Joe Palmo: A Star Seeking More of His Kind

Palmo has conducted research at Amherst, NASA, and soon at Boston startup QuantAQ through his data science role. Photo courtesy of Joe Palmo ’21.To the naked eye, a star is a beacon of hope, used by many as a guiding light in the sky. The amazement some feel when stargazing is rooted in the idea that stars burn brightly enough to bring joy to those millions of miles away. The radiance of a star, however, can sometimes blind us from finding its individual planets in orbit. With a closer look, sta

Behind the Board: Sports Recruiting Boosts the Desirability of Amherst College

Two weeks ago, The Student’s editors met to discuss equity in college admissions. Spurred by a Williams Record article [https://williamsrecord.com/2019/11/lets-lose-the-directors-cup-a-call-to-end-athletic-recruitment/] calling for the end of athletic recruiting, we embarked on a discussion of the logic behind adjusting admissions standards for recruited athletes. While we couldn’t come to a consensus on the issue, we discussed a multitude of important topics, from the athletic impact on the op

Noah Wheaton: Defending Equality, Across His Fields

Noah is well known for his smile and can-do initiative in matters concerning equality across and beyond the Amherst campus.  Photo Courtesy of Noah Wheaton ’20. When I sat down to talk with Noah Wheaton ’20, he recounted a story from when he was ten years old, trading Pokemon cards with his brother Sirus Wheaton ’23 at a Los Angeles summer camp; he heard a loud “pop,” and Sirus abruptly stood up, walking away with his hands on his head. Noah realized something was wrong when he saw blood staini

The Recap: All The Sports You Missed This Week

Women’s BasketballWomen’s basketball sailed through their first round matchup in the NESCAC women’s basketball conference championship tournament, downing seventh-seeded Bates 69-44 in the quarterfinal matchup. The Mammoths, with the victory, have now won 13 straight, good enough for a record of 22-3. Seniors Hannah Fox ’20 and Madeline Eck ’20 again led the charge for the Amherst squad, as they have all season. Fox scored a game-high 17 points to go along with a game-high nine rebounds. Eck reg

The Recap: All The Sports You Missed This Week

Women’s BasketballWomen’s basketball routed the Conn. College Camels in its regular season finale, finishing the season with a resounding 76-52 victory. Amherst and Conn. traded baskets early in the game, with the first quarter being an uncommonly tight one between the squads. However, the Mammoths pulled away in the second quarter and never looked back, sprinting out to a 13 point lead by halftime. Dani Valdez ’22 and Hannah Fox ’20 led the Mammoths in scoring, each registering 16 points and

Women’s Swim and Dive Takes Third at Conference Championships

After four days grueling days in the Middlebury pool, women’s swim and dive walked away with bronze at the 2020 NESCAC Championships. The Mammoths closed out the weekend with 1369 points, finishing behind Tufts (1593.5) and Williams (1930.5). Racking up a NESCAC record, two program records, three event wins, five silver medals and five bronze medals, Amherst left Vermont with a feeling of satisfaction. Day one of NESCACs included Nina Fitzgerald ’21 winning the 50-yard breaststroke race, bes

Men’s Track and Field Season Off to Running Start

While most teams cram a season into a two-month whirlwind, men’s track and field is in it for the long haul. With 23 meets spanning from early January to late May, it takes both patience and dedication to perform at a high level over the course of the long season. The Mammoths kicked off the 2020 campaign at Wesleyan, competing in the famous Little III Championships with Williams and Wesleyan. While Williams entered the meet with a 31-year winning-streak, the team left Middletown empty-handed.

Women’s Squash Finishes Second at Little Three Championships

As women’s squash approaches the home stretch of a remarkably successful season, the Mammoths are poised for a strong postseason run. Last year’s NESCAC semifinalists have dramatically improved over the course of a season; with nine wins, the team has already surpassed 2019’s win total of eight. Opponents have not fared well when they’ve traveled to Amherst’s Davenport Squash Courts; the No. 15 Mammoths are 8-1 at home (9-4 overall), with the only loss to rival No. 12 Williams. Amherst’s .

