Issue 3

THE AMHERST

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

Football Defeats Bates in 19-7 Victory

STUDENT

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VOLUME CXLVIII, ISSUE 3 l WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

AMHERSTSTUDENT.COM

New Program to Serve First-Gen Students Ryan Yu ’22 Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Matai Curzon ’22

Association of Amherst Students (AAS) President Silvia Sotolongo ’19 registers a student to vote as part of a drive to increase the number of student voters in advance of the upcoming midterm elections.

Study Shows Low Voter Turnout Among Students Shawna Chen ’20 Managing News Editor Editor’s Note: The Amherst Student is part of the newly formed task force on civic engagement and is involved in campus efforts to increase voting and voting registration.

9.5 percent of Amherst’s eligible student body voted in the 2014 midterm elections, according to a report by the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE). The 2014 voting rate for all academic institutions, in comparison, was around 19 percent. The study also showed that in the 2016 presidential election, 53 percent of eligible students voted.

The study, which was spearheaded by the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life, used enrollment records and publicly available voting files to provide estimated voting and registration rates at different college campuses. Students who were under 18 at the time of the elections were not included in the data, as were an estimated college-reported number of students who are not U.S. citizens.

In the 2014 midterm elections, 62 percent of the student body was registered to vote, but only 15 percent of registered students voted. While roughly the same percent of eligible men and women voted, a significantly smaller portion of

eligible students of color voted than eligible white students. While 13 percent of white students voted, 4 percent of black students, 6 percent of Hispanic students and 3 percent of Asian students voted.

According to Professor of Mathematics Tanya Leise, who teaches a class on voting, voter turnout for midterm elections tends to drop universally in comparison to presidential elections. The press does not cover midterms as closely, which means voters are oftentimes less likely to pay attention to the election.

Barriers to voting also present a challenge, Leise said.

“For U.S. elections, how you register and get your absentee ballot depend on the state,” she said.

“Some states are really easy — I think Oregon for a while had online voting … — whereas some states make it much harder and have more barriers: different forms of ID and proof you have to present before you can ever register and get your vote accepted.”

Director of Student Activities Paul Gallegos, Association of Amherst Students President Silvia Sotolongo ’19, Amherst Political Union President Taylor Pelletier ’19, staff members from the Center for Community Engagement, Queer Resource Center Director Jxhn Martin and The Student Editors-in-Chief Isabel Tessier ’19 and Nate Quigley ’19 began meeting earlier in the year to discuss ways to bolster registration and voting. The task force’s main priority was to figure out a way to

streamline the voting process, which resulted in the creation of the “one-stop shop” tabling booths, Gallegos said.

Computers and online tools such as allintovote.org will be available for students to register to vote, check registration status, print out absentee ballots, scan forms of identification and obtain postage and envelopes. Student volunteers will offer guidance throughout the process. “Part of what deters folks is that it’s a multiple-step process,” Gallegos said. “Convenience is really key, especially when you’re trying to fit it into your day.”

In the next few weeks, the task force will work with student groups on a poster campaign and plans to table from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday through Friday in Keefe Campus Center, where students will be able to access the one-stop shop.

Maintaining a long-term task force on civic engagement is the end goal, Sotolongo added.

“Most of the time, for voting, there isn’t a lot of institutional backing in the sense that every two years, we have to recreate a system for people to register and vote,” Sotolongo said.

Other schools in the NESCAC have resources in place that automatically encourage civic engagement — such as registering students and increasing their awareness to vote during orientation.

This year, various political groups on campus will host efforts of their own to increase voting

Continued on Page 3

As part of an ongoing effort to support traditionally marginalized communities on campus, a new initiative called the Meiklejohn Fellows Program was launched this semester.

Aimed at first-generation and/or low income (FLI) students, the program is designed to improve general access to opportunities, in this case by providing resources and funding specifically for FLI students.

The program will offer its participants dedicated advising and career development opportunities, as well as direct funding and support for summer opportunities such as internships and research projects. As it stands, only those in the class of 2022 and future classes are eligible for the program, although similar opportunities are available to FLI students who do not fit that criteria.

This project originated from the Loeb Center for Career Exploration and Planning and Office of Campus Diversity and Student Leadership (CDSL). Casey Jo Dufresne, who previously worked as a program director on campus, will lead the implementation of this initiative. The program is named after Alexander Meiklejohn, who was president of Amherst College from 1913 to 1923. In his roles as educator and administrator, he was known for his dedication to educational reform.

According to Tenzin Kunor, associate director of diversity and leadership, the program is just one of many that have been piloted in support of FLI students since the CDSL launched a year ago. He emphasized the importance of the CDSL’s activities at large with respect to FLI students as well as other targeted groups, including transfer, undocumented and veteran students.

“Our CDSL programming invites students to access our resources and services as some of their individual circumstances and complexities could limit the informed guidance they receive — or possibly don’t receive — from family about navigating higher education,” he said in an email interview.

Kunor also noted the key role that alumni engagement played in facilitating these programs. “About two years ago, a generous donor contributed a gift to support FLI-identifying students for post-graduate planning through the Loeb Center,” he said.

Science Center Cafe Delivers on Sustainability Zach Jonas ’22 and Lauren Pelosi ’22 Staff Writers The new Science Center cafe celebrated its opening on Monday, Sept. 17 at 8 a.m. The cafe, which was designed with community-building in mind, will operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is open to students, faculty, staff and the public.

The menu at the new cafe features sandwiches, salads, coffee drinks and items not found in other locations on campus, such as parfaits, sushi and customizable smoothies. The menu will evolve to include daily and seasonal specials, according to Director of Dining Services Joe Flueckiger.

The menu was designed with the well-being of the college in mind. Flueckiger said that the cafe’s offerings will be “generally more healthy, but still delicious,” featuring lighter options like openfaced sandwiches and sushi. The cafe also has an added focus on sustainability — it will feature local produce from the Pioneer Valley with the intent to minimize the environmental impact of the food served.

“The building is this LEED [Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design] Platinum certified building; it’s pretty exceptional nationwide ... and so we wanted to deliver food that dovetailed nicely with the concept of the Science Center,” Flueckiger said. The cafe’s local food offerings are

part of a larger focus by Dining Services on sustainable food systems, under the new leadership of Executive Chef Stefania Patinella.

According to Flueckiger, the layout of the Science Center was designed to foster community, and the cafe serves an integral role in promoting social interaction. “Designers wanted it to be a community meeting place, where people get together, whether it’s students or a group of faculty getting a cup of coffee, discussing a problem they’re solving,” Flueckiger said. “[Food] levels the playing field when you’re eating together,” he added. “There’s a universality to that experience — it makes it easier to interact.”

The cafe’s hours of operation will remain flex-

ible as Flueckiger receives feedback from the community. Weekly hours may be adjusted, and Sunday hours may be added to better serve traffic in the Center. The menu will also change to reflect customer preferences.

The cafe currently only accepts AC Dollars and cash, but Dining Services plans to implement payment by credit card within the first months of operations.

Clinton Oshipitan ’22, a prospective neuroscience major, said that he would be amused “if there were science-themed drinks or food names.” For now though, Oshipitan is “looking forward to trying out new things and experimenting, seeing what [Amherst] can offer and add to [its] menu.”

News

The Amherst Student • September 19, 2018

News

3

Low Voter Turnout Spurs New Registration Initiatives Abigail Carroll Fresh Faculty

Sept. 10, 2018 - Sept. 17, 2018

>>Sept. 10, 2018 10 p.m., Webster Hall An officer responded to a report of a person sleeping in the building after it was closed for the evening. >>Sept. 12, 2018 6:13 p.m., Converse Lot Officers found a vehicle with an expired registration. The registration was renewed, and the boot was removed.

found it was used to cause damage.

2:51 a.m., Lipton House Officers observed party policy violations in a common area, including hard alcohol that was served.

3:19 a.m., Morris Pratt Dormitory Officers responded to an argument that disturbed residents in the hall. The argument was resolved upon arrival.

7:33 p.m., Moore Dormitory An officer responded to a report of a dog barking and found the owner with the dog 1:56 p.m., New Science Center and no issues.

Officers responded to an alarm set off accidentally in 10:20 p.m., Mayo-Smith a room in the basement as a House result of a contractor workA custodian was called in after hours to clean vomit left ing. in a hallway.

3:33 p.m., Greenway Building B >>Sept. 13, 2018 Officers responded to an 3:47 a.m., Power Plant alarm on the third-floor bridge An employee reported a vehicle not affiliated with the that was accidentally set off college operating in a strange by cooking smoke. manner. It left the area on its 8:57 p.m., Hitchcock Parking own.

Lot An officer stopped two vehi8:38 p.m., Campus Grounds cles traveling the wrong way Officers responded to assist on a one-way street. an individual looking for their vehicle. No officer assistance 9:13 p.m., Hitchcock Hall was needed upon arrival.

An officer encountered an individual under the age of 21 >>Sept. 14, 2018 in possession of alcohol.

4:19 a.m., Garman House An officer found the guest of 9:18 p.m., Quadrangle Road a current student separated An officer stopped and gave from the host student. The directions to a vehicle traveltwo were reunited. ing the wrong way on a oneway street.

1:08 p.m., Hills Lot Officers responded to a re>>Sept. 16, 2018 port of a drone being flown 1:49 a.m., Seelye Hall in the area of O’Connell Lot. The individual was dismissed Officers observed a number of party policy violations at a from the area. registered party.

5:39 p.m., Wilson Admissions 3:34 a.m., South Prospect Office Street An officer responded to a reAn officer observed a suspiport of an employee that set cious vehicle in the area on off an alarm accidentally. the public roads. It was re6:19 p.m., Mead Art Museum ferred to the Amherst Police Department.

An officer responded to a report of individuals on the roof.

11:19 a.m., Alumni House The group was dispersed by Environmental Health and museum security.

Safety and ACPD officers responded to a report of a 10:51 p.m., Greenway Buildstrange odor. ing B An officer responded to a report of an unauthorized party. 11:24 a.m., Amherst College An Amherst College alumnus The party was dispersed. reported identity fraud that was discovered off campus. >>Sept. 15, 2018 12:36 a.m., Hitchcock Hall 5:18 pm., Morris Pratt DormiAn officer came upon an unauthorized party with party tory An officer responded to a policy violations. The party report of damage to a wall. was dispersed.

