PUI SHEN YOONG

Name: PUI SHEN YOONG ‘12

Running for: SCCOCC

 

 

If you asked me today, “What do you like about Middlebury?”, one of the things I’d say is this: I hardly ever lock my door, and I love the fact that I can leave my bag/coat outside the dining hall without worrying too much about theft.

 

Then I think about what I don’t like so much: hallway damages on the weekends, overcrowded dining halls, relatively limited interaction between ‘Middlebury’, the college and ‘Middlebury’ the town…Browsing the Campus newspaper, I often ask myself: how exactly are decisions made around here? Who, in our cozy little bubble, is responsible for affecting how we live, work, and have fun? Who decides what the college’s policies are on alcohol, social houses, and the honor code?

 

My concern about these questions has driven me to apply to the Community Council, which I believe plays an important but little-known role in maintaining the Middlebury culture of trust and responsibility. Amongst my top priorities as student co-chair would be looking at ways to decrease the prices of textbooks for students, establishing a more effective mechanism for dealing with hallway damages and facilitating closer relationships between student and staff. Above all, I would like to increase the visibility of the Community Council in the student body, and encourage greater student input from a diverse variety of groups in all its decisions.

 

Personally, I was shocked to find that roughly seven out of ten people I’ve talked to about running for the Community Council had no clue what it was all about. Undoubtedly, we need greater transparency in decision-making processes at Middlebury, especially decisions that shape our collective Middlebury experience and make us a unique educational institution. Being a Middlebury student goes beyond wearing a sweatshirt with its name; living in Middlebury goes beyond the boundaries of your dorm or your commons. My experience as Community Outreach co-chair in the Atwater Commons council has driven me to take a greater role in deciding what means to be part of the Middlebury community. Will you join me?