All News

The Hamilton Action Volunteer Outreach Coalition (HAVOC) sponsored Hunger Awareness Week from Nov. 14 - Nov. 19 to educate the campus about local, national and global issues of hunger and poverty. The week's events included a 30-hour fast, tables in Beinecke with information about fair trade, a hunger banquet, movies, panels and a brown-bag lunch.

Hamilton College Women's Studies Professor Vivyan Adair has been named the 2004 New York State Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). She was selected from nearly 400 top professors in the United States.

As part of Hunger Awareness week sponsored by Hamilton Action Volunteer Outreach Coalition (HAVOC) a panel discussion on global hunger will be held Thursday, Nov. 18 at 7 pm in the Red Pit. Panelists include Xiomara Castro of Global Exchange, Carol Drogus, professor of government who teaches the sophomore seminar "Food for Thought" and Sheila McCarthy of the Hunger Action Network of New York State.

The construction of Phase II of Hamilton College's new integrated Science Center, which includes demolition of the Dana Wing, built in 1965, and complete renovation of the original 1925 science building, proceeds on budget and within nine days of the projected schedule. Completion of the entire building project (which will include 56 faculty offices, 48 teaching laboratories, 53 research laboratories, 67 support rooms, 11 high-tech classrooms, several informal student areas, and a coffee shop) will occur in August 2005.

Syed Wamiq Jawaid '05 attended the SUNY Buffalo conference on Asian Philosophy and Religion last month where he delivered a paper that was well received by scholars and other members of the audience. His paper is titled "Genealogy of Fundamentalism: A Nietzschean Syncretism of Iqbal's Shikwa." The conference was organized by the Society for Indian Philosophy and Religion.

Cheng Li, the William R. Kenan Professor of Government, was interviewed by People's Daily about Secretary of State Colin Powell’s resignation. Li was quoted extensively, explaining how U.S. - China relations improved while Powell was in office. Li said "Powell has continuously strengthened his contacts with China and developed constructive cooperation relations. China [now] plays more roles in international affairs" Li explained. According to the article, one of the main questions is if relations between the U.S. and China will worsen as Powell leaves office and Rice assumes the role of Secretary of State. Li said, "There will be no big twists and turns in the main in U.S. - China relations in the future. But the possibility cannot be eliminated that there might be fortuities that could not be forecast. There are instable factors for the issues of regional security and energy sources in some areas." Li also commented on Condoleezza Rice’s capability, stating, "Rice is a very able person and she can exert much impact on Bush than Powell does. In dealing with diplomatic affairs, she will more likely let strength speak, put unilateralism into practice and maintain U.S. strong status…Generally speaking Rice takes stronger stand towards China than Powell and knows less about China than Powell. Certainly in recent years, Rice has more contacts with Chinese leaders and has deeper understanding of China with some changes on her China stand and attitude." Li was also interviewed on VOA radio on the same topic.

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.

Professor of English Edward Wheatley gave a lecture, "Stumbling Blocks Before the Blind: Medieval Constructions of a Disability," at the invitation of the Program in Medieval Studies at Princeton University in November. The talk was part of the project for which he received the National Endowment for the Humanities and American Council of Learned Societies Fellowships.

Professor of Religious Studies Heidi Ravven gave a paper at the international conference on "Kant and Maimonides: In Commemoration of the 1000 Years since their Respective Deaths," of the Hermann Cohen-Gesellschaft, The Academy for Jewish Philosophy and Arizona State University in October in Tempe. Her paper was titled "Maimonides' Non-Kantian Moral Psychology: Maimonides and Kant on the Garden of Eden and the Genealogy of Morals."

Hamilton College has been awarded the 2004 Recycling Champion's Award by the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority. Terry Hawkridge, assistant director, grounds, horticulture and arboretum, accepted the award on behalf of the College on Monday, Nov. 15, at the Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority board of directors' meeting in Utica.