Issue 5

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

THE AMHERST

STUDENT

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VOLUME CXLIX, ISSUE 5 l WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2019

AMHERSTSTUDENT.COM

Alum Wins MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship Zach Jonas ’22 Managing News Editor

Photo courtesy of Emma Swislow ‘20

Over 100 students congregated on the First-Year Quad on Friday to take part in a rally advocating for climate action. The strike is one of several that occurred across the globe demanding action on the growing climate crisis.

Climate Crisis Illuminated in Strike Natalie De Rosa ’21 Managing News Editor

Students, along with faculty, staff and other community members, rallied on the first-year quad on Friday to demand for stronger climate policy on campus and stand in solidarity with other climate strikes occurring across the globe. The strike, which comprised of several teach-ins throughout the morning and a main rally on the first-year quad at 12:30 p.m., drew over 100 participants.

The strike is one of several that occurred around the world over the week of Sept. 20-27 as a part of the Global Climate Strikes, an initiative inspired by 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, who skipped school every week to protest in front of the Swed-

ish Parliament. The global strikes were scheduled throughout the week, with Sept. 20 and Sept. 27 drawing the largest turnouts.

Three days ahead of the United Nations (UN) Climate Summit in New York, nearly four million people participated in climate strikes worldwide on Friday, Sept.

20, according to Vox. In a landmark report released last November, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that an average increase in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius — which the world is currently expected to match and exceed — will drastically increase the frequency and strength of natural disasters and result in rising sea levels. That same IPCC report also warned that governments only had 12 years to slash greenhouse

gas emissions before the dangerous effects of climate change are irreversible.

The college has not been immune from demands for climate action. In the last decade, the college campus has seen increasing calls for the college to divest from fossil fuels in light of climate change. The college’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) was itself crafted by a student group working with the Office of Environmental Sustainability. Last November, in advance of the Board of Trustees’ vote on the CAP, students shared personal stories of being impacted by climate change at a well-attended event titled “Student Voices from the Frontlines of Climate Change.” A few months later, the Board of Trustees passed the Climate Action Plan (CAP), promising to achieve carbon neutrality

by 2030.

Leading up to Friday’s strike, organizers hosted a number of events throughout the week, ranging from invited speakers and discussion groups to chalking and an art build. Four students also traveled to Boston — funded by the Office of Student Activities — to attend the city’s climate strike on Sept. 20.

Abby Strong ’23, an organizer of the strike who served on its steering, logistics and research committees, said that the strike’s intention was to show solidarity with other communities protesting internationally. “The physical act of leaving classes, disturbing our daily lives to bring attention to the cause — that was the main goal,” she said.

Continued on page 3

The MacArthur Foundation awarded the MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship to Andrea Dutton ’95, a geochemist and paleoclimatologist studying past sea level rises to predict its future conditions, on Sept. 25. The grant is a nostrings-attached sum of $625,000, installed in quarterly payments over a five-year period. Dutton is the seventh Amherst alum to win the prestigious award. She plans to use the grant to further her research, aid women in science and spend more time with her family.

Dutton’s findings on sea level change during earlier periods of global warming, at similar levels to today, reveal the fragility of the ice sheets found in Greenland and Antarctica. Her research highlights the necessity to mitigate current global warming and its dangerous effects.

Dutton followed a nontraditional path to her current occupation.

When arriving at Amherst in the fall of 1991, Dutton had planned to fulfill the pre-med requirements, take the MCAT and attend medical school while majoring in music. It wasn’t until her sophomore year that she took her first geology course.

“I was leaning toward being a chemistry major,” Dutton said in an interview with The Student. “Someone recommended that I take linear

Continued on page 4

News Sept. 23, 2019 – Sept. 29, 2019

>>Sept. 23, 2019 12:34 p.m., South Pleasant Street An officer responded to a past motor vehicle accident with no injuries.

1:16 p.m., Greenway Building C Officers responded to an alarm and found no smoke or fire. >>Sept. 25, 2019 12:03 a.m., James Dormitory An officer responded to a report of lettering on a wall.

2:05 p.m., Walnut Street An officer took a report of an unreported vehicle crash with a crosswalk post.

11:25 p.m., James Dormitory Officers responded to a noise complaint and found no issues in the area. >>Sept. 26, 2019 1:13 a.m., Wilson Admissions Officers responded to an alarm and found no issues in the area.

11:11 p.m., Wieland Dormitory An unknown individual used a student’s email address to say they hacked the email and demanded money.

No money was exchanged.

11:59 p.m., MayoSmith House Officers responded to

Ivan Contreras Fresh Faculty

a group playing loud music. They lowered the sound level without issue. >>Sept. 27, 2019 11:33 p.m., Porter House Officers responded to a report of someone yelling and found no one in distress. >>Sept. 28, 2019 8:29 p.m., Valentine Dining Hall An individual reported a stolen bicycle, which was later recovered.

9:20 p.m., Greenway Building B Officers responded to an alarm and found it was set off by cooking smoke.

10:45 p.m., Residence Hall A Alcohol left unattended in an area was confiscated and disposed of.

11:20 p.m., Seelye House Officers responded to an alarm and found it was caused by a hair dryer. >>Sept. 29, 2019 12:26 a.m., Campus Grounds An individual called the emergency line after being dismissed from a party.

2:27 a.m., Seelye House An officer observed a broken TV at the conclusion of a registered party.

Department of Mathematics

Ivan Contreras is an assistant professor of mathematics. He received a bachelor’s degree from Universidad de los Andes, a master’s degree from the University of Utrecht and a doctoral degree in mathematics at the University of Zürich.

Q: What was your first encounter with mathematics and what drew you to this subject?

A: When I was a little kid going to school in Colombia, the teachers taught us multiplication. I can clearly picture them pointing out that there were right answers and wrong ones.

The teacher indicated how to do the math correctly, but didn’t tell me why we were doing it. They did not tell us how multiplication worked. I still remember myself as a young boy, questioning what made some answers correct and others incorrect. I think that this was the first time where it clicked that I was interested in mathematical inquiry.

Q: What attracted you to the American education system?

A: I think that the main thing that attracted me was the classroom environment. I noticed right away that American students have the freedom to ask questions in lectures and in office hours. This is quite different from the European academic experience. In Europe, the student-professor dynamic is not as fluid. There, students do not interrupt their professor, because it is viewed as an obstruction to the flow of the lecture.

If a student has a question, they ask their T.A. after the conclusion of the class. I much prefer the professor-student relationship of the United States.

Q: Were you particularly interested in working at a liberal arts college?

Why did you choose to work at Amherst?

A: This system is fascinating and incredibly valuable to students and professors alike. Amherst in par-

ticular has a reputation for strong students that are self-driven. And I felt that this type of student would be a great match with my teaching style. I was — and am — confident that I could show Amherst students that mathematics is cool! Math is not simply a slew of inconsequential formulas. Instead, it is about making connections and applying math to real-world circumstances.

Q: What has been your experience as a faculty member so far?

A: So far it’s been fantastic. I feel very fortunate to be at Amherst because it’s a place where you can grow both as a teacher and a researcher. Not only is there a wealth of resources available for faculty, but unlimited chances to interact with students. I enjoy seeing my students around campus and seeing them at Val[entine Dining Hall].

Also, the view doesn’t hurt. The mountains are incredibly beautiful and the city is lovely.

Q: What is your current research and how did you become interested in it?

A: My research explores mathematical physics. In other words, I explore the connection between physics and the world. Specifically, I use mathematics to connect the theories of physicists and real-world circumstances. For example, a physicist may want to understand how an atom moves, but he may have a gap or two in his theory. It is my job to help that physicist connect the dots between using mathematics.

Q: What is mathematical physics?

A: Mathematical physics is a symbiosis between math and physics. To

fully understand it, mathematicians use a technique called geometric anthropology. This sphere of math uses physics to study various shapes.

For example, in the past I have used a sphere and a doughnut to model physical phenomena.

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about the classes you’re teaching?

A: I’m currently teaching two classes. The first is called “Graph Theory,” which explores the mathematics behind networks. We use applied mathematics to understand real-world networks. This past week, we used something called Bacon’s number to analyze relationships between Hollywood actors and actresses. Our class has also analyzed airline connections. The class attempted to make multiple-leg flights as cheap as possible using mathematical algorithms. The second class I teach is introductory calculus. Though it is quite different from my other classes, I enjoy teaching the basics to open-minded college students. In this class I do not only teach math, but also how to study and how to balance their classes.

Q: When you are not teaching at Amherst, what do you do in your free time?

A: I have a seven-year-old daughter named Isabella, so I try to spend as much time as possible with her when I am not at work. On the weekends, my wife, daughter and I head downtown to Antonio’s or go out for some ice cream. It is incredibly nice to spend my free time at home with my family.

— Sophie Wolmer ’23

News 3

The Amherst Student • October 2, 2019

Strike Puts Pressure on Administration, Trustees Continued from page 1 She added that the strike aimed to hold the college administration accountable for the Climate Action Plan. “[The strike] is the beginning of a conversation,” she said. “The goal of the strike right now is to assert that we are here, we’re interested and we would like to learn more and express that we would like to see more changes.”

The day’s events began on the first-year quad at 10 a.m. with a short rally to mark the start of teach-in sessions. Indigenous Native Citizens Association (INCA) executive board members Alexis Scalese ’22, Nicole Vandal ’21 and Chimaway Lopez ’20 opened the rally with an acknowledgement of native land before sending participants to their respective teachins.

“We recognize that indigenous, black and brown youth have always been and will continue on the frontlines of protecting our earth,” Scalese told audience members. “That they, along with low-income whites, are affected the most by climate change.”

Fifteen teach-ins were held throughout the morning at various locations around campus, with most lasting for 30 minutes and repeating two or three times to allow participants to attend multiple sessions. Students, faculty, staff and organizers from around the Pioneer Valley led sessions on topics ranging from environmental racism and political involvement to the scientific reasoning behind climate change.

