On Monday, Apr. 29, Student Assembly (SA) hosted its Town Hall 2.0 all-campus event, inviting students, administration, and faculty to the Annex at 8:30 PM to discuss the main concerns of the community. Students had previously voted on which topics would be discussed, and sexual misconduct and social spaces/life on campus were the predominant concerns, as well as mental health and the elimination of Posse Boston. Relevant administrators were at the Town Hall to address the concerns raised by the students.
SA is led by President Amanda Kim ’21 and Vice President Gianni Hill ’21. Together, Kim and Hill facilitated a discussion between the student body and the administration. Every member of the campus community was invited to the event, and while students made up the majority of attendees, a few faculty members were present as well.
In her introduction to the Town Hall, Kim acknowledged that the format of this year’s event was very different from the previous year.
“Last year was our first Town Hall, and it was great for identifying issues on campus,” Kim said. “However, we didn’t get time to discuss potential solutions on campus. That’s what we’re focusing on tonight; next steps for us to take.” She added that the new structure aimed to be more solution-oriented and encourage discussion in small-groups.
The event was broken into four sections, each focusing on a specific topic and culminating in a discussion of tangible solutions and administrative responses. Each table had sticky notes and posters labeled with three categories: stop, start, and continue. This aspect of the Town Hall was aimed at ensuring that each student could voice their opinions and concerns regardless of whether or not they were comfortable with or had the chance to voice them in front of the administration.
Claire Goldstein ’22 felt this system worked well. “I thought that the post-it notes were really helpful because you were able to have your voice heard without having to go up to the microphone and speak in front of everyone,” Goldstein said. “It was also great to be able to write your thoughts down as soon as they popped into your head, so all of the reactions were really authentic.”
Each topic of discussion began with a presentation by an administrator, followed by a question-and-answer section and small group discussions. The talks finished with solution share-outs, during which representatives from each small group could share the results of their discussions with the rest of the room.
The first topic of discussion was prompted in part by the recent reports of date rape drugs at off-campus parties, as well as recent sexual misconduct allegations on campus. Issues revolved around the transparency of the College’s policy for sexual misconduct investigations, the sanctioning process, and the pervasive rape culture on campus.
Catherine Berryman, Hamilton College’s Director of Community Standards and Title IX Coordinator, and Cori Smith, Hamilton’s Title IX Education and Compliance Coordinator, presented the College’s formal processes regarding sexual misconduct. Smith also discussed the sexual assault prevention and education curriculum offered, which includes Title IX Fundamentals training and Bystander Intervention training. During the question-and-answer section, students voiced concerns regarding the amount of Blue Lights on campus, as well as the efficiency of the sexual misconduct trainings.
Director of Campus Safety Francis Coots also responded to questions about on-campus safety, including information about Blue Light statistics, the number of officers patrolling in the evenings, and average Campus Safety response times. Students suggested maintaining or even expanding physical Blue Light locations due to various concerns about the digital Blue Light available through the Hamilton phone application, which some students said is hard to navigate or slow to operate due to spotty campus wi-fi. Coots said he was open to the suggested ideas and acknowledged that they could improve students’ sense of safety on campus.
The discussion then transitioned into social life both on- and off-campus. Vice President and Dean of Students Terry Martinez spoke on behalf of the formal and informal social spaces on campus, as well as on the balance between those who choose to drink alcohol and those who abstain. She focused both on the larger, public social spaces on campus and smaller, private gatherings in residence halls. During this part of the Town Hall, students raised concerns about a lack of social spaces pushing students off-campus, as well as the inclusivity of on-campus parties.
Next, Director of the Counseling Center David Walden spoke about the Joel and Elizabeth Johnson Center for Health and Wellness and the services offered to the Hamilton community by Counseling Center staff. Over the last few years, he said, the services offered by the Health and Wellness Center have grown, as has the percentage of the student body utilizing these services. Walden described the Center’s expansion services, providing information on the wait time to receive an appointment and between appointments. Students expressed their desire for increased availability of counselors and a reallocation of funds towards mental health services.
President David Wippman also spoke about the administration’s decision to eliminate Posse Boston and responded to Posse members’ questions about the decision. Wippman said Hamilton maintains its commitment to promote diversity on campus, highlighting the upcoming 50-year anniversary of the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) at the College and partnerships with QuestBridge and the American Talent Initiative (ATI) as evidence. The resources previously directed towards Posse Boston, he said, will be reallocated towards other diversity and visibility initiatives. Some students expressed frustration with the decision to reallocate funds from Posse Boston to other programs, emphasizing the role Posse Boston plays in the campus community and culture and expressing skepticism that other programs will be able to do the same.
Following the discussions between students and administration on the four issue areas, the Town Hall concluded with an urge from Kim and Hill to attend Student Assembly meetings and voice further concerns on a public platform. Student Assembly meetings, which include a public comment period, are held every Monday at 8:30 PM in the Sadove Conference Room.
A video recording of the Town Hall can be found on the Student Assembly Facebook page.
