Issue 4

THE AMHERST

THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

STUDENT VOLUME CXLVI, ISSUE 4 l WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016

Field Hockey Takes Two on Week, Defeats Williams See Sports, Page 10 AMHERSTSTUDENT.AMHERST.EDU

Prince Albert Grimaldi ’81 Forms $2 Million Fund Shawna Chen ’20 Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Kellie Jones ’81, a professor of art history and archaeology at Columbia University, was named a 2016 MacArthur Fellow on Sept. 21. Jones earned acclaim for curating exhibits that highlighted African American artists.

Jones ’81 Named MacArthur Fellow Jingwen Zhang ’18 Managing News Editor Art historian and curator Kellie Jones ’81 was named a 2016 MacArthur Fellow by the MacArthur Foundation on Wednesday, Sept.

21. Along with the 22 other fellows, Jones received the foundation’s “genius” grant, a $625,000 stipend paid over five years.

Jones is currently an associate professor of art history and archaeology at Columbia University and a fellow at the school’s Institute for Research in African-American Studies. She has curated exhibitions focused on the art of African American and Latin American artists and of the African diaspora. She also wrote “EyeMinded: Living and Writing Contemporary Art,” a book about her curatorial experiences.

Jones graduated from Amherst with an interdisciplinary major, which she described as a combination of black studies, art history and Spanish, and wrote a thesis comparing African

American and Latin American artists.

“I really made up what I was doing,” Jones said in an interview. “What was so fantastic about Amherst … was that I had the freedom to do that, the freedom to come up with an area of study and go into it.” At the time, Jones said, the study of art of the African diaspora, African Americans and Latin Americans was not as accessible to students as it is today.

Jones said that her academic interests were influenced by her upbringing in New York City surrounded by art and artists. Though she said she did not want to be an artist herself, she was interested in curating art, especially writing about art and bringing the work of underrepresented artists to greater prominence.

“Being in an urban high school was very diverse,” Jones said. “But when I was reading art history books, I didn’t see any of the people that I knew as artists growing up — I was lucky enough to have had that experience — in the books, or people like them. And I thought,

‘This is wrong. How can I see all these people in the world, yet they’re not in the books?’”

During her undergraduate studies, she designed an independent study course to interview artists she knew in New York, she said, “as a way to find out information about these artists that [she] wasn’t readily finding.”

Jones started her career as a curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning. Community arts and ethnically specific organizations were important, she said, because they made different forms of art accessible and “because these highlight the histories that are so important for our country.”

After receiving her graduate degree from Yale University, Jones planned to return to “the museum world,” but she received the opportunity to teach at Yale and later at Columbia. She said she accepted these offers because of her

Continued on Page 3

Prince Albert Grimaldi ’81 of Monaco gave the college $2 million to establish the Prince Albert II Foundation Green Revolving Fund (GRF) at Amherst, the college announced on Sept. 21.

The fund will support the college in “achieving significant greenhouse gas reductions by providing a regenerative funding source that engages and empowers the campus community to implement innovative energy conservation measures,” Director of Sustainability Lauren Draucker said in an email interview.

According to Draucker, Director of International Giving Erika Shelburne worked with Prince Albert to secure the gift. The Office of Sustainability’s past work and achievements started the conversations that led to the donation, Draucker said.

Chief Advancement Officer Megan Morey said the commitment was finalized on June 30 after two years of discussions.

“Over the last two and a half years, on a number of occasions, Erika and President Martin have met with Prince Albert,” Morey wrote in an email. “As discussions continued about a commitment, it was clear that an opportunity to support the environment was his top priority, and we were delighted that he chose the Green Revolving Fund.”

The gift will be used to fund energy conservation projects that reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously creating savings that replenish the fund. It will also support “innovative student-led projects that won’t be expected to replenish the fund, but that support the larger goal of the Office of Environmental Sustainability of learning by doing research and projects on energy savings using the campus itself as a lab,” said Draucker.

Plans for the fund will be finalized in the next few months. Though the majority of the fund will go to energy conservation projects, Draucker said that her office is still in the process of finalizing the GRF charter, which will decide the proportions of the fund that will be dedicated to each type of project. The charter will further specify how students can pursue

Continued on Page 3

Student Groups Turn to Hub for Improved Organization Isabel Tessier ’19 Staff Writer An increasing number of student organizations are using the Hub, a newly-launched online database designed to centralize information for student groups, according to the Office of Student Life. The website, which is accessible to all Amherst students, contains a directory of all registered clubs, a news board of upcoming campus events and a portal for event and party registration.

The customizable online database is offered by Collegiate Link, a company that provides services to more than 1,000 colleges and universities across the U.S., including four of the schools in the Five College Consortium.

Associate Director for Student Life for Student Activities Paul Gallegos and Assistant Director of

Student Activities Emily Lombardo first learned about the database during a meeting with student life offices from other schools in the consortium.

One of the main goals of the database, they said, is to make student life resources readily accessible to the entire student body and to make individual clubs’ events and activities more widely known across campus.

“It really is a one-stop shop for all things student activities and engagement on campus, if it’s being utilized to its full potential,” Lombardo said.

Over the upcoming year, more resources will be added to the website, including a finance module which will allow organizations and students to request funding and keep track of club budgets.

Other possible additions include an elections module, survey forms and a phone app of events happening on campus and nearby colleges.

Ultimately, however, Lombardo and Gallegos said that the Hub’s future direction will depend largely on students’ ideas and feedback, which have been positive so far.

“In our smaller community here, we can really make this [fit] exactly to student’s expectations,” Gallegos said. “It’s not our vision of it.”

Allison Ogawa ’18, a leader of the Amherst Yoga Club, said that she found the Hub useful for organizing the club and providing information to its members.

“We operate mostly by putting up our schedule on Facebook, so I’ve found that it’s really nice to be able to post a schedule and have workshops through the Hub,” Ogawa said.

Every registered club on campus has a page on the Hub where club leaders can post announcements and track rosters. Student members who

sign up to be a part of the club page can receive updates and information from the site itself or through texts sent to their phone.

Leaders can also save documents like club constitutions, bylaws and meeting minutes to the page, preserving them for future members, which Gallegos calls “a huge upside” to the Hub. Ogawa also said that she thought the Hub was underutilized at the moment and that she hopes that the student body shifts over time to take advantage of its resources. The Hub, she said, has the potential to attract a broader audience for campus events and student projects.

“Sometimes at this school we have overprogramming, and then people don’t show up to things, which is so sad,” she said. “I think this could be a really fantastic way to streamline and unify advertisement.”

News

Ruxandra Paul Fresh Faculty

Sept. 19, 2016 - Sept. 26, 2016

>>Sept. 19, 2016 9:56 p.m., Hitchcock House Officers investigated a smoke detector sounding in the first floor common room and found that it was caused by improper use of a microwave. >>Sept. 20, 2016 8:26 a.m., Mill Lane An employee of the Book & Plow Farm reported the theft of an electric fence charger valued at $180.

9:08 a.m., O’Connell Lot An officer on patrol found a crosswalk bollard damaged on College Street near the O’Connell lot. An investigation identified the responsible person and restitution will be sought. >>Sept. 21, 2016 2:13 a.m., Porter House Officers responded to a complaint of loud people outside the building. A group of people, who are not associated with the college, was located and asked to move along. >>Sept. 22, 2016 1:39 a.m., Greenway Building A Officers investigated a smoke detector sounding in a room at Greenway “A” and discovered that a resident was using a candle. The resident was fined $100 for the fire safety violation.

6:28 p.m., Off Campus An employee reported the theft of a college-owned laptop while off campus. >>Sept. 23, 2016 10:26 a.m., Beneski Building Officers investigated a burning odor and discovered that the source was a controlled academic activity.

3:56 p.m., James Dormitory Officers responded to a complaint about the odor of burnt marijuana on the first floor. A faint odor was detected but the origin could not be identified.

were leaving the area.

1:12 a.m., Hitchcock House Officers responded to a noise complaint and issued a warning at a second floor room.

1:20 a.m., Hitchcock House While investigating a noise complaint, an officer discovered a glass bong in a second floor room that had been used for smoking marijuana. It was confiscated and the matter was referred to Student Affairs.

6:56 p.m., Seligman House An officer received information from a student regarding an troubling Facebook message. The matter was referred to Student Affairs.

7:31 p.m., Seligman House While in the building, an officer discovered an unattended case of beer in a hallway. It was disposed of.

10:57 p.m., Tyler House Two callers complained that a registered party was getting very loud and “out of hand”. Officers responded and people were in the process of leaving the building. The event ended.

11:05 p.m., Lessey Street An officer on patrol encountered town police officers engaged with a student on Lessey Street regarding a liquor law violation. >>Sept. 25, 2016 12:20 a.m., King Dormitory An officer found evidence that an excessive amount of alcohol, including hard alcohol, was available at a registered party in violation of the “option one” party regulations. A funnel with a hose attached was also found. The matter was referred to Student Affairs.

12:34 a.m., Seligman House While in Seligman, an officer discovered two 30-packs of unattended beer. It was disposed of.

10:09 p.m., Valentine Dining Hall A student reported a bag of equipment belonging to a club sport was taken from the Valentine coat room.

An investigation revealed it was picked up by another team member.

1:00 a.m., Hitchcock House An officer found evidence that an excessive amount of alcohol was available at a registered party in violation of the “option one” party regulations. The matter was referred to Student Affairs.

11:33 p.m., Plimpton House A town resident complained about a loud gathering at Plimpton. The party sponsor could not be reached by phone. Officers responded and shut down the event. Unattended alcohol was disposed of.

1:29 a.m., Mayo-Smith House An officer found evidence that an excessive amount of alcohol, including hard alcohol, was available at a registered party in violation of the “option one” party regulations. The matter was referred to Student Affairs.

>>Sept. 24, 2016 12:03 a.m., Converse Lot An officer encountered an underage student with an open can of beer near the Converse parking lot. The beer was disposed of and the matter was referred to Student Affairs.

12:40 a.m., Porter House Officers responded to a complaint of loud people on the third floor.

Upon arrival, a group of people

3:10 p.m., Newport House Officers investigated a smoke detector sounding in the basement and found it was activated by cooking. >>Sept. 26, 2016 12:18 a.m., Mead Art Museum Officers investigated an intrusion alarm and found it was accidentally set off by employees.

Department of Political Science

Professor of Political Science Ruxandra Paul received her PhD from Harvard University, where she was also a postdoctoral fellow before coming to Amherst.

Her interests include recent international migration patterns, especially in Europe, and the impact of globalization on national borders.

Q: What did you do before coming to Amherst?

A: I was a postdoctoral fellow in the government department at Harvard University. I taught classes on international migration and cyberpolitics there for two years after completing my PhD at Harvard. I got my PhD in comparative politics and government. Before that, I went for my undergraduate studies at a liberal arts college, northwest of here, that shall not be named. I arrived there as an international student, so I had no idea of the rivalries. I very quickly learned about it.

Q: What do you like about Amherst?

A: I really like the students. I think they are an exceptional group of individuals who are highly passionate about learning, so we share a lot of things.