Ella Peterson ’22, who was on the outreach committee organizing the strike, said that the group intended to partner with organizations both on and off campus that work with communities most impacted by climate change and actively on the frontlines of organizing climate movements.

“The history of environmentalism has this terrible reputation that it was a lot of angry white people,” Peterson said. “We wanted to make sure that we were recognizing that the effects of climate change disproportionately affect

marginalized communities. So we wanted those community organizations and affinity groups to be included in the conversation.”

Peterson added that while planning 15 teach-ins was initially an ambitious idea, the college community’s resources — with professors, students and other community members willing to lead teach-ins on subjects on which they had expertise — made each one possible. “The Amherst community has a wealth of knowledge,” Peterson said.

Gabe Echarte ’22, an intern in the Office of Environmental Sustainability who helped lead a teach-in titled “What is your role in the Climate Action Plan?”, said that he hopes the teach-in raises general awareness about climate change and encouraged students to use their voice on campus.

“Amherst is a small community, so students’ voices make a difference,” Echarte said. “If students go to AAS [Association of Amherst Students] meetings, go to [President] Biddy Martin’s office hours, it will have an impact on policy and how this goes down.

It’s such a doable task on our campus.”

Eunice Dadau ’21, who led a teach-in on the intersection of environmentalism and faith, said that she was inspired by the different approaches students can take to tackle climate change. “I hope people took away that you don’t need faith to address this issue of climate justice, but if you have faith, you should use the teachings and practices that come from your faith tradition and advocate for climate justice,” she said.

Shortly after the end of the teach-in sessions, strikers recongregated on the First-Year Quad for the main rally. Many were holding signs — one read, “Hey Amherst, there is no third century without a promise on climate,” referencing the college’s “Third Century Promise Campaign” for its upcoming bicentennial anniversary. Another declared that “denial is not a policy.”

After a brief introduction, Massachusetts State Rep. Mindy

Photo courtesy of Emma Swislow ‘20

Friday’s climate strike comes in the wake of both international and campuswide discourse around climate change. Some student climate activists are calling on the college to more actively pursue the Climate Action Plan’s promises.

Domb took the stage to address strikers. Domb, who represents the third Hampshire district that includes Amherst, has worked on climate bills in the state legislature, and co-sponsored bill H.2810, which plans to impose a fee on fossil fuel sales and return the fees collected to moderate- and low-income and rural residents in the form of rebates.

Domb is also a co-filer on a bill that requires pension funds to divest from fossil fuel companies.

Domb began by saying how “proud” she was to be able to speak to an audience on a college campus. “College campuses have been on the forefront of divestment movements, whether it’s been to divest from South Africa when I was a student, private prisons a couple of years ago and now fossil fuel companies,” Domb said.

The college currently maintains holdings in fossil fuels.

Domb then turned to ways students can engage with climate policy from their respective states.

“For those of you who come from another state, I am going to urge you to think about registering to vote from your home district, remembering to get an absentee

ballot and mailing it,” she said.

Mailing letters to legislators is also effective, she said, citing the Every Voice Coalition’s letter-writing to the Massachusetts legislature advocating for the enactment of campus sexual assault policy.

“It’s not enough to just talk about it on campus — we have to do something about it,” Domb said.

Two students who organized the strike ended the rally by thanking the administration and the Board of Trustees for passing the Climate Action Plan. They noted, however, that the plan “only goes so far.”

Several students who were at the strike said they attended not only to raise awareness on climate change, but also to create impact on campus policy. “I knew this was about an immediate impact on this campus,” Sam Hodges ’23 said.

“All of this serves as a reminder to the administration that students still do care about the environment, that we are not easily placated and that we still are going to be talking about it,” Peterson added.

Corey Jacobson ’22 said he was

striking to call on governments to act on climate change, but added that he was ultimately able to attend because his “professors were nice enough in supporting us and allowing us to come here. They didn’t penalize us for missing class.”

Not all professors canceled classes during the strike. David Hansen, professor of biochemistry and biophysics and chemistry, did not cancel class during the strike, but “we had made it clear the previous Wednesday that students could miss class to attend the Climate Strike,” he said in an email interview. Hansen added that lectures for his classes were also recorded throughout the semester, ensuring that students do not miss material if absent.

Strong hopes that the strike’s efforts encourage students to continue advocating for climate action. “When groups of people get together, small things can turn into bigger things. We want to show that even though you are only one person, if you can combine your efforts and your interests with several more people … you can cause a movement,” Strong said.

The Amherst Student • October 2, 2019

News 4

MacArthur Fellow Makes Strides in Paleoclimatology Continued from page 1 algebra because it would help me in [physical chemistry]. On the last day of the add-drop period, we got back our first homework assignment. We had to write a proof for 1 + 0 = 1, and I got it wrong. I couldn’t believe it! So I dropped the class, asked around and my friends told me to take Intro to Geology. I fell in love with it.”

Chair of Geology Tekla Harms, whom Dutton considered her advisor even though she never declared geology as her major, said she knew Dutton was special and helped push her toward taking geology courses.

“Geology was clearly something she liked and thought about,” Harms said. “Not all people end up feeling that way … There are very few people who come to college thinking they’re going to do geology. Sometimes that takes a conversation that says, ‘I can see you doing this, can you see yourself doing this?’”

“I was not the only faculty member who tried to push her into the geology major full on. She was clearly so innately adept at thinking about geology. If you love the field as much as I love geology, you want the best people to be in that field …

We leaned on her pretty hard, but she was strong-willed and resisted those pushes to become a geology major … Not to her detriment as you can see,” Harms added with a laugh.

It wasn’t immediately clear to

Dutton’s professors which career path, or major, she would choose. In fact, Dutton’s first academic advisor upon arriving to Amherst, Professor of Chemistry Mark Marshall, and her geology professor, Professor of Mineralogy and Geology John “Jack” Cheney, made a bet on what major Dutton would choose — chemistry or geology. To the astonishment of both, Dutton majored in neither, instead choosing to take some geology classes while continuing to major in music.

“Andrea’s older sister was a chemistry major, so I knew the family,” Marshall said. “In the end, she surprised us both.”

“I tell all of my advisees about her to this day. I say, ‘Look, you don’t have to major in whatever you’re going to be spending the rest of your life doing,’” Marshall added.

“My recollection is that Andrea said she loved music … and she wanted to spend her time doing what she loved, music, … while taking advantage of Amherst’s curriculum.”

“I think Jack won the bet,” Marshall said, laughing.

Dutton took as many geology classes as she could while majoring in music. “That ended up being five courses, I believe,” she said. “When I graduated, like a typical nerd, instead of asking for a traditional graduation present, I asked my parents to fund a geological field trip.”

She continued her nontraditional science career path after graduation teaching science classes at Saint

Ann’s School, a private K-12 school located in Brooklyn.

“All the jobs I had in my life to that point were some sort of teaching — whether that was being a coach, or something like that,” she said. “I taught at St. Ann’s for a couple of years while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.”

It was at St. Ann’s that Dutton realized she wanted to pursue a further education in geology — in her own words, she wanted to “scratch that itch.”

Dutton turned to her support network at Amherst for advice. Her professors, including Harms, encouraged her to apply for graduate school.

“When I have those types of conversations with students, I say do it!” Harms said. “Our country values education; it’s seen as a strategic advantage. They will pay you to go to graduate school in geology.”

Dutton listened, and received her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Michigan in 2000 and 2003, respectively. In 2004, Dutton traveled to Australia to work as a postdoctoral fellow.

During her time in Australia, Dutton found her niche in the geological field studying sea level rise, for which the MacArthur Foundation awarded her the grant.

“It was in part because it was the only position available for me,” Dutton said. “As a postdoc, you kind of take what you get. But I was always drawn to researching questions

that have an immediate impact on society, rather than things that are intellectually stimulating but less relevant.”

Dutton uses fossilized coral found near the surface of the ocean to track sea level changes over time.

Using data from the location and elevation of the geological outcrop, coupled with radiometric dating techniques, she reconstructs the sea level throughout history.

Dutton’s research has seen breakthrough results that can shift perspectives on global warming.

“We’ve found during past warm periods, the polar ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are very sensitive to small amounts of global average temperature warming,” she said. “When people hear these small numbers, they say, ‘Oh, we’re worried about two degrees Celsius global warming?’ It sounds very small. In fact, during the last ice age, 20,000 years ago, when we had ice sheets a mile thick over North America, it was only four degrees warmer, on average globally.”

Dutton’s career, Harms said, and the “rigor with which she does her science” are widely respected. “I don’t sit in my office and say, ‘I’m in the presence of a future MacArthur Fellow,’ … but I can’t say, now, that I am at all surprised [that Dutton received the grant],” Harms said.

As a single mother of two children who frequently travels to far off places for field work and conferences around the world, Dutton

says she has been trying to “keep [her] head above water, no pun intended.”

What Dutton does know is that one portion of the fellowship will finance familial matters — the other will go to her work.

“Having those finances, I will use at least some of it,” she pauses, as one of her children walks into the room to ask a question. “Being a single mother has some financial burdens: in terms of paying for babysitters every time you take a colleague out for a work dinner, it will certainly help with that, and also allow me to be more present for both my work and my family. That’s a huge benefit that I think will pay off enormously.”

Dutton also hopes to take some of the money and “pay it forward to the people coming up behind [her],” she said.

With increasing average global temperatures, the need to advance climate science is urgent. One way Dutton said she will lend a hand is to “help women in science navigate their careers. Through scholarships, or something else, I’m not quite sure yet … I want to take my time to think outside the box, see what others have done and see what’s been the most effective.”

“My kids are excited, mostly about the money part,” Dutton added. “I set up a video conference with my family, and they were so proud.

It was nice to be able to share that with them.”

Climate Action Plan Prepares for Development Phase Ryan Yu ’22 Managing News Editor Nine months after the Board of Trustees approved the Climate Action Plan (CAP) — which includes a commitment for the college to reach carbon neutrality by 2030 — the CAP has received renewed attention in light of climate strikes on campus last Friday, during which a number of speakers discussed the CAP at length. A closer look at the CAP reveals a mix of developments so far, plans to come and issues left unaddressed.

