Issue 2

Page 1

THE AMHERST

THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

STUDENT VOLUME CXLVI, ISSUE 2 l WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

Men’s Soccer Earns Two Wins in First Week of Play See Sports, Page 9 AMHERSTSTUDENT.AMHERST.EDU

College Emphasizes Water Conservation During Drought Shawna Chen ’20 Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Takudzwa Tapfuma ‘17

Ta-Nehisi Coates, an award-winning writer and journalist, spoke to the Amherst community in a talk titled “Race in America” on Tuesday, Sept. 13, in LeFrak Gymnasium.

Ta-Nehisi Coates Speaks at Amherst Jingwen Zhang ’18 Managing News Editor

Acclaimed writer and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates gave a talk titled “Race in America” in LeFrak Gymnasium on Tuesday, Sept. 13. For an hour, Coates spoke on the history and his own experiences of being black in America, then spent another half hour answering questions from the audience. The talk was open to the public, with seating preference given to members of the Amherst community, and the gymnasium was filled to capacity with nearby overflow locations streaming the talk. Currently a national correspondent for the Atlantic Magazine, Coates has written for several other publications and received a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” in 2015 and the National Book Award in nonfiction for his 2015 book “Between the World and Me.” After President Biddy Martin introduced him, Coates began his talk by reading an excerpt from

“Between the World and Me,” which he used to introduce his experiences of growing up in West Baltimore. “I was born into a certain portion of America where fear was a defining reality,” Coates said. “The kind of existential fear that I felt as a black American wasn’t present [in other parts of America].” That fear, he said, came with an understanding “that your parents are actually afraid, that there are forces … that they cannot protect you from.” Coates said that his realization of the fear and violence experienced by many black Americans also came from watching depictions of white, generally well-to-do American families on television that were unlike the realities of his own life. “Why didn’t I know anything like that? Any families like that?” he said. “It was a story that the country told me about this other world … of the dream … that black Americans did not enjoy at the time.” The “dream,” Coates said, was “of America as being the sort of place where you can put a stake

down and buy a plot of land … that idea was intimately linked to the idea of slavery.” From there, Coates changed his focus to the history of slavery in America and how American policy has shaped ideas of race and racism. “This ‘dream’ haunts even our greatest achievements,” Coates said. He compared slavery to modern-day homeownership and said that at the time, it “created the unity of white identity.” Coates also related discriminatory policies from the Jim Crow era through recent years to current inequality, poverty and unemployment trends. He also criticized the idea of American exceptionalism as a factor in the formation of those policies. To end his talk, Coates spoke about the current U.S. election. Criticisms of President Barack Obama based on questioning his Americanness or birthplace were “subtracting the benefits of citizenship from black people,” he said. Regarding Republican presidential nominee Donald

Continued on Page 3

After the state of Massachusetts issued a regional drought watch in early July, President Biddy Martin notified students, faculty and staff of the drought’s effects on the college in an email on Aug. 18, calling on the community to aid in the college’s water conservation efforts. The town of Amherst issued mandatory water restrictions that prohibit watering lawns or gardens, washing vehicles non-commercially, washing buildings, sidewalks or patios and filling swimming pools. These restrictions went into effect on Aug. 19 and will stay in place until further notice, according to the town’s website. “It’s the worst drought we’ve seen in 60 years,” Director of Emergency Services Tamara Mahal said. The town government contacted the college in the beginning of August regarding implementation of conservation measures, Mahal said. Since then, the college has taken a number of steps to minimize water use, including delaying plantings around the newly-constructed Greenway dormitories, reducing irrigation of athletic fields and halting car washes for college vehicles. Nate Lane ’18, president of the student-run Green Amherst Project, worked at the Book and Plow Farm over the summer and said that the impact of the drought has become increasingly severe. “On the farm, crops are a lot smaller than usual and the yields are much slower,” Lane said. “For example, you want, in theory, to have more potatoes in weight when you harvest than when you put in by a factor of at least four or five or six. We barely broke even on what we put in. That’s due to low water, which makes the plants more susceptible to disease and makes them grow smaller.” According to Lane, the drought also affected the college’s dining hall. “The apples in the dining hall … are usually local,” he said. “You may have noticed they are very small this year [due to the] impact of the drought.” The drought status in Amherst is not as critical as it is in eastern Massachusetts according to the National Integrated Drought Information

Continued on Page 3

Mead Art Museum Unveils Renovations and New Exhibits Dan Ahn ’17 Managing News Editor Members of the college community had the opportunity to see six new exhibits at the Mead Art Museum during a reception on Thursday, Sept. 8 celebrating the museum’s renovation. This is the first major renovation to the Mead under director David Little, who arrived at the museum in summer 2015. The last renovation of this scale took place six years ago. “Accumulations: 5,000 Years of Objects, Fictions, and Conversations” examines the process of how a museum’s collection is built by displaying artworks that originated in different centuries and countries. According to Little, who was in charge of curating the exhibit, “Accumulations” is about “the materiality of the various objects that are on view, to remind the viewer that they start with the

object and then have a process of interpretation.” Little also said that the idea of situating audiences in new and different relations to artworks was a focus of the exhibit. “I think we want to empower the audience more,” he said. “It seemed to me that there was an opportunity, with the changing demographics of the college, to try to present exhibitions that opened up the possibility of involving those audiences more.” “Art From Africa: A Selection of Works Given by Amherst Collectors and Scholars” displays works of African art collected by two brothers who are alumni of the college. “The American Collection: Two Centuries of Art at Amherst College” shows American works spanning the college’s history. The Mead was founded in 1949 primarily to house a major influx of donated American works to the college. Vanja

Malloy, the curator of American art at the Mead, organized the exhibit. She said that one objective for the exhibit is to encourage not only conversation but also engagement with narratives, especially those that have been neglected by history. “As a curator, there are a number of objectives,” Malloy said. “One is that you have very important artworks that really should be on display, because they’re historically important and they’re key works in the collection … but you also want to invite the idea of other narratives. One thing I notice, as a woman, is that there are a lot of male artists — where do women come into this discussion?” Malloy made it a point to include a landscape painting by Robert Duncanson, an accomplished black painter associated with the Hudson River School. “Rotherwas Project 1: Amanda Valdez, La-

dies’ Night” is an exhibit of artworks by Amanda Valdez, an artist whose works engage with topics such as feminism and the materiality of fabrics. According to Little, this exhibit will be part of an ongoing series. “From Russia With Love: Selections from the Thomas P. Whitney, Class of 1937, Collection of Russian Art” is the second major exhibition of the museum’s expansive Russian art collection. It was organized by Bettina Jungen, curator of Russian art. Professor of Art History Nicola Courtright, who organized the exhibit “Precious: Finding the Wondrous in the Mead’s European Art Collection,” said the spaces were built to encourage curiosity and fascination among audiences. The exhibit has no numbers or labels on the

Continued on Page 3


News

Niko Vicario Fresh Faculty

Sept. 5, 2016 - Sept. 11, 2016

>>Sep 05, 2016 11:00 a.m., Greenway Building B An officer investigated a report that a television in a common room of Greenway B was vandalized.

6:53 p.m., Greenway Building B Officers investigated a smoke detector sounding on the third floor of Greenway B and discovered that the use of an oven caused the alarm.

10:34 p.m., Hitchcock Dormitory Officers responded to a noise complaint and found a large unauthorized party on the first floor. It was shut down.

11:22 p.m., Newport House Officers investigated a smoke detector sounding in a third floor room and discovered it had been activated by use of hair spray.

10:42 p.m., Hitchcock Dormitory While shutting down an unauthorized party, an officer encountered two women with alcohol who appeared to be underage. One left the area and the other was identified as a student from another institution.

>>Sep 10, 2016 12:49 a.m., Chapman House An officer assisted at Chapman House by directing a large group of non-Amherst College students to leave.

11:30 p.m., Tyler House While in Tyler, an officer encountered two students with marijuana. The marijuana and a pipe used for smoking were confiscated. The matter was referred to Student Affairs. >>Sep 06, 2016 2:39 a.m., Amherst College A student reported damage to a college-owned vehicle. >>Sep 07, 2016 10:56 p.m., Hitchcock Dormitory An officer investigated a smoke detector sounding in a second floor room and determined it activated when a resident smoked marijuana. The resident was fined $100 and the matter was referred to Student Affairs. 11:10 p.m., Hitchcock Dormitory While investigating a smoke detector sounding in a second floor room, an officer discovered the resident was in possession of alcohol while underage. The alcohol was confiscated and the matter was referred to Student Affairs. >>Sep 08, 2016 1:05 a.m., Tuttle Farm An officer checked on a man found near the Book & Plow farm. After identifying him and determining he had no legitimate business to be on college property, he was sent on his way. 10:41 a.m., Boltwood Ave. An officer assisted the town police at a motor vehicle accident on Boltwood Avenue. >>Sep 09, 2016 7:32 a.m., Wilson Admissions Office An officer investigated a report of a smashed window.

1:20 a.m., The Octagon An officer on patrol discovered three students on a lower roof of the building. After identifying them, they were directed off. 2:04 a.m., O’Connell Lot An officer checked on a man sitting in a car. The man, who has no affiliation with the college, said that he stopped to rest while on a trip to New York. 9:13 p.m., Plimpton House An officer encountered a small unauthorized party in the first floor common room. Alcohol was present and beer pong was being played. People immediately left the area and the alcohol was confiscated. 9:53 p.m., The Lord Jeffery Inn A parent called from Colorado after their daughter complained about loud music. An officer discovered the music was coming from a registered event at the Lord Jeffery Inn. 10:34 p.m., Lipton House An officer responded to a report of a possible burning odor on the third floor. Nothing was found. >>Sep 11, 2016 1:19 a.m., Jenkins Dormitory An officer responded to a report of two unwanted males in the building who were not students. One was located and found to be trespassing. 2:03 a.m., Jenkins Dormitory A resident reported the theft of two water bottles and two bottles of liquor. They are valued at $120. 6:15 p.m., Appleton Dormitory An officer investigated a smoke detector sounding on the second floor and found that it had been activated by hair spray.

