To the Editor: It has graduate students on every floor supervising its "unique program that matches its character" ("New college houses will replace every dorm," DP, 10/9/97), one faculty member in residence, an administrative fellow, tutors, information technology advisors, computer labs, students from every year and the greatest diversity on campus per capita, its own unique dining program, visiting faculty and culturally enriching activities. The University states that it allowed for significant student input in the venture, yet no one in MLCH knew of the change until the article in the DP. It also states this plan will help MLCH expand or shrink accordingly, but in our opinion it will serve only to destroy it. Under the new proposition, MLCH's dining plan will be eliminated. Our dining together is crucial to the "living-learning" experience and MLCH's University-accredited program. People not interested in the program will be allowed to live in the form and interested students will be spread out between MLCH and Van Pelt. There will be no clear distinction between the two. The University seems to have a policy for promoting awareness of cultural diversity. But by implementing this program, it contradicts this philosophy. DuBois College House is treated differently, because it is a politically sensitive issue. Perhaps the University believes that since MLCH is a small dorm, we will go quietly and that this merger will make the two colleges houses (MLCH and Van Pelt) bigger and better. But as MLCH has proven in its many years of existence, bigger is not necessarily better. MLCH is its own community where everyone knows everyone else; where no disciplinary matter has needed outside adjudication in over 12 years; older students mentor younger ones on classes, fraternities/sororities, city life, and many other aspects of campus life; and students can practice and improve their cultural awareness and ability to speak foreign languages. Especially in a university that was established with a unique philosophy on foreign languages, MLCH is a great asset. Apparently with the continual merging of foreign language departments -- such as the Slavic Languages/Germanic Languages merger -- the University is demonstrating dangerous isolationist tendencies at a time in which the world is said to be shrinking. Comparable universities have entire residences dedicated to one specific foreign language. MLCH currently serves four languages: Italian, French, German and Spanish. Residents of MLCH speak these languages and many others. Nowhere on campus can you find so many different languages represented per capita. The environment promotes the exploration of the languages in the programs as well as various others. Provost Stanley Chodorow stated in DP, "? [MLCH] is academically related and quite successful. We should probably maintain [it]." And he also said that this type of program is "damn near unique." This leaves the question: if it works, why fix it? Michael Rogan Wharton '00 Marialuz Soriano College '01 House Council of the Modern Languages College House (14 signatures follow)
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