Letters to the Editor

Author: [no author name found]

To the Editor:

On behalf of the students enrolled in the J-term course, Building the Climate Movement, I'd like to thank many members of our campus community who contributed to the success of the recent conference "What Works? "Building Strategies for the New Climate Movement." So many colleagues in catering, facilities management, scheduling, Information and Technology Services and many other campus offices, took the lead to assure that this complicated event came off so successfully. I can personally attest that the visiting conference participants - many from similar institutions -- were extremely impressed by the level of excellence displayed by so many people on the campus.


We also thank the leaders on this campus and from elsewhere who so generously funded the conference, from the BPB Foundation, The Christian A. Johnson Foundation, The Mellon Foundation, The Schumann Foundation, Seventh Generation, the Vermont Campus Compact and the following contributors from Middlebury College: The Ada Howe Kent Fund; The Alliance for Civic Engagement; The Charles P. Scott Spiritual and Religious Life Center; The Office of Environmental Affairs; The Program in Environmental Studies; The Pooled Enrichment Fund; and The Rohatyn Center for International Affairs. And American Flatbread and Clif Bar generously supplied delicious food!

Sincerely,
Jon Isham
Assistant Professor of
Economics


To the Editor:

This week a representative from the United States Marine Corps came to Middlebury College for recruitment purposes. The Marines, as with all branches of the United States Military, directly discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation via their "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. This standard is in violation of Middlebury's employer recruitment non-discrimination policy, which prohibits employers visiting Middlebury to select against applicants "on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, marital status, place of birth, service in the armed forces of the United States or against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability." The Marines were able to bypass this restriction due to a loophole that allows for a recruiter who is unable to meet Middlebury's requirement to hold a widely publicized meeting at which they justify and defend their reasons for discrimination.

We strongly object to this aspect of the policy as it weakens Middlebury's commitment to non-discrimination. As it stands, it would be hypothetically possible for any employer with a policy of discrimination to recruit on campus after the minor deterrence of holding a meeting. The current standard that is failing to protect GLBTQ students would potentially be just as ineffective at protecting African-American, Jewish or international students.

Middlebury certainly is on the right track with its current policy regarding recruitment. It is now time for the College to strengthen this policy by eliminating the opt-out clause for employers with discriminatory policies, and in doing so maintain Middlebury's voice as a leader in progressive social policy.
Sincerely,
Katie Harrold '06
Craig Johnson '05
Members of moqa