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While many undergraduates head home or to balmy beach resorts to rest up after grueling midterms, 98 Hamilton students will drive south to volunteer at nonprofit organizations in nine cities during Spring Break, March 13-28. This year marks Hamilton's 17th Alternative Spring Break (ASB), an annual volunteer venture that consists of nine different community service trips to non-profit organizations in the south.

The Corporation for National and Community Service named Hamilton as one of the colleges included on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to America’s communities. The announcement was made on Feb. 25.

Leaders of The Young People’s Project at Hamilton College met with Omo Moses, co-founder of the national non-profit organization, in Cambridge, Mass., on Dec. 22. They gathered to discuss the success of the site at Hamilton College and develop a model that would allow the success to be repeated at other colleges and universities nationwide.

More than 130 Hamilton students turned out on Jan. 23 for the 12th annual Student Community Service Day. HAVOC sponsored the event that took volunteers to 10 non-profit organizations in the area for an afternoon of work. Work sites included the Rome Humane Society, Kirkland Town Library, Utica Public Library, Loretto Center, the Children's Museum, Emmaus House, Clare Bridge (Clinton), Rome Humane Society, Spring Farm Cares, Rome Art and Community Center, and Crouse Community Center (Morrisville).

Hamilton College will commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with a number of campus and community events in January.

Eight students from the Recycling Task Force and the Cram & Scram crews collected reused items and food during exam week in the mini-scram campaign. About 90 pounds of food, clothing, bedding, shoes and coats, small appliances and furniture were donated. The food will be added to that being collected at the Physical Plant for the Clark's Mills Food Pantry. The appliances and furniture are headed to the Utica Salvation Army, along with the reuse sneakers from the Fitness Center and the Athletic department.

Passing by Utica’s Salvation Army on a Thursday evening, one might assume a carnival is taking place behind its doors. Crashing cymbals, the occasional crack of a snare drum and muddled piano melodies can be heard from the Salvation Army’s chapel, their sounds pouring out into the street. Nearly overpowering this raucous symphony, the playful laughter and boisterous voices of the performance’s participants bring life to the musical melee taking place within.

Campus service organization Hamilton Association for Volunteering, Outreach, and Charity (HAVOC) is sponsoring its traditional mitten tree and will make the holidays a bit cheerier for many children. This year the tree has more than 90 mittens marked with a child’s gift request.  Stop by to pick a mitten between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, in Beinecke.

Take an October afternoon of sunny skies and seasonable temperatures, toss in scores of activities, food and entertainment, and combine an enthusiastic group of Hamilton students with local families, and the result is a very successful Fall Fest 2009.

The eighth annual Fall Fest will take place on Sunday, Oct. 25, on the Clinton Village Green from noon to 4 p.m. The event is organized annually by the Social Traditions Committee of the Hamilton College Student Assembly and is free and open to the public.