Issue 24

VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 24

WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2022

amherststudent.com

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

Nearly 200 Rising Sophomores Waitlisted for Fall Housing Liam Archacki ’24 Senior Managing Editor

Photo courtesy of Amherst College

Tyler House, pictured here, was one of the last residence halls with available rooms before the housing selection process closed on Thursday, April 14, at 7:15 p.m., with 178 rising sophomores not having selected yet.

Trustees Vote To Keep ACPD Armed Eleanor Walsh ’25 and Sonia Chajet Wides ’25 Managing News Editors The Board of Trustees has voted to keep the Amherst College Police Department (ACPD) armed, President Biddy Martin announced in an email to students, staff, and faculty on Monday. The announcement came after the release just minutes earlier of the final report from the Campus Safety Advisory Committee (CSAC), which the board consulted before making their decision.

The CSAC was charged with surveying the community and informing the board’s conversations about policing

OPINION

last May, in an effort to rethink and redesign public safety at the college. The initiative came in response to persistent calls by student groups — particularly the Black Students Union, whom Martin specifically thanked in her email — to disarm ACPD. In the email, Martin listed several reasons the board voted not to disarm ACPD. Most notably, the CSAC’s report did not recommend disarming ACPD. However, the committee did suggest that weapons “should be secured on campus rather than carried.”

The board voted not to adopt this suggestion, citing a lack of “significant examples of places in the U.S. where this has been

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"Every Person for Themselves": Chair of Psychology Catherine Sanderson criticizes the new housing process, noting the stress it puts on close relationships.

done successfully,” as well as a fear that delayed response times could be fatal.

Although the board did not agree with the report’s firearm recommendations, they endorsed “shifting the nonemergency safety functions out of ACPD and reducing the presence and role of ACPD on campus.”

Other reasons the board voted not to disarm included protecting against the potential threat of armed outsiders entering campus, and that ACPD would no longer meet Massachusetts certification requirements, thus losing resources and privileges (such as detaining suspicious individuals) granted to certified

ARTS & LIVING

departments.

The board also noted that relying on Amherst Police Department (APD) as opposed to ACPD, was “not a viable alternative,” citing the community safety survey. Not only did the survey indicate that many community members would disapprove of that shift, but APD also “would face very real limits in their ability to get to know our campus and its buildings, as well as our community members.”

Although the board voted against disarming ACPD, they are taking numerous steps based on the committee’s report. These

Continued on page 4

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"Narratives of Trauma": Mikayah Parsons '24 critiques the expectation that Black students share their traumas to gain admission into elite schools.

SPORTS

At 7:15 p.m. on April 14 — just over two hours into the five-hour block in which rising sophomores had been assigned times to select housing for next year — 178 firstyears were informed via email that the housing selection process was closed, and that they would have to wait until the summer waitlist process in July to choose their room.

The incident, which came as a shock to many, has left students dismayed at the lack of communication from the college both prior to and following the housing selection process.

Signed by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) Operations team, the 7:15 p.m. email was sent right after the last rooms listed in the online housing portal had been taken.

“It is important to note that we intend to assign all Amherst College students seeking housing for the fall semester; however, your particular assignment cannot be made immediately,” the email read.

The email also stated that the waitlist selection process will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 21, and noted that a communication to be sent on May 13 will provide more information about participating in the process.

In addition to rising sophomores who did not get to select a room, the

Continued on page 5

22

Perfect Game: Ethan Samuels ’23 recaps the spectacular pitching of softball's Dani Torres Werra ’25, the first in almost 20 years to not allow any hits in a game.

News POLICE LOG

Thoughts on Theses Henry Buren

April 3, 2022 – April 17, 2022

>>April 3, 2022 1:44 a.m., Seelye House A town resident made a complaint about noise at Seelye House. CSAs responded and ended the event. >>April 7, 2022

9:25 a.m., Robert Frost Library ACPD responded to a report of vandalism to an art installation. >>April 9, 2022

10:00 a.m., Nicholls Biondi Hall ACPD responded to a 911/2111 hang-up from the elevator emergency phone.

Upon arrival, no issues were found.

11:25 p.m., Residence Hall A ACPD took a larceny report from a student. The items were recovered the next day. >>April 10, 2022

4:27 a.m., James Hall An accidental 911 call came into dispatch. After speaking with the caller, there was no further assistance needed.

1:35 p.m., Campus Grounds ACPD took a report of property damage that involved a college-owned propane lamp heater. >>April 11, 2022

8:03 p.m., Merrill Science Center ACPD took a report of vandalism on the exterior of the Merrill science building.

12:32 p.m., Campus Grounds A sergeant followed up

with a student about their property possibly being stolen. Items had been returned.

>>April 14, 2022 1:36 p.m., Cohan Dormitory A Community Safety Assistant responded to a noise complaint. >>April 15, 2022

3:47 p.m., Hitchcock Parking Lot ACPD took a report of a motor vehicle accident. No injuries were reported.

5:25 p.m., Morris Pratt Dormitory ACPD took a larceny report involving an internet scam.

9:45 p.m., King Dormitory ACPD responded to a prefire alarm. The cause of activation was burned food.

10:20 p.m., College Street ACPD assisted Amherst Police Department in a pursuit of an individual who had violated a restraining order.

The individual was taken into custody on College Street.

11:23 p.m., Appleton Hall ACPD responded to a prefire alarm. The cause of activation was found to be marijuana smoke. >>April 16, 2022

10:26 a.m., James Hall ACPD took a report of a vandalized vending machine. Investigation is open >>April 17, 2022

5:27 a.m., Hitchcock Dormitory ACPD took a report of an access card reader that was damaged.

Department of Philosophy

Photo courtesy of Ziji Zhou '25

Q: What is your thesis about?

A: My thesis is in philosophy, and, in a nutshell, I look at Martin Luther King Jr.’s arguments for non-violence. I try to explain why I think he gives an argument as to why non-violence is necessary for self-respect. Why Black protesters, when they are protesting, need to be non-violent, because if they turn violent, they are, in a sense, disrespecting themselves.

And it gets a little bit more tricky.

I started looking at other types of arguments, and some critiques.

I’ve drawn from Malcolm X, why he thinks being nonviolent is a form of disrespect, as well. But yeah, the overall broad picture is to give a philosophical argument as to why King thinks that being nonviolent is a form of self-respect.

Q: What motivated you to choose this topic?

A: First, I was very interested in violence in general, especially around Black Lives Matter protests. It would be like, ‘they burned down a building’ and everyone on Fox News, and Tucker Carlson, would act like it's the end of the world. So I was very interested in what it means to be violent or nonviolent at a protest.

I was kind of bouncing around for a lot of the first semester, but then I realized I wanted to focus mainly on Black thinkers that everyone would hear about. The average person at Black Lives Matter protests would know about King and Malcolm X, so I focused on what they had to say about this.

Then bringing in self-respect

Henry Buren is a philosophy major. His thesis looks at how Martin Luther King Jr.'s arguments for non-violent protests relate to self-respect — or disrespect. His current thesis advisor is Assistant Professor of Philosophy Rafeeq Hasan.

– why would I connect non-violence with self-respect? Mainly because, in general, I’m very interested in how to be in tune with yourself and acting in a way in which you’re real; you don’t want to be fake with yourself. So [I’m] trying to connect that with non-violence and with protesting and all that stuff.

Q: What kinds of new conclusions did you come to?

A: It really hit me the last week I was writing it so I guess I never got to really finish my thoughts. I just wish I had a couple of weeks to flesh out my thoughts.

I tried to connect King and Frantz Fanon and compared the way they think about dignity when it comes to Black people. The way I frame King, he’s talking about dignity in a very abstract, philosophical way. It all has to do with loving your neighbor because they’re human and treating yourself as a human being, and all that stuff — so that’s King’s conception of dignity. On the other hand, I started reading Frantz Fanon and his essays on violence very early into the game.

He has this passage where he discusses dignity for colonized people particularly in Africa (which is where he was), and it isn’t this really abstract dignity [like with King]. It’s not really like that, it's not really philosophical — and not building on the Western traditions of thought. His dignity is very matter of fact, it comes from [colonized people] having their land back. So I was trying to see if you can kind of apply

that type of dignity to America, and to Black people in America, especially while King is writing and while Frantz Fanon was writing. Black people don’t really want dignity when it comes to this weird conceptual thing. They want to be able to vote, to have the right to vote, so they can vote racist people out of office like it’s that simple.

Q: How has writing this thesis made you think differently?

A: I've been thinking about self-respect forever now, so this is just what I think about now.

But like I said briefly just acting in a way that’s real; getting rid of all the ‘fake’ aspects. I've just been thinking about that a lot.

Or even just paying more attention to the ways our society is set up for Black people and people of color in general, how they are not able to be themselves and respect themselves and think of themselves as good people or have good self-esteem. There are constantly microaggressions against people and other dehumanizing gestures on the daily; it’s always the little things in life that add up. But I was also trying to think about these trends in bigger structural ways. That is, it’s not always you meet a person who has racial biases, and you’re in class and they spit it out all the time. It’s much more systematic, and all those big words. I just think about that more in general, in everyday life.

—Ellis Phillips-Gallucci '23

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

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Ramadan at Amherst: Close Community, Unique Challenges Leo Kamin ’25 Managing Sports Editor A waxing crescent moon rose over the North American continent on the night of April 1, beginning the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in the United States. For Muslim students at the college and almost two billion Muslims worldwide, it marked the beginning of a 30-day period of daily fasting, close community, and increased piety.

Though members of Amherst’s Muslim community described experiencing difficulties keeping up with the demands of college life while forgoing food and water throughout the day and shifting their sleep schedules for early morning prayers and predawn meals, they expressed appreciation for the ability to recenter their religious lives and become closer together as a community. Students also indicated that the college can still do some small things — from the classroom to the dining hall — to make observing Ramadan easier for them.

Ramadan holds special importance for Muslims as the month in which their holy book’s scripture was passed down to a string of prophets including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and, most importantly, the Prophet Muhammad.

Laylat al-Qadr, which falls on one of the odd-numbered nights on the last 10 days of the month, marks the night in which the Quran was first revealed to Muhammad, and is considered the holiest night of the year. On the night of Qadr, many Muslims will pray all night long.

Laith Bahlouli ’25 said that, for Muslims, “if you pray during that night [Laylat al-Qadr], it’s better than you praying for thousands and thousands of nights.” Because the exact date of Laylat al-Qadr is not known to Muslims, “every one of those days — 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th, 29th — you will see everyone praying all night,” said Bahlouli.

During Ramadan, all Muslims who have reached puberty are expected to abstain from food and water while the sun is up, give to charity, and pay increased attention to their spiritual lives, in general. Many Muslims are more observant during the holy month; for instance, many stu-

dents at Amherst will participate in the Taraweeh nighttime prayer, held in Lewis Sebring Commons from around 9 to 10:30 p.m. each night, only during Ramadan.

The end of the month of fasting is marked by prayers, large-scale celebrations, and traditional dishes on the holiday known as Eid al-Fitr.

Muslim students at Amherst describe the holiday as deeply meaningful, a time of deep reflection and closeness to God and a reminder of what is important. Mohammed Alausa ’24 said that, in enduring the discomfort of hunger and thirst, he “remembers that everything is for God, not just for me as a person.”

Beyond the direct religious significance of the month, a number of students noted the increased gratefulness instilled by the experience of fasting. “I think the main thing is it gives you humility,” said Bahlouli. “It puts you in a state that you have to be thankful that you have food every day.”

Alausa said that the experience of fasting reminds him that “a lot of people in the world are less fortunate.” For 29 days, he chooses to be hungry; many other people in the world have no such choice. “It makes me want to be more generous with my time and donations and stuff like that,” he said.

Additionally, one of the main things that Muslims at Amherst appreciate about the holy month is the sense of community it cultivates.

“Ramadan at Amherst is fire,” said Bahlouli.

Between the crescent moons, Amherst’s Muslim Students Association (MSA) is one the closest communities on Amherst’s campus.

Members of MSA — who range in experience from those who, according to Alausa, “just come for vibes,” to recent converts, to life-long, extremely observant Muslims — eat almost every meal together. Each night and early morning, the community comes together, breaks their fast, and takes turns leading prayers.

On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, students carpool to Hampshire Mosque for prayers.

Kobe Thompson ’24 — who officially converted to Islam on the first night of Ramadan this year — de-

scribed the tight bonds formed by mutual sacrifice. “Every time that I feel very hungry, thirsty, or tired, my mind wanders to my Muslim friends, my Muslim siblings,” he said. “They’re doing the same thing I’m doing,” he said. “If they can do it, I can do it.”

Having converted while at Amherst, Thompson described the special connection he has with the college’s Muslim community: “By being present at my Shahada [conversion], they have to do good on themselves because they have witnessed my conversion into Islam.”

MSA’s close community, and the religious experiences the members share, allow students to form close relationships. Alausa, who also plays on the men’s basketball team, said that he was “closer with some MSA people than I am with my teammates.” He described “the sensitive, vulnerable time we spend together.”

At MSA, “you’re talking about things that you just wouldn’t talk to regular friends or teammates or coaches about.”

Despite the personal meaning and communal bonds forged during the holy months, it is by its nature a difficult time. As Thompson points out: “Would it really be as important if we didn’t have to struggle through it?”

The difficulty is only compounded, though, when the physical toll of fasting and lack of sleep is combined with the busy schedule of an Amherst student. It is already hard enough for many students to get out of bed, but when eight food- and drink-less hours beckon, it can be even harder.

The holy month forces many Muslims students to change their work habits. Bahlouli said that many students will wake up at 4 a.m. to pray and eat before sunrise, and stay up working on assignments until classes begin. When class time does roll around, it is harder than normal to be fully present in Amherst’s discussion-based classroom environment.

“There will be times where I don’t necessarily have the energy to get to class on time,” said Thompson.

For Alausa, the problem is more with staying focused in class. “My

Photo courtesy of Ziji Zhou '25

Members of Amherst’s Muslim Students Association break the fast together with a nightly meal called Iftar. majors [economics and math] are really course intensive,” he said. “In class, you have to lock in or you’re going to fall behind.” Because he usually relies on drinking water — and, of course, the energy provided by regular meals throughout the day — to stay awake in class, staying focused during Ramadan is more of a challenge.

That said, the holy month has some silver linings for Alausa workload-wise. He usually has a busy social calendar, but during Ramadan, he prefers to stay in. He said that, “During weekends, I like to stay in a state of spiritual reflection, so I have more time to do work.”

On the whole, however, the holy month comes with dilemmas that many students don’t often have to consider. When prayer schedules and due dates conflict, Muslim students can be faced with a difficult choice. As Thompson put it: “You don't want to compromise your spir-

ituality for your academics, but you also don’t want to compromise your academics for your spirituality.”

Alausa proposed a small change the administration could implement to ensure that Muslim students never have to choose between piety and academic sucess. Alausa and Thompson said that, though they know that their professors would be understanding if they asked for extensions on assignments and explained why they were less active in class during Ramadan, it can often be emotionally draining and time-consuming to have to self-advocate.

