Issue 6

Football Beats Midd. in Defensive Struggle, 7-0 See Sports, Page 9 THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

VOLUME CXLIV, ISSUE 6 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014

Tomi Williams ’16 Elected AAS President

President Martin Connects with Amherst Community in East Asia Ryan Cenek ’18 Staff Writer

Staff Photographer: Shirley Duquene ’17

Tomi Williams ’16, center, participates in a discussion during Monday’s AAS meeting. As the newly-elected AAS president, Williams said he aims to maintain trust and transparency with students during his presidency.

Elaine Jeon ’17 Managing News Editor The runoff round for the Association of Amherst Students presidential election on Oct. 2 declared Tomi Williams ’16 as the winner by a margin of more than 9 percent.

In order to win the election, a candidate must accrue more than 50 percent of the votes.

The first round, which happened on Sept. 23, produced no clear winner. As a result, Peter Crane ’15 and Williams, the two candidates with the highest numbers of votes, advanced to a runoff round.

In the final round of the election, Williams received 405 votes, or 54.58 percent of total votes, and Crane received 337 votes, or 45.42 percent of total votes.

Although he did not win, AAS senator Crane said he remains positive about his involvement in the AAS and the Title IX review committee.

“My main hopes are to keep pressing on changes in the school’s sexual misconduct poli-

cies and traditions to improve our community in a holistic way,” Crane said. “Hopefully by the time I leave this great school, it will be a tiny bit more safe, more welcoming and more fun as a result of these changes.”

While the position is not limited to solely fourth-year students, seniors have typically assumed the role of AAS president in the past. Although he is only in his third year at the college, the newly-elected Williams said sees two advantages to having a junior serve as president: continuity and accountability.

“Traditionally, the president is in a constant race against time to get done what they initially promised,” Williams said. “But the reality of the position is that, in order to make real and substantial change — the type of change needed by the AAS — the president must initiate projects that will conceivably take more than a year to properly implement. As a junior … I am not rushed or limited by the one-year barrier and am, therefore, able to thoroughly approach issues facing the AAS and more importantly, the

student body.”

“It is important that I constantly communicate with the students — something we have done poorly in the past — in order to maintain trust and transparency,” he added. “If by the end of the year I am still asked, ‘What does the AAS even do?’ then I would not have done well enough at communicating my goals, progress and implementation of initiatives throughout the year.”

Williams could potentially seek re-election in the spring for a second term, but at this time, he has not yet decided to run for a second term.

However, “the opportunity to have a two-term presidency could do great things for the AAS and produce some consistency,” said William Gillespie ’15, a friend and supporter of Williams.

The recent elections were yet another example of a widespread phenomenon on campus: the lack of voter participation in AAS elections.

Continued on Page 3

Amherst College President Biddy Martin returned to campus Friday after an extended trip to East Asia as part of the college’s effort to expand its reach in China and Korea. Martin arrived in Beijing on Monday, Sept. 22, before traveling to Hong Kong on Sept. 26 and Seoul on Sept. 30.

Martin was accompanied by Chief Financial Officer Kevin Weinman for the China and Hong Kong portions of the trip, and by Senior Philanthropic Advisor and Director of International Giving Erika Shelburne for the entire trip. According to an announcement on the college’s website, they were hosted by Wei Sun Christianson ’85, the first woman from mainland China to attend the college and the current China CEO of Morgan Stanley.

The Asia trip had a diverse range of goals.

Shelburne cited fundraising and parent engagement as two major focal points of the trip.

Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Katie Fretwell, who did not go on the trip, said that Martin hopes to attract more applicants from the region.

“We hope this increased visibility for Amherst in Korea, Hong Kong and China will both diversify and further strengthen our pool of candidates for admission,” Fretwell said.

According to Fretwell, currently, 10 percent of Amherst students are non-U.S. citizens, and 39 percent of those are citizens of Asian countries, including 24 from China and 14 from Korea.

Shelburne said that Martin also focused on alumni engagement, media visits and partnerships with educational institutions.

“One was to engage alumni and parents, who are living in Asia, with the college, and give them an opportunity to meet the president and to share news from the college,” she said.

The trip also focused on improving media relations in Asia.

“We had a lot of media visits, and those were important because in many of these countries, people are just starting to learn about a liberal arts education and may not understand the importance of a liberal arts edu-

Continued on Page 3

Val Prioritizes Local Produce and Food Sustainability Keren Yi ’18 Staff Writer Valentine Dining Hall began projects over this summer to increase local produce sourcing and sustainability. One such project involves increasing the dining hall’s partnership with Amherst’s Book & Plow Farm.

“Last year was the birth of the Book & Plow Farm’s conjunction with Valentine and Dining Services,” said Head Chef Jeremy Roush. “This year, what’s been very good is that we’ve doubled or close to doubled our usage.”

The partnership allows Valentine to increase use of local produce and to collaborate

with the farm to create new dishes. Kale and chorizo soup and butternut squash ravioli are two such creations.

Valentine has also sought contributions from the student community, including collaborations on specific student-led initiatives for responsible food sourcing and sustainability.

Julie Xia ’17 worked on “The Real Food Challenge” campaign this summer to reduce food waste and encourage sustainable food measures.

“The Real Food Challenge” is “a nationwide student-led movement to get more local, humane, ecologically sound, and fair food into college and university dining halls,” Xia

said in an email. She used invoices to calculate how much of Valentine’s food could potentially come from a sustainable source.

Xia became interested in food sustainability after “watching how much food gets thrown out every day,” she said.

“Yes, we do compost, and that’s a victory in itself,” Xia said. “But composting-manufactured or highly processed food is still an incredibly inefficient use of natural resources.”

For its part, Valentine is looking at finding higher quality food products that are healthier for students.

“Although I can’t say how much of this is in response to my project, I’ve seen several changes already this fall,” Xia said.

Visibility and awareness of locally sourced food has increased, as “locally sourced food is advertised as such,” Xia said.

Xia also emphasized the switch to sustainably produced bananas. “[This] is an incredible leap because in food justice movements, industrial banana production is infamous, being a particularly cruel industry,” Xia said.

Xia pointed out other possible areas of improvement, including making the entire poultry line and not only the eggs cage-free.

“Changing student behavior is hard, but a campaign to reduce food waste would defi-

Continued on Page 3

CONNECT TO US: AMHERSTSTUDENT.AMHERST.EDU • @AMHERSTSTUDENT • LIKE THE AMHERST STUDENT ON FACEBOOK

3

News

Daryl Haggard

Fresh Faculty

Sept. 30, 2014 to Oct. 6, 2014 >>Oct. 1, 2014 9:44 p.m., Hitchcock Parking Lot A caller reported an unknown male loitering by the rear door. No one was found when an officer checked. >>Oct. 2, 2014 10:45 a.m., College Hall An officer and the Fire Department responded to an alarm activated by a first-floor detector.

No cause could be found.

12:19 p.m., Morrow Dormitory An officer investigated a smoke detector sounding in a fourth-floor room and discovered the resident had sprayed air freshener in the room.

10:40 p.m., James Dormitory While in James, an officer detected the odor of burnt marijuana and traced it to a first-floor room. Two residents admitted smoking marijuana and drug paraphernalia was confiscated.

The two residents were fined $100 for a smoking violation. >>Oct. 3, 2014

and their activity was stopped. The matter was referred to Student Affairs. >>Oct. 5, 2014 12:10 a.m., Crossett Dormitory Officers discovered a large gathering of students with alcohol present. The crowd was dispersed, and the alcohol was disposed of.

12:17 a.m., O’Connell Lot An officer investigated a motor vehicle accident.

12:20 a.m., Pond Dormitory An officer discovered a smashed window in a first-floor common room. The residents claimed it occurred overnight and they were unaware who was responsible.

12:32 a.m., Pond Dormitory Officers encountered a large party at a secondfloor suite where people were dancing on the window sill and blocking the stairway. It was shut down.

1:06 a.m., Coolidge Dormitory While passing by Coolidge, officers saw a man putting a lighter to a bong in a first-floor common room. A visitor responded to the door, after a delayed response. None of the residents were present and there was a strong odor of marijuana in the room. Two devices used to grind marijuana were confiscated. The matter was referred to Student Affairs.

1:07 a.m., Coolidge Dormitory While in a first-floor suite, an officer discovered an Amherst College parking sign hanging on a wall. It was confiscated.

6:06 p.m., Scott House An officer investigated an intrusion alarm and found it was accidentally set off by an employee.

1:20 a.m., Powerhouse As a result of an incident at the Powerhouse, a student was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, assault and battery (two counts), malicious destruction of property (kicking out a cruiser window) and resisting arrest.

10:05 p.m., Marsh House A town resident complained about loud music coming from Marsh. Upon the officer’s arrival, it was discovered that a gathering was ending.

1:36 a.m., Powerhouse A caller complained about loud music coming from the Powerhouse. He was advised the event was scheduled to end at 2 a.m.

>>Oct. 4, 2014 12:31 p.m., Life Sciences Building A student reported the theft of a set of speakers from a backpack he left unattended. They are valued at $300.

2:23 a.m., Charles Drew House An officer responded to a complaint of an unauthorized gathering in the common room and located a small group of students with music.

They were advised of the complaint and left the area.

2:29 p.m., Pond Dormitory An officer responded to a complaint of loud music and yelling at a second-floor suite. Fifteen people were found in the suite and alcohol was present. The alcohol was confiscated, as no one was of legal drinking age. The matter was referred to Student Affairs.

10:53 a.m., Crossett Dormitory A Five College student reported her iPhone was stolen from a purse while she was attending a party at Crossett.

5:59 p.m., Pratt Pool An officer investigated an intrusion alarm. No cause could be found.

10:31 p.m., Amherst College Police An officer issued a written no-trespass order to a woman who had been previously arrested.

11:06 p.m., Jenkins Dormitory An officer observed a group of students loitering around the basement door. Upon investigating, the students fled the area and two 30-packs of beer were found abandoned.

11:48 p.m., Stone Dormitory An officer discovered an unauthorized party with 180 cans of beer available. The event was shut down and the beer was confiscated. Two students were observed kicking a table around,

Department of Astronomy

Daryl Haggard grew up in New Mexico and attended St. John’s College, where she received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. She spent a year in China and worked in Silicon Valley before pursuing a degree in academia. She received her master’s degree in physics from San Francisco State University and her doctorate in astronomy from the University of Washington. She is currently conducting research on supermassive black holes (SMBHs).

Q: What got you interested in astronomy, and why did you want to study it?

A: I grew up in northern New Mexico, so it was very dark and you could see the stars really well.

That probably gave birth to some of my interest — just having beautiful night skies to look at. I really got interested in astronomy specifically as something I wanted to pursue when I was an undergraduate. I did my undergraduate bachelor’s degree at a really, really small liberal arts college called St. John’s College that does only classics, and while you do a bit of math and astronomy there, it was much more on historical context.

