The Senior Admissions Fellows Blog

Vermont is as big or small as you make it. It can seem huge if you try to hit up all of the ski spots of the state during your time here, or if you take off on a maple sugar and local cheese tour, or if you are stuck in a snowstorm while driving the mountain passes back from Boston. But it can also seem quite small, centered on Middlebury, if you’re running a student organization on campus, or taking 5 classes and spending all evenings in the library. The state is amazingly flexible, stretching to the appropriate size for how much free time you have.

This semester, I decided to expand the state just a tad bit. As a senior taking just two courses and a thesis, I decided that I had gotten into a rut—I still love the organizations that I’m involved in and the things that I dedicate my time to, but I needed both a new challenge and a weekly excuse to get off of the campus and into VT.

So I can now proudly introduce myself as Bridport Central School’s new Communications Intern! I was shocked at how readily the opportunity was available—all it took was responding to one of the myriad volunteer opportunity emails, interviewing for 30 minutes, and committing myself to 5 hours a week of writing features on the goings-on in Bridport!

More than anything, I think that this is a perfect example of how dynamic and fast-paced Middlebury is. All that getting involved with a new project takes is taking the plunge—there is a constant stream of emails urging students to act as a Big Brother or Big Sister to a community youngster, or serve food at a town dinner, or give French lessons to kids at a Middlebury elementary school. Getting off campus every once and a while and pledging a few of your talents to the Vermont community is really a rewarding experience, and I’m glad that I figured that out, even if just in my last few Middlebury College months.

I thought, before this year, that I knew the staff of the campus fairly well. I knew the general faces of the Proctor dining hall staff, I worked on projects with many of the Admissions workers, and I always remembered the first name of the three central workers at the Mail Center when I picked up packages. I also thought that I had a fair amount of responsibility on me; it was just me that reminded myself of paper deadlines, set my alarm for those dreaded 8.00am classes, and held myself accountable for heading to the non-proctored but mandatory late-night class film screenings.

Boy, was I mistaken. Until I took up the position of co-chair of Middlebury Open Queer Alliance this year, I had not a clue of the duties that some students shoulder. As far as student organizations go, MOQA is a relatively small one; we do not host weekly dinners like Hillel, throw school-wide dances like the Quidditch Club, or design entire sets and choreograph dozens of songs for performances like Riddim. Still, this position has opened my eyes to a whole different side of hard-working Middlebury.  I am accustomed to hearing about terrific academic  work loads and amazingly packed extracurricular schedules, but I have never before been in contact with those who arrange the very events that serve as the backbone of Middlebury’s social life.

Constant emailing, coordinating, checking out of equipment, writing up budgets, arranging for speakers, planning party themes and renting spaces are some of the things that come with leadership roles on campus. It is time-consuming but gratifying; I know the inner workings of the MCAB Speakers Committee and all of the people who work behind the scenes of budgeting activities. This coming April MOQA will be hosting a joint dinner with Women of Color and Feminist Action Middlebury, and just in the preliminary organizing I have come in contact with the most amazing people that I don’t normally rub shoulders with. It feels very right, somehow, that in my final year I’ve have gotten this incredible chance to branch out and serve as a representative for a segment of campus, and gotten to know Midd on an entirely new level of operation.

This post is a bit overdue, but it is time to write about what I consider the most unique part of the Middlebury curriculum – J-term.  J-term, for those who do not know, is a term in our academic year that lasts for only one month, January.  During January students take only one class, which allows them to focus solely on that subject for the entire month.  This means that students can be less fearful about meeting the requirements of the class because they have no other courses to worry about.  Courses offered during J-term are also unique, while some mainstays of the curriculum like Organic Chemistry and other intro classes, or upper level requirements, most students take a course that is something completely new to them, or something that you would not expect to see offered.  The quirkiness of many of these course allows students to explore topics that interest them in a way that makes them nonthreatening   I used my first J-term to explore the arts here at Middlebury, something that I wanted to do, but I was afraid that I lacked the skill and artistic ability to participate in studio art classes at the college level.  Having a less rigorous course schedule, and more time to complete work with, I was easily able to take my first art class at Middlebury.  My experience with the arts here convinced me to take several more classes, all of which have provided me with great experiences, as well as new techniques and skills that I never thought I would know.