They’re bringing so much to the classroom. They are learning from me, I hope, and I am learning from them. It’s very exciting because learning works much better if it goes both ways instead of unidirectionally.

The political science department is very collegial and supportive. It’s great for fostering intellectual development and we’re thinking about our students. We are always engaged in conversations about how to make courses and experiences more meaningful and relevant to society today.

I like the fact that there is a lot that goes on in the classroom and outside of it. I am, in a parallel universe, also a certified group fitness instructor. I started teaching group fitness classes at Harvard, and I came to Amherst, but didn’t know if I was able to continue with this. I talked to the Wellness Center and we made it happen. Right now, I am teaching a barre class on the wellness schedule.

There’s learning and growth going on both academically and outside of that. It’s amazing that students and faculty are ready to try new things.

Q: Why did you decide to come to Amherst?

A: I’m a big believer in the idea of a liberal arts education. It’s something that all the universities that I’ve been in share, this commitment to the liberal arts. Amherst is an exceptional place for teaching and research.

Q: What are you primary academic interests?

A: I work on international migration. I am especially interested in transnational dynamics — flows that cross national borders that link political systems and societies, and even smaller communities and households, in transcendence to a nation-state. This kind of interest I developed first by looking into new flows of people across borders.

I think there is a very big difference between migrations we saw in the past … Right now, we are seeing a phenomenon where people are engaged in “high mobile migration.” They don’t see themselves as immigrants or disconnected from their country of origin. Instead [there is] circular movement across borders. They move back and forth between their country of origin and their destination country. They go there, climb up the social ladder at home, make money and bring resources back. We know a lot about the old types of migration and a lot of research has been done in that end. We know very little about “high migration.” I’m interested in seeing … how does [high migration] change politics in societies? I’m working on European politics. I am studying the effects of free movement in where the borders have become more porous. People have been crossing the border more frequently as if they are crossing over their own land … it’s not just the money they bring back but the ideas, views of politics and societies. That ends up transforming these places so

that’s what I’m interested in.

I teach a seminar in cyberpolitics. There we explore several types of themes. We look at the effect the internet has on democratic political context, issues having to do with civil society and the crystallization of civil society on the global scale, going beyond the nation state … We look at cybersecurity on the whole spectrum, from cyber-incident to cyber-war. Defense strategies and national security in an era of digital threat, use of technology in authoritarian political contexts … how societies are using technology how democratic institutions use technology to make their political demands heard, how technology and societies oppose authoritarian rule.

Q: What other classes are you teaching?

A: I am teaching Building Nation-States, Markets, and Democracy in Europe this semester … Next semester, I will be teaching a class on international migration and the European Union.

Q: How did you get involved with these academic interests?

A: A big part of it has to do with [the fact that] I was a person who was crossing boundaries.

I traveled internationally quite a bit. I am originally from Romania, and then I came to the US. I spent some time in Europe, in Oxford, and one year in Paris with a fellowship with the French government when I was doing my dissertation on my book on international migration. There are changes that are palpable and visible. To me they seem intriguing.

Q:What do you hope to contribute to Amherst?

A: I hope to share my passion for political topics with my students. I think that’s a privileged job, to have a love and share that love with others to get them to see why your subject is worthwhile and why it’s useful. Politics is not something we can avoid. I think it’s beneficial for students to be equipped with the tools they need to have a more meaningful and better understanding of what is happening … I will be able to help students see themselves as not as students and consumers of knowledge but rather producers of knowledge.

There’s a lot of potential and ideas that people develop. These ideas that people develop are very precious.

The conversations in political science, especially in my field, are ongoing conversations.

Students should approach it like entering a room where there is a discussion going on. Students are in the position to make contributions and make a difference. There is very empowering and has kept me in interested in academic research and in the topic.

Q: What hobbies do you have outside of barre classes?

A: I am a long distance runner. I like foreign languages, art, photography, old movies and I obviously like books a lot. I love music — I play piano, guitar, and I sing.

Q: What languages do you speak?

A: I speak French, Romanian, some German and Italian, and I understand some Spanish.

Q: Amherst or Williams?

A: What can I say? Both. I graduated from Williams and I now am here at Amherst. The tension will be forever be there. I think the competition makes us better as we try to outshine the other.

— Kelly Chian ’20

The Amherst Student • September 28, 2016

News

3

Loeb ’77 Gives Career Center Seven-Figure Gift Edward Rego ’19 and Kathleen Maeder ’20 Staff Writers The career center was renamed the Loeb Center for Career Exploration and Planning on Sept. 14 after receiving a seven-figure gift from Michael Loeb ’77, the founder and CEO of the investment firm Loeb Enterprises.

Emily Griffen, the director of the center, said that the exact amount of the gift could not be disclosed, but the center may allocate the funds however it chooses.

According to Griffen, the donation will allow the center to increase opportunities for students to gain career experience and foster connections with alumni, as well as “fill equity gaps and level the playing field.” It will also be used to improve career-related programs and initiatives that are already in place, such as the Pathways Mentoring Program and Career Trek Program. New initiatives, such as the Amherst Professional Accelerator (APEX) program for sophomores, will also benefit from the funding.

The gift provides significant support to the career center, which is heavily reliant on donations and relationships between the college and its alumni. Alumni donations have waned slightly in the past year, which is unusual for the college.

Griffen said that renaming the career center may lead students to think of the Loeb Center not only as a place for career planning, but also as a place for exploring other career options. “It’s important for us to exercise a balance between exploration and planning,” she said.

Manny Osunlana ’18, a peer career advisor for the Loeb Center, said that the renaming could also encourage more students to reach out to the center.

“The name change from Career Center to the Loeb Center might distance students from thinking, ‘All right, that’s the place I go senior year when I want to figure out what I’m do-

Photo co Photo courtesy of Takudzwa Tapfuma ‘17

With a gift from Michael Loeb ’77, the career center was renamed the Loeb Center for Career Exploration and Planning, the college announced on Sept. 14. ing after I graduate,’” Osunlana said. “It might incentivize people to go, ‘That’s the place I go when I want to figure out what I want to do with my life.’”

According to Osunlana, the Loeb Center will also use some of the money to invest more heavily in connecting students to internship opportunities.

Loeb has previously worked with the career center by offering internships to graduates through the Amherst Select program.

According to Griffen, the donation will allow students to explore a greater range of career options and give the Loeb Center the flexibility to implement new ideas quickly rather than having to wait for additional

funding for new projects or initiatives.

“I want to provide students with experiences to really let them test out their assumptions,” Griffen said. “I want these experiences to be more meaningful, to be about self-exploration and self-discovery. No doubt it’s an expensive model, but it’s one that’s in sync with our mission.”

New Director of Emergency Management Handles Drought Sylvia Frank ’20 Staff Writer As the first director of the college’s new Department of Emergency Management, Tamara Mahal manages crises for the college, including coordinating the school’s current response to the ongoing drought in western Massachusetts, and helping the school remain prepared for a potential emergency.

Before coming to Amherst, Mahal created her own emergency management startup company, Firefly, which managed finances for disaster relief. She also worked as a consultant for the FBI and the Federal Emergency Management Agency within the field of disaster response.

The position and department were created following plans by the college’s Chief of Police John Carter and President Biddy Martin to

make the college more proactive in preventing and mitigating potential emergencies. The search to fill the position began last September.

Mahal’s career in emergency management began with the American Red Cross in Michigan. There, she deployed with the Red Cross to different disaster sites around the country.

Later, she attended the University of Chicago’s emergency management program.

“A lot of that experience is valuable at a place like Amherst College because I know what it’s like to respond to a disaster,” Mahal said. “I know how confusing and chaotic it is.

I know how bad it can be if you’re not transparent and open about information with the people that you’re trying to help.”

As the director of emergency management, Mahal will coordinate different departments at the college to work together for emergency preparedness and during emergencies.

“It’s not my job to give out orders during a disaster, but it’s my job to make sure that everyone understands what their role is, that they’ve been well trained on it and that they’re able to execute,” Mahal said. “[We recognized] that we needed a more holistic approach [to emergencies], which meant involving all kinds of departments,” Carter said. “When there’s an emergency, it’s going to involve the senior staff of the college, dining services, the registrar … There are so many moving parts to it. We needed someone with the professional background to help us facilitate that,” said Carter.

According to Mahal, emergency management goes hand in hand with sustainability.

As the effects of global climate change become more apparent, being sustainable is a method of preventing disasters in itself, said Mahal.

Mahal works closely with Laura Draucker, the college’s director of sustainability. So far,

they have worked together on the first-year orientation LEAP program “Solving Climate Change,” which is primarily run by Draucker. “[Mahal’s hire has] allowed for another opportunity to think about sustainability and how it impacts the campus,” Draucker said.

Shirley Moe, a nurse in Keefe Health Center, is part of an emergency management team, run by Mahal, that comprises members from multiple departments and prepares ways to manage and minimize the impact of various potential disasters.

“She has such a wealth of knowledge and expertise, not just in public health, but in all types of emergencies,” Moe said.

Mahal also said that she hopes to engage with students about emergency management.

Her office, located in the facilities building, is open to students who wish to discuss anything related to emergency management, sustainability or disaster response and prevention.

Kellie Jones ’81 Wins “Genius” Grant Prince EstabContinued from Page 1 love for writing and exploring ideas.

“Teaching art in New York is a dream,” Jones said, adding that she found her work exciting because she was among the earliest people to graduate with an undergraduate degree focusing on African American studies.

Jones described her exhibitions as extremely popular, demonstrating demand from Americans and worldwide audiences to experience a diversity of American art.

“It’s not just African Americans, and it’s not just black people,” Jones said. “Everyone wants to know about this history … They’re not just for the sake of African Americans — although that’s important — it’s about changing how

we view the world, and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Some of Jones’ exhibits examined the the interaction of art and artists with social justice movements, such as “Witness: Art and Civil Rights in the Sixties” in 2014. The civil rights movement reached the public mainly through photos and television, and Jones said that many who viewed her exhibits were surprised to see how artists interacted with the changes sweeping through America at the time.

One of Jones’ most celebrated exhibits, “Now Dig This!: Art and Black Los Angeles, 1960-1980,” opened in 2011 as part of the Getty Research Institute’s “Pacific Standard Time” project to highlight artists outside of New York City, which tends to be the focus of the study of

American art.

“What I loved about the project was that it focused on African Americans, but it was also a diverse show for white artists and Asian artists and Latino artists in that show,” Jones said.

“These were all people who were part of Los Angeles and were affected by African American artists and culture and collaborated with them.

I wanted to make that point.”

Collaboration will be one of the ways in which Jones plans to spend her MacArthur grant, which she said will enable her to take more risks with her own work. “I’m still shocked, honored, excited and elated,” Jones said, adding that she was excited to see that art remains on the list of fields of study supported by the grant.

lishes Fund Continued from Page 1

GRF projects.

“Students and all community members will also be encouraged to submit energy conservation project ideas, and students will be part of the multi-stakeholder committee that will make decisions about which projects to fund based on metrics outlined in the charter,” Draucker said.

Ideally, the GRF will grow over time, with energy savings pursued by GRF adding back to the fund and providing more opportunities to “support even bigger projects over time” and increase “impact on reducing energy use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions on campus,” Draucker said.