To make things easier for Muslim students, Alausa suggested that, ahead of the month, professors should be notified that they have Muslim students in their classes and informed about the demands of observance. Thus, professors could

Continued on page 5

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

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‘Nuestras Voces’ Event Uplifts Bilingual Voices Caelen McQuilkin ’24E and Piero Campos ’25 Managing News Editor and Staff Writer On Wednesday, April 13, 16 students presented poetry, videos, and art for the inaugural “Nuestras Voces” (“Our Voices”) event, organized by Senior Lecturer in Spanish Carmen Granda and her students in LLAS/SPAN205: “Finding Your Bilingual Voice.” Taking place in the Ford Event Space with an audience of over 60 community members, the event was co-sponsored by the Spanish Department, the Latinx and Latin American Studies Department, La Causa, and the Center for International Student Engagement. In both English and Spanish, students spoke about topics including connection to home, the value of names, and gentrification of neighborhoods.

In an interview with The Student, Granda explained that the idea to hold an event empowering bilingual students came to her at the beginning of the semester. “The goal was to cele-

brate different voices in English and Spanish, through different mediums and genres and to lift each other’s voices up, because it is a very vulnerable act to write, and then, to share your work,” she said.

Ellerman Mateo ’25, who read his poem titled “501 Years to Mateo,” reflected on the success of the event, which he said was both “truly transformative” and “a platform.” He explained that he admired “how transparent and free people were with their language,” and the idea “of infusing Spanish into your poem.”

“Everybody just let go of their guard, and just spoke from the heart about what they had to say.

And [we] were proud of it,” he said.

Angelina Suarez ’25, who read her poem “Ode to Home,” reflected on the vulnerability at the event. “Just to even go up there and present … that takes a lot to do in front of a lot of people,” she said. “Seeing the presenters smile every time, as they got off the stage, they were always smiling, I noticed … it helps to uplift you

Photo courtesy of Caelen McQuilkin '24E

In the inaugural “Nuestras Voces” event, bilingual students presented art, poetry, and other work in English and Spanish, drawing a crowd of over sixty people. knowing that you’re being recognized, that you’re being validated.”

Granda noted that the event was also about identity within writing. “I did this because when you write about yourself, you’re giving yourself permission to express your own voice, your own ideas, your own story, in your

own language,” she said. But writing by itself, she reflected, is “not enough to find your voice.

It’s really important to practice listening to the sound of it. It gives it more meaning when you find that sound, refine your style — there you’ll find your story.”

For many students, the event was significant because it al-

lowed them to weave Spanish and English together and work between the two languages. “Being a Spanish speaker myself, there are some phrases in Spanish that you just cannot express in English,” said Mateo. “One word in Spanish could mean a

Continued on page 7

Community Safety Advisory Committee Releases Report Continued from page 1 steps include communicating where on campus armed officers will be, defining and reassessing the roles of Community Safety Assistants (CSA) and Community Safety Officers (CSO), creating an ongoing campus safety advisory committee, and moving routine transactions — such as picking up keys — out of the ACPD building. ACPD will also receive additional training that focuses on identity, stereotypes, and cultural assumptions that could influence their interactions with the community.

The committee’s report — which was sent to students, staff, and faculty shortly before Martin’s announcement, in an email signed by Manwell Family

Professor in Life Sciences Allen J. Hart, chair of the committee, and all other student, staff, and faculty members of the committee — was based on feedback from the community, which the committee gathered through a variety of engagement sessions, listening circles, meetings, and surveys. The committee also looked to external reports and recommendations from peer institutions.

The report establishes a vision of campus safety based on “a constellation of care” that includes, but does not center, ACPD. It leans towards a restorative justice approach in handling campus business, and advocates a sense of belonging and a wealth of resources for mental health as key in an understanding of “safety.”

In its recommendations for ACPD, the committee identifies the perspectives of community actors such as students, staff, and ACPD officers. The synthesis of these perspectives results in a framework that maintains ACPD’s importance, but urges significant changes to its role.

The committee advocates for many broad changes, such as recommending that “the college develop and implement a comprehensive and inclusive constellation of care guided by the core values of safety, equity, and justice and continually informed by the needs of community members in the allocation of resources.”

They also advance calls for “further work” on a variety of issues, including “the essential roles and responsibilities of

campus police” and “where and how the College can employ unarmed staff for security.”

The committee also advises a higher degree of transparency and communication in ACPD decision-making.

On a more concrete level, the committee suggests 24/7 response structures for mental health crises, and sweeping expansions of the Counseling Center in accordance with demonstrated need for identityconscious and trauma-response counseling. This includes a proposal that at least one “sexual assault advocate” be hired at the Counseling Center. They also propose enlisting support from the Center for Restorative Practices in bridging the oftmentioned divide between ACPD officers and students. “Given

their role in the constellation of care, campus police need to be a part of our community and not isolated from it,” the report states.

The report also dedicates a section to identity-based harms and sexual respect. In addressing these concerns, the committee advocated for “enhancing the role of campus police in the prevention of sexual violence and other identity-based harms,” expanding mandatory sexual respect programming, and a “cautious support” of expanding peer-to-peer models of addressing harm.

This story is still developing. A follow-up piece encompassing student and administrative responses will be published next week.

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

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‘A very panicky situation’: Housing Waitlist Causes Stress, Frustration Continued from page 1 waitlist includes 29 rising seniors and 61 rising juniors who did not select housing in their designated time blocks on the previous two days, despite rooms being available.

Honon Lee ’25, whose selection time was 8:20 p.m., said he felt blindsided by the OSA email. “It was like, ‘Well, I can't do anything,’ and then I just kind of went into a panic, hard-calling my parents,” he said.

“It was a very panicky and stressful situation.”

Ellerman Mateo ’25 expressed surprise at receiving it. “I see an email that says, ‘You’ve been placed on the summer waitlist.’ And at the moment, I’m so confused, because I’m like, ‘Shouldn’t there be enough room for everybody?’” he said.

In a statement to The Student, Senior Associate Dean of Students Dean Gendron wrote that there is a housing waitlist process every year, noting that many spaces become available over the summer as fall enrollment decreases due to reasons like transfers, voluntary withdrawals, and late decisions to study away.

Gendron added that the waitlist this year is larger than usual, as 79 beds were reserved for incoming

Community Advisors (CA) and 74 beds remain available in theme and language communities.

Isabelle Anderson ’25 feels that the college could have communicated better about the shortage ahead of time. “I think the issue was a lack of transparency and the fact that they clearly knew this was going to happen and now have [presented no plan] to go forward with,” she said.

“I think the lack of planning is very frustrating,” Lee echoed. “And, you know, it’s kind of sad, but I know a lot of friends who were like, ‘If this keeps up, I’m very heavily considering transferring out of Amherst.’”

Regarding the college’s ability to plan for the housing selection shortage, Gendron stated, “We are able to forecast many factors, but not all.

Our current COVID-affected calendar and restrictions don’t allow us to foresee the myriad ways in which students’ various opportunities, that emerge across all 12 months of a calendar year, may affect their choices to live on campus or not.”

An email sent by OSA Operations to all rising sophomores on April 14 at 2:21 p.m. — a few hours before their housing selection process was scheduled to begin — did include that, “We anticipate that

many rising sophomores will not yield an assignment this evening.”

However, Lee feels that the email was not an adequate way of communicating the information: “It was like one little sentence in a paragraph. So it was super easy to overlook.”

Students also expressed frustration at the lack of information provided about the summer housing selection process.

“They’ve offered no specific insight as to what they’re going to do besides putting us on the waitlist,” said Anderson, “which I think is insane because it’s basically just leaving everything to chance, and it’s going to happen in July. So it’s very crazy that they have not told us anything besides ‘You’re going to be on the waitlist.’”

“We still don’t know what a waitlist means,” added Lee. “Like, what does it mean? Am I still gonna get the same room? Where exactly am I going to be put?”

Gendron stated that they “will use students’ Selection Numbers, adjusted as may be required for those who hold registered accommodations, to conduct the next phase of the process on Thursday, July 21.”

He added that “[t]here are more

than enough beds for all students who are as yet unhoused.”

Given the uncertainty of their situation, however, some yet-unhoused rising sophomores are exploring housing options outside of the general process, such as living off campus or becoming a CA. Anderson said her parents want her to look into off-campus housing, but she’s doubtful that it’s a legitimate option. “The issue is so many UMass kids have already probably planned. So most of the apartments in town are probably gone,” she said.

One rising sophomore, who wished to remain anonymous, said that they have applied to be a CA solely because of their uncertain housing situation. “[After learning that I would be unable to select housing,] I immediately started the CA application because I just needed the option of being in a house, I guess. And it really did feel like I was being forced into that CA position,” they said.

The CA application process will likely be more competitive than years past, according to a statement provided by Assistant Director of Residential Life for Education and Engagement Amber Rice: “As interest in holding the Community

Advisor position has increased, the number of applications received has also grown.”

CA applications will continue to be accepted until 4 p.m. on April 20.

Noting a potential upside of the whole situation, Mateo said that the prospect of being placed in a different dorm than most rising sophomores offered the opportunity to meet new people. “I think [it will be] like freshman orientation again, where you’re forced to meet these new people. And I guess people need to get out of that comfort level and actually explore and meet new people,” he said.

Despite her concerns, Anderson expressed faith that the college would resolve the housing situation.

“I think at this point, obviously, it’s still very fresh, and I want to trust and believe that Amherst will find us a place to live,” she said.

“Going forward, I’m not as much anxious for what’s coming. I’m more just disappointed with what’s already happened,” Anderson added.

In response to student concerns, Gendron stated, “We will continue to collaborate with campus partners to improve the process and response to fluid COVID-affected timelines and constrictions.”

Muslim Students Observe Ramadan, Note Challenges Continued from page 3 proactively reach out about relaxing deadlines and expectations, taking the onus off of Muslim students themselves. Even if students do not need the academic help, it goes a long way, Alausa said, when professors “make it known to the students that they know that they’re practicing Ramadan, acknowledge how difficult it would be, and let them know that they’re a resource for them.”

Alausa’s suggestion was informed by an experience in office hours earlier in the month. He let his professor know what he was going through and she “broke down.” She told him that she “respected [him] for it and was there to help [him].” That little bit of acknowledgment went a long way: “That meant the world to me,” he said.

Outside the classroom, Muslims students cited the available options at Val as the biggest challenge they face during the holy month. Though Dining Services has provided them a special pantry in the Lewis wing and special early-morning key-card access, it is stocked mostly with snacks, not full meals. Thus, when the community breaks its fast with Iftar each night, they rely on the general-purpose Val menu.

The problem is that Val’s limited options often do not work for Muslim students, who have to stick to a Halal diet. Bahlouli estimates that “maybe four out of seven nights a week, one of the entrees will have pork and one will have alcohol” — both ingredients prohibited by Islam. This is a problem for Muslims year-round, but especially so when

they are running on one to two meals a day.

Alausa said that there have been nights when, frustrated by the options at Val, he had to opt for a meal in town. “I can’t lie, there have been nights where I had to call my parents to send me money so I can go out and try to get a proper meal for the one meal of the day,” he said. He said that, for this reason, Ramadan can be an even greater challenge for “someone whose parents aren’t in a good enough socio-economic standing to be able to spare money for [the] days of [Ramadan].”

Last Wednesday, April 13, Alausa and a few other MSA leaders had a conversation with Dining Services in hopes of resolving the problem.

“They were very responsive,” he said.

“They felt terrible.”

Some changes have already been made. The pantry in Lewis has been stocked with leftovers from previous Val meals, which Alausa says has helped.

The issues Muslim students have faced so far this month are indicative of a larger problem for the Amherst community: the difficulty of feeding more than 2,000 staff, students, and faculty — with different religious backgrounds, dietary restrictions, and personal tastes — in one dining hall. Though future Ramadans could be made easier for Amherst’s Islamic community, Muslim students made it clear that celebrating the holy month at Amherst is, on the whole, an overwhelmingly positive experience. Alausa was concerned when he first came to Amherst that celebrating Ramadan away from his family

and Muslim community at home might feel isolating. He was quickly reassured. “The community is so accepting,” he said, “that I feel like I’m at home. It’s like a newfound family on campus.”

The most demanding phase of the holiday begins this week. Bahlouli said that, on the night of Friday, April 22, most MSA members will be spending all night at Hampshire Mosque in observance of Laylat al-Qadr; they will do the same every other night for the next eight days, before one last day of fasting.

After a difficult but meaningful month, Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, will come on Monday, May 2.

The community plans to go all-out with a day of celebration, as the new moon rises on the other side of the globe.

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

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New AAS E-board Speaks on Campaigns and Goals Liam Archacki ’24 and Theo Hamilton ’23 Senior Managing Editors The new executive board (e-board) for the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) was elected on April 7.

The electees include President Sirus Wheaton ’23, Vice-President Jaden Richards ’25, Treasurer Dania Hallak ’24, Secretary Jeffrey Ma ’24, and Judiciary Chair Alex Jabor ’23. The Student sat down with the new e-board members to learn about their experience, policies, and goals.

President Sirus Wheaton ’23 Q: Where were you when you found out you won? What was your immediate reaction?

A: I was in New York, and I was with people from Amherst, and I wasn’t checking my phone — I was with an alumni too — and then, Sydney Ireland [’23] came over to me and was like, “Oh, congrats.” Or maybe Maya Foster [’23] was like, “Oh, congrats.”

And I was like, “What the f — k, that’s pretty cool.” So I was really excited, and then my brother called me, so [my reaction was] just a lot of excitement and happiness.

Q: What aspects of your platform or campaign do you believe spoke to the Amherst community?

A: I think it was [my] being driven and actually having things that I wanted to get done that I got done.

I said I wanted to do this laundry project, and then I got some of it done. And just the fact that I had laid out goals that I wanted to do, like saying I wanted to make a Diversity Council, or even talking about … reparations and using our rainy day fund, and being an active Senate, or a proactive Senate. So I think just that, coupled with being a nice guy.

times where people on Senate or on the E-Board can just be someplace to talk. And then also a diversity council, where leaders of affinity groups have a standing meeting with people on Senate where they can talk about the things that are going on for them and how the Senate can represent them. An issue to talk about is student compensation.

Vice-President Jaden Richards ’25 Q: Where were you when you found out you won? What was your immediate reaction?

A: I was taking my friend from Smith home when the results were released. While I was excited — my friend certainly was — I immediately felt a little worried about my ability to be a good Vice-President, though I did take a mini victory lap on the drive home.

Q: What led you to decide to run for vice-president?

A: I had not heard of any other potential candidates and, even if someone was running, I think that elections for every student office should be competitive. After thinking through a potential campaign, I knew that there were many things I would do to make [the] AAS more effective in its role as the student government.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to say to the Amherst community?

A: Read The Student! For the moment, it is the easiest way for [the] AAS to publicize what it does and student engagement is essential for any student government to function. I would also ask you guys to let us know about any complaints you have about the school, no matter how small!

Treasurer Dania Hallak ’24

Q: Now that you’ve won, what are you going to do first? Additionally, what are some of your longer term goals?

