- I knew I belonged at Middlebury College, because there’s no end to the possibilities here. You’ve got endless options for staying fresh, for feeling alive, for getting out of your comfort zone and seeing the world. It’s here in Middlebury that I found the possibilities are literally endless, to shape your own life.
- As cliche as it is, just be you is the way to be successful here on campus, because we all have something unique to bring to the table, and regardless of where you’re coming from, have confidence in this open and welcoming community. It’s a point in your life where you’re growing and changing, and deciding kind of who you want to be and how you want to live. And Middlebury offers so many opportunities to explore various aspects of that.
- Good, perfect.
- You are never gonna feel like you are an outsider, and that was one of my main fears coming to Midd. But during my first semester here, I remember vividly being in one of my classes, and my professor saying, “Congratulations for all of you to making it to this point in your academic careers.” And I think that really highlighted for me that I belonged in this community, I belonged in this classroom, and that was the start of my journey at Midd.
- What community means for me at Middlebury is the openness. Openness for different perspectives, openness for people who come from different backgrounds from you, but then also openness within disagreement, where you feel comfortable countering someone’s point, and not being scared of ridicule, or that you’ll be shamed for having a different opinion.
- If you are the type of person that wants to be in an environment where you have the complete freedom to just be who you are, and see who you could be, Middlebury is that place.
Middlebury Campus Tour
(upbeat piano music)
- Hi, I’m Paul.
I’m a senior here at Middlebury,
majoring in religion and English,
and today, I’m going to show you around
our beautiful Middlebury campus.
Right now, we’re outside
the Davis Family Library.
Our three-level library,
open 7:30 to midnight,
in the hub of student life.
The library also boasts
the Technology Helpdesk
for any tech issues you might
have with your Mac or PC.
There’s also the Center for
Teaching, Learning, and Research,
a free resource for
students who need tutoring
or additional academic support.
(gentle upbeat music)
And this is the Axinn
Center for the Humanities.
It’s one of our newest buildings
on campus and very modern,
but it was actually constructed
around the old Starr library,
so there’s quite a bit of history here.
Students love to study here
in the historic reading room
and if not here, right next
door, in the Abernethy room.
Axinn is where you’ll find
the Film and Media Culture,
History, English and American Literatures,
and American Studies Departments.
I actually took a class here last semester,
and the professor asked us to
specifically not write a paper
and instead use the resources
and the tech in the building
to either make a podcast or make a video
or make something completely brand new.
This is McCullough Student Center,
one of the most pivotal parts
of the Middlebury experience.
This is the place for students
to congregate, destress,
play some games, have some food,
and just enjoy their time at Middlebury.
McCullough is home to
Wilson Hall to my right,
our performance space.
It’s also home to our mail center,
our bookstore, our convenience store,
and two retail dining
options for students.
(gentle upbeat music)
This is Hillcrest,
home of the Franklin Environmental Center.
We are very proud that
Middlebury happens to have
the oldest environmental
studies program in the country.
Students can engage in environmentalism
through hands-on work
with local organizations
or at the Knoll, our community garden
that contributes to the
campus dining halls.
This is the Mahaney
Arts Center, or the MAC,
home to the Music, Dance, Theatre,
and Art History Departments.
If you’re looking for a show,
this is the place to be.
Here, you can find our black box theatre
and our dance studio, as
well as our concert hall,
a great place to catch
a TEDx Middlebury talk
or one of our public speaking courses.
We’re in one of the
quietest spots on campus,
the Middlebury College Museum of Art.
It’s completely free
for Middlebury students
and community members.
This is the Peterson
Family Athletics Complex.
We’re a very active community
and we’re very proud to
be part of the NESCAC,
the New England Small
College Athletic Conference.
We have 31 varsity sports
and a handful of club sports,
including soccer, rugby,
and even Quidditch.
All Middlebury College
students have access
to our facilities,
including the field house,
as well as a squash
court, Olympic-size pool,
multilevel fitness center, and gym.
If you’re looking for
something more outdoors,
there’s also the TAM, the
Trail Around Middlebury,
a 19-mile trail that surrounds the town
and neighboring vicinity.
