Hamilton College Top Questions

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There are so many different popular groups on campus. Sports are very popular, as many people like to play varsity, club, and/or intramural sports here. Music is also very popular on campus--we have a bunch of performance groups and a great a cappella scene. No matter your interest, you can definitely find a group and meet a bunch of like-minded people.

I wouldn't say there are any "most popular" student activities on campus. At Hamilton we have over 100 different student groups to be a part of--anything from student publications, to student government, to music groups, to community service organizations (I could go on for a while!). Students tend to be involved in a variety of different clubs all across the board. It's not uncommon to find someone who plays lacrosse but is also a member of the jazz ensemble.

The outdoors club is very popular. Our close proximity to the Adirondack Mountains draws people who love to participate in outdoor activities. The glen (wilderness area with trails) on campus provides outdoor recreation. Parties are big here. As a freshman, the all-campus parties were the place to go, but as you get older, your friends start having parties in their dorm rooms and suites. There are some places to party off-campus, but they're a little sketchy. Hamilton draws some good speakers, including but not limited to the Great Names series we have (almost) every year. Go to hear speakers; it's a shame to waste that resource.

About half of Hamilton's students do Greek like, but the best thing about it is that there are no fraternity houses, so it's much more non-exclusive than Greek life at most other schools. There are also numerous concerts and Late Nite events for the non drinking crowd.

There is a great amount of clubs, organizations, etc. available at Hamilton. If something does not exist that you would like to start, go for it! So long as you have like three people willing to commit to it, then you have got yourself a club. It gets tricky when it's just two members.. then let's be real, it's just you and a friend with a common interest.

greek life is a joke. for the most part it isn't nationally recognized and because there isn't pan hellenic for the sororities, hazing can be brutal for some. several parties are held on-campus in social spaces. usually everyone can go and everyone can drink. people who are under 21 "sign in" saying they can't drink and then walk to the table and get a beer. there is a weird policy that bans hard alcohol, so social spaces never serve it, but it is still popular on campus the diner is the place to be at 2am on a weekend if you don't want to drink, there are "late nite" activities that receive funding from the schools to go places, do things, get food, etc. those who don't drink are not alone. supposedly 1/3 of students don't, but i'm pretty sure it's closer to 1/6. there isn't much to do off campus because clinton is in the middle of no where. there is a mall and movie theatre in driving distance, but after that there isnt much. plenty to do on campus though

The largest organization at Hamilton is HAVOC, the community service group, which is really active in the surrounding community. Another big one is HOC, the outing club, which organizes trips of all kinds into the natural surrounding beauty of the Adirondacks. Beyond big ones like these, there are a lot of other options. It wouldn't surprise me to hear that there are over a hundred active clubs. The great part about this is that they're all open to everyone, and their events are as well. People are generally very friendly about sharing their interests with others, and are always willing (and often excited) to get someone else involved. Because of this, and because of the ease with which someone can found and maintain a club, students do a great job of filling the social calendar throughout the week and on weekends with activities that'll appeal to a number of different people. The college also makes a huge effort to bring activities to campus. One big one is the great name speaker series, which has brought such people as Jon Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Al Gore, Colin Powell, and Bill Cosby. But throughout the year many smaller speakers, comedians, and musical performances come to Hamilton. There are also a number of prominent alumnae who come back to speak, visit, and give advice. Thomas Tull is a big one as one of the founders of Legendary Pictures (Batman Begins: The Dark Knight, 300, Watchmen, The Hangover). Again, people's interests are so diverse the college tries to bring something for everyone, from Taiko drum exhibitions to political speakers to poetry readings to comedy central comedians to various parties.

I am not a huge fan of the Greek system here. Were too small of a college to really have use for the closer social network that I think they bring to bigger universities. With no housing and no nationally affiliated sororities it sometimes seems very silly. Spring time is monopolized by pledging and because our social scene depends on the Greek life for parties it can be pretty quiet. Alcohol use is very prevalent here. That said, were quite a 'work-hard , play-hard' school. Even if people are out drinking during weeknights they are still making 9am classes the next morning. It's unspoken culture that if your drinking begins to hinder your academics then you probably need to re-prioritize... we just hope you can figure out how to finish your paper in time to go downtown for dollar drafts on Tuesday night. However, you do not have to drink and there are plenty of things to do on campus that do not involve alcohol. I commend the college for its efforts to bring other alternatives to campus. Also, there is no drinking and driving. We have a jitney that runs students downtown and a no tolerance policy for that kind of behavior.

The typical student is extremely busy. The College issues everyone a daily planner with hour-by-hour slots, and most people use them. A wide variety of activities is absolutely the norm, and it's fair to say a work-hard/play-hard mentality continues to prevail. If you're awake at 2AM on a Tuesday, it's to do homework. If it's on a Saturday, it's not. Both events are likely in a given week. Fraternities and sororities have a definite presence on campus, and given their status as among the oldest in the nation, they won't be going anywhere soon. At the same time, they no longer have housing, and the social environment they foster tends to be inclusive and well-appreciated by the vast majority of students.

