The common wisdom at Amherst is that you learn the most outside of the classroom. When we look back on our past years, what we will remember most are the late night talks in our first year dorms, chats with our professors over coffee and our favorite pieces of art at the Mead. Yet it’s hard to deny that, as much as we hate doing them, our essays, problem sets and exams are important too. They make what we’re learning relevant and important. Our grades hold us to our commitment to learn and push us beyond passive listening in class.
Let me tell you a story about a disease straight out of Stephen King’s darkest novels. Once you’re infected, there’s a high chance you’re doomed. But you won’t know it for a while. Instead, for eight to 10 days you’ll seem normal, talking to your friends, doing your homework, eating, sleeping and procrastinating. The usual. Even as the signs begin to show, you won’t know what it is. The dull thump of a headache and the mild warmth of a fever will tell you you’ve got the common cold. “I’m not feeling too well today,” you might say to your roommate. “I think I’ll sleep in a bit tomorrow.”
What began as a night of drinks became an evening of thin- crust pizza, chickpea fries and good beer. In the fading heat of a Saturday afternoon, my friends and I met at the Lord Jeff for drinks and appetizers. We had planned a cozy start to our evening of sitting at one of the outdoor fire pits and tasting some small dishes. Unfortunately, the Lord Jeff was incredibly busy hosting a beautiful wedding. After sitting outside for a few moments, enjoying the cooling fall air and warm glow of the fire, we decided we could wait no longer and headed further into town.
The Common, published biannually, is an Amherst College-based literary journal intended to challenge and broaden the reader’s sense of time and place. The magazine, which counts Jennifer Acker ’00 as its editor-in-chief and Vanity Fair editor-at-large Cullen Murphy ’74 as an advisory board member, released its first print issue in 2011. Since then, The Common has managed to distinguish itself amongst a glut of titles in the literary journal genre as a publication with a unique sense of purpose.
Q: What program/what city are you participating in and what are you studying?
The Mead Art Museum showcased two of its newest exhibitions on Oct.
Women’s tennis suffered its first loss to Williams in its first dual-match opener 5-4 Saturday, Oct. 11.
Coming off of last spring’s season as national runner-ups, starting off the season 0-1 is tough for the Lady Jeffs.
In the No. 1 spot, Vickie Ip ’18 and Sue Ghosh ’16 defeated Williams’ Curran and Pylypiv, 8-1. In the No. 3 position, Sarah Monteagudo ’16 and Safi Aly ’15 edged Atkinson and McDonnell of Williams, 9-7.
