the continental magazine
CONTRIBUTORS
Editors-in-Chief
Stella Essenmacher ‘25
Will Kretz ‘26
Opinion Editor
Vivian Miller ‘26
Travel Editor
Ellie Carlson ‘27
Features Editor
Zoe Neely ‘25
On the Hill Editor
Morgan Hodorowski ‘26
Lifestyle Editor
Sylvia Woodbury ‘27
Editor-at-Large
Emma DiGiacomo ‘25
Layout Editors
Rachel Alpert ‘27
Ellie Carlson ‘27
Will Kretz ‘26
Lainey Groll ‘25
Photography Director
Jeffrey Cheng ‘25
Creative Director
Stella Essenmacher ‘25
Writers
Iaian McGiffin ‘26
Lily Manning ‘27
Ava Cargan ‘27
Zoe Reynolds ‘28
Kate Thum ‘28
Photographers
Josh Smith ‘26
Katie Kilcoyne (front cover) ‘26
Oliver Jackson ‘27
Maeve Brown (back cover) ‘25
LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
Beloved readers,
To us, fall in Central New York is the best season. As Hamilton’s lifestyle magazine, our job is to create a memento of the thriving atmosphere that the good weather and low burnout (at least for the first few months) bring. As fall turns to winter, we hope that you curl up with a cup of tea to take in stories like Ellie Carlson’s wild Pitbull concert experience, Ava Cargan’s immersive geology trip to Maine, and Morgan Hodorowski’s glimpse into Hamilton’s spooky past.
This issue, our philosophy is to celebrate the humor, creativity, and authenticity that make The Continental—and Hamilton at large—so special. Last spring, we had to say goodbye to many graduating seniors. With this issue, we are ringing in a new generation of staff, and we could not be more excited about it. If you like what you see and would like to work with us on our winter issue, please email us at contmag@hamilton.edu to learn more! We hope you are inspired to spark conversation and get involved more deeply on campus by reading this issue.
Yours truly,
Stella and Will Editors-in-Chief
Secrets From a Girl (Who Went to Pitbull)
by: Ellie Carlson
Before September 7th, I considered myself an avid attendee of what I like to call “white skirt concerts,” because if there was a venn diagram of people who own long, white, flowy skirts and people who go to folk concerts, it would be a circle. But this September, I hung up my white skirt and donned more appropriate Pitbull attire to see Mr. Worldwide live in Syracuse.
The night started off strong and I was surprised — after hearing some horror stories from the Noah Kahan concert last year — that we made it to the venue pretty quickly. All was well in the world of Pitbull: my group got a spot on the grass, we excitedly ran into a few Hamilton students, and the anticipation grew as we saw T-Pain take the stage. The screens flickering on and off and the random error symbol during T-Pain’s set did spike my anxiety, but overall he accomplished what he was there to do — plus some ballet — so who am I to complain?
Then, the moment we had all been waiting for began as Pitbull took to the stage. Now don’t get me wrong, he obviously had stage presence, but I thought the real stars of the show were the backup dancers! Maybe it’s my obsession with Dancing with the Stars talking, but they absolutely killed it. I can’t lie, I had a blast during Pitbull’s performance, but it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. Was I confused by the multiple “commercial breaks” that happened any time there was a costume change? Kind of. Did I realize that Pitbull is just a motivational speaker disguised as a musician? I did! And I won’t be forgetting that any time soon. But did I transcend when I heard “Hey Baby (Drop it to the Floor) (ft. T-Pain)” live? Yes, yes I did.
Sadly, as Pitbull was giving one of his many motivational speeches, tragedy struck our section of the lawn. One second, I thought the man in front of us was just stumbling through life, and the next I witnessed him attack the man that he fell onto. Blood was pouring, at least four people got involved, and the stumbling man that started the fight had a gleam in his eye that made me feel like we could have been his next victim if we were a few feet closer.
After returning home and immediately telling my roommate what had happened, the two of us came to the conclusion that the Pitbull crowd was just teeming with violence, as she recounted her story of the person behind her saying she “would bash the kneecaps of the girls’ in front of her” if they weren’t careful.
My group found a safer area after round two of the fight, and my roommate’s group did remove themselves before any knee-bashing could occur, but all in all it was a more violent experience than I was expecting. So maybe take this story as a warning: go see Pitbull if you have the opportunity, but proceed with caution and come prepared to see a few punches being thrown.
Pregame Rituals
Stella Essenmacher
Photos: Josh Smith
Roughly two-thirds of students will take part in a varsity, club, or intramural sport team while at Hamilton. Competition day might involve eating right, sleeping well, and physically warming up. But for some athletes, pre-game rituals stretch into superstitions. Check out some of the wilder ones practiced on campus:
What is (or isn’t) on the menu....
I drink pickle juice before every game to keep from cramping.
- Joe Cairns ‘25, Football
Chipotle and a shot of pickle juice.
- Isabel Harvey ‘28, Women’s Soccer
I won’t eat round objects before I swim (blueberries, grapes, tomatoes, etc.) because I am convinced they mess with my stomach, also bananas. When I was younger, I used to have a waffle before every meet and leave 3 pieces of waffle.
- Marissa Duffy ‘25, Women’s Swim Vietnamese Coffee.
- Aden Soroca ‘27, Baseball
A banana.
