Letters to the Editor

Author: [no author name found]

To the Editor:

Since freshman year, one of my favorite weekly activities has been reading the Public Safety Log in The Campus. This short summary of petty crime illustrates that Midd-kids are creative, even in the thick of drunken debauchery - vandalized ceilings in public places, reports of nudity and the ever-popular "intoxicated person." One of my all-time favorites was an incident of vandalism involving Plexiglass and food. But the crime log has been less humorous recently. The incidents reported have surpassed the vaguely comical "urinating in public" to multiple accounts of theft. In this past week alone there were nine cases of theft reported, only two of which were recovered. Students were relieved of a cell phone, wallet, iPod and other "personal items." Even more shocking is that all but one case took place during daytime hours, rendering drunken accidents an unlikely culprit.

This trend makes me think back to last year when Midd students fought a mighty campaign against installing surveillance cameras in the dining halls. People voiced the opinion that security cameras would undermine the feeling of trust and community that we so treasure at Middlebury. It seems that sense of community might already be jeopardized. Without respect for other people and their belongings, the oh-so-inviting "extended Middlebury family" is nothing more than a fantasy of campus literature.

Sincerely,

Kylie Marks '07

Houston, Texas



To the Editor:

Led by my Google Alert on "Middlebury," I read The Middlebury Campus' story on the local judicial resolution of the Walker case [Walker ruling mixed bag for Midd, Nov. 17, 2005] and, frankly, I'm baffled because the alleged offenses are not described. Every crime reporter knows to toss in some tidbits to either inform or entertain the reader.

In my day (1962-66) "entering another student's room unauthorized" was so common that students didn't pay any attention, so I can only imagine the offense has to be something more serious. But what? Absent detail, the reader who comes upon this article might think Mr. Walker's case took place in the Deep South a century ago. Care to explain more to puzzled readers outside Middlebury?

Sincerely,

Alan Magary '66

San Francisco, Calif.