Issue 8

THE AMHERST THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

STUDENT

CROSSWORD page 14

VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 8 l WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2021

AMHERSTSTUDENT.COM

CA Fired for Claimed Negligence, Alleges Wrongful Termination Eleanor Walsh ’25 Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Jianing Li

After an afternoon of festivities and a performance by Grammy Award-winning artist Common, Friday's Bicentennial Party closed out with a dazzling display of fireworks.

College Celebrates Bicentennial with Blowout Bash Eleanor Walsh ’25 and Sonia Chajet Wides ’25 Staff Writers On Oct. 15, the college celebrated its 200th anniversary with a campus-wide Bicentennial Party held for the campus community. After being delayed from the spring due to Covid-19, the celebration took place in person outdoors with minimal Covid restrictions.

While students enjoyed the events, some also took note of its extravagance and expressed discontent at the funding that went toward the party instead of other on-campus resources.

Friday’s celebration began at 2 p.m. with a festival meant to resemble a “traditional New England fall event,” as President Biddy Martin described in her email invitation sent on

Oct. 7. Tents on the Greenway Quad were filled with an array of food, from local pumpkin and apple delicacies to a meal of corned beef, baked beans and brown bread provided by Dining Services, which was inspired by food that might have been served in 1821.

The food was accompanied by a Ferris wheel and 100-foot slide near the tennis courts, with views over campus and the wildlife sanctuary. Pumpkin carving, burlap sack races, horse-drawn wagon rides, an old-time photo booth and live performances from musical artists Javier Colon and Kate Yeager were also available to attendees.

After a break scheduled from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., festivities continued with a party on the Main Quad, which was dec-

orated with large f luorescent purple lights underneath the trees and lit-up banners with photographs of campus through the years. Community members had been told the previous day to arrive at 5 p.m. sharp for a special surprise, which turned out to be Martin riding onto the Quad on horseback, as a reenactment of the college’s first president — Zephaniah Swift Moore — riding into Amherst from Williams College.

After giving a speech to the throng of students who had gathered, Martin proceeded to do the honors of cutting a massive cake replica of South Hall, the college’s first building. Attendees then lined up to enjoy the many food trucks and carnival games spread across the Quad.

The day culminated in a

performance from Grammy Award-winning artist Common at 7 p.m. Anticipation for the performance had been building for several days, as Common-printed door hangers had been distributed throughout each residence hall and life-size cutouts of the rapper graced campus buildings like Valentine Dining Hall, the Science Center and the Testing Center.

On a stage constructed at the base of Memorial Hill, Common — alongside a backup singer and two instrumentalists — sang and rapped to a crowd of onlookers.

Whether they were crowded in front of the stage or sitting on Memorial Hill, everyone got excited when Common burst into an Amherst-inspired free-

Continued on page 4

Just past midnight on Sunday, Sept. 12, Community Advisor (CA) Shoshanna Peifer ’23 assisted a drunk Smith College student on Morris Pratt quad. Five days later, Peifer was fired.

The official reasons given for Peifer’s termination were for “delaying a Five College student’s access to medical care on campus” and “lack of cooperation with staff responding to the incident,” per an email Director of Residential Life (ResLife) Andrea Cadyma sent to Peifer on Sept. 17.

Peifer’s coworkers believe that the college had ulterior motives for terminating her employment, particularly Peifer’s involvement with the Union of Student Workers at Amherst College (USWAC).

Following her firing, Peifer was left unemployed and was forced to move residence halls.

Peifer’s Side of the Story The reasoning given by Cadyma did not align with Peifer’s recollection of events. In a message to the CA GroupMe, Peifer recounted how she and a friend had happened across two women on the Morris Pratt Quad when Peifer was not on duty: One of the individuals was laying down and intermittently throwing up. The other, who stood to her friend’s side, told Peifer that the two were

Continued on page 3

News POLICE LOG

Oct. 5, 2021 – Oct. 19, 2021

>> Oct. 6, 2021

2: 43 a.m., Mayo Smith Lot A boot was placed on a vehicle that was on the boot list and parked in violation of parking regulations. >> Oct. 7, 2021

12:28 p.m., Newport Parking Lot An officer placed a boot on a vehicle that is on the boot list and parked in violation of parking regulations.

5:01 p.m., Pratt Field An officer took a report of a stolen necklace. >>Oct. 9, 2021

12:08 a.m., Boltwood Avenue An officer stopped a vehicle traveling the wrong way on a one-way street, exceeding the speed limit, and with a broken headlight.

12:11 a.m., The Inn at Boltwood The town police requested assistance in locating an individual that may be lost.

The individual was located. >> Oct. 10, 2021

11:28 a.m., Hills Field A town resident complained about loud music on the field; the game manager was notified.

6:19 p.m., Seelye House A Detective responded to a report of damage throughout a residence hall. >>Oct. 11, 2021

1:30 p.m., Jenkins Dormitory An officer took a report of a past incident where someone entered an unlocked room, then defecated and

Staff Spotlight Renee Alvarez

urinated in the room.

2:30 p.m., Cohan Dormitory An officer responded to a report of an unknown individual walking into a student's unlocked room and urinating on the student's belongings.

4:52 p.m., Amherst College Police Department The Lead Detective followed up on a previously reported incident. >>Oct. 12, 2021

3:35 p.m., Fayerweather Lot Road An officer placed a boot on a vehicle on the boot list and parked in violation of parking regulations. >>October 13, 2021

11:12 a.m., Boltwood Ave A Detective responded to a report of an unknown individual who asked someone to get into a vehicle.

Neither the caller nor the reported individual were in the area 11:57 p.m., Charles Pratt Dormitory Residential Life (ResLife) staff responded to a noise complaint. >>October 15, 2021

2:10 p.m. Memorial Hill A town resident called in a noise complaint of loud music.

1:46 a.m., Clark House An officer took a report of past emails and a phone call from an unknown individual. >>October 19, 2021

2:13 p.m., Railroad Tracks A Detective responded to a report of a group walking on the train tracks.

Meal Checker

Reneé Alvarez is a Meal Checker at Valentine Dining Hall. She is beloved on campus for her warm and enthusiastic greetings. Alvarez previously worked as a business manager at the University of Missouri, but moved to Amherst with her husband, Professor of Mathematics Ryan Alvarado.

Q: When did you start working at the college, and what motivated you to work in the dining hall?

A: I started working [here] in January of 2021. At the time, the dining hall needed extra people because they [had] split it into four sections [on campus]. I was a little bored at home and wanted to be around people, so the job I currently have seemed like an easy way to [engage with the community]. I worked at the University of Missouri for 20 years as a business manager, and I missed being around all the students.

I was honestly looking for something part-time that would [fulfill] my need to be around people — that’s all it was. I did not want to go back into accounting — I didn’t want the stress that it brought — and this part-time job was something that fit perfectly into me and my husband’s lifestyle. My main goal is to take care of my husband and make sure that he has everything he needs, so I didn’t want a full-time job. I just wanted something that was carefree and easy.

My husband and I both want to work, so it was an easy choice to choose this job.

Q: What influence do you hope to have on Amherst students?

A: I hope that I influence students to have a good day! When I tell students to have a good lunch or dinner, I really mean it. I want the dining hall to be a safe space for everyone to come and spend time with their friends. I just want it to be a place where everyone feels comfortable, welcomed and heard.

Q: What did you do before you came to Amherst, and what brought you to Amherst specifically?

A: [Before I came to Amherst] I was a business manager, so I had a department at the [University of Missouri] College of Engineering and took care of all the finances, hiring and student employment.

I worked my way up in that field and met my husband, who was a math student in [the] graduate school at the university.

My husband and I were in Pittsburgh for three years while he was doing his postdoc[torate]. He ended up getting a job at Amherst as a math professor, so I left my job to follow him. It was a big deal to leave my family and friends behind, and I never thought I was going to leave Missouri, but this has been quite an experience for me.

It has been the best fit for the both of us because I love the small town. Although I loved Pittsburgh, it was always a little scary for me over there. Here, I feel 100 percent comfortable — I love the atmosphere, the campus, the students and everything about Amherst. We’re from the Midwest, so we never thought we would live on the East Coast. But since the first time that we drove here on campus, I felt right at home.

Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?

A: I was a very different person five years ago because I was very work-oriented and loved my career [back then]. I used to work

really long hours, which was pretty stressful at times, but I had a good group of friends and always remembered to have a little time to relax. I had a very different lifestyle back then because I [approached] my job as an accountant and business manager as a career, [whereas] my current job is something I love doing.

However, I learned what’s important in life because of my past job — there are so many things that we stress about, but later realize how insignificant they were. I learned to look at situations in life and not let certain things stress me out as much anymore. It’s easier to appreciate the life I have now because of the life I had before.

Q: What advice would you give to students who are trying to find a job that is suitable for them?

A: It’s very difficult for students because the first job [that] they get right out of college is always such a big deal, but they might not like it. They might feel obligated to stay in that job, but it’s perfectly okay to explore a bit and try something else — you shouldn’t do things that don't make you happy.

Sometimes, you are stuck in a job that you don’t like because it pays well and [finances] your lifestyle, but you can still have a plan to save up your money to do what you truly enjoy later on. If you’re not happy at your work, then you’re not gonna be happy when you come home, so your life will not be great.

—Kyle Hur ’25

News 3

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

CA Fired for Claimed Negligence, Alleges Wrongful Termination

not in need of medical assistance.

In response, Peifer told the two that she needed to “check if the [women] had medical amnesty” and stated that she would not call Amherst Emergency Medical Services (ACEMS) before she had checked with the Administrator On Call (AOC). Because the AOC wasn’t aware if Smith students received medical amnesty, Peifer initially declined ACEMS assistance. However, she phoned ACEMS after her friend, an off-duty ACEMS member, recommended that they do so.

ACEMS arrived to assist the student, but tensions heightened when members of the Amherst College Police Department (ACPD) arrived on scene. Peifer recalled telling an officer, “You might want to back up,” when she noticed that the sick student was getting uncomfortable. It is this request, Peifer believes, that led her to earn the charge of “refusing to cooperate with staff responding to the incident.”

The Smith student was also a person of color, which influenced Peifer’s decision to speak to the officer. “I [was] a bit uncomfortable with him leaning over her considering the state she’s in and identities involved,” said Peifer.

Fellow CA Molly Sanderson ’22 applauded Peifer’s actions: “To me, that feels like a very reasonable response. [Peifer was] protecting an emotional student who was in a vulnerable time and probably didn't need a police officer encroaching on her space.”

Residential Life’s Statement In an email to The Student, Cadyma said that “personnel matters are confidential, so [she] can’t comment on any specific cases.” However, she noted that Residential Life is “committed to continuing to provide opportunities for CAs to provide feedback and to implementing adjustments wherever feasible.”

Peifer’s Involvement with the Union of Student Workers Peifer is a prominent member of the USWAC. Although the

group is moving away from a hierarchical structure, Peifer, along with Sanderson and CA Ella Peterson ’22, are “outspoken” members and organizers within the USWAC, according to multiple CAs. The USWAC, which officially launched its campaign last spring, maintains that its founding values are “protecting the students who work for ResLife, protecting the people that they protect and interact with, and just making this job a little bit better every year,” Sanderson reported.

After its founding, the USWAC and ResLife butted heads. Tensions were especially high at the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester when CAs strongly objected to the suggested presence of Campus Safety Ambassadors (CSAs) in dorms.

Given Peifer’s strong influence in these student groups, Peterson and other CAs have speculated that Peifer’s termination has more to do with her involvement in the USWAC than the circumstances surrounding the events that took place on Sept. 12.

Peifer agrees. “As a CA, I had been actively unionizing,” she said. “They knew this. I had been outspoken about our work conditions. And I'm one of the younger people unionizing on the E-board of the Union, and they knew that everyone else was going to age out and I had another year,” she said.

Sanderson communicated in an interview with The Student, “If [Peifer’s] firing had anything to do with her outspokenness towards and sometimes against ResLife, that should be concerning to everyone on this staff and everyone at this college.”

A Deviation from Normal CA Termination Procedures In the week between the incident and Peifer’s firing, Peifer remained living in Mayo-Smith House, where she operates as a CA. This is Peifer’s second year on the ResLife staff.

On the following Monday, ResLife reached out to Peifer, who asked to schedule a meeting for that Friday, Sept. 17. In the meeting, Community Development Coordinator (CDC) Megan Markland-Hassinger and Cadyma informed Peifer that the ACPD officer present on scene claimed that she yelled, “No one wants you here.” They also alleged Peifer had waited too long to call ACEMS, and informed her that she was terminated.

Typically, CAs are given a warning and then put on probation when they violate their agreements with Residential Life. However, the contract contains one caveat: “Staff may be removed from their position at the discretion of the Director of Residential Life, regardless of the outcome of a conduct process, if it’s determined that the CA exhibited behavior that compromises their ability to perform their duties and or misused their power or influence.”

Peifer was given neither a warning nor probation.

“In the story as we understand it, there's a full week where ResLife seemingly doesn't do anything,” said Peterson. “To me, that's really strange. Because if the thought is that this is a violation so severe that it falls into this other category, so much so that it needs to be immediate, why is there a week delay?”

Peterson doesn’t agree that Peifer’s actions are a severe violation — far from it. “In some ways she was so epitomizing what it means to be a CA in this community: taking care of people who you are not really responsible for — she's not working in her official capacity, she sees someone in trouble and tries to offer help to the best of her ability,” she said.

“While I'm willing to allow that perhaps that was a procedural thing of how you really have to call ACEMS first, that’s a conversation with your boss about how to handle it for the next time.

That’s not a ‘you’re fired immediately,’” Peterson expressed.

“It’s setting a very strange —

particularly Shoshanna’s firing — is setting a very strange precedent that makes me pretty uncomfortable, to be honest,” said Peterson.

Ongoing Tensions between CAs and ResLife Tensions between CAs and ResLife are running high, but that’s nothing new according to Peterson.

“There's a long standing reality of a lot of tension between student-staff and full-time staff within ResLife,” Peterson said.

“And that's not specifically tensions between specific people and their specific supervisors, it’s just generally more administrative, structure-based versus boots-on-the-ground tension between our understandings of what the school needs and how the school is best served.”

And when this relationship is between the administration and a student worker who, like Peifer, identifies as low income, tensions increase and their impacts become more pressing, students reported.

For Peifer, the loss of the CA paycheck has life-changing implications. CAs are paid $5,000 a year, an increase from $4,400 that was facilitated by the USWAC in the spring.

“For a student like me, who uses my ResLife paycheck to pay my student loans, it's really scary to think that if I do something like be too outspoken in meetings, or even if I do a little procedural thing in trying to care for people wrong, I could be cut off from that paycheck,” commented Peterson.

In Peifer’s situation, power dynamics emerged in multiple facets. Students have long complained that ACPD arrival at medical calls only escalates already stressful situations, particularly when those needing care hold marginalized identities.

“I believe that she was acting in the best interest of the [sick] student, which should be transparent to everyone looking at the situation who knows a thing

about power, privilege and oppression,” said an anonymous CA. This CA wished to remain anonymous because of previous clashes that they have had with ResLife. The anonymous source fears speaking out against their employer.

CAs are specifically taught to consider power, privilege and oppression during their training.“I was surprised how much of a gap there was between what ResLife said was important to them, which is understanding [power, privilege and oppression] and acting around them, versus what they themselves do,” said the same anonymous CA. “If I would have just walked over this girl on the ground who had thrown up and just gone back to my dorm, and then just been like, whatever, she'll figure it out, I would still have my job,” said Peifer. “I'm a low income student, and I would still have that source of income.”

Going forward, the USWAC will have to grapple with what Peifer’s firing means for student-staff at the college.

“We've always been aware of the need to be protective of the people who work for us, and I think this is just going to move this higher onto our priority list as we look at contracts for next year,” said Peterson.

Peifer’s Current Status As of Oct. 17, Peifer is living in a Greenway dorm that she was given a week to relocate to after being fired. She has not been reinstated as a CA. As of Oct. 16, the second floor of Mayo-Smith has also not been given a new CA. “I went in last night with a friend to bring her home [to Mayo-Smith], and things were ripped down, beer cans were everywhere,” said Peifer on Oct. 17.

Following her firing, Peifer underwent a separate Code of Conduct hearing with the college where she was not found guilty of any violations. However, Cadyma and ResLife say their decision is final.

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

News 4

Students Question Lavish Spending on Bicentennial Party Continued from page 1

style rap. Lyrics included references to Hitchcock and Jenkins Dormitories; the Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought (LJST) major; and Antonio’s Pizza. At one point, Common invited a student on stage with him and serenaded her.

Once the performance finished, gold and purple fireworks lit up the sky above Memorial Field while orchestral music boomed to punctuate the occasion.

Many students found the celebration to be a delight. Claire

Jensen ’24 said that the festival was “a great way to celebrate Amherst by connecting with friends over good food.”

“I thought Biddy on horseback was truly spectacular,” added Antonia Brillembourg ’25.

Nonetheless, several students were puzzled by the lavish event, especially given pressing concerns of understaffing of crucial campus services. “It was pretty fun, but I can’t help but wonder why the college is willing to spend ridiculous vvamounts of money on a party and yet no longer provides Val workers with hazard pay, and refuses to meet

the demands of last year’s Black Minds Matter walkout,” said Claire Taylor ’23.

“I’m especially concerned about the understaffed nature of the Counseling Center right now, and would love to see Amherst focus its resources on student mental health and other changes that will help students be happier in the long-run,” she added.

Maristhela Alvarez ’25 expressed similar discontent at the extravagance, citing the demands of last week’s CACSAC walkout and “get[ting] more POC counselors … [that] can understand what we’re going

through at a PWI [predominantly white institution]” as places where the college’s money would be better spent.

In a statement to The Student, Chief Communications Officer Sandy Genelius stated that the budget for the party was “generally consistent with a variety of similarly conceived campus events.” She noted that due to Covid, nearly all of the in-person events that had initially been planned for the Bicentennial celebration were cancelled.

“With the in-person Bicentennial events cancelled, we hoped to be able to mark the cul-

mination of the programming with a single, celebratory event and provide an opportunity for the entire campus community — students, faculty and staff — to share an in-person, on-campus Bicentennial experience,” said Genelius.

The Bicentennial Party was one of many initiatives the college has undertaken for the bicentennial year — others include the Solidarity Book Project, three new books published about the college and a revamping of the sanctuary trail system. The projects have been in planning since 2019.

