F2020-SB4: Allocating Student Activities Fee Reserves to the Student Emergency Fund due to COVID-19
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Dear Students,
At the SGA General Assembly meeting on Sunday, November 15, the SGA Student Senate unanimously passed a bill to allocate $100,000 from the Student Activities Fee reserves to the Student Emergency Fund as a response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As we know, Winter Term will be held remotely this academic year, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequities both within and outside Middlebury, especially for BIPOC, low-income, and other marginalized communities.
Recognizing the financial burdens that our peers will incur being away from campus for an extended period of time, we want to help provide financial assistance for expenses related to technology access, travel, housing, food, medical and mental health services not reimbursed by insurance, and more.
You can read the bill here: F2020-SB4: Allocating Student Activities Fee Reserves to the Student Emergency Fund due to COVID-19.
How do I access the Student Emergency Fund?
The distribution of the Student Emergency Fund will be organized by Student Financial Services (SFS). Submit the confidential petition form at go/SEFpetition/ to request financial assistance from the Student Emergency Fund. If you have additional questions or concerns that are not addressed in the petition form, please email SFS@middlebury.edu.
We want all students to be aware of the Student Emergency Fund and to obtain the financial assistance that they need at this time. If you know of any peers who could benefit from this resource, please refer them to this email.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice President
Rodney Adams ‘21
SGA Senior Senator
At the SGA General Assembly meeting on Sunday, November 15, the SGA Student Senate unanimously passed a bill to allocate $100,000 from the Student Activities Fee reserves to the Student Emergency Fund as a response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As we know, Winter Term will be held remotely this academic year, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequities both within and outside Middlebury, especially for BIPOC, low-income, and other marginalized communities.
Recognizing the financial burdens that our peers will incur being away from campus for an extended period of time, we want to help provide financial assistance for expenses related to technology access, travel, housing, food, medical and mental health services not reimbursed by insurance, and more.
You can read the bill here: F2020-SB4: Allocating Student Activities Fee Reserves to the Student Emergency Fund due to COVID-19.
How do I access the Student Emergency Fund?
The distribution of the Student Emergency Fund will be organized by Student Financial Services (SFS). Submit the confidential petition form at go/SEFpetition/ to request financial assistance from the Student Emergency Fund. If you have additional questions or concerns that are not addressed in the petition form, please email SFS@middlebury.edu.
We want all students to be aware of the Student Emergency Fund and to obtain the financial assistance that they need at this time. If you know of any peers who could benefit from this resource, please refer them to this email.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice President
Rodney Adams ‘21
SGA Senior Senator
Reminder of Election-Related Events and Resources
Monday, November 2, 2020
Dear Students,
We want to take a moment to acknowledge the challenging times that our community is faced with during this election season. Regardless of the outcome of the election, this week and the ones that follow will prove difficult in many ways. Please take care of yourselves and your peers, making use of Middlebury’s events and resources as you see fit.
We are including an updated version of “Election-Related Events and Resources” email from Middlebury Updates that was sent to the community on Wednesday, October 28. Several members of the SGA have been working alongside our Community Partners to develop these events and programs.
In addition to the events listed below, more will be added in the coming days here. If you are hosting an event that you would like to list on the Election-Related Events webpage, please email the Assistant Director of the Center for Community Engagement, Jason Duquette-Hoffman, at jduquettehoffman@middlebury.edu.
Academic Engagement
Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Wellness
Reflection and Conversation
We want to take a moment to acknowledge the challenging times that our community is faced with during this election season. Regardless of the outcome of the election, this week and the ones that follow will prove difficult in many ways. Please take care of yourselves and your peers, making use of Middlebury’s events and resources as you see fit.
We are including an updated version of “Election-Related Events and Resources” email from Middlebury Updates that was sent to the community on Wednesday, October 28. Several members of the SGA have been working alongside our Community Partners to develop these events and programs.
In addition to the events listed below, more will be added in the coming days here. If you are hosting an event that you would like to list on the Election-Related Events webpage, please email the Assistant Director of the Center for Community Engagement, Jason Duquette-Hoffman, at jduquettehoffman@middlebury.edu.
Academic Engagement
- 11/3 – Election Night Discussion and Commentary with Professors Dickinson and Johnson (Political Science) (virtual), 7:30 PM. Join the College Democrats for this virtual event, which will include a presentation and discussion/Q&A portion. All students regardless of political affiliation are invited to Join via Zoom.
- 11/4 – Politics Luncheon (virtual), 12:30 PM. A weekly talk hosted by Matt Dickinson, professor of political science. All are welcome to Join via Zoom.
- 11/5 – “Making sense of the 2020 Election” Post-Election Faculty Panel (virtual), 4:30-5:45 PM. Please join us for a panel discussion featuring commentary and reflections on the 2020 election by professors and students. There will also be an opportunity for those joining the webinar to ask questions. Join via Zoom.
- 11/6 – Privilege & Poverty Academic Cluster Post-Election Discussion (virtual), 4-5 PM. Impacts and implications of the 2020 election for communities working to address the causes and consequences of racism and economic inequality. All are welcome. Join at go/TalkJustice/.
Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Wellness
- 11/3 – Breathwork and Meditation for Relaxation (virtual), 1-1:20 PM, sponsored by Counseling. Email btobin@middlebury.edu to join.
- 11/3 – Feminist Watch Party (virtual), 7 PM, join Chellis House Director Karin Hanta and GSFS Director Laurie Essig for a Feminist Watch Party. Even if we can't know the result, we can know we are in this together. Join via Zoom.
- 11/4 – AFC Community Support (virtual and in-person), 10 AM-12 PM on Zoom or from 5-7 PM in the Abernethy Room. In recognition of the stress surrounding this year’s Presidential Election, the AFC is hosting an in-person and an online event for students to process and debrief on Wednesday, 11/4. The intent for both events is to provide a sense of community and mutual support. To participate in the Zoom event, please RSVP by emailing afc@middlebury.edu. To participate in the in-person event, please drop by Axinn 221 (Abernethy Room). We look forward to seeing you at either or both events!
- 11/4 – Weekly Well (virtual), 11 AM-12 PM, sponsored by the Center for Health and Wellness. A virtual hangout for you to connect with a staff member from the Center for Health and Wellness and other students to discuss your life, how you’re feeling, and talk through any questions about health and wellness tools and resources on campus. Join at go/WeeklyWell/ and stay for as much or as little as you like.
- 11/4 - Food trucks at McCullough (in-person), 12-2 PM. Grab some great grub at one of three food trucks outside of McCullough, near the Reflection Through Art stations.
- 11/4 – Workout Wednesdays (virtual), 7-8 PM. Join Middlebury alum and certified coach Sal Nakhlawi ’19, founder of StrongHER Girls. Sponsored by Sister-to-Sister, Womxn of Color, Feminist Action at Middlebury, and the Feminist Resource Center at Chellis House. Join at go/Sal/.
- 11/5 – Walking Meditation at the Knoll (in-person), 2-3 PM. Visit the Knoll's labyrinth to learn more about walking meditation with Health & Wellness Education. Enjoy a brief walking meditation lesson and practice in a peaceful setting. 15 spots available, register at go/WalkingMeditation/.
- 11/5 - Writing for Resilience (virtual and in-person), 8-9 PM. Writing for oneself can help a person clarify, vent, grieve, and celebrate. Grab a pen and some paper and take this time to write down thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears as this election week comes to its end. There will be guided writing prompts and warm-ups to get us going as we use writing to explore how this election has shaped our inner landscape. Guided by Danielle Stillman, Rabbi and Associate Chaplain at the Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life. Virtual event link to be posted here. Also offered in-person on Friday, 11/6 from 4-5 PM, and the location information will be posted here.
- 11/6 – Self-Care Scavenger Hunt (in-person), begins at 2 PM and self-paced thereafter. Get some fresh air as you work your way around campus to self-care stations where you can find what you need to care for yourself. Visit go/SelfCareScavengerHunt/ to get started on the hunt.
Reflection and Conversation
- 11/4 – Reflection Through Art and Storytelling (in-person), 11 AM-2 PM. Art supplies and audio recording devices will be available at stations outside of McCullough. Stop by to create and share your story of this time.
- 11/4 – Say it Forward: Post-election pop-up oral histories with the College Archives (in-person and virtual) 11 AM-1 PM Come on your own (or bring a friend) and reflect on this historical moment and what comes next. College archivists will provide interview prompts and audio gear. Join via Zoom or outside of McCullough. Find more details at go/PopUpOralHistory/.
- 11/4 – Feminist Check-In (in-person), 12-2 PM, Chellis House backyard, hosted by Professor Laurie Essig. What's going on? What do we do now? How can we take care of ourselves and our communities in the days ahead?
- 11/4 – What Community Means to You in this Moment (in-person), 12-1 PM, 1-2 PM, and 4:45-5:30 PM. “Walk and Talk” with CCE staff members to discuss and reflect together on what community means for you, especially in this time and space. Also offered Thursday, 11/5 from 11 AM-12 PM, 2-3 PM, and Friday, 11/6 from 1:30-2:30 PM. Meet in front of Axinn.
Collecting Feedback for October CBA Meeting
Monday, October 12, 2020
Dear Students,
The College Board of Advisors (CBA) to the Board of Trustees meets three times a year, and we are currently preparing for their upcoming October meeting. We are reaching out to collect your thoughts, opinions, and stories to share with the CBA during this month’s meeting about:
The CBA oversees and discusses matters related to academic and student affairs at Middlebury College, including policies, plans for facilities and grounds, advancement, undergraduate enrollment, new initiatives and programs, and the College’s proposed budget. The CBA’s October meeting will be dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus.
Your opinions will be shared with trustee members by SGA President, John Schurer ‘21, and Student Constituent Advisor to the College Board of Advisors, Maya Gee ‘22. Maya was interviewed and chosen by the SGA Student Senate in Spring 2020 to serve in this new role as the Student Constituent Advisor (SCA) to the CBA through Spring 2022. Her role is to provide the perspective, knowledge, and expertise of the student constituency the CBA discusses matters related to academics and student affairs.
We want to gather as many opinions as possible to share with the trustees, emeriti, and partners on the CBA about the current student experience at Middlebury. Please submit your thoughts and feedback to go/HeySGA/ or feel free to share them virtually over Zoom in open office hours with Maya on Sunday, October 18, 2020 from 5:00-6:00 PM EST at go/Maya/. See below for Zoom invitation.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Warmly,
Maya Gee ‘22
Student Constituent Advisor to the College Board of Advisors
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Topic: Open Meeting: Collecting Feedback for the Board of Trustees
Time: Oct 18, 2020 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://middlebury.zoom.us/j/97296681029?pwd=N2FseGU3RGc3ZEZwZ3hVTkdtUTUzdz09
Password: 020648
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +13126266799,,97296681029# or +16468769923,,97296681029#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782
Meeting ID: 972 9668 1029
Password: 020648
International numbers available: https://middlebury.zoom.us/u/aqY23CKU1
Or an H.323/SIP room system:
See here for info: http://go.middlebury.edu/zoomconnect
If meeting is password protected, use the numeric password in the telephone join section of the invitation for H.323 & SIP connections
The College Board of Advisors (CBA) to the Board of Trustees meets three times a year, and we are currently preparing for their upcoming October meeting. We are reaching out to collect your thoughts, opinions, and stories to share with the CBA during this month’s meeting about:
- How COVID-19 has been impacting your semester, on-campus or remotely
- Your opinions on anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion on Middlebury’s campus
The CBA oversees and discusses matters related to academic and student affairs at Middlebury College, including policies, plans for facilities and grounds, advancement, undergraduate enrollment, new initiatives and programs, and the College’s proposed budget. The CBA’s October meeting will be dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus.
