A Hamilton College Student Publication, Clinton, NY April 2, 2009 Volume XLIX Number 20 THE SPECTATOR Cathie Black to Speak at Commencement Ceremony President of Hearst Magazines and best-selling author to receive honorary degree with Adams, Chopp & Scott ’61 by Ezra A. Rosenberg ’10 and development of some of into media and business.” NEWS EDITOR the industry’s best-known titles: Black has extensive media Esquire, Redbook, The Oprah experience from her eight suc- This May, Cathie Black will Magazine, Popular Mechanics, cessful years success at USA take a break from managing mag- and Town & Country. Today, where she was president, azines such as Cosmopolitan, to Black is known for her book then publisher, as well as a board send the Class of 2009 into the real BASIC BLACK: The Essential member and executive vice presi- world. Black, president of Hearst Guide for Getting Ahead at Work dent/marketing of Gannett, USA Magazines, will deliver the an- (and in Life), which reached Today’s parent company. In 99 nual commencement address on number one on the Wall Street she became president and CEO Sunday, May 24, at 0:30 a.m. Journal Business Books list and of the Newspaper Association of The Financial Times called number three on the New York America, the industry’s largest Black “one of the leading figures Times Business Books List in trade group, where she served for in American publishing over the Nov. 2007. According to Black’s five years before joining Hearst. past two decades.” She heads biography, her book provides Black is a graduate of Trinity Hearst Corporation’s magazine “valuable lessons about ambi- College, Washington, D.C., and division, one of the world’s larg- tion, self-confidence, and risk, holds nine honorary degrees. est publishers of monthly maga- illustrated by candid, funny per- zines, and manages the finance sonal stories and with insights see Degrees, page 4 Hamilton Accepts Class of 2013 PHOTO COURTESY OF HOLLY FOSTER College accepts fewest number of applicants in 28 Financial Aid Up as years, seeks to increase diversity among student body by Russ Doubleday ’11 “Before we finalize and mail This year’s admitted class is NEWS EDITOR decisions, we look to see how one of the most diverse ever. 26 College Cuts Costs many applicants we’ve tentatively percent of the accepted students by Olivia B. Waxman ’11 Acting President and Dean of While the total number of slated to admit,” stated Monica are classified as multicultural, NEWS WRITER Faculty Joe Urgo wrote in a letter applicants to Hamilton fell eight Inzer, dean of admission and fi- an “unprecedented” amount ac- to Hamilton parents last month. percent from last year, this pool, nancial aid. “This year we had cording to Inzer, and another five Student financial aid will not “The growth in the financial aid which was still the third largest more than 250 too many admits, percent are international students. get slashed next year as depart- budget is larger than the increase ever for the college, was the most more than ever before, and had Accepted students hail from 44 ments and offices campus-wide in the comprehensive fee to reflect competitive in history. to spend a weekend in trying to states and 4 different countries. are making cutbacks to reduce the greater need that we antici- Admissions decisions were figure out which ones to pull out The College admitted fewer endowment spending. In fact, the pate many of our families may mailed to the 4,657 applicants of the admitted pool.” students than it has in 28 years, 2009-200 operating budget, ap- demonstrate during these difficult on March 27. From all these ap- There were many other fac- even though the number of ap- proved by the Board of Trustees in times.” plicants, ,37 were accepted, tors the Admissions office took plications received was the third February, reserves $24,563,000 To balance out the budget in the smallest number of students into account besides grades and highest on record. The Admissions for financial aid––up from the light of the increase in financial accepted since 98. The accep- board scores (Hamilton does not office has noticed that more people existing $23,325,000––to cover aid, every department and office tance rate this year is 29 percent, require SAT scores on its applica- are placing Hamilton as their top current families and attract new has been asked to make a four the third lowest in school history tion). “[We want] students who are choice school, eliminating the students. percent cut, which amounts to a after the last two years, which had a good fit for Hamilton and will need to accept more students than According to a survey con- $650,000 reduction in operating a 28 percent acceptance rate. contribute to our community in the target class size. As ducted by the National Associa- costs across the board. Yet Leach The SAT scores and high exciting