Letters to the Editor

Author: [no author name found]

To the Editor:

Last week, Scott Kleiman ("Dear Dolci, Please Change", Nov. 6) expressed his nostalgia for Dolci and his hopes that the camaraderie he experienced as an employee would remain prevalent, despite this year's changes to the organization. I have no doubt that as long as Dolci continues to honor the culinary arts it will remain a forum for students and chefs to cultivate skills and friendships. However, the passing of time necessitates change. I believe that the changes to Dolci so far are a good start and that future changes should consider sustainability. More could be done to support local farmers and to serve seasonal meals, thus encouraging students to consider the production of food from the farm to the table, educating students on the impact of eating on the environment, and fostering new relationships between students and farmers outside of the college community.

Carlo Petrini, the founder of the Slow Food movement, argues that food should be good to think as well as good to eat, and the recent changes to Dolci enhance the pleasures of eating. The new setting and structure allow for a much more professional, convenient, and pleasant experience. The ambience at 51 Main is much better suited to fine dining. The décor, lighting, music and bar, as well as the china and limited seating, allow for a more sophisticated and intimate setting, removed from the everyday dining hall experience. Furthermore, the new structure facilitates efficiency, something Dolci has always struggled with. Students no longer need to sacrifice their valuable time standing in line for tickets or spend four hours on dinner. While I fully support the idea of Slow Food and savoring meals with friends, most of the time spent at a Dolci dinner, in the past, was spent waiting for food, not eating it. By reducing the menu to three appetizers and a dessert, patrons have the pleasure of a hot meal served in a timely fashion, a meal prepared with foresight and thought, and a meal presented beautifully, that tastes good too.

Sincerely,
Sasha Swerdloff '10

Questioning the morality of Campus ads

To the Editor:

At what price is The Campus selling out the ethical and moral standards which the Middlebury College Community upholds in its non-discrimination policy? At issue is the full page ad (Nov. 6) placed by the United States Army, an organization that, I grant, deserves respect for the freedom and service it provides our citizenry, but contrary to the non-discriminatory pledge of Middlebury College, openly enforces discriminatory practices in employment and service.

As a matter of free speech, The Campus has long denied placement of ads for alcohol and tobacco - believing such ads as antithetical to the ethical, social, moral, political and educational mission of the College. So how do the editors of The Campus justify this monetary horse-trading of the community standards of the College?

Moreover, when the administration of the College is challenged for its stance on Military Recruitment the community is afforded open dialogue and discourse upon the subject. It is unacceptable that a publication which supposedly represents, reports upon, and reflects a community, to which I belong, must also subject me to ads for organizations that discriminate. Please provide me, and the community, the pretense of an explanation or opportunity for open dialogue.

Lastly, the timing of the run for this ad is, for me, a repugnant slap in the face; this ad ran two days after my full and equal rights as a citizen in California, Florida and Arkansas were revoked by the "tyranny of majority rule."

Sincerely,

Michael Glidden
Staff

Tragedy coverage evokes difficult emotions

To the Editor:

I want to convey my disappointment in your article regarding Matti Rudolph ("Former student dies in town on Halloween", Nov. 6). I graduated in '06, and knew Matti as one of my classmates and friends. He was a wonderful person, and I am glad I had the opportunity to know him. I must say that I am lucky to have heard of his passing before I read your article. It was distasteful and disrespectful. I can't imagine any one of you, or your friends at Middlebury would ever want such an article written about you upon your passing, regardless of the circumstances.

Sincerely,

Erika Gold '06

To the Editor:

Last week when a member of the Middlebury College community passed away, the death was not officially acknowledged through Middlebury channels. Although there may be good reasons for this silence, an official response to any situation whose circumstances are tragic and not immediately straightforward is essential if public discussion is not to descend into the realm of wild speculation. Although everyone will naturally have his or her own way of dealing with the news of a major tragedy, I have so far encountered several reactions to the current one which were frankly disgusting and undignified. Sensationalizing the news and spreading incomplete and uninformed versions of the story may provide fodder for conversation. Know, however, that engaging in this behavior is of no use other than to exacerbate the already enormous emotional trauma and grief experienced by loved ones and friends.

Therefore, I issue an appeal to students, faculty, and staff who may have heard about the passing but whose personal connection to it is tangential: Limit your public speech on the topic to offering support and condolences for those who are grieving.

As a community we owe it to the family and friends of the deceased to lend this situation the dignity and consideration it deserves.

Sincerely,
Chris Lizotte '07