Center of the Circle

One of the aspects of my newfound collegiate life that I most clearly remember describing excitedly to my parents on the phone my first week at Middlebury was that I had discovered that my childhood differed from my classmates’. For all of you who hail from “just outside of Boston” or one of the popular New England prep schools, this reaction may not have been so strong, but you may have felt the result of my realization all the same: after moving away from your hometown, you possess a sudden sense of pride in and connection to that place that you were so eager to leave.

Don’t get me wrong; I was happy to escape Canton, Ohio, and apparently, almost everyone else there wants to do the same. Over the past 15 years, Canton has experienced an exodus, with a net population loss every year. Still, when Forbes.com ranked Canton as the ninth most miserable city in the United States on Feb. 18, my heart went out to the place that, for a long time, was home. Four other Ohio cities rounded out the list of 20: Youngstown, Akron, Toledo … and Cleveland was number one! Upon reading the rankings, I began to question how I came to be at Middlebury. How could the Buckeye State possibly have prepared me for an elite NESCAC school? But then, I took a moment to consider the value of my life before Middlebury. In doing so, I have compiled a short (keep in mind, only 18 percent of Cantonians have a college degree) list of Ohio, and specifically Canton, characteristics that Middlebury lacks. Don’t be afraid to embrace a little Midwestern flair.

1. School spirit. No, the plethora of navy Middlebury hoodies dotting the sidewalks doesn’t count. I miss the Friday high school pep rallies in which students, regardless of their athletic affiliation, donned obscene amounts of purple and gold and yelled and sang cheers together. Believe it or not, coordinated face paint and feather boas can create an indestructible community bond.

2. A coffee shop culture. Canton may not be a cultural mecca, but its teenage residents love nothing more than caffeinated conversation. With little else to do, we would sit around for hours sipping Starbucks and sharing stories. All judgments about Starbucks aside, these extensive hangout sessions fostered closer friendships and more meaningful, open debate than our frantic Proctor lunches en route to our next class or activity.

3. Dating. Of course, I had to say it. Maybe it’s a symptom of the coffee shop culture, but Ohioans enjoy a good first date in which you can learn about someone one-on-one. The only downside to all of this dating, combined with our abstinence-only education, is that my neighboring high school Canton McKinley made national news in 2005 for 13 percent of its female students being pregnant.

4. No school ‘cold’ days. Even if there is only a dusting of snow on the ground, some days it is simply too cold to go outside. My high school recognized this and would give us a snow day of sorts. Only the seniors were around for Middlebury’s first snow day in nearly 10 years in February 2007 (half-days don’t count!), but maybe the first-years can still convince the administration that we should not have class on those days it hits 30-below.

5. Dollar movies. Okay, so maybe I was struggling to round out the list of Canton’s perks, but I really would like to be able to choose from 10 recently released movies and only pay $1 admittance. (Although, I recently heard that they have upped the price to a whopping $1.50. Damn inflation.)

I will gladly admit to being a member of the Canton exodus, and whether or not you are particularly proud of your hometown, the point remains the same. It is important to carry a piece of your former life with you to Middlebury. This way, we can learn from each other. After all, how else would I have discovered that “pop” was actually called “soda?”