Holi, an Indian festival of colors, was celebrated for the first time at Hamilton on May 4.  It marks the beginning of spring, commemorates various Hindu traditions and is time of disregarding social norms and indulging in general fun with family and friends. The throwing of colored powder transcends all barriers of discrimination so that everyone looks the same and universal unity is reaffirmed.

In a country as vast and multicultural as the United States, it’s difficult to pin down what exactly constitutes an American identity. Do self-indentifying “Americans” have specific traits that they all hold in common, and if not, what unites them under the red, white and blue flag? A panel of Hamilton community members discussed this complex question during the panel  “What Does It Mean to Be American?” presented by La Vanguardia.

Members of the Philanthropy Committee (HamGive) took part in the Intergenerational Spring Clean Up sponsored by Oneida County on April 20. 
Committee members who took part included Brian Sobotko ’16, Kevin Welsh ’15, Ryan Ong ’16, Suzanne Jacobson ’15, Zoe Lynch ’15, and Jose Vazquez ’15. They cleaned the yard of a homeowner in Clinton.

Five members of Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology, volunteered at the Walk for Autism fundraiser in Oneida on April 20. April is Autism Awareness Month and the walk was held to benefit The Kelberman Center in Utica, a regional center for excellence for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  The center was founded by Michael Kelberman ’80. Heather Wixson, associate director of the Career Center, was co-chair of the walk this year.

During spring break five Hamilton students summited Mt. Washington, New England’s highest peak, as the culmination of a week-long introduction to mountaineering course. Hamilton’s Outing Club (HOC) sponsored the six-day course taught by HOC officer David Morgan ’15. The Mt. Washington ascent came after 4 days snowshoeing deep in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Students came back from spring break to some good news concerning sustainability on the Hill. Hamilton was the winner of the three-week NY Negawatt/CCN Competition Challenge among New York Six Liberal Arts Consortium peer schools.  The student body, led by Hamilton Environmental Action Group (HEAG) reduced electricity consumption across all Hamilton residence halls by 5.8%, which equates to 27,909 kilowatt hours or approximately $2,500.

Hamilton’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) group in Virginia helped build a Habitat for Humanity house during the first week of spring break, March 16-23. The Hamilton students worked with Hanover Habitat for Humanity in Mechanicsville, where they helped build a house for a family in need.

While many of their counterparts hit beaches and ski slopes 102 Hamilton students are spending a week of their spring break volunteering at one of 10 nonprofit organizations for Alternative Spring Break (ASB), March 16-31.

After a busy fall semester that included a massive voter registration drive and watch parties for the presidential debates and election night, the College Democrats and College Republicans have shifted their focus this semester to achieving their common goal of increasing political engagement on campus. This week, they hosted a debate that pitted two teams against each other on a controversial subject in a forum that made room for audience participation.

Maggie Bertram, Active Minds speaker and former anorexia nervosa patient, came to the Hill on Feb. 26 to share an intimate and eye-opening story of her diagnosis and subsequent battle with eating disorders. Her presentation was one of the events sponsored by the college as part of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAW).