SGA election preview 2005 SCCOCC

Author: Abigail Mitchell

JS Woodward '06

How would you define the role of Student Co-Chair of Community Council and why does the position appeal to you?

SCCOCC is functionally the Vice-President of the SGA. The Community Council is comprised of students, faculty, administration and staff. I really like the idea of Community Council because it includes a range of viewpoints and allows for a process of group decision-making. There is a clear atmosphere of cooperation. Furthermore, the group is inclusive of all facets of people that make up the Middlebury campus. This is important because no decision affects only one subset of people.

What issues did you pursue during your prior term as SCCOCC and what do you feel you were able to accomplish?

I believe we were successful in improving the school's alcohol policy. We liberalized it to the extent that local laws allow with the assumption that students of age have the intelligence and experience to make wise decisions surrounding the consumption of alcohol. We worked to the end that students of age not be penalized for drinking on campus. I feel like we accomplished our goals of policy reform and made the campus a safer environment. Now there is less focus on off-campus parties and, consequently, less threat of drunk driving.

What are the issues you will focus on if elected for another term?

The Strategic Planning Initiative - I am concerned by the trend toward erosion of the group decision-making process. I feel especially that student involvement/representation is deteriorating. One example can be seen in the Strategic Planning Initiative, which has over 100 members (divided into 11 task forces), only 13 of which are students. I would have liked to see more students represented in these task forces, some of which have not a single student. Another example can be seen in the debate over the acquisition of the Monterey Institute of International Studies. As far as I can tell, there is no official venue for student input in the process.

The Carbon Reduction Initiative - This was endorsed by the Community Counsel a couple of years ago and was more recently endorsed this past May by the Trustees. This initiative affirms that Middlebury will strive to reduce its carbon emissions. I feel that we have a large body of research but there seems to be a lack of implementation. The only idea that is currently being discussed is the acquisition of a biomass boiler. We need to move to implementation of ideas.

Are there any issues that will carry over from your last term?

I would like to see an increase in public art on campus. Especially, art created by students and faculty on display for all members of the community. I feel that this is an important issue that has been largely put on hold because of the intensity of the planning process.

In what areas do you think the school needs improvement?

There needs to be improved communication between the governing bodies and the rest of the community. Right now the SGA and the Community Council have no effective way of transferring important information. Overall, I feel that the Strategic Planning Initiative, which involved the community, was a good approach to the process, but I feel that there should have been more student representation within it. Overall, I would like to see an increase in the student voice in the governance process. In the future, more student representation, voice and involvement.

As it is, I feel that the governing process at the College should be a model for other schools. Because of its small size, small changes can have large ramifications. At Middlebury, the student voice has great potential to bring about change.



Jon Sherr

In your words, what is the role of the SCCOCC? Why is it important to the school? What about the position appeals to you?

The Student Co-Chair serves as a bridge between students and the administration, faculty and staff. The voice of the SCCOCC and the Community Council ensures that students are fairly represented, that their interests are heard, and that the College community is enriched by new student initiatives that address their lives at Midd. It is a job of responsibility and importance that I have taken to heart. I want to make a difference here before I leave for the real world, and would like the opportunity to work hard every day to ensure that campus life improves for students today and in the future.

Since you have been at Middlebury, do you think the SCCOCC has been successful?

I do not feel that the SCCOCC has been very effective in tackling the major issues facing students and the Community Council. While the current co-chair is an effective administrator and is well acquainted with the Community Council, I feel that he does not represent student interests. It seems that our SCCOCC supports the interests of the administration over the interests of the students he is supposed to represent. Many initiatives taken by the school (one only has to remember the need for a key at every entrance to most buildings) do not help build the college community that I wanted to live in when I decided to attend Midd. I think that student voice and representation should hold a higher priority and that student concerns should be taken into greater account than they are presently; this is a clear difference between myself and my opponent.

What issues are on your agenda if elected? Given these issues, what practical proposals do you have? How do propose to implement your ideas?

If elected, I plan to first bring a plan before the Community Council to increase SGA awareness across campus through an easily accessible Web site, bi-monthly e-mails to students concerning important SGA and Community Council initiatives and recommendations to President Liebowitz.

I would also like to address issues with the current housing system, especially in regard to campus houses. My plan would recommend acquiring houses around campus for student use and converting buildings used for office space, such as Adirondack House, into student housing.

In addition, I would like to provide more amenities for students, including implementing wireless in more buildings around campus, more support for clubs and organization, such as Middlebury Mountain Club, to provide for its members and the entire student body, continuing Spring Break trips for athletic teams, keeping Proctor dining hall open and converting wall sections in major student buildings, like John McCardell Bicentennial Hall, into areas for student artists and others to display their artwork.

While some goals, such as housing, are long-term and need much debate, other initiatives, such as art in major student centers, an information database of SGA and Community Council initiatives and e-mails to students can be implemented at a low cost. The benefits from these ideas far outweigh the minimal costs required for their implementation.

In what areas do you feel this school needs improvement?

My platform attempts to address areas of the College community that need improvement, such as housing and the information gap between the SGA and students. I also feel that smaller issues, such as implementing wireless and placing art throughout the campus, though not necessary, would still enrich the college community.