A Ranking of Hamilton’s Fall Drinks

24 Hours in a Study Room

Will Kretz

Student Study 3103 in the Taylor Science Center has, on many occasions, been my personal corner office. While inside, Clinton’s deflated landscape becomes the Financial District, my mother on the phone becomes my hot shot attorney, and my essays become the Tokyo deal (if I can pull it off, it’ll be the biggest achievement of my career). You can imagine, then, my dismay when I’d find people in my office. People had the nerve to take not just 3103, but every other study room in the Science Center. Half of the time there’s no one there; people just leave their stuff to taunt me. So, I decided to do what any rational person would, stake claim to what is truly mine by staying in room 3103 for 24 hours.

At 7:29 on Saturday, October 8th, I walked across a cold, still campus to the Science Center. I took the elevator to the third floor, the hallways quieter than ever, and I entered my home for the day. The sun shone directly into 3103, beautiful at first, until the brightness started to wear on me. I was exhausted from the walk over and decided to sleep. I woke up 2 hours later, just in time to watch the girl’s soccer game on Goodfriend Field. I thought 3103’s location would be perfect to see the best D3 had to offer, but I quickly lost interest in the game. For those concerned about my health (how kind!), I was allowed to go to the bathroom, and Eliana Mannes ‘26 was generous enough to bring me meals.

Nine hours into my stay, I started feeling a little unhappy with myself. 24 hours was turning out to be quite a while. In normal circumstances, I would’ve just left; I’ve never pretended to be strongwilled. However, in the weeks preceding my stay, I told dozens of people about my plans. And when I said it, I said it loudly. I can break a promise to myself, but not to the legions of fans waiting for this article. I stayed brave for them.

I brought a bottle of NyQuil Severe that became more and more tempting as the hours slipped by. Part of me wanted to indulge in bad journalism: self-medicate, bliss out, and ride the over-thecounter high for all 24 hours. And soon enough, I broke. As night fell, the constant comfort of 3103’s natural light faded, and I treated myself to 15 milliliters of NyQuil Severe. I felt like Hunter S. Thompson, but instead of doing amyl nitrates and riding motorcycles, I was taking cold medicine and feeling lonely.

By 3 AM, I put a blanket over myself and tried to sleep. I don’t remember dreaming, only waking at 6 AM to the sound of an opening door. “No way there’s anyone in here,” a voice said. These folks were in for a lovely surprise. I greeted the two figures in the doorway, trying to shrug the blanket off of me. They were apologetic. I said “no worries” for the first time in my life. They left. I turned and faced the window, a beautiful sun was casting reds and yellows over Clinton. I can only assume these people wanted to watch the sunrise from 3103, but that morning I was too tired to watch anything. I slept until my time was up and walked home in the cold. It’s an interesting kind of shame—and a new kind of shame for me—to be caught sleeping in a study room for something as silly as an article. I couldn’t help but feel I was robbing those people of a beautiful sunrise, a cherished memory maybe.

For everyone wondering, I haven’t been in 3103 since; there’s always someone there.

Clinton Date Night? We Got You.

Emma DiGiacomo

Let’s be real. It can be tough to think of date ideas on the Hamilton campus. Maybe you want something a little classier than a Commons dinner or Diner date. Maybe the classic FoJo coffee and Glen Woods walk combination is getting a bit old. Maybe you just want to branch outside the campus bubble and explore the outside world. Clinton or – dare I even suggest – New Hartford and Utica are surprisingly full of date opportunities. Even with the bountiful options off-campus, there can definitely be some hit-ormisses. My ex suggested Panera as our anniversary spot, that should say enough. So, to help out my fellow struggling romantics, here is a comprehensive list of proven to be successful off-campus date spots. The potential to be cheesy is always there, but these just encapsulate that oh-so-special Hamilton magic.

A Booklover’s Dream Date

Now, as a resident Literature major, I may be a little partial, but I can never resist a Barnes and Nobles trip. Located in New Hartford, our local B&N is the perfect spot for a study date. Grab a table at the in-store Starbucks and chat over homework and coffee. When in need of a break, browse the aisles and bond over your favorite books, records, and all the other items Barnes & Noble has to offer. Who knows, if all goes well, maybe your date will even splurge on a bookish gift for you.

Looking to Let Loose?

If you and your date are looking for a way to let out some pent-up stress (we’ve all been there), let me suggest Rockin’ Jump. Release that inner child and bounce your heart out at this indoor trampoline park in New Hartford.

Explore Downtown Clinton

Call me basic, but I can never get old of a stop at Utica Coffee. Grab some holiday-themed drinks and take a stroll into some of Clinton’s shops, made even more special with their seasonal Christmas decorations. Rainbow Cupboard, Thriftish, and Almost Local remain my favorites, but all of the shops are always a joy to poke around in, even without intending to make purchases. To add some ambiance, downtown is now beautifully decorated with lights and wreaths for the holiday season, the perfect setting for a lovely walk with your date.