The Last Nine Months

For a project as big as the CAP, Director of Sustainability Laura Draucker says natural concrete changes won’t come immediately.

According to Draucker, the administration must work through multiple steps in the planning process before any tangible results can take place, including a systematic study of how current campus infrastructure can accommodate planned modifications. It is part of preparations by the Office of Environmental Sustainability (OES) and Facilities in the last few months.

“As you can imagine, the CAP is a major project — one of the largest the college has undertaken. The campus operations team has already been busy preparing for several initiatives they’ll perform this winter to collect data that is crucial for us to understand what will be needed to update our buildings to operate under the new energy system,” said Draucker. “That will include an infrared analysis of building heat loss and empirical testing to determine the water temperatures needed to efficiently heat our buildings.”

For Draucker and her team at

the OES, a large portion of time was also spent formalizing the ideas of the CAP in a written plan accessible to the general public, while also developing the CAP further in areas like student engagement.

“When the approval [of the CAP] was announced, we had everything in a PowerPoint presentation, but we didn’t really have a plan written down,” said Draucker.

“So, we spent a lot of time writing the plan … making sure all the details were captured of how we went through the process of determining the plan and what the key steps are.”

“The CAP plans to have committees consisting of faculty, staff and students with the objective of overseeing its various aspects,” added Kevin Zhang ’21, a former OES intern. “I think that is a great way for students to get more involved with decision-making on campus and form connections with staff and faculty.”

Currently, members of the campus operations and finance teams are deciding between three firms which they interviewed this past

Continued on page 5

News 5

The Amherst Student • October 2, 2019

OES Begins Search for Firm to Implement CAP Continued from page 4 week “for the task of leading the next phase of the project.” According to Draucker, the coming phase of the CAP involves “developing a conceptual design, which would include a timeline and implementation plan.” Draucker said they wanted to start “this phase of the work in November of this year and finalize it by next fall.”

The campus has seen some results, however. Witter Swanson ’21, an intern for the OES this past summer, pointed to “a solar energy facility in Maine that Amherst is involved in” as a specific example of the college’s continued move to renewable energy. “It’s going to provide about 50 percent of [the college’s] purchased electricity,” he said. “We banded together with other colleges — Bowdoin, Williams, Hampshire, Smith — to increase our marketability and impact … In the way that Amherst went about participating in the solar purchase, they went above and beyond what I’ve seen other colleges do.”

What Will Come

Although much of the CAP is still in its planning phase, many of its details have already been decided. Most notably, the college

will switch from a steam-powered heating and cooling system to a low-temperature hot water alternative, allowing for a transition from the current system, which uses natural gas, to a joint geothermal-electric energy system that uses renewable sources.

“The most consistent and key step in all of this work is switching from steam to hot water [as a heat distribution system],” said Draucker. “You really only have one way the create steam and that’s through burning fossil fuels, burning a biomass or nuclear fission — something which we’re not going to do on campus … So once you switch your campus to a hot water system, then you open up a ton of possibilities [with renewable energy].”

The specific logistics of how that will unfold, however, are currently up in the air. According to Draucker, each school handles the process differently due to the individual designs and environments of each institution. As such, the college won’t know the exact schedule by which the implementation will take place until the diagnostics and the first phase are finished.

“One of the firms we interviewed that is actually doing this work for Smith gave us a preview of what Smith’s phases look like. How-

ever, they were very clear with us that our phases will look different because it depends on the full analysis they would do,” Draucker said.

“Everybody has done it slightly differently.” Smith announced in 2010 that it will aim for carbon neutrality by 2030.

Outstanding Issues

Despite enthusiasm from climate activists on campus for the CAP, some are still dissatisfied with the college’s approach to environmentalism in other areas. In particular, the college’s investments in fossil fuels are a particular source of concern.

The Student has confirmed that the college currently maintains its investments in fossil fuels, as well as holdings in some of the largest oil and gas companies in the U.S. Though the administration and the board have been actively working toward releasing these investments, the process has taken a longer time than many hoped, and with little notice to the public. Across the board, however, it is recognized that divesting is complicated and involves legal terms and contracts that cannot guarantee resolution by set deadlines.

“Amherst’s endowment is a mix of direct investments, where man-

agers purchase and hold securities in the name of the college, and indirect investments, where managers purchase securities in a commingled fund of which Amherst is one of many investors,” Simon Krinsky, chairman of Amherst’s Investment Committee, said in a statement to The Student. “The Investment Committee engages with all of our managers, those who invest directly for the college and those who invest more broadly, to ensure that each incorporates sustainability considerations into their analysis of companies and events. We are committed to only invest with managers who do so thoughtfully, consistently, and to our high standards.”

“Virtually all of the college’s energy exposure, from fossil fuel to renewable resources, is through these commingled funds today,” Krinsky said. “The mix of exposures in the endowment has changed meaningfully over the past decade away from fossil fuels and toward renewables, and while it is not possible to predict a date when the college will have no exposure to fossil fuels, our best estimate is that the college’s renewable energy exposure will surpass its fossil fuel exposure by 2025.”

Though students have called on the Board of Trustees to divest from

fossil fuels throughout President Biddy Martin’s tenure at the college, the CAP only addressed a commitment to moving from fossil fuels to renewable energy on the college campus.

“I’m personally in favor of divestment from fossil fuel companies,” Swanson said. “I know there’s a lot of complications with that, and the effectiveness of that is debatable, but I think, on moral grounds, it feels wrong to be invested in fossil fuel companies, especially given the CAP, too.”

Swanson and Zhang both expressed a desire for an increase in focus on student engagement, which they saw as necessary for the CAP to go “beyond carbon neutral.”

“If we are able to create the next generation of climate-action-minded leaders, who will go on to have major influences in whichever field they end up in, then the impact that they have on the climate crisis will far outweigh our campus’s own carbon neutrality,” Zhang said. “The CAP already does contain an educational goal. However, I believe that significantly more emphasis should be put on it, which is where student voices come in.”

Shawna Chen ’20 contributed reporting to this article.

Reports of Sexual Assault Continue to Increase Ryan Yu ’22 Managing News Editor The Amherst College Police Department (ACPD) received sustained increase in reports of physical sex offenses and crimes of violence against women, according to the 2018 Clery Report released on Sept. 27. The annual report documents certain campus security policies and statistics on reported crimes at the college over the past three calendar years.

The report was largely compiled from data collected by the Office of Student Affairs, Amherst Health Services, the Counseling Center and ACPD. The Title IX office is responsible for gathering data on reported instances of sexu-

al harassment, sexual misconduct, dating or domestic violence and stalking, which are forwarded to ACPD. The report’s release is mandated by federal law; college community members received the report in their email and mailboxes.

According to the report, instances of reported rape increased from 12 to 15 from 2017 to 2018, continuing an increase from five reported incidents in 2016. Reported incidents of fondling and stalking also increased. Instances of fondling reached 15 in 2018; three were reported in 2016 and 12 in 2017. Instances of stalking reached 10 in 2018; there were zero reports in 2016 and four in 2017. Reports of domestic violence stayed relatively stagnant, decreas-

ing from six in 2017 to five in 2018.

Chief of Police John Carter pointed to the atmosphere of awareness created on campus by Title IX Coordinator Laurie Frankl as one of the reasons crimes relating to sexual respect increased in previous years.

“An increase in reported statistics is not always an indication of an increase in actual incidents — it may just mean a heightened awareness and willingness to report,” Carter wrote in an email interview.

“The Title IX Coordinator has become a trusted resource to many students and that trust has become a hallmark of the office. People feel comfortable reporting to Title IX.” The Student contacted Frankl and Amanda Vann, director of

health education and deputy Title IX coordinator for comment, but neither were available to comment by press time.

Carter also noted the training that ACPD receives on matters of sexual misconduct. “Just last week, the entire police department underwent training on trauma influence investigations. This is a repeat of training we have done in the past,” Carter wrote. “The training incorporated presentations from the Title IX Office, the Counseling Center, the District Attorney’s Sexual Assault Unit and the Amherst Police Captain that oversees the Detective Unit.”

Burglaries remained stagnant, staying at 12 reported instances between this year and last. The col-

lege saw two reported incidents of both aggravated assault and arson in 2018; there were none in the two years prior.

Alcohol violations also dropped significantly to 17 reports, down from 50 in 2016 and 42 in 2017. Drug violations, however, increased to seven reports from two reports last year.

“The work of the police department is more centered on the response to dangerous drinking and the associated risks, such as overconsumption leading to medical emergencies,” wrote Carter.

“This doesn’t mean that underaged drinking is permissible, but it does mean that ACPD’s priorities are aligned with our community’s values.”

Opinion

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Fighting on a Larger, Local Scale Throughout the Global Week for Future and the United Nations Climate Summit, which took place from Sept. 20 to Sept. 27, the world witnessed a global phenomenon of students, scientists, world leaders and activists working together to bring attention to the issue of climate change and its growing impacts around the world. Yet, as the strikes conclude and we return to our normal routines, we risk placing the pressing issue of climate change on the back burner of our minds once more. Climate change is always present, whether through the unseasonably hot weather or in the natural disasters that devastate communities at home and abroad, and we cannot risk disengaging from the critical conversations around this issue. The question remains then: how do we, as Amherst students, continue the conversation and activism on climate change?

The answer lies in working locally, both on campus and at home, to draw awareness and enact change. Last year, the college took a bold step by vowing to achieve climate neutrality by 2030 through the modernization of its energy systems and a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Students, faculty and staff alike applauded the unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees in joining other institutions of higher education in the fight against climate change.

But the campus-wide fight against climate change should not and does not end at a mere vote. It does not end after a press release by the administration. Students and other members of the Amherst community must remain involved in this monumental undertaking both within and outside of the administration. It is our job to hold the administration and the board accountable for its progress on the position, whether through demanding informative and timely progress updates, joining the Climate Action Plan Advisory Committee or participating in further activism and advocacy.

