Issue 8

THE AMHERST

THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

STUDENT VOLUME CXLV, ISSUE 8l WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2015

Men’s Cross Country Takes Second at NESCACs See Sports, Page 10 AMHERSTSTUDENT.AMHERST.EDU

Peer Advocates Campaign Against Street Harassment Jingwen Zhang ’18 Managing News Editor

Photo courtesy of Kyra Gardner ’18

Students study in Keefe Science Library on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 3. The library in the new science center will feature more open study spaces and will not be separated by walls from the rest of the building.

College Finalizes Science Center Design Dan Ahn ’17 Managing News Editor

Design plans for the college’s new science center are set to be finalized in the coming weeks. The facilities department held information sessions on the plans and designs of the new center in Valentine Dining Hall, Merrill Science Center and Lewis-Sebring Commons over the past week. At these information sessions, facilities presented a model of the center, and project architects were available to answer students’ questions.

“It’s been a terrific process, and there has been a lot of creative thought, not only from the designers, who are experts in academic science facilities, but also from the faculty, as well as the administration,” said Tom Davies, director of design and construction.

Discussions about a science center to replace Merrill began in 2006, in a small committee comprised of administrators and faculty. One plan, which called for the new center to be built in the location of Merrill, was abandoned in the spring of 2013. The

prospective location on east campus was presented that fall, in conjunction with plans for the Greenway project.

According to the design plans, the new center will feature more open rooms and common spaces than Merrill. Both Davies and professor of chemistry Mark Marshall said Merrill tends to foster seclusion rather than collaboration. A goal of the new structure is to encourage greater interaction within and among the science departments. To that end, laboratories for introductory courses will be placed directly adjacent to the main entrance, and upper-level chemistry laboratories will be separated by area of specialty across three floors.

The plans also aim to make the science departments more open and accessible to the college community for both scientific and interdisciplinary research.

“Psychology has never had adequate research space and the new building will provide appropriate space for the faculty that will be designed to meet their specific research needs,” said Sarah Turgeon, a professor of

psychology and neuroscience. “For example, laboratories for faculty members who study non-student populations will be located near entrances and parking so that research participants can access the facilities easily.”

Davies said that an emphasis has been placed on environmental sustainability in the design of the new center, as Merrill was built in the 1960s, when energy was cheaper.

“The things that are the most self-evident in building design, that speak to sustainability, really aren’t the things that do the work to make a building consume less fuel,” Davies said. “The things that really do the work are buried in mechanical systems, sophisticated software systems.”

The building will feature an advanced heat reclaim system, which will extract hot or cold air from its exhaust stream and eject it into the building’s air intake. The system was implemented in Beneski last year as a trial run.

A stormwater capture system will collect water from the eastern side of campus, and according

Continued on Page 3

Signs bearing messages such as “Respect is an actual compliment” and “I am more than just my body” were placed along Route 9 last week as part of a campaign by the Peer Advocates of Sexual Respect to stop street harassment near campus. Over the course of the week, all but one of the signs went missing.

Along with the signs, the campaign also includes a video in which women shared their experiences with street harassment. The Peer Advocates held a dialogue on street harassment on Oct. 29 in the Women’s and Gender Center and hung posters on harassment in some campus buildings, including dorms and Keefe Campus Center.

“The reason we put up the signs was because there’s nothing you can really do in the moment of it, besides yelling back at somebody — you can’t engage them in conversation,” said Bonnie Drake ’17, a Peer Advocate. “Signs are like a visual disruptor.”

The signs target those who initiate street harassment under the belief that it is not wrong or that they are paying women compliments, Drake said.

“I think that people don’t really recognize that shouting ‘hey, sexy’ or ‘nice ass’ is not what I’m trying to hear at 8:30 in the morning,” Gabriella Rodriguez ’17, another Peer Advocate, said at the dialogue.

Messages on the signs were tested on other students for suitability and impact, according to Drake. After successfully seeking permission from the town through the Office of Student Affairs, the Peer Advocates placed 18 signs along Route 9 from the Keefe Health Center to near Converse Hall on Monday, Oct. 26.

That Tuesday, five of the 18 signs were reported stolen to campus police. According to Drake, nearly all of the stolen signs bore the message “You make me scared to walk home.”

“I think that says something — that that hit a nerve,” she said.

After Halloween, nearly all of the 18 signs were missing. Campus police could not be

Continued on Page 3

Social Project Work Group Seeks Trial Period Funding Jeff Szulc ’19 Staff Writer

The Social Project Work Group met with the Office of Student Affairs on Oct. 23 to work out plans for the upcoming social club trial period.

The meeting followed the Oct. 5 vote in which 64 percent of the student body voted in favor of holding the trial period.

“To have 1,200 students actually vote was huge,” said Dean of Students Alex Vasquez. The four classes were almost equally represented in the vote.

“The point of the discussion was to lay out a general timeline for implementing the clubs by next semester,” said Tom Sommers ’16, a member of the work group.

One topic for discussion was how to create the computer algorithm, detailed in the

proposal, to organize students into social clubs.

Sommers said that the work group is looking to the college community for help in creating the algorithm. “We’ve actually contacted students in the computer science department, people in the computer science club on campus, and they have been really receptive to potentially figuring out something that would work,” Sommers said. According to Vasquez, the administration will fund paid positions to create the algorithm.

The work group and the Office of Student Affairs then tackled the issue of funding the entire implementation process. Sommers and Virginia Hassell ’16, another member of the work group, said that they were hoping to obtain funding from the administration, and plan to hold another meeting with the Office of Student Affairs to discuss the subject.

Vasquez said the Office of Student Affairs can provide funding for the algorithm but does not have the resources to fund the entire social club trial period. “The administration isn’t going to fund a $30,000 project. We don’t have it,” Vasquez said.

Another topic for discussion was the term “social clubs.” “We’ve got something we’re calling social clubs, which just by name alone, [are] banned by the trustee decision of 1984 and the one that was reaffirmed in 2014 that bans fraternities and social clubs,” Vasquez said. “On the positive side … the things that [are] being defined as social clubs by the board don’t look anything like what we’re calling social clubs now.”

The work group also met with the budgetary committee of the Association of Amherst Students on Oct. 27. “They basically helped

us look through the budget,” Sommers said.

“They’re really helpful, and going through ways we could squeeze money out of the current budget to allow for the trial period to be implemented … there’s no promise that any of the money will go towards social clubs, but they have roughly $10,000 that they think could be available for the clubs if they were to qualify for that funding.”

The work group intends to collect student feedback over the course of this coming semester and incorporate it into the implementation plan. Meghan McDonough ’16, a member of the work group, said that they plan on reaching out to the student body this semester for ideas for club themes.

According to Sommers, the work group is on track to implement the social club trial period by next semester.

News

Collin Raymond Fresh Faculty

Oct. 17, 2015 - Oct. 31, 2015

>>Oct. 17, 2015 9:16 a.m., Hitchcock House An officer investigated the theft of goods from a vending machine.

7:36 p.m., Lipton House An officer investigated a smoke detector sounding in a third-floor room and found it was activated by hair spray.

9:37 p.m., Book and Plow Farm Two town residents complained about loud music coming from the fall formal. The DJ was directed to lower the volume. >>Oct. 18, 2015 12:19 a.m., Marsh House An officer on patrol discovered drawings in chalk on the exterior of the building.

1:53 a.m., Little Red Schoolhouse Officers and the Fire Department responded to an alarm and found that someone had entered the building and discharged a chemical fire extinguisher.

9:30 a.m., Charles Pratt Dormitory A resident reported that a number of handles in the second-floor men’s bathroom were covered with Vaseline. Facilities was notified.

2:51 p.m., Alumni Gym An officer investigated an incident where a screen was cut from a window.

3:45 p.m., Marsh House An officer responded to a report from a concerned caller about a knife stuck into a table in the first-floor common room. It was removed.

10:11 p.m., Boltwood Ave. Officers investigated an altercation between two men at the bus stop near Converse Hall.

Assistance was provided. >>Oct. 20, 2015 8:22 a.m., Frost Library An officer investigated a report of graffiti written in a restroom stall.

9:46 a.m., Campus Grounds An officer investigated a report of graffiti spray painted on a retaining wall at the construction site. >>Oct. 21, 2015 5:19 p.m., Valentine Dining Hall An employee reported the theft of a jacket from the coatroom.

It is valued at $50. After an investigation, the coat was recovered. The matter was referred to Student Affairs. >>Oct. 22, 2015 12:41 p.m., Pond Dormitory An officer and Fire Department responded to an alarm and found it was activated by use of a fog machine. The fog machine was confiscated. >>Oct. 23, 2015 11:53 p.m., Amherst College Police

An officer discovered that a student was in possession of a false driver’s license. The Office of Student Affairs and the Registry of Motor Vehicles Department were notified. >>Oct. 24, 2015 12:32 a.m., Pond Dormitory Officers on patrol observed people dancing on a window sill in a first-floor suite. Upon checking the suite, officers found it filled beyond capacity and the stairway was crowded with people.

Officers cleared out the area.

11:05 p.m., Hitchcock House Two students reported being followed by an unknown male while walking on Boltwood Ave. After an investigation, an officer determined the man’s identity and will follow up appropriately. >>Oct. 25, 2015 12 a.m., Greenway Construction Site Three people were reported inside the Greenway construction site.

Officers located the people, who were visitors, and issued them a verbal no-trespass order.

2:02 a.m., Pond Dormitory An officer passing through the basement of Pond found two people in a dark common room.

After speaking with each of them, they were sent on their way. >>Oct. 26, 2015 1:04 p.m., South Pleasant St. A South Pleasant St. resident reported the theft of a Halloween decoration valued at $10. >>Oct. 28, 2015 9:38 a.m., College St. An employee reported the theft of five signs from along College St. that relate to an anti-harassment campaign. The signs cost $64.75.

12:51 p.m., The Bunker An officer investigated a fire alarm and found it was activated by burnt food. >>Oct. 29, 2015 5:55 p.m., Valentine Dining Hall A food service employee reported the theft of a 20” x 30” framed logo. After an investigation, an officer was able to identify the person who took it. The matter was referred to Student Affairs. >>Oct. 30, 2015 12:36 a.m., Valentine Dormitory Officer investigated a smoke detector sounding in a secondfloor room and believe it was activated when marijuana was smoked. No evidence of marijuana could be found. The matter was referred to Student Affairs.

1:04 a.m., Campus Grounds Amherst College officers assisted the town police who were in foot pursuit of a man they had a warrant for. The man was apprehended near Valentine Hall.

Department of Economics

Professor Collin Raymond taught economics at University of Oxford before coming to Amherst. his academic focus is the intersection of psychology and economics.

Q: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

A: My name is Collin Raymond. I’m 34 years old. I’ve been at Amherst since the beginning of September. I was teaching at the University of Oxford for the past three years and before that, I got my Ph.D. from University of Michigan.

I’m from the U.S. originally, but I’ve lived in England for the past three years and I lived there for two years in my 20s. I teach economics and I’m teaching two sections of Econ 111 this term.

My research interests are in psychology and economics, so next term I’m going to be teaching a behavioral economics class.

Q: What made you decide to come to Amherst?

A: I like small college towns and Amherst has really good students. It’s fun to have interactions in smaller classes. Oxford has the tutorial system, which has a lot of small interactions with students and I really enjoy that, I think it makes teaching more fun.

Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: Well, you teach in graduate school, so I was teaching then. And I taught for Oxford for three years, so a little bit of time. But there’s always an adjustment, because the U.K. system is entirely different.

Q: How did you start studying economics?

