Hamilton College Admission Journals: Troy Smith

End of the year

Sat, 20 May 2006 20:06:10 GMT

So it's the end of the school year and people have been leaving campus for quite some time now. After seeing Professor Kelly in Commons one day, I decided I needed to visit CJ. So I walked through the halls of CJ and things were a little different. Over this past year, I have become very familiar with the hallways of CJ during the afternoon and it definitely felt like something was missing. Of course there were the familiar faces like Ruth, Nitsa, and Dana, but something was missing, and it was most of the students. It was weird not seeing all of the students I am accustomed to seeing gathered around in the hallways after classes, but that is done for the year.

The semester is over now, so I will not be seeing much of CJ. I must admit that I will definitely miss it, and the large crowds of students who frequently gathered in the halls on Monday afternoons. This was a very eventful year, and I am grateful to have experienced it. For the summer, I plan to go back home to the humid summers of New York City. It will likely be another very hot summer back home, but you get used to it after a while. Clinton and New York City are very different, but each location has its advantages and I am heading home. I wouldn't be surprised if I bumped into someone from Hamilton while walking down the streets of New York one day. We'll see. Anyways, have a fun summer.

Troy

Tom Brokaw was here last week

Wed, 03 May 2006 03:03:14 GMT

This past Thursday, Tom Brokaw was on campus giving a lecture as part of the Sacerdote Great Names lecture series, which brings up a big time speaker every year. Over the past two years, I have seen both Bill Cosby and Bill Clinton speak, and this year it was Brokaw. Prior to the lecture he met with many students, and some people were also able to take photos with him after he spoke. I had a close seat for Bill Clinton last year, but this year I wasn't so close, although it did not matter since he was being shown on a large screen. During his speech, Brokaw showed that he had both humorous and serious sides as he addressed a broad range of issues. All in all, the event went extremely well and I left satisfied and happy I attended.

On the day after the Tom Brokaw lecture, I was really surprised when someone told me I had been quoted on the front page of the Observer-Dispatch, a local newspaper. I was pretty excited because I believe that was the first time I had ever been quoted in a newspaper. I spoke to a reporter at the event and I told her what I thought about Tom Brokaw, and the next day, it was in the paper. So not only did I get to hear a famous broadcaster speak, I got quoted in a newspaper article about the lecture.

Troy

This past weekend...Earth Day and the opening of the Underground Cafe.

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 22:45:43 GMT

On this past Saturday, there was an Earth Day on campus. Unfortunately, due to rain, Earth Day had to be held indoors, but from what I hear it was still very fun. Among the bands performing at the event, was my favorite on campus band, Zeaskeez. Comprised of five members, each with a catchy playing style, Zeaskeez has been getting a ton of gigs lately. It's nice to see an on campus band getting the type of exposure they have received thus far.

Not to be outdone, the Underground Cafe has also had its grand opening this past weekend. The Underground Cafe is the product of Hamilton students, and a number of other groups of individuals in the Utica area. It provides a location where kids from the Utica area can go to relax and have fun after school. Throughout the semester, workshops will be held and the kids can interact with one another and just have fun. I have yet to visit the Underground Cafe, but from the sound of things, I should visit soon.

These two recent events are just a small portion of the activities arranged by Hamilton students that take place on any given weekend. Both the Underground Cafe and Earth Day serve to better the Hamilton community, and surrounding communities in some way. The participation, support, and enthusiasm of the students show just how important these events are to the Hamilton community.

Troy

An eventful start to the week

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 20:18:34 GMT

Okay, so I went to see Mira Nair talk on Sunday and KJ Aud was pretty packed for her lecture. She initially spoke about her upbringing and how she first got into film, and then spoke a little about various film making experiences. Her lecture lasted about 45 minutes, and was followed by a question and answer session. Although I did not ask any questions, many others did and the audience was very active. Before the lecture, I found out that she would be having a similar type question and answer session the following day, in Cafe Opus. Unfortunately, I did not make it to this second session, but I am sure it was just as interesting. As I said in my last post, this was my first time seeing a Hollywood director speak, and I hope I can have the opportunity to do so again. For me, it's always nice to hear artists reflect on their work and explain it to those who are willing to listen.

Then Monday arrived and I found myself in KJ Aud once again, but this time I was doing the talking. A few other students and I spoke with a large group of accepted students and their parents about our respective experiences at Hamilton. Once again, KJ Aud was nearly filled to capacity and the students and parents were very interested, and asked a lot of good questions. Questions ranged from topics about social life at Hamilton to the wintertime weather up on the hill. Fortunately for us students on the panel, the parents and students seemed satisfied with our answers and I was happy we could answer all of their questions. After all of the tours and events they have attended, I am sure the accepted students left with a good idea of what life at Hamilton is like.

Troy

Hollywood director on campus

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 20:17:29 GMT

In my last journal entry, I told everyone how much I love to watch movies and all of that good stuff. Well, I recently found out that director Mira Nair is coming to speak at Hamilton this weekend. Although I have never seen any of her movies, I have heard good things about them and I am sure her lecture will be entertaining. I have been really interested in movies for quite some time, but I have never been to see any Hollywood director speak about a movie. This event presents the perfect opportunity for me to do so. Since some of her movies will be showing during the next few days, I will probably try to go see at least one of them. So if I am able to attend the lecture, I will have some idea of what she is talking about.

With that said, the lecture is this Sunday night and I will try to attend. In the meantime, I hope I will be able to watch some of Mira Nair's movies. If I do attend the lecture, I will try to write a journal entry describing the experience. Until next time...

Troy