Issue 11

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

THE AMHERST

STUDENT VOLUME CXLVIII, ISSUE 11 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2018

Women’s Basketball Wins in New York See Sports, Page 9 AMHERSTSTUDENT.COM

Proposed Title IX Changes May Affect Campus Policy Ryan Yu ’22 Assistant News Editor

Photo courtesy of Matai Curzon ’22

An event hosted by the Students for Climate Action (SCA) and sponsored by AAS spotlighted the stories of students affected by climate change. The group hopes to convince the college to pass a Climate Action Plan in January 2019.

Student Stories Call For Climate Action Shawna Chen ’20 Managing News Editor

Nearly 200 people filtered in and out of Frost Library on Wednesday, Nov. 28 for “Student Voices from the Frontlines of Climate Change,” an event hosted by Students for Climate Action (SCA) and sponsored by the Association of Amherst Students (AAS). The event, which comprised of student speakers sharing how climate change has impacted their home communities, is part of a push for the Board of Trustees to pass the Climate Action Plan in January 2019.

SCA began as a subcommittee of the Direct Action Coordinating Committee (DACC) but recently became its own separate entity. SCA began organizing a campaign to pass the Climate Action Plan — a proposal for the college to transition to all renewable energy by 2035 — in Spring 2018.

President Biddy Martin, Chief of Student Affairs Hikaru Kozuma, Dean of Faculty Catherine Epstein, Director of Sustainability Laura Draucker and Chief of Amherst College Police John Carter all attended Wednesday’s event, which was intended to increase public attention to the Climate Action Plan campaign.

AAS President Silvia Sotolongo ’19 and Allison Tennant ’19, both of whom are members of SCA, opened the event on Wednesday by thanking the audience for coming out.

“When we’re faced with such an overwhelming

crisis as climate change, it’s more important than ever to be here and come together building community,” Tennant said. “The latest UN intergovernmental panel on climate change report said that we have until 2030, which is only 12 years, to reduce our emissions by 50 percent if we want to avoid global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius … In addition, our natural gas fossil fuel infrastructure here at Amherst largely affects our lower-income, immigrant and people of color Massachusetts neighbors.”

“Amherst has the opportunity to take a step towards mitigating the contribution to climate change by adopting the Climate Action Plan and committing to carbon neutrality,” Tennant added. “By being here tonight, we show that climate change is an important issue to our campus.”

She then invited Chief of Campus Operations Jim Brassord to provide background on the Climate Action Plan, a “roadmap, a strategy — a technical strategy, financial strategy” created by a climate action task force comprised of students, faculty and staff after the Board of Trustees committed the college to carbon neutrality in 2015. A carbon neutral status means the college would have a net zero carbon footprint.

The task force concluded that the college would need to pivot to exclusive use of renewable energies use, deep energy conservation and “infrastructure transformation,” which would convert an “inherently dependent fossil fuel approach” to electricbased infrastructure, Brassord said. The plan devel-

oped out of the task force committed the college to achieving a carbon-neutral campus by 2035.

After Brassord spoke, 10 students took turns sharing personal accounts at the event.

Gabriel Echarte ’22 described the impact of rising tides in Miami, Florida. “Every single place in Miami is saturated with memories and meaning — it has become sacred for me,” he said. “In my time growing up there, I’ve watched as climate change has grown to slowly consume more and more the place I love, through seawater rise.”

Rising sea levels and the increased severity of storms were also evident effects of climate change on Stephanie Masotti’s ’22 hometown in Long Island, New York. When Hurricane Sandy hit the coast in 2012, “a large amount of infrastructure built without the assumption that these storms would frequently occur were destroyed,” she said.

At a nearby town, she said, “people were collecting food, clothes, toiletries and anything else people were willing to donate since many people lost everything. Some people even lost their lives.

I remember feeling so fortunate to have only lost power.”

Past storms had never been so damaging, Masotti added.

Multiple students shared similar stories of severe damage caused by weather irregularities in their hometowns.

Continued on Page 3

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education released a set of proposed provisions that would regulate how schools comply with Title IX, the landmark civil rights law which prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funding. If passed, Amherst would be compelled to change certain aspects of its sexual misconduct policy.

The proposed provisions narrow the definition of sexual harassment, decrease educational institutions’ obligations to deal with allegations and strengthen the rights of the accused. It represents a significant reversal from the Title IX guidance put forward by President Barack Obama’s administration and largely followed

by Amherst, which stresses victims’ rights and recommends a greater focus on ensuring protections for sexual misconduct survivors.

U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos emphasized the importance of due process in the proposed revisions. “Every survivor of sexual violence must be taken seriously, and every student accused of sexual misconduct must know that guilt is not predetermined,” she said in a press briefing on Nov. 16. “We can, and must, condemn sexual violence and punish those who perpetrate it, while ensuring a fair grievance process.”

However, many view the current process as fair and see the changes as a step back for people who face sexual harassment. The American Civil Liberties Union, for example, issued a statement opposing the proposed regulations, on the grounds that it “inappropriately tips the scales in favor of the accused and against those who report sexual assault.”

In a school-wide email, President Biddy Martin noted that administrators were thoroughly examining the draft amendments, but reserved explicit judgement of the regulations for the time being.

“We are carefully reviewing the 149-page document and consulting with others to determine exactly what is being proposed and how the draft regulations could affect our own sexual misconduct policies and practices,” she wrote.

“As soon as we have a clearer sense of the im-

Continued on Page 3

Sylvia Rivera Floor Aims to Foster Community in First Year Zach Jonas ’22 Staff Writer The Sylvia Rivera community hosted its floor launch party on Nov. 27 to celebrate its first year as a themed floor. The community, which is located on the fourth floor of Moore Hall and named after gay rights activist and queer icon Sylvia Rivera, houses LGBTQ students and allies seeking to build relationships in a space that is affirming of their identity.

Just under 30 students live on the floor.

According to the floor launch party event page, the floor is “to [the college’s] knowledge, the first residential community in a col-

lege campus to be named after a transgender woman of color in the United States.”

Claire Cho ’20, co-president of the floor, said there was a big push for the creation of the floor in the last three to four years.

“The Office of Residential Life continued to say no until last year, on the day of room draw, when ResLife said ‘oh, we’ll give you the floor,’” Cho said.

According to Jxhn Martin, director of the Queer Resource Center, “it is a common practice to have themed flooring that represents different marginalized groups or underrepresented students on college campuses across the country. LGBTQ floors are a staple of

that.”

“It is an essential part of that to create an intential way for LGBTQ folks to form bonds and relationships with one another,” Martin added.

Additionally, Martin said that “the floor has just finished its first year, and the current students are determining the floor’s direction, that is, what it will become.”

They recognized that the floor should have been created and launched sooner, though the process of becoming themed housing happened quickly. “It was sort of like, ‘we should have this, why don’t we have this?’” Martin said.

One resident of the floor, Armando Brito ’21, noted that “ LGBTQ students] don’t really have formalized community programming or planning” but also said he understands that the floor is relatively new and expects it to become more socially oriented over time.

He added that he hopes to clearly define what the floor is about and suggested that the floor become politically active as a way to encourage floor bonding.

The current social events, which include birthday parties for the residents, tea time and snacks, are “very relaxed, and we’re really

Continued on Page 3

News Kelsey Choi Nov. 26, 2018 - Dec. 2 2018

>>Nov. 26, 2018 11:03 a.m., Ford Hall An officer responded to someone dialing the emergency line and found no one in the area. >>Nov. 27, 2018 10:16 a.m., Morris Pratt Dormitory Items were stolen from a room.

10:35 a.m., James Dormitory A student entered a room they no longer lived in.

10:18 p.m., Fayerweather Lot An officer responded to a report of a car alarm and found nothing sounding in the area.

cohol after a registered party.

2:00 a.m., Town Common An officer confiscated an unlicensed keg.

2:13 a.m., Hitchcock Hall An officer located an unauthorized event with party policy violations including alcohol.

6:08 p.m., Hitchcock Hall Officers responded to an alarm sounding in a second floor room and found it was caused by a smoking device.

10:32 p.m., Moore Dormitory Officers responded to an alarm for a third-floor room and found it was caused by marijuana smoke.

>>Nov. 28, 2018 2:09 p.m., Greenway Building C 10:55 p.m., Cohan Dormitory A student’s bicycle was stoOfficers responded to an len and later recovered. alarm for a second-floor room and found an unregistered 11:15 p.m., Hitchcock Hall party in that area.

Officers responded to a report of an unregistered party 11:28 p.m., Plimpton House that contained a number of Officers responded to a noise party policy violations includ- complaint from a registered ing alcohol. party. It was ended due to the party host not responding >>Nov. 29, 2018 to the call and it being close 12:10 a.m., Garman House to its registered ending time.

Officers responded to a noise complaint. >>Dec. 02, 2018 1:00 a.m., Quadrangle Road 9:25 a.m., Converse Lot An officer stopped a vehicle An officer closed the trunk of traveling the wrong way an unattended vehicle. down a one-way street.

2:42 p.m., Science Center An officer responded to an alarm sounding caused by a contractor.

5:56 p.m., Charles Pratt Dormitory Officers responded to a fire alarm sounding and found no cause for it. >>Nov. 30, 2018 9:07 p.m., Boltwood Avenue A vehicle was operating without headlights on at night and was advised to turn them on. >>Dec. 01, 2018 12:42 a.m., Mayo-Smith Hall An officer discovered party policy violations including al-

1:29 a.m., Mayo-Smith Hall An officer observed a party policy violation at a registered party that included alcohol.

1:33 a.m., Seelye Hall An officer observed party policy violations including alcohol at the completion of a registered party.

1:39 a.m., South Prospect St. An officer stopped an individual traveling the wrong way down a one-way street.

1:43 a.m., Moore Dormitory An officer found a number of party policy violations including alcohol at a registered party.

Got a tip?

Email schen20@amherst.edu or nderosa21@amherst.edu

to pitch story ideas or submit a tip.

Thoughts on Theses Department of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought

Kelsey Choi ’19E is a Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought (LJST) major. Her thesis focuses on the South Korean civil court case on women who were forced into prostitution in camptowns. Her thesis advisor is LJST professor Adam Sitze.

Q: What is your thesis about?

A: I followed a current civil court case in South Korea. After the Korean War, when [the] United States was in South Korea, the Korean government set up camptowns to create recreational sites outside of the U.S. military bases. To entertain the U.S. soldiers, the Korean government forced a lot of women into prostitution. Later, 122 women who claim to be some of the camp women filed a lawsuit. I specifically focused on how the camptowns came to be. I used two texts: “America Town Big Sister” and “The Hidden Truth.” “America Town Big Sister” is an autobiography written by a plaintiff in the court case, and “The Hidden Truth” is a transcript of an interview and oral history of the injustices one of the women had to endure under the forced prostitution system. I took the two texts and explored how narratives disrupt history. I looked at [the women] as more than just prostitutes. It was humbling, and I didn’t separate myself from the injustices these women faced. I focus a little on how the camptown system [reflected] the Japanese comfort system. The Japanese comfort system arose when the Japanese imperial army conquered Asia. The Japanese army set up comfort areas and kidnapped and forced women into prostitution for the benefit of the military men. The belief was that the military men needed these women, so they could become better soldiers. They forced a lot of Southeast Asian women, Korean and Thai women into prostitution.

