Issue 8

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VOLUME CXLIV, ISSUE 8 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014

College Hires New Director of Sustainability Elaine Jeon ’17 Managing News Editor

On Saturday, Oct. 25, Professor Samuel Morse gave a presentation on the Japanese cultural exchange trip to Doshisha University which he attended with the men’s baseball team. The event was part of the family weekend schedule.

Photo courtesy of Office of Communications

Administration Addresses “All Lives Matter” Sitina Xu ’16 Managing News Editor Following the screening of the film “Fruitvale Station” at the Multicultural Resource Center on Monday, Oct. 20, members of the college community found posters for Black Lives Matter Awareness Week replaced by posters advocating against abortion, using the slogan “All Lives Matter.”

In a college-wide email, President Biddy Martin directly addressed the incident and called for an appropriate forum to further discuss the topic.

“Over the next few weeks, I will ask a group of students, faculty and staff to help develop a

forum, to decide what would make an appropriate venue for informed, open, and inclusive discussions that benefit us all,” Martin wrote in the email.

Martin said in a separate email interview that since her statement to the community, many faculty, staff and students have expressed interest in facilitating more discussions on campus.

“I hope more people will come forward to help us create opportunities for ongoing conversation and education,” Martin said. “As planning proceeds for more campus-wide discussion, I will make sure the entire campus is kept informed and invited to contribute.”

The day following the incident, the Black

Lives Matter student group met with Provost Peter Uvin and Dean of Student Alex Vasquez in the Multicultural Resource Center to discuss the All Lives Matter posters and their message.

Briana Wiggins ’15, a member of the Black Lives Matter organization, said the group had not anticipated such an immediate and strong support and solidarity from the college.

“As a senior who wants to see this place at least going in the right direction once I leave, that was very comforting: to have them meet with us so quickly, to have the response back from Biddy so quickly, to have faculty members show up and show support either in the classroom, at the vigil, or by email just show-

Continued on Page 3

Laura Draucker started work as the college’s first ever director of environmental sustainability this month, leading the recently founded Office of Environmental Sustainability.

A search committee of faculty, staff and students discussed specific skills and experience required to serve as the director of sustainability. The committee searched for a leader that could “integrate sustainable practices and values into the college’s strategic planning, management of resources and operations, facilities planning and design and serve as a source for curricular and co-curricular activities,” said Jim Brassord, the chief of campus operations.

While the committee reviewed many competitive applicants during the national search for the position, Draucker stood out as the most qualified candidate.

“What differentiated her from others was her ability to work with multiple constituents in a collaborative manner and lead change,” Brassord said. “She was the ideal candidate to integrate sustainability more fully into the life of the college.”

Prior to accepting the director of sustainability position, Draucker spent five years at the World Resources Institute, a highly regarded environmental think tank in Washington, D.C. At the organization, she collaborated with multi-stakeholder groups to develop greenhouse gas accounting.

Before her career at the World Resources Institute, Draucker also worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where she assessed the net environmental impacts of specific goods and services.

Draucker said that she found many similarities between the director of sustainability position and her previous jobs.

Continued on Page 3

IT Department Introduces College’s First Mobile Campus App Nolan Lindquist ’18 Staff Writer

The college announced on Oct. 21 that the new Amherst Campus app is available for download from the Apple Store and Google Play. Since the announcement, the app has been downloaded more than 700 times.

The Amherst Campus app is available for free and features a home page through which students can quickly check up on their AC dollars balance, campus events, Moodle, latest campus news, PVTA bus schedule, and the Valentine dining menu for the day.

The programmers involved in the project were Senior Programmer Anita Rao, Web Programmer James Reese and Web System Administrator and Programmer Daniel Wilga.

Development of the app was guided by students and by the Association of Amherst Students, particularly AAS Vice President Juan Delgado Montes ’16. Over the summer, Delgado Montes was inspired to develop an app that would address the large volume of on-campus events.

“You walk by Val and you see 40 different posters to so many events and you have no idea what to go to,” he said. So one of the ideas

is...log into your student account and being able to say I’m interested in watching anything related to Political Science, to European History, and to the soccer team.”

The project was conceived when Delgado Montes was emailed by a student from Brown University who had developed an app to advertise campus events, and sought to bring a similar app to Amherst.

“I had some demos with the student, and he sort of told me about the functions of the app, how it worked,” Delgado Montes said.

“There were other senators and students that were behind [the project] over the summer. I spoke to them about it, and in the end, I got an interview with Gayle Barton, who was then the Chief Information Officer, the head of IT. ” The college had previously set aside money to develop a mobile app. The AAS decided to work with the college’s IT department, now led by Hamilton, to push the project forward.

Howard Hanna, the college’s interim director of web development, said that the campus app project came together this summer as a result of several different factors: “studentdriven initiative, vision by leadership like David Hamilton to know to set aside money for it, to set aside time for us to develop it and

to wait for vendor frameworks to be mature enough to handle the kind of thing we wanted to do with it.”

Hanna emphasized the importance of student input in helping to further develop the app. He said that in order for the app project to realize its full potential, he hopes the student body will “tell what’s good, what’s working, what isn’t working and we’ll attend to that.

Our ultimate hope is to make it a really great experience for the students.”

The mobile app is a successor to the mobile version of the Amherst College website, found at m.amherst.edu. The mobile site was a “curated collection” of links that students could use on their phones’ web browsers. While many of the functions of the campus app — checking the menu and meal times at Valentine Dining Hall, for example — were already accessible on the mobile site, both Hamilton and Hanna agreed that shifting from the mobile site model to a native app or a web app model would help to integrate the system into students’ daily lives.

“They can access [while] walking on campus immediately, a better solution for that particular audience’s needs than having to, say, navigate through a website,” Hanna said.

Hanna drew contrasts between the usual development process for an IT project and the student driven nature of the new campus app’s development. While normally the college’s communications department would dictate features and other expectations to IT, the collaboration between the IT department and the AAS, recounted by Delgado Montes, largely determined the project’s design goals from the outset.

To Delgado Montes, one of the biggest challenges of the app’s development was keeping it sleek, simple and user friendly.

“We could literally stuff the app with at least 20 functions of things it can do, so there’s a tradeoff between picking the things that are most useful to students because this is a student-centered app,” Delgado Montes said.

According to Interim Chief Information Officer David Hamilton, there have been 110 written suggestions submitted to the IT department, 90 of which were requests for the inclusion of the Grab ’n’ Go Menu in addition to Valentine’s.

As it receives student requests like these, the IT department is already considering new features for the app, and will likely continue adding to the app throughout the year.

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News

Caroline Theoharides Fresh Faculty

Oct. 20, 2014 - Oct. 27, 2014 >>Oct. 20, 2014 4:30 p.m., College St. A student reported a harassing encounter with a group of men while walking along College Street, east of the college. An officer met with the student and obtained information.

Department of Economics

After attending Colby College and receiving her M.A. from the University of Michigan, Professor Caroline Theoharides of the Economics Department worked for the Federal Reserve in Boston as a research assistant. She then went on to receive a doctorate in economics from the University of Michigan in 2014. This semester, she is teaching two courses: Introduction to Economics and The Economics of Migration. Her research focuses on the effects migration has on “migrant-sending developing countries,” with an eye to the Philippines.

>>Oct. 22, 2014 8:26 p.m., South College Dormitory Officers investigated a smoke detector sounding in a third-floor room and found it was activated by an electronic cigarette. >>Oct. 24, 2014 6:22 p.m., Valentine Dining Hall An officer responded to a report of people hanging flyers in the building who may not be affiliated with Amherst College. An officer identified them as Five College students and referred them to the Student Affairs Office for permission.

7:37 p.m., Powerhouse An officer assisted a student who wasn’t feeling well.

8:04 p.m., James Dormitory A resident reported the theft of a yellow gold Michael Kors watch with a white face from her room which is frequently left unlocked. It is valued at $200.

11:35 p.m., Pond Dormitory An officer investigated a report of a smoke detector sounding for no reason in a second-floor room. It was reset. >>Oct. 25, 2014 12:08 a.m., Hitchcock House An officer discovered a small unauthorized party in the common room with alcohol and a beer bong table set up. The gathering was shut down, and the alcohol was confiscated.

8:25 p.m., Pond Dormitory While in the area of the social dorms, an officer came upon an intoxicated male at Pond trying to use his swipe card at a door not equipped for electronic access. After evaluating him, he was permitted to leave with a sober friend.

10:02 p.m., Coolidge Dormitory An officer responded to a complaint of loud music and issued a warning at a first floor suite. >>Oct. 26, 2014 12:09 a.m., Seelye House An officer responded to a complaint of loud music from an event in the common room. The DJ was advised to lower the volume of music.

12:34 a.m., Newport House An officer discovered an unauthorized party in the basement with hard alcohol present. The gathering was shut down and the alcohol was confiscated.

12:38 a.m., Seelye House An officer responded to a complaint of loud music from an event in the common room. The DJ was advised to lower the volume of music.

12:55 a.m., Tyler House An officer discovered the common room in total disarray after an unauthorized party. Tables were overturned, cups and alcoholic beverage containers strewn about, food was over the walls, ceiling, and carpet. An ice sculpture was left melting onto the carpet, and other debris scattered throughout the room. Photographs were taken and the matter was referred to Student Affairs.

12:37 a.m., Charles Pratt Dorm Officers and the fire department responded to an alarm and found it activated when someone pulled an alarm station for no apparent reason.

The system was reset.

1:05 a.m., King Dormitory Officers responded to a complaint of people yelling on the fourth floor. A group of students was located in the common room, and they were quieted.

11:59 a.m., Dickinson Street An officer investigated an intrusion alarm and found it was accidentally set off by an employee.

7:54 p.m., Lipton House An officer investigated a smoke detector sounding in a third-floor room and found it was activated by use of a candle, which is prohibited under the housing regulations. The resident was fined $100 for creating an endangering condition.

2:32 a.m., King Dormitory An officer in the building detected the odor of burnt marijuana on the fourth floor but could not locate the origin.

2:50 p.m., Pond Dormitory A student reported the theft of an iPhone while visiting in the building during the early morning hours.

6:09 p.m., South College Dormitory An officer investigated a smoke detector sounding in a second-floor room and found it activated when a hair dryer was used too close to it. >>Oct. 27, 2014 6:37 a.m., Chapin Hall Officers and the fire department responded to an alarm and discovered it was activated by an attic detector for an unknown reason.

Illustrations by Clarice Carmichael ’16

Q: Can you give us a brief sketch of your past education?

A: I grew up in rural northern Maine in a small paper mill town. I didn’t exactly know what liberal arts was at the time, but thought that a small environment would be good for me, so I went to Colby and graduated in 2006. I then worked at the Federal Reserve in Boston as a research assistant, where we did mostly macroeconomic analyses. I then received my Ph.D. at the University of Michigan, and there I developed more of an interest in micro-level economic decisions.

Q: When did you decide to pursue a degree in Economics and ultimately to teach?