A: Senate needs to be more visible and more transparent, so I guess how I want to do that — I don’t know if anybody’s ever talked about it before — [is] Senate office hours,

Q: What policies and aspects of your campaign do you think appealed to the Amherst community?

A: I think what appealed [to people] was explaining the funding process.

A lot of people don't understand how funding requests work and

why we turn away certain people — often there's funding for them from other offices. Another reason [the campaign appealed to people] could be because I want BC [Budgetary Committee] to be more accessible.

Q: Now that you’re treasurer, what’s your first goal? And what are some of the longer-term things you want to accomplish?

A: One of the bigger goals right now is the transition back toward pre-Covid life on campus. Part of that includes increasing our caps: we're working on immediately adjusting for inflation. For example, we’re changing how much we reimburse for gas prices. With that, however, there's a push and pull, because for us to go back fully to pre-Covid times, we would need the student activity fee to increase ...

In the future, I think compensating lower-income student workers on campus is an important project that we should do. This would allow for more representation. We already funded a couple students [working] for The Student. So I just think that providing resources for students to be able to be a part of these things without endangering or taking advantage of their work study [would be a positive change].

Q: Do you have anything else you would like to say to the Amherst community?

A: I understand that BC is scary. I think what I’d tell them though, is that BC is a bunch of students. What we want to do is help fund things on campus and make social and extracurricular spaces more lively and supported. We can work together. I can help guide them [students]. If you have any confusion about policies, you can come in [to the Red Room] and ask about them, preferably before BC time. But from 7 to 7:15 p.m., I'll be there. You can also email me.

Secretary Jeffrey Ma ’24 Q: What led you to decide to run for secretary?

A: Monday before elections, no one was running [for secretary]. So I think [former Vice-President] Bas-

Photo courtesy of Chris Tun'25

The newly-elected AAS e-board members. From left to right: Jaden Richards '25, Alex Jabor '23, Dania Hallak '24, Jeffrey Ma '24, Sirus Wheaton '23. ma [Azzamok ’22] and Lucas [Romualdo] were talking. … Monday morning at Suhur, I was fasting for Ramadan. [On the] morning of [the speeches], Basma [Azzamok] said that no one was running. So I was like, “I’ll think about it.” Monday night, still no one was running, so I kept thinking about it. I think it was Tuesday at 8 p.m. I was like, “You know, screw it. I’ll do it.”

Q: What aspects of your campaign do you believe spoke to the Amherst community?

A: I’ll admit, I don’t have many strong policy positions. If I had to describe myself, I'd say, “I’ll do what I’m told.” I feel much more like a technocrat than [anything else.]

Judiciary Council Chair Alex Jabor ’23 Q: Where were you when you found out you won? What was your immediate reaction?

A: I was in the middle of the orchestra concert, and I checked my email right during a little break, saw that I won, and I couldn't really be loud about it. So my friend fistbumped me, celebrated for half a second, watched the last piece, and then went outside, congratulated my friends who were playing [in the concert], and then celebrated that night. It felt really good. It was a relief; in a way, it felt like a lot of the work that I did over the last two years on JC [Judiciary Council] was recognized.

Q: What led you to decide to run for Judiciary Council chair?

A: I've been on JC as an at-large member for two years before becoming JC chair. During that time, not only would I see what the [previous] chairs were doing, but also I got to interact with every single part of JC’s power, from doing constitutional review to adjudication over a complaint. When the email came out to run, I was like, “I feel ready,” not only because I've seen everything that JC has done in the last few years and what they can do within their powers, but I also have an idea of where they can move forward. And where we can grow and become stronger and help not only the Senate, but the student body as well.

Q: Now that you’ve won, what are you going to do first? Additionally, what are some of your longer term goals?

A: I would say first, [my goal is] restructuring the complaint process.

Part of that is making the complaint process more accessible to students — a standardized Google Form, having it written into the constitution that complaints can be made flexible — if new evidence comes up, we can change things around and you are allowed to amend your complaint. We should have rules governing how that information is sought out when it's released. We need to address the issue where people hear “Judiciary Council” and they go “What's that?”

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

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“Boundless” Exhibit Features Indigenous Art, Expression Ethan Foster ’25 Staff Writer The Mead Art Museum is curating a new exhibition, “Boundless,” set to debut on Sept. 23, 2023. A collaboration with Frost Library, the exhibition will focus on American art, centering on Indigenous and Native perspectives.

Designed by guest curator Heid E. Erdrich, who is Ojibwe and enrolled at Turtle Mountain, the “Boundless” exhibition will utilize a new collaborative and reciprocal model, bringing together Frost’s Kim Wait/Eisenberg Native American Literature (KWE) Collection — an extensive collection of over 3,200 Native literary and cultural documents — with the Mead’s existing Indigenous art collection.

Though specific exhibition pieces are still being determined, this collaboration, which officially began development in September 2021, forms a part of the museum’s efforts to “de-center the predominantly white settler-colonial histories of the Mead’s collection,” according to a description published by the Mead.

Frost archivist Michael Kelly stat-

ed that the collaboration reflects Frost’s goal to “build a collection that shows both the history of Native writing and the very active and exciting world of contemporary Native authorship.”

In formulating the exhibition, Erdrich stated that her primary goal is to present the connections between Native American writers and visual artists. “Native people creating art and writing has gone on for centuries, across cultures and other boundaries,” she said.

“We Native American authors and artists are often treated as if we are anomalies, outsiders to the art and publishing world, but in fact there are many remarkable connections.”

According to Erdrich, the exhibition’s name itself reflects the abundance of the relationships between these authors and artists. Lisa Crossman, the Mead’s curator for American art, emphasized the Mead’s hope to “build relationships with Native communities in the surrounding area, Native artists and scholars further afield, and with the region itself through enriched understanding of its histories.”

“Centering on local and regional Native American artists is

at the heart of the work,” echoed Erdrich.

Crossman added that the idea for such an exhibit came from recognizing the strength of the college’s collection of Native American literature and the opportunity that it presented to reinterpret the Mead’s collection.

Crossman also noted that the project reflects a “larger effort to rethink the boundaries and notion of ‘American’ art,” in addition to opening conversations about broader museum practices.

To ensure that the exhibition achieves these goals, an advisory committee was recently organized to respond to feedback about the exhibition and to analyze practices surrounding curation, said Jacquelyn Cabarrubia ’25, a student on the committee. Comprised of students, college faculty, and curators from both the college archives and the Mead, the committee is “work[ing] closely with Heid Erdrich to [reach] our goal of having an Indigenous perspective enhanced,” she said.

Though the pandemic has complicated attempts to involve community members, Erdrich stated that she has been able to talk to a number of Native and

Photo courtesy of Amherst College

Community members look at books in the Kim Wait/ Eisenberg Collection. “Boundless,” which is set to debut next fall, will couple the collection with Indigenous art and literature from the Mead.

Indigenous students at Amherst, staff and faculty at the Five Colleges, and other Native members of the larger community. Part of this outreach has included requesting the permission of Indigenous people from the area to work in their region, including the Nipmuc, Mohegan, and Wampanoag tribes, said Erdrich, who noted that this is an Ojibwe protocol.

Erdrich hopes to continue reaching out to the broader Native and Indigenous community and providing opportunities to

engage with the exhibit. Students from both Amherst and Smith College have also been contracted to assist in the exhibition’s formulation.

Reflecting on the importance of the exhibition, Erdrich noted that the materials set to be displayed have, for her, nourished a greater sense of Indigenous literary history and presence. “It is an honor to be able to create this exhibition as an offering to those who came before, those who are here, and those to come,” she said.

Bilingual Students Explore Identity, Art at ‘Nuestras Voces’ Continued from page 4 sentence in English.”

“Whenever [people switched] to Spanglish, it was almost like a song,” Mateo added. “It flowed.

Spanish is a language that can flow whenever you speak it … like a good poem, and then English, it’s almost like a song.”

Salvador Malagon-Martinez ’25 read his poem titled “Mar y Flor,” which covers the power of love, and unreciprocated love.

“Me ahogue / Dentro de los siete mares de tus ojos tan bellos / Mi corazón, / Naufragó contra los contornos de tu ser,” the poem reads.

Malagon-Martinez reflected: “The experience was really impactful and makes me want to

possibly pursue [poetry] even further, maybe be more active here in the poetry scene at Amherst,” he said. “Everyone was really receptive to it. Here … the arts are really valued among the student body … I really love that about this place.”

In her poem, “Ode to Home,” Suarez wrote on the love and complications of home, and her “different definitions of home,” which she characterizes as “my actual home, like where I’m from,” and “my home here, like my found family.” Her poem begins: “Home. / Home is the 90-degree dry heat of a Texas summer day.”

She continues: “A synonym for home that people tend to forget is expectation. / Just as the

last two ice cubes are clinging to each other, trying to survive the summer heat, / You are left trying to endure the constant scrutiny of your Latino parents.”

Reflecting on her writing process, Suarez said, “I think writing it out was really good for me, just because … I had never talked to anybody about it before. That was kind of like an outlet to get that out of me. And just let it go,” she said. “Whenever I was writing it out … I could feel like a weight was coming off [me].”

Speaking on his poem, Mateo explained that he chose to write something where “the poem actually jumps back in time,” to explore the origins of his name, which is “a common name,” but “when I started to look deeper

[I found out it is] based on colonialism.”

“The Gods you worshipped were blasphemy to the one and only God / They proclaimed salvation, eternal life, and yet malice lurked behind their white skin / You are to take the names of their religious figures,” the poem reads.

Piero Campos’ ’25 poem “The Little School in the Hood that Could” is based on a phrase that he and his classmates would use to speak about their middle school, a rhyme that “reflected not only our struggles, also our hopes and dreams for better lives through the power of education,” Campos said.

The poem reads: “Rather, I want to give hope that was once

given to me before I left. / So it’s my time to spread the word about the little school in the hood that could. / Cuz it ain’t got to be a place filled with theft / It just has to be a place filled with hopes and breaths.”

Amelie Justo-Sainz ’25 wrot about her home, the Mission District of San Francisco, California, and the impacts and violence of gentrification there. “Adelante! / Mira a los bright murals that show what you’ve done to my people / Drink from the cafes that have displaced la Doña’s panaderia / Eat from the restaurant of a culture whose people you want to keep out con fronteras / Pero esas fronteras seem

Continued on page 8

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

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‘Nuestras Voces’ Allows Heritage Speakers to Embrace Bilingualism Continued from page 7 to magically disappear when it most benefits you,” she wrote.

“Nuestras Voces was an amazing opportunity for me to express myself creatively … Being able to switch between my two languages was also very empowering,” Justo-Sainz reflected.

Speaking on the event as a whole, Granda spoke on the importance of exploring and embracing bilingualism. Her class, LLAS/SPAN-205, is for “students who are considered heritage speakers,” which means “people who grew up either listening or speaking Spanish with their families or their communities …

Within this group, though, there are various levels of Spanish proficiency,” Granda said. The Spanish department is currently working on developing a heritage language program, starting with SPAN-205 and SPAN-105: “Spanish for Bilingual Students,” which will be offered in Fall 2022.

“I saw the whole process. In class, they were exploring. They were processing. And … they’re ultimately deepening their understanding of what it means to be bilingual,” she said. “[In] class where we’re able to talk about our insecurities, like ‘I’m supposed to be bilingual, but maybe I’m not necessarily entirely fluent,’” said Suarez.

“The class made me realize that [this isn’t] something that only I go through.”

“I feel like the event just reinforced that because it showed us … your voices do matter. Even if you can’t pronounce the word right,” she added.

Similarly, said Mateo, “It’s a way for us to feel more connected to who we are … By having that, we can travel between two worlds, from the Spanish world to the English world.”

At the end of the event, Granda stepped onstage to deliver her own poem, “Oda a mi clase,” which, to the surprise of her students and the event participants,

Photo courtesy of Harufumi Nakazawa '24

At “Nuestras Voces,” the room filled with snaps and claps as attendees and participants cheered one another on. was a combination of all the pieces that had been shared that night.

“I wanted to write my own poem, but after reading all their poems, I was intimidated and I couldn’t come up with anything,” said Granda. “But I thought

[combining everyone’s voices] was powerful because it reinforced the value of community,” she said.

Granda reflected on what the event meant to her as a heritage speaker herself. “Once a heritage language learner, I never had

the chance to take such a class; so now, as a teacher, I am sharing moments with my students and giving them the opportunity to express themselves in a way that I wish my instructors would have. It feels full circle,” she said.

“Being bilingual is a gift.”

From the Red Room: April 18 AAS Meeting Updates Yee-Lynn Lee ’23 Editor-in-Chief On Monday, April 18, the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) met for the 10th time this semester. The meeting was held in the Red Room with some senators joining over Zoom, and its topics included funding requests, a public comment, and numerous AAS updates.

The meeting got off to a slow start, as low attendance raised the question of whether the AAS would be able to achieve a quorum of 18 senators. If they couldn’t, the meeting would be postponed to the following week.

One senator suggested sending out a Zoom link so that senators could join remotely.

While they waited for senators to join the Zoom, the present senators went over funding requests. Isaiah Doble ’25 requested $50 for publicity for the major

fair Senate project. Gillian Quinto ’23 requested funding for 10 $50 gift cards to use as incentives to fill out the form for her internship database project. Treasurer Dania Hallak ’24 then presented the Budgetary Committee (BC) discretionary funding requests, which included requests from the Food Justice Alliance, Black Students Union, Queer Athlete Alliance, and more.

Secretary Jeffrey Ma ’24 then reassessed whether they had a quorum. With the additional senators who joined over Zoom, it was determined that they had achieved a quorum. Attendance was then formally taken, and the BC recommendations were unanimously approved.

Vice-President Jaden Richards ’25 then informed the Senate of a public comment brought forth by former Treasurer Jae Yun Ham ’22, asking the AAS to consider petitioning the admin-

istration for a Mountain Day, to help ease the strain from the eight straight weeks of classes after Spring Break. Several senators mentioned that the biggest pushback will likely come from faculty, noting that faculty members were upset at the Mammoth Days that were offered last year.

It was decided that Mia Griffin ’24 and Doble would draft an email to send to the administration in support of the effort.

After last week’s minutes were approved, officer reports were given. Richards provided an update on the initiative to set up AAS office hours, as a way to promote engagement with the student body. Office hours will be held in Valentine Dining Hall every Friday from 12 to 1:30 p.m.

Griffin noted that the establishment of office hours presents an opportunity to start requiring senators to attend a certain number of events as part of their

responsibilities. For now, attendance will be optional, although Richards encouraged all senators to show up if they can.

Senators then had the opportunity to provide on-campus check-ins. Cole Graber-Mitchell ’22 asked if the e-board was still having regular standing meetings with Chief Student Affairs Officer and Dean of Students Liz Agosto. President Sirus Wheaton ’23 said the previous e-board hadn’t looped him in on such meetings. Student Activities Coordinator Monica Soto, who regularly attends AAS meetings, recommended that they reach out to Mimi Odgers, Agosto’s assistant, to set up the meetings.

Next on the agenda was committee updates. On behalf of the Ad Hoc Committee to Evaluate the January Term, Ma asked senators to tell students to fill out the J-term evaluation survey, which was sent to students on April 14.

