Student Death at Middlebury: A Routine That Shouldn't Be
Two years ago, the issue of student death becoming a "routine" at Middlebury was raised, with a call to develop more comprehensive mental health support resources.
The recent death of Lia Smith '26 marks the fourth student death on campus in six years, highlighting the college's inadequate response to such tragedies.
Despite efforts to allocate funding towards mental health resources, including hiring more counselors, the death of another student from a marginalized community indicates a significant gap in support.
- Death of Ivan Valerio '26 and Evelyn Mae Sorensen '25 in 2023
- Middlebury's response: allocating funding towards mental health resources
- Insufficient support for marginalized communities
student death is now embedded in our school's culture
Author's summary: Middlebury's routine of student deaths persists despite efforts to improve mental health support.