The Climate Action Plan Advisory Committee, which was proposed in the Climate Action Plan, intends to gather a set of faculty, staff and students to evaluate key issues in the plan. We have seen how committees consisting of all members of the Amherst community have led to new initiatives combating food waste or new educational policies that give students flexibility for pursuing the open curriculum. While the intention behind this committee is commendable, its execution so far appears lacking. Given climate change’s impending timeline, it is imperative that the college form this committee as quickly as possible to provide input on the initial implementation of the Climate Action Plan. But we have yet to receive a community-wide announcement discussing the committee or announcing open positions. What use does a committee have without its members, especially those from the student body?

Furthermore, it is important that Amherst students demand more transparency in the implementation

of the Climate Action Plan. Amherst students were integral to the proposal, creation and advocacy of the plan from its very beginning. Students were vital to bringing much-needed attention to climate change through forums discussing its impacts, countless meetings with administrative officials and, of course, the recent climate strikes. Without transparency, there is no accountability. With the Climate Action Plan, we stand at a critical crossroads. By demanding transparency and accountability now, whether through frequent email updates or announcements by the administration, we ensure the success of the Climate Action Plan through 2030.

We as students must also urge the college to work on its stance on climate change beyond the Climate Action Plan. To say that the Climate Action Plan is enough is wrong. As a leader among liberal arts colleges and an institution with national influence, the college must set an example for its peer institutions, alumni and community by going above and beyond. Completely divesting our large endowment away from the fossil fuel industry is one major way Amherst can fulfill and affirm its commitment to solving climate change. The fossil fuel industry has repeatedly contributed to the exacerbation of climate change, which has led to climate disasters and crises around the world. The fossil fuel industry, furthermore, continues to lobby Congress and other federal agencies to decrease regulations on pollution, conservation and emissions that affect the health and safety of all Americans.

As students — and as people living in the very fabric of a climate crisis accelerated by fossil fuels — it is our job to bring attention to this critical issue. In an era where our climate is already irreparably damaged, passive support for the movement and implicit financial support for fossil fuel industries is more than not enough — it’s wrong.

Yet, working locally is not isolated to the boundaries of our campus. As we witnessed with the campuswide climate strikes, it is essential to collaborate with our community. While inviting Massachusetts State Rep. Mindy Domb to our campus to discuss local and statewide efforts was a fantastic first step, the Amherst community should look toward efforts that aim to integrate our campus-wide Climate Action Plan into greater community initiatives.

This could involve working with our Five College partners and encouraging them to pursue climate action plans of their own or working with the Town of Amherst to prompt regional green initiatives. No matter the idea, any effort to bridge our campus with the larger Amherst community will help continue the conversation about climate change on a larger scale.

Unsigned editorials represent the Editorial Board (assenting: 14; dissenting: 0; abstaining: 0)

THE AMHERST

STUDENT E X E C U T I V E B OA R D Editors-in-Chief Shawna Chen Emma Swislow Managing News Zach Jonas Natalie De Rosa Ryan Yu Managing Opinion Jae Yun Ham Rebecca Picciotto Managing Arts and Living Olivia Gieger Seoyeon Kim Managing Sports Connor Haugh Henry Newton Managing Design Zehra Madhavan Julia Shea S TA F F Publishers Emmy Sohn Mark Nathin Digital Director Dylan Momplaisir

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The Amherst Student • October 2, 2019

Welcoming Justice Ginsburg by Emi Eliason ’22

Do you care about issues on campus and beyond?

Write for the

Opinion Section!

Email jham22@amherst.edu and rpicciotto22@amherst.edu if interested.

Opinion 7

Opinion 8

The Amherst Student • October 2, 2019

Seeing Double: America’s Sub-Citizens Cole Graber-Mitchell ’22 Columnist More than six million Americans could not vote in the 2016 elections because of felony convictions. In other words, about 4.5 percent of eligible voters were prohibited from casting ballots simply because they had been convicted of a felony at some point. Of these disenfranchised voters, 77 percent were on parole or probation, or had already completed their sentences — they had ostensibly rejoined society, but couldn’t participate fully in our democracy.

The idea of felony disenfranchisement hasn’t always been so egregious. The practice originated in ancient Greece and Rome, then was adopted by the English into the concept of “civil disabilities,” which stripped criminals of all rights. In early America, it was used as a punishment for election tampering or other heinous crimes, but after the Civil War, U.S. states widely adopted the punishment to oppress freed black people. In 12 states today, convicted felons will never regain their right to vote. In another 18 states, felons are allowed to vote only after they have completed their prison sentence, parole and probation. In only two states can imprisoned felons vote.

Almost no other democracies restrict felon voting as much as the U.S. because voting is the fundamental exercise of citizenship.

Voting is such a crucial part of our democracy that four amendments to our Constitution read, “the right of citizens of the United States ... to vote ... shall not be denied or abridged.” Democracy defines our national identity. In the words of former Chief Justice Earl Warren, the franchise is the “essence of a democratic society.”

The ability to vote denotes full acceptance into the realm of rational, modern personhood. When we restrict a citizen’s right to vote, we mark them as a pariah and degrade their status as a human being.

Not only does this inhibit rehabilitation, but to label someone as less than a person is abhorrent and leads to violence, discrimination

and oppression.

Beyond its symbolic meaning, voting is also fundamental to our exercise of political power. Without the threat of the ballot box, we can’t ensure that our elected officials will protect any of our rights. Our votes give us the formal power to determine our representatives and change our government. Taking away the franchise from any group is a sure sign of oppression, silencing and bigotry.

Contrary to the tangible and symbolic effects of disenfranchisement, supporters commonly claim that the practice isn’t intended to be punitive. Instead, they say it’s necessary to prevent convicts from electing officials who would decriminalize bad behavior. This is absurd.

First of all, as a category, felonies are utterly arbitrary, differ across political boundaries and often are the result of “three strikes” or similar laws that upgrade minor crimes. To assume that felons are both universally morally inept and incapable of change betrays the underlying purpose behind felony disenfranchisement: differentiation of the “good” citizens from the “bad” citizens. Second, in no state will felons, once given the right to vote, hold an electoral majority. If their intent is to rid society of law

“Not only does this

inhibit rehabilitation, but to label someone as less than a person is abhorrent and leads to violence, discrimination and oppression.

”

and order, they’ll need substantial support from people never convicted of a crime. And third, to exclude a legitimate group of voters because of their politics is the antithesis of democratic principles. Felony disenfranchisement’s only goal is to degrade, marginalize and subjugate felons.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Felon disenfranchisement bans prohibit over six million Americans from voting in critical elections, or around 4.5 percent of all eligible voters.

Ultimately, felony disenfranchisement still serves the same purpose it did when it was widely implemented post-Civil War: targeted oppression. According to The Sentencing Project, African Americans are disenfranchised by the criminal justice system at a rate four times higher than other groups. In Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia — and until recently, Florida — more than 20 percent of black people are barred from voting. Florida’s case is particularly illustrative. In 2018, a ballot measure passed that gave the right to vote back to felons who had served their time. However, Florida’s conservative state government ruled that felons couldn’t vote until they had paid all fines and court fees, effectively instituting an unconstitutional poll tax. Whenever implemented, felony disenfranchisement targets poor and black Americans under the guise of the rule of law.

The case against disenfranchisement can be made even without moral judgement: it’s unconstitutional. The Eighth Amendment protects against cruel and unusual punishment. As Justice William

Brennan Jr. wrote in Furman v.

Georgia, punishments that “treat members of the human race as nonhumans” are “inconsistent with the fundamental premise of the [Eighth Amendment] that even the vilest criminal remains a human being possessed of common human dignity.” When we strip the right to vote from felons, we deny their personhood — voting is a fundamental human right. It’s cruel to restrict anyone, even the “vilest criminal,” from participation in civil society.

Our system of felony disenfranchisement interacts especially heinously with another function of our government: the Census. Incarcerated people are counted by the Census as willing residents of the districts where they are incarcerated instead of their home districts.

Since the vast majority of black and Hispanic convicts are incarcerated in majority white and rural areas, and since almost no felon can vote while incarcerated, the political power of felons instead flows to white, rural Americans.

The Census doesn’t only determine representation — it also

decides where federal money goes.

Through mass incarceration and felony disenfranchisement, white America appropriates the political power and federal money that should be flowing to marginalized communities.

Felony disenfranchisement is an effective tool for oppression: it silences those it affects, it targets specific groups and it increases the power of the privileged. It’s impossible to say that it is un-American, because racism and classism permeate our history. However, it is anti-democratic.

Our criminal justice system is deeply flawed, and restoring the right to vote to all felons, incarcerated or otherwise, won’t solve that. But when we systematically silence those who have actually gone through our justice system, we ignore the real problems in our prisons, courts and communities.

For racist, illegitimate and harmful reasons, we continue to exclude millions of Americans from political participation. If we are to uphold our values, every citizen of the United States should have the right to vote — felon or otherwise.

Arts&Living

Underappreciated Study Spots In and Around Amherst

Photo courtesy of Olivia Luntz ‘21

Familiars Coffee & Tea, which is located in a 1930s train car that sits on Strong Avenue in Northampton, serves an extensive menu.

Olivia Luntz ’21 Staff Writer

coffee shop in town and embrace the coziness.

Fall semester is in full swing, and with it comes the deluge of papers, problem sets, course readers and lab reports. Whether you’re studying for a midterm or reading “Middlemarch,” the time has probably come for a study spot that is not as nap-inducing as your bed and less soul-crushing than the basement levels of Frost Library. No matter if you prefer a quiet or bustling ambiance, coffee or tea, surroundings of books or art, there’s sure to be a study space in or around Amherst that’s perfect for you.

2. The Mead

1. The Inn on Boltwood

The Rail Trail is easily the most scenically beautiful place within walking distance of campus.

