Faculty, Alumni, and Students in the News – September 2023

September’s news highlights ranged from coverage of the Wellin Museum to discussions of agricultural policies and coups d’état. Links are provided, but some may require subscriptions to access content. Please contact Vige Barrie if you cannot open a link or do not have a subscription.

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  “Members from Opposite Sides of the Political Aisle Find ‘Common Ground’ at Hamilton College” – WKTV (NBC affiliate, Utica), Sept. 5
  U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack ’72 and U.S. Representative (R-PA) G.T. Thompson, chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, engaged in a discussion moderated by Edvige Jean François ’90 and focused on agriculture policies.
• “Coups Are on the Rise. Why?” – The New York Times, Sept. 13
  Associate Professor of Government Erica De Bruin, author of How to Prevent Coups d’état discussed the recent process used to achieve government takeovers. “Seize power, hang onto it long enough to hold elections, use electoral manipulation and other resources of leadership to win them, and then relax as sanctions on your no-longer-coup-installed regime are lifted.”

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  “‘Rhona Bitner: Resound’ at the Wellin” – WAMC Northeast Public Radio, Sept. 15
  Wellin Museum Director Tracy Adler and Wellin exhibiting artist Rhona Bitner spoke with host Joe Donahue on the eve of this fall’s exhibition opening.
• “Elon Musk; Biden Indictment” – WCNY/PBS, Sept. 15
  Visiting Professor of History Ty Seidule discussed Elon Musk’s role and that of the U.S. government in providing information to the Ukrainians in the war with Russia. 
• “How colleges can address online harassment,” The Hill, Sept. 15
  In his latest co-authored essay, President David Wippman observed that, “traditional free speech rules are difficult to apply in a social media age.” He and co-author Cornell Professor of American Studies Glenn Altschuler discussed how “institutions of higher education need to do more to create a campus culture in which the free and open exchange of ideas is embraced, dissent is encouraged and disagreement is managed through reasoned argument rather than intimidation — whether online or in person.”

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  “A Complete Guide to the College Application Process,” U.S. News & World Report, Sept. 18
  Commenting on the admission essay, Associate Dean of Admission Niki Barron said that her most memorable ones focused on ordinary topics. “But they’re done in such a self-reflective way that it gives me so much insight into who a student is as a person and gives me such a sense of the student’s voice.”
• “7 Questions for Photographer Rhona Bitner on How Rock n’ Roll and Ballet Have Fueled Her Decades-Long Practice,” Artnet, Sept. 19
  In this interview, exhibiting Wellin Museum artist Rhona Bitner said, “It is my first solo museum survey show and brings together seven series featuring over 30 years of work. I have never seen it all installed together so it is particularly overwhelming and humbling.”

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  “What Are Friends For? No Seriously.” – “This American Life” via PRX, Public Radio Exchange, Sept. 24
  Gabe Mollica ’14 spoke about his one-person Off-Broadway show focused on a friendship during his years at Hamilton. In introducing the story, the host of the show said, “Gabe Mollica had something important he needed to discuss with his friend — stewed about it for eight years. But rather than go to that friend, he talked about it with everyone other than that one person.”
• “Ranking Majors Makes More Sense Than Ranking Colleges,” Forbes, Sept. 26
  In evaluating rankings, this article highlighted a Hamilton program. “Constructing rankings at the program level will be useful even for students who decide to pursue majors less lucrative than computer science or engineering. High schoolers interested in psychology might like to know that graduates of the psychology program at Hamilton College earn $73,000 four years after completion. Those who study the same subject at Missouri Baptist University earn just $24,000.”