A: It was so long ago I almost forget. As an undergraduate I actually didn’t enter the university thinking I was going to be an economics major.

I was going to do math and I was going to do something else, so I tried about five other things.

I tried music, I tried English, I was biology for a little bit, I was psychology and then I was economics maybe. I was interested in psychology and I wanted to use math to model. things. With biology and psychology you can sort of use math, but economics really uses it quite a bit, especially with economic theory. I thought that was really interesting, the fact that you’re actually trying to model things. And the thing is, it’s hard to model human behaviors — humans are erratic and you’re always going to get some things wrong, so I think that makes it really interesting because it’s impossible to really get it 100 percent right. So that’s what makes it fun.

Q: What is your research on?

A: I do some theory, and I do some empirical.

For some things, I try to write down models for human behavior and to understand what are the right math equations to use to model certain types of behavior. And then I try to go out and test those using data, so sometimes I bring people into a lab and we give them choices over risky outcomes and try to see what they do. Sometimes we actually go out and find field data. I also try to study things like how disappointment or regret affect decisions.

For example, if I’m expecting to win $100 and I don’t, usually I’m pretty disappointed. So how does the fact that I want to avoid disappointment play into my decisions when I’m trying to decide between different options, say, whether I should invest in the stock market or buy bonds? Similarly, making choices over different options? I might be concerned over regret and that might alter the way I make a decision compared to the standard neoclassical model. A lot of what I do is looking at the psychology literature out there and trying to incorporate insights they had or stylized facts they’ve developed from their experiments. And I ask how we can model this and come up with better ways of testing this in the data or how we

can distinguish between competing data and use the math tools we have available to us in finding the right data set. I’m not interested in throwing out neoclassical traditional economics. I think it explains a lot of important things very well a lot of the time. But sometimes it doesn’t get it right, so what you want to do is use the tools and techniques of traditional economics but modify some of the assumptions about individual preferences. So part of what you need is a good rounding in traditional economics and understand what are the right parts to tweak to try to match behavior better.

Q: What is your impression of Amherst so far?

A: The students are very bright, they’re very involved in a lot of different things, which I think is good. That’s another difference from Oxford or even from a big state school. It seems like the majority of students in my class are involved in some sort of sport, and not just at an intramural level but for the college. And there are people involved in all sorts of other activities, so there seems to be a lot of involvement, which is really good. The town’s very nice. I like the small college town and it’s nice having a lot of other small towns nearby with Northampton and Holyoke.

And coming here in the fall always makes a really good impression. I’ve been hiking around — I went hiking at Mount Sugarloaf last week. It’s quite pleasant and it’s also nice to be able to go up and down the East Coast and see some friends.

Compared to England, it’s very close to a lot of things, including my family and friends from graduate school.

Q: What do you hope to contribute to Amherst during your time here?

A: I hope to be a good educator, teach my students and push them to learn. There’s a great faculty here, so it’s fun to interact with them. I want to work on my research. I also want to get involved with the larger college community. I try to go to events hosted by other departments — one of the benefits of being at a small liberal arts college is that you can get to know a lot of people in other disciplines and a lot of my students aren’t going to end up being economists. So there’s a lot of crosspollination across the disciplines and I think that’s really enjoyable and it’s what sets off the best colleges like Amherst.

Q: You mentioned hiking, but what else do you like to do in your spare time?

A: I really like music — I play saxophone and piano, so I’m very into jazz music. I used to DJ a little bit and I really like listening to music and going to see live music. Otherwise, I like to cook elaborate five-course meals. I also travel a lot, both for work and also for fun.

Q: Where have you traveled?

A: I think I’m upwards of 50 countries now. I lived abroad for a while and worked as a microfinance consultant when I was younger. So I’ve lived in Georgia — not Atlanta — but Tbilisi, Georgia.

I worked in Azerbaijan and worked there for a little bit. I lived in England for five years total.

So I’ve traveled all across Europe and some of North Africa. I lived in Mongolia for a year as an undergraduate on study abroad.

Q: Do you speak a lot of languages?

A: I’m not very good at languages. I speak English, Spanish but not well, Russian worse, and some Mongolian as well. But no, languages are not my strong suit.

— Zoe Wong `18

The Amherst Student • November 4, 2015

News

AAS Holds Mascot Forum Peer Advocates Campaign Ryan Cenek ’18 Assistant News Editor Students and staff met in Cole Assembly Room for a forum on the college’s mascot hosted by the Association of Amherst Students on Monday, Nov. 1. The discussion addressed the possibility of eliminating and replacing the current unofficial mascot, the Lord Jeff.

During the first hour and a half of the forum, participants discussed whether the Lord Jeff should remain Senator Sam Keaser ’17E began the discussion by reviewing the contents of a recent letter published by the senate, which announced its opposition to the Lord Jeff as unofficial mascot.

Most students who spoke at the forum expressed views in favor of changing the mascot.

None of the students at the forum made on-therecord statements defending the Lord Jeff.

“The primary argument for replacing the mascot is that the values the Lord Jeff stands for run deeply counter to the spirit of inclusiveness we claim is central to our mission,” said AAS Senator Shruthi Badri ’16, who supports changing the mascot. “There would have to be a really good argument to retain a symbol that alienates and demeans a substantial part of the student body, and I’m afraid ‘the current mascot is just fine’ or ‘but we’ve always done it this way’ just don’t cut it.”

Badri also noted that Dartmouth College, Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst had all changed mascots deemed to be offensive in the 1970s.

Molly Jordan ’16 expressed concern over the moose, a proposed alternative mascot. “It is clear that the Lord Jeff is no longer a unifying mascot.

Just as we expect the mascot to be unifying, the process by which we change our mascot must also be unifying,” Jordan said in an email interview after the meeting. “Acting like the moose is our

new mascot without the consent of the rest of the student body (or the president or the trustees) is alienating.”

Proponents of a change cautioned that no mascot would satisfy everybody.

“I don’t think we’re going to find something that everybody loves, and that’s unfortunate,” Asa Goodwillie ’16 said at the meeting. “But in 10 or 20 years when it’s become a tradition, then everybody will love it because it’s been there.”

Tania de Sousa Dias ’13, an admissions fellow for the college who has visited Native American prospective applicants, warned that the current mascot is discouraging them from applying.

“The mascot is deeply alienating and deeply offensive to Native American students,” she said. “[They] are really not considering Amherst to extent they could because of the mascot.”

Other students discussed aspects of the process of changing the mascot. Ben Fife ’16 said that if the current mascot were to be eliminated, the transition to a new mascot should occur quickly so that athletes do not have to play without one.

Keaser said it would be important to respect the will of the student body.

“If students vote against what you and I want, I think it’s our duty as members of the community to accept what students vote for,” he said. “We might not get exactly what we want, and that’s OK.” In the second part of the meeting, participants proposed ideas for a mascot that may replace the Lord Jeff. Ideas included the Royals, the Trailblazers, the Frost and the Moose. The possibility of allowing each sports team to choose its own mascot was also discussed.As published in its letter, the AAS plans to hold a non-binding vote this semester on whether to remove the Lord Jeff. According to Keaser, based on the results of that vote, the process of choosing a new mascot may begin this spring.

3

Continued from Page 1 reached Tuesday evening for comment on the missing signs.

Drake said she got the idea for the campaign after experiencing frequent harassment on her walk back to her dorm in the beginning of the semester.

“I live in the Triangle, and I have to walk home on Route 9 every day, and for the first month and a half of school there wasn’t a single day that I went home that I wasn’t street harassed,” Drake said. “And I got really frustrated with it, especially because … with street harassment, it’s so in the moment that someone just drives up and yells something out their car and keeps driving that you can’t engage them in there, and so I got really frustrated trying to think of something I could do about it.”

Drake had the idea of creating a video in which women students would share their experiences of being harassed on the streets or in town. The purpose of the video was to bring visibility to the problem as well as clarify

that harassment is a community problem, according to Drake.

Drake contacted Amanda Collings Vann, the college’s sexual health educator and adviser to the Peer Advocates of Sexual Respect. Vann was supportive of the idea of a video and also recommended putting up signs and posters to expand the initiative.

“They experience a high amount of street harassment, which is pretty typical for women and transgender students,” Vann said in an interview with Amherst Bulletin.

The campus-wide Title IX survey on sexual respect held in 2014 also provided a motivation for the campaign, Drake said.

Of Amherst students who responded to the survey, 47 percent of women and 13 percent of men had experienced harassment during their time at the college.

“It’s hard, here, because it’s your home,” Drake said. “You’re being harassed when you’re walking home, or you’re on your campus, you can’t change where you’re going, you just have

Science Center Design Continued from Page 1 to Davies, will thereby reduce the college’s potable water consumption from the local reservoir by about one million gallons per year.

The new science center is also intended to solve practical inconveniences that arise from Merrill’s outdated facilities.

“Many of the systems in this building have reached the end of their design life, and aren’t working anymore,” said Marshall. “Basically, there are experiments that I can’t do because the air quality in this building is not good enough.”

According to Davies, the new center will also feature open study spaces, lounges and workstations that are open to the entire campus. Unlike Keefe Science Library, the new science library will not be walled off from the rest of the building.

“This building is going to send a message that science wants to interact with the campus community, and by extension, to the world at large,” Marshall said.

The next information session will be held Wednesday, Nov. 4. Construction is scheduled to begin this coming May following commencement, and finish during August

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Opinion

THE AMHERST

Making Time for Friends Editorial It’s that time of the semester again. Essays, exams and thesis deadlines are coming up fast before the finals push, with internships and job pressures occupying the rest of any remaining free space in most students’ minds. You start wondering whether your hall mates and close friends, who you used to see every day, frankly still attend this school. These last four to five weeks of the semester are composed of repetitions of “We should catch up soon” and “Let’s grab Val together sometime,” but so often those phrases are empty sentiments. Even though it should be incredibly obvious in our supposedly tight-knit community, Amherst students seem to avoid leaning on each other in the face of mounting obligations.

At Amherst, students pride themselves on how many hours they’ve spent in Frost, how late they stayed up, how many essays they have due and how many all-nighters they have pulled and will pull. We like being busy. In fact, to be busy is to keep away general anxieties, sadness and social isolation. We live in a culture of busyness. Ironically, however, because we indulge in and embrace our hectic schedules, we forget to make room for our own needs and

our friends. We believe our mental health will benefit more from daily club meetings than from the rare meal at Schwemm’s with a longtime friend.

Despite the fact that we pride ourselves on sharing our stress, we ironically tend to avoid each other when we’re at our most stressed and anxious. At a certain point, every extra minute Val sitting, watching TV with a friend or simply catching up seems like time wasted or stolen from essential work. Because we share so much of our stress and what we need to do, we get caught in our own cycle of stress, convincing ourselves that we have no time for anything else.

We stop believing that we have time for other people and, eventually, for ourselves.

This is advice that every college student needs but has trouble taking: Make time for your friends, your family and yourself. It’s easy to tell someone not to be consumed by their work, not to be overly frustrated with a bad grade, not to be overwhelmed by mounting deadlines. It’s much harder to actually put this into practice. However, a key step is simply to reach out to those who are there for you.

Et tu, Hillary? Solidifying Her Lead Eddie Rego ’19 Contributing Writer No one can deny that Hillary Clinton is a woman of innumerable talents, but her performance at the first Democratic presidential debate was impressive even by her standards. Clinton was comfortable, poised and assertive. She spoke like a leader, had a commanding presence and used a tone that inspired the same hope that her former rival Barack Obama had so successfully elicited. Despite her campaign’s hardships in these past months, Clinton enumerated the issues of concern with a fiery passion, addressed her “scandals” and skillfully turned rhetorical attacks by her competitors into comments that boosted her image. Bernie Sanders, beware: Hillary Clinton came to win.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, charisma is “the rare personal quality attributed to leaders who arouse fervent popular devotion and enthusiasm.”

