MiddView Offers Fresh Perspective

Author: Roz Vara

For more than 20 years incoming first-year students at the College had the opportunity to attend Middlebury Outdoor Orientation (fondly known as MOO), a unique pre-orientation program during which students took part in three days of hiking, biking, canoeing or climbing around Vermont. This fall marked the rebirth of MOO as members of the class of 2012 took part in the debut of the new and improved MOO: Middlebury Volunteer Initiatives, Explorations and Wilderness (MiddView).

"It's great to see the way the program has grown over the years to include more and more students doing so many different things out in the community," said student organizer Nate Randall '08. "When I was a first-year, I missed out on the experience because the groups filled up so quickly and there were fewer to choose from."

Not this year. MOO trips in the past had only accepted a limited number of students, but this time around nearly 400 first-years split up into 51 groups took part in the pre-orientation activities.

Jen Katz '09 co-led a new MiddView trip titled "Architecture and the Environment." Her group stayed at the Yestermorrow Design Build School in Warren, Vt., where students had the opportunity to "see a bunch of local houses with really unique, eclectic and sustainable designs."

Katz, who participated in MOO as a freshman, thought it was necessary that the College adopt a new orientation program that would attract not only students who are interested in the outdoors but those who express other interests, like the local music scene, meditation or green design.

Maggie Smith '09, who led a Stark level backpacking trip, also believes the new MiddView provides first-years with the unique opportunity to familiarize themselves with upperclassmen and with the College in general, prior to the start of classes.

"I think it's an awesome opportunity for any freshman to have that smooth transition into their first few weeks of college by getting to know a small group of peers," said Smith.

Smith also noted that first-years can benefit from "receiving advice from and becoming friends with upperclassmen," as well as by "becoming familiar with their rich surroundings here in Vermont, whether that be hiking in the Greens or over in the 'Dacks, checking out the local music scene up in Burlington or volunteering with little kids in a local elementary school.

Katz believes that her MOO experience was integral in helping her settle into her first year at Middlebury.

"I was a MOOer my first year and loved the experience," said Katz. Although the people you meet on your MOO or MiddView trip might not be your BFFs it definitely eases the orientation process to have a few new friends to call to meet for dinner or to see and say hi to."

Brittany Perfetti '12 took part in a MiddView trip that studied meditation and the practices of Shambhala Buddhist tradition. While she was a bit hesitant at first, Perfetti quickly made connections with her classmates.

"I truly bonded with my group of about 20," said Perfetti, "We had many deep conversations. As a result of meditating with each other we were very willing to share ourselves with each other and form a unique experience together."

And as for the leadership? After a summer of hard work, the MiddView was a success. Over 120 upperclassmen participated in the event. Indeed, for student organizer Tamara Hilmes '10, the final slideshow really hit home.

"I knew that every late night spent working furiously in the MiddView office, every jammed paper that I had to manually tear out of the printer, and every twinge of carpal tunnel that crept up through my wrist due to too much typing this summer was absolutely and completely, 100% worth it," she said.