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.
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.
Last week brought tragic news to our community. With emotions running high, questions left unanswered and the process of mourning ongoing, it is important that we take time to be kind and thoughtful and forge community.
Success is one of those words that, like love, hate or freedom, means something very different who, when and where you ask. However, here is a common denominator when it comes to our understanding of success that, at least at this point in time, in our culture, is prevalent above all else: money. Taking this notion of success — albeit reductive and superficial — reflectively we want to assign the outcome to some personal attribute like being smart, hardworking or patient. These are heuristics at best.
At this year’s LitFest, Junot Díaz started his talk with a reading from his nonfiction essay “Money,” which discusses remittances, a part of the immigrant experience that isn’t discussed often. We must continue to do what Díaz is doing: bring to light stories about immigrants and other underrepresented groups and give more varied insight into how others live.
Last week, high schoolers across the country took the issue of gun control into their own hands. They held protests and school walkouts, pressured CNN to hold a town hall with Florida Senator Marco Rubio and compelled several sponsors to drop their ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA). The support the students have received is heartening to see and a welcome change to the general apathy characteristic of gun violence tragedies. Of course, the support is not unanimous, and many high school officials threatened to discipline students if they held protests during school.
There are these well-trodden paths that a typical Amherst student follows. Try to avoid them. Don’t go through life like you do on the path to Val from your dorm — mindlessly following pre-determined trails. Amherst can feel like a funneling system, one that takes our passions and dreams and sucks them into a hole where we feel a need to do what others are doing. After college, most people will end up in New York, San Francisco or Boston in fields like finance or medicine. Instead of passively following this path, think carefully about the road you take.