Opinion

THE AMHERST

STUDENT

Reconstructing Time

E X E C U T I V E B OA R D Editor-in-Chief Lauren Tuiskula

Editorial After what seemed to be a three week grace period, complete with sunny weather, manageable workloads and the lingering air of excitement about a new year, it feels like the semester has been sent into overdrive. Temperatures have fallen, making it that much harder to get out of bed in the morning, and the due date for that first round of papers is coming up soon. In this time of peak stress and anxiety, it’s easy for students to enter survival mode. It’s crucial for our campus to overcome this tendency and maintain the excitement and curiosity we started the semester with. It’s in these tense moments that we must focus on the time and moments that are passing us by.

In these stressful moments, as we move from one exam to the next problem set or essay, it can feel like we are just trying to stay afloat. Perhaps that means taking a power nap or skipping the end of the 300 page book you were assigned to read in a week.

These steps are often psychologically necessary, and are not at

all themselves the root of the problem, but it’s easy to forget that the future holds different things — and not the future that is the plans made for after a paper deadline — but the future that comes in small, precious moments that are not a time you ever actively work towards, but instead suddenly appear when we finally have the chance to stop to breathe. When we work to catch up, and only to catch up, we are only left breathless on the other side of a deadline. Given the Amherst workload, perhaps we will always be working to catch up, but we must stop to think and collect ourselves. To combat the tendencies associated with stress, we can practice mindfulness and self-care, and experience hope for time, made up of collective moments, instead of being stuck on a linear trajectory that feels like we’re constantly trudging through the snow on the quad in February. Instead of constantly looking ahead to the next task, what would it be like if we took the time to recognize the importance of each moment?

Reconsidering Housing and the Loneliness Paradox Siraj Sindhu ‘17 Contributing Writer Dormitory life is an Anglo-American peculiarity. Drawing on residential colleges at, for instance, Oxford and Cambridge, colleges like Amherst build their pedagogy on the firm belief that collegiate co-residence will produce a livelier intellectual atmosphere than would a university at which students go to class and then return to their separate homes. The idea is a familiar one: putting bodies together in houses and bedrooms will thrust the minds inhabiting those bodies into some kind of close-knit intellectual community. But for various reasons, the model has not fulfilled its promises and has left many students, including myself, dissatisfied. Instead of dormitory life, I argue that Amherst ought to move toward constructing apartments and co-op houses which would be rented out to groups of students. Better yet, Amherst ought to lift its restrictions to off-campus residence and allow more students to live independently. Finally, Amherst should do away with the coddling and isolating firstyear quad. Not only would these measures burst the campus bubble, but they would also challenge students while enriching our intellectual and social lives. Cohesion between the various aspects of life — scholarship, self-care, socializing, domesticity and so on — can only proceed from an architectural foundation that allows for genuine community.

The residential campus is not as successful at cultivating intellectual pursuit as it would like us to believe. Ask nearly any liberal arts student what they love about their school, and they will almost certainly reply, “the people” — but are the connections we form with “the people” around us fully satisfying? Is the residential campus the best model we can envision for the realization of a vibrant intellectual community? I would argue that residential campuses actually cultivate shallow connections that perpetuate loneliness and intellectual impoverishment.

The shortage of intellectual stimuli in a place that explicitly promises intellectual stimuli results in a sensation of alienation and confusion. It’s not unlike the sensation of loneliness when surrounded by people — but that, too, is the condition of college students on residential campuses. Simply doing away with aloneness cannot, it seems, do away with loneliness. Similarly, simply bringing bodies together cannot, it seems, bring minds together. Though I won’t focus on loneliness here, I mention it because I

think the two issues — a dissatisfying intellectual landscape and rampant loneliness — are related in that both are products of a failing residential system that separates the body from the mind and challenges the latter while coddling the former.

Loneliness and anti-intellectualism could be attributed to the fact that the people choose to spend their free time pursuing activities that distract from classwork, such as clubs and organizations, sports and partying. This facile claim is partially true but specious: attributing loneliness and anti-intellectualism to distractions like athletics and partying culture obscures a deeper cause, the architecture of campus. (An even deeper cause — admissions — I would not touch that with a 10-foot pole.)

Our architecture coddles us at the same time as it splinters our lives into disjoined spheres.

It separates the mental life from the bodily life just as it separates sustenance from sleep. Its biggest failure, though, is that it wagers that community can be created just by throwing lots of bodies into a building, as long as the building is filled with enough toys.

The splintering of our lives happens in two ways: the different activities that constitute the lives of the people are spatially separated, and the people splinter along group lines. The meaning of the latter is clear enough: groups (such as sports teams and clubs) seek to live together. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, but it’s worth noting that despite professing to love “the people,” many students don’t want to live with just anyone. Many would prefer to live with their teammates or group mates because shared identities make living together less of a challenge. But this, too, is a sort of coddling — a coddling of the body from exposure to difference. This is the sort of coddling that the College ought not to facilitate.

The former kind of splintering has been less commented upon but is even more noticeable: many Amherst students eat, sleep and work in different spaces but without any sort of recognizable home to which to return. Instead of a coherent life organized around a home, Amherst students live strangely migratory, disjointed lives, floating from place to place and only stopping to settle for the occasional Val sit. Both of these kinds of splintering could be diminished if students instead had options to live in co-ops, houses or apartments for which they would be collectively responsible. The combination of independence and responsibility would help to create a more cohesive way of life: students would have an actual sense of

home, and one they would actively care for and maintain. The destruction of the Socials is not a recent phenomenon: it has been ongoing for years. Before the bulldozers were partygoers who didn’t care to maintain their living space precisely because they were not responsible for their cleanliness and maintenance. Make students responsible for their lives and living spaces — for cleaning toilets, washing dishes and caring for housemates — and students will have more cohesive lives.

The new Greenway dorms — alternatively known as Legoland, Toys R Us or Chuck E. Cheese — are a good example of the splintered form of campus life. The dorms are undeniably luxurious and overflow with amenities: basketball courts, volleyball courts, event spaces and pool tables abound. But do these amenities serve the purpose of the College? I would argue that these amenities actually detract from the College’s capacity to achieve its purpose. Instead of allowing for the collaborative creation of a vibrant community of curious, inquisitive minds, these dorms hearken back to the era when colleges like Amherst were the preparatory ground for the sons (and later, daughters) of the elite — or worse, to kindergarten. The Greenway dorms are predicated on a division between work and play in which the home coddles us as a scene of pure recreation.

In contrast, a life without coddling doesn’t relegate the home to a playground: it turns the home into another scene of collaborative work, chores, cooking, cleaning and so on, but, in the last instance, a place of community. It is a shame that Amherst students can graduate without learning how to live with different kinds of people, let alone how to cook nutritious meals for ourselves. If we cannot share a home, cook, grocery shop and clean with people who are different from us, then all the classroom knowledge in the world about identity politics, feminism and antiracism is useless.

Amherst can put its architecture where its politics are by investing in housing that affords students more independence and responsibility.

Alternative housing would not just build community; by erasing the sharp distinction between mental labor and bodily play, alternative student housing can turn the home into a place of intellectual exploration. Instead of relegation to the classroom and library, intellectual conversation can extend to the dinner table, kitchen and living room. My most intellectually stimulating experiences at Amherst came

Continued on next page

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The Amherst Student • September 28, 2016

Opinion

5

Reconsidering Housing and the Loneliness Paradox Continued from previous page after I left main campus to live in the co-op house known as the Zü. No discernible social group brings the Zü members together — yet I think it is precisely this fact that allows for the Zü’s community and intellectual atmosphere.

I noted at the beginning of this article that dormitory life is an Anglo-American peculiarity. In universities across much of the rest of the

world, dormitory residence is unusual, especially beyond the first year of university study.

I say this to emphasize that alternative systems exist and are functional. In many university cities, students live on their own or together in houses, apartments or co-ops.

Of course, finances are a concern for many students, but it bears mentioning that what the College spends on Dining Services could easily be allocated to providing subsidies for

student grocery shopping. Presuming that the finances work, I think the advantages of alternative living are clear: instead of treating the body as a thing to be coddled while the mind works, such an alternative system would treat students’ bodies with respectful independence and responsibility.

This is the coddling of the American body, and its effect is to splinter us into two, the hard-working mind is wrenched from the cod-

dled body. A successful model for a residential college is one that brings students together in holistic ways, not just for fun. Living together does not just mean drinking together, ordering pizza together and sleeping together; it also means cooking together, grocery shopping together, mopping kitchen floors together and shoveling driveways together. The life of the mind cannot be separated from the life of the body. It’s time we all grew up a little.

Misogyny Through the Years: From Puberty to Adulthood Madeline Ruoff ’18 Contributing Writer Trigger warning: This content deals with accounts of misogyny, harassment and sexual violence and may be triggering to some readers.

In fifth grade, we learned that our periods might cause some mild discomfort. When I finally got mine, nearly four years later, I felt a little deceived. Mild discomfort, as far as I knew it, meant a stomachache, a bruise on the knee, or soreness after a hard workout, and my first ever period was much more uncomfortable than any of those things. But none of my friends complained about their periods, and I didn’t want to overreact. Besides, I had hundreds more to come, so I knew I had better get used to the pain.

Discomfort aside, I was relieved to get my period. I was grateful that it had the decency to arrive just before I started high school, so that I would enter as an adult. I was sick of being the shortest and skinniest in my class. I was ashamed to be one of the few girls to graduate middle school without ever having worn a bra.

I wondered if I’d finally get boobs. I wondered what they’d look like. Maybe I would finally be hot.

As embarrassed as I was to be so late to puberty, it turns out I was one of the lucky ones.

Girls who hit puberty younger are sexualized younger, and as a result, they are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem, depression and body image issues and tend to do poorer academically. But I didn’t know this in the middle of 10th grade, when a friend and I straddled the road holding signs to advertise our school newspaper’s carwash. I found myself jealous of my friend for getting so many catcalls while the same cars passed me in silence. I just wanted to know what it felt like to be desirable.

I developed a little more. My thighs thickened, my butt rounded and my breasts became visible. The periods developed, too. Now in addition to the ache in my legs and the vice-like tightness I felt around my pelvis, I knew to expect a stabbing pain in my ovaries, a burning in my intestines and a gnawing along my fallopian tubes. I was no longer surprised to be woken up in the middle of the night by cramps and established a routine of drawing a hot bath and drinking peppermint tea to try to relieve the pain enough to go back to sleep. If my period were polite enough to arrive during the weekend, I would spend the morning curled in the fetal position on the couch until the pain faded enough that walking wasn’t a chore. If it came during school, I would be irritable and out of it for seemingly no reason. Like most of the girls in my school, I kept my period a secret. We hid our tampons in our backpacks and shirtsleeves and pencil cases, and most importantly, never complained.

In the following summers, a slew of strange men were kind enough to inform me, that, yes, I finally had reached womanhood. But the thrill of knowing I was at last sexually ripe wore off quickly, and as the jeers became more frequent and more vicious, they only filled me with shame and fear.

