In Light of an Apparent Double Standard, Students Call for Greater Transparency on Covid Rules Enforcement

As the college entered stage 2 of its on-campus student move-in plan last week, concerns about the transparency and enforcement of Covid-19 violation protocols came to a head. Prompted by an incident in which three international students — two of whom were Black — were asked to leave campus on Feb. 23 due to dining in a room together without masks in the quarantine period, over 200 students signed onto an open letter [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fPTZj2ub-wgaoe5H0fI-c5rN8J3avGDI/view] which

Notes From Frost: Amherst Uprising, Five Years On

This past November marked the fifth anniversary of Amherst Uprising, a multi-day sit-in of Frost Library led by students who demanded attention and change surrounding racism on campus. Yet, for many, the Uprising didn’t begin — or end — in the confines of the library foyer five years ago. Rather, it marked just a moment in a centuries-long struggle for racial justice and Black equality within the institution. The activism bred by Amherst Uprising was not new or unprecedented but embodied tradit

Bidding Goodbye to a Chaotic and Illuminating Year

Like any good, cheesy romance film, I stumbled across the news section of The Amherst Student by chance. At the introduction meeting I attended during the very first week of classes my first year, I was intent on writing opinion articles — a testament to the lofty goals I set at the start of my college career, naive enough to believe I had thoughts important enough to share with the world on a weekly basis. Something inexplicable shifted in me, however, when then-news editors Shawna Chen ’20 and

Spring Plans Announced, Seniors, Juniors, First Years Invited to Return

Here’s what you need to know: * The college announced that it would allow first years, juniors, seniors and transfer students to return on campus in the spring. * Around 1,200 students will be invited on campus, which is similar to the number of students that the college had initially expected to return to campus this fall. * Sophomores whose “home circumstances impede their academic progress” can petition to return to campus. * Depending on the number of students who wish to re

As Trump Rally Nears Campus, Students Find Creative Ways for Resistance

Supporters of President Donald Trump gathered outside of Seelye House to express their agreement with law enforcement amid national calls to defund the police. Photo courtesy of Natalie De Rosa ’21.A rally in support of President Donald Trump and the “Back the Blue” campaign — along with a counter-rally against white supremacy — took stage on the town common directly in front of campus on the afternoon of Oct. 12. As the college implemented detours and guidelines for students living along the ra

Halfway Through a Turbulent Semester, Students Reflect on Areas for Change in Open Forums

President Biddy Martin, joined by members of her senior staff, hosted two Zoom forums to gauge student feedback on the fall semester, one for on-campus students on Sept. 30 and the other for remote students on Oct. 1. Among the highlights of the forums include the opening of more social spaces and residence halls to non-residents, students requesting more lenient Covid rule restrictions and updates on spring plans. Beginning the Sept. 30 forum for on-campus students, Martin officially announce

Staff Members Describe Feeling Expendable, Replaceable as Covid-19 Presents Safety Concerns

“Amherst staff, thank you for all you do!!!” signage across campus reads, pictured above. Staff members, however, have demonstrated significant safety concerns in completing their jobs amid the pandemic. Photo courtesy of Natalie De Rosa ’21.“There’s generally a sense that we’re totally expendable,” one Amherst College staff member told The Student. As Covid-19 clusters exploded on campuses across the country, critics of reopening plans denounced college administrators’ apparent [https://www.da

Alumnus Draws Student Backlash Over Racist Journal Article

A recent article by Lawrence Mead ’66, published in and later retracted by the Society journal last month, made waves on social media as academics across the U.S. denounced the article as racist. The article, which attributed poverty in Black and Hispanic communities to cultural differences, drew nearly 4,000 people from across the nation to sign a petition calling for the article’s retraction. In the wake of such discontent in academic circles, Amherst students quickly condemned Mead — taking

Taking One Day at a Time: Over 900 Students Adjust to Life on a Covid-Cautious Campus

For the past three months, the college has set forth careful, calculated planning for the precarious experiment that began last week: bringing the 937 students from across the pandemic-stricken country to live and learn on campus. It did not go off without a hitch; students tested the waters and saw how firm the campus living guidelines held; out-of-state tests did not return in time; and Zoom crashed on the first morning of classes. However, all in all, the precarious mobilization seemed a succ

In An Era of Virtual Orientations, First-Years Underscore the Value of In-Person Programming

Plans for a traditional first-year orientation have been uprooted as the coronavirus pandemic continues to run rampant across the country, moving primarily to online platforms. Yet, even as the college has incrementally notified first-years about its tentative orientation programming, some have expressed a need for an in-person orientation, writing letters to administrators to convey such enthusiasm for one. In past years, first-year orientation composed of multiple in-person small group activ

Live Updates: Fall Planning Town Hall

In the wake of its recent announcement on its plans for upcoming the fall semester [https://amherststudent.com/article/breaking-first-years-and-sophomores-set-to-live-on-campus-in-colleges-re-opening-plan] , the college will be hosting a Zoom town hall on Thursday, July 7 at 7 p.m. EST to field lingering questions from students. Follow along on this page throughout the event for live updates on the topics discussed. 5:30 p.m.: Ahead of the town hall, the college emailed those who registered fo

First-years and Sophomores Set to Live On-Campus in College Re-Opening Plan

Between 1,200 and 1,500 students, mostly first years and sophomores, are invited to return to campus in the fall as a part of the college’s reopening plan. Photo courtesy of Matai Curzon ’22.Here’s what you need to know: * The college will bring back between 1,200 and 1,250 students this fall, approximately 60 percent of the total enrollment of approximately 1,800. Priority will be given to all first- and second-year students, as well as all transfer students, second-semester seniors