1:12 a.m., Appleton Dormitory An officer responded to a report of someone tampering with a fire extinguisher and

>>Sept. 17, 2018 4:12 a.m., Sellen Street An officer notified an individual that the headlights were left running in their vehicle.

Department of Geology

Abigail Carroll is a visiting assistant professor of geology.

She holds an associate’s degree from Greenfield Community College, a bachelor’s degree from Smith and master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of New Hampshire.

Q: Tell me about your experience as a faculty member.

A: So far, it’s been wonderful! I have only taught three or four classes so far, and my interaction with Amherst students has been amazing. As a matter of fact, I do field work every summer in Wyoming, and I’ve already taken a student out to do field work with me. It was just a really great introduction to Amherst students. The work went really well, and working with this student was particularly wonderful; she was hardworking, confident and really set the bar high for when I came here.

All of the students are like that so far, actually, so I’m just having a great time getting to know my students in class and just having fun with it.

Q: How did you get into geology?

A: I grew up here in the Valley, in Easthampton, which is only 20 minutes away. I grew up being surrounded by dinosaur footprints and fossils and visiting all the cool geology museums in the area. As a little girl, maybe five years old, I pretty much decided that I was going to be a paleontologist and geologist, and followed through with it.

I took classes at Greenfield Community College, then transferred to Smith College to major in geology. Then, I went on to get my masters and Ph.D. at [the University of] New Hampshire, the whole time being fueled by my passion for paleontology.

Through that, specifically during my Ph.D., I started studying fossils of early mammals from about 55 million years ago. I was looking at how these fossils were changing, and how these animals were being impacted by an extreme global warming event occurring at that time. Because of that project, I ended up becoming very involved and passionate about both paleo-climate and modernday climate.

Q: What classes are you teaching?

A: The class I’m teaching is called “Climate Change, Global Warming and Energy Resources.”

The material is mostly centered around climate change itself, and the enormous impact of humans on these trends. I am really excited to be teaching this class because I have taught a version of this class several times already at the University of New Hampshire. I am particularly passionate about the material because it concerns what is happening to our planet right now. It’s all going really well so far.

Q: How do you think your time at Amherst will compare to your previous professional experiences?

A: I think being at Amherst is going to strengthen my teaching. I pursued a Ph.D. not only because of my love for paleontology and geology, but also be-

cause I wanted to eventually teach at the university level. I love working with undergrads — I had a great experience as an undergrad with my professors. I think that Amherst is an excellent place for me to be because teaching is highly valued here.

There are great resources here for me to learn to be a better teacher, there’s room for me to experiment with my teaching methods and I also get the chance to advise a student for her senior thesis. So I get this more broad training in terms of teaching, but I also get this experience in advising and helping a student move through her thesis.

Q: What’s it like being a visiting member of the faculty on campus?

A: Honestly, in my department, I feel like I belong.

I can’t compare it to being a permanent member of the faculty, but at this stage I feel very welcome. At the Amherst faculty orientation, the visiting faculty members are not treated any differently than the tenure-track faculty members. I feel very much a part of the community, and I definitely think the faculty in the geology department specifically make it even better.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?

A: I have an eight-month-old baby at home, so my husband and I love to spend all our time with him.

Whenever we get the chance, we like to take him outdoors, and go on hikes. Pretty much anything we can do outdoors we do with our son. Also, when I find the time, I love sewing. I make a lot of my own clothes, and I really enjoy doing it as a personal hobby.

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

A: One thing to note about myself is that I am both a first-generation college student and a transfer student — from community college to Smith.

There is a large population of students here with a similar background; if they ever need someone to talk to, I’m happy to talk about my experience. I am very passionate about both experiences, being first-generation and being a transfer student, because it was a challenge for me when I transferred to Smith and there wasn’t any network set up for something like me. I just want to be able to help other kids. I am so happy to know that support systems for these types of students exist here, and apparently, it’s a new program. I think it’s going to be an incredible resource for students, and I wish it existed for me when I was at that stage of my life.

—Sasha Williams ’22

Interested in having your voice heard on campus?

J o i n th e ! n o i t c e s news

If you want to write for us, email

eswislow20@amherst.edu, Schen20@amherst.edU or nderosa21@amherst.edu

Graphics by Zehra Madhavan’ 20

A report by the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement examines voting rates across academic institutions of higher education. The bar graphs above show breakdowns of voting rates at the college. N/A indicates that fewer than 10 students of the specified race participated in voting.

Continued from Page 1 among students.

The Amherst College Democrats (AC Dems) intends to ask its members to submit their hometown zip codes, in response to which the club will provide voting information specific to their location.

“If that works, we’d like to roll that out to the whole school,” said AC Democrats President Ali Bien-Aime ’20.

He added that “even when you’re very disenfranchised, and even when you feel that there

might not be best of candidates or you might not have the most hope in the process working out in the way you’d like, I think people still want to participate … We’re young and we have our entire lives to vote. Immediately and over a long time, that makes a big difference.”

The president of the Amherst College Republicans, Rob Barasch ’19, said he will send out links with absentee ballot notifications and organize meetings focused on midterm topics. Club members will also be notified of campaign efforts to swing districts that are currently Democratcontrolled.

While Barasch said he believes Amherst’s voting rate will increase this year, he also believes in the right to not vote. “People have died for this right to vote, but you can’t live in a society where you’re forced to vote,” he added. “Of course I wish everybody would do that, but … I feel like people have the right to vote for who they want and also the right not to vote — whether I agree with whether they should do that is a different story.”

Pelletier understands that students may not feel like their individual votes matter but stressed the importance of local elections.

“Often in terms of your actual day-to-day im-

pacts, your local government and who your state rep and state senator are is so important to what your city [or] your town looks like and the resources that are available,” she said.

“I hope that at least through our engagement efforts over the next few months, we’re able to increase the amount of students who are voting,” Pelletier added. “Especially for a campus that cares so much and does have so many activist groups and groups that are interested in what’s going on in the world, it’s really sad to see that one of our basic civic duties is unfortunately not being fulfilled at a very high rate.”

AAS Candidate Statements for 2018-2019 Senators

On Friday, Sept. 21, the Association of Amherst Students will hold elections for eight senators from the class of 2022, one senator from the class of 2020 and two senators from the class of 2019. The students below have announced their candidacies for these elections. Students who are interested in hearing from these candidates or are interested in running but were unable to submit a candidate statement, should attend Speech Night on Thursday, Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in Paino Lecture Hall. In order to run, candidates must bring a petition with 25 signatures from their classmates to Speech Night and prepare a speech. If a candidate cannot attend, they can send a proxy in their place.

Class of 2022 Jae Yun Ham: Hello! My name is Jae Yun Ham, and I am running to represent our class in the AAS Senate. I will fight on behalf of our class to make the AAS more accessible for students. I will 1) fight for FREE printing, 2) cheaper laundry services on campus, and 3) the fair allocation of funding for student services, activities and events.

As a student-led organization, the AAS should work hard to make Amherst an affordable campus for every student. As a senator, I will strive to make that vision a reality for the class of 2022.

Gabriel Echarte: Hi!! I’m Gabriel, a first year from Miami, Florida. I’m running for AAS to serve as an approachable person to talk to and bring up your issues with the school. I served on my high school’s Honor Council for four years. My current field of interest is Political Science and PEOPLE! I love talking to people if anyone is looking for some company. I want to focus in particular on bringing a greater sense of school pride to Amherst and grade-wide unity. I am excited to spend the next four years getting to know you all. Vote for me on Friday!

Noa Simon: Hi! My name is Noa Simon, and I want to be your senator! I know that the first year of college is a time of both exciting and nervewracking change. Adjusting to the unfamiliar can be a challenge, but I think I can help ease this transition by ensuring that all students feel their voice belongs. As your senator, I would be dedicated to representing the diverse perspectives that make our class unique and to bringing a spirit of inclusivity that I hope will help make Amherst feel like home.

Aniah Washington: I am Aniah Washington. I’m a first-generation low-income student coming to Amherst to pursue my dreams and lay a foundation for my younger sisters to follow. I hope to leave my mark here by being an active member of AAS where I will work to make sure that all of the diverse voices of our first-year class are heard and respected. I believe Amherst is an amazing school, but I know we have plenty to fix and I would love to be a part of making this community more welcoming and encouraging to all first-year students.

Mattea Denney: Hi! I’m Mattea Denney, and I’m

running for AAS Senate! I am a first-year student from Utah, and I love to sing, act, write music and discuss political philosophy, of course. As a firstgeneration college student, QuestBridge Scholar and Meiklejohn Fellow, I’m passionate about making sure that students who, perhaps, do not come from a familial legacy of collegiate scholars, have ample resources and support, should they need it. I want to ensure that the wealth of support Amherst provides for under-represented groups continues, and make sure everyone feels safe and included here! Be sure to vote, and thank you!

Andy De La Torre: My name is “Andy” De La Torre, and I am a first generation Hispanic student fighting for what I love: good food and a good ass time. UMass, with $300 million in endowment has better food than Amherst with $2 billion in endowment. Also, UMass’ social scene trumps Amherst’s, with hundreds of people (me included) hopping to UMass “socials” weekly.

Amherst needs competent mediators to champion for a robust social scene and better food. I firmly believe Amherst has the means to mend these problems and I will do what I can to carry out the dialogue necessary for reform.

Kevin Jin: I’m running to become your senator because I’m touched by the compassion that is exhibited by everyone on campus. I want to give back to this wonderful community as your senator to address the division of students that arise from athletics, socioeconomic status or race/ ethnicity. I propose to start the Amherst College Human Library, an event where people with different backgrounds can register to become books, which can then be “loaned” to readers to better understand each other’s backgrounds, becoming a tighter-knit community. Get JINSANE and vote Kevin Jin for the win! For more details, check out my webpage: www.kevinjin2018.weebly.com Molly Cooper: Hi class of 2022! I’m Molly Cooper from Denver, Colorado. I’m a part of The Student and Amherst Dance here on campus, but I also love to ski, hike, play piano and participate in community service. As a part of student senate I want to help bridge the gap between the non-athletes and athletes and improve the social life here on campus. Our class is full of outgoing, bright, talented and energetic kids; I know that I

can match that energy well and help improve the already wonderful Amherst College community.