He noted that J-term will likely not occur this coming year, but the college is considering making it a permanent feature of the academic calendar over the course of the next few years. The results from the survey, Ma said, will shape the committee’s recommendations to the Committee of Six about the matter.

Senators then moved on to Senate project updates, during which Griffin reminded everyone of the AAS prom taking place this Saturday, April 23, and urged everyone to come.

Following this, the Senate had originally planned to revisit their recently passed bylaw establishing salaries for AAS officials, but Richards decided to push the discussion to next week due to low attendance at the meeting. He then called for the meeting to be adjourned.

The next AAS meeting will be held on Monday, April 25.

Op pinion

w

It’s Not Working

THE AMHERST

STUDENT E X E C U T I V E B OA R D

Amherst College prides itself on its accessibility to students of all backgrounds: it’s one of just five colleges in the country that is need-blind for both domestic and international students, and, according to its website, Amherst “meets the full demonstrated need of every admitted student.” Undeniably, Amherst’s financial aid policy is among the most generous of its peer institutions. And yet, the college is clearly failing in one key area: work study requirements.

Williams College recently announced that effective Fall 2022, it will eliminate all loans, required work study, and summer earnings contributions from all students’ financial aid packages — becoming the first college in the country to implement such a system. To provide its students with a truly equitable education, Amherst needs to do the same.

Work study — which is subsidized at Amherst by federal government funding through the Federal Work-Study Program — essentially allows students with demonstrated financial need to cover their educational expenses by working a part-time job. The funds students earn through work study are intended to help address “personal expenses” and are not directly owed to the college.

Nonetheless, when the college calculates financial aid packages to meet students’ demonstrated financial need, it counts work study as a part of eligible students packages. This means that receiving a work-study component actually leads students to receive less financial aid. It creates the false assumption that the college is covering that money when, in reality, it is your own labor that is filling the gap.

Even beyond that, work study only creates

more stress for the students it aims to help.

Students are left with little to no direction from the administration on where to apply for jobs, and although on-campus supervisors are encouraged to prioritize students with work study, getting a job is never guaranteed. The students who get work are then tasked with working on top of managing a full course load just to have enough money to support themselves.

Work study grants are also an equity issue: students who are not on financial aid collect wages as an added bonus. Work-study students, meanwhile, receive less grant aid, making up the difference with money they earn. Moreover, workstudy participants, many of whom are low-income students, may need to take out loans if they are unable to meet their work-study expectation. This further inflates the financial burden that many students are already under, and goes against the college’s mission of being “loan-free.”

The college has already shown that workstudy isn’t necessary: it suspended work study and summer earning requirements for the 20202021 academic year due to Covid. However, it was brought back for the 2021-2022 academic year. From Fall 2022 onwards, the work-study component will be decreased from six hours to four hours a week. But if Amherst is dedicated to ensuring educational equity and academic excellence for all students, then work study — which piles work and stress onto students who must then dedicate less time and effort to academics — cannot be a part of it at all. If Williams can do it, then so can we.

Unsigned editorials represent the views of the majority of the Editorial Board — (assenting: 16; dissenting: 0; abstaining: 1).

Editor-in-Chief Yee-Lynn Lee Senior Managing Theo Hamilton Liam Archacki Editors-at-Large Scott Brasesco Sophie Wolmer Managing News Caelen McQuilkin Tana DeLalio Eleanor Walsh Sonia Chajet Wides Managing Opinion Kei Lim Dustin Copeland Tapti Sen

Managing Arts & Living Brooke Hoffman Alexander Brandfonbrener Aniah Washington Yasmin Hamilton Brianne LaBare Madeline Lawson Managing Sports Liza Katz Alex Noga Leo Kamin Nick Edwards-Levin Managing Podcast Sam Spratford Maggie McNamara Managing Photo Emma Spencer

Managing Design Brianne LaBare S TA F F Publishers Robert Bischof Ethan Samuels Digital Director Sawyer Pollard Social Media Manager Emi Eliason

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The views expressed in this publication do not reflect the views of The Amherst Student.

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

Opinion

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Letter to the Editor: “Every Person for Themselves” Catherine Sanderson Chair of Psychology Content warning: This article contains mentions of suicide and self-harm.

According to the 2021 Healthy Minds Network Study, 34 percent of college students have an anxiety disorder and 41 percent are experiencing moderate to major depression. Moreover, data from the Fall 2021 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment reveals that nearly 75 percent of college students report moderate to serious psychological distress. These findings from nationwide data are in line with anecdotal reports from Amherst students, staff, and faculty about the current mental health crisis on campus.

Although many different factors contribute to mental health problems, including the ongoing stress of a global pandemic, empirical evidence demonstrates that one of the best strategies for improving mental well-being is developing meaningful social connections. People who are more socially connected to their community are happier, physically healthier, and report fewer mental health problems.

As the chair of psychology, and a faculty member with a specific focus in research and teaching on close relationships and mental well-being, I therefore became quite concerned when numerous students shared with me their anxiety about this year’s new housing assignment procedures. During my nearly 25 years at Amherst, students have discussed a variety of personal issues with me, including selfharm, sexual misconduct, and deaths of loved ones. But prior to this spring, not a single student has ever shared any concerns about room draw with me.

Although the dean of students describes this new process as one that will “allow all students equal access to all of the avail-

able housing options while still maintaining the opportunity for students to choose to live in closer proximity to each other,” in reality this new system fosters a culture of exclusion and doubt.

Students with “good numbers” are forced to choose between selecting a more desirable room and delaying their selection for friends with “bad numbers.” Students with “bad numbers” are penalized by not only getting a less desirable room, but also doing so in isolation, as their friends with better numbers will have already selected their rooms. In sum, this new housing system seems intentionally designed to separate friend groups and deprive students of social support (in an attempt to preclude larger groups from selecting rooms together).

This new process creates an “every person for themselves” type of situation, and places intense and unnecessary stress on friend groups at a time when students are most in need of close and connected friendships to counteract the considerable stress and anxiety they have experienced over the past two years. This decision seems especially unwise given that many students have only experienced Amherst during a global pandemic, and thus may not have established particularly broad friend groups due to the unique nature of their campus experience (e.g., virtual orientation, singles for all students during the 2020-2021 academic year, remote learning through much of the 2020-2021 academic year, and so on).

At a time in which many of our peer institutions (Stanford, Dartmouth) have experienced a rise in deaths by suicide, and the Amherst student body is by all accounts experiencing a mental health crisis (a student body that even pre-pandemic had high rates of loneliness compared to our peer institutions), I am highly concerned about this new system and highly fearful of its

potential consequences for student psychological well-being.

As noted eloquently by several students in a piece published

last week, this decision is already creating social difficulties and fragmenting friendships.

Sadly, it may also have lasting

effects next year and beyond by increasing rates of loneliness, isolation, and indeed, suicidal ideation.

Red Herring: Sophomore Housing Isaac Streiff ’24

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

Opinion

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Amherst Needs an Intro Econ Course for Non-majors Andrew Rosin ’25 Staff Writer In the past week alone, several friends have approached me to share that they plan on taking “An Introduction to Economics” sometime in the future. “I feel like it’s a class that I should take,” my friends would explain, before asking me if it’s a class that I would recommend. At this point in the conversation, I always hesitate. Not because I didn’t like my Introduction to Economics class or because I don’t think that economics is a worthwhile subject.

But for students who are not interested in majoring in economics, I can’t help but imagine that they would find Introduction to Economics to be a suboptimal use of their time.

To graduate as an economics major, you must take three “core” classes: “Microeconomics,” “Macroeconomics,” and “Econometrics.” Introduction to Economics, therefore, is structured around preparing students to take these courses. As a result, there is a significant amount of material that professors have to cover in Introduction to Economics, some of it more relevant and some of it less relevant to the interests of non-majors. With the extensive amount of time spent working with economic models in the current introductory course, there is less time to study the economic applications that appeal to the student body at large — topics like inflation, unemployment, race, and the environment.

An introductory class for non-majors wouldn’t have to start from scratch. Rather, models in Introduction to Economics are taught at a level of specificity and detail that is not required for non-majors. Teaching the basic concepts on a conceptual level while simultaneously reducing the amount of quantitative analysis in the course would allow professors to both teach the fundamental principles of economics and create more space for discussing relevant (and more

Photo courtesy of Aoife McGuire '24

Converse Hall is home to the economics department. Andrew Rosin ’25 argues for the design of an introductory economics course for non-majors. interesting) applications of economic theory.

In a time when inflation is rising at its highest rate in decades, for example, it would be beneficial to understand how the Federal Reserve manipulates the money supply in order to change interest rates and control inflation. At a time of environmental crisis, it would be beneficial to understand negative externalities (aka pollution) and the effects of using taxes and subsidies to mitigate these externalities.

Not only will economics equip you with the language to understand the political discourse and jargon that defines public policy, but it will also provide you with an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms at play in issues like inflation and pollution.

It’s problematic, therefore, that the only introductory economics courses are targeted at economics majors.

An emphasis on policy applications — and a shift away from detailed analyses of models — will make economics more accessible to students who might be classics or physics majors. A purely content-based change, however, would not by itself fix the shortcomings of the course

for non-majors. An Introduction to Economics course for non-majors would also benefit greatly from a thematic restructuring.

Economics is inseparable from issues of race, inequality, and the environment, and this connection must be drawn explicitly. As opposed to studying these issues tangentially — in isolated class discussions, for example — race and the environment could be made the overarching thematic backdrop of the course.

I have to give a lot of credit to “An Introduction to Economics with Environmental Applications,” taught by Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies Kate Sims. In this class, we read articles like “Racism and the Economy,” which details wage and employment disparities between Black and white individuals. We read an article about natural capital, which involves valuing the environment in monetary terms such that “nature is a financial asset, and damage to it becomes a liability.” We read about a proposal for a global carbon incentive that would require countries to pay into a global fund if they emitted more than the global average of carbon dioxide emissions per capita.

While race and the environment are touched on in current Introduction to Economics courses, discussion of them is limited due to the standard economics curriculum that professors have to cover. An introductory course for non-majors would have more flexibility in its syllabus, which in turn would increase the opportunity for analysis of economic policy as it relates to the environment and race.

Even with a greater focus on policy, economics as a discipline can feel as if it exists within a bubble. All models in Introduction to Economics are inherently simplified, somewhat unrealistic versions of what’s happening in the world. To be truly worthwhile, then, an introductory course for non-majors should challenge the fundamental tenets of neoclassical economics that underlie the models presented in Introduction to Economics: (1) humans behave rationally, and (2) humans act in their own self-interest. The field of behavioral economics problematizes these assumptions in order to create more accurate predictions of real-world behavior. Presenting students with a version of economics that takes into ac-

count empirical evidence on human decision-making would help overcome the conception that economics is a meaningless abstraction. Therefore, just as Introduction to Economics includes a microeconomics section and a macroeconomics section, an introductory course for non-majors could teach a neoclassical economics section and behavioral economics section.

To return to my friends’ question — “Should I take Introduction to Economics?” — I would like to answer “yes.” But I would first ask the economics department to create an intro course for non-majors. There are critical applications of economics, from our daily lives to global politics, that would make students more informed and conscious members of the community. But there are also technical and confusing elements of Introduction to Economics that non-majors could do without. Shift the emphasis of the course to policy and social issues. Professors could even adjust the curriculum on a year-toyear basis based on topical political, environmental, and racial issues. There’s a demand for an economics class for non-majors, but where’s the supply?

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

Opinion

12

Seeing Double: Getting Involved in Town Cole Graber-Mitchell ’22 Columnist For the past two years, I’ve been a member of the Amherst Cultural Council (ACC), a volunteer town committee tasked with giving grants to promote arts and culture in the Amherst area. In our most recent grant cycle, we gave out $61,000 to local painters, musicians, dancers, and mainstay arts institutions like Amherst Media and Amherst Cinema.

Reading through all the applications we get and deciding who should receive funding is hard work, but it’s worth it, and not only because it promotes the arts in town. The council also provides a place for members of all the varied groups that call Amherst home to get to know each other and work together toward a shared goal.

For me, it’s been a wonderful opportunity to meet people in town. It’s easy to live a cloistered life here. I’m pretty sure that I spent whole months without stepping off campus once during my sophomore year. The committee has allowed me — and at my busiest times, forced me — to really engage with town. In my time there, I’ve had the pleasure of working with the high schoolers, the new parents, and the old guard of the committee, people who are embedded in Amherst life in ways that I am not.

Our busy college lives make these sorts of intergenerational, bubble-breaking relationships tough to build, but they’re worth it. Amherst College can teach us a lot, but life has lessons for us beyond what we can learn from books and dorm room drama.

The folks that I’ve met on the council have taught me not only about the arts and how to evaluate grants, but also about the town and the people in it. I’ve gotten advice and life lessons from them, and even indirectly drawing on their vast pools of experience as we consider grants has been eye-opening for me.

And they’ve also learned from

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Cole Graber-Mitchell ’22 encourages students to become more immersed in town life, perhaps by joining a town committee. Greater integration only benefits both Amherst students and the town. me and my experience as a student living in this town. Students should matter here beyond the confines of campus. We clearly want to matter: we want to be respected when we walk around town, and we desire amenities, like food open later than 9 p.m.

We even feel like our voices should matter when we speak out about town issues, such as the new affordable housing project nearby.

And frankly, we’re right. We live here for the better part of four years, often working in town, and definitely spending our money there. But what goes on off campus can’t just be something we care about when we want to. We can’t complain or say our piece about what should happen without taking any responsibility. Our voices should matter, but when we aren’t put-

ting in the effort to make this town better for everyone who lives here, it’s easy to discount what we have to say.

Thankfully, I’ve heard of countless ways that Amherst students have gotten involved in town life. Some work with a local housing advocacy group, and others volunteer for soup kitchens. Others work town jobs rather than staying on campus. This sort of outreach and integration between “town and gown” is extraordinarily important, and I hope it continues. The more students are involved in town life, the better for everyone. We have much to learn off campus, and the town can use our voices.

All of this brings me to my topic: the many town governance committees that need more members. Right now, there are vacancies on the committees

for reparations, solar energy, disability access, and nine others that help run this town. And after I graduate, a spot will open up on the Amherst Cultural Council.

Time commitments on these committees vary, but many of them only meet every couple of weeks for an hour and a half or so. Even those infrequent meetings provide committee members with an opportunity to shape this community to better fit everyone’s needs and wants.

Sitting on a town committee is civic engagement and self-government at its most basic: handson and small-scale.

Giving back to the town is one reason to join a committee, and placing student voices in local government is another. The last, and most personal, is the way that serving on a committee will

reshape you. It might make you hate committees — I know that I sometimes wish a discussion would just end. But it will also help you appreciate all the minutiae involved in running even a town as small as Amherst. Local government demonstrates that democracy only works because of the unseen contributions of many, many people working together in good faith.

More than that, serving on a committee will teach you about this town, its history, and its people. For me, being a member of the Amherst Cultural Council has made the town of Amherst more than just the backdrop to my college years. I would love for another Amherst student to have that same experience. As I said, my spot on the council opens up in June. Maybe you can be the one to fill it.

