2008 Woodie Awards
Body image concerns permeate campus
Tess Russell
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: Features
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Next time you are standing in line at the mailroom, desperately waiting for that contraband electric blanket from Mommy Dearest, take a random sample of the people around. You will likely find representatives from different nations, races and socioeconomic backgrounds.
And yet, as Middlebury looks to the future and takes strides to enrich the College's population with students from diverse backgrounds, there is still one area in which the campus remains shockingly homogeneous. Look again at that sample chances are that most (if not all) of its specimens seem spry and enviably slim.
There is certainly a logical explanation for this phenomenon. Nestled amidst the slopes and trails of the Vermont countryside, Middlebury has always attracted outdoorsy types who, simply by nature of the school's setting, become increasingly active upon matriculation. There is, of course, nothing inherently wrong with shedding a few pounds on your weekly jaunts to Mt. Abraham or Camel's Hump, but when those results are coupled with an escalating national fixation on weight and body image, it can put undue pressures on students to stay fit.
Personally, I am inclined to pass off my morning trek up the hill from Homestead House as my daily dose of cardio, so the "gym culture" (as it has been dubbed) at Middlebury has been particularly striking to me in my first semester here. In addition to the 28 percent of students participating in varsity sports, another considerably large portion are involved with junior varsity, club,and intramural teams. Countless others hit the weight room, or the ground (running), anywhere from every week to several times each day.
Recent events, including the "Surrender Your Booty" party, have incited controversy regarding the ways in which body image and expected gender roles are perceived on campus. Ryan Tauriainen '08, the first male officer in FAM's history, has also filmed two documentaries, focusing on body image concerns at Middlebury, both of which will premiere at the Nov. 2 "Love Your Body" event.
And yet, as Middlebury looks to the future and takes strides to enrich the College's population with students from diverse backgrounds, there is still one area in which the campus remains shockingly homogeneous. Look again at that sample chances are that most (if not all) of its specimens seem spry and enviably slim.
There is certainly a logical explanation for this phenomenon. Nestled amidst the slopes and trails of the Vermont countryside, Middlebury has always attracted outdoorsy types who, simply by nature of the school's setting, become increasingly active upon matriculation. There is, of course, nothing inherently wrong with shedding a few pounds on your weekly jaunts to Mt. Abraham or Camel's Hump, but when those results are coupled with an escalating national fixation on weight and body image, it can put undue pressures on students to stay fit.
Personally, I am inclined to pass off my morning trek up the hill from Homestead House as my daily dose of cardio, so the "gym culture" (as it has been dubbed) at Middlebury has been particularly striking to me in my first semester here. In addition to the 28 percent of students participating in varsity sports, another considerably large portion are involved with junior varsity, club,and intramural teams. Countless others hit the weight room, or the ground (running), anywhere from every week to several times each day.
Recent events, including the "Surrender Your Booty" party, have incited controversy regarding the ways in which body image and expected gender roles are perceived on campus. Ryan Tauriainen '08, the first male officer in FAM's history, has also filmed two documentaries, focusing on body image concerns at Middlebury, both of which will premiere at the Nov. 2 "Love Your Body" event.
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