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Over the past two weekends (Jan. 20-21 and 27-28) Hamilton’s two mock trial teams have traveled near and far to compete against the best programs in the country. These two tournaments, held at Georgetown and Cornell, respectively, were the teams’ final opportunities to get hands-on practice before the “March Madness” style tournaments begin in February.

Last weekend (Nov. 4-6) Hamilton Mock Trial debuted its two teams and six of seven new members at Haverford College’s “Black Squirrel Invitational.”

The Hamilton community crossed and recrossed the aisle on October 18 during the inaugural Common Ground discussion, which featured David Axelrod and Carl Rove, chief strategists and chiefs of staff for former presidents Obama and Bush 43rd, respectively, as well as moderator Susan Page, Washington bureau chief of USA Today.

Most people know that social media has played an important role in the spark and maintenance of protests across the globe and that, as a result, authoritarian governments attempt to censor these platforms. What is less clear, however, is the point at which this censorship becomes repression. Mary Gallagher, professor of political science and director of the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan, discussed China’s repression progression, specifically since the rise of social media on Oct. 17.

On Oct. 3, several distinguished scholars in the field of free speech jurisprudence gathered to discuss the implications of free speech restrictions at both the national and college campus levels.

Yance Ford ’94 returned to campus on Sept. 24 to screen his critically acclaimed film, “Strong Island” as part of this fall’s F.I.L.M. series. The film, which follows a 10-year investigation into the murder of Ford’s brother, unflinchingly challenges viewers’ assumptions of what it means to seek truth, and posits that some questions will always go unanswered.

Twelve Hamilton students visited Sweden for a two-week study trip, looking at Swedish prisons, courts and policing practice. Ryan Bloom ’18 blogged about the trip. Following is her final update about a visit to border control, a police precinct and the court.

Hamilton Mock Trial ended its 2016-17 competitive season at the Lancaster, Pa., Opening Round Championship Series (ORCS) competition on March 17 to 19. Hamilton was one of 24 teams at the competition, and only six teams advance to the national competition later this spring. Ultimately, Hamilton placed 7th, narrowly missing the opportunity to compete at the national level.

Civil rights activist Diane Nash spoke to the Hamilton community about her experience as a civil rights leader in the South, the nature and strength of nonviolent protest, and the current political sphere in a lecture on Feb. 27. She broadly covered recollections of fear, violence, cooperation, and success during her early days of activism and leadership.

Going “against the grain” can be painful and cause splinters, but as speakers at Hamilton’s TEdX talks advised, there is often good reason to endure that pain. The four speakers at the Feb. 11 event spoke to different reasons to move “against the grain.”