Alex Says Arrividerci

Former Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 reflects on his journey through The Student and says goodbye in one final article.

Ten-Minute Play Festival Spotlights Student Theater

Green Room presented its Ten Minute Play Festival, celebrating student theater with four original plays. Managing Arts & Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ʼ23 gives his thoughts on the productions’ humor and whismy.

Campus Art (and Food) for All

Students, staff, and faculty gathered in Valentine Hall for the “Campus Art for All Inaugural Exhibition,” featuring work from students and staff. Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 breaks down the story behind the event’s inception, as well as the artists’ inspirations.

Events You Might Have Missed…

Ahead of the end of the semester, many music, theater and dance groups at Amherst had their final performances … so many that we couldn’t cover them all! Here’s a quick recap of some of this week’s noteworthy events.

Worlds Collide: ASO, Choral Society, and Jazz Ensemble

For Family Weekend, Amherst musical ensembles collaborated on a performance to celebrate 100 years since voting rights were extended to women in the U.S. Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 recounts the powerful and thought-provoking concert.

Theater Takes Flight in “The Birdcage”

Green Room’s production of “The Birdcage” flew in for Family Weekend. Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 reviews the show, which aptly follows a young couple and the contentious union of their two families.

Alex’s Super Spooky Seasonal Story

To inaugurate the start of the spooky season, Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 presents an eerie story about a mother and her daughter.

Broken Hearts Abound in Ghostlight Triple Feature

Amherst’s newest theater group, Ghostlight, premiered their “Triple Feature” this week. Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 discusses the trio of student productions, which each featured original scripts and casts.

Ghostlight: Amherst’s Newest Theater Haunt

Amherst’s newest student-run theater group, Ghostlight, is currently preparing for their first production, a “Triple Feature” later this month. Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 sits down with Matt Vitelli ’24 to discuss the founding and future of the group.

Audrey Rosevear: Leaping to Topology, Theater, and Transitioning

Audrey Rosevear has spent her time at Amherst devoted to her passions of mathematics and theater, all while embarking on a personal journey to come out as trans.

Moved by a Melody: Choral Society’s Spring Concert

Last Friday, the Amherst College Choral Society performed their Spring concert, “Everlasting Voices.” Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 recaps their first performance since the Glee Club’s merger with Chorus.

Rants and Raves: Imagine You’re a Sea Turtle

In this week’s “Rants and Raves,” Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 raves about his love for sea turtles.

Creativity and Craft: ASO’s Compelling Concertos

The Amherst Symphony Orchestra performed on April 9, expressing solidarity with Ukraine while showcasing senior soloists. Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ʼ23 reviews the performance with insights from Music Director and Conductor Mark Lane Swanson.

Fifth Annual Black Art Matters Festival Celebrates Artists, Poets, and Musicians

Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 discusses the fifth annual Black Art Matters festival with participating artists and performers. The event was held on Thursday, March 24, in the Powerhouse.

Netflix’s “Cowboy Bebop”: An Unwatchable Remake

Managing Arts and Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener '23 compares Netflix's live action remake of "Cowboy Bebop" to the original anime show. Despite similarities to the original, the remake is so disappointing that he couldn't even make it through the first scene.

“Reasons to Leave”: A Sensational Senior Thesis

Sebastian Son’s ’22 senior thesis in music composition, “Reasons to Leave,” integrated original musical pieces with strong theatrical performances. Managing Arts & Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 explores the one-night production and Son’s creative process.

"Circle Mirror Transformation": Acting About Acting

Arts & Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener '23 reviews "Circle Mirror Transformation," which follows an adult acting class through a series of crises. He praises the show's varied performances, which show the potential for experimental, emotional and impactful student acting.

Amherst Through Art — Homecoming Review

After a year of fully remote performances, this Fall marked the return of live performance to Amherst campus! Managing Editors Theo Hamilton ’23 and Alex Brandfonbrener ’23 highlight their favorite performances of the year so far.