Then in my junior year, we were working directly out of Newton’s “Principia,” and our professor was telling us that in our own solar system, you can actually take spacecraft that you launch off of the Earth’s surface and slingshot it off of the gravitational field of outer planets in order to project it into the outer solar system. I thought that was so cool, and it was awesome to have studied a historical text and to see that it had repercussions for how we manage our space programs. I decided then that I thought astronomy was going to be going to be a really cool thing to pursue, and of course I graduated with a degree in philosophy.

Illustrations by Clarice Carmichael ’16

Q: What classes do you teach this semester?

A: This term, I am teaching Astronomy 111, which is called Exploring the Cosmos. It is a big overview of modern astronomy, so we do a little bit of historical stuff in the beginning, but we spend most of our time talking about our current knowledge about light, radiation, galaxies, black holes and cosmology.

Q: What classes are you teaching next semester?

A: I will be teaching We have an opportunity to go Q: Why did you want the first installment in to come to Amherst in and engineer a major that our astrophysics series and teach here? we think sounds really excit- for the major, so that A: As you can tell, I too be a much closer ing and reflects the skills, the will have a liberal arts backlook at stars and galground, so that might knowledge, and the back- axies. I will also be not have come as much ground that students would teaching a 200-level of a shock. Amherst is course on black need to go out and work pro- topical an amazing institution holes — you need one because you have this fessionally in astronomy. math and one physics open curriculum where course, but you can students can explore a lot. They can focus on a take it concurrently to be in the class, and we subject area they are interested in, but also kind will be talking about observations and a little bit of explore, tinker a bit, look around and see if of theory. I think that’s going to be a really fun there are other things that inspire them. As a and interactive course. scientist, it’s also particularly awesome here that I have so much support for both education and Q: Do you have any hobbies that you do in research. your spare time?

A: I am a mom, so that’s my No. 1 hobby. I have Q: What research are you doing at Amherst? a five-and-a-half-year-old — he is totally aweA: I have only been here for a few weeks, so some. I also love to do yoga and hike. My family things are still in their early stages, but my re- is really outdoorsy, so since we have been here, search is on SMBHs. I study SMBHs, mainly my husband has been developing a lot of rock how they grow and collect material. My dis- climbing areas. We don’t own a car, so we spend sertation work was this large survey program a lot of time on bikes; we are a very bike-intenwhere I just looked at statistical characteristics sive family. of a big population, but more recently, I have been studying the SMBH that lives in the middle Q: What aspects of Amherst do you like so of our Milky Way galaxy. A few years ago, there far? was an exciting result that showed that there was A: I love the people. We have been really lucky a little gas cloud falling in towards this SMBH to come into a department that has been reand that this gas cloud might get shredded apart ally supportive and welcoming. My interactions and sort of gobbled up. I’ve been observing that with students have been great, too. I have gone interaction in particular with X-rays and radio out on a Take Your Professor Out dinner, which waves, sort of the two ends of the spectrum, and was really enjoyable. The students have been watching to see exactly how the gas cloud inter- very curious and willing to take on some tough acts with material in the galactic center and in material in our class, which may not be what the SMBH itself. they were expecting.

“

”

Q: What do you hope to contribute to Am-

10:45 p.m., Powerhouse While at the Powerhouse, an officer observed a male draw a penis on a window that was covered in steam. He was identified and the matter was referred to Student Affairs.

herst during your time here in the astronomy department?

A: The astronomy department is not new here, but it’s just newly reborn. Nicolas Callan and I are the two astronomers who were recently hired, and the awesome thing is that we get to just completely reinvent astronomy here. We have an opportunity to go in and engineer a major that we think sounds really exciting and reflects the skills, the knowledge, and the background that students would need to go out and work professionally in astronomy. We have been able to patch together some really great basic courses that span astronomical sciences, physics, mathematics, statistics and computer science.

Interested in getting the scoop on the latest developments on campus?

Email us at djeon17@ amherst.edu to get started!

— Eli Mansbach ’18

Join the news staff!

The Amherst Student • October 8, 2014

Local Food at Val Continued from Page 1 nitely be worth our time,” Xia said.

Xia’s collaboration is one example of Valentine’s efforts to improve based on feedback from students and other members of the community.

Roush, who is now entering his fifth year with the college, said that Valentine has made substantial changes in terms of greater variation in meal offerings, social engagement opportunities (such as Late Night Val) and greater guidance for its service staff and the student body.

“Over the last four years or so, dining services has done a lot of inward looking, and there has been quite an evolution to our dining program. We’ve started making changes in a lot of different areas over the years, moving to a much fresher product,” said Director of Dining Services Charlie Thompson.

Responding to student comments, Valentine has changed the color of its dining plates and salad bowls from purple to white. Diversifying its line of fish products and including pork-alternative breakfast items such as turkey and chicken products has helped to accommodate a wider range of dietary choices in the student community.

In response to students’ requests for lowfat Greek yogurt, the college identified a supplier who plans to collaborate with Val on the product within the next few months. The salad bar and fruit stand also features in-season produce such as sun-ripened cherry tomatoes, peaches and plums.

“Many changes have come from listening to our customers,” Thompson said, from comment card submissions to online suggestions.

“We can’t promise folks that we can give them everything that they ask for, but what we do and what we’ve always promised is that we do look and do consider every single comment,” Thompson said.

News

3

Tomi Williams ’16 Elected AAS President Continued from Page 1 Out of 1,339 eligible voters, only 734 students voted in the first round of elections, and 742 voted in the runoff election.

After last spring’s presidential elections resulted in months of complaints and controversy, some senators say that the AAS must work on restoring the community’s faith in student government moving forward.

AAS senator Siraj Sindhu ’17 said the AAS must take a more central role in campus life.

“I recognize that many students enjoy a lived reality that is entirely divorced from the world of the AAS,” Sindhu said. “I think that this is a fault of the position that student government has come to occupy in the Amherst public sphere.”

Sindhu said he believes that at present, the AAS is seen as only one of many extracurricular activities offered on campus, occupying a simi-

lar position to groups such as the outing club or Ultimate Frisbee.

“As a democratic body, the AAS must remove itself from that smorgasbord of options which so quickly become discrete social groups and become something else entirely: an inescapable, constantly present group, listening to students’ wants and concerns and working hard to actualize them,” he said.

To bridge the growing gap between the AAS and the student body, Williams believes that eliminating “talk absent of action” is the priority.

“We are currently in a position where only consistent performance and positive action will turn our relationship with the student body back in the right direction,” Williams said.

“That being said, the most important way to get the student body to show interest in the AAS is for the AAS to show interest in the student-

body … [and] that the AAS is not just a bureaucratic organization but, rather, a group of about 50 students who really care about Amherst and our fellow students.”

Since the AAS presidential election was postponed from last spring until the beginning of this academic year, Williams faces an unusual time crunch as he looks to begin implementing new presidential initiatives. Williams listed “seating one voting student and young alumni member on the Board of Trustees, getting 100 free pages of printing for students and establishing a freshman/upperclassman mentorship program” as his top priorities.

While some of the initiatives are long-term projects and are harder to accomplish than basic agenda items, the new president said he promises the Amherst community that he will “approach each purposefully and address them thoroughly.”

Martin Connects with Amherst Community in East Asia Continued from Page 1 cation,” Shelburne said.

Lastly, Martin and the college’s staff aimed to engage with other educational leaders in the region, with the goal of opening the door to possible internships, partnerships and study-abroad programs in the future. According to the college’s website, one leader is Zhanyuan Du, Vice-Minister of Education of China. Shelburne said that President Martin sought “to look at some potential partnerships with institutions abroad, maybe that we could do some either study abroad opportunities or other partnerships.”

The trip coincides with efforts by the college to expand international operations, including partnerships with non-U.S. institutions.

GET A HEAD START ON TOMORROW.

“One of the goals of the college’s strategic planning committee, led by Provost Peter Uvin, is to strengthen the notion of internationalization as a foundational value of the college,” Fretwell said. One of the four subcommittees of the strategic planning committee is called “The Internationalization of Liberal Arts Education.”

Martin and the accompanying college staff faced a number of challenges, according to Shelburne, including a business culture that differs dramatically from that of the U.S. “Business is done very differently in Asia, in that it’s very relationship-based,” Shelburne said. “Alumni have said, ‘we want Amherst to make an effort to show up,’ and the fact that the president came to see them was a huge step in saying, ‘we care about you.’”

With a graduate degree from Quinnipiac University’s School of Communications, tomorrow is yours for the taking. Because we deliver a hands-on experience with an emphasis on breaking trends, like social media. So you’ll be ready to take on tomorrow’s world, today.

• • • • •

To learn more about our

MS programs in Journalism and Public Relations, visit www.quinnipiac.edu/communications.

The college delegation faced an unexpected challenge when ongoing protests in Hong Kong forced Martin and Shelburne to cancel a school visit.

“We were there during the protests — you could see the action from our hotel,” Shelburne said. “We had to cancel a school visit Biddy and I had because we weren’t sure if we could get out there and get back because of road closures.”

Nonetheless, Shelburne characterized the trip as a success, in large part due to the receptiveness of the Amherst community in Asia.

“The people were very warm and engaging,” Shelburne said. “And the alumni and parents were very excited to see an emphasis on giving them some attention.”

MULTIMEDIA REPORTING LONG-FORM STORYTELLING SOCIAL MEDIA SPORTS JOURNALISM DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

Opinion Editorial

Val Late Nights: A Sweet and Suprising Way of Building Community Because of our open curriculum, diversity of extracurricular activities and number of athletic teams, Amherst students sometimes don’t have a lot in common. In many ways, we’re a community of communities. But one thing that is universal among us is Val. Regardless of your opinion of the food, everyone is brought together by the fact that (with the exception of the Zü) we all eat and socialize there. During Jamaican Jerk night or Asian Tuesday, when the pasta line extends out the door, food can spark up a conversation across almost any social divide.

While Val most often unites us through our complaints, Late Night Val continually shows us that there are plenty of untapped opportunities to strengthen our campus community. About twice a semester, Val throws open its doors late at night and treats us to ice cream, pastries and other snacks. Lines spew out into the quad and students brave the cold and the rain for a bite to eat. Frankly, students will do almost anything to get free food as an alternative to ordering wings or pizza from their dorms. But that’s the beauty of Late Night Val: it unites us in this common desire. Regardless of your year, major or team, it’s hard not to see at least someone you know: the neighbor you never quite got to know, that person from class you always say hi to but have never had a conversation with until now.

If Late Night Val and events like it allow the student to rally around a common experience and become a better community, why don’t we have more of them? That’s is the big question we should ask Provost Uvin, Biddy and the rest of the administration. Biddy’s Fall Festival, for example, has been a massive success that students consistently look forward to. The fact is that the Amherst community likes to get excited about things. We freak out over Macklemore. We pile into Val despite all our essays and midterms to bond over ice cream. Even a free t-shirt draws a huge crowd.

