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(04/17/14 12:00am)
In the past few weeks, students have helped the SGA fulfill its mission — to serve students! As we returned from Spring Break, MiddCourses, a course review site created by the SGA, made its debut. The site features over 1,300 courses, and it aims to help students share information and register for classes confidently. The site was built by Teddy Knox and Dana Silver, who serve as SGA Directors of Technology. Since the site went live, students have written almost one thousand reviews. That’s incredible. On top of that, we have received useful feedback from students. Your help is essential as we roll out this new website, so we thank you for taking the time to post reviews and to send us your ideas. We hope that by the end of the year we will have as many as 2,500 reviews on the site. It will take time to build up a base of reviews, but with your help, we can create a tool that aids future generations of students.
This week in Senate, Emma Kitchen ’14.5 spoke about the non-profit she founded, Concussions Speak. Concussions Speak is “a community dedicated to providing empathy for all those affected by concussions,” according to its website www.concussionsspeak.com. Emma came to the SGA to discuss her new initiative to place lights on all bikes on campus. Not only will her work help you avoid a traffic ticket (riding a bike at night without a light violates Vermont law), but she also hopes to prevent accidents and, by extension, concussions.
Also this week, Ben Clark ’16, co-president of EatReal, visited to tell the SGA about the student group’s effort to bring more “real” food to the dining hall menus. “Real” food, as defined by the Real Food Challenge, is food that belongs to two of the four following categories: humane, ecologically sound, local and fair. Ben and his co-president Noah Stone ’16.5 have been meeting with Dining Services and the administration to see how best sustainable, or “real,” food can be brought to campus.
The SGA food survey was a huge help to Ben when he began meeting with Dining Services and discussing the topic with President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz. Furthermore, an internship during J-term, sponsored by the Environmental Council, had students examine the dining budget to find ways in which local or ecologically sound alternatives could be sourced in Addison County. With the support of the SGA, Ben is planning to pass the bill next week to bring the whole initiative home and show President Liebowitz the student body supports EatReal’s goals.
Lastly, the administration recognized a resolution that the Senate passed last week to reform the AAL distribution requirement. The bill—sponsored by students Daniela Barajas, David Ollin Pesqueria, Adriana Ortiz-Brunham, Jiya Pandya, and Amari Simpson—asked that the AAL requirement be removed and that new requirements focus on a larger set of cultures and civilization.
When President Liddell forwarded the resolution to Dean of Faculty Andi Lloyd, the resolution was met with gratitude. Dean Lloyd commented it was a good piece of legislation. While Dean Lloyd’s comments do not determine the future of this bill, she assured the SGA it would be shared with the faculty Education Affairs Committee (EAC). The EAC plans to discuss distribution requirements next academic year and we hope that they will consider the resolution in their discussions.
Thanks for all your help! Don’t forget to vote in the upcoming SGA Presidential election on April 29 and 30.
(01/23/14 1:54am)
For the first time during this academic year, an initiative on “We the Middkids” attained 300 votes! Daniela Barajas ’14.5 and Rana Abdelhamid ’15 posted the initiative entitled “Change the Culture and Civilizations Requirement” on Jan. 4, 2014. The initiative focuses on a reevaluation and restructuring of the cultural distribution requirement. I support this reform, and I plan to work with Barajas and Abdelhamid to achieve it.
Cultural distribution requirements necessitate that students study all regions across the globe. The current requirements include Comparative (CMP), North America (NOR), Europe (EUR), and Africa, Asia and Latin America (AAL). This last requirement, AAL, includes “courses that focus on some aspect of the cultures and civilizations of Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the Caribbean,” according to the College Handbook.
Grouping Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the Caribbean into one group while granting North America and Europe into their own categories promotes a Western-centric understanding of the world. It suggests that all non-Western thought can be aggregated because it is less important or essentially the same. This message is unacceptable.
The initiative on “We The Middkids” seeks to rectify this problem by placing equal importance on knowledge from all cultures. It asks that students take one class that focuses on North America and two classes from any two of the following geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and Europe. This new distribution of requirements acknowledges that North America plays an important role in our education, “since our institution is located in North America,” as the We The Middkids initiative states. The proposed reform seeks to “reflect our community standards” and promote a more “egalitarian exposure to different cultures and civilizations.”
To pursue this initiative, Barajas and Abdelhamid plan to host an information session with faculty members to answer their questions and hear their feedback. They hope to push this proposal further in the coming calendar year. If you would like to learn more, see go/aal, which Barajas and Abdelhamid set up to further their goal.
