OP-ED Community change begins with us

Author: Bobby-Joe Smith and Rebecca Harper

This year, the Community Council will decide whether or not to implement a "Statement of Community Principles" to be upheld by all members of the Middlebury College community. The statement, which has been in the works since September of 2007, has been created by the Community Values Working Group to increase student understanding and to promote ownership of a core set of community values expressed in greater detail in the Middlebury College handbook.

The Community Values Working Group, comprised of a small group of Student Life staff, convened last year to discuss how to address the ongoing trend of student behavior violating a number of Middlebury's core values. Incidents such as the inappropriate and disrespectful treatment of dining hall staff, anti-gay graffiti, unsafe and disruptive behavior under the influence of alcohol and concerns over cheating seriously jeopardizes the safety and well-being of the campus community as a whole.

To make matters worse, there seems to be an overall reluctance and apparent inability of students and other members of the community to work through interpersonal/community problems directly with one another, without having to involve some type of judicial action. The intention of the statement is not to impose any additional rules upon the student body not already enforced in the College handbook, but rather to promote individual responsibility with the hope of creating an environment where members of the College community hold each other mutually accountable to the decisions they make.

By reinforcing students' abilities to solve their own problems and take responsibility for their actions in an informal setting, the statement will allow us to prevent situations from escalating to the point where the well being of the community is at risk.

So far, there has been considerable support from members of the administration, Community Council and the SGA. The discussion is focused upon the exact wording of the statement and how it should be implemented.

While the acknowledgement of something like a statement of community principles will undoubtedly possess symbolic value for the College, its success or failure will ultimately depend on us. As a group, therefore, we are presented with a choice. Will we accept our responsibility in the community to take care of ourselves and others, or not? As members of a diverse community, we should recognize that we are obligated and expected to behave a certain way - with honesty, integrity and respect. It is time for each of us to step up and do our part to better ourselves and our community. We hope that this statement will inspire the community to come together to create a safer, healthier environment for all its members, so that we can each walk away from our time here at Middlebury with the positive experience we deserve.

Regardless of the fate of the Community Principles Statement, Becky and I have decided to stand behind the sentiment from which this statement was created. We recognize that a change needs to be made, and it starts by a commitment from each of us. Will you join us?