Department of Art and the History of Art

Professor Niko Vicario completed his PhD in art history at MIT before coming to Amherst. His academic and research interests are in art and art history, with a focus on work from the 20th and 21st centuries. Q: What did you do before teaching at Amherst? A: Last year I was a post-doctorate fellow at the Getty Research Institute, which is a research center connected to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Before that I was a PhD student studying art history at MIT — not so far away, in Cambridge.

about very recent artworks from the 21st century and thinking about those in relationship to the way in which objects function in contemporary society — where our products are made, how the internet functions in our life, and how the internet has an impact on our experience of works of art and other types of objects.

Q: What were you doing at the Getty Re- Q: Why did you decide to teach at Amherst? search Institute? A: I went to a liberal arts college myself, VasA: It was a great opportunity because I was able sar College, and for me it was a really influto do my own research, and I’d just finished my ential environment. I was thinking about the dissertation. It was an exciting opportunity to advisor who I mentioned, and there was somelearn from other scholars who were also doing thing very moving about the idea of somehow scholarships and fellowships all gathered there having a job like hers in a school that’s simiaround a theme, “Art lar — though it’s also and Materiality.” Evdifferent. Also, when eryone’s projects were [S]tudying contemporary art I visited Amherst, I interested in the ma- from a transnational perspec- was very interested to terials that artists use see how the college is tive can bring in and engage a reimagining itself and in their work but also [interested in] other wide range of perspectives. diversifying in differquestions about how ent ways. I thought art exists in the world about how contempoand through time. It was an interesting group rary art, told from a transnational perspective of people — some working on Ancient Rome, rather than from the point of view of a particusome working on very recent contemporary lar location or culture, could participate in the art, so it was a great experience. culture of the college.

Q: How did you first become introduced to the field of art history, and what attracted you to it? A: I grew up going to museums, and I have some early childhood memories of them, particularly this museum called The Noguchi Museum, in Queens, New York, which is dedicated to a sculptor named Isamu Noguchi. I have those early memories, and then I later took an art history class as a senior in high school — I was lucky that that was offered — and that peaked my interest. And then I was an art history major in college, where I was especially inspired by my advisor. She had a very creative approach that brought together philosophy, theory, art and film, so she was a very influential person for me early on. Q: Are you currently working on any research projects? A: I’m focusing on teaching this semester, but I’m thinking about two different book projects. One is based on my dissertation, which is about art from the 1930s and 1940s. But I’m also excited about another project that I haven’t done the research for yet. It would be

Q: What classes are you teaching this semester? A: One is called “Introduction to Contemporary Art,” and we look at art produced since 1960 up until the present. Then there’s a 200-level class that is much more specific. It’s called “Art’s World since 1989,” and we look at the relationship between very recent art and processes of globalization, and also the relationship between the art world and the world. In that class, students write research papers that are specific to their interests. Q: How do you hope to contribute to Amherst through its academics or community during your time here? A: I guess my answer to that is like what I said earlier, which is how studying contemporary art from a transnational perspective can bring in and engage a wide range of perspectives that either students are bringing to the table, or that I can sometimes bring to the students. I also want to bring in different approaches to pedagogy and the classroom that might make art communicate better than a regular PowerPoint presentation would. — Isabel Tessier ’19

Interested in having your voice heard on this campus?

he t n i o J t n e d u st ! r e p a p s w e n

If you want to write for us, email jzhang18@amherst.edu


The Amherst Student • September 14, 2016

News

3

Mead Holds Reception to Celebrate Renovations Continued from Page 1 walls, but is accompanied by a booklet containing Professor Courtright’s notes on the works. “I wanted to make [the exhibit] into a space where the beholder would feel magnetically attracted, and want to stay and look and experience more the more they stayed,” Courtright said. “Precious” is a collection of objects that attracted the fascination of European princes, scholars and merchants. “I assembled these works that I often taught with in my sections and other works that students had written about in a Mellon colloquium on material culture,” Courtright said. “I wanted to see how these objects, these artworks and things, could resonate with each other and resonate with the viewer.” In addition to displaying new exhibits, the museum also underwent architectural modifications with the goal of deepening audience participation in the exhibits, according to Little. “I thought it was a good idea, as we physically opened up the place, that the space could be somewhere individuals could feel free to engage,” Little said. Little and Malloy said that the renovation was carried out by an unusually small staff for its scale, and that the museum would look to increase its staff in coming years.

Photo courtesy of Jingwen Zhang ‘18

The Mead Art Museum held “Mead Reimagined,” a reopening reception, on Thursday, Sept. 8. The reception highlighted the recent renovations and the six new exhibits on display.

Coates Discusses Racism in American History and Policy

Photo courtesy of Takudzwa Tapfuma ‘17

Coates spoke and answered questions in LeFrak Gymnasium, which was filled to capacity with attendees. Continued from Page 1 Trump, he said that “you couldn’t be … candidate for governor, acting like that, if you were black … much less for president.” “It sounds like I’m giving an endorsement

speech for Hillary Clinton,” Coates said. “I’m giving an un-endorsement for ignorance.” During the question and answer session, audience members posed questions on topics ranging from interracial relationships and the concept of race to modern-day slavery. In the discussion,

Coates also gave his thoughts on police brutality, America’s history of slavery, campus activism and “safe spaces.” “I thought his ability to explain that argument and analysis was extraordinary,” President Martin said in an interview after the talk. “I thought the

questions were extraordinary, and his responses showed more humility than I’ve virtually ever heard from a speaker. I could also feel that the excitement in the audience, the attentiveness and the desire to think with him was palpable.” “It was a privilege to have Ta-Nehisi Coates at Amherst,” said Cullen Murphy ’74, the chair of the college’s board of trustees, in an email interview. “As Biddy noted in her introduction, he raises some of the most important questions our society needs to face, and as he demonstrated in person, he does so in a way that invites engagement and reflection rather than resistance. That’s not easy, and it’s all too rare in public life.” Prior to his talk, Coates also held a small private class with 25 students who were randomly chosen out of 169 total applicants. According to Paola Garcia ’18, who was present, the class was structured as a question and answer session with Coates, moderated by English, Black Studies and Film and Media Studies Professor Marisa Parham. “It was an opportunity for students to ask questions that meant a lot to us,” said Amir Hall ’17, another student in the private class. “One of the things he said that struck me was about freedom. He said that once he had accepted the limits as a black person, he found freedom … I thought of what that means for us here ... Coates helped me think about freedom in the sense of my racialized self but also in the sense of staying afloat in a place like [Amherst College].” Coates’ visit to the college was funded by the Victor S. Johnson 1882-1943 Lectureship Fund and the Croxton Lecture Fund, both of which were established by alumni to hold events with prominent speakers at the college.

College and Town Respond to State Drought Watch Continued from Page 1 System. However, Director of Sustainability Laura Draucker said that the town and the college are taking action to protect Amherst’s water supply. One of the main sources of this water was the Atkins reservoir, which will be closing temporarily after a summer of unusually low precipitation. “We had a dry winter without much rain or snow,” Draucker said. “The snow mount was much smaller, which became part of the problem.” Compared to an average of 36 inches of snow in a normal winter, Mahal said that Amherst only received 18 inches this past winter. Rainfall had also decreased from an average of 34 inches to 19 inches.

“We’re switching from relying on three primary sources of water to relying on our backup supply as the primary source,” Mahal said. “If we don’t continue to conserve, we risk putting ourselves and the town in a vulnerable position.” The town, along with Amherst College, Hampshire College and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, now rely on groundwater from wells as the main water source. Mahal said that groundwater takes much longer to extract and purify than surface water from precipitation. “We need to continue taking this seriously until November, where we’ll ideally see a significant increase in rainfall,” Mahal said. If the drought worsens, Draucker said, the next tier of response measures will involve reducing air conditioning, switching off dishwashers in

Valentine and using disposable silverware. “Over 60 percent of our water use is through our academic buildings and residential buildings,” Draucker said. “A lot of it is individual use.” Draucker and Mahal said that besides taking shorter showers and only washing full loads of laundry, students should report leaky faucets or faulty plumbing immediately. “If you notice something that doesn’t sound right in the bathroom or is leaking, or you see a leaking faucet that’s hard to shut off, call it in,” Draucker said. According to Mahal, running toilets are a significant source of water loss. “We’ve got a quick response team in place that’s really 24/7 and going around fixing these issues,” she said. “As a student, maybe you don’t think, ‘I should call in this

leaky faucet,’ but in reality it’s a big part of our response.” Lane also said that students should be aware of how even the smallest actions can affect the water system. “This drought is something that affects you and me right now, and you notice it in the dining hall, you notice it when you’re around campus and you notice the brown grass,” he said. “Water conservation is very critical. We don’t want to deplete the water table because that has consequences for the environment [for] replenishing it — it’s more difficult.” The drought status will remain in effect until the state’s Drought Management Task Force declares that water levels have returned to normal in affected regions.