What the trail lacks in WiFi and outlets, it makes up for in foliage, views of the mountain range and fresh air. The trail is accessible from two locations on campus: from the corner of South Pleasant Street and Snell Street, and from behind the South Parking Lot near the tennis courts. Next time you need a distraction-free spot to finish a book, pick a bench

The library, right off the main lobby at The Inn on Boltwood, is only a few steps from campus and provides a quiet and charming space to work. Equipped with a variety of seating, the only thing you’ll have to think about (other than your work) is whether to camp out on a couch or pull up an armchair next to the perpetually roaring fire. Ideal for cold days, bring a warm drink from Valentine Dining Hall or your favorite

Our own campus art museum provides the opportunity to work while surrounded by beautiful and inspiring artwork. Open until midnight on Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday nights, the bright and colorful works on view at the Mead provide a welcome respite from staring at your dorm room walls the next time you have writer’s block. Just remember to bring plenty of pencils if you plan to work on paper, since pens are not allowed inside the galleries.

3. Norwottuck Rail Trail

on the trail to camp out at. While you’re reading, you can enjoy the company of passing runners and bikers, as well as local wildlife.

The pond adjacent to the trail in Belchertown, specifically, is home to a variety of wildlife, including beavers, ducks, turtles, herons and woodpeckers.

4. Yūshien Garden

Nestled between Webster Hall and Kirby Theatre is Yūshien Garden, one of Amherst’s hidden gems. Opened in 2001, the name roughly translates to “Garden of Friendship” and commemorates the relationship between Amherst College and Doshisha University in Japan. The Journal of Japanese Gardening has ranked Yūshien Garden one of the best Japanese gardens in the nation, and you don’t even need to leave campus to see it! The garden is accessible from the western side of Webster and is a great place in which to destress and escape the bustle of the day.

5. Share Coffee

Serving coffee roasted in Hadley, Share’s sunny storefront is always filled with smiling faces, the

smell of freshly brewed coffee and the sound of keyboards clacking.

Sit at the window counter to people watch or at the marble bar to chat with one of their friendly baristas. A lesser-known detail of the menu is that rather than store-bought syrups, the store’s flavorings are either made inhouse or sourced locally. Homemade vanilla syrup is especially tasty in a cold draft vanilla latte or a London fog (my particular drink of choice). Those looking to cool down sans-caffeine should try Share’s Italian soda, which is made with the syrup of your choice. Since moving into its new location last year, Share has also begun to offer a more extensive food menu, with made-to-order sandwiches in addition to muffins and pastries.

coffee and tea menu until closing at 12:30 a.m., making this the ideal spot for finishing up anything with a 11:59 p.m. deadline.

8. Morrill Greenhouses at UMass

The six Morrill Greenhouses, part of the university’s College of Natural Sciences, provide the opportunity to view over 680 genera of plants from all over the world in one location. Wooden benches under giant palm leaves are a welcoming place to read, and a study break of walking around the conservatory can take you to environments from around the globe. The greenhouses are open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday through Friday.

9. Dobrá Tea

An institution in Amherst since 1968, Black Sheep offers much more than coffee. All of its breads, pastries and desserts are made from scratch daily, and the deli’s extensive sandwich menu features vegetables grown in the store’s own farm and sourced from other local vendors. For those that like to work with background music, there are live performances every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Next time you’re there, bring in your own mug for a discount off your drink!

Voted the best place for tea by The Valley Advocate this year for the fourth year in a row, Dobrá is the place to go for everyone from the casual tea drinker to the tea enthusiast. After sitting on a chair or a comfy floor cushion, you can summon a server with the bell provided on your table and receive a binder of Dobrá’s 100plus offerings of teas, grouped by type and region, and each with its own description. If you really can’t decide, the store does offer several tea tasting menus, which will leave you feeling like a tea sommelier.

7. Amherst Coffee

10. Haymarket Cafe

6. The Black Sheep Deli

Located in the historic Amherst Cinema building with exposed Edison light bulbs, a beautifully embellished ceiling, a wooden bar and booth seating, Amherst Coffee has a rich, cozy ambiance. Though its coffee menu is minimalist, make sure not to overlook its offerings of teas, which include an especially worthwhile cold brew matcha latte. Pastries from the local Tart Baking Co. supplement the store’s offerings. The location transforms from coffee shop to bar at night and it continues to offer its full

Haymarket Cafe, which has served customers on Northampton’s Main Street since 1991, wears many hats. Simultaneously a coffee roaster, restaurant, bakery, juice bar and cafe, the store has whatever fuel you crave during studying — whether it’s carrot cake, mac and cheese or just a good coffee. It also has ample and clearly indicated gluten-free and vegan options. Tables on both the main and lower level are frequently covered with

Continued on page 10

Arts & Living 10

The Amherst Student • October 2, 2019

Amherst Symphony Orchestra Welcomes Class of 2023

Photo courtesy of Amherst College

The Amherst Symphony Orchestra (ASO) kicked off its concert season by paying homage to legendary Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich.

Manni Spicer Saavedra ’23 Contributing Writer On Saturday, Sept. 28, the Amherst Symphony Orchestra (ASO) gave its first performance in Buckley Recital Hall to welcome the class of 2023.

With an exciting program of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Festival Overture and Symphony No. 5, it was a perfect way to kick off the orchestra’s 2019-2020 season, which centers on the theme of “Russian Masters.”

The emphasis of this concert was placed on the incoming firstyear students, who were celebrated onstage by the veteran performers as they took their seats.

Unique to this season is the ASO’s focus on the historical context behind the music; this year, the Russian and music departments partnered to give lectures on the politics and culture behind each

composer’s work.

Prior to the Shostakovich performance, Professor of Music Klara Moricz and Professor and Chair of the Russian Department Boris Wolfson gave a lecture covering the background of both the Festival Overture and Symphony No. 5.

They discussed how Soviet suppression dramatically informed Shostakovich’s music, and described the different contexts in which these pieces were created.

Symphony No. 5 was written in 1937 at the height of Stalinist oppression. It was a time of great anxiety for the Russians, and this fear clearly manifests itself in the dark tone of the symphony. In contrast, the Festival Overture was written in the post-Stalin era, marked by a much more expressive and joyful social consciousness, which is reflected in the triumphant sound of the piece.

This historical context was

clearly understood in the ASO’s performance, as each piece was incredibly emotive and executed very well. With five hours of rehearsal per week on top of individual practice time, the effort put into this performance clearly paid off. For the class of 2023, this experience was “exhilarating,” as violist Julian Schauffler ’23 put it.

Schauffler commented on this excitement — not just between the performers, but within the audience as well. “People were genuinely excited about an orchestra concert,” they said, which was new to Schauffler coming from their high school orchestra.

Schauffler also highlighted the difficulty of the music they played, especially compared to what they had done in their high school orchestra.

At the same time, though, Schauffler described the uplifting environment within the orches-

tra, commenting that it was “a lot chiller than [they] thought it was going to be” and that “everyone jok[es] around and there is a lot of camaraderie.”

This interaction was evident throughout the performance, and Schauffler made it clear that every performer was aware of the historical background that informed their playing. When asked about the context behind the music, Schauffler said that “Mark is really into that stuff,” refering to conductor Mark Swanson’s ability to connect the music with social and historical context.

Members of the orchestra delved into the specific historical details behind the pieces which helped them emote what Shostakovich was feeling. “You can’t really get anywhere just playing something very fast or slow, loud or soft.

You have to know what the images are, or what’s the specific emotion

behind the music,” Schauffler emphasized.

This, in part, is why the Russian and music departments partnered in the first place: to help people connect to the music on a more visceral level.

The rest of the season will feature works by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Pyotr Tchaikovsky and other Russian masters.

Lectures similar to the one given before the Shostakovich performance will take place before each of these concerts, so attendees can look forward to getting invaluable historical context around the music.

The excitement and quality of Saturday’s performance will surely be matched in the ones to follow through the rest of the season.

The ASO’s next performance will be on Nov. 9, when they will play Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and Piano Concerto No.1.

Study Spots On and Off Campus That Aren’t Just Frost Continued from page 9 books and laptops of fellow students and studiers. When you’re there, consider donating to their “Common Account.” Haymarket is dedicated to never turning away anyone who is need of a meal and contributions to this account funds its sliding scale menu. In the past

year, the restaurant served an average of 400-plus free meals a month.

11. Montague Bookmill

Although this spot is a 20 minute drive away from campus, it is well worth the trip to study while sitting on the bank of a rushing river. A 176-year-old grain mill, the building has maintained its rich

history and character, with wellworn wooden floors and windows that provide a wide view of the river. Curl up in one of the armchairs scattered across the store and when you need a study break, peruse the racks of used books to find a new favorite. Hungry readers are in luck, as the Bookmill is connected to both the Lady Killigrew Cafe and

the Alvah Stone Restaurant, both of which have breathtaking views of the Saw Mill River. The Alvah Stone specifically was recently rated “The Best Small-Town Restaurant” in the state by Thrillist.

12. Familiars Coffee & Tea

Opened just this past winter, Familiars Coffee & Tea is the latest res-

ident of the 1930s train car that sits on Strong Avenue in Northampton.

Walking into the cherry-red train car is like walking into a bygone era.

The historic location features rustic hardwood panelling on the walls, original metalwork and windows.

Come for the beautiful interiors and stay for the extensive menu of coffee, teas and bagel sandwiches.

Arts & Living 11

The Amherst Student • October 2, 2019

As Expected, Movie Adaptation of “The Goldfinch” Flops

Ansel Elgort (pictured above), plays Theo Decker, the main character of “The Goldfinch” who develops dark, destructive tendencies after the death of his mother.

Lauren Kisare ’23 Contributing Writer To say that the movie adaptation of Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel “The Goldfinch” was a disappointment wouldn’t be completely true. The film was everything I expected it to be — a thin, poorly reproduced skeleton of the gorgeous prose that spans Tartt’s 800-page narrative. After reading many abysmal reviews, I was fairly prepared to be more or less unmoved by the performances in the film. Unfortunately, the film did not manage to prove me wrong. Prior to its release, many predicted that the movie adaption would be capable of winning an Oscar, and I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the negative reception it received.

