the ethicist

Author: Amanda Greene

The idea behind Middlebury Confessional is intriguing. The Web site is a place for students to voice their concerns without fear of embarrassment or judgment. All postings are anonymous, so students don't have to worry about how they appear. Middlebury Confessional is an open forum. Students can rant. They can pour their hearts out. They can lie. They can joke.

Is this constructive? If the idea behind the Web site was to get students to talk about taboo subjects, and to open up about things that had been plaguing their consciences, then the answer is yes. I think it's helpful when a student realizes that others feel alone, insecure and overwhelmed by social pressures. It's good when individuals talk about eating disorders and a sense of camaraderie develops. The girls who are talking about being raped and their inability to go public with what happened shows Middlebury students that sexual assault is a problem that needs to be addressed on campus. In short, Middlebury Confessional is great when students talk about serious concerns and when it helps unearth many of the painful issues that affect college students.

Yet, this is not how the Web site is being used. Do we seriously need a forum to talk about the hottest girl on campus or the "biggest mess (person)" on campus? Questions that elicit responses pertaining to specific individuals are juvenile and turn a forum that could be constructive and inspirational into a middle school gossip fest. The fact that Middlebury students feel the need to put their peers down on an anonymous website suggests that many of us are insecure, and that we prefer to bash our peers instead of being part of a small, interconnected community. How do you think the people feel whose names are next to the question "hot or not?" What has happened to our sense of empathy?

The way students are using Middlebury Confessional reflects poorly on our community. Many of the comments make Middlebury students look judgmental, self-centered and shallow. The postings on the Web site are not necessarily true. Anyone can post whatever they want, about whoever they want. Rumors are being read as the truth. Posting negative comments on the site is not unethical - it's immature. Students are entitled to their own opinions, it's just unfortunate when a Web site encourages students to relentlessly post every negative and hurtful thought they have. I hope that the fad dies down over the summer and that when Middlebury students return for the fall, that we are ready to engage in more positive dialogues and that our actions display some of the maturity that got us into Midd in the first place.



And now for this week's question:



Q: I love the end of the year, after senior week when graduating students get rid of all the appliances and clothing that they have accumulated throughout their time at Middlebury. I have so much fun scavenging through piles and have received fridges, T-shirts and posters through this exchange. I wonder, though, if the clothing and items should be going to students and/or community members who need them more than I do. At the end of the day, I could afford to buy all of the things that I'm acquiring. Is my behavior unethical?

­- Successful Scavenger



A: No, your behavior is not unethical. The boxes at the end of the year are available to everyone who wants to peruse their contents. If the College wanted to ensure that graduating seniors' items were distributed on a needs basis then it would have to implement a different system. If you feel uncomfortable taking items that you do not need, then you are free to leave them behind, but as it stands, nothing prohibits you from getting that wonderful lava lamp from outside Ross.