Q: When and how did you decide you wanted to write a thesis?

A: I took a research seminar junior spring that is supposed to set students up for thesis writing. I tested the waters and asked Professor Sitze to help with the research project. I started my thesis between junior and senior year, [and] because I’m ’19E, the thesis took about a year and a half to complete.

Q: How did your thesis start out and how did it change as you did more and more research?

A: It didn’t change that much. Going into the research, I was worried that there wouldn’t be much literature on the topic. It was not a very surface level conversation. [However], the more and more I looked, I found people who had written about it. I did some personal research in Korea at first and found evidence, court cases, and the two main narratives I was looking at when I was there.

I went to Yonsei University and looked for texts relating to the camptown women. I found what ended up being my thesis in the work and footnotes of what people had actually done.

Q: How did you decide to focus on this topic?

A: The summer before my first year at Amherst, I interned at a law firm in South Korea and translated documents. One of the people in the law firm asked me to do an article translation but gave me some background material first. In the materials, there were

a lot of confidential testimonies provided by the camptown women. Honestly, it was so explicit and painful to read. It was also a shock because I had known of the camptown women, but I had never known what kind of abuse and suffering was going on in those camptowns. I then brought up the question of whether or not there is closure for women of state-sponsored crimes. I wanted to lean into that question more of what is closure and if it’s impossible. I also wanted to explore how we go about [closure] as a society and within legal institutions, and I think that’s what started my thesis: how does one respond to tragedy that has no closure?

Q: Do the camptowns still exist?

A: The camptowns are still there. Rather than South Korean women being exploited, Southeastern Asian women, such as Vietnamese and Filipino women. The women come in with entertainment visas, or E6 visas. But then they are trafficked into camptowns. The E6 visa is the government’s “pass for prostitution.”

Q: What are the most rewarding parts of writing your thesis?

A: I finally felt like I had something of my own. My thesis had a grounding presence in my day-to-day life. It wasn’t just like I finished a paper and moved on. Sometimes I would make certain observations, asking “Oh, this is really interesting, but am I pulling this out of thin air?” But, when I was reading something that had an argument that was similar to my topic, it tells me that I am not actually pulling things out of thin air, and that was really assuring.

Q: What is the most challenging part about writing your thesis?

A: Because my topic has a lot to do with overwriting a misrepresentation, I felt a lot of doubt regarding my analysis of the literature provided. I had to be respectful and sympathetic, but I also had to treat the texts as texts rather than treating them as an embodiment of the women’s personalities. Making sense of how I was approaching the material was not solitary work. I trusted that I was respecting the women, and hopefully my writing reflects my respect for them.

Q: Any advice for students who might be thinking about writing a thesis?

A: I have two pieces of advice; one is funnier, and one is more serious. The funny piece of advice is that even when you’re stressed, don’t grit your teeth too much, because you will chip a tooth. Also, don’t pull out your wisdom teeth three weeks before your draft [deadline]. My more serious piece of advice is that while it’s important to be receptive of peer advisors’ and professors’ suggestions, it’s important to remind yourself that your thesis is your own project and that you have the liberty to produce your own thesis. I’ve been very blessed with advisors who let me take charge, and I reminded myself that, while writing a thesis is a burden and a responsibility, it’s also a joy.

—Alison Poussaint ’22

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News

3

LGBTQ Students Build Relationships in Theme Housing Continued from Page 1

good about telling the entire floor,” Brito said.

Hunter Lampson ’21 who lives on the floor says it’s the people who make the floor the best. “I love living here, everyone here is great. We got a good group of people from the application process, and we all have big personalities,” he said.

The floor has come a long way in the last year, moving from what Brito called an odd location in the basement of Moore to the fourth floor. “The floor is very comforting now,” he said.

The floor also adopted a more streamlined title over the past year. Though the floor was always called the Sylvia Rivera floor, the official title of the floor changed from the LGBTQ and Allies themed housing to the Queer

and Trans theme floor.

The removal of the word “allies,” Brito said, ensured that the people accepted to live on the floor wanted to participate in the LGBTQ community rather than secure themselves a single room. Allies are always welcome to apply and live on the floor, he added.

Brito also expects the community to become even more popular next year, due to the floor’s current popularity and the increased number of LGBTQ students in this year’s first-year class, he said.

Lampson and Brito both emphasized the floor’s centralized location, community and overall atmosphere. “I think [the floor] provides a community for people in a really positive manner, and it surrounds a group of historically marginalized individuals with one another,” Lampson said.

Photo courtesy of Matai Curzon ’22

The Sylvia Rivera community, located in Moore Hall, celebrated its first year as a theme floor. The floor offers a space to affirm LGBTQ students’ identities.

Event Highlights Climate Change Impact on Students Continued from Page 1 Shivani Patel ’21 also talked about carbon emissions in her hometown of Bangalore, India, which have caused a “harmful, flowy froth” of foam to float up and spill over into surrounding areas.

“Bangalore … used to be known as the garden city, but that couldn’t be further from the truth today,” Patel said. “Multiple reports state that the city will be uninhabitable by 2020, which is part of why I came to college in the U.S.” All of the students urged the college community to take immediate action to combat the perilous impacts of climate change.

“The impact, the consequences and the disaster effects are not into the future,” Daniyal Ahmad Khan ’22 said to applause from the audience.

“They’re not going to happen by 2035; they’re not going to happen for the children to see — they’re happening and they’re happening right now.”

SCA intends to focus on education and funding for climate change problems, according to Tennant.

Committee members, she said, think that the current timeline for the Climate Action Plan is “pretty conservative” and hope to push for greater change within a shorter range of time.

As of press time, SCA had collected about 600 signatures for its petition to the Board of Trustees as well as about 100 alumni emails after tabling at Homecoming. The group, Tennant said, will ask alums to write letters of support and request funding pledges directed specifically to the Climate Action Plan.

“There’s very broad support from students,”

Tennant said. “The administration needs to recognize it’s a priority for our future.”

In a statement to The Student, Martin called the student speakers’ presentations “impressive and powerful in their combination of personal stories, analysis and calls to action.”

“I was very glad I could attend the event,” she added. “I hope it inspires more sharing of stories and more exchange about major challenges.”

Sotolongo also hopes to help make sustainability more institutionalized at the college.

“I got to hear snippets of people’s stories beforehand, so I knew what people were going to talk about, but hearing their actual, fleshed-out speeches and seeing photos and seeing people’s reactions was really powerful for me,” she said. She is exploring the possibility of a separate faculty committee

dedicated to issues of sustainability and climate policy on campus.

Katie Siegel ’20, who attended the event, said she was excited that there was an opportunity to “come together as a community and address these problematic issues.”

“When I read about these things happening, it’s never really people who are that close to me or in my community,” she said about environmental disasters. “Hearing students talking about going home and having these issues — I really think it put it into perspective.” She hopes the Climate Action Plan will be passed and that it will create a ripple effect at other colleges.

SCA will present to the Board of Trustees in January, after which a vote will be made on whether or not to pass the Climate Action Plan.

Sexual Misconduct Policy Faces Possible Changes Continued from Page 1 plications of the draft amendments, we will almost certainly wish to respond to them in the form of a comment.”

Laurie Frankl, Amherst’s Title IX Coordinator, indicated that these proposed regulations would ideally balance due process for the defendant and protections for sexual harassment survivors.

“I understand the criticism that comes from certain pockets around these types of proposed regulations, and I understand the anxiety and some of the fear that is behind that,” she said. “I also understand that there are other pockets who feel that

responding parties, particularly students, have not been treated fairly in the past. … Whether these regulations successfully strike the balance, I don’t know the answer at this early stage. We’re still going through them.”

Nevertheless, Frankl defended the current processes used at Amherst and at other institutions, saying that they already did a good job in balancing the rights of both the victim and the accused.

“I don’t think it’s true that all institutions have been failing at equitably meeting both parties’ needs, and I’m proud of the work we do here in terms of our equity,” she said.

In analyzing the specific policy changes put for-

ward, Frankl remarked upon a few areas that have prompted some concern. Particularly, she emphasized the significance of the shift from expectations to rules in how schools interpret Title IX policy.

“The guidance that we’ve received from the federal government has been just that — it’s been guidance. What’s different now is that the federal government is saying, ‘these regulations are going to become part of the Federal Register and have the force of law,’” she said.

She also noted overall divergence of some of the proposed changes to the current consensus among educational institutions. She pointed to the proposed policy of mandatory cross-examination by an

advisor as something that represents “a pretty significant difference from where [Amherst has] been, and from where most institutions are, frankly.”

Martin and Frankl encouraged students who wish to express their opinions on this topic to submit comments to the Department of Education during the mandated 60-day consultation period, which ends on Jan. 28, 2019, through the proposal’s official page on the Federal Register. Frankl also said that those who have concerns more specific to Amherst’s policy regarding sexual misconduct can approach her directly. A summary of the key proposed changes and their congruence with Amherst’s existing policies is available on the school website.

AAS Candidate Statements for Judiciary Council and Treasurer On Friday, Dec. 7, the Association of Amherst Students will hold elections for Judiciary Council chair, three at-large Judiciary Council positions and treasurer. The students below have announced their candidacies for these elections. Students who are interested in hearing from these candidates or are interested in running but were unable to submit a candidate statement, should attend Speech Night on Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7:00 p.m. in Lipton Lecture Hall. In order to run, candidates must bring a petition with 25 signatures from their classmates to Speech Night and prepare a speech. If a candidate cannot attend, they can send a proxy in their place.

Judiciary Council Chair Alicia Ugenti ’21 : I would like to be judiciary chair because I feel that this role upholds the integrity of the constitution and confirms that the other branches are doing the same. As Judiciary Council chair I would uphold the important beliefs of duty and honor. I promise to safeguard the ideals of the constitution, as well as take note of all decisions made by the Judiciary Council. If elected, I would be an independent, unbiased decision-maker when faced with difficult questions.

Daniyal Ahmad Khan ’22: Amherst is a beautiful place: tolerant, accepting, understanding and diverse. However, despite all efforts, instances of discrimination, rejection, and conformity still occur. As an international, it’s not the Muslim or Pakistani or South Asian communities I stand for.

I stand for those looked down upon for their divergence from the norm. I stand for the extracurriculars whose value is undermined, the groups who are subjected to preconceived notions and the individuals who wonder if there is something wrong with truly being themselves. I stand for them all to ensure that Amherst truly becomes a

second home for its students.

Judiciary Council At-Large Members Patrick Friend ’20: I am proud to have been able to serve the Amherst community by being a member of the Judiciary Council and hope to continue to do so throughout my time in Amherst. The main focus of my time on Judiciary Council has been to maintain the modernity and applicability of the Amherst constitution, and I have worked with my fellow council members to make several changes to the constitution to that end. If reelected I will continue to attempt to keep the rules guiding the AAS current, applicable and reflective of the wishes of the student body.

