Articles

The DMC Hosts the Multicultural Alumni Relations Committee (MARC) on Fallcoming Weekend

By Madeleine Cerone

November 10, 2023

Have you ever looked at the mantel in the DMC living room? There, underneath the television, is a glass jar filled with rocks. But not just any old rocks. These rocks have written on them the names and class years of several Hamilton college alumni who were, and still are, part of the DMC’s integral community. DMC alumni, new and old, were asked by the previous director to place these rocks inside the jar as a promise to interact with and give back to Hamilton’s marginalized communities. Since, this has started a tradition for graduating seniors who wish to be involved with the DMC even after leaving College Hill for bigger and better places.

This fall-coming weekend, some of the alumni that participated in this tradition came back to Hamilton’s campus for the Multicultural Alumni Relations Committee (MARC). MARC started in October of 2002 with Torrence Moore ‘92 serving as the first chair.  In October of 2008, MARC was added as a standing committee of the Alumni Council. This committee is specifically geared towards helping marginalized groups of students from Hamilton College find connections with alumni of color. MARC members have been incredibly helpful in connecting, growing, and inspiring the relationship between students of color and alumni through panels and programs geared towards career related experiences and opportunities.

On October 6th, 2023, many former Hamilton students arrived at the DMC for a committee meeting of MARC. Some were former presidents of La Vanguardia, the Black and Latine Student Union, and members of the Newman Council. One alum is a published children’s book author! Delicious hors d'oeuvres from Parkhurst were served, and as people came in from the rainy weather with their plates they sat around the DMC living room to watch a presentation from Jazmín Gatto de Torres, the most recent chair of MARC. 

Jazmín, known by her colleagues as Jazzy, was an active member of the student body during her time at Hamilton through organizations like BLSU, LV, and Newman council. Her spirited passion for community service shines bright through her role in MARC. During MARC’s family weekend gathering, she announced her successor: Marlin Johnson. Marlin graduated in Hamilton’s class of 1998, and he expressed that he is grateful to be taking up the role as chair for MARC, and recognizes it as a chance to expand his relationships with other alumni of color. Meanwhile, Jazmín is moving towards a new role with Enlace. 

After Jazmín introduced Marlin to us, she also introduced Enlace, a new program that she started along with current Hamilton senior Josue ‘24. In correspondence with Josue, I learned that Enlace was born out of the DMC steering committee during the center’s 10 year anniversary celebration period. “As we worked, I was able to voice a lot of opinions about how students of color could benefit from unfiltered connections with alumni,” Josue shared. “This is why Jazmin and I decided to found Enlace.”

Enlace works to help students at Hamilton who belong to minority communities curate mutually beneficial relationships with alumni from the time they arrive on the hill until even after they graduate. In order to do this, Josue and Jazmín work together to design alumni workshops for students to take part in. “What I find most rewarding is the opportunity to engage with alumni and hear about their memories of Hamilton,” Josue explained in our interview. He explains that he has already heard many stories of transformation, and he hopes to be a part of that growth experience for other Hamilton students in the years to come. 

Thank you Jazmín and Josue for your important work with Enlace, and thank you to all the MARC alumni for allowing us to host you once again! We appreciate your support and your involvement in providing guidance and opportunities for our campus community.