Hamilton College Top Questions

Our streaking team is famous for streaking the Ivies a few years ago. Greek life is not very important for women at Hamilton, although slightly more for men. There are a handful of sororities but many fraternities which hail back to the days when Hamilton was an all boys school. Most people on campus are not in relationships. If they are, it is usually with someone from back home. "Random hook-ups" are more the style of Hamilton students. Class and Charter Day is the last day of classes in the spring and is the biggest party day for Hamilton students. Afternoon classes are canceled in exchange for a picnic on the quad with faculty.

Last weekend the Queen of R&B, Aretha Franklin, performed for campus. It was incredible; she is still incredibly talented. Many students join Greek societies, but the majority of parties that they throw are all campus so it's not a big deal.

Frats and sororities are somewhat important, but they don't purposely exclude people who choose not to go Greek (most of the population here). Most frat/sorority parties are in public campus spaces, where anyone can pretty much attend. If you're 21, there are bars downtown, which are rather grimy and rundown, but if you're not, no worries, it is extremely easy to find alcohol at Hamilton any given night. Usually on a typical weekend most Hamilton kids will pregame (imbibe before going out), then go to an all campus party, then maybe go back to a suite or room to chill with some friends. People also just take it easy, watch tv or movies. There are a number of kids on the dark side who smoke pot, and considering all of the money here, Hamilton has become known for having plenty of hard drugs. Don't worry though, I've rarely actually seen anyone doing any serious drugs, its not visible if you don't look for it, and the college is strict about catching you. I mostly go off campus to restaurants, movies, or shopping in the immediate area of Clinton/New Hartford, theres not much else, unless you count cow tipping? As for romance, Hamilton has a pretty strong hookup scene, but not any real dating scene to speak of. There are some committed couples here, but more often than not, people are single.

Environmental groups are pretty popular on campus. Most people spend the majority of their time drinking.

The track and field team is great. Sure, as a team none of us really care how we do, but everyone pushes themselves to the limit to attain a new personal record. We have outstanding event coaches that rival some DI programs.

Hamilton studnets likes to drink socially. I think that this is because the social life is, in some ways, very driven by the hookup scene. Alcohol facilitates that here and that is a powerful motivation to drink. However, there are some very creative people here who take a lot of initiative to do inspired things and take on cool projects.

People have very diverse likes, you'll find people in favor of everything from Keystone Light to Jim Beam. Find the right drink--I mean, crowd--for you. Dating? You mean that time I hooked up with the same guy three weekends in a row? Or... yeah, I guess I heard of someone going out for dinner, once. Saturday night no drinking? Try staying in the room, taking care of drunken friends, or ordering in. You could always study.

The most popular groups on campus are athletic groups. Since Hamilton is a DIII school, most of the people participate or have participated in sports. Students in dorms so leave their doors open, I live in a quad and our door is always open. We have a lot of guest speakers come to campus (Bill Clinton, Tom Brokaw, Al Gore and Aretha Franklin, Bill Cosby, etc.) and a lot of people attend. I meet my closest friends through the basketball team that I was on. If I am awake on a Tuesday night at 2 am I am probably doing work. But if I am awake on a Thursday night at 2 am I am probably eating AMAZING diner breakfast at our diner on campus. One of the biggest social traditions at Hamilton is Class and Charter Day. it is a big day where everyone on campus gets outside and hangs out. There are usually sports going on. At G-road (a residential building) there are usually slip and slides and music and it is crazy (This usually involves drinking but people who do not drink are always welcome).

The social life is pretty typical, parties and special late night events. It's fun because if you don't feel like drinking there are comedians, movies and other things you can do.

The dating scene here is definitely skewed. We like to call it a hook-up culture. I do have a lot of friends in stable, long-term relationships but I'm not really sure how they get into them. In general, students here go out on the weekends, hook-up with someone, and then run into them awkwardly the next morning in Commons (our weekend dining hall). Some people party whenever they don't have an early class the next morning, some don't care whether they have an early class or not, some don't party at all. Most people are in between - they go out every so often, when there is a good party or they feel the need to let loose, and some weekends they are too busy, too tired, or simply don't feel like going out. There are always non-alcoholic options for an evening out on campus and some students just go to parties to dance and don't drink at all. I used to leave my dorm room unlocked all the time, and my RA does still. My roommate is uncomfortable about it so we lock it now, but I never had anything stolen. I have heard some stories, but I don't think many students worry about theft. I think fraternities and sororities are pretty important to the social scene on campus. They don't have houses so there isn't really a problem with exclusivity, but they do throw the majority of the parties on campus. You DO NOT NEED to be in a greek organization to go to parties and have fun at Hamilton, but greek societies do basically make up the social scene.

