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Four fundamental forces - gravity, electricity, the strong force and the weak force - control all of the subatomic interactions that exist in our universe. The strong force dictates interactions between molecules in a nucleus while the weak force governs the process of radioactive decay.  The scientific community currently understands the first three forces well, but obtaining knowledge about the weak force has challenged physics researchers for decades. Andrew Morrison ’14 and Jacob Davidson ’15 are contributing to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) aCORN Project, to gain a better understanding of the weak force.

Through the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Shea Crockett ’15 and Rachael Wilkin ’16 spent the summer in Edinburgh, Scotland, working as members of the college’s Venue 13 staff at the Fringe theatre festival.

Adriana Fracchia ’14 spent last summer in Pachio Amos, Greece, assisting in an archaeological excavation and producing topographical maps of the site, an ancient village on the island of Crete. While in Greece, her interest was piqued in the Golden Dawn, a controversial political group. This summer she's researching the rising power of the Golden Dawn.

Many students at Hamilton love fashion, but very few get the opportunity to work for a distinguished fashion designer such as Oscar de la Renta, who recently received an honorary degree from Hamilton. This summer, however, Hannah Fine ’15 is interning with the e-commerce team at Oscar de la Renta. She is completing her internship with support from The Class of 2006 Internship Fund.

Asad Javed ’15 has a true passion for film.  “I’ve been dabbling with [film production] ever since I could count my age on my fingers,” he said,  At Hamilton he has managed to combine his diverse interests in creative writing, English, cinema and new media studies, theater, dance and Africana studies into his own film studies concentration.   This summer, Javed is immersing himself in the production industry, interning with Mindfile Multimedia.

Hannah Tessler ’14 is connecting with children adopted from China to learn about their unique experiences being “raised American,” in her project funded by the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center.  With Associate Professor of Sociology Steve Ellingson, she will listen to others’ stories and “search for relationships between a child’s environment and their outlook on a variety of topics and issues.”

Alexander Hare ’14 is conducting his senior thesis project on the acoustic stratigraphy of Oneida Lake. This summer, he acquired many miles of seismic reflection profiles from the lake bottom, revealing the layering and geologic history of the largest inland lake in New York State.

The legacy of Kirkland College at Hamilton includes a strong tradition of creativity, feminism and a penchant for the arts. Katherine Bickmore ’15 seems to embody that legacy. An aspiring artist, Bickmore is using this summer to further develop her artistic skills and examine the portrayal of women in art from the mid-19th century to present day. In her Emerson Foundation Project, “The Degeneration, Deterioration, and Decay of Society: A Critique of the Femme Fatale in Art,” she is creating a series of paintings that examine the depiction of women in art as dark and seductive beings.

Throughout the academic year, members of the Hamilton College Democrats keep themselves busy campaigning, organizing events and discussing current political issues at their bi-weekly meetings. This summer, many of them have channeled their energies into internships at a number of impressive political organizations and government agencies across the country. Three College Democrats in particular, Jeff Sobotko ’14, Fiona Wissell ’15, and Keara Fenzel ’14 have spent the summer gaining valuable professional skills and exploring their unique career interests first-hand.

Vulture funding, a term that refers to private entities investing in cheap, high-risk debt with the hopes of earning high returns when the debtor fails, can threaten the already vulnerable economies of poor countries.  As an example, Argentina has recently suffered losses due to vulture funding and is now recovering from the economic damage. This summer, Charles Allegar ’14 is interning with the Jubilee USA Network, an alliance of 75 U.S. organizations, 50 global partners and other members that challenge the actions of global financial authorities.