The Student Government Association (SGA) agrees with this initiative and plans to support it. Our work on reforming AAL began last year when the Senate passed a bill to seek reform. This year, I have asserted the necessity of reform to the faculty Educational Affairs Committee (EAC) as well as the Dean of Faculty and Phillip Battell/Sarah Stewart Professor of Biology Andrea Lloyd. I have also discussed this initiative with the Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees. Although many people express their willingness to address this issue, the importance of process exceeds the urgency for reform in their eyes. The EAC plans to engage all distribution requirements this spring after completing a review of internships for credit and summer study.
Changes to curriculum necessitate copious consideration, as they affect all students and reflect the culture of the institution. For these reasons, I understand that reforming the Cultural and Civilizations Distribution Requirement will take time. However, I agree with Barajas and Abdelhamid that the current requirements do not reflect the needs of the student body or the culture of this institution. I will continue to pursue this initiative, and I encourage you to consider it as a needed change to our curriculum. Send me your ideas on the issue at sga@middlebury.edu.
(12/05/13 2:47am)
Two weeks ago today, I met with the Faculty Educational Affairs Committee (EAC) to discuss internships for credit. We discussed different options to move forward on the issue, seeking a compromise that would gain favor from both students and faculty members. The Faculty EAC expressed reservations and offered ideas about academic credit for summer internships.
First, they expressed reservations about the potential for students to use internship credits to substitute for a regular fall or spring class. Some EAC members believe that this would dilute the expected academic standards Middlebury has for students during the fall and spring semesters. This concern permeates discussions about internships for credit with faculty and students alike and is the fundamental question surrounding this policy. In my view, receiving credit for a summer internship does not dilute standards but rather infuses diversity and flexibility into our academic culture. Internships offer students the opportunity to explore areas of study unavailable on campus and to make connections between varied summer experiences and on-campus learning. Accredited internships will not damage our academic integrity. Rather, they will enhance it.
The EAC posited a potential compromise, in which students who complete internships during the summer would earn credit toward the on-campus J-term requirement. Through this system, students could earn academic credit for internships without reducing the number of classes they take during Fall and Spring semesters, thereby maintaining the College’s current academic standards.
After discussing this option with the SGA Senate and members of the SGA Cabinet, I have concluded that such a compromise would not offer enough academic flexibility to students. Further, I do not view J-term as synonymous with the lesser. Many students take difficult courses such as organic chemistry, statistics, and Chinese during J-term, just like they do during the Fall and Spring semesters. Plus, courses taken during J-term, although sometimes different in focus than classes during the Fall and Spring, offer rigorous learning opportunities for students. Only allowing students to use credits from internships for credit during Winter Term suggests that there is a fundamental difference in quality between credit earned in January and credit earned during the rest of the academic year. I do not agree with that precept. As such, if internships count towards credit at all, they should count towards any credit throughout the year.
Another possible compromise we discussed with the faculty EAC is the incorporation of a capstone project into the accreditation process for an internship. Students, after finding an internship, could apply for credit, find a professor with whom to work and register for an independent study during the fall semester. During that independent study, a student would work with their advising professor to complete a capstone project. This project, which might take the form of a paper or a presentation, would serve as a learning opportunity for students and would bring the internship into its academic context. Because a student would complete most of the work of her credit during the summer, she would have more flexibility during the following semester to choose more difficult classes or focus on the rest of her classes more intently.
Using an independent study to complete an accredited internship also enables professors to continue using their summers to write, research, and plan for the coming year. If professors begin advising internships and directing projects during the summer, then the undergraduate academic calendar will stretch across the entire year. Currently, the College does not function on that model. Perhaps, however, we should discuss options for students to earn a credit for internships during the summer without extending their efforts into the following semester.
Many students and faculty alike have expressed doubt about the quality of internships, and how a low-quality yet accredited internship degrades the worth of academic credits generally. I share this concern. However, the process of submitting the internship for review and finding an advisor with whom to work would weed out the unworthy internships. Not all summer experiences would qualify for credit, and even those that pass initial review would require further reflection. If an internship proves less valuable than anticipated, responsibility would fall on the student to seek academic credit through other avenues. The professor’s relationship with the student during and after the internship would ensure that this process occurs. This expectation may appear optimistic, but the act of trusting students to do the right thing and believing that they desire to learn serves an essential part of our community. It forms the basis of our honor code and it informs the purpose of a liberal arts education. The assumption that students, given the opportunity, would shirk academic responsibilities undermines our academic culture, which is the very phenomenon that the EAC wants to avoid. I want to maintain our academic integrity too; internships would not detract from that integrity, but would instead build it.
As always, if you have questions, comments, critiques or criticisms, email me at sga@middlebury.edu. Good luck on your finals!