(gentle upbeat music)
I have to head to class,
but here’s my friend Coco,
and he’ll finish the tour.
- Thanks, Paul.
My name is Coco Gruson.
I’m a sophomore majoring
in Japanese studies
and I’ll be your tour guide
for the rest of the day.
Let’s head to the Château.
(gentle upbeat bell music)
Welcome to the Château,
home to the French
Department at Middlebury.
Like many buildings on
campus, the Château serves
as both a residential
and academic building.
I actually have class in the Château
every Tuesday and Thursday
for my Japanese class.
Middlebury is known to have one
of the strongest language
departments in the U.S.,
offering 10 foreign languages
throughout the calendar year.
This is Bi Hall, home to
our science departments.
Some popular majors include
biochemistry, neuroscience,
molecular biology, and geography.
Students foster strong relationships
with their professors
through lab and research,
publication opportunities,
and hands-on work.
To my right, we have Ross Dining Hall,
one of three dining halls on campus.
Our open dining plan gives
students unlimited swipes
and tons of flexibility
with our busy schedules.
They serve a diverse range of food
that can meet any dietary needs.
Over at Proctor, we have
the language tables,
where students order and
converse in a foreign language.
It’s a great opportunity
to immerse yourself
and get some real-life practice.
Behind me is the Anderson Freeman Center,
home to the Middlebury
Intercultural Leadership Coalition,
which includes BSU,
Alianza, Mixed Kids of Midd,
and other affinity organizations.
The AFC is also home to First
@ Midd, a preorientation
for students first in their
family to go to college.
This building also
houses the Prism Center,
a space that centers queer
and trans students through advocacy.
Now, it is important to remember,
going to school in Vermont
means living through all the seasons.
First, we have the beautiful fall foliage.
Then, we get all the snow,
which we take advantage of
here at the Snow Bowl.
Just a short drive from
campus, the Snow Bowl
is one of only two college-owned
ski areas in the U.S.
I might be biased, but ours
is definitely the best.
Middlebury makes sure that outdoors
are accessible for everyone.
Snow Bowl tickets are free for first-years,
and you can borrow top-notch equipment
from the gear room on campus.
If you’ve never skied before,
you can also take ski
lessons during J-term.
We have reached the end of the tour.
Thank you for watching and
we hope to see you soon.
(gentle music)
Visita del campus de Middlebury
Kai: Bienvenidos a Middlebury College. Middlebury está localizado en el centro de Vermont, en el corazón del Valle Champlain.
Desde nuestro campus puedes ver las montañas Adirondack al oeste, y las montañas Verdes al este. El escénico rural de Middlebury contribuye a crear una comunidad unida, a la vez que ofrece oportunidades para la aventura. Le daremos un breve vistazo al campus de Middlebury, y compartimos con usted algunas de nuestras partes favoritas del campus.
Paul: El Centro Axinn de estudios literarios y culturales es el hogar de los departamentos de estudios estadounidenses, Historia, Literatura Inglesa y estadounidense, Cine y cultura de medios. Este edificio destaca porque fue construido alrededor de nuestra antigua biblioteca Starr. Este hermoso edificio es un lugar de estudio popular en el campus, con estudiantes que prefieren las salas mas distintivas: la sala de lectura y la sala Abernethy, que formaba parte de la biblioteca Starr original.
Esta es la Biblioteca Familiar de Davis, y sirve como la biblioteca principal de Middlebury en el campus. Middlebury College tiene más de 1.1 millones de volúmenes en toda la biblioteca, y un catálogo de bibliotecas en línea. Cada uno de sus tres niveles proporciona espacios de trabajo comunes para los estudiantes. Cuenta con el Servicio de Asistencia Tecnológica donde uno puede acudir por cualquier problema que tenga mientras estén en el campus. El centro de enseñanza, aprendizaje o investigación, también conocido en inglés como CTLR se encuentra en Davis. El CTLR es un centro académico que ofrece tutoría gratuita en todos los departamentos y apoya a los estudiantes en sus viajes de investigación. También tenemos en Davis la cafetería Wilson, que es un área de estudio abierta las 24 horas. Davis es un centro del campus para encontrar apoyo académico, estudiar en colaboración, o encontrar un lugar para relajarse.