Clinton Oshiptian: Tusks Up! I am Clinton Oshipitan, and I’m running for AAS Senator for the Class of 2022. I’m a Chicagoan who loves deepdish pizza as much as watching anime and listening to J. Cole. I’m also a Questbridge Scholar who intends to major in Neuroscience. When I’m not grinding out homework, I like to dance, work out and make experimental dishes in Val. My goal is to make Amherst a better-connected community through “Clash of the Halls.” You may be asking what that entails. Come to speech night on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Paino-Lecture Hall in Beneski to find out!

Emmy Sohn: Hi, my name is Emmy Sohn. I’m running to be one of our first-year senators. My goal is to represent our class’ interests, opinions and concerns. I spent all four years of high school in student government, and I would love to use my experience to serve our class. As senator, my priority would be best representing our amazing and diverse class. I promise to always be available to listen to your concerns. I’m excited to be a part of the class of 2022, and I am dedicated to making our experience here the best it can be.

Samuel Beach: My name is Samuel Beach, and I am declaring my candidacy to represent the class of 2022 as a member of the AAS Senate. I am passionate about good governance and will dedicate as much time as possible to make the AAS find pragmatic solutions for and generally improve the Amherst community. While I am a member of the FLI and LGBTQ+ communities, I am running for everyone, not exclusively those I might identify with. As senator I would represent the entire class of 2022, and my door would always be open to discuss important issues with my constituents.

Class of 2019 Kelley Baumann: As your senator, I will continue my work with the Wellness & Health Equity and Accessibility Team, a student group dedicated to closing gaps of inequity within the realm of campus wellness and health resources. We collaborate with and advocate for many student organizations and AAS will only provide more such opportunities. I also plan to implement a new communitybuilding initiative that funds social activities for groups of students within a major outside of the academic context. Most importantly, I am excited to work for YOU! Reach out if you have ideas or would like to participate in some projects.

Opinion

The Amherst Student • September 19, 2018

THE AMHERST

STUDENT

An Ode to Val

E X E C U T I V E B OA R D Let’s talk about Valentine Dining Hall, or as most of the college community endearingly calls it, Val. It’s a commonality shared among most students, faculty and staff. It is also a source of many complains — conversations about Val can be as boring as ones about how cold Amherst gets.

Yet, most students commend Val for what it does.

Dozens of staff members work hard to routinely serve fresh ingredients to thousands of people.

Our dining hall stays open during a wide range of hours to accommodate busy schedules and time constraints. It’s not winning all the awards (though it wins some), but it does the job well.

What must be recognized, furthermore, is Val’s constant updates that reflect student demands. This school year, Val has also been experimenting with new menu items and ways to customize the main meals. Furthermore, customizable options like the lunchtime Burrito and Burger Bars, introduce variety to our relatively small dining hall.

While the content of Val’s meals has improved, the Editorial Board continues to observe problems with the dining hall’s format. As we all know, the problem is at its worst during lunchtime. But even throughout the day, the two lines for the main meal in Val cause unnecessary confusion and are and often hard to navigate. Additionally, some lines like for salads or soup, combine into one large line for two separate items creating even more congestion and confusion.

These problems may simply be a limitation of the space at Val, but there seems to be a better way to optimize the space by creating better line demarcations or food placement. Utilizing other spaces to serve food for lunch like the Science Center or creating a more efficient manner to get food at Grab and Go may alleviate these space constraints.

The lunch rushes on weekdays mean students have to wait upwards of 15 minutes to get a meal.

A potential solution should consider efficacy, like pre-made portion sizes or preparing materials in anticipation of the rush so that people aren’t waiting when a certain item temporarily runs out. This congestion also translates to the overflow of people going to Grab ‘n’ Go, which now sometimes fails to be a place where people can grab food and go efficiently or quickly.

We applaud and encourage the Val staff to continue improving the Amherst dining experience.

Simultaneously, we suggest that students be more proactive about their dining experiences. Instead of voicing annoyance over the substitution of macaroni and cheese for squash pasta in a group chat, write a comment card. Additionally, there are already ways to improve a meal at Val through a bit of creativity that don’t require mindlessly insulting the meal. It’s time we stop complaining and remember why we love Val in the first place — it’s a place where we see friends, enjoy some stir-fry and even just sit for hours on end (#ValSit).

Less is More: A Mental Health Conversation Andres de La Torre ’22 Contributing Writer It’s 2018, and colleges all over America are ushering in a beautiful, supportive culture surrounding mental health. Never has there been a movement so sympathetic of and reactive to mental health acceptance, support and remedy.

No longer can an individual callously disregard mental health as an illegitimate cry for attention.

Mental health is a complex affair. One’s mental state encompasses a variety of factors that are impossible to isolate and control. Amazingly, institutions of higher learning have come to understand the importance of mental health.

Many colleges have created safe spaces and raised awareness to foster supportive environments for anyone seeking help or to open up to others. A culture of openness is emerging, and more and more people are being candid about their mental health and the associated challenges.

I want to raise a caution, however, about the act of divulging problems to others. My warning doesn’t stem from the sensitivity of the information individuals share, nor the exploitation of those secrets. Rather, one must be cognizant of how one opens up to others because it can make problems that are much more pervasive, powerful and permanent. Especially in today’s age where social media reigns supreme, individuals must pay close attention to how they share their

Do you have opinions about issues on campus?

hardships lest it becomes a habit to chronicle problems on Facebook, detrimentally rendering a hardship characteristic of one’s being.

Don’t get me wrong. It is important, even essential, to have people in our lives whom we can share with. Close knit circles comprised of family, a significant other and/or close friends are essential in ensuring individuals are equipped to handle arduous circumstances. We refer to these circles as “support systems.” A good support system is the key to great mental health; it acts as a home one can retreat to so that one may recuperate.

However, toxic “support” systems also exist, and individuals may not be equipped to recognize and supplant a detrimental support system with a legitimate one. It is possible to fall victim to a detrimental support system because poor and failing mental health makes the process of sound decision-making difficult; adversity may veil our judgment and make us desperate for salvation. Both issues amplify each other and coalesce into mad dashes towards safety, stability and comfort where they may only superficially exist.

Case in point: in my sophomore year of high school, I spent the worse part of six months in a rotting relationship. I was losing my best friend who was also my companion. I just couldn’t help but flock to anyone that was willing to listen to my problems. Originally, I told my parents and my closest friends. But, the more desperate I

e Join th aff! t s n o i Opin

became, the more people I started divulging to.

Among the laundry list of people who eventually knew what was up with me were my teachers, my arts directors and friends whose names I barely knew. I’d occasionally post an infamous black Snapchat story here and there hoping that broadcasting my problems would somehow make me feel any better. In hindsight, it’s obvious that my behaviors were extremely toxic.

I was removing the dirt from right under me and throwing it out of the hole I was in hoping someone would see and come rescue me. In sharing my pain with the world, I gave my pain power and granted it legitimacy — it became more real the more I talked about it.

This went on for much of my sophomore year, and it didn’t get any better until I stopped over-sharing and focused my efforts on rebuilding my own boat instead of flocking to the rafts of others. The influx of sympathy from complaining was a temporary relief, but the pity was a constant reminder that my problems were monsters that continued to lurk and destroy me.

That’s all that the pity I was craving was good for.

These acquaintances, for the most part, provided only transient aid, and when they disappeared, I didn’t have ground to stand on. When in a conflict or suffering from poor mental health, individuals often share with a lot of peo-

Continued on Page 5

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Opinion

5

Navigating Mental Health on Campus Continued from Page 4 ple or post to social media, bringing in an influx of temporary empathy and sympathy. This is a toxic and unsustainable support system. Once the initial support wears out, people feel lacking once again and finds themselves feeling even more helpless and alone than before, creating a snowball effect.

After analyzing the social media patterns of myself and people close to me, I’ve come to

realize that advertising problems to the masses, who can’t be bothered to be empathetic, actually left people feeling way more alone and helpless, more so than if they hadn’t. Speaking to others about your woes serves as a springboard to think through problems with the comfort and support of another soul present. It’s a beautiful process contingent on progress. But it is easy to become a host for the crippling shadow of one’s problems and give it life as an individual broadcasts their ordeals. This kind of reaching behav-

ior is liable to create a vicious cycle of fruitless over-sharing that leaves us feeling worse and worse. The snowball continues to grow.

Over-sharing to a weak support system is a self-deprecating behavior that can’t be helped.

When a human being feels like they’re drowning, they’re liable to reach out to anyone and everyone hoping for salvation from their struggles. This is what close friends and family are for — not the kid from your 8:00 a.m. that sits next to you and can’t stop permanently borrowing all

your supplies.

More is not better, and the adage of “quality over quantity” should guide the construction of our support systems. A small oak cottage is preferable to a large paper house. We should always have someone with which to share our hopes, fears and troubles. We just have to make sure that we’re cognizant of how we share and that the people to which we hand our glass psyche know how to handle it with care.

Know Thyself: Confessions of #abroad Diane Lee ’19 Managing Opinion Editor There are key moments that define the Amherst experience: living on the first-year quad, taking Intro to Econ, hating on Noodle Bar, etc.

With close to half of Amherst students studying abroad during their junior year, a semester away from Amherst has joined the ranks of our hallowed traditions.

Before I went abroad, I believed that placing someone’s body in a new space made that person, themselves, new. Perhaps this is how we think of study abroad collectively, especially given the ever-abundant use of social media.

We watch our friends literally from behind a screen, following their adventures on meticulously-stocked Instagram feeds and 10-second Snapchat Story narratives. We speak of them with mystery — as a first year, I was fed lines like, “Oh, she’s abroad, but you would love her,” with little knowledge of what that person was like or doing in real time. And within our speculations lies the assumption that #abroad exists in a different dimension, (meta)physically distant from Amherst. Surely there, the trivialities, conflicts, mundaneness, stress of our small lib-

eral arts college do not exist. It is a space where we can be our most interesting and sophisticated (read: #Euro) selves.