While strong small communities are a crucial part of the social life here, it can sometimes feel like the Amherst community at large doesn’t exist. While it sometimes may seem like know everyone on campus, other times it’s tough not to feel isolated. The need to have a “group” or defining activity in order to fit in is prevalent on campus. Mount Holyoke and Smith unite every semester to rampantly speculate as to when Mountain Day is. We all gather in the gym for Spring Concert once a year. Why don’t we have more opportunities to come together just for the sake of being

a part of the Amherst College community? Why don’t we have Mountain Days or Community Hours or more Late Night Vals? These could be the key to the elusive collective Amherst we’ve been searching for.

“Cookies are why we need an endowment.”

How Losing My Phone May Have Been a Blessing in Disguise Amanda Goorin ’16 Contributing Writer You live and you learn. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way. Sometimes you don’t even get the chance to tell your story. With a twist of fate, I learned the hard way through dodging a potentially life-altering situation.

All around us, the news is filled with horror stories of teenagers who have gone missing on college campuses or while traveling abroad.

Even Amherst’s campus is abuzz with sexual assault cases and related expulsions, as well as discussion of Title IX and consent. I hate to say this, and I most certainly regret having this mindset, but I just never envisioned finding myself in an unsafe or undesired situation. To me, situations like those seemed extreme and highly unlikely.

A few weeks ago I was even warned. I distinctly remember my study abroad program coordinator stating that about half of the American students sitting in the room would have some sort of ‘trouble’ while studying abroad. I heard that percentage, but I doubted that I would be in that 50 percent. I thought that growing up near a ma-

jor city rendered me street savvy and that being an Amherst College student gave me the wits to avoid life-threatening situations.

Before starting classes at University College London, my roommate and I planned a trip to Belgium. Being of legal drinking age and looking for something to do on a Friday night, we signed up for a pub crawl in Brussels. Without going into the details, let’s just say that pub crawls get you buzzed. My mother had warned me about Europeans and their pickpocketing, but I unwisely still opted to just hold my purse against me instead of wearing my money belt.

I guess I got sidetracked though, because when I did my customary bag check, I noticed that my iPhone 5 was missing. I quickly checked the other compartments in my purse and all of my pockets. My phone was nowhere to be found. At that point, I knew that I had been pickpocketed.

Now, I would definitely not consider myself a psychologist by any means, but I do remember learning the “fight-or-flight” concept in an introductory class. The prototypical example was finding yourself faceto-face with a bear. I was definitely not up against a bear or some other physically harmful threat, but in my

E X E C U T I V E B OA R D Editor-in-Chief Sophie Murguia Executive Adviser Brendan Hsu Managing News Dan Ahn, Sophie Chung, Elaine Jeon, Sitina Xu Managing Opinion Johnathan Appel, Marie Lambert Managing Arts and Living Marquez Cummings, Liz Mardeusz Managing Sports Andrew Knox, Nicole Yang

defense, I was facing a unique situation. Reporting a major problem — in my eyes — to a group of people who did not speak English was not something I was accustomed to.

After all, I chose to study abroad in London!

My “fight” mode switched on. I immediately went to report my stolen phone — talking to the “friends” I had met on the crawl, security, bar managers, basically anyone around me. Nobody seemed particularly keen on helping me. They simply offered to call my phone, which I tried to explain to them would not work, as it was a U.K. phone on airplane mode in Belgium. Holding back tears, I knew that my phone was nowhere to be found and my best bet was to get back to my hotel and call to get my phone shut off.

With this plan, I went to find my roommate. After pulling her away from some guys we met on the pub crawl, we left the bar with two of them on our heels. They kept grabbing our arms and offering to take us back to their place for food and some more drinks. Saying “no” was definitely not the answer they wanted to hear, and that only seemed to add fuel to their fire. They became more aggressive, pulling at us and

S TA F F Design Editors Gabby Bishop, Megan Do, William Harvey, Sunna Juhn, Andrew Kim, Eli Mansbach, Madi Ruoff, Chloe Tausk Sports Section Editors Dori Atkins, Katie Paolano, Jason Stein, Jeremy Kesselhaut, Lauren Tuiskula Publishers Nazir Khan, David Walchak Photography Editor Olivia Tarantino

especially at my roommate, who was unaware of what was going on. I was clearly the bad guy for politely declining their invitations, but it started to hit me hard and fast that these foreign men were not taking no for an answer.

For those of you who do not know me, I may be tall, but I have chicken arms and little physical aggression. Maybe my older sister begs to differ, but I have never really slapped anyone before. But before I knew it, my fight response kicked in. And I mean, really kicked in. I whacked both of the boys across the chest (don’t worry, it really wasn’t that hard), and told them to back off. I then grabbed my roommate by the hand and ran. Luckily, I spotted a cab about to pass by, jumped into the middle of the road with my hand up and pulled both of us into the stopped cab, just moments before the pub guys grabbed at the door handle. I think the cab driver could tell something was wrong, as he started driving before we even told him the name of our hotel. I can honestly say that my heart has never raced as fast.

We made it back to the hotel in one piece. My roommate went to bed. I spent hours trying to figure out how to call my UK phone ser-

vice provider to shut off my phone.

I did not sleep that night, replaying the night over and over again in my head, something I often do these days.

Call it fate, but I truly believe that losing my cell phone was a blessing in disguise that got us out of an unwanted situation. Had I not noticed my phone was missing, I would not have sobered up nearly as quickly or gone looking for my friend. She could have easily gone off with a boy without me noticing and been forced to do certain things without her consent. Who even knows how my night would have ended I had continued chatting and drinking. We easily could have been those teenagers who never make it home from the bar.

I am by no means glad that I had this experience, but it really shook me up and made me realize that I am no longer in Amherst or my quaint suburban town. I am traveling through foreign cities with aggressive men and pickpocketers who watch out for easy targets like me with iPhones and wallets to steal. Rape and kidnapping are real. They can happen to anyone.

And they do not just happen abroad.

Please do not be as naïve as I was and pretend that these situations are not possible. They are very possible.

Letters Policy

The opinion pages of The Amherst Student are intended as an open forum for the Amherst community.

The Student will print letters under 450 words in length if they are submitted to The Student offices in the Campus Center or to the paper’s e-mail account (astudent@amherst.edu) by 12 p.m. on Sunday, after which they will not be accepted.

The editors reserve the right to edit any letters exceeding the 450-word limit or to withhold any letter because of considerations of space or content.

Letters must bear the names of all contributors and a phone number where the author or authors may be reached. Letters and columns may be edited for clarity and Student style.

The Student will not print personal or group defamation.

Publication Standards

The Amherst Student is published weekly except during College vacations. The subscription rate is $75 per year or $40 per semester. Subscription requests and address changes should be sent to: Subscriptions, The Amherst Student; Box 1912, Amherst College: Amherst, MA 01002-5000. The offices of The Student are located on the second floor of the Keefe Campus Center, Amherst College. Phone: (413) 542-2304. All contents copyright © 2014 by The Amherst Student, Inc. All rights reserved. The Amherst Student logo is a trademark of The Amherst Student, Inc. Additionally, The Amherst Student does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or age.

The views expressed in this publication do not reflect the views of The Amherst Student.

The Amherst Student • October 8, 2014

Opinion

Queeriosity: How Friendly is Amherst? Our Culture Is Not a Josephine Carroll ’18 Contributing Writer Until middle school I wasn’t aware that people could identify as anything other than heterosexual. Freshman year of high school was when I first met other people who were open about their sexualities, and when I began to realize that it wasn’t a bad thing. Junior year, I realized I wasn’t quite as straight as I thought I was.

I consider myself lucky that the international school I attended for 12 years in Tokyo, Japan was extremely accepting. I joined the Gay Straight Student Alliance, a club that made rainbow baked goods for every fundraiser and sold shirts that said, “Gay? Fine by me.”

Our vice principal was out, and was wholeheartedly supported by the administration, faculty and student body.

My environment outside of school was definitely less liberal. Gay rights are hardly discussed in the political or social scene, and media portrayal of queer people makes it clear that Japan does not take these issues seriously. Even then, I was never worried about being harassed or attacked for being open about my sexuality.

One thing I was certain of going into college applications in the fall of my senior year was that I wanted a school that was LGBTQIAAP-friendly. I had never really had to hide that part of me before, and I didn’t ever want to, especially during college.

My counselor recommended a tool on collegeconfidential.com called SuperMatch. What the site did was match your preferences (school size, student to faculty ratio, campus location, diversity level and other factors) to colleges that best fit them. I remember being excited when I saw that Amherst scored a 98 percent, but was dismayed when the

percentage went down after I clicked the option for “GLBT-Friendly.” My image of a liberal arts school in the northeast was that it was … well, “liberal.” SuperMatch simply categorized Amherst as a school without a “very strong gay, lesbian, transgender support system,” and that really took me by surprise.

What confused me even more was that a lot of other sources suggested the very opposite. The Amherst Queer Resource Center page, for instance, gave me the impression that Pride was very active. Other articles and forums had mostly positive things to say about the school.

Anxious to look into the matter, I started corresponding with a few current students at Amherst. I asked them about their personal experiences with the queer community at Amherst, and I got a wide array of answers. Some praised the community for being inclusive and hosting a wide variety of events, while others thought their presence on campus wasn’t prevalent enough.

And so I started my time here at Amherst unsure of what I was getting myself into.

It was hard to gauge how open and friendly the school was during the first few days of orientation. I was meeting new faces left and right, and because I did not think my sexuality was first impression material, I kept my mouth shut on the matter. It was finally during open house for cultural organizations when I saw the rainbow flag waving outside Morrow — the first sign of the presence of Amherst’s queer community.

My concern started to melt away when I walked into the QRC for the first time; at the first Pride Alliance meeting I felt as though there was nothing to worry about in the first place. Club attendance was high, and the supportive, open-minded atmosphere of the

resource center proved SuperMatch wrong.

My favorite part of Pride and the QRC was the encouragement for discussion. Although not every member of Pride identified as queer, everyone I met within the colorful walls of the resource center were willing to talk. There were discussions at each Pride Meeting, and Queer Talks on Friday afternoons.

I liked that even though Pride was busy with upcoming events like the GAP, it was just as interested in listening to what its members had to say.

I have only been here for a little more than a month now, but from what I observed there seems to be little discussion about sexuality outside of the QRC. But Amherst is not a place where things aren’t talked about because they are uncomfortable issues. My impression is that queer life isn’t talked about here because it is just so readily accepted. For the majority of people here, they don’t care that you’re bisexual or gender queer — which is both good and bad. Maybe this lack of campus-wide acknowledgement and activism is why SuperMatch didn’t think Amherst was “GLBT-friendly.” Maybe because one had to walk through the QRC doors to see a support system, that support appeared to be lacking.

I am not saying that the QRC needs more work. I am looking forward to being involved with all that Pride has to offer. At the same time I understand where the negative comments are coming from. While I am glad to have gone to a school where they don’t consider gay rights a big issue, I wonder if that is a healthy mentality to have when it still is a big issue in the rest of the country.