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

Opinion

13

Who Makes History? Great Figures or The Masses?

Photo courtesy of Jason Heuser

Zane Khiry ’25 and Isaiah Doble ’25 criticize how history is sometimes taught using the "Great Figures Approach," which views major historical events as the result of a few highly distinguished individuals rather than the collective work of many.

Zane Khiry ’25 and Isaiah Doble ’25 Contributing Writers Picture George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown, alone.

No troops to command. No institutional backing. Just him, his horse, and thousands of British troops closing in on him by the second. How would he fare?

We're often taught that making history is the exclusive domain of the great few. That the making of history only involves the likes of the Kennedys and the Conquerors, so to speak — and that worries us. For what effect does this manner of history have on us, its students? Does it inspire us to make change, or render us passive and hesitant? If what we’re after is an education that empowers students to become agents of change in the world, we should critically examine our approach to teaching history and its effect on us as students. Here, we’ll be analyzing what we call the “Great Figures” approach to history, on the one hand, and the “Power to the People” approach, on the other.

The Great Figures Approach The Great Figures Approach to the discipline holds that history’s creation is the work of a few “great” individuals. It teaches that history itself is the product of the Washingtons, Napoleons, and Caesars of the world.

History, when taught in this manner, is often highly dramatized and character-centric. A professor, for example, may go about teaching the Civil Rights Movement not as a protracted struggle between the masses and the man, so to speak, but as a heroic political drama about the struggles of Dr. King and Malcolm X. The end goal here would be to inspire students to lead by giving them a front-row seat to the greatest examples of what humanity can do.

The downside, however, is that the Great Figures Approach may render us passive and insecure.

When we’re taught history as the story of the lives of these great, heroic people, a single, burning question comes to mind: how could we possibly measure up?

The Great Figures approach to

history may inadvertently lead students to imbibe the idea that most people — perhaps including themselves — have no effect on what happens in the world.

In the face of such a terrifying concept, many students would begin to think of themselves not as potential agents of change, but as being fundamentally powerless — as silent extras in the unfolding of the human drama. If what we’re after is an education that provides civic empowerment, then the Great Figures approach proves to be problematic, as it may send them a message that progress has no place for them. Furthermore, it presents a picture of history that simply isn’t true — and, in doing so, denies us important lessons we would’ve learned otherwise.

The Power of the People The Power of the People approach focuses on the contributions of ordinary people to extraordinary moments. History, then, would not be thought of as the domain of the great few, but as a communal effort. The Power

of the People approach, in short, holds that the story of human progress is the story, mainly, of the quotidian, yet extraordinary, struggles of ordinary people.

When taught this way, rather than focusing on presenting history through the eyes of [insert historical figure], our attention would shift to the ways in which ordinary people have enacted change in the world around them. While some may argue that history told in this form loses its capacity to inspire, we’d argue that it’s actually the contrary.

A people-focused history does the job of inspiring students far better than one focused on great individuals, as it opens their eyes to greatness without saddling them with insecurity. Put plainly, it shows people the beauty in the ordinary.

Thinking about the subject in this light prompts the ordinary individual to consider their responsibility to history. Consider a sociological perspective on the “Power of the People” approach. C. Wright Mills takes a strong stance on an “ordinary”

individual’s innate capabilities to change history as he defines the principles of society. He argues in “The Sociological Imagination” that simply “by the fact of his living [the ordinary person] contributes, however minutely, to the shaping of this society and to the course of its history, even as he is made by society and by its historical push and shove.” Mills highlights the great power vested in the individual as a vehicle for change within society. In addition, he demonstrates the power of ordinary, unintentional actions to contribute to historical processes — and asks us to become more aware of the weight of our choices as a result.

The truth is that history is made by whoever considers themselves worthy enough to make it. We should, then, educate our students at all levels to recognize the power vested in themselves merely by virtue of being human. In short, we should educate our students to feel worthy. Now, more than ever, a great deal hangs in the balance.

Amusements

w

The Amherst Student Crossword | April 20, 2022 ACROSS 1 Psychological injury 7 Kissing on the subway, e.g.

10 Quarter Pounder purveyor, familiarly 14 Did a double take?

15 Lass counterpart 16 Buckeye State 17 Erroneous 18 "Start of spring" and "frost's parting," for example 20 Corp. bigwig 21 Nick of "Cape Fear" 23 Condition sometimes treated with cranberry juice: Abbr.

24 Hampshire alum Burns 25 You___ 26 Sauvignon 28 Dracula and Count von Count, sometimes 29 Apple Store or food court locater 31 Joe of "My Cousin Vinny 34 Knight's title 35 "___ we there yet?"

36 11 p.m. nourishment, which Mammoths may find at 10A, 51A, 57A, 39D. or 55D with 1D 41 Columbus campus: Abbr.

42 "I'm good."

43 Frasier's brother 44 Union 47 Launder 49 Appears 50 Hunter's garb, for short 51 Where Amherst students love to sit 54 Snowden's former employer: Abbr.

55 Discussion venue 56 Parisian pal 57 Tortellini pizza purveyor 60 Speak sharply to 62 Spades or clubs 63 "As if !"

64 Coachella headliner Billie 65 Command+Z 66 Medicine-approving org.

67 Laid down the law

DOWN 1 Highway hauler 2 Frequent friendly face in 51-Across 3 ___ Martin (classic car) 4 O'clock, in Koln 5 With "The," The Hound's brother on Game of Thrones 6 Went to 57-Across, perhaps 7 Circle found in 51-Across 8 Hamlet, for one 9 Nabokov novel 10 Like some enemies 11 Long-ago battle protection 12 Poorly lit 13 Sea plea 19 Aquatic bird 22 Barbell abbr.

26 Shakespeare, for one 27 Chili con ___ 28 Pre-A.D. 29 Sch. near Harvard 30 Identifies correctly 31 Book and ___ 32 Lets up 33 Cost of two missed Covid tests 34 Frost C-level sound 37 Boltwood and Rodeway 38 Ham salad reaction 39 Cookies you'll lose sleep over?

40 Medical research agcy.

45 Mississippi River explorer 46 One-named supermodel 47 "___ and Peace" 48 Entertains 50 ___ Rica 51 Uninteresting 52 Gather 53 Art print, for short 55 Offering at 51-Across 57 Tempe sch.

58 Wimple wearer 59 Having one flat, musically 61 "Aladdin" prince

Liam Archacki ’24 Senior Managing Editor

Solutions: April 13

g Arts&Living

For the Love of Film: Green Room’s “The Flick” Ross Kilpatrick ’24E Staff Writer Between 7 and 10 p.m. on April 17, a crowd of about 20 students and I gathered in the Cole Assembly Room to watch “The Flick,” capping off a weekend of performances. “The Flick,” which was written by Annie Baker in 2013 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 2014, has now been directed by Matthew McShane ’22 for the Amherst College Green Room. It is above all else a play about movies: all the action happens in the titular theatre — which, mostly through the incompetence of its owner, is one of the last of its kind to screen real celluloid film — amidst a muddled slope of chairs, popcorn, and trash cans.

The play opens with new hire Avery (Miles Garcia ’25) being guided by the older Sam (Dylan Schor ’25) while they sweep up spilled popcorn after the end of a film.

The play is filled with scenes like this: long sequences of sweeping and silence, allowing the audience to take part in the daily mundanities of minimum wage work — the awkward and uncomfortable — and the mismatched people making the best of it. There’s also the projectionist, Rose (Lee Folpe ’23), and the core of the play is the bonds these workers form between movie screenings.

Their friendships are shallow and insubstantial, but also funny and, at times, moving and real. “The Flick” is a play about a very specific time and place — circa 2013 in a dying theater.

The play takes snapshots of these people’s lives, single frames, and transforms them into something worth watching.

And it better be worth something, because “The Flick” is a titanic three hours long, the audience only granted a brief reprieve during a 10-minute inter-

mission. But despite the length, the production is both breezy and stunning.

The performances from each of the actors sell the awkward, stumbling friction of normal conversation. And the space itself feels appropriate: the Converse Red Room blurs the division between stage and audience.

I could practically touch the actors, and at times it felt less like I was an audience member, and more like I was a theater goer who had overstayed a screening.

All of this is to say, it’s a wonderful production of a wonderful play.

In some ways, the play is an odd choice for 2022. Post-Covid, theaters, an already dying breed, are dying even faster. And “The Flick” is noticeably of its time, which both marks and endears it.

Recent cinema has been dominated by superhero movies, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its imitators really only took off around 2015-16, so Avery’s pronouncements about cinema — that nothing good has come out of America in the last 10 years — and his obsession with preserving the fast disappearing art of real, celluloid film projection, now feel like sadly accurate predictions instead of timely observations. Projection is dead, long live the MCU. None of this to criticize the play. It’s a love letter to film, to everything the medium can accomplish, and everything it can’t.

It’s a love letter to the people who like film, too. It’s a play about work and love and misery.

Toward the end of the play, Avery says that “film is a series of photographs, separated by split seconds of darkness.”

“The Flick” itself takes place in those moments of darkness, between the bright lights of the cinema, when people come in to clean up our messes — popcorn and soda and whatever else we’ve left behind.

Photo courtesy of Guanyun Liang ‘25

Ross Kilpatrick ‘24E reviews Green Room’s “The Flick,” a play he describes as “a love letter to film.” Written by Annie Baker, the play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2014.

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

Arts & Living

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Photo courtesy of Flickr

Poetic Perspectives Mikayah Parsons ’24 presents “Narratives of Trauma,” which critiques the expectation for Black students to share their traumas in order to gain admission into elite institutions.

At one point, I stopped feeling like me.

I was trying too hard to be somebody, To give “the people” something they would finally see.

To be admitted into college, should I have to bear my soul?

Or sell it to the devil to reach my goal?

Do I have to talk about life’s debilitating toll?

Why can’t I write a poem about Black love?

Or my belief in a higher power reigning up above?

Why can’t I write about the good stuff ?

Privilege is bright and flashy.

If I don’t have privilege, that leaves me As a mascot on the margins. Will you see me?

My life must be so pathetic and sad, That you could step in and save me with all your cash, But I must be careful to beg and not to bash.

What will it take for you to listen?

You elect committee members to make a decision, Based on merit, about my admission.

People call me a sell out Because to get here, I had to want to get out, Planting in our community little seeds of doubt.

What is merit?

A petite size flaunted by those who can wear it?

A family heirloom that one inherits?

The definition’s decided by those who share in it.

If you’re reading this, I just want you to know.

I never had any plans to let my roots go.

I’ll share our stories of resistance, even if I start slow.

I do not have access to the “merit” you require, No matter how big my brain or how much knowledge it desires.

Merit is more about the brand of wood than the brightness of the fire.

I will never be able to join your community That gatekeeps insiders like they’re new royalty So much that my failed attempts at entry look like disloyalty.

As I’m trying to find my way up, not in, I raise the suspicion of family and friends, Who don’t see a way up that includes them.

My life may have been filled with horrible things, But it was at the hands of a society that causes suffering, By people raised with hatred that they keep performing.

If this was my admissions essay, you wouldn’t let me in, Because I would sound too human for you to save me from sin.

I’m condemning you for things you’ll do again and again.

I did not ask for a savior.

I asked you to stop separating the elite from the labor.

I didn’t ask you to do me any favors.

My goals and aspirations started out about them, About creating a more just world for us to live in, But when did it go from “us” to “me” and “them?”

My admission was not contingent on speaking ill of my community.

It was a plea for you to let us be.

It was less of a photo and more of a mirror for you to see.

Is there ever a world in which My participation in social justice movements Doesn’t involve appealing to crooked, powerful politicians?

I wasn’t pointing out the horror of our nature, I was pointing out the danger Of a lineup of white saviors.

I wrote an essay to get into college once.

Without “merit,” I had to make myself look like a dunce, Capitalizing on my life’s most traumatic stunts.

To all the people from back home Who thought that what I’m doing is wrong, I am not making us look weak; I am proving we are strong.

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

WAMH X THE STUDENT

Arts & Living

17

Brought to you by the WAMH blog, where it can also be found, and The Student’s Arts & Living Section. Written by WAMH Staff Writer Victoria Thomas ’25.

On April 1, Miley Cyrus released “ATTENTION: MILEY LIVE,” a live album featuring some of her most popular songs and covers, and two previously unreleased pieces: “Attention” and “You.” Miley Cyrus has been a familiar face in pop music since 2006.

Her Disney show and persona “Hannah Montana” was a staple of my and many others’ childhoods. I have a plethora of Hannah Montana songs on my playlists alongside even more Miley songs from each of her eras.

Opinions on Miley Cyrus tend to vary, mostly depending on which version of her comes to mind when you hear her name.

My parents, for example, remember Miley as the rebellious “Wrecking Ball” singer, an image they were certainly not fans of.

Her revealing clothing and explicit, expressive performances deemed her a danger for young girls to look up to. Some still take issue with her fashion sense and overall look.

However, many of my peers and I find comfort in the evolving iterations of Miley over the years. As someone who has followed Miley in one way or another throughout her career, her evolution and dedication to self-expression and growth has not only impacted my connection to her and her music, but my connection with myself. “Can’t Be Tamed” and “Rock Star” are two songs proven to put me in a great mood, “1 Sun” and “On My Own” are fundamental to my life philosophy, and, of course, “The Climb” is a reliable classic

for when I’m going through hard times. Miley’s music, no matter the album, has always, and will always be integral to my life. Her self-expression throughout the years has paved the way for my own self-expression, and I would argue that her unapologetic authenticity is what has made her a great role model, even during her “Wrecking Ball” era.

Throughout her new album, Miley shares moments of reflection with the crowd, thanking her fanbase for sticking with her as she’s gone through so many changes.

The live recordings of “The Climb,” “Wrecking Ball x Nothing Compares To You,” and “Never Be Me,” are gut-wrenching renditions of already-sad songs, evoking the nostalgia and influence Miley has had over the years.

I asked some of my friends their thoughts on the rockstar, and here’s what they had to say: “Miley Cyrus has made me feel comfortable with my femininity … I’ve grown with her.” — Maristhela Alvarez ’25 “I like her, I f — k with her.

It’s cool to see her outward and inward transition reflected in her music. [The lyric] ‘You’ll always find your way back home’ still rings true today.” — Kai Robinson “She is finding herself now.

But I don’t like how she dresses anymore, so it’s pros and cons.”

— My brother, Alex Thomas Whether you’re a fan of hers or not, it’s hard to deny her openness about her journey of

self-discovery. From her albums “Breakout,” “Can’t Be Tamed,” and “Bangerz,” the albums that made her reputation as a generation's rebellious, bad role-model, to her emotional — “Younger Now,” album — which brought us “Malibu,” one of Miley’s more recent popular songs and one of my personal favorites to her “Plastic Hearts” rock album, Cyrus has truly expressed herself in every possible way in order to get to where she is now. This rollercoaster of experiences is not something that’s lost on the rockstar.

