Issue 17

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

THE AMHERST

STUDENT

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VOLUME CXLVIII, ISSUE 17 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

AMHERSTSTUDENT.COM

College Placed on Lockdown Following Reports of Armed Person Natalie De Rosa ’21 Managing News Editor Editor’s Note: This article mentions suicide. Resources for any person who is feeling depressed, troubled or suicidal are listed at the end of this article.

Photo courtesy of Matai Curzon ‘22

The college recently approved a policy that allows for an additional half-course credit in lab science courses.

The chemistry and biology departments will begin implementing this policy in the next school year.

Science Labs to Count as Half Courses Ryan Yu ’22 Managing News Editor Starting in the 2019-2020 school year, a new academic policy will grant an additional half-course credit in lab science courses. Currently, only the biology and chemistry departments plan on using the policy for the next year. This policy was first approved by a faculty-wide vote in May 2018 and is intended to help better represent the additional workload and class hours that lab courses often demand.

The courses using the halfcourse lab policy will be largely introductory, consisting of major-track 100-level courses

in both biology and chemistry — CHEM 151/155, CHEM 161, BIOL 181 and BIOL 191 — as well as the organic chemistry track — CHEM 221 and CHEM 231.

Students can combine two half-course lab sections to form a full course towards graduation, lowering the number of full courses they are required to take by a maximum of two. The policy will not be applied retroactively.

According to Professor of Economics Adam Honig, who helped draft the initial proposal for the policy, this system is beneficial in both “reward[ing] students for the extra time spent

in class,” considering the relative length of lab courses, and giving struggling students a method of recourse.

“Inevitably, a course that meets three hours a week and has a substantive lab of another three hours a week has its [requirements],” said Anthony Bishop, professor of chemistry and chair of the chemistry department. “For those students who are feeling swamped by their lab science courses, this builds in the possibility for flexibility.”

The college will only implement the policy to a limited set of courses to maintain balance across the curriculum; Bishop

noted that the hope is to reduce student workload but not overemphasize science courses.

“A reason we didn’t make the upper-level courses one-and-ahalf courses, even though they certainly have as much workload, is that we didn’t want to proliferate the percent of the GPA that comes from the chemistry courses or, more generally, lab [science] courses,” said Bishop. “It was sort of an unintended consequence of this new policy, and we wanted to mitigate that effect.”

“We think it’s those students that are hitting the intro courses

Continued on page 3

The college was placed on lockdown on Wednesday, March 13 amid a police search in the woods south of campus for a potentially suicidal person with a firearm. An AC Alert sent at 9:12 p.m. notified the college community to remain sheltered inside of a locked building; the shelter-in-place lifted shortly past 11 p.m.

The search began after the person involved called the Amherst Police Department (APD) indicating that they intended to harm themself.

The call sparked a joint search with the Amherst College Police Department (ACPD), APD and Massachusetts State Police to track down the individual.

In an email sent to the community, ACPD confirmed that the person involved had no known affiliation with the college. The Town of Amherst has not authorized the release of any other information regarding the incident, according to the email.

Several local news outlets have reported that the person involved died from an apparent self-inflicted gun wound by the time authorities

Continued on page 5

News March 4, 2019 - March 17, 2019

>>March 4, 2019 4:31 p.m., Seelye Hall A student reported several items stolen, including cash, from their room. >>March 5, 2019 9:46 p.m., Marsh House Officers responded to an alarm and found it was caused by water dripping from the floor above. >>March 7, 2019 2:06 p.m., Science Center An employee received a disturbing phone call from an unknown individual. >>March 8, 2019 8:31 p.m., LeFrak Gymnasium A bag left unattended was stolen from the basketball game. The theft exceeded $1,200 in value.

11:48 a.m., Stearns Dormitory A student reported money stolen from their room.

11:35 p.m., Amherst College Police Department The Amherst Police Department received found property that belongs to an Amherst College student. The student was notified. >>March 10, 2019 12:45 a.m., Greenway Building B An officer observed a small unauthorized party with alcohol. The group left upon the arrival of the officer.

3:01 a.m., Off Campus Grounds

Eric Kim Thoughts on Theses

Officers responded to a report of individuals on a field late at night in the cold. The individuals then returned to campus without issue.

4:26 p.m., Humphries House Officers responded to an alarm that occurred in a room on the third floor and found it was caused by items not permitted for use in the residence halls. The items were confiscated.

Department of Philosophy

Eric Kim is a philosophy major. His thesis explores medical ethics from the lens of the doctor as the main moral agent. His thesis advisor is R. John Cooper ’64 Presidential Teaching Professor of Philosophy Jyl Gentzler.

>>March 13, 2019 1:45 a.m., Alumni House Officers spoke with an individual who was not permitted in the residence halls.

Q: What is your thesis about?

A: My thesis is a philosophy thesis dealing with medical ethics — specifically, it focuses on what should be done when parents of a child refuse life-saving treatment on religious grounds. Most of the discussion around this issue has been focused on parental rights to determine treatment and the duties of the state to regulate healthcare — the idea being that the state has an obligation to protect its children from abuse and neglect. At the same time, there is the question of the extent to which the parents have the right to determine or control the future of the children. My thesis wants to look at it from a different point of view — looking not at the parents or the state, but at the doctors, because the doctors themselves are agents who can desire to do certain actions. So the question is: given the doctors’ authority and ethical obligations, what should they, as moral agents, do?

>>March 14, 2019 7:44 a.m., Wilson Admissions An alarm was accidentally set off by an employee.

Q: How did you come up with this idea for your thesis?

A: [Harvard Professor of English] Anne Fadiman wrote a book called “The Spirit Catches You and You

>>March 11, 2019 7:53 a.m., East Drive Two vehicles were involved in a motor vehicle crash. No one was injured.

11:01 a.m., Frost Library Employees reported a letter written in pencil on the wall. It was removed.

>>March 15, 2019 8:58 a.m., Hitchcock Hall A snack machine was damaged, and food was stolen from it on two separate occasions. >>March 17, 2019 7:37 p.m., James Dormitory An item left unattended was stolen from a room.

Fall Down” about this really tragic story of a Hmong family who had an infant daughter with a severe case of epilepsy. And because of the differences in beliefs, language and culture between the family and the doctors, tragedy ultimately befell the infant. I won’t give away what happened because people might want to read the book, but that was one of the inspirations for me.

Q: What has been your favorite part of the whole process?

A: My position is rather uncommon and unpopular. Generally, the bioethical consensus is that doctors should report refusal of life-saving treatment to the state, get a court order for child neglect and force the family to accept treatment. My view is that the doctor should remain the patient’s advocate, and part of what that means is siding with the parents, not with the state.

I recognize that I have a controversial view, but I do think I have good reasons for maintaining it. When I talk about this, with my advisor and my friends, I sometimes get some pushback — but even as I read papers and talk to others, I’m startled to find how strong my intuitions are

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about the matter. When I place myself in the shoes of the religious parents, thinking about how they must feel when they express their beliefs to the doctor and the doctor totally disregards them and goes through with treatment anyway, I find myself fixated on how terrible that must feel. When I see the strength of my beliefs and how they influence my philosophical arguments, it’s been really interesting to learn more about myself in that context.

Q: What has been the hardest part?

A: I can’t deny my beliefs. My beliefs on this issue are what I believe is morally right, but I’m faced with what seems like mountains and mountains of literature that disagrees with me, and I have to find some way to argue against all of it.

Going against the grain is always tough.

Q: What advice do you have for other thesis writers?

A: Take good notes because I have so many papers that I’ve gone through and I’m starting to lose track.

— Jake Shapiro ’22

News 3

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t .BSDI

Faculty Discuss Implications of New Lab Policy Continued from page 1

Photo courtesy of Zach Jonas ’22

Photo courtesy of Matai Curzon ’22

Faculty recently voted on a policy to grant half-course credit to introductory level biology and chemistry classes. Disagreements on its implementation arose between faculty members.

for the first time that are seeing things about college courses that they haven’t seen before and learning how to balance time,” added Alexandra Purdy, assistant professor of biology. “We see that our students are usually much more successful as they progress in their college career.

We’re focusing this where we think it’s going to be most helpful to the largest number of students.”

However, support for this policy was not unanimous among lab science faculty. Massachusetts Professor in Chemistry and Natural History and Chair of Geology Tekla Harms expressed opposition and said that the geology department would not be offering its lab courses with an additional halfcourse credit.

“It’s a very long-standing culture where we agree that a course is a course is a course.

We recognize vast differences in courses. They’re different, but they’re meant to be equivalent,” said Harms. “I don’t think [a geology course] is different from a course that asks you to read ‘Moby Dick’ or a course that asks you to write a 20-page paper. We’ve worked hard to maintain that equivalency, even while we’re maintaining a difference.”

Some supporters acknowledged that there were flaws in the policy.

“To my mind, a strong critique is the concern about reducing the number of non-science courses that students take at Amherst,” said Bishop. “One thing that came up in faculty discussions quite regularly was, ‘Do we want to reduce the amount of sampling of the open curriculum, or even give the opportunity to reduce that?’”

Conversely, many faculty members viewed these flaws as insignificant or outweighed by the benefits.

“Most of the students probably won’t drop a course,” said Caroline Goutte, professor an-

“

“It’s a very longstanding culture where we agree that a course is a course is a course. We recognize vast differences in courses. They’re different, but they’re meant to be equivalent.”

—Tekla Harms, Chair of Geology

”

chair of biology. “Most of the students will probably continue doing what they’re doing, but now they’ll earn an extra half[course] credit. That’s really how we should look at this system.”

“In the end, a student can only apply to four half-courses towards graduation, which means that you could take 20 labs, but only four of those could count towards your 32 required courses,” added Honig. “That also means that, in the end, a student can only take a reduced course load twice.”

The physics department has not yet discussed whether or not they will implement the policy, according to Professor of Physics and Chair of Physics and Astronomy Kannan Jagannathan.

“When you do something like this, the intentions are great, but there may be some unintended consequences. We would like to see what they might be, if there are any,” said Jagannathan.