When I finally arrived in Cape Town back in February, I felt like I had been spit out of a magic vortex. I was happily disoriented. Nowhere in South Africa could I detect traces of Amherst, which had started to feel stale after my sophomore year. In this mystic euphoria, I felt like a blank slate — I no longer heard echoes of Amherst Awkward or the anxiety I couldn’t shake back on campus. No one at my host university knew me, and this was my chance to rewrite the script. I wanted to feel and act on this newness and readily slipped it on, like a new dress. Abroad Diane would skip class to go to the beach, hop into random strangers’ cars (don’t tell my mom) and sneak into caves hanging off gargantuan cliffs. After my adventures, I would browse through my own Instagram feed and wonder if I looked different enough, cool enough, cultured enough now. Had I undergone the ritual of abroad? Had I achieved nirvana?

Well, as Kurt Cobain once said, “The worst crime is faking it.” The magic of abroad had worn off by the second month. The habits from

If I May: Why Did Colin Jost and Michael Che Host the Emmys?

Jake May ’19 Columnist

This past Monday night was the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards. Colin Jost and Michael Che, from SNL’s Weekend Update segment, hosted the awards show this year. Their performance has been almost universally criticized as lackluster, low-energy and mostly not funny. While I was unable to watch the entire broadcast, I did watch as much as I could find online afterwards. The monologue was indeed lackluster; while Jost and Che have developed a passable chemistry on Update, it was not present at all last night. Both stood on stage awkwardly and seemed helpless when a joke didn’t land (which was often).

Altogether, they looked as if they didn’t want to be there. Which begs the question: why, exactly, were they there?

There is not one mold for an award show host, but most that I can remember have some semblance of enthusiasm for the show they are hosting. Many people criticize Jimmy Fallon, but at the very least he will bring energy to any room. The best award show hosts I can remember — Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting the Golden Globes — had incredible chemistry and brought infectious excitement. If you’ve ever watched Weekend Update, you would know that ‘energy’ is not the word to describe Jost and Che. Even when good, the two operate in a detached manner, allowing them to either deliver harsher punch lines or milk a bad joke. While this may work on Update, it simply does not in an award show setting. Award shows are nights of celebration, where hosts can’t afford to make these mistakes.

That being said, the Emmys could have gone another way. It is a very political moment in the entertainment industry, and SNL has a reputation of tackling political issues (to varying degrees of success). Indeed, it is often Weekend Update itself that is charged with addressing political issues. So perhaps Jost and Che were tapped by the Emmys to bring a political bent to this year’s ceremony.

I believe that this would have been a great year

to make the Emmys less about the actual awards and more about addressing the issues plaguing the television industry regarding the treatment of noncis-male performers and performers of color, as well as the glaring lack of diversity in the nominees and winners. However, even if this were the case, choosing Jost and Che still would not make much sense to me, as the two are both men, and one of them a white man. Furthermore, some of Michael Che’s old stand up material is plainly misogynistic.

Even if the Emmys wanted to politicize the event, these two would still be the wrong choice.

Lo and behold, Jost and Che’s material didn’t meet either of these criteria. They told some pointed political jokes, but instead of providing a message, they just used the terrible situation to create punch lines. Che opened the monologue with: “It is an honor to share this night with the many talented and creative people who haven’t been caught yet”; later, Jost remarked: “Netflix has the most nominations tonight. And if you’re a network executive, that’s the scariest thing you could possibly hear, except maybe ‘sir, Ronan Farrow is on line one.’”

Rather than calling attention to these issues in an insightful way, these jokes simply make light of the (now well-known) fact that many very powerful television executives are horrible people.

We have seen that joke-making and comedy in general can be wielded like a sword; Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette brilliantly calls out the toxic culture surrounding stand-up; night after night and week after week, comedians such as Seth Meyers and Samantha Bee use their comedy shows to inform the public on our complicated political situation.

During the Emmys, Jost and Che were more interested in using comedy as a shield; they hid behind tepid jokes with potentially problematic punch lines, seeming to believe that mentioning and making light of the issues was enough. Well, that is no longer enough. In a moment where it was possible to use their platform as hosts to accomplish something, Colin Jost and Michael Che accomplished nothing.

my life at Amherst would slowly rear its head everywhere I went, from my classes to my dorm.

Even in my abroad dreamland, everything from small and pesky habits, like oversleeping, to bigger challenges, like my anxiety, followed me like a shadow. While I was convincing myself of my own novelty, my problems still waited to remind me that I was yet the same. I grew desperate for the “drab to fab” transformation of “The Princess Diaries,” combined with the spiritual enlightenment of the biblical Eve. If only we refreshed as quickly as our Instagram posts. It turns out that the irony of abroad is that you become different in your sameness.

My frustration cooled into a reluctant observation of my peculiarities, my flaws and my thoughts. I resisted the urge to try to change myself — to see change as something to save me from myself. And the more I got to know myself, the more pleasantly surprised I became.

I began to rely less on my environment to inform who I was. It’s almost like learning to ride a bike for the first time — you worry about falling (and if you have anxiety like me, you worry about cracking your skull open and dying), but grow comfortable after the initial fear. It’s an act of trust in yourself, and once you master it,

you’re riding through the breeze.

Whether or not you go abroad, most of us are in transition, by virtue of being in college.

We note the differences from one year to another; this senior fall already feels light years away from when I first hauled my things into North College Hall three summers ago. But we ultimately change not because we see and experience new things, but because we finally notice who we are. That includes who you always have been, who you currently are, and how you envision yourself in the future. Our bodies grasp change as extensions of ourselves, ways of growing into a new shell while shedding the old.

Of course, I still have a long way to go, and I think there are few people who are fully comfortable with every part of themselves. There are parts of myself that I am still learning and growing into, especially as I transition out of Amherst into adulthood. When the process becomes difficult, I want to lean into myself a bit more. Whether you just moved into your firstyear dorm or are freaking out about graduation, try trusting yourself. No one says it better than the VIP of this article (and alternative rock), Kurt Cobain: “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.”

Arts&Living

McCarty Strives for Originality in Homage to Transcendentalism

Photo courtesy of Julia Shea ‘21

Lisa McCarty’s work is on display in the Eli Marsh Gallery in Fayerweather Hall.

Julian Raiford ’21 Staff Writer Lisa McCarty stands with her arms crossed, nervously reading the room before stepping up to the podium. A small-framed artist with her head partially bowed, McCarty appears partly anxious and partly reverent of the guests who have gathered to hear her speak. Starting softly, her words begin to gain edge as she finds comfort in her pace, humbly detailing her own narrative and opening her love of her craft to the expectant room.

The photographer and curator visited Amherst on Thursday, Sept. 13 to share her work, “Transcendental Concord.” Listening to McCarty, it was apparent that she sees the world through a lens of appreciation and awe.

Appropriately, she has labeled herself a “21st century transcendentalist,” citing a few of the original 19th century transcendentalist authors, including Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott, as her greatest influences.

McCarty says she first encountered these authors in an undergraduate class she took

on American literature and was completely enthralled with their doctrine of awareness and reverence for nature. This idyllic literature resonated deeply within McCarty and now, 13 years after the completion of this course, she has just finished producing a body of work which pays homage to these inspirations.

Fusing her identities as a photographer and a transcendentalist, McCarty made a documentarian pilgrimage to Concord, Massachusetts to photograph the romantic landscape that the transcendentalists first immortalized in their writings.

As a Southern photographer, McCarty’s deep love of transcendentalism is a complicated attraction, which results in a number of idiosyncrasies. The initial expansion upon original transcendentalist expression explains McCarty’s appreciation for the visual image.

Breaking off the page and away from the text, the photographer attempts to reify the concepts her forebearers wrote about through her camera’s lens. Her shift away from 19th century methods of documentation is what firmly informs her self-evaluation as a 21st century transcendentalist. However, one cannot help but ask: what does it mean to bring the “machine into the garden”? Does this unnatural mechanism shift the scenery it attempts to document and skew the artist’s intentions of honoring tradition?

Perhaps the most interesting complexity posed by McCarty’s translation of transcendentalism is her southern background. Based in Durham, North Carolina the photographer claims her Southern roots with pride.

However, the original 19th century movement was largely based in the knowledge of locality, specifically regarding its region of origin, New England. The northern and southern regions of the eastern seaboard

vary greatly in terms of both scenery and society, and this was certainly the case two centuries ago. In order to create intelligent work, McCarty must not only ask herself what it means to be in conversation with a 19th century literature movement as a 21st century visual artist, but additionally what it means to be a southern creator honoring a northern narrative.

While it is without doubt that McCarty is drawn to the physical landscape the authors inhabited, her speech and body of work suggest that what she is truly documenting is the emotional and romantic perspective of transcendentalism. McCarty’s body of work is intended to be a product of her literary pilgrimage, but without her additional context, we are not truly able to pin the images to any geographic location.

Despite pursuing the “brave sincerity” she finds in the texts of Thoreau and Emerson, McCarty unintentionally slights her personal perspective’s sincerity by attempting to see the world solely through her forebearers’ eyes.

However, “Transcendental Concord” is uncontestably an important step in McCarty’s process of artistic self-determination. It is unfair to call her work passive, as there is still room for her to expound upon her own voice in her images. Until her gaze turns homeward, though, there is still something authentic to be longed for in McCarty’s understanding of transcendentalism — something that may be on the very near horizon in her work.

To view McCarty’s work, you can purchase a copy of her book “Transcendental Concord.”

In the true sprit of transcendentalists, the book encourages readers to slow down and enjoy the beauty at their fingertips.

Alternatively, you can view some of her work at the Eli Marsh Gallery in Fayerweather Hall until Oct. 12.

Amherst Symphony Orchestra Welcomes Students with Concert Kalidas Shanti ’22 Contributing Writer Now an annual tradition, the upcoming concert by the Amherst Symphony Orchestra (ASO) will take place on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 3 p.m. Mark Swanson, the orchestra’s music director, created the concert as a way of welcoming first years into the orchestra as well as providing entertainment to those who need a way to spend their afternoon. For this particular concert, look forward to listening to “Sensemayá” by Silvestre Revueltas, “El Salón México” by Aaron Copland, “Sinfonia India” by Carlos Chavez and “Danzón No. 2” by Arturo Marquez.