I think that the balance of accepting and acknowledgement is something we could definitely work on here at Amherst.

5

Costume La Causa Student Organization

This statement is not made from defensiveness or lack of humor.

It is an objection to anti-Latino racism and degrading racialized imagery on this campus.

Last weekend, a set of offensive and culturally insensitive pictures surfaced on Facebook. The photos depicted three young white women draped in the Mexican flag, sporting straw “sombreros,” cartoonish mustaches and a small toy gun. The women appear to be at a party in an Amherst College dorm room, though the exact occasion for their costumes is left to the imagination. Disappointingly, all three women are Amherst College students, with two of them holding prominent student leadership positions.

We do not expect fellow students to follow a modicum of constant political correctness, but the seriousness of this incident should be clear: these are racist costumes.

By donning their idea of “Mexican” outfits, these students chose to perpetuate stereotypes that are demeaning not only to Mexican students but to all Latinos: violence, drunkenness and exaggerated physical characteristics. Regardless of intent, the students’ costumes invoke caricatures that have historically been used to dehumanize Latinos as a homogenous group of dangerous criminals and lazy foreigners. Their ensemble also desecrates the Mexican flag (an illegal act in Mexico) and reduces Latino identity into a sexualized party costume that can be wiped off like makeup at the end of the night.

The costumes may have been meant as humorous, but they are anything but that in a society where racial profiling is a constant reality. Given the continued prevalence of anti-Latino discrimination throughout the United States, it is particularly discouraging to see fellow students behave in this way (and receive approval from their peers in the form of Facebook “likes”). Campus leaders who seek to represent and educate the student body should especially know better.

By time of publication, the original offending photos have been taken down and one student has issued an apology. Nevertheless, we encourage people to view this incident in its larger context, especially as Halloween, everyone’s favorite season for racial role-play, fast approaches. As Amherst’s Latino affinity organization, La Causa is committed to supporting Latino students and creating a campus culture where such forms of “subtle” racism are unacceptable to begin with.

This week, our regular meeting will be a conversation about cultural appropriation and stereotyping. We invite anyone interested in this topic to join us tonight, Wednesday Oct. 8, at 9 p.m. in the José Martí room in the basement of Keefe Campus Center.

Israel-Palestine: Why the Waiting Game Must End Andrew Smith ’18 Staff Writer There has been more than a century of continuous fighting in the Middle East between Israelis and Arabs. Over time, numerous attempts at reaching a peaceful resolution have been made and always resulted in failure. Currently, the proposition for peace focuses on the idea of a two-state solution. This proposal was brought forward in 1974 and attempts to create two independent states of Palestine and Israel, hypothetically allowing each cultural group to exist autonomously from the other. From my knowledge of the conflict, further research and conversations with college students and professionals of Jewish and Islamic backgrounds, I have serious doubt concerning the ability for the two-state solution to provide lasting peace. I take this perspective as someone of Jamaican and African-American descent who is not religious — a position I view as relatively neutral.

Historically, the two-state solution has been reached for during negotiations such as the Madrid Conference of 1991, the Oslo Accords of 1993 and the Camp David Summit in 2000. None were able to realize the two-state solution, for numerous reasons. Each side blamed the other for the breakdown of negotiations, particularly at the Camp David Summit. Dennis Ross, a key negotiator for the United States, later wrote that

Yasser Arafat (the political and military leader of Palestine at the time) did not desire “adjacent Israeli and Palestinian states, but a single Arab state encompassing all of Historic Palestine” and that the lack of compromise on his part lead to the lack of results. In contrast, author and journalist Clayton Swisher rebukes this notion, stating that the Israelis played an equal role in the collapse of negotiations. Despite the critiques from each other, both leaders of Israel and Palestine received support from their people for their actions during the talks.

Today, the two-state solution is failing because the leaders on both sides of the conflict are adverse to it. In July 2014, Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, stated, “There cannot be a situation, under any agreement, in which we relinquish security control of the territory west of the River Jordan.” This development in the policy of Israeli leadership rules out the possibility of a truly sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank. I spoke with a Jewish student who connected with relatives in Tel Aviv who jointly expressed that even in the case of new leadership, all of the major political parties within Israel are like-minded and do not support a sovereign Palestine. On the flip side, many countries of the Arab world, including Palestine, refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and, in some cases, the right for Israel to exist as a state at all.

The reasoning behind continued support for leaders unable to peacefully resolve the conflict can be understood in terms of cost versus value: it is the cost of actively pursuing war or conflict versus the value placed on whatever one is fighting for. In the current situation, the cost to Israel and to the Arab world has not exceeded the value of what each side is fighting for.

One argument puts forward the idea of war weariness, stating that eventually each side will get tired of bloodshed and be ready to have meaningful peace talks. War weariness will in time achieve such a result. The costs of war will pile up.

The hopelessness that comes from ceaseless death will pervade the society and peace will be more favorable. This can continue until the cost of conflict is higher than the value of what each side desired to achieve in perpetuating the conflict, and at that point negotiations for a two-state solution can achieve results. However, how many will have died as we wait for it to get to this point?

Data collected by the Israeli Human Rights Organization, B’Tselem, shows that a total of 9,953 Israelis and Palestinians have killed each other from Dec. 9, 1987 to July 7, 2014. Israel has been in conflict for over 70 years and the two-state solution has been failing for 40. Clearly, the value both sides put into what they fight for is great, as the costs of war have piled up to be disturbingly high, and they

are no closer to a two-state resolution than they were 40 years ago. With each day of waiting, the death toll increases as people die from the terrible conditions of living in a region plagued by war. I know better than to detract from the value that both Israel and Palestine place in what they fight for, but it is a moral atrocity to simply wait it out through all the bloodshed for peace negotiations to become more than a PR stunt.

If a two-state solution were achieved, it still would not grant the lasting peace that is desired, especially if it is achieved in part as a result of war weariness. It is an active deterrent, and once the conflict ends the costs of war will gradually be forgotten and the effects of war weariness on the population will fade. In such a solution, what is there to maintain the balance of cost and value that makes conflict an undesirable response?

Besides this aspect, the religious differences that originated the conflict — though it has certainly evolved into more — remain. While speaking with an Islamic international student from a Middle Eastern country, he expressed to me how the majority of children in his home country are raised to hate the Israeli people. As long as this continues, the conflict will continue to reemerge and the idea of future generations being more open to peace cannot be relied upon.

Unless something is done to incentivize the Arab people into changing

this behavior, it will continue, regardless if it is identified as unethical.

When I asked a Jewish student about the feasibility of a one-state solution, she spoke of the “deep-rooted cultural hatred” that would make living within the same state impossible. I do not see how this divide will not cause conflict between two states attempting to exist side by side, particularly when the proposal of the two-state solution is based on the pre-1967 boundaries. This would mean that the two regions that would make up the Palestinian state would be divided by Israeli land, impeding the ability for the country to internally trade and communicate without traversing through or over Israel.

The religious and cultural divides that originated the conflict and are making peace so difficult now, will not suddenly disperse upon the implementation of the two-state solution. In addition, the desire for this resolution by the Israelis and Palestinians is largely a result of rising opposition to conflict simply because of how long it has lasted. Even then, the population still supports leadership who refuse to find peace with one another through the two-state solution.

It is apparent that those negotiating peace between Israel and the Arab world are content to wait for acceptance of the two-state solution. It’s been 40 years now and thousands of people have died, waiting. It’s time to move on and focus efforts on finding a solution that can bring peace now.

Arts&Living

Image Imagecourtesy courtesyof ofusatoday.com amherst.edu

Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike star as Nick and Amy Dunne “Gone Girl,” the film adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s eponymous New York Times best-selling novel.

David Fincher’s “Gone Girl” a Must-See This Fall

Claire Jia ’15 Staff Writer

Amy Dunne is gone before we ever meet her in “Gone Girl,” initiating a frenzied witch-hunt where all fingers point at her husband, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck). The film, directed by David Fincher, is a faithful adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s 2012 novel of the same name. It’s told from the perspective of our supposed wife-killer in the days after Amy (Rosamund Pike) goes missing, as well as from the perspective of Amy Dunne herself as she reminisces about a joyful marriage gone awry via the chapters in her diary during the years and weeks leading up to her disappearance. It’s a film about marriage, crime and the modern media’s response to tragedy — and ultimately, it’s about lying. All the characters lie — to each other, to themselves, and, most strikingly, to the audience.

Immediately after Nick Dunne walks into his Missouri home on his fifth wedding anniversary, welcomed by a shat-

tered coffee table and a missing wife, suspicion falls on him.

The police question him, his sister questions him, all of America questions him and so do we. This development surprises no one: Nick is a man tormented by his mother’s death, by his father’s dementia, by the disintegration of his career and by his own lies. As an audience, we’re supposed to empathize with Amy. She grew up under the shadow of “Amazing Amy,” her fictional alter ego/character from a novel that her parents created and made millions off of (“Your parents plagiarized your childhood?” “Improved upon,” Amy corrects, dryly).

Amy has also given up her career and moved to the “navel of this great country” for her husband, Nick: a man who was supposed to save her, yet ended up neglecting and abusing her. Our sympathies are also guided by Amy’s impassioned narrations and by Nick’s dodgy behavior – though the eeriness of the cinematography tells us not to trust first impressions.

The film is rife with cold, blue-toned long shots of bland midwestern suburbia as well as an unsettling sense of antici-

pation at every cut; even cutesy date scenes between Nick and Amy appear robotic and apprehensive. Rosamund Pike brings a different dimension to Amy than I had previously expected: she seems older and less likeable than Flynn’s original.

Although I didn’t like this, I’ll admit that it added to the film’s creepy, artificial tone. Ben Affleck’s performance is disaffected and frustratingly detached; we’d like him, if he’d be honest with us for once. In fact, every character puts on a mask for the audience, and we spend the entirety of the movie uncovering layer after ugly layer.

The story almost tries to do too much: it’s at once a scathing social critique, a look into the human psyche, and a sexy thriller-mystery (the latter of these attempts outshines the rest). The crimes are just a little too unbelievable, though I suppose Hollywood demands this.

Our obsession over the cardinal question of whether or not

GRADUATE FROM THE status quo.

Management and business skills are critical tools to help you accelerate your career growth.

The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University now offers an MS in Management Studies to help graduating college seniors jumpstart their careers – in less than a year: • Kellogg’s top-tier education, with classes taught exclusively by Kellogg faculty – in downtown Chicago • Membership in the global Kellogg alumni network

LEARN MORE

• Highly personalized career coaching and preparation

ATTEND OUR INFO SESSION:

SEPT. 25, 7:30-8:30 PM

CAREER CENTER - COLLEGE HALL

VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

kell.gg/msms-ignite

Continued on next page

Arts & Living 7

The Amherst Student • October 8, 2014

Delightfully Detestable Characters Make “Gone Girl” a Movie to Remember Continued from previous page Nick Dunne killed his wife supersedes any nuanced evaluation of interpersonal relationships. I watched the film on the edge of my seat, and though I was intrigued by Amy’s flashbacks, I found them interesting insofar as they helped me solve the mystery of her disappearance. I was less concerned with why, rather than how, Amy disappeared.

