Hampshire College Welcomes an Incoming Fall Class of Bold, Compassionate Thinkers
On August 29, with a feeling of fall in the air, 285 new students arrived on campus: 233 first-years, 46 transfers, and six as part of an international exchange.
In total, this cohort represents 25 countries, among them Pakistan, India, Ireland, Brazil, and China, and 36 states, with large cohorts from Massachusetts and Connecticut, and they range in age from 17 to 54! At least 83 of them are first-generation college students and 28 percent identify as students of color. Eight students mentioned having a family member who attended Hampshire.
Incoming students speak (and even teach) English, Spanish, French, American Sign Language, Mandarin, Russian, Portuguese, Amharic, Jamaican Creole, Arabic, Kazakh, Japanese, Hebrew, Turkish, Standard German, Japanese, Urdu, Cantonese, Dutch, Italian, Korean, and Polish.
The group’s most popular academic interest is creative writing — the first time in many years that psychology hasn’t been the top field — followed by psychology; history; computer science; film, photography, and video; studio and visual arts; animation and digital arts; game design; environmental and sustainability studies; gender, feminist, and queer studies; and animal behavior and cognition.
These students play a host of instruments: guitar (classical, rock, metal, and flamenco!), piano, violin, viola, drums/percussion, bass, flute, bassoon, saxophone, oboe; and many sing as well. Others have played in marching bands, chamber groups, ensembles, and their own bands.
They are painters, sculptors, potters, knitters, and jewelry-makers. Some designed electronic literature, games, digital animation, costumes and sets, and children’s books. And they are storytellers: poetry, zines, newspapers, short stories. One has murals displayed in a Forest Service recreational area; another’s mandala artwork hangs in the tunnel leading to the U.S. Capitol building.
New students are deeply involved in theater and performance — acting, directing, producing, stage managing, and writing; improv, plays, musicals, and short skits. Others have a background in filmmaking — scriptwriting, editing, and set/lighting design.
Dozens of students are looking forward to participating in Hampshire athletics, such as track and field, soccer, basketball, and cross-country, as well as the College’s longstanding club sport, ultimate frisbee. Among other pursuits are badminton, boxing, bowling, cheerleading, cricket, fencing, field hockey, football, martial arts, rowing/crew, sailing, skiing, softball, tennis, and wrestling.
One student installed race courses for canoes, kayaks, and rowing for the U.S./World team trials and an Ironman. Two have a background in the circus arts. Several enjoy rock climbing and bouldering. Some play Dungeons and Dragons. Two are involved with Scouting.
They are animal lovers, fostering dogs and cats and working with humane societies, farms, shelters, and rescue organizations. One breeds ringneck doves as pets. One volunteered with their high school’s agricultural program, working with pigs, cows, sheep, goats, and even warthogs. One sculpts animals from paper clay; another has a business crocheting stuffed animals.
These students are, like most others who choose Hampshire, creators and self-starters: they have founded groups for coding, debate, chess, podcasting, film, and Greek literature, language, and mythology. They have presented conservation and social justice workshops and delivered speeches at rallies, events, and protests. One designed a mobile app to teach people about cyber security. Another ran Pakistan’s largest international acting contest, the TNS Monologue Slam.
Supporting one another and their communities is important to this group — as certified peer mental health specialists, tutors, and camp counselors; awarding grants to nonprofits; and working with, for example, the World Health Organization, food pantries, and the Red Cross.
They are interested in combating racism and supporting LGBTQ+ communities. One student created a class called Debunking the Gender Binary to educate their community and loved ones.
The College’s incomers are kind, generous, sensitive, extremely smart, accomplished, feisty, interesting, and curious. Most important of all, they’re now Hampshire students!
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