Letters to the Editor

Author: [no author name found]

To the Editor:

The bulk of coverage given to Alpha Delta Phi's violation in the Dec. 1 edition of The Middlebury Campus gave an accurate description of what happened. Nonetheless, classifying the event as a large party is incorrect. Fourteen cases of beer for a team with over 70 members is not an excessive amount of alcohol. Furthermore, there was no "cover-up" as the editorial alleges, and words like "alibi" imply a degree of guilt that we do not deserve. The event held in the Prescott basement, in our minds, was genuinely separate from ADP's pledge; in fact, a meeting for pledges took place upstairs while the football event occurred downstairs.

I concede that allowing others to hold this event was imprudent, and a violation of the rules, but a broader issue is at stake here. The unfair portrayal of the social houses damages the College's social scene and jeopardizes the quality of campus living.

The IHC guidelines are important to ensure the efficacy of the pledge process and I object to suggestions that our violation included forced drinking or other forms of hazing. ADP is not a scourge on Middlebury College. By demonizing us (through speculation and the downright misrepresentation of fact) you promote off-campus parties and subsequently drunk driving. Perhaps this is all indicative of larger problems with the pledge process. Maybe it's not. Regardless, we should be able to hold the social houses accountable for mistakes without vilifying a group of students who shoulder a large portion of the responsibility for social programming.

Sincerely,

Alex Stanton '07 Treasurer of ADP IHC Senator
To the Editor:
As a frequent patron and supporter of the performing arts at Middlebury College, I wanted to extend my congratulations to the cast and crew of this fall's Middlebury College Musical Players' production of "Little Shop of Horrors." The review of the show in the Nov. 17 issue failed to acknowledge several stellar performances that I, as well as a number of other members of the Middlebury College community, feel undeniably deserved recognition. Firstly, absent from the review was any mention of the superlative performance of Pauley Tedoff '06 in the lead role of Audrey. Ms. Tedoff's endearing portrayal of the self-conscious and vulnerable "damsel in distress", combined with her sweet, expressive mezzo-soprano voice, effectively won the audience's laughter, as well as its sympathy. Furthermore, the professional performance given by the pit orchestra, skillfully conducted by Dan Donnelly '06, was by far one of the most impressive aspects of the show. Lastly, Katie Polebaum '07 merits praise for the creativity and innovation she displayed in her original design and construction of the several man-eating plant puppets. Producing an entirely student-run production of this caliber is truly an accomplishment. Hats off to everyone who was involved!

Sincerely,
Jill Sumner,
Rutland, VT