Issue 8

Football Rebounds With Win Over Tufts See Sports, Page 9 5)& */%&1&/%&/5 /&841"1&3 0' ".)&345 $0--&(& 4*/$&

70-6.& $9-*** *446& r 8&%/&4%": 0$50#&3

College Moves Forward with Plan to Build Science Center on East Campus

SSN Promotes Education on Mental Health Elaine Vilorio ’17 Managing News Editor

Olivia Tarantino ’15 Photography Editor

The Board of Trustees has approved a plan to build science center on the east campus. The Merrill and McGuire buildings will be left intact and developed for other uses.

Sophie Murguia ’17 Managing News Editor After months of uncertainty due to unforeseen construction difficulties, the College is finally moving forward with an updated plan to build a new science center on the east campus.

On Oct. 11, the Board of Trustees approved a plan to raze the social dorms in order to make way for the new science center, which will be completed by the fall of 2018. The plan also provides for the construction of new permanent student housing south of Merrill, where the temporary dorms Plaza and Waldorf are currently located.

Although the College had initially in-

tended to build the new science center on the site of the current Merrill Science Center, the project stalled this spring after the Board voted to abandon plans for the Merrill site. “The administration and Board of Trustees have made this decision for two key reasons,� said President Biddy Martin in an e-mail to the College community dated May 2. “First, because of the escalation in cost, which can be attributed, in large part, to the demands of the site; and, second, because the impact of the preparatory work indicates that construction will cause unacceptable disruption to faculty research, teaching, and student life.�

Following the May announcement, the Facilities Working Committee interviewed a

variety of architectural firms to help with the new planning process. They eventually settled on Beyer Blinder Belle, who, along with Payette Associates, helped to create the plan that the Board of Trustees approved during its Oct. 11 meeting. In an Oct. 18 statement on the science center construction, the Board noted that the College also spent time studying and visiting science centers at other college campuses, including Princeton, Middlebury, Hamilton, Swarthmore, Colgate and Dartmouth.

Despite last spring’s delays, Director of Facilities Jim Brassord said he still anticipates the science center opening in fall 2018, as Continued on Page 3

Since its inception at Worcester Polytechnic Institute seven years ago, the Student Support Network program (SSN) has made its way to numerous college campuses throughout the country, Amherst included.

The Counseling Center created the Mental Health Task Force in 2010. Under the Task Force, students, faculty and staff gathered under focus groups to highlight different initiatives for oncampus mental health reforms. This resulted in a written proposal to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for a suicide prevention grant. SSN was included in the proposal to address basic needs expressed by the aforementioned focus groups.

Essentially, SSN consists of seven sessions, each one hour and fifteen minutes long. Through an interactive group setting, participating students learn active listening skills, the signs of suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, eating disorders, depression and anxiety, and ways to support their peers by connecting them with available on-campus resources.

In order to be part of the SSN network, students must attend all sessions. There is no obligation beyond this. “We only ask that our graduates utilize what they’ve learned when a friend comes to them for help,� said Mental Health Educator and SSN Director Jessica Gifford. “In terms of an SSN network, there is an SSN listserv, where graduates are notified of additional opportunities, such as participating in the Wellness Fair, a pizza party or other programs related to mental health.�

The first SSN session was offered last fall. Additional trainings were executed during interterm and the spring. A total of four student groups have been trained.

Constance Holden ’15 attended last year’s interterm SSN session. She firmly believes in the effectiveness of the program. “I now look at mental health issues in a new light. I’m more aware of ‘silent struggles’ and a ‘red flag’ goes up in my head whenever I hear an Continued on Page 3

Residential Life E-mail Generates Controversy Elaine Jeon ’17 Staff Writer Two weeks ago, Amherst College received media attention when Newsweek covered the story of an e-mail that was sent to the student body prior to Homecoming weekend. The article, titled “College Warns of Drunk, Sexually Aggressive Alumni,� points to the offensively worded sections of the email.

The content of the e-mail alerted students about the possibility of alums intruding the dormitories, stealing personal items and causing dorm damage. But the particular part of the e-mail that was under scrutiny was the warning about alums returning to Amherst “pretty jaded with the bar scene and blind dating of the real world� and wanting to take advantage of the college students.

This year was not the first time this version of the e-mail was sent out to the student body, according to some Residential Counselors (RCs), all of whom requested to remain

anonymous. The e-mail is a template, written many years ago, that was meant to be a resource to the RCs. It recommended general items students should be aware of during Homecoming weekend. As a reference, the e-mail was sent out to the RCs, who had the options of sending out an exact copy of the e-mail, forwarding a re-worded version of the e-mail or personally talking to students regarding the e-mail. A few Residential Counselors mentioned that, because the e-mail was going around the school for the past six or seven years, the possible implications of its poor wording went unnoticed until now.

Many have said Newsweek failed to capture the background story behind the e-mail and accused the Amherst College administration for the e-mail’s portrayal of alumni as sexually aggressive people and students as their possible victims. The article pinpoints to Angie Epifano’s account of sexual assault printed last school year. Since then, the College has been particularly attentive and sensitive to issues concerning sexual assault on campus. While the Newsweek

article addresses important points about victim blaming in sexual assault and negative portrayal of the alums, some have argued it views the issue in black-and-white terms. The article achieved its goal of grabbing the public’s attention, but, according to these critics, its inability to address all sides of the issue has left people polarized over the controversy.

While there is general consensus that some parts of the e-mail were poorly worded, there are others who feel uneasy about the accusatory tone of the article. William Herman ’17 pointed out that the Newsweek article does not objectively consider the true intention behind the e-mail. “The truth is that the e-mail shows how the school is positively attending to its students’ safety by reminding them of the dangers of alcohol. The last line of the original paragraph in the e-mail, ‘Keep an eye on your friends and yourself!’ is a more accurate reflection of the spirit of the e-mail. The reality is that the point of the e-mail was to protect student safety, Continued on Page 3

$0//&$5 50 64 ".)&345456%&/5 ".)&345 &%6 r !".)&345456%&/5 r -*,& THE AMHERST STUDENT 0/ '"$&#00,

News

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t 0DUPCFS

Oct. 7 to Oct. 28, 2013

>>Oct. 7, 2013 2:29 p.m., Press Box Pratt Field A vendor reported the theft of $54 worth of soda and $16 worth of potato chips from a concession storage room. >>Oct. 11, 2013 2:34 p.m., Frost Library Officers responded to a report of a woman in the building who had been previously warned to stay off college property. The woman was located and will be summoned to court. >>Oct. 18, 2013 12:40 a.m., Stearns Dormitory An officer responded to a report of a male yelling and swearing while on his phone.

The person could not be located.

11:28 p.m., Garman House An officer responded to a report of two men having a physical altercation in a stairway.

The men, who were visitors, were located outside the building. One man was bleeding from his lip and claimed the two were involved in a friendly scuffle. No further action was taken. >>Oct. 19, 2013 7:55 a.m., Hitchcock House An officer responded to a report of a male asleep in a firstfloor men’s room. The man was identified as a member of the class of 2012.

4:11 p.m., Hitchcock Road An officer responded to a report of a lost child near Pratt Field. The child was located.

11:56 p.m., Crossett Dormitory A resident reported he discovered the window in his room smashed. It is uncertain how it occurred. Facilities was notified. >>Oct. 20, 2013 1:38 a.m., Hitchcock A concerned caller reported a woman crying hysterically. A party was in progress. An officer located the woman and spoke with her. No further assistance was needed.

3:15 a.m., Amherst College Police Officers assisted a visitor searching for his car which was left somewhere near Pratt Field earlier in the day. The car was not found. The visitor was referred to the town police as the car was probably left on a town street. >>Oct. 23, 2013 9:40 a.m., Off Campus Locations An officer investigated a report from a visitor about an iPhone stolen from the Social Dorms on Oct. 19. The phone was traced to a local pawn store.

It was recovered and criminal charges are being filed against a local man.

11:41 p.m., Stone Dormitory An officer assisted a student who was receiving harassing texts and e-mail messages. >>Oct. 26, 2013 1:50 a.m., Stone Four people, who are not associated with the college, were interrupted while stealing property from two suites. A student was assaulted during the incident. The four people are being summoned to court on multiple criminal charges.

9:36 p.m., Social Quad A caller reported two unknown males wearing hockey masks and black sweatshirts walking around the Social dorms asking where parties were. They were not located.

11:00 p.m., Marsh House The Amherst Police reported stopping three students who were walking away from Marsh with pumpkins. They were directed to return them. >>Oct. 27, 2013 12:02 a.m., Stone Officers discovered an unauthorized party in the basement with over one hundred and fifty students. The event was shut down.

1:58 a.m., Service Building Lots A student reported he discovered the rear window on his car smashed out.

1:02 a.m., Stone Officers responded to a report of two unknown males attempting to steal an elk head from a first-floor common room. Upon arrival, the men had already left the building.

2:47 a.m., Social Quad An officer witnessed a student smash a beer bottle against the building. He was fined $100 for creating an endangering condition.

>>Oct. 28, 2013 1:08 a.m., Johnson Chapel A caller reported an unknown person was huddled on the west exterior steps. No one was found.

Thoughts on Theses: Madeline Marucha Major: English Advisor: Karen Sanchez-Eppler Q: What is your thesis about?

A: I am exploring the interior and exterior self of Emily Dickinson. When people discuss Dickinson, they say she has a “rich inner life”. I’m interested in what that means. As my advisor put it, “it’s a Mobius strip — the inside becomes the outside, and you can’t tell what side you’re on.” I’m also interested in the spatial language that Dickinson uses, and in the way that physical and metaphorical space are linked and feed into each other. This is especially relevant for me, since I’m a guide at the Emily Dickinson museum. I’ve spent a lot of time in her space.

Q: How did your experiences in the Dickinson Museum shape your thesis?

A: The house is very different from the way it would have been during her time. But I do feel that it allowed me to have a fuller understanding of Dickinson. I have worked there since freshman year, but I started guiding tours my sophomore year. I go there twice a week. For a long time, I was really resistant to [this subject]. I felt that it would be too much Emily Dickinson. But it got to the point where I couldn’t imagine writing about anything else.

Q: Have you faced any challenges in writing

your thesis?

A: I haven’t attempted anything this big thus far.

And, it’s a topic that’s very shifty and paradoxical.

Interior and exterior meld into each other, and its hard to sort of sort out what exactly is where.

Q: Speaking of Dickinson’s interior world, to what extent do you think she created her outward existence?

A: I definitely think that there’s a lot of myths surrounding her, and I do think Emily Dickinson was aware of it and, to a certain extent, embraced it. She used it as a barrier to keep people out of her way. She was even able to joke about it. She once wrote to a friend, “You can tell the public that I’m wearing brown today.” However, I do think it’s something that’s grown around her based on other people’s perceptions.

Q: What have been the high points in writing your thesis so far?

A: One of the best things about writing my thesis is that I get to spend more time learning about the things I am interested in. Emily and the people around her are like people in my life: they’re real and tangible to me, and I enjoy getting to know them. The poetry also gets better and better as you spend more time with it — there’s always something new. And finally, the ideas I am studying are relevant to my life — it all sounds abstract, but it’s given me a lot of clarity about how I and other people experience the world and our place in it.

— Evelyn Ting ’17

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t 0DUPCFS

News

Board Approves Science Center Plans

Continued from Page 1

originally planned.

“In order to accommodate this schedule, construction of the science center on the east campus must begin during the summer of 2016,” Brassord explained. He also noted that construction on the new student housing in the Plaza and Waldorf locations will begin in the summer of 2015 and will last approximately a year.

Although the new science center has not yet been designed, the College’s Strategic Planning website contains a copy of the Campus Assessment and Framework Presentation given at the Board of Trustees meeting on Oct. 11. Although the center has not yet been designed, the presentation lists five potential layouts for the complex, each of which provides room for future expansion. According to the website, these images are “not design images,” but “will be utilized to inform the design process as it moves forward.”

Merrill and McGuire will be left intact, although the administration has not yet decided on a new use for the buildings.

Like the current Merrill Science Center, the new center will have classrooms, labs and office space for the Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Physics, Psychology and Biochemistry-Biophysics Departments.

“We, the science faculty, have been assured the new building will have everything it needs to be a first-rate center of science that supports cutting-edge research and teaching,” said Chair of Biochemistry-Biophysics Anthony Bishop. “To my knowledge, the current plan supports this vision.”

Brassord agreed, stating that the College plans to design a space that will provide for high-quality research and teaching as well as departmental collaboration. He explained that the project will also include the creation of a “Greenway,” a landscaped outdoor walkway on the hillside by the science center. The Greenway will supplement more traditional outdoor gathering spaces at the College, such as the First-Year Quad.

“Unlike areas of the campus with flat to-

Olivia Tarantino ‘15 Photography Editor

The College will build new permanent housing in the space where the temporary dorms Plaza and Waldorf are currently located. pography that have resulted in the development of traditional quadrangles over generations, the east campus is characterized by the sloping hillside, which calls for a more organically formed landscaped connection,” Brassord said. “This landscape strategy will encourage pedestrian traffic and outdoor gatherings and will offer new paths of movement around the perimeter of the hillside.”

