Terry Martinez Hiring

The school year began with the announcement that Theresa “Terry” Martinez had been named Vice President of the College and Dean of Students. After serving in an administrative role at schools like Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and Ithaca College, Dean Martinez came to the Hill with a promise to focus on student life and wellness.

In an interview with Maddy Maher ’18 for the August 31, 2017 issue of the Spec, she said, “As I take a look at where I want to focus my energy on campus, I always take a look at three different things: to make sure that we create a healthy and safe campus, to make sure that our campus is not just diverse, but also inclusive of that diversity and to think about how life outside of the classroom matters to students. I want to really create meaningful opportunities for engagement. It’s always those three things.”

Strong Island

In September, Yance Ford ’94 came to campus for a viewing and discussion of his film

Strong Island

, a documentary that tells the story of the murder of Ford’s older brother, the failures of the American judicial system in the aftermath, and the effect of the event on his family.

In the September 28, 2017 issue of the Spec, Michelle Chung ’20 wrote, “Despite

Strong Island

’s focus on the investigation of his brother’s death,Yance Ford reminded viewers prior to the screening of the documentary that the film does not mimic the expectations found in typical crime films. Rather than an attempt to uncover evidence or follow new leads for the case, the film places a strong emphasis on delving into the emotional struggles that William Ford, Jr.’s family and friends had to face after his death. Throughout the ten years that Ford worked on the film, he accumulated over hundreds of hours of conversation with his mother that were not used in the film, as well as moments with other family members and friends.”

Strong Island

would go on to win an array of awards later in the year and was nominated for a 2018 Academy Award in the Best Documentary category.

Common Ground (Fall)

On Wednesday, October 18, 2017, Hamilton hosted the first installment of its “Common Ground” series, an event that seeks to model constructive and respectful political discourse through two well-known public figures on opposite sides of the political spectrum and a moderator.

In covering the event, Charles Dunst ’18 and Maddy Maher ’18 wrote, “[The] inaugural event featured a discussion between former Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush, Karl Rove, and former Chief Strategist and Senior Advisor to President Obama, David Axelrod. This discussion was moderated by USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page. […] According to President Wippman, who has made free speech and civil discourse a top priority on the hill since coming to Hamilton, “the goal is for the speakers to model the kind of respectful dialogue across political boundaries that should occur not just on college campuses, but in the broader society as well.”

Paul Gottfried

On October 25, Paul Gottfried, a historian, visited campus and spoke to two classes. His visit sparked outrage and debate stemming from his alleged ties to the “alt-right” (he has been called “The Father of the Alt-Right”). Although his lectures at Hamilton largely stayed away from inflammatory political topics, his presence was peacefully protested with a silent protest by a group of students outside of the classrooms he occupied while on campus.

In response to the visit, Peter F. Cannavò, Associate Professor of Government, Director of Environmental Studies Program, wrote this in a Letter to the Editor published in the November 9, 2017 issue of the Spec: “Inviting a figure like Gottfried into the classroom puts the very humanity of members of our community and the legitimacy of their presence here up for debate. As Government professor Gbemende Johnson put it, ‘Whatever value may exist in such discussions, it is difficult to have a piece of your humanity and existence constantly sacrificed at the altar of pedagogy.’”

In response, Professor Paquette wrote, “I will repeat what I have told others. No one on Hamilton College’s campus approaches Paul Gottfried, an active scholar for more than fifty years, in range of erudition and mastery of languages. […] At Hamilton, Gottfried addressed all the questions raised by Cannavò and many more, and he did so in a way that many students and others present found intellectually stimulating.”

PUB POWER

For the February 15, 2018 issue of the Spec, I covered the PUB POWER group, which at the time was recently formed and mostly secretive. In talking with members of the group, I learned that, “According to the group’s description, PUB POWER aims to ‘have as many women possible attend pub lunch in order to dismantle [the] hegemony and reclaim the space as open to all.’”

Additionally, some PUB POWER members I spoke to told me that “although the group acknowledges that any detrimental actions or tendencies of the white, upper class, and able-bodied men who tend to frequent Pub Lunch may be ‘unintentional’, the group asserts that their dominance over the space ‘makes women, alongside other LGBTQIA+ and POC members of our community feel inferior, unwelcomed, and outnumbered.’”

Mobile Meth Lab

In the February 22, 2018 issue of the Spec, Charles Dunst ’18 reported on a “criminal incident in Clinton, NY,” that spilled over onto Hamilton’s campus. He wrote, “While trying to evade the Kirkland Police, the vehicle, which was stolen, crashed into another vehicle in the driveway of President Wippman’s house. According to the email, ‘a large cache of drugs was found in the car.’ The Utica Observer-Dispatch noted that authorities were originally called in reference to ‘people throwing trash out a vehicle’s windows in the area of Utica Street.’”