What Do We Know About Fall 2020? Looking Ahead of the July 1 Announcement

With the college approaching a final decision on operations for the fall 2020 semester, the administration has nodded to a number of potential shifts through emails to the community, Q&A sessions with donors and other modes of communication. Though July 1 — the date around which the college expected to announce its plans — looms, little is still known as students attempt to piece together the already-disclosed details at hand. Colleges across the country are scrambling to prepare for a potentia

Shawna Chen: On the Scene, Reporting Notepad in Hand

Chen’s love for journalism began at her high school paper, where she began to see the craft as a way to combat inequity. Photo courtesy of Audrey Cheng ’20.In my three years at The Student, I’ve had my fair share of intimidating interviews. On more than one occasion, I’ve frantically loitered the halls of Converse reminding myself to take a deep breath before walking into the office of an administrator with difficult questions in hand, or hesitated to press the “dial” button on my phone knowing

President Martin Raises Possibilities for Fall Semester, Fields Student Questions in Virtual Town Hall

President Biddy Martin fielded student questions in a virtual town hall via Zoom on April 22, joined by Provost and Dean of Faculty Catherine Epstein, Chief Student Affairs Officer Karu Kozuma, Dean of Students Liz Agosto and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Matt McGann. Screenshot courtesy of Natalie De Rosa ’21.President Biddy Martin hosted a virtual town hall for students on Wednesday, April 22, in which she joined Provost and Dean of Faculty Catherine Epstein, Dean of Students Liz Agosto

Anti-Asian Racism Prompted by Coronavirus Illuminates Greater Need for Campus Support

With anti-Asian sentiment on the rise as the coronavirus pandemic reaches a peak in the United States, President Biddy Martin condemned racist incidents against Asian Americans as “abhorrent” in an email to the college community on April 7. Even as different corners of campus have begun extending their support, ranging from academic departments to counseling services, many Asian students continue to carry the burdens of xenophobia in their day-to-day lives, advocating for greater administrative

As College Institutes Expanded Flexible Grading, Students Reimagine What Grades Look Like During the Coronavirus Pandemic

The college announced on March 26 that it would expand its Flexible Grading Option (FGO) to all classes for this semester only, a decision that follows suit of other colleges and universities nationwide as they attempt to grapple with the effects of the coronavirus outbreak. The FGO, which was first introduced this past fall to encourage students to explore the open curriculum without the burden of a letter grade, allows students to declare a course as pass/fail after receiving their final gra

Racist Incident Prompts Men’s Lacrosse Probation, Coach Termination and BSU Activism for Greater Accountability

In the two weeks since The Student first reported that three members of the men’s lacrosse team chanted the n-word outside of their Black teammate’s suite, the college announced the probation of the team until June 2021 among additional disciplinary measures, while outrage from students, alumni and others from across the nation intensified as captured in letters of demands to the college for increased accountability that the Black Student Union (BSU) wrote and began circulating. In an email to

Students and Faculty Set Out to Make Sense of Recent COVID-19 Changes

In the wake of the college’s announcement of a shift to remote learning, community members from across the board struggle to find their footing amid a seemingly surreal announcement and mandate for departure. Exceedingly high flight costs, the prospect of returning to unstable home situations and uncertainties around visas have all created cause for concern among students, while faculty face challenges in adapting their courses for remote learning. Low-income students particularly face much of

Low-Income Students’ Experiences Marked by Alienation

When Elinton Park ’20 was first applying to college, he didn’t know about Amherst College. Hailing from rural Missouri, he remained oblivious to the liberal arts institution up until just before the regular decision application, and only heard about the college through QuestBridge, a non-profit organization that connects high-achieving low-income students to elite colleges. “Amherst does take a more ‘I don’t come to you, you come to me’ approach. Me in Missouri only hearing about Amherst throu

Legacy Admissions Scrutinized in Wake of Varsity Blues

In 2004, around 45 students and parents visited Amherst for what was deemed an “admissions workshop” tailored specifically for alumni and their children. Then-Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Katie Fretwell ’81 answered questions from the group, explaining the application process and the college’s expectations for yield rates. At one point, a visitor raised his hand. “I feel a little bad asking about it, but is there an advantage to a family relationship?” he asked Fretwell. “The director

College Admissions Scandal Provokes Questions About Athletics

In light of Operation Varsity Blues and its fallout — actress Felicity Huffman and 15 others who were implicated in the charges of bribing and/or fraud agreed to plead guilty on Monday, April 8 — The Student examines the implications of the scandal for Amherst College and its admissions practices. This week, we take a look at athletics. The FBI investigation, which was disclosed to the public on March 12, revealed that wealthy, upper-class parents paid anywhere from $500,000 to $6.5 million to

Admissions Scandal Highlights Wealth Disparities at Amherst

Colleges and universities across the country were embroiled in scandal on March 12 when federal prosecutors disclosed charges against more than 50 people involved in a conspiracy to bribe college officials and inflate students’ test scores. Wealthy, upper-class parents were revealed to have paid anywhere from $500,000 to $6.5 million to William “Rick” Singer, who operated two firms involved in the scheme, to guarantee their children’s admissions into top schools including USC, Stanford, Yale, Ha