An Endemic Problem

Amid the rising Covid cases, The Editorial Board proposes moderate policies that would provide students with resources to protect their health.

The Last Mask Standing

Assistant Opinion Editor Willow Delp ’26 speaks about their experience as one of the campus’ last mask-wearers and calls for more structural Covid-19 protections.

College Ends PCR Testing Program, Vaccine Mandate

On April 12, the college announced that, in addition to ending its Covid vaccine mandate, the Testing Center will be closing its doors, marking the end of a long-standing policy of on-campus, on-demand PCR testing.

Too Many Boxes, Not Enough Space: Post-Covid Online Ordering Spikes

Since the start of the pandemic, the campus mailroom has seen a dramatic increase in online ordering — this past year, Amherst students collectively ordered almost 75,000 packages. Using interviews and data from the post office, The Student traced this shift and its impacts on the campus community.

Class of ’23E Looks Back on Unusual College Experience

The graduation ceremony for the Class of 2023E will be held in Johnson Chapel on Sunday, Dec. 11. Members of the abnormally large class reminisce on their college experience, reflecting on their first years, the pandemic, and favorite professors.

Surge in Covid Cases Prompts Protocol Changes

The college had 153 active Covid-19 cases at the beginning of the day on March 1. In response to the large increase in cases, the college has announced changes to its Covid safety protocols multiple times over the past week.

College Loosens Initial Spring Covid Protocols

The college has loosened some of its initial Covid restrictions following the success of its protocols for move-in and the first week of classes. Students and professors expressed understanding for the initially stricter protocols, while yearning for a return to near-normalcy.

From Nose to NoReply: Tracking the Journey of a PCR Test

The Student tracks the journey of an Amherst student’s Covid PCR test, from its collection at the Alumni House to its sequencing and result at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

College Divulges Summer and "Hopeful" Fall Covid-19 Restrictions

Several Covid restrictions will continue over the summer, Dean of Students Liz Agosto told The Student. Notable restrictions include the continuation of a mask mandate while inside, a curfew and mandatory on-campus testing. Agosto relayed that fall guidelines will be officially determined closer to the start of the semester. The college’s restrictions contrast sharply with the guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as nearby colleges like Williams. Following

With Vaccination Rates Rising, Music Festivals Cash In

With Covid-19 vaccines becoming increasingly available to all Americans and national infection rates on the decline, several large outdoor music festivals are scheduled to return this summer and fall. Most notably, Rolling Loud (Miami), Governors Ball (New York), Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival (Houston) and the Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash (Chicago) have all been rescheduled after having their 2020 editions postponed. For fans of today’s popular music, this is particularly exciting news, gi

College Begins to Administer Covid Vaccines

Hantong Wu’23, receives his shot of the Covid-19 vaccine. Photos courtesy of Maria Stenzel © Amherst CollegeOn Wednesday, April 28, the college delivered the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine shot to 336 students and 42 staff and faculty members at no out-of-pocket cost in a pop-up clinic set up in Coolidge Cage. The vaccines were administered by Pelmeds Pharmacy (based out of Waltham, Massachusetts) the Health Center and Testing Center staff. The second dose will be administered on campus by

College Hosts Moderna President Stephen Hoge '98 in Virtual Event

The college hosted President of Moderna Stephen Hoge ’98 on Friday, April 23 as a part of the virtual Stories in STEM event series. The Cambridge-based biotechnology company has experienced tremendous growth since the pandemic began, as it has developed one of the world’s most effective vaccines against Covid-19. With the vaccine becoming widely available across the country, Hoge spoke to students about his journey through STEM and discussed the work that Moderna is doing to vaccinate Americans.

Covid Vaccinations Mandated for Students Returning in Fall 2021

The college will require all students to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before returning to campus for the Fall 2021 semester, the President’s Office announced on Friday, April 23. In the letter addressed to students, faculty and staff, President Biddy Martin relayed that more information will follow concerning how to request a medical or religious exemption and how to submit confirmation of vaccination. Martin also stated that the college is “very hopeful” that pandemic-related safety mea

College Increases Course Requirements for Fall 2021

In preparation for the fall 2021 pre-registration period, the college has increased registration requirements from three to four courses, signaling a shift back to pre-Covid academic requirements. Despite the reversion, the college plans to continue to offer January Term [https://amherststudent.com/article/students-look-back-on-inaugural-january-term-classes] classes. Students are glad to see college policy return to normal but worry that the abrupt transition will increase academic stress. Th

