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Emily Lemanczyk '05 contributed a column to the Syracuse Post-Standard about her recent trip to Kenya with Government Professor Steve Orvis' class, "Seminar and Field School in Kenya: What Difference Does Democracy Make." In her column, Lemanczyk, a resident of Syracuse, advised college and high school students to take advantage of opportunities to travel. "It was an experience of a lifetime. It was risky, uncomfortable, surreal, draining and rewarding all at the same time -- 14 days of grueling volunteer work, sightseeing, lectures and traveling that I will remember for the rest of my life," she wrote.

Stephen Bonta, the Margaret Bundy Scott Professor of Music Emeritus, has been elected to honorary membership in the Society for Seventeenth-Century Music. SSCM is dedicated to the study and performance of 17th-century music and related arts. The society currently includes more than 280 members plus 100 additional international subscribers to its electronic newslist.

  Reunions 2004 were an occasion for alumnae of Kirkland College to reconnect with one another.  An article about the Open Mic event, authored by Kate Faison Spencer '79, follows ... We had a very energetic meeting about Kirkland, reconnecting with each other and with Hamilton, at the recent Reunion '04. Twelve women from the Class of '79 registered for the weekend, and there were ten who attended this discussion, joined by three Kirkland '74 graduates and a male '79 class member. There were two Hamilton contacts at the meeting, Erin Martinovich, who organized the reunion events for our class of '79 and Doug Raybeck, currently a Hamilton anthropology professor and fondly remembered as one of the outstanding Kirkland faculty members. The intention of the meeting was to explore the impact of the Hamilton/Kirkland merger on each of us. As we spoke, it was immediately apparent that issues raised were largely due to poor communication between Hamilton College and Kirkland students since 1978. By bringing our various perspectives to the meeting, with the assistance of written communication from Sam Babbitt, we were able to finally understand the chronological course of events in their wider historical context. Each direct communication was met by the group with the spirit of cooperation, as we heard about experiences of Kirkland students, faculty members and alumnae from 1978 forward. Erin fielded questions about contemporary processes at Hamilton. Her presence was invaluable and has already proved instrumental in the construction of possible responses at the College. Some simple but meaningful changes are anticipated in the Hamilton database, Website and magazine as a result of being heard. As Sam Babbitt describes the current situation in writing: "Many of us who were at Kirkland have had conflicted feelings about all that transpired in the difficult years when you were students on the Hill. The good news is that Hamilton College is, today, so welcoming to Kirkland people and so open in their acknowledgment of the part that Kirkland played in the evolution of Hamilton over these past decades. It was not always so, and to find it there now is a matter of great delight - and it augurs well for the health of the institution." For those alumnae who are still looking for a glimmer of Kirkland in the Hamilton institution, some exciting new prospects now exist. Without prescription or expectation on my part, allow me to invite you to come back through the open door. Kate Faison Spencer '79

William R. Kenan Professor of Government Cheng Li was quoted in an article in the South China Morning Post. The article discussed Merrill Lynch’s stunning rise to the top of the initial public offering (IPO) business in China in 2004. Many competitors attribute the company’s success to government ties it has gained access to through one new employee, Wilson Feng. "Some studies show that a large number of [Chinese] officials in investment banking. . .are princelings," Li said.

James S. Sherman Professor of Government Philip Klinkner was quoted in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about uncounted or "spoiled" votes in 2000. "[A]bout half of all ballots spoiled in the U.S.A. [in 2000] - about 1 million votes - were cast by nonwhite voters," Klinkner said. According to the article, the problem hasn't been properly addressed by politicians of either party because too many benefit from the uncounted votes.

Cheng Li, the William R. Kenan Professor of Government, was quoted in an article in the South China Morning Post about China’s increased involvement in the Middle East.  According to the article, "Some analysts [argue] that China would be a perfect partner for peace in the dispute because it had good relations with Israel and Arab nations and [is] not seen as overly biased." Li expressed concern that China is ultimately using the Middle East as "bargaining power regarding Taiwain."

Professor of Anthropology Douglas Raybeck was quoted in the Dallas Morning News in an article about the controversy surrounding Michael Moore's film Fahrenheit 9/11. According to the article, the debate over the film "shows how U.S. culture focuses almost exclusively on black and white." "The tendency of the West...is to dichotomize. [T]hose in the middle are often characterized...as wimps and wussies," Raybeck said. The article was also reprinted in several other newspapers.

Hamilton College alumna Rosemary Breslin '79, an acclaimed writer, died Monday at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. She was 47. Breslin suffered from a rare blood illness, which she described in a series of essays published in New York Newsday and the Los Angeles Times and in her acclaimed memoir, Not Exactly What I Had in Mind: An Incurable Love Story.

Reunions 2004 was a memorable event for more than 1,100 members of the Hamilton family. Our photo galleries will help you remember your time on the Hill. Visit the galleries and enjoy a reprise of the weekend's events. Galleries

Hamilton College alumna Mary Bonauto '83 has once again filed lawsuits on the behalf of same-sex couples, demanding that Massachusetts issue them marriage licenses, according to a New York Times article. Bonauto is challenging the constitutionality and discriminatory enforcement of denying marriage licenses to out-of-state couples. "The governor pulled [the law] off the shelves just to deny marriage to some gay and lesbian couples," said Bonauto.