Your opinions will be shared with trustee members by SGA President, John Schurer ‘21, and Student Constituent Advisor to the College Board of Advisors, Maya Gee ‘22. Maya was interviewed and chosen by the SGA Student Senate in Spring 2020 to serve in this new role as the Student Constituent Advisor (SCA) to the CBA through Spring 2022. Her role is to provide the perspective, knowledge, and expertise of the student constituency the CBA discusses matters related to academics and student affairs.
We want to gather as many opinions as possible to share with the trustees, emeriti, and partners on the CBA about the current student experience at Middlebury. Please submit your thoughts and feedback to go/HeySGA/ or feel free to share them virtually over Zoom in open office hours with Maya on Sunday, October 18, 2020 from 5:00-6:00 PM EST at go/Maya/. See below for Zoom invitation.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Warmly,
Maya Gee ‘22
Student Constituent Advisor to the College Board of Advisors
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Topic: Open Meeting: Collecting Feedback for the Board of Trustees
Time: Oct 18, 2020 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://middlebury.zoom.us/j/97296681029?pwd=N2FseGU3RGc3ZEZwZ3hVTkdtUTUzdz09
Password: 020648
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +13126266799,,97296681029# or +16468769923,,97296681029#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782
Meeting ID: 972 9668 1029
Password: 020648
International numbers available: https://middlebury.zoom.us/u/aqY23CKU1
Or an H.323/SIP room system:
See here for info: http://go.middlebury.edu/zoomconnect
If meeting is password protected, use the numeric password in the telephone join section of the invitation for H.323 & SIP connections
Invitation to Open Meeting on Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Friday, October 2, 2020
Dear Students,
We’re writing to let you know about the Open Meeting on Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that is happening on Thursday, October 8 from 7:00-8:30 PM EST via Zoom. This Open Meeting is being co-hosted by the SGA and the College administration, and will feature non-SGA student moderators and relevant panelists from the administration and staff. The event will be recorded and posted for those unable to attend.
The Open Meeting on Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will focus on key Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion/Anti-Racism efforts being taken by the College, including the 5-Year Action Plan for Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion created by the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and the $500,000 donation made to the College (particularly how the administration plans to ensure that BIPOC students, faculty, staff, & community members have a say in how that money is spent). Apart from these specific College initiatives, the event will be an opportunity for general discussion about how we can improve campus climate & culture using an intentionally anti-racist framework and working extensively with BIPOC communities to reduce harm on our campus. Panelists will include Laurie Patton (President), Miguel Fernández (Chief Diversity Officer), Christal Brown (Director of Taskforce on Anti-Racism), and other key DEI stakeholders on campus.
Itinerary:
Submit your questions at go/DEIquestions/ by Tuesday, October 6 at 12:00 PM EST. You may choose to submit questions anonymously.
Moderators:
Panelists:
The Zoom webinar for the event can be found at go/DEIopenmeeting/ and the link will go live the day of. We hope that this event can serve as a platform for you to bring your questions and concerns for panelists regarding the current state of anti-racism, as well as the future of anti-racism, at Middlebury. We hope to see you there.
Best,
Madison Holland ’21 & Francoise Niyigena ’21
SGA Directors of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Sophia Lundberg ’21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
John Schurer ’21
SGA President
We’re writing to let you know about the Open Meeting on Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that is happening on Thursday, October 8 from 7:00-8:30 PM EST via Zoom. This Open Meeting is being co-hosted by the SGA and the College administration, and will feature non-SGA student moderators and relevant panelists from the administration and staff. The event will be recorded and posted for those unable to attend.
The Open Meeting on Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will focus on key Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion/Anti-Racism efforts being taken by the College, including the 5-Year Action Plan for Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion created by the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and the $500,000 donation made to the College (particularly how the administration plans to ensure that BIPOC students, faculty, staff, & community members have a say in how that money is spent). Apart from these specific College initiatives, the event will be an opportunity for general discussion about how we can improve campus climate & culture using an intentionally anti-racist framework and working extensively with BIPOC communities to reduce harm on our campus. Panelists will include Laurie Patton (President), Miguel Fernández (Chief Diversity Officer), Christal Brown (Director of Taskforce on Anti-Racism), and other key DEI stakeholders on campus.
Itinerary:
- 7:00-7:30 PM EST: Brief Introductory Remarks and Mini-Presentations
- Introductory Remarks from President Patton
- Presentation of DEI Plan from Miguel Fernández
- Presentation of Taskforce on Anti-Racism from Christal Brown
- Introductory Remarks from President Patton
- 7:30-8:15 PM EST: Pre-Submitted Q&A
- Panelists will answer pre-selected questions collected and curated by student moderators and the SGA via the submission form linked below.
- Panelists will answer pre-selected questions collected and curated by student moderators and the SGA via the submission form linked below.
- 8:15-8:30 PM EST: Live Follow-Up Q&A
- Panelists will answer live follow-up questions to any of the information shared during the event using the chat and up-vote features.
- Panelists will answer live follow-up questions to any of the information shared during the event using the chat and up-vote features.
Submit your questions at go/DEIquestions/ by Tuesday, October 6 at 12:00 PM EST. You may choose to submit questions anonymously.
Moderators:
- Kaila Thomas ‘21, Student Organizer
- Rodney Adams ‘21, SGA Senior Senator
- Masud Tyree Lewis ‘22, Co-President/Managing Director of International Students’ Organization
- Abdul Hack Anas Abubakari ‘23, President of UMOJA & Co-President of Muslim Student Association
- Francoise Niyigena ‘21, SGA Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
- Madison Holland ‘21, SGA Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Panelists:
- Laurie Patton, President
- Miguel Fernández, Chief Diversity Officer
- Christal Brown, Director of Taskforce on Anti-Racism
- Janae Due, Assistant Director of Student Affairs for the Anderson Freeman Resource Center
- Roberto Lint-Sagarena, Director of Intercultural Programs for the Anderson Freeman Resource Center
- Renee Wells, Director of Education for Equity & Inclusion
- Nicole Curvin, Dean of Admissions
- Daniel Silva, Director of Black Studies Program
- Marti McCaleb, Civil Rights & Title IX Coordinator
- Barbara McCall, Director of Health & Wellness Education
- Emily Wagner, Assistant Director of Health & Wellness Education
- Mark Orten, Director of Scott Center, Dean of Spiritual & Religious Life, & Chaplain of the College
- Will Nash, Representative from the Faculty Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Zoom webinar for the event can be found at go/DEIopenmeeting/ and the link will go live the day of. We hope that this event can serve as a platform for you to bring your questions and concerns for panelists regarding the current state of anti-racism, as well as the future of anti-racism, at Middlebury. We hope to see you there.
Best,
Madison Holland ’21 & Francoise Niyigena ’21
SGA Directors of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Sophia Lundberg ’21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
John Schurer ’21
SGA President
F2020-SR1: Request for a Speedy Investigation and Resolution for Violation of Middlebury Policy Regarding Racial Discrimination and COVID-19
Monday, September 28, 2020
Dear Students,
At yesterday's SGA General Assembly meeting, the Student Senate unanimously passed this resolution in response to the racist incident that occurred on the night of Friday, September 25. The resolution, which you can find below, was sent to the College President and the Senior Leadership Group (SLG) this morning.
F2020-SR1: Request for a Speedy Investigation and Resolution for Violation of Middlebury Policy Regarding Racial Discrimination and COVID-19
Rodney Adams '21
SGA Senior Senator
Teddy Best '22
SGA Junior Senator
At yesterday's SGA General Assembly meeting, the Student Senate unanimously passed this resolution in response to the racist incident that occurred on the night of Friday, September 25. The resolution, which you can find below, was sent to the College President and the Senior Leadership Group (SLG) this morning.
F2020-SR1: Request for a Speedy Investigation and Resolution for Violation of Middlebury Policy Regarding Racial Discrimination and COVID-19
Rodney Adams '21
SGA Senior Senator
Teddy Best '22
SGA Junior Senator
Meet Your SGA Committees
Friday, September 4, 2020
Dear Students,
In the past few weeks, our Directors and Senators considered 272 applications and conducted 102 interviews for 61 SGA Committee Liaison positions. Committee Liaisons support Cabinet Directors and Senators and collaborate with Community Partners to work towards change at Middlebury.
Join us in welcoming these students to our team—some returning to SGA, some new to SGA, and many new to Middlebury! Please reach out to any of our Directors, Senators, or Liaisons below to connect with us through this year.
2020-2021 SGA Presidential Cabinet
2020-2021 SGA Student Senate
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Jackson Evans ‘22 & Bobbi Finkelstein ‘22
SGA Directors of Operations
In the past few weeks, our Directors and Senators considered 272 applications and conducted 102 interviews for 61 SGA Committee Liaison positions. Committee Liaisons support Cabinet Directors and Senators and collaborate with Community Partners to work towards change at Middlebury.
Join us in welcoming these students to our team—some returning to SGA, some new to SGA, and many new to Middlebury! Please reach out to any of our Directors, Senators, or Liaisons below to connect with us through this year.
2020-2021 SGA Presidential Cabinet
- SGA Vice Presidents: Sophia Lundberg & Roni Lezama
- SGA Finance Committee
- Directors: Alice Hudson & Mason Olmsted
- Liaisons: Aantorik Ganguly, Riley Kinum, Bunmi Adeloye, Liam Boyd, Cynthia Chen, Bruno Coelho, Lily Colón, Gloria Escobedo, Matt Goodman, Nam Nguyen, David Powell, Patty Alonso Rivera, Cate Wagner
- SGA Operations Committee
- Directors: Jackson Evans & Bobbi Finkelstein
- Liaisons: Ella Du, Liam Hahn, Cheko Mkocheko, Jenny X Tan, Emily Wight
- SGA Academic Affairs Committee
- Directors: Priya Kaur & Kenzo Okazaki
- Liaisons: Nina Cruz, Kate Likhite, Audrey Hsi, Faisal Hussain, Malick Thiam
- SGA Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee
- Directors: Madison Holland & Francoise Niyigena
- Liaisons: Naja Irvin-Conyers, Kayla Richards, Pim Singhatiraj, Miguel Velasquez, Kai Velazquez
- SGA Environmental Sustainability Committee
- Directors: Haley Goodman & Connor Wertz
- Liaisons: AJ Byambasaikhan, Valerie Gutierrez, Hannah Laga Abram, Brooke Laird, Max Lucas
- SGA External Affairs Committee
- Directors: Henry Ganey & Daniel Gutierrez
- Liaisons: Ideal Dowling, Emily Kuperstein, Paige Osgood, Sarah O’Dell, Maria Romero
- SGA Health & Wellness Committee
- Directors: Eloise Berdahl-Baldwin & Natalie Meyer
- Liaisons: Kayla Buchanan, Lexi Cramer, Madison Lord, Iman Sayeed, David Vargas
- SGA Innovation & Technology Committee
- Directors: Lizeth Lucero & Jeremy Navarro
- Liaisons: John Cambefort, Jason Rickenbacher, Mihir Singh, Fayza Shammin, Frieda Violet Thaveethu
- SGA Relationship & Sexual Respect Committee
- Directors: Melanie Chow & Aubrianna Wilson
- Liaisons: Erin Chouinard, Sophia Hwang, Michelle Marquez, Kevin Mata, Brett Sorbo
- SGA Student Affairs Committee
- Directors: Maggie Connolly & Ellie Thompson
- Liaisons: Steve Chung, Johnny Gaston, Jordyn Johnson, Kevin Lu, Dennis Miranda-Cruz
2020-2021 SGA Student Senate
- SGA President: John Schurer
- Co-Chair of Community Council: Christian Kummer
- SGA Senior Senators: Rodney Adams & Uno Lee
- SGA Junior Senators: Teddy Best & Mariana Tahiri
- Junior Committee: Madeline Elkes, Syr Esposito, Zeke Golnik, Nate Moll, Emmanuel Tamrat
- SGA Sophomore Senators: Khasai Makhulo & Miguel Sanchez-Tortoledo
- Sophomore Committee: Citlali Aguilera-Rico, Ali DePaolo, Jack Eschert, Sophia Holm, Natalie Tran
- SGA First-Year Senators: Elected in October 2020
- First-Year Committee: Selected by the SGA First-Year Senators in October 2020
- SGA Feb Senators: Melisa Gurkan & Mistaya Smith
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Jackson Evans ‘22 & Bobbi Finkelstein ‘22
SGA Directors of Operations
A Sweet Way to Start the Day
Thursday, September 3, 2020
Dear Students,
Beginning tomorrow morning, the SGA will be giving out free pastries from local businesses on McCullough Lawn from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM throughout the long weekend. On Friday and Saturday morning, we will have goods from Middlebury Bagel and Haymaker Buns. On Sunday and Monday morning, we will have goods from Happy Valley Orchard and Otter Creek Bakery. There will be a variety of options for those with dietary needs for all days! Pastries will be served on a first-come, first-served basis each morning.
