Carleton chapter of Alexander Hamilton Society brings Estonian ambassador Kristjan Prikk to campus

On February 14, an expectant crowd gathered in the Athenaeum of the Libe; snow came down in flurries, but that didn’t stop Estonian Ambassador to the U.S. Kristjan Prikk from giving his talk, “The Future of Europe: Why should it matter to America?”

Welcomed by Carleton’s newly re-chartered chapter of the national Alexander Hamilton Society (AHS), Prikk brought good humor and expert knowledge to address the intricacies of U.S.–Europe foreign policy, while offering a unique Estonian perspective on these issues. Prikk wove his talk through historical and contemporary issues that pertain to Estonia and Europe as a whole, addressing the importance of NATO, the war in Ukraine, and the impacts of Soviet and Nazi occupation on the country.

Prikk dedicated a significant portion of his time to answering student questions, which in classic Carleton style could have lasted more than an hour beyond the end of his talk. He eloquently answered students’ inquiries on a range of topics, from security spending to Estonia’s humanitarian efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa. Prikk only departed from campus when a large blizzard began developing, bringing a truly Minnesotan conclusion to his lecture.

For most present, Prikk’s talk provided one thought-provoking afternoon; for AHS members, however, the event had been long in the works. I had the pleasure of speaking with Jimmy Huang ’28, the club’s vice president, to discuss the AHS, the event, and more.

While Carleton’s chapter of the AHS was originally founded in 2019, it was disbanded in 2022 after a few years of eventful work. In Huang’s opinion, the AHS serves a crucial role in Carleton’s community.

“There isn’t as much foreign policy-oriented discussion at Carleton in the more casual sense,” he said. “You’ll be able to talk in classes with your professors, but it’s a much different space; people don’t always get the time, or feel comfortable sharing. We wanted to open up a forum for that at Carleton. We are hosting round tables and providing speaker events to contextualize [this] conversation we are having.”

Furthermore, the national organizations’ nonprofit and nonpartisan orientations differentiate the society from many of Carleton’s other local organizations, as the national body of the AHS provides funds to participating chapters, which help support hosting events like Prikk’s talk. Huang indicated that the event was multi-dimensional, though, with planning and support from Carleton’s political science department, the German and Russian department, and President Alison Byerly herself. 

As the event proved a smashing success, the AHS continues to look toward their goals as the chapter regains steam. Huang’s hope is that more students will participate in AHS round tables and talks. 

“U.S. policy is a global player, and I think it will continue to be, so being informed and able to create your own opinions based on the information that’s available is, I think, critical,” he said. “We’re opening up that opportunity to Carleton students.” 

To find out more about Carleton’s chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society, check out their Instagram!