More than 300 students met with Hamilton faculty, administrators and staff to help generate solutions concerning Hamilton's alcohol culture and the secondary effects of alcohol on the campus at the 2004 Adler Conference on February 27. The conference was designed to allow students to discuss many topics and their relation to alcohol consumption on the campus. Nancy Thompson, the Senior Associate Dean of Students, as well as the chair of Hamilton's Alcohol Coalition, hoped that the conference would allow Hamilton students and faculty to "work as a community to address this issue [of alcohol on campus]."
The conference began with lunch in The Annex, followed by a presentation by Bob Kazin, the director of counseling and psychological services at Hamilton. The presentation compared Hamilton's statistics with national samples regarding the negative secondary consequences of alcohol.
All in attendance then split into randomly assigned smaller groups to discuss alcohol and its relationship to the campus and local communities, academic life, education programs, policy and enforcement, Greek life, social alternatives, campus culture and athletics. Smaller groups included more than 30 students and several faculty members. Discussion was facilitated in each group by two members of the Alcohol Coalition.
All conference participants then reunited after two hours of smaller group discussion to present possible solutions to issues concerning alcohol at Hamilton College. College President Joan Hinde Stewart gave a short speech about alcohol policy at Hamilton and the alcohol culture of the college. She thanked the Alcohol Coalition, the new student group O.U.R. (Our United Responsibility), and all participants in the conference. The smaller focus groups discussed many ways the College could lower or eliminate the negative secondary effects of alcohol on the campus and the community. Possible solutions included renovating social spaces, promoting both alcoholic and non-alcoholic events, modifying Hamilton's freshmen orientation, improving faculty/student relations, adding night classes, and enforcing underage consumption penalties. Importantly, many groups thought that a Social Honor code (based on the Hamilton College academic Honor Code) would benefit the students and community at Hamilton.
The Adler Conference (originally called the Higby Conference) is a Hamilton tradition dating to 1966. The Adler Conference provides a forum for candid discussion about campus concerns. It aims to promote an exchange of ideas from a diverse group of people, focusing on how Hamilton can build on its strengths and identify its weaknesses. Although the Conference has no specific legislative powers, the suggestions proposed will impact future decisions made by the Hamilton community.
-- by Emily Lemanczyk '05