Photo courtesy of Biddy Martin

Photo courtesy of Amherst College

Attendees to the Bicentennial Party were treated to the spectacle of President Biddy Martin riding into the party on horseback.

Students compete in a balloon water race, one of the carnival games set up for the party on the Quad.

News 5

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Indigenous Students Reflect on Community, Identity & Need for Change Caelen McQuilkin ’24E Assistant News Editor In light of Indigenous People’s Day on Oct. 11, The Student spoke with members of the Native and Indigeous Students Association (NISA) to gather perspectives on the experience of being Indigenous at Amherst. Interviewees discussed the role that community plays in their lives, as well as how they hope to see the college change. The thoughts shared in this piece are neither representative of an entire organization, community or experience, but rather individual perspectives to be amplified in the wider campus community.

Finding Community For many Indigenous students, the very act of attending an institution like Amherst is one that is deeply conflicting. As Emma Cape ’22 — a member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians and Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, and NISA social chair and social media manager — put it, Indigenous students often have to navigate between a discomfort with being “at a place that we know quite literally was built without us in mind” and a pride for “walking around this place, knowing that I’m not supposed to be here.”

Jacquelyn Cabarrubia ’25, a member of the Odawa-Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and member of NISA, echoed the sentiment, sharing her own difficulties: “As an Indigenous woman who has grown up around Native Americans my entire life, it is heart-aching being in a place where my culture and traditions are not encouraged. In a lot of ways my identity feels suppressed.

There is no comparison I could share to relate even a sliver of what it feels like to be here.”

The specter of Lord Jeffery Amherst — the college’s unofficial mascot until 2016 and implicit namesake — also looms large for many due to his role in biological warfare and the genocide of Indigenous peoples.

Although appreciative of the tightknit Indigenous community that has grown on campus, Cole Richards ’22, a member of the Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma) and NISA’s exec-

utive officer, find herself constantly grappling the college’s status as “this hyper-colonial institution based on the name of someone who is genocidal, and who gave my tribe, specifically, smallpox blankets.”

“It’s kind of hard because I feel all this amazing goodwill towards my fellow Native students and a lot of people and the professors in American Studies who do a lot of amazing stuff, but then I walk past Amherst College and see that name and it just brings up a lot of feelings — because, genocide, and genocide of my tribe, specifically,” she added.

Still, the importance and the strength of the Indigenous community on campus — and NISA in particular — was something that many interviewees cited as pivotal to helping them work through the contradictions and barriers faced by being Indigenous at Amherst. “[NISA] is like a community outside your community. It’s so special,” said Carley Malloy ’22, a member of the Citizen Band Potawatomi Nation and co-president of NISA. “NISA has been a place to just be.”

Cape concurred, reflecting on how NISA helped her to be “her full Indigenous self.” “[NISA is] a space and a community with whom I can be unapologetically Indigenous. That

is really important for me,” she said.

“Growing up, it was never something that I hid, or was ashamed of by any means, but historically within my family, it’s been an identity with which people have had to be very careful, to protect one’s well-being in a predominantly white town.”

Members of NISA also emphasized the diversity and multivocality of their experiences, and how that shapes their community. Sage Innerarity ’22, a member of the Ione Band of Miwok Indians and co-president of NISA, noted: “[NISA] is a place where, even though we all may come from different tribal nations and different places, we understand what it’s like to be Native at a place like Amherst. [Yet,] more important than our ability to understand and share our experiences and struggles is the amount of love, support and celebration we create and provide for one another.”

“It’s been a really validating space where I feel like I can meet people outside of my class year,” added Alexis Scalese ’22, a member of the Pueblo of Tue'i (Isleta) tribe and NISA vice president. “I really like NISA for that, because it really does feel intergenerational, in a way.”

NISA’s Priorities

Given NISA’s role in helping Indigenous students navigate Amherst campus, the group is working to strengthen its community for present and future generations of Amherst students.

One thing that the group commonly reflects on and accounts for, Scalese said, is “what it means to accommodate different viewpoints and recognize them within our own community. We are not all the same,” they said. “We have our own different belief systems within our own communities … We’re from different regions around the U.S. and outside the U.S. too,” Scalese said.

Some of the tribes that Amherst students belong to include Southern Ute, Yup’ik of Nelson Island, Chamoru, Native Hawaiian, Assonet Wampanoag, Iroquois Nation, Apache Tribe of Texas and Mohegan and Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

Richards also emphasized the importance of recognizing that Indigenous communities are not a monolith. “Being Indigenous is not one thing,” she said. “We are here together, but there have been a lot of instances where there is a really broad generalization of what it is to be Indigenous.” … ” Along these same lines, Cape reflected, “There is not one way to be

Indigenous — if you don’t fluently speak your traditional language, that’s okay; if you didn’t grow up in your traditional homelands, that’s okay too. It doesn’t make you any less Native, despite what popular culture and Western society might think or say.”

The group has also prioritized growth over the past several years.

“The year before we got here [2017], NISA only had about five people.

Now we have 25 or 30 students,” said Malloy.

NISA’s Activism NISA’s activism this semester has involved tabling in Valentine Dining Hall to spread awareness about The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day, to honor and remember those impacted by residential schools in the United States and Canada. The group ended up raising over $2,000 from the campus community, which they donated to the Orange Shirt Society, Indian Residential School Survival Society, The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund and Creation of an Anishinaabe Round House. In addition, the week before Indigenous People’s Day, the group hung a banner in front of Frost Library that reads “You are on Nonotuck Land.”

Continued on page 5

Photo courtesy of NISA

In honor of Indigenous People's Day, NISA coordinated the hanging of a land acknowledgement on the front of Frost Library. The banner was found torn down on the morning of Oct. 17.

News 6

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

“Unapologetically Indigenous”: NISA Lays Out Path Forward Continued from page 5 Hanging this banner to commemorate Indigenous People’s Day holds different values and importances for different members of NISA. “[Indigneous People’s Day] is a time to celebrate our [survival], though such celebration isn’t relegated solely to this day,” said Innerarity.

Cabarrubia echoed: “Indigenous People’s Day is so much more than a day — when the day is over, we are still Indigenous. We are proof of what couldn't be erased through residential schools, attempted genicode, broken treaties and forced assimilation. We are still here.”

The symbolism this banner holds thus made it all the more upsetting for Indigenous students when it was found torn down the morning of Oct. 17. The incident left many students of color, particularly Indigenous students, reporting feeling shaken and unsafe.

“It was really unfortunate to see that banner ripped,” said Scalese.

Malloy added: “I don’t think [the incident] was racially motivated — I think they were drunk and being stupid. But regardless, when something is mentioning race in it, it is unsettling to have it torn down.”

Similarly, Scalese said, “Because [the banner] is something that is racialized, it is therefore a racist act.”

Malloy and Scalese attested that

they would like to see the college community step up and rehang the banner without requiring further labor from Indigenous students. “I don’t think we should have to put in the work to make a new one.

We already did that,” said Malloy.

“It did make my heart happy to see that message in the [campus-wide GroupMe] chat that said ‘Indigenous people should not have to do this,’” said Scalese, adding that they hope that whoever tore down the banner will take steps to educate themselves, perhaps by taking a Native studies class.

Demands for Institutional Change Seeing the institution take responsibility for its wrongs against the Indigenous community goes beyond just amends for this incident, students testified, especially in light of the recent Bicentennial celebration. Scalese said, “For me, [support] goes beyond saying ‘Indigenous People’s Day.’ This school still has stuff they have to deal with. We need to address things, like the Indian Relic Museum that is now Appleton [Hall]. That is not recognized. You don’t see that at the Bicentennial,” they said. “We don’t have to celebrate everything about this school. We can celebrate and critically examine what has happened in the past.”

Emma Rial ’22, a member of the Narragansett Indian Tribe and

member of NISA, also found the Bicentennial Party to be, Rial added, a symbol of the college’s lacking accountability to its history. “The very existence of Amherst College on Nonotuck Land is a reminder of the erasure of Native communities.”

In celebrating the history of Amherst and recreating the college’s “founding,” she said, “what Biddy, the Trustees and prestigious alumni networks celebrated ignored the larger history of local Indigenous communities and how they are impacted by the college’s presence.”

Students also emphasized the importance of incorporating Indigenous knowledge and ways of thinking into learning at Amherst.

“There’s very little non-Western thinking in classes, very little acknowledgment of place and identity, especially in STEM,” said Malloy. “I think there is a lot of work the administration and professors have to do to be more aware of how dynamic we are, and how we are going to continue growing. This is going to require some changes to the curriculum.”

Zoe Callan ’25, a member of the Navajo Nation and member of NISA, similarly expressed: “I think something the community as a whole could be doing better is hav[ing] more Indigenous perspectives included in classes not necessarily focused on Indigenous topics.”

This lack of a framework for Indigenous thinking in class materializes in harmful experiences for Indigenous students in the classroom, some recounted. “Something that is very basic and something that should go without saying, but that unfortunately needs to be said, is speak about us in the present tense,” said Cape. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in class, and professors know I’m in this class, and they’re sitting there using past tense forms, and it’s incredibly frustrating.”

Language and terms matter, she continued. “Call us what we want to be called… I know most people prefer their specific tribal affiliation… I’ve also been in classes where my professor will not stop using the word ‘Indian,’ and once again, I am right there… Being cognizant of those sorts of things, I think, is a baby step in the right direction.”

This would also help with general education of the student body.

“There are a lot of instances where I am called upon to educate my non-Indigenous peers, sometimes on issues I am not familiar with,” said Callan. “I wish the community here at Amherst took it upon themselves to learn more about these issues on their own and to not expect every Indigenous person to be well versed in every Indigenous issue or custom.”

Scalese added that they would like to see the administration more

Photo courtesy of NISA

NISA members pose for a picture on Orange Shirt Day, which commemorates the legacy of the residential school system on Indigenous peoples.

completely recognize NISA as an affinity group. “Affinity groups across campus recognize us, but sometimes the administration doesn’t really see us as a community that has more than five people,” they said. “We are growing, and it’s a pretty recent growth, so I understand why that narrative might be out there, but I feel like it’s time to acknowledge and recognize.”

For some, alongside the hope for restructuring and change comes an appreciation for the resources offered through the college and the empowerment it sometimes provides. “Personally, in a lot of ways, this has been a great institution [for me],” said Malloy. “Amherst has so much money, they could bring me here, and I could learn from Native professors and I could learn alongside amazing Native people.”

Scalese views these resources as a path for ultimately helping communities outside of Amherst. “I don’t believe that this school will ever be designed to serve Native students because at the end of the day, this school was built off of stolen land and benefits from that every single day,” they said. “However, I do think there are ways — we are making ways, staff members are making ways, faculty are making ways — for us to come back to our communities, come back to where we want to be, be people who we want to be to make Indian Country better and to use the resources at the school to benefit people who are outside of the school… [this is the] commitment that some of us share to be nation-builders, and uphold our tribal sovereignty outside of the school.”

These shifts in thinking, perhaps, are part of the broader narrative around a changing Amherst. “This isn’t a white school anymore. It isn’t just white, upper-class,” said Malloy.

“Now, professors have to put in the work — just as we do to be recognized — to recognize and talk to us and think about how they can create a more inclusive place.”

The land on which Amherst College sits is Nonotuck land, with the Nipmuc and the Wampanoag to the east, the Mohegan and Pequot to the south, the Mohican to the west, and the Abenaki to the north.

News 7

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

AAS Responds to Racist Emails Sent to Black Student Groups at UMass Sophie Wolmer ’23 Managing News Editor The Association of Amherst Students (AAS) Senate issued a statement on Oct. 11 in response to a series of hateful emails sent to Black student groups at UMass Amherst.

In its message, the Senate stated that its members stand in solidarity with the Black community at UMass, apologized for its lack of action to this point, and acknowledged the harm and alienation caused by the silence of the college.

The anti-Black emails that spurred the AAS response were sent over the course of several weeks dating back to late August. According to UMass’s Vice Chancellor & Chief Diversity Officer Nefertiti A. Walker, the emails were “vile, blatantly racist, and violently offensive.” Bishop Talbert Swan, President of the NAACP in Springfield, shared a screenshot of one email on Twitter in which the sender had said that they “look down upon” Black organizations and called Black students “unintelligent” and “clearly stupid.” The emails accompany several other anti-Black

hate acts at UMass that have occurred this semester. Namely, there have been several reports of students yelling anti-Black racist epithets and hateful messages sent via the “Contact Us” forms of university-registered student organizations.

In the AAS meeting that followed the most recent incident, several attendees expressed their concerns that the situation had not been brought up by Amherst College students and the administration. As a result, senators Sirus Wheaton ’23 and Mia Griffin ’23 drafted an AAS response. Wheaton spelled out how the letter came to be in an interview with The Student: “The [incidents that have occured at UMass] are hurtful, and I was really surprised that we hadn’t discussed it. So Mia and I sat down and wrote the letter.

Angelina [Han ’22], the AAS president, helped. Our goal was to look out for the whole Amherst community.”

Han explained some of the impetus for sending the email: “I think it was important to acknowledge the harm that was done to the UMass community and felt by members of

our own campus. We share the same town, share classes, and visit each others’ campuses. It is important for us to also reflect on the work we each have to continue to do to make our campus more inclusive and safe.”

Wheaton noted that he was disappointed that the onus of writing the letter fell on two Black individuals. “I felt [that] it was kind of unfair, especially given that I brought up the issue in the AAS meeting, that the responsibility of writing the letter was left to me and another Black person.

We were essentially left to write the letter with no other help,” he said.

After Griffin and Wheaton had finished the email draft and the AAS voted to send it, the two were eager to issue the statement right away.

However, there was significant pushback from other senators after the AAS vote. “[Senators] came in and had a bunch of complaints about the letter after we’d already voted to send it out,” Wheaton said.

Wheaton explained that the requests for changes to the letter’s phrasing made an already late response become even later. He noted that most debate surrounded a par-

ticular line of the email: there was “specifically a lot of talk concerning the declaration that Amherst is mostly wealthy and white.”

Amherst’s relative lack of support for UMass and their Black students was the first issue addressed in the AAS email. The email read: “Amherst has failed in supporting UMass and their Black students. President Martin’s recent email regarding her ‘anti-racism’ plan update was still glaringly absent of any mention of the email, nor was or is there any other kind of existing support — whether that be by showing up physically for UMass’s demonstration, or providing financial support and/or resources for impacted Five College Consortium students.”

The Senate took responsibility for failing to “cultivate a safe, inclusive community with UMass and the rest of the Consortium.” After apologizing, both for themselves and on behalf of the college, for letting the Five College Black community down, the AAS relented that inaction signals complacency, an attitude they deemed is all too prevalent at the college.

advocacy for reduced police presence on campus, Martin did not meet demands such as disarming and defunding ACPD. Rather than eliminate the police department, the college has increased its efforts to establish a positive relationship between the police and the student body.

Despite the college’s efforts to revise campus policing, former and current students find the attempts to be misdirected at best.

Ayodele Lewis ’21 thinks that ACPD’s adoption of a comfort dog is a diversion from the true issue of an unneeded police presence that makes students of color feel unsafe and uncomfortable. “Nothing will change if the number of armed officers continues to increase, what the school needs is complete disarmament.”

For Lewis, changing the face of ACPD requires more than a new mascot. “Although I don’t think that this is a permanent fix, [recruiting] cops that reflect the

diversity of the student body will help in the meantime,” Lewis said.

Diversifying the police force, Lewis said, will garner a stronger relationship between the police and the student body.

Sirus Wheaton ’23 also believes that the adoption is a strategy used to divert student attention. “[ACPD] said that they are getting a ‘dog’ just to get people excited about a campus pet. It’s like they're trying to get us to completely forget about all the issues that they have: they refuse to disarm and have refused to be disbanded,” Wheaton said.

Wheaton finds the efforts of ACPD to be insincere and forced.

Wheaton noted that, “It is almost as if [ACPD] is trying to schmooze or something with the new dog and its other plans. It just feels very wrong.”

Jeremy Thomas ’21, a creator of the Reclaim Amherst campaign, explained that this initiative does not “increase the institutional

memory of the institution.”

“While the comfort dogs may be a wonderful aesthetic element for the ACPD, they are substantively operating as publicity for the department,” he said. “Comfort dogs do nothing to reduce the constant threat of violence that ACPD poses and they do nothing to re-prioritize Amherst’s money towards students’ demonstrated mental health needs.”

In a statement to The Student, Executive Director of Community Safety and Chief of Police John Carter asserted that the adoption is not intended to distract students from changes to police presence. “[The comfort dog] engagement initiative has been under consideration since well before the process to re-imagine ACPD began and is not intended to distract from the important work of the Community Safety Committee to identify options for a community safety program that best meets the needs of the college,” Carter said.

Advocating for the administration to make real change, the message asked Martin to “stop posturing” and “meet the demands and outlines of campaigns such as #ReclaimAmherst and #IntegrateAmherst.”

The email concluded with a call for Martin to prove the sincerity of her anti-racist “assurance[s].” The Senate asserted that the college and its “overly-white administration” must do their part to abolish the racism, hatred and bigotry that has shown up in Five College Consortium.

The AAS Senate has not met since the statement was sent and has yet to determine future steps.

The administration has, however, responded to them about the email, with Wheaton reporting that he and Griffin have scheduled a meeting for Oct. 13 with Dean of Students Liz Agosto to discuss the controversy.

“We're having a meeting with Liz to talk about the school's role and how she felt about the email, which she was not very pleased with,” Wheaton communicated.

ACPD to Adopt Comfort Dog; Students Critique Motives Tana DeLalio ’24 and Sophie Wolmer ’23 Assistant News Editor and Managing News Editor In an attempt to bridge the relationship between students and law enforcement officers, the Amherst College Police Department (ACPD) will adopt a comfort dog before the beginning of the spring 2022 semester. The dog adoption is part of the department’s efforts to reconnect with the community after several student groups have called for its abolishment. Though they appreciate the sentiment, many students are wary that a comfort dog does not actually respond to activist demands and will merely be a distraction from the true problem: an unwanted police presence on campus.

The adoption announcement came in an email sent on May 10, in which President Biddy Martin detailed the college’s “new approach to public safety.” Despite student

The adoption, a part of the department's new focus on mental health, follows the recent discussions with students surrounding ACPD’s controversial presence on campus.