A: I really liked the liberal arts styles and decided pretty early on that I wanted to get a Ph.D. in economics and work at a liberal arts college. I think it’s a great type of education both for students and faculty. My husband and I were also looking to move back to New England, so I was excited to find a role at Amherst.

education. I’m really interested in how this international migration network affects job skills and opportunities.

Q: What sparked your interest in Asia?

A: We had a January term at Colby and I had the opportunity to visit factories throughout China with a professor. We studied the political economy of China and went to the Nike factory, the V.W. factory and a sock factory. This gave me insight into the rural migrations in China. This generated my interest in micro-level decisions when moving from the countryside, and I wanted to know how those people could effectively send money back to their families.

Also, my advisor in graduate school was from the Philippines. The Philippines is the fourth largest center of migrants after China, India and Mexico. These migrants go to a diverse number of countries, so it makes for a fascinating place to study. In addition, the Philippines is known for its high quality of data.

Q: What has been your Q: How do you go experience at Amherst about conducting I want to further examine how your research in the so far?

A: It’s been great so far. migration affects the econo- Philippines?

Of course, being a proA: I work with a lot of fessor at a new school mies of source countries. government agencies is overwhelming, but It’s interesting to think about in the Philippines. The the students have been what happens to people’s la- country sends confantastic. In my class tract agents abroad on the economics of bor supply choices when bar- on two-year contract. migration, the ques- riers that prevent Filipinos This program was tions that the students from migrating are created. put forth as a way to ask are really at a high combat the huge labor level. They make me surplus and as a way stop and think, and their questions really ad- to ensure that the workers were not exploited dress some issues that are currently pressing in in their host countries. They have a wealth of the field. It’s really the experience that I hoped data on the millions of people who have left for in a liberal arts setting. the Philippines for work since 1992. I’ve also done a lot of focus groups and basic surveys Q: What got you interested in your research? with migrant communities to help me dig into A: Growing up in rural Maine, I thought a lot the mechanisms of what’s going on. about a person’s labor opportunities in a given I’m a big proponent of understanding the area. In my town, the paper mill was the main population that you’re studying, and thus I’ve source of employment, and to a large extent, spent a lot of time there with migrants who the sorts of employment available to people have left the country and are returning back to determine how much education they want to visit family. get. And this is a good way to think about local migrants abroad, who will often weigh the Q: What are your research goals going foropportunities they have in the home country ward? with those that they might have abroad. So I A: I want to further examine how migration got really interested both in what makes people affects the economies of source countries. It’s move and in what makes them invest in educa- interesting to think about what happens to tion. people’s labor supply choices when barriers I got interested in how migration move- that prevent Filipinos from migrating are crements affect the source country — that is, ated — is there more child labor? Do people where those people leave. Most economists have to work more hours? And if so, how are focus on the effect of migrations on the des- jobs affected? tination countries. So we ask, what happens I’m also looking at how people’s political exin the U.S. with native wages? What happens periences abroad affect them when they come with economic assimilation? What I look at on back to their home countries. When someone the other hand is a new strain of economic re- goes abroad and comes back home, their new search where we look at what’s happening in ideas and experiences can change the political the source countries. systems in their areas. Parallel to this, I want to consider how labor-market opportunities afQ: What migration movements do you focus fect people’s investment in education and what on? types of education they pursue.

A: I look specifically at the Philippines, where I spent a lot of time in graduate school and con- Q: What do you like to do in your spare time? tinue to collect a lot of data. I want to know A: I really like to be outside. I grew up in the about the effect that migration has on the edu- middle of nowhere in Maine and grew up docation of the people in the Philippines. When ing a lot of hiking. I also enjoy cooking and parents go away, they send money back in the traveling. I think being able to go to another form of remittances, which changes how much culture and spend significant amounts of time education they have access to. Also, when they there is invaluable. see that there are high-skilled, high-wage jobs – Jacob Pagano ’18 abroad, they are encouraged to invest more in

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The Amherst Student • October 29, 2014

News

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Administration Addresses “All Lives Matter” Continued from Page 1

ing that they care,” Wiggins said. “They understand we’re going through difficult times and we don’t have to go through it alone.”

The people behind the All Lives Matter campaign have not made a public comment or revealed their identities.

The Departments of Black Studies, Anthropology and Sociology, Political Science, American Studies, Psychology, and Sexuality, Women and Gender Studies have voiced their public support for the Black Lives Matter student group in letters to the community and to The Amherst Student.

The Department of Black Studies has written to “voice unwavering support for the campaign and affirm a commitment to racial justice and raising consciousness about matters of race not only in the classroom, but on this campus more widely and in our surrounding community.” The Department of Anthropology and Sociology has added “that conversation, while important, is only one step in a process that must result in ongoing and well-funded institutional initiatives regarding race on campus, similar to what has resulted from the College’s response to the recent controversies over sexual assault.”

Photo courtesy of Black Student Union

Students passed out flyers and buttons in Keefe Campus Center last week in an effort to raise awareness for the Black Lives Matter campaign.

College Hires New Director of Sustainability Continued from Page 1 “I was drawn to this position because similarly, it takes a holistic approach to campus sustainability – working with students, faculty, dining services, facilities and others to incorporate environmental awareness and practices into our daily operations as well as curricular and co-curricular activities,” she said.

Draucker said that the college is doing well at actively taking on green initiatives.

Some recent sustainability projects on campus include green building design strategies, the college’s relationship with Book and Plow Farm and a 40 percent carbon footprint reduction since 2006.

However, according to Draucker, there is still room for improvement.

“Having the Office of Environmental Sustainability in place will really help to coordinate and communicate the great work we are already doing, as well as identify new projects and initiatives to make us a leader in higher

education sustainability,” Draucker said.

As the new director of sustainability, Draucker has outlined a comprehensive agenda of both short and long-term goals. In the long run, she wants to help establish OES as an office that actively incorporates environmental sustainability into the daily lives of members of the college community. Draucker said her goal is that “students leave Amherst with a strong awareness of the synergies between a thriving and flourishing environment, economy and society.”

In the short term, Draucker said she hoped to forge strong interest and engagement in the OES and to raise awareness about sustainability projects the college has already begun.

Furthermore, Draucker believes that the college must do some benchmarking in order to determine its sustainability-related strengths and weaknesses.

Draucker said she hopes this process will help to “focus our efforts and identify a few initial projects we can run with to get the

whole thing off the ground.” Some possible projects include student eco-reps and innovation competitions.

Since the OES is a recent addition to the college, only having been open since the beginning of this fall, it remains unclear how the office will collaborate with other sectors of the college administration. However, Draucker said that interdepartmental collaboration will be important to the OES, and has already begun to work together with different offices and departments.

“I am working closely with facilities, design and construction and dining services to understand what we are already doing well and help communicate that,” Draucker said.

“I am also working with the environmental studies department to identify student projects and help organize seminars.”

Draucker said she is also working with the Book and Plow Farm and can envision working with the Center for Community Engagement in the future.

Draucker also hopes to solidify the connection between the OES and student organizations that have already been doing environmental work. She has been in touch with the Green Amherst Project, an active club that raises environmental awareness on campus.

Draucker said she wants to continue reaching out to other groups and students.

“I think there may be other groups out there [that] have a connection to environmental sustainability that they haven’t even realized yet,” Draucker said. “I am very excited to be here and help foster that awareness.”

Draucker expressed optimism about the college’s role in the global environmental movement.

“Although efforts on campus may seem small compared to the large environmental issues our society faces,” Draucker said. “We have a unique opportunity to test innovative approaches that can inform the actions of towns, cities, corporations and even national governments.”

New App Streamlines Access to Sexual Assault Help Resources Dan Ahn ’17 Managing News Editor Earlier this semester, the Consortium Assault Services App, or CASA, was released to students in the Five College Consortium. The new mobile app is a collaborative project involving Judd Liebman ’16, the college’s Counseling Center and a private technology firm named Last Call Media, which has developed websites and apps for other colleges and private organizations.

The purpose of the app is to consolidate and simplify information and guidance resources for victims of sexual assault as well as bystanders.

“The Amherst website does a great job of being thorough with the resources, but the information isn’t always organized the best way.

So our app retools that information to a more user friendly system,” Liebman wrote in an email interview.

Liebman conceived the idea for the app because he saw a disconnect between resources on sexual assault and those who need them.

“Searching through websites and pamphlets certainly isn’t the path of least resistance when in need. So, this app discreetly gives the user all of the information he/she needs for now, or for later,” Liebman said. “Many people don’t know where to turn, they don’t know the sheer number of resources out there. We needed to address this urgent inefficiency.”

The home screen of the app prompts the

user to choose one college in the Five College Consortium. Each college’s section contains information relevant to the surrounding area.

The user moves through a series of increasingly specific questions, which allows the app to tailor resources to individual cases. The app is intended to help those who are in immediate danger, as well as survivors and bystanders seeking guidance.

For those who are in immediate danger, the app provides emergency contact information, including that of Amherst Town Police, a 24hour rape crisis hotline, University of Massachussetts Health Services, and Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Calls can be made directly from the app interface.

Those who are not in immediate danger are offered assistance in a wide variety of issues related to sexual assault, including safety and accommodations for those who are threatened, where and how to report assault, and confidential resources such as counseling for victims. “The structure of the app lets people decide on support not based on a name search but based on their preferences of the type of resource. This way, the user can create a support network he or she is comfortable with,” Liebman said.

The Consortium Assault Services App is available for free download on the App Store, and is continuing to develop new features.

“The app is a work in progress. We will always be taking feedback and adding new resources,” Liebman said.

Photo courtesy of Gabriella Bishop ’18

The Consortium Assault Services App provides information and resources for victims of sexual assault as well as bystanders.

Opinion Editorial

Student Activism Alone Can’t Pop the Amherst Bubble Last week, no matter where they were on campus, students couldn’t help but encounter the Black Lives Matter campaign. Posters raising awareness about incidents of police brutality confronted students walking out of Merrill, running to Val, heading home for a quick nap.

Students who generally didn’t have to think about this issue much less fear for their lives on a daily basis were forced to confront this blatant inequality. Though some of us normally live our daily lives completely blind to this issue, the campaign pushed us out of the personal (and collective) Amherst bubble.

Black Lives Matter Awareness Week was an amazing event. It went, in this paper’s opinion, above and beyond in raising awareness for a systemic issue that, although affects a minority, should be critically assessed by every citizen. We should be discussing police brutality against black youths on a college campus. Part of the purpose of a liberal arts education is to identify structural issues in our society and find solutions and common goals for addressing them. We should feel uncomfortable and lean into this discomfort by having open dialogues about these issues. However, halfway through Black Lives Matter Awareness Week, every class discussion or conversation in Val became focused not on issues of violence against the broader black community but on the shameful actions of a select few on our own campus.

No one will disagree that the “All Lives Matter” counter-campaign stole the spotlight from the original Black Lives Matter movement. Last Monday night, during the screening of “Fruitvale Station,” a powerful film about police violence, posters citing incorrect and racially biased abortion facts were put up above those from the Black Lives Matter campaign. It was malicious and wrong of the actors behind the All Lives Matter campaign to try to divert this crucial conversation by subverting the very slogan itself for their own purposes.

