HAVOC's Record Turnout Helps to Make a Difference Students, Faculty

A Hamilton College Student Publication, Clinton, NY September 17, 2009 Volume L Number 3 THE SPECTATOR Students, Faculty Fast for Charity During Ramadan by Emily Delbridge ’13 each day for the duration of NEWS WRITER Ramadan. As soon as the sun set, On Wednesday, over 150 the eager fasters took part in Hamilton students and faculty the “iftar,” or breaking of the members joined the Muslim fast and a customary opening Students Association (MSA) prayer. Appetizers from The in the third annual Fast-o-thon. Phoenician restaurant and en- Participants spent the day fast- trées from Minar were served, PHOTO COURTESY OF SARA MILLER ’10 ing to support the Mohawk Val- and a short reading from the Quran followed with an inter- A Hamilton volunteer enjoys some face painting with local youth on Make a Dif- ley Refugee Center in Utica. They were then served a free pretation explaining the tradi- ference Day. Last Saturday, the HAVOC event set a new record for participation. dinner, and about five dollars tion of Ramadan. per person was donated to the The general practice of Center, courtesy of Bon Appétit fasting is a common religious and Student Assembly. experience, being part of Islam HAVOC’s Record Turnout The Center will be able and Judaism, among other re- to use the donations to help ligions. Therefore there must refugees with anything from be something universal in the Helps to Make a Difference simply stocking the refrigera- experience of fasting that draws tor to finding a job or helping religious attention. In Islam, by Arianne Bergman ’13 Students went to 16 different ton students aided last weekend with medical expenses. the central motivation for fast- NEWS WRITER locations, undertaking tasks rang- and regularly visit is the Loretto The Fast-o-thon took place ing is in emulating the Prophet ing from trimming the shrubs in Center in Utica, an elderly com- on the twenty-third day of the Mohammad and following the Last Saturday, Hamilton an elderly couple’s yard to work- munity complex housing more Islamic holy month of Rama- Quran. But in addition to the students spent almost 500 hours ing in a soup kitchen. HAVOC than 250 people. HAVOC has a dan, Laylat-al-Qadr (The Night obvious religious reasons, vet- serving their community. The regularly works at many of these longstanding relationship with of Decree), when all sins are eran fasters explain a multi- Hamilton Association for Vol- sites throughout the year. the center and has been sending forgiven and charitable acts tude of other spiritual aspects, unteering, Outreach and Charity “We hope that volunteers students there for years to spend are returned multi-fold. For including a sense of physical (HAVOC) hosted their annual who went there will have had a time with the residents. Muslims, the holy month ob- and mental purification. event, Make a Difference Day, great experience and will want Students also helped out at ligates fasting, or abstaining Nedzada Smajic ’10 of the which drew approximately 130 to return again,” said HAVOC the Abraham House. The facility from eating, drinking, chewing MSA explained, “I fast because volunteers, more than any year president Laurel Emurian ’11. gum, smoking and performing before. Among the sites that Hamil- see HAVOC, page 2 sexual acts from dawn to dusk see Over 150 Fast, page 2 Alumni Receive Recognition from President, Poker World by Russ Doubleday ’11 to finding ways to help TVA serve of public interest law.” McBride is NEWS EDITOR the Tennessee Valley and promote also an professor at the University the Obama Administration’s en- of Tennessee College of Law. Last week, President Barack ergy policy.” He also said that the “If I am approved, I am es- Obama announced that he plans to senate hearings will be the most dif- pecially pleased that I can keep nominate Neil McBride ’67 to the ficult aspect of the whole process. my day job, not have to move to Board of Directors of the Tennessee After graduating from Hamil- Washington and still be a small part Valley Authority (TVA). The TVA ton College in 1967, McBride en- of this Administration,” McBride serves nine million residents in rolled at the University of Virginia said. seven states, making it the country’s School of Law and started his legal Taking a different path to largest producer of electricity. The career under Ralph Nader in Wash- post-grad success, David Sands organization was created as a part of ington D.C. Shortly thereafter, he ’07 became the number one ranked President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s moved to east Tennessee, where he online poker player in the world ac- New Deal in 1933, and currently helped establish a public interest cording to Card Player Magazine’s also works in river management