When I was job hunting, an older fellow, adorned with tufts of white hair and wrinkled skin, scanned me up and down for several seconds before concluding that I had a “nice body.” When I visited my cousin’s school where

she trains English teachers, I spoke to a middle-aged man working towards his certificate and learned that he had a wife and two kids.

The next day, I accompanied my cousin and her students to the beach, and he told me multiple times how cute I looked in my bikini and tried to take my picture. When I went to the downtown library in search of an engaging novel, I was distracted by my own personal drama when a man started to follow me. I weaved in and out of the shelves, trying to head towards a more crowded section of the library. He finally walked away, but not before promising that he was “just trying to be friendly.”

The summer before 12th grade I was volunteering at an art gallery and the cramps hit me harder than ever. Generally, I refused to skip out on commitments for my period — that seemed like quitting — but I thought if I stayed in the museum any longer I would pass out. I tried biking back and made it about two blocks before collapsing on a patch of grass by the sidewalk. I lay there in agony until I vomited from the pain. I mustered the strength to call for a ride home and vomited again. While I waited for my ride, I negotiated with my cramps. Would I give my life if it meant the pain would stop? No, no, that seemed dramatic.

Would I skip the end of summer and fast-forward to the first day of school if it meant that my agony would subside? Maybe.

I decided my periods might not be normal and went to the doctor, who said nothing appeared to be wrong and that I was probably just anxious. When 12th grade started, I religiously took Ibuprofen the week leading up to my period and staved off anything as extreme as the incident outside the art gallery. But the cramps were still more intense than in years before, and on the first day of my period, I found myself incapable of doing anything in class except writing the F-word over and over and over, recalling an article I read that said swearing eases pain.

That was the year I started kissing boys I didn’t like. I went to a rave at my sister’s college and made out with whomever was willing.

It felt so new and exciting to be wanted by so many boys at once. Making out was fun, and none of them seemed to mind when I said I was a prospective student. After the party, I saw one of the boys I had kissed lurking in my sister’s friend’s apartment. Nobody who lived in the apartment knew who he was. He kept trying to make eye contact with me, and I realized he walked 20 minutes in the snow to an apartment filled with strangers because maybe, just maybe, he could have sex with me. I wondered if it was a reasonable assumption on his part. He didn’t know much about me, like my name or my age, but he did know I had kissed him.

I continued to make out with strangers and moved beyond kissing. My first year of college, I mingled with boys I didn’t like or even find attractive. I wanted the stories. That’s what first year is for, I thought: hooking up with people and getting stories. When I hooked up with a boy I later learned had raped other girls, I decided that I should stop.

I knew the first year of college brought changes, but I didn’t expect to start getting two periods a month. Really, I didn’t mind, since they weren’t painful like my former periods, but after about six of them I thought I should see a doctor. I went to the health center and im-

mediately regretted it. The doctor there seemed unwilling to listen, contradicting me as I described what I observed in my own body. She told me to stop drinking, and when I asked why that would make a difference to my period, she couldn’t give a coherent answer. I kept drinking, and I kept getting two periods a month, so maybe it’s unfair of me to say she was unhelpful.

One night, I was talking to some male friends and learned that they started watching porn when they were 11. They were in sixth grade and took spelling tests, studied basic grammar and graphed their very first linear functions. After school, they would be filled with pleasure while watching videos of women getting beaten and choked and tied up, videos of women tearing up as multiple men crammed their penises inside them and came on their faces, videos of women being degraded while men took control of their bodies. Nine years after sixth grade, I remember how to spell peculiar, to put a comma before a conjunction and that y=mx+b. Did my friends remember how much they enjoyed this violence? Did they relive this pleasure every day after class, when their roommates were out and they finally got some alone time? I wondered what these friends would have thought of me in middle school, so ugly and unappealing. I wondered what they think of me now and what they might do to me if I let them.

Second semester first year, I was cuddling with a boy, a boy I actually liked this time. He started to finger me, and I asked him not to. He stopped, but got angry and told me to leave his room. I was furious, not just at him, but at myself for being naive enough to believe he valued me for more than my ability to provide sex. That weekend I drank too much and yelled at him in the Charles Pratt common room. I told my story to anyone who would listen. Most people thought I had overreacted. A friend, who was interested in social justice and had shown me a radical leftist zine just a week before, explained that “When men expect sex and don’t get it, it’s natural for them to get mad.”

I went on birth control that semester, but it made me extra jittery and nervous and unable to sleep, so I stopped after a few weeks. The periods returned to their once a month rhythm and again were painful. That summer I went to a different gynecologist in search of a different prescription, explaining that this pill made me extremely anxious. She was incredulous; she’d never heard of birth control doing that to anyone. She gave me a different pill, and it had the same side effects. I tried it for a few months before giving up. A hundred years ago, would I have been diagnosed with hysteria?

Sophomore year I started to hate mock trial. It became too frustrating. No matter how well I knew the procedures of the Court or the facts of the case, I was unable to get the judge to like me. I argued too much. I recalled my high school mock trial coach telling me to avoid acting “bitchy,” something the male lawyers never had to worry about. Three years later, and I still hadn’t learned. The night before Regionals, my team and I were chatting in our hotel room, tipsy from Franzia. I started to tell an embarrassing story about one of my teammates, but before I could finish he shoved me across the king sized bed and onto the floor. I left the hotel room to sob by an ice machine. Nobody on the team mentioned the incident, so my only

reminder that it had happened was the ache in my neck and shoulders that endured throughout the weekend. In my teammate’s defense, I was being pretty bitchy.

That spring my Facebook feed was bombarded with memes that compared Sanders’ and Clinton’s stances on pop culture issues.

Sanders always gave the thoughtful, nuanced answer, while Clinton said something that revealed she knew nothing on the topic but wanted to seem like she did. If the topic were Star Wars, Sanders would say “Star Wars is an excellent series and I thought Episode VII was a nice return to the franchise’s roots,” while Clinton would say “Live long and prosper.” These memes seemed to suggest that Sanders belonged in the presidential race and Clinton did not. Sanders, with his catchy slogans and unkempt hair and penchant for yelling, was cool, and Clinton, with her stiff manner of speech and her desire to please and her detailed but unsexy platform, was hopelessly uncool. If Clinton mimicked Sanders’ tone and stopped combing her hair, would the media say she was authentic?

After the primaries, the news took a turn for the horrific, with the largest mass shooting and multiple killings at the hands of the police occurring within days of each other. The perpetrator of the Orlando shooting beat his ex-wife. The National Center for Women and Policing found that 40 percent of police officer families suffer domestic violence, compared to ten percent of families in the general population. Analysis of FBI data shows that 57 percent of mass shootings involve an intimate partner or family member. It seems unlikely that the correlation between committing domestic violence and committing murder is coincidental.

Shooting up a gay club and killing an unarmed black man, like domestic violence, involve the destruction of those who lack institutional power. Does the fact that we live in a society where the CDC reports that one in four of women will suffer physical abuse by an intimate partner and one in five will be raped suggest that we have normalized violence against the vulnerable? Or would it be unfair to associate the millions of men who beat their partners last year with those who are capable of more serious acts of violence?

July ended with the most frightening period of my life. The pain was much worse than ever before. I lay on the bathroom floor hyperventilating, in too much agony to negotiate with death or call for help. I fought with my pain and made it on the toilet, and, to my horror, passed only a red, walnut -ized clot. I returned to the floor and wondered if I would die there, alone, to be found naked and covered in blood.

Thankfully, half an hour passed, and the pain lightened up. Another hour went by, and I still hurt but was well enough to go to bed.

I went to urgent care that weekend, and the doctor decided that what happened had nothing to do with my period. He said I probably just had a hemorrhoid. Why that would cause me the most intense pain I’d ever experienced, why that pain would escalate right after I started menstruating and feel like the cramps I’d had since I was 14, why it would cause me to shit a pure clump of blood, he could not explain.

Maybe he’s right though. After all, we learned in fifth grade that periods only cause mild discomfort.

Arts&Living

Photo courtesy of amherst.edu

Members of the Amherst Sympony Orchestra performed Saturday evening in Buckley Hall to welcome first-years students and other interested fans.

The Amherst Symphony Orchestra Welcomes the Class of 2020 Mark Simonitis ’19 Staff Writer Once upon a time, classical music was considered cutting edge, a place for bold and brash experimentation. This past Saturday, the Amherst Symphony Orchestra brought one of those experiments to life with massive success. In a welcome concert for the class of 2020, the Symphony performed Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony #9, “From the New World” in E minor.

A bit of background on Dvorak and his Symphony: 1892, Dvorak and most of his family moved to New York City from his homeland in Bohemia after he was invited to direct the National Conservatory of Music. While he was living in America, he found himself fascinated by Native American and African American music, both of which eventually served as major inspirations for “From the New World.” Dvorak saw the adaptation of African American spirituals to be perfectly “respectable” enough for European audiences, considering how German folk songs and Moravian tunes had gotten the same exact treatment. He even went so far as to state that African American music would eventually be the bedrock of America’s musical future. When it debuted, “From the New World” was a hit success, with many considering it to be Dvorak’s finest accomplishment

Photo courtesy of wikimedia.org

Antonin Dvorak blends American and European influences in Symphony #9. in an extremely distinguished career.

The first movement is a decidedly wonderful introduction to the piece, an electrifying start that immediately grabbed my attention with blaring horn blasts. As the movement progresses, it sinks into a softer and more soothing rhythm, settling the audience into the upcoming show. This is also

Photos courtesy of amherst.edu

the movement where the Symphony’s African American influences are most apparent, as I swear I caught a hint of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” somewhere along the line.

The second movement continues the mood with a soft sweet tune serving as something of a breather and making me think of relaxing in a nice open space in the countryside. After this little breather, the third movement throws the listener right back into the action, with an upbeat and energetic rhythm that would be right at home in some crazy chase scene out of a Disney movie. It also had the bearings of a folk song, calling back once again to the African American influences on the Symphony.

However, what really made an impact on me was the fourth and final movement.

For starters, it was the sole movement that I had previously heard, though I couldn’t have named it if you had asked me. It was vaguely European, loud and boisterous, yet it also had its softer and more introspective moments.

Massive bursts of energy and passion were mixed in with relaxation. I would say it was a pretty good summary of the “New World” we live in today, let alone the America of 100odd years ago. It was a piece of music that definitely withstood the test of time.

While I had been told that Dvorak’s Symphony #9 was a very famous and very influential musical work, I had mostly just nod-

ded along, because let’s be honest, most of us would have no idea if a symphony written more than a century ago would be considered influential, that is, until you listen to it. While sitting in the audience, I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind while listening to the performance. Then it hit me.

I had heard music like this before, in movies like “Star Wars,” “Jaws” and even “Lord of the Rings.” Perhaps the highest compliment that can be paid to any work of art is that it is still inspiring artists so many years down the line, artists that wind up writing music for some of the most iconic movies of all time.