The Board of Trustees presentation describes the Greenway as “a dignified tree-lined path set in an open-feeling campus green.”

However, before construction on the science center can begin, the administration must begin work on housing to replace the soon-to-be-destroyed social dorms.

“To support construction of the new dorms

south of Merrill we will have to raze the Plaza and Waldorf and will be without that bed capacity for one year,” Brassord said. “There is sufficient aggregate system capacity to absorb this temporary loss of beds during this brief period of construction.”

The two temporary dorms have a current combined capacity of 66 beds. Brassord said that the College plans to build close to 280 beds on the Plaza and Waldorf site in order to make up for the 272 beds that will be lost when the social dorms are razed.

“Although the design process has not yet started, we know from student feedback that fundamentally what works well for our campus is smaller dorms that define and support connected communities,” Brassord said.

“Therefore, we anticipate that these 280 beds will be distributed over a number of smaller dorms, perhaps four to five.”

Torin Moore, Director of Residential Life and Assistant Dean of Students, said in an email that the administration has not yet begun to discuss details of the housing plans, but that more information will be available in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, both administrators and faculty have expressed their excitement to be pressing forward with the science center plans after last spring’s delays.

“The science center planning has been going on for some time — and has had its ups and downs,” Professor Bishop said. “So all progress is welcome progress.”

SSN Training to Ensure Administration Responds Better Student Community to Residential Life E-mail Continued from Page 1 acquaintance or a friend say something along the lines of ‘I’m going to kill myself because of all this work’ or ‘She’s so crazy’ or ‘That’s so retarded.’

Mental issues are something that even the sufferer may not be aware of. I handle mental issues now from a more empathetic and holistic approach, gathering information and referring students to resources when necessary,” Holden said. “I follow a process of empathy to action as opposed to immediately acting. Empathy is the key. Mental health issues are often like puzzles and those suffering from it disguise them well. I’m more aware of signs of depression, stress and eating disorders and much more knowledgeable about how common they are on this campus.”

Gifford confirms similar responses from other SSN graduates.

“The feedback from students who have participated in the program has been incredibly positive overall. We also have data from conducting preand post-assessments that show students report a significant increase in knowledge, comfort and ability in responding to mental health concerns.

We believe that the more students trained, the greater the ripple effect in the community,” Gifford said.

Currently, there are two SSN trainings underway. Subsequent SSN trainings are projected to occur during interterm and spring.

Victor Ortiz ’17 is one of the participants of this semester’s SSN sessions.

“I’ve only been in the SSN program for a few weeks, but I already feel myself becoming more educated about mental health issues, especially those prevalent on campus,” Ortiz said. “As a firstyear student, I see a lot of my peers struggling with the stress of college life for the first time. I can better help them and myself by implementing one of the many things I learn in SSN, namely, mechanisms to help cope with stress.”

In terms of further development for the SSN program, Gifford would like to implement an adjoining program called “Project Connect.”

“Students would engage in activities and initiatives designed to ameliorate isolation and enhance belonging, connectedness and community. For example, students might share stories of how they have ‘connected’ at Amherst, all of which would be posted on our Wellness Facebook page,” Gifford said.

Further details about “Project Connect” are pending.

Holden endorsed the SSN program.

“I wholeheartedly recommend it! Its purpose isn’t to become mental health evangelicals but really just to foster better relationships with friends and peers by being able to recognize mental health issues. You can become a better friend through SSN because you can recognize dangerous indicators that you otherwise may not have picked up on,” Holden said.

To become involved with SSN, students need only contact Gifford at jgifford@amherst.edu or at 413-542-5637.

Continued from Page 1 not to accuse alumni,” Herman said.

Though the wording of the e-mail later surfaced as a problem, some students, especially freshmen, found it helpful. New students were aware that alumni would return to Amherst to celebrate Homecoming. However, almost no freshmen expected past students to burst into the dormitories and nostalgically and loudly roam the hallways. According to many freshmen, the e-mail served as a warning about the seemingly unbelievable, but real possibilities that could happen (and have happened) during Homecoming weekend.

When asked about how Residential Life has been dealing with the issue since the Newsweek article was published on Oct. 21, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life Torin Moore, wanted to communicate the following statement: “Let me start by expressing my deep remorse to our alumni for the unintended though hurtful way in which our words mischaracterized you. You play a vital role in the lives of our students and the college community; thank you for all that you do. I also wish to apologize to our students, who were offended by the message.

Though poorly worded, the intention of the message was to provide students with some general health and safety tips during a busy, festive college weekend in which many visi-

tors to the campus were expected. The parts of the message that made headlines were written several years ago and not by [Area Coordinator for the First Year Experience Dominick Usher], who joined the Amherst community this past summer. Clearly, that message should have never remained in our files. In the past week, my office has worked closely with Dean of Students Jim Larimore and others to review all of our correspondence with students to ensure the appropriate intention and tone is being set. As a department that communicates regularly with students on a host of health and safety issues, we are committed to making progress in our efforts to prevent sexual assault on campus as well as raise awareness about the issue without offending students, alumni or other groups. It’s my sincere hope that working together and moving forward, we will continue the valuable work of addressing these important issues.”

Many have noted how ironic it is that, just a few weekends ago, the College lauded and thanked the alumni’s success in raising money for the college and then sent out a message warning the student body about the “dangers” of the alumni. However, there has been a general consensus that, instead of criticizing the administration or believing the mediainduced distortion, the College should turn their attention to how Residential Life can effectively support student safety next year, learning as it goes.

Opinion

Letters to the Editor

Editorial

Eric Patterson ’70 writes in response to President Martin’s “Free Speech and Institutional Responsibility” reflections, which discuss the views of Prof. Hadley Arkes.

Thoughts on Suite Living

On Oct. 11, the Board of Trustees approved a new facilities plan which, among other things, called for the Social Dorms to be razed to make way for a new science center.

The plan potentially kills two birds with one stone by ensuring Amherst remains competitive in undergraduate science and by dealing with the dilapidated Socials. While the Socials, at present, may be for many an important focal point for social life, these changes are long overdue.

The facilities themselves are old and decrepit after years of abuse, and the buildings themselves embody and facilitate a environment and culture from which the College seeks to distance itself as it moves into the future.

Therefore, this juncture presents

a unique opportunity for the College to not only materially renovate, but also rethink how it can manipulate physical space to promote and instigate a change in social dynamics.

Abandoning the Socials does not necessarily mean abandoning suite living. Suites provide a highly desirable living arrangement for a lot of students, but the College should be careful when designing suites. For example, the current Socials are arranged so that people can access a suite by entering an adjacent suite and passing though the bathroom.

This is highly problematic. Suites should be closed spaces with some reasonable expectation of privacy.

When designing suites, the College ought to eschew mass socializing in favor of individual living.

Dangers of “Molly”

$BSPMJOF #SPEFS PO CFIBMG PG UIF 4UVEFOU )FBMUI &EVDBUPST Over the past few months, several deaths presumed to be the result of “Molly” overdoses have increased media attention on the club drug and led to the cancellation of several concerts in the area. The Univ. of Massachusetts cancelled several local events at the Mullins Center (including the artists Above & Beyond, Return to Fantasia and Pretty Lights) and released a statement that indefinitely banned all Electronic Dance Music (EDM) events at the venue. In its press release, UMass cited the strong link between Molly use and EDM events, stating: “the Molly-taking culture at these shows is real and now exceedingly dangerous to the health and safety of concert attendees.” Despite the heavy publicity surrounding the drug, it is still unclear what exactly Molly is.

In the 1990’s, the popular club drug was ecstasy. The key ingredient in Ecstasy is the man-made synthetic substance, MDMA (short for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine). MDMA causes the release of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. As a result, the effects of taking MDMA often include mental and physical euphoria, enhanced sensation, mild psychedelic feelings and increased empathy. While these short-term effects might sound great, some of the major risks associated with taking MDMA include dehydration and impaired temperature regulation, which are especially dangerous in places like clubs or concert venues.

When ecstasy began to be known as a drug that was cut with other dangerous substances, however, it seems that a re-

E X E C U T I V E B OA R D Editor-in-Chief Alissa Rothman Managing News Elaine Vilorio, Sophie Murguia Managing Opinion James Liu, Julia Milmed Managing Arts and Living Meghan McCullough, Annalise Nurme Managing Sports Nicole Yang, Karl Greenblatt, Andrew Knox

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t 0DUPCFS

branding of the drug occurred.

That’s where Molly entered the scene.

Short for molecule, Molly was designed for a demographic that was fearful of contaminants and wanted a “cleaner” version of the party drug. Maybe it really was “clean” at first — maybe it really was “the pure form” of ecstasy like everyone claimed. Whatever the original composition of the drug, however, statistics are now suggesting just the opposite.

In a study done at the DEA’s New York division, only 13 percent of substances suspected of being Molly were actually MDMA. In reality, 41 percent were 4-MEC and 20 percent were methylone, both of which are types of bath salts.

You’ve probably heard about some of the terrible trips that people taking bath salts have had, and according to the DEA users have reported paranoia, suicidal thoughts, seizures and panic attacks. For dealers, it is easier to repackage substances like methylone as Molly than to actually produce MDMA. Obviously, the lack of regulation of these illegal substances allows dealers to lie to their customers about what they’re really buying, all in the interest of making profits.

It is important to note that this isn’t some far-off phenomenon without relevance to the Amherst College community. Overdoses and deaths of college-aged students have occurred in Boston, New York and Washington D.C. and are likely to continue to occur as long as Molly remains part of our generation’s recreational culture. Although the suspension of all EDM shows at the Mullins Center might not prevent widespread Molly use, it is important that Amherst students understand that no matter its make-up, Molly is an incredibly dangerous substance.

Several aspects of the continuing discussion of Prof. Hadley Arkes’s published contentions about the term “sexual orientation” deserve critical analysis. Of particular concern is Amherst’s response to his contention that the term supposedly is so “broad” as to “encompass sex with animals” (or “zoophilia,” to cite his language in another part of the same publication) as well as “pedophilia, even necrophilia,” and that therefore, according to his statement, there supposedly is serious doubt whether sexual orientation is a valid concept at all (March 26, 2013.)

In her statement on Oct. 1, 2013, President Caroline Biddy Martin observed that contentions such as these made by Prof. Arkes are a form of “legal reasoning” directed toward “testing of claims.” Although she does not explain the implications of this point, I urge readers to recognize that such contentions about the term “sexual orientation” are not merely rhetorical gestures made simply for the sake of argument, as her statement might seem to suggest. Instead, these contentions must be recognized for what they are: part of an effort to discredit the concept of “sexual orientation” and to deny its validity by associating it with behavior which is repugnant, coercive, destructive and rightly criminalized and punishable by law.

The term “sexual orientation” is fundamental to institutional and legal protections of LGBTQQIAA people from discrimination, harassment and violence. Amherst College, like many other colleges and universities, has an official institutional Non-Discrimination Statement which explicitly rejects discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

An increasing number of local and state governments now have laws preventing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Discrediting the meaning of the term “sexual orientation” is a step toward invalidating such institutional and legal protections, and there are many homophobic jurists, including members of the Supreme Court, who would endorse such contentions about sexual orientation. Amherst’s Non-Discrimination Statement also guarantees protection from discrimination on the basis of “gender identity” and “gender expression” — will these categories be the next to be attacked as invalid, by being falsely associated with criminal actions?

I believe that the problem at Amherst is more than a question of “freedom of speech.” A faculty member at the institution is engaged in efforts to invalidate the meaning of a fundamental term used by the institution in official policy statements to identify a category of people whom the institution explicitly guarantees that it will protect from abuse. I am a gay man, and I use the term “sexual

orientation” in describing myself. Many other LGBTQQIAA people, including many at Amherst, also do. LGBTQQIAA people rely on the term in their struggle to stop discrimination, harassment and violence against them. Along with many other LGBTQQIAA people, I have actively supported the adoption of institutional and legal protections on the basis of sexual orientation. To witness this fundamental term being attacked by a member of an institution which explicitly claims to protect those who identify, and who are identified, by the use of this term is very troubling. I believe that such an attack urgently requires a public statement from leaders of the institution, explicitly addressing and rejecting arguments that seek to invalidate the term “sexual orientation.”

President Martin’s failure to explicitly reject the attempt to invalidate the term “sexual orientation” allowed the National Association of Scholars (NAS), on Oct. 8, 2013, to strongly endorse her statement regarding Prof. Arkes’s words (and reactions to them by others) under the guise of “defending freedom of speech.” Thus, by failing to disavow Prof. Arkes’s attack on the validity of the fundamental term “sexual orientation,” President Martin’s statement, whatever her intentions, has the effect of lending her name and words to the purposes of the NAS. It is important to recognize what the NAS is. A prominent member of the Board of Directors of the NAS, the wealthy financier, Thomas Klingenstein, also chairs the Claremont Institute, of which Prof. Arkes is a Senior Fellow.

