Newsletter

As the 2022-2023 school year comes to a close, the Days-Massolo Center will be saying goodbye to four of its senior members and one of its most valued directors. Throughout my first year at the DMC, every single one of these people have left a mark on me that will certainly last for my next three years at Hamilton. Carlo Benavides, Fiona Murphy, Mil Fienco and Salwa Sidahmed have been so kind to share with me some of their favorite moments at the DMC and the helpful skills they learned along the way. Furthermore, I want to thank our director Paola for all the incredible work she has done at the DMC throughout the past three years including Cafecito Fridays, the DMC’s 10 year anniversary campaign, as well as shifting the center from student affairs to a part of the DEI Division.

As I approached Babbitt Pavilion on Saturday, April 22, I watched the students running, laughing, and shouting with joy and excitement. Colorful powder caught the wind and flew through the air, and when I got closer, I could see that the people under and around the pavilion were covered from head to toe in colors like red, orange, yellow, and pink! Suddenly, a burst of color splashed me and welcomed me into the fun. I smiled; the joy and excitement of the students around me was contagious.

You may not be familiar with the Days-Massolo Center, but here at the DMC we are making waves! The DMC, the cultural education center on campus, has had such an incredible impact on campus during this school year from 2022-2023, and here’s the proof. I am so excited to share how our mission values have been implemented, how the DMC has grown as a space for students over the course of this year, and some outlooks for a future at the  DMC.

Have you ever stared at the patch of grass in between Dunham Residence Hall and Commons Dining? The one where you start your Hamilton experience on, under a huge white tent? There is something more to that spot, something so historical that it holds roots deep underground in a place where you can’t see them.

As February blended into March, there was a celebration dinner of feminist of color and their success inside the Events Barn. The Black and Latinx Student Union, the Center for Intersectional Feminism and the Asian Student Union came together to organize the annual Women of Color Banquet, which took place on February 27th, 2023 during Womanist Week.

After this year, there won’t be a soul at Hamilton College that asks “We have a Women’s Ice Hockey team? Since when?”

Hamilton College’s Women’s Ice Hockey team completed their best season in history this year after making it to the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Women’s Ice Hockey Championship on an at-large bid. The team is placed second in Division III Women’s Ice Hockey and ranked 6th nationally. The team took home several awards...

When she walked on the stage, an auditorium of 600 people shouted and cheered. 300 more on Zoom turned up their volume, and brightened their screens. The students on stage were beaming, standing strong with their questions at the ready, their minds focused for a discussion about society, systematic issues, and ways to work towards positive change. Angela Davis had returned to Hamilton’s Campus.

I stood behind the table and watched as the guests poured in from the dark, frigid night. It was arguably the coldest night of the year, but that didn’t stop the students, faculty, and staff from coming to sit inside Tolles Pavilion for a wonderful celebration of the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior.

Here at the DMC we have some very exciting news!

The Days-Massolo Center has officially been integrated into a new division on campus called the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Before this division was created by Vice President Sean Bennett in conjunction with Paola Lopez, the DMC was part of the Division of Student Affairs. But what does this division switch mean for the DMC? 

Welcome back to campus in the winter season, a time of great reflection and connection. As the Days-Massolo Center team and respective cluster student organizations get ready for an incredible semester, I am reflecting on how far we’ve come since my arrival to Hamilton in 2019. This Friday, February 3, 2023, will be the first time we’ve celebrated the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Dinner since February 2020.