“Gone Girl” leaves you breathless and uncomfortable; it gives no sugary-sweet respite, no sense of security, and no true homecoming. The viewer becomes trapped within the throes of a story without a neat conclusion, just as its characters are trapped within their marriages and their families. Nick Dunne cannot escape neither his egoistic demons nor the literal binds of his marriage, while Amy, who tries to escape the lies that she has lived as “Amazing Amy,” the perfect wife with the perfect husband, constructs the most inescapable, irreversible façade of all.

David Fincher realizes the cool apprehension of the book expertly, but if anything’s brilliant, it’s Gillian Flynn’s original story. Gillian Flynn is known for creating refreshingly detestable characters, and “Gone Girl” is no exception. There is no real way to write about “Gone Girl” without giving away the most innovative aspect of the story. I will say this, however: when we read books and watch movies, we expect the story presented to us to be true. In other words, fiction is already imaginary, so we expect no reason for the narrators to lie to us.

Despite this expectation, “Gone Girl” pulls the rug out from under the audience — and you’ll never see it coming.

73092

Image courtesy of Huffington Post

The characters of “Gone Girl” are deeply flawed, but entertainingly so. The film is shocking and innovative.

IF YOU

CAN’T SLEEP AT NIGHT, HOW CAN YOU DREAM OF RETIREMENT? At TIAA-CREF, we want you to be confident about your retirement. Not worried. That’s why we’ve spent the last century helping our customers plan and manage their finances to get them through every single day of their retirement.

Learn more in one click at TIAA.org or call 855 200-7244.

The Lipper Award is given to the group with the lowest average decile ranking of three years’ Consistent Return for eligible funds over the three-year period ended 11/30/12 and 11/30/13, respectively. TIAA-CREF was ranked against 36 fund companies in 2012 and 48 fund companies in 2013 with at least five equity, five bond, or three mixed-asset portfolios. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, and Teachers Personal Investors Services Inc. C18453B ©2014 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America – College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), 730 Third Avenue, New York, NY, 10017.

1

BEST OVERALL LARGE FUND COMPANY1 The Lipper Awards are based on a review of 36 companies’ 2012 and 48 companies’ 2013 risk-adjusted performance.

Consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. Go to tiaa-cref.org for product and fund prospectuses that contain this and other information. Read carefully before investing. TIAA-CREF funds are subject to market and other risk factors. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Arts & Living 8

The Amherst Student • October 8, 2014

“Annabelle:” A Terrifyingly Underwhelming Prequel

Image courtesy of comicbookresources.com

Despite great individual performances, “Annabelle” is derivative of director James Wan’s previous films and relies heavily on cliches of the horror genre.

Evan Paul ’18 Contributing Writer Capitalizing off of his highly successful 2013 horror film, “The Conjuring,” prolific Australian producer, writer and director James Wan (writer, producer or director for all of the “Saw” franchise films, the “Insidious” series, “Fast &Furious 7,” and more films) provides a compelling prequel in 2014’s “Annabelle.” Whereas The Conjuring focused on the true story of a case that Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators famous for their investigation of the Amityville Horror as well as a house that was reportedly haunted in Connecticut during the early 1970s, the prequel does not feature any of the living characters from the original story nor does it focus on Ed and Lorraine. In fact, the only character from “The Conjuring” is the prequel’s titular character, Annabelle, a frighteningly ugly vintage doll.

Whereas the sequel featured Hollywood heavy hitters Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, “Annabelle” introduces nearly all-new faces. This new film stars English actress Annabelle Wallis (“The Tudors,” “Pan Am,” “Peaky Blinders”), Ward Horton (“Wolf of Wall Street,” “One Life to Live”) and Alfre Woodard (“Beauty Shop,” “The Family That Preys,” “12 Years A Slave”). Wallis and Horton play a

young married couple, Mia and John Gordon, and Alfre Woodard stars as Evelyn, a bookstore owner that lives in the same apartment building as the couple. Surprisingly, it’s the couple’s infant daughter, Leah, who steals the show (the young actress has not yet been credited for the film). Despite the fact that she can barely walk and cannot talk, Leah’s plump cheeks and adorably expressive face offer a great reprieve from the (few) scarier portions of the film.

But Leah is not meant to be the star of the film; that status is meant for Annabelle herself. As far as set up goes, “The Conjuring” did a wonderful job of illustrating the narrative of the prequel; throughout “The Conjuring,” there are only a few mentions and glimpses of Annabelle, each of which hints at the doll’s future on screen. Even though the sequel lacks subtlety in this way, the overall point is fairly clear: Annabelle is somehow integral to Ed and Lorraine’s past. Yet, Annabelle is not the most frightening figure in her solo film, losing much of the ominousness that she previously embodied; she never moves of her own volition, and the horrifying things she makes happen are not even her own actions. It’s safe to say that the scariest thing about Annabelle the doll is her garish makeup. The true horror lies in other elements of the new film.

Unfortunately, because of Annabelle’s lackluster presence as an antagonist, the film does not live up to its hype and honestly falls

flat, especially in comparison to “The Conjuring.” Wan is known to use tropes of the horror genre in his films. Unsurprisingly, “Annabelle” continues this trend: complete with creepy dolls, satanic figures and possessed children. Additionally, the film is set during the height of the investigation of Charles Manson’s murders of the LaBianca and Tate families in 1969, Wan sparingly incorporates this event within the narrative. There are plenty mentions of the occult and cults in general, but few depictions of cults overall, something that would have added a macabre element that would have elevated the narrative.

In short, “Annabelle” provides great performances from its actors at the cost of a good story. Instead of adding innovations to his directorial style, Wan chooses to recycle elements that he has become known for in his other films. Because the film offers nothing new to the horror genre, it fails to wow viewers who are looking to spice things up when they head to the movie theater this fall. Perhaps Wan should have gone back to his roots and added an abundance of gore and twists akin to his “Saw” series. Overall, fans of Wan or anyone who would like to satiate their hankering for a decent horror film as Halloween nears should check out “Annabelle.” If you’re looking for something unique and refreshing, look elsewhere.

Amherst College Faculty Pet Spotlight: Meet Daisy

Beselot Birhanu ’17 Contributing Writer

As the October chill sets in and the leaves turn all kinds of vibrant hues, it’s clear that fall is upon us. As temperatures drop, dig out your favorite old blanket, stock up on packets of Swiss Miss hot chocolate, and find a friend to keep you warm. Area coordinator LizAnette Perez knows that the fuzzier the friend, the better.

She and her dog Oreo have always endured the brutal Amherst winters together. If you haven’t spent time with some of the furrier members of our community, you’ve been missing out. Amherst’s dog scene reflects the college’s commitment to diversity — our faculty and student’s pets come in all shapes, colors and sizes.

Area Coordinator and Multicultural Resource Center coordinator Nick Cream knows that sometimes the best things in life come in the smallest packages. That was certainly the case for Cream and his partner, Jordan, during their visit to Dakin Animal Shelter in Leverett, Mass. As soon as they walked in, they came across a litter of four newborn puppies. “Daisy was with her three sisters, but when my partner, Jordan, picked her up, she dug her claws into her shoulder. [W]hen she sat on my lap, she really didn’t want to leave. So, in a sense, Daisy chose us,” Cream said. The tiny puppy has become heartbreaker of Amherst College, and with good reason.

The five-month-old mixed-breed boasts a caramel-colored coat so smooth and silky, you’d think her owners were bathing her with Pantene products. Her big brown eyes melt even the most stressed-out hearts and she has been received with nothing short of adoration from Amherst faculty and students. “The usual response Daisy gets is a high pitched shriek or a face that looks like the person’s heart is just melting. She actually gets recognized pretty often. She’s become a campus celebrity of sorts,” Cream said, glowing like a proud parent.

You may be wondering what pairing of dogs could produce a puppy as cute as Daisy. Nick acknowledged that the puppy got her stout stature from her dachshund mother, but she gave birth while in foster care, so the breed of Daisy’s father is unknown.

Many theories exist as to what breed she is mixed with; many believe her father was some sort of retriever or a hound. However, nobody is quite sure logistically how that would have worked.

Don’t be fooled by Daisy’s tiny paws and button nose — taking care of and training a puppy is no small task. “Puppies needs lots of attention and energy, so we’ve had to [puppy-proof the house], like making sure no wires are exposed,” Cream said. Daisy is a very intelligent dog, which, depending on the situation can either be good or challenging. It makes Nick’s life easier when she picks up new commands from her puppy classes quickly, but she also

manages to get into trouble from time to time. For example, in a 30-minute time span, Daisy managed to eat half of the leaves off of a plant and spill her water in an attempt to eat the bowl.

She also tried to bury a bone in one of the MRC’s couches.

Her mischievous streak doesn’t mean she’s without her serious or reflective moments, too. As she matures and learns, she may undergo the process of becoming certified as a therapy dog. She’s very friendly, and can often be seen in her second home in the MRC in Keefe Campus Center, tussling with area coordinator LizAnette Perez’s dog, Oreo. She’s regularly surrounded by people — if you hear a chorus of voices saying “awww,” chances are Daisy’s the center of attention. Come by to the MRC and pay her a visit; it’s the best de-stresser out there!

Plenty of faculty and staff besides Cream and Perez have dogs that can sometimes be seen around campus. Additionally, several campus-wide opportunities exist to remedy the homesick blues we all get if we’ve gone too long without seeing our pets. Look out for the “Dog Days” events hosted by the Amherst College Partners for Animal Welfare and To Write Love On Her Arms. “Dog Days” serve as great chances to meet faculty pets and maybe score a pet-sitting gig, not to mention that everyone needs a “doggy” hug from time to time!

Image courtesy of Beselot Birhanu ’17

MRC coordinator Nick Cream poses with his puppy.

Wm. Denzel Wood ’18 Staff Cartoonist

The Amherst Student • October 8, 2014

Football Tops Middlebury For 7-0 Victory

Sports 9

Kelly ’17 Rushes 59 Yards in Lone Scoring Play Nell Patterson ’15 Staff Writer Rain tore across the Northeast on Saturday, leaving many of the Amherst teams soaked after their matchups against Hamilton. The football team faced a similarly dreary forecast up in Middlebury, Vt. against the Panthers. Slugging it out in the wet mud of Youngman Field, the Jeffs and the Panthers both struggled to find the end zone through the four quarters of play. Thanks to the Jeffs’ running game, however, Amherst was able to emerge victorious 7-0, bringing their record to 3-0 on the season. Once again, the Jeffs’ defense came up big, keeping Middlebury off of the scoreboard altogether and handing the Panthers their first shutout in 69 years.

“We worked hard all week on defending Middlebury’s running and quick passing game.

As a defense, we wanted to make them beat us with big plays down the field,” said junior linebacker Tom Kleyn. “We knew we couldn’t let them play up tempo and get in a rhythm, so we practiced stopping their bread-and-butter run plays and quick passing routes.”