Opinion Amherst’s Institutional Obligation Editorial The tension surrounding engaging difficult subjects in higher education has recently become the topic of much discussion, with commentary on the subject being delivered ad nauseam. Opinions range from belittling liberal institutions for supposedly casting out conservative ideas to intensely supporting students’ right to seek safe spaces. The discussion is a noble one, and one that will undoubtedly continue to be addressed. However, amidst the passionately charged discussion, there rests a frightening lack of comprehensive solutions. As an institution, Amherst has the opportunity to continue the national conversation as it works to construct a thriving academic environment for students. The work has begun in small ways. For instance, the College has adapted orientation programming by including a new social justice LEAP program. Furthermore, students gathered in Frost last year to promote campus-wide dialogue on issues of racism in higher education. Students continued the conversation into this academic year. Yet, the College’s institutional voice generally seems silent on the national front, contrasting schools like The University of Chicago that dominate headlines by approaching safe spaces, trigger warnings and controversial campus speakers as a single concept. As many have seen on social media and on the news, institutions like these reject any sort of complication necessary to the discussion, single-handedly declaring notions of sensitivity on campus unnecessary. Safe spaces, trigger warnings, controversial speakers and the like, deserve an explicit stance from our College, especially at a crucial time when the conversation is being immediately dismissed by other institutions. How can the College and its students value this conversation and defend safe spaces and trigger warnings from being immediately cut down? While there is no perfect example in our institutional history, one small bright spot might be found in an all-college email from this July. In response to the incidents of police brutality and attacks on police officers, President Martin addressed the entire campus community by email, first recognizing and naming the incidents and their complexities, and further writing: “the liberal arts have as their purpose the rejection of prejudice, hatred and violence in favor of knowledge, understanding and democratic process.” Although no email could ever fully address such a complex topic, the act of recognition alone is a powerful step in itself. Martin herself further writes

on this subject, “That work is incomplete but ongoing. We can and will do better.” The email begs the question: what shape will The College’s “work” take? How can our “work” on national issues move beyond simple recognition letters, and begin to take the form of true allyship? Amherst College students continually make themselves vulnerable to the institution — sharing intensely personal narratives at Amherst Uprising and throughout the year via campus publications and simple face-toface conversations. Amherst students actively work to create spaces for dialogue. While the administration’s response to Amherst Uprising was encouraging in its apparent willingness to collaborate with students on campus solutions, how can the Amherst administration be more proactive and take the weight off of students’ shoulders before we reach these breaking points? How can the Amherst administration become a better advocate, activist and ally for the diverse community of students it has brought to this campus? The Editorial Board firmly believes in the power of student voice, but also believes that voice should never be co-opted and simply responded to only when reputations are at stake. The mentality that bore the UChicago letter and the following broader national criticism of safe spaces essentially terminates conversation. Every institution is entitled to a position, but to outright reject safe spaces, without even defining the term, feels misguided, narrow-minded and irresponsibly sensationalizing. The Editorial Board seeks a conversation that can complicate the definition of a safe space — how can we make conversations open to all students, regardless of their background to participate in a dialogue? For many people, that is already the exact goal of a safe space, and a goal that most people can likely agree on. Currently the dominant media conversation has moved away from goals of any sort, and has simply become a back and forth centered around terms that every side interprets differently. Clear definitions are necessary for proper implementation, especially within our small but critical community. Amherst can set an example for other institutions by voicing our own definitions. Most critically, the Editorial Board supports solutions that make this dialogue explicit, shifting away from vague disapproval and, in doing so, advocating for a comprehensive intellectual discourse.

A Poor Replacement for Social Spaces Jake May ’19 Contributing Writer Last year, upon my arrival to Amherst, I learned about a place called “The Socials.” Four upperclassmen dormitories Coolidge, Crossett, Stone and Pond were the centers of weekend social life for Amherst students. Sure, many Fridays and Saturdays would be occupied by formals taking place in common rooms, but after those parties teetered, one could always retreat to the Socials to find a party. Today, a year later, much has changed. The social quad has been obliterated — the buildings have been demolished, the land has been flattened, and a massive mound of dirt now sits next to Keefe — and a new Science Center is slated to open in the fall of 2018. New dormitories, known as the Greenways, now house many Amherst students. And, perhaps most importantly to many students at the College, new locations are being developed as the centers of partying on campus. This relocation of weekend social events is where, in my limited experience, problems have arisen. In the few nights that I have gone out on campus this year, I’ve felt that the number of unique, public parties on campus has gone down, leaving students with fewer options of where to go on a weekend night. Furthermore, and as one would expect, because of this lack of options, I’ve found that nearly every party becomes overrun with people, no matter the location. These problems are, in my opinion, a result of two very obvious things. One, of course, is the fact that the Socials are gone. The second is the College’s decision not

to replicate the Socials when constructing new dorms, and instead to create very different types of spaces in the Greenways. The Socials had many flaws, both in their physical condition as well as the social atmosphere that they promoted. However, they were effective in a few key ways. First of all, the Socials suites contained larger common rooms where a good number of students could gather. They were a size that promoted a group of friends gathering to “pregame” by playing some pleasant drinking games, larger but still intimate gatherings with just an athletic team or two (often called “mixers”), as well as full-on parties where the lights were off and the music was blaring, and no one was keeping track of who came in and out of the door. Of course, these common rooms were not as large and not nearly as nice as many spaces found in dorms like Mayo-Smith dormitory, Hitchcock dormitory or Seelye dormitory. And sure, those common rooms can and already are used for each of the different types of gatherings I listed above. Furthermore, by virtue of being larger, these common rooms could hold even more people for the larger, lights-off-music-blaring parties, which many might see as an advantage. However, in my experience at the Socials, it was never a disappointment when a party was too crowded. This leads to the second reason why the Socials were effective: The sheer number of parties happening at the same time. On any given weekend night, one could rely on a multitude of parties being thrown at each of the four Social dorms. This created a situation where a student who

felt overcrowded at a party would not have to choose between staying in an uncomfortable space and going back to their dorm. Rather, they could simply use the old-as-time Amherst adage and simply “follow the music” to find another party at a nearby suite, whether in the same building or across the quad. This leads to the final reason why the Socials were so effective: their proximity to one another. If a student wanted to go to a different party, they wouldn’t need to walk all the way across campus to get there. They would have to simply walk across the Social Quad. Nearly all of these advantages have been undone this year, but not only because the Socials have been torn down. What has exacerbated the issue of the state weekend life at Amherst is the fact that the Greenways do not promote the same type of socializing — the type of socializing that many Amherst students are used to — that the Socials did. The Greenways have suites, sure, but the common rooms are miniscule compared to those in the Socials. They are in proximity to each other as well, but because of the small common rooms, very few if any public parties take place there. Because of these problems with the Greenways, so far Amherst students have resorted to gathering in other spaces, namely the Triangle (Hitchcock, Seelye and Mayo-Smith) and Jenkins. While this is the same number of dormitories that were on the social quad, the Triangle only has three places where a party can take place (in each of the large common rooms), and Jenkins has fewer suites than any of the Social Dorms did. Furthermore, Jen-

Continued on next page

THE AMHERST

STUDENT E X E C U T I V E B OA R D Editor-in-Chief Lauren Tuiskula Executive Advisors Dan Ahn, Kiana Herold, Sophie Murguia Managing News Jingwen Zhang Managing Opinion Diane Lee, Spencer Quong Managing Arts and Living Gabby Edzie, Paola Garcia-Prieto, Alida Mitau Managing Sports Jason Darell, Nathaniel Quigley, Julia Turner Managing Design Gabby Bishop S TA F F Head Publisher Tia Robinson Head Marketer Sophie Currin Design Editors Justin Barry, Zavi Sheldon, Chloe Tausk, Yrenly Yuan

Letters Policy The opinion pages of The Amherst Student are intended as an open forum for the Amherst community. The Student will print letters under 450 words in length if they are submitted to The Student offices in the Campus Center or to the paper’s email account (astudent@amherst.edu) by noon on Sunday, after which they will not be accepted. The editors reserve the right to edit any letters exceeding the 450-word limit or to withhold any letter because of considerations of space or content. Letters must bear the names of all contributors and a phone number where the author or authors may be reached. Letters and columns may be edited for clarity and Student style.

Publication Standards The Amherst Student is published weekly except during college vacations. The subscription rate is $75 per year or $40 per semester. Subscription requests and address changes should be sent to: Subscriptions, The Amherst Student Box 2291, Amherst College Amherst, MA 01002-5000 The offices of The Amherst Student are located on the second floor of the Keefe Campus Center, Amherst College. Phone: (413) 542-2304. All contents copyright © 2015 by The Amherst Student, Inc. All rights reserved. The Amherst Student logo is a trademark of The Amherst Student, Inc. Additionally, The Amherst Student does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or age. The views expressed in this publication do not reflect the views of The Amherst Student.

Connect to Us Email: astudent@amherst.edu Twitter: @amherststudent Instagram: @theamherststudent Like The Amherst Student on Facebook

Web Version

The Amherst Student is available to read online at amherststudent.amherst.edu.


The Amherst Student • September 14, 2016

On Social Spaces Continued from previous page kins and the Triangle are quite far from one another. These are all things that disrupt the way that Amherst students are used to going out on a Saturday. Now, there are fewer parties occurring, while the same number of people are going out, which leads to overcrowding. Also, because the parties are far away from each other, in order to go from one to another, students must walk a greater distance than they are used to. Obviously this is not a huge issue, it is just something that students are not used to doing. But what makes this walk especially unfortunate is the fact that instead of walking to find a party that is perhaps less crowded and more enjoyable, students are walking back and forth between two locations

— the Triangle and Jenkins — that are equally crowded, hot and generally unbearable. Of course, we have only been back at school for a couple of weeks, and there is probably no need to overreact. After all, before the Socials were built, most parties took place at old fraternity houses, so social adjustments have been made on this campus before. However, I find it very unfortunate that the College decided to build these new dorms in the way they did, knowing that students would not be able to have proper social gatherings there. I wish that the College had thought through the consequences that would come with not directly replacing the Socials. It seems that Amherst believed building the Greenways would result in fewer students wanting to go out to larger parties, but result has instead been that fewer students have fun when they do go out.

