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It was a twist for John Rufo ’16 to find himself giving an interview rather than conducting one. The Senior Fellow is spending the year interviewing contemporary political poets through the lenses of race, gender, sexuality and disability. With a focus on younger poets, he hopes to open up a space for them to talk about their practice. Rufo, a creative writing major, took his project as an opportunity to merge his concentration with race and gender studies, sociology and history.

Students and their families reunited for Hamilton’s annual Family Weekend on Oct. 22-25.  More than 1,100 visitors enjoyed a host of activities from poster sessions on summer research to athletic contests, poetry reading and performances.

Jazz Tales from Jazz Legends – a distillation of more than 325 interviews recorded over two decades with jazz greats, their band members and critics– has just been released by Couper Press. Written by Director of the Fillius Jazz Archive Monk Rowe, the book includes interviews with Dave Brubeck, Steve Allen, Marian McPartland, Joe Williams, Bela Fleck, among many others, as well as with former members of bands led by Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Woody Herman, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Stan Kenton. 

Hamilton President Joan Hinde Stewart will be honored with the Alumni Council’s Bell Ringer Award at Reunions ’16. The Bell Ringer Award is presented each year in recognition of contributions made to the College, its alumni and the community. President Stewart will retire from Hamilton at the end of the 2015-16 academic year.

Hamilton College Dean of Faculty Patrick Reynolds announced the promotion of four Hamilton faculty members to the rank of professor. Brian Collett, physics; Heather Merrill, Africana studies; Cheryl Morgan, French; and Lisa Trivedi, history, were promoted effective Oct. 3.

The goal of the first TEDx talk at Hamilton College, sponsored by the Oral Communication Center and Dean of Faculty’s Office, was to leave the conformity of our everyday lives and return to no-strings attached inquisitive nature of youth in order to achieve uninhibited curiosity and creativity.

Hamilton will have a new health and counseling center because of a generous gift announced during Fallcoming weekend from Reverend Dr. Beth Johnson P’93 and Joel W. Johnson ’65 P’93. Their leadership commitment will enable the college to offer best-in-class services for the student body in a setting with ample space and furnishings to provide a safe, private and welcoming environment focused on health and wellness. 

A highlight for many during Fallcoming Weekend was the talk by Ambassador Thomas Pickering. In front of a packed audience in the Chapel, Ambassador Pickering outlined in detail the background and discussions that have led to the Iran Deal.

David Solomon ’84, co-head of Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs, returned to Hamilton on Oct. 2 and spoke with students on the role finance plays in the world. Solomon, who majored in government at Hamilton, described how finance had always fascinated and intrigued him because it “helps [him] put in perspective how the world is changing, and how all of those changes affect all of us and what we do.” 

Students in “U.S. Foreign Policy,” taught by Assistant Professor of Government Erica De Bruin, were granted a unique experience on Oct. 2 when three distinguished Foreign Service experts visited their class to field questions regarding U.S.-Russia relations and careers in the field.