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Through our contemporary media, readers frequently hear about the decline of religion in America.  Alison Ritacco ’14 and Hannah Grace O’Connell ’14 are working with Visiting Associate Professor of Religious Studies Brent Plate and Assistant Professor of Art Robert Knight, to examine the realities of religious life in the Utica and Clinton areas, which may complicate that common conception. In their Levitt Group Summer Research project, “Religious Spaces in Transition,” they are focusing on how local religious institutions adapt to change.

Studying the concept of infinity can be a daunting task, particularly because it requires approaching the idea from different perspectives. This summer Austin Heath ’15 is taking on that challenge by studying perceptions of infinity within three distinct fields. In his Emerson Foundation project, “Grasping Infinity: Philosophical, Mathematical, and Spiritual Conceptions of Boundlessness,” he is working with advisor John Stewart Kennedy Professor of Philosophy Richard Werner to trace the development of human analysis of infinity.

Crystal Kim ’15 grew up in America with South Korean parents, and she was often struck by the difference between her American education and her Korean upbringing. Upon realizing that education is a central part of Korean culture, she decided that she needed to gain a better understanding of Korea and of her own heritage. She is taking advantage of the summer to do just that with an Emerson Foundation grant working with Director of the Education Studies Program Susan Mason.

During her semester in Kenya, Abby Martin ’14 saw first-hand the effects of many terrible diseases, which strengthened her resolve to become a doctor and motivated her to learn more about health issues in Africa. This summer, she is furthering those goals through an internship with The Africa Health Network at Voice of America, a government news organization that broadcasts abroad.

When an average customer walks into a mall or grocery store, he or she probably doesn’t think about the planning and strategy that goes on behind the scenes to meet the needs of both companies and consumers. Rachel Friedman ’13, however, will be concentrating on just those aspects of retail as she begins a job as an analyst at Kantar Retail.

When Deanna Perez ’14 looks at a bookshelf, she doesn’t just see a row of book spines. Instead, she sees unwinding possibilities that can be unlocked both through reading and through art. “There’s endless potential in what could be between the leaves of a binding,” she remarked. In her Emerson Foundation project, “The Life of a Book: From the Bindery to the Pedestal,” she is crafting sculptures out of books to explore their narratives and to examine the balance between destroying books and giving them a new life through art.

This summer Emma Zanazzi ’15, a women’s studies major, is getting involved in some of the issues most important to her. Through funding from the Kirkland Endowment, she is interning with the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus, a non-profit organization that works to endorse female candidates in political campaigns and elections.

Poet Agha Shahid Ali taught at Hamilton for only five years, but in that short time he established lasting connections and friendships at the college. For this reason, the Agha Shahid Ali Literary Trust donated his collection of manuscripts, letters, and other writings to Hamilton after his death in 2001. This summer, Will Newman ’14 is working with Burke Library’s Special Collections to organize the materials so that they are accessible to scholars, ensuring that Shahid’s legacy at Hamilton lives on.

No one could doubt that James Anesta ’14 is dedicated to theater. In addition to appearing in a number of productions over his time at Hamilton, he took the time last summer to write his own play, “Hell the Musical,” which he will also direct. He's using an Emerson Foundation grant this summer to gain some scope as director. In his project, “Portrayals of the Afterlife in Popular Culture,” he is exploring different artistic representations of heaven and hell.

This summer, through an Emerson Foundation Grant, Sarah Sgro ’14 is studying writing that, in her words, “confronts the realities of family and romantic life through a grotesque lens.” In her project, “Family Gone Bizarre: The Domestic Grotesque in Contemporary Fiction and Poetry,” Sgro is exploring how authors approach themes of domestic life in dark and bizarre ways. She’ll then be examining those themes in her own writing.