A Swim at the Watering Hole

Now, it may be a little late in the season for a swim, but the watering hole remains at the very least a scenic spot. If you’re looking for a quick trip, the watering hole is just a five-minute drive from campus and gives you and your date the perfect backdrop for a chat. Who knows, if you’re feeling risky enough, maybe you’ll even take a polar plunge!

Sushi and a Movie

A popular favorite of Hamiltonians, Mitsuba is the place to go for quality sushi while sticking to a budget. No matter the occasion, Mitsuba delivers. I’ve eaten there for everything from a post-breakup dinner to a birthday celebration and I’ve never left disappointed. And if dinner went well, the Marquee Cinema movie theater is right next door. What a perfect way to end your date night, with popcorn and a movie! Dinner went unbearably awkward? Hey, at least you don’t have to make uncomfortable small talk and can just sit back and relax at the theater.

A Classy Dinner

Looking to splurge a little? Then visit the Ocean Blue Oyster Bar in Utica for a more upscale dinner date. While definitely on the pricier end, Ocean Blue is a delicious change of pace from the usual New Hartford food stops. While seafood is not usually what first comes to mind when thinking of Upstate NY, I choose to flirt with danger and not question how they came about the oysters.

The Shadows of Hamilton’s Light Side: Traditions through Time

Stella Essenmacher

Special thanks to Professor Maurice Isserman of the History Department for his contribution to documenting Hamilton’s history in his book "On the Hill".

In Hamilton’s early days, the college was much smaller, cars were not common so students rarely left campus, and, as Professor Isserman describes, “although any given student was only here for four years, families tended to have long-standing connections.” Traditions have come and gone throughout the College’s 200+ years. Particularly significant was the introduction of the more liberal and diverse Kirkland College women in 1968, which heavily influenced both academics and social life. This article is a glimpse into some of Hamilton’s more outlandish traditions from the past.

Freshman Hazing From grade-wide fights to forcing freshmen to wear toilet seats around their necks, Hamilton’s freshman hazing practices were exceptionally notorious. Once a year, the sophomores would physically block the freshman class from following them into the Chapel for daily prayer. This started an altercation between the two classes in a tradition named Chapel Row.

Another fight, Cane Row, involved four or five of the strongest freshmen walking around campus with a cane they had stolen from a sophomore. Per campus tradition, students could carry canes only when they had completed freshman year, so the sophomore class had to mark their territory by reclaiming the cane. Imagine this: you are a freshman walking home from the library late at night and all of the sudden you are kidnapped, dragged to the gym, forcefully undressed, and pulled across the floor. If that is not bad enough, the floor has been coated with cornmeal sludge. This tradition, the Gym Show, only ended when the unlucky freshman began to bleed.

Not surprisingly, Hamilton’s hazing reputation discouraged many people from attending the College. However, there were still many alumni and upperclassmen who argued that sophomore year was very enjoyable as a result. Some faculty even celebrated that hazing meant that only strong-willed individuals chose to attend the College.

Most hazing rituals disappeared over time, but into the 1950s, Hell Week was still occurring (despite being officially outlawed in 1937). Here, freshmen were kidnapped in the dead of Winter, dropped off campus, and forced to make their way back. With the discontinuation of Hell Week came Ringing the Frosh, which punished freshmen who walked across a lawn or wore a hat by forcing them to wear a toilet seat around their neck for a week. well-liked among his peers. As a result, in 1818, some classmates rolled a cannon from the nearby village up to the fourth floor of Hamilton Hall, lit the fuse, and ejected the cannonball into Kirkland’s room. Fortunately for Kirkland, the cannon sailed over his sleeping body. The classmates were expelled, but the next year, other students commemorated the event’s anniversary by vandalizing the campus with graffiti and property damage.

Sledding Highs and Lows In the 19th century, most students lived in the village, so they traveled down the hill daily. During the winter, people sledded down and forced the freshmen to pull the sleds up the hill. Some particularly skillful sledders rode down at speeds greater than 50 miles per hour (to the Oriskany Creek bridge in less than a minute)! The famous President Stryker (who chose Hamilton’s colors, mascot, and school song) had to be pulled out of a snowbank by passing faculty after his attempt at a sled ride came to an unfortunate demise. Although President Stryker was not seriously injured, three fatalities from sledding did tragically occur on the hill.

A Murder Attempt on William Kirkland Kirkland is one of those names around campus that seems to be everywhere, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the College’s founder Samuel Kirkland’s many descendants attended Hamilton. William Kirkland was not The Josh Billings Fork In 1835, a student with the pseudonym Josh Billings climbed to the top of the Hamilton Chapel from the outside and removed the clapper of the bell, preventing it from waking students up the next morning for mandatory prayer. Billings was expelled and spikes (hence the name fork) were installed on the outside of the building so that no future students could copy him.

Shoot-Me-Down House Party Letter Contest House parties were popular events among students before the introduction of women students on campus. An elaborate week of dances took place each semester along with a Winter Carnival complete with ice sculpture contests and a version of a Homecoming Court. Students asked women from other colleges to the parties. Afterwards, the men gathered in the Chapel and read their rejection letters to a booing crowd. The winning letter was published in The Spectator Newspaper.