This past week, we were angry. We were disappointed. We were not surprised. The Political Science Department (PSCI), the Rohatyn Center for Global Affairs (RCGA), and Middlebury administration had blatantly disrespected the Middlebury community once again.    

On Saturday, April 13, we wrote an open letter (go/openletter), inviting the Middlebury community to join us in urging PSCI and RCGA to rescind their co-sponsorship of the far-right funded Alexander Hamilton Forum’s (AHF) event featuring the Polish bigot (see our open letter for analysis of his bigotry), Ryzard Legutko, scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, April 17. Rescinding co-sponsorship, which we understood to be symbolic (PSCI nor RCGA provided funds), would have meant a lot to current Middlebury students.

By Tuesday night, April 16, our letter represented the concerns of over 840 Middlebury community members, including student leaders, alumni, faculty, staff, and many others. Many of the signees interact daily with and have had their Middlebury educations greatly impacted by these two institutional bodies; their pain and frustrations, caused by these trusted figures’ decision to sign on to the engagement of a notoriously racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, homophobic speaker, are evident.

The responses from PSCI and RCGA (go/responses) were predictable at best and flippant and contemptuous at worst. PSCI and RCGA’s subsequent actions, however, which were undoubtedly carried out in coordination with administration, further disregarded the pain and frustrations of marginalized Middlebury community members and of the 840+ community members and groups on our open letter.

PSCI additionally disregarded the concerns of many PSCI majors, while RCGA Director Tamar Meyer ignored the dissent of multiple faculty members of the RCGA faculty steering committee and the entire student steering committee. PSCI and RCGA were not done ignoring the Middlebury community, however — they also proceeded to host two private events with Legutko, closed to the public, preventing any expression of dissent or protest. Their privately-hosted discussion and dinner events stood in direct opposition to the same free-speech rhetoric that was touted in their responses at the last minute pre-Legutko panel, where it was reiterated by PSCI faculty that students should challenge Legutko in community, in order to educate peers or third-parties who may not already understand the gravity of bigotry. We ask, where were the third-parties during these private events?

We were angry. We were disappointed. We were not surprised.

Two years ago, administration strung students along, meeting to meeting, empty promise after empty promise. We have seen no meaningful institutional change, and we will not see meaningful change until we collectively demand it.

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This is why we support the SGA’s Thirteen Proposals for Community Healing.

SGA’s proposals were made in conjunction with members of the student body at a town hall meeting on Monday, April 22. Students were given time and space to discuss, challenge and amend these proposals in small groups, with senators listening and taking notes. Regardless of anyone’s level of awareness about the current campus climate or about SGA processes, senators were patient and receptive to questions, steadily providing answers with whatever insight that they had.

As two seniors who have been here since 2015, this is the first time that we have felt so heard by our elected student senators. It is easy to disregard the role of an SGA senator, especially when you forget who they are a few days after election results are announced. The SGA showed themselves to be taking their work seriously this past Monday.

We crafted these proposals in community, and we believe that the final list of thirteen requests adequately reflects not only the desires of those in the SGA but of a vast number of students on this campus.

Up until this point, we, as current students, have been on the backburner of everyone’s agendas. We have had enough of having our educations dictated to us from someone else’s pulpit and our concerns brushed aside in favor of those coming from non-student voices.

We demand Middlebury College to recenter students and our needs in the education it offers us. Administrative acceptance and dedication to the Thirteen Proposals for Community Healing are a key component to this long-term revisioning.

We were angry. We were disappointed. We are taking action.

We encourage all students and student leaders to pay close attention to the administration’s response to these community proposals. We encourage vocal, explicit support from students for our administration to meet these requests.

We have a few suggestions for what support can look like. Support can come in the form of social media posts, letters of endorsements from student leadership, mass emails to student membership sharing these proposals and why your group supports them, and signing this open letter which will be sent to each senator.

We wholeheartedly believe in the strength of our collective student voices, and we believe in the capacity of our administration to strive for and to achieve our communal requests.


