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(02/22/18 2:28am)
“How was abroad? It looked amazing from your Instagram!” was the most frequent greeting I received on returning to campus in January after spending my fall semester abroad in Santiago, Chile. I knew that the “how was abroad” question was inescapable, and even though I had spent the last few weeks of December considering how I would answer this, by the time I arrived at Middlebury I still didn’t quite have an answer. It turns out I didn’t need to: people were answering their own questions for me, with the near-universal assumption that everyone has a great time abroad.
The dominant narrative about study abroad is that it’s the best time of a young person’s life: a whirlwind of weekend trips, delicious food, language acquisition, new international friends, and “finding yourself.” People come back “enlightened” and more “cultured” (I could write a whole different article about the problematic nature of [white] American students moving to a new country for four months and claiming the culture as their own and truly believing they are “one of them” now). This is the most popular abroad story sold to underclassmen, one which is reinforced by the Middlebury study abroad office, social media, returning students and society at large. It’s the story I consumed and wholeheartedly believed as I was getting ready to go abroad. It might be the story I’m guilty of perpetuating through my social media use.
My true abroad experience, however, was messier than the simple picture our culture paints of studying abroad. The first two months were great — every day felt like an adventure and I discovered independence as I figured out the metro system, wandered museums by myself, and spent time with friends at bars until the early hours of the morning. Around the halfway point of the semester, however, I started to confront the reality that I wasn’t actually happy with my life in Chile. I started to acknowledge that I really missed my friends and life at Middlebury and that I was pretty lonely in Santiago. I realized the “adventure” I used to call the metro actually gave me pretty bad anxiety every time I got on it, and that walking through crowds of people on the street wasn’t exciting but rather overwhelming for me. I suddenly became aware of the extreme discomfort I experienced every time I stepped outside of my house, uncomfortable in my own skin that was so often catcalled and stared at everywhere I went. I realized that I didn’t feel like I had made a “home” in Chile at all, and that feeling like a tourist for months, detached from your “real life” without truly making a new one, is not at all exhilarating, but actually very draining.
After confronting these feelings, the last two months of my semester abroad were rather dull, and I threw myself into end-of-semester projects to distract myself from my distress. I lost my appetite and I cried a lot — to the point where my mom once seriously asked me if I wanted to come home early. If I’m being honest with myself and with you, which is the whole reason I’m writing this, I’m still trying to get back to feeling like myself again after how much abroad took out of me.
It is such a demanding experience, and I feel deceived by the study abroad story — no one told me to brace myself for anything negative. Every upperclassman I talked to when I was a sophomore had nothing but positive things to say about his or her abroad experience, and I was expecting to feel the same way. Last May, when I confided in a senior friend who had done a semester abroad that I was extremely nervous about leaving Middlebury for a semester, he reassured me the experience would be fine and that I’d regret not going. It wasn’t until a few months ago, while I was still abroad, that he admitted to me over FaceTime that “I don’t think anyone actually has a good time abroad.” In the moment I felt like I had been lied to by everyone who had been abroad before me. Now I can recognize that what he said to me in May wasn’t exactly a lie, but I think that hearing about the more complete reality of abroad before I left would have prepared me to expect certain challenges and feelings that I hadn’t experienced before.
This isn’t to say everyone who studies abroad has a bad time or that it’s not a worthwhile experience, but it is so emotionally demanding, and I would be surprised to hear anyone say otherwise. I’ve found that once I start to answer the “how was abroad” question hesitantly, with an answer like, “Well, it was kind of tough,” people jump in and say, “Yeah, actually it was for me too!” It’s as if there’s some sort of stigma around sharing negative study abroad experiences that people can’t break until someone else does first, which is probably a symptom of our campus culture regarding showing weakness or failure.
I’m not trying to scare underclassmen into not going abroad, but I am asking for more honesty on a campus that normalizes studying abroad to an extreme. I’m all for cross-cultural exploration, traveling and language acquisition, but let’s not lie to each other about how tough it can be to leave behind your entire life for a semester or a year and move to a new country at 20 years old. A few weeks ago, one of my friends who stayed on campus for junior year was asked why he didn’t go abroad and his answer was so simple: “I’m really happy at Midd and I finally feel settled in, so I wasn’t ready to give that up.” Studying abroad is not a bad decision, but it is a big one that deserves a lot of consideration and preparation. It’s a complex, challenging experience that shouldn’t just be sold or described as just a crazy fun semester.
