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As part of Hamilton's Term in Washington Program, students combine academics with practical experience in the federal government, serving internships in Congressional offices and non-government agencies. Hamilton students spent the fall 2004 semester working in Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's office, CNN's The Capital Gang and MSNBC's Hardball With Chris Matthews. Following are firsthand accounts of some students' experiences.

Social change in America has often progressed slowly and at great cost. Music, and jazz in particular, has often led the way in breaking down racial, gender, economic and age barriers. "The Music Stand: Jazz as a Unifying Social Force," which opens on Thursday, Jan. 27, at Hamilton College's Emerson Gallery, focuses on the positive social role played by jazz as documented in photographs and video. The exhibition is open through April 10.

Professor of History Maurice Isserman gave a paper on January 8 at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association in Seattle.  He was part of the panel "American Communist History After the Espionage Turn," and his paper was titled "Open Archives and Open Minds: 'Traditionalists' versus 'Revisionists' after VENONA."

A number of world-renowned authors, artists and policymakers will be visiting the Hill this spring, including Planned Parenthood president Gloria Feldt and author Salman Rushdie.

Associate Professor of English Catherine Gunther Kodat gave an invited talk before the American Studies graduate research seminar at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, in October.  She presented material drawn from her book chapter on Spartacus.

  Andrew William Begley, Hamilton Class of 1999 died in a tragic skiing accident on Sunday, January 2, 2005 in Killington, VT.  Andrew, an accomplished skier, lost control and tumbled down a difficult run on the mountain at the resort.  Andrew suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the Rutland Regional Medical Center.  Andy was a valuable member of the Hamilton College Golf team, playing all 4 years at Hamilton while also finding time enough to earn the distinction of Phi Beta Kappa and Honors in Economics.  Since graduating from Hamilton, Andy worked as part of the corporate audit team for General Electric.  His employ took him to the far reaches of the globe including, China, New Zealand, much of Europe and all across the U.S.  Andrew recently moved to a permanent residence in Cambridge, MA after years of travel to evaluate many of GE's different business groups.  Andrew was an outdoor enthusiast whose passion for golf had been replaced by skiing as his skill increased.  Anytime he was involved in a planned event, Andrew only fuel the flame of fun, yet he was not afraid to go out on his own.  He is survived by his parents Charles and Lois who live in Lockport, NY outside of Buffalo.  Calling hours will be on Thursday evening 7-9 pm, Friday afternoon 2-4pm and evening 7-9 pm, with an 11am Mass Saturday at St. John's Catholic Church.    Donations can be made in Andrew’s memory to the Memorial Fund at Hamilton College:The Hamilton College Alumni Memorial Scholarship Fund198 College Hill Rd.Clinton, NY 13321 Cards can be sent to:Mr. and Mrs. Charles Begley (Lois)21 Spruce StreetLockport, NY   14094 He will be missed.  God rest his soul.  Darren B. Fuller ‘98

Professor of Anthropology Doug Raybeck was interviewed for an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about U.S. relief efforts related to the Indian Ocean tsunami. Raybeck, who lived in and researched communities in Southeast Asia, said American efforts have more chance of success in Indonesia and other countries affected by the tsunami. "The people who are most unhappy with the U.S., the truly conservative Muslims, are still a minority in Indonesia," he said. Most Indonesian Muslims practice moderate forms of Sunni and Shiite Islam and traditionally tend toward religious tolerance. Raybeck also said, "The al Qaeda types will want their spin -- they'll want us to be seen as self-interested, using this as a photo-op. But in all honesty, most of this effort is toward directing aid, so that's a hard one to make stick. It's going to take time for the U.S. to recapture our credibility, but this will help."

Associate Professor of French Cheryl Morgan gave a paper "Watching the Detectives: New Crime Writing by Women in France" at the December 2004 MLA conference in Philadelphia. The paper was part of a panel devoted to new forms of French women's writing, "Une nouvelle ecriture feminine?".

Monk Rowe, the Joe Williams Director of the Jazz Archive, presented a paper at the International Association of Jazz Educators, in Long Beach, Calif. in January. The paper, "Defining the Undefineable/ Thoughts on Improvisation from Jazz Masters," is based on excerpts from archive interviews.  

Cheng Li, the William R. Kenan Professor of Government, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal article, "China's Study-Abroad Program," on Thursday, Jan. 6. According to the article, "the Communist Party's Organization Department selects promising officials to study at Harvard, provincial and municipal governments have begun asking other Western public-administration schools to train their cadres." Li, an expert on China's leadership and author of China's Leaders: The New Generation, says he believes these programs will have a substantial impact on China's political transformation. "Although the lessons focus more on technical aspects of governance, their essence is to make government more accountable to the public and to emphasize the importance of the rule of law. This will help familiarize future Chinese leaders with international norms and values, and make the policy-making process in China more scientific, rational and democratic," he says.