Swanson is devoted not only to the orchestra’s performance but also his students’ wellbeing — he has a clear belief in their ability to succeed. His recognition of and appreciation for their hard work shows in the candy break the orchestra has halfway through their two-

and-a-half-hour rehearsals. Moreover, there exists a high level of respect between him and the orchestra.

The new first-year members of the orchestra spoke highly of how joining orchestra at Amherst provided them with an invaluable sense of community.

Alex Lee ’22, a cellist in the ASO, said his favorite part of joining the Amherst Symphony Orchestra was the people. “I think if you have a commonality with other people, it’s a lot easier to make friends with them. And in orchestra since everyone plays music, we tend to click really easily,” he said.

Alexis Scalese ’22, a flautist, confirmed this belief, adding that “it’s a very special feeling to perform music with people who share the same love of music as you.”

While Swanson has a clear belief in his students, this shouldn’t be mistaken for lackadaisicalness: he is quick and precise in his correction of errors, but never condemning.

Photo courtesy of Amherst College

Amherst Symphony Orchestra will perform on Sept. 23 in Buckley Recital Hall.

Typically, the orchestra’s rehearsal process starts with an introduction of a new piece, before individual sections practice their parts alone. Finally, in the last stages before the concert, the entire orchestra comes together to practice the pieces, working on synchronizing the various parts.

Like in all art, there is room for subjectivity in music, but generally the students and Swanson have an appreciation for the pieces they play and enjoy the level of complexity each had.

When asked about the theme of the concert, “Viva México,” Swanson spoke of how he hopes the orchestra’s performance will not only provide entertainment, but also ignite conversation.

“It occurred to me, in these politically volatile times … that the orchestra might not be enjoyed merely as an artistic ‘escape’ from today’s issues, but that it could and should be a vital part of the conversation,” said Swanson.

The subtitle of this concert is: “Our Orchestra Has No Walls.’”

During the rehearsal I sat in on, the orchestra went straight into playing the new songs as a group. The musicians moved between different segments of the piece, at times focusing on certain instrument sections, allowing for Swanson to make minor corrections as they went along. The rehearsal moved at an incredible pace. As the musicians practiced the concert pieces, they quickly and efficiently modified their playing in order to suit the suggestions of Swanson.

While I’m sure not all of the students playing would agree, the practice felt like a performance. It was clear each musician had orchestral experience and cared deeply about the outcome.

It is similarly evident that the orchestra’s performance this Saturday will be a spectacle, sure to be loved by any audience member who attends.

The Amherst Student • September 19, 2018

Arts & Living 7

“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” Embodies Tone-Deaf Dissonance

Photo courtesy of uk.anygator.com

“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser“ paints its title character (Shannon Purser) as the unpopular underdog, who doesn’t adhere to high-school beauty standards.

Whitney Bruno ’21 Staff Writer “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” Netflix’s latest teen rom-com directed by Ian Samuels, sets out with the purest of intentions. On the surface, its progressive message seems harmless: “Just be you,” the movie’s poster boasts, referring in part to the film’s representational

appeal of not having a conventionally attractive titular character (Shannon Purser). The intentions behind this film, as well as its aesthetically interesting visuals, however, are unfortunately all that it has going for it.

The premise of the film is typical highschool rom-com fair, but with a bit of a modern twist: Sierra is an unpopular girl who is tormented for not adhering to high-school

beauty standards. In a cruel act of bullying, a mean girl, Veronica (Kristine Froseth), jokingly gives Sierra’s phone number to popular football player Jamey (Noah Centineo). Sierra, pretending to be Veronica, falls for Jamey through the text conversations they begin to have. While catfishing Centineo’s character, Sierra slowly begins to befriend Veronica so that the mean girl can better help convince Jamey that he’s texting Veronica and not Sierra herself.

This film’s fatal flaw is that it really wants you to sympathize with its main character, complete with her harmful behavior. The film frames Sierra’s deceptive catfishing as romantic, quirky and cute. Importantly, though, the film also attempts — unconvincingly — to portray these actions as justifiable because Sierra isn’t what is considered conventionally pretty.

One unintentionally disturbing scene in the film, wherein Sierra and Veronica stage a bait-and-switch fake out so that Jamey can kiss Sierra while thinking he’s kissing Veronica, raises a variety of ethical issues regarding consent. If this weren’t already bad enough, Sierra fakes having a disability around Jamey so that she can avoid speaking to him, so that he won’t be able recognize her voice from their phone conversations.

The film is additionally littered with a variety of transphobic jokes and jabs, not all of which are framed in a negative light (watching this with a couple of friends, we confusedly turned to each other during these “jokes” and asked, “Are we supposed to laugh at this?”).

Because of the dissonance that exists between what the film wants you to feel towards

the main character versus what you actually end up feeling towards her, the entire story comes off as completely tone-deaf. It certainly doesn’t help that the script for this movie is plastically cliché, with a constant influx of lines that sound as if they were written by an older person who hasn’t any clue what young people today speak like.

It’s unfortunate that the movie is plagued by these larger social issues, because on a purely aesthetic level, it really does shine. Its soft visual pallet is earthy but eye-catching and reminds me of another Netflix teen romcom hit from this year, Susan Johnson’s “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” which also happens to star Noah Centineo as the main love interest. However, in “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” Centineo gets more of a chance to shine as an actor film than in “Sierra Burgess,” in which the Jamey character doesn’t develop very much at all.

A few scenes that stood out to me because of their visually-intriguing neon lighting even reminded me of some other films that have employed similar lighting to memorable effect, including last year’s “Blade Runner 2049” by master-filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, which won two Oscars for its distinctive style.

However, the movie’s unlovable characters, which it oh-so-desperately wants us to embrace, swiftly stamp out any visual intrigue the film evokes. If you’re looking to quell your cheesy teen rom-com desires, you’re better off looking elsewhere — Greg Berlanti’s “Love Simon” (2018) and Kelly Fremon Craig’s “The Edge of Seventeen” (2016), as well as many others, have done what “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser” attempts to do, but much, much better.

“Eighth Grade” Honestly Explores Modern Middle School Life

Photo courtesy of austinchronicle.com

Elsie Fisher stars in Bo Burham’s “Eighth Grade” as Kayla Day, who attempts to navigate teenhood in the internet age as her middle school graduation approaches.

Hildi Gabel ’21 Staff Writer I had expected to cringe at the inevitable awkwardness I knew I’d find in the movie “Eighth Grade.” However, I was thoroughly surprised to find myself cringing in response to much deeper themes of anxiety and uncertainty, which are at the height of that period of braces, backpacks and awkward photos we all banish from memory.

“Eighth Grade,” released this July, follows eighth-grader Kayla Day (Elsie Fisher) as she approaches her graduation from middle school. It’s an impressive debut for director Bo Burnham, who is best known for his standup comedy. Holding an unflinching gaze on the current experience of middle schoolers in the United States, “Eighth Grade” proves that this demographic, often considered a shallow source for movie material, merits attention.

The film presents a realistic portrayal of middle-school life in the modern era. Kayla embodies the typical middle class, suburban, American adolescent experience; she lives with her dad (Josh Hamilton), attends school,

spends a lot of time on her iPhone and makes personal videos in her free time. After winning the “Most Quiet” superlative in school, she begins to evaluate her time in middle school while undergoing a series of mundane encounters — attending a pool party where she doesn’t know anyone, talking to her crush, shadowing a high schooler for a day — that feel anything but mundane to Kayla. Refreshingly, the middle schoolers here look like they are actually in middle school (Elsie Fisher, the actor who plays Kayla, is now 15 and had just graduated from eighth grade when filming started).

Social media, a subject Burnham knows well thanks to his humble YouTube beginning, is a prominent feature of this new landscape; in Kayla’s generation, virtually every student has been using Snapchat since fifth grade, and one’s social media presence is a concrete element of one’s identity. The specific realities of growing up in this strange new social climate come to light in the film, and it’s apparent that the stakes are higher than ever. Growing dangers of the modern world poke into the middle-school bubble as well. For instance, a drill for school shootings reminds us that middle schoolers, just kids, must also engage with the

disturbing realities of contemporary America.

Later in the film, a high-school senior makes a pass at Kayla in a frighteningly uncomfortable game of truth or dare that stops just short of being tragic. It’s an unsettling moment that speaks to the palpable fear of assault faced by too many women at a young age.

As much as Kayla’s challenges stem from the specificity of middle-school life in 2018, I would argue that this is, perhaps more than anything, a film about mental health. Social anxiety is all over this movie, and the fact that it is not framed explicitly makes it all the more painful. It’s a reality which Kayla does not yet have the vocabulary for, yet pervades every experience like a mysterious substance in the air. Burnham, who channeled his own experiences with anxiety into the direction of this movie, intended to show how these tiny moments in Kayla’s life are sources of real fear.

Through intense music plays over mundane actions, awkward dialogue and Fischer’s superb performance, “Eighth Grade” successfully translates this anxiety to the viewer. This exploration of mental health is simultaneously its most jarring and praiseworthy quality.

Through pointing its lens towards the spe-

cific experience of middle school, “Eighth Grade” cuts to the core of the universal. The film is a portrait of unsettling uncertainty, a condition which feels particularly pertinent to the undergraduate limbo. After all, as college students we are in the process of confronting the reality of our dreams for the first time and re-socializing ourselves as pseudo-adults in a new community, all while navigating a culture rife with elevated expectations. “Eighth Grade” feels so hard to watch because the sentiments that felt most intense back then have not completely left our lives; they have simply become permanent.

The film casts a raw picture of the questions that never truly leave us — is what we have built meaningful and is it enough? While complete self-assurance is never provided, the truth is that we exit the difficulties of middle school simply because we grow up. We come to understand ourselves and learn to be happy with the fact of never-quite-knowing. The most wonderful thing, as shown by this movie, is that what feels like jarring uncertainty is not disqualification of value. The process of growth is itself a beautiful thing, and every moment is deserving of all the attention we can give.

The Amherst Student • September 19, 2018

Arts & Living 8

New PlayStation Video Game “Marvel’s Spider-Man” Excels

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Insomniac Games has released “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” which critic Mark Simonitis ‘19 claims is the best Spider-Man video game since 2004’s “Spider-Man 2.”

