Editor's Note: Introducing Paid Newsroom Positions and The Student Voices Fund

Editors-in-Chief Ryan Yu '22 and Rebecca Picciotto '22 announce the launch of The Amherst Student Voices Fund, a program that sponsors a number of paid positions in the newsroom for students with financial need, students of color, and other underrepresented groups.

The Crossword - Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021

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Fresh Faculty: Tess Wise

Tess Wise is a visiting assistant professor of political science. She received her bachelor’s degree in French and political science from MIT and her Ph.D. in government from Harvard University. Q: How would you describe your area of research?A: My area of research is the intersection of race in U.S. politics and economic inequality. Specifically, I think about the question of economic insecurity. With inequality, we often focus on the very rich or the very poor, and I’m interested in the peopl

OES Expands Green Office Program, Aims to Increase Sustainability

Over the past year, the Office of Environmental Sustainability (OES) has expanded its Green Office Program (GOP) in an effort to better facilitate sustainable practices around campus. The GOP is a program that partners individual offices around the college with representatives from the OES to establish semesterly sustainability goals specific to the relevant office and to collaboratively create a plan of action on how to achieve those goals. The program was initially piloted in the 2017-2018 a

Jodi Foley to Become College’s First Director of Accessibility Strategy and Resources

The college announced in a statement on Feb. 7 that Director of Accessibility Services Jodi Foley will become the first director of accessibility strategy and resources beginning Feb. 24. The Office of Student Affairs (OSA) will begin searching for a permanent replacement in the near future for Foley’s current role, which will be left temporarily vacant. Last year, the college conducted two accessibility reviews in partnership with outside consultant groups, which produced a series of recommend

In Primary Season, Student Organizing Takes Center Stage

As the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary election winds down and the Massachusetts primary inches ever closer, students on campus are getting increasingly involved with campaigns for the 2020 general election. Student groups for the four most major Democratic candidates — former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Elizabeth Warren — have each ramped up their operations, with individual activists for other cand

President Martin Reaffirms Support for Students After Travel Ban Update

Following the announcement that the Trump administration’s travel ban will be expanded to six new countries, President Biddy Martin sent an email on Feb. 1 to students, faculty and staff affirming the college’s support for those from the affected countries while emphasizing that the ban will not affect students or recent alumni with existing authorization to be in the U.S. The travel ban, which was announced by the Department of Homeland Security on Jan. 31, severely limits immigrant visas for

$2.5 Million Grant to Bolster Five Colleges Native Studies Program

The Five College Consortium announced on Jan. 14 that it received a $2.5 million grant dedicated to enhancing scholarship in its Native American and Indigenous studies (NAIS) program. The grant, which was awarded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is among the largest ever received by the consortium. The consortium’s program allows students to complete a certificate in NAIS, pulling courses, faculty and other resources from across the five colleges to mold the curriculum. Currently, a number o

Staff Spotlight: Mike Kelly

Mike Kelly has been the head of Frost Library’s Archives and Special Collections since 2009, overseeing a collection of over 80,000 rare books and archival material concerning the college. Before coming to Amherst, he was the curator of books at the Fales Library and Special Collections at New York University. Q: What do you do as head of archives and special collections?A: I have the best job! There’s managing staff — and we have great people in this department — but my focus and what I really

Changes to Party Policy Place Greater Responsibility on Hosts

The Office of Student Affairs (OSA) announced adjustments to its party guidelines in an email sent to approved event hosts on Nov. 7, with changes taking effect Nov. 8. The updated policy mandates stricter requirements for post-party cleaning, including immediate cleaning at the end of the party, mandatory photo-documentation of the space post-cleaning and check-ins from event staff before, during and after registered events. This comes on the tail of a recent report of sexual assault on campus.

College Reaffirms Commitment to Dreamers

President Donald Trump’s contested termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is finally under review by the Supreme Court, and the college has joined 164 other colleges and universities in supporting the continuation of DACA protections. The joint amicus brief, which was submitted to the Supreme Court for consideration on Oct. 4, was organized by the Presidents’ Alliance on Immigration and Higher Education (PAIHE), a group the college joined early last year to supp

The Statesman and the Scientist, All in One

When writing about someone with a life as decorated as that of John Deutch ’60, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Even a brief synopsis of his career — from his various academic accolades as a chemistry professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to his multiple high-ranking government positions, ranging from deputy secretary of defense to director of central intelligence — already gives us a great deal to consider, more than can be mentioned in this profile. Deutch, howev

Climate Action Plan Prepares for Development Phase

Nine months after the Board of Trustees approved the Climate Action Plan (CAP) — which includes a commitment for the college to reach carbon neutrality by 2030 — the CAP has received renewed attention in light of climate strikes on campus last Friday, during which a number of speakers discussed the CAP at length. A closer look at the CAP reveals a mix of developments so far, plans to come and issues left unaddressed. The Last Nine MonthsFor a project as big as the CAP, Director of Sustainabilit