“When we think about whether we want to implement it, we need to make sure to be clear [about] how we would implement it.”

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t .BSDI

News 4

SHEs to Hold Events Promoting Body Inclusivity Sophia Harrison ’22 Staff Writer

Continued from Page 4

Photo courtesy of Matai Curzon ‘22

The Student Health Educators (SHEs) will be hosting a Bodies Week from March 25April 6 to foster body inclusivity on campus and redefine notions of body positivity.

The Student Health Educators (SHEs) will be hosting “My Body is Beautiful Week” from March 25 through April 6, during which a variety of interactive activities will promote body inclusivity and health throughout the college community.

Through the event, the SHEs aim to move away from the popularized notion of body image and instead redirect the message to become more inclusive of people of different identities, such as transgender and non-binary people.

Bodies Week was started as a way to promote thoughtful body appreciation that incorporates acknowledgment of the way bodies move and interact, not necessarily limited to just physical activity. Activities during the week include education on physical health such as a nutrition cooking workshop, a yoga class that addresses feelings of disassociation from the body and a raffle for selfcare prizes.

Other events include a talk from Loewenstein Fellow and Visiting Associate Professor in Political Science Manuela Picq and a gathering in the Powerhouse intended to help participants embrace their bodies through self-expression. Each event throughout Bodies Week will be in-

teractive and informal, encouraging participants to engage in relaxed discussions with one another.

SHE Ilyssa Forman ’22 added that a big step to improve body inclusivity stems from “acknowledging that there are various types of people who exist and understanding that everyone has different interests and needs based on where they come from and who they are … Just because somebody is not mainstream doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be represented.”

Since the student community is extremely diverse, the SHEs want to emphasize that Bodies Week is ultimately about what an individual’s body can do in the world.

Tucker Meijer ’19, another SHE, highlighted the importance of inclusivity. “[The SHEs] are trying to center [Bodies Week] around bodies that don’t fit into the normative, traditional societal expectations of what a body should be,” he said. “We’re trying to challenge expectations.”

SHE Sasha Williams ’22 added, “During this time in our lives, we tend to be really self-critical … It’s really healthy and good for our community to understand that we need to take a step back and appreciate where our bodies have gotten us in life and that our bodies have been with us through our entire life experience.”

Students Embrace Spirituality in RSL Interfaith Retreat Ronin Rodkey ’22 Staff Writer Religious and Spiritual Life (RSL) held its first-ever interfaith retreat, titled “Nourish,” from Friday, Feb. 15 to Saturday, Feb. 16. As part of a broad effort to engage students across all religious backgrounds, the retreat created a space for attendees to slow down and connect with themselves and each other.

The retreat, which took place at the Nine Mountain Retreat Center in Plainfield, was attended by 17 students and five staff members representing multiple religions. The retreat was one of many new activities that RSL

hopes to offer for students with wide-ranging spiritual interests.

Aiming to focus more on interfaith relations in his first year as director of RSL, Harrison Blum cited the prevalence of data showing an increasing number of Americans with no particular religious ties as justification for this shift.

“A question across college spiritual life is, ‘How can we be relevant and supportive to all students?’ So certainly here RSL will continue our religious groups, supporting religious students, and a main vision I have for our department is to better

Continued on page 5

Continued from Page 4

Photo courtesy of Harrison Blum

Seventeen students and five staff members hosted its Nourish retreat, where students were able to connect with their spirituality through an interfaith perspective.

News 5

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t .BSDI

Students Explore Interfaith Relations at Retreat Continued from page 4

support students who may be outside of participating in a faith tradition,” he said.

Students engaged in two structured activities on Friday and three on Saturday. Sessions included reflections on students’ own spiritual journeys and beliefs, two spiritual practice sessions — one Hindu and one Christian — a nature hike and lots of opportunity for general discussion about their beliefs.

Samuel Melcher ’22 felt he gained a lot from the practice

sessions. As a unitarian universalist, he was especially impressed by the Hindu session, a fire ritual honoring Shiva.

“I had never seen anything like it before,” he said. “There was a food offering that you make and that you can partake in — there were some very good cookies. We sort of moved a bowl or a plate in front of a little statue of Shiva, and the woman who was the Hindu spiritual advisor was chanting. Some students chose not to partake, because it was worshipping a different god [that is not their own], but it

doesn’t have any conflict for me.”

The retreat also provided the opportunity for participants to relax in their free time with board games and a jacuzzi at the retreat center. Blum noted that the retreat offered plenty of space in the schedule “to move slowly and set the homework aside for 24 hours.”

Sabir Meah ’21 found the unstructured time the most fun — he recalled playing a lot of Settlers of Catan, a board game.

Many students who attended the retreat, like Basma Azzamok ’22, found the opportunity to

learn across different faiths, which was perhaps the most valuable part of the experience.

“I don’t know much about the Christian faith or the Hindu faith and I feel like having those workshops just kind of introduced me to a couple of those elements,” she said. “I think it was helpful in fostering conversation because you can’t really have a conversation about religion if you’re only knowledgeable about your own and don’t really know about the others.”

Meah also valued hearing about people’s individual spir-

itual journeys. “It definitely helped me realize how much of a transformative time college is for some people, especially spiritually. It was interesting to hear about so many people … who have so many different ups and downs and changes throughout their religious and spiritual life, because I personally never experienced that,” he said.

Blum was enthusiastic about the retreat and hopeful about expanding RSL’s role on campus, with plans to continue holding Nourish at least once a year, probably in the spring.

Though the incident did not occur on central campus, Chief of Police John Carter noted that it did occur on property owned by the college. The Clery Act requires ACPD to act if there is a serious ongoing threat to the community.

“Events that occur in the immediate area of the college that may impact the safety of our community are monitored,” Carter said in an email interview. “An event that occurs off campus but nearby can impact the campus as much as an event on the campus.”

Carter added that the college has invested in resources to prevent and respond to firearm-related reports.

AC Alerts, an external loudspeaker system and a full-time director of emergency management are part of the system of response in firearm-related scenarios.

ACPD also works closely with Amherst Police and Massachusetts State Police in such events. While Amherst Police’s primary jurisdiction falls on off-campus property — including non-academic property like faculty rental buildings and the Inn on Boltwood — their jurisdiction overlaps with ACPD. “It can be a little complex, but none of these agencies would allow public safety to suffer over jurisdiction,” Carter said. Massachusetts State Police is involved anytime there is a death, he added.

In the event ACPD needs to administer a lockdown, all exterior doors are automatically locked,

with community members still able to access shelter with their ID cards.

All room doors on campus are also able to lock from the inside without a key, and instructions for doing so are posted inside of all classrooms on campus.

Though Carter reaffirmed ACPD’s commitment to responding to firearm-related incidents, he also emphasized student preparedness.

He advised all students to check that they are signed up for AC Alerts and look over the college’s emergency handbook, which is available online.

“Knowledge is the first line of defense,” he said.

Because the incident involved suicide, Kozuma listed in his email the resources available for students, including the Counseling Center, the Office for Religious and Spiritual Life, Student Affairs and Residential Life.

“Each of us will react to last night’s events in our own way, and we need to be respectful of each other in that regard. Some may experience anxiety, others sadness, others irritability or anger, and some

may not have much reaction at all,” he wrote. “There’s no single ‘right way’ to react. Whichever way you are reacting is okay, and we are here to support you, should you have a need.”

ACPD Reaffirms Campus Safety Amid Lockdown Continued from page 1 arrived.

Chief Student Affairs Officer Hikaru Kozuma advised in an email to the community to “avoid passing along unconfirmed information,” adding that the college has not been given any more details.

Students who were on campus at the time of the incident described feelings of fear and uncertainty.

Dana Kulma ’21 said she was walking from Greenway to Newport when the AC Alert was released. After she had seen the notification, she took shelter in Seelye, the nearest building to her at the time.

“I was walking kind of near town, so I saw police lights just going past,” she said. “I was freaked out.”

Kulma added that the span of time between AC Alert updates was long, causing more confusion and anxiety. “[A friend] called ACPD and asked for updates, because they called a lockdown and said nothing.

We wanted to know if we were fine,” she said.

Donna Roscoe ’21, who was also on campus, said the situation was “shocking and out of the blue.”

Though she had not seen the AC Alerts immediately, she said that there was significant buzz about the incident during the lockdown.

“It was crazy how in touch all of Amherst seemed to be,” she said.

“I got texts from people who go to UMass and people who weren’t on campus asking about it.”

Any person who is feeling depressed, troubled or suicidal can access an Amherst College counselor by calling 413-542-2354 at any time. People can also reach trained counselors by calling the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-784-2433 or texting the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

Photo courtesy of Matai Curzon ‘22

The college was placed on lockdown for nearly two hours on Wednesday, March 13 after reports of a person with a firearm in the woods south of campus.

Opinion The Harm of Our Words

THE AMHERST

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

Editor’s Note: Resources for any person who is feeling depressed, troubled or suicidal are listed at the end of this article.

We’ve all heard a frustrated person say, “I want to kill myself.” Perhaps we’ve even said this five-letter phrase ourselves during periods of stress. As our much-needed spring break comes to an end and the spring semester once again resumes, there is no doubt that students will once again experience the challenges that come along with attending Amherst. There is also no doubt that the phrases “I just want to die” or “I want to kill myself ” will once again join the vernacular of the student body. Words, however, have more power than we give them credit for. Despite the casual nature of these comments, we urge students to consider the harmful impact of using such language on campus.

Our campus is not immune to the struggles of mental health that affect millions of Americans. Students use the Counseling Center on a daily basis and the Health and Wellness Team exists for a reason. In Amherst’s highly demanding environment, we all face challenges both on and away from campus, and many students on campus suffer from mental illness.

As a result, Amherst has made strides in ensuring that students and other members of the campus-wide community have access to critical mental health resources. We have all seen emails that tell us to reach out to the Counseling Center, the Office of Student Affairs or the Religious and Spiritual Life office on campus. We’ve participated in or witnessed efforts to destigmatize mental health on campus through organizations like Active Minds or events like the Mental Health Walk. So why then, in spite of these great efforts, do students still trivialize the idea of mental illness through casual references to suicide?