Only a couple days after its release on Sept. 8 at the Toronto International Film Festival, many critic reviews poured in, and the overwhelming number of negative articles coupled with the quick 24 percent on Rotten Tomatoes made me very cautious about seeing the film. While there are various aspects of the movie that were somewhat engaging, the incalculable number of missteps and liberties that its producers took in disassociating the movie from the book were non-negotiable, and ultimately led the movie toward its lukewarm mediocrity. The decision to even try

to adapt a novel that is introspective in essence was probably the first of many mistakes.

Tartt’s “The Goldfinch” is a novel that centers around the life of 13-year-old Theo Decker (played by Ansel Elgort in the movie version) after a terrorist incident at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that leads to the death of his mother. After having stolen a painting from the museum during the chaos, the novel follows Theo’s attempts to grapple with the death of his mother as he goes down a troubled road of drugs, addiction, lies and heartbreak. Told from the perspective of Theo, the novel is mainly composed of his thoughts, rather than his actions. Importantly, these thoughts were not conveyed in the movie, making for a very dry and slow paced narrative.

However, the lack of Theo’s voice was not the only problem. In a more structural context, the film lacked consistency because of the irregular mixup of different scenes.The whole film felt devoid of any coherent motion and continuity. As a result, the narrative arc of the film was lacking because a lot of scenes were incongruently put together. Viewers going into the movie would not be able to understand a good portion of what is going on because many scenes were out of context, and the connectivity between certain events was choppy and lacking in information.

While Tartt’s novel follows events sequentially, the film darts between young Theo (Oakes Fegley) and adult Theo’s storylines haphazardly.

Without even establishing anything concrete in young Theo’s timeline, the movie makes jarring jumps into adult Theo’s timeline, and then back again to young Theo. This happens multiple times throughout the film, and it becomes confusing, because viewers are not even given the time to fully invest in the character development of young Theo or adult Theo without being shifted to a different storyline.

That being said, one of the bigger downfalls of this film was not showing the incident at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in its entirety. Unlike the novel, which spends a lengthy portion of the beginning detailing the bombing, the movie displays this scene in a series of flashbacks. Although relying on flashbacks to tell a story is not necessarily bad, there was no real consistency in how these scenes were incorporated. Flashbacks came at irregular times, and were displayed sparsely throughout the film. The bombing incident is what sets the whole story into motion, and the decision to even put the first crucial scene of the story as a flashback was ultimately a poor choice. It is the catalyst for Theo’s disruptive life and hauntingly traumatic progression into adulthood. It

is what predicates his drug addiction and pathological lying. So to squeeze this scene into 10-second flashbacks that appear only a few times throughout the film was a grave mistake, as the main emotional crux of the story is left scattered throughout an already disjointed narrative.

As a result, the film lacked any substantial emotional weight. It doesn’t even give you the chance to emotionally invest in any of the characters or the story for that matter, leading to a completely lifeless and dry movie. The actors themselves had very lackluster performances, and did not bring anything special or inventive to the characters they portrayed. For instance, when Theo sees the Barbour family, the family that temporarily took him in after his mother’s death, again as an adult, the whole affair is very awkwardly portrayed, and the joy of seeing the Barbours felt comical and comparable to sitcom-acting. When Theo later professes his love for Pippa (Ashleigh Cummings), the girl that he meets and promptly falls in love with during the bombing incident, you’re left confused and not all that sympathetic because the nuanced aspect of Theo’s attachment to Pippa is not properly addressed. Even Theo’s attachment to his mother and the painting of the Goldfinch itself is questionable as his connection with both is not as earnestly conveyed as it is in the book. For such a nuanced novel as “The Goldfinch”, you must explicitly depict them in converting the novel to the film.

Nonetheless, the film did try to replicate emotional scenes through very striking cinematography. And while the cinematography of the film was picturesque, it felt as though the movie relied heavily on aesthetic, cinematographic scenes to make up for the lack of emotional power and depth of the film. There would be scenes of adult Theo staring placidly into the distance for very long periods of time in a montage sequence, as though viewers were supposed to supplement some sort of meaning into these moments. The camera would zoom heavily into characters’ faces as though seeing close-ups of a single tear running down a face would somehow make the view-

er empathize with a character. The movie, consequently, operates under a lot of unconvincing emotional moments that come off as very manufactured and forced.

Lastly, what really made this movie a very difficult one to stay in the theater for was the portrayal of Theo himself, and how much the movie omitted from his original character.

In the film, Theo is portrayed as a rather bland, charismatic individual who just so happens to have made a couple of bad choices. In the novel, however, Theo is plagued by a serious drug addiction, is a compulsive liar/con-artist and has a creepy, stalker-like obsession with a girl he barely knows. Although Theo is a very corrupt individual, the film tries to avoid a lot of his more destructive qualities. Without these more ruinous qualities, we don’t get to see as much depth in Theo’s character development as we do in the novel, and are instead left with a rather sloppy summation of what is supposed to be character development.

On a more positive note, I thoroughly enjoyed the acting performances of Finn Wolfhard as Boris, Theo’s close friend, and Oakes Fegley as young Theo during the Las Vegas part of the film’s plot. Although Wolfhard’s phony accent was a bit off-putting, both he and Fegley managed to convey the relationship between Boris and Theo to the same emotional degree as the novel. It was one of the more engaging parts of the film, and had the most emotion.

Overall, however, I was right to not expect too much from this film.

In all honesty, “The Goldfinch” was destined to flop to some degree. The greatness of the novel derives from the nuances and complex emotions that are steadily built along the course of 800 pages. The prose that Tartt introduces in her novel allows for readers to see how various damaging behaviors repeat themselves.

It’s a slow-burning novel, but the payoff is worth it and we get to see a very tragic, complex story unfold. To try and adapt this prose into a twohour movie seems nearly impossible as none of the subtle nuances of the novel were captured in the film, making for a very dry and boring view.

Arts & Living 12

The Amherst Student • October 2, 2019

Men I Trust’s “Oncle Jazz” is Raw, Real and Inventive

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Canadian Indie band Men I Trust is at their best in “Oncle Jazz,” which immerses its audience and invites them to make their own interpretations.

Ryan Yu ’22 Managing News Editor Double albums — albums that are too long, basically — annoy me. They annoy me because there’s always a moment in the album — usually somewhere after the halfway point, after it’s run through all the gems and left only filler — where you find yourself asking, “Is this really still going on?” Yes, it is, and there’s half an hour more.

I don’t finish double albums too often.

So, all things considered, I probably should have been intensely annoyed by Men I Trust’s recent album “Oncle Jazz” and its 24 (that’s two dozen!) tracks, especially from a band that’s known for easy listening. And initially, I was. But here I am, writing this review as I finish listening to the album for the sixth or seventh time, not yet exhausted by its length. It’s a minor miracle of sorts.

If you happen to be intrigued enough to see if listening to this album might spark your own minor miracle, you might open up Spotify with the intention of listening to it for a minute or two to see if it’s for you. And then, if you’re like me, you might pause the album 10 seconds in just to make sure you didn’t accidentally put on some new-age adult contemporary radio station

with music that’s too sophisticated for your youthful ears to comprehend. You’ll be surprised to find out that you didn’t.

No, it’s quite a bit better than that. Part of what makes “Oncle Jazz” such a subtly impressive piece is the unique and independent sonic world it crafts. The lead vocalist, Emma Proulx, makes this abundantly clear. “You’re listening to Radio ‘Men I Trust,’” she whispers in one of the album’s two interludes.

And it really does feel like you’re listening to the band’s privately curated radio station, like the group is picking out songs specifically to fit the mood — your mood — as the different tracks flow and blend into one another, from beginning to end to beginning again.

Of course, the intimacy and fluidity that characterizes the album doesn’t come into being in a vacuum. For that, we can thank Proulx and her two bandmates, Jessy Caron and Dragos Chiriac, for their emphasis on an organic production style with a richly diverse array of tools and techniques. You’ll hear the traditional guitar figurations of indie folk, the heavy distortion of psychedelia, the crooning vocals and glide guitar of dream pop, the syncopations and dissonant chord structures of jazz, the bass-led rhythms of funk — all of them and more mix in some

combination on each song. The result is our continued immersion in a world that Men I Trust has created for us, a world in which we can fall and lose ourselves.

But “Oncle Jazz” doesn’t fall into the trap that similar “mood” albums fall into. While it still creates an expansive and free-flowing soundscape, the tracks never lose their individual distinctiveness, acting as distant landmarks in the same, familiar world. You might hear songs like “Norton Commander” and its searching, hazy quality, and then immediately move to the light playfulness of “Air” or the bass-heavy groove of “Slap Pie.” It’s a colorful palette that Men I Trust uses to craft an equally colorful tableau, with enough residual paints left for you to create your own secondary, personal picture.

Perhaps that’s the most inventive dimension of this album: it invites you to interact and interpret it directly, to make it your own. And that goes beyond just using the palette the band provides to emphasize your own focuses, cares and anxieties. As is typical with dream-pop-adjacent bands, the lyrics always leave enough space for us to project our own interpretations onto them, yet specific enough to guide us in some general direction — it’s a perfect balance, in

some sense.

When Proulx tells us about how “he” asks “her,” “Babe, you’re leaving again?” in the album highlight “Pines,” we only know what “he” knows and feels about “her:” that she’s “running late” and “running away.” And like him, we’re invited to fill in the blanks, to speculate and perhaps even act. Perhaps we might interpret it to be as mundane as the tale of someone going to work.

In any case, we have 24 tracks to interpret and reinterpret again and again, both in the songs’ aura and in their lyrics. It becomes a vast sandbox for us to build a home.

Maybe that’s why the album doesn’t dull, even after seven listens.

It’s fitting, the weight Men I Trust puts on allowing listeners to build their own experience, because the band itself is a prime example of the DIY ethic in modern music: a group that completely eschews labels and management but has nonetheless grown a global following with over a million monthly listeners on Spotify in the five years it’s been together.

