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Professor of Government Cheng Li is one of the experts contributing to the Hoover Institution's newest cyberjournal, which focuses on tracking the latest developments in China's political leadership. The China Leadership Monitor, reports the Associated Press, is aimed at analyzing the major leadership transition expected to occur in China later this year. Cheng Li's first contribution is titled: "After Hu, Who?- China's Provincial Leaders Await Promotion."

Director of the Hamilton Writing Center Sharon Williams commented on plagiarism in a piece exploring student reactions to accusations that historian Stephen Ambrose stole material for his best-selling books. Williams commented, "Some student plagiarism is inadvertent. Students often struggle with the basic concepts of attribution... But even beginning scholars should know that when you are using exact wording from another source, you acknowledge that person as a source."

Hamilton Philosophy Professor Robert Simon was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times about political correctness in the college classroom. According to Simon, "The hesitancy to judge has created a moral paralysis among some students." He goes on to report that "as many as one-fifth of his students, while well-meaning, ultimately refuse to morally denounce the Holocaust, slavery and human sacrifice." He concludes, "I thnk sometimes students are just protecting themselves. If they come out with a politically incorrect statement, they can really get hammered."

Assistant Professor of Philosophy Todd Franklin was quoted by the Syracuse Post-Standard in an article about Martin Luther King Day celebrations on Central New York campuses. He helped organize and participated in Hamilton's discussion of Martin Luther King's legacy and the social issues surrounding his holiday. Franklin noted, "The public knows only a small but significant aspect of King's legacy."

Hamilton Professor of Anthropology Douglas Raybeck was quoted in the Newark Star-Ledger in an artice examining societal optimism since Sept. 11. Cautioning against what he calls "cockeyed optimism," Raybeck explains, "Responsible optimism suggests you can improve things by working hard and exerting talent. Cockeyed optimism is blind faith that can be at odds with constructive optimism."

Hamilton Professor of Economics Sidney Wertimer has inspired yet another Hamilton alumnus reports The Hartford Courant. Ken Kahn, head of the Greater Hartford Arts Council, named his old economics professor as the origin of his love of bow ties and the role model for being a "snappy dresser."

Assistant Professor of Psychology Julie Dunsmore was consulted for an article in the Boston Globe which explores the difficulties involved in teaching children to share. Dunsmore suggests parents might be overly optimistic when a small child exibits signs of sharing, "It sure looks like sharing," she admits, "But it's a sharing of attention- 'Look what I've got, isn't it neat?'- not a sharing of the object."

A Hamilton College and Zogby International poll of American high school students found that young people are more accepting of homosexuality than are their elders, reports the National Journal. This comes as good news to homosexuals across the US still struggling to secure equal rights in job opportunities and the formation of civil unions. This poll reveals an encouraging trend of national support and tolerance.

Hamilton Professor Cheng Li was cited in the South China Morning Post in a piece discussing the emergence of the fifth generation of China's political leadership. Li suggests that appointment as a provincial leader could give a rising political star the means to gain full membership of the Communist Party Central Committee, which has the power to endorse the political appointments of Politburo members.

Hamilton graduate Jesse Zanger '92, an editor for Fox News, commented on the new use of crawls for the Chicago Tribune. A trend since Sept. 11, Zanger explains that crawls allow stations to get current news breaks onto the air faster than ever before. "News is breaking," he explains, "the crawl is an amazing opportunity to put news out there right away."