Although such phrases are said jokingly during times of stress, it is obvious that suicide is a very serious issue. Suicide is the secondleading cause of death for those between ages 15 and 24, a demographic which includes the vast majority of Amherst students. According to the American Foundation for Suicide

Prevention, there were 47,173 reported suicides in the U.S. in 2017, with a further 1.4 million estimated suicide attempts.

Many of us know people who have struggled with suicidal thoughts or who have actually attempted or died by suicide. Suicide is no laughing matter. Stop treating it as such.

The country has seen many campaigns in the past to remove use of the word “gay” as a derogatory adjective or the “n-word” from our vocabulary. People have advocated for others to stop saying “I’m so OCD” or “I’m so depressed” if we don’t actually suffer from Obsesssive Complusive Disorder (OCD) or depression. Where are the massive campaigns to stop trivializing suicide with our language?

More importantly, why do we keep saying “I’m going to kill myself ” in a casual manner when we already know the grim and tragic statistics about suicide? The use of death and dying as a joke or a meme has proliferated the internet and social media and continues to creep into our everyday lives. This trend has become ingrained in social media, as evidenced through the language that we continue to use in real-world settings. We urge every student to reconsider their use of suicide and death as an outlet for stress or as a form of dark humor.

It is hypocritical to advocate for the destigmatization of mental illness and to show our care for those with mental illness while repeating insensitive phrases that may inadvertently affect those who are struggling with suicide. Would you say “I’m going to kill myself ” in front of someone who has attempted to take their own life? Would you say that phrase to someone who is suffering from suicidal thoughts? If your answer is no, as is should be, don’t say it at all.

Any person who is feeling depressed, troubled or suicidal can access an Amherst College counselor by calling 413-542-2354 at any time. People can also reach trained counselors by calling the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-784-2433 or texting the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

—Unsigned editorials represent the Editorial Board (assenting: 10; dissenting: 0; abstaining: 3)

Editors-in-Chief Shawna Chen Emma Swislow Managing News Natalie De Rosa Ryan Yu Assistant News Zach Jonas Managing Opinion Jae Yun Ham Camilo Toruno Managing Arts and Living Olivia Gieger Seoyeon Kim Managing Sports Connor Haugh Henry Newton Managing Design Julia Shea S TA F F Publishers Joseph Centeno, Emmy Sohn, Mark Nathin Digital Director Dylan Momplaisir

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The Amherst Student • March 20, 2019

Opinion 7

If I May: 5 More Things I Like and/or Don’t Like Jake May ’19 Columnist It was recently brought to my attention that I have not yet written a “listicle” this semester, a fact which I was horrified to learn. I will never turn my back on the listicle! Without further ado, I present to you: “5 More Things I like and/or Don’t Like.”

1. Beto O’Rourke on Counters Last week, Beto O’Rourke announced his candidacy for president, which has brought him back into the media spotlight. This new media coverage has revealed O’Rourke’s obsession with getting on top of counters in restaurants to address the patrons. If you take a look at some of the photos of O’Rourke’s countertop monologues, you’ll notice a few things. One: often these places are not very crowded. Although most of the tables are usually filled, there is certainly no frenzied crowd visible.

Two: Beto looks incredibly tall when he stands atop a counter due to his

height of six feet and four inches. Just to compare, the average American person’s height is about five feet and six inches. These two factors lead us to an obvious conclusion: there is absolutely no reason for O’Rourke to stand up on these counters. He could simply stand in an open area of any establishment and would be easily seen and heard. But no, our “man of the people.” He has to stand on a countertop — where people are eating, mind you — so he can show that he’s “born to be in it”.

2. Xfinity Cable Service Recently, I found out that some Amherst students are unaware of our Xfinity cable situation.

Through Xfinity On Campus, all students can use their Amherst email and password to gain access to live cable, as well as a great deal of streaming options. To do this, just go to xfinityoncampus.com and sign in with your Amherst information.

I was not paid by Xfinity or by Amherst to write this. It’s just something

I like.

3. A.P. Bio on NBC A.P. Bio is a television show on NBC that recently began its second season. The show stars Glenn Howerton as a disgraced Harvard philosophy professor who winds up teaching — you guessed it — Advanced Placement (AP) biology at his hometown high school. Howerton is certainly quite good in his role, but it’s the supporting cast that makes this show so wonderful. Patton Oswalt and Paula Pell, who play the principal and his assistant respectively, bring two incomparable comedic voices to the show. Perhaps most impressive, though, are the actors playing the kids in the class. The show found some incredible young performers who inject the students with the perfect mix of absurdity and humanity.

4. Fantasy Sports After my first year at Amherst, I decided to stop playing fantasy

sports, an activity I had participated in since I was around 13 years old.

I’m not sure exactly what drove me to quit, but it likely had to do with the level of focus fantasy sports required.

While it is not a difficult endeavor, most fantasy leagues require tending to your team at least once or twice a week.

However, this past fall I decided that I would make a return to fantasy sports as I felt my engagement with sports was changing. I was deeply invested in the teams of which I was a fan (as you’ll see soon), but I was not attuned to the larger narratives of the professional leagues. I didn’t like turning on baseball games and not knowing most of the players.

I didn’t like catching the end of an NBA game and having no allegiances at all. Fantasy solves these problems; to succeed, one must be familiar with most, if not all, of the players. Because the players on one’s fantasy team come from a litany of real teams, one almost always has something (or someone) to root for.

(If this catches your eye and you’d like to join a fantasy baseball league, please email me and I can set something up!)

terrorists and promising to deal with the problem directly. The promised measures passed by these politicians, however, inevitably create more fear and render the public more susceptible to these opportunistic politicians. The fear instigated by political leaders is at times some of the most corrosive and harmful, because it is often directed at and encourages hostility toward specific groups of people, such as Muslim people, and creates a divided society.

But if a big reaction to terrorism simply plays into the terrorist’s hands, then what can governments do? The simplest, cruelest answer is to do almost nothing. Autocratic governments in particular have the power to ignore terrorist attacks, thus preventing terrorists from spreading fear as effectively. Indeed, autocratic regimes tend to suffer fewer terrorist attacks than democracies, likely in part because terrorists know that democratic countries feel an obligation to respond to terrorism. Yet ignoring terrorism stands against democratic principles and the state’s

responsibility to protect its people.

While autocratic states rely on the government to repress anyone who would try to respond to terrorism, democracies like the U.S. should use its greatest strength: the people. Americans should understand that terrorism cannot be met directly with strength. Terrorism’s greatest strength is the way it takes advantage of people’s emotions and provokes them into unwise action.

If the American people temper their anger and fear with rationality, they will be able to neutralize what makes terrorists powerful and deal with the problem far more effectively.

It would be wrong to ignore terrorism entirely, but only indirect action can give a proportional and effective response. Instead of arresting thousands of potential terrorists, the government and people of America should try to treat the underlying problems which cause radicalization.

After a century spent fighting large states, the United States has forgotten that a blunt approach is not effective against every type of threat.

5. The New York Knicks I would be hard-pressed to get through a like/don’t like list without mentioning the New York Knicks.

The Knicks are my favorite professional sports team, but I also deeply despise them. In their past 41 games, the Knicks have had an abysmal record of 5-36, making them the worst team in the NBA. The worst team in the league has the best odds of getting the first pick in the draft. However, in classic Knicks fashion, the team managed to be the odds-on favorite to get the first pick in the year that the NBA adjusted those very odds. Instead of having a 25 percent chance of getting the number-one pick, as it had been since 2005, this year the team with the worst record only has a 14 percent chance of getting the pick. So thanks a lot, Knicks.

You can’t even lose correctly.

The Terrorism Paradox Thomas Brodey ’22 Contributing Writer In the past two decades, terrorism has dominated discussions of American national security. Many politicians paint terrorism as an existential threat to America and argue that terrorists must be found and dealt with directly, both at home and abroad. While such a viewpoint is understandable and consistent with the traditional ways a state deals with its enemies, it also completely ignores the unique goals of terrorism. Terrorism is different from other forms of violence; its primary purpose is not to kill people, but to spread fear and gain recognition. Therefore, a combative and aggressive approach to dealing with terrorism actually plays into the hands of terrorists by legitimizing them and spreading fear among Americans.

U.S. policy toward terrorists clearly demonstrates the pitfalls of direct reactions to terrorism. After the 9/11 attacks, the American people understandably demanded that

the government take action. In short order, the government passed the Patriot Act and invaded Iraq. Now, the efficacy of these actions remains dubious at best. The Patriot Act caused great controversy for what many believed to be invasions of privacy, and created widespread suspicion of government surveillance.

As for the “war on terror,” the United States has spent trillions of dollars and suffered tens of thousands of military casualties fighting in the Middle East, yet has only managed to destabilize regimes, kill civilians and harm America’s international image. In fact, terrorist attacks have increased since 9/11 despite the United States’ efforts. The simple truth is that no amount of government surveillance or military action can crush a terrorist’s ideas.

More often than not, direct action backfires by creating resentment and anger among those harmed by the government’s actions. These efforts have only given terrorists a larger presence in the media and international politics, which is exactly what

terrorists value most.

One might argue that the government’s response makes people feel safe, even if it is ineffective at stopping terrorism. However, a large response can often create more fear than it prevents. Protective measures like airport security provide dubious reassurance to fliers, and the constant reminder of the risk of terror attacks creates an atmosphere of paranoia. By going to such great lengths to root out terrorism, the U.S. legitimizes terrorists as a credible threat to the lives of every American, which blows the situation entirely out of proportion. Since 9/11, fewer than 300 American civilians have been killed by terrorist attacks.

The fact is that terrorism remains a negligible threat to most Americans, and treating it as a great danger only creates fear and plays into terrorists’ goals.

A big reaction to terrorism can also lead to a vicious cycle of paranoia and fear. In democracies in particular, politicians can easily further their careers by stoking fears about

The Amherst Student • March 20, 2019

Opinion 8

Renewable Energy: Combating Authoritarianism Cole Graber-Mitchell ’22 Contributing Writer In this moment, two forces threaten democracy on a global scale: anti-democratic superpowers and authoritarian populism in established democracies. A resurgent Russia and hegemonic China threaten not only their immediate neighbors, like Ukraine and Taiwan, but also our own democracy.