The track “23” is four and a half minutes of Miley sharing vulnerable moments with the audience, talking about all the identities she’s encompassed over the past 15 years.

She says, “And all of those identities that I was trying on and seeing if they fit me, like the skin that I'm in right now, you all stood beside me and grew with me and watched me evolve, and I hope that we get to do that over and over and over again for the rest of my life.”

She then shares how different it is to perform post-pandemic, “finding [her] feet” on stage again, and dealing with anxiety and fear. A few of the other tracks end with her sharing similar heartfelt moments, which add an intimate touch to the otherwise emotional rollercoaster of an album. I highly recommend listening, even if you’re not a fan, to hear what she has to say. This album feels like a landmark in the artist’s career, a career which she has no intentions of stopping.

Photos courtesy of staticflickr.com

Miley Cyrus’s new album, “ATTENTION: MILEY LIVE,” is a collection of the singer’s classic tracks performed live.

Photos courtesy of All Over Sequin

Cyrus's public image has distinctly changed, from her persona of Hannah Montana to “Wrecking Ball.”

Photos courtesy of quotepark.com

Victoria Thomas ‘25 reflects on the performer’s history and journey of self-discovery, expressed in the album.

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

Arts & Living

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“Sur vivor” Season 42: Episode 6, Reviewed Vaughn Armour ’25 Staff Writer On April 13, “Survivor” aired a two-hour merge episode. It happened, and it was awesome.

Now things get fun, as tribal immunity becomes individual, with only one person being safe in a typical round. Despite bringing back one of the most disliked twists in “Survivor” history, this episode was great: full of the strategic decisions that “Survivor” fans love. It isn’t often that a two-hour episode only involves one vote, but it worked beautifully.

Before merging, Tori nagged Rocksroy for information on his journey to Shipwheel Island. She was persistent, but her pursuits saw little to no return.

Their relationship is strained, so Tori should’ve known Rocksroy wouldn’t spill anything. Although Rocksroy’s silence left Tori in the dark, a bigger issue arose: Romeo and Drea eavesdropping on the conversation.

It furthered their belief that Tori is immature, and someone they don’t want to work with.

At the next challenge, the tribes merged. Or at least, they sort of did. It was the same twist as in Season 41, where the remaining players drew rocks to split into teams, and competed for one final group immunity.

Those who won were told they were safe, while one person (Erica in S41) drew the odd rock and was sent away to live on a desolate island alone for two days. In that season, the castaways didn’t know that Erica was given the power to reverse the events of that challenge. She was able to give immunity to herself, along with the six who lost. Many people hated this twist, and I was one of them. Never before in “Survivor” history had Jeff actually lied to the players, and never before had a group of people been punished for winning.

The twist significantly altered the course of the game, with Erica eventually becoming the Sole Survivor.

Production made some alterations for this season, making this twist much more palatable.

First, Jeff told the winners (Jonathan, Tori, Hai, Lydia, Maryanne, and Lindsay) that the person they sent away would receive a “game-changing” power. He also gave them the option of taking it themselves, even asking if they were sure when they declined. In the end, those six couldn’t pass up the temptation of what they thought was immunity, along with the Applebee’s reward.

Going to an island version of Applebee’s may not sound like a pull factor, but it’s important to remember that these people are literally starving. Calories like that are not only what they crave all day, but also strategically valuable. Your performance in challenges is much stronger when you’re well-nourished, and it’s easier to think clearly enough to strategize when you’re full.

So, they chose to send Rocksroy to Exile Island. While I still don’t like this twist, I think this iteration was much fairer. The players were suspicious afterward that Rocksroy would have the power to overturn the challenge, and they definitely had an opportunity to keep immunity.

My main gripe is that the show made it out to be a huge decision of whether the exiled person would overturn the vote — obviously, they’ll take immunity for themselves.

Back at camp, the advantages seemed to bring people together. Mike, Drea, and Maryanne agreed to keep their idols secret, while Lindsay, Hai, and Drea (three-way combined advantage that gains power when fewer of them remain) uneasily agreed to a working relationship.

One great thing about “Survivor” is that personal moments intertwine with strategy. This makes people like Mike, who are both genuine and strategic, great after the game. On just the first day at the merge, he made strong bonds with Omar and Jonathan to go along with his alliance with Hai and Lydia. His immediate

Photo courtesy of besttvshow.mirahaze.org

Vaughn Armour ‘25 gives us the rundown of a special two-hour episode of "Survivor," which features a highly anticipated merge between the three tribes. bond with Jonathan was especially notable. He recognized that Jonathan was more than just an athlete, and empathized with Jonathan’s experience of being stereotyped as unintelligent because of his physique. It was a fascinating connection, and I’m looking forward to that friendship developing throughout the season. Usually in “Survivor,” guys that look like Jonathan tend not to be much more than their muscles, but Mike is right: Jonathan is different.

After that conversation, Jonathan, Hai, Mike, Lydia, Drea, Rocksroy, Omar, and Lindsay formed an eight-person alliance.

Drea immediately threw Tori under the bus as someone to vote out, and Mike did the same with Chanelle. Jonathan reluctantly threw Maryanne’s name out there, but he preferred that she didn’t go home.

Once Rocksroy reversed the events of the challenge, an individual immunity challenge was held with the six players in danger: Maryanne, Lindsay, Hai, Lydia, Jonathan, and Tori. Tori

ended up winning. This really changed things, as she was the obvious choice to go home out of the available six.

Now, four out of the five candidates for elimination were members of the majority alliance, with the other being Maryanne. She seemed like the next option, but her idol complicated things. If she figured out that she was the target, she could save herself. Romeo tried to swing the vote to Jonathan, which made sense. He’s the biggest immunity threat by far, so any opportunity to take him out should be heavily considered.

Lydia seemed to agree with this and started to push the Jonathan agenda. However, she said this to the wrong person: Omar.

In an impressive strategic showing, Omar used this information against Lydia. He went to the other members of the eight and told them that Lydia was already turning on the eight, and that she should go home because of it. He also pulled Maryanne back in, which could prove to be valuable later.

Since Hai had already gone to rocks to save Lydia, it seemed like this plan would fail. He agreed to it though. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made to show that you trust new allies. However, I think it was too early for Hai to lose Lydia. Her exit takes away a lot of his agency, and could hurt his long-term prospects. On the other hand, Hai and Lydia were seen as an obvious pair, so losing her takes the target off of Hai’s back. Either way, Lydia was voted out, and brutally learned that she would not be on this season’s jury.

Going forward, it’ll be interesting to see how long these eight stick together. Big alliances never last in modern “Survivor,” especially when a strong three (Jonathan, Omar, and Lindsay) are a part of them.

I believe the other members will turn on those three sooner rather than later. However, the alliance will likely stick together for at least a week or two. The next boot will likely be Tori or Chanelle, but nothing can be taken as given in “Survivor.”

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

Arts & Living

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“The Night House”: The Sinister Side of Solitude Cole Warren ’24 Staff Writer David Bruckner’s “The Night House,” now streaming on HBO Max, is a horror film that is not afraid to delve into the ambiguity and tragedy of death. Rather than depending on buckets of fake blood and CGI-rendered monsters, the movie relies on the performance of its lead actor and masterful cinematography to convey the hopelessness and dread that accompany grief.

Throughout its 110-minute runtime, “The Night House” perfectly captures the terror of solitude and is not afraid to explore how loss is often a catalyst for our worst fears. Although the film struggles to maintain its narrative coherence in its third act, the unnerving nature of the movie’s performances, soundtrack, and camerawork create an ominous atmosphere that any horror fan will love.

“The Night House” opens in the aftermath of tragedy: Beth (Rebecca Hall), a nihilistic high school teacher, loses her husband Owen (Evan Jonigkeit) to suicide. All that he leaves behind is a cryptic note that reads “You were right. There is nothing. Nothing is after you. You’re safe now,” which Beth interprets as a reference to their previous disagreements about life after death.

With no understanding as to why this tragedy occurred, Beth retreats into the isolation of her lakehouse, obsessing over old home movies while being haunted by nightmares about her husband. While her grief and paranoia consume her, she discovers more artifacts that challenge her preexisting notions about her husband, such as his collection of occult books, blueprints of a reversed version of their house, and photographs of women who bear a striking resemblance to Beth. As Beth begins to investigate her husband’s secret life, she begins to be plagued by a ghostly apparition known only as “The Nothing” that occupies

negative space. By the third act, it becomes clear that Owen’s motivations were to protect Beth from this demonic presence, but at this point, even the audience becomes unaware of whether or not the shadows and silhouettes dancing across the screen are really a supernatural entity.

Anchored by Hall’s realistic portrayal of grief, the film successfully captures the terrifying and heartbreaking nature of losing someone you love. As she discovers this previously unseen side of her husband, Beth’s emotions are an amalgam of sadness, anger, antipathy, confusion, and even sardonicism. Hall’s performance emphasizes one of the most poignant horrors of this movie: we may never be able to understand the true nature of those we love. Although the film revels in unsettling imagery, this sense of loss proves to be the most terrifying and emotional element of this film for me.

It is not only the plot of “The Night House” that deals with loss and emptiness, but also the film’s cinematography. Rather than using dramatic special effects to portray the spectral apparition haunting Beth, the movie relies on negative space to present the incorporeal being lurking in the lake house. This creative mise-en-scene results in a unique horror experience.

For example, I never expected that the outline of a bookshelf would suddenly resemble the silhouette of a person, or that an empty sky would transform into a malevolent face. Not only does this presentation convey horror in a very realistic way, but it also helps develop many of the film’s central themes. The literal embodiment of loss becomes the very thing tormenting Beth as she struggles to understand the reality of the world around her. This creative cinematography transforms what is already a scary ghost story into something truly unforgettable.

For all its strengths, however, the film does have some shortcomings. Although it succeeds

Photo courtesy of galaxyfantasy.com

HBO Max’s “The Night House” is an unconventional yet terrifying horror movie. Cole Warren ‘24 analyzes the film, which follows a distraught, greiving widow. in presenting Beth’s grief and confusion about her situation, the lack of narrative coherence, especially in the third act, when the antagonist of “The Nothing” is revealed, hinders the movie as a whole. The film is left awkwardly balancing exposition and the audience’s confusion, much like the negative space the film utilizes so frequently. The movie’s explanation for Owen’s motivations is ultimately disappointing; it failed to mirror the dread that had been building throughout the film, and Owen’s elaborate plans to try and save

his wife only revealed numerous inconsistencies that left me scratching my head as the film’s credits rolled. At times, it seems that “The Night House” employs spooky imagery merely for the sake of horror, rather than plot development.

While the film certainly suffers from these plot holes and contrivances, it makes up for them with its effective cultivation of an ominous atmosphere and mounting tension. “The Night House” is a horror movie that is able to find the terror inherent in emptiness. Wheth-

er that be an empty house, the lack of empathy from others, or the loss of a loved one, the film utilizes these universal feelings to create an unforgettable horror movie. Its minimalist style, grounded by Hall's incredible performance, creates a cinematic experience capable of scaring even the most veteran fan, without relying on obnoxious jump scares or gratuitous gore. “The Night House” successfully combines style and substance, immersing the audience within the unimaginable terror that only grief can bring.

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

Arts & Living

20

Satire: The Secret, Startling Seventh Ten Minute Play Joe Sweeney ’25 Staff Writer On April 6, The Student published an article covering the Ten Minute Play Festival, which took place in Johnson Chapel from April 1 to 3. The article offered succinct synopses, and having attended the festival, I found myself nodding in assent to many of the points raised about the plays’ respective merits. However, I must point out a notable omission: while the six plays reviewed were indeed brilliant, moving, and profound, the article seems to have neglected mentioning the seventh play — a piece of mammalian excrement for which its playwright should be summarily executed.

The play, titled “Soliloquy To A Slough-Trough,” is a production written and directed by Justin Sprader ’23. It follows Bedelia Splenetic (Ginny Weisert ’25) as she goes about her daily chores at the Splenetic family cow farm.

However, in contrast with her life’s day-to-day mundanities, Bedelia aspires to be an actor on the world’s greatest stages. Just that morning, she receives word from the Minnesota Traveling Shakespeare Company that they are willing to take her on for the role of Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice.”

But there’s a rub: Bedelia’s father (Martin Buselly ’23) is on his deathbed, and without either of them there is no one to run the farm (her mother, the play briefly explains, died shortly after giving birth, when she fell victim to a spontaneous cow trampling).

Torn between her dreams and obligations, Bedelia turns to the passion of Shylock’s famous soliloquies to work out her tumultuous emotions, addressing various bovines in place of the father she cannot yet face.

I admit, those could be the makings of a fine play. And reader, before you write me off as a cynic, know that I was once a person who possessed great sympathies toward all artistic creations. I believed that anyone

was capable of making great art: the soul stirring variety, the genuine article.

What joy there is in simply reveling in one’s own powers of expression! Wasn’t it Baudelaire, that wide-wingéd poet, who said after all that “genius is nothing more nor less than childhood recaptured at will”? Does not this potentiality lie in all of us, and thus should not each and every one of us strive toward its actualization?

Reader, reader, reader, this is what I believed. These are the ideals that have sustained me through many bitter nights. I was so enamored. So enchanted.

So terribly wrong.

I didn’t think it was possible that a mere 10-minute play, wrought from a college student’s measly, pale hands (how could they be so pale?), could render all art worthless to me. I went into this play with charmed, healthy beliefs, and came out utterly convinced that the “play” should never have been invented.

Yes, we would be without Shakespeare, Goethe, Ibsen, Beckett — but we would also be free of Justin Sprader.

But it is too late now. I have viewed his atrocity, and its suckiness has sealed my joy in a tomb from which nothing may spring anew. My soul has been vandalized and defiled. Every day since that fateful play festival, I walk the streets mournfully, feeling as if one of the Splenetics’ cows had taken a piss on my very soul.

The cool light air of campus, the smiles of my friends, the consolations of my therapist: nothing washes away my yellowed shame.

Please try to understand, reader, why my account of the play is so obscure. I fear that a more detailed description would affect your own constitution; your own capacity to live in this world as a person with hope. Because whatever that hope may be — hope for the future, hope for your future children, hope for your future children’s future — I assure you that this play will kill it dead. Before I saw this play, I

Photo courtesy of Amherst College

Remember the Green Room Ten Minute Play Festival earlier this month? Joe Sweeney ‘25 pokes fun at the festival, reviewing a fictitious seventh play which he deems unwatchable. did not know the true meaning of empathy. Now I grasp it easily: Let me shield your eyes, before this horror ruins you as it ruined me.

Yet the true cruelty of its wretched filth has still not been revealed. For though it robbed me of my happiness, it did not rob me of my intellect, and thus I was forced in my memory to agonize over the conditions of its existence. Whose was the mind, tortured, sadistic, blithely moronic, that could conceive of such unmitigatedly potent trash?

I contacted Sprader to put the question to him: why did you write this play? Sprader, however, in his blinding vanity, did not catch the drift of my repulsion, and instead answered genuinely — as if he had nothing to be ashamed of. This is what he had to say for himself: “Yeah I don’t know. It’s kind of about my life, the dreams I have for my life, but also the guilt I feel for the people I’ve left behind. I know, I know, I haven’t ‘left them behind,’ I can go back anytime they need me. And even if I didn’t go back, even if I was do-

ing all this for myself, I’d still be doing it for them, for my family.

