notes from the desk Small stuff could improve campus life

Author: Anthony Adragna

In an effort to make Middlebury a global brand, through the endowment campaign and other initiatives, the College has lost interest in maintaining the smaller aspects of student life.

By this I don't mean the larger decisions made by Dean of The College Tim Spears like the chocolate bar and the decision to build a bridge. Instead, I mean the loss of funds to smaller but important aspects of student life such as the ones below.

1. The loss of juice in the dining halls - We were told at the start of the year that this service, which was loved and craved by many, was cut because of budget concerns. The decision has angered and annoyed many students, and is easily fixable by spending a little extra money on dining.

2. No funding for the Ross Gym - Students from across campus have looked to the small gym in Ross as a haven on cold winter days that prevented them from having to trek across campus. However, after receiving no funding for repairs or new equipment only one machine works. Students were told to approach the Commons Council, which has never been forced to spend money on similar problems before.

3. Chipped paint jobs in Forest - The building seems like it has not enjoyed a good paint job in the last 20 years or so. Aesthetically it looks horrible and a couple of buckets of good paint would improve the appearance of the building.

4. The cuts to the office and CRA budget - CRAs have resorted to not baking as often for students because their baking budgets were sliced. Commons coordinators are scrambling to find funds to buy candy, which keeps students coming into their offices. A couple of hundred more dollars between the two would keep every sweet tooth in every commons satisfied.

5. Bad heating units - Many rooms suffer from uneven or no reliable heating units. While the units do in theory work, meaning that maintenance cannot or will not fix them, students suffer because they do not work well. Many buildings need replacements badly and the College should want to provide them.

6. No wireless - Its been promised for at least three years and never seems to get closer to completion. Most of our peers have it. It's not that expensive to install. No brainer?

7. Administration presence - Most students have not seen President of the College Ronald Liebowitz or Spears at any event this year. Former President John McCardell taught a class and made frequent visits to dining halls during his presidency. Superficial open office hours don't make a presence or build any relationships with students.

I wish this list was hard to compile but it was not. These small things matter. It does not take much of a financial investment to fix these problems but the administration has not shown any sign of listening to student concerns.

They should. Providing students with the best possible life while here may increase their likelihood of giving the school a 'sweeter' reward later in life.

Anthony Adragna '10 is a News Editor from Bethesda, Md.