There will be three distribution stations—all on the lawn in front of McCullough—in order to spread people out as best we can. We ask you to be mindful of maintaining physical distance from others as you wait in line.
We’re all adjusting to the “new normal” here at Middlebury; we hope that these events can bring a sense of celebration and community in a time where it’s needed. We’re thrilled to bring MiddKids the treats they love to campus and support local businesses as best as the Phase 1 guidelines allow.
Let’s kick off the school year right!
Maggie Connolly ‘23 & Ellie Thompson ‘22
SGA Directors of Student Affairs
Steve Chung ‘21, Johnny Gaston ‘24, Kevin Hongzhou Lu ‘22
SGA Student Affairs Committee Members
Beginning tomorrow morning, the SGA will be giving out free pastries from local businesses on McCullough Lawn from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM throughout the long weekend. On Friday and Saturday morning, we will have goods from Middlebury Bagel and Haymaker Buns. On Sunday and Monday morning, we will have goods from Happy Valley Orchard and Otter Creek Bakery. There will be a variety of options for those with dietary needs for all days! Pastries will be served on a first-come, first-served basis each morning.
There will be three distribution stations—all on the lawn in front of McCullough—in order to spread people out as best we can. We ask you to be mindful of maintaining physical distance from others as you wait in line.
We’re all adjusting to the “new normal” here at Middlebury; we hope that these events can bring a sense of celebration and community in a time where it’s needed. We’re thrilled to bring MiddKids the treats they love to campus and support local businesses as best as the Phase 1 guidelines allow.
Let’s kick off the school year right!
Maggie Connolly ‘23 & Ellie Thompson ‘22
SGA Directors of Student Affairs
Steve Chung ‘21, Johnny Gaston ‘24, Kevin Hongzhou Lu ‘22
SGA Student Affairs Committee Members
Digital Learning Survey
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Dear Students,
SGA Academic Affairs and SGA Innovation & Technology have teamed up with The Office of Digital Learning and Inquiry (DLINQ) on a survey to understand your digital learning needs for the upcoming semester. We highly encourage you to complete the survey so that DLINQ can find ways to best support students in their academics.
Link: go/DigitalLearningSurvey/
Due: Saturday, August 29 at midnight EST
Best,
John Schurer '21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg '21.5 & Roni Lezama '22
SGA Vice President
Priya Kaur '22 & Kenzo Okazaki '21
SGA Directors of Academic Affairs
Lizeth Lucero '21 & Jeremy Navarro '21
SGA Directors of Innovation & Technology
Masud Lewis '22
Office of Digital Learning and Inquiry • Lead Intern & Online Education Analyst
Alivia Kliesen '22 & Jiaqi Li '22
Office of Digital Learning and Inquiry • Interns
SGA Academic Affairs and SGA Innovation & Technology have teamed up with The Office of Digital Learning and Inquiry (DLINQ) on a survey to understand your digital learning needs for the upcoming semester. We highly encourage you to complete the survey so that DLINQ can find ways to best support students in their academics.
Link: go/DigitalLearningSurvey/
Due: Saturday, August 29 at midnight EST
Best,
John Schurer '21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg '21.5 & Roni Lezama '22
SGA Vice President
Priya Kaur '22 & Kenzo Okazaki '21
SGA Directors of Academic Affairs
Lizeth Lucero '21 & Jeremy Navarro '21
SGA Directors of Innovation & Technology
Masud Lewis '22
Office of Digital Learning and Inquiry • Lead Intern & Online Education Analyst
Alivia Kliesen '22 & Jiaqi Li '22
Office of Digital Learning and Inquiry • Interns
Join an SGA Committee
Monday, July 20, 2020
Dear Students,
Applications are now open for SGA committees! SGA committees are leadership opportunities for students who are interested in advancing initiatives on campus within a particular area of focus. We are reimagining the SGA to be a facilitator between student organizations and Community Partners to accomplish change together. We hope that you will join us in this effort.
SGA Cabinet Committees: Every SGA Cabinet Committee will be composed of a Director, a Deputy Director, and several Committee Liaisons. The Committee Liaisons will connect students with specific Community Partners to improve existing resources and create new initiatives. The Committee Liaisons will discuss relevant concerns, amplify student voices, and execute initiatives at the discretion of the Director and Deputy Director. The Director, who chairs the committee, will work with their Deputy Director and SGA Operations leadership to jointly appoint Committee Liaisons, whose terms expire at the end of the academic year with the exception of the SGA Finance Committee.
SGA Special Committees: Every SGA Special Committee promotes community in the class, provides a vehicle for addressing student concerns, assists in the promotion of campus resources, and works with event planning bodies to enhance inclusive social and cultural experiences on campus. Class Senators shall chair the committee and jointly appoint Committee Members, whose terms expire at the end of the academic year.
Deadline: Friday, July 31 by midnight EST
Application: go/Join/
If you previously applied to join the SGA Presidential Cabinet in May, we will automatically forward your application to the committees that were of interest to you, unless you indicated otherwise.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Alice Hudson ‘21 & Mason Olmsted ‘21
SGA Directors of Finance
Jackson Evans ‘22 & Bobbi Finkelstein ‘22
SGA Directors of Operations
Kenzo Okazaki ‘21 & Priya Kaur ‘22
SGA Directors of Academic Affairs
Madison Holland ‘21 & Francoise Niyigena ‘21
SGA Directors of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Connor Wertz ‘22 & Haley Goodman ‘21
SGA Directors of Environmental Sustainability
Daniel Gutierrez ‘23 & Henry Ganey ‘22
SGA Directors of External Affairs
Natalie Meyer ‘21 & Eloise Berdahl-Baldwin ‘21.5
SGA Directors of Health & Wellness
Lizeth Lucero ‘21 & Jeremy Navarro ‘21
SGA Directors of Innovation & Technology
Melanie Chow ‘22 & Aubrianna Wilson ‘23
SGA Directors of Relationship & Sexual Respect
Ellie Thompson ‘22 & Maggie Connolly ‘23
SGA Directors of Student Affairs
Teddy Best ‘22 & Mariana Tahiri ‘22
SGA Junior Senators
Khasai Makhulo ‘23 & Miguel Sanchez-Tortoledo ‘23
SGA Sophomore Senators
Applications are now open for SGA committees! SGA committees are leadership opportunities for students who are interested in advancing initiatives on campus within a particular area of focus. We are reimagining the SGA to be a facilitator between student organizations and Community Partners to accomplish change together. We hope that you will join us in this effort.
SGA Cabinet Committees: Every SGA Cabinet Committee will be composed of a Director, a Deputy Director, and several Committee Liaisons. The Committee Liaisons will connect students with specific Community Partners to improve existing resources and create new initiatives. The Committee Liaisons will discuss relevant concerns, amplify student voices, and execute initiatives at the discretion of the Director and Deputy Director. The Director, who chairs the committee, will work with their Deputy Director and SGA Operations leadership to jointly appoint Committee Liaisons, whose terms expire at the end of the academic year with the exception of the SGA Finance Committee.
- SGA Finance Committee
- Manages the Student Activities Fee by funding student organizations and initiatives organized by the SGA.
- SGA Operations Committee
- Prioritizes accountability within the SGA and strives for transparency and engagement with students to maximize efficiency and productivity in project management.
- SGA Academic Affairs Committee
- Improves the student academic experience via the curricula, class registration, academic integrity, accessibility standards, faculty relations, and the operations of all Middlebury Schools.
- SGA Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee
- Collaborates with students of underrepresented and marginalized communities, backgrounds, and identities to addresses discrimination and oppression and to advance equitable and inclusive community practices.
- SGA Environmental Sustainability Committee
- Aligns environmental efforts on-campus and off-campus to engage the entire community in the creation of a sustainable Middlebury, including renewable energy, ecological conservation, recycling and waste management, environmental justice, and educational opportunities.
- SGA External Affairs Committee
- Promotes collaboration between the College and the Town of Middlebury through initiatives to support local commerce, nonprofit organizations, schools, infrastructure, and other relations.
- SGA Health & Wellness Committee
- Advances physical, mental, and emotional health for students by expanding resources related to fitness, healthy diets and routines, drug and alcohol use, counseling services, self-care, and stress reduction.
- SGA Innovation & Technology Committee
- Implements creative initiatives and technological resources that enhance productivity, communicate information, and aggregate campus resources to help students navigate life at Middlebury.
- SGA Relationship & Sexual Respect Committee
- Cultivates conversations and initiatives that promote positive relationships, sexual health, consent, sex positivity, and bystander intervention while supporting students in cases of Sexual Misconduct, Domestic and Dating Violence and Misconduct, and Stalking (SMDVS) and Anti-Harassment/Discrimination (AHD).
- SGA Student Affairs Committee
- Approves and advises student organizations; improves the outreach and accessibility of student finances, employment, advancement, admissions, and campus spaces.
SGA Special Committees: Every SGA Special Committee promotes community in the class, provides a vehicle for addressing student concerns, assists in the promotion of campus resources, and works with event planning bodies to enhance inclusive social and cultural experiences on campus. Class Senators shall chair the committee and jointly appoint Committee Members, whose terms expire at the end of the academic year.
- SGA Junior Committee
- SGA Sophomore Committee
- SGA First-Year Committee
Deadline: Friday, July 31 by midnight EST
Application: go/Join/
If you previously applied to join the SGA Presidential Cabinet in May, we will automatically forward your application to the committees that were of interest to you, unless you indicated otherwise.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Alice Hudson ‘21 & Mason Olmsted ‘21
SGA Directors of Finance
Jackson Evans ‘22 & Bobbi Finkelstein ‘22
SGA Directors of Operations
Kenzo Okazaki ‘21 & Priya Kaur ‘22
SGA Directors of Academic Affairs
Madison Holland ‘21 & Francoise Niyigena ‘21
SGA Directors of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Connor Wertz ‘22 & Haley Goodman ‘21
SGA Directors of Environmental Sustainability
Daniel Gutierrez ‘23 & Henry Ganey ‘22
SGA Directors of External Affairs
Natalie Meyer ‘21 & Eloise Berdahl-Baldwin ‘21.5
SGA Directors of Health & Wellness
Lizeth Lucero ‘21 & Jeremy Navarro ‘21
SGA Directors of Innovation & Technology
Melanie Chow ‘22 & Aubrianna Wilson ‘23
SGA Directors of Relationship & Sexual Respect
Ellie Thompson ‘22 & Maggie Connolly ‘23
SGA Directors of Student Affairs
Teddy Best ‘22 & Mariana Tahiri ‘22
SGA Junior Senators
Khasai Makhulo ‘23 & Miguel Sanchez-Tortoledo ‘23
SGA Sophomore Senators
Building A Better Middlebury
Sunday, July 12, 2020
Dear Students,
In brief: The SGA has compiled Ideas for a Better Middlebury, and we want your feedback!
