I still remember the nervous excitement I felt when I hit the button on AC Data that would reveal the name of my roommate. It was Aug. 14, 2015, and I was slamming the refresh button every few seconds. And then the page finally loaded.
“You do not have a roommate at this time.”
A few short months ago, the campus was in uproar over a series of proposed changes to the college’s party policy. In the interceding weeks, this furor has abated for the most part, as students and administrators alike have been beset by all that comes with the end of the semester. However, even though such a softening of relations is a good thing in the long run, there has been seemingly little progress being made.
My uncle’s family and grandparents are pretty damn racist. I love them, but the inevitable fact is that most first-generation Asian immigrant families are. I remember being pulled away from my best friend in first grade: my parents accused her of stealing my pencil case, their logic being that she was Mexican, so she must be sneaky. I had probably just dropped it somewhere into the void that was the school playground.
I’m all for critiquing Amherst. In fact, I think part of the liberal arts mission is to train students to be critical of power structures, institutions and arguments. But sometimes, when I take a moment and reflect on my classmates, our thoughts and discussions, I’m eternally grateful for what we can achieve together.
“You are not alone. You are surrounded by people who care and want to help — your class deans, the Counseling Center, Religious Life, the office of Student Affairs … ”
Asian and Asian-American students make up more than 14 percent of the student body here at Amherst College. Asian students are the largest racial minority group on campus — yet, there are very few resources dedicated to Asian students. In particular, there is no specific student room for Asian students, which has left Asian affinity groups scattered around campus with no space where they can feel safe to host meetings, have discussions and build community.
With 200 prospective students here this Monday and around 650 more arriving this weekend, students on campus will be repeatedly asked to locate the nearest bathroom, or the dreaded question of “Why Amherst?” These open houses signal the cycle of one graduating class for an incoming one. Now is the perfect time to take a moment and reflect on the time spent at Amherst. Here are some thoughts and advice for admitted students from the Editorial Board on life at Amherst College.
