The Ethicist

Author: Amanda Greene

I have a feeling that there are going to be a lot of Sarah Palin's running around campus this Halloween. I'm also anticipating a few run-ins with different takes on Joe the Plumber and a couple abstract interpretations of the dismal economic state. I can't wait to see the costumes that Middlebury students conjure up, and the themed ensembles that groups tackle. Halloween is an amazing time for creative expression but it is also a holiday that prompts students to channel their inner werewolf and to act in ways that are sanctioned by the cover of night and by costumes.

Case and point: Dressing like a witch does not permit you to act like one. That risqué nurse costume does not grant you unquestioned access to your peer's bodies. Donning a Barack Obama mask does not make you a national celebrity. Halloween attire is a costume and its wear does not permit the wearer to abandon all codes of social propriety. Waking up the following morning next to a knight-in-shining armor who now looks like a disheveled boy in beer-drenched leggings is far from enticing.

My advice to costume wearers: be something sensible. Don't expect your costume to function as a disguise or act as "fabric courage" of sorts. A mask can hide your face, but it can't hide your personality. When the clock strikes midnight, Middlebury students don't turn into pumpkins, but we are reminded of the morning that awaits us and of the damage we will have to undue if Halloween inspires to act uncharacteristically.

And now for this week's question:

?Q: I am enrolled in a senior ENAM seminar. We have a round-table style discussion most classes and sit in such a way that every person can see everyone else. In a recent class one student sat with her boots on the table and slumped down in her chair. It looked like she was reading in her room rather than attending a class. When her turn to speak came, she remained with her boots on the table and failed to sit up straight. I found this to be incredibly disrespectful of her not only to the class but also especially to the professor! The professor did not comment on her behavior but avoided looking at her while she spoke and as he responded to her. Aren't we old enough to understand the basic tenets of respect for our professors, and am I right to be as outraged as I am by her disrespect?

- Annoyed- in- Axinn

A: Your frustration with your classmate is justified and is an appropriate reaction to her behavior. Middlebury College, as an institution of higher learning, is a school that individuals choose to attend. Your classmate is enrolled in Middlebury because she values her education, or understands the need for a bachelor's degree, and her actions disrespect the community that she is a part of. Her disregard for the professor, the material being taught and for her classmates creates an uncomfortable learning environment because her peers do not know how to respond to such blatantly disrespectful behavior. If you feel comfortable, I encourage you to offhandedly mention something to your classmate about her etiquette, or to emphasize your own behavior in a way that communicates your dissatisfaction.

Want to consult the ethicist? Send submissions to amgreene@middlebury.edu