Having read both Professor Dumm’s article and the report on sexual misconduct released by the Special Oversight Committee, I would like to respond as a senior male student-athlete. Firstly, I believe that it is important for us to question reports derived from the administration in order to continue to improve our community as a whole. I’d also like to say that I respect Professor Dumm’s critiques, even though I disagree with many of them.
No thoughtful, sane person can or would deny that the recent allegations of sexual misconduct at Amherst are shocking, alarming and truly awful. Like many members of our community, my heart breaks for each and every victim of such senseless, horrendous violence, and it is my sincerest hope that each individual receives every measure of care and attention they need and that those responsible are dealt with fairly, swiftly and severely. Now what comes next might shock professor Dumm, but I am a male student-athlete at Amherst.
Barry O’Connell, James E. Ostendarp Professor of English, critiques Professor Dumm’s letter and discusses social life at Amherst.
EJ Mills, Head Football Coach at Amherst College, writes in response to “Elephant in the Room”
Suzanne Coffey, Amherst’s Director of Athletics, writes in response to “Elephant in the Room” in support of the College’s student-athletes.
I’m disappointed that a tenured professor at Amherst College would write in broad prejudiced strokes about our students. His speech is deliberately hurtful, and frankly sad. Substitute a different other group — based on religion, race, ethnicity or sexual preference — for athlete and most of us wouldn’t tolerate his outbursts.
In recent months, Amherst College has hosted a highly impressive list of speakers, among them Scott Brown, Michael Steele, Frank Warren and Shaukat Aziz are especially notable. These speakers each carry with them a distinguished life’s work, and they impart much of their respectability upon the College when they choose to speak here. They bring prestige and accolade to our small college when they travel long distances to our rural Massachusetts campus and take part in events that leave a permanent mark in the memories of students and a physical print on other regional newspapers.
Once upon a time, a peasant invented the game of chess. The king was so enthralled by the game that he offered the peasant to name any reward of his choice. The peasant responded with the humble request that the king place a grain of rice on the first square of the chessboard, two grains on the second square, four on the third, and so forth, by continually doubling the amount until he had reached the 64th and last square of the board. The king readily accepted, laughing at the peasant’s naïveté. The king never arrived at the last square.