Mark Simonitis ’19 Staff Writer Ever since I was a little kid, Spider-Man has been my favorite superhero. His powers are creative, his story is relatable and his adventures boast one of the finest collections of villains and supporting characters in comic history. I was a huge fan of the original Spidey game, 2004’s “Spider-Man 2,” for its jaw-dropping rendition of New York City and revolutionary webswinging mechanics. Though there have been a few excellent Spider-Man games since its release, the 2004 version was never equaled, let alone surpassed — until now.

The first thing that a Spider-Man game must get right is the web-swinging. Luckily, Insomniac Games’ “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” its rendition of Spidey’s most famous power, is amazing — even spectacular. It’s masterfully crafted in that, once you get used to the game, you feel like a true master of Spider-Man’s powers. Spider-Man himself is an integral part of the experience, and his beautifully-detailed animations are incredible as he reacts to an especially momentous swing or effortlessly zips through water towers.

Of course, half the fun of web-swinging is the environment that you’re doing it in. Not only is the game’s New York City a concrete junglegym of skyscrapers, alleys and various Marvel landmarks, it is also a living world. One of my favorite things to do in this game is to simply descend to ground level and walk through crowds of civilians.

Your “attack” button instead becomes a “greeting” button as Spidey waves to and speaks

with civilians, and they respond in turn. You might even have someone ask for a high-five or a selfie. There’s also an in-game social media feed where New York reacts to Spider-Man’s actions, or just whatever’s been happening in their lives.

One downside of the game that I noticed, however, is the infamous feature of having to navigate within towers to reveal a portion of the map. Having haunted this genre of video game since the first “Assassin’s Creed,” this tedium is lessened by the simple fact that getting to these towers involves web-swinging, the best part of the game.

One of the earliest criticisms of the game’s first previews was how much of its combat and stealth mechanics seemed to derive from the Batman “Arkham” series. The combat revolves around stringing combos, dodges, counters, finishers and gadgets together, while the stealth sections all involve sneakily taking out the enemies from perches. However, Insomniac makes enough changes to this admittedly stellar formula that it winds up feeling fresh again.

Spider-Man’s powers change the name of the game completely. The combat heavily focuses on Spidey’s agility, in contrast to Batman’s slower and heavier style. Additionally, both the combat and stealth aspects benefit from Spider-Man’s gadgets, which I found far more practical and tempting to use than those in the “Arkham” series.

“Marvel’s Spider-Man” also features a light RPG system, as Spider-Man earns skill points as he levels up. Players can invest these skill points into three separate skill trees: improving webswinging, boosting spider-powered fisticuffs

and improving proficiency at using webbing in combat, which introduces increasingly complex mechanics throughout the game.

Further, completing challenges rewards players with tokens, which they can use to upgrade gadgets, purchase perks such as increased health or buy new suits. There are 28 different suits to unlock, the majority of which have their own power, such as the Spider-Man Noir suit’s ability to suppress enemy calls for help during stealth sections.

What really made me fall in love with this system was the fact that you can mix and match suit powers. For example, I can wear the Iron Spider suit from “Avengers Infinity War,” but equip it with the energy blasting power granted by the Negative Spider-Man suit.

The storyline of videogames is something that designers have tended overlook. The story of “Spider-Man” takes place when Peter Parker has been Spider-Man for approximately eight years.

After a major triumph in the game’s opening mission, a power gap forms in the New York City underworld, with a mysterious superpowered gang known as the Demons rising to stake its claim on the city.

Right off the bat, the story earns instant points for presenting an experienced SpiderMan at the top of his game. There’s recently been a frustrating tendency across Marvel properties to steer away from a grown-up Spider-Man and instead present either a teenage incarnation of the character or a flat-out man-child.

Yuri Lowenthal’s portrayal of the character’s voice is excellent, nailing both the light and dark moments that are thrown at Spidey. I was

genuinely shocked at certain parts of the story, as Insomniac offers up a few big surprises (be sure to keep the game on until after the credits).

Finally, the supporting cast of characters such as Aunt May, Mary Jane Watson and Miles Morales all shine throughout the story, as do villains the Vulture and Electro.

While Miles Morales and Mary Jane are both great characters in the story, they also are central to one of the game’s greatest problem. At certain points in the story, the game suddenly transitions from the wild ride of being SpiderMan to unexciting missions featuring either of the two characters. However, these scenes are often critical to the story and provide insight into the characters, so I’m inclined to give them a partial pass.

The one thing I cannot make excuses for is the minigames required by the story, which disrupt the flow of the gameplay even more than the MJ/Miles missions and serve no real story purpose. It is very telling that Insomniac included an option to skip these puzzles entirely and will offer to let you skip individual puzzles if you take too long on one.

Despite these hiccups, “Marvel’s Spider-Man” joins the list of the Playstation 4’s killer apps as the best superhero game currently on the market, with a gripping story, an engaging sandbox, a great combat system and the adrenaline rush of a web-swinging mechanic.

With Insomniac announcing plans for not only paid downloadable content but also free features such as New Game + and the recently released photo mode, I can see myself protecting the city for a long time to come.

The Amherst Student • September 19, 2018

Sports 9

Women’s Soccer Falls to Middlebury, Football Bests Bates in Gridiron Grind Despite Offensive Slump Routs Smith the Following Day Nat De Jonge ’21 Staff Writer With momentum from a three-win opening weekend in its favor, the Amherst women’s soccer team was riding high headed into last weekend’s two contests against a tough Middlebury squad and local rivals Smith.

Ultimately, the Mammoths were unable to continue their perfect start to the season against a Panthers team that made a run to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament last season.

The Saturday game started off in the Mammoths’ favor. Amherst scored first in the 14th minute thanks to first-year winger Alexa Juarez, who played a perfect cross to Caleigh Plaut ’19, who in turn cooly finished the chance. Despite a relatively equal split in possession and total shots, Amherst conceded three goals in the remaining 76 minutes.

The Mammoths twice had chances to snatch a second goal, but senior striker Rubii Tamen and sophomore midfielder Natalie Landau hit the crossbar and right pipe, respectively.

After the game, Cassie Chin ’21, rued Amherst’s inability to finish. “[We] could have capitalized better on [Middlebury’s] mistakes because several missed opportunities ended up being the difference-maker at the end of the day,” Chin said.

In any sport, a short memory is necessary for success, and the Amherst team demonstrated just that in its second game of the weekend. At kickoff on Sunday, fans filled the small bleachers as the 85-degree sun beat down. Within the first few minutes of the game, the foreheads of players and fans alike were glistening with sweat. The first half was a true battle, with Smith and Amherst tied going into the halftime break.

However, the Mammoths offense woke up in the second half, as Plaut scored her second

goal of the weekend less than two minutes after the restart. After the ball ricocheted off the head of a Smith defender, Plaut found the ball with some space at the edge of the 18yard box and powerfully launched it into the upper corner of the net. Amherst looked more cohesive as the second half went on, peppering the Smith keeper with shot after shot. This offensive barrage came to fruition in the 71st minute, when Juarez finished off an arcing cross from Sloan Askins ’20.

Next up for the Mammoths is a stiff challenge at home against Williams, which enters the match as the reigning both national and NESCAC champions. This heavyweight contest between Amherst and the hated Ephs will take place on Saturday, Sept. 22 at noon.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Sloan Askins ’20 assisted the Mammoths’ second goal against Smith.

Matthew Sparrow ’21 Staff Writer For the first half, the Mammoths looked average at best on offense.

While its defense was excellent as expected, shutting out Bates in the first half, Amherst’s best offensive weapon was likely punter Henry Atkeson ’20, who pinned the Bobcats inside the 20 on two of four attempts.

Aside from the four punts, Amherst’s two other possessions ended in lost fumbles, with one turnover coming inside the red zone. It was an ugly — and scoreless — start to a season filled with so much promise.

Fortunately, Amherst found its footing on the first drive of the second half as the Mammoths marched down the field and opened the scoring on a 31-yard touchdown run by Jack Hickey ’19.

The drive was prolonged in part due to a roughing the kicker penalty on the Bobcats as Atkeson was in the process of punting the ball back to the hosts.

Two plays later, Hickey found the end zone to put Amherst on top 7-0.

After a three-and-out for Bates, the Mammoths picked apart the Bobcat defense on the ground, with the final eight plays of this second scoring drive drive being run plays.

Starting quarterback Ollie Eberth ’20 punched it in from one yard out on third-and-goal to give Amherst a two-touchdown lead.

The teams continued to trade punts until halfway through the fourth quarter, when an Eberth fumble led to Bates’ best starting field position of the day at the Amherst 32 yard-line.

On third down, the Bobcats’ quarterback Brendan Costa scampered for a 26-yard touchdown to cut the Amherst lead to 13-7 with just over seven minutes remaining.

Needing to kill time, Amherst kept the ball in the hands of its top two rushers on the day, Hickey and Eberth, and the visitors found the end zone once more thanks to an eight-yard run by Eberth,

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Jack Barrett ’19 guards a Bates wide receiver during last Saturday’s game. his second of the day.

After another Bates three-and-out, the Mammoths were able to convert on two first downs and run out the clock to seal the 19-7 win.

Despite the scoreless first half, Amherst was in control for most of the game as it wound up with 21 first downs to only seven for Bates.

In addition, the Mammoths rode their run game to victory, totaling 226 rushing yards versus only 60 for the Bobcats.

For the visitors, the big star was Hickey who ran for 137 yards on 22 carries and added a touchdown.

Eberth had a nice game as well, going 13-for-19 with 112 yards through the air and rushing for 58 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Amherst’s leading receiver was Bo Berluti ’19, who caught six passes for 62 yards. On defense, Zach Allen ’19 led the team in tackles with seven and Matt Albino ’21 registered the Mammoths’ only sack of the game.

Avery Saffold ’20 picked off Costa for Amherst’s first interception of the year.

After notching its 10th straight victory over Bates, Amherst will play its home opener next Saturday, Sept. 22 at Pratt Field against Hamilton at 1 p.m.

Field Hockey Falls to Top-Ranked Middlebury in Narrow Loss Rose Mzorka ’21 Staff Writer The Mammoths fell to 1-2 on the season after a heartbreaking 5-4 loss on the road to the Middlebury Panthers at Kohn Field on Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers got off to a quick start when midfielder Emma Johns scored twice in the first eight minutes of play.