- Sam Glickman ‘25, Women’s Basketball In high school, I used to eat ramen before every meet.
- Lil Gross ‘25, Women’s Swim
Wearing buff and blue (and a little bit extra)
I put my socks on before any other article of clothing.
- Henry Boehm ‘25, Baseball
I always have my hair the same way
- Dana Schwarz ‘26, Women’s Track
For field hockey games, I always wear the same sports bra and hocsocx (thin socks that go under shinguards). I also have the same braided hairstyle. I do wash my socks and sports bra after every game for the record otherwise that would be gross.
- Claire Tratnyek ‘26, Field Hockey/ Women’s Track
I use the same green towel for every meet and race.
- Marissa Duffy ‘25, Women’s Swim
Claire Tratnyek
Isabel Harvey
Beats to beat the other team...
Before every game I listen to German rap, it helps me get fired up for the game and makes me happy.
- Joe Cairns ‘25, Football
Pictured below: Joe Cairns
We listen to “Dog Days are Over” as a team.
- Tommy Kantrowitz ‘25, Men’s Soccer
“Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
- John Carbone ‘25, Men’s Ultimate Frisbee
“I Like to Move It Move It.”
- Madison Leong ‘25, Women’s Swim
I listen to Ken Carson. - Alfonso Rada ‘27, Baseball
We do this chant where it’s a call and response between the captain and players.
- Andrew Fredericks ‘25, Men’s Rugby and Georgia Brown ‘25, Women’s Rugby
When I was a soccer goalie in high school, I’d play the same 3 songs in the same order: “Venus” by John Coltrane, “Rooster” by Alice in Chains, and “Can’t be Touched” by Roy Jones Jr. I would sit silently for the first song, stretch my hands for the second, and run for the third. As for effectiveness, I was not a good goalkeeper.
- Paul Lyons ‘27, Men’s Alpine Ski
We Chwazi center back sides.
Honorable mentions:
- Mariano Russo and Frank Jones ‘25, Men’s Club Soccer
Some guys write personal things on their wrists before games and have them as reminders.
- Spencer Lee ‘25, Men’s Soccer
I never touch a ball before the game
- Luke Peplowski ‘25, Men’s Soccer (pictured above)
I take a bath before every game
- Isabel Harvey ‘28, Women’s Soccer
Tommy Kantrowitz
Bundy is Beautiful
Photographs by Katie Kilcoyne
The Bundy residence halls have a bad reputation: they are far down the hill, architecturally uninteresting, and often serve as a rude awakening for sophomores who were spoiled by the (largely) comfortable first-year housing options. But Bundy need not be ugly. Enjoy these photos by Katie Kilcoyne and try to see Bundy differently.
HCEMS
Zoe Neely
There is perhaps no one more recognizable on campus than the members of Hamilton College Emergency Medical Service when they’re on call. With their fluorescent orange bags and navy blue shirts, they are a trained group of volunteers committed to the health and safety of Hamilton College students. But what is it actually like to be an EMT? I sat down with Ally Berkowitz ‘25, captain of the HCEMS program, who was able to provide some insight.
It begins with the interview process during freshman or sophomore spring. You have to serve four semesters in the program, but you don’t need to have any medical background to apply. Prospective EMTs participate in a group interview where they are asked to talk through various potential scenarios. HCEMS gets anywhere from 40 to 80 applicants each year, and about 10 are accepted into the program. In terms of applicants, Berkowitz says, “We want to represent the college well. We want people who are confident in their abilities and can be a good representative of the school and the program.” New trainees then spend their summer taking an EMT course and must pass a National Registry Exam. There are about 25 active EMTs on campus, and HCEMS is also a 24/7 service with three to four people on shift at a time.
I asked Berkowitz what it’s like to be on shift. She said, “You can basically go about your day. You just can’t go outside of a certain radius because of the radios.” You can be on call while you’re in class, and EMTs communicate with their professors about the expectations of their job. HCEMS also works closely with Campus Safety, who are present at every call. In terms of extent of care, paramedics can go into the body but EMT’s can’t. “We have eight medications we can prescribe,” says Berkowitz, “including oxygen, glucose, and narcan and we have capability to support airway, bleeding, and circulation issues as well as spine stabilization.” If a patient needs an ambulance, HCEMS partners with the local ambulance service COCVAC for transportation off-campus. Types of calls include anything from a sprained ankle, broken leg, head injury, or getting sick.
Part of being an EMT is committing to being on campus at certain times. EMTs need to be on campus a week early and have to stay until graduation. But the scheduling expectations aren’t just about being a team sport. According to Berkowitz, “We need a certain number of people on call. It’s not fair to have the same few people working for days straight. It’s too emotionally and physically taxing.” Scheduling is always a conversation, and HCEMS works to be accommodating and understanding. “We all work with each other and try to help each other out,” says Berkowitz, which ties into another big element of HCEMS: camaraderie. EMTs are required to follow HIPAA which means they can’t share any personal information about the patient, but HCEMS has an additional school policy that prohibits EMTs from discussing their calls with anyone outside of HCEMS. As such, fellow HCEMS members rely on each other for support. “We can talk as a group. We have time and resources for each other. We pair rookies up with vets for mentorship. And all the officers are here to help everyone anytime they need it. And our director David is also a resource for everyone,” says Berkowtiz.