Midd. senior quarterback Matt Milano completed nine of his 31 attempts for 67 yards, and the offense compiled a total of only 129 yards on the day. The Amherst defense also came up with four sacks leading to a loss of 13 yards. Defensive lineman Paul Johnson ’17 credited the entire team for keeping Middlebury scoreless, citing field position as a major factor in the Jeffs’ victory.

“We played great team defense, but the key was in the effort of the entire team,” Johnson said. “Our offense had the ability to drive the ball and keep Middlebury backed into their own territory for most of the game, which ultimately led to the shut out. “ The Amherst offense, while only finding the

end zone once, ran for 252 yards and added 152 yards through the air. Running back Nick Kelly ’17 led the team with a career-high 141 yards on 22 carries. Keeping the running game going despite the heavy rain helped Amherst keep the talented Middlebury offense off the field.

“Our ability to run the ball well gave us a lot of third-and-short situations, where we were able to keep the defense guessing and pick up first downs,” Jim Daniels ’16 said.

The Jeffs’ handled third down conversions well compared to the Panthers, converting six of 19, while the Panthers only moved the chains on 2 out of 17 third down plays.

After winning the coin toss and deferring to the second half, the Jeffs’ defense started out on the field against the Midd. offense. Johnson came up big on third down, sacking Matt Milano for a loss of two yards and forcing Midd to punt the ball away.

Amherst, led by quarterback Alex Berluti ’17, found success moving the ball on their first drive. Combining runs by Kelly and short passes to wide receiver Gene Garay ’15, the Jeffs reached the Midd. 14-yard line. Unable to convert the first down or find the end zone, the Jeffs settled for a field goal attempt. Philip Nwosu ’15 was unable to convert the field goal, however, leaving the Jeffs’ empty handed on their first drive.

The first half remained a battle of defense and field positioning, as the Midd. offense consistently started deep in their own territory and were unable to get past the Amherst defense.

Jackson McGonagle ’16 punted for a shocking 10 times during the entire game, totaling 332 yards. Five of these punts occurred during the first half, placing the Midd. offense within its own 20 three of those times.

With a 0-0 score at the beginning of the second half, the Jeffs were eager to get on the board.

Kelly started the half off strong, returning the opening kickoff for 28 yards to the Amherst 41yard line. Two plays later, Kelly received the ball in the backfield from first-year Reece Foy ’18 and blew through the Midd. defense all the way to the end zone. The 59-yard run was the longest on the day and finally broke the stalemate from the first half. Nwosu completed the point-after attempt giving the Jeffs’ a 7-0 lead.

“Obviously one of the most important plays of the day was Nick Kelly’s long touchdown run that gave us the points to win, but I think that play was a culmination of the offense’s ability to hold on to the ball and run it effectively,” Kleyn said.

Exchanging punts back and forth for the rest of the third and most of the fourth quarter, neither the Jeffs nor the Panthers really got close to scoring. Once again, McGonagle’s punting factored into keeping the Panthers out of scoring position as he pinned the offense inside the Midd. 20-yard line four times. As time began to wind down, keeping possession of the ball emerged as the main goal for the Jeffs. With eight minutes left in the game, McGonagle came up big, punting the ball for 58 yards placing Midd. on their own five-yard line.

“The most important play of the game was Jackson’s punt late in the game,” Johnson said.

“Jackson has been great all year for us, and especially in this game he was able to pin Middlebury deep in their own territory and win the battle of field position.”

The Jeffs’ defense stopped the Panthers offense in its tracks, allowing the Amherst offense to take over at the Midd. 35-yard line. Middlebury would end up stopping the Jeffs on the 26yard line but were unable to move into scoring position. With three minutes remaining, the Jeffs offense got the ball back and hoped to run out the clock on the Panthers. Facing third and

long on the Midd. 33-yard line, the Jeffs handed the ball to Raheem Jackson ’17 to burn out some of the clock. Rushing for nine yards and the first down, Daniels considered this play to be one the most important in the game.

“It forced Middlebury to use their last timeout, and we were able to run out the clock without giving their offense another chance to score,” Daniels said.

The low-scoring victory bumped the Jeffs to 3-0 for the season and gave them a place at the top of the NESCAC moving into Week 4. With only eight games in the season, their matchup next weekend against the Colby will represent the halfway point of their 2014 season. The second half of the season for the Jeffs includes difficult road games at both Wesleyan and Trinity, who also are 3-0 in the season thus far.

“Defensively, I’d like to see us work on turning the ball over to give our offense the best possible field position,” Kleyn said. “We played a great game against Middlebury, but we did not have any interceptions or forced fumbles. Offensively, I think we need to finish more drives in touchdowns.”

This week, however, the Jeffs are focused on beating Colby and moving to 4-0.

“The defense will go back to our normal process that we use for every other game. We will watch film, make adjustments and listen to our coaches,“ Johnson said.

On the offensive side of the ball, Daniels said, “Colby has a very talented and physical defense. We will focus on having a balanced attack in order to keep them on their heels.”

Colby has been winless so far this season most recently falling to Wesleyan 23-7. The Jeffs’ barely beat the Mules last season, winning 1410. The Jeffs will look to get their offense back on track against the Mules at 1 p.m. on Amherst’s Pratt Field.

Women’s XC Brings Home Eighth-Ranked Field Hockey Two Fourth-Place Finishes Improves to 8-2 on Season Holly Burwick ’16 Senior Staff Writer This past Saturday, the Amherst women’s cross country team parted ways to compete in both the Keene State College Invitational and the Paul Short Invitational held at Lehigh.

At the Paul Short Invite, the team placed fourth out of 40 teams. Bucknell won the event with 81 total points, and Marist (136), Holy Cross (236) and Amherst (249) were close behind.

“This is a huge meet with teams we don’t get to race against very often. With the way the selection committee picks teams for nationals now, it’s important to show that our region is very strong by going to some of these meets and performing well against top teams from other regions,” said head coach Cassie Funke Harris.

Amherst’s current ranking of No. 5 in the region will certainly be helpful for nationals.

Beating Haverford, the No. 3 team in the mideast region and No. 13 nationally, was a key result. Fellow NESCAC opponent Bates is ranked just behind Amherst in the region, but the top five finishers for the Jeffs beat each top contender from Bates. These are encouraging signs as the season progresses.

Savanna Gornisiewicz ’17 paved the way for the Jeffs; her 21:59 finish slated her at 12th overall. Next for the Purple and White was Nicky Roberts ’18 (22:18) in 21st overall. Catherine Lowdon ’17 and Jessie Kaliski ’15 crossed the line together at 22:57, with Lizzy Briskin ’15 just two seconds behind the duo. The other top finishers for the Jeffs were Betsy Black ’16 (23:49) and Cara Lembo ’17 (23:52).

Coach Funke-Harris said that she is especially proud of Lowdon’s performance. She hoped that Lowdown could finish close to Ka-

liski and Briskin, and Lowdon did just that.

“In a big race like Paul Short, it can be easy to get lost in the massive pack of girls,” said senior captain Jessie Kaliski. “But we all really stuck with our groups and worked together. We did a great job of not getting too overwhelmed by the amount of girls, holding our ground, keeping our cool and positively representing Amherst College. It is great to get a big race in like this early on in this season, because it is great preparation for NESCACs, ECACs and Regionals.”

Meanwhile, at Keene State, the Jeffs put in another fourth-place performance. Fourteen teams participated in the 5K. Host school Keene State came in first with 34 points.

Hannah Herrera ’17 finished first for Amherst, crossing the tape at 19:41. Eight seconds later, Caroline Rose ’16 clocked in, and Sonaali Pandiri ’18 came in third for the Jeffs at 20:27.

Rounding out the top seven finishers for the Jeffs were Helen Clapp ’18 (21:27), Lindsay Ewing ’15 (21:29), Kaeli Mathias ’18 (22:01) and Monica Mimmagadda ’18 (22:04).

“It was a chance for people to score for the team who usually don’t have that opportunity, and it was great to see them step up,” FunkeHarris added. “I was especially excited about the races that Hannah Herrera and Sonaali Pandiri had. Sonaali is a freshman and just starting to realize how good she can become.

Hannah stepped up her game this week and was a real leader for the group. Caroline Rose and Lindsay Ewing provided the group with some much needed upperclassman leadership, and I think the younger group really benefited from that.”

The Jeffs will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 18, when they head to Williams to compete in the Little Three Championship.

Lauren Tuiskula ’17 Sports Section Editor

The Amherst field hockey team earned their sixth straight win of the season, handing Hamilton a 5-2 loss on Saturday, Oct. 4.

On a brisk fall morning at Gooding Field, the visiting Continentals jumped out to an early lead.

Eva Rosencrans corralled her own rebound and fired it to the back of the cage, netting her first goal of the day and 13th of the season. Hamilton would not hold the advantage for long, however, as the Jeffs tied the game just over seven minutes later.

The scoring opportunity was credited to an Amherst penalty corner that finished thanks to some excellent Amherst passing. Ellie Andersen ’15 made the insert pass, sending it out to a waiting Elizabeth Turnbull ’18. E. Turnbull sent it over to her sister Annie Turnbull ’16. The junior defender then blasted a shot on goal that was saved, but the younger of the sibling duo gathered the rebound and guided a pass ahead to Madeline Tank ’15 who tapped it home, tying the game at one.

The Jeffs took the lead minutes later on another penalty corner. Annika Nygren ’16 made the inlet pass setting things up for a scramble in front of the goal. Tank was there again to redirect a shot from Sydney Watts ’17 and give Amherst the advantage heading into the break.

The Jeffs continued their strong play in the second half. Just a minute and a half in, they extended their lead to 3-1, as Andersen guided a high ball from A. Turnbull past the Hamilton keeper. Tank went on to earn a hat trick and score her team-high 12th goal on the year under 15 minutes later, putting Amherst up 4-1. The assist came from A. Turnbull, good for her second helper in the game and ninth on the season.

Hamilton made an attempt to rally, putting up their second tally in the game with under 15

minutes to play. Rosencrans had her second goal, earning four points in the game, this time assisted

by Aubrey Coon.

Amherst added another insurance tally before the contest was out. Andersen earned the assist finding Nygren who beat the Hamilton keeper for the Jeffs’ fifth goal on the day, carrying them to the 5-2 win.

Amherst held a decisive 21-5 advantage in shots and also an 8-2 edge in penalty corners.

“It’s great to have strung together a series of wins. We like where we’re at and how we’re playing as a team at this point in the season, but we always have to be focused on the next game,” Tank said.

Amherst will host Colby Saturday, Oct. 11.

“We are fully prepared and confident,” said Katie Paolano ’16. “We have been playing exceptionally well together as shown by our six-game win streak. We’re looking forward to competing against Colby as they are a very strong, athletic team who always puts up a fight.”

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

Annie Turnbull ’16 leads the NESCAC with 9 assists on the season.