Cameron Matsui ’22: I am running to be an AAS Judiciary Council at-large member because, after only three months, I already love Amherst and would like to give back to the school and its student body through public service. As member of my high school’s senate, I helped to amend the school’s senate constitution to get rid of gender restrictions for senate co-president elections. I believe I can take this experience and make Amherst

a more inclusive place through my actions on the AAS Judiciary Committee.

Christian Colby ’22: I am running for the COVETED position of JC At Large Member. If elected I would help restore the Judiciary Council to functioning status (the last ruling posted on the AAS website is from 2016), and interpret our constitution to the best of my ability in order to ensure an equal and enjoyable experience at Amherst for all.

Treasurer: Jordan Edwards ’20: Having served on the Budgetary Committee since my first year, I have personally worked with over a dozen student organizations on this campus to build a better understanding of our funding rules and help form their budgets. Additionally, I have worked with our previous treasurers and current treasurer to make our policies more equitable for all students on campus. If elected, I will ensure that all students have a fair opportunity to access the AAS budget so that the entire school can benefit.

John Ballard ’20: In my time serving on the Bud-

getary Committee, I’ve recognized a problem surrounding the nature of club funding. While the Student Activity Fund should be equally accessible to every student, newer/smaller clubs don’t have the knowledge and resources to request their share of funding. If elected treasurer, I will push for better transparency surrounding the funding process. I will also endorse the centralized Amherst Club Calendar so that students have access to every club opportunity. It would be an honor to serve Amherst College by ensuring that every student has equal access to the Student Activity Fund.

Chloe Wohlemuth ’22: I have experience from bookkeeping and managing the online shop for a charity, and was SGA treasurer in high school.

I am a member of several clubs at Amherst and I want to support the opportunities clubs offer by helping them receive the funding they need. I want to ensure transparency and streamline the funding process for student events and activities. I would love to contribute to the student life at Amherst by enabling student experiences from your input.

Opinion THE AMHERST

A Farewell From The Editor-in-Chief Here’s a question I get asked a lot as editor-in-chief: “Why are you doing this to yourself?” This question usually come up when I mention another 3 a.m. layout night, last-minute scramble for articles, heated email from an alum or dire financial situation. In those moments of a truly extraordinary blend of panic, exhaustion and drudgery, sometimes I really don’t know why I’m doing it. But what I do know is that, for me and for my co-editor-in-chief Nate Quigley ’19, the drive extends far beyond pure obligation or necessity.

There is something about this small, frustrating, exhausting, incredible, exhilarating paper that is mind-altering — that leads you to sacrifice your sleep, academics and free time for something greater than yourself. Working for The Student has simultaneously been one of the most stressful and joyful parts of my time at Amherst. It has taught me to work harder than I ever imagined I could, strengthened my conviction in the importance of local journalism and connected me to the Amherst community in ways I never would have otherwise.

Last week in his farewell letter, Nate eloquently outlined the importance of journalism at the national level, so I’ll keep my focus to The Student’s role on a more local level — the college community. As a sophomore, I joined the paper partially because I was interested in journalism, but also because I was looking for new ways to connect with a campus that, although I had gradually found my footing in as a first year, I still felt very ambivalent about. I had my friends, activities and social spaces — but I still didn’t quite feel like an Amherst College student, invested in the struggles, triumphs and experiences that we, as a shared community, go through.

The Student taught me how to care.

As a news writer, I wrote stories covering topics ranging from speaker events to race and gender inequities in the athletics department to student protests against executive orders from President Donald Trump. In each of these experiences, I was struck by the diverse and passionate ways that students engage with the college community. As news editors, Shawna Chen ’20 and I would always ask ourselves: what are the most important things happening on campus? What are people excited or upset about? How are the structures and institutions of our community impacting the lives

of students? Whose voices have historically been left out of this paper, and how can we change that? These are lofty questions that we surely fell short of answering completely, but I’d like to think that in the process of questioning we gained something valuable.

I make this point because I think that many readers imagine The Amherst Student as an amorphous, impersonal organization, whose work you don’t see until the final product pops up in buildings around campus or on your Facebook feed. But this could not be farther from reality — The Student is, in the truest sense, a student newspaper, created entirely for and by Amherst students.

We are a group of 50+ writers, editors, designers and publishers, dedicated to covering and sharing the news, arts, sports and opinions of Amherst College students.

The Student is a group made up of your friends and peers, writing about things that are important to them.

So for anyone who looks at the paper and thinks to themselves that there’s something missing — a story, an angle, an opinion — don’t just shrug and put the paper down. Reach out and get involved; push for the change yourself. This paper is for you just as much as it is any other student, and it can only truly work if the students reading it are as engaged as the students writing it.

I can’t finish before first thanking some of the countless people who have made my time at The Student so incredible. Jingwen Zhang ’18, thank you for taking a chance on me first as a news editor and later as editorin-chief — your mentorship and advice have been invaluable throughout the years. Nate, I quite literally could not have done it without you. Being able to rely on you these past two semesters has kept me going through the insanity, and at the end of it, I’m so proud of the achievements we’ve made. Shawna and Emma Swislow ’20, you two have the hearts and minds of true journalists — I am constantly inspired by you both. I know you will do amazing things as editors-in-chief and I’m so excited to see it happen. Finally, to the rest of the editorial staff who made tiring Tuesday nights in the office such an amazing experience: thank you, thank you, thank you.

Isabel Tessier ’19 Editor-in-Chief, The Amherst Student

In Honor of Amherst Uprising Diane Lee ’19 Managing Opinion Editor A few days ago, I walked into Frost to start my homework for the night. As I walked through the doors, I was surprised to find myself remembering Amherst Uprising for the first time in a few years. I had forgotten that Nov. 12 marked the third anniversary of Amherst Uprising, a sit-in at Frost Library organized by three black women who are alumnae now. While it started as an hour-long moment of solidarity with black students facing violence at Yale and the University of Missouri, it expanded into a powerful weekend in which black, brown and other marginalized students shared their stories of institutionalized racism and oppression at Amherst with their fellow students, faculty, staff and members of the administration.

The event was often difficult and soul-crushing, but also regenerative, inspiring and beautiful. I was a first year at the time, so I didn’t know much about the Amherst that existed before. But the sense that I got was that people were finally discussing the often unspoken and insidious dynamics of this campus: the racially and socially segregated

spaces in our dining halls and libraries, the white athlete-dominated social scene and the racism and discrimination students face from the people are supposed to teach them. They were the unfortunate truths that many people of color had already experienced here and warned each other about. But what made it so powerful was that it was the first time that they were being voiced to the rest of the Amherst community with the attention and time they deserved. Finally, students understood what their peers were going through — they heard the stories of the people that they have class with and cried alongside those they shared the same rooms with. Personally speaking, Amherst Uprising shed a whole new light on the violence against black students that I hadn’t noticed before at Amherst because of my own identities as an Asian woman. It was an exercise in empathy and building each other up.

Even for those who avoided Frost, the impact of Amherst Uprising resonated throughout campus.

Today, a majority of Amherst students never experienced Amherst Uprising. Much like the Social Dorms, Merrill Science Center (and apparently a boothless back room of Valentine Dining Hall), it is a spectre of the past —

something we only hear about once in a while.

The senior class, who were first years at the time, will be the last to have been in Frost that November weekend. This isn’t to minimize the legacy of the movement — it was the discussions during the sit-in that have pushed Amherst to be a more inclusive place in the past few years. To name a few, we have established a new mascot, there are more staff of color in the counseling center and there are more resources surrounding diversity and inclusion, like the resource centers’ new spaces and staff.

I do wonder, however, why we don’t celebrate Amherst Uprising every year. There have been very few events commemorating the sit-in since 2015. During my sophomore year, which was a year after Amherst Uprising, members of the community reconvened with performances and personal statements to celebrate the deep impact that the sit-in had created. But after the first anniversary, these acts of remembrance have ceased. If there were any events commemorating it, I didn’t catch them, which gives me the sense that many other students did not either.

What happened during Amherst Uprising

Continued on Page 5

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

Editors-in-Chief Emma Swislow Isabel Tessier Executive Adviser Nate Quigley Managing News Shawna Chen Natalie De Rosa Assistant News Ryan Yu Managing Opinion Kelly Chian Diane Lee Managing Arts and Living Olivia Gieger Seoyeon Kim Managing Sports Connor Haugh Henry Newton Managing Design Zehra Madhavan S TA F F Head Publishers Joseph Centeno, Emmy Sohn, Mark Nathin Design Editors Katie Boback, Julia Shea, Anna Smith Digital Director Dylan Momplaisir

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Opinion

5

The Importance of Creating Institutional Memory Continued from Page 4 was emotionally taxing for the students who spoke that weekend, and an event like that can take so much out of students who are also trying to study and live and get through college.

We don’t need to recreate the event annual-

ly, but we do need to acknowledge the pain, growth and strength that marginalized students showed that night. It is about creating institutional memory in which we remember the transformative growth that we promised to each other. Furthermore, it’s about acknowledging that Amherst is still a very difficult place to exist in for many bodies. It’s true that

Amherst has become more hospitable for students of marginalized backgrounds, and that in itself should be a cause for celebration. But these spaces of inclusivity, like the resource centers or affinity-based theme housing, are separated from the wider, collective spaces on campus, like Frost or Val, where violence, harassment and exclusion against students of

color still exist. We would be mistaken to think that one weekend magically did the trick.

I strongly urge my fellow students to remember Amherst Uprising, even if you weren’t there. Ask your peers, professors (and even Biddy!) It was the story of students who made this place home for a lot of us who did not think it could be.

of everything we use, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion.

No matter how we dispose of single-use items, the disposal site (and its associated harms) is disproportionately likely to be located near a poor community of color, either domestically or abroad. This is blatant environmental racism.

Fortunately, there are steps we can take right now to reduce our participation in the unsustainable and immoral global waste system.

The next time you go to Valentine Dining Hall, consider bringing a reusable container for your snacks instead of using to-go cups.

Take a travel mug to Frost Cafe. Switch from bottled water to a reusable bottle.

As an institution, Amherst should strive to remove all plastic bottles from campus, use china and glassware at as many events as pos-

sible and transition to reusable containers at Grab ‘n Go. With student support, all of these changes are eminently achievable — many of our peer institutions implemented them years ago. Smith College, for example, switched last year to a waste-free Grab ‘n Go. Students exchange a token for a reusable container, and get their token back once they return the container to a designated location for cleaning.

Waste reduction is one of the most overlooked, yet impactful, ways to alter our campus’ ecological footprint.

Although waste from dining services comprises only a portion of our waste overall, I believe it is the best place to start. The choice is, quite literally, in our hands. Let’s begin the process of extricating Amherst from the global waste regime.

Let’s Talk Trash at Amherst Margot Lurie ’21 Contributing Writer Every day, our campus community disposes of thousands of single-use items from dining services, according to Director of Dining Services Joe Flueckiger.

