Writings & Remarks

First week on campus, Reflections

July 15, 2024

Tags Public Statements

Dear Hamilton Community,

Thank you for the warm welcome last week, my first week on campus. Your disposition matched the weather (warm) – which I hope will not be the case in January.

I was so thrilled to be here on my first day that I walked to the office, climbing College HiIl Road. On day two, and every day since, I drove up the hill. I’m impressed with those who make the trek up to campus every day.

I have met so many of you this past week – at the community lunch, at Dean Card's picnic at Babbitt Pavilion, at the Opportunity Program lunch, on the tennis courts (my favorite place to be) and in science labs.

One highlight was a tour of reforested and pollinator-friendly fields with our sustainability interns: Marcela, Austin, and Shey. The commitment to sustainability on this campus is inspiring. I learned that Hamilton has the third most significant reforestation initiative in the state of New York.

I am also super-impressed by the level of research and exploration taking place this summer – students are examining the leaching of chemicals from rat poison; the conversion of CO2 into storable energy; poverty alleviation and COVID relief in the region; gender differences in persistence among pre-med students; and creating and evaluating synthetic cells. Sara Conti, a rising sophomore, explained about working with synthetic cells: "We're not trying to recreate life, but rather exploring how complex of a system is necessary to behave like life." Here in Clinton we are working on leading edge scientific, social, and creative research – at the highest level of sophistication, intelligence, and rigor. This is the promise of the liberal arts – where we find the space, the collaborators, and the encouragement to investigate and advance original ideas.

I also met with faculty members who shared their work examining the attitudes and values of farmers around sustainable energy (both here in Upstate New York and across the globe in Sweden). I learned about the Justice Lab and its efforts to work with community organizations and the city of Utica to improve education and wellbeing. And I learned about Stephen Ellingson’s work exploring the local farm-to-table movement; and from Maurice Isserman, I learned about the history of mountaineering and the incredible class on the topic that takes students to hike to the base camp of the Annapurna Mountain in Nepal. And Heather Buchman from music shared with me the history of the open curriculum and her passion for Hamilton's unique approach to the liberal arts.

I also met many of those who are working behind the scenes – taking care of our grounds, buildings, and mechanical systems – painters, carpenters, custodians, engineers, safety officers. The care that everyone puts into this place – every detail – is remarkable, creating the environment that inspires the research, learning, and ideas that animate life on the hill.

In reflecting on the students I met, I shared this with the Board of Trustees: Hamilton students are comfortable in their own skin. Many are here because of the open curriculum. They are explorers at heart who want to choose their path and not have someone choose it for them. They came across to me as generous, kind, and caring. There was very little social performance – relationships are authentic and real. As one student said, “We are not performing ourselves; we are being ourselves.” Together, they comprise a community of people who are open to learning and seem to approach that learning with humility and confidence.

Please continue to introduce yourself and share something that you learned when you first arrived at Hamilton. Will Rogers reportedly said, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." While I disagree (every encounter is a chance to make another first impression), I will admit that my first week's impression of Hamilton could not be better.

Onward,

Steven