Yet, the student body, the faculty and the administration has, in large part, only talked about the awareness of the Black Lives Matter campaign in terms of this distraction. While her office hadn’t mentioned Black Lives Matter Awareness Week before the appearance of the All Lives Matter posters, Biddy sent out a passionate email after the fact asking students to consider “what matters.” It is notable and telling that no administrator or faculty member acknowledged the week’s events until after the controversy with the All Lives Matter campaign. There have been collective calls to fight back abstractly against the individuals behind All Lives Matter but no call to acknowledge the issue of police brutality. There was no call for those who do not have to think about their race to critically assess their privilege.

Last week, as a campus, we began to talk about issues at the heart of the Black Lives Matter campaign. But unfortunately, this discussion was diverted when the general response from students, faculty and administration was to condemn the All Lives Matter postering as opposed to pushing students to have an uncomfortable but necessary dialogue about race, class and privilege. We focused on controversy within our community rather than a real societal inequality. Though this campaign was a valiant and notable effort to raise awareness, our response as a campus perpetuated the Amherst Bubble instead of popping it.

Re: #BlackLivesMatter Additional letters to the editor from the American Studies, Sexuality, Women’s and Gender Studies and Anthropology and Sociology Departments regarding the Black Lives Matter campaign can be found at amherststudent.amherst.edu.

We in the Department of Black Studies were extremely dismayed to learn that posters reading #BlackLivesMatter were torn down or postered over this past weekend. The #BlackLivesMatter campaign is of particular and urgent concern for our fellow humans who suffer disproportionately from police violence, but it should be of concern to any and all who care about racial justice and basic human decency. The disrespect toward this campaign expressed in the tearing down, defacing or covering of posters sends a terrible message to our community.

In response, the Department of Black Studies would like to voice unwavering support for the campaign and affirm a commitment to racial justice and raising consciousness about matters of race not only in the classroom, but on this campus more widely and in our surrounding community.

As well, we would like to encourage the organizers and participants in the campus #BlackLives-

Matter campaign to channel their rage and outrage by responding with more awareness, more focus on the campaign and more resilience even in the face of this disrespectful response. #BlackLivesMatter comes from a good and just place. It is on the right side, plain and simple. Let’s keep the message alive.

We [the Department of Political Science] support the students who planned a week of activities around the theme #Black Lives Matter. These events, at Amherst College and other campuses across the country, increase awareness about police brutality against minority communities.

Moreover, they address issues that figure prominently in many of our political science courses, including state violence, justice and the rule of law, government accountability, racial profiling, political protest and social movements. Such events enable students, even beyond the classroom, to address questions that are central to a democratic society.

We worry that the defacing and covering up of posters for #Black Lives Matter last week has resulted in the inhibition of academic freedom, silencing certain voices and views on campus.

Open dialogue should matter to all members

of an intellectual community. It is crucial that we all be able to express our opinions without restricting others. Following the Black Studies Department, we express our deep solidarity with those students who have sought to bring such issues to our college. We hope this will be the beginning, not the end, of our joint reflections.

Members of the Psychology Department want to express our strong support for those who organized the Black Lives Matter programming, and encourage them to continue the important educational work they are doing on campus. The organizers gave our community an opportunity to deepen our learning about issues of police brutality and racial inequality. The work of this group was met by disrespect and hostility from those who tore down, defaced, or covered over the Black Lives Matter posters anonymously in the cover of night. The college is working very hard to create a learning community based in mutual respect and understanding, work that is supported by many faculty, administration, staff and students. Such a community requires that we educate ourselves about stereotypes, prejudice, and systemic inequalities, and demands that we can express differences in beliefs face-to-face in productive dialogue.

In solidarity, Hilary Moss, Chair Rowland Abiodun Jeff Ferguson Rhonda Cobham-Sander Solsi del Moral Khary Polk John Drabinski Mitzi Goheen

Amrita Basu Kristin Bumiller Javier Corrales Pavel Machala Jonathan Obert Andrew Poe Kerry Ratigan Austin Sarat

Sincerely, Buffy Aries JP Baird Katherine Clemans Amy Demorest Allen Hart Isabel Margolin Julia McQuade Carrie Palmquist Lisa Raskin Catherine Sanderson Sarah Turgeon

Correction: The article “Green Amherst Project Walks Out of Talk by Patrick Moore” in the Oct. 22 issue incorrectly stated that Julia Xia ‘17 is the project of the Green Amherst Project. Xia is not president of the Green Amherst Project, but was a main organizer of the walkout. The Green Amherst Project does not have a president.

A review of the literary magazine The Common in the Oct. 22 issue incorrectly stated the author of the story “The Dying of the Deads: A Story in Three Parts.” He is Jeff Jackson, not Jeff Johnson.

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

S TA F F Design Editors Gabby Bishop, Megan Do, William Harvey, Sunna Juhn, Andrew Kim, Chloe Tausk Sports Section Editors Dori Atkins, Katie Paolano, Jason Stein, Jeremy Kesselhaut, Lauren Tuiskula Publishers Emily Ratte, Tia Robinson Photography Editor Olivia Tarantino

Letters Policy

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

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

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

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

The Student will not print personal or group defamation.

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

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

The Amherst Student • October 29, 2014

Opinion

Coeducation 40 Years Later Julia Pretsfelder ’18 & David Yang ’18 Staff Writers The idea of admitting women to Amherst once faced bitter opposition from alumni, sharply divided the Board of Trustees and caused heated debates among the faculty and the student body. The matter was settled 40 years ago when Amherst opened its doors to women. So now that we’re all here, is coeducation really superior to other alternatives?

Prior to integration, Amherst was almost exclusively male with the exception of several women admitted as part of an exchange program in 1969. It is therefore not surprising that many at Amherst asked how women, as a group, would change Amherst.

Students feared that admitting women without decreasing the number of men would increase class sizes and lower the quality of education. Alumni feared that admitting women would increase competition and diminish the chance that their sons might one day follow in their footsteps. These logistical fears were reasonable apprehensions toward the radical changes to come. There were also less reasonable expectations. The first women admitted to Amherst were viewed as the moral salvation of the school. In his welcome to the very first female exchange students in 1969, Robert A. Ward, dean of Students, told the women that that they were “expected to tame our local savages by the very delicacy of [their] presence.”

Prior to arrival of first-year girls in 1976, Ward’s successor David Drinkwater remarked that “women may help soften the macho image of the college.” These views glorify women for their purity in a way that is simultaneously degrading. Not only are women unreasonably expected to be “pure,” they are expected to be different from the men. Female purity was evoked to make women the moral scouring pads of the college.

It is abundantly clear that coeducation

cannot be viewed as the additive benefits of sexes. The benefit of co-educational learning environments is that they offer a diversity of opinion and perspective — any further statements inevitably lend themselves to stereotype and overgeneralization. To attempt the sexual calculus is to reduce men to barbarians and to characterize women as dainty, soothing, simple complements to evoke their “better natures.” These generalizations also lead to the capacity to castigate men and women who have preferences for single-sex education as lacking in some normal tendency.

In this day and age, it is more common to ponder what purpose all-girl or all-boy schools serve. They both seem old-fashioned, as neither is distracted by horrifying hormones. Yet our perception of women’s schools in particular has, in very general and stereotypical views, shifted from that of prissy emblems of moral purity, as desired by the Amherst alumni of the ’70s, to thirsty and trashy.

After at least 15 years of attending coed schools, many students here lack the perspective to assess what co-education offers academically, socially and institutionally.

Our interactions with other schools in the consortium can indirectly cause reflection surrounding these issues. We may feel hypocritical in being offended and even a bit amused by ridiculous overheard comments such as, “Girls at Amherst aren’t as fun because they’re too smart,” while resenting most Mount Holyoke, Smith or UMass girls for showing up at parties. By fixating on petty details, or what can also be viewed as socially conditioned competition, we neglect to ask what necessitates women’s colleges in a time when coeducation is the norm. In a society shaped and dominated by the male perspective, providing a space where women’s voices are central is a clear motivation for the upholding of women’s colleges.

For this reason, many believe that women’s colleges function differently in terms of an academic and social vibe. Ashley Bohan ’16, who is currently doing domestic

abroad at Wellesley, said, “Having spent over four years now in all-women’s education, I find the whole sisterhood thing a little cheesy, but I think its effects are real.

Your classmates aren’t just your classmates, they’re your family. And I think that tends to make the campus feel like a loving, supportive place that really allows you to be your best and most authentic self.”

Bringing her perspective from domestic abroad, Bohan sees Amherst as less of one large community than Wellesley. The “all-encompassing sense of belonging that seems to transcend any sort of social divide” that Bohan noticed at Wellesley seems an unexpected, nearly utopian phenomenon. Perhaps a campus-wide community at Amherst exists as more of a phrase than a reality. As Bohan acknowledges, thinking about a campus in terms of one big happy family sounds cloying and a bit fake. Our differences should not be ignored, and friend groups form somewhat naturally.

Typically, brotherhood and sisterhood on teams or clubs here override siblinghood.

In any form, they are niches, isolated families that you must seek out yourself. Those who attend women’s colleges have a shared experience in a core part of identity as simply being women. Choosing to go to a college that institutionally acknowledges this bond must make students think about what other ties link them together, resulting in a more collaborative environment.

Bohan said, “I’m not sure what else could bring us all together in the same way.”

Though coeducation integrates different perspectives, it does not make gender peripheral in the functioning of a community. It is difficult for those who are in the coeducational system to imagine the appeal of a same gender school, but their differences should not be weighed against one another in terms of which is better or worse. Nevertheless, it is worth looking at alternative systems of education to not only try to improve our communities but also to understand what they can convey about gender, education and their relationship in our culture.

5

Letter to the Editor: ReEnvisioning the Role of the AAS Juan Gabriel Delgado Montes ’16 AAS Vice President

Dear students, I am writing to you in an effort to re-imagine how the AAS interacts with student organizations and the student body as a whole. I want to build our relationships based on more than just funding student events. However, I will need your help.

As part of this, I would like to invite you, or your student group, to the next AAS meeting and have you take the floor and walk us through some things you want accomplish this school year. I want to make time every AAS meeting for at least a couple of students to share their vision and help make it a reality.

To be clear, it’s not a presentation. I want the senate to be your ears, a kind of sounding board that will understand your goals for the year, and move people, resources and relationships to help you accomplish your goals. My ultimate goal is to have the senate be the hub of student advocacy, and not just student activity funding.

I know that you are already very good at making student life at Amherst much better. You already do so much, but if there is any way to make things easier for you I want the AAS to help. There is nothing to lose, and you will be the first item on the Agenda so please give it a try.

All I need from you is an email (jdelgadomontes16@amherst.edu) three days before our Monday meetings. This is just to make sure that I give enough time to everyone that wants to participate.

If you decide to come, I’ll also arrange for some snacks to make it worth your while. If you let me know what you prefer beforehand, I’m sure I can arrange to have some snacks, so join us!

I hope to see you soon.

P.S. Senate Meetings are on Monday nights at 8:30 p.m. in the Cole Assembly Room in Converse (Red Room).