Without charisma, presidential candidates are left at a sincere disadvantage. Charisma is basically like paprika: You can do without it, but almost everything is better with it. Some candidates have so little that they have to put an exclamation mark after their name (yes, Jeb, I’m talking to you), while others have built an enormous following based on personality (I’m thinking of a candidate whose name rhymes with Chump). Clinton has charisma, but not the charisma that a certain Sanders provides. If presidential primaries were personality contests, Donald Trump would without question be the Republican nominee and Sanders would overthrow Clinton for the Democratic nomination.

So to win the first debate (and hopefully the nomination), Clinton chose not to act charismatic — she chose to act presidential. She hit

several home runs in her debate performance by talking about the issues of concern: gun control, healthcare, immigration reform, LGBTQ rights … the list goes on and on. Clinton single-handedly named all the issues listed above, along with many more.

This stands in stark contrast with her main rival Bernie Sanders, who truly sounded like a one-sided coin by seemingly focusing only on economic inequality. Yes, income inequality is a tremendous issue and perhaps one of the greatest issues America faces today, but it isn’t the only issue. Sanders sacrificed so much vital air time repeating his same message about economic inequality that it appeared as if he ignored all the other pertinent issues on the table. Clinton, on the other hand, came off as having recognized that there are countless issues that need to be addressed and did a successful job at enumerating most of them. Although she has recently had significant trouble proving to voters that she understands their daily problems, she triumphed in convincing the American public that she recognizes the issues they face. No doubt, she presented that certain je ne sais quoi that defines a president.

Clinton also addressed her socalled “scandals” and played with her competitors’ rhetoric as if not only to challenge their arguments but also to show her logical agility and poise. Some may wonder why her scandals are truly in fact “scandals.” I’ll let Hillary explain: “It [is] unfair not to look at the whole picture; the [Benghazi] Committee is in fact an arm of the Republican National Committee; it is a partisan vehicle … attempting to drive down my poll numbers,” she said. When the audience heard this, people stood up and applauded. As for her emails, she said, “Tonight I don’t want to talk about my emails, but rather what the American people

want from the next president of the United States.” This elicited another strong round of applause from the audience. It is not often that a politician can so cleverly turn a scandal into a topic worth applauding, but she did just that. And talk about the issues the candidates did: Instead of focusing on deliberate ad hominem attacks by Republican leadership, they talked about issues of substance, which not only benefited Clinton but also the American public.

Yet that wasn’t the only force that helped propel Clinton to the top: It was also her leadership demeanor and presidential attitude that allowed her to deflect her competitors’ attacks. When Lincoln Chafee called into question her supposed rush to make military judgments, she responded by saying, “After the election, [Barack Obama] asked me to become Secretary of State; he valued my judgment and I spent a lot of time with him in the Situation Room making difficult decisions.” When Martin O’Malley challenged her military interventions, she said, “You know, I have to say, I was very pleased when Governor O’Malley endorsed me for president in 2008, and I enjoyed his strong support in that campaign.”

In response to Sander’s comments that we could learn from economic policies in countries like Denmark, Clinton remarked, “But we are not Denmark … We are the United States of America, and it’s our job to rein in the excesses of capitalism so that it doesn’t run amok and doesn’t cause the kind of inequities we’re seeing in our economic system.”

When her credibility and her ostensible inclination for political expediency were called into question, she said, “I’m a progressive, but I’m a progressive that likes to get things done.” Undoubtedly, it was her ability to deflect attacks and use her opponents’ words against them as well as her use of pithy one-lin-

ers that helped create a memorable performance and convey an image of a capable, energetic, astute and ambitious leader.

Clinton,however,alsodemonstrated the ability to restrain herself but fight when necessary. She came out on the offense against her main rival Sanders in a way that was never seen before.

For months, Clinton and Sanders barely even mentioned each other, let alone attack each other on national television. However, Clinton came with an aggressive game plan, a game plan to win. This mentality was underscored when Clinton challenged Sanders’ vote against gun control in Congress. When asked, “Is Sanders tough enough on guns?” Clinton responded “No, not at all … Senator Sanders did vote five times against the Brady Bill … I was in the Senate at the same time. It wasn’t that complicated to me.” This direct criticism of Sanders caused serious damage. Sanders claimed that he voted against the gun control bill due to the fact that he represented rural voters.

However, it was sloppy debating, as it ruined the image he was trying to cultivate for himself of a man of pure principle. Rather, Clinton made Sanders appear extremely vulnerable to external political forces. Sanders was left stunned, almost as if to say: “Et tu, Hillary?”

Ultimately, this election cycle is particularly exciting. The televised debate received nearly 16 million views, which is the largest viewership for a Democratic primary debate ever. We are, in fact, witnessing history in the making.

Hillary Clinton has presented to us, in this first debate, the person she truly is: an individual willing to fight hard for the oppressed, to struggle to promote equality and to present us with a sense of self-righteousness and trust in government. We are that much closer to saying for the first time: Madam President.

STUDENT

E X E C U T I V E B OA R D Editor-in-Chief Sophie Murguia Assistant Editor-in-Chief Elaine Jeon Managing News Dan Ahn, Jingwen Zhang Managing Opinion Johnathan Appel, Sunna Juhn Managing Arts and Living Paola Garcia-Prieto, Alida Mitau, Julia Pretsfelder Managing Sports Lauren Tuiskula, Jason Darell, Drew Kiley Managing Design Gabby Bishop S TA F F

Publishers Emily Ratte, Tia Robinson Design Editors Katherine Chen, Megan Do, Adele Loomis, Zavi Sheldon, Yrenly Yuan Assistant News Editors Ryan Cenek, Carlos Rivero Assistant Sports Editors Jeremy Kesselhaut, Jason Stein Photography Editor Kyra Gardner

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The Amherst Student • November 4, 2015

Opinion

5

Selling Politics is Not the Same as Selling Chicken

Galen Muskat ’18E Columnist

It’s too bad Bernie Sanders isn’t related to Colonel Sanders, because he’d probably be better off selling chicken. I just can’t buy everything Mr. Sanders says and claims to stand for.

I understand that politics is rife with contradiction and paradox.

For instance, Republican candidates lusting for Evangelical votes tote Bibles at campaign rallies, cite the role of God in their political decisions, and describe Christian morality as playing a central role in their lives.

Yet they (consider Ben Carson) spew rhetoric about keeping Muslims out of office, for fear they might allow religion (“Sharia Law,” said Carson) to shape their decisions as commander in chief. “A violation of the Constitution,” they claim, by putting religion before country. Yes: The same candidates who place one hand on the Bible point the index finger of the other at non-Christians who might bring religion into presidential politics.

Then, there are those who say that government-implemented gun control violates privacy, personal freedom and the “right to bear arms.” But the same group believes men in Washington should be allowed to restrict a woman’s right to choose (they must have the

copy of Constitutional Law 101 that neglects to mention Roe v. Wade).

And then there’s Bernie Sanders. He claims he is not an establishment candidate, and that he will shake things up in Washington with his progressive “socialist” approach, “outsider” status and consistent approach — unswayed by expediency — to legislation. Yet here is a man who has involved himself in politics since running for mayor of Burlington in the 1970s, entered Washington, D.C. in the 1980s and voted against the Brady Bill (a pro-gun control measure — an issue he now flaccidly supports) in the 1990s so as to maintain his credit among the aforementioned gun-owners of his home state. Outsider? Please.

On the Brady Bill: I understand that he desired to represent Vermonters’ rights to own guns for hunting. But when it comes to national law, a national congressman must consider the interests of his state relative to the needs of the entire country. Now, he says that passing “major new legislation” on gun control would be impossible in Washington, and a measured, state-by-state approach is best.

Yet Sanders promises policies to make public colleges and universities free (talk about “impossible” legislation in the current Congress).

Sorry, Bernie: If you think you could achieve progressive tax reforms as president, I should think it feasible to expect the same of a ma-

jor legislation change regarding gun control.

Sounds like you might have to forgo the expedient claim of representing your home state, convenient as it may be when it comes to retaining your senate post should you lose the presidential primary.

Also, Sanders assails Hillary Clinton as an establishment candidate with deep ties to the Democratic Party. He portrays Clinton as someone who sacrifices her values for political expediency, changing positions on the Iraq War and gay marriage. But could one not say the same about Sanders for labeling himself independent all these years, when he really believed himself a “socialist?” If we have seen the Green Party produce a platform separate from both Democrats and Independents, why did he not create a socialist party on which to run in Vermont?

I am guessing, based on Vermont’s many gun owners and states’ rights advocates, it was more politically expedient to campaign under the ambiguous “independent” label, rather than face voter disapproval for running as a socialist in 1990s Vermont.

At least Hillary owned that she stood for the Iraq War, or the Pacific Trade Deal, and later changed her mind — like any human being might with changing circumstances. Face it: A politician will do “politically expedient” things — such is the nature of the position.

But good politicians must be willing to accept their mistakes or change their views to change alongside a changing culture.

Sure, had Sanders changed with the tide, he might have lost some votes by standing up to his Vermont constituents in the name of the safety of the greater electorate. But background check legislation might have passed sooner, gun manufacturers and dealers would be subject to tort law, and thousands of deaths would likely have been saved. Yet with the desire to remain popular among his base, Sanders voted down the Brady Bill, and still believes gun control is best handled by states.

Guns are sold on the Internet now, Mr. Sanders, and they cross state lines as easily as an independent who decides it better (more expedient?) to run as a Democrat. It is, therefore, a national issue.

As a member of Congress for decades, now, Sanders is no less “politician” than anyone. How can he claim that his moving down the National Mall from Capitol to White House would be any more “change” than a woman elected to the White House? Bernie, I do appreciate your stances on reforming the financial sector and increasing access to higher education. I cannot, however, look past your hypocrisy when you position yourself as an outsider who avoids political expediency.

Try selling chicken instead.

Letter to the Editor Kristin Bumiller George Daniel Olds Professor of Economic and Social Institutions This week President Obama announced new actions to alleviate burdens on the formerly incarcerated in their efforts to find jobs.

As quoted in the New York Times on Nov. 2, the president aptly frames the issues as stepping “efforts to help Americans who’ve paid their debt to society reintegrate back into their communities.” The president underscores that this effort requires an expansive sense of responsibility: “Everyone has a role to play, from businesses that are hiring ex-offenders to philanthropies that are supporting education and training programs.”

At Amherst College for almost 10 years several professors have been teaching Inside/ Out courses that bring Five College and incarcerated students to learn together as equals.

This has been an enormously transformational experience for our students, regardless of the topics of their individual courses, to gain understanding about the criminal justice process, prisons, inequality, and racial discrimination. At the deepest level our students learn to appreciate that societal stereotypes about “criminals” create damaging misrepresentations of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals.

In every Inside/Out class I have taught, both groups of students end up focusing much of their attention of the problem of job opportunities for persons exiting prison. Frankly, we grow deeply frustrated by the profound difficulties ex-prisoners face and the many barriers to pursing job opportunities. In order to productively respond to these frustrations, we need to heed President Obama’s call and make efforts for positive change in our own backyard, at Amherst College.

Why is it so important to start addressing it here? It is, in fact, necessary to take affirmative measures to counteract the racially discriminatory impact of background checks and to further the college’s commitment to diversity.

