News
In remembrance of the lives of Hamilton community members
By Emily Eisler '17 & Madeleine Maher ’18
January 26, 2017
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With profound sadness, Hamilton College mourns the recent loss of two beloved members of our community: Graham Burton ’19 and Svitlana Gura ’16. Both students left their marks on the Hamilton community in distinct and numerous ways. In their academic, creative, and social pursuits, they embodied the creative spirit, intellectual curiosity and engaged citizenship that Hamilton seeks to nourish within its students.
Remembering Graham Burton ’19
In the final days of the fall semester, President David Wippman informed the Hamilton community that sophomore Graham Burton passed away in his residence hall on Dec.14. In the wake of such tragedy, Wippman held a gathering in the Chapel in order to bring together the grief-stricken community during this time of loss.
A Toronto native known for his quick whit and vivacious humor, Graham came to Hamilton in the fall of 2015 to pursue his passion for the arts and his love of the outdoors. During his time on campus, he became deeply involved in student-directed theater and performed in this fall’s “Director’s Showcase.” His gifts of performance performance did not end there. Gerard Pozzi ’18, Graham’s brother in the fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon, recounted Graham’s creative talent and humor. “I remember Graham reciting an oral tale at an open mic night, and I will never forget the laughter and smiles he sparked in everyone.”
When he was not studying philosophy, playing guitar, or reviewing scripts, Graham served as the treasurer for “Vibes, Written and Spoken,” a student run organization at Hamilton that brings poets, musicians and artists together once a week for a chance to write, bond, perform and “vibe.”
Remembering Svitlana Gura ’16
On January 13, Dean Nancy Thompson informed the Hamilton community of recent graduate Svitlana Gura’s passing.
Originally from Ellicott City, Maryland, Svitlana came to Hamilton in the fall of 2012 and graduated in 2016 with a major in government and a minor in creative writing. Professor Benjamin Widiss, who taught Lana in several classes, recounts that she was “a singular presence in the classroom, often communicating volumes without opening her mouth—all kinds of thinking legible in her face and her posture and the intense energy of attention she radiated. When she did speak, it was with extraordinary precision and verve, with a winning balance of passion and humor, and with a wonderfully wide range of reference—always commanding attention and usually changing the debate. I loved her comments, and I think her classmates did too.”
During her time on the Hill, she served as a poetry editor for Red Weather, the on-campus literary magazine. Her other extra curricular interests included Hamilton’s Model UN Club and the Adirondack Adventure Program. In addition to her studies and her extracurricular activities, Lana also excelled during her tenure as a COOP Service intern. She worked with “For The Good Inc.” a not-for- profit organization that provides low-income Utica families and neighborhoods with programs and opportunities to overcome poverty through their own means. As a passionate volunteer, Lana helped establish and expand the “Study Buddy” program on Hamilton’s campus. She also contributed to For The Good Inc.’s publication The Utica Phoenix. After graduating from Hamilton, Lana continued to pursue her interest in journalism and became a copy editor for the Observer-Dispatch newspaper in Utica.
The Hamilton Community is deeply saddened by the loss of these individuals, and they will both be deeply missed.
Remembering Professor Tom Phelan
On the morning of January 17, Lecturer in Communication Tom Phelan passed away from a heart attack in his home. His wife, Professor Catherine Phelan, is also the Chair and a professor in the Communication Department. Appointed to the Hamilton College Faculty in 2015, Professor Phelan was admired and highly regarded by his students in the courses he taught covering crisis communications and public information and outreach. “It’s honestly difficult to put into words how amazing he was,” remarked Jessica Halladay ’18, “I always looked forward to his classes and the joy he brought into the lives of everyone in the room.”
Professor Phelan also worked as an evaluator for Hamilton’s annual drills conducted by the Hamilton Emergency Response Team and feedback has been used over the years to greatly improve the school’s emergency response policies. He also recently partnered with nearby Utica College in order to help them develop their own crisis management team.
After receiving his Bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz, he went on to receive a master’s degree from SUNY Albany, a Ph.D. from Syracuse University, as well as a professional certificate in education from Harvard University. He also was the author of Emergency Management and Tactical Response Operations: Bridging the Gap as well as several academic articles on higher education and disaster response. Recently, he had focused his research on the gap between literacy levels of critical emergency management messages and the literacy levels of their intended audience as well as digital and virtual group processes.
Professor Tom Phelan will be remembered by the Hamilton Community for his commitment to his students, his love of teaching, and his dedication to helping others. The Spectator would like to extend their thoughts and prayers to Catherine Phelan and her family during this difficult time.