“Community safety needs a holistic and comprehensive approach that incorporates numerous initiatives even beyond ACPD, including a strong investigative ability and a robust community engagement plan. The allocation of financial resources to the comfort dog project is relatively small, as the dog is donated and the handler is already employed by the college,” Carter said.

ACPD’s dog is the beginning of the department’s forthcoming efforts to more effectively accommodate students’ needs, Carter expressed. He stated, “The comfort dog is only one initiative we are adopting at ACPD as part of our redefined role, the important dis-

Continued on page 5

News 8

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Comfort Dog Intended to Improve Mental Health Continued from page 1

cussion on which continues with the Campus Safety committee, which includes faculty, staff and students.”

Carter also stated that the department’s rationale for the adoption goes beyond repairing student-police relations. It comes from an interest in improving student mental health as well. “Over the past few years, many departments across the country have started to adopt comfort dogs, which have been used successfully to help people after traumatic incidents, such as after the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school and in the aftermath of the shooting at Columbine High School.

Studies have shown that simply petting a dog is a great stress re-

liever,” Carter said.

Some students agree that an ACPD comfort dog will help to improve student mental health.

Abhi Gupta ’25 believes that having a dog on campus will definitely help students alleviate daily stress.

“I think it's a really cool idea that will help people who are missing their dogs back home. I mean, they had the petting zoo a couple weeks ago and that helped a lot.”

Aidan Cook ’24 is also optimistic about the adoption. “I think [that] it's great — as long as the students are able to interact with [the dog]. Maybe [ACPD] could hold some dog office hours! And if the dog is cute, then I will fully support the program,” Cook said.

He noted that he does think that an ACPD dog could help build a community with the Amherst stu-

dent body.

When asked how the police department would be adopting the dog, Carter said: “Our dog will be coming from a breeder called Boonefield Labradors in southern New Hampshire, [who] breeds dogs that have excellent temperaments and are widely used in the therapy dog community.”

Zoe Strothkamp ’24 expressed concern regarding how the ACPD will obtain the puppy, despite her optimism about the new program.

“I don't really mind that the ACPD adopted a dog because it could be kind of nice, but I do think it's not the best decision that they adopted from a breeder rather than a shelter. Rescuing dogs is important, and since the adoption is for a public service, the ACPD should adopt from a shelter to serve as an exam-

ple for others,” Strothkamp said.

The comfort dog initiative is one of many attempts of the college to engage students in conversations surrounding campus safety. As the Campus Safety Advisory Committee continues to develop new plans for campus safety, they have turned to student input and approval. For example, the Campus Advisory Committee has scheduled numerous focus groups and “community engagement sessions” throughout the fall semester on Sept. 29, Sept. 30, Oct. 5, Oct. 6, Oct. 7 and Oct. 13. Several of the planned events have been canceled due to lacking student attendance.

In the community engagement sessions, consultants have asked students about their definitions of safety, what changes they’d like to see in campus policy, and “ways

that [they] would suggest … developing trust and relationship with the campus police.”

Carter said that ACPD’s ultimate goal is to build its relationship with the student community. “Hopefully [the adopted dog] will foster positive relationships,” Carter said, “allowing us to get to know [students] on a one to one basis, and not be just the people who show up in an emergency.”

Still, Thomas holds: “The changes needed from ACPD will most likely not come from ACPD itself. The institution must make the decision to prioritize the actual needs of students over assumptions and misunderstandings of safety. The safest version of Amherst College is one without ACPD (and the Amherst Town Police for that matter).”

Administration Affirms Support for A/P/A Studies in AAAN Meeting Brittney Nguyen ’25 and YeeLynn Lee ’23 Staff Writer and Managing News Editor On Oct. 6, the Amherst Asian Alumni Network (AAAN) met with President Biddy Martin and Provost and Dean of the Faculty Catherine Epstein over Zoom to discuss their open letter calling for an Asian/Pacific/American (A/P/A) studies major at the college.

The open letter, published on Aug. 10, outlined several demands pertaining to creating and sustaining an A/P/A studies department.

The letter has garnered over 400 signatures from the college community. The Oct. 6 meeting was the first meeting the AAAN has had with members of the administration about the demands outlined in the letter.

Six AAAN leaders — Kiko Aebi ’16, Jenny Li ’16, ShoYoung Shin ’19, Miu Suzuki ’16, Christina Wang ’16 and Olivia Zheng ’20 — attended the meeting with Martin and Epstein.

During the meeting, Martin and Epstein expressed support for the demands called for in the letter.

“We support expanding opportu-

nities to study the Asian-American experience, up to and including the creation of a major. This would have to include the hire of more scholars focused on Asian American studies,” said Epstein in a statement to The Student. “We believe that it's really important for students to be able to study their own group experience, as well as for all students to have the opportunity to study the group experiences of their peers.”

Leaders of the AAAN relayed that Martin indicated during the meeting that she believes that the college will eventually have an A/P/A studies major, which she deems to be crucial. Additionally, she stated that she would like to see progress in the fight for A/P/A studies before she leaves, measuring progress as movement toward searching for and hiring faculty in A/P/A studies that will support a major over time.

In response to the AAAN’s demand for a formal and public commitment to establishing A/P/A studies from the college, however, Martin expressed the need to be cautious about what she says given faculty prerogatives with regard to making decisions on the curriculum.

Martin and Epstein addressed several of the AAAN’s other demands in the meeting as well. The formation of a working committee on the creation of the major, for instance, will be discussed with Associate Provost and Associate Dean of the Faculty Pawan Dhingra. As for new pathways for the hiring of A/P/A studies scholars across departments, Dhingra will be working with departments to develop a cluster hire proposal for A/P/A studies, which will be discussed and voted on by The Committee on Educational Policy (CEP) in March 2022. If approved, faculty searches for up to three additional full-time equivalents (FTE) in A/P/A studies would occur over the next two academic years.

The next meeting between Martin, Epstein and the AAAN will be scheduled for December 2021.

Leaders of the AAAN expressed feeling hopeful after the meeting.

“The meeting was very promising,” said Aebi. “It really does seem like Biddy and Epstein are aligned in that this is an important thing.

Asian American studies is something that Amherst should have, and so I think being on the same page about that in and of itself is definitely a very good step in the

right direction.”

Zheng agreed, but noted that support for A/P/A studies will also have to come from beyond Martin and Epstein if the major is to become reality. “At the end of the day, if we want this to become a major, it’s something that has to go to a faculty vote,” she said. “And if we want more professors to be hired in this area, departments have to be hiring new faculty for A/P/A studies, so we appreciate the administration’s support, [but] I think there needs to be a lot more support all across the school.”

Mica Nimkarn ’24, senior chair of the Asian Students Association (ASA) and junior chair of the Asian Pacific American Action Committee (APAAC), drew attention to the long history of advocacy that preceded the administration’s support of the major. “The administration has been delaying and dodging requests [for A/P/A studies] for arguably too long,” she said. “Students and alumni have put so much work, time and emotional labor into this cause and we are happy to see progress being made, but it came out of so much unnecessary frustration from the part of Asian Americans.”

Indeed, the AAAN’s recent call

to action is part of a larger student-run movement that has been demanding the establishment of an A/P/A major at the college since the 1970s. When asked about their motivations to continue in the fight for A/P/A studies at Amherst, leaders of the AAAN reminisced on their personal motivators, highlighting the importance of continuing student and alumni activism on and off campus.

“I believe in the power of people and that the collective whole can achieve so much more than the individual,” said Suzuki. “There are a lot of uncertainties, but we do know that, in time, a major will form. We need to keep having these conversations … to ensure that this movement continues and doesn't get deprioritized.”

Shin commented on how the name of the advocacy group on campus has changed over the years, but the nature of the work has not.

“Even as the nomenclature has changed, students are the ones that are really leading this, and doing that work,” she remarked. “So no matter where we are, in 2025 or 2030 . . . our support for students and working with them — we hope to continue to do that throughout the years.”

News 9

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

From the Red Room: Oct. 18 AAS Meeting Updates Karina Maciel ’25 Staff Writer

On Monday, Oct. 18, the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) held its fourth weekly meeting of the Fall 2021 semester. Senators discussed a new program called Amherst Superfan, approved the Budgetary Committee’s recommendations, and discussed their internal communication practices as well as an upcoming hearing with the Judiciary Council.

The meeting began with a discussion about Amherst Superfan, a project proposed by Bryce Lauletta ’22. SuperFan is an app wherein schools can post the campus-wide events they are hosting and students can win prizes for participating in these events. The goal of SuperFan is to increase student participation

in campus events and foster more school spirit. Lauletta’s proposal, which was backed by the Athletic Department and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, requested funding for one year of the program.

The Senate approved Lauletta’s request of $2,250 and established an unofficial committee dedicated to customizing SuperFan for Amherst’s campus. The committee comprises Dania Hallak ’24, Sirius Wheaton ’23, Mia Griffin ’24, Hannah Kim ’25, Min Ji Kim ’25, Yvette Kiptoo ’23, Michael Bai ’25, Angelina Han ’22, Jae Yun Ham ’22, Fareeda Adejumo ’23, Maira Owais ’23 and Gent Malushaga ’25.

Next, all of the requests of the Budgetary Committee (BC) led by Ham, were approved by the Senate.

The requests totaled approximately $27,000. Some of the organizations

that made funding requests include Debate Society, Amherst Mixed Martial Arts, Amherst Political Union, Bioethics Society, WAMH and the Asian Students Association.

The Senate also approved Ham’s request to move around $500 from the Senate’s discretionary fund to the BC’s account to buy meals for its members.

The Senate then conducted a discussion regarding its communication practices, during which members reevaluated the ways that senators communicate with one another, the student body and the administration. Some members suggested creating an email committee that would be primarily in charge of crafting statements sent out to the campus at large. There was also a conversation about the need to be more active on the Senate’s social

media pages in imparting information to students.

Additionally, senators spoke about the upcoming Judiciary Council hearing; the hearing is on a complaint filed by a group of anonymous students against the Senate regarding a letter of solidarity it sent out in May of 2021. The letter condemned the actions of the Israeli government and expressed support for Palestine in light of the desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the forced evictions in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. A chosen committee of senators will describe how the solidarity email aligns with the Constitution and the responsibilities of the Senate. Should the Judiciary Council rule against the Senate, their ability to send out communications of this kind in the future may be restricted.

The meeting concluded with

“on-campus check-ins” or updates on the committees and the progress on their respective Senate projects.

Jalen Woodard ’23 mentioned a series of events being hosted by the Center for Restorative Practices, titled “Exploring Policing and Community Safety at Amherst: Restorative Circle.” These meetings, which are being held at least once a week throughout October and November, have had low student turnout, so Woodard asked the Senate to publicize this event more in hopes of getting increased student participation.

The Dining Committee also provided updates about Valentine Dining Hall and its services, noting student requests to reinstate Late Night dining and add more allergen-friendly, accessible options.

The next AAS meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 25, 2021.

needs to dig deeper to understand and uproot the underlying structural causes of the inequities that Black alumni and current students continue to experience.” The plan was laid out into several sections, which last week’s email provided updates on.

A primary area in which the college has been called on to improve is the racial homogeneity of its tenure-track faculty and senior staff. The email noted that during the 2020-2021 school year, 12 tenure-track faculty were hired, eight of whom are faculty of color and five of whom are African-American scholar-teachers.

Grace Cho ’23E recognized the diversification of the faculty as a step in the right direction. “…Of all the information and updates [Biddy] presented in the email, the most concrete/tangible accomplishment has been increased hiring of faculty of color and more faculty who are women,” she wrote in an email interview.

Along with faculty, the college noted updates to its work surrounding increased diversity on staff, especially as it searches for a new Chief Human Resources Officer, a position formerly held by Maria-Judith Rodriguez and which is filled in the interim by Christopher Casey. The email noted a “a remote work pi-

lot project for AY [Academic Year] 21-22” intending to attract a more diverse set of candidates for all positions it’s currently hiring.

Coupled with the elevated focus on faculty and staff diversity, the email noted that the process of hiring a Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer was ongoing. The current nonexistence of the position has been noticed by students.

Maya Foster ’23, a member of the Presidential Task Force on Diversity & Inclusion, said that without a permanent Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, getting concrete work done has been a challenge.

“It’s really difficult for me to feel like things are getting done when they’re not being spearheaded by a singular leading team,” said Foster.

The college is also doing more to recognize and document its own fraught past. The Racial History of Amherst College Steering Committee established a webpage to document the college’s racial history. The email made specific mention of the senior thesis of Anna Smith ’22 who has been investigating Israel Trask, one of the college’s first trustees who held hundreds of slaves. The email referred to Smith’s work as “the most thorough account of Trask and his ties to the College to date.” (Smith is a managing design editor for The

Student.)

In tandem with the college’s ongoing documentation of racial history, it made sure to promote the talk by genealogist Nicka Smith — a descendant of Trask’s slaves — who has dedicated her research to telling the stories of those enslaved by Trask.

The talk took place at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 4, just one minute after Martin’s email was sent.

The college also elaborated on efforts to reimagine its policing structures, in response to demands from Reclaim Amherst to defund and abolish the Amherst College Police Department (ACPD). The email provided various committees and ongoing research that aim to gather input from students and consultants that intend to inform how ACPD can be restructured. Such committees include the Campus Safety Advisory Committee, which is open to any Amherst community member who wants to provide their ideas on the matter. This committee will present various models for campus policing to Martin and other senior administrators at the end of the fall semester.

Foster, who also serves on the Campus Safety Advisory Committee, explained that sometimes the work feels insufficient, given that the decision will ultimately be up to

the trustees. “We’re doing restorative circles and polling people and getting their input, but a lot of it feels like we’re working for nothing, because the Board of Trustees ultimately gets to make that decision and we know that they’re a super conservative group of people and their views on policing historically have not been particularly radical.”

Foster noted that her frustration around committee work is not limited to the Campus Safety Advisory Committee. Martin’s email, to Foster, felt oddly timed given that much of the progress she has seen on the committees she serves on has stalled.

Cho echoed this sentiment around the inefficiency of committees: “I think the email just reflects the administration’s tendency to turn towards committees that are meant to tackle these issues but really end up prolonging progress towards effective solutions and changes within the college.”

Even though the email left students wanting more, Foster concluded, “I am very glad that [anti-racism work] seems to still be on Biddy’s radar, and that the emails are getting sent out, because I think that reminds the student body that we should be holding them accountable.

We’ve lost a lot of that fire, but I think we will get it back at some point.”

College Announces Anti-Racism Action Plan Update

Caelen McQuilkin ’24E and Rebecca Picciotto ’22 Assistant News Editor and Editor-in-Chief

Last week, on Oct. 4, President Biddy Martin emailed the college community with an update on the college’s Anti-Racism Action Plan.

The email outlined progress and developments within the sectors of the plan, which generally center around changing the makeup of Amherst College staff and faculty, changing curriculum, practices and rules at the college, and studying and documenting the legacy of race and racism at the college. The anti-racism plan was launched and developed in response to student demands for a more racially equitable campus made in campaigns like #IntegrateAmherst and Reclaim Amherst. Students have found that these anti-racism updates demonstrate that the college has achieved some limited concrete change but mostly hinges on insufficient committee work and shallow promises.

In August 2020, Martin released the Anti-Racism Action Plan, writing that “this summer has been another object lesson in how racism, particularly anti-Black racism, is woven into the fabric of the country” and that at Amherst, “the entire community

Op pinion

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Beyond Acknowledgment It has been two years since Amherst first officially recognized the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day. This inarguably important step — which came three years after the Town of Amherst itself recognized the holiday — rang hollow last Monday, however, when Indigenous Peoples’ Day passed without any acknowledgement by the college.

Similarly, the Bicentennial — complete with an 1821 “New England Boiled Dinner” and a reenactment of the arrival of Zephaniah Swift Moore — neglected any deeper recognition of the historical impact of the college beyond a cookie cutter land acknowledgement. In particular, it neglected any reckoning with the historical actions of its implicit namesake and mascot until 2016, Lord Jeffrey Amherst, on the surrounding Indigenous communities — as well as reckoning with its own support for antiIndigenous racism as a source of school pride over its own history. A celebration of the college’s 200 years without a reckoning with the past risks papering over the very real consequences of that history as they exist today.

This was made all the more clear when a land acknowledgement poster hung by the Native and Indigenous Students Association (NISA) outside of Frost Library was torn down at the end of the Bicentennial celebrations, making Indigenous students and other students of color question their own safety and position on campus today. It should be noted that, at the time of writing, this seeming act of hate has still gone unacknowledged by the college — not even by the bare minimum response of a campus-wide email. To our knowledge and that of students we talked to at NISA, the tearing down of the sign also remains uninvestigated.

While the time for a particularly poignant remembrance of Amherst’s past has now gone by, there are still actions the college can and should take to address disparities between the wellbeing of Indigenous students and faculty and other community members today.

Steps like changing the mascot away from Lord Jeffrey Amherst in 2016 and recognizing Indigenous People’s Day were real actions that demonstrated, at the very least, a desire to make Indigenous community members feel more comfortable and safe on campus. Even so, there are more concrete actions that would go a long way to improving the college’s professed goal of inclusivity.

First and foremost, the college should work to allocate resources to NISA in its efforts to rebuild following the pandemic, and aim to make sustaining the organization a simpler task. Funds and logistical support should be extended to NISA in their efforts to reconnect with the Indigenous community at UMass Amherst and promote the club to current members of the student body. A stronger NISA means that the administration would have an easier time consulting directly with Indigenous

students on how to improve the community — a method certainly more likely to succeed than any changes led by a predominantly white administration alone.

The college should continue working to hire more Indigenous faculty and faculty with training in Native studies. Having Indigenous people in positions of authority on campus provides a bedrock for the community to rely on that lasts beyond the four-year career of a student activist — and Indigenous students who spoke to The Student reported that American Studies professors Lisa Brooks and Kiara M. Vigil, both of whom are Indigenous, played a crucial role in supporting them on campus.

Furthermore, faculty should in general be more proficient in Native studies. They should educate themselves on the implicit frameworks of colonialism that may already exist within their course structure and work instead to integrate awareness of Indigenous content and experiences into their academic material. This should not just be an obligation for the American Studies and Environmental Studies departments where Native studies content is currently concentrated. This broader knowledge base would both inform the student body more broadly of the Indigenous community today as well as make those courses more accessible to Indigenous students.

