“I rarely go anywhere without my camera because I enjoy photo-documenting my life,” said Vincent A. Jones IV, one of the most eccentric members of the Class of 2012.
“I’m regarded as quite a prominent Facebook personality. I have over 2,300 friends, 200 well-composed profile pictures from my countless self-conducted photo shoots, and over 100 vibrant photo albums,” explained Jones with a grin of accomplishment as we began what was to be an hour of detailed anecdotes and meticulously crafted statements.
Like a celebrity bracing for a media backlash, Jones immediately defended his penchant for self-pics, stating, “Let me be clear — my photo shoots are not rooted in narcissism. Modern technology improves access and opportunity for so many people; where photography and sound recording were once reserved for a chosen few, now anyone can lay down and edit a track, record a video and have more facile access to high quality cameras.”
When asked to disclose an estimate of how many photographs he had on his computer, Jones didn’t hesitate, responding, “My photo library currently stands at 30,000 photographs, with 3,500 of those being pictures of myself.”
In attempt to better understand the man behind this social networking phenomenon, I asked Jones about his life before Middlebury.
“I hail from the San Francisco Bay area of California — Newark, to be exact,” he said. “I was probably one of the most well-known students on campus in high school due to my work with the California Association of Student Councils where I would host leadership conferences all over the state. At the height of my involvement, I was on a plane twice a month.”
When it came to choosing a college, Jones had to make a decision between the sunny campus of UC-Berkeley and our isolated Northeastern institution.
“I was arrested by the fall foliage and distinct sense of community during my first visit to the College through the Discover Middlebury Program,” said Jones. “Middlebury professors are very engaged and are interested in the overall student. They cultivate the total person.”
The decision to move all the way across the country initially worried and confused his family, but Jones noted, “I’m here after tears and mediation, and I’m thriving as a first-generation college student.”
Demonstrating his immense appreciation for the Vermont school, Jones loves to get people excited about applying to Middlebury.
“I already have my class ring!” exclaimed Jones. “I work as both a multicultural recruitment intern at the Office of Admissions and as a campus tour guide. To demonstrate the wonderful acoustics of the concert hall at the Mahaney Center for the Arts, I typically serenade my tour group with whatever comes to mind from ‘Danny Boy’ to ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight.’” Hearing my surprised laugh, Jones went on to say, “I’m a countertenor and I just recently hit the highest C on the piano.”
Delving further into his involvement on campus, Jones expanded on his work within admissions, saying, “Middlebury is a place where I matter, a place where I can actively contribute to the community.”
Before we could move to the next topic, Jones, like an idealistic politician, continued, “I feel that it is my duty to advance public good, promote common interests, and extend benevolence to all — to have a profound impact on my classmates.”
Included in his quest for a closer Middlebury community is Jones’ work to encourage multiculturalism on campus as both the R.A. of PALANA and the house’s resident Leadership Development Coordinator.
“I take great joy in cultivating leadership in my peers, and help them create projects to promote multiculturalism,” said Jones. “My current PALANA initiative is to bring the Dartmouth Gospel Choir to Middlebury in order to expose students to a new culture through a community building event. The ripples of this endeavor will be felt both locally and internationally.”
The help of Jones not only affects those of us on campus, but this active student also remains in close contact with his California roots through a personal newsletter.
“This publication is known as the Vincent Jones Newsletter, which is distributed to friends and family, my church congregation, company executives and potential future sponsors,” explained Jones. “The newsletter typically quantifies my acts of virtue and informs readers of my progress.”
Jones went on to explain that his eponymous newsletter is also intended to inspire youth to pursue higher education, saying, “I bear in mind those who do not have the knowledge or salience about the path towards higher education.”
As the interview wore down, it was clear that Jones is a man who lives a well-documented life with a passion for the arts and multicultural projects. Within this hour I learned a great deal about Jones, from the cover album of favorite songs he is currently recording to his insatiable obsession with Ethiopian cuisine.
My final conclusion: Vincent A. Jones IV is ready for Middlebury, but are we ready for him?
Campus Character: Vincent A. Jones IV '12
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