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Hamilton seniors Zachary Hesse and David Gordon presented the findings of their Emerson Grant Research Project, "A Life Cycle Assessment Comparison of Biodiesel vs. Diesel Use at Hamilton College," to an audience of students, faculty and staff on Feb. 23. Hesse and Gordon, whose interest in the topic was sparked by a class in Industrial Ecology, used a technique called "life cycle assessment" to evaluate the environmental effects of using biodiesel at Hamilton as opposed to traditional petroleum diesel. Their presentation argued that biodiesel use is not only feasible at Hamilton, but that it would be cheaper and more environmentally friendly than petroleum diesel use. 

On Friday, Feb. 11, more than 100 members of the Hamilton community, from the student body, faculty, staff and administration, came together for the 2005 Adler Conference: "Building a Community of Respect." The annual Adler Conference is a place for the entire Hamilton community to come together for candid discussion on issues that affect everyone. The four major topics discussed at this year's Adler Conference were Respect for Property, Respect for Ideas, Respect for People, and Respect for the College.

Kathy Gaca, associate professor of classics at Vanderbilt University, delivered the Winslow Classics Lecture on Feb. 3 on the topic of "Eros and Fornication in Ancient Greek Society." Professor Gaca, author of The Making of Fornication: Eros, Ethics, and Political Reform in Greek Philosophy and Early Christianity, discussed the emergence of sexuality morality in the early Christian church under the apostle Paul and its relation to both Greek polytheism and philosophy.

Gloria Feldt, who has served as president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America for the past nine years, gave a lecture titled "Stop the War on Choice: How to Fight Forward for Reproductive Rights" at Hamilton on Feb. 2. The lecture, Feldt's first since stepping down as president of Planned Parenthood last week, outlined the mission of her organization and what she sees as the future path of the pro-choice movement. Feldt's lecture, sponsored by the Levitt Center, was the secondin a series on abortion issues.

Barbara J. Tewksbury, the William R. Kenan Professor of Geology, gave a geological perspective on the Dec. 26 Indian Ocean tsunami in a talk called "When The Seas Rise Up" on Jan. 24. Tewksbury explained the geological phenomena that causetsunami, the waves' behavior, and the historical context of the Indian Ocean event. Tewksbury will give a repeat of this lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. in the Chemistry Auditorium.

Ann Frechette, the Luce Junior Professor of Asian Studies in the Hamilton anthropology department, gave a lecture titled "Saving Chinese Girls: International Adoption, Charitable Assistance, and the Economics of China's Orphanages" as part of the Hamilton Asia Forum series on December 10. Frechette discussed how the Chinese international adoption process is viewed both inside and outside China, and how this transnational family creation is related to a Western narrative of "saving" Chinese children.

Herbert V. Frey, Ph.D., head of the Geodynamics Branch of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, spoke at Hamilton on Thursday, Dec. 2, giving a lecture titled "Mars: Less Than The Earth, More Than The Moon." Dr. Frey outlined what science knows about the geology of Mars in comparison to that of the Earth and the Moon. He also dicussed what we are learning from the current NASA exploration of Mars, including evidence about the possibilities of water and primitive life on the planet.

Herbert V. Frey, Ph.D., head of the Geodynamics Branch of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, will speak at Hamilton on Thursday, Dec. 2 at 4:30 p.m. in the Chapel. Dr. Frey's lecture is titled "Mars: Less Than The Earth, More Than The Moon." He will compare and contrast Mars, the Earth and the Moon, and discuss current and future research on Mars, including the possibility of manned exploration. The lecture is sponsored by the Emerson Literary Society.

Professor of English Margaret Thickstun presented a lecture titled "Moral Education in Paradise Lost" on Nov. 12 as part of the Faculty Lecture Series. Thickstun discussed what she has learned about Milton's poem from teaching it to college students. As she put it, the poem's characters all face some of the problems of adolescence, including newfound independence, peer pressure, sexual desire, pursuit of happiness and choice of life work.

In anticipation of President Bill Clinton's visit to Hamilton, the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center sponsored a panel discussion on the successes and failures of his administration on Nov. 8. Featuring economics professor Ann Owen, government professors Steve Orvis and David Rivera, and moderated by history professor Doug Ambrose, the panel talked about the Clinton administration's policies in the realms of economics, humanitarian intervention, and the reconstruction of Russia.