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The Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center of Hamilton College will open its 2009-10 series, “Crisis: Danger and Opportunity,” with a lecture by Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel. He will present a lecture titled “The Origins of Economic Crisis and the Ways Out.” It is free and open to the public.

China has long been criticized as a haven for piracy. The degree to which it exists there is so alarming that it would shiver ye timbers and condemn you straight to the depths of Davy Jones’ locker. At least, it would in the United States. But the kind of piracy that goes on in China is not usually discouraged, and is treated as a normal part of life. More than 90 percent of the Chinese population takes part in the search for the treasures of digital media culture, not gold. While citizens get much of their business software and electronic entertainment for free, their laid-back attitude has made piracy the number one issue for digital media companies that wish to make a profit. This summer Jiong Chen ’10 worked on a research project on the subject with Professor of Economics Elizabeth Jensen.

Stefanie Russell '12, Jordan Fischetti '08 and Stephanie Wolter '07 attended the Bonner Summer Leadership Institute with Levitt Center Associate Director for Community Research Judith Owens-Manley in Deland, Fla., in June. The group presented two workshops at the conference: “Refugee & Immigrant Issues: Deepening Levels of Engagement” and “The Beginnings of a Youth Development Project: Challenges & Rewards.”

Who knew sports could be so academic? John Dunn ’10 did. This summer, he studied the political and social symbolism of rugby in post-apartheid South Africa. He believes that rugby has served as a means of political reconciliation in recent years through conflict resolution and racial integration. Dunn wanted to investigate the legitimacy of the African National Congress’s claim that rugby is an emblem for national unity. His project was funded through the Levitt Research Fellows Program, which is open to students who wish to collaborate with faculty members on intensive research projects related to public affairs. Dunn’s advisor for the summer was Associate Professor of History Kevin Grant.

Max Currier ’10 is looking for a way to increase the effectiveness of political restructuring in Afghanistan – as long as it works, and works well. He supports Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), joint civil-military teams designed to extend the Afghan Central Government from Kabul (the capital) to Afghanistan’s 32 provinces. His goal this summer is to examine the role and efficacy of PRTs in Afghanistan.

New York City has a historic connection with neighborhoods and community intimacy. The five boroughs each have distinct qualities, and even smaller communities within them take pride in what they have assembled out of the masses. However, Kevin Rowe ’10 fears that these neighborhoods have surrendered their rights to the organization of their own community. This summer he is researching community-based urban planning programs like West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT) and Sustainable South Bronx (SSB) that work to reverse this effect.

Women stick together in hard times. During World War II they lifted one another’s spirits when their husbands left for the battlefield. Organizations like NOW (National Organization for Women) have constructed alliances that combat forces deterring women’s rights. Even female textile workers as early as two centuries ago formed supportive and cooperative groups. These social groups were known as British friendly societies, and they provided mutual aid to women in the era of the rise of the British welfare state. Lauren Perillo ’10 is working on a Levitt-funded project with Associate Professor of History Lisa Trivedi to examine the advantages of friendly societies to women who needed more financial assistance.

In the current economic climate, obtaining a degree in economics could actually be very profitable as a new economist could make an astounding breakthrough in financial theory. Daniel Bunger ’11 is one of these students whose studies could catapult him into a successful career. This summer, he is researching co-operative banks with the Irma M. and Robert D. Morris Professor of Economics Derek Jones.

Judy Owens-Manley, director of the Bonner Leaders Program and Levitt Center associate director of community research; Jordan Fischetti '08 and Stephanie Wolter '07, both Hamilton graduates and AmeriCorps VISTA Service-Learning Coordinators at Hamilton; and Stefanie Russell '12, a Bonner Leader and Bonner Congress Representative presented two workshops at the Bonner Summer Leadership Institute on June 3-6.

Sixteen Hamilton rising juniors and seniors will spend their summer conducting research as recipients of 2009 Levitt Fellowships. Each year the Levitt Center funds student-faculty research to enhance study around issues of public affairs. This summer's projects represent a wide array of topics as well as geographical locations, from Identity and Community on Martha's Vineyard to North Korean Human Rights.