Reconciling Queer Christianity Through Activism — Alumni Profile, Ophelia Hu Kinney ’12

Ophelia Hu Kinney '12 is an accomplished activist, drawing on her personal experiences to inform intersectional discourse between her queer identity and Christian faith.

Slice Slice Baby: An Homage to Fruit Ninja

For Managing Arts & Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener '23, Fruit Ninja is a central childhood memory. Reflecting on his years with the game, he concludes that "no matter the circumstance, Fruit Ninja is addictive," a sentiment as true in 2021 as it was in middle school.

The Many Sides of "Deathtrap" in the Octagon

The Green Room's performance of comedic murder mystery "Deathtrap" will open this Friday. Managing Arts & Living Editor Alex Brandfonbrener '23 previews of the performance, highlighting its effective use of the Octagon, its unorthodox performance space.

"Donda": Daring, Disruptive — Disappointing.

While his album features a compelling new sound, it struggles to maintain its quality. It’s a complicated album, even for a long-time fan like Aryeetey: “It still feels like a grand statement, but one that could be grander.

Noah John: Shaping the Future of Music Through Journalism

After NYU journalism school, John plans to develop his music media platform into a self-sustaining business. Photo courtesy of Noah John ’21.At a college like Amherst, it is easy to follow the beaten path. The trail markers that guide most students are getting good grades, securing an internship that might lead to a job and maybe being lauded along the way. But to succeed in those things, and also to dedicate yourself to  a new path that’s entirely your own is much harder. Noah John ’21 is one s

Performance Gone Virtual: Terras Irradient

As the only Christian a cappella group at Amherst, faith is central to Terras Irradient’s performance. In a normal year, the choir shines on stage, making music only with the sounds of their voice. But do these key elements of their performance translate to Zoom? Even with their members spread across the nation, Terras Irradient, or TI for short, has managed to maintain their identity, defined not only by their music and faith, but also by their close-knit community. When students were suddenly

Performance Gone Virtual: Mr. Gad’s House of Improv

During a normal year, the performers of Mr. Gad’s House of Improv, the college’s oldest improv comedy group, sit face-to-face with their audience. Each Monday night, they would take audience suggestions, run into the crowd and play with the intimate dynamics of live improv comedy. But what does that become when the audience is a grid of faces on a screen? Since transitioning to Zoom, Gad’s has worked to maintain its standards and identity while also using the unusual circumstances of a virtual

Williams Who? The Rivalry Between Amherst and Williams Explained

Over the last 200 years, many things have changed about Amherst. The student body is no longer all white, all male and all rich. The smallpox-spreading “Lord Jeff” mascot has been replaced with the image of an extinct animal. And there is a new Science Center which costs almost as much as the GDP of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. However, one aspect of Amherst’s identity has persevered: our infamous rivalry with Williams College. While this tradition largely survives through an annual fo

Frost vs. The Science Center: Which Study Space Do You Prefer?

Why is it, amid global crises like climate change, the pandemic, rising poverty and social inequality, that Amherst students feel the need to debate which of their fancy study spaces they prefer? But while the question “Science Center or Frost?” may seem trivial, I feel that, because we are unable to leave campus, the spaces that are available to the students currently living in the Amherst bubble are more important to us than in ordinary years. While there are a number of places students can s

Life at Amherst in 2021: A Reflection on the Loss of Student Spaces

Small pieces of snow, carried by the wind, sail across the First-Year Quad and collide with red bricks. In many ways, it is a typical winter in Amherst. The college has entered its second full semester during the Covid-19 pandemic, but it is clear to everyone on campus how different life is compared to before. Whole buildings that used to brim with student activity are now unused. Campus no longer stirs with packs of eager students on their way to class. These spaces, whose original uses are l

The Invasion of “Among Us” on the Amherst Campus

Out of the never-ending stream of TikTok memes, “Among Us” has emerged as the game of the moment. The game takes place in the lonely expanses of space, where players work to thwart or support a parasitic, alien impostor in a spaceship riddled with various tasks that need to be completed. While this foreign setting hardly seems comforting, “Among Us” is perfectly situated for anyone suffering from quarantine cabin fever. I spoke to Amherst students about their thoughts on the game, and what place