Now, I’ll move on to the Amherst Symphony Orchestra itself. I have always had an admiration for orchestras. All of these people, these musicians with vastly different talents, come together and work as a unit to create a single work of art. The Amherst Symphony Orchestra is no different. Conducted

by Mark Swanson, the orchestra worked collectively in concert to bring Dvorak’s work to life. I have nothing but respect and admiration for every single member of the orchestra, especially the first-years who stepped up for their first performance. It’s one thing to put on a welcome concert for the first-years, but another thing entirely to have them along to perform in it. The concert was a wonderful start to the year and an excellent welcome to Amherst’s class of 2020.

Photos courtesy of amherst.edu

Arts & Living 7

The Amherst Student • September 28, 2016

Current Rotherwas Room Artist Amanda Valdez Speaks About Ladies’ Night

Photo courtesy of en.wikimedia.org

Amanda Valdez created Ladies’ Night.

Sophie Currin ’17 Staff Writer The Rotherwas Room in the Mead Art Museum is over 400 years old. According to the Mead, the intricate wood panels that constitute the room have meandered from an English castle to a New York City gallery to Amherst over the last few centuries. The panels were commissioned to be crafted in the early 1600s by English knight Sir Roger Bodenham, were moved to a Fifth Avenue showroom three hundred years later and were eventually auctioned to Amherst alum Herbert Lee Pratt (half-brother of Charles Pratt) and subsequently gifted to the College in 1944. When the Mead was constructed in 1949, its plans mapped out a room to specifically accommodate the measurements of the Rotherwas Room in order to create a space that connected with yet was set apart from the rest of the museum.

With the knowledge of all this history, stepping into The Rotherwas Room alone allows you to abstract yourself from your personal, individual, singular life and become immersed in a space that

has held a compilation of centuries of moments like yours. To incite a more nuanced feeling when in this space, however, the Mead has started the Rotherwas Project, a biannual series that displays a collection of a different living artist’s works every six months. So, in stark contrast with the walnut paneling, the art on the walls is relatively “new.”

Currently on display until Jan. 2, 2017 is Rotherwas Project 1: Amanda Valdez, “Ladies’ Night.”

Valdez was born in Seattle in 1982, and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago before receiving her MFA from Hunter College in New York. She currently works and resides in Brooklyn, New York, and is represented by the Denny Gallery on the Lower East Side. Inspired by feminism and organic movements of the body, Valdez’s abstract art uses intuitive color combinations, paint, textiles and quilting to effectively bring a different side of history into the Rotherwas Room.

This past Friday, Valdez visited the Amherst campus to talk about her experience throughout the curation process and the philosophy behind her art in general. We decided to ask a few follow up questions so that upon visiting the space, students and other guests can be educated on the origins of the pieces, and fully enjoy her work.

Q: How did you get the Mead’s attention to have a solo exhibition at Amherst? How long did the process take, and what do you value in having a show at a small college in western Massachusetts as opposed to in a gallery in New York?

A: The Mead’s director David Little has been following my work for several years. He kept checking back in at Denny Gallery in the Lower East Side where my work is represented. We started putting the show together at the beginning of summer after he came and visited my studio. Since we were focusing on a more expansive timeline of my work, we were able to curate from the whole body of it, alleviating the pressure to create new work.

I have always wanted my work to bridge me to people, so there is value in sharing my work in a wide range of contexts and locations. I am very conscious of not wanting to be New York centric ... I hope that showing in Amherst invites people to take time with the collection of paintings we are presenting and allows for an expansive experience of what art can be for the student body.

ing with light. I don’t have a favorite color but I go in waves of favoring certain colors, right now it’s Marigold Yellow.

Q: I’m interested in your idea of expressing two extremes or opposites and having them converge in an abstract piece. Do you believe yourself that when art is produced on this “edge,” it creates something beautiful for everyone?

A: Beautiful is a very subjective judgment, so I know for some people what I am doing ignites something in them and, for others, it’s a blank spot on the hard drive. I accept that completely.

Q: Finally, how did you start producing your own art, where do you feel you are now and where do you hope to be in the future?

A: Art saved my life in high school. It allowed me to express experiences I was having and created a space in which I could process and transform my internal emotional life. It became the only thing that I wanted to do. From there I learned about the history and meaning of art in my college education and developed a more idiosyncratic use of materials and abstract shapes. Right now, I feel that I have certain awareness about my process, like the impact of drawing or research and history, and I am continuing to hone my discipline to put my energy in those practices that keep me inspired in the studio. My vision for the future has always been to be making art and sharing it, I want to live to be a 100 76933 , still making art.

Q: Tell me more about your interest in colors.

Can you get to the essence of why you were so drawn to colors as a child? Do you have a favorite color?

A: Colors are so pleasurable. They elicit feelings and strong reactions so they are a very powerful tool for an artist. They have personal histories with people, social and political histories in culture, and can resonate on many levels. They can create more information about my shapes in any given painting. As a child, I had an intuitive observational understanding of colors and the power they have to effect one another. Color in landscape is also a big influence and something that is constantly shift-

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Arts & Living 8

The Amherst Student • September 28, 2016

Donald Glover’s “Atlanta” Covers Social Issues with Poignant Humor

Photo courtesy of 2dopeboyz.com

Donald Glover, better known by his rap persona Childish Gambino, created, acts in and creates music for “Atlanta.”

Beau Santero ’18 Staff Writer On Sept. 6 FX premiered the pilot of Donald Glover’s new series, “Atlanta.” Glover, who has done everything from writing for Emmy-winning TV shows like “30 Rock,” to releasing critically-acclaimed rap albums under the moniker Childish Gambino, takes on the roles of creator, executive-producer, writer and lead actor in this comedy-drama series. The show is situated in Atlanta, where Glover’s character, Earn, is homeless and in search of a steady paycheck in order to support his daughter, whom he had with his best friend and on-and-off landlord, Van. Instead of continuing at his dead-end job at an airport, Earn sees an opportunity for a better life in his cousin, Alfred, whose mixtape, released under the name Paper Boi, has been generating buzz around the city. The two, along with Alfred’s best friend, Darius, work within the show’s titular city to make money in any ways they can.

What is most evident in the first four episodes is the presence of Donald Glover. It is clear, that no matter if it is in his own character, production, dialogue or soundtrack, everything seems to hold a bit of Glover’s distinct charm. There are unconventional camera angles that will captivate an audience during seemingly meaningless interludes, musical choices that range so far from one another, you would think there were five different soundtrack curators and plenty of instances of self-deprecating, quirky and awkward moments that are so palpably human that it is clear they are the signature work of Glover.

All around “Atlanta” are the fingerprints of its puppet-master, but there is more to the show’s charm than Glover himself.

The brightest spot, for me, is the strength of the supporting characters in the show, and how quickly they develop into affective, personable parts of the series. The two guys that Earn is with most often, Alfred and Darius, thrive because they do not fall victim to the typical, one-

dimensional, pseudo-human tertiary character problem. Instead, Alfred and Darius are multidimensional, fully-autonomous guys who do not need Earn around to offer something crucial to a plot. They have interests, they have things that make them tick, they argue, hysterically, between one another — what they bring to the show is a depth of personality that offers a balance for Earn, something that is pertinent to the success of each episode and the series as a whole.

Though “Atlanta” is very clearly Donald Glover’s show, it never feels like Earn’s, which is liberating for the show’s narrative and its supporting characters.

Through four episodes, “Atlanta” has not reserved itself to audiences when depicting the city in its naturalistic way. Instead of romanticizing the city and making the show’s hometown feel utopian and idealistic, Glover chooses to bring all that he knows, both good and bad, into the city of Atlanta. In doing this, “Atlanta” offers some evocative scenes that deal with many

real-life, difficult issues. There are scenes of disturbing gang violence, police brutality and drug use that some comedies on television may have trouble incorporating into an episode. “Atlanta,” because of how naturalistic it feels, integrates these scenes seamlessly, and even in these troubling scenes, Glover’s charm is still present. The show does not try to solve these issues, or turn them into a laughing stock. Instead, it just lets them exist within the show, and the audience is left to experience these situations as their own reality.

“Atlanta” succeeds because of its sincere charm. At no point, at least in the first four episodes, does this show feel like anything else I have seen on TV. The show is almost always funny, but the sort of funny that leaves you smiling and a little confused; the deadpan interactions between characters are quick and smart, and you will laugh at places where there was never actually a joke being told. The show utilizes topical culture in its gags, and though some television attempts to generate jokes in cultural references may seem corny and disingenuous, “Atlanta” is extremely conscious of what the topics are, and what can be meaningfully translated into jokes.

The dialogue remains charming during scenes of police brutality and harsh homophobia. Glover’s character, Earn, is able to make his audience giggle while he mistreats his baby’s mother and is incapable of supporting his own child. There is a constant paradox in “Atlanta,” and it makes the show even more enticing.

The show airs on Tuesdays on FX, and it certainly has something for everyone. I could not recommend it more.

Photo courtesy of nublaxity.com

WAMH Invites Living Hour and Other Bands to Greenway Concert

Photo courtesy of Living Hour Faceboook

Artists Calico Blue, Spirit Ghost and Canadian band Spirit Hour delivered a performance Saturday night in the Greenway Dorms thanks to WAMH. Lorelei Dietz ’20 Contributing Writer Each genre of music elicits a unique response in the body language of a listener, from head-banging, to fist-pumping, to pogo-hopping, even moshing. The term “shoegazing”, although named for its guitarists with perpetually bent necks to help them see their frequently used pedals, can be just as easily connected to the response of many audience members nodding along to the undulating music. Canadian shoegazing band, Living Hour, held such a spell over their captivated audience Friday night in the basement of Greenway A. In the arching and gauzy quality of the vocals and the thick haziness of the guitars occasionally accompanied by the bright wail of a trombone,

one could feel an overwhelming energy developed that subdued rather than energized, each song rolling over the listener, spurring them not to move but to be moved.

For Amherst students, who perpetually feel the need to keep moving, this was a special treat. Students also had the opportunity to get out that miraculous wave of energy that seems to come on Friday nights by moving along to Calico Blue and Spirit Ghost, who started off the night. The slightly out-of-the-way venue in Greenway gave the performances a casual, relaxed vibe, a perfect way to usher in the start of a weekend.

Living Hour will be releasing their debut album with Lefse Records this coming February.

With the impact of their sound, this certainly won’t be the last you hear from them.

The Amherst Student • September 28, 2016

Sports 9

Women’s Cross Country Places Club Sports Spotlight: Water Polo Ninth at 23-Team Invitational Wins Four Tournament Matches Jenny Mazzella ’20 Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Senior Cat Lowdon finished just outside the top 100 this past weekend at the Purple Valley Invitational with a mark of 24:17 to finish 102nd overall.

Mary Grace Cronin ’18 Staff Writer The Amherst women’s cross country team traveled to rival territory this past weekend to participate in the Purple Valley Invitational.

Out of a pool of 23 teams, which was expanded from the 17 that competed in the 2015 meet, the purple and white sped to a ninth place finish.

SUNY Geneseo took the title, with four runners finishing in the top-20 out of 274 runners. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and host-team Williams jockeyed for second and third, and the only other NESCAC to place above Amherst was a veteran-heavy Tufts team in fourth.

In Amherst’s fight to place, the team trailed Ithaca by a slim margin but managed to beat out NESCAC rival Middlebury for a strong third place among NESCAC participants.