Reports of Sexual Assault Continue to Increase

The Amherst College Police Department (ACPD) received sustained increase in reports of physical sex offenses and crimes of violence against women, according to the 2018 Clery Report released on Sept. 27. The annual report documents certain campus security policies and statistics on reported crimes at the college over the past three calendar years. The report was largely compiled from data collected by the Office of Student Affairs, Amherst Health Services, the Counseling Center and ACPD. The T

Men I Trust’s “Oncle Jazz” is Raw, Real and Inventive

Double albums — albums that are too long, basically — annoy me. They annoy me because there’s always a moment in the album — usually somewhere after the halfway point, after it’s run through all the gems and left only filler — where you find yourself asking, “Is this really still going on?” Yes, it is, and there’s half an hour more. I don’t finish double albums too often. So, all things considered, I probably should have been intensely annoyed by Men I Trust’s recent album “Oncle Jazz” and its

College Seeks to Modernize Information Systems in BIG Initiative

This past July, the college started implementing the first phase of its Business Improvement Group (BIG) Initiative, a project designed to modernize business processes at Amherst. The initiative seeks to overhaul the college’s nearly two-decade-old business management software and consolidate workflow — from payroll and human resources activities to student advising and registration — on a new digital cloud-based system, replacing existing tools such as ACData and migrating paper-intensive activ

ResLife Implements a Series of Changes, Including Free-Play Laundry

Effective for the beginning of fall semester, students will no longer have to pay $1.25 for each laundry wash or dry cycle, instead facing a $33 increase in residential fees to offset the costs of operating the laundry machines. The change to laundry payment, called the free-play laundry initiative, was jointly developed by the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) and the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). The permanent elimination of pay-per-use laundry fees comes after the fees were temporari

What It Means to Say “The Farewell”

In Chinese, to say goodbye is to make a promise of sorts. It’s an ostensibly simple promise, one that for most of us, only requires another glance backwards or maybe a short call if the distance is truly great. Indeed, zàijiàn — Chinese for goodbye — is to say in the imperative that we will see each other again. An implicit promise. To say farewell on the other hand makes no such promise. In fact, it leans into the separation; the Chinese phrases for bidding someone farewell, gàobié and its var

International Students Lose Jobs Over Work Authorization Delays

When Tristan Sithole ’21, an international student from Zimbabwe, arrived in Nashville for his summer internship with the accounting firm Deloitte, he expected to quickly get involved with his work. There was one obstacle in the way: he had not received his employment authorization document (EAD) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and was not legally allowed to start work. Like many of the other 51 international students and alumni, according to the Center for International

A Churchill Scholar with “a Math Mind”

To say that Jamie Tucker-Foltz ’19 is passionate is an understatement. Indeed, solving problems — especially quantitative ones — has always been a profound interest of his, whether it be something rigorously academic or a simple board game. Now, as he graduates with his double major in math and computer science and years of research behind him, it is clear that Tucker-Foltz has immersed himself in these quantitative studies like no other. As friend Elizabeth Pratt ’22 put it, “[He’s] the produ

Jeff Sessions Speaks On Free Speech, Addresses Mueller Report

Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke to the college community about free speech on April 24 in an event jointly organized by the Amherst College Republicans (ACR) and the conservative youth organization Young America’s Foundation (YAF). The event was held in Johnson Chapel, with only Amherst students, faculty and staff allowed to attend. Sessions resigned in November at the request of President Donald Trump, who expressed dissatisfaction with Sessions’ recusal from Special Counsel Rober

College Adopts Reproductive Health Certificate

On April 19, the college announced that it would offer a Five College certificate program in Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice (RHRJ), available immediately for interested students. The certificate, which was established in 2014 by faculty at the other four colleges of the consortium, offers an integrative study of the impact of reproductive policies on communities in the U.S. and transnationally. The curriculum combines six courses framed with historical, scientific and sociological per

Hampshire President Resigns, Prompting Strategy Shift

After months of controversy over her handling of the institution’s financial crisis, Hampshire College President Miriam “Mim” Nelson announced her resignation on Friday, April 5. On the same day, Hampshire’s Board of Trustees voted to lead a fundraising campaign to keep the college independent, reversing an earlier decision to consolidate existing resources and seek a strategic partnership. In her letter to the Hampshire community, Nelson defended her tenure, arguing that her administration ma

Thoughts on Theses: Sommer Hayes

Sommer Hayes ’20E is an English and religion double major. Her senior thesis explores southern identity and her childhood growing up in Texas. Her thesis advisor is Writer-in-Residence Shayla Lawson. Q: What is your thesis about?A: My thesis is an exploration of how southern identity is created, both in white and black communities. Specifically, I’m looking at Texas because I’m using my own story and my own childhood to explore that connection. A lot of it is going to be centered around educati

Science Labs to Count as Half Courses

Starting in the 2019-2020 school year, a new academic policy will grant an additional half-course credit in lab science courses. Currently, only the biology and chemistry departments plan on using the policy for the next year. This policy was first approved by a faculty-wide vote in May 2018 and is intended to help better represent the additional workload and class hours that lab courses often demand. The courses using the half-course lab policy will be largely introductory, consisting of majo