and meaningful ways,” tion of Independent Colleges at anticipates these changes will “be school ranks of the accepted ap- said Inzer. see College Awaits, page 2 the end of last year, 93 percent of relatively invisible to students.” plicants set new records. The av- its 372 members were “greatly or The Math Department, for erage SAT score was 40 on the moderately concerned about pre- instance, is reducing its copy- 600 point scale (students scored venting a decline in student en- ing costs by utilizing the less an average of 70 on the writing rollment.” In her presentation to expensive copiers in the Print section), the highest ever. The old the Student Assembly on March Shop and saving paper by posting record was 408, set two years 9, Karen Leach, vice president homework assignments online ago. Additionally, 85 percent of of Finance and Administration, and limiting exams to one-page admitted students were in the top acknowledged that Hamilton’s instead of the typical seven-to- ten percent of their high school foremost commitment is to “keep nine pages. class, the second highest number current students here.” So far, the Cutbacks within the Gov- ever recorded. college has “re-packaged” finan- ernment Department, however, With such a strong applicant cial aid for 43 current families. will be more visible to students, pool this year, entrance decisions “Just as Hamilton is faced according to department chair for the Admissions staff were hard- with unprecedented fiscal pres- Stephen Orvis. While a $,000 er than ever before. Students who sure, we recognize that our fam- would normally have received GRAPHIC BY erin hoener’ 10 ilies face similar challenges,” see College Concerned, page 3 admission were turned down. This chart shows the diversity of the accepted class of 2013. Choir tour visit the Vatican Curling curls the socks off Frat-Party Fallout: Page 12 Page 3 the competition Page 18 April 2, 2009 Page NEWS THE SPECTATOR HALT Awareness Week Focuses on Future Alumni Connections by Lauren Moon ’10 to stay connected to its source.” all the cool events it throws un- FEATURES EDITOR Presentations at HALT lun- til the end of their junior year.” cheons have included an infor- Thus the idea for a week of pub- Every year, the College trains mal chat and speech by President licity proved necessary. Kuhn selected seniors to be active alum- Stewart, a presentation from Ca- goes on to explain this week’s ni (and hopefully active donors) reer Center representatives about objective: “the purpose of HALT through the Hamilton Alumni networking, an etiquette class Awareness Week is for students Leadership Training (HALT) taught by field expert Elizabeth of all grades to understand the program. According to program Tantillo, as well as gatherings with strength of our alumni network participants, it offers them the various Hamilton alumni, and and the importance of giving back chance to gain skills to help en- even several Kirkland alumnae. to the school after graduation.” ter the professional community, This year HALT is comprised According to some, not all as well as to learn to be a future of 48 seniors including the two co- members of HALT buy into the community building mission of leader in alumnus activity. chairs, Eric Kuhn ’09 and Akilah PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDSAY Getman ’10 The goal of HALT is to pre- Bond ’09. the program. As members often pare this group to enter the work “This team is working hard attend exclusive meetings and Lindsay Getman ’10 (left) abroad at the Colosseum in Rome. world confidently and with as- this week to promote HALT networking events, some see surance that the Hamilton com- Awareness Week, getting the HALT as a means to securing a munity will support and aid in word out to supporters of the lucrative position after college. Study Abroad Costs their endeavors. In doing this, the College as well as to prospec- “It can be disheartening that some College in turn expects this group tive underclassmen,” said Kuhn. have chosen to join HALT as a of leaders to maintain contact be- Members of HALT could be networking and job-obtaining May Strand Students tween the College and the newly seen wearing t-shirts and inviting device,” says Finney. “Although by Rebekah Mintzer ’09 fun on the weekend at Hamil- SENIOR EDITOR ton. However, for the time being the costs of study abroad do not One of the most exciting as- seem to be deterring Hamilton pects of college for many students students. at Hamilton is spending time “Hamilton numbers for the studying abroad. However, with fall are not firm yet since the dead- the recent changes in the eco- line has just passed, but based nomic climate, there is anxiety in on what we’re seeing so far, our the air about whether American numbers will be about the same college students will be able to af- as last fall,” said Drogus.