First-year Katherine Treanor was Am-

herst’s first runner to cross the finish line, nabbing 13th place and crossing the line in 22:39.

Treanor was coming off a strong first run at the UMass Invitational, where she also led the purple and white.

Junior Nicky Roberts was the second Amherst runner to finish, with a time of 23:18.

That impressive time earned her 22nd overall, and put her just 21 seconds ahead of senior Savanna Gornisiewicz, who earned a 23:18 time and 38th place finish.

The fourth Amherst runner to finish was senior Cara Lembo, who set personal bests in both of the first two meets and has proven to be a reliable contributor in her final season.

Tess Frenzel ’17, Cat Lowdon ’17 and Sylvia Frank ’19 rounded out the point scorers for Amherst with respective times of 24:10, 24:17 and 25:01.

Amherst will compete this Saturday, Oct. 1, traveling to Lehigh University to compete in the Paul Short Invitational.

Men’s Soccer Stays Undefeated, Rolls Over Archrival Williams Delancey King ’18 Staff Writer It was an exciting week for the Amherst men’s soccer team, as the team came away with two wins, improving its overall record to 5-0-1.

The first win came on the road at Mount Ida College in Newton, Massachusetts in a non-conference matchup. The purple and white dominated the entirety of the game, putting up 30 shots to Mount Ida’s meager five, and walked away with a commanding 4-0 win.

Once again, the purple and white demonstrated their offensive depth as four different players were able to find the back of the net.

Weller Hlinomaz ’18 started things off with a goal in the 22nd minute. Hlinomaz now leads the team with three goals on the season, and this finish was his second game winner this fall.

With only five seconds remaining in the half, Amherst was awarded a penalty kick after the Mustangs gave up a foul in the box. Senior captain Jackson Lehnhart stepped up and notched his first goal of the season, increasing the purple and white’s lead to two.

Amherst refused to let up in the second half. They found the net for the third time a mere 47 seconds into the half, when Cameron Hardington ’18 finished a header off a free kick from Lehnhart.

In the 73rd minute, a fantastic first-year effort rounded things off for the purple and white.

Jimmy McMillian ’20 beat his defender down the right flank and found the late run of Bijan Zojaji ’20, who proceeded to put away the first goal of his collegiate career to secure the 4-0 victory for the purple and white.

Coming off that decisive, midweek win, Amherst felt ready to take on rival Williams

in its first home game of the 2016 season. The homecoming game for the reigning national champions was a special one; the team was greeted by men’s soccer alums from generations past as they unveiled their brand-new national championship banner at Hitchcock field.

Thanks to a clutch, two-goal performance from Lehnhart, the purple and white were able to pull out a 4-2 win over the Ephs. Lehnhart started things off in only the second minute of regulation, collecting a rebound in the Eph’s 18-yard box and firing it past the Williams’ keeper.

The Ephs stayed dialed in, however, and managed to tie things up 30 minutes later. A free kick from Williams’ Gregory Andreou found its way to Tobias Mueller, who volleyed the ball into the back of the net.

Seven minutes later, Zojaji notched his second goal of the season to put the purple and white back on top as the first half came to a close. An Amherst corner kick caused some chaos in the Williams’ box, and Zojaji was able to find the bouncing ball and put it away.

The second half revealed more of the same high intensity and fast-paced action from the first. Williams came out hard and tied things up once again only 25 seconds into the half.

Taking advantage of yet another set piece, the Ephs were able to capitalize and put the purple and white back on their heels.

In the 73rd minute, Lehnhart came up big once again and restored Amherst’s lead with his second goal of the match.

Hlinomaz increased the purple and white’s lead to two 11 minutes later, when he received a pass from senior captain Chris Martin and went top shelf on the Williams keeper.

Amherst returns to action on Sept. 28, when the team will travel to Boston for a nonconference matchup against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Last weekend, the club water polo team traveled to Worcester Polytechnic Institute for its first tournament. The team played four games and proved victorious in all of them.

Amherst competed against the four other member teams in the Colonial League. Led by captains Alexander Dreisbach ’17, Grant Baker ’17 and Samuel Korntner ’17, the team competed in three games on Friday and one on Saturday.

Amherst got an easy win in its first game against host WPI, with a final score of 19-10.

Junio Alex Denizé was the leading scorer for this game with nine points. Dreisbach and Kaison Ifill ’19 each scored three points to contribute to the victory.

Amherst beat Williams 19-3 in its second game of the tournament. Williams started out strong, since it was its first match of the day, but by the end of the game, the small team was exhausted and no match for the Amherst squad. The top scorers during this game were junior Sam Spurrell with six points, and Ifill with five points.

Amherst’s last Friday game was against Wesleyan, and Amherst narrowly won, 12-11.

Wesleyan put up the biggest fight against Amherst, and remains the purple and white’s biggest competition in the league. It looked like Amherst was going to suffer its first loss of the

tournament, until Amherst tied up the game 9-9 with a last second goal, sending the game into overtime, which consists of two extra periods. Wesleyan was a quick team with a very talented hole set defender, forcing Amherst to adjust their strategy in order to secure the win. Denizé racked up four points in the Wesleyan match.

Amherst returned to the tournament Saturday for its final game against the University of Massachusetts and defeated the Minutemen by a 9-7 margin. UMass proved to be a challenge for the purple and white, playing more aggressively than other teams Amherst had encountered so far in the tournament. Dreisbach had three points and Ifill had two, while Denizé scored four points and drew nine ejections. When an ejection occurs, a player is removed from the game for 20 seconds, leaving the team to play a man down. Amherst only converted three of the nine man ups, which is something it hopes to improve on for future games.

Senior goalie Eric Conklin also had a great first weekend of competition on the team with 11 saves against WPI, seven saves against Wesleyan, seven saves against UMass and 21 saves against Williams.

Overall, this was a very successful weekend for the water polo team. The purple and white will return to the pool this upcoming weekend when they travel to Williams for the next tournament.

Women’s Golf Takes Second Place at Mount Holyoke Invitational Scout Boynton ’20 Staff Writer In the team’s second match of the season, Amherst women’s golf came out strong again to claim second place in the Mount Holyoke Invitational. The purple and white played on the par 72 Orchards Golf Course in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The team placed second in a field of 14 teams, and three of its five scoring golfers placed in the top 10.

After day one, Amherst was in third place with a score of 314. Captain Jamie Gracie ’17 led the team shooting 76 and the rest of the team followed closely behind. Williams posted a score of 300 on Saturday and New York University fell into second place with 305.

The purple and white stepped up its game on Sunday to clinch second place, taking over third place from New York University (305, 318, 623). Amherst’s team score was 621 over the weekend (314, 307). Williams took the top spot on the podium with a total score of 601 (300, 301). Middlebury came in fourth and was followed by Wellesley, Mount Holyoke, Long Island University—Post, Vassar, Hamilton, Bowdoin, Johnson & Wales, Rhode Island College, Husson and Westfield State University.

Gracie improved her score of 76 by one shot on Sunday, finishing with a 151 for the

weekend and earning a tie for third place with Cordelia Chan from Williams. Williams’ golfers, Phoebe Mattana (147) and Elizabeth Gudas (148) took first and second place, respectively. As for Amherst’s other golfers, captain Zoe Wong ’18 tied for seventh, shooting 154 (79, 75), her best two-day score in her collegiate career thus far. Morgan Yurosek ’20 tied for ninth (79, 76), Jessica Jeong ’20 tied for 24th (80, 81) and Katie Rosenberg ’19 tied for 41st (86, 83).

The team also had a quartet of individual golfers performing this weekend. Emily Young ’20 led the purple and white with a score of 158 (82, 76), Kate Weiss ’19 shot 159 (78, 81), Maggie Schoeller ’19 scored 163 (83, 80) and Jahanavi Gaur ’20 posted 165 on the weekend (84, 81).

Though the team was not able to beat out Williams this weekend, they did improve both their place and score from last year. In 2015, the purple and white placed fourth with a score of 651 and were beaten by New York University and Middlebury, two teams they beat this time around.

Next weekend, Amherst will compete in the Williams Fall Invitational, one last tournament before the NESCAC Championship the following weekend. Tee time for Saturday, Oct. 1 is set for noon and day two actions begins at 9:00 a.m.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Sophomore Kate Weiss impressed in individual action this weekend, earning a share of14th place overall with a 159 over the two days.

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Sports

The Amherst Student • September 28, 2016

Men’s Cross Country Captures Fourth Place at Purple Valley Invite Veronica Rocco ’19 Staff Writer This weekend the Amherst men’s cross country team returned to Mt. Greylock High School, the site of Williams home course, as the defending champions at the Purple Valley Invitational. Though the squad returned to Amherst with a fourth place finish and was unable to defend their title, the team did achieve many strong individual showings at the meet.

Entering the highly competitive meet, the nine Amherst harriers knew they would be facing several nationally ranked teams with not only their biggest rivals in third-ranked Williams, but also second-ranked SUNY Geneseo, sixth-ranked Massachusetts Institute of Technology and top-20 ranked Colby and Rhode Island Polytechnic Institute among the nationally competitive squads on the start line.

The course at Mt. Greylock is considered a “true” cross country course, as the big hill the runners must climb twice during the eight-kilometer race tends to favor runners with more endurance than speed.

The team was led by the season debut of four-time All-American Mohammed Hussein ’18 as he placed second overall in the 284-person field. Hussein continues to be a consistent performer for the team, following up many impressive performances from last year, including a first-place finish at the Purple Valley Invite in 2015.

Following Hussein were Cosmo Brossy ’19 and Steven Lucey ’17, showing their remarkable improvement since last season with both running more than a minute faster than their finishing time at this meet last year. Brossy and Lucey’s finishes of 13th and 16th, respectively, earned them top-20 finishes in the competitive field.

Filling out the rest of the top-five scoring

positions were brothers Raymond Meijer ’17 and Tucker Meijer ’19, with finishing places of 37th and 43rd, respectively.

Following the Meijer brothers were Craig Nelson ’18 and Kristian Sogaard ’19 in the sixth and seventh positions for the team with places of 50th and 52nd overall. Nelson and Sogaard’s close finishes demonstrate the depth Amherst has that will carry them to post-season success.

Scott Nelson ’18 and Jacob Silverman ’19 also placed in the top-100, with finishes of 81st and 95th, respectively. Nelson improved upon his 2015 time in the meet by more than 30 seconds, and Silverman improved by nearly a minute, with both reaping the benefits of consistent summer training.

In the sub-varsity 5k, Amherst finished in second place with a team total of 56 points to the 15 points of Williams. The harriers covering the shorter race distance were led by Chris Butko ’18, with a 12th place finish.

Following Butko were Ralph Skinner ’20, Ermias Kebede ’19, Spencer FergusonDryden ’20 and Chris Stone ’20 to fill out the top-five scoring positions for the purple and white. With Vernon Espinoza ’19 placing 29th in the 5k race, all Amherst harriers placed in the top-30 on the hilly course.

“We’re excited to face the teams who beat us [at Purple Valley] later in the season,” senior caption Raymond Meijer said. “If we close up some gaps in results I think we’ll be well-suited to compete right with them.”