And authoritarian leaders across the world damage democracy as an institution from within, America most prominent among them.

At the risk of sounding imperialist, these problems must be solved in part by the U.S. due to our unique position as the only superpower that honors democracy. Granted, America has had a problem supporting democracy in the past. We have applauded dictators, covertly removed democratic leaders and stood by regimes that brutally restricted important political and civil rights. In the 21st century, however, it’s time to apologize for our mistakes and live up to our ideals.

How can we do this? How can we restore democracy on both a global and domestic scale? The answer is renewable energy. While unintuitive at first, there is a certain symmetry here: just as fossil fuels contributed to American imperialism at the expense of democracy in the past, green energy can promote democracy in the future.

First, by revitalizing the American economy, a switch to renewables would alleviate authoritarian pressure at home. Second, an America that is both energy-independent and led by democratic leaders is better able to promote democracy abroad. Third, innovation in green energy destroys the global reliance on fossil fuels, which currently allows Russia, Saudi Arabia and others to exert considerable un-democratic influence. And last, the crises caused by climate change will destabilize the world — authoritarianism tends to arise with instability.

A nationwide switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy is a monumental task: America runs not on Dunkin’, but on oil, natural gas and

coal. It will require scientific and technological innovation and the creation of high-paying jobs in the science, engineering and design sectors. We’ll also need skilled laborers to build green power plants, install solar panels and retrofit buildings and transportation to run on green power. Altogether, switching to renewable energy is an investment that will provide safer, better-paying jobs to our workers. Economic distress, like other crises, leads to authoritarianism — Nazi Germany rose in large part because of record inflation and austerity after the First World War. Alleviating some of the financial concerns of the American people will promote democracy at home.

When we stop using oil and natural gas to power our nation we’ll no longer rely on fuels from abroad. Proponents of domestic oil production say we’re already energy-independent, but oil wells dry up eventually, and oil extraction techniques like fracking are harmful to our drinking water and natural environment. Moving to green energy ensures that America is no

longer reliant on other nations like Saudi Arabia for energy. We will have no need to install un-democratic leaders in foreign nations in order to exploit their oil and we will no longer face pressure to ignore human rights abuses by oil exporters. Our diplomacy will be unfettered by concerns about energy.

If America promotes renewable energy, it’s certain that other nations will follow — many are already leading the way. As the world becomes less dependent on un-democratic, oil-producing states for its energy, the influence of anti-democratic leaders diminishes. In turn, states that embrace renewables are better able to uphold democracy and domestic sovereignty. At the same time, switching to renewables will drive economic transformation elsewhere like it will in the United States, lessening the economic pressure for authoritarianism abroad.

A global switch to renewable energy will go a long way towards preventing the worst consequences of climate change. Extreme weath-

Olivia Jade’s Newest Vlog by Emi Eliason ’22

er, natural disasters and other crises will make it almost impossible for young or struggling democracies to survive. These disasters will also cause an unprecedented refugee crisis, which won’t be helped by emigration from repressive regimes. Many of these refugees will die, while many others will be stuck in horrible economic conditions that breed extremism. And the few that do make it into other countries will be labeled as “invaders” by right-wing nativists, only strengthening the hold of un-democratic leaders like our current president.

Switching to renewable energy is a good idea for a multitude of reasons, from saving our dying planet to creating new jobs. Saving our planet should incentivize us enough to immediately do everything we can to stop climate change. However, in the case that it doesn’t, we must switch to renewable energy to save democracy.

The global trend towards authoritarianism isn’t going to stop without a concerted effort, and climate change will only make it worse.

Arts&Living

A Disappointing Introduction for Marvel’s Newest Hero

Photo courtesy of Bleacheers

The highly-anticipated “Captain Marvel,” which stars Brie Larson as the titular hero, was released on March 8.

Mark Simontis ’19 Staff Writer Perhaps the best way to describe “Captain Marvel” is that it feels outdated, like a movie Marvel Studios would have made in the mid-2000s.

Much like “Doctor Strange,” the movie dives into the origin story formula that defined the early Marvel movies, such as “Iron Man” and “Thor.” It is honestly shocking to see Marvel return to this kind of story after more recent entries in their filmography have been far more willing to take risks.

This formulaic approach leads to “Captain Marvel” having a hard time standing out from the crowd, a problem that plagues

many aspects of the movie. However, a few great performances and a tight script elevate “Captain Marvel” above pure mediocrity and make it worth a watch.

The film begins by introducing us to our lead, an amnesia-stricken woman (Brie Larson) going by the name of Vers. Having lived among the Kree, an alien species, for the past six years, she puts her mysterious abilities to work as part of a Kree commando team led by Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) in their campaigns against the Skrulls, an empire of shapeshifting terrorists.

In the aftermath of a battle against a group of Skrulls led

by General Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), Vers crash-lands on Earth in 1995. She then joins forces

with S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to hunt down the Skrulls, simultaneously discovering that she once had a life on earth as a pilot named Carol Danvers.

The best thing to get out of the way is that the first act of the movie, where Vers conducts a mission alongside her commando team, is absolutely terrible. It also lays the groundwork for almost everything wrong with the rest of the film.

Simply put, it’s a poorly done sci-fi piece filled with clunky exposition, bogged-down pacing and exceedingly-boring characters. The Kree make absolutely no impact as characters and are all essentially interchangeable with any other generic sci-fi soldier.

It’s impossible to care about them, and they come dangerously close to bestowing the same problem on our lead, a potentially fatal error. Thankfully, “Captain Marvel” picks up once Vers lands on Earth, joins up with Fury and begins to discover her identity as Carol; the focus of the movie then shifts to these two characters and their interactions.

The dynamic between Carol and Nick is by far the best part of “Captain Marvel” — the chemistry between Larson and Jackson is put on full display. It is delightful and fascinating to watch a young Nick take his first steps into the world of superheroes and exhibit a playfulness that’s grown out of him in his older incarnation.

It can be easy to forget with all the jokes surrounding him, but Jackson is still one hell of an actor and it’s a treat to get to see him take center stage in a Marvel film. In addition, the de-aging effects on Jackson are mind-boggling; the actor looks like he could have just walked off the set of “Die Hard 3” with only a few minor slip-ups in the façade.

My feelings toward Larson’s performance are complicated.

To be fair, she plays her role well enough as the brash, headstrong hero who favors brute force over any other strategy. However, she is without a doubt crippled by the film’s plot and characterization of its lead.

For one thing, Carol has absolutely no character growth.

She starts as a snarky heroic soldier-type and ends as a snarky superhero, despite the whole plot point of her re-discovering her lost identity and personality. It is incredibly frustrating to see Larson held back by this, and I hope that it’s a problem that we can see go away in future appearances of the character.

On the villainous side of things, Mendelsohn brings his trademark level of melodrama to the character of Talos, chewing the scenery as probably the most sardonic and affable Marvel villain yet.

However, Talos’ character had an unexpected layer of nuance, providing him with depth that just goes to show how far Marvel antagonists have come from the likes of Red Skull or Ronan.

The action scenes also play a large role in weighing down “Captain Marvel.” Once again, they feel like they could have come out of the earlier era of Marvel movies. To begin, we’ve got some boring fight scenes of a depowered Captain Marvel throwing down with generic mooks, without any interesting choreography or scenarios.

Sadly enough, these prove to be the action highlights of the film; after a certain point in the plot, all the stakes simply vanish as Captain Marvel tears through any and all opposition without breaking a sweat in a gross mismatch of opponents.

This final sequence honestly feels insulting, in that the movie is trying to convince you that any of our hero’s opponents could even hurt her. Her final battle is not won through sheer determination and skill, but rather acts

as an undeserved victory lap.

There are also a few moments in “Captain Marvel” that are blatant fan service, and the worst kind of fan service at that. Some scenes which only act as fan service seriously undercut the impact of previous Marvel films.

For instance, remember the infamous scene in “Solo” where the movie took the time to give us a ridiculously contrived origin for Han Solo’s name? A similar incident happens in “Captain Marvel.” Someone needs to get the message to Hollywood that not everything needs an explanation.

As Marvel’s first female-led superhero movie, the expectations for “Captain Marvel” were high.

First and foremost, the movie’s feminist message is not subtle.

Pretty much every aspect of the film has some level of additional meaning that can honestly get a little worn out over the two-hour run time.

However, considering the wide range of the movie’s audience, and the fact that the message is clearly aimed at young children, I’m willing to give it a pass. If I had to choose between a kid potentially missing out on an important takeaway or me getting a little annoyed by the repetition, I’ll gladly take the latter.

“Captain Marvel” isn’t a bad movie; it’s not even an average one. However, the sad truth is that so many parts of the movie are either mediocre or bad that it makes it easy to forget what the movie does right. Larson, Jackson and Mendelsohn are all great to watch in action, but their success only makes a greater contrast with the failures this movie makes.

I can only hope that, like Spider-Man and Dr. Strange before her, Captain Marvel excels in the Russo brothers’ “Avengers” films.

Both Larson and the character Carol Danvers deserve better than what they got in “Captain Marvel.”

Arts & Living 10

The Amherst Student • March 20, 2019

“Queer Eye” Provides Inclusive, Feel-Good Entertainment

Photo courtesy of Collider

Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness and Tan France (left to right) make up the Fab Five of Netflix’s “Queer Eye.” Emmy Sohn ’22 Staff Writer Netflix released the third season of “Queer Eye” on Friday, March 15.

In this makeover reality show, a revival of the Bravo series “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” from the early 2000s, the new Fab Five — Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk and Karamo Brown — teach other people how to improve their lives in the categories of fashion, grooming, food and wine, interior design and culture, respectively.

Between the entertaining Fab Five team and their compelling clients, this series has had me hooked from the beginning. The 45’ to 50’ minute episodes of seasons one and two are certainly binge-worthy, and season three proves to be no exception.

