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Hamilton College Trustee Barrett Seaman '67 presented a lecture and panel discussion on his new book, Binge: What Your College Student Won't Tell You, in the College Chapel on October 24. The book examines "Campus Life in an Age of Disconnection and Excess," as its subtitle suggests. Seaman, in his talk, discussed these elements as they embody the ways in which college life has changed since the 1960s.

As the basis for his book, Seaman spent two years living at and studying 12 colleges around the country, which are diverse in terms of size and geographical location and which represent both public and private institutions. Among them are Hamilton, Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, and the University of Virginia. At these schools, Seaman noted various embodiments of disconnections and excess that mark today's university environment more negatively than its counterpart 50 years ago.

Citing a disconnect of communication, Seaman suggested that, despite rapid advancements in communications technology which would ideally improve communication, students today exhibit relatively poor interpersonal skills. "I was struck," he said, "by the inability . . . of students, for example, to resolve disputes" on a person-to-person basis. Students now use email and Instant Messenger to interact, and walk around campus or sit in their dorm rooms with headphones on, listening to music.

Similarly, he said, campus life faces a disconnect of diversity. While campus diversity has increased in past years, and while most students desire a diverse campus, different groups of students isolate themselves and seek out friends of similar ethnicities or backgrounds. Seaman maintained that colleges and universities institutionalize this isolation as they initiate specialized housing options or separate Deans for various student populations.

Another disconnect that Seaman noted in his experience is that between students and faculty. He stated that, of teaching, scholarship, and service, scholarship has become most professors' priority to the point that many are strongly averse to teaching classes on Fridays. Faculty and students, he said, know little of one another outside of the classroom.

Seaman also said that today's students are the product of a "society of specialists." They are brought up leading structured, compartmentalized lives, and are taught to think of themselves as "packages" of factors such as test scores, athletic ability, and leadership qualities. This mentality, Seaman said, causes students to compare themselves to other "packages," resulting in anxiety.

This anxiety, to Seaman, is one element that embodies our "culture of excess." Students today experience increased anxiety and stress, and this excess often leads to another: that of alcohol use and abuse. Drinking, Seaman suggested, is a way in which students self-medicate; they use alcohol as a reward system to deal with the anxieties of schoolwork and other pressures. The increase of the drinking age from 18 to 21, he noted, has significantly changed the drinking culture on college campuses. Instead of drinking responsibly, many students abuse alcohol or view it as a tempting and seductive "forbidden fruit."


Seaman's lecture was followed by remarks from Professor of English Margaret Thickstun and Dean of Students Nancy Thompson. Following these replies, the Panel responded to questions and comments from the audience. Professor of Anthropology Bonnie Urciuoli moderated the discussion, which was sponsored by the Office of the President. Barrett Seaman earned his B.A. from Hamilton in 1967, his M.B.A. from Columbia in 1971, and enjoyed a 30 year career at Time Magazine before retiring in 2001. He has served as a Trustee of Hamilton College since 1989.

-- by Sarah Lozo '06

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