Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, has announced that Michael Bloomquist '91 has been named general counsel for the committee. Bloomquist has also served as general counsel to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.

Most pro football teams and coaches would consider it a thrill to win the Super Bowl once in their lifetime. But to compete and win it twice in four years is a feat that makes some fans start talking “dynasty.”  With the New York Giants’ 21-17 win over the New England Patriots on Feb. 5 the Giants are among the elite 10 teams that have played in the Super Bowl five or more times. One person helping contribute to the team’s two most recent Super Bowl victories is Sean Ryan ’94, the Giants wide receivers coach.

Executive Director of Major Gifts William Brower ’84 discussed ways to increase the effectiveness of development programs in a webinar titled “Improving ROI and Performance in Fundraising” on Feb. 2. 

The Peace Corps recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and noted that since 1961, 218 of its volunteers have been Hamilton graduates. Most recently Kerry Coughlin ’11, Megan Bumb ’10, Jane Fieldhouse ’10 and Elijah Lachance ’10 served in the Peace Corp ranks.

David Palmer '56 has recently posted an essay titled "Rituals and Symbols" on his blog Cosmoticks. Palmer's thoughts and questions are the result of his study of the works of Carl G. Jung, which he first encountered at Vanderbilt Divinity School in 1987. His essay explores the nature of adolescence, the relationship between love and power, and the relation of God to the self:

A guest post titled “Higher education’s $64,000 question” by Professor of Government David Paris ’71 appeared on The Washington Post College Inc. blog on Feb. 2. Paris, who is currently serving as executive director of the New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability, expressed his support for establishing evidence-based improvement of student learning as a central focus of higher education.

Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP has announced that Arthur J. Reliford, Jr. '96 has been elected to the equity partnership ranks from a non-equity partner. Reliford is co-chair of the firm's Diversity Committee and a member of the Recruiting Committee. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, product liability law, and complex civil litigation. He has been included in Illinois Super Lawyers-Rising Stars Edition in general litigation in 2008-2010.

On February 1, students in the Semester in Washington Program met with George Baker ’74 and Frank Vlossak ’89, principals at Williams and Jensen PLLC. Williams and Jensen is one of the nation's leading, independently owned government affairs law firms.

During this bicentennial year of Hamilton College, a unique and entertaining way of looking back at the college’s history is through the eyes of Half-Century class annalists. Their letters, invaluable in recording Hamilton’s past and recounting life on the Hill, have now been posted on a new web page. The five most recent are also available as videos.

Julia Hysell '04, a library assistant at Teton County Library in Jackson, WY, will be hosting a two-evening workshop titled "Gary Snyder, Dharma Bums & the Coming Revolution" on Feb. 6 and March 5. Hysell researched the influence of Buddhist scripture and poetry on Jack Kerouac's book The Dharma Bums for her senior thesis under Walcott-Bartlett Professor of Religion Jay G. Williams '54 and Bates and Benjamin Professor of Classical and Religious Studies Richard Seager while she was at Hamilton. She is currently working on a manuscript for a book chronicling her literary exploration of The Dharma Bums. Her research has extended over nearly ten years as she "started digging and started to find the real people behind the characters and the real places behind the spots used in the book."