Assumptions Can Lead You Astray Kola Hayward-Rotimi ’20 Contributing Writer Coming to Amherst as a first-year, I expected the awkwardness. I remembered those initial glances and weird handshakes well from my experience at a residential boarding school. The first few hellos and name exchanges are destined to be encounters that make both parties cringe, at least a little. Even with this level of discomfort in mind, I noticed a subtle difference between those beginning moments at my high school and the ones at Amherst. In college, categorizations seem to threaten to warp the interactions and perspectives that we have with people even before we had finished our introductions. As a society, we tend to stereotype individuals to fit into the clichés that we have seen in various parts of the population. It is actually an easily damaging trend that I believe everyone has been guilty of at some point in time, but it becomes painfully visible when we are thrown into new social environments, such as the first week in college. For Amherst’s fresh new class of 2020, there is an endless stream of unfamiliar faces, and sometimes we forget just how different the people behind those faces can be from what we have dealt with before. Before I explain exactly how we fall into the traps of stereotyping, I want to delve briefly into how the awkward intros at Amherst differ from the awkward intros at my high school. Though it is obviously prevalent here too, social media (specifically Facebook) at my old school was the centerpiece of the school’s society. Even before we had arrived on campus for high school, my peers and I had aligned ourselves within complex social circles all online. Social media was such a strong presence that when it was time to meet everyone in real life, our first conversations were less introductions and more tests of character. We wanted to see if the digital and physical identities synced, if whom we had chatted with over social media for the past few months truly was the same in the flesh. Though this brought up a whole mess of social issues, it removed the need to jump to conclusions on campus. The con-

clusions had already been made, solely based on rather extensive online interaction. When it was time to meet on campus, there was not much to assume since that aspect of the “awkward introduction” phase had been artificially skipped over. On the other hand, there is Amherst. The buildup to school starting for the first-years was still a very anxious and exciting time, with students reaching out over social media to interact and learn about their new classmates. Nevertheless, many of the initial interactions between students at the college happened when we arrived on campus. With a larger class body than my high school and more diverse social media presences (not using exclusively Facebook for every online interaction), this led to us approaching each other, in person, with many less concrete expectations. The assumptions that we made while meeting people at Amherst do not necessarily have to be harmful. For example, meeting someone who you assume after a nice conversation is a really cool person is far from bad. Unfortunately, it is never usually so clearly defined in reality. Often times, we judge people on aspects of their personalities that we have not even come into contact yet, subtly altering our interactions with them to fit the image that we have formed in our head. From assumptions about the typical behavior of a STEM-oriented individual to an athlete, we use labels to try to understand our peers. Unfortunately, the only thing we achieve by perpetuating these definitions is limiting the possibilities in which we can interact with each other. This is especially dangerous at a liberal arts institution like Amherst. The liberal arts thrive on the kind of interdisciplinary thought that you can find in many of the students here. Obviously it is not just the academic sides of our peers that we are diverse. When you have multifaceted, vibrant personalities all around you, the last thing you want to do is try to check them off into your own mental boxes. Next time when you find yourself in that awkward introduction yet again with that kid you met literally three days ago, let them do the talking for themselves. Do not expect anything except for what your peers reveal to you.

Opinion

5

The Importance of the ASA Ludia Ock ’19 Contributing Writer Exactly one year ago, I found myself sitting on the sofa in the Multicultural Resource Center, sitting among other members of the Asian Students Association. I was unsettled by the natural discomfort of occupying a space filled with unfamiliar faces, yet struck by how comfortable I felt in a room with no one I knew. I never thought that I would end up sitting among these seven other students I had never met before. I did not stumble upon the club at the “Get Involved Fair” on the quad and I did not have any other friends who even knew ASA existed. How did I end up in a space that would soon feel like home? Word of mouth, of course. I heard that ASA had been revived by a senior after years of inactivity and I thought, “why not just go to one meeting?” That one meeting turned into a year of involvement in one of my most beloved clubs on campus. So at that one meeting, I was surrounded by students that I can count on my fingers. There weren’t too many of us there, but that was to be expected. Just by walking around campus during the first few weeks of school, I deeply felt the lack of community among Asian and Asian American students. If Amherst is lauded as being such a diverse institution, why didn’t I see people or even feel connected to people who look like me? This recurring thought throughout my first weeks in college shattered my anticipation for a strong Asian and Asian American presence. I walked into the MRC to find that the meeting was just about to begin. There were about seven other students sitting on the warm gray sofa, a sofa so instrumental in fostering an intimate group setting. As soon as I sat down, I was met with the beaming rays of positivity and excitement by the one and only, Rachel Nghe ’16. Rachel was instrumental in reviving ASA after years of its inactivity. There were only a handful of students at this meeting, and I entered the space with little to no expectations, but I never counted down a single minute at that meeting. I sat around in solidarity with other students who voiced concerns similar to mine. The discussion topic of the night dealt with self-segregation and how that relates to the Asian and Asian American experience at Amherst. Many comments made during that night echoed some of my observations on campus: That there is no cohesive Asian and Asian American community, there is barely any pride for Asian heritage in the general student body, that there is a lot of internalized self-hatred that may contribute to the lack of cohesiveness in the Asian and Asian American student body and most importantly, that something needs to be done to change the status quo. I held onto an assumption that every ASA meeting moving forward would comprise of the same seven or eight people with different discussion topics every time. But after Amherst Uprising, the future of ASA became larger and brighter than ever before. The Amherst Uprising movement demanded that the administration make concrete changes to better serve the needs of students of color. Many Amherst Asian and Asian American students came together for the first time to discuss how Amherst, the institution, can improve their experience on campus with more diverse Asian studies and Asian American studies courses and hiring of more faculty members who can teach these courses and facilitate a better understanding of Asian heritage. This political activism by Asian students is one that has been lacking for a long time, but is being catapulted by the sudden need for visibility and voice.   In a conversation with Nghe about Asian and Asian American voices during Amherst Uprising, she reflected and said, “…the terms “students of color” or “minority students” or “diversity” most certainly pertained to all Asian students, yet there was

no sense of belonging. When such a collective group simultaneously felt the same way, that was when students realized they can only occupy the space as allies, but not as a member or victim of the struggle.” Because of Amherst Uprising, students with Asian heritage and allies warmly acknowledged one another in shared spaces, in meetings and in Frost Library as the movement went on. Right after the Frost Library sit-in, ASA held a meeting that was met with a record number of students joining the space. In the room, we the students were connected in the sense that many of us had never been in a room with so many Amherst College Asian and Asian American students before. Our meetings moving forward fostered fruitful conversations and slowly garnered a community that I had conceptualized, yet could never actually imagine existing on campus. After having felt lonely and community-less for months, I finally experienced solidarity and understanding that I had craved for so long. At ASA, we don’t just discuss various aspects our identities or reflect upon our Amherst experiences. We look around the room and appreciate that we are connected by narratives that may resonate with one another, but at the same time, acknowledge that we hold experiences that make us so incredibly different and special from one another. We look around the room, feeling assured that we have allies who may not carry Asian heritage, but appreciate the individual stories we hold as a result of our unique backgrounds. For most of my life, I had felt invisible, my story as insignificant as pebbles in the eyes of many others who do not care to learn about my heritage. But when I am in a space with people who actually want to know where I come from and who I am, I finally feel like I have a family here on campus, reaching out to skip stones in the expansive lake of our histories. I am writing this piece just as I leave the MRC after the first ASA meeting of the semester. I scanned the room and noted that the inviting gray sofa was not the only area occupied by interested students; every inch and every corner of the room was dominated by students excited to participate in the club. As my eyes darted from one crowded corner to another, I reflected back to a time when I was the only first-year student at an ASA meeting. But now I looked around the room and noticed that more than half of the students at the meeting were first-year students. I grinned from ear to ear, thinking about how different this club will look in just a few semesters. Asian Students Association is important to me because I know that my presence and voice on campus deserves to be valued, and I feel the most validated and challenged when I attend these meetings, participate in ASA-hosted events and assume leadership roles to foster a more inclusive space for everyone to share. I want everyone to know that ASA is not just for Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander students; it is for anyone who wants to learn about other perspectives, voices and have a general appreciation for the differing minds comprised of the human spirit. Slowly, I am starting to realize that other students on campus care about my history, my story and I yearn to be validated in this same way by our institution. I want to see more Asian American courses at Amherst, I want to attend office hours to speak with professors who empathize with my background and I want my history to be acknowledged by an institution that is supposed to support me in every way that it can. I am optimistic about the future of ASA and I hope it will soon be important to you, too.


Arts&Living

Graphic by Justin Barry ‘18

There are several noteworthy tours coming to the area this September, including big names like Adele and Bruce Springsteen and up and coming artists like Lane 8.