While HCEMS is currently a volunteer opportunity only, there are conversations in the works about making it compensated. Various forms of payment have been suggested, but each comes with their own problems. For example, an hourly rate could be problematic because, “we’re on for so many hours, so it’s a bit unrealistic for the school. However, the real issue with getting paid hourly is that we would have to change the structure of the organization a little bit specifically with the application process by making it the school’s decision instead of students whereas right now we have full choice over who we want to bring in.” Making the position a volunteer opportunity means people must be very dedicated to the position, but it can also create a potential financial barrier. On the other hand, some people want the volunteer hours for PA school or med school applications. At the moment, there is no clear answer to the issue. Berkowitz says, “We’re definitely trying to work through the best option, but I think it’s important to find a solution that keeps the integrity of the program.”
Finally, as a senior, I asked Berkowitz if she had any thoughts as her time in the program comes to an end. She said, “So many of us have spoken so highly of the program and the community and skill sets you build. It’s really great for anyone who’s interested in the medical field to just get some exposure and maybe add something to your resume. It’s good to see how to interact with patients and you gain a lot of confidence as well as leadership abilities and real world skills.” For interested students, the application process will start at the beginning of the spring semester.
Photos: EMS Program (left), Katie Kilcoyne (below)
Why Every Student Should Visit the Levitt Center
Vivian Miller
Photos: Oliver Jackson
The Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center is Hamilton’s hub for social innovation and community outreach. For 40 years, the Levitt Center has allowed students to research, connect, and make positive, hands-on change. Focused on engaging with students and faculty to cultivate interdisciplinary learning, the Levitt Center is a unique resource on campus.
“It’s not just for social sciences. We’re very interested in serving the entire student population, whatever their interests are, by bringing programming that will give them some idea of how what they’re interested in intersects with public policy,” says Professor Frank Anechiarico, the Center’s faculty director. In addition to his work with the Levitt Center, Professor Anechiarico has taught government and law at Hamilton since 1976. One long-running Levitt Center program is the Justice Lab, a set of 3-4 classes that a group of students take together during a semester with an interdisciplinary justice focus. This semester, students have worked on tackling youth gun violence and restorative justice. The Levitt Center also regularly hosts lectures, leadership workshops, and provides funding for student and faculty research. Professor Anechiarico added: “There is diversity in what we’re doing here, and students should drop by and ask ‘what if’ questions: ‘What if we actually involve students in solving local community problems in Utica?’ Students are not just getting experience, they’re also changemakers. It’s the next step in experiential learning.”
In practical application, the Levitt Center’s outreach programs have been genuinely impactful for the local Oneida County. Beyond classroom-based initiatives, the Levitt Center’s Summer Community Impact Fellowship program furthers this hands-on impact. Recently, summer fellows Cade Boiney ‘26, a data science major, and Seraph McKern ‘26, a history major, collaborated on a prototype of a virtual information center for the Mohawk Valley. The Levitt Hub combines research from government institutions, Hamilton faculty, Levitt Center fellows, and local officials to distill the most important information and make it more widely accessible. Boiney says, “There’s a lot of research about the issues people are voting based on housing, but some local policymakers don’t have the bandwidth to dive as deep into this research as they’d like to. So that’s ideally where we come in. The idea is that anyone can go to the site and be routed to the best information in the best format for them.” The Levitt Center works hard to make sure they’re addressing the needs of the local community. For the Justice Lab, they select community partners such as reverends, judges, and district attorneys, who have an enormous amount of knowledge on the needs of the County and can help guide the project. In the future, the Levitt Center hopes to expand its Justice Lab program to be accessible to more students.
“Learning more about the Utica area during my summer with SCIF has enhanced my Hamilton experience because I now understand a lot more about the area and context within which I am learning. It also gave me a chance to learn about the real-world application of the things that I study,” said Jessica Mason ‘26, an economics major. Mason’s research revolved around the impacts of the COVID stimulus payments and their subsequent end in the Utica area, with specific attention to the effects on varying family structures. Boiney echoed these statements and said that his time at the Levitt Center has considerably strengthened his skills as a writer, communicator, and collaborator. Allowing students to see the real-time impacts of their work while meaningfully serving the local community is part of what makes the Levitt Center so distinctive.
So how can you get involved with the Levitt Center? Other than applying for work with the Justice Lab, SCIF, internship funding, or the SHECP anti-poverty organization, students are encouraged to simply stop by. Professors from many different departments are part of the Levitt Center’s council, making it widely accessible for students of all majors. If you have a question, an idea, or a drive to explore how you can impact the most pressing issues affecting our community, the Levitt Center is the place for you. The Levitt Center is located on the second floor of the Kirner-Johnson building and has plenty of study space that is open to everyone. It’s more than just a place— it’s a launching pad for those who wish to create meaningful change. Visit www. hamilton.edu/academics/centers/levitt to learn more.
Ted Mebust on the Student-Athlete Experience and the Post-College Transition
Ted Mebust joined Hamilton’s Swimming and Diving Team as the new Assistant Coach this September after earning his Bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College in 2022. As an integral member of the team at Bowdoin, he earned three all-American and eight all-NESCAC Honors, despite losing a significant portion of his college career to the pandemic. By choosing Bowdoin as a high school senior, Mebust committed to placing academics at the top of his priority list, while maintaining his dedication to swimming. He switched his major to history during his sophomore year after initially planning to go pre-med — a decision born out of his desire to take advantage of the creative and discussion-based nature of a liberal arts environment. Mebust found the balance between school and athletics by having a “separate mind” in each; he maximized his time and performance by being 100% focused on the task at hand.