The NAS both funded and conducted the recent attack on Bowdoin College’s curriculum and policies, presented in the N.A.S. report, “What Does Bowdoin Teach? How a Contemporary Liberal Arts College Shapes Students” (April 3, 2013). The NAS report particularly attacks Bowdoin’s emphasis on diversity, multiculturalism and gender equality; its commitment to environmental sustainability; its concern about problems of sexual harassment and sexual assault; and, as President Barry Mills of Bowdoin especially emphasized in his statement refuting the NAS attack on his institution (April 10, 2013), its courses in Lesbian and Gay Studies. The NAS report focuses extended ridicule on one literature course which had the word “Queer” in its title, dismissing the course as supposedly not teaching students “critical thinking,” and condemning it as “altogether trivial.”

The report treats Bowdoin’s efforts to challenge the marginalization of LGBTQQIAA students, particularly efforts to affirm their open and safe participation in athletics, in a clearly dismissive and contemptuous manner. The word “marginalization” itself is targeted for ridicule in the report. As a gay man who has worked actively for LGBTQQIAA inclusion and equality, I would be acutely ashamed if I had made a public statement that an organization such as

Jed Doty ’05 writes in response to Tito Craige’s “Shining Light on Dark Words,” which was published in the Oct. 9 edition of The Student.

As a former editor of The Student, I read Tito Craige’s recent Op-Ed, “Shining Light on Dark Words,” with much embarrassment and disgust. Mr. Craige’s piece is a vicious character attack on Professor Arkes. While Craige is certainly entitled to his opinion — however misguided — I still cannot fathom how that vile opinion was ever allowed onto the pages of my beloved Student. None of Professor Arkes’s supposedly offensive remarks were published in The Student — or even on the broader Amherst College campus as far as I can tell. Nor were these remarks current — the most recent was from March of this year and the two others were from 2005 and 1986, respectively.

Craige’s objective is plain — he seeks to hurt and humiliate Professor Arkes — and unfortunately he found a willing accomplice. Is The Student so desperate for content that it has now taken to publishing libelous screeds in which former students seek to settle scores with old professors? Is this an equal opportunity service? If conservative alums wish to take mean-spirited shots at liberal professors, will we have an open forum at The Student?

I will leave it to others to debate the substance of Professor Arkes’s writings — all of which Craige plainly distorts and mischaracterizes — as I do not believe that this is an appropriate forum for such a discussion. I will close though with one final observation. At the end of his piece, Craige states that Professor Arkes’s “racist” comments should be criticized. Unsurprisingly, none of the material quoted by Craige has anything whatsoever to do with race. Sadly, this is a trick too often used by members of the extreme left: When attacking a conservative, whatever the cause, might as well brand him a racist to boot (this is of course not to suggest that any of Craige’s other repugnant characterizations of Professor Arkes are even remotely plausible either). For someone who professes so much concern that persons on the Amherst campus be shown respect, it would have been nice of Mr. Craige to lead by example.

Letters Policy

S TA F F Design Editor Brendan Hsu, Andrew Kim, Brian Beaty News Section Editors David Kang, Noah Morton Opinion Section Editors David Chang, Cheryl Lim, Ashley Montgomery Sports Section Editors Dori Atkins, Jason Stein, Patrick Yang

the NAS could successfully exploit, as it has President Martin’s.

I hope very much that members of the Amherst community will discuss these issues, and that the leaders of the College will address them specifically.

Attacking the identity category of “sexual orientation” is not merely an insult, and it is not merely a rhetorical gesture made for the sake of argument — it is part of an effort to destroy institutional and legal protections for LGBTQQIAA people against discrimination, harassment and violence.

Publishers Mary Byrne, Nazir Khan, Michael Osorio, David Walchak Copy Editors Darya Barshak, Lauren Benjamin, Claire Drolen, Jasmine Green Photography Editor Olivia Tarantino Senior Editor Brianda Reyes, Chris Friend

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 © 2011 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.

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t 0DUPCFS

Imagining Responsible Victim Responsibility 4ISVUIJ #BESJ Contributing Writer Residential counselors received an email last week with information that they could then pass on to their residents regarding the upcoming Homecoming weekend. The following portion of this email, which was posted on the Facebook group Fixing Amherst College’s Sexual Violence Problem and then later quoted in a Newsweek article, sparked much controversy and discussion.

“Keep an eye out for unwanted sexual advances. A lot of alums come back for Homecoming pretty jaded with the bar scene and blind dating of the real world and are eager to take advantage of what they now perceive to be an ’easy’ hook up scene back at Amherst. Also, many alums tend to be pretty drunk all weekend long. Alert your residents to this unfortunate combination and keep an eye on your friends, your residents and yourself.”

One of the lines along which this issue was debated was the assertion that this email was never meant to be seen by the general student body and was intended solely for the RC’s. This might be the case, (although friends have received this portion of the email from their RC’s in the years past), but is irrelevant to a discussion about whether or not the thought behind such an email was concerning. It is troubling enough that if all that was required to fix this email was a “translation” into appropriate language, the burden of doing this was to fall on RC’s, who although extensively trained, are still also students. However, it is the implication that all that was needed was a rendition in the right words without a change in intention and this was all merely an issue of semantics is what disquieted me the most, because this is simply not the case. Such an impulse to change words without changing meaning is the problem with politically correct and euphemistic speech, which not only doesn’t fix the problem, but also delegitimizes people’s right to point out there is a problem.

So, what was exactly the problem with this email? First, there was the trivialization of rape as something “jaded alums do”. Such a notion is roundly insulting to both survivors who hear a violent crime reduced to a mere outcome of a few bad dates and alums who are characterized as having no agency over their actions. People do not become sexual offenders by virtue of graduation and having entered the “real world,” and though some alumni might be rapists, this has nothing to do with their being alumni. It would have been more honest and accurate to say that sexual offenders among the alumni were more likely to act here at the College because of a decreased likelihood of facing serious consequences as compared to the “real world.” It is

this which makes the hookup scene “easy,” rather than the willingness of students to participate. Second is the reiteration of the tired cliché of drunkenness of the perpetrator causing (and therefore excusing) sexual violence. It is people who act, not substances.

Neither of the above points appear to be particularly contentious and should on their own be sufficient grounds for saying that this email was inappropriate. However, most of the debate I encountered was centered on a third point that claimed the issue was placing the burden of not being raped on students. It was argued that this basically amounted to victim blaming, and though critics of this view were sympathetic, they countered that as long as we lived in a world where rape still was a problem, we were obligated to keep our women safe by informing them of potential danger.

Growing up resenting warnings about not leaving the house after a certain point, but nevertheless heeding those warnings because of the very real danger they pertained to, I am not unfamiliar with either point.

However, the choice need not be between sending an email that tells women to watch out and not sending an email at all.

Placing the burden of safety on potential victims is problematic, but the truth is that we live in a society where it happens all the time, explicitly or otherwise.

What makes this brand of victim responsibility particularly chilling is that does not allow for any real action by the individual.

Instead, RCs could be advised to remind residents that they could call Campus Police at any time should they feel uncomfortable, reiterate to students what the procedure is to report an assault and stress that the college would be supportive whatever the “value” of the alum in question might be (already students are afraid to report misconduct by classmates, so the perceived power dynamic between a student and an alum must be even more paralyzing). All of these solutions place the burden of action on the potential victim, but the burden of action is easier to bear than that of helplessness.

Further, the College is itself accountable to act in some manner in each of the steps suggested above that might encourage moving towards an institutional rather than individual push against sexual violence.

However, even if we put these in place, we must not grow complacent. Victim blaming, however well intentioned, is still victim blaming and this cannot be our only plan. These are temporary fixes and must only be seen as scaffolding in the process of building a community where the impulse to tell women to “watch out” no longer has a place.the administration’s, to define, clarify, communicate and, most of all, make a conscious effort to live out those values.

0QJOJPO

Raising Awareness for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month 4PQIJF $IVOH Contributing Writer October. Which means fall is well underway, and the leaves have already started changing colors. Also, Halloween. Oh, and for us college students, the flurrying panic to cram in extra studying for midterms. What else? Ah, it’s also National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Oh, yeah ... Breast Cancer Awareness Month ... I see.

Really? So, what exactly is the point in designating the entire month of October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month? What does this even mean?

First of all, let’s start with the foundational definition. NBCAM.org, the official website for breast cancer awareness month, says, “The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) is a collaboration of national public service organizations, professional medical associations and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease and provide greater access to services.”

Promote breast cancer awareness,

share information on the disease and provide greater access to services.

And so, Amherst’s very own Public Health Collaborative, with these three goals in mind, planned the week of Oct. 21-25 to raise campus awareness about breast cancer in commemoration of NBCAM. This past week, Oct. 21-23, there were tables out in the Keefe Campus Center during lunch hours and at Val during dinner hours to spread facts about breast cancer and also accept donations. All proceeds from the donation will go directly to Cancer Connections Inc., an organization in Northampton that is dedicated to offering programs, support groups, workshops and complementary therapies free-of-charge to people in the Pioneer Valley who are living with cancer, along with their family members and caregivers.

On Wednesday, Oct. 23, there was also promotion of a campus event based on a quote from Mean Girls: “On Wednesdays, we wear PINK.” As widely known, the common symbol that represents support for those with breast cancer and survivors of breast cancer is the pink ribbon. As an unifying act of support and respect by the Amherst

student body, many students wore pink on Wednesday.

That Wednesday night, there was a screening of “1 a Minute,” a docu-drama film written and directed by actress Namrata Singh Gujral which centers around her story and other women’s stories about battling breast cancer.

While watching this film, one gets the slightest sense of what it means to be diagnosed with cancer. It is impossible to say that we empathize completely, but the survivors’ stories offer a glimpse of the terrifying and hopeless road cancer takes them down. The statistics alone are shocking and mindsobering: Every minute, a woman dies of breast cancer.

So, back to the question posed in the beginning: What does Breast Cancer Awareness Month mean?

It’s a time set apart specifically to honor those who struggle with this horrible disease, and it’s also a time to hear the survivors’ stories. It’s a time to wake up and understand that you are not immune to it. It’s a time to support those who are battling it and time to be aware of how to prevent it.

And this is why Breast Cancer Awareness Month is worth it.

Socializing Beyond the Socials

(FPSHF 5FQF Contributing Writer

Most students have a favorite story of police breaking up a party they attended. Last year, one of my orchestra parties was broken up in Seelye. You may expect orchestra members to be crazy party animals, but (un)surprisingly the majority of orchestra party funds are used to purchase snacks and soda since most orchestra members do not drink. The image of a police officer in Seelye breaking up 35 orchestra members (some in tuxedos) eating cheese and crackers and drinking some alcohol makes most people laugh. But these types of stories unfortunately dominate student discussions of parties on campus. Unsafe and irresponsible partying is happening — that is no surprise. The problem is that the potential for random police walk-throughs in our safer party spaces pushes parties out of these spaces, and the protection of a private social common room pulls parties into the Socials.

The distinct culture in the Socials lowers our standards of what is socially acceptable and, more importantly, what is socially responsible. Guys creepily grinding on girls without saying a word is an unfortunate staple of the Socials party scene, and the weekly destruction of social common rooms, windows and bathrooms demonstrates the high intensity of Saturday nights. The large, well-lit common rooms in the Triangle, on the Hill and in Lipton, on the other hand, are the ideal spaces for parties on Saturday nights. So why do students not use our safest party spaces? Simply put, the highest enforcement of alcohol policy occurs in our safest social spaces since police officers can walk through these public common rooms at anytime.

Small, dark and cramped social common rooms offer the least safe party environments, and yet most parties happen in the Socials. College planners

did not design the Socials to host parties since, at the time, fraternities held campus parties in their respective houses. Because social common rooms have a door and are technically private, campus police need probable cause to enter.

The legal protection of these private common rooms incentivizes students to host parties in the Socials. Even if we assume that campus police officers try to enforce alcohol policy equally in all spaces, the fact that a social common room is private means that the police cannot enforce alcohol policy as easily in the Socials. Therefore, alcohol policy becomes most strongly enforced where it is most easily enforced, which is unfortunately our socially safer spaces.

If students in a social common room are not dancing on the windowsill, not leaving with alcohol and not overflowing into the stairwell, it is very unlikely that the police will stop the party. Police officers may stay in the stairwell, but this “worst case” scenario ironically is less risky to the party hosts than potentially holding an unregistered party in the public common rooms in the Triangle or on the hill. By choosing not to risk their party being broken up, students allow more actually risky and undesirable behavior to occur.

The College, through its alcohol policies, should be pushing students out of the Socials and into our safer spaces. The College could take quick action to improve the safety of our party scene. Police officers should stay down in the Socials where they are needed on Saturday nights. In addition, students should not have to reserve public common rooms three days in advance; rather students should be able to use our public spaces with only twelve-hours notice. We do not need 24 hours advanced notice that our common room is being used for a party. We know our schedules, and we check our emails frequently.

Administrators should be allies of safe parties, not simply enemies of un-

safe ones. Administrators should encourage students to use our public common rooms and once a public space is reserved, the college should not require students to register the party.