Johns’ first tally, unassisted, came six minutes into the first half when she snuck a shot past Amherst netminder Katie Savage ’19.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Anna Agathis ’21 has started every game for the Mammoths thus far.

Johns scored her next tally less than two minutes later, when she tipped in a right-side penalty corner from Isabel Chandler.

Amherst’s offense was unable to mount any pressure in the first half, as Natalie Hobbs ’22 notched the Mammoths’ first shot on target with five minutes to go in the frame.

Middlebury, turning Hobbs’ shot away, would finish the first half up 3-0 when forward Molly Freeman netted a score with 37 seconds left before the halftime whistle.

However, the Mammoths, having conceded a fourth goal 10 minutes into the second half, flipped the switch and put forth an onslaught of offensive power.

Amherst forward Emery Sorvino ’19 logged her first goal of the season when she tipped in a shot by Kendall Codey ’19 off of a penalty corner.

Just five minutes later, forward Caroline Donahue ’21 redirected a cross-field pass from Sorvino past Middlebury’s goalkeeper, cutting the Panthers’ lead in half.

Recording Amherst’s third unanswered goal in eight minutes, Hobbs found the back of the net to bring the Mammoths within one goal of the topranked team in the country.

Laura Schwartzman ’20, after intercepting a Middlebury clearing attempt, fed a long pass to Hobbs who tapped the ball past a sprawling netminder for her second goal of the season, making the score 4-3.

Feeding off of their newfound momentum, the Mammoths didn’t let a fifth goal by the hosts’ potent offense deter them.

With 13 minutes left to play, Codey intercepted a pass and fed the ball to Franny Daniels ’21 who dribbled down the left side of the field and rifled a shot past the goalkeeper for her second goal of the season.

Amherst goalkeeper Savage stood firm between

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Laura Schwartzman ’20 served as an anchor in the Mammoths’ midfield, contributing one assist in the team’s narrow loss to the Panthers. the pipes, totaling eight saves on 13 shots. Five of these saves came in the last 10 minutes of play, keeping the Mammoths within striking distance as the game wound down.

Despite their second-half push, however, the Mammoths’ fell short and were unable to come up

with a last-minute equalizer.

The Mammoths hope to carry the energy from the second half against Middlebury into this week’s contests, when they take on Endicott College in a Thursday night away game and host archrival Williams on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 11 a.m.

10

Sports

The Amherst Student • September 19, 2018

Men’s Golf Finishes in Sixth Place at the Duke Nelson Invitational Thomas Woodville ’21 Staff Writer This past weekend, the Amherst men’s golf team had a strong showing at the Duke Nelson Invitational in Middlebury, Vermont.

The tournament took place on Ralph Myhre Golf Course, a public course that serves as the home course for conference foe Middlebury.

After Saturday, Amherst sat only five strokes behind the day’s leader, New York University, tying with NESCAC rival Trinity for fourth place.

Leading the Mammoths, Nicholas Kumamoto ’20 shot an impressive 71 with teammate Jack Burlison ’19 only three strokes behind him.

Despite the Mammoths efforts during on Sunday, overall Amherst fell two spots in the rankings, tying with Johnson and Wales University for sixth.

Will Lonnquist ’20 led the Mammoths in Sunday scoring, with a one-over-par round of 72. Amherst shot a combined total of 296 on Saturday and 300 on Sunday, finishing the tournament in sixth place out of the large field of 22 teams.

Kumamoto ended up as Amherst’s top golfer for the tournament, shooting 146 for the weekend. Lonnquist came in second with a tournament total of 147, while Burlison followed four shots behind him.

After the top trio, Jeffrey Herr ’20 shot 153 and fellow junior Nicholas Sullivan closed out the Mammoths’ scoring with a mark of 157.

“We’ve really had good coaching this year, this past weekend included,” Lonnquist said.

“The guidance and encouragement that we got over the weekend in the form of coaching really helped us and was definitely partially responsible for our outcome.”

However, there were a few snags over the

course of the weekend. A few members of the team noted that at least a couple golf clubs were broken during the course of the tournament, due to a combination of frustration and accident.

“We could definitely improve on our short game, myself included,” Sullivan said. “We are doing some things well, but there’s a lot we can be improving upon and our short game is definitely one of those things. The short game is crucial to the game of golf because it is so easy for things to go wrong, so if we can tighten that up a little bit, we could really see some improvement across the board.”

The Mammoths plan on continuing their success at this weekend’s Williams College Invitational.

Jack Burlison ’19 finished the weekend with 151 strokes over 36 holes.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Michael Stone ’21 Favorite Team memory: Pregame practices Favorite Pro Athlete: LeBron James Dream Job: Professional athlete Pet Peeve: Missing a meal Favorite Vacation Spot: Captiva, Florida Something on Your Bucket List: Floor seats to an NBA Finals Guilty Pleasure: Procrastinating homework Favorite Food: Strawberries Favorite thing about Amherst: The diverse community How He Earned It: Stone has been a consistent positive for the Mammoths in between the posts this season for the men’s soccer team, having started each of its first three games and only conceded a single goal over that span, which is tied for best in the conference. Stone has also posted a stellar goals-against average of 0.37 goals per game, which places him fifth among NESCAC goalkeepers. Stone and the rest of the Amherst men’s soccer program will look to rebound from a tough loss to Middlebury when they face off against Williams on Saturday in the team’s first home game.

Jamie Dailey ’21 Favorite Team memory: Winning our team escape room Favorite Pro Athlete: Courtney Thompson Dream Job: Travel journalist Pet Peeve: Slow walkers Favorite Vacation Spot: Italy Something on Your Bucket List: Living abroad Guilty Pleasure: Milk chocolate Favorite Food: Pizza Favorite thing about Amherst: The small and welcoming community How She Earned It: Dailey was dominant on the offensive end for the Firedogs during the team’s first six contests. The sophomore transfer has started each of Amherst’s games thus far and was named the NESCAC player of the week during her first week on the team. Dailey currently leads the team in kills, with 88, kills per set, with 4.19, and leads the attackers in hitting percentage with 37 percent. Dailey and the rest of the Firedogs will look for their seventh straight win to open the season when they face Plymoth State University on Wednesday.

Men’s Soccer Falls to NESCAC Foe Middlebury on Set-Piece Mistake Jordan Rhodeman ’21 Staff Writer On Saturday, Sept. 15, the Amherst men’s soccer team suffered a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Middlebury. The low score was the result of impressive defensive performances by both teams, with the Panthers just managing to sneak one goal into the Amherst net.

“Credit goes to Middlebury for competing hard today,” Amherst head coach Justin Serpone said. “They were an NCAA team last year and were defending their home turf.

There aren’t a lot of chances in NESCAC games so you can’t afford to make a mistake.

We made one and they capitalized on it.”

Saturday’s game proved a physical fight, with the referee brandishing six cards — two for Amherst players and four for Middlebury — and blowing the whistle for 33 total fouls.

The sheer number of infringements spoke to the high energy that existed from the very start.

The first half finished with only two total

shots for Amherst and just six for the hosts.

Mammoths goalkeeper, Michael Stone ’21, finished with one save in the opening frame, but the Panthers forced him into four saves in the second half.

Meanwhile, the Middlebury keeper only had to make four saves over the duration of the game — a testament to the defensive solidity of the Panthers backline.

Middlebury scored the game’s only goal on an unassisted effort by Henry Wilhelm in the 74th minute.

With under four minutes remaining in the game, Matteo Mangiardi ’21 had Amherst’s best chance of the game after a beautiful passage of play, but the Panthers’ goalie came up big to deny the tying goal.

The loss was the first of Amherst’s season, leaving the Mammoths with an overall record of 2-1-0 and 1-1-0 in the NESCAC. Amherst will return to action on Saturday, Sept. 22 for the team’s home-opener against archrival Williams in what promises to be a thrilling contest.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Bryce Johnson ’21 has been a constant on defense for the Mammoths, starting every game and only conceding one goal through three contests.

The Amherst Student • September 19, 2018

Sports

Women’s Golf Showcases Depth and Talent at Ann S. Batchelder Invitational

11

The Mazzola Minute Jamie Mazzola ’21 Columnist In his discussion of Premier League side Watford’s miraculous start to the season, Jamie outlines how he expects that Watford will not surpass all expectations and challenge for the title.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Emily Young ’20 was among Saturday’s top scorers with a score of 79.

Tyler Marshall ’21 Staff Writer The Amherst women’s golf team opened its season on a great note this weekend, as the Mammoths traveled to Wellesley, Massachusetts to compete in and win the six-team Ann S. Batchelder Invitational.

After Saturday’s opening round left them in second place, the Mammoths rallied on Sunday to claim a third consecutive win at the tournament. A strong team performance was at the heart of Amherst’s run on Sunday, a run that saw the Mammoths erase a fivestroke deficit and cruise to a 14-stroke victory over host Wellesley College at Nehoiden Golf Course.

On Saturday, Amherst got off to a solid start that allowed the team to be in position to compete for the tournament crown on Sunday.

Two juniors and two first years set the pace for the Mammoths as Emily Young ’20, Morgan Yurosek ’20, Mina Lee ’22 and India Gaume ’22 all posted top-10 scores after round one.

Gaume had a very impressive performance in her first collegiate round, as she finished tied for first by shooting a three-over-par 75 on Saturday.

Yurosek was one stroke behind Guame with a 76, while Young and Lee each shot 79 which left them in a tie for eighth after day one.

Three other Mammoths were within the top-20 after day one, as Lily Worden ’21 finished in 11th place after an opening round 80, while Jessica Jeong ’20 shot an 81 and Isa-

belle Ouyang ’21 tied for 18th after shooting 82.

The Mammoths turned in a very impressive team performance on Sunday which allowed them to claim both the team and individual titles this weekend.

Yurosek had the best round of the entire tournament, shooting a two-under-par to beat out Gaume for the tournament’s individual crown.

Gaume had another outstanding round on Sunday, shooting two-over-par 74 to finish in second place in her first tournament as a Mammoth.

Yurosek and Gaume weren’t the only two golfers to card good scores on Sunday, as it required a team effort to claim Amherst’s third consecutive tournament championship.