Zoe Reynolds
Photos: Oliver Jackson
When asked about his advice for student-athletes at Hamilton, Mebust emphasized the importance of having concrete goals and acknowledging one’s personal achievements. While the student-athlete life has its challenges, Mebust identifies the great deal of benefits it provides. Developing healthy lifestyle habits related to nutrition, sleep, and exercise enhances both academic and athletic performance. A team environment provides a pathway to personal connection and opens up a variety of social circles. Also, for Mebust personally, swimming allowed him to maintain a piece of himself amidst the period of introspection and relative uncertainty being in college through the pandemic.
As a recent graduate of a fellow NESCAC, Mebust is a fantastic resource for Hamilton students when it comes to the transition out of college. For the first few months after graduating from Bowdoin, Mebust struggled to find a job — a situation he attributes largely to procrastination. He then explored a variety of fields, including journalism, foreign study in Rome, and coaching. Mebust urges Hamilton seniors to start the job search process early and to not “let anxiety for the future stop you. Lead with interests, and build as many bridges as you can.”
Mebust was drawn back to the NESCAC family because of its vision of what education should be and how it marries diversity of thought and expression with academics. Now entering his first year with Hamilton’s Swim and Dive program, he hopes to help each swimmer improve empirically, to create well-rounded and motivated individuals, and to be a positive part of the swimmers’ Hamilton experience. Good luck to Mebust and the team as they head into their season!
The Intercollegiate Geological Conference
Ava Cargan
At the beginning of October, students were able to attend the New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference. Nick Roberts, an Assistant Professor of Geosciences at Hamilton, brought a group of students to Maine for the weekend to go on a day full of field trips led by local geologists. The trips visited sites around Penobscot Bay, Maine to see a variety of geological features and gave undergraduate students an opportunity to see different levels of geological research. The group of Hamilton students left campus around noon on Friday, October 11th and drove up to Camden Hills State Park in Maine, where we were going to be camping for the weekend. Saturday morning, October 12th, the students woke up around 6:00 AM to get ready to leave the campsite for the day.
Students were able to visit multiple sites that were being used for different levels of research. The first stop was the Dragon Cement Quarry, which had been used for cement production since the early 1900s and had just been closed off from production in 2024. The Dragon quarry began as a lime rock quarry in the late 1700s and early 1800s; its location had significant contributions to constructing New England’s hospitals, schools, transportation infrastructure, wastewater treatment plants, etc. Since
the quarry is no longer being used, students were able to explore, looking at the rocks and topography of the quarry.
At another site, the Warren Nickel Deposit, more than 30 different minerals can be found. It is one of the few places on the coast where the minerals pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite can be collected in a large quantity. The large minerals and rocks were weathered and crumbled into samples small enough to take home when students hammered them. In this deposit, there were a variety of opportunities for students to explore and try out hands-on mineral collecting.
Students also studied rocks called pegmatites in the Waldoboro district and were able to view a research site. Pegmatites are important because they can host critical mineral resources and other exotic materials. A series of pegmatites with the mineral spodumene had been reported from the towns of Cushing and Warren, which are northeast of our
location. Spodumene is currently the most important source for lithium, which is used in a variety of products, including pharmaceuticals, air purification, steel, and glass manufacturing. The majority is used to manufacture batteries for use in electronic devices, electric vehicles, and renewable energy grid storage. The location had visible spodumene crystals reaching up to 30 cm in length for students to look at. In this area, students were able to closely examine a variety of minerals in addition to spodumene, as well as have the chance to explore further into the wooded area.
After the four research site visits the students completed on Saturday, they returned back to Camden State Park for the last night camping and exploring the area within the campground. The park had a large overview of Penobscot Bay and an area where students could take a path down to see the shore of the bay, along with other hiking trails around the campsite.
Why you should do the Hamilton College D.C. Program
Iain McGiffin
Photos courtesy of the Spring ‘24 D.C. Group
Last spring, I decided to get off campus and go study in Washington D.C. through Hamilton College’s Washington D.C. program. The program is pretty simple. Up to 12 students can live off campus in Washington D.C. at apartments owned by the school for a semester. The program is built around our internships. This means that students work 4 days a week while only taking classes with the professor who runs the program once a week. And that’s it: like I said, it’s pretty simple. So why should you do it?
We all know winters here at Hamilton College are long and brutal, and if that’s not to your taste, then going to D.C. in the spring might be for you. Warm weather and sunshine don’t return until the middle of April up in Clinton, but in D.C. it’s a completely different story. As a city that straddles the Mason-Dixon line, D.C. experiences some snowfall during the winter, but it doesn’t last for too long. The weather gets warm and sunny very quickly,
and that’s just the start of it. If you like being in a city, then D.C. is for you. At Hamilton, we’re in the middle of nowhere, but in DC you can just walk to the metro and do any number of things. And unlike NYC, it’s not criminally expensive, with the Smithsonian museums free for all to see. From our apartments in Woodley Park, we could go just about anywhere and do just about anything we wanted.