The College sets the bureaucratic bar too high for students to ever register parties. First students must meet with an administrator at least a week in advance. At the party, students who drink are not allowed to intermingle with students under 21. The fragmentation caused by a separate over-21 room is counterproductive for the purpose of a community-building party.

A recent approved plan for an Oktoberfest party in the German House allowed students to intermingle. The College should codify this policy immediately. However, the financial cost of registering a party is prohibitively high. Students can expect to pay an additional $150 total for a bartender and student security. With a total yearly theme house budget of $903, the prospect of the German House spending a sixth of its budget simply on security is preposterous. Once again, a safe party does not occur, and students spend their time down in the Socials.

Student culture also needs to change. If a student calls a noise complaint we cannot blame the police or “The Administration.” People who live in apartments do not automatically call the police if their neighbor is loud.

Likewise, we should respect our fellow students enough to attempt to get in contact with party hosts and to turn down our music if it is too loud. Text your RC or your neighbors before calling the police.

Another program or a TAP is not always the answer to safe Saturday night options. We cannot “program” our way to an improved social scene. Students should be given more responsibility in throwing safer parties, and we should be given a better opportunity to succeed in creating and using our safer spaces.

Arts&Living

0DUPCFS t 5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU

The Common: A Modern Sense of Place

.FHIBO .D$VMMPVHI Managing Arts & Living Editor The Common, a new print and online literary magazine based at Amherst College, released its newest issue (Issue 6) on Oct. 28th. Issue 6 beautifully brings together poetry, short stories, essays and images by both local and international authors.

All of the pieces included in The Common fall under the overarching theme of, as Editor Jennifer Acker ’00 says in The Common’s mission statement, “a modern sense of place.� The magazine’s goal is to publish “literature and art powerful enough to reach from there to here,� and it succeeds with grace, both in Issue 6 and in past issues. With a professional and minimalist aesthetic, impressive typography, and a wholesome physical feel, The Common’s biannual print issues are substantial volumes that are pleasing to read and pleasing to touch.

Founded in 2009 and first released in 2011, The Common has steadily built both an audience and a name for itself in the world of literary magazines over its three years of publication.

Issue 6 builds on the theme of a modern sense of place as it dem-

onstrates, across genres, the ways in which intimidation, fear and loneliness can be conquered by the strength that comes with a connection to a ‘place.’ Characters, bodiless narrators and nations alike find the ability to face daunting tasks and situations with new light and resolve when they realize that their homes, or their land, are on their side.

6 beautifully “ Issue brings together poetry, short stories, essays and images by both local and international authors.

�

In fiction writer and essayist Megan Staffel’s short story “Mischief,� middle-aged Ramona struggles to find her sense of place in a small, close-knit town as her marriage threatens to crumble. She finds solace in the tactile relationships she develops with the different elements of her (somewhat) new hometown, and her work as a massage therapist and declares, “I want to stay here. I want to make this our home,� in the face of being constantly uprooted by her husband’s career. Readers are shown, through the emotional

landscape Staffel intricately weaves, how, in the face of great loneliness, a place can be the most stalwart of companions. In Hisham Bustani’s short story “Freefall in a Shattered Mirror� translated from Arabic by Thoraya El-Rayyes, a young Arab girl struggles with whether or not she can move out of her culture’s antiquated constraints and into a present all her own. The piece is broken into a series of vignettes in which she interrogates these themes with herself and others.

Faced with the reality that her current ‘place’ comes hand-in-hand with its culture, “she chokes with bitterness and tries to escape, to turn over and stand in the air. But it’s no use. She is totally fixed — as if fastened by unseen ropes.� She longs to find a place that will support her and sets out to do so. This harsh, heartbreaking reality evokes the theme of a sense of place from a particularly cultural angle and shows readers that although a place isn’t always comforting, it can be just the push we need to come into our individual selves with greater strength than we would have otherwise.

Similarly, in the essay “WellArmed,� Rowan Moore Gerety demonstrates his determination to remain

Move forward with world-class graduate programs at Boston’s public research university offering:

in a place that he feels a connection to, even in the face of adverse, and possibly even dangerous, circumstances.

Gerety recounts his trip to Reunion Island to teach English to children.

His desire to fully immerse himself in the culture of his new place of work (and to avoid a long commute) results in his moving in with a questionable roommate named Serge. Gerety suffers through a moldy kitchen, outdoor showers and ominous signs and rumors of criminal activity in the neighborhood (and possibly within his very home) because, as he writes, “for all my frustrations, living chez Serge was still convenient and entertaining.� The colors of the odd characters Gerety takes up with blend with the colors of the place itself, reminding readers that, try as we might, we cannot always distinguish between a place and the people it holds. The two entities often lend irreplaceable meaning to one another.

The essays and short stories included in Issue 6 can be the most hard-hitting in terms of connection to a place, but the poetry is no less relevant. Denise Duhamel’s lovely homage “Love Poem with Elizabeth Bishop� evokes the spirit of the late poet’s work in order to craft a uniquely grounded place of its own: Bishop’s house, as inhabited by the speaker and her partner. As the emotional trials of Bishop’s life are sympathetically catalogued, love prevails; the poem becomes a unique space in which the absence of a person is able to strengthen emotional connection. Duhamel writes, “You are fishing on the bay / and I am missing

you, but the missing / is necessary for me to go back to childhood,� and as a reader, you will find yourself feeling nostalgic for times and places that you didn’t even know you missed.

One of the most unique pieces in the issue, “Peaks and Valleys,â€? is a collection of images of architectural plans done by the firm Lateral Office in collaboration with Luis Callejas. The introduction, written by The Common Architecture Editor Scott Geiger, explains that the plans pursue a more modern city architecture for the KlaskvĂ­k City Center in the Faroe Islands. A restructuring of the city in order to better foster modernday community is the goal. In tandem with the modern sense of place throughout the issue, “as KlaskvĂ­k moves into the twenty-first century, it becomes more like itself than ever before.â€? “Peaks and Valleysâ€? serves as the architectural embodiment of the short stories, poems and essays throughout the issue; it is the power of a modern sense of place brought to life.

Although a few of the pieces in the issue are not as successful as others in their execution, for the most part, Issue 6 is a great success. The wide diversity throughout the issue, in terms of both the genres and the authors, is a testament to the idea that a strong sense of place can take any form and can come from anywhere at all. In our current technology-controlled world, it is easy to forget from where we have come, where we are currently and where we are going. We are lucky that we have The Common to remind us.

The first doctoral program in Green Chemistry Among the top three Nursing programs in New England Nationally-acclaimed MBA, Clinical Psychology, Rehabilitation Counseling, Gerontology, and Public Affairs programs 80+ doctoral, master’s, and certificate programs The opening of the Integrated Sciences Complex next year

Graduate Studies Showcase 2013 Wednesday, November 13 4–7:30 p.m.

Register today. www.umb.edu/gradshowcase Image courtesy of UIFDPNNPOPOMJOF PSH

5IF $PNNPO T CJBOOVBM QSJOU JTTVFT BSF TVCTUBOUJBM WPMVNFT UIBU BSF QMFBTJOH UP SFBE BOE QMFBTJOH UP UPVDI

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t 0DUPCFS

"SUT -JWJOH 7

Queerosity: Toward a New Language #FO 0UPP Contributing Writer I spotted him the minute he entered the room, and from that moment it was bob and weave.

We’d gotten together on the dance floor in the recent past. Things had, admittedly, gone beyond G-rated, and we’d both had a good time. But that wasn’t part of my plan for the night this time around.

It’s one thing to avoid somebody when you’re out on a Saturday night in a room full of people dancing. It’s another thing entirely to try to avoid somebody in a room full of people dancing while going about business as usual.

But a night of music and dancing is worth fighting to keep hold of. And I was successful — for a while.

I was in the corner under the speaker, turning away from that essential exchange of “I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll be right back�/“Okay,� when I looked down to find him backing into me with vigor that was somewhere between flattering and embarrassing. I sighed inwardly, as does one does when grinding is happening but just isn’t in the mood. So I decided to wait it out; after all, it takes two to tango. Surely a disinterested partner would kill the groove?

But despite my best efforts to project an aura of ‘politely disinterested,’ he remained undeterred, enthusiastic enough for two. After I’d fended off two attempts to get under my shirt while trying to be subtle about doing so, I thought that the misadventure was nearing its end. He’d get the hint, I’d get back to my friends, move on and— He put his hands down my pants.

My mind blanked. I was blindsided. Ignoring the not-inconsiderable physical discomfort and mechanical awkwardness (his hand movements were akin to a combination between trying to open a doorknob, changing gears in a car and aggressively rummaging around in a silverware drawer), I was freaked out. I was mortified. I wanted to vanish into the floor.

I felt hugely, eternally dirty, unclean. WHAT THE FUCK, HE’S GROPING ME. I distinctly remember silently mouthing ‘HELP ME’ to the snatches and glances of my friends that I could pick out through the crowd. But I never caught their eyes. I felt some hideous combination of utter invisibility and total exposure.

Eventually he retracted his hand. Into the opening I, in a voice high enough to be mistaken for authentic and brittle enough to be mistaken for necessarily awkward, threw the ‘I need to check on my friend’ excuse and fled in a too-tightly composed manner.

The next day, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Or the next day. Or the one after that.

The memory looped continuously, each sound and smell and feeling recorded with utter faithfulness. I felt secretly diseased, as though if I were caught under a black light a landscape of pustules and oozing sores would be revealed. It was this persistent feeling of something wet and heavy perching at the base of my neck between my shoulder blades: I visualized it distinctly as an octopus. My nerves felt worn and frayed, sputtering like worn-out live wires ‌ One dinner I thought I saw him out of the corner of my eye in Val; I only managed to regain my hold on my tray after a long (and, I was convinced, highly visible) fumble. It felt monstrously wrong and unfair that my body

should be thrown into such chaos by someone else, that I should feel such loss of control.

How did it happen? And more specifically, I asked myself in acid tones, how could I have been so stupid? Of course it happened. With a strategy of ‘acquiesce, indulge and don’t make a fuss,’ how could it not have happened? And it’s not as though I was physically restrained, after all; I did have a height advantage. I could’ve fought, couldn’t I? But I didn’t, and so there I was.

I tried to describe what had happened, to classify it, to understand it. What was it?

A groping? A sketchy, uncomfortable, gross Thing That Just Happened? I never imagined that I’d be in this sort of situation. Really, I never even thought that these sorts of situations were possible except in the most vague, academic sense. I didn’t have any words to describe it, to make sense of it. Even now, I still don’t have the language — and that might be the most troubling part of the whole thing.

There’s been a lot of necessary discussion on campus around sexual issues over the last year. That discussion has, inevitably, taken place within a certain context: thoroughly heterosexual, with male/masculine aggressors and female/feminine victims. This is how the discussion has gone because, as a society, we only have the language to talk about these issues in this specific way, however flawed it might be. Given our society, this state of affairs is to be expected. However, it’s also extremely unfortunate. ‘Sexual disrespect.’ ‘Sexual assault.’ ‘Victim.’ ‘Perpetrator.’ These are uncomfortable terms on an uncomfortable topic. They describe a whole host of people and situations — rather, they that’s what they should do. In-

stead, they have taken on a very specific heteronormativity and thus only serve to map to precise instances to the exclusion of others —many others. Discussions of these issues are trapped by the gender dichotomy that perpetuates these injustices and inequalities in the first place. Discussions are thus enslaved to support them. Queer people are often at odds with classic gender roles, not only at the personal level but also at the societal level, as queerness is seen as a first-order disqualification. Queer people are implicitly and explicitly excluded from much of life and from most discussions, this being a particularly dangerous and damaging instance. Worse, there is a pervasive feeling — not unknown within the queer community itself — that a given amount of discomfort is ‘just how things are,’ an inherent part of the life as lived. Even men have little recourse, despite — and indeed, because of — societal determinations, bound up by a hazy, largely negative definition of ‘man,’ of which one of the few clear, affirmative assertions is ‘This cannot and does not happen to you.� So we are unable to talk to these people about the situations they may face and how they might prepare for them, and we lack even the most basic language to enable them to protect themselves.

Talking about sexual issues is never easy; they evoke powerful emotions and touch on intimacies and vulnerabilities that few things do. But we must talk about them. And to talk about them, to really talk about them, we must talk about them in their entirety. We must acknowledge all the people they affect in all the ways they affect them, not just a subset, not just a fraction, not just a few. Because these are, in the most basic sense, human issues.

How to “Healthify� the Dining Hall -J[[JF 1BVM Contributing Writer For most of us, college is a busy, fast-paced, exciting four years. Balancing classes and extracurricular activities while maintaining a social life can take a toll on one’s health.