10

Sports

The Amherst Student • October 8, 2014

Schedule

WEDNESDAY Women’s Soccer at. Eastern Conn. State, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY Volleyball vs. Western New England, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY Field Hockey vs. Colby 11 a.m.

Women’s Soccer vs. Colby, 12 p.m.

Football vs. Colby, 1:00 p.m.

Volleyball @ Bates, 2 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs. Colby, 2:30 p.m.

Men’s Tennis @ Johns Hopkins, TBA

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT Women’s Tennis vs. Williams, TBA Men’s Cross Country @ NEICAAA, TBA Women’s Golf @ Wellesley Invitational, TBA Men’s Golf @ ECAC Championship, TBA SUNDAY Men’s Golf @ ECAC Championship, TBA Women’ s Golf @ Wellesley Invitational, TBA Men’s Tennis @ Carnegie Mellon, TBA TUESDAY Men’s Soccer @ Drew, 7 p.m.

Women’s Golf Finishes Eighth at Williams Andy Knox ’16 Managing Sports Editor Following a fantastic showing at the Middlebury Invitational at the end of September, the Jeffs looked to continue their strong season at the Williams Fall Classic. The Classic is held at the Williams College golf course where Amherst has found success in the past.

The Jeffs finished third of 11 teams at Midd., highlighted by a fourth place finish by sophomore Jamie Gracie. Gracie continued her strong play by finishing tied for 12th overall.

Although Gracie continued to play well for the Jeffs, the team finished in eighth place.

The Williams A team won the tournament with a two-day score of 624, led by top overall finisher Shelby Shote. Shote scored a 148 on the weekend.

New York University finished in second place, with Ithaca College following close behind in third place. The Williams Ephs’ B team finished in fourth place, while Middlebury rounded out the top five.

Zoe Wong '18 continued an impressive first-year campaign by finishing tied for 24th overall with an overall score of 170. Patricia Huang '17 and CJ Bernstein '15 were the other scorers for the Jeffs.

Although the Jeffs didn't play as well as they would have liked, they will look to finish their fall season on a high note at the Wellesley Invitational.

Following the Wellesley Invitational, the Jeffs won't compete again until the snow melts in the spring. The team will also look forward to the return of junior Devyn Gardner, who has been abroad during the fall season.

Water Polo Secures Second Seed in Division Andy Knox ’16 Managing Sports Editor The Amherst Yo-Ho Penguins participated in a tournament at Williams this past weekend. The team was coming off a 4-0 home stand that put the Yo-Hos at the top of their division. Many players were unable to attend the tournament this weekend due to prior obligations, but the team was able to play with a smaller roster.

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

The Yo-Ho Penguins gather in a team huddle before a game.

After a tough loss to Williams 15-13, Amherst regrouped for their match against the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Despite a 5-4 lead with 30 seconds left, the Coast Guardwas able to score a goal with seven seconds remaining. Never one to back down, pushed the ball forward and was able to secure a foul with one second left, stopping play. First-year Nathan Ives raised the ball and fired a shot that bounced under the Coast Guard goalie’s arm to give Amherst the 6-5 victory. The YoHos nearly drowned Ives in excitement for his late-game heroics.

The next day, Amherst rose to an early match against UMass and easily handled the Minutemen 11-3. Following that match was an anticipated match against Tufts. Missing some key players, the Yo-Hos fell 16-6.

Overall, Amherst went 2-2 over the weekend to finish the regular season 6-2. Despite the somewhat disappointing results, junior Taylor Wilson is pleased with the opportunity younger and newer players had to play against tough teams. “A lot of the newer players have been putting in a lot of minutes and playing very well,” Wilson said.

Amherst travels to Bowdoin in two weeks for the conference championships. As the second seed from the southern division, Amherst will play the first and third seed from the north division. Amherst looks to continue its past success at the tournament, having made it to the championship game for the last four years in a row.

Nick Kelly ’17

Emily Hester ’17

Favorite Team Memory: Beating Williams last year Favorite Pro Athlete: Kevin Durant Dream Job: N/A Pet Peeve: Country music Favorite Vacation Spot: Florida Something on Your Bucket List: Travel to Australia Guilty Pleasure: My favorite movies are “Frozen” and the “Lego” movie Favorite Food: Chipotle Favorite Thing About Amherst: All the great people

Favorite Team Memory: Beating Williams this season Favorite Pro Athlete: David Ortiz Dream Job: National Geographic travel writer/photographer Something on Your Bucket List: Live in another country for a year Pet Peeve: Forgetting to say thank you Guilty Pleasure: Country music Favorite Food: Can’t pick one Favorite Thing About Amherst: The people

Women’s Soccer Cruises to 3-0 Victory Over Hamilton Virginia Hassell ’16 Staff Writer The unpleasant downpour at Hitchcock Field was not enough to keep the women’s soccer team from shining brightly in Saturday’s contest against Hamilton. Emily Hester ‘17 tallied her second and third goals on the year, while Quinn Philips ’17 added one more to power the Jeffs to a decisive 3-0 victory against their conference opponent. The Purple and White entered Saturday’s matchup ranked 11th in the NSCAA Coaches poll and tied with Bowdoin for first in NESCAC standings. Boasting a five-game winning streak, Amherst (8-1-0/5-1-0) would take little mercy on the Continentals (7-3-0/2-3-0) en route to a sixth straight win.

“The win was awesome,” said senior defender Maya Jackson-Gibson. “It was the first game all season that we really put together a full 90-minute game. We are finally working well as a team and successfully executing the game plan that our coaches created for us.”

After battling a stalemate for the first 25 minutes, Amherst finally found a way to slip the ball between the posts when Hannah Guzzi ’18 found Phillips on a pass from the right side of the box. Phillips, who received the pass with her back to the goal, maneuvered around with a touch and slotted the ball into the lower left corner of the goal. A diving effort from Hamilton’s goalkeeper, Rachel Cooley, was not enough to deny Phillip her first collegiate goal.

“Our dynamic as a team has been really strong this season, and everyone seems really committed to our team goals and success,” Hester said. “I think because our team is smaller, the sophomores and the first-years have realized that we have a major role to play on the field,

as we make up such a big chunk of our team, and we’ve been doing a great job at stepping up when needed.”

Despite holding a 12-9 shot advantage in the second half, Hamilton failed to place a ball between the posts, while Amherst was able to add two more goals. Twenty minutes into the period, Hester collected a pass at the top of the eighteen from Meredith Manley ’18 and fired a left footed strike into the back of the net.

With roughly eight minutes remaining, Hester struck again. This time, Hester showcased her sheer athleticism and instinct for the game, sending the ball between the posts on a sensational diving header off of a cross from Sarah Frohman ’17.

“The sophomore class is playing awesome.

I am so proud of them,” Jackson-Gibson said.

“They all came in this year fit and ready have an immediate impact on the field. Emily Hester and Quinn Phillips are great examples of how talented the sophomore class is. I’m excited to see them score more goals.”

The Amherst defense was equally as dominant in fending off the Continentals. Goalkeeper Holly Burwick recorded 10 saves, collecting her sixth shutout of her junior season campaign.

Helping keep Hamilton off the board were Jackson-Gibson, Emily Masten ’17, Jessy Hale ’16, Mel Stier ’15 and Ariana Twomey ’15.

“I thought this game very much showed that we are a top team in NESCAC,” said co-captain Meghan Mills ’15. “Three to zero is a decisive win and definitely shows the rest of the conference that we are a team to reckon with.”

Amherst looks to continue the win streak when they return to non-league play on Wednesday, Oct. 8, against Eastern Connecticut State University.

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

Junior defender Jessy Hale recorded her first assist on the year this past weekend against Tufts in Amherst’s 2-0 win.

The Amherst Student • October 8, 2014

Sports

Men’s Soccer Picks Up Three Victories On the Week Jason Stein ’16 Sports Section Editor With three games against strong opponents in the past six days, the 11th-ranked men’s soccer team was dealt a tall order. However, the Jeffs attacked these challenges with full intensity and rose to the occasion, as they earned three key victories.

Now, the Jeffs stand at 8-0-2 and sport a NESCAC unbeaten streak to 27 games. In addition, Amherst’s latest set of victories has pushed the Jeffs’ unbeaten record to 10 consecutive games.

Against the Western New England Golden Bears at Lusitano Stadium last Wednesday evening, the Jeffs trailed early, but ended up scoring two unanswered goals to take the 2-1 victory.

Less than 15 minutes into the game, Golden Bears defender Colin Macdonald ’16 put Western New England ahead on a free kick to the top right hand corner from almost 25 yards out.

Western New England would continue to hold the lead throughout the first 45 minutes of play, even though the Jeffs outshot the Golden Bears 13-1 in the first half of play. The Jeffs continued their dominance of attempted shots in the second half, as they held a sizable 18-2 edge, amounting to a whopping 31-3 shot differential in Amherst’s favor over the course of the game.

Midway through the second half, quick headers from junior forward Greg Singer and defenseman Gab Wirz ’15 set up sophomore striker Chris Martin for a header that found the back of the net to tie the score at 1-1. On the game-tying goal, Martin notched his third goal on the season, while both Singer and Wirz were credited with their first assists on the year. Wirz and the Jeffs were not finished for the game, however. In the 81st minute of action, junior goalie Thomas Bull found sophomore midfielder Andrew Orozco, who then crossed it to Wirz, who put the Jeffs ahead 2-1.

This past Saturday in less than ideal conditions at Hitchcock Field, the Jeffs managed to earn a 1-0 victory over the Jeffs. Early on in the game against Hamilton, midfielder Milton Rico ’15 almost put the Jeffs ahead with a shot that just went over the bar.

In the 19th minute of action, Amherst put one on the board to break the scoreless tie when a pass from Rico set up junior striker Nico PascualLeone, who then proceeded to put the ball into the back of the net for his third score of the season. On the play, Rico picked up his second assist on the season. Less than 30 second later, Pascual-Leone had a legitimate opportunity to double the lead, but a strong save from Hamilton goalie Harris Pollack preserved the 1-0 score for the Continentals.

In the first half, the Jeffs certainly controlled the tone, as they outshot the Continentals by a margin of 10 attempted shots (13-3). After the overtime break, the Jeffs continued to attack, but saw increased resistance and challenges from the Continentals. In the second half, the Continentals managed eight shots on goal and held the Jeffs to nine shots. Of note, senior forward Jae Heo struck a shot off the left post that narrowly missed doubling Amherst’s lead in the game.

In the second half, neither team managed to score, meaning that Pascual-Leone’s early first

half proved to be the game-winner. While the Jeffs could have feasibly added more goals to the tally this past weekend against Hamilton, Amherst managed to defeat a talented team who tied the Jeffs 1-1 in the 2013 regular season, before ultimately losing to the Jeffs 4-1 at Hitchcock Field during the NESCAC quarterfinals. Interestingly enough, Pascual-Leone accounted for the lone Amherst goal in the 2013 regular season matchup against Hamilton, just as he did in Amherst’s 1-0 victory over Hamilton.

