"On the Record..."

Author: [no author name found]

My decision to study Russian was made in high school, when the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union came apart. It seemed like all of the history that was being made at the time was happening in East Europe, and I wanted to go over there and check it out.
—Colin Guard '97, Internet
Access and Training
Programmer in Ukraine

It's preposterous to think that anything in the German character causes people to hate Jews. I'm going to have to prove people wrong.
—David Bernay '04,
German major

Try to find a translation of major texts of foreign literature (except for books by Nobel Prize Winners or Oprah's picks). Try to find a foreign film in a regular movie theater. That is where the real problem is, and, compared to that, Middlebury, with its strong cadre of international students, its interdisciplinary programs, many of which are international in scope, with the Center for International Affairs and the strong student interest in foreign languages and study abroad is actually almost an anomaly, a haven of cosmopolitan sentiment and intercultural awareness, in the middle of the Green Mountains in a small state that many people in other countries have barely heard of.
—Michael Geisler, professor of German and associate
dean of the faculty

Beyond our publications, it is my feeling that areas like international studies, environmental studies and the sciences are getting more attention than the languages. The language departments are well supported in terms of departmental budgets, but one only need compare offices, staff support, language classrooms, administrative structure, cocurricular venues, etc., to get a sense of the differences.
—Edward Knox, professor of French and director of the Center for International Affairs

I have the distinct sense that most students at Middlebury wish to avoid a monolingual environment as being restrictive, narrowing and educationally unstable.
—Kamakshi Murti,
professor of German

Personally, Japan is my only home and I know that with the language ability I will have at least some degree of a better chance to return. I think that is one of the biggest reasons why I have stayed motivated and interested in the material.
—Ryan Kearney '04

Prospective parents and students always seem to be very interested in [Middlebury's language] program, and I think it's definitely a huge selling point on the tour.
—Brian Ferry '02, Admissions Office tour guide