“Life Stories of Middlebury College” is a multi-phase initiative intended to gather people’s experiences while at the college, particularly reflections that highlight issues of diversity. In his interview, Roman Graf talks about his reluctance to teach at a liberal arts college in New England, the politics of Jeans Day, the difficulty of individual expression in a professional environment before tenure, his prejudices of small-town living, the difference between America and Europe in terms of sexism, racism, and homophobia, learning to say “yes”, why working as a diversity administrator created a daily experience of negativity, how a blind student helped him improve teaching, and why we need “theory checks” instead of “reality checks”.

People Roman Graf Professor of German and Head of the Brainerd Commons Susan Burch Associate Professor of American Studies; Director, CCSRE; Head of Life Stories project

Related Links Courses taught by Roman Graf

Downloads Interview Transcript

“Life Stories of Middlebury College” is a multi-phase initiative intended to gather people’s experiences while at the college, particularly reflections that highlight issues of diversity. In his interview, discusses growing up while living abroad, studying Russian, French, Spanish, and Japanese, differences between rural and urban settings, performing a wedding at Middlebury, diversity, raising a family in Middlebury, and being ‘the other’.

People Miguel Fernández Professor of Spanish; Interview Subject Amy Rebecca Chin Interviewer Susan Burch Associate Professor of American Studies; Director, CCSRE; Head of Life Stories project

Related Links The Posse Foundation Voices of Indigenous People (VIP) Weddings in Mead Chapel Life Stories Project

Downloads Human Relations Committee Report ’99 Recent Publications Interview Transcript