Tuesday, Amherst faced Elms College on the road and earned a 3-0 victory. Less than 20 minutes into the game, Singer sent the ball into the box on a lob pass, which set the stage for first-year forward Kieran Bellew, who put the Jeffs ahead on his first career goal with a shot towards the bottom left corner of the net. With about 15 minutes remaining in the first half of play, defender Cameron Bean ’17 scored his first career goal off a corner kick sent in by sophomore midfielder Forest Sisk.

Around the 70th minute, Bean and Sisk paired together again on a corner to give the Jeffs a 3-0 lead over Elms, as Bean scored his second goal on the day and Sisk notched his second assist off a corner kick.

In the 3-0 victory last night, the Amherst defense posted its second consecutive shutout and fifth on the season. Bull earned the shutout with five saves on the day.

Up next on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 2:30 p.m., Amherst will face Colby in a NESCAC matchup on Hitchcock Field. To date, the Mules sport a 5-41 overall record, with a 1-4 record in the NESCAC. Towards the end of September, the Mules defeated Middlebury 3-0 to earn their first NESCAC victory, largely as a result of two late goals from Colby junior forward Yinka Onayemi. Last season, the Jeffs defeated Colby 3-1 on the road, as Martin (with two goals) and midfielder Tommy Haskel ’16 contributed to Amherst’s scoring three-goal scoring effort.

“Colby is a good side this year that has already beaten Middlebury 3-0, so we will prepare for them the same way we would prepare to play Williams or Tufts,” Wirz said. “We expect a similarly competitive matchup against Drew and will prepare as though this were a NESCAC game.”

For the second Tuesday in a row, the Jeffs will play an evening road game. This time around, the Jeffs are slated to face Drew (6-2-4 overall) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Thus far this year, Amherst has had an impressive showing over the season’s first 10 games. The Jeffs sit atop the NESCAC standings as the only team in the conference who has not recorded a loss on the season. Looking ahead, the Jeffs only have five regular season games remaining over a three-week period, three of which will count towards NESCAC standings and two of which will be home games.

“So far we are undefeated, which has been our goal and we are happy about that,” Wirz said. “But, there is still a lot work to be done to reach our goals of winning a NESCAC Championship and a national championship. We are fine with where we are now, but we are not satisfied and we want to keep getting better every day and every game.”

11

Make or Break: Week Six Andy Knox ’16 Managing Sports Editor Wow. Talk about crazy. Week six in college football delivered everything that fans love about the sport. Each and every weekend matters in college football, and this weekend teams across the country either rose to the occasion or fell short in their pursuit of a coveted spot in the College Football Playoff.

Saturday represented the democratization of college football as the state of Mississippi knocked off perennial powers Alabama and Texas A&M. Out West, Arizona and Utah proved that they can compete with the powers of the PAC 12 Conference. The upset bug didn’t escape the Midwest, as TCU knocked off a seemingly invincible Oklahoma squad.

Looks like Trevor Knight won’t be getting a phone call from Katy Perry after all!

Univ. of Mississippi vs. Univ. of Alabama After Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace talked trash prior to the Alabama game last season, the Crimson Tide rolled the Rebels 25-0. However, this season was a very different story. The Rebels hung around for four quarters and took the lead with 2:54 left on a touchdown pass from Wallace to receiver Jaylen Walton. Ole Miss intercepted Alabama quarterback Blake Sims with 37 seconds left to play. This victory marked the Rebels’ first victory over the Tide in 11 tries and helped Ole Miss to their first 5-0 start since 1962.

Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M If you watched this game on Saturday, you would think that the 345-yard and fivetouchdown stat line belonged to former Texas A&M Aggie Johnny Manziel. Current Texas A&M quarterback could have used some of Johnny Football’s magic, as Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott almost singlehandedly beat the Aggies. Mississippi State completed a 2-0 weekend for the Magnolia State over Top-10 teams by routing Texas A&M 48-31. The game never seemed that close, as the Bulldogs dominated from the outset.

Texas Christian University vs.

University of Oklahoma Although the Horn Frogs were frequent BCS busters, the program hasn’t been able to live up to its absurdly high standards the past couple of seasons. The Horn Frogs were able to intercept Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight twice in the win. Their win over Oklahoma cements TCU as a Big 12 contender. With the loss, Oklahoma’s Playoff hopes aren’t completely dashed.

However, the Sooners only have two ranked opponents left on their schedule. They will have to dominate their remaining opponents in order to remain in the playoff conversation.

Univ. of Arizona vs. Univ. of Oregon The Wildcats must have Oregon’s number.

For the second year in a row, Arizona pulled off a seemingly improbable upset of the Ducks. Oregon Heisman candidate Marcus Mariotta’s face after the game accurately portrayed the team’s emotion following the loss: utter disbelief. Look for the high-octane Ducks rebound in a high profile game against UCLA this weekend. With the win, Arizona emerged as a legitimate PAC 12 contender and potential playoff participant.

UCLA vs. University of Utah

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

Sophomore Chris Martin is third on the team with eight goals this season.

Following a 62-27 the previous week against defending PAC 12 South champion Arizona State, UCLA finally looked like the team pundits predicted would go to the inaugural Playoff. However, the Bruins instead reverted to their underwhelming early season form and lost to a Utes team that played their backup quarterback and struggled on offense as a result. The Bruins and Ducks face off this weekend, in a must-win contest that could determine whether the PAC 12 secures a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff.

Sports

“Amherst held a decisive 21-5 advantage in shots and also an 8-2 edge in penalty shots..”

Field Hockey Improves to 8-2... Page 9

Photo courtesy of Office of Public Affairs

With two NESCAC victories over both Middlebury and Hamilton over the weekend, the Firedogs moved into sole posession of second place in conference play. Amherst will look to build on their 11-4 overall record in the coming week, as they enter into an easier part of their schedule.

Firedogs Improve to Second in League Standings Warshaw ’16 Wins NESCAC Player of the Week

Drew Kiley ’18 Sports Writer The Amherst women’s volleyball team claimed two wins over Middlebury and Hamilton in NESCAC play this past weekend. Now at the halfway point of the regular season, the Firedogs improved to 10-4 overall (4-1 NESCAC).

On Friday night, Amherst recorded a 3-1 (16-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-22) come-frombehind victory in LeFrak Gymnasium over

Photo courtesy of Office of Public Affairs

Katie Warshaw ’16 averages 7.86 digs per set to lead the NESCAC.

Midd. Sophomores Maggie Danner and Nicole Gould led the Firedogs to the victory with 17 and 16 kills, respectively.

Libero Katie Warshaw ‘16 recorded a double-double with 27 digs and 10 assists.

Nicole Carter ’16 dished out 22 assists, while Kate Bres ’17 had 21 assists. Asha Walker ’18 and Kelci Keeno ’17 recorded 16 digs and 10 digs, respectively, and Marialexa Natsis ’18 added eight kills.

Amherst started the first set in a rhythm, racing out to a 7-0 lead before Midd. came back to claim 14 of the next 19 points to force an Amherst timeout. The Firedogs came out of the break to claim a 15-14 run before the Panthers went on an 11-1 run to claim the first set. Amherst struggled with their hitting after the initial flurry, only recording six kills to eight hitting errors in the set with a -.048 hitting percentage.

Trailing 6-4 in the second set, a Danner kill started a six-point run for the Firedogs as they controlled most of the set. A kill by Gould put Amherst ahead, 16-9, and the two teams largely traded points until Amherst won the set (25-20) and tied the match, 1-1.

Midd. jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the third stanza until a Danner kill sparked a four-point run for Amherst to tie the score.

With Amherst holding a 12-11 lead, Natsis floored two consecutive kills to force a Middlebury timeout. However, the Firedogs pulled away later in the set with kills from Samantha Newby ’16, Danner and Walker before Gould claimed the set-winning kill to put Amherst up 2-1 in the match.

The Panthers held the lead for most of the fourth set, leading by as many as six.

Following a Midd. service error to break up their rally, consecutive Gould kills narrowed the margin to three. However, the visitors re-

sponded with consecutive points to force an Amherst timeout. The Firedogs responded out of the break, claiming nine of the last 11 points to win the match. Danner had five kills in the last eight points of the set to lead Amherst to the victory.

Coach Sue Everden commented on her team’s play. “At times, our serve receive did not produce the passes one would want to run a quick attack, so we became a bit predictable, thus easier to defend,” she said. “I thought the team did a great ‘gut check’ in the fourth game when we were down to win that set and thus the match.”

The Firedogs returned to LeFrak on Saturday afternoon to claim a sweep (25-20, 2520, 25-8) over Hamilton. Danner and Gould led Amherst with 10 kills each while Carter and Bres each distributed 14 assists. Warshaw recorded a match-high 28 digs while Lauren Antion ’15 and Newby each claimed two blocks.

Hamilton featured a balanced attack, with six kills from Erin Casey and four from three different players. Margaret O’Brien claimed a match-high 2.5 total blocks. Kyndal Burdin dished out 14 assists and Anna Brown claimed 25 digs to lead the visitors.

Coach Everden said that the team “had great rhythm, flow and consistency. Our play combinations were exceptional which kept Hamilton off balance all day. We also served exceptionally well, which meant that they had a difficult time establishing their attack. It was a very good display of sound volleyball.”

With the score tied at 6-6 in the first set, an attack error by the Continentals sparked a 7-3 run for the Firedogs, as the final kill of the run from Natsis forced a timeout. Consecutive Amherst errors later in the set cut

the lead to one (17-16), but a timeout allowed the Firedogs to regroup and finish off the set with an 8-4 run.

Down 1-0, Hamilton had the upper hand early in the second set, leading 14-9 at one point following an Amherst error. Then an error by Hamilton started a nine-point run for the Firedogs, and they continued on to claim the set 25-20.

The Firedogs controlled the final set from start to finish, winning it 25-8 without any ties or lead changes. In the last set, Amherst recorded a .412 hitting percentage, as compared to a -.091 hitting percentage for Hamilton to earn the win easily.

The team returns to action Wednesday, Oct. 8 with a non-conference game at Westfield State at 7 p.m. The Owls enter the contest at 6-13. However, the Firedgos face a stiff defensive test from outisde hitter Victoria Sutphen. Sutphen is the Owls’ main offensive weapon, averaging 2.51 kills-per-game.

On Friday, Oct. 10, the Firedogs then take on Western New England in LeFrak Gymnasium. The Golden Bears are exiting a difficult stretch of their schedule in which they lost two of three contests. Western New England utilizes a three pronged offensive attack to keep their opponents off balance.

Although the Golden Bears aren’t a stellar defensive team, their offense has carried them thus far this season and is very dangerous.

On Saturday, the team travels to Tufts for a double-header against NESCAC rivals Tufts at 1 p.m. and Endicott at 3 p.m.

Tufts has played well in conference, winning three of four. Howeve, they have struggled in non-conference games, as they have gone six and six. Endicott enters the match with a record of 10 wins and eight losses.