Although we don’t see the genetically modified corn that goes into our compostable Grab ‘n Go containers, or the mountains of our recycled plastic bottles exported to communities across the globe, we are implicated in these processes. As a community, it is time that we recognize our complicity in an ecologically and socially harmful global waste scheme, and take immediate action to address it.

You might think that because Amherst recycles and uses compostable plastics, we have nothing to worry about. I need not mention

that these processes require student participation to be effective. But even when they do work effectively, recycling and composting are not solutions to our waste problem — they are merely band-aids.

In the U.S., one-third of recycled plastics, which are made from petroleum, are exported abroad, almost exclusively to developing nations, according to a New York Times report. These recyclables are often contaminated with hazardous materials, which wreak havoc on human and ecological health in the communities they are dumped in.

Compostable plastics, which are plantbased, tend to be sourced from industrial agriculture. They can only be broken down under extreme temperatures in industrial composting facilities.

An enormous amount of energy goes into the production, transportation and disposal

If I May: The Brilliance of Stephen Hillenberg in Five Moments Jake May ’19 Columnist Last Monday, Stephen Hillenburg, the beloved creator of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” passed away at the age of 57. He had been battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for the past year. This tragic death hit me very hard. As a kid (and, now, as an adult), I was obsessed with “SpongeBob SquarePants.” I think it was the very first show that I found funny, so one could say that “SpongeBob SquarePants” had a hand in teaching me what comedy was.

And what a great teacher I had. “SpongeBob SquarePants” employed word-play, visual comedy, unique animation and absurd premises to create a show that is enjoyable for all ages. Here are five of the show’s (and by extension, Hillenburg’s) finest moments: Squidward Won’t Fit In The first moment comes from the season three episode entitled “Club SpongeBob.” Perhaps the most well-known aspect of this episode is the Magic Conch, a magic-eightball type object that SpongeBob and Patrick believe to be omnipotent. The main arc of the episode is Squidward’s initial skepticism toward the Conch turning into begrudging acceptance. However, the moment I wish to highlight comes early on, before the Conch is even introduced. Squidward happens upon a small treehouse populated by SpongeBob and Patrick. Squidward asks what they are doing, and SpongeBob responds that he can’t say, as Squidward is not a member of the club.

Squidward demands that he joins the club,

but SpongeBob and Patrick insist that he wouldn’t “fit in.” Enraged, Squidward climbs up the tree and into the treehouse to confront them. Upon his arrival, it becomes clear that SpongeBob and Patrick literally meant that he would not fit in — the treehouse was tiny, and SpongeBob and Patrick had been trapped for days. This type of whimsical word-play is not only hilarious, but it also helps to build the world of Bikini Bottom. We never saw SpongeBob and Patrick stuck in the treehouse, but we are now laughing about the fact that they were.

Plankton. Krabs. SpongeBob! Pivoting from a more obscure moment to an absolutely iconic one, this meme-able exchange between Plankton, Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob occurs in the fourth episode of the second season, entitled “Imitation Krabs.”

During one of his schemes to steal the Krabby Patty formula, Plankton is caught — while standing atop SpongeBob’s nose — by Mr. Krabs. Mr. Krabs confronts Plankton by uttering his name, à la action movie villain. The shots cut between Mr. Krabs and Plankton as they up the intensity of their confrontation.

After a final back and forth between the two, SpongeBob, who has been in the shot the entire time, simply says “SpongeBob.” This subversion of the trope creates for an incredibly funny and lighthearted moment. Furthermore, it’s enjoyable for kids (as it is a goofy back-and-forth) as well as adults (who will recognize the genre subversion).

It’s Not My Wallet

Another beloved moment occurs in the second-season episode entitled “Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy III.” Any fan of the show will know which moment I am pointing to here. Man Ray, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy’s arch nemesis, is trying to return Patrick’s wallet. However, Patrick refuses to accept his own wallet, even though Man Ray explains that Patrick’s ID is inside. This exchange reminds me a lot of Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First” routine, wherein one party will hilariously not budge on an issue. In both cases, the acting is crucial. “Who’s on First” would not work without Costello’s hilarious anger contrasted with Abbott’s steadfast insistence. Here, Bill Fagerbakke, who voices Patrick, brilliantly makes the choice to calmly say his lines, as if he can’t understand why Man Ray is getting so exasperated. On the other hand, Bob Joles, who voices Man Ray, has an uncanny ability to switch between a parent-like cadence of explanation and frustrated exasperation. The premise here is hilarious, but the voice-acting takes it to another level.

The Entire Episode “Reef Blower” The “SpongeBob SquarePants” pilot consists of three mini-episodes, the second of which is entitled “Reef Blower.” This short episode lasts only two minutes and 50 seconds; however, the catch is that there are no words spoken at all. In this episode, SpongeBob and Squidward are cleaning their neighboring front yards. A single leaf falls onto SpongeBob’s front yard, causing him to employ a comically-large leaf blower to clear it away. As this episode is all visual, it would be foolish

for me to attempt to explain it. Suffice it to say that Hillenburg brilliantly uses this episode to introduce many crucial aspects of the show: SpongeBob’s superfluous personality, Squidward’s curmudgeonly nature and the conflict that is inevitable when the two live next to each other. If you have time to spare, I highly recommend watching this episode.

Sweet Victory No “SpongeBob SquarePants” best-of list would be complete without discussing the second-season episode “Band Geeks.” The entire episode contains so many wonderful details , including Patrick’s inability to understand the concept of an instrument, Squidward’s copious use of band-related puns, and the fact that Squidward’s fancy rival is named “Squilliam Fancyson.” However, perhaps the most iconic moment in all of “SpongeBob SquarePants” occurs at the climax of this episode: the ragtag Bikini Bottom band performs a stunning, awe-inspiring and tear-inducing rendition of “Sweet Victory,” to the absolute shock of Squidward and Squilliam. I have watched this clip literally countless times. Before I had access to YouTube, I would scour the cable guide, frantically searching for when this episode would air next. I was not exaggerating when I said “tear-inducing” — I have cried watching this performance. The most wonderful thing about it is not just the comedic element of surprise; rather, it’s the fact that the animation creates an actually epic feeling to the entire event. If you haven’t seen this clip in a while, I urge you to watch it at all costs and try not to get goosebumps.

Arts&Living

Installation Sparks Conversations on Diversity and Immigration

Photo courtesy of Amherst College

As part of the fourth installation of the “Rotherwas Project,” the Mead Art Museum is showcasing three works by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare.

Emmy Sohn ’22 Staff Writer The Mead Art Museum’s new installation showcases three works by Yinka Shonibare MBE, a British-Nigerian artist. This is the fourth installation of the “Rotherwas Project,” which displays contemporary art in the Rotherwas Room of the Mead. The Rotherwas Room was originally installed in Herefordshire, England as part of the Rotherwas Court’s estate, dating back to the year 1611, when it was commissioned by Sir Roger Bodenham.

The room was reconstructed at Amherst, and the Mead Art Museum was built around it in 1948. This historic oak-paneled room now houses contemporary art installations, contrasting the old and antique with the new and modern.

The Mead director and chief curator selects “contemporary artists to be in conversation with this 17th century room.”

This installation is comprised of three works by Shonibare, who is famous for his art across a range of mediums that explores colonialism, identity and globalization. He is known for his use of Dutch wax printed fabric in bright African patterns.

The fabric itself is an example of the effects of colonialism and globalization, fusing European production with African design. Jocelyn Edens, Interim Assistant Museum Educator, noted that “the fabric that is often understood as a symbol of authentic African culture, actually calls into question the notion of authenticity because of the way it is designed, produced and sold.”

These fabrics decorate the “The American Library Collection (Activists),” a work created

by Shonibare that the Mead purchased to be a permanent part of the museum, while the other two works are on loan. This work is a shelf of fabric-covered books, with the name of an activist printed on each spine. “Their activism is informed by their status as an immigrant,” Edens said.

Many of the names belong to first- or second-generation immigrants and others belong to those who have spoken out against immigrants and diversity. Edens said, “By grouping activists with disparate beliefs into this one library, Shonibare puts them in conversation with each other.” The Mead seeks to inspire such conversation at Amherst. In fact, to celebrate the opening, the museum hosted a panel of faculty to discuss the themes of the exhibition, including the way colonialism has affected our world.

The installation seeks to facilitate further conversation by posing questions like those posted on an exhibit sign: “What does it mean for this work to be exhibited in a British knight’s parlor? What stories are told by the movement or migration of the artifacts and art in this room?” and inviting visitors to respond in notebooks on a library cart opposite the installation.

The other two Shonibare works on display at the Mead are “Girl Balancing Knowledge” and “Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle,” both incorporating the wax printed fabric he is known for.

“Girl Balancing Knowledge” is a sculpture of a girl with a globe for a head, precariously balancing a tall stack of books on her foot.

For Mead public programming specialist Danielle Amodeo, this work is a reminder that “history, art history, anything we call a canon is actually very slippery because it depends on the narrator. You have to question who is telling the story and why.” “Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle” is a replica of the HM Victory from the Royal Navy in 1758, complete with 27 sails in Shonibare’s signature fabric.

Amodeo emphasized that the Mead chose these works by Shonibare for the fourth Rotherwas installation because Shonibare’s works

come from an “artist that brings underrepresented perspectives to the fore[front].”

Through the installation, and the purchase of “The American Library Collection,” the Mead invites Amherst to think about the history of colonialism, cultural identity and modern globalization. For those wishing to learn more about the installation, David Little, director and chief curator of the Mead Art Museum, will be leading a gallery talk to discuss “The American Library Collection (Activists)” in detail on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at noon.

Photo courtesy of Amherst College

“Girl Balancing Knowledge” is currently on display in the Mead Art Museum.

A Conversation with a Student on the Frontiers of Climate Change Kiera Alventosa ’21 Contributing Writer Student Voices from the Frontlines of Climate Change, an event hosted on Nov. 28 by the Students for Climate Action (SCA) and the Association of Amherst Students (AAS), provided an opportunity for students to share the ways in which climate change has impacted their lives. The event sought to implore the college to pass the Climate Action Plan — the draft reccomendation plan for the college to become carbon neutral. Gabriel Echarte ’22, whose home is in Miami Beach, Florida, gave the opening presentation. The Amherst Student sat down with Echarte to further explore his first-hand experience.

Q: What pushed you to open your presentation with the excerpt from the New York Times piece “Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change” by Nathaniel Rich, which alarmingly stated that “long-term disaster is now the best-case scenario”?

A: I read the article over the summer when it first came out, and I remember even then feeling as though the world has to read this. It just slaps you in the face with how serious the situ-

ation is. Climate change is an issue that has a mist around it at times, like you are not so certain in black-and-white terms what is going to happen. This piece laid out in perfect terms what is happening. The world needs to hear it.

Q: How can students present a message of hope for change that would be well received by other generations?

A: The first step is passing the Climate Action Plan with a really aggressive timeline because it allows for hope and allows for future students to do more. To maintain hope is to make these efforts more permanent.

