In a statement released by non-profit teaching corps Teach for America (TFA), Amherst College contributed the second-highest number of graduating seniors last year to the corps out of all small colleges and universities. The College, which tied with DePauw University, saw 19 members of the Class of 2012 join the corps and rose up from 15th place in 2008 to fourth place last year before reaching second place this year. Fifty thousand students nationwide, including 13 percent of the Class of 2012, applied for only 5,000 positions.
On July 10, President Carolyn “Biddy” Martin announced that Dean of Students Allen Hart ’82, Professor of Psychology, would take a leave of absence for a year, having deferred his sabbatical in 2010 to replace Dean Ben Lieber as Dean of Students. Senior Associate Dean Charri Boykin-East agreed to serve as Interim Dean of Students for the 2012-2013 academic year and the beginning of summer 2013. A search committee has been identified to select a new dean of students. Professor Austin Sarat, of the LJST and Political Science Department will chair the search committee.
Ben Scheetz is really fast, and that’s probably an understatement. Sprinting 800 meters in less than 1:48, Scheetz is a two-time National Track Athlete of the Year, holder of two Division III records in 800m and 4x400m, captain of the track & field team and member of the cross country team. When not running, Scheetz can be found studying Physics or working with the Peruvian Education Initiative. Known to his coaches, professors and peers as a hard-worker, role-model and mentor, Scheetz applies his goal-oriented mentality to all aspects of his life.
On March 16, the President’s Office sent an email to students and other members of the College community announcing the Comprehensive Fee for the 2012-2013 academic year. The fee, which covers tuition, room and board, will be increased to $55,510. This represents a four percent increase over the 2011-2012 fee, making it approximately double the rate of inflation over the same period of time.
On March 30, two Amherst students, Bess Hanish ’13 and Khan Shoieb ’13, received the Truman Scholarship, a prestigious award given to “find and recognize college juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in the public service.” The Truman Scholarship was created in 1975 as a living memorial to the eponymous president and is administered by the Truman Foundation, an indepedent federal executive branch agency led by former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright.
The possibly racially-motivated killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, an African-American, by 28-year-old George Zimmerman, a white Hispanic neighborhood-watch volunteer, sparked outrage around the nation and student response at the College and its fellow Five-College institutions.
On Friday Feb. 24, Matt Hartzler ’13 screened his film at the Five College Film Festival held at Smith College. Hartzler’s film about the artistic process, simply titled “The Process” won Best of the Festival, Best Documentary and Best of Amherst. Hartzler’s submission, which he made as a final project for the class “Cine-Eye” taught by visiting artist Ramon G. Rivera-Moret, was one of only a few submissions from an Amherst College student to win Best of the Festival in the 18-year history of the event.
