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Assistant Professor of Government Yael Aronoff presented a paper, "When Hard-Liners Opt for Peace:  The Political Psychology of Israeli Prime Ministers" at the International Studies Association 45th Annual Convention in Montreal, March 17-20.

Environmentalist and author Dai Qing's gave a talk, "The Three Gorges Dam: China's Environmental and Political Crisis," as part of the Levitt Center spring series on "The Environment:  Public Policy and Social Responsibility." She outlined the goals set forward for the dam when it was started in the 1970s: to create hydroelectric power, provide flood control and improve navigable shipping routes on the Yangtze River. 

Philip Klinkner, the James S. Sherman Associate Professor of Government, gave a lecture on March 10 titled "The Politics of Patriotism," in which he discussed his research on how the idea of "love of country" has affected voting patterns in recent years. The event was sponsored by the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity as part of their lecture series, which aims to improve the academic discourse at Hamilton.

This past weekend my roommate Stephanie Valle went back to Hamilton to compete in an annual public speaking contest. Before she left, she commissioned our three other roommates and myself to be judges of the final version of her speech, which detailed the life of an intern in the White House.  Last semester the two of us had participated in Hamilton's Semester in Washington D.C. Program. Together we had decided to come to New York City for the spring semester. 

I have never done karaoke before, but I felt that New York City is a good place to start. Anything goes here and embarrassment is never a factor.

This week the weather was mild and gave us a chance to do more walking around the city. Rob and I attended a New York Rangers game and had a blast. Madison Square Garden was packed despite the dismal efforts of the Rangers this season. We enjoyed great seats and had a chance to meet up with a few friends from the city.

I often wonder about the lives of the people I pass on the streets, in stores, on subways, or in restaurants.  In New York, however, it is hard to keep everybody straight and distinguish between one darkly dressed person and the next.

Colson Whitehead's description of Broadway in Colossus of New York is an accurate depiction of New York's true identity.  People give NYC its glamour and reputation; the skyline is just the cover of our fairytale.  New Yorkers give the city economic prosperity and provide a diverse form of entertainment. 

To my disappointment, this PATH station did not take MetroCards or credit cards, and it had a fussy machine that accepted only freshly printed bills.  After desperately trying to stuff my wrinkled five-dollar bill into the machine and not receiving even as much as an obnoxious error noise, I began to search frantically for coins.

Colson Whitehead writes in The Colossus of New York that "I am here because I was born here and thus ruined for anywhere else."  Well, I am here because I grew up in Vermont and ruined for any other rural area.  I sought out the antithesis of my childhood experience and found New York City.