In two weeks, the Amherst harriers will travel to Franklin Park in Boston for the NEICAAA meet where they will face harriers from across New England, hailing from Division I, II and III schools.

Last year the squad placed second in both the varsity and sub-varsity races at this meet, and they hope to continue their success against their New England foes on Saturday Oct. 8.

Field Hockey Rides Win Streak to Victory Over Archrival Williams Meredith Manley ’18 Staff Writer The Amherst women’s field hockey team faced Endicott College on the road on Thursday, Sept. 22, and NESCAC rival Williams at home on Saturday Sept. 24, and won both matchups against the two respectable opponents.

The scoring started early when, off of an off-target shot from Caroline Fiore ’18, Mary Margaret Stoll ’17 found the back of the net to take the lead. Amherst would continue to hold the pressure in Endicott’s defensive third of the field as Mary Grace Cronin ’18 was able to find Kendall Codey ’19, who increased the purple and white’s goal count to two.

Sara Culhane ’17 got herself into the mix when she rebounded a shot block by Endicott’s Cheka Ventura later in the first half. Culhane, who continued relentlessly attacking towards Endicott’s net, scored her second goal of the match, giving Amherst a comfortable four-goal cushion at the end of the first half of play.

The second half featured much of the same Amherst intensity, during which the purple and white would break down their opponent’s defense and capitalize on three separate occasions.

To start the last 35 minutes off, Caroline Feeley ’18 scored off of a pass from Fiore to make the score 5-0. Katie Bergemesca ’18 found her mark and scored her first goal of the season with 17:15 remaining. To add to the list of first’s for this match-up, Heather Brennan ’20 scored her first goal of her collegiate career with just minutes remaining.

The purple and white took on Williams at 11:00 a.m. on Gooding field this past Saturday.

Amherst beat Williams to the first goal of the match at the 11:22 mark, thanks to an assist by Stoll and a big finish by Culhane. After a score-

less 15 minutes in both directions, the Ephs finally responded to tie the score at one point apiece.

Shannon Tierney ’19 doubled Amherst’s score to two late in the first half. Tierney ran up the right flank and fired a shot from inside the circle, finding the upper left hand corner of Williams’ net. Until the very last seconds of the first half, the purple and white held Williams to one goal, but with 42 seconds remaining the Ephs put one past Horowitz, just out of reach.

The second half of the match up began with a tie score, two goals each. Williams gained the lead at the 49th minute, but not for long as Amherst’s Culhane fired back with her second goal of the match less than a minute later from Laura Schwartzman ’20 playing a ball towards the net after a run up the right side of the field.

The purple and white regained the lead after Stoll was able to find the back of the net from gaining possession of a bouncing ball in front of Williams’ cage. Culhane got her third for the day and final goal of the match with just over four minutes remaining to secure the win.

The purple and white continued their winning ways on Tuesday, when they downed Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2-1 in a hard-fought battle. Culhane continued her hot streak from the Williams victory, opening the scoring in the 54th minute.

Less than six minutes later, Culhane doubled the Amherst lead with her second tally of the game. Although MIT managed a consolation goal in the 68th minute, the purple and white’s defense held strong, and the team pushed its winning streak to three games.

Amherst prepares to continue their hot streak as they face two big NESCAC opponents, Tufts and Bates, on the road and at home, respectively, this coming weekend.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Jack Hickey ‘19 Favorite Team memory: Beating Trinity last season Favorite Pro Athlete: Will Kelsch Pet Peeve: When people say sorry for things that they clearly don’t need to apologize for (taking a while to fill up water bottles) Favorite Vacation Spot: Pompano Beach, Florida Something on Your Bucket List: Go to Ireland Guilty Pleasure: Chocolate Favorite Food: Noodle Bar Favorite thing about Amherst: The people How He Earned It: In football’s season opener against Hamilton, Hickey powered his way to 67 yards, adding an impressive three touchdowns. Hickey made his presence felt early and often, rushing for the first points of the game with more than 10 minutes to go in the first quarter. A little past the halfway point of the second quarter, Hickey struck again, this time with a two-yard run to give the purple and white a 13-0 lead. His three touchdowns in the game doubled his career touchdown total to six.

Annika Reczek ’18 Favorite Team memory: Finally beating Williams after losing to them in my first year Favorite Pro Athlete: Kerri WalshJennings Pet Peeve: That Jenkins is the new Stone Favorite Vacation Spot: Key West, Florida Something on Your Bucket List: To snorkel at all of the major coral reefs Guilty Pleasure: Pretzel night at Val Favorite Food: Eggs Benedict Favorite thing about Amherst: Amanda Temares ’18 How She Earned It: Reczek’s phenomenal contributions during the purple and white’s 3-1 week earned her recognition as the NESCAC co-player of the week. She played a critical role in defeating Colby-Sawyer, Williams and Babson, and finished with 17 kills and 25 blocks over the three wins.

The victory over Williams was especially impressive, as the purple and white had failed to defeat their NESCAC rivals for the past four years. In this pivotal game, she registered 11 kills to go along with nine blocks.

Volleyball Overwhelms NESCAC and Non-Conference Opponents Alike Katie Bergamesca ’18 Staff Writer The Amherst volleyball team returned to action this week, competing in four exciting matches. In a midweek contest, the purple and white took on Colby-Sawyer in LeFrak Gymnasium. Amherst trounced the Chargers in three sets (25-14, 25-10, 25-18).

Maggie Danner ’17 continued her dominance on the court with a 16-kill effort. Danner, and Annika Reczek ’18 had a block apiece.

Kate Bres ’17 also contributed significantly on the offensive end with a total of 28 assists on the day.

First-year libero Candace Chung led the purple and white with 11 digs, while Kelci Keeno ’17 and Hayes Honea ’19 tacked on another eight and six digs respectively. Keeno had four service aces in the winning effort.

On Friday, Sept. 23, the Amherst women returned to LeFrak to take on NESCAC rival Williams in front of over 300 energetic fans. In a thrilling five-set match, the purple and white managed to down the Ephs and improve to 2-1 in the conference.

Danner was once again an offensive leader in the 3-2 (18-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-10, 15-10) victory. Danner’s 17 kills and Honea’s 29 digs were crucial in the tightly contested match-up.

Reczek played a major role in the hard fought, back-and-forth win, proving to be a force at the net with nine blocks. Bres, with help from Charlotte Duran ’20, kept the offense on track with 23 and 24 assists respectively. Bres also tacked on a pair of service aces.

To close out the weekend, the purple and white traveled to Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts for a tri-match against Babson College and host Clark.

Amherst faced Babson first and took the win in five sets after overcoming a 2-1 deficit.

Danner, relentless as ever, posted a team-high 19 kills. She contributed three blocks as well with Lauren Reppert ’19 and Reczek also con-

tributing three of their own. Honea dove for 20 digs with Keeno close behind, tallying 14 digs.

Unfortunately, the purple and white just missed going undefeated for the week after falling 3-2 to Clark. Mia Natsis ’18 had 15 kills in the offensive effort. Reczek had another impressive performance at net, providing 12 blocks. Honea also put on a stellar display with a notable 32 digs. The purple and white’s performance over the past week puts them at 7-3 for the 2016 season.

“Beating Williams this weekend was huge for us,” Danner said. “This win made us very excited for what we could accomplish in the rest of our season. After going to five sets against Williams on Friday, I was incredibly proud of the energy and mental toughness we had against both Babson and Clark.”

The Amherst women are off from action until Friday, Sept. 30, when they will take on NESCAC foe Colby at home. On Saturday, Oct. 1, the purple and white will once again be in LeFrak for another NESCAC contest against Bates.

Photo courtesy of Peter Connolly ’18

Nicole Gould ’17 had 10 kills against Clark and 11 against Babson.

The Amherst Student • September 28, 2016

Sports

Men’s Golf Competes at Williams Fall Invitational Tournament, Takes Sixth

11

Timeout with Talia Talia Land ’20 Columnist A native New Yorker, first-year Talia Land discusses growing up in a city that has, in her generation, played second fiddle to the leagcy of mighty New England sports programs and the environment this has created in a historically sports-centric community.

Photo courtesy of Amherst Athletics

Sam Procter ’18 shot the lowest score for the purple and white this Saturday.

Nate Quigley ’19 Managing Sports Editor On a crisp New England fall weekend, the Amherst men’s golf team traveled to NESCAC archrival Williams to take part in the Williams Fall Invitational. Pitted against a field of 18 other top New England programs, including several NESCAC foes, the purple and white finished a strong sixth with a two-day total of 625.

Amherst started the tournament impressively, shooting a 305 on Saturday, which was good for third place. The purple and white managed to get strong rounds from all four of the team’s scoring golfers, including a 73 from Sam Procter ’18, a 76 from Jack Burlison ’19 and 78 from both Liam Fine ’17 and Dan Langa ’18.

“We showed a bit of what we’re capable of the first day and Sam Procter lead the way for us,” Burlison said.

Amherst faded slightly on the second day of competition, with the team shooting a 320,

only good for the seventh-best Sunday score.

There were bright spots in the day’s hardships, however as first-year Cameron Clark shot an impressive four-over-par 75 to lead the purple and white squad in scoring on its second day of play.

Even though the team finished sixth overall behind NESCAC giants Williams and Trinity, its impressive two day team score (305-320) allowed Amherst to beat out several major conference opponents including Bowdoin and Wesleyan.

The purple and white have already moved on to their next challenge, this weekend’s NESCAC qualifiers.

“Now we’re just looking forward to cranking it up at NESCAC championship qualifying this next weekend,” Burlison said about the team’s upcoming competitions.

The first day of NESCAC championship tournament play begins this Saturday Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. and continues on Sunday at 9 a.m., with both rounds being hosted by reigning NESCAC champions, Middlebury.

Women’s Tennis Sends Seven Players to ITA Regional Championship Tournament Julia Turner ’19 Managing Sports Editor The Amherst women’s tennis team opened its 2016-2017 season at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this weekend, sending three doubles pairs and five individual competitors to the Intercollegiate College Association (ITA) Regional Championship tournament.

Veteran doubles player and second team All-NESCAC selection Vickie Ip ’18 took the court with first-year Anya Ivenitsky as the fifth-seeded duo in the 32-team doubles pool.

The women took their first match handily, with an 8-1 win over Wellesley but fell in the second round to a Williams pair in the round of 16.

Captains Jackie Calla ’17 and Avery Wagman ’18 led the purple and white in doubles action, winning three matches in a row to take them to the semifinal match. Their second matchup en route to their impressive finish was a victory over first-year teammates Jen Chen and Camille Smukler. Before falling to Calla and Wagman, the first-year duo earned their first collegiate win with an 8-2 win over a pair from Colby.

In singles play, all five purple and white players earned victories in the first round of the tournament. However, Calla, Wagman and Camilla Trapness ’19 all suffered losses in their second-round of singles action, all ultimately falling to Williams competitors.

Smukler continued to impress in singles play as she notched victories against 16thseeded Linda Shin of Williams and Middlebury’s Molly Paradies before falling to individual runner-up Eunice Chong of Wesleyan.