Concert Hopping: September Concerts You Won’t Want to Miss Gabby Edzie ’17 Managing Arts & Living Editor Here’s a list of some of the concerts in the area this month to help you transition out of the seemingly endless days of summer concert going. New shows are added regularly, so be sure to keep an eye on your favorite artists (the app “Bandsintown” is great) and venues in the area — we’re lucky to have some amazing venues right in Northampton. Happy listening! Disclaimer: This is totally based off my taste in music, although I didn’t include the ABBA tribute band that is going to be in Northampton (I saw them in 2011). Sept. 14: Adele (TD Garden – Boston, Massachusetts): A toss up between paying for your bio textbooks and seeing Adele. Her live renditions are equivalent to, if not better than, her recorded tracks (affectionately ruined by parents’ car karaoke worldwide). Sept. 14: Bruce Springsteen (Gillette Stadium - Foxboro, Massachusetts): Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band embarked on “The River Tour 2016” in support of the 2015 release “The Ties that Bind: The River Collection” — a box set commemorating the 35th anniversary of the album “The River.” The Boss has been known to stay vivacious for a substantial three and a half hours during his recent live performances. Sept. 14 & 15: Okkervil River (The Sinclair - Cambridge, Massachusetts): Following a period of change, front Man Will Sheff will be touring with Okkervil River’s latest release “Away.” The album is a departure from the folk/indie rock band, as Sheff (with the help of a medley of contributing artists) embarked on the album as a solo endeavor. The new album keeps the shaky, emotionally in-tune vibe that I’ve always loved about Okkervil River. As Sheff said in a

statement, the album is in large part “a death story for a part of [his’ life that had, buried inside of it, a path [he] could follow that might let [him] go somewhere new.” Sept. 14th: Lane 8 (Bijou Nightclub - Boston) If you haven’t listened to much deep house, Lane 8 is a good entry point. Daniel Goldstein’s tracks are accessible and he’s supposed to be incredible live. He’s also been vouched for by some bigger names like ODESZA and The Magician. Sept. 15, 16 & Sept. 18: Danny Brown (Lupo’s Heathbreak Hotel - Providence Rhode Island, Toad’s Place – New Haven, Connecticut, Paradise Rock Club – Boston, Massachusetts): After the announcement of his upcoming album “Atrocity Exhibition,” Danny Brown is touring with ZelooperZ and Maxo Kream. I can’t speak much about his openers, but the raspy-voiced Danny Brown has the quintessential hipster MC sound — one of his most popular songs features Purity Ring. He’s known for having a pretty absurd sense of humor, so if you’re easily offended, this show might not be for you. Sept. 15: The Revivalists (Pearl Street Nightclub - Northampton, Massachusetts): The indie rockers have a soulful sound to them, in large part due to their lead vocalist David Shaw. If you haven’t heard of them, but are an Alabama Shakes fan, I’d recommend checking them out. Sept. 16: Guster (Capitol Center for the Arts – Concord, New Hampshire) Most Guster fans are diehards, so I’m sure the show will be worth the trek to New Hampshire. The band, whose founders met while freshmen at Tufts, is the perfect, upbeat end-of-summer show to attend. Sept. 16: RJD2 (The Middle East Downstairs – Cambridge, Ma) RJD2 is an electronic,

hip-hop hybrid. His tracks feature beats that are satisfying, yet not over-produced. It’ll be a chill show at one of the more intimate venues in Boston. Sept. 17 & 19: Tove Lo (DCU Center Worcester, Massachusetts, XL Center - Hartford, Connecticut): Who needs lyrical prowess when you have the production that went into “Cool Girl.” You’ll be hearing a lot of her songs at the socials (excuse me, Jenkins) anyway, so might as well see her live. Sept. 18: Young the Giant (House of Blues – Boston, Massachusetts): The accessible altrockers produce undeniably catchy, upbeat songs and their live shows are rightfully energetic. Sept. 20: CHVRCHES (Lupo’s - Northampton, Massachusetts): CHVRCHES have been touring with their latest release “Every Open Eye” for a while now (including several shows co-headlined with Death Cab for Cutie). The trio brings an electro-pop airiness to their critically well-received album, but vocalist Mayberry’s lyrics are far from lacking substance. She’s well-spoken and isn’t afraid to tackle weighty, feminist concerns. Sept. 20: Peter Bjorn and John (College Street Music Hall - New Haven, Connecticut): The group is touring on their 2016 release “Breakin’ Point” — their first release in five years. The album received mixed reviews, as some of the classic-pop-formula tracks fall short, and shallow. I’m not one to fall for Pitchfork reviews, but I can’t disagree with Jazz Monroe’s critique: “the characters feel less like conflicted people than vessels for indie-pop intensity.” Although the band seems to be caught in an endless attempt to recreate “Young Folks,” there’s no doubt it’ll be a fun, good-spirited show, unless of course you’re put off by “the lonely work of a band who’ve forgotten how to love their own music.”

Sept. 20: Explosions in the Sky (Calvin theater – Northampton): Although I usually reserve Explosions in the sky for studying or falling asleep, their shows are infamously intense, and I can guarantee you won’t be doing either if you attend. Sept. 21: Ziggy Marley (Calvin theater – Northampton): He learned some stuff from a pretty irrelevant father. Sept. 23 & 24: Yo La Tengo (City Hall Plaza - Boston, Massachusetts, The warehouse FTC - Fairfield, Connecticut): Yo La Tengo, formed by husband/wife duo Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley are somehow endlessly refreshing. Do not pass up a chance to see them live. Sept. 23 & 24 St. Lucia (College Street Music Hall - New Haven, Connecticut, Fete Ballroom – Providence, Rhode Island): St. Lucia’s front man Jean-Philip Grobler started off in a notable South African children’s choir. Since, he’s transitioned into the king of 80’s-esque synth pop. St. Lucia is touring with their 2016 release, “Matter.” The catchiest track off the album is “Dancing on Glass.” Sept. 24: Bad Boy Reunion Tour (TD Garden - Boston, Massachusetts). This should be pretty unreal. The show features several legends including Puff Daddy, Lil’ Kim, Mase, Faith Evans and French Montana. Sept. 30: How To Dress Well (Sinclair Boston, Massachusetts): Spotify describes Tom Krell’s sound as “ghostly, affecting R&B.” This will definitely be one of the chiller shows on the list, but definitely worth checking out for a fun Friday night off campus. Oct. 1: Majid Jordan (Royale Boston - Boston, Massachusetts): You probably know Majid Jordan for the duo’s collaborations with Drake. Regardless, they have a dynamic sound worth witnessing live. Majid Jordan released a selftitled album back in February.


76897

Arts & Living 7

The Amherst Student • September 14, 2016

A FULFILLING CAREER SHOULDN’T LEAVE YOU EMPTY HANDED. Rediscover what makes us a different kind of financial partner at the new TIAA.org

INVESTING

ADVICE

BANKING

RETIREMENT

BUILT TO PERFORM. CREATED TO SERVE.

C28791


Arts & Living 8

The Amherst Student • September 14, 2016

A Look Back at Fifty Years of “Star Trek” and a Peek into the Future

Photos Photos courtesydevianart.com of deviantart

The 50th anniversary of “Star Trek” was celebrated with a Marathon of episodes. Mark Simonitis ’19 Staff Writer Space. The Final Frontier. You know the rest. On Sept. 7, 2016, fans all across the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of “Star Trek”. Who would have guessed that a high concept science fiction television show with a focus on social commentary would have ever caught on? Infamous for its tumultuous production, the franchise that was saved by syndication has survived and even thrived, becoming ingrained in our popular culture and consciousness. However, today’s audience May find it difficult to grasp what makes “Star Trek” so important. For many, their only exposure to the franchise has been the three most recent films, action packed summer blockbusters. While the original show and its successors had their fair shares

of action, that was by no means what made the concept endure. Series creator Gene Roddenberry envisioned “Star Trek” as “A Wagon Train to the Stars”, chronicling the adventures of the crew of the U.S.S. “Enterprise” as they explore the far reaches of space. In essence, it was the space age manifestation of the pioneer spirit typically found in Westerns. The show enshrined adventure, discovery and knowledge in a way that still holds true today. While the Wagon Train concept itself is incredibly compelling, Rodenberry decided that the show couldn’t just be about pursuing fictional boundaries in space exploration, but real world social and political boundaries. Under the watchful eyes of studio censors, “Star Trek” commented on war, prejudice, religion and more, often in ways that was simply unfathoMable in the Sixties. The show

called for tolerance, cooperation and even diversity. Perhaps the most famous example of this is the character of Lieutenant Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols. To have a black woman serving alongside white men and being treated as an equal was a milestone for both women and people of color on television. She even shared one of television’s first interracial kisses with William Shatner. In fact, Nichols was attending a NAACP fundraiser when she was greeted by a big fan of the show, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nichols confided to Dr. King that she was considering leaving the show and he said “You can’t. You’re part of history.” To the benefit of us all, she stayed on. This upcoming January, “Star Trek” will return to television with “Star Trek Discovery.” CBS has been frustratingly tight lipped about the show, even though it would have been wise to capitalize on the anniversary celebrations. All that we know for sure is that the show is set 10 years before the original series and that it exists in the original timeline. Fans were also treated to a brief glimpse of the U.S.S. Discovery itself. There have also been reassurances that “Discovery” will closely adhere to Roddenberry’s original vision. A moment at the Mission New York convention hinted just exactly how it will accomplish that. During a panel on the new show, a fan pointed out to writer-producers Nicholas Meyer and Kirsten Beyer that “Star Trek” featured characters of American descent working alongside the Russian character of Chekov. When considering that the show aired during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, it was a

strong message that humanity would one day overcome its divisions and work together as one. The fan then asked Meyer and Beyer if “Discovery” would feature a Muslim crewmember. After a brief silence, Beyer said that “the spirit of inclusion doesn’t just refer to sexual orientation” (Showrunner Bryan Fuller had previously confirmed that there would be a gay crewmember). Even though this was not a direct confirmation, it certainly seems as though a Muslim Starfleet officer could possibly be coming our way. In any case, the parallels are striking. Once upon a time, there was a raging paranoia in our country that led people to see Communist spies around every corner. In an age where Muslims are all too often being classified as an enemy due to the actions of a few, we should always remember that, at the end of the day, they are human beings just like the rest of us. Even if there isn’t a Muslim crewmember onboard, the beauty and power of a united species and a united galaxy, is what “Star Trek” is all about. In its most distilled form, it is about the wonders that could one day be achieved. While there will surely be obstacles down the road, it would be far too depressing a world if we all just gave up on trying to make it a better place. Now more than ever we could use a show that is willing to not just take a good luck at society and criticize it, but to offer a light at the end of the tunnel. There should be an end goal to all of our efforts, a reason that we continue to fight for what is good and just. Why not a future where men and women of all races and creeds join together to see what’s out there?