The episodes revolve around different clients’ journeys as the members of the Fab Five coach them based on their individual expertise.

While every episode has the same premise, they are vastly different

because of the clients, preventing the show from feeling repetitive.

From firefighters and fathers to Burning Man enthusiasts, every episode feels fresh because each client has unique needs.

As we’ve seen in many makeover shows, superficial changes typically stir a deeper, positive change in each client, and although this notion is by no means new, it still translates in a touching and sincere way.

In particular, Brown’s role as the “culture” expert, a purposely vague title, allows him to help clients process their emotions, make life-changing decisions and realize their full potential.

The Fab Five have helped a socially anxious man propose to his girlfriend; a closeted gay man to finally come out to his step-mother and a formerly overweight standup comedian to gain confidence and dress for his new body.

In the third season, the team helps Joey, a single father, settle down and create a home for his teenage son. By refining their lifestyles, clients are empowered to be

their best selves, meet long-time goals and interact with the world in a more confident and open way.

Despite attracting positive feedback and adoring fans, the “Queer Eye” franchise has also received some criticism for perpetuating single-note stereotypes of gay men.

Back in 2003, when “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” was first released, the idea of flamboyantly gay hosts teaching clueless straight clients was groundbreaking, but like many other aspects of the early 2000s, this premise hasn’t aged well.

It is simply inaccurate to assume that all gay men are inherently stylish, and that all straight men lack the ability to tastefully dress, cook and decorate their homes.

Now “Queer Eye” is back with a chance to improve its formerly narrow-minded message.

Notably dropping the “for the straight guy” qualification from its title, the 2018 reboot of “Queer Eye” has made progress on this premise.

The Fab Five are no longer in the business of helping only straight men. The Netflix version has made an effort to choose diverse clients of

different races, sexual orientations and gender identities.

The reboot makes it possible for an audience of many backgrounds and identities to identify with the people they see on the show. In “Sky’s the Limit,” an episode from the second season, the Fab Five help Skyler, a transgender man recovering from top surgery, decorate his apartment and throw a party for the friends who have supported him through his journey.

Season three is off to a great start with episode one centered around Jody, who needs help transforming her style and home. The Fab Five road trip to Kansas to help Jody.

As an avid hunter and gardener she is capable and self-reliant, but this confidence doesn’t translate into her attitude toward her appearance.

The Fab Five help Jody, who is typically decked out in loose-fitting camo, strike a balance between her feminine and masculine style, in her home and in her wardrobe, helping her feel comfortable and beautiful.

One of the most attractive aspects of the show is the way the Fab

Five tailor each makeover to the personality and preferences of the client. They are focused on helping Jody meet her own goals and adapt within her lifestyle rather than creating their own idea of who she should be.

The show also has an inspiring political perspective, often pointing out the way similarities between people outweigh their differences. In addition to discussing her wardrobe, Tan and Jody, who have vastly different backgrounds and opinions when it comes to guns, have an open discussion about gun regulations. In this open and respectful conversation, Tan and Jody realize they have common ground, agreeing that guns are currently too accessible and on the importance of gun safety education. Fostering this type of communication is another aspect of the way “Queer Eye” has become more inclusive.

Not only is “Queer Eye” entertaining, but this revival is making significant strides from the 2003 Bravo series by better reflecting the diverse audience who enjoys the show.

Arts & Living 11

The Amherst Student • March 20, 2019

“Master Chef Junior” Returns for an Exciting Seventh Season

there is one platform where the famous Gordon Ramsay insults make no appearance: “MasterChef Junior.”

Last week, season seven of “MasterChef Junior” premiered on Fox, and served as a friendly reminder that Gordon Ramsay is capable of expressing himself in more than just witty, condescending comments.

Accompanied by chef judges Christina Tosi and Aarón Sanchez, Ramsay kicked off the new season

with a group of 24 incredibly talented children who do not miss an opportunity to remind everyone that they are not like other kids their age.

These junior competitors, between eight and 13 years old, show more sophistication in the kitchen than most college students. That said, outside of the kitchen, these young geniuses still think according to their age. One of the main prizes of the competition is $100,000, and in true kid-logic, when asked what she would do with the money if she won, Sadie, 12, responded, “I would definitely buy 17 more cats and then I’d buy my cats a mansion.”

But the junior competitors are not just creative when it comes to the use of their money. From their very first challenge, a breakfast dish, the junior competitors showed what they can do in the kitchen and the skill with which they can do it. Even at such young ages, these kids have mastered their signature style. For some, like Ben, 11, it is all about try-

ing different world cuisines. Meanwhile, for others like Kate, 8, the best strategy is to keep it close to home — in her case, Alabama.

Despite the enormous amount of talent, not everyone was successful. After the first challenge, some children clearly stood out, but unlike regular MasterChef competitors, these junior competitors do not demonstrate envy. Rather, they demonstrate support and genuine happiness for one another. As the first episode closed with an elimination challenge, the judges and competitors alike were preoccupied with building each other up.

Ramsay switched out his usual snarky comments for encouraging words and sweet praises. And though competitions with petty rivalries and clever insults are always entertaining to watch, it is heartwarming to see an environment not yet corrupted by this pettiness.

Because it was premiere night, there were two new episodes on Tuesday

night instead of the usual one. The second episode only helped to make the season even more uplifting, with a banana split theme and one of the most memorable and enjoyable team challenges of the entire show.

Replacing the good spirits of this team challenge, however, the second elimination challenge tasked the junior competitors with cooking lobster. There are plenty of 20 year olds who cannot even go near a live lobster, and yet these kids rocked the challenge and impressed the judges. It was a fantastic example of why this show has achieved its high levels of success. By the second elimination of the season, there was a sense of sadness, not only because of the children sent home, but also, selfishly, because we must wait until the next Tuesday to have those solid 40 minutes of pure, childlike enjoyment.

In the meantime, Ramsay’s Twitter is always available if you’re looking for his signature comments.

pool party assignment.

Throughout the show, the characters are all clad in bright hues, bold earrings and unapologetic patterns. The wardrobe itself demands mention, for it was nearly all custom-made for the show (unfortunately for those of us longing for a version of Annie’s closet), and it highlights an issue that Bryant herself has been passionate about for some time now — that plus-size fashion can, and should, be trendy, cute and wearable.

In the show, her character Annie touches on this, saying, “Everything is either like a big Indiana Walmart sack or it’s like some cutesy shit covered in Eiffel Tower postage stamps.” In a 2017 profile in The Cut, Bryant herself said, “[In fashion shoots], the other girls had racks of clothes to choose from and were wearing these thousand-dollar dresses, and I had two sacks or like one matronly mother-of-the-bride dress.

Those were the first times where I was like, ‘Something is different here and this isn’t fair.’ ... And it lit a fucking fire in me.”

Though celebrated as a show

that centers the experiences of plus-sized women (praise it rightly deserves), it is more than a show about body positivity; it is a show about self-love in all of its facets. It is not just a story about a fat girl; it is a story about a budding writer, a woman who is navigating what her father’s cancer means, and a millenial trying to keep her head above water when it comes to dating, socializing and standing up to a condescending boss. In an interview with Man Repeller’s Haley Nahman, Bryant explained, “You don’t have to be plus-sized to watch it and be like, ‘That’s my story.’ We made an effort to make it pretty universal as far as just being a woman around our age who has come up in this you-can-doanything world, but also maybe hasn’t found a way to put that into practice.”

And that’s exactly what the show does so tactfully. It’s more redeeming quality is its realness; it is full of genuine scenes like one with Annie jumping up and down, clutching her boobs because she’s taken off her bra at the end of a long day or another where Annie

and her mother lie on their living room floor eating a bag of Ruffles or, my personal favorite, Annie slipping out of bed in the middle of the night to eat leftover noodles after having sex with her longtime crush.

It’s a scene set to the music of Still Woozy’s “Goodie Bag,” a song that stirs emotion in an ethereal way — creating a scene into one that I am convinced is one of the most touching on television. The scene — and the show at large — takes the everyday and romanticizes it, and it makes it so that each of us can see ourselves living out that elevated reality.

Nahman titled her interview with Bryant “Aidy Bryant is You, But Famous,” and that is exactly how I feel about Annie herself; Annie is you, but with her life set to music.

It is not an immediate click though. At the show’s start, Annie’s meekness makes her a rather unlikeable character, especially in a TV landscape that has trained us to prefer bold female characters like “Broad City’s” Abbi And Ilana.

However, by the second episode,

we realize that her insecurities are what make her such a strong, lovable — if not initially likable — character.

She is a real person we see in ourselves, our friends and our family; she is not immediately a role model or icon of fat boldness and self-love. Rather, she’s an example of someone who’s learning to walk the path towards self-confidence and self-worth, and she’s walking right alongside us.

The show’s ending drives this sense of realness; the writing is so skillful because the show ends as Annie is still in progress. There is no tidy wrap-up in the ending, where she cuts off her scumbag boyfriend or becomes completely reinstalled with self-confidence because there never is that ah-ha moment in life.

At the close, Annie achieves small victories, grows in confidence and receives the affirmation of the outside world but still is confronted with where she needs to grow, leaving us to wonder if she will. It is heartbreakingly real, and heartwarmingly, fodder for a second season.

Photo courtesy of comidaboamudatudo

“MasterChef Junior” gives young contestants the opportunity to prove their cooking talent to renowned judges.

Gaby Bucio ’21 Staff Writer Gordon Ramsay is easily one of the most famous celebrity chefs in the world. Even those few people who have never watched an episode of any of his more than 10 television shows know him as the ruthless chef with great insults. Creative insults, whether on television or Twitter, have become his brand. Despite this,

“Shrill” Gives Us a Polished, Pink Celebration of Real Life Olivia Gieger ’21 Managing Arts and Living Editor

I must admit that I have been waiting for “Shrill” since Hulu announced it would turn Lindy West’s book of the same title into a six-episode show in early August.

I stayed awake until midnight on March 15 to stream the show as soon as Hulu put it online. With six short episodes — none longer than half an hour — I cruised through the show over the weekend, and it’s all I want to talk about.