(11/14/13 12:16am)
Last week, I attended the forums “Unpacking Chance the Rapper” and “Middentity.” I am impressed by the diversity of perspectives and I want to thank everyone for sharing them. Such disagreements and the critical exchanges are incredibly valuable. These conversations may cause discomfort, but actively challenging each other’s assumptions creates a stronger community. Thank you for your courage.
From the conversations that happened last week, it is clear that students, faculty and administrators interpreted Chance the Rapper’s lyrics in a variety of ways. Yes, words and opinions like those in Chance’s lyrics might make us feel unsafe, but we must think critically about the meaning of his statement. Do we believe Chance was inciting violence? Do we believe we are vulnerable to physical harm at the hands of our peers? Is our feeling of unsafety a result of Chance’s presence or the general atmosphere on our campus? I suspect that the source of this unsafety lies in our community. As such, we should focus on fixing our campus rather than demonizing an outsider.
One phenomenon I noticed during these discussions was the construction of moral hierarchies and absolutes. As soon as a position bears the label of absolute righteousness, to argue against it appears immoral. We should strive to avoid these types of constructions to ensure that all members of our community feel valued and heard. These issues are not black or white; they do not have right and wrong answers. Instead, their complexities lead to gray areas and disparate interpretations.
Another issue that we must grapple with in the wake of the Chance controversy is the relationship between freedom of speech and our community standards. We can condemn views that offend us, but silencing views that are incongruent with our own ideas breeds an environment of censorship. It suggests that disagreements of certain types cannot even be discussed. In the end, this policy breeds ignorance and frustration rather than productive dialogue and change.
As we move forward, we should recognize that these conversations might not result in definitive solutions to these vastly complex issues. The idea that all discussions must be productive is inherently flawed. An open dialogue does not produce a product; it generates insight and understanding. Instead of being divided by our identities, these conversations offer us opportunities to unite as a community through honesty.
I plan to continue engaging in these types of conversations. Please contact me if you have any ideas or initiatives you want to pursue.
(10/31/13 12:09am)
First, before you read this column, go/foodsurvey! Quick! You can help us influence the budgeting and sourcing decisions of Dining Services. Plus, 12 lucky respondents will win prizes! You could win a date night to 51 Main, a day at the spa at Studio 7 or even Dolci tickets!
Now that you’ve finished the survey (right?), I want to update you on the Community Education Requirement. The Campus Editorial Board suggested such a requirement three weeks ago. Since then, I have met Associate Vice President for Operations Norm Cushman, Special Assistant to the Assistant Vice President of Operations Linda Ross, Director of Facilities Services Mike Moser and Manager of Employee Relations Laura Carotenuto to discuss the feasibility of a Community Education Requirement.
We face several challenges as we create this credit. For starters, when students spend time working without pay, their labor replaces the work of employees. Additionally, large-spread management of student work is incredibly difficult for facilities to execute, and, historically, has not been successful. Plus, students, in all likelihood, will not have the skills or the training needed to complete tasks efficiently, or even well. As such, the amount of and types of jobs available to us are extremely limited. Ideas such as leaf raking, weeding, or snow shoveling are all seasonal and weather-dependent and therefore imperfect.
Despite these challenges, the aforementioned people were supportive of the Community Education Requirement. They conveyed the complexities and pitfalls of such an offering, but they also appreciated the sentiment behind the recommendation. We brainstormed some more options, such as creating a system concentrated on dish return or litter collection, both of which are currently done by facilities workers in an informal fashion. Additionally, the Recycling Center, which already manages many student workers, may serve as an excellent option. They have the infrastructure to manage students and the volume of work might support the number of hours we want to require. Plus, the Recycling Center offers a particularly educational experience — sorting through waste would expose the irresponsible disposal habits of students, such as discarding dishes in trash cans, to their peers.
As we’ve considered this idea, several questions have arisen. Is eight hours enough? Is it a meaningful amount of time to contribute to the service of our community? What constitutes our community? Could service off-campus count towards this requirement? It could accomplish similar goals, namely enforcing the expectation that students give back to the community. In order to answer these questions, we all need to discuss what we aim to gain through this requirement. Empathy? Respect? Less vomit in Battell?
Finally, our two hard-working First Year Senators Karina Toy ’17 and Wenhao Yu ’17 have formed this year’s First-Year Committee. The First-Year Committee started last year as a forum for first-year students to voice their opinions about their college experiences and to foster community building by organizing inter-commons events just for first-years. This year, with the help of last year’s First-Year Committee, the Class of 2017 has already had the opportunity to attend a Mix-and-Mingle at 51 Main and an Atwater dinner. This year’s committee is made up of eight members, in addition to Karina and Wenhao. Two Feb students from the Class of 2017.5 will join the committee during the spring semester.
