Though the old Commons system had its downsides, there has not been an administrative effort to replace it with widespread community-building infrastructure within the housing system. We have also observed that the housing system has deteriorated on the whole. We hope that as we continue to adjust to life after pandemic restrictions, students will bring new life to the organizations and projects that are essential to building community and affecting change here. These days, many students can’t name the candidates running for SGA positions. The race was highly competitive, and presidential candidates put a great deal of effort into their campaigns, from creating informational websites to holding “office hours” for students to ask questions about their platforms. During the current seniors’ first year, these elections attracted more engagement. These groups were once integral to student life here, but in recent years board members have observed them struggling to recruit members or sustain long term engagement. While we understand why students are less engaged with school organizations, it is unfortunate that the student body has become somewhat disconnected from stimulating facets of student life such as student government, volunteer organizations and performing arts groups. We were also forced to modify or put many of our activities and hobbies on hold, and we may not yet be back to fully engaging with these important aspects of college life. We lost so much social time during the pandemic that it is natural to want to make up for lost time. Since the onset of the pandemic, we’ve noticed what feels like a significant decrease in students’ engagement on campus, specifically in extracurriculars. A group of friends that live together voluntarily are more likely to host events open to many students at a place like KDR than a house full of people who randomly end up living together. The college also eliminated super bloc housing, which may have contributed to a decline in large open parties. This might be because Covid-19 restrictions encouraged students to form tight groups with their close contacts, making the social scene more intentional. Prior to the pandemic, students could wander around Atwater on a weekend night and almost always find a party that would let them in - this is no longer socially acceptable or encouraged. We’ve also noticed a shift in party culture at Middlebury recently. However, Zoom’s widespread usage has led some professors to expect that you should still attend class virtually when you are sick, which prevents students from resting and regaining their health. Zoom has also become a convenient option for office hours or when you can’t be physically present in class. To the relief of many students, there has been increased academic flexibility, with fewer scheduled in-person exams and more take-home finals, and professors have become more understanding with deadlines. Continuing to make reporting test scores optional provides for a more equitable admissions process.Īdditionally, since 2019, we’ve noticed a change in the types of assignments given by professors. Doing well on a standardized test requires resources that aren’t equally available to all applicants. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Middlebury has become test-optional, a policy we hope sticks around. When the class of 2023 applied, the college required standardized test scores. But while the college has made progress in improving diversity in admissions, this is only successful if we provide the resources to support those students when they get to Middlebury. Likewise, there are now more cultural dinners, and the Anderson Freeman Resource Center (AFC) - Middlebury’s intercultural center - has expanded its programming. Not only in terms of admitting more BIPOC, first-generation and low-income students, but also by celebrating the diversity of culture on campus through robust programming such as a variety of events in honor of Black History Month. Since we started four years ago, the college has become more diverse. As we finish up a year without pandemic restrictions, we must reflect on how students’ priorities have changed and the college has failed to keep up with the changing times. Of course, the college has developed in ways that were inevitable due to the pandemic’s disruption of both Middlebury and the world at large. Our non-seniors offered their perspectives on how these changes have shaped their college experience thus far. For this week’s editorial, the graduating seniors of the Editorial Board reflected on how Middlebury has changed –– for better and worse –– since they enrolled in fall 2019.
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