NOTES FROM THE DESK

Author: Ben Salkowe

I was both surprised and disappointed by President Ronald D. Liebowitz's decision last Friday to send an e-mail to the College community chastising The Middlebury Campus' editorial board. His action sacrificed an educational dialogue between student press and Old Chapel for an attack, and his suggestion that members of this editorial board have ever failed to take their work seriously or thoughtfully was a tremendous insult.

As a president, Liebowitz has worked hard to communicate with students on issues ranging from locking dorms to planning the College's future - regularly informing us of administrative decisions and explaining the bases and processes by which these decisions are made. In his e-mail last week, however, Liebowitz used his position to express a personal opinion. As a personal message to The Campus editorial board, or comments to be printed, his thoughts might have inspired a valuable and educational dialogue on the incident. Instead, the action was delivered as a public attack on our work.

Those who know members of this editorial board (or who see us stumbling zombie-like into class the morning after production) know that not one of us takes our role in the community lightly. We consider our positions both an honor and privilege. Each week we have the opportunity to explore issues facing Middlebury College on campus and across the world, to meet and interact with talented students and visionary leaders and to report those issues to a vast readership. Fully aware of the importance of The Campus, we approach our jobs with utmost seriousness and thoughtfulness.

When The Campus is discussed and debated in the community, the editorial board benefits from the insights both of our supporters and our critics. I personally have a great deal of respect for any contribution President Liebowitz makes to these debates. I only hope that in the future the delivery of his contributions will respect our work as well.