But there should also be a consideration of broader changes the college can make to address disparities in a systematic manner. The internal changes we’ve discussed above can only make a difference for those on campus in the present, they don’t work to bring justice to nearby Indigenous communities who have claims to much of the land the college now holds. With its vast financial resources and lands, the college would be well within reason to consider more substantial efforts at making amends such as reparations for nearby Indigenous communities or even engaging with the local LandBack movement. While such decisions would certainly take time and consideration, there’s no reason to delay investigating these options any longer.

Indigenous people are not just a part of this country’s past. The Indigenous community of Amherst is vibrant, active and here to stay. The college owes more than land acknowledgements — though they are a start. The exploitation of this college’s history has impacts that have trickled into the present, impacts that the college can contribute resources to repair.

The college has been here for 200 years; it’s time to recognize why. It’s far past time for a more serious reckoning with the past, and there’s no time to wait for today’s Native and Indigenous communities.

Unsigned editorials represent the views of the majority of the Editorial Board — (assenting: 13; dissenting: 0; abstaining: 6).

THE AMHERST

STUDENT E X E C U T I V E B OA R D Editors-in-Chief Ryan Yu Rebecca Picciotto Managing News Sophie Wolmer Yee-Lynn Lee Assistant News Caelen McQuilkin Tana Delalio Managing Opinion Scott Brasesco Skye Wu Assistant Opinion Kei Lim Dustin Copeland Managing Arts and Living Theodore Hamilton Brooke Hoffman Alex Brandfonbrener Managing Sports Ethan Samuels Liza Katz Liam Archacki Managing Podcast Sam Spratford Maggie McNamara Managing Design Anna Smith S TA F F Publisher Emmy Sohn Digital Director Sawyer Pollard Social Media Manager Emi Eliason

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The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Opinion 11

Seeing Double: We Need Mammoth Student Loans Thomas Brodey ’22 Columnist The student debt crisis sweeping the nation has hit Amherst hard.

In 2020, Amherst College’s graduating class possessed $2.9 million in student loans and $3.4 million in parent debt. Those figures don’t include the countless other financial sacrifices, such as additional mortgages or spending cutbacks, that families make in order to pay for Amherst’s tuition, even after financial aid.

About half of Amherst student debt, and all of the parent debt, comes in the form of private, rather than federal loans. That’s worrying because private for-profit loans have interest rates that are, on average, roughly double those of federal loans. Also, private lenders charge interest based on credit rating and family income, which disproportionately penalizes minorities and low-income students. Unfortunately, the merciless for-profit loan system is likely to persist; while the federal government can forgive federal loans, there is no indication that President Joe Biden plans to

forgive private loans.

The debt problem is also getting worse. Between 2016 and 2020, overall debt of graduating students increased by 66 percent, and the proportion of private debt increased from 32 percent to over 43 percent in 2020.

My co-columnist and I have proposed a variety of ways to reduce the burden of student debt, but none are sufficient in themselves. Increasing financial aid spending would reduce debt, but short of making Amherst free for everyone, no measure can completely prevent debt. That’s why we need to change the way loans work at Amherst. Students should have the option to borrow all their tuition money from the college itself.

Imagine if instead of giving students a financial aid package and expecting them to scrape up the remainder of their college funds however they can, Amherst gave every student the option to borrow the tuition not covered by financial aid directly from the college. The loans would be low interest, in a manner similar to federal loans, and rather than being tied to some faceless

loan shark, they would come from our alma mater. Amherst already gives out low-interest loans to international students, it’s time to extend that to the rest of the campus.

The college has all the materials it needs to lend large sums of money to students. It possesses detailed information about each student’s financial circumstance and an enormous reserve of money to draw upon. It also has a tiny number of students in proportion to its resources, so such a policy would require less bureaucracy. Most importantly, it has what most banks could only dream of: a real, concrete connection to its borrowers.

Colleges have an interest in ensuring their students’ success, which makes them good creditors.

What’s more, colleges like Amherst value student success in more than just financial terms. If a student decides to pursue a career in public service, teaching, or some other valuable but underpaid profession, Amherst as a lender could forgive parts or even all of that student’s debt. That way, my co-columnist could confidently set aside his financial concerns to live out his

dream of teaching snot-nosed children their ABCs in an under-resourced public school.Similarly, if a student faces financial disaster or some other misfortune, Amherst could give them a hand. By selectively forgiving loans, Amherst could foster students’ ambitions even into their early careers, when students with debt tend to struggle professionally and choose less publicly-spirited careers.

This policy could also apply to those who have already graduated.

Too often, efforts to solve the student loan crisis forget that millions of alumni have already struggled with debt for years. Amherst could offer to refinance pre-existing student debt with the new, more favorable terms, turning a rapidly compounding debt owed to a for-profit lender into a more reasonable debt owed to the college.

Today, the college refuses to lend money to most students, but that policy only abdicates responsibility. Too often, Amherst has washed its hands of culpability for student debt by forcing students to turn to private lenders. It’s like a bus driver outsourcing the driver’s

wheel to passersby, then deflecting blame when the bus crashes.

If all student debt was owed to Amherst, we would finally get the data we need to combat the crisis.

Right now, the decentralized and ad hoc nature of borrowing options available to students makes the real financial impact of paying tuition hard to quantify. The numbers cited in the beginning of this article are certainly only a fraction of the total debt owed by families.

If Amherst accepted responsibility for student debt and allowed all debt to go under its name, the financial aid system would finally have some accountability. We could see at a glance how much students and alumni owe Amherst, and assess how much Amherst is actually doing to prevent the need for debt.

Offering loans would not only increase the financial options of students attending Amherst, but also open a pathway to far greater reform. By both offering support to alumni and forgiving the debt of those who embark on public-spirited careers, the college could completely transform the prospects of its past, present and future students.

Some Pandemic Policies Deserve to Stay Yasmin Hamilton ’22 Staff writer Last year’s largely virtual academic format took a big toll on the Amherst student body. The college and professors responded adequately — providing updated Flexible Grading Option (FGO) policies, more leniency on extensions, exclusively take-home tests and other helpful changes. We were living through a deadly global pandemic and, in many cases, had not even met each other in person yet. In addition, the pandemic was affecting us all in ways that we may not have wanted to share. For the most part, the pandemic fostered an understanding between professors and students, an unspoken agreement not to pry or expect details.

As the return to in-person instruction this semester revived in-person events and social life, so

it brought back pre-covid academic expectations. These circumstances make for a large adjustment, especially for students who were remote all last year and sophomores who have only experienced those conditions shaped by the pandemic.

Implicit in campus’ readjustment is the assumption that students and professors are no longer dealing with the burden of the pandemic, and the world outside of Amherst has also returned to normal. However, as many have remarked, we are far from normalcy, and it is only fair that our academic expectations should reflect that fact.

Not only are students still dealing with bi-weekly Covid tests, restrictions on socialization and double masking policies in classrooms, the impact of the pandemic on resources and staff can still be strongly felt throughout the college. Val is still not offering its usual array of dining

options, and it won’t be able to if the college’s labor shortage doesn’t improve soon. In addition, students are dealing with a housing crisis due to the unprecedented increase of students on campus. . Since the return to campus, more students are seeking help from the Counseling Center, which is sometimes overbooked and inaccessible. In addition to all of these campus-specific challenges, many of us are still dealing with the still-deadly effects of the pandemic that now go mostly unspoken.

Despite these issues, students are still expected to adjust to old academic expectations and to work at the same productive rate they did before the pandemic. This change is not only in policy, but also in the reintroduction of professors’ old leniency and pre-academic standards.

Students need to be given the leniency that they were given last year because we are still experiencing the

pandemic. But I believe that beyond that, students deserve this leniency even in the absence of a pandemic.

Even under normal circumstances, students struggle with personal issues, many of which make meeting certain academic obligations unreasonably challenging.

College culture in general allows deadlines without regard to mental health, precluding personal life and contributing to burnout and ailing health among students. But why?

As the “alma mater” of the student body, the college should consider the emotional impacts of policies as well as purely academic ones.

Especially when students’ mental health has gone downhill and access to help is a difficulty for students.

The policies created during the pandemic should stay. FGO policies in place last year may help students who are dealing with the death of a loved one or an accident. In addi-

tion, take-home tests should stay for good in fields in which time-based memorization is not essential and application is more important, like statistics or computer science.

Finally, leniency from professors toward students struggling with personal issues should be expected under all circumstances. Students should not be obligated to share their personal issues with their professors in order to obtain extensions.

To expect students to be able to perform at their highest level at all moments is to fail to see them holistically as young people who chose a school which specifically fosters exploration, freedom, and academic risk. They should never feel pressured to “prove” their struggle for leniency and empathy. There is so much we can learn from the pandemic, and heightened compassion for one another should be first on our list.

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Opinion 12

Why Doesn’t Val Offer Lactaids?

Tylar Matsuo ’24 Contributing Writer

Approximately 36 percent of the population of the United States and 68 percent of the world is lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance is particularly prevalent among non-European racial and ethnic groups, including African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanic/Latino Americans.

The college administration is doubtlessly well aware of these statistics, and yet still chooses not to provide lactaids to students in an easily accessible manner.

The student meal plan at Amherst costs $3,700 per semester (well above the national average), and buys students access to a remarkably limited array of dining

options. Often, many of the options in Valentine Dining Hall’s (Val’s) narrow selection include dairy (pizza and ice cream, for example), and dairy products are an optional but highly beneficial component of others (such as pasta and paninis).

Although Val offers a small number of dairy-free, allergen-friendly alternatives, this drastic reduction in the nutritional choices of lactose intolerant students is completely unnecessary and could be avoided if the college provided lactaids.

When I emailed Val and the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to propose that Val provide lactaids alongside their dairy products, I was disappointed but not surprised upon receiving a response from Joe Flueckiger, the director of Dining Services, to discover that lactaids,

as an over-the-counter drug, are “not something our dining program is able to offer.” Flueckiger presented the Mammoth Market at Schwemm’s as an alternative venue for obtaining lactaids, but the Mammoth Market is hardly a viable alternative. Especially due to the lack of information available online about it, most students likely do not know it offers lactaids. Even then, knowing that doesn’t make much of a difference, as each time I have reached out to check whether they have lactaids in stock, they’ve been out of stock, forcing me to buy them for $20 at the nearby CVS. Because the Market does not open until 3 p.m. (an opening time I had to find by emailing staff because this year’s hours of operation are not online), students in need of lactaids

for the lunch period (which ends at 2 p.m.) would find themselves out of luck. A need to visit Schwemm’s to obtain lactaids also provides additional inconvenience for students juggling tight schedules should they run out of lactaids unexpectedly, an event made far more likely to happen by Schwemm’s offering lactaids in small packets.

And, above all else, Schwemm’s charges for lactaids, adding a financial burden. I tried to confirm both the quantity of lactaids per pack and the cost, but Schwemm’s was out of lactaids when I first checked on Oct. 5, and again on Oct. 6, 7 and 13. Although lactaids are not particularly expensive, that students would be charged any money at all for them is absurd considering the exorbitant per-semester cost of the student

meal plan, which evidently does not include the supplements necessary for many students to safely digest the food served.

The pandemic has placed great strain on Val’s procurement infrastructure and staffing shortages have further challenged their ability to prepare and serve food. That Val has continued to be able to provide students with regular meals of at least generally respectable (and at times quite good) quality is a great credit to them. However, the undue difficulty faced by students in attaining the lactaids necessary to digest many of Val’s best offerings is surely a problem that the college could address if so inclined, at the very least by waiving their cost, and ideally by finding a way to offer lactaids on-site at Val.

Letter to the Editor: Counseling Center Resources Jacqueline Alvarez Director of the Counseling Center As the director of the Counseling Center, I read the articles and opinion pieces in the Oct. 6 edition of The Amherst Student regarding our services with interest and concern.

We always strive to meet our students’ needs, and when we fall short, we want to know so that we can work to resolve their concerns. I am deeply concerned that last week’s articles will discourage students from seeking care should they need it.

Therefore, I write this letter to share information and resources available for immediate, on-demand and ongoing care, a number of which did not appear in last week’s issue.

Given the pandemic, we anticipated that there would be increased student demand for our services during the 2020-2021 academic year, which frequently occurs after disasters of all types, so we worked to create new services and systems of delivery. Our goals were to give students quick access to an initial assessment and to offer opportunities to connect with each other in meaningful ways, since isolation and loneliness were so prevalent last year. Here are some of the changes we made and results we’ve seen so far:

◊ We changed our model for first-time appointments, making them shorter and creating over 50 percent more available appointments. More than 21 percent of the student body has already accessed an initial assessment, and students are offered appointments in less than a week, with the average wait time being five days. Some students choose not to take the first available appointments and prefer to wait for times that are more convenient for their schedules, which can extend the time before they meet with a counselor to a couple of weeks or more. ◊ There are always services immediately available to students who are experiencing a crisis or a very urgent concern, including: 1) Urgent care for students who need same-day support, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. ; 2) 24/7 text and phone counseling through MySSP; 3) After-hours crisis phone counseling, available by calling our main line during evenings, weekends or holidays (413-542-2354); 4) Single-session treatment for students who have a specific concern and are looking for solution-focused support, usually available within a few days.

◊ We added on-demand resources including multiple classes and support groups offered daily, and students can simply drop in to learn skills and receive support, with no appointment necessary. These classes and groups are intended to be fast tracks to recovery. Students can attend them as often as they like, receiving multiple contacts with our office every week, if they choose.

These classes and groups also allow students to connect with others who are experiencing similar struggles, which often helps them feel less alone with their concerns. ◊ For students whose concerns need ongoing treatment, we continue to offer brief individual biweekly counseling and psychiatric medication management.

Last year, we served nearly 50 percent of students through individual and group counseling, psychiatry and case management.

Finally, I’d like to share some information about our clinical services that might be helpful for students considering accessing our care: ◊ First-time counseling appointments are 30 minutes in length and structured to assess what the student needs. If individual

counseling is recommended, subsequent appointments are scheduled, and if our groups and/or classes are recommended, we assist students in accessing them. This first appointment aims to gather enough information about the student to tailor the frequency and types of appointments to their specific needs. ◊ First-time psychiatry appointments are 60 to 90 minutes long, depending on the student’s presenting concerns; and follow-up appointments are approximately 30 minutes. In first-time and follow-up psychiatry appointments, we regularly educate students about their treatment options and welcome students’ questions, as well as opportunities to clarify things that may be unclear to them about their mental health care. ◊ Referrals. We refer a small number of students to off-campus providers when they need or prefer to be seen weekly, would like to have long-term care rather than brief treatment, or need specialty care that we do not provide. Because this process can take time due to the limited availability of community providers, students can schedule

follow-up case management appointments until they secure an appointment, so they have support, regardless of how long the search takes. Case Management’s goal is not only to help students connect to care, but also, and perhaps more importantly, to help students learn to navigate the healthcare system and be advocates for their care now and in the future.

It’s my hope that the information in this letter is helpful to students and provides a more complete picture of the services we offer and the way we approach our work. Everyone on the Counseling Center staff takes concerns raised by students seriously, and I would very much appreciate opportunities to talk with those students who have had negative experiences to both better understand, and to remedy, their concerns.

We anticipate that students’ mental health challenges will continue throughout the pandemic, and we are committed to adapting our practice to be responsive to emerging needs. I welcome and look forward to ongoing conversations with students and our many campus partners whose work supports students’ well-being as we tackle these difficult issues.

Amusements

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Vagabond Visitors of Amherst College | Crossword ACROSS 1 Former Black Panther who spoke virtually at Amherst last year 6 Prefix with “drome” or “postale” 10 Your reaction to our satire column, hopefully 14 Orr Rink or TD Garden, e.g.

15 2015 visitor with the same job as 61-Across 17 Headliner at the 2015 Spring Concert that might “pull you closer” 19 What you would use to consume 17-Across 20 Wells, Lupino, and Tarbell, e.g.

21 “Siddhartha” author Hermann ____ 22 A-hole 23 “Spanish or vanish” bird, or, app necessary for accessing Moodle 25 Farm’s eggs-warmer 26 You’re reading one 29 Realm of Tolkien’s Dwarves 31 At ____, soldier!

32 “Grammy Awardwinning artist ____” 34 Used a dinghy thingy 36 What we did for the past 20 months 37 Pseudonym of Charles Dickens Solutions: Oct. 6

38 Headliner at the 2017 Spring Concert ____ Staples 42 On ____ (counting calories) 44 WAMH visitor in 2016 who might invade your privacy 45 ____ Shan Mountains (range in Central Asia) 48 N95 and KN95, e.g.

50 Palindromic food served with rogan josh 51 What you might use before RateMyProfessors, in short 52 Influential political figure who passed away just under a month after visiting Amherst, for short 53 Altered recess at the east end of a church 55 Third stomachs of cows 57 Jacob’s twin in the Bible 58 “____ generis” (unique) 61 Influential political figure who passed away just under a year after visiting Amherst, with title 65 Icy, southern expanse 66 “All systems ____!”

67 ____-do-well 68 Mascara coats one 69 Al Gore’s inadvertent nemesis

DOWN 1 Oct. 20, 2021, e.g.

2 “Art and the History of Art,” in brief 3 Swerve sharply 4 Pixar’s Monsters, ____.

5 Sir, in Srinagar 6 Cheese in some bagels 7 Extreme stretches of time 8 Shares on Twitter, for short 9 ____-pah-pah!

10 Cod-like fish 11 Cookbook author Curry 12 Cowboys’ rides 13 Gentleman thief ____ Lupin 16 Sister college in South Hadley, in short 18 “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give ____”: Rhett Butler 22 When Dean takes me in, I know how to behave 23 2018 LitFest headliner who writes about brief and wondrous

lives 24 Onetime Egypt-Syria fed.

26 The college’s age in just under 100 years 27 Lavatory, in Leicester 28 Official at a Mets game 30 Questlove’s crew, which performed at Amherst in 2003 and 2010 31 Turkish city formerly known as Adrianopolis 33 Like 2021, but not 2020 35 Peron or Longoria 37 A bird’s bill 39 “Sign this, and shut up” (abbr.)

40 Coup-instigating agency 41 Direction opposite to WbS 43 Global fiscal org.

44 Congress’ TV channel 45 “Can you believe they’re giving us a giant wooden horse for free?”: This demographic, maybe

Ryan Yu ’22 Editor-in-Chief 46 Safe from a disease 47 Just one little bite 49 The less controversial Republican speaker at Amherst in 2019 52 Brazilian president ____ Bolsonaro 54 National Book Award Winner and 2019 Litfest headliner ____ Choi 56 One of seven on the Venezuelan flag 57 Athena’s shield, often spelt with an ‘a’ (var.)

