A Hamilton College Student Publication, Clinton, NY January 21, 2010 Volume L Number 13 THE SPECTATOR College Keeping Faculty Tenure: Tabs on Printing What Students by Emily Delbridge ’13 Need to Know NEWS WRITER by Rebecca Pomerantz ’12 FEATURES WRITER No, you are not being charged to print. Many Hamilton students Despite the fact that tenure is a have been left confused, as they well-established and long-standing have begun printing information practice here at Hamilton, many stu- and assignments for spring classes. dents seem to be unaware of how This semester, a new conservation the appointment system works or program is being tested on campus: what gaining tenure even means. when a job is sent to a public printer, Most students seem to think that the student is notified of the “cost” getting approved for tenure means of that job. However, there is no to get a promotion or earn more link between the notification on the money because the professor has screen and your Hill Card account. been around for a long time. The system is meant merely to Students note that they often raise awareness about the resources feel that the process of approving each student is consuming and to tenure is largely separated from decrease the amount of resources student awareness and knowledge. that students use. Many understand that the comple- Several years ago, the student- PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ANDY RICHARDSON ’10 tion of post-semester course and run Hamilton Environmental Ac- Previous speakers in the Sacerdote Great Names Lecture Series have included professor evaluations are seen by tion Group (HEAG) met with Infor- famous politicians like Al Gore and entertainment personalities like Jon Stewart. those administrators in charge of mation Technology Vice President the faculty, but never understand David Smallen in the loft above the how those evaluations are used or Little Pub. The student organization if they are used at all. was troubled by the large amount Great Names Series Falls Silent Kate Bennert ’12 said “All I of waste produced in the printing know is that some professors get labs on campus from papers never Speakers’ increased fees, scheduling conflicts put series on hold [tenure] and some don’t. That’s it... retrieved and/or mistakenly printed. it’s never really been clarified.” This semester, a prospective by Erin W. Hoener ’10 it would be best to focus their tors that prevented the com- Although the process of being solution to this student concern is EDITOR-IN-CHIEF efforts on a lecture for next fall, mittee from securing a speaker approved for tenure obviously fo- being implemented. Although there rather than scramble to put to- this year. cuses on professors, the outcome af- will no charge to students at this As Stephen Colbert knows, gether a lecture that would not According to Magnarelli, a fects the entire student body. Those time for the products printed, the last year’s Sacerdote Series meet the “Great” expectations ‘scheduling war’ with Colgate professors who do not get approved administration hopes that being re- speaker Jon Stewart is a hard of the Hamilton community. prevented the committee from for tenure may leave, while some minded that nothing is free will urge act to follow. No one will get This news came as a shock to securing former British prime professors who are approved gain students to look more closely at their the chance to follow Stewart most students, who have come minister Tony Blair as the next more say in academic departments individual consumption and reduce this year, however, as the se- to view “Great Names” as a Hamilton ‘Great Name’. Al- and may become more influential waste where it currently occurs. ries will be taking an intermis- Hamilton tradition. though both schools provided over the student body, regardless PaperCut, the system respon- sion. For the first time since the “No Great Names speaker? But comprable monetary offers, of their popularity among students. sible for the cost notifications, offers series began in 1996, Hamil- it’s a Hamilton tradition! After Colgate was able to offer a That said, the effect upon the student a breakdown of each student’s total ton will be without a “Great the streaking team, now this?” more suitable date for Blair’s body can be both a positive and a use of resources over the semester Name.” exclaimed one disappointed schedule. negative one. (each time you print it adds the cost On Tuesday, Jan. 19, the senior upon hearing the news. In addition to Blair, the selec- Once approved for tenure, vis- of that job to the cost of all previous Sacerdote Great Name selec- Lisa Magnarelli ‘96, assistant tion committee extended offers iting professors become associate jobs, keeping a running total for the tion committee