Ouyang shot a 76 on Sunday to finish tied for seventh overall in the tournament, Young shot a 79 putting her in a tie for 10th and Jeong shot a second-consecutive 81 to secure a tie for 13th place overall.

As a team, Amherst tallied a 611 to beat the other five teams participating in this weekend’s Ann S. Batchedler invitational.

Wellesley shot 625 to finish in second, Vassar College was third with 655, Middlebury shot a 675 to take fourth, Mount Holyoke finished with a 681 to take fifth and Trinity ended up in last after shooting 877.

The Mammoths will take a short trip to South Hadley, Massachusetts next weekend, where they will compete in the Mount Holyoke Invitational at Orchards Golf Club. Amherst will look to build on its strong showing this weekend and claim a championship for the second consecutive weekend.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Isabelle Ouyang ’21 finished seventh on Sunday, shooting a four-overpar 76 to help lead the Mammoths to victory.

Leicester City’s improbable 2015-16 English Premier League title redefined the role of smaller-sized clubs in top-flight English football.

Currently dominated by a group of clubs known as the “Big Six” (Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool), the Premier League is notoriously top-heavy.

With only six clubs having won the title since the league’s inception (United, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Leicester, and Blackburn Rovers), Leicester’s victory rejuvenated fan bases of smaller-market teams. The Foxes’ fairytale campaign has led to the search for “the next Leicester.”

Enter 2018-19 Watford, which you may know as the club once chaired by Elton John.

With one notable exception, Watford has never been a major factor in top-flight English football.

In the 1982-83 season, however, Watford rode a hot start of four wins in its first five games to a second-place finish in the First Division (the Premier League’s predecessor).

To start the 2018-19 season, Watford defeated Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley, Crystal Palace and Tottenham, before finally falling to Manchester United.

The 2-1 comeback win over Tottenham stands out as an important win against a “Big Six” club and raised eyebrows around the league. Down after an own-goal in the 50th minute, Watford scored twice off corner kicks to seal victory.

If you weren’t keeping track, that’s four wins in the club’s first five games.

With many apologies to all the loyal (and bandwagon) Watford fans, your beloved club will not be matching that magical 1982-83 season, and they most certainly won’t see a turnaround akin to that of Leicester City in 2015-16.

On the other hand, as unambitious as it sounds, Watford has already taken key steps away from relegation and towards a middle of the table finish.

Southampton was the last team to escape relegation in the 2017-18 season, finishing with 36 points in 17th place.

Using last year’s table as a benchmark, Watford would only need to play at a 28-point pace for the rest of the season to equal Southampton’s total of 36 and hypothetically avoid relegation.

To exceed its 41-point total of last year (which netted the club 14th place), Watford would only need to play at a 34-point pace for the remainder of the year.

The sum of total player value offers a reasonable estimation of talent, and Watford’s £144.63m roster (as estimated by TransferMarkt) end in 18th out of the 20 Premier League clubs, and suggests that Watford is not an elite club.

With an excellent manager in Javi Gracia, August’s Premier League Manager of the Month, Watford has been able to somewhat offset their lack of individual talent.

Since Watford’s 2015 promotion to topflight English football, Gracia is the first manager to survive the summer.

Gracia furthered this continuity by starting ten returning players, only adding goalkeeper Ben Foster in the transfer market.

Watford lost a young talent in Richarlison to Everton, but, should the forward not improve greatly in the coming years, the £40 million transfer fee could prove a savvy move.

Gracia’s unconventional off-pitch management techniques include fines for tardi-

ness, mandatory yoga sessions, three-daya-week meetings to analyze the upcoming opponent and training sessions (sometimes twice a day) on all four days leading up to a competition.

Gracia also puts great emphasis on nutrition and proper manners, seeking to build a healthy team culture.

On the pitch, Watford employs an unconventional variation of the common 4-4-2 formation (four defenders, four midfielders, two forwards) in the form of a 4-2-2-2 formation.

Essentially, Watford sacrifices lateral spacing for a more compact central midfield.

Defensively, with to of the team’s starting XI measuring six feet or taller, Watford forces turnovers in a congested midfield.

Watford’s 20.4 tackles and 14.8 interceptions per game rank second and third most in the Premier League, respectively.

This defensive scheme eases the burden on their defenders, contributing to an excellent 8.6 shots allowed per game average, fourth fewest in the Premier League.

From these shots, Watford has allowed a total of just five goals across the first five games, a tally that is tied fifth-fewest in the Premier League.

Expected goals takes the sum of the probability that any given shot will go in for all shots in a game, approximating the aggregate quality of chances a team created.

With English football being such a lowscoring game, score-lines often do not mirror a team’s actual performance, and, as such, expected goals offer a clearer picture of the balance of play.

Watford’s 4.46 expected goals allowed (fourth fewest) suggests that the mere five goals allowed might, in fact, be a slight underperformance, solidifying the club’s claim to an excellent defense.

Offensively, on the surface, Watford’s ten total goals scored (tied-fourth most in the league) suggest a stellar attacking scheme.

Watford’s underlying offensive metrics, however, suggest a mediocre offense that has thus far overperformed.

The team’s 5.53 total expected goals ranks 11th in the Premier League, and the 12.4 shots per game ranks ninth.

Some teams do over-perform their expected goals significantly, but there is evidence to suggest Watford will regress to the mean in this regard.

In the 2017-18 season, for example, Watford scored 44 goals compared to 45.85 expected goals, a negligible difference.

Watford’s unconventional 4-2-2-2 formation is reflected in its preferred style of ball movement, with limited lateral spacing encouraging quick forward motion.

While the club’s 74 long passes per game is tied for second in the Premier League, its 286 short passes per game ranks 17th, and its 45.5 percent possession rate ranks 16th.

Furthermore, for a team relying heavily on longer passes, Watford’s 71 percent pass success rate unsurprisingly ranks 18th.

Just like with its defensive scheme, Watford’s congested midfield lends itself to an attack oriented around the center of the pitch, reflected in its tied for league-leading 29 percent of attacking direction in the middle of the pitch.

While Watford lacks the talent and attacking prowess needed to break into the Premier League elite, its excellent defense suggests that the club certainly won’t face relegation and has a legitimate shot at finishing in the top half of the table.

Sports

Photo courtesy of Mark Box Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Outside hitter Emily Kolsky ’20 led the team with an impressive 19 kills in the Mammoths’ win over Newbury College, which Amherst swept, 3-0.

Volleyball Overwhelms Competition to Maintain Perfect Start to Season Dan Papa ’20 Staff Writer It took just one attempt for Amherst to give its coach, Sue Everden, her 700th career victory, as the volleyball team continued its hot start to the season with a five-set victory at Middlebury on Friday.

On Saturday, the Firedogs returned to LeFrak for their 2018 home opener, posting back-to-back straight set victories over Sage University and Newbury College to maintain their perfect 6-0 record. Everden is the 14th coach in Division III volleyball history to achieve the feat.

On Friday night, the Firedogs opened NESCAC competition against the Panthers.

The match was exciting from the opening whistle, with both squads trading the lead throughout the night.

In the first set, Amherst gained a quick lead before the Panthers came charging back and led 21-19. The Firedogs won six of the next eight points to win the set, 25-23. The second set was just as competitive, with the Panthers closing the frame on a 10-6 run to win the set 25-21 and tie the overall match.

Amherst gained a quick lead in the third set and held on for a 25-22 victory. The fourth set remained close, but a late Middlebury run gave the Panthers the victory, 25-22, and tied the match at two sets apiece.

In the fifth and final set, the teams traded leads before Amherst ultimately won four straight points, stifling the comeback attempt and winning both the set, 15-10, and the match, 3-2.

Cam Hendricks ’20 led the team in both kills and blocks, recording 15 and six, respectively. Reigning NESCAC player of the week

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

GAME SCHE DULE

Jamie Dailey ’21, who won the plaudits for her performances in this weekend’s three contests, recorded a double-double with 13 kills and 15 digs. Claire Dennis ’20 and Emily Kolsky ’20 each had 12 kills for Amherst, while first-year Skyleur Savage tallied 29 digs on the night. Charlotte Duran ’20 also contributed with 49 assists.

On Saturday, Amherst hosted a round robin for its home opener. In the first game, the Firedogs were tasked with handling the Newbury College Nighthawks.

Amherst got off to a blazing start, turning an 18-5 advantage into a 25-7 first set victory.

The Firedogs kept carried this momentum into the second set, scoring 12 of the first 17 points and winning the set 25-11. Amherst won a more competitive third set, 25-20, to give them the hosts their third sweep of the season. Kolsky led all players with 19 kills,

while Savage recorded 13 digs, and Adelaide Shunk ’20 had 37 assists. Pearl Accord ’21 and Alex Rone ’22 each recorded three service aces for the Firedogs, and co-captain Lauren Reppert ’19 finished with five kills.

In the second match, Amherst dominated from start to finish, defeating Sage in straight sets.

The Firedogs allowed only 22 points over the three sets, with the final score being 2512, 25-6, 25-4.

Duran led the team with 36 assists, Savage had 11 digs and Dailey finished with 13 kills.

Sophie Launsbach ’22 added ten kills and Kalley Wasson ’21 contributed a block.

The Firedogs return to action on Wednesday, Sept. 19 against Plymouth State University at 7 p.m. and again on Friday, Sept. 21 against NESCAC rival Trinity at 7 p.m. Both matches are home at LeFrak Gymnasium.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

Volleyball vs. Plymouth State University, 7 p.m.

Field Hockey vs. Endicott, 7 p.m.

Volleyball @ Trinity, 7 p.m.

Women’s Golf @ Mount Holyoke Invitational, TBD

Field Hockey vs. Williams, 11 a.m.

Men’s Golf @ Williams Fall Invitational, 1 p.m.

Men’s Tennis @ Skidmore College, 11 a.m. Volleyball vs. UMass Boston, 1 p.m.

Women’s Soccer vs. Williams, noon Men’s Soccer Women’s Cross Country vs. Williams, 2:30 p.m. @ Purple Valley Invitational, Football TBD vs. Hamilton, 1 p.m.

Men’s Cross Country @ Purple Valley Invitational, TBD