I couldn’t help it, even if I tried.

And that’s what I tell myself, but it’s also something I can’t make them understand. And them not understanding is … it’s really, really lonely. Because it’s like, that’s what matters, you know? Them seeing the part of me that will always be a part of them — that’s what matters, and they don’t see anything. They look right through me. So guilt has always been the next best thing for me.”

“But what I realized through this play was that I could be grateful for that guilt. That it didn’t have to only be something that I owed my family. And so when Bedelia is making speeches to the cows, that’s me laughing at my guilt, but it’s also me holding it really close. Because no matter how lonely it makes me feel, it's something that I feel. And I want to feel everything about what I feel. Not just the bad parts, but the good parts, and the bad parts beneath the good parts. All of it.

I do.”

Having opened up so completely, Sprader moved me to

tears. I had never heard anyone say anything so profoundly stupid. I had never met someone so profoundly lacking the ability to clearly express themself, so profoundly devoid of even the remotest sign of intelligence.

And the horror, when he just went on and on. He might have said even more, had I not run out of the interview to my dorm, locked myself in my room, and proceeded to rock back and forth, knees pulled to my chest, trembling, wondering: Who asked? Who asked? Only to realize that it was me. I was the one who asked.

For that … I will never forgive myself.

Do not watch “Soliloquy To A Slough-Trough” on the Green Room’s YouTube page. It will ruin your life. And if you happen to be super rich, rich enough to, say, surreptitiously murder someone and face minimal legal consequences, I strongly urge you to perform that action. Don’t worry about me; this article is not admissible in court. I talked it over with my lawyer. It was a long talk.

Sp ports

Women’s Lacrosse Notches 2 More NESCAC Wins Liza Katz ’24 Managing Sports Editor After they beat NESCAC rival and national No. 7 Tufts 9-8 on Sunday, April 10, women’s lacrosse returned to the field on Wednesday for a conference tilt against Connecticut College. They led from start to finish, coming out victorious against the Camels 12-7. On Saturday, the Mammoths went on the road to take on archrival Williams and again left the field with a win. This time, however, the game was a back-and-forth affair that went into overtime before eventually going the Mammoths’ way: they left Williamstown with an 8-7 victory.

Sydney Larsen ’23 emphasized the importance of their first contest: “The Conn game was a great opportunity to keep our momentum rolling after our win against Tufts.

[It] was our first game on [Gooding Field] and I think it allowed us to play cohesively because we are so comfortable there.” It was also the Mammoths’ staff appreciation game, so the team had a lot to play for.

They did not disappoint — in one

of their best scoring outputs of the season, they scored six first-quarter goals en route to a 6-1 lead after the first frame. The team quickly jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind goals from Becky Kendall ’22 and Larsen. The Camels narrowed the lead to one, but the Mammoths responded: Kendall netted twice, and Campbell Moriarty ’24 got in two of her own before the end of the quarter, to cap off the offensive outburst.

But Conn would not go gently into that good night, getting on the board first in the second quarter.

Their rally was soon halted, though, as the Mammoths got another tally from Larsen. But it was here that the Camels made a run despite their demoralizing first quarter, scoring two straight goals to bring the score to 7-4 at halftime.

Then, the Camels came the closest they would come all night, tacking on two more goals to narrow the deficit to one. But with their lead looking precarious, the Mammoths rebounded — Kendall scored her fourth of the game to retake the momentum heading into the fourth quarter, and then her fifth shortly af-

ter the final frame began to shut the door on the Camels’ comeback.

But the Mammoths’ offense was not the only thing that contributed to their ability to seal the game. Larsen highlighted the team’s stalwart defense as an x-factor during their run. “Our defense never gets enough credit… They made some incredible stops that picked up momentum, especially in the second half.” It was that defense that took the wind out of the Camels’ sails. They finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter after goals from Moriarty and Rachel Rogers ’25, but it was too little too late — the final goal of the day from Marina Bevacqua ’22 and stellar backstopping from Caroline Stole ’24, who made 12 saves in the contest, sealed the 12-7 win.

The Mammoths then took the short bus ride to Williams to take on the Ephs in a must-win contest on Saturday, April 16. Amherst’s trend of building first-quarter leads continued, although this time, early offensive miscues led to a 1-0 deficit at first, before a goal from Eliza Marcus ’25E tied the game at one apiece.

Lauren Friedman ’25 took advantage

of the swing in momentum, giving the Mammoths the lead with three minutes to go in the period, before Kendall scored a goal to put the team up two. Though Williams scored again to narrow the lead, the Mammoths held a 3-2 advantage heading into the second quarter.

From here, the game became a back-and-forth affair, with neither team scoring two in a row through the rest of the first half. For every goal the Ephs put on the board, Amherst tallied one of their own, preventing a comeback effort. Bevacqua opened the second-quarter scoring with a woman-up goal, but the Ephs retaliated. Kendall scored her second of the day to restore the two-goal lead heading into halftime, but Williams again scored in response, this one after halftime. Kendall scored again shortly after, her team-leading 29th of the season keeping the opposition at bay for the time being.

But whatever the Ephs’ coach said to them during the break seemed to have worked, as after Kendall’s third goal, Amherst’s archrivals went on a 3-0 scoring run to take the lead for the first time all day. With time run-

ning out, it seemed the Mammoths were down and out. But Bevacqua would have none of that, tying the game with 5:58 to go to send the game to overtime.

The Mammoths have been great in overtime this season, going 2-0 in overtime games up to this point. Saturday was no different. After the first three-minute period yielded no winner, OT hero Friedman again gave her team the golden goal. She made a looping cut through the eight-meter arc, caught a beautiful feed from Larsen, and quick-sticked a low shot past the Williams keeper. The stick check confirmed the goal, and the Mammoths returned home with a win over their most bitter rival.

Stole again stole the show, racking up nine saves in her fourth win of the season, including two early in the first quarter that prevented the Ephs from jumping out to an early lead, and a close-range stop in OT on what could’ve been the game-winner.

The Mammoths will look to extend their burgeoning win streak at home against No. 1 Middlebury this Saturday, April 23, at 2 p.m. in their only game of the week.

Individual Success Highlights Golf Team’s Return to Play Liza Katz ’24 Managing Sports Editor The men’s and women’s golf teams traveled all over the Northeast this weekend for their first spring competitions, with the women traveling to Poughkeepsie, New York, for the two-day Vassar Invitational, while the men’s team participated in two events — the Western New England Classic on Saturday and a match with Williams on Sunday.

Men On Saturday, April 16, the men’s team competed in their first event of the season, the Western New England Classic, held at the Country Club of Wilbraham in Wilbraham,

Massachusetts. First-year Stephen Chen ’25 was the top finisher in the event, winning medallist honors with a score of 70 in his round. His score was enough to win him the title by three strokes.

While the team did not win the event, with that honor going to NESCAC foe Tufts, they recorded a team score of 317, with Anthony Zhang ’25, Tommy Whitley ’24, and captain Erik Zetterstrom ’22 notching scores of 80, 83, and 84 respectively to complete the Mammoths’ scorecard.

After their round just outside of Boston on Saturday, the team crisscrossed the state the next day, driving to Williamstown to take on the Ephs in a dual meet. Just like the day before, Chen’s round was again the

highlight. He won his second event in two days, this time carding a 73 to win the title by two strokes. It wasn’t enough for the team, however, as Eph golfers occupied the four places behind Chen to take the team win 322-314, handing the Mammoths their first dual-meet loss of the spring. Zhang, as well as senior captains Brian Aslanian ’22 and Zetterstrom, posted rounds of 83 (12-over par) to round out the scoring for the Mammoths.

Women While the men’s team remained in Massachusetts this weekend, the women took the trip to the Casperkill Golf Club in New York for their first competition of the

spring. First year Gihoe Seo ’25 recorded a two-over par 74 in her first round of the weekend, netting her third place individually, and the team’s top score.

The Mammoths, who held the event’s top spot by four strokes over NYU after the first round, recorded a team score of 303, only 15-over par. Jenny Hua ’24 and Jessica Huang ’25 both scored 75s, putting them in a tie for fourth place heading into day two and giving the Mammoths three of the first day’s top five scores. Janelle Jin ’23 and India Gaume ’22 were the other day-one scorers for Amherst, notching 79s in their rounds.

While on day two, Amherst lost out on the team title to NYU by one

stroke, 619-618, Seo finished second, carding a 77 to finish at 151 over two rounds on the weekend.

Hua and Huang again tied in their second rounds, carding 79s to tie for fourth place individually at the Invitational. Jin and Gaume also notched identical scores for a second time with 81s in their second rounds, tying for 12th place overall.

The men’s team will return to action on Wednesday, April 20, at the Little Three Championships held at Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, Connecticut. The women’s team will take the course later in the week on Saturday, April 23, hosting a home tournament, the Leaman Invitational, at Crumpin-Fox Club in Bernardston, Massachusetts.

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

Sports

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Women’s Tennis Beats No. 4 Emory, Men Best Skidmore Leo Kamin ’25 Managing Sports Editor Women The women’s matchup with Emory was set up to be a thriller, bringing together two of the top 10 teams in the nation, and Friday’s events did not disappoint.

The match began with three doubles matches, and the Mammoths began their upset bid early. Their top pairing, Jackie Bukzin ’22 and Julia Lendel ’24, handled their opponents 8-5, and set a tone that was matched by the first-year duo of Deliala Friedman ’25 and Mia Kintiroglou ’25. They claimed a narrow victory, winning in a tie-breaker and guaranteeing the Mammoths a lead following doubles play. At the number-three spot, the Eagles claimed their first victory of the afternoon. Despite putting up a fight, Amy Cui ’25 and Anya Ramras ’22 lost their match 8-6. But, the Mammoths still led 2-1 heading into the singles matches.

Amherst began singles play on the back foot, with the Eagles winning four of six first sets. But in the face of adversity, the Mammoths excelled at the top and bottom of the ladder. At No. 1, Bukzin won the first set 6-1 before denying her opponent a single game in the second. At No. 6, Ramras won a tight first set 7-5 before following Bukzin’s example with a 6-0 second set of her own. In the middle of the ladder, first-set losses proved to be too much to overcome for Lendel and Calista Sha ’23 to overcome.

Lendel lost 6-1, 6-2, and Sha lost both sets 6-4. The overall score sat at 4-3, with Amherst in the lead, setting up a dramatic finish.

This left the match in the hands of the two first-years, Cui at No. 2 and Friedman at No. 5. After losing lopsided first sets, both players quickly balanced the scales with 6-3 and 6-1 second set victories respectively. With their teammates watching on, both players outlasted the visitors from down south in the third set. Friedman won

her set 6-2, for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 win.

Cui fought her way to victory, ultimately winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. The two wins ensured the Mammoths a 6-3 overall victory in their biggest match of the season — with the win, they improved to 7-5 on the year.

Men The men were the clear favorites heading into the matchup with the unranked Thoroughbreds on the following day, but Skidmore played them close from the beginning of the matchup. In doubles play, Amherst’s top duo, Damien Ruparel ’22 and Sujit Chepuri ’25, went to a tiebreaker in the first of the eight-game matches. In the tiebreaker, played to seven points, the pair failed to win a single point. At the number-two spot, Harris Foulkes ’22 and Edred Opie ’25 were able to right the ship with an 8-5 win, and the Mammoths continued their momentum through the third match. Kobe Ellenbogen ’25 and Micah Elias ’24 won a lopsid-

ed affair 8-3, so the Mammoths headed into the second half of the contest — six singles matches — up 2-1.

Ten minutes into singles play, the men faced their main obstacle of the weekend: rain began to fall. To keep the matchup alive, the teams moved to Hampshire College, continuing the matches indoors at the Bay Road Tennis Center. Only four courts were available on such short notice, so the bottom two slots of the ladder were forced to wait until play finished on the top four courts.

With the change in scenery, the Mammoths’ advantage began to fall away. Playing at the top of the ladder, Ruparel lost a close first set in a tiebreaker before dropping the second 6-4. Foulkes continued his momentum from doubles play, dispatching his opponent 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2. The Mammoths struggled at the three and four spots, though.

Opie lost in two sets, winning just four games, and Chepuri lost 6-3, 6-4. Following the top four match-

ups, the Mammoths found themselves down 4-3 overall. Skidmore needed just one win from the last two matchups to claim victory.

But, with the matchup on the line, the other courts clearing, and their teammates looking on, Amherst’s number five and six players showed out. Ellenbogen, at five, and Willie Turchetta ’22, at six, both won their first sets 6-4. With the tide flowing back toward the Mammoths, the two players closed the door. Ellenbogen won his second set 6-2 to tie the matchup.

Turchetta finished his opponent off with an emphatic 6-1 win to seal the victory. The Mammoths took the overall contest 5-4, and improved to 7-6 on the season with the well-earned win.

Both teams will return to twomatches-per-week NESCAC competition with a two-match homestand this upcoming week. They will face Trinity on Wednesday, April 20 at 4 p.m., before getting a visit from Hamilton on Saturday, April 23.

Perfection: Dani Torres Werra ’25 Pitches Historic Game Ethan Samuels ’23 Publisher Anchored by Amherst’s first perfect game in almost 20 years, the Mammoths went 3-1 in two doubleheaders this week.

On Wednesday, April 13, the Mammoths headed down to Springfield to face the Springfield College Pride in a two-game set.

Standout first-year Dani Torres Werra ’25, who led the squad both offensively with a .451 batting average and 19 RBIs and as a pitcher with a 1.62 ERA, took the pitching circle in the first game.

Rachel Lovejoy ’23 woke the Amherst bats in the third with a single up the middle. In the next three at-bats, Autumn Lee ’23 crushed a double to center, Torres Werra roped a triple down the right field line, and Jess Butler ’23 hit a sacrifice fly to left — just like that, the Mammoths took a 3-0 lead.

After holding the Pride scoreless in the bottom half of the inning, the Mammoths doubled their lead in their next time up at-bat. Megan Taketa ’23 brought two runners home with a triple to left field, and Lovejoy scored Taketa with a single through the right side immediately afterward.

On the other side of the ball, Torres Werra was dealing. She forced three fly-outs in both the fourth and the fifth, and then struck out the side in the sixth to hold the lead.

She received even more run support in the seventh when Talia Bloxham ’22, fielder’s choice, plated Randi Finkelstein ’24, and Taketa racked up another RBI on an error by the Pride. With the score at 8-0, Torres Werra headed back to the circle for the bottom of the seventh, just three outs shy of perfection.

Torres Werra forced the first two batters to ground out and pop

out to second base, respectively, before a fly out to center field put the finishing touches on the masterpiece. Amherst had done it. Twenty-one batters faced.

Twenty-one batters out. No errors. No hits.

Crazy enough, Torres Werra never knew she was flirting with history. “It really felt like any other game. I actually didn’t realize that I had pitched a perfect game until after it had ended and my whole team started celebrating,” she said. “Even then the reality of what had happened only sunk in after I glanced at the scoreboard and saw all the zeros.”