“Love in the Time of Covid”: Dating at Amherst

After months of seclusion and reclusion, many students have finally returned to the Amherst campus. Nearly all the elements of pre-quarantine life have been maintained in some way: academics, extracurriculars, social life, the campus itself. But what about romance? Even in normal times, dating is fresh and risky. But what about during Covid, when the school has to maintain a perfect social bubble from the rest of the world? I spoke to Amherst students, single and in relationships, about dating o

The Common’s Latest Issue Features a Collection of Gripping Stories From Sudan

“The Common,” the biannual literary journal based at Amherst College,  just released its 19th issue during the peak of COVID-19’s isolating effect, on April 27. It’s a time that presents both challenges and new opportunities for such a publication. When all heads are turned towards the small, repetitive loops of quarantined life,  “The Common” offers an escape through literature, as it centers on stories of place. This issue of “The Common” features short stories and art from artists in Sudan

“Star Trek: Picard” Provides Relevant, Fresh Storylines

Ten-year-old me would be thrilled to see “Star Trek: Picard” hit the screen. Star Trek was an important part of my childhood (yes, I’m a nerd) — not the 60s, William Shatner, bodysuit-wearing, original “Star Trek,” but its self-reflective, late-90s, bodysuit-wearing younger cousin, “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” Having never watched the show on the air, I always felt a little disconnected from the world of “Star Trek.” I’m over the moon (haha, get it?) to see faces I thought to be lost to tim

“The Good Place” Presents Thoughtful, Warm Finale

Note: This review contains spoilers of “The Good Place’s” finale. Few shows attempt to challenge their viewers while making them laugh, and even fewer shows do it as well as “The Good Place,” which aired its series finale Jan. 30. The NBC comedy, which explored the ethical and comedic implications of a modern afterlife, ran for four seasons packed with laughs and genuinely unexpected twists. While “The Good Place” begins with Eleanor (Kristen Bell), a washed-up, day drinking, Arizona native, ‘‘

“The Mandalorian” Delivers Impressive Visuals and Cast

“The Mandalorian” has a lot to prove. It is the first “Star Wars” adaptation to be a live action TV show, as well as Disney’s first new “Star Wars” content exclusive to Disney+, the recently-launched streaming service. Ultimately, “The Mandalorian” holds up to fans’ expectations, redefining the beloved franchise in exciting ways while also setting a high standard for a new wave of high budget shows that are exclusive to streaming platforms like Disney+. It is clear at first glance that “The Ma

TV Show “Dickinson” Feels Out of Touch with Reality

If Amherst, both the college and town, bears the mark of any single person it would be Emily Dickinson, whose image hangs in Johnson Chapel alongside our past presidents and whose house sits comfortable in town on the perimeter of campus. The house where she grew up and lived is now a well-visited museum, and the Amherst library holds a substantial portion of her poems. She is an incredibly influential figure in the literary world. However, we actually know very little about Dickinson’s life a

“Downton Abbey” the Movie Maintains Delight of TV Show

Who is the “Downton Abbey” movie meant for? I see this question as an impediment in the creation of any TV movie that must both cater to a fervent fan base (even if it is made up of mostly old people, in the case of “Downton Abbey”) and a public that has not seen the show. It’s a difficult seesaw to balance — juggling plot, characterization and character development, humor and a basic level of understanding. In addition, the stakes are especially high when dealing with such a critically-acclai

“Hustlers” Takes Audience on a Thrilling, Risky Ride

It’s hard to call “Hustlers” a movie about stripping. Yes, the ensemble of characters is comprised of strippers at a strip club, most notably Constance Wu as Dorothy, the new girl in the club, and Jennifer Lopez as Ramona, both a motherly mentor and mafia leader. But the cast spends little of the two-hour run time actually stripping. “Hustlers” doesn’t even put the “hustling” at the forefront — as Dorothy and Ramona scheme to swindle Wall Street investment bankers and steal their coin. Rathe