Students Demand Immediate Release of College’s Student Relief Funds

On Sunday, April 18, the Association of Amherst Students (AAS), the First Generation Association and the Covid-19 Student Task Force released a letter [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EHu2D4VD493PDVtXw6bFEeuGQplSYNj13WH1OCKUabE/edit?usp=sharing] calling on the Office of Financial Aid to immediately disburse the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds III (HEERF III) to qualifying students. HEERF III was created on April 1 under the American Rescue Plan (ARP), the program that has offered s

Lack of College Transportation to Vaccination Sites Leaves Students Scrambling

Before the college provided guidance on Covid-19 vaccination appointments and transportation on April 8 [https://www.amherst.edu/news/covid-19/community-messages/messages-for-students/node/797952] , over 100 students had already received permission to attend off-campus Covid-19 vaccine appointments. These students had to navigate the process of scheduling appointments and coordinating transportation on their own, pooling resources and working together to secure and attend their appointments. Up

Musings of a Monarch: an Interview with His Serene Highness Prince Albert II

A photo of Prince Albert II and his mother Grace Kelly at Commencement Ceremony on May 30, 1981. His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco is the 32nd hereditary ruler of the principality of Monaco. His reign began in 2005 and continues to this day. Prince Albert II was the only son of  Prince Rainier III, and his wife, Princess Grace Kelly. He was baptised on April 20, 1958 with Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain and Prince Louis de Polignac as godparents. The prince graduated from Amherst Co

Seeing Double: Not Everything Should be an Email

Chances are, you’ve been to a meeting that you thought was unimportant. Maybe it was too long, or maybe it veered far off-topic. And maybe you thought to yourself, “This could have been an email” — or maybe, like I have, you snidely remarked to a colleague that it should have been. That saying — “this could have been an email” — was around before the pandemic, but now it feels even more apt. It used to just describe boring, unnecessary meetings. Now, it describes boring, unnecessary meetings th

As College Adjusts Protocols, Students Express Mixed Feelings on Quarantine

To contain the rapid-fire spread of the coronavirus in the fall and spring semesters, the college imposed strict Covid-19 precautionary measures and testing protocols. Perhaps the most complex problem that the college has faced, however, is how to respond to positive Covid-19 test results from on-campus students. For this, the college has resorted to an age-old infection control measure: quarantine. Unfortunately, when put into action, quarantine policies at the college have broken down, puttin

Fans in the Stands

Among the numerous sports leagues that had to halt play last year because of Covid-19, Major League Baseball (MLB) was arguably the most affected. While the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) [https://www.amherststudent.com/article/the-temporary-nhl-realignment-is-great-and-it-wont-ever-happen-again] were able to finish their seasons in a bubble, and the National Football League (NFL) completed its season with relative ease, the MLB had to drastically shi

The Spring Journey for Amherst Track

With athletic competition cancelled last spring in the initial disruption of  Covid-19, Amherst student-athletes have spent the past year in anticipation of a return to play.  The Amherst men’s and women’s track and field teams have been struck particularly hard, as both their fall cross country and winter seasons were canceled this year. However, following the March 9 NESCAC announcement [https://www.amherststudent.com/article/nescac-presidents-reach-agreement-on-spring-seasons] of a potential

NESCAC Spring Sports Announcement Prompts Athlete Responses

On March 9, President Biddy Martin announced that colleges across the NESCAC have agreed to a limited spring sports schedule. Since many spring student-athletes were not expecting to play competitively this semester, this news came as quite a surprise. To gauge general attitudes towards the decision, The Student spoke with a number of student-athletes. While no two athletes echoed identical sentiments, one theme was common: shock. * Anna Madden ’22 (Women’s Track and Field): “I was honestly sh

One Year In, Students Reflect on the Pandemic

It’s been a year since the college shut down and the Covid-19 pandemic became a visceral reality for everyone in the United States. Few anticipated then that the pandemic would still be continuing to this day. The Student sat down with several students virtually to ask how the past year has treated them.  Though challenges and hardships defined the pandemic, many students highlighted what they have done to make the most of the past twelve months. The pandemic has brought about tremendous loss i

College Changes Quarantine Protocol for Vaccinated Students

The college has slightly adjusted its Covid-19 protocols for vaccinated community members. Persons who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine after an exposure to individuals with Covid-19, Dean of Students Liz Agosto told The Student. The change comes just after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People [https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html] on March 8. Vacci

As Mississippi and Texas Repeal Covid-19 Restrictions, Amherst Students Express Concern

On Tuesday, the governors of Texas and Mississippi announced that they had lifted state-wide mask mandates and rolled back a substantial number of Covid-19 health mandates. The announcements, which came merely a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned against the ongoing dangers of Covid-19, have raised significant concerns for Amherst students and alumni who hail from Texas and Mississippi. In Texas and Mississippi, which have both been ranked within the top 10 [h