The Recap: All The Sports You Missed This Week

Men’s BasketballThe men’s basketball team continued its run of solid form on Saturday, besting Little Three rival Wesleyan by the score of 75-54 in a matchup of the NESCAC’s two top scoring defenses. Garrett Day ’21 was the standout performer for the Mammoths, scoring a career-high 29 points to lead the Mammoths’ offense and all players. Day was a stellar 7-12 from three point range, to going along with four assists and two rebounds on the night. With the victory, the Mammoths moved to 14-6 on t

Men's Basketball Falls to Williams, Struggles in NESCAC Conference Play

After a roaring start, men’s basketball has dropped four of its last six contests. Amherst began the 2019-2020 season with a 9-2 record and a Ken Wright Invitational tournament championship victory over Fitchburg State. The Mammoths secured several marquee wins, including a home thriller vs. Springfield and a 116-point thrashing of Lesley to cap off the streak. However, once Amherst hit NESCAC play, the season took a turn for the worst. The Mammoths blew a seven-point halftime lead at Wesley

The Recap: All The Sports You Missed This Week

Men’s Squash The men’s squash team has rallied back from a disappointing start to the season by reeling off four straight wins and claiming victory at the Pioneer Valley Invitational tournament. Against no. 16 MIT on Jan. 24, the 22nd-ranked Mammoths faced their first and stiffest test of the tournament. The Mammoths jumped out to early leads thanks to Reginald Brewster ’21, Andrew Leung ’22 and Robert Parker ’21, and did not look back, cruising to a comfortable 6-3 victory. The following day sa

Men’s Soccer Looks to Finish National Title Quest

After rolling through the first four rounds of the NCAA DIII men’s soccer tournament, Amherst must conquer one more weekend of soccer to bring home a national championship trophy. The Mammoths hosted the third and fourth rounds at Hitchcock Field on Nov. 23 and 24, taking on Rowan University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), respectively. Rowan vanquished Salve Regina in round one, followed by an incredible double overtime upset of No. 15 Mary Washington to advance to the sweet 16

Men’s Soccer Dominates First Two NCAA Games

After suffering a loss in the NESCAC semifinals to Middlebury, men’s soccer has rebounded in style to start the NCAA Tournament. After a 6-1 trounce of Thomas College this past Saturday and a 2-0 shutout of No. 25 Ithaca College the next day, the Mammoths are thundering into the NCAA DIII tournament Sweet 16. Amherst received an at-large bid to the tournament and played its first- and second-round games at Keene State in freezing New Hampshire on Nov. 16 and 17. In its first match on Saturday

Men’s Soccer Falls in NESCAC Semifinals to Middlebury

Amherst men’s soccer was shut out for the first time this season, dropping its NESCAC semifinal match to Middlebury 1-0. The upset was the team’s first loss of the year, lowering the Mammoths’ overall record to 14-1-2. Amherst came out of the gate a bit slow with some sloppy play and poor clearances. Similarly to the 1-1 double-overtime tie with Middlebury on Sept. 29, the Mammoths outshot the Panthers overall but gave up a crucial early goal. Middlebury forward Ben Potter shocked the Hitchc

Men’s Soccer Downs Wesleyan to Advance to Semis

Entering Saturday’s NESCAC quarterfinal matchup with eighth-seeded Wesleyan, Amherst had every reason to look past the Cardinals. While the Mammoths tout No. 1 overall rankings in the NESCAC and DIII soccer, they stay grounded and focus on one game at a time. “We just want to win the next game, which is a key philosophy for our program,” head coach Justin Serpone said. Amherst did just that, trouncing Wesleyan 2-0. Continuing their offensive onslaught, the Mammoths launched 21 shots, includin

Undefeated Men’s Soccer Success Reminiscent of 2015-16

Just how good is the Amherst men’s soccer team this year? With a dominant 2-1 win over Bates on Saturday, Amherst continued its streak of success. Bryce Johnson ’21 and Ignacio Cubeddu ’23 each netted goals in the first half for the Mammoths, who were relatively untroubled by the Bobcats, despite conceding a point in the 70th minute when the game had already been decided. Head coach Justin Serpone’s squad seems to have a solid chance to succeed this year. Consider a comparison in the statistic

Flipping the Script: Bryce Johnson’s Unique Talent

When Bryce Johnson ’21 was initially spotted as a high school player by Amherst men’s soccer head coach Justin Serpone, he wasn’t showing off his speed, tackling or foot skills. Johnson started playing soccer at the age of five, but it was his passion for another sport that taught him the mechanics of the famous “flip throw” that first caught Serpone’s eye. “I did gymnastics when I was little,” said Johnson, “so I could already do the front handspring. When I was 9 years old, I decided to giv

Amherst Remains Unblemished, Beats Wesleyan

Another multi-goal day from German Giammattei ’21, along with the usual physical Amherst defense proved too much for Wesleyan. Amherst defeated the Cardinals 2-0 on Saturday at Hitchcock Field. Amherst entered the contest 7-0-2, coming off of Wednesday’s 4-1 defeat of New England College. That same Wednesday, Wesleyan took on first-ranked Tufts, playing them to a 1-1 double-overtime tie and ending the Jumbos’ seven-game winning streak. The NESCAC clash kicked off just after noon with no cloud