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Your Vote Counts

In several days, millions of Americans will head to election booths to cast their ballots. For the vast majority of Hamilton’s student body, this will mark their first opportunity to vote in a presidential election. This moment comes during an unusually fraught election cycle, the results of which will vastly alter the trajectory of our nation. While voter ambivalence has always been a problem in America to a degree, the unusual and sensationalized nature of the 2016 election has left myriad members of the electorate particularly disillusioned. Some may even be tempted to forgo voting or boycott the principles on which democratic participation is based; others may simply forget.  More ...

Hamilton Community responds positively to need for change

Sexual violence is a problem plaguing college campuses across the country, and Hamilton is no exception. While the sexual assault epidemic has persisted for some time, the recent HSMB report generated palpable student outrage: flyers, student publications and a Student Assembly meeting featuring Title IX Coordinator Lisa Magnarelli. Those are only a few tangible examples of the community’s concern over not only the existence and frequency of sexual assault, but the administration’s use of a policy that uses demerit points as one form of discipline for sexual misconduct.  In the face of widespread feelings of injustice, distrust and anger, The Spectator would like to commend the continued dedication and support of community activists and allies in taking concrete steps towards reforming an imperfect system and fostering a campus culture that does not tolerate sexual misconduct.  More ...

One big weekend

Family, alumni, trustees, and even a presidential inauguration: last weekend was a festive one at Hamilton. It was a time for students to reconnect with their families, for the alumni to revisit their alma mater and for the entire campus community to welcome a new president.  It would be nearly impossible to acknowledge every event on the long schedule for the weekend, but we will nonetheless cite some of the highlights. The daytime activities included the debut of Hamilton’s new Alex Talks, a lecture series structured similarly to the renowned “TED Talks” series, that will highlight Hamilton professors’ personal research passions and give the community an opportunity to learn more about what our favorite faculty members have been up to outside of the classroom. This weekend’s talks covered subjects ranging from the U.S.-Mexico relations to spiritual quests to the silver screen.  More ...

On the HSMB Report

This week, the Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Board (HSMB) released its annual report for 2015-16. The report, unfortunately, left the Hamilton community with questions and frustrations, rather than answers, best exemplified by the signs that now hang from the bridge over Martin’s Way. The following editorial addresses the issue as the majority of The Spectator staff views it, with the understanding that constrained space necessitates an abbreviated response.  First, there must be better definitions of the penalties for sexual assault and misconduct, and more transparent enforcement. Part of the reason the Hamilton community is uneasy with the results released in the recent HSMB report is due to the fact that definitions of violations feel really fuzzy. It seems challenging to justify giving a student guilty of “sexual harassment” six points while another found guilty of “non-consensual sexual contact” was given only two. While we understand that these decisions are made on a private and case-to-case basis, we are nonetheless concerned by the apparent inconsistency in the HSMB’s verdicts.  More ...

Remembering Savanna Crane

The Spectator wishes to express its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Savanna Crane. It was not possible to fre- quent the Diner without getting to know Savanna, or as many of us knew her, Sav.  Sav always had a smile on her face. On weekend nights, you could expect to find her dancing to the beat of the jukebox, inspiring positivity and happiness in everyone around her. She was an integral part of the Hamilton community. We have lost someone whose contributions to our everyday lives made this place special. Her wonderful attitude and genuine spirit will be dearly missed. May you rest in peace, Savanna. More ...

Out-of-the-box learning shouldn’t fall short on publicity

Two weeks ago, Hamilton hosted the The Richard Rorty Society’s inaugural meet­ing, a conference celebrating the life and works of the contemporary American philosopher. The event lasted for three days and gathered guests from the United States and 10 other countries. The final keynote speech was given by the distin­guished philosopher and activist, Cornel West. Last weekend, Hamilton hosted the NY6 Research Conference, an event that gathers students from six different liberal arts colleges in upstate New York. The event allowed the students to showcase their research work in a formal setting. The conference featured 163 student participants presenting their work in various academic fields. More ...

Club Funding: Kudos and Propositions

Last Monday, Student Assembly approved the strategic budget for student organizations for Fall 2016. The approved budget was the result of many hours of labor by the funding committee and the many organizations that submitted proposals. The end result was the allocation of $103,337 in funding to 47 different student organizations.  The current funding process is novel to the Hamilton campus - one that only dates back less than three years ago. The previous process, or lack thereof, created chaos amongst Hamilton clubs and organizations because it was on a first-come, first-served basis. Student organizations would rush to apply for funding and Student Assembly often exhausted its budget within a week of the semester. Unlucky clubs then had to rely on rollbacks to fund their events. The reform of the budget process was an effort taken by proactive and thoughtful members of Student Assembly. That reform radically rehabilitated a dysfunctional system. It also contributed to improving the quality of activities on campus while providing a sense of equity between the different organizations.  More ...

Shape Thy Spectator

The Spectator would like to reaffirm one of our core values: as Hamilton’s newspaper, we aspire to provide a platform of expression for every member of our community. Not only do we welcome contrasting perspectives, but we also encourage these contributions, as they showcase the diversity of our community and elevate the tone of debate and discussion. We view this diversity as a vital aspect of a college that prides itself on values such as critical thinking and self-discovery.  We as a news source strive to contain an ever-changing scope of perspectives, opinions and worldviews. What brings us together is our enthusiasm for what we do and our desire to accurately represent our community. Accordingly, we would like to take the opportunity to invite—and encourage—our readership and community members to contribute to the making of The Spectator. We welcome your comments, insights, letters and articles. Every page in this paper could benefit enormously from your inputs.  More ...

Broadening perspectives

Sometimes all you see is bad news. From Dhaka to Orlando, terror attacks shocked cities around the world this past summer. The election season is closer than ever to resembling a poorly produced soap opera. Racial tensions continue to rise all over the country. The European project is crumbling under the weight of populism. These are only a few snippets from a long list of mostly discouraging headlines. More ...

Why no full-time M.D.?

Many students have been unhappy with the Health Center for some time. While we’ve heard some shocking tales, this week’s article represents the first attempt to corroborate rumors and share individuals’ stories. The Spectator did not reach out to the student population with the intent of publishing sensationalized content, nor do we believe that we are exposing anything unheard-of about the Health Center. Instead, we are confirming and making public the facts of an urgent situation that has been allowed to continue for too long. More ...

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