What was interesting to note about President Obama’s speech last Thursday night was that it was perhaps more partisan than any speech he’s given so far. There were both direct and indirect, subtle and obvious attacks on the Republican Party and the Tea Party. The President attacked openly the theoretic foundation of the Republican movement with his talk about the reduction of the size of government. Moreover, his tone was sterner and more aggressive than in previous speeches. He was defiant...why?
Hello, as a member of the Employee Council I am a bit dismayed to see you describe the Search Committee as “composed of students, alumni and faculty” in your very nice article about Biddy Martin, when the Committee also included members of the College’s staff and administration. This seems a small error, but I assure you that for the non-faculty employees who have worked very hard for inclusion in the governance of the College, recognition of our part in Biddy’s selection is extremely important.
This past Sunday, Americans gathered to memorialize the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001. As a nation, we collectively remembered the shock, the anger, the grief and the loss felt when we saw the World Trade Center towers collapse – but we also remember the solidarity emerging in the midst of that dark day.
This is the twenty-second column I’ve written for this newspaper, and the last. Over the past 19 months and 21 columns, I’ve tried to treat my section of the opinion page appropriately. Campus columnist is not a lofty position, so I’ve kept my tone more or less light. But at the same time, not everyone is given ink to spill, so I’ve made efforts at being meaningful.
There is no equity without solidarity, no justice without a social movement. Globalize the notion of basic human dignity. These were the charges Dr. Joia Mukherjee, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School’s division of Global Health Equity at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, bestowed upon the 250-plus students at GlobeMed’s Global Health Summit in her keynote address. Students from 32 universities across the country converged at Northwestern Univ. for a weekend filled with engaging discussions, interactive panels and inspirational speakers.
Thanks to the ambitious dreams of many, Amherst College has transformed itself from a “WASP-y,” all-male, New England college into a diverse, multi-ethnic learning community. These changes did not come easily or quickly, but came on the backs of individuals tirelessly working to further those noble goals. Our school is a place where, I hope, people of every creed, color or class can feel comfortable to grow and explore. Moreover, students are given incredible opportunities to not only retain their identity, but to share their unique backgrounds with others.
Monday night’s Senate meeting ended with the ceremonial changing of the guard. As one Executive Board said their farewells, "clearly an emotional moment for guys like outgoing President Saumitra Thakur, who has spent pretty much every Monday night at a Senate Meeting for the past four years," the new officers were sworn in.