As we prepare to gather on campus and online for the Fall 2020 semester, the SGA wants to share with you all of the ways in which we’ve restructured and reoriented our organization to accomplish our goals of building a better Middlebury. The SGA usually takes the summer off, but this SGA is determined to change that precedent so we can hit the ground running in the fall. This summer, we are launching initiatives to uplift student ideas, begin and continue community-wide conversations, and create mechanisms to ensure that positive change is made sustainably for the years to come.
What comes next:
What we have done so far:
What we need from you:
One might assume that COVID-19 will hinder the ability of the SGA to make strides towards our goals. In full honesty, some of us were concerned about that as well. However, we have come to realize that there is no better time than now to break the status quo. We are all eager to support our peers and to build a better Middlebury together. We hope that you will join us in this endeavor.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Christian Kummer ‘22
Community Council Co-Chair
Maya Gee ‘22
Student Constituent Advisor to the College Board of Advisors
Alice Hudson ‘21 & Mason Olmsted ‘21
SGA Directors of Finance
Jackson Evans ‘22 & Bobbi Finkelstein ‘22
SGA Directors of Operations
Kenzo Okazaki ‘21 & Priya Kaur ‘22
SGA Directors of Academic Affairs
Madison Holland ‘21 & Francoise Niyigena ‘21
SGA Directors of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Connor Wertz ‘22 & Haley Goodman ‘21
SGA Directors of Environmental Sustainability
Daniel Gutierrez ‘23 & Henry Ganey ‘22
SGA Directors of External Affairs
Natalie Meyer ‘21.5 & Eloise Berdahl-Baldwin ‘21.5
SGA Directors of Health & Wellness
Lizeth Lucero ‘21 & Jeremy Navarro ‘21
SGA Directors of Innovation & Technology
Melanie Chow ‘22 & Aubrianna Wilson ‘23
SGA Directors of Relationship & Sexual Respect
Ellie Thompson ‘22 & Maggie Connolly ‘23
SGA Directors of Student Affairs
Rodney Adams ‘21 & Uno Lee ‘21
SGA Senior Senators
Teddy Best ‘22 & Mariana Tahiri ‘22
SGA Junior Senators
Khasai Makhulo ‘23 & Miguel Sanchez-Tortoledo ‘23
SGA Sophomore Senators
Mistaya Smith ‘21.5 & Melisa Gurkan ‘23.5
SGA Feb Senators
Abbott LaPrade ‘21
SGA Endowment Liaison
In brief: The SGA has compiled Ideas for a Better Middlebury, and we want your feedback!
As we prepare to gather on campus and online for the Fall 2020 semester, the SGA wants to share with you all of the ways in which we’ve restructured and reoriented our organization to accomplish our goals of building a better Middlebury. The SGA usually takes the summer off, but this SGA is determined to change that precedent so we can hit the ground running in the fall. This summer, we are launching initiatives to uplift student ideas, begin and continue community-wide conversations, and create mechanisms to ensure that positive change is made sustainably for the years to come.
What comes next:
- Ideas for a Better Middlebury
- Our goal is to facilitate collaboration by generating conversations and partnerships between individual community members, student organizations, and institutional resources. We want to uplift student ideas and to maximize our collective impact by creating intentional partnerships that simultaneously progress the College forward.
- As we envision what a better Middlebury looks like, we want to give you a chance to contribute your own ideas and to evaluate the ones that the SGA has brainstormed. Many of these ideas represent the work that students have already been discussing or doing in various capacities. We want to give credit where it is due; we do not want to co-opt student ideas and initiatives.
- This database of student ideas will contribute to the creation of a Common Agenda, which is detailed below.
- Common Agenda
- There is a lot of trust that needs to be repaired and rebuilt between many members of our community. Since the SGA is uniquely situated as a liaison between the student body and the administration, we are working to improve these relationships.
- On July 1, the SGA leadership had their first meeting with President Patton in which they discussed the need to build a campus culture of mutual respect, trust, transparency, and accountability. The SGA emphasized the need for administrative buy-in to accomplish real change at Middlebury. To this end, we proposed that the SGA forms a Common Agenda with the student body, and President Patton fully supported the idea.
- Later this summer, the SGA will form the Common Agenda from recurring themes generated by students in the Ideas for a Better Middlebury document. Students will have opportunities to provide input before it is finalized.
- At the start of the school year, the Common Agenda will be presented to the administration, faculty, and staff as an extensive list of student concerns and ways to improve Middlebury. The Common Agenda will be referred to throughout the academic year to hold the College accountable in collaborating with students on our collective vision.
- More information is forthcoming.
- Community Listening Sessions
- We believe that the first natural step in building a Common Agenda is to listen to the members of our community; the second step is to form a partnership between student organizers, campus groups, community partners, and the SGA.
- We will be hosting a series of Community Listening Sessions later this month, and during the academic year, in which members of the SGA are available to meet with students about their concerns and ideas.
- More information is forthcoming.
What we have done so far:
- Restructured the SGA Presidential Cabinet to prioritize efficiency, transparency, accountability, and engagement.
- Selected Directors and Deputy Directors to serve on the SGA Presidential Cabinet.
- Consulted with the appointed SGA Presidential Cabinet and elected Student Senate to build a collective vision situated upon the individual ideas of our peer leaders.
- Convened the entire SGA Presidential Cabinet for an introductory meeting to become acquainted and further discuss our collective vision for the SGA.
- Organized preliminary meetings between SGA Presidential Cabinet Committees, their respective Community Partners, and various student organizations to discuss student concerns and ideas.
- Planned our bimonthly SGA Newsletter to share information about ongoing initiatives and relevant updates.
What we need from you:
- Review Ideas for a Better Middlebury and let us know your feedback and ideas at go/HeySGA/ by Sunday, July 26 at midnight EST. We will be updating the list as submissions come in. We want to support your ideas and help bring them into fruition.
- Once we announce the details, attend a Community Listening Session to become engaged in the process of making change happen at Middlebury.
One might assume that COVID-19 will hinder the ability of the SGA to make strides towards our goals. In full honesty, some of us were concerned about that as well. However, we have come to realize that there is no better time than now to break the status quo. We are all eager to support our peers and to build a better Middlebury together. We hope that you will join us in this endeavor.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Christian Kummer ‘22
Community Council Co-Chair
Maya Gee ‘22
Student Constituent Advisor to the College Board of Advisors
Alice Hudson ‘21 & Mason Olmsted ‘21
SGA Directors of Finance
Jackson Evans ‘22 & Bobbi Finkelstein ‘22
SGA Directors of Operations
Kenzo Okazaki ‘21 & Priya Kaur ‘22
SGA Directors of Academic Affairs
Madison Holland ‘21 & Francoise Niyigena ‘21
SGA Directors of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Connor Wertz ‘22 & Haley Goodman ‘21
SGA Directors of Environmental Sustainability
Daniel Gutierrez ‘23 & Henry Ganey ‘22
SGA Directors of External Affairs
Natalie Meyer ‘21.5 & Eloise Berdahl-Baldwin ‘21.5
SGA Directors of Health & Wellness
Lizeth Lucero ‘21 & Jeremy Navarro ‘21
SGA Directors of Innovation & Technology
Melanie Chow ‘22 & Aubrianna Wilson ‘23
SGA Directors of Relationship & Sexual Respect
Ellie Thompson ‘22 & Maggie Connolly ‘23
SGA Directors of Student Affairs
Rodney Adams ‘21 & Uno Lee ‘21
SGA Senior Senators
Teddy Best ‘22 & Mariana Tahiri ‘22
SGA Junior Senators
Khasai Makhulo ‘23 & Miguel Sanchez-Tortoledo ‘23
SGA Sophomore Senators
Mistaya Smith ‘21.5 & Melisa Gurkan ‘23.5
SGA Feb Senators
Abbott LaPrade ‘21
SGA Endowment Liaison
Recording and Transcript of Student Town Hall
Thursday, July 2, 2020
Dear Students,
To watch the recording from Monday’s Student Town Hall on Fall 2020, follow this link: https://vimeo.com/434531947. We have also linked the transcript. Both of these will be posted on our SGA website and on the Middlebury Community Announcements page.
All pre-submitted questions collected via the SGA submission form and questions sent during the event in the Zoom Q&A and chat features have been sorted and sent to the Dean of Students Derek Doucet and other panelists. Derek and his colleagues are using these questions to update the FAQs on the Middlebury College website to further address students’ concerns about the Fall 2020 semester.
We encourage you to use the Student Town Hall, the FAQ page, the Community Announcements page, and other such resources to make the most informed decision that you can about Fall 2020.
As the SGA, we are interested in your feedback on the Student Town Hall, so please let us know your thoughts at go/HeySGA/.
Take care,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
To watch the recording from Monday’s Student Town Hall on Fall 2020, follow this link: https://vimeo.com/434531947. We have also linked the transcript. Both of these will be posted on our SGA website and on the Middlebury Community Announcements page.
All pre-submitted questions collected via the SGA submission form and questions sent during the event in the Zoom Q&A and chat features have been sorted and sent to the Dean of Students Derek Doucet and other panelists. Derek and his colleagues are using these questions to update the FAQs on the Middlebury College website to further address students’ concerns about the Fall 2020 semester.
We encourage you to use the Student Town Hall, the FAQ page, the Community Announcements page, and other such resources to make the most informed decision that you can about Fall 2020.
As the SGA, we are interested in your feedback on the Student Town Hall, so please let us know your thoughts at go/HeySGA/.
Take care,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Putting Tonight’s Student Town Hall in Context
Monday, June 29, 2020
Dear Students,
We want to remind you about tonight’s Student Town Hall and to put this event in the context of the recent deletion of Dr. Marissel Hernández-Romero’s email. The Student Town Hall is today, June 29 from 7:00-8:30 PM EST via Zoom. The link to join is go.middlebury.edu/StudentTownHall/ and will be active at 6:55 PM EST. The full Zoom invitation is at the bottom of this email.
Itinerary
Last week, the SGA sent out a Google Form for students to pre-submit questions about Fall 2020, which have since been collected and consolidated. There will be a live Q&A at the end of the event for students to ask additional questions. Although the Student Town Hall was organized to answer students’ questions about the Fall, this time is for you to ask the administration and staff any questions that feel most relevant to you--please use it as you see fit.
Standing with Dr. Hernández-Romero
We want to directly address an email that was sent out yesterday by Dr. Marissel Hernández-Romero. Last night, Dr. Hernández-Romero in the Luso-Hispanic Studies department sent an email to many students, faculty, and staff about her experiences with racism and injustice as a Black woman on the Middlebury faculty. The email was deleted from various inboxes several hours later. The removal of Dr. Hernández-Romero’s email reflects the repeated silencing of BIPOC voices, especially Black voices, on Middlebury’s campus. The SGA remains committed to uplifting the voices of BIPOC members of the Middlebury community and honoring their stories. The SGA stands with Dr. Hernández-Romero as well as all students, faculty, and staff of color in our community.