Ross Dining Hall es uno de nuestros tres comedores en el campus. Está abierto durante todo el día para todos los platos con una vista nocturna de la puesta del sol sobre los Adirondacks. El plan de platos es único en el sentido que todos los platos se preparan aquí en el campus en lugar de un servicio de catering externo. Puedes comer en cualquier comedor del campus, cuando quieras, con la frecuencia que quieras. Aproximadamente, un tercio del presupuesto para alimentos se utiliza para comprar alimentos de origen local dentro de un radio de 250 millas de la universidad. También tenemos la suerte de obtener productos locales aquí en el campus, en el Knoll, nuestra granja orgánica dirigida por estudiantes.
A los estudiantes de Middlebury les encanta el plan de platos porque anima a los estudiantes a participar en conversaciones significativas y animadas. Es muy común pasar bastante tiempo en el comedor relajándose con amigos, charlando con profesores, o practicando un nuevo idioma en una de nuestras mesas de idiomas.
Kai: McCardell Bicentennial Hall, más comúnmente conocido como Bi-Hall, es nuestro centro de ciencias, y hogar de todos nuestros cursos de ciencias. Armstrong Library, nuestra biblioteca científica que contiene todos nuestros volúmenes científicos está aquí. Una de las salas de conferencias más grandes de Middlebury, con una capacidad máxima de 147 estudiantes, también se encuentra en Bi-Hall. La clase promedio en Middlebury, sin embargo, es de alrededor de 16 estudiantes. Incluso si una clase es grande, generalmente se divide en secciones más pequeñas de discusión o laboratorio. Estos tamaños pequeños de clase realmente permite a los estudiantes participar activamente con su aprendizaje y desarrollo de relaciones con sus maestros, que sienten pasión por el éxito de los estudiantes. Los estudiantes de Middlebury realizan investigaciones prácticas desde el primer semestre en el campus, en laboratorios tradicionales o en el campo.
Paul: McCullough es un centro de actividad social estudiantil. McCullough es el hogar de la sala de correos de los estudiantes donde los estudiantes tienen sus propios buzones de correo, la librería del campus, y Wilson Hall, donde tenemos conciertos y presentaciones durante todo el año que van desde patinaje sobre ruedas hasta foros públicos.
Para un bocado rápido pueden pasar por Midd-Xpress, que es una de nuestras tiendas de conveniencia en el campus. Pueden pasar por The Grille, donde los estudiantes tienen la habilidad de obtener una variedad de alimentos durante el día, incluso tarde en la noche. Y Crossroads Café, donde los estudiantes pueden obtener diferentes cafés y batidos, incluso sushi. McCullough es parte central de la experiencia de muchos estudiantes de Middlebury.
Kai: El Mahaney Arts Center, conocido en el campus como el MAC, es hogar de los departamentos de música, teatro, danza, historia del arte y la arquitectura. El centro también alberga tres bases de actuación principales: el teatro Seeler Studio de estilo caja negra, el espacioso teatro de danza y la impresionante sala de recitales. Nuestro museo de arte de Middlebury, un museo de entrada gratuita, también se encuentra en el MAC. Tiene una gran colección de exhibiciones permanentes y temporales en sus 6000 pies cuadrados de espacio de galería.
Fuera del museo, Middlebury tiene una iniciativa de arte en los lugares públicos que compra accesorios de arte público y los coloca en todo el campus. No importa cuál sea su nivel de experiencia artística o expresión antes de venir a Middlebury, definitivamente se enfocará con el Mahaney Arts Center.
