If you, as several members of the U.S. Congress and countless others across the country expressed, feel “surprised,” “shocked” or a similar reaction to the shooting on Sunday in Sutherland Springs, Texas, I have two words for you:
WAKE UP.
With the release of the Curriculum Committee’s Draft Report last Wednesday, it’s time we reflect more deeply on how the curriculum affects the nature of our college experience. Although not directly related to the curriculum, the college should seriously consider hiring more professors. While Amherst does have an adequately-sized faculty for the number of students, the increasing pressures involved with being a professor means that the same number of professors that worked in the past may be too few now.
Right here, in the very first sentence of this article, I will admit that it is probably too early for me to have an opinion on the new science center. It is not supposed to be done until next fall, and perhaps once it is completed (and all the heavy machinery and piles of dirt are gone), my opinion will be different.
However, the new building is starting to take shape, so I’m prepared to go on record and say that I am thoroughly nervous about how it’s going to fit in to our campus.
I doff my cap to Honolulu for passing what may be one of the 21st-century’s best pieces of legislation to-date: a law that allows police officers to fine pedestrians up to $35 for looking at their electronic devices while crossing the street.
Growing up in Southern Florida, I lived in an affluent, predominantly white suburb and attended a traditional, conservative private school, where the word “liberal” carried a negative connotation and often invoked visceral reactions. Clearly, coming to Amherst was a culture change, but one I was — and still am — excited to experience.
Late this past Sunday night, Buzzfeed reported that actor Anthony Rapp, best known for being a part of the original cast of “Rent”, had accused Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting him when Rapp was only 14 years old (Spacey was in his mid-twenties at the time). Hours later, Spacey released a response on Twitter, in which he claimed to not remember the events and that he owed Rapp “the sincerest apology.” This alone would’ve been problematic enough, as “I don’t remember doing that” does not excuse one’s actions.
A few days ago, reports came out that four American soldiers had been killed in an ambush in Niger. President Donald Trump has disavowed responsibility and put the burden on the military. Niger holds one of the largest concentrations of U.S. forces in Africa, and the American military has been strengthening its presence on the continent with the goal of training local forces to help them fight extremists. According to The New York Times, the reasoning behind this is that the United States is trying to avoid larger deployments.
