Skeptical Sisson Final thoughts for Middlebury

Author: Douglas Sisson

"You must really hate Middlebury." A random Middlebury student, who has read a few of my columns, said this to me as I was taking a breather from salsa dancing in the Spanish house. This is not the case. After all, at one point in my career here at the College I attended an informational meeting hosted by the admissions office - with free pizza. If I recall correctly, the note I received in my mailbox read: "Do you love Middlebury? If so, become an admissions tour guide!" A first-year at the time, I proudly attended the meeting - for five minutes - ate my pizza and left after discovering that tour guides don't get paid.

I'm no longer a first-year student looking for a job. I am days away from my February graduation and struggling to find the motivation to write my last column and finish an independent project. I can't help but dubiously stare at the tents surrounding Battell Beach as I avoid freezing to death on what are now my final visits to Middlebury's various dining halls. After being a student for what feels like forever, aside from being poor after graduation, it's only natural to be skeptical about the future of the College.

As a College I feel that we need to show more love and appreciation for our professors, faculty and staff. This is immediately remedied by increasing their salaries. In addition, the drama surrounding Laurie Essig's recent termination of contract needs to be resolved before further splitting of an already subdivided College community continues. I challenge President Liebowitz to reconsider the implications of firing radical professors whose opinions deviate from the prescribed norm. Outspoken professors like Laurie Essig serve as mentors to students like me trying to find healthy ways to question Middlebury's authority.

Given that this is my last column I'd like to share with the community that my previous skepticism with regard to the acquisition of the Monterey Institute of International Studies has shifted. Middlebury College as a brand will thrive with continued advancement in the field of international studies and languages. However, the strength of student protest in response to the unneeded change in our official college logo - partially in response to acquiring the Monterey Institute - should be carefully noted. The College Web site remains void of a logo and I strongly urge Middlebury's administration to avoid implementing anything reminiscent of a logo that could be used by an East Coast ski resort.

The future of Middlebury College is only as good as its leaders. I'm concerned that while President Liebowitz is a seasoned fundraiser, he lacks popular support among students and young alumni. Holding regular office hours is admirable and students have witnessed change on his behalf. However, as someone about to graduate, I feel that President Liebowitz should seriously reconsider how current students socially perceive him. How to go about doing this - if at all - is beyond my expertise. Of course, more snow days and free beer at Pub Night might be a good place to start.

The Middlebury Initiative takes off next month in San Francisco - my post-graduate destination - and the College hopes to raise $500 million so that new opportunities are available for future generations of MiddKids. And yet, I like to believe that there is more to Middlebury College then the size of its endowment. It is my fear that in the quest for financial gain, power and international notoriety, Middlebury College will be forced to sacrifice the essence that once made my soon to be alma mater unique. Now that I think about it, it's probably a good thing that tour guides at Middlebury work for free.

Douglas Sisson '07.5 is an International Studies/ Latin America major from Oak Brook, Ill.