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For the 29th year in a row, the ecology class (Bio. 237) went up Whiteface Mountain to look at how and why the composition and structure of the forest changes with elevation. The 23 students on the Oct. 7 trip were led by Associate Professor of Biology Bill Pfitsch and Ernest Williams, the William R. Kenan Professor of Biology.

Bipartisanship is generally in short supply in Washington.  However, Hamilton’s Program in Washington students got a glimpse of it at a briefing at the American Enterprise Institute on September 19.  Senators Ron Wyden (D, Oregon) and Marco Rubio (R, Florida) discussed a bill they had introduced, the Student Right to Know Before You Go Act.

An interesting aspect to bike riding is how a bicycle changes how the cyclist experiences his or her surroundings. In an urban area, biking can help define the relationship between cyclist and city. McKayla Dunfey ’13 is exploring this connection through her Senior Fellowship, titled “The Bicycle’s Influence: Changing Perceptions of Place and Space in Urban Environments.”

Few family names around Hamilton’s campus are as instantly recognizable as Arthur Levitt’s. The Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center honoring the late Arthur Levitt Sr. supports student-led research and hosts its own speaker series, among many other programs. The 15 members of Hamilton’s New York Program had the opportunity on Sept. 19 to meet with his son, Arthur Levitt Jr., a generous Hamilton benefactor and former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A pizza party and meet and greet was held at the Tolles Pavilion on Oct. 2 for participants in Hamilton’s new “Sidekicks” program.  Sidekicks is a program that pairs Hamilton College students with Clinton elementary school students in grades 1 - 4 in order to establish a long term mentoring relationship between the Hamilton student, his or her sidekick, and the sidekick’s family.

The 2012 46 Peaks weekend of Sept. 29-30 was a roaring success, despite the constant rain. The Hamilton Outing Club (HOC) tied its previous record of 43 peaks summited, and almost doubled participation from last year, with 125 students hiking in the Adirondacks over the weekend. “As far as our goals... it totally met that,” said Assistant Director of Outdoor Leadership Sarah Jillings. Two of the trails-less peaks were impassable, due to a washed-out bridge and high waters from the rain, which made crossing unsafe.

Throughout the summer the news page has featured stories about students who were awarded funding from Hamilton to pursue their career interests through research projects with faculty or in internships that were offered without pay. In an effort to gain experience in a field of interest, other Hamilton students pursued summer research and internships that were unfunded.

The Hamilton Outing Club (HOC) is on a mission to expand its reach on campus. HOC is upping its social presence, especially during Open Hours, which occur on Monday and Thursday nights. “This year, we’re trying to get more people in here, rather than just renting gear, ...to build an Outing Club community,” said HOC communications coordinator Helen Higgins ’13.

Five Hamilton students who spent the summer working in science-related internships had the opportunity to share information on their experiences in the first event in a new Career Center series on Sept. 24.

The Hamilton College Academic Year (or semester) in Spain began its fall semester in Madrid by traveling to Galicia on the Northwest Atlantic coast of Spain, where the group visited historic sites, enjoyed the gastronomy, and became acquainted with one other.  Besides Hamilton students, this year’s group includes students from Amherst, Bryn Mawr, Davidson, Harvard, Scripps, Swarthmore and Williams.