Q: In what ways do you think that pressing for carbon neutrality on Amherst’s campus is the first step toward living and promoting a more sustainable life?

A: Everyone always says if it is a small group trying to make change, it is like you are just a small drop in the ocean. But, at the end of the day, what is the ocean but a multitude of drops?

Q: Tell me more about your deeply loved places on Miami Beach, which you described in your talk. How did they become, like you said, “sa-

cred to you?”

A: Miami Beach has one bridge that you have to drive over to get there, and on the way home I look around and see tons of physical reminders of all of these amazing moments I have had in my life and [I see] the fact that those will be ravaged by climate change. The last physical manifestations of those I love will be wiped off of this earth. The last place I saw my grandpa alive will be gone, too. The beauty of my home, all of the magical places I want to show my kids will be gone, and all they will see is a fading world.

Q: Could you talk again about your final point, the moment when you discussed that it is in human nature to be irrational at times, and if to hope is to be irrational, then let us be irrationally hopeful?

A: That is the final quote from this Nathaniel Rich article which states, “Human nature has brought us to this place; perhaps human nature will one day bring us through. Rational argument has failed in a rout. Let irrational optimism have a turn. It is also human nature, after all, to hope.” We must end with a message of hope. Hope is particularly important and I

sought to convey throughout my speech the feeling of living in a place that is [running] out of time and a place with no hope, to try to have you feel the weight of that. But that time has not come. There is still hope, but we are already paying a steep price. We must instill a road for things to get better.

Q: Do you recall that statement you made during your talk along the lines of “We cannot submit to the fate of living in a place with no future, a place like Miami”? Could you explain that a bit more?

A: Living without hope is one of the worst things. And I want people to see places like Miami and have them push [people] toward action. It is because I believe in the human project, that people are capable of amazing things. Take Amherst College — it is an institution that attempts to make higher education affordable and accessible for so many people, to attempt to make a better human being. We appreciate Amherst for giving us that opportunity to have our voice, to have our freedom to say this and to try to fight for this. We are now left with the task of mitigating the damage as best we can and maintaining the human spirit of hope throughout.

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Arts & Living 7

Earl Sweatshirt’s “Some Rap Songs” Shows Artistic Maturity

Photo courtesy of bitaites.org

In his second full-length album since 2010, Earl Sweatshirt demonstrates how much he’s grown in the years since.

Hugh Ford ’20 Staff Writer After a relatively quiet three years between albums, Earl Sweatshirt released his third commercial LP “Some Rap Songs.” On Friday Nov. 30, Earl first broke into the hip-hop world at just 16 years old in 2010 with the west coast rap collective Odd Future. “Some Rap Songs” is Earl Sweatshirt’s first full-length release since Odd Future effectively disbanded in 2015, and while some Odd Future artists like Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean and Syd (who formerly went by Syd tha Kyd) have continued to release critically acclaimed music, Earl Sweatshirt’s artistic growth had yet to be seen.

His debut 2010 mixtape “Earl” turned heads for its incredibly violent and edgy lyrics. However, Earl’s talent for clever rhymes and word play shone through and earned him respect from fans and critics alike. In his 2015 album, “I Don’t Like Sh*t, I Don’t Go Outside,” his music became even darker, as Earl went down a rabbit hole of gloom and depression, themes which he continued to develop in the 2015 EP “Solace.” The EP, a 10 minute abstract jumble of half-rapped thoughts and looped sounds, still stands as a powerful auditory representation of depression. The brief, yet poignant, “Some Rap

Songs” feels like the three-year fermentation of this sound.

The production on the album, handled mostly by Earl himself under the moniker randomblackdude, takes center stage. Throughout the album, eerily looped samples shape a palette of lo-fi beats, and the production is mixed to practically the same volume as Earl’s rapping, which juts in and out from behind the sampling. This lo-fi approach, similar to that of “Solace,” is somewhat surprising on a fulllength album coming from a rapper known for his lyrical versatility. Nevertheless, this style of production lends itself to Earl’s atmosphere of gloom.

The album opens with the ominously titled “Shattered Dreams,” which finds Earl contemplating suicide and the dreamlike nature of his depression. The song takes root in the phrase “imprecise words,” drawn from writer James Baldwin, and throughout, Earl paints a loose montage of grimy images in his signature deadpan voice. Despite its two minute and 21 second runtime, “Shattered Dreams” is one of the longer tracks on the 15-song album that lasts just 24 minutes. Consequently, the album itself becomes a montage of Earl’s hazy thoughts and ideas.

The next track, “Red Water,” dives into Earl’s

relationship with his family, which becomes a major theme throughout the album. In early 2018, Earl suffered the loss of his estranged father, renowned South African poet Keorapetse Kgositsile. Despite their complicated relationship, Earl was deeply affected by the loss, and the tragedy, paired with Earl’s continued battle with depression, heavily influences the music of “Some Rap Songs.”

One especially compelling aspect of “Red Water” is its feeling of spontaneity. Due to its short length, repeated chorus and Earl’s odd cadence, the track feels more like a freestyle than a composed song, and this lightning in a bottle quality of the song creates a feeling of closeness to Earl and accentuates the personal nature of the lyrics. Indeed, throughout “Some Rap Songs,” Earl is a master of crafting atmosphere. For example, on the third track, “Cold Summers,” Earl raps over a bright muffled beat that sounds reminiscent of a snowy landscape.

Another highlight of the album, “December 24,” utilizes muffled production to a similar effect. “December 24” is one of the most vocally emphasized songs on “Some Rap Songs.” Fans of Earl’s previous albums might find comfort in the track, as he returns to his signature wordplay and aggressive tone, similar to that of many tracks on “I Don’t Like Sh*t,

I Don’t Go Outside.” In addition to the topic of depression, which played a major role on that 2015 LP, Earl also revisits other themes of his earlier music on tracks like “The Mint” where he returns to the subject of substance abuse.

The beat, composed of an out-of-tune piano riff over a heavy bass line, lends an unsteady, drunken feeling to the track as Earl, in another seemingly spur-of-the-moment verse, muses over his drug and alcohol use. The album, however, isn’t completely moody and depressive.

Some rays of light manage to shine into Earl’s world on the following track, “The Bends,” produced by long-time friend and former Odd Future member Sage Elsesser.

The song finds Earl rapping over two upbeat soul sample loops, as he reflects on how far he has come during his career “from the Dickies and dirty Jansports.” The line “Bend we don’t break, we not the bank,” repeated throughout the song, is a testament to Earl’s resilience in the face of depression. And on the track “Azucar,” also produced by Elsesser and featuring similarly bright samples, Earl reflects on the emotional support from his mother and new friends.

The eclectic album finally reaches an emotional climax with the song “Playing Possum,” which features overlaid spoken word samples from Earl’s parents over his lo-fi looped production. The sample from Earl’s mother, Cheryl Harris, a professor of civil rights and civil liberties at UCLA’s law school, features an excerpt from a keynote speech in which she thanks her family and friends, including Earl himself. In his sample, Kgositsile reads a section of his poem, “Anguish Longer than Sorrow.” The song acts as both a sort of family reunion and reckoning, closing with the line, “‘To have a home is not a favor.’” In the face of Kgositsile’s death, the track takes on an even greater emotional weight.

“Some Rap Songs” might not be the album fans spent over three years anticipating. Undeniably, the extremely brief runtime of each track, the loose thematic montage, the lo-fi and Earl’s seemingly spontaneous verses all make the album feel almost spur-of-the-moment. Nevertheless, in the creative experimentation of “Some Rap Songs,” Earl still manages to convey the heavy moods and emotions that his fans appreciate. Those who were hoping for Earl to return to his old, more polished sound will most likely be disappointed. Since his days in Odd Future, Earl has changed his artistic trajectory, and “Some Rap Songs” represents new growth and maturity from the stillyoung artist.

The Amherst Student • December 5, 2018

Arts & Living 8

Paul Dano’s Directorial Debut in “Wildlife” Misses the Mark

Photo courtesy of it.m.wikipedia.org

Despite strong performances by renowned actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Carey Mulligan, “Wildlife” establishes an all-too-familiar indie aesthetic which overtakes plot.

Julian Raiford ’21 Staff Writer Paul Dano has made a name for himself as a critically-acclaimed actor across a splay of successful independent films, including “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Ruby Sparks” and “Love & Mercy.” However, in his directorial debut “Wildlife,” Dano moves from in front of the camera to behind it.

The feature film is an adaption of Richard Ford’s 1990 novel of the same name. Dano not only directed the film, but also co-wrote it alongside his longtime partner and fellow actor Zoe Kazan.

The film, set in the 1960s, tracks 14-year-old Joe (Ed Oxenbould) after his sudden move to Montana with his golf pro father, Jerry (Jake Gyllenhaal), and stay-at-home mother, Jeannette (Carey Mulligan). Shortly after their arrival, Jerry loses his job and becomes a destructive force in his family’s lives as he attempts to regain a sense of purpose.

His tyranny is only reined in when he hears of forest fires ravaging Montana’s wilderness and impulsively defies the wishes of both his wife and son by deciding to join forestry con-

servation efforts. While Jerry attempts to go fight the hellish fires, he neglects to realize the chaos that has been left in his absence.

Alone and unemployed, Jeannette loses all faith in her marriage and spirals into a depression. As his parents’ marriage rapidly decays, a new maturity is thrust upon Joe and he must struggle to find a sense of belonging, not only in his new community, but also in his dysfunctional home.

Throughout the first thirty minutes of the film, I consistently felt as though I was watching a poorly written student film. Maintaining my faith in Dano’s directorial abilities, I waited for the film to metamorphose into a driven narrative, but I was sorely disappointed when I realized that this wait would be indefinite.

Dano very quickly renders his first attempt to direct as juvenile in his lack of sincerity and thoughtfulness. Despite attempting to offer allure through dramatic scripting soaked in 1960s style, the writing feels clunky and immature — even when voiced by the respected Gyllenhaal and Mulligan.

This isn’t just the problem of working under a new writer and director. In 2016, Gyllenhaal worked seamlessly under first-time director

Tom Ford for the production of “Nocturnal Animals.” Similarly telling the story of a dismantled family life, Gyllenhaal and Ford create a devastatingly beautiful film, which is something Dano is desperately reaching for, but entirely missing.

Perhaps Dano’s greatest directorial flaw is that he attempts to stay within a cookie cutter idea of what the modern indie film is: desaturated, quiet and occupied with lingering, cinéma vérite-inspired shots. The film is littered with beautiful, sweeping shots of Montana that are poignantly interspersed with awe-inspiring footage of the forest fires ravaging the landscape.

Yet as the film unfolds, the choice to establish the familiar indie aesthetic begins to feel clumsy and overtakes the narrative of the film.

This wide lens approach seems to be somewhere between a reverent homage to Terrence Malick or Wes Anderson — understandable influences for Dano’s era of filmmaking.

However, the inflexibility of the movie’s cinematography and editing feels trite and paints its integrity into a corner. Nuance is not a necessity in film, but the borrowing of trite material is a sin.