Letter to the Editor: Divestment from Fossil Fuels This letter was sent by 22 senior professors to President Biddy Martin and Cullen Murphy ‘74, the chair of the Board of Trustees, urging the college to divest from fossil fuels.

Dear Biddy and Cullen, We write to urge you, and the Board of Trustees, to move toward divesting the college of holdings in those corporations that are committed to fossil fuel extraction to the exclusion of making serious investments in renewable energy.

We are long past the point of debating the implications of our addiction to fossil fuels. The plain fact of the matter is that we need to wean ourselves from fossil fuel dependence if we are to mitigate future challenges that are as unprecedented as they are daunting.

Every economist and scientist who has studied this objectively, including our own Joseph Stiglitz and David Suzuki, has concluded that the costs in the present of shifting our economy to renewable sources of energy are far lower than the costs we will incur in continuing with business as usual. As educators, we owe it to our students to do what we can to make sure that their future will not be diminished by our reluctance to act.

We understand that, in the ordinary

course of events, the Board’s policy of treating the college’s portfolio as driven by the fiduciary obligation to insure the college’s future is paramount. But there are times, hopefully few, when fiduciary responsibility has to be tempered by other sorts of responsibilities.

The college has a longstanding policy of not investing in companies that produce and market alcohol and tobacco. In the 1980s, after much protest and vigorous discussion befitting an institution committed to serious intellectual inquiry, the college decided to divest of holdings in corporations doing business with and in South Africa and, even more recently, in Sudan.

In each case, the trustees decided to forego the potential rewards that these investments promised because the rewards contradicted the values that the college upholds.

We acknowledge and applaud all that the college has done, and is committed to doing, to reduce our contribution to carbon emissions, and we are especially pleased that the college has created an Office of Sustainability that will make it a model of energy conservation, smart resource use and recycling. That response to the contemporary situation, however, is simply not enough. Assuring that our daily operations are sustainable is very important, but even if we were wildly successful,

our impact would be a drop in the bucket. More importantly, we would have virtually no effect on the boardrooms of the fossil fuel industry. The industry has made it clear that it intends to mine the last lump of coal and the last drop of oil and natural gas. It is hard to imagine a more socially irresponsible stance. Thus we need to add Amherst’s voice to the growing ranks of colleges, universities, churches, cities, labor unions and foundations, including the Rockefeller Foundation, in calling for a turn away from dependence on fossil fuels and a transition to a sustainable energy model.

More than climate change is at stake in our investments in the fossil fuel industry. Key players in the industry, Exxon-Mobil, BP and Koch Industries, among others, have lavishly funded ersatz “think tanks” with impressive sounding names and self-appointed “experts” whose only purpose is to spread a blanket of false information about the relationship between carbon and climate and to attack legitimate climate scientists to the point of libel.

With few exceptions, the industry has shown utter and unrepentant contempt for the core values of Amherst College and the intellectual principles we hold dear. We proudly proclaim terras irradient; the fossil fuel industry and its faux experts and institutes

stand behind terras ignorent.

Moreover, to compound matters these same corporations have launched a campaign to discredit renewable energy. The Heartland Institute, largely a creature of Koch Industries, is promoting the totally fabricated claim that wind turbines contribute to a long list of maladies, from autism to ADHD. There is no scientific basis for such claims but by repeating them under the masthead of a legitimate-sounding “institute,” it hopes to ignite opposition to renewable energy. It cannot serve our students or our commitment to intellectual honesty to remain associated with an industry that, to be blunt, lies to the public, especially as it does so in the name of science.

Finally, using its deep pockets, the fossil fuel industry has done all it can to subvert the democratic process.

Lobbying to stall or derail legislative efforts to curb carbon emissions, supporting climate deniers in Congress and funding legal challenges to efforts by states and by the federal government to curb carbon emissions, the fossil fuel industry has thwarted the desires of many citizens to address climate change.

Given all of this, we find it difficult to accept that fiduciary responsibility trumps the imperative to make clear that the fossil fuel industry imperils

our students’ future and mocks our commitment to scientific inquiry and intellectual responsibility. We urge you to chart a path for an orderly divestment of our holdings in the fossil fuel industry. We have considered the different approaches to divestment in fossil fuels that colleges and universities are taking and would be happy to discuss this when the trustees are on campus in January. We hope that the agenda for that meeting will accommodate a discussion with the Board.

Sincerely, Jan Dizard Joe Moore Amrita Basu Martha Saxton Jerry Himmelstein Lisa Brooks Pavel Machala Kristin Bumiller David Delaney Chris Dole Martha Umphrey Frank Couvares Michele Barale Karen Sanchez-Eppler Ron Lembo Leah Schmalzbauer Robert Hayashi Judy Frank

Arts&Living

Image of amherst.edu Image courtesy of courtesy thevisibilityproject.com

Up-and-coming director Justin Simien’s latest film tackles the complexity of race relations by exploring interactions among students at a liberal arts college.

Which Black is Best? “Dear White People” is Flawed But Provocative Claire Jia ’15 Staff Writer “Can we have a movie with characters instead of stereotypes?” Echoing a question posed by his protagonist, director Justin Simien challenges the American public — and himself — to answer this question with his film “Dear White People,” released Oct. 17. It’s a worthy attempt, but I’m not sure he succeeds.

Tessa Thompson plays Samantha White, an outspoken activist and the host of a radio show called “Dear White People.” When she beats out crowd favorite and incumbent Troy Fairbanks (Brandon P. Bell) as head of a black culture dorm at Winchester College, students — both black and white — are forced to reexamine their racial identities. Throughout Simien’s film, there’s conflict between black and white people, between black people and black people and between those who are more “Black Panther-black” and those who are not “black enough.” This culture war culminates in an “Unleash

Your Inner Negro” party thrown by the nearly all-white members of Winchester’s comedy magazine, Pastiche. White students show up to the event in blackface, wielding gold guns and grills, wearing Barack and Michelle Obama masks and flashing gang signs.

“Dear White People” is risqué, witty, sleek and sexy. The film uses one-liners like “Y’all get country clubs; we get to use the word n-----” and “Please stop touching my hair — does this look like a petting zoo to you?” to provoke and slap the wrist of viewers ignorant enough to get offended. Simien’s movie pokes fun at white people, and those who critique it as an “attack on white people” miss the point completely. “Dear White People” seems to say, “You’re offended by the mere thought of being addressed this way? Think about having to endure that for 200 years.”

“Dear White People” is the work of a young and promising director. He’s ambitious and brazen, though sometimes overstretched by the nuanced subject matter of this film. For the more complex explanations of the difference between

racism and prejudice and of flawed literary depictions of black people, Simien relies too heavily on Sam’s frequent lengthy speeches, which sound straight out of a sociology thesis.

“Dear White People” runs with the racy comebacks and then patches up the holes between with these soliloquys, which all too often seem out of place.

Unfortunately, the film is burdened by a glut of underdeveloped characters whose complexities aren’t given enough evaluation. Troy — former homecoming king, class president type, and Sam’s sworn rival — has to make the choice between, in the words of his father, “becoming exactly what they expect you to become” and rejecting behaviors unfairly associated with black culture. Coco Conners (Teyonah Parris) panders to the white Pastiche boys and brands Sam’s radio show as “blacker-than-thou” while maintaining a “vlog” wherein she also calls out white people (“It’s weave. Noun. Present tense”). Sam goes through abrupt changes: She starts off fiery-

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Arts & Living 7

The Amherst Student • October 29, 2014

Exploration of Race in “Dear White People” Encourages Necessary Dialogue Continued from previous page tongued and unafraid, but halfway through the film, we’re confronted with the fact that she’s halfwhite, she has a white boyfriend and — most criminally of all — she listens to Taylor Swift. Suddenly, she experiences a total personality reversal, going from indignant and outspoken to hesitant about her role and duty as a black person. It’s as if she, too is learning about her mixed-race background for the first time. While the characters do well in rebuking black stereotypes, the film itself often comes across as a series of commercials with its own set of clichés — featuring the “Hipster Alternative Black Girl!” or the “Successful Black Man!” “Dear White People” lacks a nuanced exploration of these personalities in conflict.

I’m interested in all of them, but I end up really getting to know none.

Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams) is an overlooked gem in this movie. He’s both black and gay, doubly ostracized for his race and his sexuality. The white kids cruelly taunt him for being gay, while the black kids shun him for not being involved with Black Students’ Union. At first, he lives with the Pastiche boys as a result of the “Randomization of Housing Act.” Then, he moves in with Troy at the black culture house. He’s welcome in neither place. Lionel’s neither white enough for the white students nor black enough for the black students, and too gay, apparently, for everyone. I appreciate Simien’s inclusion of Lionel’s sexuality as an additional point of observation; however, its importance is lost in the more

prominent discussion of race. Lionel doesn’t actively try to reject elements of his identity that seem “too black,” like Coco, nor does he enthusiastically embrace black culture. He’s the most submissive of the characters, metaphorically and literally subjugated to the needs of the white man and black man. For example, he’s told to leave the dining hall by his own black peers, and welcome nowhere until he, in essence, chooses a side. As a black person, is it your responsibility to advocate for black people? Simien seems to say yes. He doesn’t allow black characters that don’t engage critically in identity politics to thrive. Lionel finally makes friends when he develops from someone apologetically black to someone who stands up for his racial identity. To me, it’s just too bad that no one cared about him before.

Toward the end of the film, Simian depicts Sam, Troy, Lionel and Coco getting ready for the Pastiche writers’ offensivelythemed party. The camera switches rapidly between the four, as they each peer directly at the audience, moving in slowmotion. Sam takes down her updo. Coco puts on a blonde wig. Lionel fingers his Afro self-consciously. They’re people from all different backgrounds. They don’t like each other, but here they are, black, all trying to twist and shape and change themselves to fit into a white world. Even as they’re fighting against white people and white power, the norms of the white world are what they have to choose to reject or accept. But why should they have to? This is a poignant scene, but scenes that are similarly powerful both in form and function are sparse in “Dear White People.”

The racist characters of “Dear White People” are so blatantly bigoted that I’m afraid audience members will forget that less obvious racism also exists. Maybe 20 people will show up to a party in blackface, but hundreds more undermine racial equality in more subtle ways. Nevertheless, Simien makes his point: Though indignant viewers might wonder if people are so obviously racist anymore, the credits roll and pictures from real college parties with white students sporting blackface, guns and gold chains confirm that blatant racism is still more widespread than we may think.

One final thing to think about is the film’s lack of engagement with characters of races neither black nor white.

With the mention of Mexicans in one scene and the inclusion of a nameless Asian student, Simien seems to acknowledge the existence of other minorities without including them in the conversation. It’s a difficult balance. Simien is tackling a very specific and unjust oppression — that of whites on blacks — that needs its moment in the spotlight. But does he achieve his goal at the expense of other minority voices? Can there be a discussion of race that includes all oppressed racial minorities? Can we have characters, and not stereotypes, that encompass all those deserving of a voice?

