Charlie
Most kids are fairly liberal. There are a lot of Jewish people. A lot of Gay people. Some Black people. Some Asians. a fair amount of Indians. a large serving of white people. a fair amount of Africans. anybody who has a rougher way about them might feel out of place. The student body as a whole is incredibly diplomatic, sometimes to an annoying degree. there's an occasional date rape mystery an occasional mysterious epithet scrawled in the corner of a hallway. But the school is sure to mount a week long symposium about tolerance as a reaction. don't worry, these events are definitely optional.
Adam
There is diversity here, but it's not always easy to see. Most students are from New England, but like any school, there are tons of people from all over the world. Most people are from the upper class, but then again, one never truly knows here, which is really nice.
Greg
Most Middlebury students are upper-middle class. I'm on a lot of financial aid, and I've definitely felt weird at times dealing with money issues with my friends. But rich kids don’t ever flaunt their cash. Generally, you won’t be able to notice the inordinately wealthy students.
Politically, I'd say 50{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students are super liberal, 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} are moderate, and the other 25{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} are (semi-secretly) conservative. For the most part, students are tolerant of other students’ beliefs and political leanings. Racially, there are lots of international students, but not many African American students. I think African American students from larger cities tend to feel a bit out of place at Middlebury, despite the college's best efforts.
The gay community, too, is a bit divided at Middlebury. MOQA, the most visible gay group on campus, isn't as prominent as some might like it to be - and a lot of gay students seem to shun MOQA for various reasons. On top of that, there's still rampant homophobia on campus. Most students are extremely tolerant, but a stupid minority will, without fail, knock over and rip apart any MOQA displays each year. That’s always really disappointing.
Harper
What are your experiences with different racial, cultural, LGBT, religious, socio- economic, international, etc. groups on campus?
I’m gay, but never really participated in MOQA (Midd Open Queer Alliance). There were kind of two factions of gay kids on campus – the hipster, Mill-member, radio station gay kids, and the MOQA gay kids. I was a member of the former contingent. I did go to one MOQA meeting like the first week of Freshman year…but I never went back. Anyway, the gay community at Midd is weird. MOQA throws a drag ball that is sort of well attended, but if there were a Mill party the same night, I’d probably go there. MOQA also builds a closet every year for coming out week; every year it’s destroyed anonymously. Then the cycle repeats. It’s lame. There are more gay men than women on campus. I had a girlfriend for most of college; she never went to MOQA, either.
How would you describe a typical [College] student?
The stereotypes are kind of accurate when it comes to describing the majority of Midd kids. My friends are artistic, motivated, creative, smart, alternative, open-minded, funky, nerdy-cool, etc…but also predominantly white, rich-ish, and from the east or west coast.
What kind of student would feel out of place?
I mean, I felt kind of out of place – not because I felt excluded or lonely exactly; I had lots of friends and a great time, but…well, I’m a heavily tattooed Jewish lesbian from NYC, surrounded for the most part by preppy athletes from CT or “just outside of Boston.” If I wanted to “fit in,” I should have gone somewhere else.
What do most students wear to class?
It ranges from pastel and pearls to pajamas...I’d say the majority appear “neat” and “put-together,” but save the serious dressing up for weekends.
Describe a typical conversation overheard on your campus.
Is there a significant minority community at [College]?
Eh, sort of. The Posse program is definitely visible and vocal, and there are a lot of international students.
Do different types of students interact?
Again, sort of. In class, definitely. Outside of class, it’s cliquey, but I think there’s a cool sort of overlapping between various “minority” groups – like, anyone who isn’t the typical J. Crew Midd kid, regardless of whether “minority” status is because of race or style of dress or whatever. [Which is of course not to render race and style of dress equivalent; it’s just a comment on the Midd community.]
There are four tables of students in the cafeteria. Describe them.
Really there are three cafeterias. Proctor is for alternative kids. Ross is for jocks and preps. Atwater is for the outdoorsy types.
Where are most [College] students from?
Right outside of Boston.
What financial backgrounds are most prevalent?
$$$$$.
Are students active in campus politics?
Not particularly. It’s sort of the same students over and over again. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a huge number of students gather for much of anything when it comes to politics.
Where do most [College] students land on the political spectrum?
Liberal, ish. But far from radical.