The one great success of the film may have been an accident, considering the lack of intentionality that seems to characterize the rest of the production. The main character, Joe, lacks emotion throughout the film, making it incredibly easy for the viewer to project their own emotions onto the boy. Joe’s stoicism does not seem to be an intentional lack of character, but it conveniently primes him as a canvas for the viewer to paint themselves into the narrative.

Despite this potentially being the result of flat acting, this effect essentially crafts a role for the audience and makes the heart of the story much more touching. Dano’s attempts to be deep and compelling flounder under this questionable direction, making the film ultimately lack a sense of believability and originality.

Dano tries to tell the story of a teen boy’s dysfunctional family in the periphery of American life, but instead, he creates a film that lacks narrative and that will wash away in an indie market that is already oversaturated with dysfunctional coming of age tales — ones that are far more compelling than “Wildlife.” While I would not recommend this film, it is currently showing at Amherst Cinema throughout the week.

Ariana Grande Pays Homage to Cult Rom-Coms in “thank u, next”

Photo courtesy of i2.wp.com

Ariana Grande’s music video for her newest single “thank u, next” dropped on Nov. 30, breaking records by instantly garnering millions of views.

Isabella Weiner ’20 Contributing Writer After much anticipation, Ariana Grande dropped her music video to her smash single “thank u, next,” a sweet, razor-sharp send-off to her exes Big Sean, Ricky Alvarez, Mac Miller and former fiancé Pete Davidson.

The song, which has been sitting atop the Billboard Hot 100 for the past three weeks is a reclamation of a narrative that has been splashed across the tabloids and a testament to her perseverance.

Over the past year, she has endured a horrific bombing at her Manchester concert that claimed the lives of 23 people including the bomber, the death of ex boyfriend Miller, the result of an accidental overdose, and a broken engagement with Davidson.

The video pays homage to classic movies like “Mean Girls,” “Bring It On,” “13 Going on 30” and “Legally Blonde,” opening with characters spouting rumors about Grande, much like the high schoolers in “Mean Girls” did about queen bee Regina George.

Cameos in the opening sequence include ce-

lebrities such as Colleen Ballinger, also known as Miranda Sings on YouTube, Troye Sivan, a recent collaborator with Grande and Jonathan Bennett, who played Aaron Samuels in “Mean Girls.”

Grande steps into the role of vicious mean girl Regina, delegating the role of Cady Heron to former “Victorious” co-star Elizabeth Gilles, who herself has extensive experience playing a mean girl, portraying acid-tongued Jade West during the Nickelodeon show’s run.

Recreating iconic scenes from “Mean Girls,” Grande first writes in the “burn book,” gluing in a picture of her and Davidson and scrawling “Sry I dipped.” The video includes scenes of Grande and her posse — including Bennett as Aaron — strutting down the high school hallway.

Then she and the video’s Cady, Gretchen and Karen perform the film’s famous “Jingle Bell Rock” dance at the school’s talent show. Wearing the same outfits and Santa hats as in the film, the women perform under a sparkling “thank u, next” banner, as notorious celebrity “momager” Kris Jenner — stepping in for the film’s Amy Poehler — excitedly records their dance on a video camera.

The scene then switches to “Bring It On.” Grande brushes her teeth in the bathroom, as another former co-star and sometimes onscreen love interest from “Victorious” Matt Bennett joins her, recreating a flirtatious scene between Kirsten Dunst’s Torrance and Jessee Bradford’s Cliff from the movie.

Grande then admiringly looks at a mixtape dedicated “To: Ari, From: Ari,” echoing the

song’s message of being perfectly happy with herself outside of a relationship. She dresses as a cheerleader from the film — though she and her co-stars wear uniforms emblazoned with “TUN”— and dances with the Clovers, whom Gabrielle Union led in the original film.

Later in the video, Grande dressed as Jennifer Garner’s character Jenna Rink from “13 Going on 30,” walks by a wedding scene and sings that she too will one day walk down the aisle. She sets down the film’s magical dollhouse as pink dust swirls.

The scene switches to Grande pulling up to law school in a flashy car as Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods from “Legally Blonde,” sporting Elle’s chihuahua Bruiser. She converses with Jennifer Coolidge, who reprises her role as Paulette Bonafonté in the video and discusses her failed relationship with Davidson.

Grande runs on the elliptical while flashing the middle finger, studies law books, uses Woods’ famous orange computer and teaches Paulette the “Bend and Snap”— which Grande recently joked on Twitter that they had to change to “what?” for the video, in order to avoid getting sued.

Less than a day after its release, the video already garnered 40 million views, as well as the glowing admiration of the original films’ stars, including Witherspoon, Garner and Mark Ruffalo, Garner’s love interest in “13 Going on 30.”

And for good reason: the video is triumphant, hilarious and indicative that Grande is entering a supremely confident era as an artist.

She is just getting started.

Sports 9

The Amherst Student • December 5, 2018

Men’s Squash Responds To Opening Match Loss With Total Sweep, 9-0 Nat De Jonge ’21 Staff Writer The Amherst men’s squash team opened its 2018-19 winter campaign with a doubleheader on Saturday, Dec 2. Entering the season ranked No. 25 in the nation, the Mammoths hoped to improve upon last year’s 8-12 record.

Ultimately, the Mammoths split the pair of home matches against the University of Western Ontario and Northeastern University and now sit at 1-1 heading into a long break from match play.

“It’s a pretty deep team,” Reginald Brewster ’21 said. “A lot of good new freshmen add to the competitiveness in practice. It keeps us all accountable and on our toes.

We are all excited for this season.”

To begin the weekend on Friday, in an unusual turn of events, the bottom four players on the Amherst men’s ladder had the opportunity to play the top four of the Princeton women’s team.

Each of the four men’s team players took losses to four of the top women’s squash players in the country.

Amherst’s first official opponent of the season was No. 11 University of Western Ontario.

Against the Mustangs, the Mammoths trotted out a top nine of Terrence Wang ’21, Robinson Armour ’22, Robert Parker ’21, Harith Khawaja ’19, David Merkel ’19, Charles Sutherby ’22, Pavan Nagaraj ’21, Brewster and Chris Zimmerman ’21, with Mateen Mills ’20 playing on the exhibition

court.

Western Ontario proved a tough matchup for the Mammoths, sweeping the contest 9-0, with all but one match being decided in three games.

The only Amherst competitor to steal a game was Parker on the third court, who battled hard in the first game and lost by a slim margin of 14 - 12.

In the next game, Parker turned the tables, winning 14 - 12 to even the match at one game apiece. However, he was unable to keep up the momentum and saw his Mustang opponent take the next two games to claim the overall match 3-1.

Amherst’s best chance to steal a second game came on court four, where Merkel put up a good effort in each game but ultimately lost 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-8).

In the second match of the day, the Mammoths beat a weak Northeastern team by a score of 9-0.

Amherst rested a few of its normal starters and gave a few of the young players on the roster a shot at real game experience, with a ladder of Wang, Armour, Khawaja, Merkel, Sutherby, Nagaraj, Arnav Parikh ’21, Andrew Leung ’22 and John Grissom ’22, with Shayan Hussain ’22 on the exhibition court.

None of the nine matches made it further than three sets, a fact that will likely provide the Mammoths with a confidence boost after Friday’s rout by Western Ontario.

Amherst won’t return to action until the new year, when the Mammoths will take on Yale on Jan. 7 in a match at Amherst.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Reggie Brewster ’21 fell on court seven to his Western Ontario opponent.

Women’s Hockey Splits Weekend Series with Trinity with Rout and Close Loss

Women’s Basketball Rebounds After Loss With Dominant Road Victories

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Forward Kaitlin Hoang ’21 scored in the Mammoths’ Friday night victory.

Cale Clinton ’19 Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Junior point guard Hannah Fox scored 18 points in the Mammoths’ win over New Jersey City University and is shooting 50 percent from the floor.

Tyler Marshall ’21 Staff Writer The Amherst women’s basketball team rebounded this week after its 68-game winning streak ended over Thanksgiving break, notching a pair of wins against Brooklyn College and New Jersey City University to bring the Mammoths’ season record to 5-1.

On Saturday, Amherst took to the road to play Brooklyn College in Brooklyn, New York. The Mammoths outscored the hosts 20-2 in the second quarter on their way to a 60-27 victory. Hannah Fox ’20 and Madeline Eck ’20 were the lone members of the visiting team to reach double figures, with both notching 13, but the story of Saturday’s game was defense. Amherst’s stifling defense held Brooklyn College to 17.8 percent (eight of 45) shooting from the field and 9.1 percent (one for 11) from beyond the arc. The hosts almost had more turnovers than points, as Amherst forced 24 turnovers while only allowing 27 points.

After not playing great defense in the shocking loss to Eastern Connecticut State University, the Mammoths’ effort in New

York marked a significant improvement on that side of the ball.

Amherst didn’t have much time to celebrate its victory over Brooklyn College, since the team had a quick turnaround and played on the road again Sunday, this time in Jersey City, New Jersey against New Jersey City University.

The Mammoths used a balanced offensive attack to defeat the Gothic Knights.

Five Mammoths scored in double figures, and Fox led the way with 18 points. Cam Hendricks ’20, Eck and Dani Valdez ’22 all turned in strong performances, finishing with 14, 11 and 10 points, respectively.

However, the most impressive performance of the day may have come from first year Jade DuVal, who came off the bench and recorded 13 points and eight rebounds.

Thanks to such a balanced team performance, the Mammoths led for virtually the entire game, cruising to a 78-52 victory.

Amherst will be in action one more time before taking a break for finals and the holidays, when the Mammoths take on Maine Maritime Academy on Saturday, Dec. 8 at noon in Lefrak Gymnasium.

The women’s ice hockey team emerged from this weekend with a split of its two home matches against NESCAC rival Trinity, winning on Friday before losing on Saturday.

With the win and loss, Amherst now boasts a 2-2-1 record with a 1-2-1 mark in conference play.

On Friday evening, the Mammoths picked up right where they left off after their win over New England College last Tuesday, turning in their best offensive effort of the early season.

Five different players scored for Amherst in a 5-0 rout of the Bantams.

Laura Schmidlein ’19 wasted no time putting Amherst on the board, scoring her first goal of the season just 1:23 into the first period. After her first attempt was saved by Trinity goalie Kai-Lilly Karpman, Schmidlein attacked the loose rebound and buried it in the back of the net before Karpman could react.

In the second period, the floodgates opened up for the Mammoths. Katelyn Pantera ’19 struck first, assisted by Jamie McNamara ’19 and Jocelyn Hunyadi ’19. After serving a two-minute penalty for slashing, Sarah Wagner ’19 returned to the ice and immediately extended the lead with an unassisted goal.

Kaitlin Hoang ’21 followed up with Amherst’s third goal of the period just two minutes after Wagner’s, and Katie Savage ’19 capped off the dominant performance with one last goal halfway through the third, assisted by Emma Flynn ’21.

