On Thursday, April 12, the Mead Art Museum stayed open to visitors all night as workshops and events took place. Coinciding with what seemed to be the beginning of warm weather, the event, “Red Eye | Black Tie,” transformed our campus into a temporary hub for art interaction that also aimed to establish connections far beyond this weekend. The event was a joint effort put on by the Mead Museum, the Association of Amherst Students, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, The Office of Student Activities and various campus resource enters.

Over the weekend of March 24, the Amherst College Democrats arranged for students to attend the March For Our Lives in Washington D.C., joining middle school, high school and college students from around the country in demonstrations calling for gun reform. In what feels like an explosion of student-driven activism, it is worthwhile to turn inwards and reflect on the daily activism that exists alongside these national protests, which occur both in our neighborhoods and on our campus.

Amherst’s literary festival is upon us once again. From March 1-3, literary figures — including winners of and finalists for the National Book Award — will convene on campus to hold discussions and readings. This year’s program will be capped by the event “Ngũgĩ@80: This Time Tomorrow,” which will feature a reading from renowned writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, followed by a Q&A led by Amherst’s Peter Kimani, a visiting writer and professor at the college.