Carnival reinstatment plans pursued

Author: Adam Dede

Student Government Association (SGA) President Max Nardini '08 and Sophomore Senator Nicolas Sohl '10 are leading a Senate committee to reinstate the tradition of a Friday off from Winter Carnival weekend. Beginning in the 2008-09 school year, Winter Carnival will not include a day off from classes. Instead, the day off school will be moved to a Friday in the spring for a student research symposium.

The loss of the Carnival day off, centered around ski racing at the Middlebury College Snow Bowl, will most directly affect the ski team. Captain of the ski team Zeke Davisson '08 said that the loss of fans would be the biggest impact.

"Our fans are by far the best compared to any other school," Davisson said. "I think a lot of that is people coming up and cheering us on."

Davisson, despite saying that he could understand the College's reasons for moving the day off, is adamantly against the change.

"I don't think the answer is just to 'can' one of the most unique events at any New England school," Davisson said.

Dean of the College Tim Spears, who gave an interview on the subject, noted that the reason for the change is the slump in Carnival attendance over the last few years. He stated that the traditions of Winter Carnival have been lacking and that the weekend has degenerated from the celebration of winter and school community that it once was.

Nardini thinks the administration should address the drop in attendance more proactively.

"Eliminating the Friday off takes a defeatist position on Winter Carnival," Nardini said. "Without having adequately looked at how it could be bettered, it was simply given up on. I strongly disagree with that decision."

Nardini went on to state that the Carnival is an integral part of life at Middlebury. It is something that sets us apart, and it is our unique way of celebrating the season, according to Nardini.

"That recommendation [to move the day off to the spring] came out of the strategic planning process, and the thought was that by not having classes on that Friday of the student symposium the College would be able to build interest in the spring student symposium and student research," Spears said.

Spears also noted that the long-term goal is to have all students do some sort of senior work, and that the symposium is a way to help reach that goal. When asked if he feels that the symposium will be better attended than the Carnival it replaces, Spears' response left the question unanswered.

"We hope to build a new tradition around the symposium," Spears said.

Nardini fears the knowledge that the symposium ended the extended weekend will lead students to avoid the event.

"I think knowing that this switch took place, students may be more inclined to not attend because of this." Nardini said.

On the issue of symposium attendance, Nardini noted that students who will not go on a Saturday are no more likely to go on a Friday off. He also said that he attended last year's symposium despite it being on a Friday with classes.

"I think the student research symposium was a lot of fun last year," said Nardini.

Both the administration and the SGA do agree though on the subject of alcohol use, and that the day off cannot be reinstated based only on student desire to throw parties.

The Senate discussed ideas to increase student enthusiasm in the Carnival, brainstorming ideas such as nighttime sledding on the golf course with hot chocolate, and a snow sculpture clinic on the Friday of the Carnival. Commons-based broomball and snowball tournaments were also suggested as good ideas for the weekend.

Most importantly, Nardini stressed better transportation between campus and the Snow Bowl as a means of attracting more students to the races.

"I think we need to provide more transportation to the ski races at the Snow Bowl," Nardini said.

To make the continuation of a Friday off for the carnival into a reality, the first step for the Senate committee will be to formulate a formal proposal and have it voted on by the Senate. After approving a proposal, Nardini hopes to go to the administration with it and convince them to change their minds for the 2009-2010 school year. Because of the way the College calendar is scheduled, next year's change cannot be amended.

When asked about the possibility of a formal Senate proposal Spears said, "that would be well received."