On behalf of the Association of Amherst Students (AAS), I would like to welcome the Class of 2021 and incoming transfer students. I write to introduce new students to the AAS in terms of what student government at Amherst looks like and what we do.

In the coming years, the Amherst College board of trustees will be voting on a number of issues at the heart of student life. While the board strives to incorporate the views of the student body into their decisions, this is not always possible when the most recent alumni trustee graduated 20 years ago, in 1996. Even with coordination with the administration and the occasional student meeting, the board of trustees’ understanding of Amherst is not reflective of the full reality of our ever-changing institution.