The Mammoths’ dominant offensive performance was matched by a stellar defensive outing. Caitlin Walker ’22 picked up her first win in net for Amherst and did so in a dominant fashion, stonewalling the Trinity offense with 21 saves. The rest of the lineup aided in this effort, as the Mammoths blocked 13 shots over the course of the game. Amherst also did a fantastic job on the penalty kill, forcing Trinity to go 0-4 on power play attempts.

Amherst’s Friday night dominance could not be parlayed into Saturday success, as the Mammoths fell to Trinity 3-1 in the second game of the series. The game started off with a band, as the Bantams found themselves on a breakaway just a minute into the game, only for Walker to deny them in net.

Off the rebound, Amherst quickly transitioned up the ice and Mia DelRosso ’21 managed to slot the puck into the back of the net to give Amherst the early one-goal lead.

Trinity, however, evened the score at one apiece with a goal by Bailey McKeon at the end of the first. The second period saw plenty of hard-fought hockey, with a total of six penalties and just 15 total shots between the two teams. Unfortunately, Amherst failed to keep up the intensity in the final frame, as Trinity notched two third period goals to claim the 3-1 win.

The Mammoths will seek to rebound from the tough loss to Trinity when they take to the ice at Orr Rink for two non-conference home games this upcoming weekend.

Amherst will host Elmira College on Friday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. before taking on State University of New York Oswego at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8.

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Sports

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Women’s Squash Starts Season With Loss, Rebounds With Sweeping Victory

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Hannah Fox ’20 1IPUP DPVSUFTZ PG Clarus Studios

Pierson Klein ’20 held her Northeastern opponent to less than two points in all but one set on Saturday, after falling to her Princeton opponent the previous day, 3-0.

Thomas Woodville ’21 Staff Writer The No. 16 Amherst women’s squash team opened its season last weekend, competing on Friday against No. 3 Princeton and taking on unranked Northeastern University on Saturday, with both matches being played at Amherst’s Davenport Squash Courts.

On Friday, the visiting Tigers routed Amherst, 9-0, as the Mammoths managed to take only two games in the entire match.

On the first court, Rachael Ang ’19 took on Gracie Doyle of Princeton, losing 11-5, 11-6, 11-2 in straight games. Caroline Conway ’20 also struggled through her match on court two, losing to Princeton’s Emme Leonard 11-3, 11-6, 11-3.

Riddhi Sampat ’21 and Lilly Soroko ’22, on the third and fourth courts, respectively, each stole a game from their Tiger counterparts. Soroko started slowly, losing the first game, but she managed to come back to win the second game 11-9.

Soroko’s momentum sputtered out at that point, though, and she lost the final two games 11-7 and 11-4 to lose the overall match three games to one.

Sampat lost the first two games of her contest but managed to hang on to take the third game by a close 12-10 margin. However, like Soroko, Sam-

pat was unable to push the game to a decisive fifth set, losing 11-5 in the fourth.

On the remaining five courts, Amherst suffered straight-set defeats, and Princeton left Amherst with its perfect record intact at 4-0.

After the season-opening loss, Amherst came out with a vengeance the next day, handily routing Northeastern 9-0 to move to 1-1 on the season. Indeed, the Mammoths failed to lose a single game on the afternoon, posting nine 3-0 sweeps. Ang again played in Amherst’s first spot and avenged the loss against Princeton, beating her Northeastern counterpart Isabelle Quarrier 11-3, 11-0, 11-3.

Playing in the second spot for the Mammoths, Conway took down Northeastern’s Sophie Langlois 11-3, 11-1, 11-2, while the last member of Amherst’s top three, Sampat, also emerged victorious. Soroko impressed for the second straight match, dominating her opponent Molly Bair, 113, 11-1, 11-1, to earn her first ever collegiate victory.

The bottom five members of the Amherst lineup also handily beat their Northeastern counterparts to complete the sweep.

With the split results, Amherst has finished play for the remainder of 2018 and will focus on rest and training until returning to the courts against Yale on Jan. 7.

Team: Basketball Favorite Team Memory: Winning back-to-back National Championships Favorite Pro Athlete: Allen Iverson Dream Job: Working on the Team USA Olympics Committee Pet Peeve: Losing Favorite Vacation Spot: The Jersey Shore Something on Your Bucket List: Watching the Eagles win the Super Bowl in person Guilty Pleasure: All chocolate desserts Favorite Food: Chocolate-covered pretzels Favorite Thing About Amherst: The people How She Earned It: Fox was a dominant force on the court for the Amherst women’s basketball team, garnering NESCAC Player of the Week honors after she scored double figures in each game. Against Brooklyn College, Fox recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and then followed that performance with another stellar offensive output against New Jersey City College, scoring 18 points. Fox has led the Mammoths in scoring on the season, registering 19.8 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting.

Craig Smith ’20 Team: Swim & Dive Favorite Team Memory: My sophomore year, our team defeated Williams at home Favorite Pro Athlete: Akiem Hicks Dream Job: Attorney Pet Peeve: Gum-smacking Favorite Vacation Spot: Anywhere with a beach Something on Your Bucket List: Visit Alaska Guilty Pleasure: Disney Movies Favorite Food: Sushi Favorite Thing About Amherst: The smallcollege feel How He Earned It: During the Amherst men’s swimming and diving team’s shutout of Middlebury recording three victories over the course of the contest. Smith, with the help of Sean Mebust ’20, Jack Koravos ’20 and Scott Romeyn ’22, won the 200-yard medley relay, securing first place. In the meet’s individual races, Smith was again victorious in the 100-yard backstroke. Following this triumph, Smith recorded his third win of the meet in the 200-yard backstroke.

Men’s Swimming & Diving Sweeps Middlebury, Wins Every Event

Women’s Swim & Dive Bests Middlebury in Third Dual Meet

1IPUP DPVSUFTZ PG Clarus Studios

After posting three first-place finishes this weekend in a meet against Middlebury, Bridgette Kwong ’19 earned NESCAC Performer of the Week honors.

Connor Haugh ’21 Managing Sports Editor This past Saturday, the women’s swim and dive team traveled to Middlebury, Vermont in an attempt to push their record to 3-0 to open the season. With wins over NESCAC foes Colby and Wesleyan over Thanksgiving break already under their belt, the Mammoths were riding high heading into the matchup. The meet began with the 200-yard medley relay, in which Amherst fielded four quartets to Middlebury’s three.

Ingrid Shu ’20, Natalie Rumpelt ’20, Nina Fitzgerald ’21 and Marie Fagan ’22 led the way, earning first place. Fagan has started her collegiate career strong, as the four swimmers have not yet lost in the event this season. Last season’s quartet finished 16th at the NCAA Division III National Championships, with a time that was just three seconds faster than what the Mammoths swam on Saturday.

The Mammoths would go on to win 15 out of 16 of the day’s events, outscoring Middlebury 227-73, an enormous margin. Angela Riggins of Middlebury clinched the Panthers’ only win of

the afternoon, as she touched the wall just two seconds ahead of Julia Ruggiero ’21 in the 1,000yard freestyle race. Livia Domenig ’19 took gold in the 200-yard freestyle, leading the way for a Mammoth sweep in the event, as Fagan and Dorit Song ’19 finished second and third, respectively.

The Mammoths also claimed the 100-yard breaststroke, as Fitzgerald, Molly Pines ’19 and Katie Smith ’19 took first through third, respectively.

Sophia Harrison ’22 took first in the 200-yard butterfly, an event the Mammoths also swept. In the one-meter diving event, Amherst continued its dominance, as the trio of Lindsey Ruderman ’21, who won the NESCAC crown in the event last year, Hannah Karlin ’22 and Jackie Palermo ’19 handily won the event.

The team also swept the 100-yard freestyle, the 200-yard backstroke and the three-meter diving event, meaning that overall, the Mammoths swept half of all the meet’s events.

The Mammoths will have time to train, complete finals and enjoy a respite from dual-meet action, as they are off until the new year, at which point they’ll return to the pool to take on archrival Williams on Jan. 5.

1IPUP DPVSUFTZ PG Clarus Studios

Craig Smith ’20 was victorious in three events, with the Mammoth swimmer claiming first in the 200-yard medley and the 100 and 200-yard backstroke.

Jake Grossman ’21 Staff Writer The Amherst men’s swim and dive team continued its strong start to the season with a complete sweep of all 16 events when it traveled to Middlebury this past weekend, winning by a score of 224-73.

The dominant win brought the Mammoths’ season record to 3-0 and was their third straight win over a NESCAC opponent to start the season. The team defeated Colby and Wesleyan in their first two matches.

The Mammoths got strong performances all across the board, claiming the top three spots in the 200-yard freestyle, the 100-yard backstroke, both diving events, and the 200-yard breaststroke.

It seemed like every Amherst swimmer found his way to the podium, as the Mammoths dominated each event.

In addition to being part of both winning relay teams, Jack Koravos ’20 and Sean

Mebust ’20 each notched individual events, with Koravos winning both the 200- and 100-yard butterfly races for a total of four wins on the day.

Meanwhile, Craig Smith ’20 left Middlebury with three wins, having claimed first in the 200-yard medley relay and won both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events.

Given the impressive scoreline, plenty other Mammoths swimmers also got in on the action.

Eric Wong ’20 won both the 200- and 500-yard freestyle events, while Scott Romeyn ’22 took both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle races after swimming on the winning 200-yard medley relay team.

Bennett Fagan ’20 notched wins in both diving events — the one-meter and threemeter.

The Mammoths will look to keep their undefeated season alive after a long break for finals and the holidays, when they will take on Williams at 4 p.m. on Jan. 5.

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Sports

Men’s Basketball Continues Perfect Streak With Pair of Road Victories

11

The Mazzola Minute Jamie Mazzola ’21 Columnist Jamie articulates the necessity of considering NBA player Derrick Rose’s off-court antics in judging his character, after his recent reemergence for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

1IPUP DPVSUFTZ PG Clarus Studios

Joseph Schneider ’19 has averaged four rebounds per game in five starts for the Mammoths, and has recorded eleven blocks.

Matthew Sparrow ’21 Staff Writer Amherst men’s basketball continued its hot start to the season last week, winning both of its games by an average of 31.5 points. The victories improved the Mammoths’ record to 5-0, the ninth year in a row that they’ve hit that mark to start the season.

The team traveled to Paxton, Massachusetts on Wednesday to play Anna Maria College.

Amherst set the tone early, nailing six three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes to race out to a 50-21 lead at the intermission.

The second half was more of the same for both teams, as Amherst held Anna Maria to 34.4 percent shooting on field goals in the period, a mark nearly nearly identical to the hosts’ 33.9 percent over the entire game.

The Mammoths never felt serious pressure and walked away with an easy 98-58 victory.

Sophomore Garrett Day had an outstanding game, scoring a career-high 21 points off the bench. He shot 8-12 including 4-7 from behind the arc, and added three rebounds and two assists.

Joseph Schneider ’19 had a solid effort as he contributed 12 points on just seven shots.

Eric Sellew ’20 lead Amherst in rebounding as he hauled in 10 while also scoring six points. Grant Robinson ’21 was the only other Mammoth in double figures with 11 points.