In some situations federal or state laws require criminal background checks. For ex-

ample, when the employee has direct contact with a vulnerable population (children, the elderly, and the disabled) or high-level security clearances are necessary. In these cases, certain violations expressly disqualify applicants for the job (see Code of Mass Regulations pages 800-899). The voluntary use of criminal background checks, where vulnerable populations and security are not paramount issues, derives from the advice of risk management specialists. Often proffered without supporting evidence about the correlation between prior criminal convictions and workplace safety, such recommendations are based on erroneous assumptions about the causes and likelihood of repeat criminal behavior. The voluntary use of criminal record information in hiring decisions is, at its core, a questionable practice in a society that aspires to promote equality of opportunity. When criminal background information is considered, it imposes additional scrutiny on individuals who have satisfactorily met the conditions of punishment as a result of conviction, and may inhibit their opportunities to pursue employment and to enjoy full rights as citizens.

Moreover, there is strong evidence that the consideration of criminal background information, through a variety of mechanisms, has racially discriminatory consequences..

In all stages of criminal justice enforcement (arrest, prosecution and conviction) there is well-documented bias against racial and ethnic minorities. As a result, it is statistically more likely that these biases are reproduced in the demographic profile of those who carry the burden of criminal records when seeking employment. By some estimates, this includes over 70 million Americans. Moreover, the use of criminal background checks may also serve as a surrogate for more direct racially discriminatory practices. There is reliable empirical evidence, in fact, that shows that when employers are made aware of criminal records they are more likely to discriminate on the basis of race. The combined effect of mass incarceration and the growing use of criminal background checks by employers have further threatened the economic advancement of racial and ethnic minorities.

In response to the institutionalized bias within criminal records, over the last several years, major changes have been implemented at the state and federal levels in an effort to counteract the effects of unfair use of criminal background information. Massachusetts has been a leader in these reforms by adopting a CORI Reform Bill in July 2010 that prohibits employers from requiring criminal record information in the initial stages of the hiring process (commonly called “Ban the Box”). At the federal level, in 2012, the EEOC issued an “Enforcement Guidance” document on the criminal record information by employers. This document warns employers about their potential liability for disparate impact employment discrimination under Title VII and their requirements to apply a “business necessity test” in evaluating criminal record information. There is also an effort underway to pass the Fair Chance Act, to restrict the use of criminal record information in hiring at the federal level.

For several decades, the increasing utilization of criminal records checks has been driven by risk management strategies designed to avoid liability for negligent hiring. Now, we are in the midst of a dramatic shift in social policy that has produced extreme legal uncertainty regarding this issue. Legal counsel for employers, human service professional organizations, the criminal record and credit bureau agencies, for the most part, remain highly resistant to and dismissive of “Ban the Box” reforms. In their publications and advice to employers they caution that these reforms will be broadly interpreted by state and federal civil rights commissions and advocates are likely to draw attention to non-compliant employers. Legal experts, in particular, are now acutely aware that employers must be concerned about their compliance to these new laws and the possibility of Title VII lawsuits.

The crucial issue presented by legal experts is: How will employers, who choose to exclude potential employees based upon criminal record information, demonstrate a “tight nexus” between the prior criminal conduct and the requirements of the job position? This issue is precisely what should concern employers, like

Amherst College, whose mission is integrally related to the goal of equal opportunity. But it needs to be reframed as an ethical question: What is the fair consideration of criminal background information in decision-making about employment? In an academic institution, we have an obligation to inform our actions with knowledge and avoid categorical exclusions of groups based upon bias and misperceptions. This means that we have a responsibility to question unfounded assumptions about the propensity of persons with criminal records to commit further crimes in the workplace, to recognize the positive value of providing the formerly incarcerated with opportunities for work, and to analyze what can be organizationally and educationally dysfunctional consequences of the expanding role of legal regulation in the workplace.

What can we at the college do to assure there is only appropriate use of background check information and we are doing are best to assure equality of opportunity. The most important consideration, with or without explicit criminal background check policy, is how do we, as an educational institution, mitigate against the socially undesirable effects of criminal record discrimination in our society. Examples of these efforts might include: taking advantage of hiring incentives for the formerly incarcerated, implementing recruitment strategies targeted at persons with criminal records, developing transparent criteria for the consideration of criminal justice information that demonstrates an individualized and compassionate assessment of the potential employee’s circumstances, and promulgating clear guidelines to prevent the mistreatment and harassment of individual based upon knowledge of their criminal records.

Finally, given Amherst College’s serious under-representation of faculty and staff identifying as racial and ethnic minorities and our commitment to diversity, it is all the more important to take these affirmative steps in our hiring practices. This would symbolically send the message that we care about the mounting attention being given to criminal record discrimination as a civil rights concern and its implications for diversifying our community.

Arts&Living

Photos courtesy of Spencer Quong ’18

Helen Montie ‘18 was the makeup artist for the Marsh Haunted Haus, shaping her special effects makeup to fit with the spooky insane asylum theme of the event.

Marsh Haunted Haus Offered Genuine Fright on Halloween Night Sam O’Brien ’18 Staff Writer Marsh Haunted Haus is a beloved Halloween tradition at Amherst, and this year’s haunted house exceeded all expectations. The masterminds behind Saturday night’s event, Helen Montie ’18, Julia Pretsfelder ’18, Antonella Dominguez ’18 and Brian Beaty ’17 created a story that threaded together the various horror scenes displayed throughout Marsh.

The elaborate story was based on a protagonist named Emily and her nightmarish emotional projections. Montie said in an interview that the group wanted to combine jump-scares with the bone-chill of a more deeply unsettling psychological thriller.

Perched on the top of a hill, the white, stately Marsh House, with its banisters severely in need of renovation and floorboards that squeak eerily, is perhaps an ideal location.

Greeting guests at the door on Saturday was a deranged janitor mopping the floor and setting the stage for horror. Lauren Horn ’17, who portrayed a maniacally animated tour guide, led visitors through the rooms that depicted various scenes of Emily’s chilling past.

The tour began with Emily, portrayed by Pretsfelder, screeching and dancing about in a dark room, yelling at the visitors to “please stop looking” at her. The next room was strobe-lit and filled with grotesque clowns, who pawed away at the visitors.

The haunted house culminated in the scene of Emily’s mother’s death — the story goes that she died while giving birth to a set of twins. Emily’s father, in an attempt to avenge this tragic death, brutally murdered the twins and swore to

protect his beloved daughter, Emily.

Nothing was left to our imagination as we tiptoed around the bloodied corpse of the mother and skirted past the aloof, ashen-faced and yellow-eyed doctor. The twins were resurrected with a creepily immaculate innocence, and they asked the visitors to “come play with them.”

Montie said during the month of planning for the event, she and the three other planners created and delegated different roles to Marsh residents.

For some, such as sophomores Alisa Bajramovic and Noor Qasim, who portrayed the twins, the roles involved pulling together the items in their closet to fabricate their imagination of what creepy, undead twins might look like. For others, this involved some creative filmmaking, repeated attempts to prevent the fire alarm from being set off by the fog machine or simply impressive acting.

For Montie, the Haunted Haus was a perfect opportunity to complete her Marsh project, a required artistic project for all Marsh residents to live in the arts house. Montie, who is gifted with costume makeup, spent her Saturday diligently transforming her co-residents into the grotesque clowns and ghouls that animated the Haus at night.

The event ran from 8 to 10 p.m., and during all two hours, a line of jittery, costumed Amherst students wound down the hill. As I waited with my friends in line, we could clearly hear the petrified shrieks of visitors from inside.

It was approximately a half hour before we were finally permitted entrance. The wait was well worth it. Throughout the tour, my friend and I found ourselves clutching each other’s arms in fear. This year’s Haunted Haus was even more frightening than I expected.

Photo courtesy of Spencer Quong ’18

Marsh Haunted Haus is a longstanding tradition.

Arts & Living 7

The Amherst Student • November 4, 2015

Ron Bashford Directs Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” DivineAsia Miller ’19 Staff Writer Ron Bashford’s production of Anton Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” ran in Kirby Theater from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1. The house was packed for all four performances, and audience members ranged from toddlers to students to grandparents.

The hype was understandable. Chekhov is obviously an extremely influential modern playwright, and “The Cherry Orchard” is one of his better known plays. The play follows a rich family unable to come to terms with the fact that they no longer live in the glorious past. Despite the play’s somewhat somber subject, Chekhov intended for “The Cherry Orchard” to be a comedy, and Bashford stayed true to this vision, unlike many directors before him.

The cast was mostly comprised of student actors, and they were all selected very well for their roles. Most striking were Anya (Lauren Carter ’17), Yasha (Patrick Rauschelbach ’19) and Petya (Max Nemhauser). Anya is the youngest daughter of the aristocratic family in the play, and is naïve and somewhat spoiled. This role was suited perfectly to the wide-eyed and sprightly Carter, whose facial expressions perfectly embodied the childlike innocence of the character. Rauschelbach’s lackadaisical demeanor and snarky pursed lips were perfect choices for Yasha, an irreverent valet. And Nemhauser skillfully portrayed the perpetual philosopher Petya. The apt selection of actors made the stage experience especially captivating.

However, there were some minor drawbacks to the acting: Occasionally, the actors’ line delivery felt awkward and stiff, particularly during some of the major monologues. Sometimes the actors seemed like they were reciting lines rather than having a conversation. And characters in the background sometimes lacked life on stage.

One of the most interesting aspects of the play was its set design. Bashford seems to be a believer in stages with as few frills as possible. I’ve

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org

This photograph was taken at the first production of “The Cherry Orchard” in 1904, directed by Constantin Stanislavski. found that his stages also subtly convey something about the nature of the work itself. The only objects on stage were a few pieces of furniture, which were changed for each act, and the arches and doorways of the house. However, the cherry orchard itself, which is the centerpiece of the play and signifies the glory and stature of the aristocratic family, was not represented on stage at all. When characters looked at it and talked about it, they faced a stripped down brick wall that didn’t even have a window in it. This was an interesting choice on Bashford’s part, and one that adds a new facet of meaning to the play. It makes the cherry orchard seem like a place that exists only in the imagination of the aristocratic family, and one that only matters when the family acknowledges it.

Some seating was placed on stage on the fringes of the main action in order to offer a few members of the audience a more intimate experience. This worked well to amplify our awareness of the characters’ emotions on stage. I watched people’s shoulders tense and eyes widen when it seemed that a character was nearing

them, and their subsequent almost-relief when it turned out that the characters were simply going offstage.

The play itself was hilarious and moving, but lacking in some respects. The onstage chemistry was sizzling. At the performance I saw, audience gave a big whoop when Yasha kissed Dunyasha (Irish Amudson ’19) unexpectedly.

Yermolay Loakhin’s (Johnathan Appel ’16) frustration with the dreamy inattention to reality of the aristocrats was palpable, and clashed sharply with the family’s attempt to ignore him. When characters laughed with each other, the audience would join in too. They seemed to be people genuinely enjoying each other’s company. All of the actors were present and seemed genuine in their emotions. The humor of the play was, as a result, always on the nose, and there weren’t any jokes that fell flat.

However, there was a strange dissonance between the sad undertones of the play and the general humor of it. The play itself is inherently both sad and funny, and that creates a situation that is difficult for directors and actors to navi-

gate. Bashford’s production landed uncomfortably in the center of these two choices. It’s not that sad situations can’t be funny, but this particular production didn’t feel emotionally true. The lighthearted antics were in jarring disagreement with the desperation and struggle of the rest of the characters.

“The Cherry Orchard” wasn’t quite satisfying at the end. There was virtually no discernable character development in the play, and the only real change was the shift in ownership of the cherry orchard. The ending made the entire play feel insubstantial. It occurred to me that this may have been intentional, but it didn’t feel like a stroke of genius at the time, I just felt like I had been left hanging.