58 What Rashad Devoe did to Amherst College 59 Insatiable desire 60 Assistant to Frankenstein 62 The college’s age in just under 50 years 63 Up-in-the-air approximation (abbr.)

64 Upper-body undergarment

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Red Herring: The Journey of Your Package

Amusements 14

Satire

Amherst Celebrates 200th Year of Being the Second Choice Andrew Rosin ’25 Satire Columnist This past weekend, Amherst College celebrated its 200th year of providing education to students who were not accepted into Ivy League schools. “For the past two centuries, Amherst has been committed to supporting students who wanted to go to Yale and Brown, but weren’t quite good enough,” President Biddy Martin said in her open-

ing remarks. “Today is an opportunity to reflect on the fact that most of you didn’t want to come here originally, but didn’t have a choice at the end of the day. We’re proud to be the nation’s most prestigious back-up school.”

Students were impressed that the college could sustain itself as a perpetual back-up. “The only people who really want to come here are legacy students and athletes,” commented Jack Farley

’25. “I applied early to Yale, and then applied regular decision to Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn and Princeton.

Only after getting rejected from all of them did I settle for Amherst.” Asked about his reaction when he was accepted into Amherst, Farley replied that he felt “a mix of disappointment and comfort in knowing that he would go to school with at least 1,000 other students who wished they went to an Ivy.”

To celebrate the occasion, Amherst distributed free merch from all of the Ivy League schools. “The giveaways were a reminder of what could have been,” commented Martin. “We didn’t want students to forget that they would be spending the day in Harvard Square if they were just a little smarter, just a little more impressive.” Students were unimpressed by the apparel: “It was a nice gesture, but I already own a Harvard sweatshirt,

and a Yale t-shirt, and I wear both of them regularly,” noted Farley. “The only thing I’m missing from them is an acceptance letter.” “Let the next 200 years be filled with wistfulness and regret,” Martin concluded. “And, no matter how prestigious Amherst is, no matter how accomplished the professors are, no matter how rigorous, engaging and enlightening you find the courses to be, never stop believing that you can get into Harvard.”

Arts & Living 15

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

The Many Sides of “Deathtrap” in the Octagon

Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 Managing Arts and Living Editor

While Green Room only began rehearsing Ira Levin’s murder mystery “Deathtrap” this semester, director Caspian Rabaia ’24 started planning the performance all the way back in elementary school: “I read this play in fifth grade, and it genuinely stuck with me. I was like, ‘I want to do this show one day, I want to direct it. I want to do it so badly.’”

I attended their dress rehearsal on Tuesday, less than a week before “Deathtrap’s” opening night performance on Friday, October 22. I was struck by the compelling acting, immersive stage effects and, most of all, the unique space of the performance: the Octagon. It’s a building many Amherst students might not have ever been before. It sits behind Johnson Chapel and, as the name suggests, has eight walls.

The show impactfully makes use of the unusual building as its set in unexpected ways. On an extensive red carpet, the audience sits in two groups on either side of the room, separated by the action of the stage.

A veranda wraps around the inside of the walls, high above the floor.

It functions as their “backstage,” so that the room is completely open. In the center of the room, an antique chandelier hangs on a thin chain, latching to an opaque skylight. It illuminates the space with warm colored light, accentuated by lamps with paper shades. This warmth is juxtaposed with the ominous nature of the plot, offset by jarring cuts to black between scenes. An imposing wall of weaponry, central to the story, looms threateningly. The unique space imparts a storied, aged quality to the young actors’ interactions.

The show doesn’t just use the Octagon in visual ways, however. It interacts with the room to inform all of the audience’s senses. The squeaky floor echoes the characters’ anxious, indecisive steps, as they pace toand-fro. Other sounds include the clicking and clacking of an old desk drawer, the taps of a typewriter and the swishing of paper scripts. These objects are central to the plot and interact with the characters in realistic ways.

One of my favorite moments used the Octagon in a way that could not be achieved in any other space. Sydney (Matt Vitelli ’24) walks to the fireplace, actually lighting a fire with the classic “spark” of a match. The flames are later stomped out between scenes. Animate embers sizzle and twitch in the dark. It smells toasty, too.

But originally, the show used the Octagon out of necessity. “Going into this semester, we knew that the Green Room would not have access to the [Theatre and Dance] department’s spaces,” said Rabaia.

“We were told [to choose] the Powerhouse or the Octagon, and just to figure it out. [The Octagon] felt like the most appropriate, and I went into staging this with the mindset, ‘Somehow, we have to turn this into a real feeling house.’ It took a lot of fiddling, but it was worth it.”

As for the story, a slow-burning murder mystery seems perfectly apt for the eerie yet cozy space. An aging playwright plots with his wife to steal a young playwright’s original script. She asks him, “Would you actually kill someone to have a successful play?” He responds, “Yes, of course.”

The dialogue is tense with lies and disingenuous social formalities, but still lively, replete with varied language. Voices encompass the space, filling all eight corners of the room.

The characters are well-acted, and all five were standouts. Vitelli’s Sydney is pessimistic but active, engaged, disparaging and unconcerned by the idea compromising his moral compass. His wife (Isabelle Anderson ’25) is eager but resilient, and stands up to him convincingly. Piper Mohring plays the young playwright: enthusiastic, almost euphoric, but carefully spoken.

Ella Rose ‘23 is Helga ten Dorp, a psychic with a thick German accent who acts as the comedic element.

Some of my favorite moments involved her unbelievably otherworldly predictions with grave tidings of murder. She swung her arms to the skylight, accentuating how much taller Rose is than the rest of the cast. Finally, Sidney’s attorney Porter (played by Rachel Zhu ’24) is charismatic and experienced, making

Photos Courtesy of Alex Brandfonbrener ‘23

Matt Vitelli ’24 and Isabelle Anderson ’25 play husband and wife, embittered over financial squabbles and his creative stagnation as a playwright.

Photos Courtesy of Alex Brandfonbrener ‘23

The play makes use of the Octagon’s unique setup: eight walls, raised veranda and the room’s old-timey aesthetic. good use of her own British accent.

I found Levin’s script to be self-reflective, referencing the play’s premise in the plot itself. It’s all about the uncertainty of violence. Does true violence appear differently than stage violence? As Sydney inches closer and closer to murder, the line between the hypothetical and the literal blurs, until the action sudden-

ly bursts into violence. Towards the end, there is also a compelling twist that brings the show’s existential debate into focus (without giving spoilers).

I asked Rabaia to reflect on the story, and he quoted the show itself: “The entire thing is, as Sydney says, ‘an enormous concatenation of unlikely circumstances.’” In a sim-

ilar way, the intersection of acting, props, action and the irreplaceable locale makes “Deathtrap” a mustwatch.

Deathtrap opens on Friday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. in the Octagon. Performances will be held at the same time on Oct. 23, and at 2 pm on Oct. 24.

Limited to 40 attendees.

Arts & Living 16

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Lights, Camera, Action: Emma Ratshin’s Thesis

Theo Hamilton ’23 Managing Arts and Living Editor

It’s now been more than a year and a half since the Amherst College Theater and Dance Department’s last live theater performance. The good news for fans of live theater is that this long intermission will finally come to an end on Thursday night, Oct. 21, with the opening of “Bad Jews,” a biting comedy about faith, family and identity written

by Joshua Harmon and now being

performed as Emma Ratshin ’22E’s senior thesis.

Talking to Ratshin about her thesis, it becomes clear that this performance of “Bad Jews” is the result of lifelong involvement in theater that has entailed everything from “Seussical Jr.” to studying Shakespeare at a London conservatory. Ratshin grew up surrounded by theater, but spent a long time experiencing it exclusively as a fan. She recalled, “As far back as I can remember, my parents have always made an effort to take

me to theater.” At first, this meant the Seattle Children’s Theater. Later she went to a variety of touring musicals and plays throughout the city.

Throughout this period, however, Ratshin’s main focuses were sports and orchestra: “Theater was too time-consuming and expensive for me to really participate in as a kid.”

But in eighth grade, when her middle school put together a production of “Seussical Jr.,” Ratshin remembers her excitement at the opportunity to partake: “This is

Photo Courtesy of Amherst College

A one-act play taking place in a Manhattan apartment, “Bad Jews” explores questions of identity and ancestry through a family dispute over a necklace.

my time to shine, this is my big break,” she joked upon recalling her thoughts going into what would be a truly formative experience for her.

She ended up playing a chorus member — a bird girl — that resembled Big Bird, “an objectively incredibly embarrassing experience,” but it was enough to inspire Ratshin’s love for theater and ultimately pave the way for a long career on the stage that has ultimately culminated in her senior thesis, “Bad Jews,” which will open this Thursday.

In high school, Ratshin ended up accelerating her science classes to get an extra free period for orchestra and drama classes, before eventually dropping orchestra completely to focus on drama. By the time she came to Amherst, Ratshin knew she was planning to major in theater. Since then, she’s acted, directed, written and e-boarded for the Green Room (the college’s student-run theater group). Further, she’s actually run out of classes to take in the Amherst Theater Department (she’s currently taking a theater class at UMass), performed in “Doctor Faustus,” studied Shakespeare for a semester at a London conservatory, all while completing another major in Political Science.

Amherst’s Theater and Dance Department provides a variety of thesis options for students. Some end up writing plays, others direct or act as leads, and a few write papers on theatrical theory. Ratshin ended up settling on the idea of an acting thesis — meaning she would play the lead role in a play directed by a faculty member (in this case Professor Jude Sandy). Choosing a play turned out to be a quite difficult process for Ratshin. “I read like 45 plays in preparation for this,” Ratshin said.

“Then I made a shortlist that was actually really long. Then I had a medium list that was shorter. Then I had an actual shortlist. And then I had a top two and I picked ‘Bad Jews.’”

“Bad Jews,” a dark comedy written in 2012 by Josh Harmon about family, identity and religion, stood out to Ratshin for several reasons.

The first one she mentions is the show’s ability to intelligently tackle all of its major themes while also remaining “just very very funny.” Ratshin said, “Above all else, I want the

audience to have a good time while they’re there, I want them to be like, ‘Oh, I forgot, I love live theater,’” after almost a year and a half without it.

In addition to its ability to balance hilarity and gravity, Ratshin points to the show’s internal structure and characters as reasons she was excited to pick it. The show’s plot is kicked into motion by the death of an elderly Holocaust survivor whose will includes no mention of what to do with his chai necklace, an important family heirloom (“chai” means life in Hebrew). Over the next 80 to 90 minutes, the play follows an escalating argument over the chai necklace between two cousins, Daphna (played by Ratshin) and Liam (played by Eli Quastler ’22E).

The whole claustrophobic feud takes place in one Manhattan studio apartment, essentially in real-time.

Increasingly central to the play is the ideological divide between Daphna’s stubbornly devout worldview and Liam’s equally stubborn secularism. Along the way, Liam’s conflict-averse brother Jonah (played by Miles Garcia ’25), and naive non-Jewish girlfriend Melody (played by Caroline Seitz ’22) are dragged into the fray, lending more perspectives to each issue the play covers. Ratshin says that her character’s extreme perspectives have provided an interesting acting challenge: “I don’t align with [her] ideology … but trying to figure out why she thinks the way she does has been really illuminating to me as to why I think the way I do — I want the audience to experience that too.”

With its thought-provoking themes, cutting humor and talented cast, “Bad Jews” is sure to provide a brilliant start to the return of live theater department shows this year.

If you don’t already have a reservation, you can make one online now.

Bad Jews opens on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. in the Holden Experimental Theater. Performances will be held at the same time on Oct. 22 and Oct. 23. All members of Amherst’s Covid testing program, as well as students from Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith can attend. A reservation and valid college ID is required for entry.

Brooke Hoffman ‘22E conducted this interview.

Arts & Living 17

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Find Your Fright: What to Watch this Halloween Season the outskirts of town. Bumbling policeman Jong-Goo (Kwak Dowon) is struggling to find answers when his daughter becomes ill with the disease, causing him and others in the town to frantically search for the perpetrator of these supernatural tragedies. They enlist the help of an arrogant shaman, try to get answers from a peculiar woman with no name, and terrorize the strange new man in the hopes of finding a tangible answer before it’s too late. The result is a film so terrifyingly enthralling that its two and a half hour run time flies by, rocketing toward one of the most compelling twists I’ve ever seen in a modern horror film.

“The Wailing” is available on Tubi.

Photos Courtesy of film-rezensionen.de

“Green Room” follows a punk band after they stumble upon the hideout of a white supremacist gang, a hellish nightclub.

Kaelyn Milby ’22 Staff Writer Fall has finally arrived. The leaves are turning, midterms have come and gone, the days are getting shorter, and the frigid New England winter is just around the corner. And with Halloween less than two weeks away, now is the perfect time to distract yourself with movies that are hopefully more terrifying than your midterm grades. The following list offers some of the most disturbing, shocking, violent, and chilling films for you to watch in between pumpkin-picking and Common concerts this October.

“Green Room” (2015) In Jeremy Saulnier’s movie “Green Room,” members of a punk band from Arlington, Virginia find themselves trapped in the green room of a white supremacist club after accidentally stumbling upon a crime scene. The hostage situation quickly escalates into a violent, cat-

and-mouse game that leaves only a few survivors. “Green Room” is a gritty thriller with many of the terrifying elements of slasher movies.

The film creates a claustrophobic panic by only giving viewers brief glimpses into the world of the captors and relying on the perspective of those trapped inside the hellish nightclub. “Green Room” also features stellar performances from the late Anton Yelchin (who plays the injured, terrified Pat) and the magnetic Patrick Stewart as the skinhead nightclub owner, Darcy.

The film features plenty of carnage and manages to uphold the suspense for over an hour and a half.

“Green Room” is available on Kanopy, which Amherst students can access with their student account.

“Titane” (2021) “Titane” is not your typical mechanophilic, gender-bending, body horror movie. The Student’s Miles Garcia ’25 wrote an excellent review of the Palme d’Or winning film, correctly asserting that the

less known about the plot, the more powerful the viewing experience.

Without giving away the plot, it is safe to say that “Titane” is not for the faint of heart: the film features gruesome, slasher-like killings, disturbing (and sometimes heartwarming?) family dynamics, and a killer (get it?) soundtrack, all while somehow managing to sprinkle some genuinely funny moments into the insanity. Be warned that nearly every scene in this film is shocking, at times to the point of being unbearable. “Titane” is currently playing at Amherst Cinema and provides by far the most uncomfortable hour and 48 minutes you will experience in a theatre this October.

“The Wailing” (2016) A small town in South Korea already beset by a series of killings and a mysterious disease that causes its victims to become deranged and kill their families is further disrupted by the arrival of a strange man who settles on

“They Look Like People” (2015) An incredibly underrated, low-budget slow-burn horror, “They Look Like People” follows Wyatt (MacLeod Andrews) who runs into his old friend, Christian (Evan Dunouchel), who insists Wyatt stay with him. Not long after moving in with Christian, Wyatt begins receiving mysterious phone calls in the middle of the night from someone trying to warn him that evil creatures have inhabited the bodies of everyone around him and that he must be ready to fight these creatures when the time comes. Wyatt’s paranoia builds as he continues receiving calls from both this mystery admonisher and from one of the monsters. His increasingly worrying behavior isolates him from everyone around him as he attempts to prepare for the apocalypse while trying to figure out if what is happening is

even real. “They Look Like People” sympathizes with, rather than demonizes, its subject in a way that is rare in horror. That said, the movie can be slow-burning to a fault, with ASMR-triggering dialogue in between its truly tense moments. But overall, the tension which builds throughout the film more than makes up for its lack of noise. “They Look Like People” is available on Amazon Prime.

“Super Dark Times” (2017) “Super Dark Times” centers on best friends Zach (Owen Campbell) and Josh (Charlie Tahan) whose lives begin to change rapidly after covering up a grisly accident. In one quick stroke, their innocence is mutilated and they are forced to navigate adolescence as if nothing has changed. Over them looms the threat that a repressed latent violence which has slowly been bubbling up to the surface might destroy everything.

The weight of what they have done eats them alive and a disquieting sense of gloom seeps into everything around them as they descend into paranoia and delusion.

The incredible acting by the young cast is matched by the dark mood created by their surroundings. The poor rural New England town during a chilly fall in the 1990s is the perfect setting for building the ominous atmosphere which ends up being even more unnerving than the actual plot. Everything is cold, despondent and far too quiet, as if at any moment we might hear a twig snap and be sent into a panic. “Super Dark Times” is available on Netflix.

In “Super Dark Times,” two teenagers are forever changed after a mutilating incident.

Arts & Living 18

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Three New Artists Challenging Conventions in Country

Brianne LaBare ’25 Staff Writer

Over the past two decades, country music has sung the praises of trucks, girls and drinking beer. Shaped by modern singers whose country roots are questionable at best, the genre that once appealed to middle America and preached a simple life has long faded in the rearview mirror. But for artists like Orville Peck, Yola and Tyler Childers, country music as it was once known is not dead — rather, it’s undergoing a process of transformation.

Peck emerged with his standout debut album, “Pony” in 2019. His 2020 follow-up EP, “Show Pony,” led to a collaboration with Shania Twain called “Legends Never Die,” which totaled over one million YouTube video views and earned Peck the opening act spot for Harry Styles during his “Love On Tour” at Madison Square Garden.

Although his work as an artist is expansive, Peck

transcends boundaries typically restricting country artists. As the masked cowboy who does not publicly show his face, Peck brings a sense of mythology to the country genre, which he draws on in combination with his sexuality as a gay man to define his music.

“I don’t avoid questions about my life because I am trying to be obtuse. I use it as something to enhance the artistry of what I do,” Peck said in his 2019 New York Times interview. In June 2020, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade, Queerty named him among the fifty heroes “leading the nation toward equality, acceptance and dignity for all people.”

Another trailblazer in the country genre, Yola uses her identity as a Black woman to draw more people to the genre, creating songs that not only discuss her personal experiences but also touch upon the topic of escaping oppression. “I’m kind of guiding people that otherwise would have been repelled,” Yola said in her 2019 interview for Vogue.

While Yola’s childhood in Bristol and later relocation to London is not the typical geographical background of a country singer, she did grow up listening to Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. Her latest album “Stand for Myself ” was released on July 30, and ranked 196 on the Billboard 200 chart. Previously, she won U.K. Artist of the Year at the U.K. Americana Awards in 2017 and 2020, as well as U.K. Album of the Year in 2020 for her then-newest album “Walk Through Fire.”