A History of the Social Dorms: From Inception to Demolition

Graphics by Justin Barry ‘18

A copy of The Student from 1986 featured an article declaring the structure of the social dorms socially limiting. Sophie Currin ’17 Staff Writer On May 7, 2016, students gathered to arrange and light votive candles on the social quad — their individually small but collectively voluminous flames could be seen flickering in the wind by those dancing on the inwardfacing windowsills of Crossett and Pond. This past spring, on the last Saturday before finals period — a few days after a keg found its way out of a window in Pond and a few days before the ultimate bulldozing of the social dorms — students organized a vigil to celebrate the space’s existence or destruction, or both. Kali Robinson ’17, head planner of the event, succinctly summarized the student body’s mixed sentiments in his call via Facebook to commemorate the dorms Crossett, Stone, Pond and Coolidge: “This is it, they’re coming down, mourn or scorn with me tonight at 11:30pm!” Students, spanning in both class year and level of sobriety, scrawled short, per-

sonal farewell wishes to the Socials on scraps of paper, ranging from, “I can’t wait for this to come down,” to, “Coolidge 4ever <3.” In the later years, the Socials decidedly served as the best, most reliable party-hopping scene on the Amherst campus, the landmark for many first and last bad decisions and that place that allowed people to meet, for better or for worse. However, Amherst students have not always thought of the dorms in this light. In a copy of The Student from 1986, the editors printed an opinion piece on the social dorms expressing sentiments quite distinct from the consensus current students hold. The short article expressed their concerns and asked for amendments, all stemming from the apparent lack of inclusive social space in the social dorms that had caused student-thrown parties to fail: “Residents of the social dorms have recently displayed several enthusiastic attempt to host campus-wide parties. Primarily sophomores, these students have been

limited by the very structure of the social dorms. Originally designed to house small groups independent of one another (i.e., seniors who had previously established close friendships), these dorms are now primarily occupied by eager underclassmen still in the process of forming widespread friendships. However, these residents are plagued by the anti-social structure of the social dorms. In order to encourage conducive social atmosphere in these dorms, the administration should radically experiment with at least two of the five dorms. Basement renovations are critical, perhaps including carpeting, permanent furniture, televisions with cable and sectioning with a possible kitchen. More community social space, as opposed to room-group social space, should be created. Specifically, the second floor, four room-six man suites in Stone and Crossett should be gutted and reconstructed to be similar to the Moore T.V. pit or the New Dorm social space. We empha-

size that experimentation is essential; presently, the social dorms simply don’t work, and changing them just can’t make a social dorm party more crowded.” The administration might have considered this opinion when choosing the plan for the Greenway, the housing space that ultimately replaced the Socials. Not only does the Greenway boast carpeting, permanent furniture, kitchens and against today’s popular opinion less “roomgroup social space,” they also include many communal indoor and outdoor social areas, including a beach volleyball court, a half basketball court, an outdoor amphitheater, study spaces, common rooms with games like skee ball, comically large Scrabble and indoor event spaces — spaces only a little bit cooler than the Moore dormitory television pit. Yet, the student body does not seem totally satisfied with the new space — as the Social dormitories provided the constant location for gatherings, students are at a loss. When asked about the new dorms, Gabriella Selover ’17, resident of Greenway B, said, “Obviously it’s nice to have modern and clean rooms [in the Greenway] but it doesn’t make up for the community that the socials facilitated.” Others are a bit more optimistic. Amir Hall ’17 recently observed that the new, inclusive spaces in Greenway seem to allow students to meet and socialize with peers they may not necessarily have before, at all hours of the day. “So far it seems to be facilitating interclass community pretty well,” he commented. Looking back on an old opinion of the socials — one so drastically different from more recent sentiments — gives us, as students, another chance to learn from history. Thirty years ago, students were apparently “plagued” by the “anti-social structure of the social dorms.” Today, we are not completely sure where the new social scene will settle without them. Essentially, the take away is this: The dramatic death of the socials does not mean the equivalent of Amherst social life. As Amherst students, we will eventually find a way to use the structure of our current spaces to our advantage, and eventually an alternative, even a return of social-esque dorms, will seem impossible.


The Amherst Student • September 14, 2016

Sports 9

Volleyball Opens Season with Wins at Johnson and Wales Invitational Katie Bergamesca ’18 Staff Writer The Amherst volleyball team opened its season this past weekend in Providence, Rhode Island at the Wildcat Invitational hosted by Johnson and Wales University. In the three-game tournament, the purple and white finished 2-1. After dropping a disappointing first match to Johnson and Wales 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-22), the Amherst women rallied and went on to sweep both Bridgewater State and Gordon. Johnson and Wales pulled ahead of Amherst early in the first match and the purple and white were ultimately unable to overcome the deficit. As the series progressed, the Amherst team continued to gain momentum and found more of a rhythm. Although Johnson and Wales swept Amherst, the final game of the series was an exciting back-and-forth match up with the purple and white leading 19-16 at one point during the set. However, the impressive Wildcat offense managed to overwhelm the Amherst defensive line in their first game back on the court and ultimately pull out the win over the purple and white. Highlights from the match included Maggie Danner ’17, who led Amherst in kills with a total of 13. Mia Natsis ’18 and Claire Dennis ’20 each had two blocks. Sophomore Hayes Honea anchored the purple and white’s defense with 13 digs. Despite the decisive loss the day prior, the

Amherst women came out on Saturday fired up and eager to take the two matches ahead of them. The purple and white dominated Bridgewater State, earning the sweep in three straight sets. In the convincing 3-0 (25-6, 25-13, 25-16) win, Natsis and Danner led the offensive charge. Natsis had nine kills, while Danner totaled seven. The pair of upperclassmen also notched four blocks each, vastly improving on their defensive efforts from the day before. Honea once again gave a strong defensive performance with 10 digs. Natsis and Asha Walker ’18 each contributed two service aces in the winning effort. While the match against Gordon provided more of a challenge than the first game of the day, the purple and white still managed to pull off the sweep winning the three sets 25-12, 25-23, and 25-20. In the final match of the invitational, Nicole Gould ’17 paced the offense with seven kills. Danner led the purple and white defense with three blocks, while Honea finished out the tournament with a team-high 17 digs. Kate Bres ’17 and Charlotte Duran ’20 were both major contributors on the offensive end, providing 12 assists each. Duran and Natsis were both named to the All-Tournament Team at the end of the invitational for their efforts on offense. With the conclusion of action in Providence over the weekend, Amherst volleyball now boasts a 2-1 record, which they hope to continue to improve on .

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

Asha Walker ’18 brings veteran experience to the firedog’s defensive squad, last year she lead the team in service aces with 40; she has 88 in her career. “Saturday felt a lot better and I’m happy that we were able to come out strong and win both matches,” captain Bres said. “I’m proud of us for turning it around, and I’m looking forward to progressing as a team this season.” The team looks to extend its winning

streak in its home opener on Wednesday, Sept. 14 against Western New England University. Starting Friday, Sept. 15 the team will open conference play on the road at Bowdoin. The Firedogs will finish the weekend at conference rival Tufts on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Men’s Golf Begins Men’s Soccer Kicks Off Season with Big Pair of Wins Season at Bill Detrick Invitational Lily Johnson ’18 Staff Writer Amherst men’s golf teed off its 2016 fall season this past weekend, finishing sixth in the team competition at the Bill Detrick Invitational tournament hosted by Trinity at the Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, Connecticut. After two days of competition, the team finished sixth out of 11 teams, posting an overall team score of 959, with tallies of 479 and 480 on the first and second day respectively. Trinity, who finished third at last spring’s NESCAC tournament, dominated the invitational with combined score of 588 (295293), beating second-place Williams (305302-607) by 19 strokes. On the par 72 course, Amherst was led by Danny Langa ’18, who improved from his day one score of 79 to shoot a 74, finishing with a total of 153 and tying him for 12th place overall and giving him a +9 over the 36 holes. Jack Burlison ’19 had a two day score of 155 (7679), tying for 16th and Liam Fine ’17 shot 79 on both days to secure the 24th spot overall. Amherst also had solid performances from first-years Jeffery Herr and Nicholas Kumamoto, shooting 161 (80-81) and 162 (83-79) respectively through the two days of competition. Veteran team member Mateo Wiesner ’18 also traveled for the competition, adding a two-day total of 170 (82-88). The tournament was the first test for the purple and white, who finished last year’s campaign with a third place team finish at the NESCAC championship in May. Welcoming nine new players, including seven first-years, the team is looking forward to building on success from last season. This upcoming weekend, the team will travel to the Duke Nelson Invitational, hosted by Middlebury at the par 70 Ralph Myhre Golf Course in Vermont. The Panthers, last year’s NESCAC tournament champions, should prove a tough test for Amherst and allow the purple and white to once again face off against NESCAC rivals, after finishing behind Trinity and Williams this past weekend.

