Editorial A call for public dialogue

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The e-mail circulated by President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz this past Thursday in response to The Middlebury Campus' coverage of an altercation in which a white student directed racial epithets at a black student shows that an uncensored student press is necessary to bring to light incidents that would not otherwise be addressed.

For the College, it is unfortunate that the administration was reactive in its condemnation of the incident. Releasing a formal statement, or even a press release, would have been a preferable way to communicate the College's response and affirm that it continues to take a zero-tolerance approach to racism.

The College should also be challenged to take a more proactive role in addressing the issues raised than what was expressed in the e-mail. The Campus' editorial proposed last week that a public reaction and discussion of incidents in which the involved parties must undergo a judicial hearing does not necessarily undermine the confidentiality of the College's judicial process. In his statement, Liebowitz expressed satisfaction that the incident was properly handled through the judicial process, but also said, "I do believe that we can develop more effective protocols for communicating about events like this one, and I look forward to the Human Relations Committee's recommendations in this area."

We await not only the recommendations of the Human Relations Committee, promised to be released in the near future, but also an administration-sponsored open forum in which members of the community can make their own recommendations and voice concerns in response to this incident or future incidents. As expressed in last week's editorial, The Campus believes the meeting held in Carr Hall two weeks ago should have been more publicized.

Liebowitz closed his message by highlighting the role alcohol played in the incident. Indeed, the presence of racism on campus and the frequent abuse of alcohol by students are both issues to be explored in the aftermath of the altercation, but they should be considered separately. Alcohol does not create racism, though it certainly impairs judgment and eliminates individual restraint. The College should be commended for its recent open forum meetings on alcohol and should be encouraged to pursue an educational rather than hostile approach to drinking whenever possible.

We recognize that the altercation that occurred last January is one incident, but isolated incidents are often also reflective of broader problems within the community. However, these broader issues only come to light through open dialogue in response to specific incidents.