I don’t regret seeing “The Cherry Orchard,” and I enjoyed many parts of it. I laughed along with Yepikhodov (Ben Kissinger ‘19), and felt genuine pain when Ranevskaya cried about her beloved cherry orchard being torn down and developed into houses. But it didn’t cut me deep, and if someone said that they didn’t like it, I’d understand why.

New Artists to Watch: Hippo Campus Produces Promising EPs Evan Paul ’18 Staff Writer As of yet, the Minnesota-based band Hippo Campus has not released a fulllength album. However, the band’s recently released EPs titled “Bashful Creatures” and “South” are providing fans with enough to tide them over until a full-length effort is released.

So, who exactly are the members of Hippo Campus? Where did they come from, and will they stick around? If you’re looking for concrete answers, you’ll be hard pressed to find them. The band’s website doesn’t have an “About” page, and

if you visit their Facebook page, the only information you’ll receive is that their genre is “kinda pop.”

It’s even difficult to find the members’ names. In their performances, they go by stage names. After some research, I eventually found out that Hippo Campus is made up of four members, “Beans” (Whistler Allen), “Turntan” (Jake Luppen), “Espo” (Zach Sutton) and “Stitches” (Nathan Stocker).

What exactly should people think about this band, which formed in 2013, hasn’t yet hit the mainstream and is overall quite mysterious? I’m no authority, but I’m telling you now that Hippo Campus should

definitely be on your list of new artists to listen to.

“Kinda pop” is a great way to describe Hippo Campus’ music. Their style has all of the trappings of your favorite pop band, but they add a new element to their songs with growly delivery of their lyrics, strong percussion and a habit of mumbling the first verses of their songs only to end up belting the chorus.

I think that’s what sets them apart from the bands they’ve been compared to, such as Vampire Weekend and label mates Twin Peaks. When you’re listening to Hippo Campus you’ll start out just tapping your foot along, only to find yourself dancing with your hands up in the air. Hippo Campus just has a way of doing that to you.

I have yet to attend one of their live shows; however, the footage on YouTube is proof enough that this band has true talent. The studio and live versions of their songs are nearly identical and their energy is phenomenal.

Perhaps the best aspect of Hippo Campus is their youth and, in turn, their promise for the future. Their oldest member is only 19 years old, and they all graduated from high school in 2013.

In short, the four boys still have a lot of time not only to make more music, but also to grow as a band. However, just in case they never hit it big, I suggest you get in as much of them as you can. You won’t regret it.

Best Songs on “South” EP:

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Hippo Campus is made up of four young men with a lot of musical potential.

“Close to Gold”: The EP’s opening song is probably the one song I would use to characterize Hippo Campus as a whole. The lyrics are great, which is very impressive

for such young songwriters, and the backing track keeps you engaged throughout.

“Close to Gold” also perfectly showcases their slow build quality that I mentioned.

Turntan mumbles for most of the song.

Near the end, however, his voice takes on a rough quality, which couples perfectly with the heavy bass and percussion lines.

“Dollar Bill”: “With a fist full of heart and a pocket full of stars” are the bridge’s lyrics in this groovy song. If you’re having a bad day, you should definitely listen to this song. It’s clear guitar line in the beginning and end is reminiscent of Vampire Weekend. However, Hippo Campus puts a new spin on the signature style by adding a muddled and complex sound in the middle of the song.

Best Songs on “Bashful Creatures” EP: “Sophie So”: This song has a beach day feel to it. The guitar sounds like it’s being played in a different room, and a lot of the lyrics are delivered in falsetto. Most of the verses are sung in a slightly lazy way, but in “Sophie So” it really works. Although the song veers towards over-production, its lyrical delivery keeps it on the acceptable side.

“Souls”: “Souls” is one of Hippo Campus’ only songs with clearly sung lyrics. This is due partly to the semi-stripped down verses. Lyrically, “Souls” is probably Hippo Campus’ best. The lyrics not only tell a story, but they also provide an anthem for anyone who’s in limbo between being a kid and growing up. It’s a song with palpable nostalgia, even if you’ve never experienced the events it describes.

Arts & Living 8

The Amherst Student • November 4, 2015

Fall Primetime TV Show Roundup: What to Skip and What to Watch I am a self-proclaimed TV junkie, and I can’t get through a week without getting my television fix on Hulu. Fall is a particularly critical season for primetime television as old favorites return with the intent to outdo earlier seasons, and new shows are queued up to be devoured or rejected by TV viewers. As most shows are now mid-season, it is time to separate the weak from the strong in this year’s fall lineup. If you’re looking for new show to watch once a week during your only hour of free time or wondering if it’s really worth it to give another season of “Scandal” a shot, this guide will give you some answers.

— Sophia Salazar ’18 Staff Writer

“Law & Order SVU”: WATCH

“Quantico”: SKIP “Quantico” is part of ABC’s new fall lineup, starring actress Prinyanka Chopra as Alex Parrish and featuring a troupe of fresh-faced and attractive co-stars. The show is centered on the investigation of a terrorist attack in which FBI agent Parrish is a suspect. The nonlinear plot splits its time between focusing on the present FBI investigation and the FBI training camp at Quantico. With its focus on individual character development, the show does just enough to keep viewers guessing who is actually responsible for this supposed inside job. Though the premise of this show has the potential to be the next primetime hit, its plot is almost overshadowed by its gorgeous cast and steamy sex scenes. The show’s eye candy and mildly thrilling plot lines make more for a mindless guilty pleasure than an action-packed crime thriller. If you do miss “Quantico,” you’re not missing much.

As a longtime fan of “Law & Order: SVU,” I’ve been underwhelmed by the show’s more recent episodes after the recent departures of characters Detective Stabler, Captain Cragen, Dr. Huang and Sergeant Munch. As new characters have come and gone (bye, Detective Amaro), and the show has become more reliant on predictable ripped-from-theheadlines stories, I’ve anticipated its cancellation since season 13. However, this season may be lucky number 17, as the quality of its episodes has increased with new character plotlines thickening. The show’s most recent episodes have placed Detective Rollins and Sargent Benson in ethical dilemmas that they’ve never seen before. The current season also tackles topics including police brutality, the institutional failures of child services and transgender violence with a more sensitive approach than in past seasons. Whoopi Goldberg’s guest performance alone in episode three arguably makes this season one of the most riveting in recent years.

Photo courtesy of lasvegasnvblog.com

“Quantico”’s attractive cast outshines its dull plot and falls flat.

“Scandal”: WATCH Although some of the show’s most recent plotlines have been underwhelming, I keep coming back to “Scandal” for its awesome Motown soundtrack and for the never-ending love triangle between Olivia, Jake and Fitz. This season is definitely worth watching. It seems that some of the endless relationship drama is finally getting resolved, and favorite characters are making stronger reappearances (I’m looking at you, Cyrus Beane). In the mean time, newer and juicier plotlines are taking shape, returning back to the thrilling, spellbinding political drama that made me (and the rest of America) fall in love with this show in the first place. This is definitely a season you don’t want to miss.

Photo courtesy of wikimedia.org

Season 17 revamps SVU with a focus on current events.

“Jane the Virgin”: WATCH In classic telenovela style, season one of “Jane the Virgin” left viewers on an epic cliffhanger, which made me eager to watch the show’s sophomore season premiere. If you haven’t watched “Jane the Virgin” yet, I encourage you to binge watch it and catch up. It is one of the best shows currently on television. No spoilers here, because as you can judge by the show’s recent promotional images, Jane has given birth to baby Mateo. Thus, this season has so far consisted of figuring out post-baby life and navigating the love quadrangle still present between Jane, Rafael, Michael and Petra. However, “Jane the Virgin” wouldn’t be the show that it is without its dramatic plot twists, and there is surely no shortage of those in season two. Get ready for another season of laughing, crying and biting your fingernails in suspense.

“Scream Queens”: SKIP “Scream Queens,” one of FOX’s biggest primetime premieres of the season, has been marketed under the “horror-comedy” genre, but unfortunately, it delivers neither horror nor comedy. The show’s star-studded cast and huge budget fail to make up for the script’s cheap laughs and scares. Although the show tries to be a parody of the horror genre, cocreator and “Glee” and “American Horror Story” pioneer Ryan Murphy seems to have adapted qualities from both shows into “Scream Queens.” The result: a show filled with underwhelming jump scares, overused comedic tropes that rely on stereotypes and pop culture references a few weeks too old to be considered relevant.

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Corny “Scream Queens” does not live up to the expected hype.

The Amherst Student • November 4, 2015

Sports 9

Men’s Soccer Falls in NESCAC Tourney, Awaits NCAA Seeding Jason Stein ’16 Staff Writer

Following a commanding homecoming victory against Wesleyan that pushed its record to 14-0-0, men’s soccer was unable to sustain this level of dominance in its past two matchups. Amherst saw its 14-game win streak come to an end following a 1-1 draw against Trinity to close out the regular season, before the No. 1-seeded Jeffs fell to the No. 8-seeded Cardinals, 1-0, and snapped a 15-game unbeaten streak, in the first round of the NESCAC Tournament. The Jeffs now stand at 14-1-1 heading into the NCAA Tournament and are ranked seventh nationally.

In the regular season home finale on homecoming, the Jeffs certainly gave the large crowd something to cheer about, as Amherst dominated in a 5-0 victory against Wesleyan.

Less than four minutes into the contest, junior midfielder Andrew Orozco put the Jeffs ahead 1-0 on a volley from senior forward Greg Singer. Defender Justin Aoyama ’17 also assisted on Orozco’s third goal of the season, which was facilitated by a series of solid passes.

While the Jeffs outshot the Cardinals 7-3 in the first half, Amherst was only able to convert on one of these scoring opportunities, before the offensive floodgates eventually opened in the second half.

Following the halftime break, the Jeffs scored in bunches to put the Cardinals away, as the team scored four goals in slightly less than 20 minutes, beginning with a goal on a penalty kick from senior striker Nico Pascual-Leone in the 59th minute of action. Pascual-Leone’s score was his NESCAC-leading 11th goal on the season and marked the fourth consecutive game in which he had scored (scoring a whopping seven goals in this four-game stretch).

About five minutes later, forward Chris Martin ’17 put one into the top left corner of the goal (his eighth goal of 2015) off a pass

from junior midfielder Forest Sisk. On the play, Pascual-Leone was also credited with an assist, bringing his point total to 26 on the season, good for second overall in the NESCAC. After a Wesleyan foul on junior defender Cameron Bean in the box with just under 15 minutes remaining, the Jeffs would have another chance to score on a penalty kick. This time, senior midfielder Tommy Haskel stepped up to take the kick and buried it for his first goal of 2015, putting the Jeffs ahead 4-0.

Less than three minutes later, Sisk again provided an assist, as forward Aziz Khan ’18 put a one-touch shot into the top corner of the net from Sisk.

Defensively, Amherst came up big, and this game marked the seventh straight shutout for goalie Thomas Bull ’16 and the Jeffs. In the shutout against Wesleyan, Bull had six saves.

With the chance to finish a perfect 15-0-0 overall and 10-0-0 in NESCAC with a win in the regular season finale on Wednesday, Oct. 28 against Trinity, the Jeffs came up just short in their quest.

The Jeffs began the game in promising fashion as Singer put the Jeffs ahead 1-0 on a penalty kick score, in the 27th minute, for his sixth goal of the season. While Singer’s goal was the only score of the half, Trinity certainly put forth a good effort, and the Bantams outshot the Jeffs, 6-4 in the first half.