law firm which has fought for stron- Online Player of the Year. Sands has and economic development for the ger environmental standards in coal earned $838,609 this year, bringing region. purchasing contracts and more ef- his total career earnings to almost PHOTO COURTESY OF NEIL MCBRIDE ’67 In order to be confirmed, fective energy efficiency programs. $1.3 million. Over the past month, Neil McBride ’67 was nominated by President Obama to McBride must take part in con- Over his long career, he has estab- Sands has been consistently ranked join the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors. firmation hearings for the Senate lished several legal programs and in the top five of the standings, but Committee on Environment and firms and been a member of both he only achieved the top spot for the Public Works, and then the United the Tennessee Bar Association and first time on Tuesday. Sands earned OPINION: Are We Becoming Colgate? 6 States Senate must approve his American Bar Association, where $40,336 in three casino events this FEATURES: Behind President Stewart’s Sabbatical 9 nomination. he has held upper level positions year, where he finished no worse “I am humbled by the chal- on legal aid committees. than 30th in each one. A&E: Hamilton Grad Faces Top Chef Judges 11 lenge,” said McBride. “If my nomi- The White House called Mc- Sands could not be reached INSIDESCI&TECH: Green Week Hits the Hill 16 nation is approved, I look forward Bride “a national leader in the field for comment. September 1, 2009 Page 1 NEWS THE SPECTATOR Economic Insider Explains SA Update Why Housing Bubble Burst Changes Coming to Burke Library by Eve Denton ’12 STUDENT ASSEMBLY CORRESPONDENT by Ramya Ramnath ’13 graphic changes during the same recommended a “crack-down on NEWS WRITER period were clear indicators that mortgages and over-leverage” as “something just [didn’t] fit.” Ac- a measure for tighter regulation. Library Director of Public Services Carolyn Carpan visited According to Dean Baker, cording to Baker, the bubble was An increase in interest rates, he Student Assembly on Sept. 14 to discuss changes within Hamil- we should have seen the econom- formed mainly due to people’s suggested, should only be used ton’s library system. Updates have been made to the catalog and ic crisis coming. In a thought- expectations of housing prices to in a worst-case scenario, clarify- a new layout should make content searches much easier for stu- provoking lecture on Wednes- rise and their self-motivation to ing that “It’s not a good policy” dents. A new policy will allow student to use Hill cards to check day night, Baker, co-director take loans and spend as a result. but that “it would have brought out videotapes and DVDs from the Media Library. Previously, all of the Center for Economic and Briefly elaborating on the down the bubble.” students were required to watch videos in the building. Items that Policy Research in Washington, effects of the economic crisis, Baker offered a number of professors have put on reserve for a class must still be watched DC, presented his views on the Baker said that the housing bub- possible methods to get out of in the room, but all other materials are available for students to reasons, effects and methods of ble caused people to re-finance this crisis. In the short-term, he check out for three days, with one renewal allowed. There is now preventing the economic crisis. their mortgages, take additional suggested that the government an interlibrary loan status page designed to enable students to It was the first lecture of the se- loans and reduce savings. In ad- spend money in order to create check book statuses online instead of visiting the library to learn mester in a series sponsored by dition, the bursting of the hous- jobs, even if they are wasteful. this information. the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs ing bubble caused adjusted sav- “The alternative to deficits Changes have also been made to the Burke Library build- Center. ings rates to fall, housing prices is unemployment,” he said. ing. In response to students’ comments, many chairs have been In his presentation, Baker to plummet by approximately The long-term option would refurbished to provide greater comfort while studying. Lighting addressed issues related to the 450 billion dollars and a loss of be to “get the trade deficits closer has also been rearranged to brighten the first floor seating area. housing bubble burst, such as nearly 500 billion dollars in the to balance by getting the dollar An assembly member asked whether new light fixtures could be its causes and how it affected the annual consumption in the hous- down.” added in third floor study areas, since they tend to be dark.

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