The Hamilton campus is isolated but the College goes to great lengths to bring entertainment to us. Every weekend there is something to do: comedians, concerts, movies, frat parties. Athletic events can also be fun. Our football team sucks but people still like to go. Our basketball teams - mens and womens - are both good and watching Hamilton kick ass on the hardwood is great fun. There are regular guest speakers that visit campus. Once every year, the College gets a big name speaker. Al Gore, Tom Brokaw, Aretha Franklin, Bill Clinton, they've all come to Hamilton. Aretha didn't speak, she sang. And she rocked the place.

I've been studying abroad this year but I did hear that recently there was some racist vandalism on campus. I was shocked, however, by this news. It's true that sometimes cliques form in the dining hall (usually based on sports, ie the basketball players are friends, vs. Lacrosse guys) but usually friendships and social connections extend beyond those cliques. Everybody knows everybody. For example, The Brothers Organization is very popular and is comprised of the African American or African students on campus. They organize campus-wide events that are widely attended, no matter one's skin color. The Fraternities and Sororities are pretty low key. For starters, there is no frat/sorority housing. So automatically Greek life has less of an impact than at other schools. I'm a rising senior and I couldn't even name off which Fraternities/Sororities exist on campus besides the different ones a handful of friends are in. Hamilton is a very safe campus, everybody leaves theirs doors unlocked, windows open. It's also rather isolated, people stay on campus all the time, even if they have cars. Sporting events are popular, there always seems to be a campus-wide party every weekend hosted by a different team or group but open to everyone. The dating scene seems difficult in that everyone knows everyone, and word travels fast. So it seems that if people date, it becomes a long term relationship. You're guaranteed to see that person day in and day out. A common weekend night usually starts out with an athletic event. Afterwards people head to a campus party to dance. Then people wander in groups to various dorm parties. By 3AM people crowd the campus diner for late-night greasy goodies.

Drinking. The coke scene has gotten really big lately. There's nothing to do if you don't drink because there's nothing to do off campus.

The rugby teams are definitely the most popular and supported teams, probably from their wide range of players. Many students in the same organizations/teams choose housing near one another and spend time in the dorms hanging out and playing drinking games. The dating scene is mostly just people hooking up, but the younger classes seem to be more keen on dating. I met my closest friends playing rugby, in my freshman year dorm, and in my chemistry classes. At 2am I am either in the science building finishing my work, or in my common room drinking a beer watching TV with my suitemates/closest guy friends. Most Saturday nights involve drinking, but if we have a game the next day or choose not to drink we go to the movies or spend a night in catching up on work. For students that do not drink, it is a more limited social scene but there are substance free houses where students hang out....I have never been to one.

buffers is the best group on campus. join it.

Popular clubs and organizations are the club sports (especially rugby) and Campus Activity Board (CAB, they organize concerts and other things). In terms of Greek life, I would say that it is not crucial. I am in a sorority, but I have friends outside of the fraternities. They always tell me that they never feel left out or out-of-place at campus parties thrown by the fraternities and sororities. Students will leave their dorm doors open in more social dorms, but in substance-free dorms I think students are more likely to keep their doors shut.

Rugby is a big sport. So is Hockey and Lacrosse. Everyone does something, but you're not pressured to be involved with everything. The dating scene is nonexistant. You're either very much together or just hooking up. There's no where to go on a date, and everyone knows each other (small campus) so it's not like you can wait three days and then call someone back after a good night with them. However, the "very much together" relationships tend to be very stable and normal. Couples in relationships tend to also be best friends-- that comes from predominantly co-ed dorms. Nothing's a mystery. Because it's a small campus, you have freinds everywhere. Frats/Sororities tend to throw the big parties in campus buildings designated specifically for parties (no frat houses on campus), but you get the feeling that they're throwing the party for the school, not for themselves. One weekend you can spend watching a marathon of Lord of the Rings and the next you're at a rave. It's a very fun campus in that way. Fun fact: We have a streaking team.

There's a club for EVERYONE, and it's so easy to join them! Dorms are either cozy and friendly or huge and university-like, and your dorm experience really depends on where you live. Free live events are really popular and really get a lot of people together. The dating scene is sort of small- the hook-up scene is much larger. People generally go out on the weekend and drink, but there are non-alcohol events too. The frat/sorority scene is present but not too many people join. They throw great parties and are well-liked, though. There's not a lot to do off campus.

There are a whole lot of different groups to join in Hamilton. Athletic events are, for the most part, popular and we tend to have wonderful, famous guest speakers to come to Hamilton. On a Saturday night that does not involve drinking, one can either study or do something, like shop, off campus.