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Eight Hamilton students have received grants from the Academic Council to pursue research in upcoming projects. The recipients of grants from the Steven Daniel Smallen Memorial Fund are Mark Ducommun '10, Charlie Kaplan '11, Rachel Richardson '09, Katie Naughton '08, Casey Bloomquist '10, James Head '08 and Sandra Chiu '08. Sarah Moore '09, Naughton and Richardson have also been selected as recipients of the Class of 1979 Student Travel Award.

Emily Tang '08 and Aaron Balivet '08 presented their study of the Chinese education system on Nov. 15 in the KJ Red Pit. Having already studied abroad in Beijing through Hamilton's Associated Colleges in China program during their junior year, they were awarded a U.S. Education Department Fulbright Hayes Group Project Abroad grant that enabled them to study the Chinese education system and gain firsthand experience in teaching Chinese students during the summer. The Fulbright Grant is part of the U.S.-China cultural exchange, which sends U.S. citizens to foreign countries to serve as informal cultural ambassadors. The grant is also aimed toward enhancing the quality of basic education in rural China by introducing new teaching styles in rural schools.

Hamilton hosted a panel discussion titled "Global Problems, Regional Actions: Sustainability in the Mohawk Valley" on Nov. 13. Panelists included Utica Mayor Tim Julian; Utica attorney Peter Rayhill; John Furman, president of Utica/Central New York Citizens in Action; Hamilton Director of Environmental Protection, Safety and Sustainability Brian Hansen; Patrick Raynard, general manager of Bon Appétit; Elaine Hills, a Ph.D. candidate at SUNY Albany; and Hamilton senior Jenney Stringer. Visiting Assistant Professor of Government Peter Cannavo was moderator. Each panelist suggested ways in which citizens can become involved in local sustainability efforts and highlighted methods of addressing large-scale environmental problems.

Christine Rathbun, a playwright and performer, presented her one-woman play, "Reconstruction: Or How I Learned to Pay Attention" on Monday, Nov. 5. The performance was sponsored by the Diversity and Social Justice Project's "Health Matters" series.

Levitt Series speaker Langdon Winner, the Thomas Phelan Chair of Humanities and Social Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, presented "Information Technology and the Dream of Democratic Renewal" on October 18 in the Science Center. The presentation focused on the conviction that new technology will revitalize democratic society. Winner also highlighted such themes as the public disconnect created through the rise of technological advancements, as well as the role the Internet plays in working toward a democratic society.

During her discussion on September 25, titled “Living Downstream,” Sandra Steingraber outlined the devastating effects chemical toxins can have on the human body, more specifically, during the reproductive process. The ecologist, author and mother began with her own life’s story. Diagnosed with bladder cancer at the age of 20, Steingraber persevered through her illness and became dedicated to researching the effects of toxic chemicals on the body. Such topics of her research include the contaminants found in drinking water, as well as the way toxic chemicals could work their way into a woman’s body and confront the fetus, better known as “fetal toxicology.” 

One may think that ballroom dancing and community service do not necessarily coincide. However, Mark Fitzsimmons '09, who has led the ballroom dancing club for the past two years, disagrees. The ballroom club has several outreach activities planned for the upcoming year that aim to benefit both the Utica and Hamilton community.

"The Constitution is not only worth reading, but worth thinking carefully about." The words of Professor of Government Theodore Eismeier seem an appropriate summation of Monday's panel discussion, "We the people—The Constitution in the 21st Century." In celebration of national Constitution Day, the seven-professor panel discussed possible amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The discussion included Professors Theodore Eismeier, Nicholas Tampio, Robert Martin, Ned Walker and Philip Klinkner of the government department. Also asked to discuss their opinions on the topic were Professor of Economics James Bradfield and Professor Catherine Phelan of the communication department.

The Diversity and Social Justice Project student conference will take place at Hamilton on Saturday, Sept. 8, in the Science Center. Students from Hamilton, Colgate University and Union College will be presenting their work on a variety of relevant topics. The conference will begin with a lecture by Dr. Leslie Thiele of the University of Florida titled, “You Can Never do Just One Thing; What Ecology Teaches us About Social Justice.” Both the lecture and the rest of the conference are free and open to everyone; no registration is required to attend.