To the Editor: I wish to personally acknowledge Lana Gura in these pages not only because she was a classmate, a friend, a one-time Spec copy editor, and a fellow young journalist. Lana was also a hidden fixture of my tenure as editor in-chief of this newspaper. More ...
As the Fall 2016 semester draws to a close, it’s time to reflect upon our experiences of this past semester. The Spectator has engaged with a variety of important conversations on campus. As we approach the end of 2016 and begin to look forward to next year, we want to take a moment to review the issues that have emerged over this semester and set some tasks for our newspaper and our campus to take up again in the coming semester. More ...
To the editor: The 2016 presidential election was marred by verbal abuse and misrepresentation, by the use of language to obfuscate, injure, and divide. That campaign rhetoric has already begun to spur actions that further weaken social bonds, violate individual rights, and threaten lives. The members of the Literature and Creative Writing Department at Hamilton College renew their commitment to language as a means of creating understanding across differences and of improving the world. As individual citizens and as teachers, we dedicate ourselves to supporting those of our students and colleagues who are most immediately affected by the current political climate, and to resisting the coarsening of both language and political life. Finally, as members of the broader Hamilton community, we support efforts to make Hamilton a sanctuary for undocumented students. More ...
Tuesday’s Our Power rally provided community members with an outlet to express disapproval and anger with the values President- elect Donald Trump represents, as well as solidarity with marginal- ized communities. This rally represented Hamilton’s participation in a nationwide demonstration that included at least 27 other colleges and universities throughout the United States. It was met with en- thusiasm and support by members of the Hamilton College, Utica College and Colgate University communities, accompanied by local residents who joined in the march as well. Still, while protests are vitally important in demonstrating discomfort, anger and support, they are inconsequential without further concrete action. Protests are not social events; they are intended to be a stepping stone for further political and social action. Within our community, we must not fail to take subsequent steps. More ...
Senator Berzelius Windrip, a power-hungry and narcissistic demagogue, wins the U.S. presidential elections after vowing to restore the country’s long-lost greatness. Agitating fear and prejudices, Senator Windrip ran a populist platform describing himself as a champion of the eroding American values. Once in power, president Windrip cracks down on dissent, jails his political enemies and consolidates his authoritarian rule. The previous synopsis comes from Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 satirical novel It Can’t Happen Here. Lewis warns in his novel that no free society is immuned from the spectre of authoritarianism. More ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...