I think the one problem with J-term is how few classes you will be able to take before you graduate.  The classes offered during this time of the year take both students and professors out of their comfort zones, and both groups explore entirely new subject matter with each other.  It is easy to see the excitement in both students and their professors as both become immersed in the beauty of learning and exploring, which at the end of the day is what the liberal arts are all about.  A few of my favorite classes offered during J-term range the spectrum of science, literature, languages, and the humanities.  One of my friends here at the college took a class during her sophomore J-term called “Caveman Chemistry” during which she learned about chemistry through science projects that you might see in a 5^th grade classroom, such as, how to make soap and paper.  Another group of my friends took a class about the Lord of the Rings, just like everyone else in the world, they are huge Tolkien fans, during their class they read the trilogy, the Hobbit, and the Silmarillion.  The best part about this class was that it was taught by a computer science professor who simply had a passion for the Lord of the Rings.

The other great thing about J-term are the experiences students have outside of the classroom.  Only taking one class, which often meets only a few times a week, and for only part of the day allows students to explore the social, cultural, and community aspects of Middlebury as well.  J-term workshops offer student the ability to take fun, non-academic courses such as iron-working  making your own Adirondack chair, and a cooking class to learn how to make that special someone fall in love with you through their stomach.  J-term also offers you perhaps the best skiing opportunity you may have in your entire life.  Free shuttles to and from the College take students to Middlebury’s own ski slopes at the Snow Bowl.

In my eyes, J-term symbolizes everything that Middlebury is about.  It is a unique way to accomplish our liberal arts mission.  The opportunity to learn in a unique environment provides students academic opportunities, which they would not otherwise have.  J-term is my favorite part of the Middlebury curriculum, and the memories that I have created here during J-term will always be some of my fondest memories from Midd.

Oh, the charm of a small-town life. If you have visited Middlebury previously, you might not have been too impressed with the little town that surrounds our campus. Granted, it’s not exactly a bustling Metropolis, but Middlebury has its selection of lovely restaurants (American, Vietnamese, Italian, etc) and adorable shops. This isn’t all though. If you thought Middlebury was a boring middle-of-nowhere town, think again!

There are many ways you can get involved with the town. One way you can give back to the community is through the numerous community service opportunities. For example, my friends really love volunteering at local schools and day care centers. You can also volunteer at the Charter House, a housing facility which provides emergency housing for those in need. There are volunteer opportunities at WomenSafe, if you are passionate about the elimination of physical, sexual and emotional violence against women. I know a couple of friends who have worked on the 24-hour hotline service.

If you are musically inclined, every J-Term, Middlebury, in conjunction with the Town Hall Theater, puts on a musical production. You can audition for a role at the end of Fall semester. You can take it as a class, and the performances are extremely popular. This year, the musical of choice was Into the Woods, and last year’s performance was Hairspray. You need to purchase the tickets on the day they go on sale to have a chance at a seat!

The town has fun events going on throughout year . Better Middlebury Partnership  organizes these events. For Halloween, we have our Middlebury Spooktacular; they have a hay bale! For Christmas, we have Very Merry Middlebury. You can go on horse-drawn wagon rides, make your own gingerbread house, enjoy a free gift-wrapping service, participate in Lessons and Carols, and join a Hanukkah celebration. Of course, Santa makes an appearance!  Vermont Chili Festival happens this Saturday. You can taste over 40+ types of chili and vote for your favorite one! There were 5000 people attending last year. Who knows how many will show up this year, especially with the NCAA Skiing Championships being held at the Snow Bowl this year. I am planning going on the Ben & Jerry’s Factory tour Saturday morning and attending the Chili Festival in the afternoon. I have a feeling my stomach is going to hate me by the end of the day.

