Editorial At our doorstep

Author: [no author name found]

As the national economy spirals deeper into recession with each passing day, Middlebury continues to grapple with the financial challenges facing all collegiate institutions during these trying times. Shortly before the recent February vacation, President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz made public a number of cost-cutting measures - to be adopted in the near future - that have prompted intense discussion among students and community members. Beginning in January 2010, Atwater Dining Hall will no longer serve students on an everyday basis. In addition, the beloved first-year orientation trip program MiddView, including the outdoor component, will be dismantled completely.

The loss of Atwater is a devastating blow to students who crave its kitchen's fresh mussels or swear by its famous flatbread. Furthermore, the closing of an entire dining facility will undoubtedly pose logistical problems - crowding at peak mealtimes, already an uncomfortable problem, is only likely to worsen without immediate intervention. Heartbroken students can take some consolation in the fact that Atwater will still play host to language tables and special events, but it is certainly unfortunate that such a new and costly building (not to mention one that was purposefully designed with sustainability in mind) should see the end of its halcyon days so soon.

Shutting down Atwater may seem drastic, but that very adjective is one that describes all too accurately the plight of the nation at large. Unemployment in the U.S. has jumped to 7.6 percent, the highest figure the country has seen since 1974. Thousands of families have been evicted from their homes because they can no longer afford their mortgage. With these life-threatening crises in mind, The Campus encourages students to review the College's situation from a distance: by comparison, the prospect of a longer walk to dinner and the inability to attend weeklong hiking trips seem relatively minor.

In the current climate, as the College's endowment shrinks with the rest of the market and charitable giving dries up, we cannot fault Old Chapel for making the difficult decisions it has. These adjustments might be painful, but they are not unendurable; in fact, Middlebury's financial woes provide - if nothing else - a chance for its students to join with College officials to brainstorm creative solutions going forward. Among other things, these solutions should seek to maximize the effectiveness of the two remaining dining halls, as well as preserve the spirit and values of the orientation experience for incoming first-years by developing a cost-effective replacement.