When I began at Middlebury in fall 2020, I was certain I would major in history, be on the swim team for four years and join a political group on campus. I did indeed study history, but instead of my latter two plans, however, by my junior and senior years, I was spending dozens of hours a week in the Hepburn Hall basement writing breaking news stories, fact-checking op-eds and arguing with my co-editors over front page layout.
And it was undoubtedly the best decision I made during my time at Middlebury.
I urge you to put aside any pre-existing ideas you may have about the need for high school journalism experience to join The Campus, or the tediousness of adding more writing assignments on top of your academic coursework. And allow me, a washed-up former Editor in Chief of The Middlebury Campus, to make one last pitch for the merits of our weekly paper.
I had zero journalism experience when I agreed to write my first Campus story — a profile of the Swift House Inn’s new owners — in October 2020. Of course, I had some initial hiccups learning what questions to ask in interviews, how to properly quote sources and how to best structure a news story. But with the guidance of the then- Campus editors and some repetition of the writing process, I was able to get the hang of the whole reporting thing and move my way up the Campus ladder. Let me serve as proof that anyone with a willingness to learn, an interest in the broader Middlebury community and the ability to badger people can serve an important role on The Campus.
The Middlebury student body — or, at least, The Campus’ Editorial Board — has noted that on-campus student organization involvement has declined since the Covid-19 pandemic. I won’t speculate on why student government or musical group participation may have decreased, but I will argue that there is no valid reason for interest in The Campus to be diminishing. At an institution whose ethos is “Knowledge and Virtue,” where over half of students study writing or humanities-related majors (according to Zeitgeist 6.0), there should be a surplus of students wanting to write for The Campus. The newspaper is the ideal place for liberal arts-focused Middlebury students to sharpen their writing and communication skills and have a direct role in the college community.
As a first year or sophomore finding friends and interests at Middlebury, The Campus provides an opportunity for writers to get to know people and departments at the college to which they might never have been exposed otherwise. During my early days on The Campus, I interviewed the owner of the beloved local institution Mister Up’s, spoke with students who took a semester off during the pandemic and listened to economic challenges faced by various college staff members. This reporting ignited my passion for the Local section of The Campus and introduced me to students, staff and community members with important stories to tell. Writing for the newspaper is a unique chance for students to gain a broader understanding of the college community they will call home for four years and exercise their voice in that community.
I have heard numerous students say that they are interested in pursuing a career in writing, or even in journalism, yet they choose not to be involved in The Campus for one reason or another. Trust me — you will be hard-pressed to find another inroad to journalism that is as accessible and has such tangible community impacts as The Campus.
The Middlebury student body makes up nearly one-third of the population of the town of Middlebury. Thanks in part to this fact, The Campus is ideally suited to have a finger on the pulse of potential stories from administrators, faculty, staff, students and community members, and report on behalf of these groups. For example, over the past 18 months, The Campus broke the stories of a major ruling in the litigation over the removal of the Mead name from The Chapel, misuse of college funds by the Middlebury College Activities Board and divestment negotiations between college administrators and the pro-Gaza encampment student organizers. And, more broadly, the newspaper exists within the distinctively intimate and innovative Vermont news ecosystem, allowing The Campus to learn from (and compete against) the state’s well-respected professional newspapers.
Now 11 months out from my graduation, I have had ample time to reflect on my time at Middlebury. Amidst my memories of magical fall foliage at the Snow Bowl, long Proc meals-turned giggle sessions with friends and late spring Dunmore swims, The Campus is what I most often find myself thinking about from my time at Middlebury. If for nothing else, give The Campus a chance so you can try a different style of writing and learn a little bit more about the Middlebury community. And who knows — it might also bring you your best friends, new career aspirations and an emotional attachment to the Hepburn Hall basement.
Maggie Reynolds '24 (she/her) is the Editor in Chief.
Maggie previously served as the Senior Local Editor, a Local Section Editor, and a Staff Writer. She spent this past J-term interning for VTDigger, covering topics from affordable housing in Addison County to town government scandals. She also interned for Seven Days VT as an arts & culture reporter summer 2022 and as a news reporter for the Daily Gazette in Schenectady, NY summer 2021.
Maggie is majoring in History and minoring in Political Science and Spanish. She was a three-year member of the Women's Swimming and Diving team. Maggie enjoys running, hiking, and iced maple lattes.
