Before we get started, here’s a heads up: we will be using gender neutral pronouns in this article to allow for the inclusion of individuals who do not identify as women but whose anatomy includes a uterus and who are thus capable of being pregnant. These gender-neutral pronouns are ze, which corresponds to he/she, and hir, which corresponds to her/his.
Julia Edholm ’15 and Julia Pearson ’15
Contributing Writers
Everyone knows that Amherst College has beautiful first-year dorms. Campus tour guides walk prospective students through the entrance of Charles Pratt because they are well aware that the hardwood floors and wood trim will make a striking impression on young high school students. Equipped with hotel-like amenities and daily cleaning services, there is just one thing missing … an actual kitchen.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did anyone else smell the vitriol on campus this week? Among newspaper readership, it was most evident in Dan Diner’s article on secularization and Andrew Kaake’s column on abortion. Their recent newspaper submissions have prompted an outpouring of student responses. Infuriated and affirmed readers alike shared their honest concerns, sometimes boldly proclaiming their identity, but more often remaining under the cloak of anonymity.
I was pessimistic about “A Different Kind of Truth,” Van Halen’s first album with original lead singer David Lee Roth in 28 years. If asked to define my opinion in a word, I would have said curious, but certainly not excited. As much as I love listening to the band’s older work, 28 years is a long time. Add to that the band’s mostly mediocre work with post-Roth singer Sammy Hagar and a 14-year gap without a full new album at all, and it was hard for me to see where Van Halen would fit in circa 2012.
The women’s swimming and diving team placed second in the NESCAC Championship for the seventh time in the past 11 years. Williams was dominant throughout the meet and claimed the top spot with 1826 points. The Jeffs scored 1460.5 points, and Tufts came in third with 1261.5.
At last night’s AAS Senate meeting, the mental health task force came to discuss the state of Amherst students’ mental health and well-being. Remarkably, no one was surprised to hear that much of the student body had significant stress-related issues. The students attending the meeting are our peers, so they understand the stress students face on campus. Most of us, as high achieving students, don’t bat an eyelid as we continue to add more and more to the ever-growing to-do lists we accumulate through classes, sports, and other activities.
The women’s indoor track team placed ninth in a field of 41 teams at the New England Div. III Championships, hosted by Smith. The Jeffs broke two school records and posted numerous personal-best times.
The Jeffs’ had a strong day of relays. The sprinters impressed in the 4x200. Although they placed 11th, Abraelle Shirley ’15, Shyloe Jones ’14, Jade McKnight ’12 and Beth Hall ’14 set a new school record in the event, besting the previous 15-year-old cut by .6 seconds.