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

Senior captain Chris Martin has been an offensive threat this season, managing nine shots on goal against impressive defensive competition. Delancey King ’18 Staff Writer The Amherst men’s soccer team started off its 2016 campaign this past Wednesday with a commanding 4-1 win at Rhode Island College. Weller Hlinomaz ’18 scored the purple and white’s first goal of the season less than four minutes into the game with a beautiful volley into the upper corner of the net. Just before the 30-minute mark, Bryce Ciambella ’17 rounded the keeper to double the Amherst lead. This goal seemed to give the purple and white all the momentum, as they put another ball into the back of the net just over a minute later. Forest Sisk ’17 garnered the assist by way of a beautiful pass to Christopher Martin ’17, who scored with an emphatic one-time finish. The game stayed at the 3-0 score line well into the second half, until first-year Dane Lind scored a blistering shot from over 20 yards away. At around the 80-minute mark, Rhode Island was able to get on the score sheet by way of a penalty kick following an Amherst foul in the box. Registering a win in the non-conference matchup, junior Lee Owen showed

off his prowess in the net with four impressive saves. For the team’s next matchup, the purple and white traveled to Brunswick, Maine to take on NESCAC rivals Bowdoin. The purple and white took control of the game early, as senior midfielder Andrew Orozco got a dangerous header on frame in the ninth minute. Amherst went on to outshoot the Polar Bears 13 to 2 in the first half as Luke Nguyen ’19, Bryce Ciambella ’17 and Chris Martin ’17 helped to create many quality opportunities for the purple and white. With Amherst unable to capitalize, the game remained scoreless come halftime. Hungry for the goal that had eluded them in the first 45 minutes of play, the purple and white put immediate pressure on the Polar Bears at the start of the second half. The game winner came shortly after, in the 47th minute, when forward Hlinomaz got a piece of a loose ball in the Polar Bear’s 18-yard box. Having also notched a goal in Amherst’s win over Rhode Island College on Wednesday, Hlinomaz continues to establish himself as an offensive threat for the purple and white. Amherst never let up, continuing to test the Bowdoin keeper throughout the sec-

ond half. Forwards Kieran Bellew ’18 and Aidan Murray ’18 had some late chances, forcing Bowdoin’s Stevie Van Siclen to make crucial saves. In the end, Hlinomaz’s goal proved to be enough for Amherst to come away with a hard-fought victory. The win marks junior goalkeeper Owen’s first collegiate shutout victory. Tallying five saves overall, Owen came up big for the purple and white in the 59th minute when a Bowdoin corner kick resulted in a dangerous opportunity for the Polar Bears. These fives saves brought his season total to nine, an impressive figure considering the team has only played two games. “[It was an] all around great team win, Sam Malnik ’18 said. “Everyone, from the bench to starters, put forth a top-notch effort.” In recognition of his offensive efforts in the first two games of the season, Hlinomaz was awarded NESCAC player of the week accolades. So far this season, all four of his shots have been on target, and two have hit the back of the net. The purple and white next take the field this Saturday Sept. 17 when they face off against conference rivals Middlebury on the road.

Photo courtesy of Peter Connolly ’18

Bryce Ciambella ’17 netted a goal against Rhode Island College.


10

Sports

The Amherst Student • September 14, 2016

Women’s Cross Country Finishes Seventh at UMass Invite Mary Grace Cronin ’18 Staff Writer This past Sunday, Amherst kicked off their season at the University of Massachusetts Invitational, finishing seventh in the field. The 25th ranked Amherst women’s cross country team proudly returned this year after a strong 2015 campaign. Last fall, they competed in seven local and regional meets, including the University of Massachusetts Invitational, Little Threes and the Purple Valley Invitational. In the postseason last year, the purple and white managed to grab fourth place at the NESCAC tournament, finishing just behind rival Middlebury. They then earned seventh place at the NCAA northeast regionals followed by a sixth place showing at the ECAC Championship. Both rookies and veterans alike stepped up for Amherst last year, with Savanna Gornisiewicz ’17 and Lizzie Lacy ’19 standing out among the competition. Lacy made history as one of very few firstyears to win NESCACs, and she capped off her already impressive debut by finishing in 73rd place in the national tournament. Gornisiewicz gave the first-year a run for her money with an impressive 65th place run at nationals after earning 12th at NESCACs. Amherst returns a strong lineup with plenty of experience and talent, including Cara Lembo ’17 and Tess Frenzel ’17, both poised veterans who have performed in the past. Along with this experience, the purple and white welcome seven new first-years. With the addition of these new faces, two assistant coaches will also spend their first year

in Amherst this fall. Bethany Dumas and Victoria Jusme will lend their expertise to the team, hailing from previous coaching positions at Smith and La Salle respectively. At the UMass invite this weekend, first-year Katherine Treanor had an impressive debut, finishing in 17th place overall with a time of 18:24. The next best runner for the purple and white, Gornisiewicz, finished in 19:03 to earn 43rd place in the race. Behind her was Lacy, who earned 68th place in the competitive event. Also factoring into the purple and white’s scoring were Lembo, Lowdon and Frenzel. With this blend of incoming talent and seasoned experience, the purple and white strive to make a serious impact, and improve on the 2015 season. The team’s next meet will be on Sept. 24 as they race in the Purple Valley Invitational.

Photo courtesy of Amherst Athletics

Katherine Treanor ’20 impressed in her first collegiate race, finishing 17th overall with a time of 18:24.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Lee Owen ’18 Favorite Team Memory: Winning a national championship in Kansas City Favorite Pro Athlete: Hugo Lloris Dream Job: College professor Pet Peeve: When people don’t know what “WND” stands for Favorite Vacation Spot: Ocala, Florida Something on Your Bucket List: Kanye shouting me out in a rant Guilty Pleasure: Bologna out of the fridge Favorite Food: Bologna out of the fridge Favorite Thing About Amherst: The range of different people that I’ve met who all have such different perspectives How He Earned It: Owen was tasked to fill the shoes of All-American Thomas Bull ’16, and he’s proved himself to be more than up to the task. In Amherst’s opener, Owen had an impressive four saves against Rhode Island College, only conceding one goal in his first career start. Owen continued his dominance in Amherst’s 1-0 win against NESCAC foe, Bowdoin, tallying five saves and, for the first half, keeping Amherst in the game. In addition, the victory over Bowdoin marked his first collegiate shut-out for the purple and white.

Hannah Guzzi ’18 Favorite Team Memory: Beating Williams (eventual NCAA finalists) 2-0 freshman year Favorite Pro Athlete: David Ortiz Dream Job: Dog daycare owner Pet Peeve: People walking slowly on campus Favorite Vacation Spot: Lake house in Maine Something on your bucket list: Go on an African safari Guilty Pleasure: Reading Harry Potter for probably the 20th time Favorite Food: Ice cream Favorite Thing About Amherst: The soccer team! How She Earned It: Guzzi rose to prominence this past week, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime in Amherst’s win over Bowdoin. After early goals from both teams brought the score to 1-1, neither team proved to be able to distinguish itself in the rest of regular time. The match then moved to a deciding period of extra time, where Guzzi found herself alone with the Bowdoin keeper and slotted home the game winning goal into the bottom right corner.

Field Hockey Splits Opening Weekend Series, Falls to National Runner-Up Bowdoin and Defeats Mount Holyoke Meredith Manley ’18 Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Amherst Athletics

Mary Margaret Stoll ’17 has been an offensive force for Amherst thus far this season, contributing one goal and one assist for the purple and white.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Junior midfielder Caroline Feeley provides veteran experience on and off the field for three new purple and white first-year midfielders.

Following a grueling preseason, the women’s field hockey team had no time to rest with two critical games in the first week of the regular season. The purple and white took on Mount Holyoke under the lights this past Wednesday night and squared up against Bowdoin the following Saturday. Both proved to be well-fought games on both sides, but the purple and white exited the first week of the regular season play with a respectable 1-1 record. The game against Mount Holyoke finished with a score of 4-3, in Amherst’s favor. The purple and white set the tone early in the game, when Mary Grace Cronin ’18 scored the first goal of the season assisted by Mary Margaret Stoll ’17. Amherst continued to build off of its momentum with a second goal just a couple minutes later. Increasing the game’s goal count to three in fewer than 10 minutes, Mount Holyoke cut Amherst’s lead in half with a score of their own. However, just before the half Amherst found the back of the net for the third time of the match on a goal from Kendall Codey ’19. After the whistle blew to signal the beginning of the second half, Mount Holyoke put extra pressure on the purple and white’s defense. The Lyons added two goals, tying up the game at 3-3. With mere minutes left, and the game hanging in the balance, Stoll claimed the final goal of the match giving Amherst the go-ahead and securing the win versus Mount Holyoke in a closely contested evening game. Just two days later the purple and white geared up for their next contest against a tough Bowdoin squad who are currently ranked as the No. 2 team in all of Division III

field hockey. The Polar Bears entered 2016 as the defending NESCAC champions as well as national runners-up from the 2015 season. Despite Bowdoin’s impressive national ranking, the purple and white approached this game with the same confidence they had displayed in their first game. The Polar Bears scored two early goals by the 7:15 mark, but those were the only balls netted for the half. The purple and white were extremely unlucky to concede these two goals, as the first came from a deflected corner, while the second resulted from a rebound off the bar. Defender Caroline Fiore ’18 and goalkeeper Emily Horowitz ’17 displayed a strong defensive effort. Horowitz made eight saves against Bowdoin’s aggressive attack team and Fiore intercepted a pass in a three-on-one situation, clearing Amherst’s defensive zone. As the first half drew to a close, Horowitz was forced to make a rapid series of saves in order to keep the purple and white in the game. Mary-Grace Cronin ’18 came close to pulling one back, but unfortunately was denied from close range by the Bowdoin goalkeeper. Improving upon the first half defensively, the purple and white only gave up one goal late in the second half. Unfortunately, however, the Amherst offense was unable to crack a tough Bowdoin defense, and the game finished with a score of 3-0 with the Polar Bears increasing their overall winning record to 2-0. The game finished with the shot and corner count at 16-5 and 7-3, respectively, both in favor of Bowdoin. The purple and white will look to avenge their first NESCAC loss of the season as they take the field again on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 17 at 11:00 a.m. They take on Keene State and Middlebury, respectively.