And like any experience in life, it’s sure to have its ups and downs. I don’t regret going abroad — even with all its shortcomings, I’d definitely do it again. A lot of good came from the experience, and I did have some pretty great moments. But let’s not just let our social media accounts or the dominant cultural narrative tell our abroad stories. Let’s tell them authentically and holistically instead of just romanticizing the experience for future students.
Don’t just take it from my Instagram. Ask me “how was abroad,” but be ready to hear it all — the good, the bad, and everything between.
(03/23/16 8:43pm)
On Monday, March 21, members of the Middlebury community met in Twilight Hall to hear the College’s plans for the development of a new park area where the town offices and municipal gym currently stand.
The meeting was led by Dave Donahue, who has been developing the plans for the park along with the help of the Public Park Advisory Group. Before presenting the plans, Donahue stressed that he hoped the meeting would be conversational and informal, rather than a lecture — an opportunity for the town members to say what they like and didn’t like about the proposal.
Donahue started by explaining that the advisory group had done research and brainstormed ideas for the area. These ideas were then synthesized to come up with a set of principles to guide the development of the park. Their principles included: to make use of natural topography, be family friendly, be different from other parks in town, to keep maintenance costs low, include a variety of seating, be safe, inviting, accessible, and easily navigable, to conserve historical markers, include shaded & sunny spaces, have appropriate infrastructure (such as lighting or Wi-Fi), include some flat spaces and to not include any built structure.
Donahue also explained how research shows that spaces that have not been well used can be reenergized by even small changes. He expressed that the College wishes for the park to be a space where the town and the college can meet and interact.
While the College does own the land, Donahue reassured one concerned town member that there would be no sign reading “Welcome to Middlebury College”. The space will be operated like a public park, and the College will be responsible for its maintenance and upkeep.
The attendees raised many suggestions, including implementing an ice rink in the winter, a commitment to native planting and public art. The question of some sort of focal point in the park was also discussed.
Many others raised concerns, including parking safety and wanting to know what exactly would differentiate this park from others in town and attract people to come. One attendee made the point that while cities need green spaces to “get away” and be alone, a town, especially Middlebury, has a need for more public spaces. He said there needs to be something exciting to draw both townspeople and students in.
Others were concerned that the triangle-shaped park’s corner is on the town end and feel the park will be “turning its back” on the town. Donahue acknowledged this is a strategic space for both college and the town, and promised suggestions for a visitor’s center would be given full consideration in future meetings.
Donahue said he plans on holding a similar event later to get more students’ opinions, as well as perhaps two or three more events for the community members. After that, the Advisory Committee will discuss new suggestions and try to get to a final design that gets to as many ideas as possible. The final design will then go through a public review process in town.
The current timeline for the project calls for the plans to be finalized by May, the town offices to be razed in June, park construction to take place from late July through August, and completed in September. However, one of the town members present at the meeting urged Donahue and the College to not let the timeline dictate what happens, to take the time to figure things out, even if that requires waiting a year to “do it right."
(02/18/16 2:04am)
While searching for a Good Ol’ Campus article, I stumbled upon the March 31, 1960 issue. Rather than choosing one article from a paper so packed with intriguing pieces, I decided to share multiple highlights. From an article describing the spring dance that featured Louis Armstrong and His All Star Band to a report on the student protests outside of segregated stores, the journalists of yesteryear provide a glimpse into a different time on our college grounds.
Events: “Spring Fever Selected As Theme of Junior Weekend”
‘Spring Fever’ will be the theme of Junior Weekend 1960. The annual weekend is scheduled for April 22-23 will begin at 5:15 p.m. Admission is $1. The proceeds will go toward the Library Fund.
Louis Armstrong and His All Stars will be featured at a jazz concert on Friday, April 22, beginning at 8 p.m. in the Field House, the cost is $3 per person.
To raise funds for Junior Weekend, the junior women are washing sweaters for 50 cents apiece. Junior men are siding in collecting and delivering the sweaters.
News on Campus: “Vermont College Students Picket College in Segregation Protest”
College groups from Goddard, Michael’s and the University of Vermont took up the cause last Saturday by picketing a branch of the Woolworth chain stores in Burlington, while another group of Vermont students and a group from Cornell did likewise in Barre.
Similar demonstrations have been organized by students at Skidmore, Hamilton, Yale University, Divinity School, Vassar, Smith and Bennington. They are protesting the segregation of lunch counters in Southern five and ten stores and the expulsion…of students who have participated in the past resistance sit-in campaign which aims to end discrimination.