There are three PDFs attached to this email. The first is Dr. Hernández-Romero’s original message, which has been circulating through the student body on social media and email lists. The second PDF is an email that members of the SGA sent to several administrators last night after the original email was deleted. The SGA has urged the administration to explain their actions and address the persistent racism that Dr. Hernández-Romero experienced as a professor at Middlebury. The third is the most recent email correspondence from the Chief Diversity Officer Miguel Fernández, Vice President of Academic Affairs & Dean of Faculty Sujata Moorti, and President Laurie Patton. Please read them all if you have not already.
Zoom Invitation for Student Town Hall
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Jun 29, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Student Town Hall
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://middlebury.zoom.us/j/99577904965?pwd=emN2RXdrTXpWRzROb2lLT21kU1RNdz09
Password: 467094
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +16699006833,,99577904965#,,,,0#,,467094# or +13462487799,,99577904965#,,,,0#,,467094#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 995 7790 4965
Password: 467094
International numbers available: https://middlebury.zoom.us/u/acxfGGQyIL
Or an H.323/SIP room system:
H.323:
162.255.37.11 (US West)
162.255.36.11 (US East)
115.114.131.7 (India Mumbai)
115.114.115.7 (India Hyderabad)
213.19.144.110 (EMEA)
103.122.166.55 (Australia)
209.9.211.110 (Hong Kong SAR)
64.211.144.160 (Brazil)
69.174.57.160 (Canada)
207.226.132.110 (Japan)
Meeting ID: 995 7790 4965
Password: 467094
SIP: 99577904965@zoomcrc.com
Password: 467094
Hoping to see you tonight,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Jackson Evans ‘22 & Bobbi Finkelstein ‘22
SGA Directors of Operations
Madison Holland ‘21
SGA Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Lizeth Lucero ‘21
SGA Director of Innovation & Technology
Maya Gee ‘22
Student Constituent Advisor to the College Board of Advisors
We want to remind you about tonight’s Student Town Hall and to put this event in the context of the recent deletion of Dr. Marissel Hernández-Romero’s email. The Student Town Hall is today, June 29 from 7:00-8:30 PM EST via Zoom. The link to join is go.middlebury.edu/StudentTownHall/ and will be active at 6:55 PM EST. The full Zoom invitation is at the bottom of this email.
Itinerary
- 7:00-7:30 PM EST: Brief Introductory Remarks and Brief Presentations
- Introductory Remarks
- Health & Safety Overview
- Academic Affairs Overview
- Student Life Overview
- 7:30-8:15 PM EST: Pre-Submitted Questions & Answers
- Last week, the SGA sent out a Google Form for students to pre-submit questions about Fall 2020, which have since been collected and consolidated.
- Panelists will answer pre-selected questions.
- 8:15-8:30 PM EST: Live Follow-Up Questions & Answers
- Panelists will answer live follow-up questions to any of the information shared during the event using the chat and up-vote features.
- John Schurer ‘21, SGA President
- Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5, SGA Vice President
- Roni Lezama ‘22, SGA Vice President
- Hannah Ross, General Counsel
- Laurie Patton, President
- David Provost, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration
- Jeff Cason, Provost
- Sujata Moorti, Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Amy Collier, Associate Provost for Digital Learning
- Suzanne Gurland, Dean of Curriculum
- Carlos Velez, Dean of International Programs
- Peggy Burns, Director of Center for Careers and Internships
- Ashley Laux, Director of Center for Community Engagement
- Miguel Fernández, Chief Diversity Officer
- Derek Doucet, Dean of Students
- AJ Place, Associate Dean of Student Life
- Amanda Reinhardt, Director of Student Activities
- Kathy Foley, Associate Dean & Director of International Student and Scholar Services
- Mark Peluso, Director of Health Services
- Barbara McCall, Director of Health and Wellness Education
- Gus Jordan, Executive Director of Health and Counseling
- Brian Lind, Associate Dean of Judicial Affairs and Student Life
- Jen Kazmierczak, Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator
- Kim Downs Burns, Associate Vice President for Student Financial Services
- Erin Quinn, Director of Athletics
Last week, the SGA sent out a Google Form for students to pre-submit questions about Fall 2020, which have since been collected and consolidated. There will be a live Q&A at the end of the event for students to ask additional questions. Although the Student Town Hall was organized to answer students’ questions about the Fall, this time is for you to ask the administration and staff any questions that feel most relevant to you--please use it as you see fit.
Standing with Dr. Hernández-Romero
We want to directly address an email that was sent out yesterday by Dr. Marissel Hernández-Romero. Last night, Dr. Hernández-Romero in the Luso-Hispanic Studies department sent an email to many students, faculty, and staff about her experiences with racism and injustice as a Black woman on the Middlebury faculty. The email was deleted from various inboxes several hours later. The removal of Dr. Hernández-Romero’s email reflects the repeated silencing of BIPOC voices, especially Black voices, on Middlebury’s campus. The SGA remains committed to uplifting the voices of BIPOC members of the Middlebury community and honoring their stories. The SGA stands with Dr. Hernández-Romero as well as all students, faculty, and staff of color in our community.
There are three PDFs attached to this email. The first is Dr. Hernández-Romero’s original message, which has been circulating through the student body on social media and email lists. The second PDF is an email that members of the SGA sent to several administrators last night after the original email was deleted. The SGA has urged the administration to explain their actions and address the persistent racism that Dr. Hernández-Romero experienced as a professor at Middlebury. The third is the most recent email correspondence from the Chief Diversity Officer Miguel Fernández, Vice President of Academic Affairs & Dean of Faculty Sujata Moorti, and President Laurie Patton. Please read them all if you have not already.
Zoom Invitation for Student Town Hall
You are invited to a Zoom webinar.
When: Jun 29, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Student Town Hall
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://middlebury.zoom.us/j/99577904965?pwd=emN2RXdrTXpWRzROb2lLT21kU1RNdz09
Password: 467094
Or iPhone one-tap :
US: +16699006833,,99577904965#,,,,0#,,467094# or +13462487799,,99577904965#,,,,0#,,467094#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 646 876 9923 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799
Webinar ID: 995 7790 4965
Password: 467094
International numbers available: https://middlebury.zoom.us/u/acxfGGQyIL
Or an H.323/SIP room system:
H.323:
162.255.37.11 (US West)
162.255.36.11 (US East)
115.114.131.7 (India Mumbai)
115.114.115.7 (India Hyderabad)
213.19.144.110 (EMEA)
103.122.166.55 (Australia)
209.9.211.110 (Hong Kong SAR)
64.211.144.160 (Brazil)
69.174.57.160 (Canada)
207.226.132.110 (Japan)
Meeting ID: 995 7790 4965
Password: 467094
SIP: 99577904965@zoomcrc.com
Password: 467094
Hoping to see you tonight,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Jackson Evans ‘22 & Bobbi Finkelstein ‘22
SGA Directors of Operations
Madison Holland ‘21
SGA Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Lizeth Lucero ‘21
SGA Director of Innovation & Technology
Maya Gee ‘22
Student Constituent Advisor to the College Board of Advisors
Invitation to Student Town Hall
Friday, June 26, 2020
Dear Students,
On Monday, June 22, the Office of the President released their “Initial Decisions about the Fall Semester” to the Middlebury community. Anticipating the many questions that students would have, we have worked with Dean of Students Derek Doucet to host a Student Town Hall webinar with panelists from the Senior Leadership Group, and other relevant administration and staff. We want to ensure that students are given as much information as possible before July 6 to decide whether or not they will return to campus.
The Student Town Hall is on Monday, June 29 from 7:00-8:30 PM EST via Zoom and will be recorded and posted for those who are unable to attend. We will send the link on the day of the event. There will be representation from Health and Safety, Academic Affairs, Student Life, Athletics, and Student Financial Services. SGA leadership will be moderating the discussion.
Event Itinerary:
Submit your questions here by Monday, June 29 at 12:00 PM EST. You may choose to submit questions anonymously.
We hope that this event will supplement recent and upcoming College communications as well as gather our community together during this uncertain time.
See you there,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
On Monday, June 22, the Office of the President released their “Initial Decisions about the Fall Semester” to the Middlebury community. Anticipating the many questions that students would have, we have worked with Dean of Students Derek Doucet to host a Student Town Hall webinar with panelists from the Senior Leadership Group, and other relevant administration and staff. We want to ensure that students are given as much information as possible before July 6 to decide whether or not they will return to campus.
The Student Town Hall is on Monday, June 29 from 7:00-8:30 PM EST via Zoom and will be recorded and posted for those who are unable to attend. We will send the link on the day of the event. There will be representation from Health and Safety, Academic Affairs, Student Life, Athletics, and Student Financial Services. SGA leadership will be moderating the discussion.
Event Itinerary:
- 7:00-7:30 PM EST: Brief Introductory Remarks and Brief Presentations
- Introductory Remarks
- Health & Safety Overview
- Academic Affairs Overview
- Student Life Overview
- 7:30-8:15 PM EST: Pre-Submitted Questions & Answers
- Panelists will answer pre-selected questions collected and consolidated by the SGA via the submission form linked below.
- 8:15-8:30 PM EST: Live Follow-Up Questions & Answers
- Panelists will answer live follow-up questions to any of the information shared during the event using the chat and up-vote features.
Submit your questions here by Monday, June 29 at 12:00 PM EST. You may choose to submit questions anonymously.
We hope that this event will supplement recent and upcoming College communications as well as gather our community together during this uncertain time.
See you there,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Matching Challenge Met to Promote Racial Justice and Equity
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Dear Students,
We write to thank you–and the rest of the Middlebury community–for your swift and generous response to our invitation to support organizations focused on promoting racial justice and equity in Vermont and across the country.
Thanks to the collective generosity of Middlebury students, alumni, faculty and staff, the Middlebury community has directed more than $46,000 to Black Lives Matter, The Innocence Project, Equal Justice Initiative, ACLU Vermont, and the Rutland Area NAACP. The SGA and the President’s Office will provide an additional $25,000 in matching gift funds to these organizations.
Here’s a breakdown of the allocation of donations:
ACLU of VT: 8%
Black Lives Matter: 25%
Equal Justice Initiative: 45%
Innocence Project: 15%
Rutland Area NAACP: 6%
As we look to the coming year, we will continue collaborating with the administration, faculty, staff, and students to advance anti-racist work at Middlebury.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Alice Hudson ‘21 & Mason Olmsted ‘21
SGA Directors of Finance
Abbott LaPrade ‘21
SGA Endowment Liaison
We write to thank you–and the rest of the Middlebury community–for your swift and generous response to our invitation to support organizations focused on promoting racial justice and equity in Vermont and across the country.
Thanks to the collective generosity of Middlebury students, alumni, faculty and staff, the Middlebury community has directed more than $46,000 to Black Lives Matter, The Innocence Project, Equal Justice Initiative, ACLU Vermont, and the Rutland Area NAACP. The SGA and the President’s Office will provide an additional $25,000 in matching gift funds to these organizations.
Here’s a breakdown of the allocation of donations:
ACLU of VT: 8%
Black Lives Matter: 25%
Equal Justice Initiative: 45%
Innocence Project: 15%
Rutland Area NAACP: 6%
As we look to the coming year, we will continue collaborating with the administration, faculty, staff, and students to advance anti-racist work at Middlebury.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Alice Hudson ‘21 & Mason Olmsted ‘21
SGA Directors of Finance
Abbott LaPrade ‘21
SGA Endowment Liaison
Middlebury will match to promote racial justice and equity
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Dear Students,
Last week, we collected student nominations on a Middlebury community-wide donation match campaign. We’re writing to you now to announce that in partnership with the Office of the President and the Office of Advancement, the SGA has launched a campaign to support the following organizations, which were selected with your input:
Between now and June 30, gifts from Middlebury students, alumni, faculty, and staff to one or more of these organizations will be matched with an additional gift of up to $250.