In the second half, Amherst outshot the Bantams, 9-6, but Trinity managed to draw even in the second period, snapping the Jeffs’ shutout streak at seven. In the 62nd minute, midfielder Tobias Gimand ’17 scored his fifth goal of the year off assists from defender/midfielder Mark Perreault ’16 and defender/midfielder Sam Milbury ’18, which gave the Bantams hope for a positive result in a game with key NESCAC seeding implications.

Martin nearly put the Jeffs ahead in dramatic fashion in the closing minutes of action, but was denied by the post. Similarly, the Ban-

tams had a pair of legitimate scoring chances late in regulation that Bull saved, which helped send the game into overtime.

While the Jeffs outshot the Bantams 7-1 over the two overtime periods (including 4-0 in the second overtime), neither side was able to come away with a goal, resulting in a 1-1, double overtime draw.

Although the Jeffs had been unable to secure a perfect regular reason, the Jeffs remained unbeaten headed into NESCAC tournament play, outscoring opponents 38-3 during a 15-game regular season.

Amherst’s first chapter of postseason play in 2015 followed a different narrative than that of the 2015 regular season and previous NESCAC championships for the Jeffs (Amherst had appeared in four consecutive NESCAC Finals and had won three NESCAC championships in the previous four years).

In the opening period of the NESCAC quarterfinals against Wesleyan the No. 8 seed, on Hitchcock Field this past Saturday, both teams failed to score in the first half. However, the Jeffs held a commanding 7-2 advantage on first-half shots. One of Amherst’s first-half shots was a particularly close attempt from senior midfielder Milton Rico that Wesleyan goalie Jack Katkavich ’17 just managed to knock away.

While the Jeffs had been the beneficiaries of penalty kicks over the past two games heading into the NESCAC tournament, this time an Amherst opponent had a penalty kick against the Jeffs and it seemed like Amherst would experience a reversal of fortune, as Wesleyan had a chance to take the lead on a penalty kick early in the second half. However, Bull made an extremely clutch save to keep the game scoreless.

About 20 minutes into the second half, Amherst had a pair of key chances to score off a corner kick from junior forward Jackson Lehnhart, but Katkavich stepped up to deny the Jeffs.

Less than 10 minutes following this corner kick, midfielder Komar Martinez-Paiz ’19 gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead, as he struck the ball into the top left corner off an assist from midfielder Brandon Sousa ’16.

In the final 10 minutes, first-year midfielder Luke Nguyen and Martin both had promising scoring opportunities that came up just short, as Wesleyan managed to preserve the lead until the final whistle and prevail with a 1-0 victory. Amherst’s loss against Wesleyan proved to be its first loss of the season and its first regulation loss since falling to Williams, 1-0, in the 2013 Elite Eight.

The Cardinals had suffered a 5-0 loss at the hands of the Jeffs a week prior, but Wesleyan managed to respond in a postseason game with higher stakes. With the victory over the Jeffs, Wesleyan advances into the NESCAC semifinals as the No. 8 seed for a matchup against Middlebury this Saturday, the No. 2 seed (, while the No. 6 seed Bowdoin and No. 4 seed Connecticut College face off in the other NESCAC semifinal at Middlebury on Saturday. The following day, the winners of the two contests will then meet in the NESCAC finals with an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament up for grabs.

While the Cardinals advance, the Jeffs head home from the NESCAC Tournament far earlier than they had anticipated. However, Amherst now has more time to prepare for their first game in the NCAA Tournament. The Jeffs hope that history repeats itself this year, as the top seed in the 2014 NESCAC Tournament, the Tufts Jumbos, were upset by Connecticut College (the No. 8 seed) in the NESCAC quarterfinals before going on to win the 2014 national championship, winning six straight games into early December. The Jumbos were resilient following a NESCAC tournament stunner in 2014, and the Jeffs certainly have the track record of success and willpower to do the same in 2015.

Field Hockey Advances in NESCAC Women’s Cross Country Races Tournament in Overtime Thriller to Fourth Place at NESCACs Kelly Karczewski ’18 Staff Writer The Amherst College field hockey team finished the week with a victory in the first round of the NESCAC tournament, trumping archrival Williams, 2-1, in an exciting overtime win.

Prior to the post-season tournament, the Jeffs clinched four regular season wins in the last two weeks, which helped to gain momentum for the playoffs. These wins include a blowout homecoming victory over Wesleyan.

After defeating Smith by a 3-1 margin on Thursday, Oct. 22, the team prepared for an exciting senior day and homecoming battle against Little Three rival Wesleyan. Though Wesleyan stood at the bottom half of the NESCAC, their victory over Tufts in the regular season made them an unpredictable opponent. The Jeffs fell short to the Jumbos earlier in the regular season.

Four first-half goals from Amherst put this uncertainty to rest.

Annie Turnbull ’16 put the first point on the board in the 11th minute, assisted by her sister, sophomore Elizabeth Turnbull. Katie Paolano ’16 put away the next one just two minutes later.

Sophomore midfielder Mary Grace Cronin slammed a shot to the bottom right off of an Annie Turnbull assist in the 18th minute to make it 3-0. Turnbull went on to score one of her own, just six minutes later.

In the second half, senior Annika Nygren dished out two scoring passes to both Caroline Fiore ’18 and Kendall Codey ’19 to widen the score to 6-0.

Lead scorer Sarah Culhane ’17 added the last point to Amherst’s lead off of an assist from sophomore Katie Bergamesca.

The win marked Amherst goalie Emily

Horwitz’s ’17 fifth shutout of the season.

The Jeffs then went on to play Trinity that Thursday and came up with a 5-1 win, with highlight play by a ruthless Nygren, who scored four goals in the match. The game concluded the regular season, and the field hockey team took the number four seed in the NESCAC tournament, and was matched up against No.5 rival Williams.

After a rocky and slightly uncertain season, and a 4-0 regular season victory of the Ephs, the Jeffs came into the first round of the NESCAC tournament with a lot to prove. With both teams holding the same record, it was an important battle that was bound to come down to the wire.

A scoreless first half was characterized by strong defensive play from both sides, and an inability to put the ball into the back of the net.

The Ephs led the Jeffs with 10 shots to five, and Amherst highlight play included an incredible shot block in the last few remaining minutes by junior Sydney Watts and near-goals by Turnbull ’18 and captain Paolano.

Amherst took the lead early in the second half, when Fiore fired a pass into the circle straight into the stick of Sarah Culhane, who was able to redirect the ball past the Eph keeper.

Williams struck back with just more than 10 minutes to play in the match, and the score remained 1-1 until the end of regulation.

Just three minutes into overtime, Culhane once again found the back of the net. After first getting blocked by the Williams keeper, Culhane stuck to the rebound and was able to put it away on the second chance.

Amherst returns to the NESCAC semifinals for the fifth time in the past six seasons, to play top-seeded Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine at 11 a.m. this Saturday.

Jason Darell ’18 Managing Sports Editor This past weekend, the Amherst College women’s cross country team traveled to Middletown, Connecticut to compete in the 2015 NESCAC cross country championship.

The team looked to build upon its third place finish in the race last year. While Amherst could only manage fourth place out of the 11-team field, the team’s performance indicated that the team would be in good hands for the next few years.

First-year Lizzie Lacy finished the 5K with a time of 21:48, and in doing so finished first out of the 123-woman field. After being one of Amherst’s most consistent runners for the majority of the season, Lacy finally captured her first career individual title when it mattered most.

In winning the race, Lacy also captured the most outstanding performer and rookie of the year awards. She is only the third women’s cross country runner to achieve both of these distinctions in the same year. As a result of her performances at this meet, Lacy was also named to the All-Conference first team by the NESCAC office.

While Lacy stole the show with her outstanding effort, many other Jeffs also put in excellent performances.

Savanna Gornisiewicz ’17 ran well, as she has all season, and finished with a time of 22:19, good for 12th place among the field. She garnered second team All-Conference honors, her second All-Conference distinction in as many years. Her time this year represented a 21-second improvement over her fifth-place finish last year at the 2014 NESCAC Championships.

Behind Lacy and Gornisiewicz, first-year

Veronica Rocco finished with a time of 22:52, earning 24th place overall for the purple and white. Her time also represented the thirdbest finish for a first-year among the others competing at the meet.

Rounding out the scorers for the Jeffs were senior captain Betsy Black and junior Cara Lembo. They finished in 36th and 51st places, respectively.

The Jeffs look to build on this performance next week at the 2015 ECAC Championship, hosted by Williams. Amherst finished in sixth place as a team at the 2014 meet.

Photo courtesy of Melissa Martin ’15

Lizzie Lacy ’19 was named rookie of the year at the NESCAC meet.

10

Sports

The Amherst Student • November 4, 2015

Women’s Soccer Falls in NESCAC Quarters, Hopes for NCAA At-Large Bid Virginia Hassell ’16 Staff Writer After clinching two decisive victories over Wesleyan (6-7-2, 3-5-2) and Trinity (11-5, 6-4) to wrap-up regular season competition, the women’s soccer team suffered a heartwrenching 2-1 loss to sixth-ranked Middlebury (7-45, 4-3-3) in final 20 seconds of the NESCAC tournament quarterfinals. Amherst entered the tournament ranked third in the NESCAC and 19th in the nation, and now they anxiously wait, hoping to receive an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament.

Before the tournament weekend, Amherst gained momentum starting with a phenomenal Senior Day game performance. In a game that honored seniors Holly Burwick, Jessy Hale, Haley Zwecker, Rachael Abernethy and Megan Kim, the purple and white handily dropped Wesleyan 2-0. At the conclusion of the regular season, the class had amassed an overall record of 43-13-8 and a conference record of 24-8-6.

Since these seniors joined the squad, Amherst outscored opponents 130-41 and never missed an NCAA tournament birth.

“Against Wesleyan we played consistently throughout the entire game,” Hale said. “We were really proud of our final product and played a full 90.”

Center forward Emily Hester ’17 led the effort and sealed the deal capitalizing on two first-half opportunities. Just under seven minutes into action, Maeve McNamara ’19 found Hester on a cross from the right side. Hester collected the ball and fired a shot into the bottom left corner of the net, pushing the Jeffs out to a 1-0 lead. Haley Zwecker ’16 was the next Jeff to find Hester on a cross. Again, Hester fired, notching her second goal of the day with less than five minutes remaining in the first half.

As a result of her dominant offensive efforts, Hester has amassed nine goals against NESCAC opponents and ranks third in the NESCAC for the most number of goals this season.

En route to her sixth shutout on the year, Amherst netminder Burwick reminded everyone why she is regarded as one of the top keeper’s in the CAC. Topping all NESCAC goalies with a .901 save percentage, Burwick delivered yet another sensational effort. In the 43rd minute, Burwick made an unbelievable save, diving to her right side to deflect the shot of Wesleyan’s Beth Alexion. The crowd erupted in appreciation for Burwick’s incredible reaction time.

Amherst posted a 19-14 shot advantage over the Cardinals but were slightly edged 5-6 in corner kick opportunities.

Against fourth-ranked Trinity, the Amherst offense was immediately on the attack. In the first half alone, the Jeffs delivered 10 of 11 shots on goal.

“Trinity was a game where it really felt like everything we’ve worked hard for over the course of the season came together all at once,” Hester said. “Wesleyan was sort of our warm up to Trinity. Things started clicking in the Wesleyan game but we really started connected to our full potential in the Trinity game. We went in with a more extreme attacking mentality than we have in the past and it really paid off for us.” Amherst finished the regular season with a 6-2-2 conference record, earning the third seed in the NESCAC tournament. In the quarterfinals on Saturday, Oct. 31, the purple and white hosted sixth-seeded Middlebury at Hitchcock Field.