We are very secluded so almost everyone drinks excessively it is not rare to find kids that drink four or more nights a week. It seems that at least 50 percent of this campus regularly smokes pot. There is no "dating scene" here. Greek life is somewhat important because Greek societies throw dance parties that kids go to to dance, get sweaty, and hook up. There are no frat/sorority houses and these groups tend to stick to themselves. Off campus there are bars. A lot of guide books say that the student body is fairly attractive, I have come to learn that about one in twenty girls is attractive, the rest are average or below average.

Sports teams and Hamilton outing club are very big.

Play rugby, join choir, get a job, volunteer, play beach volleyball - you've got a ton of options for stuff to do. If you're bored, it's because you're not looking in the right place. And if you're still bored, just start something - people will come. Drinking is definitely not a necessity - though it is pretty popular.

The football team sucks. No one goes to their games which is a disappointment. There isn't a lot of dating per say, but some students hook up with one person for a period of time. Of course, there are a lot of random hook ups. If you are awake at 2am on a Tuesday, you are getting high or maybe finishing a last minute biology lab. The weekend starts Thursday, sometimes even Wednesday. Frats/sororities are important because they hold the parties on campus, it isn't really important to be in a sorority, but a frat on the other hand is more important. Last weekend, I went to a few parties and did some embarrassing things. Off campus, you can go to the bars downtown. I don't really know what you can do on a Saturday night that doesn't involve drinking.

A lot of students volunteer with the Hamilton Action Volunteer Outreach Coalition, and many students participate in IM sports. Weekends are big for parties, but that doesn't mean that there aren't other things to do. There's always a Late Night event on Fridays or Saturdays that don't involve drinking but do involve other fun things, like improv comedy, ballroom dancing, prom, or tae-kwon do. Feb Fest happens every February to remind us of how lucky we are to go to college in a place with such a beautiful winter. It's a week of sledding and hot chocolate joy.

We drink. A lot. Some people whine about it, fewer people abstain from it, but on a Saturday night, you're either pregaming in your dorm room, slipping on gallons of spilled beer in one of the social spaces, or having your friend hold your hair while you vomit. Such is college. I guess the best thing you can say about the drinking scene here is that nobody's died. So we're a bunch of drunks, but we're responsible drunks.

The night scene can get a little bit monotonous here, but with the right attitude and creativity you can keep yourself occupied every weekend. During the week you'll simply have work, that is until Thursday night when the weekend has officially begun.

I was walking to my dorm one night and overheard people standing outside a party debating politics. How many places can you have that happen? there are major parties and parties with academic themes which is fun. there was a man who is a key contributer in NASA's mars program that came and talked several times, three of which I went to just because it was so interesting.

There are a ton of sports teams and IM teams on campus, so most students are involved in athletics somehow. There are also a ton of student groups, whether it be a language/cultural club or clubs for students interested in pursuing certain careers after graduation. A lot of the weekend activities revolve around fraternities, but there are also a fair amount of activities for students who don't drink--movie nights, comedians, etc. and a lot of the parties on campus are dance parties so you can have fun regardless of whether or not you're drinking. But drinking on campus is mainly reserved for Thurs., Fri., and Sat.; if you're awake at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday it's because you're in the library.

Drinking is definitely an important part of the weekend activities that take place on campus. I have several friends who do not drink, but I imagine that it's quite difficult for them. Beirut is a party staple here, which is not uncommon for a college campus. Most groups on campus tend to form around activities people are involved in; for example, sports teams tend to hang out together, particularly in-season, and though fraternities and sororities are not residential, members definitely spend a great deal of time with each other. The best way to meet a group of friends is just to get involved in extracurricular activities. The campus is also extremely safe. My dorm room is absolutely never locked, and I have not had a single problem in two years. This is fantastic for someone as chronically disorganized and forgetful as I am; I accidentally left my laptop in the Diner for two days, and it was still there when I went back to get it. I would not necessarily recommend this to anyone, but I think it demonstrates something about Hamilton students.