Too often, we resort to making bad choices in the dining hall that affect us in other parts of our lives. Making a few simple changes in our eating habits can help us stay focused, energized and in a good mood throughout the day! Here are seven tips on how to “healthify� the dining hall: 1. Eat breakfast. How many times have you heard the phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day?� Well, it is. Eating breakfast kick-starts your metabolism for the day and awakens your body after fasting overnight. Eating a breakfast that is high in fiber and protein will fill you up and give you energy that will last throughout the day, preventing crashes and overeating later on. Good options for breakfast are eggs, oatmeal, smoothies or yogurt with some fruit and honey. If you can’t get yourself to the dining hall, have breakfast on-the-go! Try bringing a granola bar or a piece of fruit with a packet of peanut butter with you in the morning.

2. Eat your vegetables! You want your plate to look as colorful as possible. Take advantage of all of the pre-cut and pre-cooked vegetables in Val. They are convenient, full of nutrients and essential to staying

healthy! At each meal, fill up at least half of your plate with veggies, and split the other half of the plate between proteins and complex carbs such as brown rice, whole-wheat pastas or sweet potatoes.

3. In college, we are often reminded to be careful about what we drink. This applies to the dining hall as well! Drinking too many sodas and processed juices will fill your body with unnecessary sugar and chemicals that will spike your energy and leave you feeling drained and hungry later. It is easy to get dehydrated when you are busy all day, so carry a water bottle around with you and aim to refill it a few times. A good rule of thumb is to try and drink half of your body weight in ounces of water per day.

So, if you weigh 140 pounds, aim to drink about 70 ounces of water per day. Try squeezing some lemon juice into your water. This will help aid digestion and cleanse your liver.

Also, experiment with some other healthy beverages: milk, tea and coconut water are all good options.

4. Keep dessert as a special treat! Before you got to college, you probably didn’t have dessert after both lunch and dinner at home.

In college, dessert can be tough to resist, especially when it is available at all meals. Try choosing one meal to have dessert after per day.

This way, you still allow yourself to have a treat without going overboard! Also, try creating your own healthier dessert! Here are a few options that might help satisfy that

sweet tooth: a piece of fruit and peanut butter, a little fro-yo with some cut up fruit on top or some yogurt and honey.

5. Beat the 3p.m. slump and eat snacks! The typical college student has a very busy schedule. Eating a small snack between meals will help you stay full and focused throughout the day. Some good snack onthe-go options are trail mixes, carrot sticks, apples with peanut butter and granola bars. Snacks that contain healthy fats, such as nuts, will keep you satisfied throughout the day. Throw these options into your backpack so that they are available when hunger strikes! Working out in the afternoon? Try having some coconut water with some protein powder mixed in before your workout for a punch of energy.

6. Wait at least 20 minutes before going back up for seconds.

When eating buffet style for every meal, it is easy to fill up on seconds or even thirds simply because there are so many options available. After you eat your first plate of food, wait at least 20 minutes before getting up to get seconds in order to give your body enough time to digest and recognize if it is still hungry. If you are still hungry after 20 minutes, refuel with something protein-packed in order to keep you full until your next meal or snack.

7. Don’t fall into the sugar-free trap! Many low-calorie foods, such as non-fat dressings, diet sodas and sauces contain artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame and Sucralose

(Splenda) that are low in calories and high in sweetness. Too often, people assume that these things are healthier than their higher-calorie alternatives. However, these chemicals have been proven to have many negative side effects such as stimulating insulin levels in the blood, spiking sugar cravings and promoting body fat storage. Try experimenting with some natural sweeteners, such as honey, maple syrup or stevia (Sweetleaf).

8. Moderation is key. Find a balance between eating healthfully and treating yourself. In the long run, moderation is the key to forming healthy habits that will last. If you really want dessert, eat a healthy meal and then go for it! Get creative in the dining hall and find meals that work for you.

For more ideas or questions on how to eat healthy in college, email me at epaul16@amherst.edu or follow my Instagram: @Lizzie_Living!

Image courtesy of Lizzie Paul

&BUJOH CSFBLGBTU LJDL TUBSUT ZPVS NFUBCPMJTN GPS UIF EBZ BOE BXBLFOT ZPVS CPEZ BGUFS GBTUJOH PWFSOJHIU

8 "SUT -JWJOH

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t 0DUPCFS

“Enough Said� Breaks New Ground

-J[ .BSEFVT[ Contributing Writer

Moving on isn’t easy, and Nicole Holofcener, writer and director of “Enough Said,� doesn’t let us forget it in her story of middleaged love. Holofcener manages to create a romantic comedy that is at once intelligent, moving and fiercely funny, a rarity in a genre recently dominated by forgettable, formulaic plotlines. “Enough Said� is not escapist entertainment: the fairy-tale love affairs of quirky

Film Review i&OPVHI 4BJEw Written and Directed by: Nicole Holofcener Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Toni Collette, and Catherine Keener

twenty-somethings have no place in Holofcener’s film. Rather, the characters and their difficulties are refreshingly relatable, even for the college-aged viewer. “Enough Saidâ€? is the story of Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a Los Angeles-based massage therapist, offbeat museum curator Albert (James Gandolfini) and the development of their somewhat unusual romance. Eva is several years removed from a divorce and her 18-year-old daughter (Tracey Fairaway, who gives a wonderfully understated and touching performance) is preparing to leave for college: Eva decides it’s time to jump back into the dating pool. Albert, also a divorced parent of a daughter (Eve Hewson) readying for her freshman year, has made the same decision. They meet at a cocktail party hosted by a mutual friend. When introduced, both claim that they don’t find anyone at the party attractive. However, they’re intrigued by their similar stations in life — middle aged divorcĂŠes with children

heading to the east coast for school — and agree to a no-pressure first date. Though hesitant at first, they begin to see each other regularly and start to truly enjoy spending time together. Their senses of humor are completely compatible! Neither is on good terms with his or her ex! Both are acutely self-conscious about their aging bodies! Everything is going to work out perfectly!

But then it doesn’t. Eva cultivates a new friendship with the bohemian New Age poet Marianne (the perfectly wacky Catherine Keener) all while deepening her romantic relationship with Albert. Marianne has quite a few problems of her own and she opens up to Eva with complaints about her own repulsive, obnoxious, good-for-nothing ex-husband. Marianne describes her former husband’s offensive eating habits in one of “Enough Said�’s funniest scenes: the way he ate guacamole, mixing it all around with a tortilla chip to get rid of the onions — he hated onions — that was a deal breaker, she laments. Eva laughs at this and her free-spirited friend’s other melodramatic stories until she sees Albert with his chip-laden hand stuck in the guacamole bowl, avoiding the offensive ingredient. Albert — charmingly funny, witty, kind of-overweight Albert — is Marianne’s ex-husband. This, of course, com-

Holofcener’s film is a very “ witty look at the difficulties that come along with close relationships, new and old.

�

plicates Eva’s relationship with Albert. Eva struggles with the information that Marianne had unknowingly provided. Her vision of Albert as a goofy, warm, a-little-sloppy-but-stillsexy guy is clouded by Marianne’s memories of him as boring and loserish. To her, he was never sexy — just bad at sex. Eva tries to correct Albert’s “faults,� which had never been apparent to her before, to the detriment of their relationship. Holofcener’s chronicle of these

Image courtesy of schmoesknow.com

5IF TIBSQ EJBMPHVF BOE TFOTJUJWF QFSGPSNBODFT FTQFDJBMMZ (BOEPMmOJ T

NBLF UIF mMN B NVTU TFF strained relationships never drags, thanks to a script with snappy, witty dialogue and a secondary plot with Eva’s daughter Ellen and Ellen’s super-needy best friend Chloe (Tavi Gevinson, who effectively plays a boy-crazy teen girl who’s just a little too clingy).

Holofcener highlights the motif of moving on throughout “Enough Said,� and it has implications within the film and without it.

Both Eva, Albert, and Marianne need to learn to move on from their ex-husbands and wives and the bad taste their divorces left in their mouths. This is essential, Holofcener suggests, to cultivate fulfilling new romances. How can Eva and Albert settle into life as a couple if they’re so focused on what went wrong in their first marriages? How can Eva love Albert is she obsesses over the flaws the overly theatrical Marianne plants into her head? All three of them are about to become empty nesters: their only children are traveling across the country to start as freshman at college. Both the daughters of “Enough Said� and their parents must move on to their new lives: Tess (Albert and Marianne’s daughter) and Ellen as university students, and Albert, Marianne and

Eva as independent adults without children to care for.

The viewers of the film, too, must move on: Gandolfini’s performance in this film is all the more poignant because it was one of his last. The actor passed away due to a heart attack this past June, and after watching this film, it is clear that he still had much to offer as a performer. In addition, both James Gandolfini and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are well known as television actors who played iconic characters: Gandolfini as Tony Soprano of “The Sopranos� and Louis-Dreyfus as “Seinfeld�’s Elaine Benes. It is difficult to watch the film without thinking of these roles, but Gandolfini and Dreyfus are fantastic in that they embody Eva and Albert without exuding even a hint of their previous television parts. “Enough Said� is no “Sopranos�-“Seinfeld� hybrid, and devotees of either show may be disappointed for that reason. Nicole Holofcener’s film can be appreciated for what it is: a very witty look at the difficulties that come along with close relationships, new and old. The sharp dialogue and sensitive performances (especially Gandolfini’s) make the film a must-see.

Amherst Symphony to Tackle Wagner %BWJE ,BOH Contributing Writer When we think of hardest orchestral pieces to play, names like Mahler, Strauss, Iver, Bruckner and Wagner come to mind. Of Wagner, what comes to mind is, of course, his “Der Ring des Nibelungen� or the Ring of Nibelung. Famous for the excerpt that we call the “Ride of the Valkyries,� which appeared in the soundtrack for the iconic movie “Apocalypse Now,� this grueling 15 hour piece has been the cause of much strife and struggle for the Amherst Symphony Orchestra for the past two months.

Of course, the orchestra won’t be playing the entire 15 hour piece — it would be an impossible task to perform such a gigantic piece on only two months’ worth of recitals. And while the work itself is an opera, the orchestra will only be playing orchestral excerpts of the piece, in what the orchestra’s conductor, Mark Swanson, calls a “Symphonic Synthesis� of the entire work.

Swanson called his interpretation of the piece a “70-minute compilation of ‘greatest hits’ from Wagner’s four-opera sixteen-hour ‘Ring’ cycle [that] depicts universal symbols and metaphors — and eternal conflicts between gods and mortals, between pure love and the pursuit of riches, between heroic bravery and cowardly fear, between power/control and abandon/surrender.�

Student members of the orchestra seem to have similar thoughts about the piece.

Sam Rosenblum, a trumpeter from the class of 2016, said “The great American filmmaker Woody Allen once said, ‘I can’t listen to that

much Wagner. I start getting the urge to conquer Poland.’ While Allen might be joking about Wagner’s antisemitism, he offers players a way to understand Wagner. Wagner is all about conquering the new.�

Another student, Alexandra Morgan Welch ’14 said “It is such a profound experience to be able to play such a musical masterpiece before graduating. After playing in orchestras for almost 15 years, it is not likely that I will be given the opportunity to play music like this ever again in my lifetime.�

Of course, playing such a monumental piece doesn’t come without the pains of having to actually learn how to play it. As a member of the second violin section, I’ve experienced firsthand how excruciatingly annoying some of the runs are to play: chromatic, diminished, half-diminished arpeggios galore and all at a ridiculous speed.

Those who have played an instrument before might understand the technical absurdity of this piece. And for those who haven’t played before, one can only describe the experience like trying to swim against a current. The tempo just keeps on moving forward and you must do everything in your power to keep yourself from drowning and being overwhelmed by the sheer number of notes to be played.

When asked to comment about why he chose such a technically demanding piece, Swanson replied, “No other liberal arts college would dare to tackle this work; but this is Amherst and we don’t say no to challenges.

In fact, that a liberal arts college orchestra can play this work this well is a tribute to the focus, hard work and commitment of the tal-

Image courtesy of http://ayay.co.uk

*NBHFT CZ "SUIVS 3BDLIBN XJMM BDDPNQBOZ 8BHOFS T i3JOH PG UIF /JCFMVOH w BO FYUSFNFMZ UFDIOJDBM BOE BNCJUJPVT VOEFSUBLJOH GPS "$40 ented musicians at Amherst who play for the love of music and art.� He gave a particular acknowledgement to the fact that “‘The Ring’ calls on massive orchestral forces: nine horns, four trumpets, four trombones and doubled woodwinds� and that we are lucky to be able to fulfill those requirements with minimal augmentation from players outside of Amherst’s own student body.

The concert this Saturday will definitely be a sight to see and hear. Literally ‘to see’ because

they will be “projecting iconic illustrations by early 20-century illustrator Arthur Rackham accompanied by a simple outline of the plot,� and ‘to hear’ because it will be Wagner, Amherst students and one of the hardest orchestral pieces known to music, right at Buckley Music hall. Come watch us suffer and prevail.

Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013 at 8:30 p.m.: Bicentennial Tribute to Richard Wagner. Preconcert talk at 7:30 p.m. in Arms Music Center Room 3 (Professor Christian Rogowski).