Men I Trust is, by its design, focused on an individuality of spirit and of musicianship that’s quite rare in the broader landscape of media. It’s obvious that its insistence on independence and personalization extends to the music

the band produces, too.

That doesn’t mean that the artists’ stories don’t shine through in their music, however. Everything they write is grounded in a way that feels as if it could only be rooted in their real, raw experiences.

It’s difficult to imagine that “Pierre” wasn’t centered around some real-life figure, or that the imagery and specificity of “Seven” wasn’t rooted in the band members’ own feelings of longing. Because, even though we’re given such autonomy in understanding this album, it’s still the lessons and experiences that the band wishes to impart that guide us.

The songs are most vivid when the two visions, of both band and audience, align. You might be driving to Bradley, ready to fly out to some metropolis to start work for the summer. Maybe, as you drive past Springfield and into Connecticut, you put on “Oncle Jazz.”

You’ll continue driving and driving, driving until Proulx’s gentle warble breaks into the hook for “Tailwhip”: “You’ll be alright / Stay here some time / This country dog won’t die in the city.” No, you won’t. And maybe, as you fly out of Windsor Locks and to whatever destination you’re headed for, you will think about those lyrics. And for a band like Men I Trust, that’s all you need.

Sports Field Hockey Drops Two Important NESCAC Matches Tyler Marshall ’21 Staff Writer

The field hockey team faced a pair of top-15 ranked opponents this weekend in NESCAC play.

On Saturday, Sept. 28, Amherst traveled to Williamstown to face archrival Williams.

The Ephs came into the game ranked No. 12 in the country and sported a 2-1 record in NESCAC play. Amherst had a 1-2 record in conference games going into this tilt, but were carrying a three-game winning streak after defeating Endicott College, Connnecticut College and MIT. Williams took control of the game from the very beginning.

They scored three times in the first half, while only allowing Amherst to record one shot.

The Mammoths have struggled all season on corners, both offensively and defensively, and it was no different in this matchup. All three goals scored by the Ephs in the first half came off of corners.

Amherst was able to score in the second half, but it was not enough since they ultimately fell by a score of 4-1. Beth Williamson ’22 recorded her team-leading fifth goal in the loss.

Amherst did not have much time to recover from the tough defeat as they were back in action on Sunday on Gooding Field.

The No. 1 Middlebury Panthers came into town with their undefeated record on the line.

The reigning back-to-back DIII national champions scored just five minutes into the game off of a corner to take a 1-0 lead.

Amherst battled against a very talented Middlebury team and kept the deficit at one goal going into halftime.

Middlebury extended their lead to 2-0 early in the third quarter, but Amherst answered back a few minutes later to keep

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Kiera Alventosa ’21 (pictured above) scored her first goal in Mammoth colors this weekend in the team’s loss against the top team in the country and back-to-back national champion Middlebury. The Mammoths fell to the Panthers, 2-1. the game tight. Natalie Hobbs ’22 centered a pass toward the goal that was eventually deflected by Kiera Alventosa ’21 into the back of the net, which was her first career goal as a Mammoth. The assist gave Hobbs five on the season, which makes her the team leader in points with 13. Amherst kept the pressure on Middlebury for the rest of the second half, but neither team was able to score resulting in a 2-1 final.

Amherst did record a win earlier in the week when they defeated MIT on the road last

Wednesday night.

They won 2-1 with both goals coming from Franny Daniels ’21. Daniels put Amherst up early with a pair of first-half goals, and strong defense and goalkeeping held off a late push from the Engineers.

Emilie Flamme ’20 recorded three saves in goal while Williamson, Grace Johnson ’21, Sophia Kaplan ’22 and Anna Agathis ’21 had strong performances in front of Flamme.

Amherst hopes to snap their losing streak this weekend as they host Wesleyan on Saturday.

The Amherst Student • October 2, 2019

Sports 14

New Bill Prompts Discussion of Athlete Payment Connor Haugh ’21 Managing Sports Editor

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared on Lebron James’ HBO barbershop-talk show “The Shop.” Newsom, himself a former college baseball player and University of California Regent, went on James’ show to sign Senate Bill 206. The bill, which passed the California State Assembly 72-0, allows college athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness.

This is a dramatic step in the recent history of paying college athletes. This past May, the NCAA announced a working group to consider these changes, and plans to announce the results of the investigation in October.

The committee was convened partially in response to the California bill, but also to the anxiety circling NCAA circles since the National Labor Relations Board ruled that football players at 17 private universities, including Northwestern and Notre Dame, could unionize to fight for better conditions – and perhaps more importantly, that they can be con-

sidered “employees.”

The California law does not, in practice, give any real freedom to athletes, as colleges that wish to remain NCAA-compliant may still do so.

Since the important Pac-12 schools within the University of California system, like the University of California, Berkeley and UCLA will have to comply with state governments fully, however, the state of California might use their bill as leverage to challenge the whole system.

The NCAA is also challenging the law, which it feels is regulating interstate commerce and, therefore, unconstitutional.

At Amherst, very few athletes play professional sports after college. Alex Bernstein ’97 is the most successful recent example.

The lineman played for the Ravens, Jets, Browns and Falcons in the late 90s.

Students, in theory, could profit off their likeness at the peak of their athletic careers here at Amherst if the NCAA rules change. One could imagine the possibilities of Amherst athletes creating YouTube content, social

media influencing and providing coaching services to younger athletes.

The loosening of these restrictions could not only improve the lives of athletes, but also make college sports a more attractive option to those who perhaps may otherwise struggle to pay for an Amherst education. But Amherst, where the spirit of amateurism runs deep, may not be as open to these changes.

Navva Sedigh ’21, a member of the women’s soccer team, echoed this sentiment. “For Amherst athletes, [the pursuit of profit] might prevent academics from coming first, which is emphasized in DIII sports, especially in the NESCAC,” Sedigh said. For Sedigh, compensation based on naming rights might also affect team cohesion and performance, as teammates may be in competition with one another for monetary reasons. Sedigh feels that the academic opportunities they may not otherwise be afforded may be enough compensation on its own.

In an email to The Student, Director of Athletics Don Faulstick emphasized that he and the

department were “in favor of giving student-athletes rights that other students have on their campuses, but there needs to be more discussion and legislation [on this issue].”

Faulstick noted that most importantly, in the words of late legendary Amherst professor and coach Jim Ostendarp, “Amherst is in the education business, not the entertainment business,” and consequently the department

is focused on the success of student-athletes in the classroom first and foremost. Faulstick emphasizes that hopefully the ethos of ameteur athletics at Amherst will continue despite these changes.

Although this movement for compensating student-athletes certainly remains in its infancy, the recent changes will have broad implications for ametuer athletics at the college level.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Navva Sedigh ’21 and other Amherst athletes could be paid for their name and likeness in the future.

The Roundup: All the Stuff You Missed In Sports This Week Volleyball: The Firedogs ran over Middlebury in straight sets on Friday night. Although Middlebury was undefeated in the NESCAC and up early in the first set, Amherst battled back to sweep the Panthers handily. Sophie Launsbach ’22 led the team with three service aces and 14 kills, a game-high record for her. On Saturday, Amherst hosted the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

The Trailblazers stole the first set, but Amherst responded by taking the next three sets, each with margins of victory 15 points or greater. Skyleur Savage ’22 had 22 digs in the win. Amherst will take on UMass Boston at home on Friday Oct. 4 at 6 p.m.

Men’s Tennis: The Mammoths battled this weekend in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Tournament hosted at MIT, the most important tournament of the team’s fall season. Marek Michulka ’23 and Damien Ruparel ’22 fell in the quarterfinals of the doubles bracket. The duo beat a pair from Middlebury on Friday, but then fell to a pairing from Williams on Saturday morning. A similar fate befell Sean Wei ’21 and Harris Foulkes ’22. The twosome won on Friday afternoon, but bowed out after a loss to another Ephs duo. The team will next compete in the

Wesleyan Invitational, held on Oct. 19 and 20.

Women’s Tennis: Also taking on the DIII opposition at the ITA Regionals, the Mammoths had three semifinalists this weekend. In the singles bracket, Camille Smukler ’20 exited the tournament in a loss to the eventual Wesleyan champion, while sophomore duo Maggie Owensby and Anya Ramras fought valiantly in the semifinal match against more Wesleyan players, last spring’s NESCAC and DIII national champions. The Mammoths return to action this weekend when they take on the Ephs in a rivalry dual meet.

Men’s Cross Country: Spencer Ferguson-Dryden ’20 paced the Mammoths at the Purple Valley Classic on Saturday, finishing in 16th place. His effort, along with the spectacular running of his teammates, including Braxton Schuldt ’21 who finished 33 out of 228 racers, allowed the Mammoths to finish fifth out of 19 teams, just behind four nationally-ranked squads. Amherst returns to action next weekend at the Paul Short Invitational at Lehigh University, a truly enormous event featuring teams from across the country.

Women’s Cross Country Sarah Gayer ’21, Olivia Polischeck ’21 and Sophia Wolmer ’23 all finished within the top 50 harriers at the Purple Valley Invitational. Their efforts helped land the Mammoths in sixth place out of 14 teams competing total. They also will be competing at the Paul Short Invitational next weekend.

Women’s Soccer Amherst faced down rival Williams this weekend after making the journey to Cole Field. Williams became the second side to score on the Mammoths this sesson, when an Ephs midfielder finished off a diagonal long ball. Amherst struck back, however, when sophomore Sophia Fikke netted a goal to tie the scoreline. Fikke snuck a bouncing ball into the back corner with a left-footed touch that demonstrated both a little technique and a little luck.

Amherst, however, had their hopes of a tie dashed when, around the 70th minute, Williams scored again, making the score 2-1. Keeper Antonia Tammaro ’21 made five saves in the loss, and the Mammoths move to 2-2 in conference play.

Amherst returns to action on Saturday against Wesleyan.

