Letters to the Editor

Author: [no author name found]

To the Editor:

I would like to thank your columnist James O'Brien for looking into the dating scene here at Middlebury and sharing his observations. I thoroughly enjoyed his piece, especially his reference to the Love & Condoms Department of the Health Center - what a lovely new moniker for us. I agree that we spent a lot of time last year promoting dating and safer sex but I would hate for the student body to think that is all we are up to. We offer a wide array of programming on such topics as high-risk drinking, sexual assault prevention, smoking cessation, eating disorders, and wellness education, which includes nutrition, stress management and staying safe over spring break. Our next big event in National Gordie Day on Oct. 21 and 22 when we will present the documentary HAZE and a lecture from Travis Apgar, a Dean at Cornell who was hazed when he joined his college football team.

I do admit that my office has a penchant for promoting dating and romance. But my office tries to help students get over their anxiety of getting together in the hopes that someday students will all be having better intimate relationships. We also provide students with a way to take risks and reveal their many hidden talents without involving alcohol or drugs.

Our office will continue to come up with bigger and better ways to combat student anonymity and social anxiety. So I say to James and the campus, "Hold on to your hat, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Sincerely,

Jyoti Daniere

Director, Health and Wellness Education