President Biddy Martin released a report on the status of athletics at the college in an email to the college community on Jan. 31. The special committee that assembled the report was co-chaired by college trustee and Princeton University president emerita Shirley Tilghman and Amherst biology professor Patrick Williamson and studied the place of athletics within the college’s social life, academic mission and admissions policies.
My high school was 48 percent black, 40 percent white, 12 percent other and completely segregated — students were put too early into tracks that seldom came together again. Since I grew up in such a racially segregated environment, Amherst shocked me upon arrival. The first time I entered Valentine Dining Hall was the first time I believed in diverse community instead of wishing for it.
The Amherst College community has responded to President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27 executive in various ways over the past week, with students leading protests and organizing a phone bank and the college offering legal consultation resources.
I am not an Atlanta Falcons fan. Before this year’s Super Bowl, I’d never cared about the outcome of a Falcons game before. However, when Atlanta jumped out to a 21-3 first half lead, I was ecstatic. The Falcons had brought me more sports-related happiness in just one half of football than my actual favorite team, the New York Jets, had brought me all season. This is because the Falcons were playing the New England Patriots.
Amherst is often described as an elite institution, a label that typically carries positive connotations. Specifically, “elite” invokes prestige and rigor, framing Amherst as a beacon of achievement in higher education. To a large degree, our campus community embodies these ideals through the various academic, athletic and personal accomplishments on which The Student reports each week. While The Editorial Board is certainly proud of our college, we also wish to investigate the uglier side of the “elite” label.
This past year of sports has truly been a blessing. Three out of the four major sports saw fireworks in their respective championship games. First, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back from a three games to one deficit to beat the winningest single team in NBA history. Come autumn, the Chicago Cubs pulled off the same comeback to win their first World Series since 1908, ending the longest championship drought in MLB history.
The men’s track and field team made the trip to Medford on Saturday, Feb. 4 to compete at the Tufts Cupid Challenge, hosted by NESCAC rival Tufts. The purple and white enjoyed a successful day, as many athletes secured qualifying standards for the New England DIII Championships, which will be held at Tufts in two weeks.