The spotless gem marked the program’s first perfect game since Lauren Peloquin ’02 did the same back in 2002. Torres Werra was named NESCAC Pitcher of the Week for the effort.

However, the bats went cold in the second half of the doubleheader. Springfield managed

three runs in the first inning, and the Mammoths were never able to fully recover, eventually falling 5-1.

On Saturday, April 16, the Mammoths hosted NESCAC foe Trinity in a double-header that did not officially count towards conference play. However, the games had the feel of a typical NESCAC affair — ­ the Mammoths won both games in tight fashion.

In game one, Torres Werra was handed the ball and did not disappoint. She went the distance, striking out eight and allowing only two runs over seven innings of work.

And again, Amherst’s pitching got run support — Taketa put together a three-hit game, and was a home run away from hitting for the cycle. The Mammoths jumped out to a 4-1 lead, and though Trinity scored in the fifth, the final score remained at 4-2.

In the week's final game,

Bloxham got the start. She, too, went the distance, allowing only two runs. However, the Mammoths only managed to score once in the first six innings: heading into the final inning, they were down 2-1. With their backs against the wall, America Rangel ’25 singled to get the rally started. Taketa and Lovejoy both reached on back-to-back errors.

With Taketa on third and the score tied, Lee singled to walk it off, and the Mammoths sealed a 3-2 win.

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Mammoths boast a 15-6 overall record, with a 4-2 mark in NESCAC play. They will play at Western New England University on Wednesday, April 20, before a home-and-home series against Williams on Friday, April 22, and Saturday, April 23.

Friday’s game will be on the road, while Saturday’s doubleheader will be at home.

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

Sports

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Baseball 2-1-1 Behind 10-run Comeback, Giattino No-no Alex Noga ’23 Managing Sports Editor Building off their win last Monday, the baseball team picked up two unforgettable victories in their series against Trinity this weekend.

After mounting a remarkable 10run comeback in the ninth inning of the series opener, Nick Giattino ’24 threw a no-hitter in the next game, the second no-hitter he has been a part of in just the second year of his collegiate career.

Before playing Trinity, the Mammoths faced Western New England University at home on Wednesday, April 13. A hard-fought contest by both sides, including a six-run fifth inning for Amherst, the game was called in the ninth inning due to darkness with the score knotted at seven.

Next on the schedule was the home series with Trinity on Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16. The games did not count toward either team’s NESCAC record — Trinity is in the East division and Amherst is in the West division, and out-of-division games do not count toward their conference records.

Game one was Amherst’s annual

Pride Game. The Mammoths took an early 2-1 lead after two innings, but the Bantams responded with seven runs over the next four innings to take an 8-2 lead. The Mammoths got one back, but Trinity went on another scoring run, plating four more in the last three innings. The game appeared to be all but over: heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Mammoths were down 12-3.

But the fat lady stayed quiet. Jack Sampedro ’25 led off the ninth with a single. Daniel Qin ’22 followed with a double. Christian Fagnant ’24 scored both of his teammates with a two-run single, causing the previously dormant dugout to stir. Jack Boyle ’25 walked. Ryan McIntyre ’25 then reached on an infield single, and an errant throw allowed Fagnant to score. Jack McDermott ’25 singled to drive in a run, as did Jackson Reydel ’23 immediately after. Luke Padian ’24 stepped to the plate next and drove a double into the right-center gap, scoring yet another run. Then, it was Jack Dove’s ’23 turn, and he laced a two-run single to center. The Mammoths’ dugout made their presence known — they had just batted through the entire lineup without recording a single out and reduced the

ten-run deficit to just one, with the score sitting at 12-11.

The Bantams finally changed pitchers, but the new arm immediately hit Sampedro in his second at-bat of the inning, placing the tying run on second and the winning run on first. Qin stepped up in an obvious bunting situation, but the Bantams threw out the lead runner at third base on the sacrifice attempt to record the first out of the inning.

Fagnant then hit a dribbler to first base for what should have been a routine second out, but the Bantams’ pitcher lost his handle on the ball, loading the bases with just a single out. Up stepped Boyle, who shot a single into center field, scoring the winning run from second and sparking a frenzied celebration among the Mammoths. Final score: 13-12.

The comeback was a full team effort — every player who stepped to the plate reached base safely. They scored ten runs on nine hits in the frame, more than doubling the five hits that they had in the eight previous innings combined. Charlie Estes ’22 recorded his first win of the season, pitching just a third of an inning.

Game two on Saturday, the first

of two seven-inning games, turned out to be as remarkable as the first.

Giattino turned in the best pitching performance of his young collegiate career, blanking the Bantams in the hit column and allowing just two baserunners on a walk and a hit batter. The sophomore phenom finished his no-hitter with nine total strikeouts over seven complete innings and was named NESCAC Pitcher of the Week. The performance was just the fifth Amherst no-hitter in the last 50 years, but is the second no-hitter Giattino has been a part of over the past two years: he combined with Alan Dai ’24 last year to no-hit Hamilton.

“I had faith in not only myself, but in my teammates (especially my fielders) and the coaching staff,” said Giattino of his dominant performance. “The no-hitter may go on my resume, but it is completely a team award.”

Comparing his performance to last year’s combined effort, Giattino said, “In those final moments, I could tell how much personally I have changed from one year ago, and being able to finally accomplish it [alone] was pure bliss. But again, without my teammates, none of it

was possible.”

In the final game of the weekend, the Mammoths lost 6-3. The game was tied at 2-2 heading into the sixth inning, but the Bantams scored four runs to take a 6-2 lead. The Mammoths seemed on the verge of another comeback in the ninth, loading the bases with no outs, but they only managed to score one run before Trinity retired the final three batters.

Heading into the final two weeks of regular season action, the Mammoths possess a record of 8-14-1.

While the beginning of the season presented difficulties, the Mammoths have not lost in four of their last five games.

“The struggle brought us closer together and taught us valuable lessons that we are using moving forward,” said Giattino. “We are ready for anything and welcome the challenge.”

A busy week is ahead: they will play Springfield College away on Wednesday, April 20, before heading to Vermont for a NESCAC series with Middlebury on Friday, April 22, and Saturday, April 23. They will close out the week on Sunday, April 24, with a home game against MIT, rescheduled from late March.

Men’s Lacrosse, Fourth in NESCAC, Beats Camels, Ephs Mike Schretter ’23 Staff Writer Men’s lacrosse returned to action on Wednesday, April 13, in a match against Connecticut College. After dominating the first three quarters, the Mammoths came out on top, 15-13, behind six goals from Brock Gonzalez ’23 who was named NESCAC Player of the Week.

Additionally, Bayard DeMallie ’23, scored four goals, including the eventual game-winner. Amherst held off a late Camel rally to snatch their narrow victory.

With that win under their belts, the No. 20 Mammoths came into their rivalry game against the No. 18 Williams Ephs. Williams entered the contest 6-5 overall with a 4-2 record in NESCAC play. Amherst came into the contest also at 6-5 overall, but

with a 4-3 conference record. On the line was not just the fourth position in NESCAC standings, but also a chance at a home playoff game down the final stretch of the season.

The first quarter of this game was a back-and-forth affair. Williams came out of the gates firing, with a goal from Tim Saffold making it 1-0 Ephs early. But the Mammoths responded, as Dylan Hsu ’25 scored his third goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1. Amherst didn’t stop there; Demallie kept them going with a goal of a beautiful assist from PJ Clementi ’22. Carter Tate ’22 then gave the Mammoths a 3-1 lead, this time with an assist coming from Connor Guest ’24. However, Williams took back the momentum, scoring three straight goals, two of them from Calvin Caputo and one from Saffold to retake the lead,

4-3. Not backing down, Amherst responded with a goal from Gonzalez to tie the score at four apiece early in the second quarter.

The goal from Gonzalez sparked momentum for Amherst, and they dominated that second quarter, outscoring Williams 6-1 in the second period. The offensive barrage came after Williams took a 5-4 lead with their only goal of the frame.

Guest got the run started, netting a nice left-handed goal off an assist from Tate. Tanyr Krummenacher ’23 then scored the Mammoths’ sixth goal following a transition pass from Brodie Rayment ’23 to give Amherst the lead. The goals just kept coming, as Gonzalez scored another on an assist from Clementi and his third soon after, breaking free with an acrobatic roll dodge to give Amherst an 8-5 lead. The Mammoths ended

their dominant second quarter with two more goals before halftime, DeMallie and Tate netting to give Amherst a 10-5 edge.

The second half brought much of the same for Amherst, as they recorded a 4-3 scoring edge in the third quarter. Saffold scored for Williams to start the frame before Krummenacher responded with another goal of his own. After a goal from Eph Jacob Sercu made it 11-7, DeMallie and Guest both notched unassisted goals to widen the lead to 13-7. Williams’ Pearse Glavin was able to slice into the lead with a goal, but the Mammoths ended the quarter with one more from Krummenacher to make it 14-8 heading into the final quarter. The fourth quarter saw two goals from the Ephs narrow the Mammoth lead to four, but it proved too much to

overcome, and the Mammoths took home the 14-10 victory.

Amherst’s balanced approach was the major key to this crucial win. Jack McHugh ’23 praised the Mammoths’ poles, saying: “[The defense] really stepped up [on Saturday,] and we have to continue this great play [to keep winning].” Clementi emphasized that the team has picked up its play in time to set up a playoff run. “It was a great team effort, and we are starting to play better at the right time,” he said. Consistency has been the Mammoths’ strength over their three-game winning streak, and the players are excited to extend their streak in their next game.

Amherst’s next chance to do just that will be this Saturday, April 23 on the road, as they travel to No. 19 Middlebury for a 3 p.m. contest against the Panthers.

The Amherst Student • April 20, 2022

Sports

24

Track and Field Heats Up, Prepares for NESCACs Hedi Skali ’25 Staff Writer The men’s and women’s track and field teams displayed stellar performances in the Silfen Invitational, held at Connecticut College on April 15 and 16, finishing second and third, respectively. During those same two days, members of the teams also participated in the decathlon and heptathlon at the Williams Invitational and in the 5,000 meter run at the Larry Ellis Invitational.

Men Senior Henry Buren ’22 came in first in the 100 meter dash. His time of 10.63 would have broken the school record he set three years prior, but a tailwind of 2.9 m/s invalidated his accomplishment in Amherst’s record books.

Nevertheless, the mark qualified him for the NEICAAA Championship, and ranked him in the top 20 nationally in all of DIII. He topped off his performance with a 22.06 in the 200 meter dash, taking third place in the process.

The Mammoths also won the

400 meter hurdles through Ellis Phillips-Gallucci’s ’23 time of 56.08 — his first race of the season. Alton Machen ’24, who took fourth in the event with a 57.76, and Phillips-Gallucci both qualified for the New England DIII Championship with their runs.

Amherst recorded its third and final win in New London in the 4x800 meter relay, which featured first-years Gent Malushaga ’25 and Nick Edwards-Levin ’25 and sophomores Braedon Fiume ’24 and Wilson Spurrell ’24.

Their time of 8:03.93 was an excellent start to the outdoor season in the event.

In the field events, multiple Mammoths qualified for the New England Division III Championship. Tying his personal best of 1.90 meters, Gabriel dos Santos ’24 hit the qualifying mark in the high jump. Junior Kelechi Eziri ’23 recorded a triple jump of 14.40 meters that qualified him for the New England DIII Championship and placed him in the top 10 nationally. In the throwing events, first-year David Brown ’25 threw an impressive 13.67 meters

in the shot put, becoming another Mammoth eligible for the NEICAAA Championship.

When all was said and done, the men’s team recorded 109 points on the weekend, finishing in second place out of the 20 teams in New London.

Over at Williams, in the decathlon, Jack Trent ’23 took second with a score of 6,055 points, and Max Spelke ’23 took third with 4,977 points. Both qualified for the New England Division III Championship with their performances, but Trent’s score put him in the top 10 nationally for DIII. Women First-year Eliza Cardwell ’25 stole the show for the women’s team. In the 100 meter hurdles, Cardwell took third with a time of 15.02 to qualify for the New England DIII Championship.

Anaya Thomas ’25 and Bridget Cassata ’24 recorded times of 16.33 and 16.59 seconds, respectively, to qualify for the NEICAAA Championship.

Cardwell recorded her second-best placement in the long

jump — her first collegiate participation in the event. She took second place with a mark of 5.44 meters, qualifying her for a second event in the New England DIII Championship. Muffie Mazambani ’24 placed sixth in the long jump and triple jump with marks of 5.17 meters and 11.11 meters, respectively.

Cardwell’s best performance, however, came in the 400 meter hurdles, where she took first place with a time of 1:04.62 — a personal best in the event. The mark qualified her for yet another event in the NEICAAA Championship and a top 20 DIII national ranking. Ava Tillman ’23 took fifth with a 1:07.82 and Artis Phillips ’25 took seventh with a 1:08.69.

The indoor season’s stellar 4x400 meter relay featuring Ava Zielinski ’25, Margo Pedersen ’25, Sylvan Wold ’25, and Julia Schor ’25 took second place in New London with a time of 4:10.92.

The women marked 95 points to take third place out of 20 teams at the meet.

At Williams, Mammoths heptathaletes Trintje Nydam ’24 and

Annelise Romero ’23 mirrored Trent and Spelke with secondand third-place finishes in the heptathlon. Nydam scored 3,648 points — a personal best — while Romero recorded 3,551 points.

Both qualified for the New England DIII Championship in their first complete heptathlons of the outdoor season.

And finally, two competitors made the trip down to Princeton, New Jersey, to compete in a deep 5,000 meter field. Even though they were the only DIII runners in attendance, Sophie Wolmer ’23 and Sidnie Kulik ’25 ran well in an especially deep field. Wolmer stuck with the lead pack all the way through the race and finished in a personal-best 16:50, good for third all-time in Amherst’s record books. Kulik also ran a great race, finishing in 17:19 after steadily moving up throughout the race.

The team will compete in their last meet before NESCACs this coming weekend at MIT. The meet will be taking place at the Engineers’ Steinbrenner Stadium on April 23, with events beginning at 11 a.m.

GAME SCHEDULE WOMEN'S LACROSSE April 23: vs. Middlebury, 2 p.m.

MEN'S LACROSSE April 23: @ Middlebury, 3 p.m.

TRACK & FIELD April 23: Collier Invitational @ MIT, 11 a.m.

TENNIS April 20: vs. Trinity, 4 p.m.

April 23: vs. Hamilton, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

WOMEN'S GOLF

April 23-24: Leaman Invitational @ Crumpin-Fox Club

MEN'S GOLF

April 20: Little Three Championship @ Lyman Orchards April 23-24: Williams Invitational @ Taconic Golf Club

BASEBALL April 20: @ Springfield, 3:30 p.m.

April 22: @ Middlebury, 4 p.m.

April 23: @ Middlebury, 12 p.m. (DH) April 24: vs. MIT, 1 p.m.

SOFTBALL April 22: @ Williams, 5 p.m.

April 23: vs. Williams, 1 p.m. (DH)