Amherst entered halftime with a 2-1 lead, but Middlebury responded with two goals in the second half, claiming victory on a heartbreaking 90th-minute goal.

The Panthers struck first with a goal in the 11th minute, but the Jeffs responded with one of their own just eight minutes later. Gaining position on the Middlebury defender, Hester was taken down inside the box and awarded a penalty kick. Ashlyn Heller ’17 stepped up to take the spot kick, and slotted it past the goalkeeper to even the score at 1-1.

The Jeffs then took the lead in the 38th minute when Middlebury’s netminder deflected a shot from Hannah Guzzi ’18 into the path of Abernethy, who one-touched the rebound into the net.

Amherst headed into the break with a 2-1 advantage, but the Panthers equalized minutes into the second half.

In a spectacular individual effort, Middlebury’s Katherine Hobbs beat a Jeffs defender and fired a shot from outside the box into the top-right corner of the net.

The Panthers nearly grabbed the lead in the 65th minute with a shot from Amanda Hotvedt, but Burwick made a diving save to her right to keep the match even. In the 84th minute, McNamara nearly put Amherst in front. Outpacing her defender to pick up the ball in Middlebury’s box, the first-year’s attempt went inches over the bar.

It would be Hotvedt who claimed the gamewinner in the 90th minute for Middlebury. A defensive miscommunication left Amherst’s net beckoning, and the Panthers midfielder made no mistake to win the game, 3-2.

The fate of Amherst’s postseason action opportunity will be released on Monday, Nov. 9.

For now, the team will continue to practice this week, while crossing their fingers that good news in the form of an at-large bid will arrive soon.

“Hopefully the soccer gods are good to us and we get an NCAA bid and can continue with that attacking mentality further into the post season,” Hester said.

Photo courtesy of Clarus Studios, Inc.

Rachael Abernethy ’16 scored a goal for Amherst in their NESCAC quarterfinal matchup against Middlebury, but the Jeffs fell 3-2 to the Panthers.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Jackson McGonagle ’16 Favorite Team Memory: Beating Trinity at their field last year, 7-6. Anytime we travel to “The Coop” it is a battle and we rallied together to remain undefeated.

Favorite Pro Athlete: Steve Smith Sr. Dream Job: NFL punter Pet Peeve: Groups of people who walk slowly while taking up the whole sidewalk Favorite Vacation Spot: Park City, Utah Something on Your Bucket List: Solve a Rubik’s cube Guilty Pleasure: Breyers chocolate ice cream Favorite Food: Sushi Favorite Thing About Amherst: The FiveCollege consortium How He Earned It: McGonagle totalled 136 yards and two touchdowns in two wins for the Jeffs. He had an especially prolific game against Wesleyan, catching four passes for 91 yards. In addition, his two touchdowns were essential in ensuring the Jeffs’ victory. Against Tufts McGonagle totalled 46 yards on three receptions, including a pivotal 33-yard catch in the middle of the second quarter.

Lizzie Lacy ’19 Favorite Team Memory: Photshopping our seniors’ faces on mythical creatures Favorite Pro Athlete: Air Bud Dream Job: Fortune cookie writer Pet Peeve: When people call it NoCal when it’s NorCal Favorite Vacation Spot: World’s largest ball of twine in Kansas Something on Your Bucket List: Roadtripping from Massachusetts to Oregon to California to Marlyand Guilty Pleasure: Luna bars Favorite Food: Greek yogurt with cereal Favorite Thing About Amherst: Val sitting How She Earned It: Lacy earned first place in the 2015 NESCAC championship this past Saturday, finishing with a time of 21:48. In addition to earning the most outstanding performer award, Lacy also captured rookie of the year honors, and in doing so, became just the third women’s cross country runner to win both in the same season. By finishing first place at the race, Lacy was also one of just two firstyears to garner All-Conference first team.

Men’s Cross Country Races to Second Place at NESCAC Championship Meet Lauren Tuiskula ’17 Managing Sports Editor The Amherst College men’s cross country team competed in its fifth meet of the season this past weekend, and standout Mohamed Hussein ’18 claimed his fourth individual first-place title. Amherst earned a collective second-place finish at the NESCAC championship meet.

Williams was the lone team to beat Amherst, and the Ephs earned 36 points to claim their fourth consecutive NESCAC championship.

Amherst’s second-place finish placed them above Tufts, Hamilton and Middlebury who took third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Hussein finished the race with a time of 24:43. He finished six seconds ahead of the second place runner, Bijan Mazheri of Williams.

Senior captain Dan Crowley supplemented his impressive season with a third-place finish. He shaved off an entire 28 seconds from his time at last year’s NESCAC Championship meet, finishing in 25:01. This was his third finish in the top five this season.

Raymond Meijer ’17 also fared well, finishing in 12th place for the purple and white.

He finished half a minute behind Crowley with a time of 25:31.

Craig Nelson ’18 and Kevin Connors ’17 rounded out the top five runners for Amherst on the day.

Nelson raced to one of his best times of the fall season, finishing the race in 25:36. The time earned him 16th place overall.

Connors followed shortly behind to finish in fifth place among the purple and white runners. His final time was 26:09, good for 30th in a field of 120.

The remainder of Amherst’s runners all finished with impressive times.

Captain Jeff Seelaus ’16 raced to a 26:16 finish, just seconds behind his teammate

Connors.

First-year Tucker Meijer followed just four seconds behind Seelaus, posting a time of 26:20. He was named the NESCAC rookie of the year for his showing at the race.

Other all-conference recognitions came for Hussein, Crowley and Raymond Meijer.

Hussein and Crowley were both recognized as first-team honorees while Meijer’s impressive 12th-place finish earned him second team laurels.

Additionally, as the first-place finisher at the meet, Hussein was recognized as the most outstanding performer. He remains undefeated against Division III competition in all races this season.

Other contributors for Amherst included Cosmo Brossy ’19 (26:37), Jack Wesley ’18 (26:39), Scott Nelson ’18 (27:01), Steven Lucey ’17 (27:13) and Kristian Sogaard ’19 (28:13).

After such a successful weekend, the purple and white will look to carry this momentum into the upcoming ECAC championships, which will be hosted by Williams this year. The race will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Last year, Amherst took third place out of the 43 teams competing at the ECAC championships. Lucey was the top indivdual finisher for the Jeffs at the meet in 2014, taking third place.

“One of the biggest things we have to focus on is closing up the gap for our number three and number seven runners,” Raymond Meijer said. “We’ve had a small gap in past races, so we know it’s possible. So, although we were dissapointed not to get the win, we’re making sure not to dwell on it and to use it as motivation for the big championship races coming up.”

The meet is the Jeffs’ second to last of the regular season. They’ll travel to Winneconne, Wisconsin for the NCAA Division III Championships in two short weeks.

The Amherst Student • November 4, 2015

Sports

Volleyball Finishes Regular Season with Wins over Trinity and Wesleyan Julia Turner ’19 Staff Writer Amherst women’s volleyball wrapped up regular season play this week with back-toback NESCAC wins over Trinity and Wesleyan on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, but suffered a close loss to an impressive Springfield team on Oct. 28.

The Firedogs took on a 28-2 Springfield squad at Blake Arena in Springfield on Wednesday night. After taking the first three points of the first set, the purple and white gave up the momentum, allowing Springfield seven unanswered points.

Amherst fought their way back, keeping the match close thanks to three kills by senior Lizzie Ahern and service aces from Asha Walker ’18, Hayes Honea ’19, Kelci Keeno ’17 and Nicole Carter ’16, but ultimately fell 2025.

The second set saw tough back-and-forth play from both squads, neither team holding a lead greater than two points until Springfield grabbed the momentum with a five-point run to put them up by seven. Three successive kills by Maggie Danner ’17 helped the Firedogs stay in the game, but they couldn’t overcome the deficit and dropped the second set to Springfield 18-25.

Amherst came out strong in the third set, delivering a whopping 15 kills led by the Firedogs’ upperclassmen. Seniors Newby and Ahern had three each and Carter chipped in two, while juniors Nicole Gould and Danner added three apiece and sophomore Mia Natsis contributed one.

The set was close, with the purple and white holding a slim but steady lead. Springfield forced two lead, but Amherst kept their momentum. An Ahern kill and a Springfield attacking error clinched the set for Amherst, putting the match within reach at 2-1.

The fourth set was the closest yet, with the purple and white pulling ahead with a quick five points, unanswered by Springfield thanks to two kills by Gould and one each from Ahern and Newby.

Unfortunately, Springfield went on a run of their own late in the set with six unanswered points to bring them within two and then five more consecutive points to seal the match.

“I thought Springfield was one of our toughest opponents of the season,” Walker said. “Of course, we wanted to win, but I think the team is working well together right now.”

Amherst recovered quickly from the tough loss in Springfield to come back and sweep two NESCAC matches against Trinity and Wesleyan to close out their regular season play.

Friday night’s matchup at Trinity was highlighted by strong performances from Gould and Danner, who combined for 21 kills in the match. Carter dished out a match-high 21 assists for the Firedogs and senior libero Katie Warshaw also impressed with 19 digs.

The Firedogs’ fantastic showing was capped off by Walker, who overwhelmed the Bantams with four service aces.

Amherst started the first set slowly, falling behind 6-5, before a 9-2 run from the Firedogs powered them to a 14-8 lead and a 25-16 set victory. Amherst then brought this momentum to the second set, cruising to a 25-13 win and a 2-0 advantage for the match.

The Firedogs then claimed the third set 25-19 to claim a straight sets victory. Amherst led throughout but never more than six points.

A Trinity run cut their lead to two at 1513, but Amherst replied with a run of their own led by Walker. The sophomore floored two kills and an ace for three of the Firedogs’ final five points.

The purple and white faced another road match the next morning against NESCAC opponent Wesleyan, sweeping the Cardinals to put an exclamation point on their impressive 21-3 regular season showing.

The Firedogs took the first match easily, downing Wesleyan 25-9 after three straight kills by Ahern set the tone for the match. Several attack errors and a big kill by Natsis secured the set for Amherst.

The second set saw significantly more errors on both sides of the court, with Wesleyan making some major strides from the first match.

The purple and white still managed to overwhelm the Cardinals, however, with an impressive 18 kills and a service ace from Newby. Back-to-back kills by Danner shut down Wesleyan and ended the set for the Firedogs.

Amherst’s third and final set saw the Cardinals jump out to an early four-point lead before the purple and white answered with six straight points. The Firedogs impressed with seven service aces in the third set, one each from Carter, Warshaw and Newby, while Walker came up big with four of her own on the set.

“It was great to round out the regular season with two wins over NESCAC competition,” Walker said. “We’ll be heading into the postseason tournament with good momentum and are looking to do some damage this weekend.”

The Firedogs are seeded third in the upcoming NESCAC tournament and are set to play the sixth seed Connecticut College at Bowdoin this Friday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Peter Connolly ’18

Co-captain Nicole Carter ’16 dished out a combined 56 assists in the Firedogs’ final two regular season matches against Trinity and Wesleyan.

11

Chris’ Corner Chris Rigas ’16 Columnist

In the wake of ESPN’s decision to shut down Grantland, Chris Rigas ’16 explores founder Bill Simmons’ motives for creating the site and discusses the state of original, high-quality online columns.

Last Friday, ESPN announced that it was shutting down Grantland, its critically acclaimed sports and culture website. The move was not entirely unexpected, given that ESPN decided not to renew Bill Simmons’ contract in May. Simmons was Grantland’s founding editor and its biggest source of traffic — without him the site would never have existed. ESPN is also going through broader cutbacks — besides Simmons, the company parted ways with television personalities Colin Cowherd and Keith Olbermann in recent months — and Grantland was a natural place to save some money.