In her first scripted lead in a TV series, Aidy Bryant plays the deeply loveable, endearingly adorable yet cringingly insecure Annie.

She’s a twenty-something striving to make it as a writer and figure out the whole life thing, a character who is based off the experiences of West, Bryant and the other writers of the show.

As a sensory experience, “Shrill” is an absolute delight. It pops with colors, from the pastels of the flower shop Annie wanders into to the vivid teal of the pool she dips her toes in on a “Fat Babe”

Arts & Living 12

The Amherst Student • March 20, 2019

“Stop Making Sense” Suspends Clarity for Sensory Delight

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Recently screened at Amherst Cinema, “Stop Making Sense“ is a 1984 concert film that artistically follows the performances of Talking Heads.

Youngkwang Shin ’19 Staff Writer “Stop Making Sense” begins and ends with the image of David Byrne’s lithe, seemingly boneless body writhing according to a mysterious tempo, as it sinuously weaves in and out of a multi-instrumental rhythm by the accomplished members of Talking Heads — whom the concert film follows for four nights at the Pantages Theatre in 1983.

Recently screened at Amherst Cinema, the film opens with the song “Psycho Killer” in which Byrne’s cracking voice hectors and hassles the smooth strings of his weathered acoustic as he moans alienation in the garb of an unsatisfied salaryman. Later, Byrne’s sweaty, slightly crazed visage arrives in the limelight in his trademark oversized business suit, convulsing to the singsong gloom. He sings “Take me to the river / Push me in the water” while looking as if he is demanding a murder fitting to that of a psycho killer.

A viewer is free to recall the title of Byrne’s first song and misapply the thousands of supposed meanings, as the song provokes images of psychotic murders and tries to inflict a semblance of drama or formal intention (on the part of

David Byrne, Talking Heads or the director, Jonathan Demme) to reveal the answer to an ambiguous question. To do so is to miss the aimless mark painted by Byrne, Talking Heads or Demme; it wastes the rapturous opportunity to dance as several seniors did in my screening, to sing along to hits gone by and songs newly discovered, to surrender our learned defenses, excuses and suspicions and to, for a precious one-and-ahalf hours in the lighted dark, stop making sense.

This is the spectatorship demanded by “Stop Making Sense,” one of the most admired concert films that takes as its subject matter one of the most underrated rock acts. It is the kind of audience that organically emerges after the disappointment of narrative alongside the film’s tremendous reputation. Surely, “Stop Making Sense” does make sense on some secret level, open to the keen and the curious who can, with their sharpened sensibilities, mark the hidden powers that only occasionally leak through the surface to tempt. But one learns — for one has to learn — to accept the bare realities of the film shining in the theater: four nights of 16 pops and bops at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December 1983 played live

and full of life. The turn the film presents is simple: what seems like an unsophisticated string of cinematically-untouched musical performances becomes one of the most engrossing collective experiences involving the big screen, a feature crucial to this letdown and transcendence of expectation.

Of course, as surely as most simplicities belie more interesting explanations, that initial sense of “untouched” music results from a sophisticated complex of strategic camera placements and allotments of screen time to the various Heads and their instruments.

Demme is smart enough to not push in every time Tina Weymouth proves herself on the bass, perhaps knowing that despite the betrayal of expectation so important to the film, a movie comprised entirely of close-ups of the bassist would be a step too far. The film pretends to assign equal time to each member without evident motivation, sometimes fitting the entire front section of the band as they practice puzzling aerobics in their middle tune “Life During Wartime.” But this casual wandering of the camera can in turn be attributed to the corresponding gaze of the average member of the crowd that stood, cheered and shook at the Pantages; with so much going on, it’s difficult

to know where to look.

And no matter where you look, it is all about seeing nothing deeper: Byrne’s own trembling body and singing voice caught in a dancer’s breath overtakes the attention that could have gone to the lyrics, as one thinks about why he does what he does when he does, even as they follow him in step with absolute emotional clarity. It is an aggressive surface the screen emits when this film is playing.

There are temptations, of course, to bypass that thin barrier. Among them lie Byrne’s centering in the scene among a significant number of black musicians — he plays a style of music usurped from black creators by white institutions; the aforementioned interplay among the songs themselves; and maybe the elemental drama of seeing lonely Byrne flanked by more and more musicians, who despite their backroom tensions, appear as the most charismatic company of friends.

But the cardinal pleasure of the film, to hear and to see and to perhaps dance, is adamantly set against these readings. It is surprisingly difficult to maintain these analyses during, say, any one of these songs.

To be sure, it is not rare to have films whose pleasures are oblivi-

ous to their unpleasant implications, and it is most likely my own bias towards this film that magnifies that pleasure to such a degree as to have myself neglect the possible breakthrough of that enchanting sheen. Perhaps then again, my love of the film’s surfaces doesn’t need to conflict with those who would like to find something beyond the inflicted nonsense. To refer back to the film’s own invisible complexities, one can think of how the film’s aggressive superficiality is another feature of that studied, subtle rendering of the directorial presence, to appear as if to capture what in the moment seems like the greatest happening.

The surface, then, is a forced feature of the film. But forced or not, deceptive or not, intended or not, recognizing the trickery does not undo the film’s magic, another commonality among great films that regardless comes to rare prominence in a rare genre. It still asks you to stop making sense, and you’ll like it. For that, one should search this film and view it on the biggest screen with the biggest crowd. Like the most soothing lullaby, it has been honed with precision: except that lullaby pulls the bed from down under, lands you on your feet and forces you to dream awake.

Sports

Women’s Lacrosse Rebounds From Opening Day Loss with Four Wins Nat De Jonge ’21 Staff Writer Two weeks ago, a day before their season opener, the women’s lacrosse head coach Christine Paradis highlighted a mentality she demands from her team: to “not let rankings and expectations get in the way of being fully present, taking each day is it comes and focusing on those little things that matter … We need to go out and play every game like it is our last.” Tested early in the season, the team showed the resilience Paradis asked for; in the four games subsequent to their home opener loss, three of which featured top-ranked opponents, Amherst came out with four convincing wins.

In the first of these four games, the Mammoths faced unranked Springfield College at home.

The first half set the tone of the game as the Mammoths scored six unanswered goals from the sticks of

five different players and goalkeeper Talia Land ’20 came out hot, saving seven shots by the Spirits in the first half.

Halftime did little to stem the momentum of the Amherst team. Senior captain Kaitlyn Haase and sophomore midfielder Hannah Gustafson scored in the first 10 minutes of the second quarter and first year Becky Kendall added another to put the team into a dominating 11-0 lead.

The Spirits outscored the Mammoths through the remaining 20 minutes but could do little to threaten a commanding Amherst lead.

Spring break, a relaxing time for many, was quite the opposite for the Mammoth team as they faced three ranked opponents over the course of the week.

On Saturday, March 9, the women’s lacrosse team boarded a bus to Biddeford, Maine to challenge the first of these three teams, the 14thranked Bowdoin College Polar Bears.

In what turned out to be a monster five-goal day for sophomore Isabelle Sennett: it was only proper for her to open the scoring with an impressive unassisted effort.

The Amherst offense scored two more quick goals for a 3-0 lead after seven minutes.

The run slowed as the Polar Bears responded, outscoring the Mammoths 6-5 through the remainder of the first half.

Amherst’s offense began clicking again, finishing the game on a 7-4 run, three of which were netted by Sennett. The match ended in a 16-12 victory for the Mammoths.

Upon returning from Maine, Amherst faced the 18th-ranked William Smith College Herons on Sunday. The Mammoths began the game sluggish.

With eight minutes remaining in the first half, they found themselves in a five-goal deficit at 1-6.

Before the break, however, the Mammoths found a groove, bringing

the score to 6-5. Coming out of half, Land, in goal, saved a total of 16 shots.

Stalwart goalie play and a clicking offense powered the Mammoths to score six more unanswered goals for a final score of 11-6.

Heading into a week without class, this momentum was welcome.

To cap off spring break, the Amherst team had to go through one more team on Saturday, March 16, this time the highest-ranked so far: the College of New Jersey Lions at No. 11.

Unlike the Sunday before, the Mammoths started hot, scoring seven goals to the Lions two in the first half.

The Lions mounted a comeback early in the second half with a 4-1 run, but were eventually thwarted through the final 14 minutes as Amherst shut them out and scored three goals of their own to finish the game 11-6.

If Paradis wanted a team that does not note the rankings of themselves

or their opponents, it seems like she has that team this year.

The Mammoths showed mental and physical resilience through a tough, competitive stretch following their season-opening loss.

They will play Hamilton College at home Sunday, March 24 at noon.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Isabelle Sennett ’21 has seven goals in five games this season.

Baseball Begins Season on a Roll with Solid Pitching and Hot-Hitting Streaks Jake Grossman ’21 Staff Writer The Mammoths traveled down to Florida during spring break to begin their season, finishing the week with five wins and three losses altogether. Two of these losses came against ranked opponents, Concordia University Chicago and the University of Southern Maine.

Following their strong performance, outfielder Joe Palmo ’21 was recognized as NESCAC Player of Week after batting .423 with fourdoubles, a triple and a home run.

Amherst opened the season quite rusty, surrendering nine runs in the first inning against Concordia. After that, they held the Cougars in check, but were unable to claw back into the game, eventually

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Joe Palmo ’21 led the offense in Florida, batting .423 with 10 RBIs, four doubles, a triple and one home run in just 10 games.

losing 13-3 after seven innings. Palmo and outfielder Will Murphy ’20 each drove in a run, but the Mammoths would have to wait until their next game to really get their season rolling.

After the tough loss to open the season, Amherst put away Utica College in both games of a doubleheader the following night, winning by scores of 13-3 and 3-2. In the first game, Palmo and designated hitter Chase Henley ’19 drove in a combined seven runs while Davis Brown ’19 held his own against the Pioneer hitting. In the second game of the doubleheader, southpaw pitcher Andrew Nagel ’21 struck out eight batters and gave up zero earned runs to power Amherst to a close victory.

Against UMass Dartmouth the following day, the Mammoths’ offense led them to an 18-5 win, including an eight-run fifth inning.