Amherst returned home on Saturday to square off against Emerson College. The con-

test against the Lions was the first time this season that Amherst shot below 50 percent over an entire game — it wound up shooting 41.3 percent from the floor.

However, the Mammoths were able to out-rebound the Lions 46-36 and their bench outscored Emerson’s bench, 24-7. Day had another very impressive night off of the bench, tallying 11 of his 14 points in the first half, while also grabbing five boards. Josh Chery ’20 recorded a double-double with 13 points on 5-12 shooting and 10 rebounds while Fru Che ’21 went 3-6 from downtown to total 11 points.

The player of the game for Amherst was undoubtedly Robinson, who had the hot hand all night.He missed two shots in the first half and only one shot in the second half as he went 8-11 from the field, including 3-4 on three-pointers, to register a season-high 23 points.

The excellent all-around performance led to a comfortable 85-62 win and a 5-0 mark to start the year.

Robinson and Day have dispelled notions of a sophomore slump, as they are the Mammoths’ top two scorers at 16.0 and 12.2 points per game, respectively.

Che, another sophomore, ranks fourth with 9.2 per game while Chery and Schneider round out the top five with 9.6 and 7.8 per game.

Amherst will close out its semester with home games against Babson College on Thursday and Lasell College on Saturday, before taking a brief hiatus for finals.

1IPUP DPVSUFTZ PG Clarus Studios

Josh Chery ’20 has averaged six rebounds per game for the Mammoths.

On Oct. 31, 2018, with a clutch block on Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum’s buzzer-beating threepoint attempt, Derrick Rose sealed the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 128-125 victory in what might have been the best game of Rose’s career. In 41 minutes of play, the 2010-11 NBA Most Valuable Player put up 50 points on 19-31 shooting, including going 4-7 from three-point range and 8-11 at the free-throw line. Rose also secured four rebounds and notched six assists. Fittingly, this offensive outburst occurred against the Jazz team that had waived him midway through last season, following a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Equally important, he delivered a win for a Timberwolves team reeling from controversy regarding then-Timberwolves player Jimmy Butler.

An emotional Rose was immediately embraced by teammates. As the Fox Sports staff reacted to his sensational performance, television analyst Jim Petersen offered a curious thought: “He’s got a lot of stuff going on off the court, and I’m not a judge and I’m not a jury, and, to my estimation, he’s not been convicted of anything, and... he plays hard. He is a gutty basketball player.”

In this oddly-phrased quote, Petersen is referring to the lawsuit accusing Rose and two of his friends of the rape of his ex-girlfriend, a case that ended with the jury ruling in Rose’s favor in October 2016.

Without getting into some of the more graphic alleged details, the undeniable facts of the case are that Rose and two friends went over to the plaintiff ’s house late at night to have group intercourse.

Rose, his two friends and the plaintiff were all intoxicated, although the degree to which the plaintiff was intoxicated was a contested piece of the case. The three men then engaged in intercourse with the plaintiff. The event was prompted by text messages from the plaintiff encouraging Rose to come over, and that conversation was preceded by a text discussion between them about engaging in sexual acts with a female friend of the plaintiff.

Petersen’s awkward phrasing is no simple mistake. Rose’s rape trial is a seldom-discussed topic, even among the most avid NBA fans and followers. Even if you agree with the jury’s ruling, some of the statements made by Rose during the deposition and trial will leave a rightful stain on Rose’s legacy. Personally, I am skeptical of the judge’s decision, even as a fan of Rose, the basketball player.

In his deposition, Rose openly admitted to having no understanding of what the word consent really means. Even worse is the following sequence of questioning from the trial: Question: “So they just said, ‘Hey, it’s the middle of the night. Let’s go over to plaintiff ’s house,’ and they never gave you a reason why they wanted to go over there?”

Rose: “No, but we men. You can assume.”

Question: “I’m sorry?”

Rose: “I said we men. You can assume. Like, we leaving to go over to someone’s house at 1 a.m.

There’s nothing to talk about.”

Question: “Alright. Is there — within what you just reviewed in those text messages — is there anything within them that would lead you to believe that plaintiff wanted to have sex with you and the other two defendants on Aug. 26, 2013?”

Rose: “No.” Rather than picking apart Rose’s statements myself, I’ll defer to former Detroit Lions linebacker Deandre Levy and the article “Man Up,” which ran in The Players’ Tribune on Apr. 27, 2016: “What if the woman says yes to letting a handful of strangers engage sexually with her while she’s under the influence of alcohol? That’s called gang rape. What if everyone else was also drunk? Still a gang rape. What if everyone was sober, but she said yes - a response that was likely prompted by her fear of the many men in the room? Yes, still rape… ‘But she’s a ho. Just look at how many men she’s slept with.’ This is irrelevant. A person’s sexual history is in no way related to their right to con-

sent.”

Levy wasn’t responding directly to Rose’s case, yet his statements are applicable, if not from a legal perspective, at least from a moral perspective.

I lack the legal expertise to rule on the case itself, but I can offer an opinion on the aftermath. At the end of the trial, Judge Michael Fitzgerald offered the following joke: “Mr. Rose, my best wishes to you and your career — except when the [New York] Knicks play the [Los Angeles] Lakers.” Lighthearted humor seems out-of-place and inappropriate at a rape trial, but it got weirder from there.

As Rose exited the courtroom, jurors requested to take photos with Rose, many of which can now be found on various social media platforms.

Rose was about to begin a new season for a new team, having signed with the New York Knicks, and it seemed that the entire city of New York blew a collective sigh of relief at seeing Rose cleared of the charges leveled against him. To many, this lawsuit was another instance of a golddigger attempting to exploit the fame and monetary resources of an ex-partner.

“Innocent until proven guilty” is taken to a further extreme in the cases of beloved athletes.

The fact that Rose was found not liable does not definitively indicate he was innocent, and it certainly does not absolve him of blame for his immoral actions and ignorance.

Let’s circle back to Petersen’s statement.

Knowing a video of Rose’s emotional reaction to his incredible performance was bound to go viral, Petersen should have been more sensitive with his phrasing.

Interestingly, Petersen’s sentiment seems to be widely shared, as congratulatory tweets from NBA players emphasized the amount of hardship Rose — the person, not the athlete — had to endure.

Tom Thibodeau, Rose’s coach both during his time with the Chicago Bulls and now with the Timberwolves, has continually heaped praise on his point guard’s character, in addition to his athletic ability.

The online media was quick to jump in as well, with numerous articles on sites from ESPN to The Athletic discussing Rose’s resurgence as a testament to his character. As recent as this past Friday, Forbes published an article lauding Rose for his perseverance, calling his story “one to aspire to.”

The difficulty in coming back from Rose’s injury-plagued post-MVP seasons is not to be scoffed at. Nor is the challenge of shuffling around teams during the 2017-18 season anything to be tossed aside, as Rose joined the Cleveland Cavaliers after a brief tenure at the Knicks, only to be traded to Utah, where he was waived, and finally was acquired by the Timberwolves — his fourth team in under a year.

Rose, as an athlete, undeniably overcame a great deal. Any statement regarding Rose’s personal character, however, should come with an asterisk. Curiously, few of these articles mention his rape trial. Moreover, the court case is often implicitly lumped in with all the other difficulties he had to endure.

Rose continues to make headlines for a career renaissance at age 30. The point guard’s 19.3 points per game average is his most since the 2011-12 season. Rose’s blistering 50.5 percent field goal mark and 49.4 percent three-point shooting statistic would both be massive career-highs if they continue at that level for the rest of the season.

The evolution of Rose’s jumper is of particular importance, as it maintains his media relevance and offers another excuse for his coaching staff to discuss his dedication (this time, in terms of his shooting practice over the offseason). As such, Rose’s name constantly comes up in the NBA media world, even on nights he doesn’t drop 50.

Hopefully in the age of #MeToo, though, coaches and media members will start to be more sensitive to Rose’s background when praising his character.

Sports

Photos courtesy of Clarus Studios

Sophomore forward Jack Lloyd notched two points this weekend, including a goal against Wesleyan and an assist to linemate Jack Fitzgerald ’19.

Mammoths Take Home a Win and a Tie After Pair of NESCAC Matchups Sarah Melanson ’20 Staff Writer The men’s hockey team has much to be excited about after going 1-0-1 on a weekend of NESCAC matchups, with games against Wesleyan and Trinity.

On Friday evening, the Mammoths faced off against Little Three rival Wesleyan. The first period was full of back-and-forth play, but neither team could capitalize on its opportunities and it took until ten minutes into the second period for Jack Lloyd ’21 to find the back of the net for his second goal of the season. Pieter von Steinbergs ’21 and P.J. Conlon ’20 both got credit for assists on the play that gave Amherst the slim

GAME SCHE DULE

one-goal advantage.

With less than a minute remaining in the game, however, Sean Ross evened the score for the Cardinals on a power play goal. During the overtime period, neither team was able to find a golden-goal and the contest ended in a 1-1 tie.

In net for the Mammoths, Michael Cullen ’21 had 32 saves, while his Wesleyan counterpart ended the game with 34, as Amherst out-shot the Cardinals 35-33.

After a quick turnaround, the Mammoths traveled to Hartford, Connecticut to meet NESCAC foe Trinity in a Saturday evening matchup.

Eager to take an early lead, captain Jack Fitzgerald ’19 opened the scoring just 18 seconds into the game, when he hammered a rebound past

the Trinity goalkeeper off an initial shot from Lloyd.

Seven minutes later, the Bantams tied the game up after a shot just barely beat Amherst goalie Giancarlo Ventre ’20. Determined to regain a lead, Fitzgerald again found the back of the net with just over six minutes to play in the opening period. Skating up the ice with Steven Mallory ’19, the senior duo executed a beautiful give-and-go sequence that resulted in Fitzgerald firing a rocket top-shelf to retake the lead.

Boasting a 2-1 advantage heading into the second period, Amherst was hungry for more.

Just 5:33 into the second, Sean Wrenn ’22 scored his first goal as a Mammoth, with a backhanded shot over the Trinity goaltender’s pad off of a

THU

FRI

SAT

Men’s Basketball vs. Babson College, 7 p.m.

Men’s Hockey @ Williams, 7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs. Maine Maritime Academy, noon.

Women’s Hockey vs. Elmira College, 7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. Lasell College, 2 p.m.

pass from A.J. Klein ’20.

Like the first period, Trinity was quick to respond, as Devin Moore capitalized on an oddman rush to snipe a shot inside Amherst’s near post to cut the lead to 3-2 heading into the last period of play.

Although the third period saw several power play opportunities for both teams, neither could take advantage and Amherst secured its first conference victory of the year despite being out-shot 39-33.

Ventre stood tall in net with 37 saves for the Mammoths.

Amherst will try to build on the Trinity win this coming weekend, as the Mammoths will hit the road to take on Williams and Middlebury.

Women’s Hockey vs. SUNY Osewego, 3 p.m.

Men’s Hockey @Middlebury, 4 p.m.