op-ed Pending closure of The Mill a disgrace

Author: Jordan Nassar

Fashion can wait this week, there are more important things to be discussed - and at the top of that list is the College's support of the segregation of this campus.

Allow me to start from the beginning.

Tuesday night, Jan. 8, 2008, at the Inter-House Council (IHC) meeting, The Mill was voted out of their house by their peers, under supervision of Doug Adams and Tim Spears. This is all due to alleged fire violations, but these were individual violations - yet, the entire organization is being punished. I would have assumed Middlebury would be above corporal punishment, but I guess not.

While I do believe that the individual members should be punished for their individual violations, the spring semester without a house seems to be the convenient and pointed solution on the College's part. Moreover, the prospect of the permanent loss of the house and the disbanding of the membership is not only absurd, but prejudiced.

The IHC alluded in the meeting to the "culture of the house," allegedly referring to fire violations made by its residents - but were Doug Adams to go into any of the other social houses or any dorm on campus, he would find similar violations.

I believe that the "culture" they refer to is more literal. Perhaps it refers to The Mill's large international membership? Or is it The Mill's large homosexual membership? In light of last year's anti-gay vandalism, I would hope that a haven would be welcome on this campus.

This is what The Mill is - a social organization that welcomes and makes comfortable international, minority and homosexual students. Unfortunately for Middlebury College, there are still racial and gender issues on our campus - but fortunately The Mill exists. The members feel it is the only place that accepts them. It remains a place where - unlike all other social houses - anyone who is interested can and will become a member.

It remains a place where many nationalities and languages are not only present, but celebrated - and not as a language house, special interest house nor a club - but as an extended group of friends.

It is appalling that the student representatives of KDR, Delta, Tavern and Xenia would want to dissolve a fellow social house and displace many students interested in the social house system, but who feel unwelcome anywhere but The Mill. It is disgusting and unacceptable that the other social houses would not only vote against The Mill, but suggest this punishment, which, for the record, was not suggested by the College administration. I have no idea what would prompt other social houses to do this to The Mill.

Jordan Nassar '07.5 is from New York, N.Y. and a member of The Mill.