Henley, Palmo and Murphy kept their hot hitting streak and outfielder Kai Terada Herzer ’21 had three

RBIs. Wilson Taylor ’19 pitched five innings with zero earned runs, getting the win for the game.

Amherst won a nail-biter walkoff win against Wisconsin-Stevens Point by a score of 6-5, including three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The game looked lost after the Pointers went up 5-3 in the top of the inning, but a Palmo homer and a walk-off single by Murphy put the Mammoths on top.

This four-game winning streak would come to an end against 12thranked Southern Maine, as the Huskies walked off in the bottom of the ninth to spoil starting pitcher senior Andrew Ferrero’s strong start. Amherst put up five runs in the third inning, but could not hold Southern Maine’s hitting in check during the rest of the game and lost 5-6.

On their final day of spring training, the Mammoths split a doubleheader with Anderson University of Indiana. Amherst lost the first game 3-2 despite home runs from Henley

and outfielder Kyler Kopacz ’21 and strong pitching performances from Brown and Jack Harlan ’20. Kopacz, who last year was unable to play due to injury, hit an important home run in his first collegiate at-bat.The Mammoths fared much better in Game 2, winning 11-3 behind the strong hitting of Henley, third baseman Nick Nardone ’19 and shortstop Stephen Burke ’21.

When asked about his team’s performance over spring break, Palmo seemed optimistic about Amherst’s chances going forward, saying, “We had a very competitive schedule in Florida and played well, so we are very confident going into the season that we can compete for another NESCAC title.”

Given the team’s NESCAC Championships win last year, there is reason to doubt him. The Mammoths have their home opener this weekend on Friday night against Dean College and will look to continue their winning ways from Florida.

Sports 14

The Amherst Student • March 20, 2019

Men’s Track Crowns Six All-American Titles at DIII Indoor Championship

Photo courtesy of Amherst Athletics

The distance relay team of Ryan Prenosil ’21, Ralph Skinner ’20, Spencer Ferguson-Dryden ’20 and Cosmo Brossy ’19 recieved All-American honors for its fifth-place finish.

Veronica Rocco ’19 Staff Writer Last week, seven members of the men’s track and field team competed at the Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, held at the Reggie Lewis Track and Field Center in Boston. The two-day meet saw the Mammoths compete in the heptathlon, the 800-meter race, the 5,000-meter race and the distance medley relay.

Heptathlete Troy Colleran ’22 was the first to compete for the

Mammoths. Colleran entered the competition as the 18th seed out of 20, and only one of three first years in the field. His first event of the seven-event heptathlon was the 60-meter dash, which he ran in a time of 7.39. Next was the long jump, where he matched his personal best with a jump of 6.65 meters. He then threw the shot put 10.60 meters, and closed off competition for the day in the high jump with 1.89 meters. At the conclusion of the first day, Colleran sat in ninth place.

Kristian Sogaard ’19 then com-

peted in the 800 meters for the fifth consecutive time at the DIII Championships, and just missed making the eight-person final, crossing the line with a time of 1:53.52 in the preliminary round to place 10th overall.

Clark Ricciardelli ’20E raced in the final of the 5,000 meters. In cross country races, Ricciardelli is known for working his way up through the race, often starting the race far behind the leaders. He did exactly the opposite at the Reggie Track, taking the lead from the start of the race.

Commenting on his race strategy, Ricciardelli said, “I wanted to take the lead early to keep the pace honest and it ended up paying off.”

Cheered on by a spirited group of Amherst fans, he led most of the race before being overtaken by favorite Dhruvil Patel of North Central College. Ricciardelli powered through the remaining laps of the race to place second, his highest ever finish at Nationals. His finish also made him a four-Time All-American, a remarkable achievement.

Next to compete was the men’s distance medley relay, composed of Spencer Ferguson-Dryden ’20, Ryan Prenosil ’21, Ralph Skinner ’20 and Cosmo Brossy ’19 running the relay legs of 1,200, 400, 800 and 1,600 meters, respectively. This marked the second year in a row the men’s distance medley relay team qualified for Nationals; they placed ninth last year and just missing out on All-American honors, which are given to the top eight finishers in an event.

Ferguson-Dryden kicked off the action with a strong 1,200 meters, handing off to Prenosil in the middle of the pack. The sophomore, competing at his second Indoor Nationals, ran an excellent leg, running it in 49.07 seconds to hand off to Skinner with the team in fifth place. Skinner ran a phenomenal 800 meters for the Mammoths, notching a time of 1:54 to hand off in fourth place to anchor leg Brossy.

The senior took the team home, running 4:11 for his leg and never

relinquishing his place to secure the All-American honors that they had so narrowly missed the year before.

This marked the first time all four members of the Amherst’s relay earned All-American honors.

Colleran wrapped up competition for the Mammoths on Saturday with day two of the heptathlon, competing in the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and 1,000-meter run.

In the hurdles, he ran a time of 9.12 seconds, very close to his personal best time of 9.10 seconds. In the pole vault, he had several clutch clearances, clearing 3.55 meters on his last attempt, and cleared his next heights of 3.65 meters, 3.75 meters and 3.85 meters on his first attempts. After missing three attempts at what would have been a personal best height of 3.95 meters, he bowed out of the pole vault competition.

He finished off his heptathlon with an incredible finish in the 1,000-meter run, closing the fivelap race with a personal best of 2:51.

Colleran ended the competition in 12th place overall, with a personal best point total of 4,750 points. He improved upon his seed by six places, a solid performance for the first year.

With the points earned by the men’s distance medley relay and Ricciardelli’s runner-up finish in the 5,000 meters, the Mammoths placed 13th as a team with 13 points. Next up, the Mammoths will return to the outdoor track and field season with the Snowflake Invitational hosted by Tufts University on March 30.

Men’s Basketball Exits NCAA Tournament Loss to Nichols College Connor Haugh ’21 Managing Sports Editor Despite the home court advantage, the men’s basketball team found itself fighting an uphill battle in the stands and on the court during its Sweet Sixteen matchup against the Nichols College Bison.

The Nichols fans quickly swallowed their section of the stands with green and black, along with the unregulated section and the majority of Amherst’s student section.

From the tip-off, the game

turned into an intense battle. Most of the Bison’s offensive possessions involved either a complete isolation or a simple screen for the athletic backcourt of Marcos Echevarria and DeAnte Burton.

This combo caused problems for Amherst’s rotations, and Nichols got to the paint and the freethrow line consistently. Amherst, however, caused Nichols plenty of problems of their own, consistently producing open looks from ballscreens, particularly in the high post. The team struggled to make shots, however, shooting 10-27 in

the first half.

Despite these issues on offense, Amherst controlled the game on defense and entered the second half tied with Nichols.

Five minutes into the second half, center Joe Schneider ’19 blocked a shot from Nichols center Matt Morrow, after which Eric Sellew ’20 took the ball up the court on the fast break and made a tough layup to put Amherst up 37-30.

The Nichols fans started to deflate, as Amherst took the largest lead of the game thus far.

The Bison on the court were stretched to their breaking point, but not, as it would turn out, past it.

Burton put the team on his back, assisting on two Bison threes, making two threes, two free throws, a shaky one-legged jumper.

The teams then traded baskets as they battled for the right to play Swarthmore College in the Elite Eight, and the clock wound down to just two minutes left to play, with the score still tight at 59-54 in favor of Nichols.

The Mammoths, however, with

their season on the line, worked back into the game. Schneider made a layup in traffic and Sellew put away two free throws to bring the Nichols lead to just one point.

A questionable foul call brought a Nichols guard to the free-throw line; he proceeded to seal victory for the Bison, ending Amherst’s season once and for all.

Amherst, however, returns the entirety of their starting lineup excluding Schneider next season, and will look to dominate the NESCAC when the 2020 season comes around.

Sports 15

The Amherst Student • March 20, 2019

WHAT DID YOU DO OVER BREAK?

Views From Sparrow’s Nest Matt Sparrow ’21 Columnist Matt Sparrow addresses the most recent collection of NFL controversies, including the suspension and signing of running back Kareem Hunt and the arrest of New England Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

John Heidenberg ’19 beat his Colorado College opponent 6-0, 6-0.

Men’s Tennis The Mammoths got off to a strong start, downing two ranked opponents before falling to both eighth-ranked Washington University in St. Louis and 14th-ranked Case Western Reserve University. Amherst, however, was not

without success, as the team would see itself victorious over 13th-ranked Kenyon College and 15th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University. Jason Fung ’21 was undefeated on the third court over the whole trip, helping the Mammoths to a 4-2 record to begin their spring season.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

JuliaTurner ’19 drove in four runs during the spring break contests.

Softball The Mammoths started with a packed schedule, facing five opponents over four days and winning those first games. However, the Mammoths’ undefeated season came to a close against second-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University, who

downed Amherst by a score of 8-0.

Amherst would go on to finish the break with a stellar 8-2 record, with the team’s only other loss coming at the hands of conference foe Tufts.

Ronnie Felasco ’21 led the Mammoths offensively, hitting .452 and knocking in 12 runs.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

The women’s tennis team is now ranked third in the nation.

Women’s Tennis Other than an 8-1 loss to topranked Emory University, the women’s tennis team was perfect over spring break, finishing with a 4-1 record.

The Mammoths won crucial victories over three ranked opponents, winning matches against 21st-ranked Ken-

yon College, 10th-ranked Carnegie Mellon University and 12th-ranked Washington University in St. Louis. Given their previous success, the Mammoths were ranked third in the nation in last week’s polls behind Emory and the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College Athenas.

The period after the Super Bowl and before training camp begins in July typically means a lull in the NFL’s news cycle. Yes, there is some buzz over free agency and the annual draft (something that even the NFL has managed to make into a spectacle as it’s set to debut on ABC this April), but the headlines through the spring are usually about March Madness, the beginning of baseball season and the NBA playoffs. That hasn’t been the case recently, however.