If I'm awake at 2am on a Tuesday, I'm either doing work or hanging out. If you don't want to drink on a Saturday night, you can hang out with your sober friends (if you have them). Drinking is very prevalent. Students are frequently EMTed. I met my closest friends freshman year in classes and around my dorm. People party Thursdays through Saturdays, normally. The dating scene doesn't really involve "dates," more often than not two people that are "hooking up," generally with alcohol, may end up in a relationship after hooking up over a long period of time. Frats and sororities are pretty popular on campus; they are important because they usually throw the all campus parties. Events on campus are generally not well attended.

hamilton students drink. a lot. frats have a pretty strong presence on campus, sororities not so much. athletic events depend upon the sport and the amount of friends the players have. i've only lived on the dark side, and students always leave their doors open when they're in their rooms. theres more of a 'hook-up' scene than a dating one... i go off campus to replenish my supplies of food and toiletries because the campus store is too damn expensive.

There are more activities on campus than anyone could ever possibly do and everyone is very involved. Even if there is not a group that you find interesting, it is very easy to jump-start your own group.

Well, half the school goes Greek, and every weekend that means free campus parties. So if Greek life isn't for you, make some friends with Greek society members. Unless you don't want to drink. In which case there's Late Nite, the Samuel Kirkland Films, different presentations and lectures, and always a good night out at the Diner with friends.

Athletics are very popular as well as Greek organizations. However, there is no necessity to join any of these groups in order to fit in. As I said before, any type of person would be able to make friends with similar people to themselves. Interestingly enough, there is no such thing as dating at Hamilton College. This may be due to the fact that the school is so small. Or maybe because this is the norm at all colleges nowadays, but most students treat exclusive relationships like the plague-- they avoid them AT ALL COSTS. To most (especially guys) there is nothing worse than a hookup becoming too attached or emotionally involved. These types of situations usually end badly because one party will invariably ignore the other until that person gets the hint.

frats

Dating. Wow. There is no dating. No one wants to date here at Hamilton because all anyone wants to do is hook up. No one wants to make any commitments for any reason, and to be honest, it's probably better that way because I wouldn't want to date anyone here. The guys are disgusting. I met my closest friends through pledging my sorority which I am now president of. I love it, I love the girls, and I can't imagine having gotten through Hamilton without them.

Hamilton's social life is a little disappointing. The majority of campus activities on the weekend revolve around a party and drinking. Some parties are hosted by fraternities and sororities, but all students are welcomed to attend, and frats and sororities don't play a major part in Hamilton's social life. Hamilton also tries to bring in other activities such as musical and dance performances and speakers. We hosted Aretha Franklin last weekend, and her performance was a one in a lifetime opportunity. There really isn't a dating scene at Hamilton. Offcampus, there really isn't much to do. The town of Clinton is cute and offers your basic grocery store, but really don't cater to college students, although a new cafe recently opened hoping to do just that. A twenty minute ride away, by the vans Hamilton opperates to take students off campus, there is the town of New Hartford which has a mall and just about every chain store or restaurant you can think of. New York and Boston are both about a four hour drive away, and Hamilton often offers bus ride and sponsered events in the city.

Weekend starts Thursday and I hope you enjoy drinking. We call it Beirut here, not Beer Pong.

A lot of students play sports at Hamilton. If not on Varsity, IM sports are very popular as are wellness classes. We have local sororities and nationally affiliated fraternities as well. Many people drink on weekends but there are always places to go that do not involve drinking such as the mall, movies, or going out to eat. The Jitney provides transportation to these places if you don't have it yourself.

There are many popular organizations on campus especially IM sports. Almost 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the students here participate in IM sports at some point or another. Personally I have played three so far including football, volleyball, and softball. They are a truly fantastic way to make friends and bond with other people interested in that sport. Some are competitive while others are not so there is a place for everyone- but just warning you it gets really INTENSE! None the less they are great fun to play.

You would be surprised how much the student body loves to party. "Thirsty Thursday," is definitely the start of the weekend at Hamilton. Students may pull all nighters doing schoolwork during the week, so they want a chance to have some fun during the weekend. Whether you choose to go to a big university or small liberal arts college there will be the option of drinking or not drinking. Those that don’t drink have just as much fun as those that choose to do at Hamilton.

Hamilton students work hard and play hard. I think it would be hard to make a blanket generalization about the social scene at Hamilton because, while there is no overarching support for any one group, there are pockets of students who DO attend every athletic, music, art and lecture events on campus. The only thing about the Hamilton social scene that I find really odd is that the sororities aren't national. All the fraternities are national organizations, but the sororities are all local. I think this is a huge disadvantage for the sororities and actually hurts the Greek life on the Hill as a whole. Being under national control keeps things unified and consistently holds all governing aspects of that society to set standards. When I was a freshman some of my friends and I asked the administration if there was the possibility that we could go National and they seemed uninterested in the idea. I know a lot of the faculty want to eliminate the Greek presence on campus, but it is one of the most lively facets of Hamilton and it would be a shame to see Greek life die out. I can say from personal experience that while I love my society, I often wish it were a national sorority.

