Senators for the classes of 2017, 2018 and 2019 as well as two judiciary council members were elected on April 26. The election was preceded by a night of speeches in Merrill 1 on April 21, where the candidates presented their platforms.
The classes of 2018 and 2017 only elected six representatives to the possible eight senate seats. To fill the vacant seats, the AAS will hold elections again in September.
A mascot committee comprised of students and alumni held its fourth meeting on April 29. The new committee is composed of students who were active in the mascot debate last fall and the members of the alumni executive committee’s mascot task force. Throughout the semester, the committee has discussed a potential timeline for democratically selecting a new mascot, as well as means of reaching out to alumni and students to inform them about the process and receive mascot suggestions.
A majority of the faculty voted to approve the Statement of Academic and Expressive Freedom during a faculty meeting on Tuesday, May 3. The statement, which lays out and clarifies the college’s position on freedom of speech and expression, was written by the Committee of Six.
Gabriella Espinosa ’16 is a religion major. Her thesis explores the devotional practices of the internationally recognized guru Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi) and considers their appeal to transnational communities. Her adviser is Professor Maria Heim.
Renowned scientist and environmental activist David Suzuki ’58 gave a lecture on the effects of economic development on climate change, titled “The Currency of Change: How do We Define and Resolve Our Environmental Crisis?” on April 20 in the Cole Assembly Room. The talk is part of the Questions of Consequence speaker series, which aims to bring influential alumni of color to discuss issues relevant to the college and the world.
Faculty voted to approve a 13-week calendar for the spring 2017 academic semester on Tuesday, April 19. The new calendar, which will be implemented for the next three spring semesters, will replace one week of classes from the current 14-week spring calendar with a “reading and reflection period.” This time will consist of four days of reading period and three days reserved for snow days or a day of dialogue.
Three senators were removed from the Association of Amherst Students due to unexcused absences after a judiciary council hearing on April 17. One other student, who was elected to senate but had never attended a meeting, resigned prior to the hearing.
These incidents represent an uptick in senator absences this semester. The AAS constitution states, “Any senator or member of the Executive Branch entirely absent from (3) meetings per semester shall forfeit his or her seat on the Executive Branch or the Senate and its associated committees.”
