The past few weeks have found me inhabiting a cubicle on the third floor of Ladd Library, with a dripping coffee mug in hand and headphones plugged in, oblivious to anything but the screen in front of me. Thesis, you may guess. But under this guise of productivity, I am really just watching the “Midd Kid” music video on YouTube over, and over, and over again. Now that I have downloaded the song’s MP3, I get a little more done, with only my auditory attention undividedly focused on “Midd Kid.”
For those of you who have not caught on to the Internet phenomenon that is “Midd Kid,” my latest obsession (the best thing to happen to pop culture since Avatar) is a rap composed and performed by a group of Middlebury College students, the Allen Jokers, about life at Middlebury. Sam Robinson ’11, Phil Gordon ’11 and Andrew Plumley ’11 rap about everything from “G’s throwing free granola” to “library queens,” the College’s unique Quidditch league and “lax bros” and “laxtitutes.” Not only is the song catchy, topping both my workout and party playlists, it also gives an accurate, albeit satirical, portrayal of life at a small liberal arts college in New England. Discounting the verse about Quidditch, the song could easily be describing the Bates social scene. The Allen Jokers have received some criticism for their portrayal of a raucous party scene and their stereotyping of certain groups on campus, most notably the “laxbros.” But the song has been for the most part well-received for its professional feel (the film “features” Jay-Z and was directed and produced by a private production company based in Los Angeles) and, at the very least, its humorous depiction of Middlebury life (The Middlebury Campus).
The success of the song at and beyond Middlebury speaks to the need for Bates students to leave a similarly creative mark on our small liberal arts college. “Drunk Thesis,” produced by a group of seniors during the 2009 Winter Semester, certainly acted as a quirky lens into the often-amusing lives and attitudes of Bates students. But should this creative depiction of Bates be limited to only one class at our college? The “Midd Kid” video has value in its portrayal of various groups on campus and its applicability to many in the Middlebury community. Indeed, both Middlebury trustees and alumni have praised the video for its evocation of nostalgia for the “good ole days.” By not focusing on individuals, but rather on common Middlebury traditions and defining characteristics of the College, “Midd Kid” provides a lasting and relatable image of the school.
Unlike many institutions, Bates has abundant material to work with in distinguishing itself from other colleges of its type. Is it not interesting (or weird) that we fetch our packages from an abandoned kitchen in Chase Hall, have numerous old buildings on campus that are never used, and are greeted at every meal by a knight in shining armor? We all go to a total of two dive bars off-campus (in comparison to the multitude of bars found in most college towns), we all know where to find “The Palace,” and we assume that “jocks” live in JB and “hipsters” on Frye Street. We think nothing of these oddities on a day-to-day basis, but they are things that will define our time at Bates when we reminisce on our college years a decade from now. If Middlebury can poke fun at its defining characteristics in a hugely popular video, creating a lasting image of their glory days, Bates can and should do the same. Short-Term independent study? Check.
Be the first to comment on this article!