In his latest album released in 2020, “Long Violent History,” Childers appeals to his audience and pleads that they find understanding in the trauma caused by police violence against Black people in America.

In the title track, he poses a scenario in which the power roles between white and Black people in America were reversed. The release of the eight-song album came with no press or announcements, at the height of Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020 fol-

lowing the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

In a six-minute video released on September 18, 2020, Childers discussed his intentions for the album: “’Long Violent History’ is a collection of instrumental pieces intended to create a sonic soundscape for the listener to set the tone to reflect on the last track, which is my own observational piece on the times we are in.”

This past year isn’t the first time Childers’s stouthearted vision has challenged the social norms perpetuated in the country music scene. At the Americana Honors and Awards in 2018, Childers accepted the Emerging Artist of the Year Award. As the Kentucky native accepted the award, he said, “As a man who identifies as a country music singer, I feel Americana ain’t no part of nothin’. It is a distraction from the issues that we are facing on a bigger level as country music singers.”

While representation of singers from the Black and

LGBTQ communities is still limited in the country music scene, outstanding artists like Peck, Yola and Childers continue to push the boundaries of the genre while also creating rich music along the way. They build on the legacies of artists like Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn, Gail Davies and Billy Joe Shaver, whose missions were similarly double-pronged: to not only make music but to set new trends within the sphere of country music.

The missions of Peck, Quarterly and Childers, while not new, are all too frequently battles fought in isolation. While most modern-day country singers continue to pump out songs that predominantly resonate with the genre’s historically homogenous audience, this trio is focused on creating music that not only generates an audience but also makes a change. Much like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the artists seek to revitalize the country genre through storytelling and reclaim it for themselves.

Photo Courtesy of CoverMeSongs.com

Photo Courtesy of StaticFlickr

Orville Peck, a masked cowboy who identifies as a gay man, captivates listeners with genre-crossing tendencies.

SingerYola uses her platform to promote issues tied to her identity as a black woman, unusually for a country singer.

Arts & Living 19

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Bash at the Base of the Hill: Common Comes to Campus Brooke Hoffman ’22E and Brianne LaBare ’25 Managing Arts and Living Editor and Staff Writer

Last week, Amherst celebrated 200 years with a Bicentennial bash to remember. Topping off an afternoon full of food, a ferris wheel and pumpkin carving, students gathered on the freshman quad, awaiting a special event hinted at by President Biddy Martin via Instagram the night before: Martin ultimately surprised students by circling the quad on horseback, emulating Zephaniah Swift Moore’s first

moments on the land that would come to be Amherst College.

Later that evening, students congregated on Memorial Hill, anticipating the performance of three-time Grammy award winning artist Common. His arrival prompted the construction of a massive stage, replete with extensive audio and light equipment, at the base of Memorial Hill.

Opening for Common was a musical group named Kaleta and the Super Yamba Band, whose psychedelic afro-funk performance energized the crowd and kickstarted an evening of enjoy-

able music. After the group’s set, Common’s lead backup vocalist enchanted the audience with her melodic voice and stirring vocals, prepping the stage for the main event. Accompanied by the piercing notes of the keyboard and deep bass erupting from the speakers, Common brokea out onto center stage and began the show with an upbeat rendition of “The Corner”, a standout from his landmark 2005 album “Be”.

What followed was a hourlong performance, showcasing his top hits and a new single from his latest album, “A Beau-

tiful Revolution Pt. II.” While many students were unfamiliar with Common’s work, his stage presence brought the crowd to their feet, and many students made their way down Memorial Hill toward the foot of the stage.

Among the herd of students donning glow stick necklaces and celebratory bicentennial hats, a cardboard cutout of Common crowd-surfed and made its way to the front row — gaining the attention of Common himself, who remarked “No one’s ever done that before at one of my shows. That’s so cool.” Especially impressive was the rapper’s con-

sistently correct pronunciation of the college’s name. The show invited audience participation, too, as Common invited a student on stage to freestyle a romantic rap that paid homage to Amherst and its students.

Closing out the evening’s happenings, the skyline was illuminated by an impressively lengthy fireworks display. As the crowd dispersed and the calm of a Western Massachusetts Fall evening returned, the 200th anniversary celebration of Amherst came to a close, marking the end of an eventful day and meaningful milestone.

Stolen Storylines: Are There Licences on Language?

Ross Kilpatrick ’23 Staff Writer Recently, there’s been a controversy afoot in the writers’ world. And it’s much the same breed of controversy as we’ve seen before. Someone has stolen details from another person’s life and turned them into a story.

Robert Kolker covered a recent controversy and all of its ugly details in the New York Times’ Magazine on Oct. 5, in his article “Who’s the Bad Art Friend?”

The sticky particulars of the case are almost mundanely boring. But the results, lawsuits and counter-suits that have sprung up from the case, are seriously consequential and reveal the linguistic irrationality at the heart of our legal system.

First, however, the details of the case: writer Dawn Dorland, in an act of unparalleled self-sacrifice, donated her kidney to a stranger. While undergoing the process, she started a private Facebook group where she posted updates, including a letter she had written to the eventual recipient of her kidney.

Sonya Larson, a quasi-friend of Dorland, watched the Facebook group silently. Then she wrote a story about a rich white woman donating a kidney to a poorer Asian woman. She was evasive when Dorland asked if

her kidney donation was the inspiration for the story. But there were a few details that seemed too closely aligned to be a coincidence. In particular, there was a letter — much like the one Dorland had written — at the center of the story.

Dorland ended up suing Larson on the basis of that letter, arguing that it violated her copyright. Larson counter-sued. And across the whole spectrum of the internet, people exploded. Larson’s friends defended her, arguing that there was something distinctly racial about the whole affair. Larson is mixed-race, Dorland white. Larson argued that she was just doing what writers do: taking language she had seen on Dorland’s Facebook page, and turning it into her own.

On the other side, Dorland’s defenders have accused Larson of deceit, some even trying to reverse the use of privilege as a sword. Dorland grew up poor, they say, Larson in a rich suburb. Isn’t there something that’s so classist about the whole affair? Others have an understandable dislike of Dorland. There is something self-aggrandizing about her donation, about her Facebook group, about her letter.

The whole affair is silly. It’s a spat between two writer friends, tinged by Dorland’s jealousy of Larson’s success, and including

an odd discussion of writer’s ethics. What can Larson take from Dorland’s life? Intuitively, it seems like Larson has stolen something fundamental from Dorland: the letter that Dorland wrote and the contours of Dorland’s experience. Many people side with Dorland on this basis alone. To them, Larson is a thief.

And it seems like the legal system might back up Dorland’s claim. Dorland’s lawsuit is moving forward, and new evidence implicating Larson’s explicit use of Dorland’s letter has surfaced: an original version of Larson’s story had lines directly taken from Dorland’s letter.

Underlying Dorland’s claim, however, is a distinctly property-based view of words, art and experience. Just as I may have my pens and pencils, my house, my laptop, I also have my experiences, my words and my stories, each of which can be diluted by another’s use of them. Just as we might be angered if a friend wasted our ink by using our pen without our permission, Larson’s use of Dorland’s kidney donation experience dilutes the experience and Larson’s use of Dorland’s letter dilutes Dorland’s words.

But this isn’t true. Larson has not exhausted Dorland’s words.

She’s transformed them: made something new out of them. As

Larson points out, this is something writers do all the time.

They pick up language, wrap it into their style and use it in their stories. That’s their job. They steal from novels and books, from life, from how people talk.

And none of this is an exhaustive process; it’s productive. It doesn’t drain the ink of other peoples’ language; it creates new language, which can itself be reinterpreted and transformed to further inspire future writers.

Dorland is jealous of Larson’s use of her letter, because Dorland irrationally believes she can own her own expressions in the same way she might own her car. People on the internet sympathize with Dorland for a variety of reasons, but above all else because they agree with that basic irrationality. In their mind, Larson has broken into Dorland’s letter, taken a joyride in Dorland’s language. And the copyright system of America has codified those impressions into law. We have a requirement for fair use, which stipulates that the appropriation of other people’s work be transformative. It’s certainly a practical requirement — we all want writers to be able to make money off their work — but it promotes this view of art as property, of language and expression as ownable. But we should not mistake a practical,

legal concession to the mundane realities of profiting off of art with a moral principle. Artists, especially writers, require some protections so that they can feed and house themselves. Dorland’s use of copyright law to bludgeon Larson out of using her letter, or her experience, is not such a use case. If we are to indict Larson in the court of public opinion, it cannot be because she stole, because she did not steal.

We are ultimately a product of other peoples’ language, of their opinions, of the way they talk and hold themselves, the road signs, the letters people send us, the books we read. These experiences make us, they cultivate the art we produce and they form the way we talk. Language is not a property, it cannot be stolen. It is fundamentally communal. Of course it is. It wouldn’t work if it wasn’t.

And so Larson has not broken any supposed writers’ code.

“Stealing” is a part of the job.

The real writers’ sin lies with Dorland. She, herself, is a writer.

She should understand the rules of the game. If she wants to give her own account of the events of her kidney donation, maybe she should write her own story instead of trying to spuriously sue Larson for doing what we all do: hearing other people and letting that shape us.

Arts & Living 20

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Bringing Back the Bass: Jazz@Amherst Returns

Amherst Jazz instructors Eugene Uman, David Picchi, Carl Clements and Geoff Cunningham opened the event with “One for Joe,“ an original by Clements (Claire Arenius not pictured).

Milo Leahy-Miller ’24 Staff Writer Finally vaccinated, students are starting to return to regular campus life. As a result, many clubs are back in full swing, including Jazz@Amherst. During the worst of the pandemic, Jazz@Amherst had no in-person performances, and practices were restricted by plastic barriers and half-hour time limits. But this semester, apart from masks, Jazz@Amherst is back to normal. Thursday, Oct. 7 was the first of the Jazz@Friedmann Room performances, a three-part concert series that features both professional musicians and student groups, which will run until next week.

Amherst Jazz instructors Carl Clements (saxophone/flute), Geoff Cunningham (trumpet/ flugelhorn), David Picchi (bass guitar), Claire Arenius (drums) and Eugene Uman (piano) kicked off the show at 8 p.m.with “One for Joe,” an original by Clements, followed by “Little Dancer” by Tom Harrell. After another original called “Got the Spirit,” this one

by Uman, the group played “Olvidar” by Clements, “Short Story,”

by Kenny Durham and “Wheel of Time,” by Uman, finishing it all up with “Sun Samba” by Arenius.

Overall, the performance aptly felt like a professional showing.

Featuring experimental songwriting with solos to match, the veteran artists provided a high-energy show with both jarring dissonance and danceable grooves. It was a great way to warm up the audience for what was to come. Two of my favorites were “One for Joe”

and “Got the Spirit.” “One for Joe” featured a mid-high tempo funk style groove with horn harmonies and weird-feeling time signatures.

“Got the Spirit” was a Latin-style piece with a fun and memorable vamp.

After the instructors left the stage, Cumulus — the first student ensemble to perform live for

an audience in over a year and a half — took over. The group’s members are Cole Richards ’23 on bass, Will Amend ’24 on drums, Jameson DeNyse ’25 on electric guitar, Peter Klisiwecz ’25 on saxophone and Adam Schultz ’25 also on electric guitar. Their set consisted of the standards “Ladybird” by Chet Baker, “Recordame”

by Joe Henderson, “Scotch & Water” by Cannonball Adderley and “Mr. Clean” by Freddie Hubbard.

Some of the tunes were adapted to fit a funk-style groove, which made their performance all the more unique and interesting.

With every member of the group soloing at least once, it was a wonderful performance that demonstrated the musical talent of each member.

Finishing up the night was another student combo, Cirrus, made up of Daniel Flores-García ’24 on guitar (and, briefly, conga drum and claves), Mathew Mueller ’24 on piano, Camuel Hart ’23 on drums, Quentin Jeyaretnam ’23 on bass, Will Fishell ’22E on trumpet, Ben McMaster ’22 on saxophone and Dean Gordon ’22 also on saxophone. They played “Armando’s Rhumba” by Chick Corea, “Dolphin Dance” by Her-

bie Hancock, “Poinciana” by Ahmad Jamal and “Washing Machine (For Peace),” a fusion-style original by Hart. The group closed off the night with a tight performance, featuring guitar and bass effects that helped provide a distinctive timbre to a unique piece.

These performances were very fun — not just because live music is hard to come by these days — but also because they marked a significant change from last year.

Each performance was buoyed by the excitement of being able to play for a live audience and the anticipation of the end of the pandemic. The Amherst community is coming back together, and hope is in the air.

As the semester rolls on, so will Jazz@Amherst: every Thursday for the next few weeks, performances will feature a guest artist and student groups. Last week, Oct. 14, guest pianist Joshua White was on the stage at 9 p.m., followed by student groups Stratus and Nimbus. Finally, on Oct. 21 guitarist Bob Ferrier will play with the Amherst College Jazz faculty, with the student group Storm Clouds closing out the night at the last Jazz@Friedmann performance of the semester.

Photos Courtesy of Milo Leahy-Miller ‘23

Groovy band “Cirrus” Mathew Mueller ’24, Quentin Jeyaretnam ’23, Camuel Hart ’23, Will Fishell ’22E, Dean Gordon ’22, Ben McMaster ’22 and Daniel Flores-Garcia ’24, were one of two student groups performing.

Arts & Living 21

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Is The Nobel Prize’s Selection System too Secretive?

Joe Sweeney ’25 Staff Writer

On the auspicious eve of the Swedish Summer Solstice, the 2021 Council of the Nobel Prize in Literature convened for the first time to engage in rigorous debate over the literary merit of authors they’d never heard of.

Feelings were hurt. Friendships snapped brittly. Through this trial and tribulation, the name of the rightful winner eventually revealed itself to the inner circle.

The High Nobel Priestess, bearing the name to the rest of the council, solemnly gazed upon her subordinates. Finally, with gravitas: she shrugged. And so the prize was awarded.

Now, did any of this actually happen? That’s just the thing: the selection process of the Nobel Literature laureate is so secretive that no one actually knows how it works. So maybe it did, maybe it didn’t. One thing definitely did happen, though: the Nobel Literature Prize was given out Thursday, Oct. 7 to novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah. And despite the fact that no one outside the nomination committee knows how the merit of an author’s work is evaluated; that no one even knows who is on the nomination committee or how its members are selected — the prize is still, inarguably, the most prestigious literary honor on the planet. Why? It’s hard to say. There are, at least, a few easy answers. The prize is unique in that it is the only major international accolade that recognizes an author’s entire body of work. This kind of recognition is crucial: The profound stylistic transformations that are the hallmark of many great authors cannot be acknowledged in the scope of their one or two most famous titles.

With an award ceremony that feels like the embodiment of Swedish royalty, the prize itself is impressively regal. The foundation’s donors don’t scrimp on the prize money, either. The reward is ten million Swedish kronor (1.14 million U.S. dollars).

Considering most laureates will never top the bestseller list or be approached by a Hollywood movie studio, the prize money might very well be the only satisfactory monetary reward they ever receive.

Clearly, the award has the potential to do some real good.

What can make the award hard to swallow, however, is how ignorant the Nobel Foundation seems to be about what the global literary community values. Historically speaking, the foundation has ignored many of the greatest writers who ever lived. The statement seems a bit hyperbolic, but then you see who’s been left off the winners list: James Joyce, Rainer Maria Rilke, Virginia Woolf, Colette, Jorge Luis Borges, Bertolt Brecht and Leo Tolstoy, to name a few.

The prize is not awarded posthumously, so these mistakes cannot be undone.

You’d think the foundation would try to compensate, though, by recognizing the legendary authors who are still alive. Many of America’s most innovative voices (Jamaica Kincaid! Cormac McCarthy! Thomas Pynchon!) are not only surviving, but still writing. And the U.S., of course, isn’t the only country being neglected: the foundation’s oversight is felt all over the world. In Canada, Margaret Atwood is still inexplicably waiting on her turn, while Japan’s Haruki Murakami, the most popular international literary novelist of the 21st century, is another infamous annual reject.

One rationalization is that these authors are too popular to receive the award. If the prize has a purpose, distinct from all other cultural accolades, it is as an institution which singularly uplifts the serious literary achievements of a laureate. Perhaps this means awarding writers who have been passed over by the mainstream.

But the argument falls apart in light of the many instances where the foundation has contradicted this intent. Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck and Herman Hesse, highly popular

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia

British-Zanzibarian author Abdulrazak Gurnah won the Nobel Prize in Literature this year for his work. He is only the sixth African and the fourth black writer to win the prize. authors whose oeuvres have often been criticized for being pedestrian, all received the prize.

Novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, whose widely acclaimed novel “The Remains Of The Day” was made into an even more popular Oscar-nominated film, became a laureate as recently as 2017. But the mainstream appeal of even this nomination pales in comparison to that of the 2016 laureate — Bob Dylan, the world’s richest everyman. Exactly what the foundation is trying to do with the award is ambiguous, if not altogether paradoxical.

Then there’s the problem of African literature. The foundation has long been criticized for being Eurocentric, and specifically for failing to acknowledge African literature as it arrived on the global stage in the 1960s. The foundation’s failure to recognize Chinua Achebe, who lived for 55 years after publishing his seminal 1958 novel “Things Fall Apart,” is perhaps the single most inexcusable oversight in the institution’s existence. His influence on the whole generation of writers that followed him is incalculable; to give just one high-profile example, his writing played an invaluable role in shaping the pathos of Toni Morrison’s novels, who (thankfully) received the prize in 1993.

To their credit, the foundation has seemingly sought to rectify this last problem with this year’s laureate, British-Zanzibarian Abdulrazak Gurnah. Before

2021, only six African writers had won the prize, and only two of them were non-white (Nigerian playwright Wole Soyinka and Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz). Gurnah is now the third, and also the fourth Black writer of any nationality to receive the award.

Still, the choice of Gurnah specifically has baffled many.

Readers and critics alike have often held up Kenyan novelist Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o as Africa’s greatest living writer since the death of Achebe in 2013. Gurnah’s novels, on the other hand, are virtually unknown outside of the U.K. (where he emigrated at the age of 20). As a matter of fact, Gurnah himself would probably be among the first to defer to Thiong’o: he has written extensive academic criticism of Thiong’o’s work, as well as the introduction to the Penguin Classics edition of “A Grain Of Wheat,” Thiong’o’s most celebrated novel. So while Gurnah’s win can be viewed as a much needed course-correction, it can also be seen as a result of the foundation’s obstinate tendency toward obscurity at the expense of more significant authors.

