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One of my favorite parts of the day at my internship is riding the elevator up to the 14th (really the 13th) floor of my building.  Thanks to technology, the elevator transports me, and usually around six other people, each to a different story holding a new company/law firm/business.  Each stop reveals a different world.

 As a casting agency, the firm markets its clients to casting directors.  After two weeks of helping in the casting of our clients, I actually met some of them. They include Cynthia Nixon (Sex & the City), Mekhi Phifer (I Still Know What You Did Last Summer), and Leonardo Nam (The Perfect Score). 

Greetings once again from the big city!  Life is busy, without much free time. ...Such an existence may create bitterness, but the city has a way of trapping people. As one of the ABC producers said this week, in reference to moving away from the city, "that is not a sacrifice I am willing to make."

I'm starting to fall into a groove of sort with my internship... I had the benefit of a "dark week" (a week in which there are no live shows) at U-Pick Live to gather my bearings and sharpen my responsibilities as an intern. During the downtime, the producers let me write some segments (look for my yodeling challenge on this Friday's show) and some goofy questions to ask upcoming celebrity guests. If you ever wanted to know whether the stars of Catch that Kid prefer the term "funky monkey" or "chunky monkey," be sure to tune in next week.

Lisa Trivedi, assistant professor of history, was awarded a senior research fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies. The award will allow her to travel to Bombay, India during the 2004-2005 academic year to complete her project, "Bound By Cloth:  Women Textile Workers in the Bombay Presidency and Lancashire, c.1880-1930."  While in Bombay, she plans to conduct archival research. 

Hamilton College’s Winslow Professor of Chemistry George Shields has been awarded a Cottrell College Science Award for his research project, "Quantum Chemical Investigation of the Mechanism of Action of the Enediyne Natural Products." The goal of Shields' research, as outlined in his own proposal to the CCSA, is to "use advanced computational methods to gain a thorough understanding of the mechanism of DNA cleavage by the enediyne family of natural products." According to the website, the Cottrell College Science Awards at the Research Corporation supports research in astronomy, chemistry and physics "that contributes to the advancement of science and to the professional and scholarly development of faculty at undergraduate institutions along with their students."

It's that time of year again. After dozens and dozens of college fairs, campus tours and student interviews, Hamilton's admission officers have begun poring over the anticipated 4,400 applications from students considering joining the Class of 2008. Although many factors go into the college selection process, cost is certainly at the top of most everyone's list. Each year, Hamilton devotes 17 percent of its overall budget to financial aid and provides financial assistance to more than half of all students. Other families are offered payment plans and loan options to help spread costs over more than four years. Working behind the scenes to coordinate all of this and help families understand the financial aspects of a Hamilton education is the College's financial aid staff. In this month's "All Systems Go" column, ATH brings you a snapshot of that department and the five members who keep it running smoothly.

Very few things make me as happy as seeing the dogs come in and out of our apartment building.  When the elevator doors open up and a golden retriever or a pug steps out, I immediately rip off my gloves to pet the dog and let out an involuntary “oh.”  Whether the dog is a hyperactive Chihuahua that jumps all over my calves or a mammoth St. Bernard that plows his head into my stomach, I adore them all.  By in large, the dogs in the building are small yippy things whose owners dress them in booties, Burberry sweaters, or Coach jackets.  Thankfully, these dogs have no idea of how ridiculous they look. 

This week was my first full week of work, but I already feel at home. I am developing relationships with co-workers and beginning to take on responsibilities. I have much to learn, but everyone is eager to help.  Hamilton College has a great reputation, which helps me but also raises the bar of expectations. In order to meet these expectations and succeed in my internship, I need to put forth my best effort. But all work and no play . . . . On Thursday, Rob and I received comp. tickets to see The Stills at the Bowery Ballroom.

New York's kiosks amaze me. Not much bigger than airplane bathrooms, they somehow hold everything one could want. They sell more candy than I knew existed and more magazines than one person could read in a week. And this is only one-quarter of the merchandise contained in these tiny boxes scattered along the streets of Manhattan.