Furthermore, if you care about building up a network and getting experience working in an office every day, then I can’t recommend the program enough. In D.C. you have the opportunity to work every single day at a job of your choosing. You can gain vital experience in an office, which will be incredibly valuable when you graduate. And you’ll build an amazing network of people who can help find you a job once graduation comes. This is incredibly useful if you are majoring in a government-related field, but even if you aren’t interested in government, then it doesn’t matter. My roommate
was an anthropology major with a passing interest in politics and he loved it there as well.
Perhaps the best reason to join the D.C. program is that you get to experience the inner workings of American democracy. If I hadn’t done the program, I would never have had the opportunity to work for the Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer. As an Intern, I got to give tours of the U.S. Capitol, meet every single U.S. Senator, work on interesting projects, and go to Senate Committee hearings, all while earning school credit. It was almost surreal and was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience that I cannot recommend highly enough.
As a student at Hamilton College, you have such a vast amount of opportunities and, to me, chief among them is the D.C. program. From getting a chance to work in the nation’s capital, to having the opportunity to live in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, there are so many amazing things I experienced because I left campus for a semester to go down to Washington. Going there was the single greatest choice I have made since I started here in 2022. Whether or not you choose to do it is up to you.
MY FRENCH GETAWAY
by: Lily Manning
In the beginning of June, my boyfriend and I flew into the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport from New York City, narrowly making it to our connecting flight to Bordeaux, during which I promptly fell asleep on my fist. Less than two and a half hours later, our small plane bumped down onto a grass strip, in a field that stretched far as the eye can see. Around us grazed unbothered cattle that didn’t even bat an eye as the plane landed. We drove to the quaint village of Saint-Cyprien, where the cobblestone roads only have enough room for one car. Driving through the hills felt like a rollercoaster; winding unpaved paths and rolling hills lifted my stomach up into the air. Along a cobblestone road sat an old monastery that had been converted into a quaint brick hotel which sat between two old stone churches. Next to this, a neighbor’s backyard housed two bleating goats and a rooster that walked along a stone wall all throughout the afternoon. I have never been in a place so quiet, although I felt differently at night when both the church’s bells rang every hour and half hour and there were no surrounding sirens or music to mask the noise. The first two nights I sat up in bed wondering how the people in town could possibly sleep through the constant chimes, but by the end of the trip I was laughing at how irritated I had been. The jet lag certainly didn’t help.
In the town, we discovered the small shops were open early in the morning and closed in the early afternoon. We laughed at the relaxed nature of the French countryside and its opposition to fast paced American life. An early rise in the morning, a light breakfast, a glass of wine or two at lunch, a midday siesta and preparation for a big dinner with a cocktail hour (or two) beforehand became our everyday routine. At night we walked around the town. Everything was serene: there were no bright neon lights, loud sirens or twenty-four hour stores, and no loud people screaming in the streets. It was just us walking around, smiling to each other, enjoying the clear air and the starry evening.
We spent a day relaxing on a boat tour of the Dordogne River, pointing out old brick houses that were built into the riverbank and brick walls from houses since dismantled that were etched into the hillside. In the evening, we climbed along the side of the hill on a winding staircase wrapped in roses, and sat at a table that overlooked the river. No matter where we traveled in the area, dinner menus commonly featured a delicious duck as the main course. As an appetizer, charcuterie boards displayed heavenly cheeses and thinly sliced meat, along with assorted brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Desserts were feathery light pastries with cream filling, small fruit tarts with buttery crusts, and fluff y, moist cakes with delectable frosting. Driving to the airport to make our way home, I felt a melancholy that only comes attached to leaving places you love.
Although I was only in the south of France for a short time, it was a beautiful and exciting trip: a place where I felt true relaxation and peace. Now, when I’m home and I walk amongst the bright lights and loud sounds of New York City, I think about my experience this summer in France, and the happiness that came from our trip.
ACADEMIC HORROR STORIES
Sylvia Woodbury
During a lab, my friend was using a test tube they were told not to break because it was expensive. They were extremely careful with the equipment, but a clamp failed, and the test tube fell over and shattered. They now owe the school $150.
Once in high school, I was so tired I forgot I had gym class last period. I put on my coat and backpack and was almost out the door before I realized nobody else was in the hallway. I was only a little bit late for gym class, and luckily nobody saw me nearly walk out.
In art class, I had to put a work of mine up on the board to be critiqued. It was an abstract print. My professor said, “Oh, it looks like two entwined figures.” It was. But I was too embarrassed to admit it. So I turned bright red, said a hasty “No it’s not,” then rushed up to the board and rotated my print so it was vertical.
For a French assignment, I had to describe somebody’s appearance and personality. I described a girl as “legère”, which I thought meant “easy” as in “carefree” and “easy-going.” When I read my assignment out loud to the French TA, she kindly told me that it meant “easy” as in “sleeping around a lot.” I turned bright red and stuttered out, “Oh.”
When I was in high school, long before my diagnosis of ADHD and subsequent medication prescription, I could not stay awake in class. More often than not, I could be found sleeping in the library, head in a book I was attempting to read. Contrary to popular belief, ADHD can manifest in drowsiness instead of hyper activity at times. I was found asleep in odd places so often, my teachers stopped marking me as absent because they assumed I was asleep somewhere in the school. One day in algebra, I was ‘resting my eyes’ while laying my head on my desk. My teacher called on me and a classmate slapped the desk to wake me up. I responded by turning my head and saying “five more minutes, mom!” Then I realized where I was and had to ask to go to the bathroom to wait out the rest of class due to my embarrassment. The story does have a wholesome ending, with my teacher deciding to always brew a second cup of coffee to give me in the morning. What a life saver!