What, then, is the relevance of the Nobel Prize in Literature?

Maybe it’s best to approach the prize like all other priggish industry awards (e.g. the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, etc.): to regard it as a fading cultural institution which is unsure of how best to wield its influence, but is,

regardless, still capable of changing lives and sparking conversations. After all, even if you’re not interested in the works of a particular laureate, there is a whole world of fantastic writers that emerges when passionate readers invariably proclaim who really deserved the award. Excitement around the prize was how I first heard of Hungarian László Krasznahorkai. The prose he commands in “The Melancholy Of Resistance” is some of the darkest, most powerful stuff I’ve read all year.

Should the selection process of such an important award be more transparent, somehow democratized, and occasionally made to acknowledge literary icons? In a reasonable world: yes, absolutely. But this is the real world we’re talking about.

Things that are important are more often than not absurd and inaccessible. The best we can do on the outside is celebrate the foundation’s good choices, and use them as launching pads to discuss what, in 2021, great literature is still capable of doing: deepening insights, offering once-unimaginable perspectives.

On the other hand — if only for the sake of our sanity — it’s possible that we’d be better off treating the award with the same comic indifference as Doris Lessing when she won the prize in 2007. If the laureate isn’t the most deserving candidate, so be it — the greatest authors don’t write to win prizes anyway.

Sp ports CACSAC Walkout Prompts ‘Pay to Play’ Changes From College Ethan Samuels ’23 Managing Sports Editor

On Oct. 6, the Council of Amherst College Student-Athletes of Color (CACSAC) held the CACSAC Walk Out of Practice Protest, prompting the administration to quickly respond to the organization’s demands.

Open to all students, the walkout was sparked by the administration’s apparent lack of transparency when responding to the concerns of student-athletes of color. “Over the past ten years, and especially recently, the number of incidents in which the college has failed to protect its students is distressing and frustrating,” CACSAC President Aidan Park ’22 said.

The protest had three specific demands: eliminating “pay to play” barriers, ensuring a CACSAC E-Board is present at all head coach hirings and scheduling a meeting between the E-Board and President Biddy Martin.

“Pay to play” consists of the costs that must come out of student-athletes’ pockets to play their sports, independent of tuition. These costs include, but are not limited to, equipment costs, travel costs and post-game meal costs.

While over half of Amherst’s first-year class self-identifies as students of color, that figure is significantly smaller on Amherst’s varsity sports teams. According to Park, the college has shown a commitment to increasing the socioeconomic diversity of its rosters, but in doing so, it has often failed to consider the consequences of that diversity, adding that “diversity without inclusivity is irresponsible.” Last summer, the administration began working on calculating the percentage of athletes of color that make up Amherst Athletics’ rosters, but have yet to release

Photo courtesy of Angelina Han

CACSAC President Aidan Park ‘22 spoke at the beginning of the walkout, along with other athletes of color. They voiced concerns about the administration’s lack of transparency.

their findings.

Over 200 people attended the walkout, a group which consisted mostly of student-athletes but also included a number of coaches and non-athletes as well.

The protest began as Park took the stage and thanked all in attendance, as well as the fellow E-Board members who organized the event. Park then emphasized that, for many, the isolating experience of being a student athlete of color can cause one to feel disconnected from the institution named on the front of their jersey. Instead of playing for the college, many athletes end up playing for their family, community, coaches and love of the game, he noted.

“The walkout,” Park said, “is a way of demonstrating not only what CACSAC demands, but forcing the college to acknowledge that we [student athletes of color] are a priority.”

Park called for action from the administration and handed the microphone over to fellow student-athletes to tell their sto-

ries.

A number of students spoke, including CACSAC president Jade DuVal ’22, Ruby Hastie ’22, Kelechi Eziri ’23, Juanita Jaramillo ’22, Mohammed Alausa ’24, Andrew Leung ’22 and Emma Cape ’22. Each athlete voiced different experiences, but almost all speeches echoed a similar sentiment — CACSAC members are tired of hollow commitments, promises and the “we must do betters” from administration.

Eziri’s comments went beyond addressing the administration’s inaction, taking an acute focus on the role that the student body must play in creating an inclusive community for student-athletes of color. “We see these bad things happen and we wonder how this could be condoned, but at the end of the day, we are the people allowing it to be perpetuated in our student culture, not the administration,” Eziri said.

“We want to see concrete, systemic change, and we believe this

sentiment is reflected in our demands,” Park told The Student.

He added that transparency from the administration in handling the concerns of student-athletes of color is of the utmost importance. “If you don’t know the details, especially given the history of the college, all you can do is wonder.”

To conclude the rally, Mika Fisher ’24 announced that the administration committed to fully funding athletics trips in the days leading up to the walkout. Additionally, the administration promised CACSAC E-Board members a spot in head coach hirings, and Martin met with the E-Board on Wednesday, Oct. 13.

The meeting with Martin went well, according to Park.

Martin was receptive to the message of CACSAC, and emphasized her commitment to do as much as she could for the community before stepping down at the end of the year.

However, Park wants it to be clear that these steps by the ad-

ministration are by no means sufficient. “Fulfillment of what we are asking for is only one step on a continuous mission to make this campus the best it possibly can be. We want to continue working with other organizations in improving the experience of every student at Amherst College, and we want to see the administration take initiative on their own,” Park said.

Provost and Dean of the Faculty Catherine Epstein acknowledged the protests and stressed the administration’s commitment to working with CACSAC in the future. “We appreciate CACSAC bringing its concerns forward. As soon as they became known, we looked to address those we could immediately, such as paying for spring-break trips during which our teams compete, and raising the per diem amounts for team travel.

We are working on the other issues, such as covering footwear and equipment costs, and hope to resolve them in the coming months,” Epstein said.

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Sports 23

Despite Late Push, Football Falls To Bowdoin Ian Donahue ’24 Staff Writer A strong fourth-quarter surge fell just short as the football team suffered their first road loss of the season against Bowdoin on Saturday, Oct. 16.

Coming off of consecutive victories against Tufts and Middlebury, the Mammoths looked to carry this momentum into their game against the Polar Bears. The Bowdoin offense opened the game with a balanced mix of rushing and passing, including second-year quarterback Andrew Boel connecting on five consecutive passing attempts at one point. The opening drive for the Polar Bears consumed a majority of the first quarter, spanning 13 plays and 74 yards. Nonetheless, the Mammoths’ defense remained resilient, coming up with crucial third and fourth-down stops at their own one-yard line. Ryan Monteleone ’24 provided key tackles as the Mammoths’ defense stuffed the Polar Bears on successive plays to prevent any scoring. While the Bowdoin offense continued to threaten on its very next drive, advancing deep into Amherst territory, the Mammoths’ defense once again came up with the big play. With the Polar Bears on the verge of taking the lead, Michael Jeffery ’22 blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt to keep the game scoreless.

However, an Amherst turnover late in the second quarter proved costly, as the Polar Bears would march 68 yards downfield on eight plays to set up a thirdand-goal situation. Bowdoin then opened the scoring with a touchdown pass from Boel, connecting on a nine-yard attempt with fellow sophomore Colton Fahey to put the Polar Bears up 7-0 with just three minutes remaining in the half.

On the other hand, the Mammoths’ offense struggled to build momentum in the first half, failing to enter within field goal range in each of their first three

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Linebacker Tim Swope ‘24 rushes the quarterback in a game against Middlebury on Oct. 9. While Amherst beat Middlebury, they fell to Bowdoin. drives. On the final drive of the half, the Mammoths converted on consecutive third downs, led by quarterback Mike Piazza ’24.

However, a costly sack on the next third-down play snuffed out the Amherst counterattack.

Thus, the Mammoth’s entered the second half down 7-0.

The third quarter was largely a stalemate, marked by incredibly staunch defense by both teams. Despite extended drives by both the Mammoths and the Polar Bears, neither team was able to muster enough offense to break the deadlock. The Amherst defense almost produced yet another momentum-shifting play late in the third quarter, forcing a fumble by Boel on a second-and-eight rushing attempt. Nevertheless, Boel immediately scurried onto the ball to prevent the turnover.

The score remained unchanged until the fourth quarter,

setting the stage for a riveting, back-and-forth denouement.

On the first play of the final quarter, Boel connected once again with Fahey, this time on a 68-yard deep ball that put the Polar Bears up 14-0. Down two scores, the ever-resilient Mammoths responded with their best offensive sequence of the day, going 75 yards on 11 plays in a mere three minutes and 50 seconds. Amherst capped off their impressive drive with a 35-yard touchdown strike from Chad Peterson ’23 to Turner Garland ’22 to put the game within one score (14-7).

Bowdoin responded immediately, putting together an extended drive of their own. Relying heavily on their passing attack, Bowdoin put themselves up 21-7 on a 22-yard touchdown reception by Brendan King. The Polar Bears advanced 75 yards — 64 yards via passing

plays — on eight plays, taking just four minutes and 29 seconds to score.

The Mammoths once again exhibited their incredible resilience and grit, putting together an even more efficient drive than the previous. Peterson completed six of 10 passing attempts to advance the Mammoths 75 yards in just three minutes and 43 seconds. Peterson’s final pass of the drive, a one-yard toss to PJ Clementi ’2, put Amherst within one score of Bowdoin again.

With only two minutes and 40 seconds remaining in the game, however, Bowdoin ran out a majority of the time. Ultimately, the Mammoths did not have enough time to put together another drive, as the Polar Bears outlasted the Amherst comeback — finishing off their 21-14 victory.

Kelen Field ’22 was the cat-

alyst for the Amherst offense with 105 yards on the ground, averaging an efficient 6.6 yardsper-carry (YPC), in addition to 28 receiving yards. Peterson entered the second half of the game at quarterback for Amherst, throwing for 163 yards along with two touchdown passes on 24 attempts. Clementi led the Amherst aerial attack with eight receptions, 71 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. Turner Garland ’22 accounted for the other Amherst touchdown in addition to tallying 61 receiving yards.

This was the Mammoths’ first loss against Bowdoin since 2005, while it was the Polar Bears’ end to a 14-game losing streak, improving to 1-4 on the season. Amherst will look to bounce back at home next Saturday against Hamilton College (2-3), which is coming off a 35-7 home loss to Williams.

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Sports 24

Volleyball Falls to NESCAC Foes Tufts, Bowdoin Maya Reiner ’25 Staff Writer Coming into the weekend, the women’s volleyball team was 11-1, having only fallen to Middlebury in a tough 3-2 loss three weeks ago. This past weekend, the team faced two tough NESCAC opponents — Tufts and Bowdoin — and the results did not go in favor of the Mammoths.

“Our team worked hard against both teams, but we simply had two off days,” Lizzie Papalia ’25 said. “Tufts and Bowdoin also played extremely well against us.”

Tufts The Jumbos, who had a record of 13-4 heading into Friday’s match, dominated the Mammoths, winning 3-0. Tufts won the first two sets in decisive fashion, as Amherst fell 18-25 and 16-25.

However, the Mammoths battled to the finish, with Tufts squeaking out the third set, by a score of 22-25. The Jumbos were able to secure the tempo of the match from the first set, as they won in the match by taking three consecutive sets.

Offensively, the Mammoths were led by right side Caroline Tilton ’23, middle hitter Sophie

Launsbach ’22, and outside hitter Jamie Dailey ’22. Tilton and Dailey dominated the game for the Mammoths, as Tilton recorded 12 kills and two blocks in the match, and Dailey finished with nine kills, 10 digs and three service aces. Dailey has been a huge asset to the team this fall, as she currently leads the NESCAC in kills per set at 4.02.

Bowdoin Despite fighting to the finish, Amherst suffered another tough loss the following day against Bowdoin. The Polar Bears also presented a challenge for the Mammoths, beating Amherst by a score of 3-0. Bowdoin entered the competition with a 13-3 record, with a 6-1 NESCAC record.

All three sets were hard fought by both teams, with the Polar Bears winning the first set by only two points, and the second set by only three.

Late in the first set, Amherst led 22-21, but Bowdoin capitalized on a series of errors, winning 25-23. Amherst bounced back, started the second set strong, jumping out to a 6-1 lead. The rest of the set was extremely close, and up until the end, with neither leading by more than two points.

The third set, once again, started

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Makaela Weeda ‘22 stands prepared to play during a match against Emmanuel College on Oct. 12. evenly matched, but the final score was 25-18 in Bowdoin’s favor.

The Mammoths were again led

by Launsback, Dailey and Tilton, with a combined 25 kills.

This season, Launsbach has been a constantly stellar player for the Mammoths, finishing with 11 kills and one block in this game.

Dailey also added 14 digs in the match, while Sami Underwood ’23 notched six kills and eight digs.

Papalia also made an impressive contribution, recording 16 digs on Saturday.

Despite a tough weekend, the Mammoths are optimistic about their post season chances. “We are looking forward to the NESCAC tournament and hopefully making the NCAA tournament,” Papalia said. “We believe we have a good chance at winning our conference, so we are using our practices and

matches leading up to the conference tournament to prepare to play as best as we possibly can.”

Amherst is hosting a double header at LeFrak Gymnasium this coming weekend, competing against Wellesley on Friday Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. and Westfield State on Saturday Oct. 23 at 1 p.m., where they hope to rebound from the disappointing results of this past weekend.

Field Hockey Defeated By Tufts In Hard-Fought Match Carter Hollingsworth ’25 Staff Writer Coming off two big wins last weekend against Wesleyan and Bates, the Mammoths entered into the weekend ranked ninth in the country and in third place in the NESCAC. On the other hand, their opposition started the weekend with similar momentum: Tufts entered the game with a 6-1 record, ranked third nationally, and in second place in the NESCAC. The Mammoths were looking forward to a close game, traveling to Medford, Mass. to take on Tufts.

Despite a hard-fought battle, the Mammoths fell short by only one goal, losing 1-0 on a ninth

minute goal from Tufts’ Beth Kirkorian.

The Mammoths put their first shot on goal in the sixth minute of action when Jackie D’Alleva ’23 sent an attempt from the left half of the circle, which the Jumbos’ keeper saved. D’Alleva would have another chance after the Jumbos’ goal, with a back-hand shot that rolled just wide of the right post at the 11-minute mark.

The second period proved to be a defensive stalemate, with no shots being recorded for either team. After an uneventful third period, the Mammoths controlled the fourth. They gained the momentum, getting two shots off and forcing the Tufts’ keeper to make two big saves. Early in the period, Natalie Hobbs ’23 intercepted a

transfer from Tufts’ backfield and took on the keeper in an attempt to even the score, but the shot was again saved.

Amherst goalkeeper Sara Nidus ’24 made three saves in the game to keep the Mammoths close, but it would not be enough.

The team would come up short after 60 minutes of a heavily contested game.

With this recent loss, Amherst moves to a 9-3 on the season and 5-3 in conference play, ranked fourth in the NESCAC as they enter the postseason.

Reflecting on the game Abbey Kays ’25 said, “It was a very disappointing loss, but I think the entire team put their best effort into the game. We are all looking forward to another chance to face

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

The Mammoths lost a tight matchup to Tufts despite strong individual performances.

Tufts in the postseason.”

On Saturday, Oct. 23, the Mammoths will take on Colby,

their second to last NESCAC opponent, at 11:00 a.m. on Hill Field.

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Sports 25

Cross Country Prepares for Championship Season Anya Ramras ’22 Staff Writer After two weeks of no competition, the Mammoths were back in action this past Saturday competing in the Connecticut College Invitational at Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Conn. Runners were divided and placed into four separate racing groups: Women 6000 White, Women 6000 Blue, Men 8000 White and Men 8000 Blue.

Overall, the Mammoths performed outstandingly, with two out of the four teams placing in the top six overall for their racing group.

The Women 6000 White group had 135 total runners from 15 schools competing, but only two Mammoths — Margo Pederson ’25 and Mia Rahn ’23. Pederson and Rahn finished within three seconds of each other, with Pederson finishing in 51st place with a time of 26:05.3 and Rahn finishing in 53rd place with a time of 26:08.4.

The Women 6000 Blue group was the larger of the two women’s groups, having 196 total runners from 26 schools running in the race. Despite a larger pool of competitors, Amherst managed to place sixth out of the 26 competing teams. Sidnie Kulik ’25 was the top finisher for Amherst, with her time of 22:09.3 putting her in eighth place. Following close behind was Mary Kate McGranahan ’23, who finished in 11th place with a time of 22:17.7.

Julia Schor ’25 finished in 34th place with a time of 23:06.6, and Sophia Price ’25 was only half a minute behind at 23:37.0, good for 52nd place. Two other Mammoths in this group finished within 30 seconds of each other, with Claire Callon ’25 and Eline Laurent ’22 notching times of 24:01.3 and 24:32.0 and 74th and 97th place finishes respectively. Maggie Drew ’22 rounded out the scoresheet for Amherst, finishing in 138th place with a time of 25:35.4. Overall, the Mammoths’ average time was an

impressive 23:02, only one second behind Middlebury’s average time.

McGranahan said about the race: “It was a tough day on the course weather wise. It was really hot and a slight adjustment coming back from Fall Break, in addition to it being only the second six k.m. for a lot of people, so [I’m] really proud of the way the team fought through it for a decent finish. We ran well against a lot of teams that we’ll see again at NESCACs and regionals, as well as [this Connecticut course] being the same course we run regionals on, so this was a good jumping off point for the more competitive postseason ... I think we’re just hoping to improve off of it the next time we face those teams. The freshmen continue to bring a lot of good energy to every meet and are only getting better as they gain racing experience.”

Moving on to the Men’s groups, the Men’s 8000 White group had a total of 208 runners

from 19 schools running. Just like the Women 6000 Blue group, the Amherst men finished in sixth place. Spencer Davis ’22 was the first Mammoth to cross the finish line in this group, finishing in 25th place with a time of 26:59.30. Alex Rich ’25 finished in 40th with a time of 27:22.60, closely followed by Ben Callon ’25 (27:26.50), Braedon Fiume ’24 (27:38.50) and Daniel Martin ’25 (27:40.30). Luke Munch ’25 finished in 77th place with a time of 28:03.90, and Fritz Lalley ’25 and Bobby Innes-Gold ’22 finished in the faster half of runners with times of 28:15.70 and 29:37.70 respectively. Overall, the runners competing in the Men’s 8000 White group for Amherst finished with an average time of 27:25.

