Editorial The College's town?

Author: [no author name found]

In recent weeks, this paper has published numerous articles about Middlebury College's increased physical and economic presence in downtown Middlebury. The College's economic support of Carol's Hungry Mind Café, the new bridge over Otter Creek, as well as the lease of 51 Main Street, the transformation of Old Stone Mill, and the renovation of the Town Hall Theater all represent a new chapter in the over 200 year-old town-gown relationship. The "town's college" has long been a presence in downtown Middlebury; the College at one point purchased bonds for affordable housing in town, has owned real estate, and for a time even owned the Middlebury Inn. However, with these most recent moves, the College has not only decided to support the town but has also sought to extend its classrooms into the town. We believe that the College must exercise great care with its increased presence.

As students at a school that counts economics as its most popular major, we immediately question the rationale of such non-market interventionism as the College's economic buttressing of Carol's. While the coffee shop is undoubtedly a treasured part of the community, should a non-profit entity like Middlebury College be supporting a for-profit entity like Carol's? Not according to our textbooks. Furthermore, if Carol's business plan were flawed, would it be wrong to suggest that a different and more economically viable coffee shop might take its place? The College's economic commitment to the new bridge makes more sense. The traffic on Main Street is unbearable and the College surely contributes to and suffers from this congestion. We applaud the decision to support the town with this initiative.

51 Main, the newly acquired Old Stone Mill, and the renovated Town Hall Theater all represent unique opportunities for the College. While 51 Main could ostensibly be seen as competing with other establishments, we feel that the increased foot traffic it draws more than balances out any perceived competition (additionally, 51 Main is not looking to turn a profit). The Old Stone Mill and the Town Hall Theater will both function to deepen ties between Middlebury College and the surrounding community, especially through the arts. Members of the College and greater Middlebury community have already enjoyed wonderful performances at the Town Hall Theatre and we expect more in coming months. Old Stone Mill will function as a space where students can pursue interests more suited to an environment outside the confines of a classroom. We support Old Chapel's deep commitment to facilitating student creativity and we eagerly anticipate the student work that will come from these new spaces.

With McCullough Student Center undergoing renovations, the access to 51 Main, Old Stone Mill, and especially Town Hall Theater is highly valuable. However, Old Chapel should not look to these new downtown entities as a solution to the shortage of artistic space that plagues the campus. Students interested in and involved with the arts lament the paucity of studios and stages as well as the lack of studio art classes open to non-majors. In the spirit of liberal arts, the College must work to remedy the problem of inaccessibility to artistic space and classes; all students should be encouraged to participate in the arts. As the College expands downtown, the College and the town will benefit from new galleries, new stages, and the greater possibility for collaboration, but these new opportunities are no answer to the problem of artistic capacity for Middlebury students on Middlebury's campus.