentage of our student body. The College encourages Febs to take pride in their acceptance and come together as a group of 100 or so students and it does not seem right that they are forced to search for funding from various other organizations on campus. Furthermore, since Feb Celebration is clearly not a Commons-based initiative and will in no way further support each Commons community, the ICC does not feel that it is our responsibility to fund the $500 requested by the committee; however, we find ourselves in a difficult situation. We unanimously agree that Feb Celebration deserves adequate funding and strongly believe that some other organization, group, or office on campus should cover the funds requested by the Committee. Even though all Febs do have the opportunity to participate in May Graduation, Feb Celebration does mark the end of their four years here, and it is the responsibility of the administration to provide adequate funding and support for this event.

Again, the ICC's decision has not come easily and while we completely support the Feb Committee, we do not feel that it is the individual Commons' place to fund this program. Instead, we hope that some other campus organization will see the importance of this Celebration and provide the support necessary to make Feb Celebration a memorable weekend.