Let me put this question to you, Amherst: did you come to the College to buy an education or to collectively build one? I believe that this captures much of what is wrong at Amherst, of the disease that is driving the tension between the administration, Board of Trustees and students. This disease, this misunderstanding of what it is that we are fundamentally doing at the college, is pulling us further down year by year.
“The food is edible.”
“I just think it’s a step-up from my high school cafeteria, but it’s definitely a step-down from household food.”
“It’s satisfactory.”
These were the responses I received from students when asked what their views were of the food at Valentine Hall. They may seem reasonable to many, but not to me: I think the food is phenomenal! Now, before you laugh or disregard my hyperbole — as it is to some — let me discourse my reasons for this opinion:
With the frustrated efforts of the infamous 2013 “dry orientation” not far in the rear view window, this fall, all eyes were on Provost Uvin’s reforms. Last semester, controversy abounded over the removal of Queer Queries, the insertion of poorly defined academic TEDx presentations and reports of new, required three-day trips. The issue that remained constantly at the center of the conversation was the status of varsity athletes or our “scholar-athletes.”
As summer comes to a close, the haunting gaze of British-bred FKA Twigs adorning her August-released “LP1” can be seen on the pages of pretty much every music blog — and rightfully so. FKA Twigs’ debut album brilliantly combines the jarring and the calm to introduce the artist in a manner that exclaims, “This is whom I am, good luck figuring it out.” She cleverly settles the listener in just the right amount of ‘normal,’ in order to butter them up for the experiment she has manufactured.
Last Sunday, the six a cappella groups of Amherst College combined their collective energies and talents to put on the first showcase of the year. The first-year a cappella showcase in Johnson Chapel was intended to give the entering class of 2018 a taste of a cappella at Amherst and what each group had to offer. From hip hop to R&B and jazz to contemporary, the variety of the performances presented both familiar sounds and bold departures from the norm.
I had two initial thoughts during the closing credits of Richard Linklater’s 2014 film, “Boyhood.” First, I reveled in the originality of the film, both in its lengthy 12-year production and in its superb execution. Secondly, I found myself disappointed with Mason, the protagonist of the film, who ends up as an annoying maladjusted hipster teenager by the end of the film. After reading glowing reviews for “Boyhood” prior to seeing it myself, I did not want to write the typical “best film of the year!” kind of review.
The men’s golf team opened up their season this past weekend at the Trinity Invitational, where they finished in 10th out of 13 teams. The Trinity A and B teams took first and second, respectively, while a number of out-of-conference schools, such as Nichols and Babson, took the next few spots.