I skipped school a couple times in high school, when I had a free period at the end of the day. Once, after I’d snuck outside and I was getting my bike, a teacher exited the building in front of me. I ran away, wheeling my bike behind the school to the other side of the building, but I saw a class taking a break outside right where I needed to pass by. I ran back again, and, with no other options, stowed my bike in a bush and crouched in a dark corner for ten minutes until the class left and I could flee.
Once in an art history class, I was humming to myself. The lights were dimmed so we could see the artwork projected on the screen. I was humming a song to myself in my head — or so I thought. After the class somebody said, “Did you hear someone humming the whole class? It was so distracting!”
I set up a meeting with a professor, had conflicts and had to cancel, and when we tried to reschedule, I thought it was her turn to email me and ghosted her for two weeks before saying “actually I’m good!” and bailing.
One time I was struggling with a calculus problem that I kept getting wrong. I went to my professor and asked him to look and see where my mistake was. Turns out I thought 6 - 5 was 2.
I got ghosted by the guy I sat next to in class. But we still had to “turn to a partner and discuss the reading” with each other. And to make matters worse, he was always on his phone, even though he never replied to my texts.
Photo by Blogging Guide on Unsplash
Haunts
on the Hill
Sources:
https://students.hamilton.edu/spectator/features/p/haunted-hamilton-archives-reveal-hamiltons-legendary-ghost-stories-1/view
https://students.hamilton.edu/spectator/features/p/spooked-ya-hauntings-on-the-hill/view https://www.newyorkhauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/hamilton-college.html
by Morgan Hodorowski
Hush…what was that sound? A poltergeist, phantom, or mere imagination? The sounds of buildings or a spirit beyond-the-grave? On a campus as historical and isolated as Hamilton College, such chilling, hair-raising experiences abound, where paranormality cannot help but trump skepticism—even if just for a moment. On my end, I had the pleasure during my freshman year of attending a campus ghost tour, led by Interim Director of Campus Safety Wayne Gentile, for my FYC Course LIT-128: Americans Ghosts. The tour explored the unspoken, uneasy, and undead side of campus lore — whose residue was the stuff of nightmares.
Gentile had a lot to share, such as spine-chilling, inexplicable encounters with, perhaps, the supernatural. We had traipsed across campus as dusk turned dark, visiting old, dusty, and abandoned spaces—basements, cellars, and attics closed-off and forgotten. As the sky darkened, so did the atmosphere. Take, for instance, the Anderson-Connell Alumni Center, where a cacophonous outbreak of phone calls one night, lights no longer working, evades explanation. Or Elihu Root House: it’s lamp outside supposedly flickers whenever a visitor approaches, as it did on my tour. And, the most chilling, Buttrick Hall, where a sound reminiscent of a chair dragging across hardwood floors resounded from the conference room following a campus safety walkthrough.
Hamilton’s history teems with stories, the supernatural, and supernatural stories. Take 100 College Hill Road, whose host of tenants have detailed encounters with the Anderson Sisters, daughters of college founder William Anderson. Spinsters and long-term residents, Myra, Harriet, and Susan Anderson occupied 100 College Hill Road until their deaths. Previous residents, from Dr. Frank Ristine to Professor Jascha Kessler, detail creaking floorboards, sudden chills and drafts, and shadowy nighttime visitors. Siuda House, formerly Sigma Phi, also boasts a past bathed in history and horror. Convinced that the building was haunted by the ghost of Dr. Melancthon Woolsey Stryker, a former college president, the Sigma Phi fraternity brothers and their cook conducted a seance to make contact with the dead.
The site New York Haunted House also shares some ghosts of Hamilton College, from previous residences who continue to “inhabit” the Admissions Building and Alumni House, to a Revolutionary War messenger spotted ambling down the halls of North Hall before disappearing into the walls. Keep your eyes peeled, fellow spectral aficionados!
A 2013 Spectator article adds another ghost story to Hamilton’s already long resume. While on Gentile’s tour, the group stopped in the now-repurposed Minor Theatre (Moho Residence Hall) where previously a visiting spiritualist, upon entering the theatre, sensed malicious spirits and begged to leave. This 2013 tour group, jittery and tense, similarly set foot into the theatre, only to be assaulted by banging. “It sounded like someone wearing oversized, almost metallic-sounding shoes,” the article recounts, “clomping across a small space somewhere above our heads.” Whether prank, pipes, or bonafide phantom, nobody could explain what occurred in Minor Theatre. Instead, like ghost stories before, it has entered an established and eerie Hamilton lore. The article even anticipates this inclusion: “I would not be surprised we end up in one of Gentile’s stories.” Rest easy (or uneasy?), it did!
Life Is Short and
I’m fairly sure no one is new to the phrase, “life is short.” How we should spend our time was an especially prevalent topic the weekend before midterms. I spent mine climbing a mountain in the Adirondacks.
The Hamilton Outing Club (HOC) puts a lot of effort into organizing 46 Peaks weekend — this year alone there were 26 trips and 118 participants — and the leaders put all they can into reaching every peak safely. Like a number of other students at the beginning of this year, I signed up to be a leader for HOC, which meant I got to shadow-lead a 46 Peaks trip. I know some people would hear that and be confused: “Why would you ever do that?”