Bottom line, “Dear White People” is imperfect but important. I wanted to write about this film; after writing, I still want to talk about this film. It has its problems, both as a 73092 piece of cinema and as a story about race relations. But there are too few films that dare to touch this issue so unabashedly — so watch it, and let’s talk.

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Arts & Living 8

The Amherst Student • October 29, 2014

When Consent Isn’t Enough: The Importance of Stepping Back Teresa Frenzel ’17 Contributing Writer After my freshman year of college, I was right back to lying on the carpet of my best friend’s room, catching up on everything we’d missed for the past six months.

My best friend said, “I guess I had sex with two guys over the year. Well, sort of three, but the last one doesn’t count.”

“Doesn’t count?” said my other friend who was draped over the futon and looking up from her phone.

“Well, we started having sex but I decided I really wasn’t feeling it, so I left in the middle,” my best friend replied. I began to laugh as I pictured how the guy must have looked when my friend waltzed out of the room mid-hook-up; after all, who just leaves?

When I got home later that evening, I tried to rationalize my reaction: Why was it so shocking to me that my friend left a situation she no longer wanted to be in? It was probably because I, like so many others, believed in “the point of no return,” especially in college. Even after one year at Amherst, I had started experiencing moments in hook-ups where I felt like expectations had been raised; I didn’t feel comfortable with just leaving the situation. I stopped thinking about this subject up until I read an article last week written by Tina Vernax of the Feminists of Northeastern.

This piece explores the experience between consensual sex and sexual assault. When I first started reading the article, I was apprehensive; I knew about the dangerous territory surrounding the gray area of acknowledging consent.

After reading through the work, I realized that the author was describing a very real phenomenon that deserves more attention.

Vernax describes the type of sex women don’t want to have, but have anyway; the type of sex that a person has when they’re already in bed and feel like they’re being a tease if they don’t consent; the type of sex a person has when they can’t really decide what they want and go along with their partner’s desires; the type of sex a person might have with a spouse or a significant other simply because it’s been a while. There is a monumental difference between these experiences and the experience of being taken advantage of when someone is either heavily intoxicated, says no or is overpowered.

These latter experiences are rape; the former experiences are a different kind of monster.

Many people have sex that they later regret.

This phenomenon isn’t that surprising in a hook-up culture; it can happen to anyone regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Yet, this experience falls into a gender issue for the same reason as rape: It affects a disproportionate number of women. This was confirmed by a study by University of Texas, which revealed that women are significantly more likely to

regret a sexual experience than men.

Why do we feel the pressure to have sex? This pressure may emerge from a society that, paradoxically, expects women to be “sexy” but not sexual. Movies, television shows and magazines all enforce this idea that the best thing women can be is attractive, desired and sought after.

At the same time, sexually liberated women are chastised for what they wear and how they act.

Similarly, the regret and shame that can follow consensual sex is a phenomenon that happens to women everywhere because of some idea that “that’s not what women should do.” Thus, women disproportionately link their sexual activity to self-worth, making any sexual act — even casual ones — an action that can make us feel lesser.

The second reason women may have unwanted sex comes from the idea of bodily autonomy.

Women don’t always feel the same ownership over their own bodies that men do. According to the Guttmacher Institute, states proposed 694 new laws in 2013 to regulate women’s bodies. Naked photos are leaked of celebrities and female activists (like Jennifer Lawrence) in an attempt to derail their power and influence.

Murderers, like Elliot Rodger of the UC Santa Barbara shooting, claim that their actions are justified because “women wouldn’t have sex with them.” The message is driven home again and again: Women do not own their sexuality.

In relationships, women may feel that fre-

quent sex is something they owe their partner.

Similarly, a woman in a casual hook-up may feel she has to have sex in order to avoid being seen as a “tease” or a “flirt.” These thoughts spring from the dangerous conception that a woman expressing interest is synonymous with a woman expressing the desire to have sex, which creates a feeling of obligation for women towards a potential partner. Moreover, this notion creates situations in which a “no” isn’t always enough to stop an unwanted sexual advance.

Women may also feel obligated to have sex because the escalation from flirting to kissing to sex can happen fairly quickly. Movies rarely present dialogue about comfort or consent before two partners have sex, which is why we sometimes find ourselves with our clothes off still deciding how far we want to go. This leads me to the simplest solution I can think of to avoid unwanted sex: take a step back. Before engaging in any sexual activity, take a step back and talk to your partner; think about what you want and ask them what they want. Sex doesn’t have to be a snap decision; knowing what you want and initiating conversation beforehand will make you a lot less likely to regret a decision later. Moreover, if you feel you are judging yourself for wanting to have sex, take a step back again; safe sex is healthy and normal, and it’s not something women should feel bad about due to the perception that only men can engage in casual sex. Remember: your body is yours.

Photographer Beban to Speak on Parisian Street Art Evan Paul ’18 Staff Writer Richard Beban lives full-time in Paris, France. He photographs and co-edits “Paris Play,” an online journal about Parisian street art written and co-edited by his wife, Kaaren Kitchell. He specializes in digital street photography and is also an accomplished poet and journalist. On Oct. 29, he will present “Why Don’t We Do It in the Rue: Celebrating Street Art in Paris.” The talk begins at 4:30 p.m. in Converse Hall’s Cole Assembly Room. Staff writer Evan Paul ’18 speaks with Beban from his home in Paris about his artistic practice and views on the street art world.

Q: Where are you originally from?

A: I’m originally from San Francisco. I’m a fifth-generation San Franciscan.

Q: What is your educational background?

A: Let’s see. I guess the highest degree I have is a Masters in Fine Arts for Creative Writing from Antioch University in Los Angeles. I also got my B.A. there.

Q: You spent a majority of your life as a

Image courtesy of facebook.com

Writer, photographer and street art specialist Richard Beban speaks in Converse Hall on Wednesday.

writer, doing myriad things from poetry to screenwriting to photojournalism. How did you get involved in street photography?

A: I moved to Paris in January of 2011 with my wife. Every time we would arrive in Paris we’d cry, and every time we would leave we’d cry, so finally in 2007 we said, “Look, we have to live here. That’s all there is to it!” We bought an apartment and ended up having to rent it out until we could move over. We kept saying, “We’ll move over when the economy gets better.” As you know, there was a huge recession in 2008, and the economy never got better. So finally, in 2010, we said, “Look, we just have to sell everything and move,” and we did in January of 2011. I then began walking the streets looking to see what it was that attracted and interested me and discovered street art. It’s everywhere — on the streets, on the curbs, on the street signs and on the walls. It’s six-story murals and little tiny stickers. I just fell in love with it. I just moved to Paris and started seeing that the art in the street was more interesting than the art in the museums.

Q: How do you go about picking what photograph will accompany your wife’s written pieces?

A: I try to pick stuff that as obliquely as possible illustrates what she is doing. I have accumulated 17,000 street art photographs in the past three years. That’s from going out daily, sometimes for eight hours at a time. Sometimes I think, “Oh, this would be a perfect shot for one of her pieces,” and I go and take it. But I mainly use images from my backlog.

Q: I have heard that Paris is considered the birthplace of street art, but I would like to know what your other favorite places for capturing street art are.

A: Only Paris so far. I’ve lived here for four years, and I don’t leave much. The cool thing about Paris is that the international artists come here, so I get to see and know and learn about other cultures’ artists. There are allegedly five places considered to be havens for street art: London, New York, Berlin, Paris and Sao Paolo. Sao Paolo sounds fascinating to me. The Brazilian artists that come here are marvelous, particularly with color. However, a Sao Paolo brand of graffiti, which I differentiate with street art, looks likes the glyphs from the beginning of writing. I’ve heard that it’s fascinating to see, but I haven’t been to see it.

Image courtesy of thisiscolossal.com

Paris is known as the birthplace of street art. Artist Philippe Baudelocque, shown above, uses the City of Lights as his canvas.

So, at the moment, I can’t say that I’ve been anywhere else to experience street art. After visiting Amherst, my wife and I are going to spend some time in Brooklyn, so hopefully we’ll see some street art there.

Q: I noticed that you said that you don’t consider graffiti to be street art. Why? A: Well, graffiti can be a precursor to street art, but among other things, graffiti comes from a different impulse. The materials tend to be either spray paint or magic marker, and it’s generally done fast because it’s illegal and the cops are coming. So much of it is like wolves pissing around to mark their territory. So much of it is a territorial imperative and ambition, and that’s not a bad thing, but it’s something that I hope one outgrows. A number of the street artists I know and love actually started out as graffiti artists. I don’t want to put down graffiti writers, but I want to encourage that the impulse goes into art and not simply ego.

Q: Do you have a favorite street artist?

A: No. It’s sort of like asking, “Do you have a favorite movie?” I have about ten or twelve top artists, and then there are another thirty or so that are really high caliber that I like a lot. I’m actually still working on the slideshow for my visits to Amherst. I want to present the best street artists and I only have it narrowed down

to 20 at the moment. It takes four hours in the street to talk about street art, and I’ve got to boil it down to forty minutes when I’m at Amherst. So good luck to me.

Q: You got into photojournalism in the 1970s and you began writing poetry in the 1990s. How does your photography influence your writing and vice versa?

A: I’ve pretty much found that the photography displaces the writing. The reason I took up photography in the 70s is that I was a photographer for a number of publications that couldn’t afford a photographer. They just gave me a camera and told me to go take pictures. I frankly wasn’t very good. I ended up having to move, and therefore give up my darkroom and photography in general. I was given a camera for Christmas in 2009, and I discovered that I had a digital darkroom! So that’s when I really got excited about photography. It seems to have displaced the poetry in that I want someone to look at [my photos] and analyze them in the same way they look at poetry. So the photographs, I hope, have more poetry and depth to them, because that does seem to be where the muse is coming from now. Whatever the muse says, I follow.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

The Amherst Student • October 29, 2014

Sports

Football Routs Tufts on Family Weekend, Remains Undefeated Nell Patterson ’15 Staff Writer With the Amherst football season coming to a close in two weeks, the Amherst Football team is 6-0 after their latest victory. A combination of stifling defense and efficient offense has led the Jeffs to some exciting wins and this weekend was no exception. The Jeffs emerged triumphant over Tufts with a score of 30-3. The Amherst defense regained confidence after allowing an unusally low number of points to Wesleyan by limiting the Jumbos’ running game. The real difference in the game can be seen in the turnover differential and the amount of Amherst tackles that led to losses for Tufts. The Jeffs’ defense came up with four interceptions, two fumbles, and six sacks on the day.

“The defense had a solid day against Tufts,” senior captain Chris Tamasi said. “As always, we knew we had to take care of the run game, which we handled effectively, allowing only 61 yards of running offense. Tufts also had the highest passing efficiency in the league prior to our game, so we planned on making the quarterback make quick decisions under pressure.”

The Amherst offense was able to capitalize off the team’s defensive success, tallying 244 yards of offense including a big 37- yard touchdown reception from Adam Wallace ’16.