Ip advanced the furthest in singles play for the purple and white as she won four match-

es to place her in the final four, where she dropped her first singles match of the day to eventual champion Raventos. Ip began tournament play with a sweep of Kristy Garcia of University of Massachusetts Boston, as well as a victory over Wesleyan’s Nicole McCann in the second round. Ip logged two more wins over seeded opponents before being eliminated, besting Hannah Atkinson of Middlebury 6-4, 6-2 in the third round and Christina Puccinelli of Middlebury in the round of eight.

Overall, this was an impressive opening weekend for the 2015-2016 national runner-up Amherst squad. Look for the purple and white to take the court next against NESCAC rival Williams in its dual meet on Oct. 8.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Megan Adamo ’17 continues to lead as an experienced singles competitor.

Growing up in the suburbs of New York City, I always hated New England sports teams.

When I decided to go to school in western Massachusetts I knew I would be in for a bit of culture shock. On the first day of school, my roommate unpacked her Red Sox and Patriots hats.

I could spot my dad in the corner giving me concerned looks. Welcome to New England. I couldn’t quite pin down exactly why I disliked Massachusetts sports teams, but when I sat down to think about it I realized that a lot of my annoyance stems from the fact that this generation of New England fans doesn’t know what it feels like to lose.

New York knows the feeling of being the underdog too well. Six out of the last eight seasons the New York Mets have had losing records.

Some of my friends have remained loyal, but admit that it’s definitely hard to keep rooting for a losing team. After rooting for a terrible team for so long, it must have been a pleasant surprise when they watched their Mets make it to the World Series last year for the first time since 2000. New York football has a similarly unfortunate situation with the New York Jets. The Jet’s all-time regular season record is 387 wins and 457 losses. Yikes. Yet still, the Jets fans I know could not be more supportive of their team.

Win or lose, rain or shine, they’ll be at MetLife stadium cheering them on.

New England teams win. It’s a fact. But it wasn’t always this way. The Red Sox didn’t win a World Series from 1919 till 2004. Only the Chicago Cubs have a longer drought. Some call it the “curse of the bambino”, as the Red Sox ownership had sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees before their championship dry spell. The Celtics and the Bruins also come to mind when thinking about losing teams from the Boston area. Both had rough periods in the late ’90s. Specifically, the Celtics had a hard time after Larry Bird’s retirement until they traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to play with Paul Pierce. The Bruins had a long losing streak throughout the late 90s.

In terms of football, the Patriots only made the playoffs three times before Super Bowl XX in 1985, in which the Bears crushed them 46-10. In 2001, the Patriots dynasty was born when they won the AFC divisional round game against the Raiders off of an iffy “tuck rule” call. The tuck rule resulted in a Brady pass being ruled incomplete rather than a fumble. The Patriots went on to win the game in overtime and win their first Super Bowl. This win was the beginning Patriots golden years, of course featuring Tom Brady.

This idea brings me to the Patriots and their fans today. Walking back to my dorm from Keefe last weekend I overheard several of my classmates discussing the recent NFL games. “It is actually getting so boring,” one boy said. “It’s no fun when your team can always win even when they are on their third-string quarterback.” If you are unaware, all-star Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is currently suspended until week five for his involvement in the “Deflategate” scandal from two seasons ago. In his place, Eastern Illinois graduate Jimmy Garoppolo started for two games. Garoppolo totaled 42 complete passes and four touchdowns until he sprained his AC joint (shoulder) during week two against the Dolphins after taking a hard hit. The Patriots won both games. The next week, Jacoby Brissett started for the Patriots, totaling 103 yards in a decisive 27-0 win against the Texans. Regardless of who plays next week, it is proven now that the Patriots are good enough to go 3-0 even without Brady, thus creating a “boring” scenario for fans that are so used to winning.

Overall, Boston has a huge amount of championships. According to Boston Magazine, Boston has won 18 percent of the four major sports championships since 2004. The Patriots have appeared in four Super Bowls since 2004.The Celtics have played in two championships. The Bruins appeared in two Stanley Cup finals. The Red Sox have won all three World Series they’ve played in since ’04. Especially for kids my age, losing feels like something of the past for New Englanders. Who wouldn’t want to be a fan?

Women’s Soccer Puts End to Win Streak of Reigning National Champion Williams Hayes Honea ’19 Staff Writer

It was a big weekend for Amherst women’s soccer — on Saturday they tied rival Williams, the reigning national champions, 1-1 after double overtime. The next day they turned around to defeat Farmingdale State, 3-1.

Although a tie isn’t as important as a win stats-wise, the purple and white were very proud of its accomplishment in stopping the Eph’s winning streak. Not only did Williams win the 2015 NCAA national title, but they are also Amherst’s biggest rivals. Thus, just stripping them of a win was a crucial momentum boost for Amherst.

“I’m really proud of how our team played against Williams,” senior captain Emily Hester said. “No, we didn’t win, but we exhibited a heart and passion that we haven’t shown in previous games. They’re the defending national champions, and we tied them, which proves we can hang with whoever we want to.”

The purple and white were ready from the start — they scored during the very first minute of play. McNamara carried the ball down the right side of the field, crossing it to Hannah Guzzi ’18, who one-timed it into the net.

Soon after, Williams struck back with a few shots on goal. Natasha Albaneze of the Ephs had their first shot on goal, but Amherst’s Chelsea Cutler ’19 deflected it away from the net. Immediately afterwards, another Eph tried to find

the back of the net, but Cutler notched another incredible save, keeping Williams off the scoreboard.

In the second half, the Ephs took more control. However, despite eight shots on goal from Williams, the Amherst defensive effort only allowed one to slip through in the 66th minute.

Additionally, for about 40 more minutes of intense back and forth play, including two scoreless overtimes, the purple and white were able to effectively protect their net and deny the defending national champions a win.

Carrying the momentum to Sunday’s game against Farmington State, Amherst was able to notched another win. Right off the bat, Guzzi scored the first goal of the game with a helper from Rubii Tamen ’19. Just 10 minutes later, Guzzi struck again, sending her second goal of the game into the back of the net off an assist from Bella Palma ’20.

The purple and white continued to dominate throughout the second half, as Emily Hester ’17 scored the team’s third and final goal off a penalty kick in the 48th minute. Just a few minutes later, Farmington State was able to answer with a goal from Kimberly Livecchi. However, Amherst held them off for the remainder of play to clinch a win.

The purple and white will take on NESCAC rival Tufts next weekend, looking to add a win to their conference campaign. They will also face Bates on Sunday in another NESCAC matchup.

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Photo courtesy of Mark Box Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Senior wide reciever Nick Widen caught two passes for 14 yards in the purple and white’s first game against Hamilton this weekend at home.

Football Routs Hamilton on Pratt Field for First Win of the 2016 Season Caleb Winfrey ’19 Staff Writer In its first game of the season, the Amherst football team demonstrated dominance on both sides of the ball, earning an impressive 34-0 victory over Hamilton in Saturday afternoon’s game at Pratt Field. This win extends Amherst’s winning streak to a program record 20 games dating back to the 2013 season.

After forcing a three-and-out on Hamilton’s first possession of the game, Amherst hit its stride early as Alex Berluti ’17 completed an 18-yard pass on third down to Devin Boehm ’17, who was brought down at the Hamilton 28-yard line. Following another reception by Boehm and a pair of short-yardage rushes, sophomore running back Jack Hickey found the end zone for the first of his three scores at the 9:27 mark of the first quarter to give Amherst the lead.

After forcing four consecutive Hamilton punts, Amherst used a 15-yard punt return by

Boehm to set up its second drive of the second quarter. Facing a second down and seven at the Hamilton 39, Hasani Figueroa ’18 broke off on a 31-yard scamper down the left sideline before the Continentals’ defense finally pushed him out to give Amherst first and goal at the eight-yard line. Two plays later, Hickey picked up his second rushing touchdown of the half to give the hosts a 13-0 lead following a missed extra point.

After exchanging punts on the next two possessions, Hamilton mounted an impressive 11-play drive starting from its own 23-yard line.

Looking at a third and 15 play from the Amherst 31, Matt Rusk-Kosa ’18 picked off a Hamilton pass at the 20-yard line and returned it 80 yards for a potential score, but the play was negated by a pass interference penalty. On the very next play, however, Derek Ward ’17 picked off another pass attempt in the end zone to keep the game at 13-0 entering halftime.

Amherst put together a methodical, 11-play, 75-yard drive to start the third quarter as Berluti

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

WED FRI GAME SCHE DULE

Men’s Soccer @ MIT, 7:30 p.m.

Men’s Tennis @ ITA Regionals, TBA Volleyball vs. Amherst, 8 p.m.

rushed for 12 yards before finding Boehm for a 46-yard catch-and-carry to the Hamilton 17.

After a Continentals’ sack by Tyler Hudson put the ball on the 24-yard line, Berluti again found Boehm for a 15-yard completion, and Hickey pounded out five yards on the ground to set up a first and goal at the four-yard line. Hickey capitalized with his third touchdown of the game to help give Amherst a 20-0 lead.

With the score still 20-0 in the fourth quarter, Parker Chapman ’17 forced a Trevor Pinkham fumble on the Hamilton 38 that was recovered by Bolaji Ekhator ’18 to give Amherst the ball back with 12:58 remaining in the contest.

Berluti hit Figueroa for an 18-yard pass to start the drive, and then rushed for 26 yards to the four-yard line, setting up a five-yard touchdown pass to Boehm to give the purple and white a commanding, 27-0 advantage with 10:50 to play in the fourth quarter.

Amherst capped its scoring on an eight-play, 49-yard drive that saw backup quarterback Nick

Morales ’19 complete a 16-yard pass to James O’Regan ’20 and a 14-yard pass to A.J. Poplin ’17.

Two plays later, junior Raheem Jackson found the end zoneon a three-yard carry to set the score at 34-0.

On offense, the purple and white had 212 passing yards and 170 rushing yards. Berluti was 17-for-27 through the air for 182 yards and a touchdown, and added 51 yards rushing in the game. Hickey led the rushing unit with 67 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns. Boehm led the receiving core with 113 yards and a touchdown.

Arguably, the purple and white defense was even more impressive, allowing Hamilton just 168 yards of total offense. Evan Boynton ’17 led the defense with seven tackles. Ward and Jack Barrett ’19 both had interceptions, and Chapman added the forced fumble.

The team returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 1 at Bowdoin (0-1). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. in Brunswick, Maine.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

SAT Women’s Cross Men’s Tennis Country @ ITA Regionals, TBA @ Paul Short Invitational, 9:30 a.m.

Field Hockey @ Tufts, noon Women’s Golf @ Williams Fall Invita- Football tional, noon @ Bowdoin, 1 p.m.

SUN Volleyball vs. Bates, 2 p.m.

Men’s Soccer @ Tufts, 2:30 p.m.

Women’s Golf @ Williams Fall Invitational, 9 a.m.

Men’s Golf @ NESCAC Qualifier, 9 a.m.

Men’s Tennis @ ITA Regionals, TBA

Field Hockey vs. Bates, noon Women’s Soccer vs. Bates, 1 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs. Bates, 3 p.m.