Vee Duong ‘19, Juliana Dunn ‘19

Ginny Renjilian ‘19.5
J Hamel ‘21.5
Rebecca Wishnie ‘20
Christian Kummer ‘22, First-Year Senator
Cece Alter ‘19.5
Anna Durning ‘19
Madison Holland ‘21
Stephen Chen '19.5
Elise Morris ‘22
Andrew Sebald '19
Abby Dennis '21
Willow Galusha '22.5
Myles Maxie ‘22 Wonnacott Senator Elect
Rayn Bumstead '21
Eric Kapner ‘21
Robert Lichenstein '19
Maria Bobbitt-Chertock ‘20
Mary Moore ‘22.5
Nathan Nguyen ‘19
Sandra Luo '18
Taite Shomo ‘20.5
Brenna Wilson 2020
Austin Kenny ‘19.5
Maria Bobbitt-Chertock ‘20
Jocelyn Tenório ‘19
Cecelia Scheuer ‘21
Ethan Reilly '18
Ellie Packard '21
Audrey Pan, 2019
Jess Garner '19.5
Cecelia Scheuer '21
Hannah Patterson ‘19
Zoe Grodsky ‘20.5
Caralyn Levine '20
Clara Sternberg '19
Maren Taylor '21
Itzel Diaz '20.5
Olivia Sommers ‘21
Maddy Goodhart ‘19
Stephanie Miller ‘20
Adrienne Goldstein ‘20
Noah Sauer '20
Maia Sauer '22
Tyler DeShong ‘21
Maia Sauer '22
Claire Martens ‘21
Nate Blumenthal '21.5
Asa Skinder '22.5
Lily Barter '19.5
Meiriely Amaral ‘19
Matthew Fliegauf '22
Emma Brown ‘21
Leif Taranta '2020.5 Co-director SGA Environmental Affairs Committee
Connor Wertz ‘22
Tiffany Martinez ‘19
Gillinda James '21
James Scott ‘19
Mika Morton ‘19
Sylvia Choi ‘19
Ngor Luong '19
Emily Cipriani 2019.5
Mariana Tahiri ’22
Matt Smith ‘22, Sophomore Senator-Elect
Juniper Hall-Aquitania ‘19
Jessica Morales '19.5
Lulu Zhou '19
Pia Contreras ‘22
Owen Mason-Hill '22
Cooper Siegel ‘20
Alexis Welch 22.5
Tim O’Donnell ‘20
Wengel Kifle ‘20
Michelle Marquez ‘21.5
Tierra Lu ‘19
Karla Nuñez '19
Reyne Lesnau '21
Keith Chatinover 22.5
Evan Mercer '20
Cooper Lamb 22.5
Lilian Buzzard '22.5
Corbin Dameron ‘19
Rhys Glennon ‘22
Aidan Wertz ‘22
Erin Reid '17
Jess Mulder ‘22
Lily Colón 21.5
Jacynda Ely Espenshade ‘21
Raechel Zeller ‘22
Ryan Gutheil '22
Sidra Pierson ‘21
Haley Goodman '21
Julia Beck ‘19.5
Matt Martignoni ‘21.5
Molly Gallagher ‘22
Katie Corrigan '19
Emma Lodge '19.5
Madeleine Van Beek ‘22
Jack Carew '20
Allie Stevens ‘20.5
Elissa Asch '22.5
Sabrina Wang ’ 19
Kate Claman ‘19
Michele Young ‘22
Ami Furgang '20
Cat La Roche ‘21
Grace A. Metzler 2021.5
Ricardo Rosales-Mesta ‘19
Walker Stewart '19
Michael Gallagher ‘21
Isabella Cass '19
Niki Kowsar ‘21.5
Alaina Pribis ‘19
Jaden Hill '22
Emily Lewkowicz '19
Daria Cenedella ‘18.5
Warren Lundsgaard ‘21
Molly Babbin ‘22
Naomi Cutler ‘20
Olivia O'Brien '21
Alice Butler ‘19
Sergiu White '22
Michelle Lehman '19
Sophia Allen '19
Omar Valencia '19
Rachel Hemond ‘19.5
Allison Dammann ‘19
Billie White ‘19
Mikaela Chang ‘19
Beverly Milberg 2021.5
Jack Landrigan '22
Melynda Payne '21
Reid Macfarlane '21
Paola Meza '19
Rebecca Duras '19
Caleb Green ‘19.5
Asher Lantz 19.5
Emma Norton ‘21
Inez Lee '19
Cynthia Ramos '21
Megan Salmon '21
Tara Santi ‘20
Charlie DiPrinzio '21
Sandhya Sewnauth '20
Audrey Bao '19
Selvyn Yovany Martinez Barahona '20
Stephanie Soriano ‘21
Madison Stewart-Boldin '19
Emma Bernstein '21.5
Darya Khodakhah ‘22
Olivia Jin ‘20
Ella Dyett ‘20
Hawa Adam ‘22
Daniela Morales ‘21
Alex Williams ‘19
Isla Bowery ‘20.5
Olivia Pintair ‘22.5
Kendal Pittman '21.5
Aiden Masters ‘22
Abby Okin ‘20
Lori Ngo ‘22
Mark Gross ‘21
Lucy Weiss ‘20.5
Luna Gizzi ‘21
Joslyn Sullivan '19.5
Claire Contreras 22.5
Jenny Pushner ‘21.5
Caroline Magnusson '22.5
Prasanna Vankina ‘18
Micah Raymond '21
Hannah Pustejovsky ‘18
Cora Kircher '20
Samantha Lamont ‘17
Daniel Silva, Professor of Luso-Hispanic Studies
Sophie Swallow 21
Olivia Christie ‘19
Christine Nabung ‘22
Hannah Gokaslan '20.5
Lauren Bates '20
David Sanders ’20
Isabella Mauceri '20.5
Tabitha Mueller ‘18
Erica Bisaillon '21.5
Yumna Siddiqi, Associate Professor, English and American Literature
Grace Weissman ‘21.5
Derrick Burt 20.5
Reed Martin '19
Alyssa Brown ‘20
Charlotte Cahillane '19.5
Erin Hoynes ‘19
Emma Wilcox '19
Maeve Callahan '22
Lucy Rinzler-Day ‘21
Zachary Varricchione ‘21
Leena Chawla ‘19.5
Garda Ramadhito ‘19
Massimo Sassi '22
Sarah Gratz ‘19
Olivia Olson '21.5
Ben Yamron '21
Julia Lothrop '19
Seymour Butz '21
Lucy Kates '20.5
William Blastos '22.5
Katy Kim '22.5
Kevin Mata 22,
Maya Fray-Witzer '22
Assadou Nzigamasabo '22
Emily Thompson '22
Julia McClain ‘22
Neta Kafka '22.5
Gillian Moore ‘20
Regina Fontanelli 22
Gardner Olson '22
Nicholas Wagg ‘22
Ariel Silver '22
Zahrrah Ahmed '19
Jared Dowell ‘22
Annie Benson '19
Bryan Currie '22
Hannah M. Deering ‘22
Rachel Nahirny ‘21.5
Christina Badalamenti '22
Sophie Hochman '22
Meg Haberle '22
Anton Gallegos '21
Madeleine Russell ‘19
Maria José Correa '20
Raine Ellison ‘19
Hannah Ennis '22.5
Emma Walker ‘18
Ciara Carlson-Healy ‘22
Gracie Winogradsky '19.5
Bailey Sneed '22.5
Annie Blalock ‘20.5
Claire Babbott-Bryan '22
Anna Lueck '18.5
Ella Houlihan ‘21
Miranda Seixas ‘20
Abbey Knight ‘20
Ariana Rios '21
Nick Jaccaci '22
Emma Ronai-Durning '18.5
Ellie Copps '22
Lily Shale ‘20
Halle Shephard '22
Sam Alexander '20
Mishel Kondi 19’
Christina Chyr '17
Sadie Housberg ‘21
Gabrielle Martin ‘21.5
Hannah Blake '21
Kate Criscitiello '19
Lex Scott ‘19
Nimaya Lemal ‘21.5
Caroline Thacker '21.5
Amy Egan '21
Subin Cho '19, Manager of Language Tables
Rebecca Conover '19
Celia Gottlieb '21.5
Kyle Wright '19
Zoe Garcia '22
Winta Ghirmai ‘21
Muskan Agarwal '21
Elizabeth Perrotta '19
George Valentine '19.5
Jackson Hawkins '21.5
Cleo Davidowitz ‘21
Carissa Lee '19
Ariadne Will '22
Liam O'Brien '22
Eliza Dameron
Corinne Bintz '20.5
Augie Schultz 22.5
Orli Schwartz '20
Zorica Radanovic '19
MJ Pascual '19
Kira Waldman ‘20
Laura Bashor '17
Phoebe Brown 22.5
Sam Kann '20.5
Tenzin Dorjee '20
Will Pannos ‘20
Hannah Gellert '22
Nico Plume 19.5
Jules Struzyna '19.5
Jeremy Alben '18
Celia Ripple ‘20
Will Kelley '19
Katie Cournoyer ‘22
Arturo Simental ‘20
Haegan O'Rourke '22
Linnea Hubbard-Nelson '22