Within the past few weeks, there have been multiple instances of controversy among prominent NFL figures, from New England Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft being accused of soliciting prostitutes to the ongoing investigation into an alleged child abuse case at the home of Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The league also announced an eight-game suspension of newly signed Cleveland Browns’ running back Kareem Hunt for violating the league’s personal conduct policy after a newly-surfaced video showed him pushing and kicking a woman. Between a league owner that should have been swiftly punished, a player whose prior transgressions were forgotten and someone who may not have deserved a second chance, the hypocrisy of the NFL is quite easy to see.

I’ll start with Kraft. There’s no denying his accomplishments: in 25 years as owner of the Patriots, he’s built the most successful franchise in the history of football with 10 Super Bowl appearances and six titles under his watch. I’ll admit that as a Jets fan, I love to hate on the Patriots, especially with some of their previous suspicious acts (Spygate and Deflategate).

However, even I have to respect how Kraft has built this team into one of the most valuable in the NFL and with it, become arguably the most powerful person outside of commissioner Roger Goodell – which is why it’s a shame that Goodell missed out on this great opportunity to show the world that everyone should be responsible for their behavior

and no one is invincible.

About a month ago, news broke that Kraft was one of 25 people who had been charged with solicitation of prostitution, punishable by up to a year in jail.

Kraft had allegedly gone to the Orchids of Asia Day Spa the morning of the Patriots’ AFC title win. While Kraft has unsurprisingly denied all charges and assembled an excellent legal team to protect him, the evidence surrounding the case seems overwhelming. Seriously, look up the details about the treatment of the workers, it’s rather sickening. Owners are typically held to a high standard in the NFL. Previous examples of drug charges and sexual misconduct led to significant suspensions and fines of at least $500,000. If an NFL player had done this, there’s no doubt that the NFL would have thrown the book at him and levied a lengthy suspension.

The second piece of news was that the Chiefs’ best receiver, Tyreek Hill, was listed in one of two suspected child abuse cases occurring at his home over the past two weeks (the Chiefs are coincidentally the team that the Patriots faced in the AFC Championship). Hill has had an ugly history of off-the-field issues since college, when he was dismissed from the Oklahoma State football team for punching and choking his pregnant girlfriend. He pleaded guilty, received probation and an anger management course amongst other light duties and was picked in the fifth round of the NFL draft just one year later. Having made three consecutive Pro Bowls in his first three seasons, he seemed to have turned his life around and was reportedly negotiating a contract that would have made him the highest-paid player in the NFL at his position. The team is working with authorities to get more information about the case, but if Hill is found to be involved, he should not ever set foot on a field again; wwhe was given a second chance and he didn’t change his despicable ways.

Finally, Hill’s former teammate Kareem Hunt was hit with an eight-

game suspension for not abiding by the league’s conduct policy. Hunt was key to the Chiefs’ dynamic offense for his first two seasons in the league. He was suddenly released in late November after a TMZ video showed him hitting and kicking a woman outside of his hotel room, with the Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt implying that Kareem wasn’t honest with the team about the extent of the altercation. The NFL launched its own investigation, but the Cleveland Browns signed Hunt to a one-year contract before the findings were released.

The NFL finally announced an eight-game suspension for Hunt just last week, two more than the standard six games for violating the policy.

While Hunt was quick to accept the punishment, I believe the sentence was too lenient. The NFL had a chance to really send a message about how they don’t condone violence against women, something that has been a major problem in recent years for the beleaguered league. A year-long suspension seems like a fair starting point, but one more piece of news made the NFL’s shortcomings all the more obvious.

The same day the Hunt suspension was announced, the Dolphins traded away their starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Later that afternoon, a report emerged saying that free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick was interested in the Dolphins’ job despite not having played a down in the NFL for two full seasons. At age 31, Kaepernick should be in his prime as a quarterback.

Instead, he is sitting on his couch and hoping for another opportunity to play because he protested injustices in the U.S. by kneeling during the national anthem. With rich owners buying prostitutes, wide receivers strangling their pregnant wives, and running backs attacking random women all receiving second (and possibly third) chances before Kaepernick, one thing is clear: the NFL’s image problem isn’t going away until everyone in the league is held to the same standard.

The Amherst Student • March 20, 2019

Sports 16

Undefeated Men’s Lacrosse Knocks Off No. 2 RIT Cale Clinton ’20 Staff Writer The men’s lacrosse team came out of the weekend unscathed and undefeated as they finished 2-0 in the Mustang Classic. The tournament, hosted by Stevenson University, has given Amherst some stiff competition since the team began competing in 2017.

This year was no exception, as the Mammoths took down 14thranked Franklin & Marshall College on Friday and second-ranked Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) on Saturday. As a result of the victories, Amherst moved to a perfect 5-0 record in the early stages of the season, but head coach Jon Thompson isn’t getting too excited yet. “We’ve got a lot of lacrosse left,” Thompson said in a post-game interview. “We’re about to go into the teeth of our conference season, and that’s no slouch itself.”

The weekend’s events began with the Mammoths overwhelming the No. 14 Franklin & Marshall Diplomats, winning 17-9. The Mammoths kicked off the game early, tallying back-to-back scores over a 40-second span to go up 2-0 less than two minutes into the contest. Franklin & Marshall would counter that with a three-goal run of their own to take their only lead of the afternoon.

Despite a late cross-checking penalty leaving Amherst down a man at the end of the quarter, Evan Wolf ’19 knotted the game at three off of a feed from Andrew Ford ’19.

This wouldn’t be the first time Wolf showed up on the stat sheet that day; as he finished the contest with a stunning seven goals on 10 shots.

The Mammoths came out buzzing in the second quarter, opening up with an unassisted goal by Jimmy McAfee ’20 just 11 seconds in. The score would spark a 6-0 run in the second quarter, which included a hat trick by Wolf.

Despite the flurry of goals by Amherst through the first half, the defense played a major role in the team’s early lead. Franklin & Marshall out-shot Amherst at a rate of 49-39, but were stonewalled by Chad Simons ’20 in goal, who had a season-high 22 saves. The Mammoths’

stout defense forced 20 turnovers on the game, with 11 of those coming in the first half, and allowed Amherst to silence the Diplomats in their offensive end, holding them scoreless for more than 26 minutes.

By the time Franklin & Marshall’s Jarrett Donaghy put his team back on the board, Amherst had already extended its lead to 12-4. The Diplomats tried to make things interesting, reducing their deficit to 137, but it was as close as the Diplomats would come. Amherst responded to this surge with two pairs of goals to seal the game for the Mammoths.

Amherst went on to win 17-9 and hand the Diplomats their second loss of the season.

While Amherst looked great in their Friday victory, they would have to perform even better for their contest on Saturday. No. 2 RIT came into the game with a 30-game regular-season win streak dating back to March 25, 2017. In that two-year stretch, the Tigers had notched two wins against Amherst, both of which came during the Mustang Classic.

This matchup was set to be the game of the weekend, a highly-anticipated battle between two potential national championship contenders.

RIT dominated the first 15 minutes. Amherst jumped out to its only lead of the first quarter after Wolf and Jon Coffey ’21 scored two goals in a nine-second span to make it 2-1.

RIT quickly stifled the Mammoths’ momentum with a 5-0 run of its own, beginning with a man-up goal by the Tigers’ Shawn Nally. The Amherst defense didn’t have much of an answer for Nally early in the contest; the junior attackman notched three goals and three assists in the first two frames.

The second quarter proved to be much more competitive, as Amherst and RIT played a nearly deadeven game on the stat sheet. The two teams both had 10 ground balls apiece, and Amherst barely edged out RIT on both faceoffs and forced turnovers.

The Tigers extended their lead to 11-5 before the Mammoths slowly began their comeback. James Crovatto ’21 stopped RIT’s three-goal run with a goal of his own. Wolf followed, scoring his chance from

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Captain Evan Wolf ’19 has been the driving force behind Amherst’s offense this season. He has totaled 21 goals and 10 assists in just five games. an isolation dodge. A late Tiger goal with three seconds left on the clock put the score at 12-7 going into halftime.

After RIT’s dominant showing in the first quarter, Amherst countered with an equally dominant second half. The Mammoths’ success stemmed from Amherst’s ability to execute on rides, clears, slides, ground balls and other minutia which dictate the games.

Amherst’s young defensive core did a much better job, forcing the Tigers to lose possesion six times in the quarter. The Mammoths also dominated ground balls, outperforming RIT by a margin of 14-9.

All of these small victories led to Amherst outscoring the Tigers 7-2 in the third quarter. The Mammoths overcame their 12-7 halftime deficit, knotting the game at 14 going into the fourth quarter.

After trailing for more than 42 minutes, Amherst finally reclaimed the lead. Solberg then followed that goal up with one of his own, coming free inside on the crease and converting a great feed into a quick catch-and-shoot past the RIT keeper.

The Tigers would not be put

away that easily; two goals on the crease would tie the game up at 16 with five minutes to play. Nearly a minute after the score was tied, Matt Solberg ’20 found Jack Norton ’19 wide open. Norton had all the time he needed to step into his shot, sneaking the ball in between the left pipe and the goalie’s foot to score what would be the game-winning goal.

Amherst would win the contest 17-16 and keep its perfect 5-0 record intact. RIT fell to 5-1 with its first regular-season loss in nearly two years.

Offensively, the Mammoths have been dominant early in the year, led by Wolf’s 21 goals through five games. Amherst is averaging 19.2 goals per game with assistant coach Quinn Moroney ’16 dictating the offense. The Mammoths have also seemed to find their man between the pipes during the Mustang Classic, as Simons notched two monumental victories behind 37 total saves this weekend.

The men’s lacrosse team will take the field again this Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., when they take on Endicott College on Pratt Field.

G A M E S C H E D U L E FRI

Men’s Swim & Dive @NCAA Championships Women’s Swim & Dive @NCAA Championships Baseball vs. Dean, 3:30 p.m.

Men’s Tennis vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 3 p.m.

SAT

Baseball @ Westfield State, noon & 2 p.m.

Men’s Lacrosse @ Hamilton, 1 p.m.

SUN

Women’s Lacrosse vs. Hamilton, noon Baseball vs. Wheaton, 1 p.m.

Men’s Tennis vs. Swarthmore, 11 a.m.