Cameron Peebles

= Division III =

''This article is part of a Climax Div III Issue. By Kendell Richmond, Staff Writer. '' It is difficult to capture the person that is Cameron Peebles. A proud Vermontian, a chemist, a photographer, a flash running through the woods wearing an American flag cape and his signature hat—Cameron Peebles is all of this. First arriving to Hampshire College in the fall of 2005, he moved into J313, though this quirky kid quickly became an icon in the Hampshire community. Although he divided his academic time between the Film/Photo building and Cole, Cameron’s Div III focused in Chemistry. “Don’t get me wrong, CO2 loves to party, but it’s everywhere. Anthropogenic CO2 emissions are ridiculous. Our dependence on non-renewable energy sources is ridiculous. And that’s what this Division III is all about—the design and synthesis of a catalyst capable of inserting CO2 molecules into other substrates to make plastics, fuels, and many other resources. In this manner, we both reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions and encourage the use of renewable energies,” Cameron explains.

Like C02, Cameron works hard—and parties just as hard. When asked about his favorite Hampshire memory, Cameron said, “Watching kids wander by me in the woods on keg hunt. It’s like that scene in The Patriot: Mel Gibson is holding an American flag and watching all these soldiers run past him to fend off the British. But I’m Mel Gibson and the soldiers are drunken, sloppy Hampshire kids like Zach Heine running past me into trees and streams.” Cameron’s advice for those remaining at Hampshire: “Do as many drugs as possible.”

His plans for after graduation are still up in the air, though he has limited it to two choices. 1) Moving to Berkeley, CA to work at the LBNL (a government chemistry lab), or 2) Fishing the backwaters of Southern Montana and Eastern Canada.

In closing, Cameron has this to say. “The Hampshire College Beer Pong Tournament of the World is coming up. Early May. Get a team ready and email cdp05.” Cameron Peebles, Renaissance man, is confident that he will take the belt again.