November 3, 2011
Athletic Director Jon Hind ’80 responds to racial slurs
Jon Hind ’80, Hamilton College’s athletic director, spoke at the Oct.31 Student Assembly meeting about a disturbing event that occurred at the Hamilton men’s soccer game against Tufts on Oct. 22. He prefaced his talk by explaining that he feels it is extremely important to discuss how we treat visitors when they are on campus. Hamilton is lucky to have an active student body that supports athletic teams to a far greater extent than many of our peer institutions; however, the school is also developing a reputation as a school that is disrespectful to visiting opponents.
Hamilton students were overheard making comments to Tufts players of Japanese and Hispanic descent. Comments to the Japanese player made references to Pearl Harbor, including, “We still remember Pearl Harbor. We tried to get rid of you then, but a few of you slipped through the cracks and we’ll get you today.” Students called the Hispanic player a “f***ing spic” and said he must have “stolen his shoes because he doesn’t have enough money to buy his own.” These comments were overheard by prospective students who voiced serious concerns to the Admissions Office.
Hind reached out to Student Assembly to explain the extremely negative impact these occurrences have on Hamilton’s reputation. Student Assembly passed a resolution apologizing for the actions and hopes to make the resolution available for the student body to sign.
Karen Leach discusses College finances
Karen Leach, vice president of administration and finance, also attended the meeting to explain how Hamilton’s endowment works and answer any questions students had. She stated her belief that transparency about finances is extremely important, and she is available to answer any sort of question about how Hamilton spends its money. She explained that 65 percent of Hamilton’s budget comes from tuition, room and board, while the other 35 percent comes from places including the endowment and annual fund. In spending, 51 percent of our operating budget is spent on salaries and benefits, and an additional 18 percent funds department operations.
A student raised a question about Hamilton’s student population, which the college has been trying to bring down to 1,812 students. They are on track to be around this number next year. However, there is currently a proposal in the works to slowly raise our population by about eight students per year for five years. Hamilton would require a new dorm to house more students and is considering renovating Minor Theater into a dorm after the completion of the new arts building.