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t 0DUPCFS

4QPSUT 9

Volleyball Goes 10-1 in October Brewer and Devlin Win NEWITT Title "OEZ ,OPY Managing Sports Editor

The Firedogs continued their outstanding play since their loss to Williams a month ago and have gone 10-1 during that span. However, Amherst suffered a set back Saturday as they dropped a NESCAC match to rival Middlebury 3-2 in a close match.

In fact, the Firedogs dropped more games over the weekend than they have all month.

Since The Student last went to press the Firedogs went 5-1. They split their pair of NESCAC matches and swept their non-league matches.

The Firedogs started the stretch with a sweep of an over matched Colby squad. Amherst swept the Mules in a dominant fashion (25-9, 25-17, 25-21). The Firedogs have won eight straight against Colby since 2005 and weren’t ready to have a let down after a sweep against NESCAC foes Middlebury and Hamilton the previous weekend. The Mules were held to a -.030 hitting percentage for the match and Colby didn’t have a single player with double digit kills. Amherst played efficient offense behind the play of first years Maggie Danner and Nicole Gould who both had 12 kills on the match. Nicole Carter ’16 paced the offense with 32 assists.

The Firedogs continued their dominant play against struggling Simmons and Clark squads Oct. 19.

Amherst continued their stellar de-

fensive play by holding the Sharks and the Cougars to an average hitting percentage of .052 on the day.

Amherst imposed their will on both squads as they swept both of their matches. Captain Lauren Antion ’15 and Danner led the way offensively for the Firedogs on the day as they posted 17 and 21 kills on the day respectively.

Following an impressive weekend of action, Amherst looked to continue their phenomenal play in the Hall of Fame Tournament at Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges.

The Firedogs started the weekend with a big win against a very talented Wellesley squad that entered the match at 23-3 riding a 12 match win streak.

However, Amherst wouldn’t let the Blue extend the streak to 13. After dropping the first game 25-23, the Firedogs fought back and rattled off three straight games for the victory (23-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-15).

The match was a defensive struggle in which neither team was very effective offensively. The Jeffs hallmark defense came ready to play and held Wellesley to a .094 hitting percentage while tallying 13 blocks on the match.

Kate Bres ’17 led the defensive effort, accounting for seven of the team’s blocks. The duo of Danner and Gould continued to be a dominant offensive force and accounted for 29 blocks combined on the match. Carter also contributed a game high 35 assists.

Following the big win Friday night the Firedogs looked to complete a season sweep of Middlebury, but fell short. In the process, Amherst’s win streak was stopped at nine matches. The match was a marathon and went into a fifth game before the Panthers eventually emerged victorious (21-25, 25-18, 28-30, 25-22, 1115).

Danner, Gould and Antion led the Amherst offense with 18, 14 and 11 kills respectively. Carter continued her dominant play with 34 assists, 20 digs and nine blocks. Katie Warshaw ’16 continued her great defensive play with 22 digs on the match.

Amherst wouldn’t let the loss get them down as they played MIT to round out the weekend. The Engineers entered the match with a 19-9 record having beaten the Williams College Ephs earlier that day.

Danner and Gould led the offense again, each tallying 11 kills.

Carter tallied another 35 assists on the match. The defense continued to dominate matches as they held MIT to a .148 hitting percentage and added 12 blocks to their season total.

The Firedogs head to Middletown, Conn. to take on the Cardinals in an important match for seeding in the NESCAC tournament. Amherst sits in third place and will look to win their match Friday and then Saturday against Trinity. At stake is a potential second place finish in regular season NESCAC play.

/JDPMF :BOH Managing Sports Editor The Amherst women’s tennis team ended their fall season with an extremely successful showing in the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament (NEWITT), where they competed under a unique format. Each school sent up to five doubles teams, and matches between schools consisted of one doubles match and two singles matches played by each doubles partner.

Amherst’s number one doubles team, Jordan Brewer ’14 and Gabby Devlin ’14 were the number one seed for the tournament as well. The two lived up to expectations and won the Gail Smith A Flight without dropping a single match, going 15-0. Along the way, they defeated a number of talented teams. Once in quarterfinals, the competition got a little stiffer, but Brewer and Devlin handled all their opponents fairly easily, defeating Trinity’s top pair in the quarters, who was also ranked fifth in the tournament.

The final four teams remaining consisted of three Williams’ teams and Brewer and Devlin. The dynamic duo exited triumphantly, beating Williams’ second doubles team in the semis and top doubles pair, also ranked second overall, in the finals to capture the title.

Amherst’s number two doubles team, Jen Newman ’14 and Zoe Pan-

galos ’14 were able to make it to the quarterfinals before falling to Williams’ third ranked team, 2-1. The two were ranked fifth overall in the tournament and knocked off the number one team from Simmons, 3-0, in the first round.

In the second round, the pair knocked off another number one doubles pair, 3-0 — this time from Tufts.

Amherst’s number three doubles team, Sue Ghosh ’16 and Safi Aly ’15, had a similar fate: making it to the quarterfinals before falling to a pair of Ephs. They started off strong, defeating Wesleyan’s top pair, 3-0, and continued their excellent play through the second round, where they beat MIT’s second doubles pairing, 2-1. Ghosh and Aly fell 3-0 to Williams’ top pairing and eventual finalist.

Amherst’s number four doubles team, Sarah Monteagudo ’16 and Isabel Camacho ’14, were able to record a win against Wheaton’s number one team before falling to Williams’ second team, 3-0.

Amherst’s number five doubles team, Amanda Zalameda ’17 and Maddy Sung ’16, played in the Chris Davis B Flight where they were ranked fifth overall. The pair also went 15-0, knocking off teams from Salve Regina, Trinity, Wesleyan,and MIT before facing Wesleyan’s third ranked team in the finals.

Despite the loss in the dual match against Williams, the Jeffs had a very successful and promising fall season and look forward to the Spring.

Turnovers Sink Football in Tough Homecoming Loss Offense Remains Question Mark in Road Win Over Tufts

Rob Mattson Public Affairs Office

,FOOZ "EJOLSB HFUT B DBSSZ JO UIF +FGGT )PNFDPNJOH MPTT UP 8FTMFZBO 7BSVO *ZFOHBS Senior Staff Writer It has been a roller-coaster two weeks for Amherst Football. Riding high on the momentum of an undefeated record, the Lord Jeffs were given a harsh reality check two Saturdays ago. Playing host to Wesleyan, who also boasted a flawless 4-0 record, Amherst was handed a 20-14 defeat on Homecoming Day, dampening what should have been a celebratory mood.

Plagued by turnovers and a stagnant offense, the Jeffs were unable to get any momentum going, even with the crowd support.

In fact, the Jeffs got on the scoreboard first in the contest, jumping out to an early lead, but could not take advantage of further opportunities.

Seeking to make up for that disappointment, Amherst did manage to bounce back with a victory last Saturday. Playing at Tufts, the Jeffs did not let this one slip away, wrapping up a 17-7 victory and sending the Jumbos to their sixth consecutive loss on the season.

The win was keyed by a solid defensive effort. The Jeffs defense has been ranked in the top two in the NESCAC all season and has become the Jeffs’ calling card. Unfortunately though, that strength deserted the Jeffs against Wesleyan. To their credit, the Jeffs raced out to an early advantage against the Cardinals.

Orchestrating a 12-play, 82-yard drive, quarterback Max Lippe ’15 led the Jeffs to a touchdown on their opening possession. The junior found Gene Garay ’15 in the endzone with a four-yard pass and, with less than four minutes gone, Amherst had taken the lead.

Unfortunately for the Jeffs, they did not manage to score again until the fourth quarter.

Instead, they gave up 20 unanswered points to the Cardinals, allowing Wesleyan to take a comfortable advantage.

Granted, the Amherst defense was not responsible for the majority of those points.

Rather, turnovers and inefficiency on the part of the Jeffs offense repeatedly gave the Cardinals outstanding field position.

In the first half alone, Amherst suffered through an interception and fumble, and together those miscues prevented any chance of building momentum.

However, the team did persist and made one successful red zone drive late in the second quarter. The Cardinals defense stepped up, though, stopping multiple Amherst at-

tempts to score from inside the 10-yard line.

Amherst was forced to settle for a field goal attempt, but senior Phillip Nwosu’s kick was blocked by Donnie Cimino ’15 and recovered

by Wesleyan to end the threat.

The second half was more of the same struggle for Amherst. First-year quarterback Alex Berluti was called on to try and jumpstart the offense, but his efforts did not fare any better than Lippe’s. Although he completed a nice 31-yard strike to receiver Wade McNamara ’14 on his first possession, Berluti followed that up with an errant pass, intended for Garay, but the attempt was intercepted by Wesleyan to end the drive.

The Jeffs did not relent though and did rally in the fourth quarter with their second touchdown of the day. Lippe led an impressive drive that ended with the quarterback keeping it himself for a one-yard touchdown run. The score cut the deficit to 20-14, but it was too little, too late. The Jeffs’ next possession ended with yet another interception, effectively ending hope for the victory.

With the loss, Amherst suffered their first loss in six games, dating back to last season.

Learning from their mistakes though, the team hoped to get back in the winning column against the Jumbos.

Playing at Tufts, in the coldest conditions of the year, Amherst’s offense finally came to life. The team racked up a season-high 515 yards, including a season-best 268 yards on the ground led by an impressive effort from first-year running back Nick Kelly.

However, the Jeffs only came away with 17 points due to turnover troubles once again.

Amherst committed six on the day, five of which came inside the Jumbos’ 25-yard line.

Those miscues certainly cost the Jeffs a chance at a runaway victory and kept Tufts in the game until the end.

Unlike against Wesleyan, a slow start plagued the Jeffs in this game. After punting

on their opening drive, the next three Amherst possessions ended in a missed field goal, interception and fumble.

However, Tufts had just as much trouble getting their offense in gear and could not take advantage of Amherst’s miscues. With the score still deadlocked at zero heading into the second period, the Jeffs finally got on the board. Five consecutive runs from Kelly got Amherst inside the red zone, and Berluti took it in from there for his first career rushing touchdown.

The Jumbos responded, though, before the end of the quarter. Capitalizing on another Amherst fumble, Tufts made the most of their opportunity, attacking the Jeffs defense to tie the game with 16 seconds left in the half.

To open the third quarter, both teams had opportunities to score but sloppy execution stalled most drives. Amherst did threaten once, getting into the Tufts red zone, but were forced to settle for a field goal. That kick put the score at 10-7, which would hold through the end of the period.

Building on their slight momentum, Amherst began to piece together solid drives early in the fourth. A 33-yard strike from Lippe to sophomore wideout Jackson McGonagle ’16 put Amherst inside the Tufts red zone on the second possession of the quarter. Keeping it himself, Lippe took it into the endzone on the next play, giving Amherst a 17-7 advantage that they would not relinquish.

With the victory, head coach E.J. Mills notched his 99th career win as Amherst’s lead man. The 17-year coach will aim for the century milestone next week as the Jeffs play host to Trinity.

Last weekend, the Bantams suffered their first loss since the 2011 season, so the team will certainly be motivated against the Jeffs.

Both teams still have a chance to compete for a NESCAC Championship but need a win and some luck to keep those hopes alive.

10 Sports

Schedule

WEDNESDAY Men’s Soccer @ Colby, 1:30 p.m Women’s Soccer @ Colby, 11 a.m.

Field Hockey @ Colby, 11 a.m.

FRIDAY Volleyball @ Wesleyan, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY Women’s Cross Country @ NESCAC Championships (@ Conn, College), 1 p.m.

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t 0DUPCFS

Men’s Cross Country @ NESCAC Championships (@ Conn, College), TBD Volleyball @ Trinity 2 p.m.

Field Hockey vs. TBD (NESCAC Quarterfinals), TBD Men’s Soccer vs. TBD, (NESCAC Quarterfinals), TBD Women’s Soccer vs. TBD, (NESCAC Quarterfinals), TBD Football vs. Trinity, 1 p.m

XC Teams Take Second in Little Three Championships )PMMZ #VSXJDL Staff Writer Men On Saturday, Oct. 19, Wesleyan Univ. hosted the Little Three Championships, where the Amherst men’s cross country team took to the trails against archrivals Wesleyan and Williams.

The Jeffs finished second behind Williams (25 points), whose five scoring leaders all finished in the top-10. With three runners in the top seven, Amherst took second with 37 points, and Wesleyan followed with 57 points.

Senior captain Charlie Reighard ’13 commented, “Although we lost to Williams this past Saturday, we put forth a great team effort that should give us momentum into the upcoming races. We were actually winning until the last mile and a half or so. The fact that we competed with them so well is encouraging.”

Leading this inspiring effort for the Jeffs was KC Fussell ’15 who finished less than three seconds behind the individual champion, Chris Lee of Williams. Dan Crowley ’16 finished in a time of 25:59.2, just two seconds behind Fussell. Crowley finished ahead of Williams’ Bijan Mazaheri to take third place. The third Jeff to finish within the top seven was Greg Turissini ’15 who finished in a time of 26:18.4.

Rounding out the Jeffs’ top five were Raymond Meijer ’17 and Reighard who out of the field of 52 runners finished in 11th place and 14th place, respectively.

