The Spectator - Opinion - Hamilton College

Opinion

Rethinking freedom, inclusion, diversity and merit

December 3, 2015

The recent events and protests at Hamilton are not isolated incidents; they follow a trend that has swept the nation and especially college campuses. Inequality and injustice stemming from racial and social differences are the motive behind these students’ actions. Nevertheless, in pursuit of a more egalitarian and inclusive campus culture, some argue these actions undermine free speech and academic freedom, including the recruitment of faculty based solely on merit. There are numerous articles in print and web media that discuss this phenomenon, but it seems the conversation is anchored by an implicit trade-off between civil liberties and inclusion, and a compromise between pure meritocratic values and equality of opportunity. More ...

Student Assembly responds to The Movement

December 3, 2015

Among the long list of outrageous, and borderline inappropriate, demands released by The Movement on Tuesday are two demands regarding Student Assembly. IV. We, the Students of Hamilton College, demand the endowment of all cultural organizations. We demand an increase in the budget of the Rainbow Alliance, Black Latino Student Union, Womyn’s Center, Caribbean Student Association, and all other cultural organizations to match that of athletic teams. Funding these Mecca’s of culture that exist within these ivory towers through Student Assembly insults their importance and vital value to our campus. VIII. We, the Students of Hamilton College, demand, that the College allocates certain Student Assembly seats for marginalized and underrepresented groups. More ...

An open letter to The Movement

December 3, 2015

Nothing is as powerful as a person who is armed with nothing but the virtue of their ideas. If members of The Movement truly believe in their own cause, I do not see the reason why they need to address their demands under the name of all student. As a minority, low-income, first-generation Hamilton student, I give you no permission to speak on my behalf. I could very well speak for myself and I do not feel threatened doing so. Allow me to imitate your style: We, the students of Hamilton College, demand that The Movement only speaks for itself. More ...

The reality of refugees in America

December 3, 2015

The Nov. 13 shootings in Paris were horrific, orchestrated terrorist attacks which have had implications for the entire world. This atrocity was committed by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The identified assailants were a mixture of Middle-Eastern and European ethnicity. However, it appears that these men’s hatred was largely grown in their European homes of France and Belgium. France specifically is a uniquely secular country — meaning it is not conducive to religious peoples. This unique secularity has contributed to the creation of a largely disillusioned Muslim population in France. Muslim agitation, as well as the open border policy made France vulnerable to this attack. However, the U.S.A. has a largely integrated Muslim community, as well as a closed border, thereby making us far less likely to be victim to an ISIS attack. More ...

Speak Out makes strides against stigmas

November 13, 2015

As students who have struggled with mental illness throughout our lives, we have deeply felt the impacts of our struggles on our academic and social life here at Hamilton. Though we are aware that one in four people will struggle with mental illness at some point in their lives, we still feel incredibly isolated in our fights because talking about personal experiences and vulnerabilities is rare, especially in a high pressure, performance-focused collegiate environment. Furthermore, we found ourselves disappointed with the campus Counseling Center for their limited appointment hours and staff availability. Recently, one of these authors suffered through a particularly low point in her depression and sought the help of the Counseling Center, only to be deferred for two weeks. In a serious case, this extended wait could be the difference between life and death. We are lucky it has not come to that. More ...

Divestment challenges climate change by involving institutions

November 6, 2015

On September 21, the College hosted a panel discussion focused on the question: “Should colleges and universities Divest from Fossil Fuels?” Hamilton Divests believes the arguments against divestment, made by panelists Rachelle Peterson and Rafael Castilla, were flawed and unsatisfactory, especially when compared with the strength of the pro-divestment arguments made by Victoria Fernandez and Katelyn Kriesel. More ...

Neil deGrasse Tyson a good pick as speaker

November 6, 2015

In case you, or anyone in the area, was concerned after hearing the collective squeal coming from the Hamilton campus last week, fear not. The students were merely reacting to the announcement of Neil deGrasse Tyson as the next Sacerdote Great Names Speaker. Tyson needs no introduction. In terms of name recognition among contemporary scientists, he is only rivaled by Stephen Hawking and Bill Nye. More ...

Letter to the Editor: A defense of scientific writing

November 6, 2015

On Monday evening, Henry Allen ’63 delivered an entertaining lecture on the trajectory of his career, the bygone era of “good writing,” as well as the realities facing the field of journalism. While I enjoyed his speech, I feel the need to disagree heartily with a point he made about scientific writing. Mr. Allen criticized the guidelines Hamilton adopted in 2008 for what courses could qualify as “writing intensive.” As a school that prides itself on written communication, I agree that the minimum of four writing assignments falls short of teaching the rigor of the writing process. More ...

Rubio will clinch GOP candidacy but Clinton will win the White House

October 29, 2015

The 2016 election has been on the minds of Republicans ever since President Barack Obama’s commanding defeat of Mitt Romney in 2012. Obama has defeated the Republicans in back-to-back elections and many believe that Hillary Clinton will continue this trend of Democratic domination. At one point, the Democratic and Republican fields consisted of five and eighteen candidates respectively. While the Democratic nomination is largely a two-horse race between seasoned politicians Clinton and Bernie Sanders, the Republican field is led by political outsiders, such as Donald Trump and Ben Carson. The 2016 GOP race has already proven to be wildly unpredictable. This unpredictability will keep many fledgling candidates in the race, and I believe that one candidate will be able to capitalize on the uniqueness of this election: Marco Rubio. More ...

The Egyptian experience of Syrian refugees

October 29, 2015

Within academic realms such as Hamilton, arguments that rely solely on emotional appeal are often dismissed. However, the line between emotional and intellectual appeals fades away when we encounter horrific humanitarian crises such as the current plight of refugees around the world. Last week, I introduced the subject from an emotional standpoint and argued that our apathy toward the crisis makes us responsible for the consequences. This week, I will introduce what is regarded as a more realistic approach to the issue: a personal testimony of the situation of Syrian refugees in Egypt. More ...