Middbriefs

Author: Thomas Phillips

Mystery lock changes greet returning students

After coming back from Fall Break, multiple Middlebury students in Ross Commons were unable to enter their rooms due to a lock change by Public Safety.

Posted on the students' dorm room doors was an orange sheet, which notified students that a lock change had occurred. No explanation was provided on the sheet, nor was Public Safety able to give a reason for the change. A number of students from the fifth floor of Kelly Hall were among those inconvenienced by the lock adjustment.

"A few lock changes were done because the keys had not been returned by the students in the Language Schools," said Director of Public Safety Lisa Boudah. "There were some other changes that were a result of recently lost keys and recently stolen keys."

However, many students were not notified beforehand that their locks would be changed. "I came back from Fall Break and couldn't open the door anymore," said Masha Jafarian '08.5. When she called Public Safety, said that she was told "there was no record of the change in the computers" and that they "didn't know why" the change had occurred.

Eric Muther '08.5 found it a "bummer" to return to a locked room and the orange notice. He said Public Safety had "made it seem like the lock wasn't working, so they fixed it for us." However, Muther mentioned that this was not the case for himself or for any of his friends that experienced the same bizarre lock change.


Roosevelt Institution discusses diversity at Yale

Six Middlebury students involved in the Roosevelt Insitution, a progressive student-run political think tank, participated in a conference on diversity in higher education over the weekend of Oct. 6 at Yale University. Abigail Blum '08.5, Tarsi Dunlop '09, Jamie Fallon '09, Daniela Fiedler '09, ReNard Rogers '07 and Jessie Singleton '08.5 met with politicians, government officials and university presidents from across the country to discuss "A Seat at the Table: Socioeconomic Diversity and Access to Selective Colleges and Universities."

A Yale student's thesis regarding the University's admissions policies created the initiative for the conference. The student wrote that, though Yale was the first college to have a need-blind admissions policy, there remain too many constraints for low-income students.

"Higher education institutions can play a large role by integrating themselves more deeply into the recruitment process and making sure their descriptions of financial aid are both extensive and as straight forward as possible," said Dunlop. "Our desire to increase awareness through becoming informed ourselves will provide a solid block upon which to begin addressing this critical issue for our youths' futures."
On Saturday, students and adults alike participated in discussions and debates about the issue. Among those present were Yale Dean of Admissions Jeff Brenzel, Congressman Chaka Fatta and Amherst College President Anthony Marx.

The Center on Domestic Affairs, a branch of the Roosevelt Institution, and Rogers, who is conducting an independent project on ways to sustain a diverse infrastructure at the College, will continue to develop policy that the College can use to promote an increased presence of low-income students in higher education.

"The fact of the matter is that Middlebury would benefit from changes in our policies that look great on paper but aren't realistic options for lower-income students."


Alumni reunite for a weekend of sports, music

Beginning on Friday, Oct. 20, Middlebury College held its annual Homecoming celebrations. Festivities carried on throughout the weekend, as students, faculty and alumni convened to participate in a wide array of College events.
Many of the activities on campus included athletic events, social gatherings and career discussions. For sports, Middlebury's field hockey, football and soccer teams hosted the visiting teams from Bates College. Noteworthy social events included the Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble Dance Party, the MCAB Casino Royale and the Black Pearl Ball. A networking gathering was hosted by local bar Mr. Ups for seniors and alumni to make business connections. In addition to alumni offering students advice, the Career Service Office hosted several conferences, including a Kaiser Associates Employer Information Session and a visit from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. There was also a panel discussion featuring Teach for America alumni.

Homecoming Weekend also played host to a pre-reunion gathering for members of the Class of 1967 and allowed alumni to see the changes that the College has undergone since their departure, such as the recently built New Library and McCardell Bicentennial Hall.