Alvaro Morales ’14 finished with a time of 26:54.6 which placed him 17th, while Ben Fiedler ’17 and Keven Conners ’17 took 23rd and 24th with times of 27:23.1 and 27:26.6.

Romey Sklar ’15 (27:30.0), Gus Greenstein ’14 (27:41.6) and Lucas Lebovitz ’15 (27:46.0) also performed well for the Jeffs.

Coach Nedeau, commenting on the results of the race, noted, “I was extremely pleased with our effort and how we attacked the race this weekend, and I believe this is exactly what we needed as we head into our biggest meets.

We looked real flat last weekend, and I really wanted to see them race with purpose on Saturday, and they did that. We knew beating Williams would be tough but felt that our best chance to do so would be to be aggressive and establish ourselves at the front from the onset, and we did that.”

Nedeau also mentioned the return of last year’s top runner, Turissini. This gave the Jeffs a definite boost, which is why Reighard feels that “If a couple other guys can step up, we can be a very dangerous team and shock some people at NESCACS. The big races are now right around the corner, and our team is definitely amped up and excited to see what we can do.”

Only time will tell as the Jeffs return to action on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the NESCAC championship, which will be hosted by Conn.

College.

Women The Amherst women’s cross country team traveled to Middletown on Saturday, Oct. 19, for the Little Three Championships against rivals Williams and Wesleyan.

Leading the way in the Jeffs’ second place finish was Catherine Lowdon ’17 who finished 12th in a field of 63, posting a time of 19:15.9.

Lowdon was the first non-Eph finisher as Williams runners took the top eleven slots in the race to garnish 15 points in route to taking home the title. The Jeffs amounted 54 points with their top harriers to take second and Wesleyan, with just one harrier in the top-25, took third with 79 points.

Sophie Currin ’17 finished a hair ahead of Amy Dao ’14 as they posted respective times of 19:25.7 and 19:26.2 to land 15th and 16th place.

Coach Funke-Harris was especially impressed with Dao’s race. “She’s really making the most of her senior season, and in a lot of ways, she’s been a ringleader for our team. She wasn’t afraid to get after it, but she has come a long way in figuring out how to take some chances and put herself out there without doing something crazy at the start of the race that gets her in trouble later on.”

Funke-Harris added, “This course was definitely more challenging than the one we competed on at Franklin Park last week, and across the board, people ran similar or faster times, so I think that shows that we’re trending in the right direction heading into championship season.”

Rounding out the top five for Amherst were Betsy Black ’16 (19:27.4) in 17th overall and Lizzy Briskin ’15 (19:29.8). Other successful runners for the Jeffs included Jessie Kaliski ’15 (19:31.3), Savanna Gornisiewicz ’17 (19:36.1), Caroline Rose ’16 (19:37.2) and Lisa Walker ’14 (19:41.5) who closed out a pack of eight consecutive Jeff finishers.

Briskin commented on these results.

“We had a strong pack finishing together in the top half of the team, with a great showing by the underclassmen. Williams is a strong opponent, but we were happy to defeat Wesleyan on their home course! We are now in championship season, which takes more focus on refining our racing strategy and maintaining all the work we put in earlier in the season,” she said.

The Jeffs will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 2 for the NESCAC Championships hosted by Conn. College.

Funke-Harris shared her sentiments on the upcoming race noting, “I’m optimistic for a top five finish. The team knows what we need to do for us to accomplish our goal, and now it’s just a matter of making it happen. We need each person to bring their best, but we don’t need anyone to pull out something we’ve never seen before. The team has a lot of confidence, and rightly so; they’ve done all the hard work.”

players of the week

Ned Deane ’15

Nicole Carter ‘16

Favorite Team Memory: Beating Midd. this year after an embarrassing loss last season If you didn’t play football, which sport would you play?: Baseball Pet Peeve: People who drive slowly in the left lane Celebrity Crush: Olivia Wilde Favorite Movie: “The Usual Suspects” Favorite Book: Lone Survivor Favorite Food: Steak Favorite Thing About Amherst: The group of friends that I have made

Favorite Team Memory: “Like a Prayer” If you didn’t play volleyball, which sport would you play?: Track and Field Pet Peeve: Everything associated with mornings Celebrity Crush: Bradley Cooper Favorite Movie: “Stick It” Favorite Book: Don’t have one Favorite Food: In-N-Out Burger Favorite Thing About Amherst: Being a Firedog

Women’s Soccer Shuts Out Wesleyan and Conn.

Chris Rigas ’16 Staff Writer Amherst women’s soccer posted its eighth and ninth shutouts of the year, drawing Wesleyan 0-0 on Saturday Oct. 19th and beating Conn. College 4-0 last Wednesday. The results extended the Jeffs’ unbeaten streak to eight games and moved them to 9-1-3 overall and 5-1-3 in the NESCAC. The 0-4-2 NESCAC record that Wesleyan carried into their clash with Amherst did not tell the full story of the Cardinals’ season; they had conceded just six goals in their six conference games, and played in four overtime games. Considering Amherst’s similarly good defense, which had allowed just five goals in NESCAC play, it was not too surprising when both teams struggled to score.

Although the Jeffs controlled the first half of play, they did not pose a strong scoring threat until its last few minutes. Megan Kim ’16 and Emma Rothkopf ’15 both hit shots from inside the box, but Wesleyan keeper Jessica Tollman managed to save both attempts. The first ten minutes of the second half were more eventful. Both teams were able to create chances, including a Kate Sisk ’14 header that went wide. Play settled down as regulation came to a close, and neither team managed a shot in the first overtime period. Amherst made a final push in the second overtime, including shots from Sisk, Alex Hart ’15 and Sarah Duffy ’14, but it came to nothing.

“We were able to end on a very strong second half and overtime despite the tie,” commented captain Sara Abrahams ’14. “I think that built momentum heading into our 4-0 win against Conn. College on Wednesday. We put everything together that we’ve been working on all season.”

The Jeffs had a bit of trouble hitting the target during the game; although they held a 17-5 advantage in shots, they only forced three saves from Tollman. Meanwhile, Amherst’s Holly Burwick ’16 only had to make one save to preserve the shutout. The tie did extend the Jeffs’ unbeaten streak, which now stands at 23 games.

Amanda Brisco ’14 scored twice on Wednesday’s game, the Jeffs’ final regular season home game of the year. The Jeffs secured a comfortable four goal victory despite being outshot 12-10.

Brisco put her team ahead with the first half ’s only goal, booting a Duffy cross into the net in the 27th minute. The assist was Duffy’s fifth of the year, a number that ties her for the NESCAC lead. In the ensuing minutes, Conn. College fought hard for

an equalizer and generated a couple opportunities in the box. Several Camels were unable to connect in the Amherst box on a few chances in the first half.

The Jeffs picked up two quick goals to start the second half. First, Megan Kim scored her team-leading ninth goal of the season, from the right side of the box. Then, Duffy played in another cross, this time from the right, which floated just past goalkeeper Natalie Signor’s hands and into the net. With the game securely in hand, the action slowed down a bit over the next half hour, until Brisco volleyed a corner kick past Signor in the dying moments to close the game. Burwick, who is third in the nation in goals against average, saved five shots before being replaced in the 74th minute by Meghan Mills ’15.

“We’re improving each game and we’re doing a much better job of finishing than we were in the beginning of the season,” said head coach Jen Hughes. “That said, we still have a lot of room for improvement. Specifically, we need to do a better job of keeping the ball, especially under pressure.”

The Jeffs play their last regular season game Wednesday at Trinity, (6-3-0 NESCAC, 10-3-0 overall) who they are tied with in the NESCAC standings. In fact, based on Wednesday’s result, and depending on whether Bowdoin and Williams win, Amherst could finish anywhere from second to sixth in the NESCAC. “Hopefully we’ll be able to execute against Trinity,” said Hughes. “They are a very good team, so we’ll have to be at our best to get a good result.”

Rob Mattson Public Affairs Office Sara Abrahams ‘14 looks to pass the ball to a teammate against Wesleyan.

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t 0DUPCFS

Sports 11

Field Hockey Tops Two NFL Playoff Projections The JJ Report NESCAC Foes on Week

Sam Javit ’16 and Jeremy Kesselhaut ’16

Lauren Tuiskula ’17 Staff Writer The No. 10- ranked field hockey team had a successful week and a half, garnering two NESCAC victories and one non-conference win.

Their first NESCAC victory came against Wesleyan on Homecoming Weekend, Saturday, Oct. 19.

Blair Ingraham got the scoring started for Wesleyan as she took Vanessa Block’s pass from the corner and tucked the ball in the bottom left corner giving Wesleyan a 1-0 lead.

The Jeffs answered just over ten minutes later, however, as Krista Zsitvay ’14 converted a penalty stroke, notching the game at one. The goal also earned the senior captain her 100th career point, an amazing accomplishment.

“Krista has been incredible this season and has shown tremendous skill, speed and consistency with her play,” said coach Carol Knerr. “It was fantastic to see her earn her 100th point.”

Wesleyan answered before the half was out, taking advantage of a penalty corner.

Amber Bruckner received the inlet pass from Mackey Hemphill. Bruckner then found Hannah Plappert who fired a shot to the top left corner to make it 2-1 Cardinals. Wesleyan would maintain the one goal lead heading into the break.

Amherst used the break effectively and came out strong in the second half. Alex Phillie ’14 made a strong move to get the offensive chance started, weaving between two Wesleyan defenders. She put a shot on net, allowing Madeline Tank ’15 to gain control of the rebound and feed it to Ellie Andersen ’15 who fired it past the Wesleyan keeper. The goal was a huge momentum swing and tied the score just over three minutes into the second half.

The Jeffs took the lead for the first time on the day under four minutes later. Capping off an intense offensive flurry, Tank found the back of the net off an assist from Andersen.

Amherst maintained their lead and added an insurance goal. Andersen earned her second assist on the day, finding Zsitvay just inside the arc. Zsitvay lofted a towering shot that baffled the Wesleyan keeper and fell just past the goal line to give Amherst a two-goal lead.

The Cardinals did attempt to mount a come back, but they were only able to cut the deficit in half. After keeper Rachel Tannenbaum ’15 made an impressive diving save, Wesleyan’s Bruckner tucked away the rebound.

The final score stood at 4-3 Amherst.

Amherst held the advantage in shots on the day (19-13) and on penalty corners (128) in what Coach Knerr described as a “hard fought victory.”

The team had a quick turnaround and returned to action the following Tuesday, Oct. 22 when they played host to NESCAC foe, Conn.

College.

Zsitvay started the scoring for the Jeffs under ten minutes into the game. Katie Paolano ’16 had a shot on goal off an Amherst penalty corner and Zsitvay was able to gather the re-

bound and net a shot to the far post.

Tank doubled the lead two minutes later as she collected her own rebound and sent a shot to the left side.

Just as the second half was coming to a close, Paolano provided a third goal, converting a rebound that came off a shot by forward Zsitvay. The three-goal cushion was not enough for the Jeffs as they came out equally as strong in the second half.

Annika Nygren ’16 made it 4-0 in the Jeffs’ favor when she gained possession of the rebound from a Phillie shot and slotted it past the Camels’ keeper.

The lead was further enlarged when Zsitvay scored her second goal of the day off a pass from Phillie who faked a shot to scatter the defense and opened up the opportunity.

Sarah Culhane ’17 capped off the scoring for the Jeffs, at six goals to Conn. College’s zero, as she netted a rebound for her eighth finish of the season.

Keepers Rachel Tannenbaum and firstyear Emily Horwitz split the shutout, making it their fifth in the team’s last seven games.

Amherst carried this offensive power into their contest with Smith College on Thursday, Oct. 24.

The Jeffs defeated the Pioneers handily, outscoring them 8-1.

Smith was the first team on the board as Kate Este finished the assist from Alexa Dejesus just one minute into play.

Amherst replied quickly and in a big way.

Tank went on a tear, scoring three goals and earning a hat trick in a span of ten minutes.

These three gave her a team high thirteen goals on the season.

Amherst added another tally fifteen minutes later as Nygren found the back of the net for the eighth time this season.

The Jeffs would strike again before the close of the first half as Tank found Paolano, giving the Jeffs a 5-1 lead heading into the break.

Paolano picked up exactly where she left off in the first half, scoring her second goal on the day just under two minutes into the second half off an assist from fellow forward Culhane.

Culhane notched her own tally five minutes into the half to make the score 7-1 in Amherst’s favor.

The first-year wasn’t done however, as she added another assist when she connected with Nygren with less than twenty minutes to go in the game, providing the eighth and final goal in an 8-1 victory for the Jeffs.

The win was Amherst’s eleventh in a row and allowed them to improve to 11-2 on the season.

Amherst’s two keepers, Tannenbaum and Horwitz, again split time in net, each having one save.

The Jeffs play their final regular season game today at Trinity (8-5). The NESCAC Quarterfinals begin Nov. 2. Although the time and opponent of their matchup is still to be determined, the Jeffs will certainly be hosting a NESCAC Quarterfinal game this Saturday.