Tufts won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball first. Unable to find any traction, the Jumbos punted the ball away with no first downs under their belt. The Jumbos caught a break on the play when Jaymie Spears ’16 fumbled during the return. Now in their own territory Tufts hoped to capitalize on the good field position. On this possession, Max Lehrman ’15 came up with a big sack, and constant pressure on Tufts Quarterback Jack Doll helped

cause an interception by Chris Gow ’16. Gow described the ball as “a tipped pass that flew in the air because Max Lehrman crushed the QB as he threw it.” Following the play, Doll would not return to the game as he suffered a fracture in his arm and was carted off the field.

Senior quarterback Max Lippe and the Amherst offense finally hit the field around the 12-minute mark in the first quarter, starting at the Tufts 43-yard line. Focusing on the air attack, Lippe found recievers Gene Garay ’15 and Brian Ragone ’16 to move the Jeffs up to the Jumbo one-yard line. Lippe tacked on the yard to put the Jeffs on the scoreboard first with seven points.

The Jeffs defense came up big again on the next Tufts possession. Back-up quarterback Alex Snyder started the Jumbos at their own 20-yard line. On third down, Snyder looked long but was unable to find any Jumbos receivers.

Instead, Ned Deane ’15 came up with the ball at the Tufts 40-yard line. Deane returned the turnover to the Jumbo 20. Ecstatic about the turnovers on back-to-back possessions, the Jeffs’ defense looked like the dominant team they knew they always could be. The offense returned to the field and added a Phillip Nwosu ’15 field goal to make the score 10-0 in favor of Amherst.

After an exchange of punts, the Jumbos’ offense finally was able to get some traction on the Jeffs defense. Starting deep in their own territory, Snyder threw a beautiful pass to Nik Dean for an 80-yard gain. Tamasi came up big with a forced fumble, although it was recovered by the Jumbos. Tufts ended up settling for a field goal attempt closing the score to 10-3 Amherst.

The offensive progress would not continue for the Jumbos in the second quarter, as on the next possession the Jeffs forced another turn-

over. Thomas Kleyn ’16 caught the ball at the Tufts four-yard line, setting up the Amherst offense to score once again. Wallace received the ball from Lippe on a handoff and ran in four yards for the touchdown. The Jeffs now took a commanding 17-3 lead. The second quarter continued without much excitement, except for a missed field goal by the Jumbos on the next possession. Gow would once again turn up the heat with about four minutes left in the half, intercepting a Snyder pass at the Tufts 38-yard line. Gow returned the interception over 30 yards to add to the Amherst score and giving the Jeffs’ defense another boost of confidence in their ability to handle the passing game.

Gow said that the play “happened because our pressure was forcing the quarterback to make decisions about where to throw the ball before the snap. He misread our coverage presnap and didn’t see me moving to cover the route.”

Overall, the Amherst defense had a commanding first half. “Especially in the first half, the defense performed in a way that really represented how dominant we can be,” Gow said.

“We had a bad week against Wesleyan, but this week showed- against a weaker Tufts teamthat we have the ability to really shut teams down and change the course of the game.”

The Jeffs went into the locker room with a 24-3 lead and the knowledge that they would start on offense in the second half. However, the Jeffs were unable to do much on offense, maintaining the 24-3 score for a while. The Jeffs defense did an impressive job limiting the Jumbo air attack and stopping many plays before they could even get started. It was not until the 8:25 mark in the fourth quarter that either team would break the punting streak.

Lippe and the Jeffs offense began at the Tufts 44-yard line. Following strong running by

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Myles Gaines ’17, the Jeffs worked their way to the 31-yard line. After a delay of game penalty, Lippe came up with the biggest offense play of the game, finding Wallace for a touchdown.

“Adam Wallace’s second touchdown on a long third down conversion was definitely a key play. It was our last score and really put a nail in the coffin,” Gow said.

The game was over after that. The score would remain 30-3 for the rest of the game and the Jeffs came out of Parents Weekend 2014 with a big win and an impressive 6-0 record.

All eyes turn to next week, as another huge test awaits the Jeffs. They face a talented Trinity who boasts an impressive record of 5-1 so far this on the season. They are on the tails of a 27-7 loss to Middlebury.

“I love playing Trinity,” Tamasi said. “Every year, you can expect a physical battle until the final whistle. Trinity’s home field, often deemed ‘The Coop,’ is a hostile place to play and the energy surrounding the field is infectious. I am looking forward to having another opportunity to take the field with my fellow teammates, especially as the end of my final season draws near.”

Middlebury snapped a 53 home-game winning streak for the Bantams last week, and Trinity will definitely be looking to avenge the loss against the Jeffs. “We’ll be scouting them and preparing just like we always do, but we know this is a big game and we’ll be prepared for a physical one,” Gow said.

Tamasi added that “the defense is going to have to continue to first, stop the run. We have to be physical up front in order to force the ball in the air … We have a tough group of guys, but we’re going to have to leave it all out there on Saturday.” The Jeffs will look to remain undefeated in their away game at Trinity, which begins at 12:30 p.m. The game will factor largely into the Jeffs postseason status.

Volleyball Hosts Hall Women’s Soccer Suffers of Fame Tournament Two Heart Breaking Losses Drew Kiley ’18 Staff Writer The Amherst women’s volleyball team hosted the two-day Hall of Fame Tournament this weekend, sweeping Wellesley on Friday evening before falling to MIT in four sets and defeating Brandeis in straight sets on Saturday.

Marialexa Natsis ’18 was named to the alltournament team, as she floored 16 kills on 27 attempts with just two errors to record a .519 hitting percentage in addition to her six blocks in Amherst’s three games.

“I think we took care of easier teams and stepped up when we needed to in order to end matches as quickly as possible,” Natsis said. “We struggled with MIT, but I truly feel like if we were to face them again we would be able to rise to the challenge and beat them.”

On Friday night, the Firedogs rolled by Wellesley 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-15). First-years Natsis and Asha Walker headlined Amherst’s effort, as Natsis floored a match-high nine kills and Walker claimed 10 digs to go along with five service aces.

Nicole Carter ’16 led the Firedogs with 18 assists and Katie Warshaw ’16 recorded nine digs.

Maggie Danner ’17 floored seven kills while Lizzie Ahern ’16 floored six. Natsis and Ahern each claimed four assisted blocks.

The Firedogs jumped out to quick leads in each of the first two sets, racing out to a 10-2 lead in the first stanza and a 13-1 lead in the second.

The Blue challenged Amherst in the first set, reducing Amherst’s lead to five at 22-17 and later to four at 24-20 before the Firedogs claimed the set on an attacking miscue by the visitors. In the second, the Firedogs led from start to finish, claiming the set 25-12 and a 2-0 lead in the match thanks to an impressive kill by Walker.

The third set started much closer, with four early ties and three lead changes before Am-

herst dominated play to claim a 23-10 lead. Five straight Wellesley kills staved off defeat before a block by Natsis and Ahern and a kill by Danner gave Amherst the win.

In Amherst’s first match on Saturday, MIT defeated the Firedogs 3-1 (25-18, 15-25, 25-16, 25-20). Danner led Amherst with 12 kills, while Carter and Bres directed Amherst’s attack with 17 and 10 assists, respectively. Warshaw led the Firedogs with 15 digs while Walker recorded 12 digs.

Jennifer Krems ’18, meanwhile, led the team with three block assists and three service aces.

MIT, whom Natsis labeled “an effective blocking team,” contained Amherst’s attack throughout the match. The Engineers held the Firedogs to a .088 hitting percentage on the match. After MIT claimed the opening set 25-18, the Firedogs responded with a strong defensive performance in the second, forcing the Engineers into 11 attack errors and claiming the set 25-15 to even the match at 1-1. However, MIT reasserted their dominance over the next two sets to claim the match 3-1.

Later on Saturday, Amherst defeated Brandeis in straight sets (25-10, 25-14, 25-19) to wrap up their tournament with a 2-1 record.

The Firedogs entered the match as heavy favorites, and Amherst controlled the tilt from start to finish.

Warshaw claimed a match-high 20 digs to go along with four services aces to lead Amherst to victory. Danner led all hitters with 10 kills, followed by Ahern with six and Walker and Nicole Gould ‘17 with five each. Carter dished out 15 assists for the match to lead the Firedogs while Bres added eight helpers in the win.

With these results, the Firedogs’ record stands at 18-6 overall (6-2 NESCAC). They will look to finish out the regular season strong with two conference matches at LeFrak Gymnasium, on Friday at 8 p.m. against Bowdoin and Saturday at 2 p.m. against Colby.

Virginia Hassell ’16 Staff Writer Despite a 10-save effort from junior goalkeeper, Holly Burwick, Amherst (11-3-0) fell to NESCAC rival Connecticut College (112-0). A goal by Annie Higgins in the 53rd minute was just enough to boost the Camels to victory.

Although both teams failed to convert in the first half, Conn. owned the shot advantage, edging the Jeffs 9-7. The Camels broke the scoring drought early in the second half when Annie Higgins corralled a through ball from Michelle Medina and delivered a shot into the left corner for what would be the only goal of the game.

The Jeffs struggled to put the ball in the net. First-year Meredith Manley blasted two of the five shots on goal in the first half alone, while Jessy Hale ’16, Hannah Guzzi ’18 and Delancey King ’18 also delivered one shot apiece throughout the game.

“It was a tough game for us to lose in scrappy weather conditions, and it ended up going in their favor,” said junior forward Megan Kim. “They’re a great team, and I hope that we can face them again in the tournament for a second chance.”

Burwick exhibited another impressive defensive effort for the Jeffs. She made six of her 10 saves in the first 45 minutes of play and contributed four more in the second half.

Amherst fell in another closely contested game on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

The game remained scoreless through two overtime periods, but Trinity ultimately prevailed, scoring in the 104th minute.

The Jeffs held the advantage in shots in the game, boasting 16 to the Bantams 13, and also edged in corners, 8-3, but ultimately fell

short in their efforts.

Burwick had another strong showing in net, making three saves in the contest.

Still boasting a 7-3-0 record in NESCAC play, Amherst remains in the hunt for playoff victories.

On Saturday, Nov. 1, they will kickoff post-season action as they host the quarterfinals of the NESCAC tournament. The game time is tentatively set for 12:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

Sophmore Quinn Phillips has two goals and four assists this year.

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Sports

The Amherst Student • October 29, 2014

Schedule

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

WEDNESDAY Men’s Soccer vs. Trinity, 3:30 p.m.

Football vs. Trinity, 12:30 p.m.

Field Hockey vs. Trinity, 7:00 p.m.

Field Hockey at NESCAC Quarterfinals, 1:00 PM

FRIDAY Volleyball vs. Bowdoin, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY Men’s Soccer at NESCAC Quarterfinals, 12:00 Women’s Soccer at NESCAC Quarterfinals, 12:00

Volleyball vs. Colby 2 p.m.

Men’s Cross Country at NESCAC Championship Women’s Cross Country at NESCAC Championship

Men’s Soccer Draws with Mount Saint Mary’s College Jason Stein ’16 Sports Section Editor In a competitive non-conference game, the Amherst men’s soccer team’s late game heroics allowed the Jeffs to salvage a tie against the Mount Saint Mary College Knights. With the draw, the Jeffs stand at 10-1-3 overall and 6-1-2 in the NESCAC. In the first half, the Jeffs appeared to control the pace and flow of the game, outshooting their opponents 7-0 over the initial 45 minutes.