Class of 2017, what would you like the first-year Committee to work on this year? A particular concern you want to share with the administration? A bonfire? A massive J-Term snowball fight?
Email us with ideas and suggestions at sga@middlebury.edu!
(10/10/13 12:33am)
Fall is my favorite season. I love how the brightly colored trees pop against the blue skies. I love the sound of leaves rustling beneath my feet. I love the excitement of a new school year juxtaposed with the shortening days and the threat of winter. My favorite part of fall, however, is the apples. Their sweetness cannot be compared; their crunch cannot be characterized. They are perfect. Perhaps the most impressive attribute, however, is their source. The apples served in our dining halls are local, grown in our very own state of Vermont.
Middlebury College Dining Services is committed to serving local food to students, and items such as applesauce and dairy products, are locally sourced. One-fifth of the dining budget is currently spent on buying food that is grown or processed in Vermont and one-third is spent on “local” food, or food that comes from within a 250-mile radius. However, many students desire more. Last year, nearly 75 percent of you said that you would support the College increasing its dining budget in order to provide more locally-sourced foods. The local food movement is growing exponentially on this campus, and the SGA is committed to bringing more local food into our dining halls, but there are some important questions we must ask first.
As a campus, we need to think about what we’re trying to accomplish through this goal. Are we trying to care for the environment? Stimulate the local economy? Protect producers of food from poverty? Do the phrases ‘just food,’ ‘sustainable food,’ or ‘organic food’ better achieve these goals? Do we value fair-trade coffee as much as getting milk from down the road? What are we willing to sacrifice in exchange for sustainable food? Do we want less red meat in the dining halls? Should we commit to only serving local meat? Do we want to trade vegetal variety for Vermont-grown produce? We all want to be good stewards of the environment, but at what cost? Are we willing to change our meal plan in order to afford more sustainable food? Let’s take time to consider these questions, strengthen the food movement as a whole and educate ourselves about these different issues. We must be informed in order to make these difficult decisions.
In the coming weeks, the SGA will be conducting a comprehensive survey on everything food-related to help us answer some of those questions. We aim to ask more questions, develop pragmatic goals, and create a practical plan of action to achieve them.
But we need your help. Let us know what’s important to you. Email us at sga@middlebury.edu, write on our Facebook, tweet us @Midd_SGA.
(09/19/13 12:19am)
The days are shortening. The temperatures are cooling. The leaves are changing. And that means that your Student Government Association (SGA) is back at work to begin an exciting and productive year. Actually, we never really took a break from SGA this summer. While I interned in New York City, I worked with members of the Cabinet and Senate remotely to tackle issues ranging from campus food programming to expanding our dining hall newspaper subscriptions. More on that one later.
This time of year, the question “What did you do this summer?” wafts through every dining hall, dorm, and classroom. By far, the most common response involves the word “internship.” These casual conversations form the backdrop of a recurring discussion — whether students deserve credit for unpaid summer internships. My answer to that question is firmly yes. Students should have the opportunity to earn credit for the knowledge and skills they gain through valuable summer internships. To tackle this issue, I met with several administrators, discussed the issue with the SGA Senate and Cabinet, and began drafting a student a proposal for this change in policy. As with all issues, the devil is in the details. As the year progresses, I hope to continue working with administration and faculty to find a solution that will benefit students.
SGA Committee Applications and first-year Senator elections have also begun. There is an opening for Senior Senator as well this fall. We have not one, not two, but eight students vying for the two first-year Senator positions. Nathan LaBarba is running unopposed for Senior Senator. Online voting opens at noon on Monday, Sept. 23 and close at noon the following day. Don’t forget to vote!
Applications to the SGA committees will be due on Friday, Sept. 20 (that’s tomorrow). They are the perfect way to get involved with an issue area you are passionate about, whether it’d be athletics or the environment or institutional diversity.
Finally, as many of you have excitedly noticed, the SGA expanded our newspaper subscription program this year! In addition to copies of the New York Times and USA Today on weekday mornings, we now receive the Sunday Times in the dining hall. We are also working with LIS to provide unlimited, all-campus access to the Times website and smartphone app, which we hope to have up and running in the coming few weeks. We will then reassess our print subscription program. We would love to hear your preferences on what other newspapers you want to read, in hard copy or online. Do you think we should go paperless? Or do you revel in the feeling of news print beneath your fingers as you enjoy a hot cup of Proctor coffee?
Send us your thoughts at sga@middlebury.edu.