Meeting with Representative Hanna

On October 23^rd, the Hamilton College D.C. students had the privilege of meeting with Representative Richard Hanna. Representative Hanna represents New York’s 22^nd district, which is the congressional district for Hamilton College. Representative Hanna is currently in his second term in the House of Representatives and before running for Congress, Representative Hanna ran a successful construction company.  During the visit, Representative Hanna shared his thoughts on the recent government shutdown and the current polarized environment in Congress. He also explained the ways in which compromise between the two parties has become increasingly difficult. Representative also discussed some of his key policy issues, such as Education, with Hamilton students. Representative Hanna also answered many questions from Hamilton students. In particular, Representative Hanna explained that performing important casework for his constituents was one of the most rewarding parts of being a United States Member of Congress  

            As the semester moves forward, the D.C. students still have a multitude of activities lined up.  One of these activities includes a Hamilton Alumni Media Panel hosted by Alums George Baker and Frank Vlossak of Williams and Jensen. This panel will include a number of Hamilton Alums, such as Walt Conkrite and Matt Lachlan, who will discuss their current media careers in the D.C. Also scheduled is a tour of the Pentagon, a visit to the Brookings Institute, and a visit to the National Gallery of Art. D.C. students have also participated in a number of exciting and intense debates about current political topics. Recently, the D.C. students debated whether the Democratic Party or Republican Party were to blame from the government shutdown. Students also recently debated whether Marijuana should be legalized in the U.S. Although the debates only last approximately an hour, D.C. students are able to provide a wealth of persuasive information and evidence for each topic. Our next debate topic: Should Affirmative Action be Abolished?