Paul: El Complejo Atlético de la Familia Peterson es la base para todo lo relacionado con el atletismo en el campus. Middlebury compite en la Conferencia Atlética de New England, o NESCAC, en 31 deportes universitarios de la NCC. En el interior, los estudiantes tienen acceso a numerosos espacios, incluyendo el gimasio Pepin, la casa de campo Virtue, el centro de squash de la familia Bostwick, un natatorio de tamaño olímpico, y un gimnasio de dos niveles de 10,500 pies cuadrados. Afuera, la universidad cuenta con su propia montaña de ski, el snowball, un campo de golf de 18 hoyos, y más de 50 kilómetros de senderos para trotar y ski de fondo, así como áreas de campos deportivos abiertos. Los 350 acres de amplios prados verdes y colinas onduladas de Middlebury brindan una gran cantidad de espacios verdes para mantenerse activo.
Kai: Hay cuatro dormitorios de primer año ubicados en nuestros dos grupos de campus. Son fundamentales para la vida estudiantil y son un hogar lejos del hogar durante su primer año. Cada salón es único en sus arreglos de vivienda que van desde dormitorios individuales hasta suites para 4 personas. Cada primer año tiene un asesor académico, un decano de vida estudiantil, y un consejero de primer año que ayuda a apoyar a los estudiantes que se unen a nuestro campus. Después de su primer año, tienen muchas opciones para explorar una variedad de viviendas, incluida la vida en una casa de interés académico. Como una de nuestras casas de idiomas, donde los estudiantes hablan en el idioma de destino como parte de su experiencia residencial.
Muchas gracias por venir con nosotros. Esperamos que aprendieran algo de nuestro colegio.
Muchas gracias.
LIFE ON CAMPUS
Living in a dorm is just so much fun. There’s just endless possibilities, and you really have so many opportunities to really create connections and foster community in your dorm. And there’s just so many people who wanna help when needed and are always down to hang out with you. And you honestly get to get really creative with your living space. And you just make memories in your dorm that will stay with you for years to come. And there are just so many support systems in place, such as your RAs, which are student staff members, and they’re always ready to offer resources and supports for you. Like I’m an RA, for example, and I love talking to my residents, seeing how they’re doing, and just knowing what’s going on with their lives. And there’s also just so many opportunities just for different places to live in dorms here on campus. There are the townhouses, there are special interest houses, and academic interest houses, such as the gender studies, Spanish, Portuguese, and there’s also social houses here, which are really cool to live at.
I would say my favorite thing about the Middlebury dining halls is the variety that they offer. There’s always a meat, vegan, and vegetarian option, as well as multiple cuisines and meal options. My favorite meal, personally, is Thanksgiving Day at Ross. I know it’s not a crowd favorite, but I personally love it and there’s always a open salad bar and snack area if you want. And if you want something late night, I love the fact that MiddXpress is open until midnight, so if you want a quick pick me up, you can go there and grab coffee or anything. We also have options like The Grille and Crossroads which can serve as, you know, your sort of sandwich place or smoothie shop and if you need in a pickle. So basically, I would say my favorite thing about Middlebury food is just the variety you can have at any moment, at any time.
Okay, well, here at Middlebury, we have a very vibrant, active, community-oriented athletic culture here on campus, You can get involved in athletics in so many different ways on the intramural level in a club sport, like frisbee or quad ball or crew. We also have 31 varsity teams here on campus. I personally am a member of the varsity Track and Field Team, and I really love being an athlete here at Middlebury. We’re a D3 school, and what that means is that there’s a really strict academics over athletics policy, and so our coaches understand that school comes first. There was never a question of whether I would choose track over abroad. I got to go abroad and I didn’t think about working out the entire time. But I really enjoyed having my friends come to all of my track meets. People really go out to support their friends in athletics, and it’s really easy to get involved.