The truth is: because life is short.
One of the leaders on my trip talked about this on our drive to the trailhead, which was a winding 3.5 hours. He said that we have a lot of time to decide what to do with our life. What we don’t necessarily have a lot of time for, is living in and of itself. Living is going on these trips, going for long drives (with amazing playlists), making new friends, and filling the world with laughter and tears because living is a lovely and difficult experience.
In my opinion, there’s no better way to live than to hike in the Adirondacks. My trip was Tabletop and Phelps (shoutout to my leaders and participants, y’all are angels!). It was difficult at times and not everyone in the trip completed the second peak but it was an immensely rewarding use of our time.
On Saturday, we left campus in a Jitney at 4:30 a.m., hoping for a parking space at the Adirondack Loj, but still had to park a mile or two away because of how many people came to see the beautiful fall foliage. After getting to the trail, it was about 6 miles to the base of Tabletop and, since we were lucky enough to be blessed with beautiful weather, we ate lunch at an overlook near the peak.
The Indian Falls Overlook has a gorgeous view of the McIntyre Range and, as one would hope from the name, a lovely waterfall. It was colder the higher we went, though, and we didn’t stay long before heading to the peak. In case any of you have never climbed a mountain before, I won’t lie to you and say that it’s easy, but it is hugely satisfying to complete.
Tabletop Mountain is scattered with trees but the peak still has a brilliant view. It made it hard to leave, for reasons other than the difficulty of the descent, but we needed to get to Phelps.
Our trip wasn’t without its hiccups. At the base of Phelps Mountain, the leaders decided it would be best to split up. One leader took a group to the summit as quickly as possible, to avoid hiking in the dark, and the other leader and I took the second group and headed for the Jitney to bring it closer to the trailhead.
Life Is Long
A Report from 46 Peaks by Kate Thum
I’ve been told by people who have done the trail before that Phelps has a beautiful view, so I was admittedly disappointed to not have the chance to summit it, but the hike back was still a lot of fun with our small group. As planned, we got the Jitney and waited for the second group before driving back to campus.
Maybe I should have been studying, since it was the weekend before midterms, but this felt just as important. Seeing the Adirondacks during peak foliage was completely worth the time it took. Life is short and I might not get the opportunity again. As for school work, well, life is also long and in the end we’re going to be okay. There are going to be times when we need a break, when we need to just see something beautiful or work for something that isn’t our future for once, and that’s okay. We’re allowed to do these wonderful things, we’re allowed to try year after year to hit all 46 peaks in one weekend, because life is short and life is long.
Photos by Izabo Ramos, Emily Younkin, and Sean Gebauer
More Photos
Giant + Rocky (Saturday) - Mackenzie Baisch
Haystack + Basin + Saddleback - Rachel Budd
Street + Nye - Zoe Neely
Allen - Jackson Rassias
From 46 Peaks!
Cascade and Porter - Taima Ashour
Colden - Photo Courtesy of the Outing Club
Macomb + South Dix + Grace - Cole Conviser
Dix + Macomb + South Dix + Hough + GraceForrest Schmitt
AA Exposé
Emma DiGiacomo
Hamilton’s orientation programs are touted as a unique introduction to college life for incoming freshmen. Each trip is based on a different activity, whether that be volunteering at a soup kitchen, learning about local art, or hiking through the Adirondack Mountains. However, behind the smiling, energetic faces that orientation leaders are characterized by, is an unspoken divide between the three distinct types of trips. Essentially, Hamilton offers a trio of categories that each trip falls into – Adirondack Adventure, Exploration Adventure, and Outreach Adventure. For a multitude of reasons, the current dynamic of orientation leaders has shifted into a hierarchy where Adirondack Adventure receives more attention than XA and OA.
I am an AA leader myself, having led the “Rock Climbing” and “Basecamp” trips in the last two years. I do want to note that I have found orientation to be the most impactful experience I have participated in at Hamilton. With that being said, while I have a very positive perception of Andrew Jillings, my fellow leaders, and the program as a whole, I have spoken with both XA and OA leaders who are unhappy about how their trips are viewed against AA trips. There is a dominant narrative that AA trips are ‘harder,’ as hiking and canoeing are often labeled as ‘spicy’ on the Hamilton website. In comparison, XA and OA trips fall under ‘mild.’ However, the definition of ‘harder’ in these cases tends to be limited to the physical, rather than considering mental challenges. One of my close friends is an OA leader, and explained to me that students usually apply for an OA trip for one of two reasons: either out of an interest in volunteering, or, more commonly, to escape the tenting that comes with AA and XA. To contrast, the majority of students that sign up for AA trips tend to be excited about the outdoors already. Therefore, there is energy brought to AA trips from incoming freshmen that OA leaders have to construct more themselves. The idea that AA is ‘harder’ pervades into training, which takes place the week after finals end in May, as well as the week before orientation begins in August. Lengthwise, the AA training trip is one to two days longer than the OA and XA trips. Because of this, it is believed that AA training requires skills that OA and XA leaders do not have
access to. I believe what is closer to the truth is that the skills taught on AA training simply take longer to learn and practice, such as building a fire, reading a compass, and how to use an InReach. However, the emotional work required to be an orientation leader is the same across the board, and that is what I find to be more difficult than any physical task. To be fair, with both May and August training, AA does often have longer, busier days, as planning the trip itinerary is more reliant on the leaders than with OA and XA. This is because AA trips take place in remote, unserviced locations so leaders have to bear responsibility for navigating the entire route.