announced via dean of students for campus life, to Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-win- professors. Decisions regarding semester). all-campus e-mail that they director of student activities and ning author Toni Morrison and professors’ standings are a matter The “Details” option in the have ceased efforts to secure a coordinator of Great Names, Kofi Annan, Nobel Peace Prize left to the Hamilton College Board speaker for this academic year. cited monetary and scheduling see ITS, page 2 The committee concluded that availability issues as the fac- see Hamilton, page 3 see Tenure, page 7 Hamilton Contributes to New Clinton Fire Truck by Kerry Q. Coughlin ’11 in order to bring the $1,055,000 ilton’s contribution toward the NEWS WRITER ladder truck to Clinton. purchase will greatly reduce The Clinton Fire Depart- the burden on the taxpayers of Last month, President Joan ment is an all-volunteer mu- Clinton. Hinde Stewart announced that nicipal fire department. The “This contribution from Hamilton would be making a fire department’s operating Hamilton College for the lad- donation of $250,000 to the budget is part of Clinton’s gen- der truck is a reflection of the Clinton Fire Department, to be eral budget, and all fire depart- strong relationship between the put towards the purchase of a ment equipment is purchased College and the community, and new ladder truck. and maintained by the Village we are grateful for the support,” The truck will replace the of Clinton. This means that said Robert G. Goering, Mayor Clinton Fire Department’s cur- the taxpayers of the Village of the Village of Clinton. rent truck, which is twenty- receive fire protection as part three years old and has outdat- of their municipal taxes. Ham- see Hamilton Helping, page 2 ed equipment that is costly to maintain. In contrast, the new OPINON: Cost of LEED Certification Questionable 5 truck will contain a 100-foot mid-mounted ladder, an essen- FEATURES: MLK Service Day 8 tial piece of equipment. The PHOTO BY ANDY RICHARDSON ’10 Village of Clinton recently con- A & E: LOOK UP at the Emerson Gallery 9 The Clinton Fire Department will soon receive a new fire tracted with a company called SCI & TECH: Carcinogens Found in Campus Furniture 11 truck. Hamilton donated $250,000 towards the purchase. Ferrara, located in Louisiana, INSIDE January 21, 2010 Page 1 NEWS THE SPECTATOR January Admits Arrive on NESCAC NEWS Hill After Semester Abroad by Amanda Jordan ’10 NEWS WRITER by Arianne Bergman ’13 ter. Scott found independent Here on campus, Scott feels NEWS WRITER living in a foreign country both welcomed. Jans are encouraged trying and rewarding. “You just to go on Adirondack Adventure Colby College Every year, Hamilton wel- get so many fastballs thrown and Urban Service Experience comes around 30 students as at you in London. You’re just trips before the fall semester Two Colby College roommates, Jessica Frick and Yanica Faustin, January Admits, affectionate- completely on your own, so starts, and Scott has enjoyed were in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, when the 7.0-magnitude ly called “Jans.” This week, you have to be either mature or “re-meeting” the friends she earthquake hit on Jan. 12. Both students were there on a two- 38 first-years have joined our prepared… I’m a lot more inde- made then. Scott describes the week vacation to visit Faustin’s family. At the time the earth- community. Nearly all of them pendent. I’m more prepared for Jans collectively as a close but quake struck, Frick and Faustin were with Faustin’s brother in attended the University of Lon- life now, and college…England outgoing group of students, and a car, and no one was injured. Both Colby seniors are now back don this past semester through made me a better person.” says she’s having no problems in the United States – Frick in Maine and Faustin in New York. a program led by New York Another aspect of the pro- adjusting to life on the Hill. Classes at Colby do not resume until Feb. 3. University, although a few did gram Scott especially enjoyed Dean of Admissions and service work, with one student was the opportunity to travel. Financial Aid Monica Inzer is teaching in a Newark, New Jer- Through a service program, she thrilled to have them on campus. Bowdoin College sey school, and others pursued stayed for a time with a woman “Jan admits are often some of personal interests, such as tri- in Northern Ireland, and gained our favorite students who stand On Jan. 15, former U.S. Senator and graduate of Bowdoin Col- athlon training. a deeper understanding of reli- out in the admission process lege, George Mitchell ’54, was honored with the 2010 Theodore The January Admission gious and socio-economic is- and who we think belong on Roosevelt Award.