All News

Cheng Li, the William R. Kenan Professor of Government, was featured in a Reuters article "China's Hu eyes promotions at Communist meeting." "It has become clear to the new Chinese leaders that, unless policies are changed, the country will be on the verge of social revolution led by vulnerable groups such as farmers, migrant workers and the urban unemployed," said Li.  "That is the main reason the Hu administration has called for the establishment of a more 'harmonious society'," Li added, referring to Hu's attempt to address the inequities that have built up in China.

A summer internship with the United Nations World Health Organization Liaison Office in Washington, D.C., was exactly what Hamilton College senior Wangechi Thuo was seeking. But the internship was unpaid, and Thuo, a world politics major from Nairobi, Kenya, thought she would have to choose between making money during the summer to offset her college expenses or pursuing a “dream” internship.

The fourth annual Clinton Community Fall Fest will take place on Sunday, October 9 on the Village Green from 12-4 p.m. Fall Fest is free and open to the public. The annual event seeks to unite the Hamilton and Clinton communities for an afternoon of food, fun, and entertainment. Fall Fest is a family event. It includes a diverse array of games and activities for children, as well as live music by Hamilton's musical groups and performances by a variety of dance groups. Food and fall favorites like cider and pumpkin pie will also be provided. Fall Fest '05 is hosted by the Class of 2008. For further information contact Katie Childs at kchilds@hamilton.edu.

Library Information Services Director Ken Herold has been named to the editorial board for the refereed electronic journal Library Philosophy and Practice. The journal publishes articles that demonstrate the connection between library practice and the philosophy and theory which are behind it.

Assistant Professor of Economics Stephen Wu published a paper titled "Fatalistic Tendencies: An Explanation of Why People Don't Save" in Contributions to Economic Analysis & Policy: Vol. 4: No. 1, Article 11. This paper offers a new explanation contributing to the low rates of household savings. Wu found that people who exhibit fatalistic beliefs do not believe that their current actions will affect their future outcomes and thus save less than an optimal amount. He used data from the 2001 Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) and the 2000 World Values Survey (WVS) to analyze the role of fatalism in determining household savings behavior. SCF respondents who felt that luck has played an important role in their financial affairs were more likely to realize their need to save, but are less likely to actually do so. Cross-country evidence from the WVS showed that those who believe they have little freedom and control over their lives are also less likely to save. The results hold after controlling for a number of demographic and behavioral factors, and are consistent across income and wealth levels.

Paul Cartledge, a professor of Greek History at Cambridge University, presented the Winslow lecture titled “Reuniting the Parthenon Marbles?” in the College Chapel on October 4. In his talk, Cartledge discussed different conceptions of the Parthenon and addressed his belief that the Parthenon sculptures currently being housed in the British Museum should be returned to Greece.

Carl Rubino, the Edward North Professor of Classics, published an article, "Achilles in America: Teaching Homer against the Grain," in The Classical World 98 (2005), 425-428. He also gave an invited lecture titled "Human Choices in an Uncertain Universe: Reflections on Science, Ethics and the Humanities" at Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minn., in September. The lecture was sponsored by the Departments of Classics and Physics.

Ivan King ’47, a research professor of astronomy at the University of Washington, gave a lecture titled “Through the Universe with the Hubble Space Telescope” on October 1 as part of the Science Center dedication weekend. Dr. King took his audience on a “Tour of the Universe” with pictures taken by the Hubble telescope.

New York Times columnist Frank Rich gave a lecture titled “On Art, Culture, and Politics” in the Chapel on Saturday, October 1. Prior to his current position writing for the Times’s opinion page, Rich has written for the New York Times Magazine and the New York Post, as well as for the New York Times as a drama critic from 1980-1994.

As part of Hamilton's observance of "Constitution Day," all are invited to participate in a debate over the role of the United States Supreme Court, on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Red Pit, KJ. Stop by to watch and listen, but feel free to join in. Sponsored by the Office of the President and the Government Department.