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Hamilton College has responded to a Senate Finance Committee request for information about endowment spending and financial aid policies. Hamilton was one of 136 U.S. colleges and universities, each with endowments of at least $500 million, that received the request from Senators Max Baucus and Charles Grassley.

Associate Professor of Economics Ann Owen was quoted on Wednesday, March 19, in a National Public Radio Morning Edition segment and in a Christian Science Monitor article, both of which addressed this week's Federal Reserve interest rate cut.

On March 13 students in Hamilton's Program in Washington met with Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin (retired), president of the Middle East Institute. Chamberlin spoke to the students about the state of affairs in Pakistan and the United States' involvement with Musharraf and internal Pakistani politics over the past few years, and graciously answered a multitude of questions. This semester's program in Washington is headed by Edward S. Walker, Jr. '62, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and the Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Global Political Theory. -- by Mariam Ballout '10

Stephen Fuchs '68, rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, Conn., will present an Alumni College during Reunions '08 about his campaign against violence in media. Tragic events like the shootings at Columbine, Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, are, Rabbi Fuchs believes, the direct result of the growing and ever more graphic depictions of violence that children grow up with in television programs, movies, and video games.

Edward Walker, M.A., Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Global Political Theory, participated in a seminar at the Institute for National Strategic Studies of the National Defense University on Jan. 10 on how the Arab-Israeli conflict affects U.S. regional interests. He also participated in a two-day conference sponsored by the National Intelligence Council and the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research on Feb. 21 to consider the likely progression of events in the Middle East as they affect U.S. policy out to 2025.

Two Hamilton College faculty members were approved for tenure by the College's Board of Trustees during the March meeting. The Board granted tenure to Stephen Ellingson, sociology, and Julio Videras, economics. The granting of tenure is based on recommendations of the vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty, and the committee on appointments, with the president of the College presenting final recommendations to the board. Ellingson and Videras will receive the title of associate professor on July 1.

While many undergraduates head home or to warm locales to rest up after midterms, 66 Hamilton students will drive south to volunteer at nonprofit organizations in six cities during Spring Break, March 15-30. This year marks Hamilton's 15th annual Alternative Spring Break (ASB), an annual volunteer venture which usually consists of six different community service trips to non-profit organizations in the south. Students will be traveling to John's Island, S.C., Golden Pond, Ky., Wilmington, N.C., Thibodaux, La., La Follette, Tenn., and Biloxi, Miss., for volunteer work.

Thanks to the generous support of its young alumni, Hamilton College is pleased to name Stephanie Ryder '09, of Brooklyn, NY, as its eighth GOLD Scholar. Steph came to Hamilton in 2005 from a large New York City public high school, ready to devote her time to academics and varsity women's ice hockey. Her athletic ambitions changed direction, however, and she now captains the New York State Division III women's rugby team, represents her class on the Judicial Board, works as an intern in the Athletic Department, and acts as a student representative to alumni and parents on behalf of the Annual Fund. Each of these activities formed the basis for her unique Hamilton experience and prepared her for success off the Hill.

Visiting Assistant Professor of English Emily Rohrbach presented a paper at the supernumerary meeting of the North American Society for the Study of Romanticism in Bologna, Italy, March 12-15. The conference brought together the North American and Italian Romanticism associations at the University of Bologna to explore issues of (trans)national identities and reimagined communities.

"In the past five years, we have filled the equivalent of 40 percent of the graves in the American cemetery at Omaha Beach. Some of our political leaders say they would be willing to have us fight on in Iraq 100 years … To what end?" wrote Maurice Isserman, James L. Ferguson Professor of History, in an opinion piece in the Observer-Dispatch on March 16.