Name: Raghad Husni Sayyed, Arabic Teaching Assistant
مرحبًا! أنا رغد حسني وأنا معيدة اللغة العربية. نحن في البيت العربي، والبيت العربي هو بيتي. انا اشعر هنا بانتماء, شعور غريب حقيقة,عندما اتخيل أني في حياتي لن أعيش في مكان اسمه البيت العربي. فكرة أن هناك بيت اسمه “البيت العربي” وأنا أعيش هناك وأمثل ثقافتي فكرة جميلة خيالية. أشعر بالحب في البيت العربي، و بالحرية لأنني أتكلم لغتي التي استطيع ان اعبر خلالها بدون أي قيود. وأنا أشعر بالفرح عندما يأتي الطلاب هنا للأنشطة ويجتمعون, وأيضا تكون مساحة آمنة لهم ليتعلموا أكثر عن الثقافة واللغة التي يهتمون بها.وحقيقة أن هذا شغف الذي عندهم يجعلني فضولية أكثر لثقافتي و أقرب نوعا ما. وأتعلم منهم أكثر من …أنا يجب أن أعلمهم وأمثل ثقافتي ولكن في الحقيقة أتعلم منهم و من أسئلتهم. ومن كل هذه الشعلة التي أراها في وجوههم وفي أعينهم عندما يسألون عن شيء بثقافة أو مزحة أو كتاب أو كلمة.وخاصة الطلاب الذين أعيش معهم في البيت العربي: البيت العربي هو مكان سكني ومكان عملي أيضًا. أشعر أنهم عائلتي, نطبخ مع بعض, نضحك, أحيانا أيضًا نتقاتل يعني طوشة لكن كل هذا يجعلنا أقرب, ونعيش الخبرة أو التجربة العربية بحد ذاتها بدون أي قيود.
Welcome! My name is Raghad Husni and I am an Arabic teaching assistant. We’re here in the Arabic house, and the Arabic house is my house. I feel a sense of belonging here, a strange feeling indeed, when I imagine that in my life I have never lived in a place called the Arabic house. The idea that there is a house is called “The Arabic House” and I live there is a beautiful, imaginative idea. I feel loved in the Arabic house, and I feel free because I speak my language and I can express myself without any restrictions. I also feel happy when students come here for activities and to socialize, and it is a safe space for them to learn a lot about the culture and language that they care about. The fact that this is a passion that they have makes me even more curious about my culture, and somewhat closer [to my culture]. I also learn more from them…I should be teaching them and representing my culture, but in reality I learn from them and from their questions. I see longing in their faces and in their eyes when they ask about the culture or a joke or a book or a word. Especially for the students that live with each other in the Arabic House, the Arabic House is a residential space and a workplace as well. I feel that they are my family, we cook together, we laugh, sometimes we also fight, but it brings us closer, and we live in the Arabic experience itself without any restrictions.
So, here at Middlebury, weekends consist of many different things, but not really anyone is specifically the same. But still, I’m gonna attempt to try to give you what a typical weekend looks like. For a lot of people, weekends actually sort of start Thursday. A lot of people only have one class, or a discussion section on Friday, and so Thursday night, usually there’s live music at one of the social houses called The Mill. And also there’s a bunch of just sort of student-run activities. Specifically, there’s an international film club that I like to go to with my friends. And I like to go to bed early and sort of wake up and get a good start on Friday. Friday is one of the bigger days of the week. A lot of people will go on a hike Friday and then come back, have a big dinner with their friends, and then after that, hang out in someone’s room, listen to music. And then maybe they’ll attend a campus event, something that a club or the SGA is hosting. And then they’ll maybe check out one of the, you know, if a social house is having a party, or an interest house is having a party, and they’ll go and sort of see what that’s about. Saturday night is more the same, but it’s also the day for sort of doing big things. And so, if it’s the winter, people will go skiing, and if it’s the fall, they might check out the TAM, or one of the awesome trails we have around Middlebury, or they might go swimming in one of the rivers and waterfalls we have around here. Sunday for me tends to be a lot chiller and I think a lot of people take Sunday as a day for relaxing, you know, catching up on some work, spending some time in the library, and, you know, having just a day for yourself. And, yeah, that’s a typical weekend here at Middlebury.
I think the art scene here is really great. It’s super easy to get involved in, and there are always things going on whether it’s a faculty show or a student-run show. We’ve got a student-run theater, the Hepburn Zoo. I’m in an a cappella group, the Middlebury Mischords, and sometimes we have shows. There’s just so many different ways to get involved or go see something. A really great example of this is we have Nocturne, which is an outdoor arts festival in the spring where students who have been working on dance performances, like, pieces of art, or people will sing or do scenes and they present all over campus, and you can walk around and just see what everyone’s been up to.