I will not let myself post about the “end” of senior year – not yet, anyways. I won’t talk about how my last Winter Carnival has come and gone or how the “100 Days” party is right around the corner. I’m not going to focus on the fact that talk of dinner reservations and plans with friends for graduation weekend has officially begun.  Most importantly, I will NOT dwell on email I received this week asking me to confirm the spelling of my full name for my diploma (!!!). Instead, I will focus on the positive – that sense of enthusiasm, adventure and fun that has come to define my final semester at Middlebury.

This weekend, a group of friends and I are heading down to Pittsfield, Vt. to compete in an annual snow shoe race that we have done for the past few years. The event is always worth the early morning wake up; it offers an awesome course through the snow, tons of competitors from across New England, a warm fire, free lunch and music at the finish line. It is safe to say snow shoe racing was not on my radar screen before coming to Middlebury, but, as I mention during my information sessions, it has come to be one of my favorite parts of winter! The Middlebury Mountain Club (MMC) helps tons of us participate, covering the registration fee, providing free transportation to and from the mountain, and lending out snow shoes at open gear hours. My group of friends competing this year is the biggest yet, and I know that’s because we all feel – whether we want to admit it or not – that it’s our last shot to do something like this.

That “why not?” attitude seems to have pervaded our lives, and I can’t say I mind it. Trip to the Ben & Jerry’s factory last week? Delicious. Last minute visit to Burlington? Absolutely. Even classes have taken on new excitement; having finished my major requirements, like many of my friends, I am taking courses in disciplines I’ve never focused on. Reading Moby Dick and learning about South Asian geography, for example, Midd continues to push me academically.

So, if senior spring is tinged with sadness, it also brings a new energy to classes, activities and adventures here. Graduation may be looming in the all-too-immediate future, with caps and gowns and diplomas just around the corner, but in the mean time seniors are choosing to focus on the present and live it up in the Green Mountain state.

Last Monday was my last first day of school. Ever. Sure, I suppose I may someday go on to grad school, but those plans are indistinct and far off. It won’t be for a long time that I get that rush of excitement when meeting a new teacher and looking at a new syllabus. This last first day also represents the first of many “lasts” we seniors will confront during this final semester at Middlebury. It’s time for a bit of preemptive nostalgia.

That morning I grabbed breakfast in Ross Dining Hall, and I noticed an awkward freshman practicing his Chinese characters in a messy, loopy scrawl. That was me, I realized, just three short years ago. And in those years I went from knowing not a single word or character in Mandarin to having studied abroad in China and speaking the language with a confidence that would have astounded me as a freshman.

That’s a big change, I thought—so what else has changed in four years? Well, I suppose I’m no longer that awkward freshman either—although I’m sure some of my friends would disagree. I’m a self-assured senior with the ability to speak and present and communicate with confidence and a little pizzazz, too.

I went about my day. First day of classes—man, do I know how to pick them well now. I can select classes that strike a balance between great professors and interesting material and challenging coursework. Heading to the library to work on my thesis—I’m reading academic literature and analyzing it in a way I never would have been able to freshman year. In Proctor Dining Hall, at dinnertime, I see dozens of friends that I have made over four years. And after dinner I spend the evening in extracurricular meetings, interests that I’ve discovered over my four years here.

It feels, in some ways, like so little has changed—but I know that so much has. When I give my information sessions at the admissions office, I see high school juniors and seniors—and I remember distinctly what it’s like to be in their shoes. It feels like yesterday that I was driving around New England with my parents attempting to find that perfect campus. But it’s not yesterday. It’s a long time ago and a lot has happened since then.

There are less than a hundred days before graduation. Double digits. The beginning of the end: The last J-Term is past. So is that last first day of school. And this Saturday was my last Winter Carnival Ball. Every weekend seems to bring about some milestone: the last trip to some restaurant, or the last party with some group of friends, or the last meeting with some professor.

But this mindset, even for a person as nostalgic as I, is a bit ridiculous. First of all, I still have more than three months left at Middlebury. Three months to study and to ski and to sleep and three months not to waste. And second, it would be wrong to say I’m not excited to leave, in some ways. I’ll miss Middlebury, a lot, but because of how I’ve grown in these four years I know that I’m ready to take on whatever is coming next.