It is an easy story to write. Patrick Reed has just won The Masters, perhaps the most prestigious individual sporting event in the United States. His parents Bill and Jeanette and sister Hannah tear up as they watch him win — not in person, though. They are watching on television, from their living room just a few miles from Augusta National Golf Course, where the tournament is held. Reed and his family have been estranged since 2012, when his parents expressed disapproval with him marrying so young. They were not invited to the wedding.
The Amherst College Police Department’s (ACPD) mission statement says that it “will strive to gain the trust of the community.” This is a noble goal. Currently, one way ACPD officers demonstrate this is by doing walkthroughs of student dormitories and engaging in casual conversation with students. While this might be partially effective, there is one thing that ACPD could do that would make it a lot more effective: laying down their firearms when they’re doing walkthroughs of student dormitories.
“Do you really think that you’re going to make a difference? If 800,000 people show up to a march, does it matter that you were there?”
Being a die-hard sports fan has brought me a great deal of stress, heartbreak and disappointment. Earlier this year, Kristaps Porzingis, the best player on the New York Knicks — my favorite team — tore his ACL. He’ll be sidelined for another eight months, and even when he returns, he may never be the same player. As a lifelong New York Jets fan, I endure season after season of embarrassment and failure. And in 2016, I watched as my favorite athlete, golfer Jordan Spieth, lost The Masters in spectacular fashion — perhaps the most epic collapse in golf history.
Hip hop tycoon Jay-Z said it best in his single release, “The Story of OJ”: “Financial freedom my only hope/F*** living rich and dying broke.” Cogently embodying the capitalist mantra of success, these lines conjure an image of power, freedom and legacy all converging towards one thing: wealth. Jay-Z’s song encapsulates a mutual understanding among Americans that the dollar sign is more symbolic of the American Dream than Lady Liberty herself.
Last week brought tragic news to our community. With emotions running high, questions left unanswered and the process of mourning ongoing, it is important that we take time to be kind and thoughtful and forge community.
Success is one of those words that, like love, hate or freedom, means something very different who, when and where you ask. However, here is a common denominator when it comes to our understanding of success that, at least at this point in time, in our culture, is prevalent above all else: money. Taking this notion of success — albeit reductive and superficial — reflectively we want to assign the outcome to some personal attribute like being smart, hardworking or patient. These are heuristics at best.
