Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
In this last week before final exams, it is refreshing to remember all the highlights of the semester. Over these past months, Hamilton students have produced a wide range of artistic content, from theater productions to original songs and artwork.
The College has been visited by comedians, musicians, and poets. In September, Mike Birbiglia performed at Wellin Hall as part of his Stand Up and Vote Tour. Joining Birbiglia were Melissa Villasenor, Phoebe Robinson, and Gary Gulman known for their performances on
Saturday Night Live
and Netflix’s
Ibiza
,
Last Comic Standing
, respectively. Most recently, CAB Comedy brought Sydnee Washington and Moses Storm, who performed in the Events Barn on Nov. 29.
Onstage this semester, students performed in plays and musicals, starting on Aug. 21. While it was still warm outside, BareNaked Theater presented
Shakespeare’s
Twelfth Night
on an open-air stage outside of KTSA. The Fall Mainstage production this year was
King Stag
by Italian playwright Carlo Gozzi. The final theater production of the semester, though, has yet to come. On Dec. 7, Maggie Luddy ’20 and Kenny Letts ’21 will debut as co-stars in the two-person musical,
The Last Five Years.
The College’s music scene this fall was characteristically vibrant, with regular performances from student bands, including Yonic Youth, Milk, Juice, Grime Time and individual performers like Suave TheGent (Ricardo Millien ’19) and M. Ricio Matt ’21. On Nov. 3, a collaborative effort by Delta Phi, Vibes, SPAC, and WHCL brought together a myriad of student performances for The Funktion 3: Son of the Funk. The Feminists of Color Collective hosted a Speakeasy open mic and spoken word event on Nov. 7, featuring guest speakers Dr. Crystal Endsley and Tony Keith as well as student performers. CAB invited numerous musical guests to the Hill, including Waka Flocka Flame and Maliibu Miitch who performed for the annual CAB Fall Concert. WHCL also hosted a fall concert featuring bands Varsity and Anemone.
The Spectator
published an interview with reggae artist and humanitarian, Taj Weekes, who visited campus on Nov. 2.
In addition to his exhibit at the Wellin, artist Jeffrey Gibson visited the College to discuss his work as a multidisciplinary artist. An exhibition of his work, titled “This is the Day,” features film, garments, and paintings and remains on display in the Wellin until Dec. 9. Other renowned artistic guests included the Mountain Drifters, a musical trio led by Grammy-nominated fiddler Bruce Molsky. The Ephrat Asherie dance company performed at Wellin Hall in September, and offered Hamilton Dance students a master class with the company director. Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie, a 2016 Bessie Award Winner for Innovative Achievement in Dance, taught Hamilton dancers the basics of House dancing and music. In October, the Literature and Creative Writing departments invited poet Afaa Weaver to speak on the Hill. Weaver addressed Hamilton students at the Barn, discussing his work as a poet and journalist. Best known for his Plum Flower Trilogy collection, Weaver is the winner of the 2014 Kingsley Tufts Award for The Government of Nature, the poetry category of the 2015 Phillis Wheatley Book Award for City of Eternal Spring, the Beijing Writers Association’s 2005 Gold Friendship Medal for his work with Chinese poets, two Pushcart Awards, the May Sarton Award, and the ETA Creative Arts Foundation’s PDI Award in playwriting.
A cappella groups are integral to the College’s music scene. This semester, the a cappella groups have performed regularly at a variety of events. From concerts in the Chapel to guest appearances at the Minds for Change Speak Out, the voices of Hamilton’s a cappella groups have accompanied all the events of the semester. To close out the semester, Duelly Noted, the Hamiltones, Special K, Tumbling After, and the Buffers are holding a holiday concert in the Barn on Thursday, Dec. 6.