The Amherst Student • September 14, 2016

Sports

11

Men’s Cross Country Finishes Club Sports Spotlight: Sailing Fourth at UMass Invitational Jenny Mazzella ’20 Columnist

Caleb Winfrey ’19 Staff Writer Competing against five impressive Division I squads, the Amherst men’s cross country team opened its season with a successful fourth place finish at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Invitational on Saturday afternoon. Running a time of 19:35 in the six-kilometer race, sophomore Cosmo Brossy led the team with a ninth place overall finish. Just two seconds behind, senior Steven Lucey earned the 12th spot overall. The remainder of the purple and white’s scoring runners finished within the top-54 of the talented 95-runner field. Brothers Raymond Meijer ’17 and Tucker Meijer ’19 were impressive for the purple and white, notching times of 19:49 and 20:09 to finish 22nd and 38th overall, respectively. Rounding out the top five, Justin Barry ’18 finished four seconds and four places behind Tucker Meijer. Jacob Silverman ’19 and Peter Horton ’18 were the final Amherst runners to score, adding to the impressive overall team finish. Silverman claimed 46th overall with a time of 20:23 while Horton captured 54th with a time of 20:47. The Amherst men totaled 110 points to best host University of Massachusetts Amherst and Sacred Heart University, earning a fourth place finish. University of Maine took the team title with an incredible score of 35 points, while the University of Connecticut, the defending champions of the tournament, finished in a close second with an impressive 41 points. In a distant third, the University of Vermont finished with 93 points. Maine’s Jesse Orach won the meet’s individual crown, finishing the 6 kilometer run in 18:59, and crossing the finish line in 19:03, Connor Rog of Sacred Heart placed second overall, while the University of Connecticut’s Parker Timmerman took third (19:20). The purple and white also had several other notable performances this weekend, which is promising as the team prepares for

Photo courtesy of Melissa Martin ‘15

Cosmo Brossy ’19 finished ninth overall, the first runner to cross the finish line for the purple and white. imperative, qualifying league races later in the fall season. Kevin Dooley ’19 and Chris Butko ’18 both finished in the overall top-60. Dooley crossed the line in 57th (20:53) and Butko finished in 60th (20:57), adding to the purple and white’s total. Three additional Amherst harriers finished inside the top-70 with Aaron Zambrano ’18 taking 62nd (20:58), Jesse Fajnzylber ’17 capturing 65th (21:01) and first-year Spencer Ferguson-Dryden notching a 69th place finish (21:13). The Amherst men’s cross country team returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 24 traveling to NESCAC rival Williams to compete in the Purple Valley Invitational and hope to defend their title as champions of the invitational.

As first-years, Luke Haggerty and Amanda Temares were eager to get involved on the Amherst campus. They searched the college website for activities and both were excited when they found the sailing team. But when they arrived, they were disappointed to find out that the team no longer existed on the Amherst campus. Still intrigued, Luke found out that the Unviversity of Masscahusetts has a sailing team and in the fall of sophomore year, he decided to join. After some research, Haggerty learned that the UMass sailing team actually originated on the Amherst campus. In 2005, Mount Holyoke and Amherst created a co-op team. In the coming years, the team received interest from Hampshire, Smith and UMass students, and it became an unofficial five-college team. As the years went on, UMass students outnumbered the other colleges in sailing recruits, until finally the team was solely made up of UMass students. The team became the UMass sailing team but continued to use Amherst equipment that was stored on Amherst property. In the spring of Haggerty’s sophomore year, the team went to get their boats for practice, but discovered they were missing. Because he was the only Amherst student on the team, Haggerty was asked to attempt to find out what had happened to the missing boats. After some investigation, Haggerty found out that the boats had been sold at auction several months ago. The college had mistakenly assumed there was no use for the boats since the Amherst sailing team had been disbanded and they were unaware that the UMass team was continuing to use the boats for their program. Haggerty explained to the administration that there were students on the Amherst campus that had expressed an interest in sailing. His passion led the administration to buy back six of the ten boats and to task Haggerty with recreating the Amherst sailing team. Haggerty thought back to freshman year, and asked Temares to help him out. Now, Haggerty enters this school year as the president of the sailing team, with Temares assisting as the vice president. In addition, the team has two other officers, sophomore secretary Mikayla

Sailing club returns to Amherst after a several year hiatus from campus. Gordon-Wexler and junior treasurer Sam Alpert. To compete, the team needed a minimum of four students, but they hoped to recruit at least ten team members. The response was overwhelming. The team’s roster now consists of around 30 people, and at this year’s club fair about 150 students expressed interest in the team. The team has six boats at the moment, but hopes to expand its fleet as the roster continues to grow. The sailing team prides itself on having a place for everyone, ranging from any level of experience. Both Haggerty and Temares stressed how they hope to create an inclusive club that can be used as either a casual or a competitive environment. Temares characterizes the team as both a “racing team and a sailing club.” For less experienced sailors, the team has ‘Learn to Sail’ days on the weekends. The first ‘Learn to Sail’ day this semester will be on Saturday, Sept. 24 and is open to anyone interested. For more experienced sailors who wish to compete in races, the team has practice three days a week. The league is very competitive, and because the sport is made up of such a small community, club teams compete throughout the season against varsity teams from schools at the Division I through Division III levels. The team will be competing in its first ever regatta — the prestigious Harvard Invitational — on Saturday, Oct. 1 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Write for the sports section! Have a passion for sports, stats and writing?

Contact jturner19@amherst.edu to learn more.


Sports

Photo courtesy of Mark Box

Women’s Soccer

Photo courtesy of Amherst Athletics

Junior forward Hannah Guzzi has gotten off to an impressive start, scoring her first goal of the season in overtime against NESCAC rivals Bowdoin.

Women’s Soccer Starts Season Strong With Thrilling Overtime Victory Hayes Honea ’19 Staff Writer The Amherst women’s soccer team launched its 2016 campaign with two important wins, followed by a tough loss. At the home opener, the women defeated Mount Holyoke 2-0, and this past Saturday they upset NESCAC rival Bowdoin in overtime 2-1. Last Tuesday, the purple and white overwhelmed the Lyons, outshooting them 22-3. After near misses from Hannah Guzzi ’18, Emily Hester ’17, Rubii Tamen ’19 and first-year Erin McClave, Ashlyn Heller ’17 was able to squeeze two past the goalie and into the net. “Scoring two goals felt amazing but not because I was the one that put them in the back of the net,” Heller said. “Rather, our entire team had been working hard all preseason to put a product on the field that we could be proud of and those two goals were two amazing team goals that we could definitely be

proud of.” Other major contributors to the 2-0 win were Delancey King ’18, who provided the assist to Heller’s first goal, and Chelsea Cutler ’19, who saved all three shots Mount Holyoke took. “I was definitely nervous in the days leading up to [our first game] but at the same time I was really ready to get out on the field and play,” Cutler said. “I have a lot of confidence in my team so it’s hard to be nervous when you have such good players on the field with you.” On Saturday, the team trekked to Bowdoin and upset the Polar Bears 2-1 in overtime. Hester scored the first goal for Amherst just 7:38 into the contest. Not too long after, Bowdoin answered with a game-tying goal. Though Bowdoin outshot the purple and white 15-5, Cutler was relentless in her efforts to keep Amherst in the game, finishing with five saves. It was by her immense effort that Amherst was able to keep

Photo courtesy of Amherst Athletics

WED FRI GAME SCHE DULE

the score tied as regulation came to a close. “It was definitely huge that we were able to get gritty and keep Bowdoin from scoring a second goal,” Cutler said. “Bowdoin really did put the pressure on us and every single Amherst player on the field had a huge contribution in our defensive effort.” The 1-1 score sent the game into overtime. Though Bowdoin outplayed Amherst at times, the defensive grit the purple and white possessed was enough to curb the Polar Bears’ success. Finally, after battles up and down the field, Guzzi snuck one into the bottom right corner of Bowdoin’s goal with just a minute to spare to secure an Amherst victory in thrilling style. “We lost sight of that AWS style of play: one and two touch passes, winning every 5050 ball, effective and productive communication; this is why we had to grind out the overtime win”, Heller said. “We feel confident that when we can put

Photo courtesy of Amherst Athletics

SAT

Women’s Volleyball Women’s Golf Field Hockey @ Wellesley Invitational, @ Keene State, 6:30 p.m. @ Bowdoin, 8 p.m. 11 a.m. Women’s Volleyball Men’s Golf vs. Western New @ Duke Nelson England, 7 p.m. Invitational, TBD Field Hockey @ Middlebury, 11 a.m.

our style of play on the field for a full 90, we’ll be unstoppable.” The team’s fortunes took a turn for the worse on Tuesday, as Amherst suffered a heart-breaking 1-0 defeat to Springfield College. In a thoroughly defensive affair, in which the teams mustered only four shots on goal apiece, a heartbreaking 86th minute goal from Springfield’s Meghan Sastram proved the difference. Even in the loss, several members of the purple and white impressed, most notably Cutler who added another three saves to her already impressive season total of 11 through three games and Guzzi who managed to get three shots off, one of which forced Springfield’s goalie into action. Amherst looks to regain its momentum and improve on its 2-1-0 record on Saturday, Sept. 17 when they travel to Vermont to take on Middlebury at noon. The team then returns home to take on non-conference foe Wentworth on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 1 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Amherst Athletics

SUN Men’s Soccer @ Middlebury, noon Women’s Soccer @ Middlebury, noon

Women’s Golf Women’s Soccer @ Wellesley Invitational, vs. Wentworth, 1 p.m. 11 a.m.

Men’s Golf @ Duke Nelson Women’s Volleyball Invitational, TBD @ Tufts, 2 p.m. Men’s Soccer @ Pine Manor, 1 p.m.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.