Student task force ups social life ante

Author: Kelly Janis

The Social Life Task Force committee met last week to discuss a potential campus-wide survey intended to solicit ideas and input from students with reference to relevant social issues. The committee hopes to spark dialogue about pertinent issues regarding Middlebury's social climate.

"The committee is working to write a report which evaluates social life on campus and makes specific recommendations to the President and Board of Trustees," explained the Task Force's student head, Sam Temes '07. "As of now, we are planning on presenting our report to them in February. The committee's report is the first stage in a more comprehensive initiative to improve Middlebury's social life."

The distribution of an all-campus survey, Temes said, is aimed at amassing "supportive evidence" for recommendations which the Task Force intends to make. "We have also discussed having a forum during the first part of Winter Term to share some of the work we have done and collect more feedback," Temes added. "Much of the work we have done thus far has been based on brainstorming that took place last spring with a group of students selected by the administration."

Among the challenges that the Task Force faces are perceptions from the College community of its inefficiency. "The committee has made and continues to make substantive progress," Temes insisted. "While our work may not be immediately visible to the student body, our task has been to evaluate and suggest change in the form of a formal report to be delivered to the Board of Trustees." Temes said that it is not the Task Force's obligation to "implement change, 'solve' problems or make ongoing recommendations." Instead, the group strives to represent student interests and voice student concerns.

In the course of meetings this fall, the committee has elected to focus on three chief areas. The first concerns the regulations governing registered and catered on-campus parties. "We have discussed suggesting the use of the bracelet system at more events as opposed to beer gardens to facilitate more mixing between over and under-aged students," Temes said.

The utilization of assorted social spaces is also a matter of debate. According to Temes, the committee has entertained the prospect of "suggesting to the board the creation of a new social space, strictly for student social use."

Finally, the task force has weighed the streamlining of social programming. Perhaps, Temes said, it would be prudent to craft "a student position, separate from the Student Government Association or Middlebury College Activities Board, to help manage a campus-wide social schedule and coordinate more co-sponsored and larger events."

Student opinion on the distribution of such a survey and the potential implementation of such policies was divided. Will Surrette '10 said he was not convinced of the effectiveness of the avenues being pursued.

"Any organization dedicated to somehow bettering, improving or altering the social lives of students is pointless and this College is wasting money on it," he said.

Other students, however, were more optimistic. "It's refreshing that the College is receptive to students' needs," Jenn Giammattei '10 said. "I think it's a worthwhile effort."