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In speeches and debates, contemporary politicians often relate their values back to the principles of America’s founding fathers. However, how well they actually represent those ideals is disputable. In her Emerson Foundation project, “What Would Jefferson Do? The Jeffersonian Ideal and Modern Day Environmental Policy,” Claire Zurlo ’14 is examining how Thomas Jefferson’s political philosophy relates to today’s environmentalism.

If you’ve been on Hamilton’s campus this summer, you may have heard the sound of bagpipes drifting over Minor Field. Nathaniel Livingston ’14 has been playing them as part of his Emerson Foundation project, “Performing the Poetics of Music.” Through his project, he is researching the ancient instruments and epics of Scotland and Finland and exploring a long-standing interest in the intersection of music and poetry.

Studying the concept of infinity can be a daunting task, particularly because it requires approaching the idea from different perspectives. This summer Austin Heath ’15 is taking on that challenge by studying perceptions of infinity within three distinct fields. In his Emerson Foundation project, “Grasping Infinity: Philosophical, Mathematical, and Spiritual Conceptions of Boundlessness,” he is working with advisor John Stewart Kennedy Professor of Philosophy Richard Werner to trace the development of human analysis of infinity.

Crystal Kim ’15 grew up in America with South Korean parents, and she was often struck by the difference between her American education and her Korean upbringing. Upon realizing that education is a central part of Korean culture, she decided that she needed to gain a better understanding of Korea and of her own heritage. She is taking advantage of the summer to do just that with an Emerson Foundation grant working with Director of the Education Studies Program Susan Mason.

When Deanna Perez ’14 looks at a bookshelf, she doesn’t just see a row of book spines. Instead, she sees unwinding possibilities that can be unlocked both through reading and through art. “There’s endless potential in what could be between the leaves of a binding,” she remarked. In her Emerson Foundation project, “The Life of a Book: From the Bindery to the Pedestal,” she is crafting sculptures out of books to explore their narratives and to examine the balance between destroying books and giving them a new life through art.

No one could doubt that James Anesta ’14 is dedicated to theater. In addition to appearing in a number of productions over his time at Hamilton, he took the time last summer to write his own play, “Hell the Musical,” which he will also direct. He's using an Emerson Foundation grant this summer to gain some scope as director. In his project, “Portrayals of the Afterlife in Popular Culture,” he is exploring different artistic representations of heaven and hell.

This summer, through an Emerson Foundation Grant, Sarah Sgro ’14 is studying writing that, in her words, “confronts the realities of family and romantic life through a grotesque lens.” In her project, “Family Gone Bizarre: The Domestic Grotesque in Contemporary Fiction and Poetry,” Sgro is exploring how authors approach themes of domestic life in dark and bizarre ways. She’ll then be examining those themes in her own writing.

Despite living so close to Utica, the majority of Hamilton students spend little time there. Wynn Van Dusen ’15, however, has developed an interest in the city’s history. Through her Emerson Foundation project, “Remembering ‘The City that God Forgot’: A Study of Pop Culture and Art in Utica, Post World War II,” she is trying to gain a sense of what living in Utica in the era of its decline felt like. Van Dusen is working with Margaret Bundy Scott Professor of Theatre Carole Bellini-Sharp.

This summer, Mackenzie Leavenworth ’15 is living the dream of any classics major. With funding from an Emerson Foundation grant, she is working on an excavation in Gournia, Greece. In addition to uncovering information about the ancient site, she has the opportunity to explore Greece, undoubtedly making her the envy of many of her classmates.

When Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code was released, it generated both curiosity and criticism for its portrayal of Christianity. For Ivy Akumu ’15, it sparked an interest in the history of Christianity and, by extension, of other religions. Her growing fascination led to an Emerson Foundation-funded research project this summer, titled “Demystifying African Religion.”  Through this project, she aims to deconstruct misconceptions about traditional African religions, partially through drawing parallels between them and Christianity.