Six Mammoths competed in the Men 8000 Blue group, with the team finishing in 11th place among 26 schools racing, Out of the 186 competitors in this group, Owen Daily ’23 was the first Mammoth runner to cross

the finish line, finishing in 34th place with a time of 25:48.5.

Keon Mazdisnian ’23 finished within a minute of Daily, being the next Mammoth to cross the line with a time of 25:59.7. Theo Dassin ’25, Ajay Sarathy ’22 and Nick Edwards-Levin ’25 finished with respective times of 26:27.8, 26:39.5 and 26:56.8. Billy Massey ’22 was the final Mammoth to finish the race with a time of 27:01.9. The team’s average time was 26.22.

This meet marked the completion of the regular season for the Amherst Cross Country teams. With the NCAA regionals taking place at the same course as Saturday’s race, many runners feel confident going in. Laurent states: “It is a beautiful course that is made for the type of training we have been doing, so we are expecting great things looking ahead to NESCACs and Regionals.” The postseason begins with NESCAC Championships Oct. 31 at 11 a.m. at Wickham Park in Manchester, Conn.

Women’s Soccer Continue Dominant Winning Streak Violet Glickman ’25 Staff Writer On Saturday, Oct. 16, women’s soccer headed to Boston to face off against Tufts University.

The excitement from both teams could be felt from the starting whistle but Carter Hollingsworth’s ’25 header that skimmed the crossbar really got the ball rolling, so to speak. Natalie Landau’s ’22 breakaway in the tenth minute led to a shot saved by Tufts’ Kaelin Logue. The Mammoths’ offense was unrelenting: Alexa Juarez’s ’23E shot in the nineteenth minute swung wide of the post and Landau struck again with a powerful shot that sailed just left of the goal a few minutes later. The opposing attack’s attempt to put one on the board for Tufts was denied by the incomparable Mika Fisher ’24 in the twenty-ninth minute.

The Mammoths and the Jumbos continued to battle intensely until the halfway whistle, ending the scoreless first half with several fouls from each side.

Both teams resumed play with renewed energy, but it was Tufts’ Liz Reed who put one in the back of the net with a header in the fifty-third minute. Amherst kept fighting, however, with Landau testing the Tufts back line once again with a shot just four minutes later. Just over an hour in, Landau broke through the defense yet again; her shot rebounded to Patience Kum ’25, who sent the ball flying past the keeper. Playing in all 13 games of the season so far, Kum has already scored 10 goals, broken even more ankles, and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

With the score tied up, the tension between purple and

blue continued to rise. Julia Ralph ’22 almost put another one in with her shot in minute 73, and Hollingsworth sent another sailing over the crossbar several minutes later. Amherst’s back line proved to be a cohesive unit once again, limiting Tufts’ offense to a single shot in the rest of the half. Claire Nam ’22 wrapped up the excitement of regulation time with a shot just under the 90-minute mark, saved once again by Logue.

Only three minutes into overtime, Juarez ended the game with a beautiful goal off her penalty kick, her fourth of the season so far. The Mammoths returned to Amherst with another win and a conference record of 6-1-1.

On Sunday, Oct. 17, the Mammoths squared off against New England College on Hitchcock Field. The team dominated possession and kept the Pilgrims

working hard with their seven corner kicks in the first 30 minutes. Landau started off the game strong with a shot less than a minute after the whistle that went just wide of the goal; Ralph and Ruby Hastie ’22 fired off two more in quick succession. In just 20 minutes, Juarez, Hastie, Sophia Fikke ’22, Hollingsworth, Landau, Liza Katz ’24 and Abby Schwartz ’24 all tested the keeper with their shots. Isabel Stern ’23 had a powerful strike that rang off the crossbar but it was ultimately Schwartz who put the first one in the net for purple in the thirty-fourth minute.

The second half started with the Mammoths leading 1-0, and the team continued to command the field. Cassie Chin ’22 had her first shot of the game in the fifty-first minute, saved by New England’s keeper, Emily Sashko, and Fiona Bernet ’25 followed

up with a shot in minute 56. Izzy Geneve ’23, Charlotte Huang ’25, Alyssa Hyunh ’25 and Cassidy Duncan ’25 all had shots of their own, as well. In minute 74, Kum received a pass from Schwartz that allowed her to record her second goal of the weekend. Amherst’s attacking line kept testing the defense, including two rapid-fire shots from Sarah Vierling ’23, until Nam managed to break through in the last minutes of the game to bring the score to 3-0 for the Mammoths. This victory wrapped up an exciting weekend for women’s soccer.

Currently holding the No. 3 spot in the NESCAC, women’s soccer is in a good position to make it to the championships this year. Roll Hitchcock Field next Saturday, Oct. 23, to see your favorite soccer team take on Colby in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Sports 26

Amherst Falls to Tufts in Last Moment of Nailbiter Leo Kamin ‘25 Staff Writer Men’s soccer fell short in what was, without a doubt, its toughest test of the regular season, losing 2-1 away to No. 3 Tufts on Saturday, Oct. 16 in the third-to-last minute of double overtime.

The Mammoths and Jumbos entered the game on Bello Field in Medford, Mass. as the 12thand third-ranked teams in the nation, respectively, boasting a combined record of 18-1-3.

Beyond being a rematch of the most recent Division III national final — which Tufts won 2-1 — the game went a long way in determining the all-important top seed in (and host of ) the NESCAC playoffs. Both teams entered the game knowing that the winner would sit atop the conference table with just two conference matchups remaining.

It was a story of two entirely different halves. The first period saw Amherst on the front foot. Accustomed to dictating games, the undefeated Jumbos appeared shaken, mustering just one shot in the first 45 minutes.

It was clear that the two teams had history, with both benches offering nearly constant — and quite vociferous — commentary on the officiating from the sidelines.

The Mammoth backline absorbed a bit of early Tufts pressure, dominating aerial duels, before the midfield began to string passes together and move up into the Jumbos’ half.

Set pieces have been a focal point of the Amherst attack all season — and they went back to the well for their opener. Amherst won a series of corners in quick succession around the 25-minute mark, culminating in an Ignacio Cubbedu ’23 in-swinger from the left side, which bounced off a Jumbos defender before sitting up nicely for Amherst defenseman Kyle Kelley ’22. He didn’t hesitate, sending a right-footed half vol-

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Alex Shahmirzadi ‘23 dribbles during a win against Bates College. Amherst, ranked 12th in the nation, lost to No. 3 Tufts this weekend.

ley into the left side netting. It was his first of the season, and it could not have come at a more necessary moment.

The Mammoths kept up the intensity for the rest of the second half, but failed to convert their high possession share into what would have been a nerve-calming second goal.

Maybe Tufts Head Coach Kyle Dezotell fired up his team in the half-time huddle, maybe the crowd at Bello Field got behind them, maybe the wind shifted. Whatever the reason, Tufts looked a different team in the second half.

They controlled possession, ripping two shots in the first two minutes of the half, with the second glancing off the woodwork.

The Jumbos found the equalizer, which long seemed to be coming, in the 59th minute. Following an Amherst foray into their box, Tufts sprang forward on the counter attack. Midfielder Woovin Shin played a ball forward into the path of forward Mati Cano, who outran two Amherst

defenders before calmly slotting the ball into the bottom-right corner.

The tie held — just barely — through the rest of the second half, during which the Jumbos outshot the Mammoths 6-4.

Tufts would have captured the win in 90th minute if it weren’t for Amherst goalkeeper Kofi Hope-Gund ’22, who narrowly saved a wide-open shot from near the penalty spot in the dying seconds.

The game got increasingly chippy in the first of two 10-minute overtime periods, in which the first team to score wins. Neither team found a single shot on goal in the first overtime period.

The same story played out for much of the second period, and with three minutes to play, the two teams seemed headed for a tie. But then, after a series of contentious no-calls on both sides of the field, the Jumbos were awarded a free kick on the right side of the Amherst box. Travis Van Brewer deliv-

ered a dangerous ball into the box. 6-foot-3-inch Calvin Aroh muscled past his defender and nodded the ball into the bottom-right corner. Hope-Gund never had a chance. Aroh was swarmed by teammates. Jumbos fans erupted in the stands. The Tufts play-by-play announcer seemed in danger of tearing his vocal chords.

With the win, the NESCAC regular-season title is firmly in the Jumbo’s grasp. If they win their two remaining conference matchups, they are guaranteed the number-one seed in the playoffs and home-field advantage.

To capture the title, the Mammoths would have to win their two remaining conference games and see Tufts lose both of theirs.

Despite the loss, Head Coach Justin Serpone saluted his team’s performance — especially in the first half and the second overtime period, in which they produced two big chances on net but failed to convert.

In competitive games like this past Saturday’s, Serpone

said, “One play, one way or the other” is what often decides the result. “They made a play in overtime and we didn’t, and to the victor go the spoils.”

The rest of the seeding — and the final Division III regional and national rankings, which could provide an alternative route to the NCAA championship if the Mammoths do not win the NESCAC tournament — is still very much up in the air, though, giving the Mammoths lots to play for. With both Tufts and Amherst positioned to make runs in the NESCAC and NCAA tournaments, another Jumbos-Mammoths matchup in 2021 is not out of the question.

Amherst ends the season with a three-game homestand, facing Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. and two NESCAC matchups with Colby and Trinity on Saturday Oct. 23 and Tuesday Oct. 26. The WPI and Trinity games are at Gooding Field, while the Colby game will be played at Hitchcock Field.

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

Sports 27

Jon Gruden Resigns Following Leak of Vulgar Emails

Photo courtesy of Travis AFB via Flickr

Oakland Raiders then head coach Jon Gruden signals to players during a 2018 training session.

Alex Noga ’23 Staff Writer Jon Gruden has been one of the most recognizable characters in professional football for the past twenty years. From his rise to stardom as the then-youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl in 2002 to his long-tenured stint on ESPN as a broadcaster and analyst on Monday Night Football, becoming the highest paid personality at ESPN at the time, Gruden has developed into a figure that virtually all football fans know.

The 2021 NFL season marks the fourth year of an unprecedented 10-year, $100 million contract that Gruden signed in January 2018 with the newly relocated Las Vegas Raiders to bring him back to coaching after nearly a decade working as a television analyst.

The Raiders have only made the playoffs four times since 2000, with the most recent appearance coming in 2016, though their first two appearances came under Gruden’s watch as coach of the Raiders from 1998 until 2001. In his three seasons since coming back to the Raiders, though, Gruden has yet to finish a season above .500. And after just five weeks and a 3-2 record, Gruden resigned as

head coach last Monday, Oct. 11.

Gruden’s resignation has nothing to do with his team’s performance, however. Rather, it comes at the heels of a disastrous and utterly repulsive series of racist, misogynistic and homophobic emails that were leaked as a part of a months-long investigation into the toxic work environment at the Washington franchise, now known as the Washington Football Team.

As a part of the investigation into Washington’s organization, the NFL has been examining over 650,000 emails sent and received by employees that relate to the workplace misconduct present within the franchise. Gruden’s emails in question were uncovered by this report and leaked to the media, the first of which was reported Friday, Oct. 8 by the Wall Street Journal.

The first leaked email was written on July 21, 2011, at which time Gruden was employed as a broadcaster for ESPN. Writing to Washington’s then-president Bruce Allen, who was fired following the 2019 season, Gruden made racially disparaging comments about DeMaurice Smith, the Executive Director of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), stating that

“Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin [sic] tires.”

The email came during a contentious time in which the NFL was working to resolve a lockout that threatened the upcoming season. On the specific date that the email was sent, NFL owners had voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement, but the players — led by Smith — opted not to vote on it immediately, claiming other outstanding issues that the union was still fighting to resolve.

In an interview with Gruden immediately after the initial leak, Gruden stated that he was upset at the time because of the way the lockout was shaping up and didn’t trust the direction that the players were headed. However, Gruden states that he can’t specifically recall writing the email, though he apologized and said he will “certainly … take accountability for it if it was on my email.”

Gruden also asserted that his comments were not racially charged, as he claims to refer to people who he believes to be lying as having “rubber lips.” Said Gruden: “I don’t think he’s dumb.

I don’t think he’s a liar. I don’t have a racial bone in my body, and I’ve proven that for 58 years.” In a later comment, Gruden continued this sentiment by saying, “I never had

a blade of racism in me. I was just pissed and used a terrible way to insult a guy.” Gruden claims to have reached out to Smith to apologize on the day that the report was first leaked, and he spoke to Raiders players Friday morning before the article was published.

Smith, who has been the Executive Director of the NFLPA since 2009, stated that Gruden’s comments reflect the difficult obstacles Black people must face as they advance in their careers. “This is a thick skin job for someone with dark skin, just like it always has been for many people who look like me and work in corporate America,” said Smith. “Racism like this comes from the fact that I’m at the same table as they are, and they don’t think someone who looks like me belongs.” The leak was released the same day that Smith was up for re-election, which he won for his final term as Executive Director.

A public statement from the NFL called Gruden’s email “appalling, abhorrent and wholly contrary to the NFL’s values.” Raiders owner Mark Davis stated that it was “disturbing and not what the Raiders stand for.”

At the time of the leak, the NFL said that they were reviewing Gruden and exploring possibilities for disciplinary action.

Nevertheless, Gruden was still allowed to coach in the Raiders’ game Sunday against the Chicago Bears, just two days after the first email was leaked. The 20-9 loss would prove to be Gruden’s final game with the Raiders, however, and likely his final game as an NFL head coach. Gruden resigned on Monday, Oct. 11 following a New York Times article that detailed more leaked emails, in which he made homophobic and misogynistic remarks.

In interviews following the initial WSJ release, Gruden estimated that about 5-7 of his other emails were flagged by the league for investigation. He also alluded to using vulgar language to disparage NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Gruden clearly anticipated that the first release was just the tip of

the iceberg, and he was certainly correct.

The emails released by the New York Times span a seven-year period ending in early 2018. In the emails, all of which were also sent to Allen as the initial release was, Gruden deployed a deplorable mixture of sickeningly harmful language directed at many of the league’s most significant changes.

In the emails, Gruden condemned the emergence of women as referees, mocking the hiring of Sarah Thomas, the NFL’s first female referee. He called Goodell a “f****t” and a “clueless anti football p***y” for his emphasis on player safety, believing he was scaring parents away from letting their children play football. He wrote that Goodell should not have pressured then-Rams head coach Jeff Fisher to draft “queers,” referring to Michael Sam, the first openly gay player in the history of the NFL who was drafted by the Rams in 2014. (Fisher denied being pressured by the league to draft Sam.) Gruden denounced players protesting the national anthem and stated that safety Eric Reid, a close friend of Colin Kaepernick and a vocal leader of the movement in its early stages, should be fired.

Gruden also exchanged emails with Allen and other men that included photos of women wearing only bikini bottoms — one of the photos included two of Washington’s cheerleaders. In other emails, Gruden ridiculed Caitlyn Jenner, criticized a Congressional bill created to force Washington to change its name and attacked Obama during his 2012 re-election campaign, calling Joe Biden a “nervous clueless p***y.”

Though he wasn’t technically in the NFL at the time the emails were sent, as all the emails were sent during his time working for ESPN, Gruden was still a highly respected and influential voice within the league at the time, and his comments showcase an inexcusable display of bigotry.

The Raiders themselves have a history as a forward-thinking

Continued on page 28

The Amherst Student • October 20, 2021

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Gruden Email Scandal Reflects Systemic Problem in NFL Continued from page 27 franchise in their efforts to foster diversity and inclusion. Al Davis, who coached and later became principal owner of the Raiders and is the father of current owner Mark Davis, refused to play in Mobile, Alabama in 1963 because of the state’s segregation laws. Davis hired the NFL’s first Black coach in Art Shell, the NFL’s first Latino quarterback and second Latino head coach in Tom Flores, the NFL’s first female executive in Amy Trask and the current team has the NFL’s first openly gay player on an active roster in Carl Nassib, who came out at the beginning of this season and took a personal day away from the team following Gruden’s resignation. To keep Gruden as their head coach after his offensive comments were made public would have been contradictory to everything the Raiders have stood for virtually since their inception.

Special teams coach Rich Bisaccia has now been promoted to interim head coach in the meantime. It is unclear whether

there will be a settlement for the 12 regular season games and six seasons that remain on Gruden’s deal, or if Gruden will be forced to forfeit his remaining salary.

The franchise is short on cash after relocating from Oakland to Vegas in 2019 and missing out on ticket revenues in the 2020 season, so this could be considered as somewhat of a positive from a financial perspective. Gruden was the primary decision maker for the entire team, however, holding full control of football operations and essentially serving as both head coach and general manager. In just four years, he completely turned over the front office, coaching staff and much of the 53-man roster to build a team catered to his style as a coach. Though they have a winning record, the Raiders have a tough task ahead of them given Gruden’s sudden and dramatic departure.

More broadly, the emails provide a stark look into the NFL culture that has long been scrutinized as a hypermasculine, toxic environment. What’s more telling is that for Gruden to send the

GAME SCHE DULE

emails that he did using the language that he chose to employ, he had to feel confident that the recipients would be comfortable receiving such messages. Gruden is by no means an outlier in this situation. There certainly are more emails containing similar sentiments that have yet to be released. Shockingly, however, the NFL has stated that they have no plans to release any other emails pertaining to the Washington investigation. They have claimed that no other current team or league employees sent emails containing language similar to those sent by Gruden. After a full 10-month long investigation including over 650,000 documents that were reviewed, the only person to be held accountable and lose their job is the coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Attorneys representing 40 former Washington Football Team employees have released a statement calling for Goodell to release a written report or explain why the NFL is seemingly intent on protecting Washington and their owner Dan Snyder. The NFLPA has made a similar call

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

While Gruden was fired, many have called for punitive action against Washington Football Team management. for action, petitioning the league to release every email from the investigation. Goodell has yet to make a statement on the most pressing issue currently facing the NFL. The emails are in direct opposition to the league’s public

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SAT

Volleyball vs Wellesley, 6 p.m.

Field Hockey vs Colby, 11 a.m.

condemnation of racism and sexism and its promises to promote a more inclusive environment.

NFL leaders now have a critical responsibility to exert proper leadership for the sake of the league’s future.

Women’s Soccer vs Colby, 12 p.m.

Football vs Hamilton, 1 p.m.

Volleyball vs Westfield State, 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs Colby, 1 p.m.