Yet, Amherst could not capitalize on any of these scoring opportunities and went into the halftime break tied at 0-0.

In the 63rd minute, a pair of junior forwards for Amherst connected to put the Jeffs ahead, as striker Nico Pascual-Leone found Greg Singer off a free kick from the left side, and Singer was able to convert for his third goal of the season to make it 1-0.

The Knights responded in short order following Amherst’s goal. Less than three minutes later, a pair of deflections off the Amherst defensive unit allowed for midfielder Chris Marchese ’15 to equalize by kicking it slowly over the goal line.

Only a few minutes after the Knights tied the score, Mount Saint Mary’s pulled ahead off a free kick, as Knights forward Matt Garcia ’15 made it 2-1 with his ninth goal of the season in the 70th minute of action.

Over the final 20 minutes, the Jeffs looked to strike back after losing the lead midway through the second half. In the final minute of action, the Jeffs were able to draw the game even in dramatic fashion. Sophomore defender Cameron Bean sent a cross in to Pascual-Leone, who finished Bean’s ball into the back of the net for his sixth goal of the year, tying the game at 2-2.

Heading into overtime, the Jeffs had the momentum following their late score and looked to add another goal to take the victory. With little doing in the first overtime, the Jeffs had some legitimate opportunities to score in the second period of overtime. Pascual-Leone had a promising chance from the top of the box that was handled by the Knights’ defense. Soon after, a corner kick from sophomore midfielder Forrest Sisk set up Pascual-Leone for a header, which was stopped by Mount Saint Mary’s goalie Austin Peluso ’16.

While the Jeffs had a fair share of scoring opportunities in the second overtime and came up empty, Amherst’s defense prevented the Knights from having any chances to score in both periods of overtime. In the 2-2 draw against Mount Saint Mary’s, Amherst outshot their opponent 7-0 in the first half, 10-3 in the second period,

Chris Tamasi ’15

Mia Natsis ’18

Favorite Team Memory: Beating Wesleyan on their Homecoming 33-30 in OT Favorite Pro Athlete: Russell Wilson Dream Job: Sky diving instructor Pet Peeve: When Kyle Rudolph steals my hummus Favorite Vacation Spot: Cape Cod Something on Your Bucket List: Attend a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theatre Guilty Pleasure: Kissing Chet goodnight Favorite Food: Gail’s Baked Goods Favorite Thing About Amherst: Ability to develop relationships with amazing people great people

Favorite Team Memory: Sealing the win against Conn. College in five games Favorite Pro Athlete: Blake Griffin Dream Job: Fashion designer Pet Peeve: People texting while they drive Favorite Vacation Spot: Waikiki Beach Something on Your Bucket List: Having a big fat Greek wedding!

Guilty Pleasure: Watching chick flicks Favorite Food: Anything chocolate Favorite Thing About Amherst: The volleyball team and Coach Everden and Coach Link

Field Hockey Earns 10th Straight Win Lauren Tuiskula ’17 Sports Section Editor

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

Sophomore Bryce Ciambella has three points on the season with one goal and one assist. and 21-3 overall, including overtime.

“We were disappointed not to get a win against Mount Saint Mary’s considering the quality of our chances, but I was proud that we were able to rise to the occasion and get the second goal with only 45 seconds remaining,” Coach Justin Serpone said.

This afternoon, the Jeffs will close out the regular season against the Trinity Bantams at home. Trinity is 7-5-2 on the season and 2-52 in the NESCAC. However, following Amherst’s regular season loss to the Cardinals, the Bantams defeated the Wesleyan Cardinals in a NESCAC Conference game by a 2-1 score. Last year, the Jeffs defeated the Bantams 4-0 in a road victory, as senior defenseman Bubba Van Wie notched a hat trick within the game’s first 70 minutes to carry Amherst on the day.

“Trinity is a very good team that has some impressive results this year,” Coach Serpone said. “We are going to have to play well for ninety minutes to have a chance of getting a result.”

Following the conclusion of the regular season, the Jeffs will begin its NESCAC Championship title defense with a first-round matchup in the NESCAC Quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 12 p.m. Although Amherst’s first-round opponent is yet to be announced for Saturday, the Jeffs will host a lower-seeded opponent. Three consecutive wins in the NESCAC Tournament will enable the Jeffs to win the NESCAC Championship for the fourth consecutive season. As the No. 1 seed in the 2013 NESCAC Tournament, Amherst beat Hamilton in the quarterfinals, Bowdoin in the semifinals and Williams in the NESCAC Championship.

Amherst College field hockey continued its impressive run, beating Smith handily, 4-0, this past Thursday. The Jeffs, winners of 10 straight, now sit at 12-2 on the year and 7-2 in the NESCAC. Katie Paolano ’16 had a standout game earning four points on the day with her goal and two assists.

Despite dominating offensively in the first half with 13 shots on goal, the Jeffs could only convert one of those opportunities in the first 35 minutes of play. Madeline Tank ’15 was the scorer, netting her 13th on the season. The chance began when firstyear Mary Grace Cronin beat a Smith defender, putting a shot on net that bounced off the keeper’s pads to a waiting Tank.

The Jeffs carried their 1-0 lead into the break, looking to add insurance in the second half. And that’s exactly what they did, coming out of the intermission strong and scoring just over a minute into second half action.

Paolano earned one of her two assists on the play, setting up Annika Nygren ’16 to send a shot right through the wickets and into the back of the cage. The tally was Nygren’s 10th on the season.

Another assist was credited to Paolano in the 55th minute of play as the junior forward carried the ball up field, eventually finding Ellie Andersen ’15. Andersen converted the opportunity, tallying her eighth point and third goal of the 2014 campaign.

Paolano put the game undisputedly out of reach in the 63rd minute as she netted a goal of her own. Syndey Watts ’17 sent a hard shot on goal that bounced off the Smith keeper’s pads right to Paolano who corralled it and put a shot back on net.

Amherst finished with the 4-0 win, their third consecutive shutout and eighth on the season.

Amherst held decisive advantages in both shots, 29-2, and penalty corners, 14-0.

The Jeffs’ defense did not allow a single shot in the second half of play.

Goalkeeper Emily Horwitz ’17, who is 10-0 in net this year, commented on her team’s performance in this final push of the regular season: “The Smith game was a great win, but I’m really looking forward to the Trinity game,” Horwitz said. “That game will determine our seeding going into NESCACs, so a win is very important.”

Amherst will host the contest on Wednesday, Oct. 29 beginning at 7 P.M. on Gooding Field. Trinity is currently ranked 11th in the nation and comes off an impressive 7-1 rout of Conn. College. The Jeffs narrowly edged the Bantams, winning by a 3-2 margin in last year’s regular season matchup.

The game is also the 2014 regular season finale, as the team still awaits their seeding and location for the NESCAC quarterfinals set to begin on Saturday, Nov. 1.

Horwitz looked optimistically to the playoffs saying, “I’m really proud of what the team has done so far this season, and I hope that we can continue to improve going into the postseason!”

Photo courtesy of Mark Box

Junior defender Annie Turnbull has been an integral part of the Jeff’s defense while also registering two goals and nine assists.

The Amherst Student • October 29, 2014

Sports

NHL Fighter or Little League Crybaby?

Post to Post with Papa Cunny Dave Cunningham ’18 Columnist

Injuries are inherent in sport. How do our responses to injuries shape our identity as athletes. Papa Cunny explores arguments relating to sports injuries and shares personal experiences about his time as an injured athlete.

During the third quarter of this week’s Monday Night Football game, the Dallas Cowboys saw the face of their franchise fall to the turf with an apparent back injury.

Tony Romo, a recent back surgery recipient, was forced to leave for two offensive series, but returned to the game in the fourth quarter after a painkilling shot. On that same evening Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise took a high stick to the upper lip, received a mustache of stitches, and immediately returned to the ice.

Fans applaud the bravery displayed when returning to action after such injuries; anything less would be seen as cowardice. Every teammate wants the guy next to him to be relentless, possessing an undying thirst to accomplish the club’s goal, no matter the obstacles or circumstances. Everyone always remembers the Kirk Gibsons or Curt Schillings of the athletic world, who defy the odds and accomplish unthinkable acts of greatness in the midst of severe physical pain and agony.

I wonder, however, if playing through an injury is an act of valor, or an instance of foolishness? Where’s the line between being “soft” and displaying toughness? Predictably, such questions appear to be laced with gray areas and circumstance. Injury in sports is often a “don’t go there” topic.

Most prominently at the professional level, different players are subject to different perceptions when dealing with an injury.

The perception of a star athlete is far different than that of a role player. It seems as though teammates and coaches are far more forgiving when a star player goes down with an injury than a bottom of the depth chart guy. Yes, there will be a collective disappointment when your top goal scorer leaves in the second period with a leg injury, but you do not want him to return to early and get re-injured. With a star player, coaches prefer to “manage” the injury, because the less time missed, the better. Returning to play two shifts in the third period is far less valuable for the team than regaining health for the remaining twenty games.

However, as twisted as it may seem, a bottom of the depth chart player is expected to battle through injury for the team, and himself, generally independent of the circumstance. The position of role player inherently comes with grit and fearlessness. Thus, it is his duty to uphold such a position, no matter the obstacles, for the benefit of the squad.

If he does not battle through an injury he is considered “soft,” will be cast to the wayside and the coach will find a player who will provide more grit. A star player does not deal with such issues. So how does one know if they’re being valorous or foolish, tough or soft? Such a question becomes difficult when applied at a more general level.

For me, there is an obvious distinction between a bump on the elbow, and a potentially season-ending injury (maybe it’s my hockey background). Sitting out for a leg bruise is “soft,” and lacks any form of courageousness. However, many athletes cannot draw such a clear line. Right or wrong, I have been taught if you can get up, you’re fine. My metaphor can be received literally, but is better analyzed figuratively. If you can physically play in the game or practice, without a high possibility of further injury, I believe you should. Pain tolerance is only a matter of the mind.

Yes, I am aware there are extenuating

circumstances. If you have mono obviously don’t go to practice and get your teammates sick, but if your back is sore from sleeping on it the wrong way, get your ass up and sprint onto the field!

Some of you at this point probably think I am stating the obvious, which I may in fact be doing. However, every athlete has experienced the teammates who act like an NHL fighter, and the ones who are the Little League crybaby, and most likely understand where I am coming from. Athletes want a teammate they can count on, and your reaction to pain often determines how teammates portray you. Personally, I want the guy who will do whatever it takes to stay on the field.

If my teammate is always lionhearted, I will respect him no matter what happens. However, If a teammate who generally displays lackluster effort frequently falls victim to what he describes as an “injury,” a sense of respect is lost. I know I may sound cold with such an assertion, but I am sure many athletes understand my point of view.

