SGA bestows appreciation awards
Thompson, Isham recognized for campus contributions
Alexxa Gotthardt
Issue date: 5/5/05 Section: News
Last Thursday, members of the Middlebury College community gathered at a lunch reception in McCardell Bicentennial Hall to celebrate the winners of this year's Faculty and Staff Appreciation Awards. The Marjorie Lamberti Faculty Appreciation Award was presented to Assistant Professor of Economics Jon Isham and The Rodney and Beverly DeGray Staff Appreciation Award was presented to Public Safety Officer Chris Thompson.
The College's Student Government Association (SGA) created the Staff Appreciation Award in 1995 and in 1996 added the Faculty Appreciation Award. Since then, faculty and staff members have been honored annually for "outstanding contributions to the student body."
To determine the recipients of both awards, Dean of Faculty Susan Campbell requested nominations in an e-mail to all students. The nominations for the Staff Appreciation Award were then reviewed by the SGA Senate, which subsequently chose Thompson as this year's winner.
A public safety officer at Middlebury for just over 2 years, Thompson has quickly become a very visible, welcome presence on campus. As described in SGA President Andrew Jacobi's speech at Thursday's ceremony, Thompson "straddles the line perfectly between being an enforcer of College policies and a friend to the student body. His presence on the weekends is always a welcomed sight, never an intrusion," Jacobi added.
"I am truly honored and thank each and every student at Middlebury College," said Thompson upon receiving the award. "This award will always be special to me. Special because it makes the Department of Public Safety realize that we are appreciated for the job that we do, but especially for the fact that students felt I was deserving enough to receive this award."
One of the nominations submitted on Thompson's behalf perhaps best summed up the student body's opinion of him: "Officer Thompson is nothing short of a friend to the students of Middlebury College." Thompson noted Thursday that the friendship was mutual.
The College's Student Government Association (SGA) created the Staff Appreciation Award in 1995 and in 1996 added the Faculty Appreciation Award. Since then, faculty and staff members have been honored annually for "outstanding contributions to the student body."
To determine the recipients of both awards, Dean of Faculty Susan Campbell requested nominations in an e-mail to all students. The nominations for the Staff Appreciation Award were then reviewed by the SGA Senate, which subsequently chose Thompson as this year's winner.
A public safety officer at Middlebury for just over 2 years, Thompson has quickly become a very visible, welcome presence on campus. As described in SGA President Andrew Jacobi's speech at Thursday's ceremony, Thompson "straddles the line perfectly between being an enforcer of College policies and a friend to the student body. His presence on the weekends is always a welcomed sight, never an intrusion," Jacobi added.
"I am truly honored and thank each and every student at Middlebury College," said Thompson upon receiving the award. "This award will always be special to me. Special because it makes the Department of Public Safety realize that we are appreciated for the job that we do, but especially for the fact that students felt I was deserving enough to receive this award."
One of the nominations submitted on Thompson's behalf perhaps best summed up the student body's opinion of him: "Officer Thompson is nothing short of a friend to the students of Middlebury College." Thompson noted Thursday that the friendship was mutual.