Editorial Keep standards current

Author: [no author name found]

Over the next few months, Middlebury College's new task force will work to develop a comprehensive strategic plan. Members of the task force will assess and make recommendations on ways to enhance every aspect of life here on campus, from facilities to academics to student body to - wait, student body?

If the entire student body is going to be examined under a microscope (live slides please, no stains), it is important that the planning committee consider the following before making any sort of judgment call on the human capital that currently provides the College with a reason for staying in business.

You chose us. The students that make up the current student body were chosen for our academic records, accomplishments or achievements in high school, our talents, our interests, our hobbies, the individual qualities that make us who we are. You saw the potential in all of us. Let the desire for enhanced human capital not be a departure from the current student body but instead be a reflection of the innumerable personas that are here.

We are still here. This might be obvious considering that current students are the ones you run into on the paths every day, but to us this recognition is not always apparent. Specific examples: The Middlebury College Web site that is blatantly geared towards the prospective student - and is awkward for anyone on-campus to navigate. The brand new facilities and the phrase that accompanies every opening, "This new building will attract more people to Middlebury College." While prospectives gape at the wonder that is the new library, bear in mind that part of what they are gaping at is the fact that almost every seat is filled by a current student studying hard.

We make ourselves busy. Tour guides like to say to their audience that, "There's so much to do at Middlebury!" This must not be turned into a negative. Yes, a large portion of Middlebury students fills their schedules with activities, meetings, intramurals, rehearsals, anything and everything. It likely appears that at fast-paced Club Midd students do not take advantage of the "intellectual life and intellectual community," however this is not the case. The intellectual community is what we interact with on a day-to-day basis, in the classroom or in the rehearsal hall. It is about lifestyle choices, those who choose quiet and solitude to contemplate the lessons learned throughout the day are given the freedom to make that choice, as are those who choose to unwind from the rigors of the classroom by playing frisbee. While devotion to extracurricular activities might have negative effects on academics, that is the choice that that individual student makes, and undoubtedly that choice will have a positive influence on the student's overall college experience. Remember too, despite - or in spite of - the plethora of activities, Middlebury College is one of the most academically rigorous institutions in the nation. Those who will be evaluating the human capital on this campus should be impressed that Midd-kids are able to do all that we devote our time to.

Variety is better. As you search out for the perfect "pointed" student to add to the Middlebury College student roster, remember to maintain the diversity found in the well-rounded student body. It will be wonderful to see students recruited for qualities other than stellar athletic prowess - a concert oboist, a published author, an inventor for instance - and these "pointy" students will definitely add to the mix. But keep your eyes wide open to the potential Midd-kid that happens to be square, oblong or hexagonal. One of the best things about Middlebury now is that you never know who you will run into and what new ideas you will be introduced to as a result of that chance encounter.

Finally, those who make these assessments should take care to not base them on assumptions made about the student body. Instead, interact with those who make up the Middlebury student body. Get to know us on a personal level. Find out what we are interested in. Learn what our opinions are about our Middlebury experience. Learn about us, the current human capital.