All News

Although many people might not find archaeology as exciting as it’s portrayed in the Indiana Jones franchise, Morgan Biggs ’16 does. Biggs, an archaeology major, is working with Assistant Professor of Archaeology Nathan Goodale to analyze artifacts from the Slocan Narrows Archaeological Project (SNAP). Last summer, Biggs attended Hamilton’s field school, led by Goodale, and excavated artifacts from the Slocan Narrows Pithouse Village in southeastern British Columbia, Canada.

Although the “Midwest” is a generally understood term, a definitive list of Midwestern states does not exist, which calls into question exactly where this region lies. Kevin Welsh ’15, who’s pursuing an Emerson Project with the supervision of Professor Peter Rabinowitz, was faced with this dilemma when he started his research. His project, “Uncovering the 'Quality of Distortion': Investigating the Cultural Divide Between the Midwest and the East Using Midwestern Literature from the 1920’s and 30’s,” requires an understanding of what “the Midwest” means.

Blasé, concierge, and faux pas, among many other words, have become so integrated into the English lexicon that we often forget their French origin. The process of adopting words from other languages has been common practice for centuries, and, in fact, English has more borrowed words than any other language. This stands in stark contrast with French, which prides itself on being a “pure” language. Brendon Kaufman ‘15 was awarded an Emerson Grant to research the use of Anglicisms in everyday French in Paris this summer.

Although the school year has ended, the campus is still bustling with activity. In particular, it’s hard to miss the some 120 people working on the new Kevin and Karen Kennedy Center for Theatre and the Studio Arts, which will be opening its doors this fall. The building is in its final stages of construction, representing over 13 years of planning and millions of dollars in donations and serving as a beacon for the arts on the Hill. The Kennedy Center, positioned directly  across College Hill Road from the Wellin Art Museum, will offer students and faculty incredible spaces in which to create, teach and  perform.

More than 220 years ago, the founder of the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, Samuel Kirkland, joined forces with Chief John Skenandoah to accomplish a noble goal. They were to found an institution of higher education, where the native population and the European colonizers could learn with, and from, one another. Seven generations later, his descendant, Joanne Shenandoah, is carrying on his dream of cultural harmony.

The Hamilton College Voices of Color Lecture Series welcomed renowned dance icon Judith Jamison for an intimate talk in the Chapel on April 18. The Series honors C. Christine Johnson, former director of the Hamilton College Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP. In the context of being an empowered role model, eager to give back, Jamison reflected on her career in the performing arts, most significantly her involvement in classical ballet.

To many, Buddhist monks are revered mystics who reside in secluded monasteries and mountaintop temples. Perhaps it came as a surprise then, when Dr. Justin McDaniel, published author and associate professor of Buddhism and Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, revealed that he himself was ordained during his three and a half year sojourn in Thailand. McDaniel presented his lecture about Thai Buddhism in the Wellin Museum Overlook on April 10.

Hamilton alumnus and music major Jeff Dyer ’04 returned to Hamilton on April 3 for a discussion and performance with famed flute player, Arn Chorn Pond. Pond is a Cambodian-American who experienced the horrors of genocide when the Khmer Rouge took control of his native country and forced Pond into a child work camp.

April 6 marks the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide; yet, in light of the current conflict in Syria, many question the lessons learned from history. Ambassador Prudence Bushnell, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs during the time of the Rwandan genocide, gave a Levitt Center-sponsored lecture on April 2, with Emily Willard, project coordinator for the Genocide Prevention Project.

Although the annual homicide rate in NYC dropped from 2,245 to 333 between 1991 and 2013, civilians are now less trusting of law enforcement than they ever have been.  No era before has faced such a looming reality of Big Brother as we do in the modern day. Renown author Christopher Dickey, who currently serves as the Paris Bureau chief and Middle East regional editor for The Daily Beast, presented a lecture on March 6 on “Policing, Politics and Paranoia in Post 9/11 America.”