Out of fairness, it is important to note that a very large percentage of XA and OA leaders initially applied to be on AA before being redirected to the other programs. While I could not find any official numbers on how many applicants per year typically get moved into XA or OA, this fact gives the impression that the difficulty to ‘get the job’ as an AA leader is higher.
Socially, there is a divide between AA, XA, and OA as well. It is common for all three programs to eat meals at the same time during training weeks, but typically AA leaders will sit with other AA leaders, XA will sit with XA, and so on. This separation extends to social gatherings. For example,
this August a bonfire took place in the Glen that only AA was invited to. In response to this exclusion, XA hosted their own rival party, furthering the divide between the programs. The most egregious, almost comedic, instance of social division was the night of this year’s celebratory Glarty. Taking place after the banquet that officially wraps up orientation, the annual Glarty is meant to applaud the leaders on another successful year. Leading up to the event were two pregames, one for AA and one for XA, that took place in two connected suites. I live in the suite where the XA pregame took place, and it was shocking to me that there was no crossover at all between the two programs, not even a friendly ‘hello’ to the suite next door. The AA leaders simply stayed with each other, while XA did the same a mere few feet away.
As orientation leaders, no matter what trip is being led, we are all working towards the same goal of being a mentor to our freshmen, so I have never understood the intention behind not hanging out all together. Exclusivity completely goes against the values of orientation, so that is the greatest issue I have with the current state of AA. Moving forward, it is my hope that AA, XA, and OA leaders can collaborate more and expand outside of the social boundaries of their specific program. Because at the end of the day, everyone loves a good Glarty.
Noah Bridgeman Field
Nick Hollander
Pictured above: Noah Bridgeman ‘24
Photos courtesy of the Hamilton Frisbee Team
As students embed themselves within Hamilton culture, a collection of place names become familiar. The Root family name is memorialized across campus in an academic building, administrative office, and a student residence hall. Place naming reflects contributions that Hamilton community members have made to the college, generally in the form of generous donations. This has proven to be a rather effective tactic of donation incentivization; few places on campus are not formally named. While students created, and continue to make use of, the light side / dark side distinction, there are few examples of other student-created place names. A notable exception is Bridgeman Ultimate Field.
Named after Noah Bridgeman ‘24, the Hamilton Hot Saucers ultimate team decided on the name for their field following Bridgeman’s graduation last Spring. The team’s field is officially unnamed—unlike the other athletic fields—and had simply been called “Frisbee Field” prior to the name change. While not an unappealing name, it lacked the identifiability and significance to the campus that official names provide the other fields. The naming effort was set forth through a series of Google Maps reviews that named and reviewed the field. The team will be happy to know that the field has received only five-star reviews.
At Hamilton, Bridgeman majored in computer science and worked as a computer science research assistant. In addition to Ultimate, he was involved with the Geoguessr club. After graduation, Bridgeman started a position as a junior systems administrator at Northeastern Supply, an independent wholesaler headquartered in Baltimore.
Many of the reviews of the field express gratitude for Bridgeman’s presence on the team. Robbie Aronson ‘25 said, “This man and this field changed my life. Great place and great person.” Although a couple of the reviews suggest that Bridgeman may have passed away, these rumors have been debunked. The name simply acts as a dedication to a player who embodied the spirit of Ultimate both on and off the field. He is remembered on the team for his energy on the field and the creation of new cheers that are still used at Ultimate tournaments today. Off the field, Bridgeman was unrelentingly funny and a caring friend. He brought an energy to the team that made it feel inclusive and fun. Maia Macek ‘25 may have described it best: “The magic of the Noah Bridgeman Ultimate Field cannot be put into words. Absolutely life-changing. I’m so lucky to have played alongside Noah.”
Hamilton Superlatives
Do you agree with our editors?
Best nap spot on campus
Botanical garden
Prettiest study spot
KTSA
Worst place for a job interview over Zoom
12 o’clock Commons
Best classroom
List 225
Best place to pull an all-nighter
Best catered food
Minar
Best on-campus date
Ice skating
Best glen on campus
Rogers Glen
Best desktops on campus
KJ Writing Center
Best sports team
Women’s Hockey
Kindest professors
Econ
Best meal on campus
CJ McEwen Taco Friday
Best dining hall breakfast
McEwen
Best weekday activity
Pub Trivia
Best study abroad program
DIS Copenhagen Semester
Most confusing building
List
Best place to chill with friends
KTSA Lawn
Best free merch Crossroads
Best thing about Hamilton
Open curriculum
Best academic department culture
Tie: Geosciences, Philosophy, Math
Most iconic club Full Moon Club
Best place to stargaze
Elephant Graveyard
Best commons meal
Beef tips and egg noodles
Best summertime activity
Swim in the watering hole
Best soup at Clinton Cider Mill Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Best on campus job Fitness Center Desk
Best ice cream flavor at Commons Raspberry-Chocolate Swirl
Longest line on campus Euphoria
Most underrated sports team
Tie: Pickelball Club and Sailing Club
Best dorm room Kirkland Loft
Photos: Maeve Brown, Oliver Jackson
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