Student Affairs: “Traditional Break To Be Abolished”
The ten o’clock ‘coffee break’ long a Middlebury tradition will be abolished. This announcement was made this week by President Samuel S. Stratton.
Stratton cited more effective utilization of faculty time and school facilities as the main reason for the change, “No other school that I know of has a scheduled coffee break in the middle of the morning,” he said.
The announcement of the recess’ demise brought reminiscences from John Bowker, dean of faculty, who recalled a time when chapel services were a large event in the college day. “In years before the college established the Daily News Notices announcements for the day were read after the service. It was the only way to disseminate information to the entire school.”
Sports: “Rifle Squad Now Varsity Sport Here”
The Middlebury Athletic Council, under the direction of Associate Professor Perkins, recognized riflery as an official sport at Middlebury and authorized the presentation of varsity letters to deserving members of the squad. According to Athletic Director Duke Nelson, the entire program will be run by the faculty of the ROTC Department.
“They will supply guns, ammunition, and couching, and will set up a competitive schedule with neighboring schools. They are greatly pleased by this decision, and I am sure that they will make the sport a great success,” said Duke.
(01/21/16 1:11am)
Just before winter break, Parton Health Center announced new changes to scheduling and staff that would take effect in 2016. Parton reduced the number of hours they are open on Fridays – the health center now closes at 6 p.m. rather than 9 p.m — and also added a full-time and a half-time position, filled by nurse practitioners who can prescribe medications.
As Dr. Gus Jordan, executive director of Parton explained, Parton changed its Friday closing time not to reduce staff hours, but rather as an attempt to redistribute their resources to accommodate students in busier times during the week, such as lunchtime. Parton decided to make this change after a careful analysis of visits and saw that Friday evenings were the least busy hours. Jordan said Parton will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of their hours and try to accommodate students’ needs in the best way possible.
Parton decided to add more staff who can prescribe medication in response to student demands. While most of the illnesses students have do not usually require prescriptions, many students wanted more access to professionals capable of prescribing medicine. With these new positions, fewer students will have to go to Porter Hospital for assessment and diagnosis. Jordan said the new nurse practitioners also bring “a fresh perspective and new expertise, as well as commitment to the student population, to complement our current excellent staff.”
Parton made these changes after close collaboration with many student organizations, such as SGA and Community Council. Emma Erwin, a SGA director of health and wellness, said the SGA is very excited about the changes.
“Gus [Jordan] has actively pursued conversations with relevant student leaders to gain insight and input during the process of formulating these new changes, and dedicated time and energy into presenting the proposed changes to both SGA and community council before implementing them,” Erwin explained.
Jordan is also optimistic that the conversations between Parton and students will continue. Considering the fact that 40 to 45 percent of every graduating class at Middlebury has used the counseling services at some point, Parton is eager to expand their services and accommodate students’ needs.
“With increased stress on campus, more conversations about mental health, and so many new programs and student-run activities, Parton wants to be in sync with that, in a way we perhaps haven’t been in the past,” Jordan said.
In the counseling department, Parton recently turned a part-time counselor position into a full-time position, and approved two graduate fellowship positions. Jordan said the goal for these positions is to “increase the level of diversity, background, and expertise on a two-to-three year rotating basis.” Parton is currently advertising and recruiting for these positions nationwide. More changes and improvements might be coming to Parton in the future, fueled by students’ concerns and criticisms regarding mental health care at Middlebury. Jordan explained two options Parton is exploring and hopes to discuss with students soon. One is an online cognitive behavior program students could access from anywhere in the world, any time of day. The idea is an online counseling approach, which students complete autonomously and can virtually link in a counselor for help if they choose to do so. Parton will be conducting tests with the software company soon.
Additionally, Parton is considering is a 24-hour call-in service, which allows a student to call in and talk to a masters level counselor based somewhere in the US who is familiar with the College. They would be able to talk about student concerns, give suggestions about what to do, and evaluate if the student is in danger and alert the college if necessary. This service would be available internationally, meaning students studying abroad would have access to the calls as well.
Neither option is cheap, but Parton will be in communication with students regarding both options and try to decide which one might be a better place for Middlebury to start. So far, many students have expressed approval with Parton’s recent dedication to address mental health and student stress.
“I think mental health is really important, especially at Middlebury, so I’m happy Parton is considering expanding their counseling services because I think that will help a lot of students,” Maeghan Glidden ’19 said.
“I used to be hesitant to go to Parton because of stories I had heard from upperclassmen but knowing that they’re making changes and working with student organizations makes me trust them a lot more,” Anna Baird ’19 added.