Despite its critical popularity, the site never generated enough pageviews to justify the cost of its prestigious staff. As predictable as the shutdown was, it still generated a huge backlash. In a representative example for the New Republic Alex Shepard and Mark Krotov wrote that “Grantland, after all, was something special — it was nothing short of an alternate path for the internet, where pageviews were less important than rigorous passion.”

Grantland’s rise and fall since its founding in 2011 says something ominous about the viability of quality online journalism. The reality is that there are a lot of good young writers who can opine thoughtfully on any number of topics and a relatively limited market for their services. The only way they can be paid what they think they deserve is if someone, like Bill Simmons, comes along with a project, like Grantland, that is willing to lose money in order to publish high-quality writing.

But the story of Grantland is also a personal drama, about a formerly cool sportswriter having a mid-life crisis, and the cool young writers he hired.

Interestingly, Grantland was not always so beloved by people who write about media on the Internet.

Before the site’s launch, and in its first year, Deadspin published several articles that ranged from skeptical to derisive, including, “The 11 Worst Grantland Long Reads of 2011.” Essentially, the media critics were skeptical of Grantland because they thought it would be too much like Bill Simmons, who they found obnoxious.

But then something funny started happening: Simmons started hiring writers for Grantland who were very similar to the people who were criticizing him, and in some cases, hiring the very people who attacked him ruthlessly. Charlie Pierce, whose takedown of Simmons included the memorable line, “You are not the cosmos, son. Get ... over yourself,” found himself writing for Grantland.

Of course, this put Simmons’ detractors in a difficult position: If they wanted to maintain any intellectual consistency, they were forced to praise his judgment as an editor, regardless of how obnoxious they found him to be as a writer. And they did praise his judgment, but took advantage where they could, making sure to double down on their criticism of his writing.

On Deadspin, Tommy Craggs doled out the most backhanded of all backhanded compliments: “It turns out that Simmons has better, more catholic tastes than his own writing would suggest, which is the best thing you could ever say about an editor-in-chief and which is a really good thing in this instance, because a site built solely around that chuckling, incurious, cleverest-guy-standingaround-the-Phi-Delt-keg writing voice of his … would suck.”

Even today, media critics love to claim that Simmons was never good enough for his own site. As Shepard and Krotov put it, “none of the site’s most memorable pieces were written by Simmons … Grantland succeeded by being decidedly un-Sports Guy-y.”

So what gives?

Why was Simmons hiring people who were ostensibly opposed to everything he stood for? Tommy Craggs thinks it was because Simmons “has better, more catholic tastes than his own writing would suggest.”

I’d like to advance a more simplified explanation: Simmons had become part of the establishment, and all he wanted was to be cool again.

In 2001, Bill Simmons was cool, up-andcoming and subversive. He wrote a column on AOL that, as Bryan Curtis wrote four years later for Slate.com, was “a subversion of the traditional sports column, not unlike the way in which The Daily Show With Jon Stewart subverts the traditional nightly news broadcast.” (Curtis later went on to write for Grantland) He occasionally guest-wrote for ESPN, but his audience remained relatively small: totalling about 10,000 readers a month on AOL. And even his ESPN columns were provocative, featuring titles like “Is Clemens the Antichrist?”

In short, Simmons was revolutionary because he wrote from a fan’s perspective, and because he challenged sports writing conventions about length, propriety and impartiality. His articles often took aim at sports media personalities who he found pompous or ridiculous.

Now, fast-forward 10 years to 2011. Bill Simmons had just about everything. He was easily the most read sportswriter in the country, and his sprawling history of the NBA, “The Book of Basketball,” had debuted at the top of the New York Times bestseller list. His podcast, “The B.S. Report,” was downloaded over 20 million times a year.

But was he cool? Not even close. The cool people had gotten used to his writing-as-afan gimmick, and they were either sick of it or doing it better than him.

People were writing scathing takedowns of him in the same way he used to takedown newspaper columnists and play-by-play announcers. And his angry, anti-sports-media-establishment style had solidified into a mellower shtick — still entertaining, but no longer subversive.

In his “Welcome to Grantland” column written for the site’s launch in 2011, Simmons goes on and on about the camaraderie he already feels with his employees, who he describes as “mostly young, mostly up-andcomers.”

He writes about the bars they went to and the jokes they made while they were preparing for the launch, and he waxes nostalgic about his time in the early 2000s as a writer for the Jimmy Kimmel show.

It’s clear that Simmons’ favorite part of the whole Grantland venture was the chance to feel like a part of a group of young writers with big ideas.

Ironically, Grantland succeeded in being cool, but not in the way that early 2000s Bill Simmons was cool. The anti-establishment fire that made early 2000s Simmons cool had no place at Grantland. Grantland was cool in a polished, careerist way; its writers and editors always kept one eye on the way their work was going to be received. You might find quirky and unconventional articles on Grantland, but not controversial or mean articles. Grantland writers weren’t real outsiders, but they wrote as if they were.

Sports

Photo courtesy of Amherst Athletics

Sophomore quarterback Reece Foy has amassed 1,288 total yards over the course of six games this season. He also boasts a 59.6 completion percentage.

Football Extends Win Streak To 17 Consecutive, Downs Wesleyan and Tufts Devin O’Connor ’16 Staff Writer The Amherst College football team pushed its win streak to 17 games, a program record, after two wins over Wesleyan and Tufts in the last two weeks. The Jeffs beat Little Three rival Wesleyan on homecoming weekend, 27-18, and notched a 32-7 win on the road over Tufts on Halloween.

The team celebrated a crucial win on homecoming day. Prior to the game, Amherst College celebrated the dedication of Lehrman Stadium at Pratt Field. The celebration continued afterward when the Jeffs overcame a halftime deficit to beat the Cardinals. Amherst has won 12 of the last 13 meetings with Wesleyan, and Amherst now boasts 70 wins of the 121 meetings between the two schools.

Wesleyan came out strong at the start. On Amherst’s first two possessions, the Cardinals picked off the purple and white offense. Wesleyan capitalized on the second interception. With five minutes to play in the quarter, they notched the first score of the game on a 1-yard touchdown, giving them a 6-point lead.

The Jeffs were unable to answer and were forced to punt on the next possession. The visitors responded with a 71-yard drive over 19 plays, and capped it off with a field goal. Minutes later, an Amherst interception allowed for another opportunity for the Cardinals. The Jeffs prevented the touchdown, but again Wesleyan kicked a field goal, bringing the lead to 12-0.

Amherst got some momentum on the following possession. Quarterback Reece Foy ’18 found Jackson McGonagle ’16 in the end zone to get the Jeffs on the board. Before the end of the half, Jimmay Fairfield-Sonn ’16 blocked an attempted

GAME SCHE DULE

Cardinal field goal to add to the turnaround for the Jeffs.

The Jeffs were forced to punt at the start of the second half, but Wesleyan made the next error. Parker Chapman ’17 forced the Cardinals to fumble on their first play of the drive, and linebacker Tom Kleyn ’16 recovered the ball at the Wesleyan 33. Foy threw to McGonagle for a 33yard touchdown on the following play, giving the Jeffs the lead for the first time in the contest.

The purple and white forced a three-and-out on the following Wesleyan possession. The home team regained possession at its own 27-yard line.

Kenny Adinkra ’16 drove 8 yards to bring Amherst to the 35-yard line before Foy pitched one to Devin Boehm ’17 for the 65-yard touchdown run. With the extra point, Amherst led 21-12.

After back and forth three-and-outs, Wesleyan managed to get back on the board. The Cardinals scored a touchdown but again fell short on the extra point. The score brought the visitors within three points of the Jeffs.

Amherst sealed the victory on its next possession with about three minutes to play. Strong efforts over 10 plays by Foy, Nick Kelly ’17 and Nick Widen ’17 brought the Jeffs to the Wesleyan 1-yard line. Rory Walsh ’17 rushed for a 1-yard touchdown, the first of his career, which made the final score 27-18.

Despite Wesleyan holding the advantage in total offense and possession time, the Jeffs proved victorious, notching yet another homecoming win. In the offensive end, Foy threw for 202 yards and three touchdowns on 20 throws. McGonagle collected 91 receiving yards on just four catches, while Kelly gained 62 rushing yards on only seven carries.

The defense also put up impressive numbers.

FRI

SAT

Volleyball @ NESCAC Tournament vs. Conn. College, 8 p.m.

Field Hockey @ Bowdoin, 11 a.m.

Women’s Cross Country @ ECAC Championships, noon

Kleyn was named NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week. He amassed a game-high 18 tackles and recovered a fumble. Additionally, Jack Drew ’17 finished the day with a game-high 13 tackles, while Fairfield-Sonn, Chapman and Evan Boynton ’17 tallied nine tackles each. The Jeffs carried the strong defensive effort into the game against Tufts the following week.

Amherst came out firing to start against the Jumbos, scoring on its first possession of the game. Kelly ran into the end zone on the ninth play of the drive for a 6-yard touchdown, giving the Jeffs the lead just under eight minutes into the game.

Each team was forced to punt a number of times before Tufts made it into scoring range early in the second quarter. The Jumbos had a field goal attempt but couldn’t secure the three points. However, they made up for it on the following possession. The home team picked off Foy at the Jeffs 37-yard line. Over 10 plays, the Jumbos managed to even the score on a one-yard rush into the end zone.

The purple and white had a strong response and scored just 2:52 later. A few strong drives

by Kelly and a beautiful Foy to McGonagle connection helped the Jeffs down the field, and Foy capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown score. Amherst led 14-7 with just under three minutes to play in the half.

On the following play, Fairfield-Sonn intercepted the Tufts offense and carried the ball into the end zone. The half closed 2:26 later with the Jeffs leading 21-7.

Though neither team could reach the opposing end zone in the third quarter, Amherst added another three points to increase its lead. Charlie Wall ’18 secured a 29-yard field goal after about

seven minutes of play.

The fourth quarter began with forced punts for both teams. With 10 minutes in regulation, Reid Singer ’16 sacked the Tufts quarterback at the home 5-yard line. The Jumbos fumbled the ball and recovered it in their end zone, resulting in a safety for the Jeffs. The purple and white’s lead increased to 26-7.

On the following possession, the Jeffs notched another six points. Adinkra rushed for a 4-yard touchdown with 5:12 to play, sealing the win at 32-7.

An overall powerful performance allowed the Jeffs to total 30-plus points for the fourth time this season. Foy amassed 170 yards, going 18 of 27, while Boehm, Widen and McGonagle led the receiving core. Defensively, Fairfield-Sonn recorded nine tackles and a pick-six, Kleyn and Drew each added seven tackles, and Drew, Boynton and Singer each tallied a sack.

The purple and white will face tough competition ahead as they are set to take on an undefeated Trinity team at home Saturday, Nov. 7.

In 2014, the Jeffs edged Trinity 7-6, and hope to come out on top again.

“We are excited about how well we have been able to come together as a team to play at a championship level of football and remain undefeated,” Fairfield-Sonn said. “We have beaten Trinity the last two years by a combined two points so we know that the game next weekend is going to be a fight to the very end. We know that Trinity is going to be another championship game and we are excited to go out and prove that we are the best football team in the NESCAC.” It will be an exciting family weekend for football fans. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Pratt Field.

Men’s Cross Country @ ECAC Championships, 12:30 p.m.

Football vs. Trinty, 1 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Amherst Athletics

Linebacker Tom Kleyn ’16 leads the Jeffs with 43 tackles on the season.