Free Menstrual Products to Be Distributed in Frost

Starting next week, the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) will begin piloting an initiative that provides free menstrual products to women’s and gender-neutral restrooms in Frost Library, in partnership with the Reproductive Justice Alliance (RJA) and the Student Health Educators (SHEs). A basket of miscellaneous menstrual products — including tampons and pads, among other things — will be placed in each of the restrooms and refilled twice a week by the SHEs. This program, which comes as pa

Science Center Experiences Electricity Outage

On Feb. 27 at 7:15 p.m., the main transformer in the Science Center suffered a short circuit, causing a building-wide power disruption that lasted for just under one day. The transformer, which reduces high-voltage utility power to a usable low-voltage power, was replaced with a temporary transformer on Feb. 28 at 5:00 p.m., ending the disruption and returning systems to normal. Because the Science Center switched to electricity from a backup generator in the period of the outage, many of the l

Pathways Discontinued After Decline in Participation

At the end of fall semester, the Loeb Center for Career Exploration and Planning suspended its Pathways Mentorship Program, citing declining student engagement and the growth of other alumni-student initiatives. This termination comes after 18 months of review in partnership with the Office of Alumni and Parent Programs, which concluded that the resources dedicated to Pathways would be best used elsewhere. The program, which was designed to facilitate digital mentorships between students and a

As Layoffs Loom, Hampshire Faculty and Staff Look to the Future

Following announcements that the institution would not accept a full first-year class next fall, Hampshire College notified several of its staff members on Tuesday, Feb. 19 that they would be laid off in 60 days. The layoffs, which mainly affect those working in Hampshire’s admissions and advancement offices, come amid intense opposition from many Hampshire faculty, staff, students and alumni who have organized several protests calling for the suspension of the impending layoffs. According to H

Hampshire Students Raise Voices in Response to Crisis

When Naia Tenerowicz, a second-year student at Hampshire College, went to check her email near the end of her winter break, she didn’t expect to learn that her college might not be accepting a first-year class next fall. Nobody had told her that such an option was even being considered, so the announcement was especially difficult to process. Indeed, Tenerowicz was not alone in this reaction — all of the students, faculty and staff at Hampshire were informed at the same time, with no prior indic

Proposed Title IX Changes May Affect Campus Policy

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education released a set of proposed provisions that would regulate how schools comply with Title IX, the landmark civil rights law which prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funding. If passed, Amherst would be compelled to change certain aspects of its sexual misconduct policy. The proposed provisions narrow the definition of sexual harassment, decrease educational institutions’ obligations to deal with

Novelist Finds Inspiration in Lived Experience

How does one become a writer? For Harlan Coben ’84, the path was less straightforward than he expected. Despite his current status as a globally-acclaimed author, Coben hadn’t even entertained the possibility of writing professionally until the summer before his senior year at Amherst. And even after that, it took Coben eight years after graduation to begin writing full-time. Since then, however, Coben has progressively acquired a massive following. With his 30 books selling over 70 million cop

HHS Memo Poses Threat to Transgender Students

A leaked memo from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which proposes legally defining gender as sex assigned at birth, has the potential to significantly affect the college and its student body. If integrated into official policy, this move would eliminate federal recognition for 1.4 million transgender Americans, most notably in civil rights protections under Title IX, leaving them vulnerable to discrimination without recourse at the federal level. The memo was first published b

Psychologist Speaks on Women Fleeing Gender-Based Violence

Kim Baranowski, a humanitarian and clinical psychologist, spoke in Paino Lecture Hall on Oct. 16 about the psychological conditions of women fleeing gender-based violence. Her talk was sponsored by the Center for Community Engagement and the anthropology and sociology departments. Baranowski currently serves as the associate director of the Mount Sinai Human Rights Clinic, where she manages pro bono psychological evaluations for U.S. asylum seekers and documents the effects of human rights viol

Thoughts on Theses: Elijah Koome

Elijah Koome ’19 is an English and black studies double major. His senior thesis examines the memories of trauma portrayed in Kenyan literature. His advisor is professor of black studies and English Rhonda Cobham-Sander. Q: What is your thesis about?A: My thesis looks at memory and its representation in contemporary Kenyan writing. Basically, I’m trying to see how Kenyan novelists and poets try to represent memories and trauma resulting from past violence. I think the big question right now is,

New Technologies Expand Pedagogies in the Classroom

In a push for increased student engagement, some faculty members are embracing new technologies as a potential solution to problems with traditional methods of teaching. The effort comes in the midst of several technology-centered initiatives to “develop a better understanding of how best to educate [students] in a full range of media,” as part of the college’s strategic plan. According to Jaya Kannan, the director of Technology for Curriculum and Research, the new technologies encompass a broa

New Program to Serve First-Gen Students

As part of an ongoing effort to support traditionally marginalized communities on campus, a new initiative called the Meiklejohn Fellows Program was launched this semester. Aimed at first-generation and/or low income (FLI) students, the program is designed to improve general access to opportunities, in this case by providing resources and funding specifically for FLI students. The program will offer its participants dedicated advising and career development opportunities, as well as direct fun