If there is anyone who truly embodies the interdisciplinary spirit of Amherst College, it might be Risalat Khan. Khan has engaged and excelled in a wide variety of Amherst’s academic selections, taking more than four classes nearly every semester and writing an Environmental Studies thesis that featured advanced mathematical modeling. In addition to his schoolwork, Khan participated and became a leader in many different extracurricular activities, including the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) and the International Student’s Association (ISA).
Despite recent rumors, the administration will not impose a campus-wide prohibition on alcohol during next school year’s Student Orientation. The Orientation Committee, which consists of students, faculty and administration, determined that student Orientation leaders (Squad leaders, CEOT leaders, and FOOT leaders) will have to sign a clause in their contracts that stipulates that they must refrain from the use of alcohol and drugs during the orientation period, according to Interim Dean of Student Conduct Susie Mitton Shannon.
Last Friday over 100 students, faculty and administration members gathered together on the First-Year Quad to show solidarity with the city of Boston and the victims of recent tragedies. Students held up signs saying “Stay Strong, Boston!” and a photo of the event was taken and publicized to show support for the city. In addition, donations were collected for One Fund Boston, a charity created by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino to provide help for those who were most affected by the events.
Room draw is upon the Amherst student body, and the factors that go into finding a good living situation for a coming semester have increased. In addition to attempting to find a centrally located single, perhaps in a suite with a common room, students now must also take into consideration the campus construction on the new science center that starts in earnest at the end of this school year.
Last Monday the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) approved a motion that will hopefully result in increased attendance for campus events. Club leaders are now required to post their AAS–funded events on Zaikah, an event–calendar website created by Amar Mukunda ’15.
“The whole idea is to improve the way that students get information out about their events,” AAS Vice President George Tepe ’14 said.
The AAS will still provide $10 of funding for clubs to advertise their events through posters, fliers and table tents.
The dream of having a campus farm that produces vegetables for the dining hall is now a reality. Since Amherst signed a deal leasing a plot of land to farmers Tobin Porter-Brown and Peter McLean in November, the newly dubbed Book & Plow Farm has been quickly developing and growing.
“We were really happy to find Pete and Tobin,” said Alex Propp ’13, a student leader of the farm. “The project has become a lot bigger since they came on board.”
Clarification: According AAS President Tania Dias '13, "Club soccer was not officially recognized during a AAS meeting two weeks ago. Senators motioned to fund the women's team, as a symbolic gesture agreeing with Club Soccer. This did not constitute official status to Club Soccer, but was instead an AAS gesture towards supporting the Club Soccer students. It was only two days later, after Suzanne Coffey and I met to discuss the current impasse, did we work things out, and come to an agreement."