Hamilton is a very open place socially. Greek life is an all campus event. Only a fraction of the campus actually joins a fraternity or sorority, and associating with Greeks is common. You do not have to join a 'house' (there are no actual Greek houses on campus anymore) in order to be friends with a Greek. Greeks host most of the parties thrown in social spaces, but these parties are always open to the entire campus and most people do attend. Partying here typically begins on Thursday nights, and the truth is that our campus enjoys a good party. The most popular sporting events are basketball and hockey. A good number of students will attend any given game.

While we study hard, we also party, very hard. Every weekend there are at least one or two all campus parties serving alcohol, not to mention smaller dorm parties where students typically play drinking game before going out to the all campus parties. Weekends are generally pretty crazy and Thursdays tend to be a big party night as well. Fraternities and sororities host many of the parties, though they are not a main focus in the school's social life.

I am in Debate society. I love it, I meet great people, and its a ton of fun. Partying is very central to the social life here, but I like that. There are major pros and cons for just about everything here. We have good speakers and bad ones, good parties and bad ones. You can have random hookups, or you can date.

Considering the fact that we're located in the middle of nowhere, upstate New York, there's more to do than you would expect. The school does a good job in keeping clubs afloat and funding them so they can run events on campus. An organization that I'm involved in, the Emerson Literary Society (part club, part society), gets speakers to regularly come to campus (some recent lecture topics include organic farming and a coffee lecture/tasting), and we also sponser other clubs' events by donating money. Fortunately, fraternities and sororities don't play that major of a role. They do tend to throw a lot of parties that many people show up to, but by no means to they control the campus (only 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of men and 20{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of women are in them).

Hamilton is a very active campus. 40{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students participate in a varsity sport, but there is also a high number of participants in the arts. We have a lot of guest speakers, and a huge one at the end of each year- this year, Aretha Franklin is coming. There are a lot of traditions on campus, ranging anywhere from sporting events like "HockeyTown" and "Buff and Blue Night" to "May Day" (a musical festival) and "Spring on the Hill," a day set up to increase relations with the town of Clinton where the school is located.

Hamilton offers social spaces for organizations to use for parties that are open to everyone. Frats and sororities also don't have housing, so they aren't as exclusive and have open parties.

You shouldn't come to Hamilton if you're not at least open to the idea of drinking alcohol on the weekends. Although the college does a decent job of bringing entertainment onto campus (comedy shows, bands and singers, performance groups, etc.), the bottom line on a Saturday night tends to be the kegger going on in the Bundy dining hall social space.

I am involved in the greek life at Hamilton. I think the greek life at Hamilton is the perfect balance, though. Unlike, say, huge schools, fraternities and sororities do not rule your life. You don't live and breathe greek, thank god. Albeit, they are the main source of parties on campus, but they are very much mixed with the rest of the campus (partially due to the absence of greek housing). But there still is a ton of other stuff going on, on campus. There are always new comedians and musicians on campus thanks to CAB. Guest speakers come all the time as well. The a capella groups have a good number of performances. Games are always going on. And all of this stuff is incredibly well attended.

The best weekends are First break away, Halloween, Farm Party, Class and Charter

Greeks throw the most successful parties even without the presence of Greek housing. The parties though are the same every year and get very stale. Swimming occupied a majority of my time (whether preseason or inseason) and many of my closest friends are on the team. There is a lot of drinking on campus. The weekend starts on Thursday and carries through (heavily) the weekend. They recently started a Trivia night at the on campus pub and it has been a huge success.

No one is really most popular. I guess the fraternities because they throw the parties, but if you're not in a frat you aren't missing out on anything. I am not involved in any groups. I tried to get involved with one of the music events groups, but they were pretty snobby. Yes, most students leave their rooms open. Events are not very popular and I doubt anyone would go if they weren't required to for class. The dating scene is just like high school. I met my closest friends by living in the same dorm with them. I would either be studying or having a hard time sleeping. I don't know of any traditions or events that happen each year. There was Feb Fest, but that was pretty stupid. Most people go out Friday and Saturday. Some will go out on Thursday as well. Not too many hardcore partiers at Hamilton. The Greek scene is not important to be involved with. They just throw the parties which are usually free and open to anyone. Last weekend I did not do very much. Mostly sat around with friends. You can do anything thats going on on a Saturday nigh without drinking. There is no pressure to drink. I don't do anything off campus. It is way too inconvenient to get off campus if you do not have your own car. Maybe twice a month I will hang out at a house downtown.