Ultimately, my own situation has sparked this article. This past summer my mother forced me to meet with an orthopedic surgeon. It was determined that I have hip impingements, a torn labrum in my right hip, partial tearing and degenerations in my left, and tendonitis in both my knees. Apparently I had been dealing with these issues for several years, but I felt, and still feel, fine. Thus I made the decision to heed the doctor’s suggestion of surgery, and elected to undergo cortisone shot treatments so I could play this hockey and baseball season.

It wasn’t so I could be remembered as a Kirk Gibson like figure (let’s be serious, I play Div. III hockey). As the goalie, I felt as though I had an obligation to my teammates and coaches, and quite frankly, I just wanted to play. I only have so many years left of hockey and baseball, and I didn’t want an “injury” to prevent me from playing.

With such a decision has come frequent periods of self-conversation. For example, I couldn’t tell if missing a lift due to hip pain was “soft,” or smart. Was I letting down my teammates, or in fact helping them in the long run? While my teammates say it’s “no big deal,” I still find myself troubled when I’m not sweating it out with them. I would like to think my decision, overall, display a sense of toughness, but I still sometimes think I am acting soft. It seems as though battling through an injury inherently possesses both aspects, if one wants to play for an extended period of time.

Regardless, I cannot perfectly place my decision under one specific category. I guess only time will truly tell if I have acted valorously or foolishly.

Much like me, playing through an injury is your decision as an Amherst athlete.

You, and only you alone, know how badly you want to be on the field. You can tell if you are truly injured, or simply “hurt.” In the end it appears as though instances of playing through an injury cannot be appointed to one specific aspect of my paradigm. In certain instances valor and foolishness go hand in hand, while soft and tough also intertwine at a certain point. However, I stay true to my teachings: If you can physically play, get out there and do it. Our athletic careers are almost over, so battle through, uphold your duty as a teammate, and prove something to yourself, because pain is only a state of mind.

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Water Polo Closes Out historic season Andy Knox ’16 Managing Sports Editor Forty years ago, a former high school AllAmerican from St. Louis landed at Amherst and, among the preppy New England crowd, felt like a fish out of water. Taking matters into his own hands, he created the Amherst water polo team.

Thirty-five years ago, the first female joined the team to begin the program’s storied tradition of being the only competitive coed club sports team at Amherst. Thirty years ago, an inside joke based on Burgess Meredith ’31’s character from the Adam West Batman TV show led to a much needed less racist and more aquatic mascot for the team: the Yo-Ho Penguin. In this year of anniversaries, the Penguins brought home a championship against a rival Amherst has long waited to defeat on the final stage.

This past weekend, Amherst traveled to Brunswick, Maine to attend a water polo tournament at Bowdoin College. The tournament was the North Atlantic Conference Championships and the Yo-Hos were the No. 2 seed in the the southern division. Amherst would face Northeastern and Bowdoin in the bracket play, with winner of this round robin play eventually earning a coveted spot in the championship game.

Amherst faced Northeastern, the top overall seeded team in the tournament, in the first their first match of the tournament. After falling behind early 3-1 in the first quarter, the YoHos would tie the score 5-5 at halftime. Another period of play saw the teams still deadlocked at eight apiece. Despite the rather dirty play from Northeastern (who attempted to take out Alex “Lefty” Dreisbach with a shot to the nose) and playing against a team much larger and deeper than their own, Amherst would take the lead towards the end of the final quarter 11-9 and would hold on for a 11-10 victory over the Huskies. Connor Sholtis ‘15 led Amherst scorers with three goals each and senior captain Anders “Stonewall” Lindgren played a phenomenal game in the goal. Amherst then faced Bowdoin next in the Battle of the Arctic. The Penguins left the Polar Bears out in the cold, taking a 7-0 lead midway through the third quarter en route to a 10-3 sinking of Bowdoin.

With a 2-0 record in bracket play, Amherst faced its rival, the Jumbos of Tufts, in the championship game. Barring a freak loss to Williams this year, Tufts has been the only team Amherst has lost to since 2010, the most bitter losses coming in the championship games from 2010 (which ended in triple overtime) and 2013. Despite Chris van den Berg’s strong warning that Amherst needed to come out strong against the Jumbos, Amherst fell behind 5-2 in the second quarter. Amherst would end the quarter with a final scoring flurry to tie it up 5-5 at halftime.

However, the swimming prowess of Tufts would carry them to a quick 8-5 lead in the third quarter that saw Amherst confused and seemingly helpless in preventing the Jumbos from charg-

ing down the pool on transition play. A tip-in goal from Chris van den Berg stopped the bleeding at the end of the quarter, with Amherst down 8-6.

During the final break of play before the fourth quarter, Anders Lindgren ’15 gave an impassioned speech to the team and broke down the strategy that would carry the Yo-Hos to victory. Staring down a two-goal deficit and a much larger bench on the Tufts side, the Amherst starting six dug deep and began the final seven minutes of the match. Sholtis would score to halve the margin, but the Jumbos would quickly respond with a counter goal to lead 9-7.

Following a Tufts ejection and subsequent power-play, Sholtis would score again to bring the score to 9-8. After a defensive stop, junior Daniel Nussbaum would score to tie the game at 9-9.

Sholtis would score yet again to take the lead, only for Tufts to score within six seconds on a power-play of their own and with another goal to retake the lead 11-10. In perhaps the most clutch play of the game, Amherst would draw an ejection on a Tufts player and get a quick pass to a wide open van den Berg who fired a shot past a stunned Tufts goalie, tying the game at 1111. After a blocked shot and breakaway counter, Sholtis sped down the pool to score his fourth goal of the final quarter and the eventual gamewinner. After an intense final minute that saw Tufts attempt a final Hail Mary shot, that was snuffed by goalie Anders Lindgren, the Amherst team celebrated their come-from-behind 12-11 win over their Jumbo rivals by eating cookies on the Bowdoin pool deck.Sholtis led all scorers with five goals.

The championship is the third for the YoHos in five years, who have competed in the championship game the last five years in a row.

Junior Taylor Wilson commented on the season saying: There were lots of moments that tested our resolve, but we really pulled together as a team in the last few games of the season.”

Despite graduating seven seniors last year, the team had full confidence in itself to compete witin a stacked conference that includes UMass and the United States Coast Guard Academy.

As van den Berg remarked at the end of the tournament, while Amherst did not have the best collection of players, it was the best team in the whole conference. Ultimately it was the team’s defense and passing ability that allowed Amherst to defeat its foes. Certain individual performances deserve recognition: the counterplay of Sholtis, the hole-set play and steals of Nussbaum, the constant threat of left-handed cannon Alex Dreisbach ’17, the point play and set defense of first-year Nathan Ives, the turnaround of Rainer Lempert ’15 who received no playing time during the Williams tournament but put in hours of work after practice to become a rotation player, and the goal-tending of captain Anders Lindgren. The Yo-Ho Penguins finish the season 9-2 and despite graduating five seniors, the team looks to build on the continued success of the Amherst program for years to come.

Photo courtesy of Blaine Werner ’15

The Yo-Ho Penguins celebrate their North Atlantic Conference Championship victory, their third in five years.

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Photo courtesy of Matthew Killian ‘17

The men’s lacrosse team hiked the 16-mile Seven Sisters Holyoke mountain range to raise money and awareness for SBIG.

Men’s Lax Takes on 16-Mile Seven Sisters Range

Raises Money for Students Bridging the Information Gap Katie Paolano ‘16 Sports Section Editor On Friday, Oct. 24, the men’s lacrosse team ran nearly 16 miles up and down the “Seven Sisters” mountain range to help raise money and awareness for Students Bridging The Information Gap (SBIG). This nonprofit organization was founded by Matthew Killian ’17 of the men’s lacrosse team with the help of family and friends and provides technological and infrastructure resources for students in Ghana.

Friday’s 16-mile “Sprint for SBIG” consisted of 14 peaks and more than 4,000 feet of vertical climb of rocky terrain along the Holyoke Range.

“It was definitely one of the most difficult physical and mental challenges of my life,” Kane Haffey ’16 said. “Your body constantly wants to quit, but you have to remind yourself it’s for a great cause.”

SBIG was founded in 2008, with a primary focus on providing computer labs and libraries, along with age-appropriate reading material, to less fortunate students and orphans in Africa. Since 2008, SBIG has built and supplied computer labs and libraries to four schools and

orphanages in Ghana. “With the fundraising efforts we earn from the Sprint for SBIG we are looking towards opening a fifth.” Matt Killian ’17 said. “We are looking forward to further helping the children of Ghana to use their education to help their struggling communities in the future.”

SBIG has helped over 2,100 children at the Baptist School Complex and Orphanage (2008), Good Shepherd Orphanage (2009), New Life International Children’s Home (2010), and In My Father’s House (2011). SBIG utilizes all volunteer staffing and has formed meaningful relationships with a team of local professionals and volunteers and now has a strong presence in Africa. Killian has traveled to Ghana twice with SBIG and says it was an “eye opening experience. The kids were so thankful and welcoming, it was a joy be able to help them. It also made me appreciate all that I have and how blessed I am to have an Amherst education.”

Using a detailed Needs Assessment to evaluate the physical infrastructure, access to water and electricity, characteristics of the students and staff, and reputation of the organization, SBIG’s mission is to bring a learning focused

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

aid to the less fortunate in Africa.

Men’s lacrosse came together once again this Friday to help create a better local and global community. Building character and working together as a team to forward their efforts toward transcendent causes year after year. In 2011, the men’s lacrosse team raised almost $15,000 for their “Climb for Cole” to support United Cerebral Palsy. In 2012, their “Hike for Helen” raised more than $25,000 for research towards a rare form of pediatric cancer, and in 2013, the men’s lacrosse team’s “Student Sponsor Summit” raised more $40,000 for the educational benefit of at risk children in New York City.

“Everyone rallied behind the idea of the Amherst Lacrosse team making a positive impact in the world, and I think that’s what gets the guys through the grueling run,” Killian said.

“The most rewarding experience, other than completing the run, will be finally seeing the result of our fundraising and the impact is has in Ghana,” Haffey said. “Coming together as a team and being able to make a difference in the world makes the physical and mental challenge worth it in the end.”

Captain Matt Virgilio ’15 described it as a

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

memorable experience.

“It was an awesome run aimed at raising awareness and donations in order to help build computer labs and libraries for orphanages in Ghana,” he said. “Although it’s a great physical challenge and it undoubtedly brings us closer together as a unit, the emphasis is really on the children who hopefully will gain far greater opportunities through our efforts.”

Coming off of one of the strongest seasons of Lord Jeff lacrosse history (12-3 regular season), the team is looking forward to making it even further in the upcoming 2015 season. Appearing in the NESCAC championship game for the first time in over 14 years, the Lord Jeffs fell to Tufts 20-13 who went on to earn the title of 2014 National Champions.

“As we close out fall training, we look forward to working hard on our own over interterm, to then reunite with our teammates currently abroad and hit the ground running with just a few short weeks before our 2015 season begins on Feb. 15,” said Captain Carl Lampe ’15.

The Lord Jeffs look ahead to preseason and their first game against Bates on Feb. 28 in Lewiston, Maine.

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson