Volume CXLI, No. 
We dn e sday, Se p t e m b e r ď™…  , ď™… ď™ƒ  
6
8
Hurst ’12 defends the Israelis’ situation OPINION
Amherst, Massachusetts
14
Van Paasschen ’83 discusses Amherst model of success ARTS&LIVING
Fritz ’14 prevails in ITA Regional Championships SPORTS
Web: amherststudent.amherst.edu
Twitter: @AmherstStudent
Work in Progress: Campus Upgrades Alissa Rothman ’15 Contributing Writer
The revving of an engine, the crunching of concrete as it is crushed echo throughout the quads as the Facilities department pursue their list of repairs and improvements around campus. Now that renovations in Valentine Dining Hall have been completed, the Facilities department has turned to other projects ranging IURP WKH VPDOO Ă€ [ XSV DURXQG FDP SXV WR H[WHQVLYH UHQRYDWLRQV ´,Q JHQHUDO ZH KDYH D VWHZDUG ship perspective on campus,â€? said Jim Brassord, Director of Facilities and Associate Treasurer for Campus Services. “We feel that we need to ensure [that] buildings meet their intended purpose by maintaining and enhancing them with renovations and repairs.â€? 7KH )DFLOLWLHV GHSDUWPHQW LV FXU rently working on renovations in Frost Library, which should have LPSRUWDQW LPSOLFDWLRQV IRU WKH VWX dent body. ´:H DUH XSJUDGLQJ VRPH RI LQWH ULRU Ă€ QLVKHV DQG WKHUH DUH SODQV IRU D cafĂŠ. That is in design right now and not at the point that we can predict
Photo by June Pan ’13
The Lord Jeffery Inn is currently under construction and should be completed by December. when construction will start, but we are hoping it will be done sometime this academic year,� Brassord said. The installment of a cafÊ has ERWK VWXGHQWV DQG VWDII H[FLWHG ´,¡OO SUREDEO\ FRPH >WR WKH OL
brary] a lot more,â€? Miandra Ellis ’14 said. “I already work here so I will probably go [to the cafĂŠ] all the time.â€? “I think it’s really good. It is a very positive thing that will raise the
Controversial Execution Sparks Student Activism June Pan ’13 Managing News Editor
7KH FRQWURYHUVLDO H[HFXWLRQ RI GHDWK URZ LQPDWH 7UR\ 'DYLV RQ 6HSW VSDUNHG QDWLRQ ZLGH SURWHVWV DV RSSRQHQWV RI WKH GHDWK SHQ alty took up their pens and took to the streets. Armed with signs, candles and a megaphone, local activists rallied on the Amherst Town Common at 5:30 p.m. last Wednesday. Among the 80 attendees were Five College professors, Amherst residents, as well as over a dozen students of the College. Straddling a bustling section of South
Photo courtesy by Fayise Abraham ’14
Pleasant Street, demonstrators hoisted high signs and raised their voices to call for justice. Activists blockaded the road at one point, and town police were summoned. Once the road was clear again, passing cars drove through chants of, “Money for jobs and education, not for mass incarceration,â€? and, “Brick by brick, wall by wall, racist laws have got to fall.â€? 7KH HPSKDVLV RQ UDFLVP KDV EHHQ D GHĂ€ Q LQJ IHDWXUH RI WKH SURWUDFWHG Ă€ JKW VXUURXQG ing the Troy Davis case. Convicted for the PXUGHU RI RII GXW\ SROLFH RIĂ€ FHU 0DUN McPhail in Savannah, Ga., a state county court sentenced Davis to death in 1991. However KLV H[HFXWLRQ ZDV VWD\HG WKUHH WLPHV EHWZHHQ 2004 and 2011 as Davis’ lawyers claimed that key witnesses in the original trial had since recanted their testimonies. Amnesty International took up Davis as the face of their campaign against the death penalty as a racist institution. According a 1990 report by the U.S. General Accounting 2IĂ€ FH WKHUH LV ´D SDWWHUQ RI HYLGHQFH LQGLFDW LQJ UDFLDO GLVSDULWLHV LQ WKH FKDUJLQJ VHQWHQF ing and imposition of the death penalty.â€? The RUJDQL]DWLRQ UHSRUWV WKDW VLQFH D GLVSUR portionate number of death row defendants KDYH IDFHG H[HFXWLRQ IRU NLOOLQJ ZKLWH YLFWLPV
See Activists, page 3
SURÀ OH RI WKH /LEUDU\ RQ FDPSXV ¾ VDLG %LODO 0XKDPPDG ¡ WKH HYH ning circulation specialist. :KLOH WKLV LV D PDMRU UHQRYD tion process, the department is also undertaking other minor projects
DURXQG FDPSXV LQFOXGLQJ WKH UH moval of steps in the Valentine quad. “[The stairs] were at the end of their design life, and it became more costly to repair them than to replace them,â€? Brassord said. “We are replacing the bluestone steps with granite, which will be more durable,â€? %UDVVRUG DOVR QRWHG WKDW UHSODF LQJ WKH VWHSV ZLWK Ă DW SDYHPHQW ZRXOG KDYH DGGHG EHQHĂ€ W RI ´PDNLQJ WKH TXDG PRUH QDYLJDEOH IRU KDQGL cap individuals.â€? Other minor projects include the construction of steps at the Cadigan Center of Religious Life, work at the Davenport Squash Courts and improvements to the entrance of the parking lot at Newport House. “All these minor projects are proceeding apace [‌] we try to schedule the majority of projects for VXPPHU PRQWKV WR NHHS WKH LQFRQ venience of students at a minimum,â€? %UDVVRUG VDLG ´:H DUH QRW DQWLFL pating any major inconvenience for campus.â€? 7KH GHSDUWPHQW LV DOVR FRQWLQX LQJ ZRUN RQ RQH RI LWV ORQJ WHUP projects, the renovations of the Lord
See Construction, page 2
Community Celebrates Habitat for Humanity House Sarah Ashman ’14 News Section Editor
2Q 7XHVGD\ 6HSW WKH &ROOHJH FRP munity gathered at 18 Stanley Street to celebrate the completion of the fourth and À QDO +DELWDW IRU +XPDQLW\ KRPH RQ WKH WKUHH DFUHV RI ODQG GRQDWHG WR +DELWDW IRU +XPDQ ity by the College in 2005. Several individuals who played key roles in the completion of the homes gave brief VSHHFKHV H[SUHVVLQJ WKHLU JUDWLWXGH IRU WKH effort and support of volunteers. Amongst WKRVH VSHDNLQJ ZHUH 3LRQHHU 9DOOH\ +DEL tat for Humanity Board President Sanford Belden, Director of Facilities Jim Brassord DQG 3UHVLGHQW %LGG\ 0DUWLQ 7KH WKUHH RZQ HUV RI WKH 6WDQOH\ 6WUHHW +DELWDW IRU +XPDQ LW\ KRPHV DOVR VSRNH DERXW KRZ WKH RUJDQL zation impacted their lives. +DELWDW IRU +XPDQLW\ LV D QRQSURÀ W RUJD QL]DWLRQ WKDW ZRUNV WR ´HOLPLQDWH KRPHOHVV ness and substandard housing by making GHFHQW DIIRUGDEOH VKHOWHU D PDWWHU RI FRQ science and action for all people.� Students from the College have been volunteering with the organization for many years. In his senior year, James Patchett ’02 strengthened the College’s involvement by DSSURDFKLQJ WKHQ SUHVLGHQW 7RP *HUHW\ ZLWK
The independent newspaper of Amherst College since 
Photo by Sarah Ashman ’14
President Biddy Martin spoke during a Habitat for Humanity event. the idea of donating land to Habitat for Humanity. The idea garnered much support within the Amherst community and within a IHZ \HDUV WKH &ROOHJH KDG RIÀ FLDOO\ GRQDWHG WKUHH DFUHV RQ 6WDQOH\ 6WUHHW WR WKH QRQSURÀ W EHFRPLQJ WKH À UVW SULYDWH FROOHJH HYHU WR donate land to Habitat for Humanity. :RUNLQJ FORVHO\ ZLWK WKH 3LRQHHU 9DO
See College, page 3