The Amherst Student • October 2, 2019

Football Staves Off Tufts In Comeback Third Win Cale Clinton ’20 Staff Writer The football team certainly had a close call this weekend in their triumph over Tufts, winning the away contest 26-16.

The defense shut out the Jumbos in the first half when Amherst forced three Tufts punts, turned the ball over once on downs and picked off the Tufts quarterback late in the second quarter on the Amherst 10yard line.

Despite starting slowly on offense, the Mammoths scored two touchdowns in the first half.

Brandon Huff ’22 finished off a spectacular drive early in the second quarter with a two-yard run. Shortly thereafter, James O’Regan ’20 snagged a 34-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ollie Eberth ’20. Ahead two scores at the half, Amherst only needed to see the game out to maintain their excellent record.

The Mammoths headed into halftime in complete control.

However, Tufts exited the lockeroom and quickly turned the tide.

The two teams traded field goals in the third quarter, bringing the score to 17-3. At the start of the fourth qaurter, the Jumbos had the ball deep in their own

territory. An excellent pass from the Jumbos quarterback, however, resulted in a 64-yard touchdown run, which put the game back within reach for the home team.

Eberth, however, refused to be outdone in the quarterback duel, and unleashed a spectacular 80-yard bomb on the following drive. The pass landed beautifully in the outstretched arms of Daniel Dolan ’22, who waltzed into the end zone for the score.

Even after such a spectacular play, Tufts remained in the fight.

The very next play, after the Jumbos took a touch-back and started on their own 25-yard line, the Tufts quarterback threw another long touchdown pass to make the scoreline 24-16, as Tufts missed the point after attempt.

Although the frenetic pace of the game died down after that, the game held on to the energy and excitement it had accumulated in those moments.

Amherst punted the ball deep into Tufts territory. On fourth and two on their own 21 yard line, several Amherst defenders forced a safety to make the final score 26-16 in the Mammoths’ favor.

Amherst returns to action next weekend when they take on Middlebury.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Ollie Eberth ’20 had two touchdown passes in this weekend’s win over Tufts.

Sports 15

Views from Sparrow’s Nest Matt Sparrow ’21 Columnist Matt Sparrow previews the upcoming National League pennant race in Major League Baseball and gives reasons why he believes each team may still have a chance.

With the MLB regular season coming to a close on Sunday, it’s finally time for October baseball.

It’s been a wild year, with home runs leaving the yard at a staggering rate, the defending champion Boston Red Sox failing to make the playoffs and multiple standout rookies breaking out onto the scene. It’s hard not to notice the clear disparity between the top and bottom of the league. Four teams finished with at least 100 wins for the first time in MLB history, while four teams finished with 100 losses for just the second time ever.

As we head into the first week of the postseason, I’m going to give one reason why each National League team could win the World Series and one reason why they won’t, with the American League side coming out next week.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers (106-56) Why they will: Cody Bellinger The Dodgers offense is loaded with talent, from mainstays like Justin Turner and Joc Pederson to newcomers like Max Muncy and Will Smith. Nonetheless, there’s no debate about who their most important piece is: Cody Bellinger.

The NL MVP front-runner had a monstrous season, launching 47 homers and driving in 115 RBIs while hitting .305. He’ll need to keep up that pace if Los Angeles wants to take home its first title since 1988.

Why they won’t: Starting Rotation I was tempted to say bullpen, but that unit has started to round into form even if Kenley Jansen still has some question marks as the closer. The Dodgers will start the NLDS with the same rotation as the World Series last year, but if Clayton Kershaw can’t solve his postseason problems and Hyun-Jin Ryu continues his recent struggles, then Los Angeles is doomed to end

the season in disappointment.

2. Atlanta Braves (97-64) Why they will: Young talent This is an easy one. Atlanta’s surplus of youthful stars is one of the most impressive in the majors, with their best hitter (Ronald Acuña Jr.) and best pitcher (Mike Soroka) both under the age of 23.

Thanks to other studs like Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley, the Braves offense will be hard to stop.

Why they won’t: Late-inning relief A huge question all year long, the Braves did their best to bring in some aid at the deadline with Chad Greene, Chris Martin, and Melancon. They’ve pitched better of late and Mark Melancon has been solid as the closer, but I’m not very confident in their high-leverage options.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (91-71) Why they will: Defense I know, you probably weren’t expecting to see defense as the key, but I think it’s fair. The Cardinals have some seriously good defenders in Kolten Wong, Paul DeJong, Paul Goldschmidt and others.

When it comes to the postseason, sometimes one diving catch can make all the difference.

Why they won’t: Power-hitting The Cardinals have a number of solid hitters, but in an era of long balls, St. Louis leaves something to be desired. Only finishing 12th in the NL out of 15 teams in terms of home runs and slugging percentage, the Cardinals will need to step up if they want to have any chance of lifting the Commissioner’s Trophy.

4. Washington Nationals (93-69) Why they will: It’s about time Somehow, the Nationals still

haven’t won a playoff series since they moved back to Washington.

They’ve lost four times in the first round since 2012, and even though they have a great shot to win the wild-card match-up with Max Scherzer on the mound, they have dreams of going much further with help from Anthony Rendon, Juan Soto and Stephen Strasburg.

Why they won’t: Bullpen Another no-brainer, the Nationals had the worst bullpen ERA in all of baseball at 5.66. Closer Sean Doolittle struggled mightily in the second half of the season and guys like Wander Suero, Javy Guerra and Tanner Rainey don’t exactly strike fear into the minds of opposing batters.

5. Milwaukee Brewers (89-73) Why they will: Experience The Brew Crew are a battle-tested ball club, having been within a game of the World Series last year. While they’ve taken a step back this season, they got hot at the right time to nab the second wild card spot. With guys who have won a championship ring already like Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain, not to mention other great veterans like Ryan Braun, Yasmani Grandal and Gio Gonzalez, the Brewers won’t shy away from the big moments.

Why they won’t: Christian Yelich (or lack thereof) This loss stung worse than most. Yelich followed up his MVP 2018 season with an even better one in 2019. He was in striking range of becoming the first 50 home run and 30 stolen base player in MLB history before fouling a ball off his leg that resulted in a broken kneecap. With their star outfielder out for the rest of the year, the Brewers will be forced to look elsewhere for clutch hits.

The Amherst Student •October 2, 2019

Sports 16

Men’s Soccer, Still Undefeated, Beats Williams Connor Haugh ’21 Managing Sports Editor With an impressive, undefeated start to the season, the men’s soccer team had high hopes for a weekend doubleheader against NESCAC foes Williams and Middlebury.

After last Saturday’s tie with nationally-ranked Connecticut College, Amherst is ranked No. 2, just behind the defending national champions, Tufts, in the United Soccer Coaches rankings.

The NESCAC, especially this year, remains a turbulent, exciting conference with parity that makes every match worth watching.

When the Mammoths traveled to Williams on Saturday, it was no exception. Under a blistering sun on Cole Field, Amherst pushed the intensity early to great success.

Amherst pressed high up the pitch, pressuring the Ephs’ defenders to make quick decisions, which sometimes turned into desperate clearances by the opposition.

Brought on at the 15-minute mark, Ignacio Cubeddu ’23 was harrying a Williams defender in possession when he nicked the ball as the Eph tried to clear it away. Cubeddu cut the ball inside, toward the goal and onto his favored

right foot.

He launched a curling shot into the far corner and past the goalkeeper, putting the Mammoths up 1-0 with 20 minutes remaining in the first half.

The pressure from Amherst, however, refused to relent. Another high-press by Amherst resulted in a throwin just 10 minutes later, and Bryce Johnson ’21 stepped up to take one of his infamous flip-throws.

By using his lower body as a catapult counterweight, Johnson can whip the ball from the sideline with tremendous velocity and accuracy.

On this particular throw, from about 35 yards from the end line on the right side of the pitch, Johnson’s throw went all the way to the goalmouth, where an eager Ephs defender attempted to deflect it away with his head, but instead buried the ball in the bottom right corner.

Williams, even after the halftime break, had folded under Amherst pressure and failed to generate more than four shots on target. A strong defensive effort by the Mammoths saw the game end with the team’s fifth clean sheet in seven matches played.

After a quick turnaround,

WED

Men’s Soccer vs. New England College, 4:30 p.m.

GAME SCHE DULE

FRI

Volleyball vs. UMass Boston, 6 p.m.

Amherst faced down undefeated Middlebury at home on Hitchcock Field on Sunday.

The Panthers had the upper hand early, but a brilliant slide in desperation by Felix Wu ’21 prevented Middlebury from scoring early.

Half an hour in, the Panthers shot one past keeper Kofi Hope-Grund ’21 in his first start of the season.

The Mammoths, who have come back two times this season already, responded by piling the pressure on Middlebury high up the pitch.

Senior Dane Lind, working as the top spoke of the midfield axis, disrupted Middlebury’s build-up, stole the ball and set NESCAC-leading goalscorer German Giammattei ’22 loose with an excellent through ball.

Giammattei pounced on the opportunity and hammered the ball home between the keeper’s legs to even the scoreline.

Amherst outshot Middlebury 28-4 in the final 65 minutes of the match, including the two 15-minute overtime periods, but the game ended 1-1.

The Mammoths return to action Wednesday night, when they take on non-conference foes New England College.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Striker German Giammattei ’22 leads the NESCAC in scoring by a margin of five goals at this point in the season.

SAT Field Hockey vs. Wesleyan, 11 a.m.

Football vs. Middlebury, 2 p.m.

Women’s Soccer vs. Wesleyan, noon

Men’s Cross Country @ Paul Short Invitational

Men’s Soccer vs. Wesleyan, 12:30 p.m.

Women’s Cross Country @ Paul Short Invitational

Women’s Tennis @ Williams, noon Volleyball @ Trinity, 1 p.m.

Women’s Golf @ Williams Fall Invitational Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios

Junior Bryce Johnson’s unusual flip-throw-in led to a goal against Williams this Saturday.