Here’s how it works:
Make your gift(s) directly to one or more of the five organizations above.
Send a copy of your gift receipt to: ca_records@middlebury.edu.
Your gift(s) will be matched — up to $250 from each donor, with a total match limit of $25,000.
Middlebury’s stated mission is to prepare students to lead engaged, consequential, and creative lives, contribute to their communities, and address the world’s most challenging problems.
We know that bigotry, intolerance, and structural inequality will not be solved with a singular institutional action or a one-time donation. We hope that this campaign is a step toward fostering a community that is committed to practicing anti-racism at Middlebury and beyond.
We can make progress, together.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Alice Hudson ‘21 & Mason Olmsted ‘21
SGA Directors of Finance
Abbott LaPrade ‘21
SGA Endowment Liaison
P.S. We received nominations for many more organizations—the list above by no means represents all the ways you can provide support locally or nationally. We encourage you to continue your engagement outside of this fundraising campaign, perhaps by making recurring donations. Here is a list of many organizations suggested by you:
Last week, we collected student nominations on a Middlebury community-wide donation match campaign. We’re writing to you now to announce that in partnership with the Office of the President and the Office of Advancement, the SGA has launched a campaign to support the following organizations, which were selected with your input:
Between now and June 30, gifts from Middlebury students, alumni, faculty, and staff to one or more of these organizations will be matched with an additional gift of up to $250.
Here’s how it works:
Make your gift(s) directly to one or more of the five organizations above.
Send a copy of your gift receipt to: ca_records@middlebury.edu.
Your gift(s) will be matched — up to $250 from each donor, with a total match limit of $25,000.
Middlebury’s stated mission is to prepare students to lead engaged, consequential, and creative lives, contribute to their communities, and address the world’s most challenging problems.
We know that bigotry, intolerance, and structural inequality will not be solved with a singular institutional action or a one-time donation. We hope that this campaign is a step toward fostering a community that is committed to practicing anti-racism at Middlebury and beyond.
We can make progress, together.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Alice Hudson ‘21 & Mason Olmsted ‘21
SGA Directors of Finance
Abbott LaPrade ‘21
SGA Endowment Liaison
P.S. We received nominations for many more organizations—the list above by no means represents all the ways you can provide support locally or nationally. We encourage you to continue your engagement outside of this fundraising campaign, perhaps by making recurring donations. Here is a list of many organizations suggested by you:
- ACLU
- Black Visions Collective
- Black Women’s Blueprint
- Color of Change
- Know Your Rights Camp
- NAACP
- National Bail Out
- Campaign Zero
- Dream Defenders
- The Okra Project
- The Loveland Foundation
- The Sadie Collective
- BYP100
- Minds Matter
- United We Dream
- RAICES
- Trans Women of Color Collective
- Black Lives Matter of Greater Burlington
- Middlebury SURJ
- Peace and Justice Center of Vermont
- The Alexander Twilight Academy
Nominations for Donation-Matching Campaign
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Dear Students,
We are committed to taking a stand and actively making efforts to support our students, especially those who are continuously impacted by racial injustices and inequities. On May 30, our Letter in Solidarity with the Black Community promised to improve upon the history of neutrality in the SGA. We aim to lead by example.
We’re excited to announce that we are working alongside the Office of the President and the Office of Advancement to launch a Middlebury community-wide donation-matching campaign that involves students, staff, faculty, administration, alumni, and families. You may have seen similar initiatives at peer institutions such as Barnard, Bowdoin, and Amherst.
We are asking you to nominate organizations dedicated to racial justice and equity. On the nomination form linked below, there are two sections: one for global and national organizations and one for local organizations. There is also an option to name an organization if you do not see one listed on the form. We will ensure that the final five selections reflect popularity amongst student nominations and a variety of global, national, and local organizations.
Nomination Form: go/Nominations/
Nomination Deadline: Friday, June 12 at 12:00 PM EST
Some of you may be wondering why we are not fundraising for institutional resources at Middlebury. The Office of the President made a commitment to advance anti-racist practices and make Middlebury a more equitable place. Thus, we are focusing this campaign on supporting the Black community via global, national, and local organizations.
We understand that this fundraising campaign is not enough on its own in dismantling unjust systems, but we hope that it evokes a more conscious and active Middlebury in the future. More information about the fundraising campaign will be released next week.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Alice Hudson ‘21 & Mason Olmsted ‘21
SGA Directors of Finance
Abbott LaPrade ‘21
SGA Endowment Liaison
We are committed to taking a stand and actively making efforts to support our students, especially those who are continuously impacted by racial injustices and inequities. On May 30, our Letter in Solidarity with the Black Community promised to improve upon the history of neutrality in the SGA. We aim to lead by example.
We’re excited to announce that we are working alongside the Office of the President and the Office of Advancement to launch a Middlebury community-wide donation-matching campaign that involves students, staff, faculty, administration, alumni, and families. You may have seen similar initiatives at peer institutions such as Barnard, Bowdoin, and Amherst.
We are asking you to nominate organizations dedicated to racial justice and equity. On the nomination form linked below, there are two sections: one for global and national organizations and one for local organizations. There is also an option to name an organization if you do not see one listed on the form. We will ensure that the final five selections reflect popularity amongst student nominations and a variety of global, national, and local organizations.
Nomination Form: go/Nominations/
Nomination Deadline: Friday, June 12 at 12:00 PM EST
Some of you may be wondering why we are not fundraising for institutional resources at Middlebury. The Office of the President made a commitment to advance anti-racist practices and make Middlebury a more equitable place. Thus, we are focusing this campaign on supporting the Black community via global, national, and local organizations.
We understand that this fundraising campaign is not enough on its own in dismantling unjust systems, but we hope that it evokes a more conscious and active Middlebury in the future. More information about the fundraising campaign will be released next week.
Sincerely,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA Vice Presidents
Alice Hudson ‘21 & Mason Olmsted ‘21
SGA Directors of Finance
Abbott LaPrade ‘21
SGA Endowment Liaison
Letter in Solidarity with the Black Community
Sunday, May 31, 2020
TW: racial violence, anti-Blackness, anti-trans violence, murder
Dear Students,
As leaders of the SGA at Middlebury College with support from fellow student leadership, we condemn all forms of racism and police brutality, and we stand in solidarity with our Black community, for whom the recent murders of Tony McDade, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have been especially painful.
These four individuals are among the many Black people whose lives have been unjustly taken away by the institutionalized discrimination and systemic racism that pervades our society. We acknowledge that Black communities are diverse within themselves; African American, African, Caribbean, and other Black-identifying students will undoubtedly have both shared and distinct experiences with these injustices.
Middlebury itself has not been exempt from racism. Within the past few years, we have experienced our own tangible instances of racial injustice: the racist pseudoscience of Charles Murray and other such speakers and the platform given to their agendas on multiple occasions, the racial profiling of Addis Fouche-Channer ‘17 and faculty members, microagressions in the classroom and in everyday campus life. Now, more than ever, is the time to hold ourselves accountable. Each one of us is capable of perpetuating or dismantling racism. Racism exists both actively and passively; oppression is continued both intentionally and unintentionally when we conflate, obfuscate, and undermine the struggles of and pain felt by Black communities.
We also want to acknowledge that the SGA has been historically neutral on a variety of issues related to racial equity and justice. Despite having been slow to develop a comprehensive response to these issues in the past, the incoming SGA is committed to putting these issues first. As the SGA, we aim to address the concerns of all student voices. To start our transformation, we must first confront the harm done through our inaction and silence. The SGA is dedicated to constantly educating ourselves by listening to Black communities, amplifying their voices, prioritizing their needs, advocating for their issues to the administration, and advancing their initiatives using institutional resources. Furthermore, we acknowledge that fighting for and standing with the Black community requires employing our own institutional position as the SGA to dismantle racism. This letter is only the beginning of a process of reconciliation to change the SGA and the broader Middlebury culture of complacency.
To Black students: We want to work with you however possible to make sure that you truly are respected, included, and uplifted in our Middlebury community. The SGA is composed of dozens of elected and appointed student-leaders who care deeply about these issues and want to support you all as peers and friends. Never hesitate to connect with us. Moreover, the following suggestions were compiled by some of our fellow student-leaders and the Anderson Freeman Resource Center.
The Anderson Freeman Resource Center (AFC) is driven by their mission to promote an inclusive and welcoming learning environment for the Middlebury community; in particular, they work to support students who have been historically underrepresented or marginalized in American higher education. We have included resources distributed by the AFC in their most recent communication below, as well as additional resources that various student-leaders have recommended. We urge you to check them out and get involved however you can.
DONATE: We are a community with many students whose families possess immense amounts of economic capital. Please consider the impact of redistributing wealth towards causes focused on the liberation of Black people. The descriptions below are from organization websites and @allthingseka on Instagram.
TAKE ACTION: We can all take actions towards changing the systems of power that shape this country. Challenge yourself and others to think critically about the ways in which white supremacy occurs both overtly and covertly in everyday life. Consider how your actions can help dismantle institutionalized discrimination and uplift the voices of those directly impacted.
It is imperative that we are intentional about how we demonstrate allyship. When engaging with content on social media, it is most effective to share posts with educational resources, places to donate, and news updates. This is a time to fight against performative activism; solely focusing on chain mail belittles Black lives and the current movement to a trend. Engagement must transcend social media and continue into daily conversations and choices.
SELF-EDUCATE: We urge you to critically analyze yourself, your own biases, and your role in these issues. Think about how you interact with notions of Black violence, colorism and the media’s perception of Black people. Are you having these conversations with yourself? Are you having them with your family and friends? As a student body, we cannot create a meaningful experience for all students unless we confront these issues, personally and outwardly. There are several organizations, films, shows, podcasts, and books that are actively providing a decolonized approach to discussing the history of Black people in America. It is the responsibility of non-Black people to learn, listen, and understand that Black people are not obligated to teach others how to show up for them.
The resources listed above barely scratch the surface. There are hundreds of other things to read, watch, and listen to that we encourage you to discover through your own research.
Our Middlebury community must care about every person; let us never forget this. We must be reminded that to remain silent is to remain complicit. We hope that our community can be one that practices solidarity and actively works to make Middlebury a safe and welcoming place for all.
Black lives matter.
Sincerely and collaboratively,
John Schurer ‘21, Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA President and Vice Presidents
Christian Kummer ‘22
Community Council Co-Chair
Brittney Azubuike ‘22
Black Student Union President
Luka Bowen ‘22
Distinguished Men of Color Secretary
Norma Leyva ‘22 & Charice Lawrence ‘23
Womxn of Color Co-Presidents
Arthur Martins ‘22.5, Smith Gakuya ‘23, Masud Tyree Lewis ‘22, Michelle Liu ‘22, Ariana Popa ‘22, Husam AlZulbaidy ‘23 & Tenzin Gyalmo ‘23
International Students’ Organization Executive Board
Madison Holland ‘21 & Francoise Niyigena ‘21
SGA Directors of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Jackson Evans ‘22 & Bobbi Finkelstein ‘21.5
SGA Directors of Operations
Rodney Adams ‘21 & Eun Ho Lee ‘21
SGA Senior Senators
Teddy Best ‘22 & Mariana Tahiri ‘22
SGA Junior Senators
Khasai Makhulo ‘23 & Miguel Sanchez-Tortoledo ‘23
SGA Sophomore Senators
Mistaya Smith ‘21.5 & Melisa Gurkin ‘23.5
SGA Feb Senators
Dear Students,
As leaders of the SGA at Middlebury College with support from fellow student leadership, we condemn all forms of racism and police brutality, and we stand in solidarity with our Black community, for whom the recent murders of Tony McDade, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have been especially painful.