Student Organizations  

JUNTOS Activism  (Lulu Zhou '19,  Juliana Dunn '19, Christine Nabung '22, Madison Holland '21, Ella Dyett '20)
JUNTOS (Alex Dobin '21, Alexandra Burns '21, Alondra Carmona '21, Christine Nabung '22, Ella Dyett '20, Hira Zeeshan Siddiqui '22, Jocelyn Tenorio '19, Lulu Zhou '19, Maria José Correa '20, Nuria Gonzalez '22, Sabrina Quintanilla '19, Silvia Cantú '20, Yamit Netter-Sweet '21)
Amnesty International (Olivia Jin '20, Madison Holland '21, Megan Salmon '21, Matt Martignoni '21.5, Piara Biggs '21.5)
RAISINS (Vee Duong '19, Sabrina Wang '19, Pim Singhatiraj '21.5, Tinglin Shi '22,  Jasmine Chau '21, Nathan Nguyen '19, Lulu Zhou '19, Audrey Bao '19, Mikaela Chang '19, Inez Lee '19, Lori Ngo '22, Anton Gallegos '21)
Queers & Allies (Clara Sternberg '19)
Trans Affinity Group (Clara Sternberg '19)
SPECS - Sex Positive Education College Style (Elise Morris, Anna Durning, Molly Babbin, Eric Kapner, Emily Kane, Emma Brown, Ellie Broeren, Allison Dammann, Ella Houlihan, Christian Kummer)
UR-STEM (Kristine Su '20, Stephanie Soriano-Cruz '21)
Feminist Action at Middlebury (Molly Conover '21.5)
Middlebury Hillel Board
Asian Students in Action (Anton Gallegos '21)