Editorial Lecture season needs the right space

Author: [no author name found]

The campus is in the midst of an idyllic stretch from fall family weekend through homecoming. This weekend students will enjoy the blissful ignorance that only fall recess can provide. And what a fall it has been. The campus has been blessed with more than just beautiful Saturdays; there has been an A-list parade of eminently qualified and intellectually stimulating lecturers. It is just as commonplace to see a New York Times bestselling author on the "Events at Middlebury" card at your dining hall table as a it is to see a bowl of granola (which has been terrific this year).

Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, spoke about muckraking and social activism in September. Former Congressman Mickey Edwards lamented the fall of conservatism, and on Friday, US News and World Report's Robert Schlesinger '94, passed on stories of presidential speechwriters. The faculty has gotten in on the act too, with the Economics department providing a popular primer on the global financial crisis. Coming up, there is a highly anticipated symposium on food issues, which will garner plenty of interest, as well as talks with both of the gubernatorial candidates and Congressman Peter Welch.

What has been even more pleasant to see is the student reaction to the speaking lineup. One can hardly spot a drowsy eye, as students are excited, engaged, and eager to interact with these thinkers. But the ideal of a perfect lecture, in which a speaker addresses a capacity crowd and answers provocative questions while the organizer nervously glances at her watch because the questions just will not end, has not been realized. The reason, there has been too much student interest in the lectures.

Overflow crowds at Dana Auditorium have forced attendees out of seats into aisles, hallways, the stage, or worst of all, shut out completely. This happened with both the Schlosser and economics lectures. The Robert A. Jones '59 house, another go-to locale, has been similarly afflicted with lines for admission that slow the proceedings, cutting into the lecture period. Its limited capacity deterred guests, including - gasp - faculty, at last Friday's Schlesinger address.

In order to solve this seemingly minor hindrance, we urge event organizers to be more creative, and for the administration to make the options more flexible. The quest for the perfect space has been ending prematurely at Dana, which is insufficient because students are being locked out. Why haven't the events with large expected turnouts been held at Mead Chapel? The hallowed hall may seem imposing, but it has the necessary capacity. In addition, other spaces on campus are underutilized. Such as the stage at the Mahaney Center for the Arts, or even the dining halls, which are now equipped with rolling tables for this exact reason. It may be late in the season, but the student body would enjoy an outdoor lecture as well.

There are plans in the works. The McCullough renovation plans call for the Social Space to be returned to its original 1911 dimensions, which would increase its capacity to over 400.

It is a stated goal of the College to provide these arenas for intellectual discourse. The eighteenth point of the Strategic Plan advocates making available a rich program of lectures, panel discussions, and symposia; so far this fall the department chairs, commons heads and organizational leaders on campus are fulfilling their end of the bargain. It is time for the College's infrastructure to do so as well.