These four individuals are among the many Black people whose lives have been unjustly taken away by the institutionalized discrimination and systemic racism that pervades our society. We acknowledge that Black communities are diverse within themselves; African American, African, Caribbean, and other Black-identifying students will undoubtedly have both shared and distinct experiences with these injustices.
Middlebury itself has not been exempt from racism. Within the past few years, we have experienced our own tangible instances of racial injustice: the racist pseudoscience of Charles Murray and other such speakers and the platform given to their agendas on multiple occasions, the racial profiling of Addis Fouche-Channer ‘17 and faculty members, microagressions in the classroom and in everyday campus life. Now, more than ever, is the time to hold ourselves accountable. Each one of us is capable of perpetuating or dismantling racism. Racism exists both actively and passively; oppression is continued both intentionally and unintentionally when we conflate, obfuscate, and undermine the struggles of and pain felt by Black communities.
We also want to acknowledge that the SGA has been historically neutral on a variety of issues related to racial equity and justice. Despite having been slow to develop a comprehensive response to these issues in the past, the incoming SGA is committed to putting these issues first. As the SGA, we aim to address the concerns of all student voices. To start our transformation, we must first confront the harm done through our inaction and silence. The SGA is dedicated to constantly educating ourselves by listening to Black communities, amplifying their voices, prioritizing their needs, advocating for their issues to the administration, and advancing their initiatives using institutional resources. Furthermore, we acknowledge that fighting for and standing with the Black community requires employing our own institutional position as the SGA to dismantle racism. This letter is only the beginning of a process of reconciliation to change the SGA and the broader Middlebury culture of complacency.
To Black students: We want to work with you however possible to make sure that you truly are respected, included, and uplifted in our Middlebury community. The SGA is composed of dozens of elected and appointed student-leaders who care deeply about these issues and want to support you all as peers and friends. Never hesitate to connect with us. Moreover, the following suggestions were compiled by some of our fellow student-leaders and the Anderson Freeman Resource Center.
- Taking a break from social media
- Connecting with other Black folx
- Disconnecting from toxic news outlets
- Vocalizing your grievances
- Setting boundaries with your non-Black friends and family.
- Visiting Middlebury’s confidential counseling and referral services at WellConnect or calling them at (866) 640-4777. They are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Reaching out to the AFC staff at any point this summer.
- Janae: www.calendly.com/jdue
- Jennifer: jherrera@middlebury.edu
- Paola: pmeza@middlebury.edu
The Anderson Freeman Resource Center (AFC) is driven by their mission to promote an inclusive and welcoming learning environment for the Middlebury community; in particular, they work to support students who have been historically underrepresented or marginalized in American higher education. We have included resources distributed by the AFC in their most recent communication below, as well as additional resources that various student-leaders have recommended. We urge you to check them out and get involved however you can.
DONATE: We are a community with many students whose families possess immense amounts of economic capital. Please consider the impact of redistributing wealth towards causes focused on the liberation of Black people. The descriptions below are from organization websites and @allthingseka on Instagram.
- Minnesota Freedom Fund: community-based nonprofit that pays criminal bail and immigration bonds for individuals who have been arrested while protesting police brutality.
- Black Visions Collective: a black, trans, and queer-led organization that is committed to dismantling systems of oppression and violence, and shifting the public narrative to create transformative, long-term change.
- Reclaim the Block: coalition that advocates for and invests in community-led safety initiatives in Minneapolis neighborhoods
- Bail Funds/Legal Help by City: a Google Doc created by community organizers compiling bail funding and other such legal help resources by city.
- GoFundMe Pages: George Floyd | Ahmaud Arbery | Tony McDade
TAKE ACTION: We can all take actions towards changing the systems of power that shape this country. Challenge yourself and others to think critically about the ways in which white supremacy occurs both overtly and covertly in everyday life. Consider how your actions can help dismantle institutionalized discrimination and uplift the voices of those directly impacted.
It is imperative that we are intentional about how we demonstrate allyship. When engaging with content on social media, it is most effective to share posts with educational resources, places to donate, and news updates. This is a time to fight against performative activism; solely focusing on chain mail belittles Black lives and the current movement to a trend. Engagement must transcend social media and continue into daily conversations and choices.
- Resources for Accountability and Actions for Black Lives: a comprehensive Google Doc with resources collected by organizers that covers donation-worthy orgs, legal aid resources, additional action-oriented Google Docs, and other resources dedicated to addressing racial equity and justice.
- Text FLOYD to 55156
- Text JUSTICE to 668366
- Speak up against injustice with your friends and family.
- Connect with your Black friends and family. Check in on them. Listen to them.
SELF-EDUCATE: We urge you to critically analyze yourself, your own biases, and your role in these issues. Think about how you interact with notions of Black violence, colorism and the media’s perception of Black people. Are you having these conversations with yourself? Are you having them with your family and friends? As a student body, we cannot create a meaningful experience for all students unless we confront these issues, personally and outwardly. There are several organizations, films, shows, podcasts, and books that are actively providing a decolonized approach to discussing the history of Black people in America. It is the responsibility of non-Black people to learn, listen, and understand that Black people are not obligated to teach others how to show up for them.
- Podcasts
- Books
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
- Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment by Patricia Hill Collins
- Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
- Articles
- “The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying” by Adam Serwer
- “The Grief That White Americans Can’t Share” by Nikole Hannah-Jones
- “75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice” by Corinne Shutack
- “The 1619 Project,” The New York Times Magazine
- “The Anti-Racist Reading List,” by Brea Baker
- Videos & Shows
- Movies & Documentaries
- Websites & Social Media
- Steps to Becoming an Anti-Racist at Middlebury by Charice Lawrence ‘23, Ana Maria Espinosa ‘22, and Justice Hatton ‘20
- There’s Injustice All Around Us... Now What? A Learning/Resource Guide by Andrés Oyaga ‘23 & Daleelah Saleh ‘23
- Antiracism Center: Twitter
- Black Women’s Blueprint: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
- Color Of Change: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
- Equal Justice Initiative (EJI): Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
- Organizations
- For more educational resources, click here.
The resources listed above barely scratch the surface. There are hundreds of other things to read, watch, and listen to that we encourage you to discover through your own research.
Our Middlebury community must care about every person; let us never forget this. We must be reminded that to remain silent is to remain complicit. We hope that our community can be one that practices solidarity and actively works to make Middlebury a safe and welcoming place for all.
Black lives matter.
Sincerely and collaboratively,
John Schurer ‘21, Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
SGA President and Vice Presidents
Christian Kummer ‘22
Community Council Co-Chair
Brittney Azubuike ‘22
Black Student Union President
Luka Bowen ‘22
Distinguished Men of Color Secretary
Norma Leyva ‘22 & Charice Lawrence ‘23
Womxn of Color Co-Presidents
Arthur Martins ‘22.5, Smith Gakuya ‘23, Masud Tyree Lewis ‘22, Michelle Liu ‘22, Ariana Popa ‘22, Husam AlZulbaidy ‘23 & Tenzin Gyalmo ‘23
International Students’ Organization Executive Board
Madison Holland ‘21 & Francoise Niyigena ‘21
SGA Directors of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Jackson Evans ‘22 & Bobbi Finkelstein ‘21.5
SGA Directors of Operations
Rodney Adams ‘21 & Eun Ho Lee ‘21
SGA Senior Senators
Teddy Best ‘22 & Mariana Tahiri ‘22
SGA Junior Senators
Khasai Makhulo ‘23 & Miguel Sanchez-Tortoledo ‘23
SGA Sophomore Senators
Mistaya Smith ‘21.5 & Melisa Gurkin ‘23.5
SGA Feb Senators
Meet Your Next SGA
Monday, May 11, 2020
Dear Students,
After two weeks of reviewing 250 peer nominations, reading 113 applications, and conducting 41 interviews for 18 positions on the SGA Presidential Cabinet, we have made our decision. We were sincerely moved by the impassioned words of our peers that envision a better Middlebury. We will carry your experiences and ideas with us as we embark on the exciting journey ahead. Congratulations to the newly-appointed SGA Presidential Cabinet and the newly-elected SGA Student Senate. We couldn’t be prouder to welcome you all to the team.
Incoming SGA
2020-2021 SGA Presidential Cabinet (appointed by SGA President-Elect in May 2020)
SGA Vice Presidents: Sophia Lundberg & Roni Lezama
SGA Director of Finance; SGA Treasurer: Alice Hudson
SGA Deputy Director of Finance: Mason Olmsted
SGA Director of Operations: Jackson Evans
SGA Deputy Director of Operations: Bobbi Finkelstein
SGA Director of Academic Affairs: Kenzo Okazaki
SGA Deputy Director of Academic Affairs: Priya Kaur
SGA Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Madison Holland
SGA Deputy Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Francoise Niyigena
SGA Director of Environmental Sustainability: Connor Wertz
SGA Deputy Director of Environmental Sustainability: Haley Goodman
SGA Director of External Affairs: Daniel Gutierrez
SGA Deputy Director of External Affairs: Henry Ganey
SGA Director of Health & Wellness: Natalie Meyer
SGA Deputy Director of Health & Wellness: Eloise Berdahl-Baldwin
SGA Director of Innovation & Technology: Lizeth Lucero
SGA Deputy Director of Innovation & Technology: Jeremy Navarro
SGA Director of Relationship & Sexual Respect: Melanie Chow
SGA Deputy Director of Relationship & Sexual Respect: Aubrianna Wilson
SGA Director of Student Affairs: Ellie Thompson
SGA Deputy Director of Student Affairs: Maggie Connolly
2020-2021 SGA Student Senate (elected by students in April 2020)
SGA President: John Schurer
Co-Chair of Community Council: Christian Kummer
SGA Senior Senators: Rodney Adams & Uno Lee
SGA Junior Senators: Teddy Best & Mariana Tahiri
SGA Sophomore Senators: Khasai Makhulo & Miguel Sanchez-Tortoledo
SGA First-Year Senators: Elected in October 2020
SGA Feb Senators: Melisa Gurkan & Mistaya Smith
2020-2021 SGA Special Positions (selected by SGA Senate in Spring 2020)
Second Student Constituent to the College Board of Advisors: Maya Gee
Student Liaison to the SGA on Endowment Affairs: Abbott LaPrade
It was bittersweet as SGA President Varsha Vijayakumar shared her parting words to the Cabinet and the Senate at their final meetings on Sunday. As we welcome the leaders of next year, it would be remiss if we did not celebrate the brilliant leadership and tireless efforts of the outgoing SGA. To Varsha, Drew, Brigid, and Kenshin: Thank you especially for your unwavering dedication and thoughtfulness at every turn. You are an inspiration to us all. To the outgoing members of the SGA Presidential Cabinet and the SGA Student Senate: Thank you for making Middlebury a more inclusive, efficient, and mindful place. Your tremendous contributions do not go unrecognized.
