Students living at Bread Loaf and the Marriott will be required to move into housing on the main campus if they plan to stay at Middlebury over the five-day Thanksgiving break.
According to Associate Dean of Student Life AJ Place, Breadloaf and the Marriot residents staying on campus over Thanksgiving break will be accomodated in housing currently set aside for emergency use.
When asked why the college made this decision, Place pointed to both psychological and logistical concerns.
“The campus becomes very quiet over breaks,” Place told The Campus. “Having students together on the main campus is the best option for them to connect with others.”
A school-wide email sent Oct. 25 announced that dining halls will be closed over break and students will be responsible for their own meals, as they have been in past years, and that the shuttle to and from the Bread Loaf campus and Marriott will not run during the days off.
“There are no student kitchens available at the Marriott or Bread Loaf, and, with the dining halls closed, students will need kitchen access to cook for themselves,” Place said.
With students returning from leaves taken during the pandemic, a larger-than-usual first-year class and adjusted study abroad plans, the college’s main campus is already short on housing. Housing these students in rooms set aside for emergency use, if there is sufficient space, will allow Bread Loaf and Marriott residents to stay on campus without occupying a room assigned to another student, as campus housing is full to capacity.
The ResLife team did not yet know how many of the 58 students living at Bread Loaf will be staying over break, as housing break forms were not due until the evening of Nov. 7.
Students will pack and move their belongings from their dorms to the main campus.
“Since Thanksgiving break is only four days, they shouldn’t need to move too many belongings, but they are welcome to move what they wish,” Place said.
Anticipating that the move will be more difficult for those without a car, shuttles will run until noon on the Wednesday of break.