Rob Mattson Public Affairs Office Mary Margaret Stoll ’17 dribbles the ball away from a Wesleyan defender.

Sam and Jeremy lay down the law on the happenings in the first half of the NFL season. They guide you through the opening eight weeks of the season and make predictions about what’s to come. Look out, the JJ Report coming at you.

Eight weeks into the 2013-2014 season, it is time for playoff predictions for each of the eight NFL divisions. Who are the dark horses though, and who may go on a late season run taking take the league by surprise?

NFC East: Cowboys (4-4), Eagles (3-5), Redskins (25), Giants (2-6) Let’s start with what was predicted to be the most competitive division in football, but now looks to be the worst division. None of the teams in the NFC East are above .500, and none of them seem poised for a strong playoff campaign.

One team must make the playoffs, however, and it is looking like an 8-8 record will suffice. The Cowboys look the least lackluster, with wins over everyone else in the division, a close loss to the Broncos and two one point losses to the Chiefs and Lions.

Meanwhile, the Eagles QB situation is looking iffy once again, but the Redskins and Giants appear to be on a slight upswing with both coming off two straight wins. Could the Giants possibly manage some late season magic once again after an 0-6 start? We’ve seen crazier things.

Predicted Division Winner: Cowboys NFC North: Packers (5-2), Lions (5-3), Bears (4-3), Vikings (1-6) Unlike the NFC East, this division is not a joke.

The Packers have avenged a 1-2 start with four straight victories following their bye week. However, along the way they have lost several players. Keep in mind the 2010 Super Bowl Champion Packers battled through injuries, but Aaron Rodgers still led them to the promise land.

The Lions have played inconsistently, but we expect them to play better against an easier second half schedule.

The Bears are without QB Jay Cutler for a month, which leaves them with a big question mark. The Vikings are just about done. Not only has QB Josh Freeman made their passing offense worse; he has also made Adrian Peterson worse.

Predicted Division Winner: Packers Wild Card: Lions NFC South: Saints (6-1), Panthers (4-3), Falcons (25), Buccaneers (0-7) This division may have the best team in the NFC (Saints) and the worst team in the NFC (Buccaneers).

The Saints have looked dominant this season, with the return of their head coach, Sean Payton. Drew Brees is as elite as ever, and the Saints have a clear stranglehold on the division. The second place Panthers are on a three game winning streak, but it will be challenging for them to catch the Saints.

The Falcons have put together a shockingly dismal campaign thus far this season, falling to 2-5 following a trip to the NFC Championship last season. No team in the NFC has been as miserable as the Bucs though, who are still winless. While Mike Glennon may be a slight upgrade from recently released QB Josh Freeman, the Bucs are still struggling to move the ball with any consistency. Doug Martin’s shoulder injury that could end his season doesn’t help.

Predicted Division Winner: Saints NFC West: Seahawks (7-1), 49ers (6-2), Cardinals (44) , Rams (3-5) In 2010, the Seahawks won the West with just a 7-9 record. That record won’t cut it anymore in this division. College coaching heroes Pete Carroll from USC and Jim Harbaugh from Stanford have put this division back on the map. Carroll’s Seahawks and Harbaugh’s 49ers are deservedly back in the Superbowl conversation for the second straight year. This is undoubtedly a two-team battle for the division. The Seahawks owned the first matchup, 29-3. We expect the 49ers to win the second matchup at Candlelight Stadium in Week 14. Interestingly (and frighteningly) enough, both teams have star WR’s coming back from injury — Percy Harvin for the Seahawks and Michael Crabtree for the 49ers. Regardless of which team wins the division, both teams are playoff bound. Do we even need to talk about the Rams and Cardinals in a

division with two Super Bowl Contenders?

Predicted Division Winner: 49ers Wild Card: Seahawks AFC East: Patriots (6-2), Jets (4-4), Dolphins (3-4), Bills (3-5) Moving on to the AFC, we begin with a pretty unimpressive East division. While the Patriots are 6-2, Tom Brady is playing worse than he ever has. Five of their six wins have come against teams .500 or below, and while they will probably end up winning the division we doubt they make it too far in the playoffs.

The return of superstar TE Rob Gronkowski from a forearm injury should give them a slight boost, but this team can’t be expected to have much postseason success.

The Jets are quite inconsistent, as they beat the Patriots with a last-second field goal just a week ago, but lost by 40 points this week to the Bengals. The Dolphins have lost four straight following a 3-0 start, and the Bills have some young talent, but it is clear that they are yet to piece it all together.

Predicted Division Winner: Patriots AFC North: Bengals (6-2), Ravens (3-4), Browns (35), Steelers (2-5) The AFC North is normally a tight race halfway through the season, but the Bengals have run away with the division thus far. The Bengals have simply found ways to end games with 4 victories by 7 points or less. They know the Ravens, Browns and Steelers are not going to give up, however. We expect a bit of a collapse from the Bengals and resurgence from the Ravens. Bengals Head Coach Marvin Lewis has shown in the past that he can coach teams into the playoffs, but he hasn’t proved that he can do anything once he’s in the playoffs. We’ll see…

Predicted Division Winner: Bengals AFC South: Colts (5-2), Titans (3-4), Texans (2-5), Jaguars (0-8) This division is dominated by one team. The Colts have already beaten arguably the three best teams in the league (the Seahawks, 49ers and Broncos), and they appear to be geared up for a deep postseason run this year. Last year’s first overall pick in the 2012 draft, QB Andrew Luck continues to improve, as he looks more and more like an elite quarterback each week.

The Titans are the second best team in this division, but they’ve dropped 3 straight, falling to 3-4. The Texans and Jaguars are absolutely abysmal and are out of playoff contention early.

Predicted Winner: Colts AFC West: Chiefs (8-0), Broncos (7-1), Chargers (43), Raiders (3-4) By far the best division in the NFL, the AFC West will go down to the wire. Going into the season, the Broncos were the clear favorite, following a successful 2012 campaign and additional offseason acquisitions.

With Andy Reid as Head Coach and Alex Smith as the new signal caller, the Chiefs are the surprise of the season coming off a dismal 2-14 season last year.

Smart, efficient, low-risk offensive play call and the best defense in the NFL have propelled the Chiefs to be the lone unbeaten team.

Don’t count out the Chargers either. A resurgent Philip Rivers, a healthy Antonio Gates and a new cast of receivers have revitalized the San Diego offense.

The Raiders aren’t too shabby either. Sophomore QB Terrelle Pryor has the Raiders playing their best football since the days of Rich Gannon. However, a maximum of three teams can make the playoffs from this division (or any division), and we think the Raiders will fall just a bit short this year. There’s no doubting the fact that the Chiefs look great. However, they’ve been leading in the beginning of all their games, leaving the crucial question: how will they play from behind? We believe we will have to wait until Week 11 to answer this question when they face the Broncos. We think the Chiefs won’t be able to lean on their low-risk game plan against the Broncos’ record shattering offense.

Predicted Division Winner: Broncos Wild Card: Chiefs and Chargers

Sports

5IF "NIFSTU 4UVEFOU t 0DUPCFS

Reid McWilliams ’16 Public Affairs Office *O IJT MBTU DBSFFS SFHVMBS TFBTPO IPNF HBNF TFOJPS .BY 'JLLF EJE IJT QBSU UP NPWF UIF +FGGT POF TUFQ DMPTFS UP BO VOEFGFBUFE DBNQBJHO 5IF +FGGT MBUFTU XJO XBT B UISJMMJOH EFGFBU PG 8FTMFZBO

Men’s Soccer Defeats Wesleyan to Win 33rd Straight Jeffs Hope to Finish Regular Season Undefeated

Jason Stein ’16 Sports Section Editor

Over the past two weekends, secondranked Amherst men’s soccer picked up two more victories, as the Jeffs improved to 11-02 overall on the season and 7-0-2 in the NESCAC. The team further extended its unbeaten streak to 33 games, which dates back to the final game of the 2011 season.

On Saturday, Oct. 19, the Jeffs hosted the Wesleyan Cardinals as part of Homecoming Weekend. Since the matchup against Wesleyan was also the last regular season home game remaining on the schedule, seniors Julien Aoyama, Brendan Caslin, Max Fikke, Robert Gooden and Ben Norton were recognized on Senior Day prior to the final regular season game of their Amherst careers.

Early in the contest, first-year forward Christopher Martin looked to add to his teamleading goal tally, but just missed wide of the left post on a shot from the right side.

When asked to comment, Martin remarked, “Wesleyan was a really tough game.

They are a good team and certainly know how to knock the ball around.�

In the 14th minute of action, the Jeffs took the lead on a goal put to the far right corner by forward Greg Singer ’16, who notched his fifth goal on the season and tied for the team lead with Martin on the play.

Singer’s goal came off a sequence in which the ball was in the middle of the box: several players were trying to corral it prior to Singer gaining control of the ball and putting a shot on goal. “Greg’s goal was crucial as Wesleyan did a great job of keeping the ball and limiting our

shots in the second half,� Martin said.

Singer added, “The goal came from hard work from all my teammates. We earned a corner and pushed to get an early score. There was a battle in the box and after Nico’s shot was deflected, I was in the right spot at the right time to put it away.�

The Jeffs would hold on to their 1-0 as the two teams entered halftime, with Amherst holding a commanding 9-2 shot advantage over Wesleyan after the first 45 minutes.

Wesleyan would come out firing in the second half, as they had a 8-4 edge in shots over the Jeffs in the second half of play. Although the Cardinals kept Amherst from scoring again in the second half, Wesleyan was unable to get on the scoreboard, as they were dealt their third NESCAC loss at the hands of Amherst.

Goalkeeper Thomas Bull ’16 stopped two of Wesleyan’s shots on goal and picked up the shutout for the Jeffs in the 1-0 victory over Wesleyan. “Wesleyan is a very good team, and we knew that going in,� said head coach Justin Serpone. “We were fortunate to get an early goal and had to defend the lead for most of the game. It wasn’t the best we’ve ever played, but getting a result on Homecoming and Senior Day is something that we try and do every year.�

The following weekend, Amherst took the field against Western New England (entering play with an 11-3-3 record) in a competitive non-conference matchup.

Amherst dominated in the shot column against Western New England in both halves, as they held a 25-2 shot advantage over Western New England during the course of the game, but was unable to capitalize on any of these scoring opportunities in the first half of

play. Meanwhile, the Jeffs held Western New England to one shot in the opening half.

The Jeffs put a large number of shots on goal in the second half but faced similar difficulty in scoring until the final minutes of play.

In the 88th minute, forward Nico PascualLeone ’16 provided the late game heroics with a game-winning goal, assisted by Martin, to lead the Jeffs to a 1-0 victory over Western New England in dramatic fashion.

On the play, two of Amherst’s starting forwards (Pascual-Leone and Martin) had a key role in the goal. Pascual-Leone and Martin, along with Singer (who scored the lone goal in the Wesleyan victory), have been major offensive contributors for Amherst this season, especially of late. “Our forwards have been doing a good job,�

Serpone said. “Each has come up with a goal when we’ve needed it in recent games.�

Just as had been accomplished the week before against Wesleyan, Bull and the stifling Amherst defense once again held their opponent off the scoreboard for the entire match. With Bull’s two most recent shutouts, he now has recorded six on the season and 20 for his career.

Today, Amherst travels to Hartford, Conn. to take on the Trinity Bantams at 3 p.m. in the Jeffs’ final regular season contest of 2013. “The Trinity game is a very important game. It’s crucial that we finish the NESCAC regular season strong and build off that momentum going into the NESCAC playoffs and NCAAs. Trinity is a good team, and we have to be ready to play a tough, physical midweek game,� Singer said.

Prior to the game, Amherst had already clinched the NESCAC regular season title and won the right to host its opponents in the NES-

CAC tournament at Hitchcock Field. “We are especially excited to have the first round at our home field because the fans this year have been amazing and are a key to our success,� Martin said.

However, according to Serpone, the team’s previous success is not going to impact their game plan heading into the match against the Bantams. “Trinity is a very good team with some very good attacking players,� Serpone said, “We’re going to need 27 committed players to get a result on Wednesday. It should be a good match.�

As the regular season winds down, the numbers are impressive for Amherst. The Jeffs have outscored the opposition 28-6 over the course of the season and dominated in shot attempts, by way of a 280-100 edge. Amherst, with 84 corner kicks on the season, has also taken almost twice as many corners as its opponents, which have attempted 47 against the Jeffs.

The NESCAC Quarterfinals are set to begin on Saturday, Nov. 2, with the Jeffs taking on the No. 8 seed as the top seed in the NESCAC. The NESCAC Semifinals and Finals will take place the following weekend, before NCAA Tournament play begins on Saturday, Nov. 16.

Despite the Jeffs’ impressive record to date, Serpone believes that the team still has room for improvement as postseason play approaches. “Overall, I’d say that we’re in a good spot, but we’re a long way from being a finished product,� Serpone said. “There is a laundry list of things that we need to keep improving on if we want to still be playing two or three weeks from right now.