Outgoing SGA
2019-2020 SGA Presidential Cabinet (appointed by SGA President-Elect in May 2019)
SGA Chief of Staff: Drew Platt
SGA Deputy Chief of Staff: Brigid Connor
SGA Director of Finance; SGA Treasurer: Kenshin Cho
SGA Director of Academic Affairs: Maddison McKnight; Mikayla Pascual
SGA Director of Athletic Affairs: Izzy Hartnett; Sidney Portner
SGA Director of Communications: Serrin Kim; Will Hoppin
SGA Director of Campus Life: Walter Conrad
SGA Director of Dining Affairs: Brenna Wilson; Joel Machado
SGA Co-Director of Environmental Affairs: Emma Clinton & Raechel Zeller
SGA Director of External Affairs: Julie Huynh & Paige Osgood
SGA Co-Director of Health & Wellness: Maria Bobbitt-Chertock & Becca Gorman; Cleo Davidowitz & David Vargas
SGA Director of Institutional Affairs: Miki Nakano
SGA Co-Director of Institutional Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Jackson Tham & Madison Holland; Andrés Oyaga
SGA Director of Membership: Thomas Khodadad
SGA Co-Director of Sexual & Relationship Respect: Elissa Asch & Arielle Landau
SGA Director of Student Organizations: Michelle Liu
SGA Director of Spiritual & Religious Life: Evan Mercer
SGA Director of Technology: Nadani Dixon
2019-2020 SGA Student Senate (elected by students in April 2019)
SGA President: Varsha Vijayakumar
Co-Chair of Community Council: Roni Lezama
SGA Senior Senators: John Gosselin & Anthony Salas
SGA Junior Senators: Eun Ho Lee & Sam Lyons; John Schurer (Spring Speaker)
SGA Sophomore Senators: Paul Flores-Clavel & Maya Gee
SGA First-Year Senators: Miguel Sanchez-Tortoledo & Kai Velazquez
SGA Feb Senators: Bobbi Finkelstein (Fall Speaker); Melisa Gurkan & Mistaya Smith
SGA Atwater Senator: Jack Brady
SGA Brainerd Senator: Eddie Heyer; Jenali Mehta
SGA Cook Senator: Corey Scheinfeld; Karina Sharma
SGA Ross Senator: Teddy Best
SGA Wonnacott Senator: Myles Maxie
2019-2020 SGA Special Positions (selected by SGA Senate in Fall 2019)
Student Liaison to the SGA on Endowment Affairs: Elisa Gan
Student Constituent to the Schools Board of Overseers: Cara Levine
2019-2020 Other Positions
Recording Secretary: Grace Najmulski; Niki Kowsar
The Middlebury Campus Correspondent to the SGA: Porter Bowman; Abbie Chang
So, MiddKids, wherever you are in the world: We wish you luck on final exams and good health above all! You’ll hear from us in a few weeks.
Sending love and good vibes,
John Schurer '21
SGA President-Elect
Sophia Lundberg '21.5 & Roni Lezama '22
SGA Vice Presidents
After two weeks of reviewing 250 peer nominations, reading 113 applications, and conducting 41 interviews for 18 positions on the SGA Presidential Cabinet, we have made our decision. We were sincerely moved by the impassioned words of our peers that envision a better Middlebury. We will carry your experiences and ideas with us as we embark on the exciting journey ahead. Congratulations to the newly-appointed SGA Presidential Cabinet and the newly-elected SGA Student Senate. We couldn’t be prouder to welcome you all to the team.
Incoming SGA
2020-2021 SGA Presidential Cabinet (appointed by SGA President-Elect in May 2020)
SGA Vice Presidents: Sophia Lundberg & Roni Lezama
SGA Director of Finance; SGA Treasurer: Alice Hudson
SGA Deputy Director of Finance: Mason Olmsted
SGA Director of Operations: Jackson Evans
SGA Deputy Director of Operations: Bobbi Finkelstein
SGA Director of Academic Affairs: Kenzo Okazaki
SGA Deputy Director of Academic Affairs: Priya Kaur
SGA Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Madison Holland
SGA Deputy Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Francoise Niyigena
SGA Director of Environmental Sustainability: Connor Wertz
SGA Deputy Director of Environmental Sustainability: Haley Goodman
SGA Director of External Affairs: Daniel Gutierrez
SGA Deputy Director of External Affairs: Henry Ganey
SGA Director of Health & Wellness: Natalie Meyer
SGA Deputy Director of Health & Wellness: Eloise Berdahl-Baldwin
SGA Director of Innovation & Technology: Lizeth Lucero
SGA Deputy Director of Innovation & Technology: Jeremy Navarro
SGA Director of Relationship & Sexual Respect: Melanie Chow
SGA Deputy Director of Relationship & Sexual Respect: Aubrianna Wilson
SGA Director of Student Affairs: Ellie Thompson
SGA Deputy Director of Student Affairs: Maggie Connolly
2020-2021 SGA Student Senate (elected by students in April 2020)
SGA President: John Schurer
Co-Chair of Community Council: Christian Kummer
SGA Senior Senators: Rodney Adams & Uno Lee
SGA Junior Senators: Teddy Best & Mariana Tahiri
SGA Sophomore Senators: Khasai Makhulo & Miguel Sanchez-Tortoledo
SGA First-Year Senators: Elected in October 2020
SGA Feb Senators: Melisa Gurkan & Mistaya Smith
2020-2021 SGA Special Positions (selected by SGA Senate in Spring 2020)
Second Student Constituent to the College Board of Advisors: Maya Gee
Student Liaison to the SGA on Endowment Affairs: Abbott LaPrade
It was bittersweet as SGA President Varsha Vijayakumar shared her parting words to the Cabinet and the Senate at their final meetings on Sunday. As we welcome the leaders of next year, it would be remiss if we did not celebrate the brilliant leadership and tireless efforts of the outgoing SGA. To Varsha, Drew, Brigid, and Kenshin: Thank you especially for your unwavering dedication and thoughtfulness at every turn. You are an inspiration to us all. To the outgoing members of the SGA Presidential Cabinet and the SGA Student Senate: Thank you for making Middlebury a more inclusive, efficient, and mindful place. Your tremendous contributions do not go unrecognized.
Outgoing SGA
2019-2020 SGA Presidential Cabinet (appointed by SGA President-Elect in May 2019)
SGA Chief of Staff: Drew Platt
SGA Deputy Chief of Staff: Brigid Connor
SGA Director of Finance; SGA Treasurer: Kenshin Cho
SGA Director of Academic Affairs: Maddison McKnight; Mikayla Pascual
SGA Director of Athletic Affairs: Izzy Hartnett; Sidney Portner
SGA Director of Communications: Serrin Kim; Will Hoppin
SGA Director of Campus Life: Walter Conrad
SGA Director of Dining Affairs: Brenna Wilson; Joel Machado
SGA Co-Director of Environmental Affairs: Emma Clinton & Raechel Zeller
SGA Director of External Affairs: Julie Huynh & Paige Osgood
SGA Co-Director of Health & Wellness: Maria Bobbitt-Chertock & Becca Gorman; Cleo Davidowitz & David Vargas
SGA Director of Institutional Affairs: Miki Nakano
SGA Co-Director of Institutional Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Jackson Tham & Madison Holland; Andrés Oyaga
SGA Director of Membership: Thomas Khodadad
SGA Co-Director of Sexual & Relationship Respect: Elissa Asch & Arielle Landau
SGA Director of Student Organizations: Michelle Liu
SGA Director of Spiritual & Religious Life: Evan Mercer
SGA Director of Technology: Nadani Dixon
2019-2020 SGA Student Senate (elected by students in April 2019)
SGA President: Varsha Vijayakumar
Co-Chair of Community Council: Roni Lezama
SGA Senior Senators: John Gosselin & Anthony Salas
SGA Junior Senators: Eun Ho Lee & Sam Lyons; John Schurer (Spring Speaker)
SGA Sophomore Senators: Paul Flores-Clavel & Maya Gee
SGA First-Year Senators: Miguel Sanchez-Tortoledo & Kai Velazquez
SGA Feb Senators: Bobbi Finkelstein (Fall Speaker); Melisa Gurkan & Mistaya Smith
SGA Atwater Senator: Jack Brady
SGA Brainerd Senator: Eddie Heyer; Jenali Mehta
SGA Cook Senator: Corey Scheinfeld; Karina Sharma
SGA Ross Senator: Teddy Best
SGA Wonnacott Senator: Myles Maxie
2019-2020 SGA Special Positions (selected by SGA Senate in Fall 2019)
Student Liaison to the SGA on Endowment Affairs: Elisa Gan
Student Constituent to the Schools Board of Overseers: Cara Levine
2019-2020 Other Positions
Recording Secretary: Grace Najmulski; Niki Kowsar
The Middlebury Campus Correspondent to the SGA: Porter Bowman; Abbie Chang
So, MiddKids, wherever you are in the world: We wish you luck on final exams and good health above all! You’ll hear from us in a few weeks.
Sending love and good vibes,
John Schurer '21
SGA President-Elect
Sophia Lundberg '21.5 & Roni Lezama '22
SGA Vice Presidents
SGA Presidential Cabinet Application
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Dear Students,
We are reimagining the role of the SGA in our community. As part of this vision, we are restructuring the SGA Presidential Cabinet to create a more efficient, transparent, and collaborative framework. We are not looking to reinvent the wheel; rather, we aim to support the important work that is already being done by students every day by facilitating the connections between them and existing institutional resources. We neither require nor expect applicants to have previous SGA experience. We want leaders from all corners of campus to apply!
Please make use of the attached resource for more information on position descriptions, and feel free to reach out to us with any questions.
Deadline: Sunday, May 3 by noon EST
Application Form: go/Cabinet/
All the best,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President-Elect
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
Executive Team
We are reimagining the role of the SGA in our community. As part of this vision, we are restructuring the SGA Presidential Cabinet to create a more efficient, transparent, and collaborative framework. We are not looking to reinvent the wheel; rather, we aim to support the important work that is already being done by students every day by facilitating the connections between them and existing institutional resources. We neither require nor expect applicants to have previous SGA experience. We want leaders from all corners of campus to apply!
Please make use of the attached resource for more information on position descriptions, and feel free to reach out to us with any questions.
Deadline: Sunday, May 3 by noon EST
Application Form: go/Cabinet/
All the best,
John Schurer ‘21
SGA President-Elect
Sophia Lundberg ‘21.5 & Roni Lezama ‘22
Executive Team
SGA Presidential Cabinet Nominations
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Dear Students,
Middlebury is filled with everyday leaders in our organizations, teams, and classrooms. You may have noticed or admired leaders on campus from afar. Now, it's time to bring them into focus.
The SGA is only as effective as the people who form it. For next year's SGA Presidential Cabinet, we need leaders who are dedicated, creative, innovative, connected, diligent, compassionate, and believe in a better Middlebury. We want to know who these people are so that we can reimagine what the SGA is and does for our community.
Please use this form to nominate yourself or others who are eager to contribute their leadership skills and experiences to make our new vision of SGA possible. We neither require nor expect nominees to have previous SGA experience. At this time, the goal is to collect nominations so that we can open applications with details on specific positions later this week.
If you have multiple nominees, feel free to resubmit this form as needed.
Deadline: Wednesday, April 29 at 5:00 PM EST
Nomination Form: go/Leaders/
Sincerely,
John Schurer
SGA President-Elect
Sophia Lundberg & Roni Lezama
Executive Team
Middlebury is filled with everyday leaders in our organizations, teams, and classrooms. You may have noticed or admired leaders on campus from afar. Now, it's time to bring them into focus.
The SGA is only as effective as the people who form it. For next year's SGA Presidential Cabinet, we need leaders who are dedicated, creative, innovative, connected, diligent, compassionate, and believe in a better Middlebury. We want to know who these people are so that we can reimagine what the SGA is and does for our community.
Please use this form to nominate yourself or others who are eager to contribute their leadership skills and experiences to make our new vision of SGA possible. We neither require nor expect nominees to have previous SGA experience. At this time, the goal is to collect nominations so that we can open applications with details on specific positions later this week.
If you have multiple nominees, feel free to resubmit this form as needed.
Deadline: Wednesday, April 29 at 5:00 PM EST
Nomination Form: go/Leaders/
Sincerely,
John Schurer
SGA President-Elect
Sophia Lundberg & Roni Lezama
Executive Team