There was little follow-up after the incident from college officials, but the event certainly stirred the campus out of a mid-winter fugue. It is not clear whether or not the suspects were ever ultimately identified or apprehended.

Men’s Basketball

The men’s basketball team had arguably the best season of any Hamilton athletics program last year, all things considered. Finishing with a 24–5 record (second most wins in program history), they danced into the sectional semifinal of the 2018 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship before ultimately falling to the Springfield College Pride by a score of 92–90 in overtime.

Still, the season was marked by impressive individual and team performances, most notably by Kena Gilmour ’20, who led the team in scoring with 18.5 points-per-game (second in the NESCAC) and poured in a career-best 40 points in the team’s final game of the season.

The Hamilton Athletics website had this to say about the game: “It was an instant classic. Two talented teams going head-to-head in an extremely well-played game that was to be expected at this late stage in the season. Yes, this 2018 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship sectional semifinal had it all. […] Unfortunately for fans of the nationally ranked №13 Hamilton College Continentals, this one had everything except a win.”

BLSU Parkland Rally

In response to the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, that killed 17 people and injured 15, BLSU held an all-campus rally in the Fillius Events Barn to speak out on the emotional toll of event.

Jonina Mignon ’20, who covered the rally for the March 1, 2018 issue of the Spec, wrote, “Nearly 100 members of the student body, faculty, and staff attended BLSU’s rally against gun violence, coming together to share their reactions through stories, poetry, and spoken word performances. […] Students, faculty, and staff alike took to the stage in the Filius Events Barn to talk about their reactions to the Parkland shooting, sharing their stories and feelings with their colleagues and peers. Many expressed sadness and frustration in response to the violence and recalled similarly tragic events.”

Town Hall

On April 2, 2018, the College held the first of multiple-scheduled “Town Hall” events in the Chapel with the goal of “discussing salient issues on campus.” It was an evening of difficult conversations, open dialogues, and planning for initial steps to address issues of free speech, mental health, sexual assault, and racism as they pertained to Hamilton’s community.

Benjamin Katz ’20 covered the event for the Spec’s April 5, 2018 issue and reported, “Students discussed the issue of mental health on campus. Specifically, students, faculty, and staff discussed their concern about a culture of so-called “stress olympics” at Hamilton, where students compete to see who can handle the most work, and about a lack of appointments at the counseling center. Furthermore, they discussed a lack of institutional guidelines for coordinating exam schedules and the amount of nightly work, as well as the lack of an actual reading period before final exams.”

Common Ground (Spring)

For the year’s second “Common Ground” installment, Susan Rice and Condoleezza Rice visited campus (along with moderator Andrea Mitchell, the NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent). Their conversation mostly centered around United States foreign policy, with Charles Dunst ’18 and myself reporting, “The speakers’ most profound disagreement came in discussions over the Iran deal. […]Secretary Rice, while enumerating the deal to be deficient — and the arguing that the U.S. could have done better — admitted that she, unlike President Trump, is in favor of maintaining the deal. Ambassador Rice defended the deal, asserting that it would serve to slow Iran’s attempts to become nuclear capable.”

The event was well-attended by members of the Hamilton community and Clinton community alike, and wrapped up a successful first year for the Common Ground series.

Norovirus

In the final weeks of the 2017–18 school year, Hamilton’s campus was rocked by a norovirus outbreak that affected nearly all areas of campus. The virus was first acknowledged in an April 23 email to the campus from Jeffrey Landry, the Associate Dean of Students for Health and Safety. Normal operations in the dining halls and other high-traffic areas were largely came to a halt and students were instructed to stay in their rooms if they exhibited any symptom of the virus.

In reporting on the outbreak and the College’s response for the April 26, 2018 issue of the Spec, I wrote, “Having identified the presence of norovirus, the College immediately notified the community and enacted a mitigation plan. On Wednesday morning, Facilities Management personnel were tasked with cleaning and disinfecting all public and private bathrooms, common spaces, and, in some cases, individual rooms, in every residence hall on campus.”

Class & Charter Day

For the annual (and highly anticipated) Class & Charter Day concert, Charli XCX performed with Moxie Raia as her opener and accompanying sets by Hamilton’s own Matt Goon and Stink-182. In addition to the concert, the day was marked by the usual all-campus shenanigans and celebrations of the end of the year. It was a beautiful day and a proper ending to an eventful and memorable school year.

To learn more about these stories and others from last year, be sure to check out The Spectator’s website,



spec.hamilton.edu



. Here’s to another great year!