Public Statements

New Semester, Ongoing Challenges

January 21, 2021

Dear Members of the Hamilton Community,

Welcome back, and a special welcome to the first-year and transfer students who are joining us for the first time.

We begin the second half of Hamilton’s 209th academic year at one of the most consequential moments in decades. The challenges here and around the globe are enormous: a pandemic that has killed more than 2 million people worldwide; a new U.S. administration taking office in the face of a dangerously divided populace; urgent calls to end systemic racism; an economic crisis and a growing wealth gap exacerbated by the effects of the coronavirus; and increasing concern about climate change.

In this environment, it would be easy to overlook the importance of the work we do together. But education is not simply a means for self-improvement; it is also, as Nelson Mandela put it, “the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” What we do here helps shape the world we inhabit, the society we seek to create, and the people we want to become.

We have already demonstrated our ability – individually and collectively – to be flexible and resilient; we will need that strength even more this semester. COVID-19 case numbers are far higher, both nationally and locally, than they were this fall, and more transmissible variants of the virus are starting to spread. Colleges that brought students back to campus earlier this month are seeing many more positive cases than they did when students returned in August. We should expect to encounter similar results, so it is vitally important that we adhere closely – especially in the first few weeks – to the pandemic protocols we have instituted to protect ourselves and each other. With this in mind, Hamilton will begin Modified operating status (yellow alert level) on Jan. 25, with the goal of quickly re-establishing the Hamilton bubble and then relaxing our restrictions.

Thank you for the perseverance and resilience you have already demonstrated. We were successful in the fall, and working together, we can have a productive and successful semester this spring. Please travel safely as you make your way to campus and best wishes for a healthy, safe, and rewarding semester.

David