AAS Senate meetings are a lot like Monday Night Football (MNF). First of all, they both happen on Monday nights at 8:30. Beyond that, the voices of MNF and the AAS often shape generations. While football is certainly an entertaining spectacle on a slow Monday night, MNF has become known for the announcers who call the action. Howard Cosell interjected the NFL into America’s weeknights beginning in 1970, and managed to singlehandedly redefine an entire night of primetime. Just as Johnny Carson built late-night television, Cosell founded the institution of primetime sports.
Hi, Class of 2016 and new transfers! Welcome to Amherst! The whole Amherst community has been excitedly gearing up to welcome you all.
Our meeting this week involved the work of several senators’ individual projects. Benyam Ashenafi ’15 is currently working on getting hammocks and picnic tables for the freshman quad and other similar areas around campus. Benyam explained that Dean Fatemi and the administration were not in favor of hammocks because they felt hammocks clashed with the overall appearance of the campus. However, Benyam did point out that the Student Activities Office would be willing to fund twelve picnic tables. In our meeting, we discussed whether or not the Senate should fund more tables for the quad.
To the numerous students (and one gorilla) who joined us this past Monday: thanks! It was an eventful Senate meeting to say the least and we always love having students who are interested in campus issues.
When you step into the online voting booth this week to choose your next AAS president, you should ultimately keep your own counsel and listen to your own advice. You know the candidates better than any alum, even an alum like me who knows the two principal contenders. However, choosing a president for the AAS isn’t something to do own your own. It’s much too important for that. There’s appropriate room for advice from people you trust.
This Monday, the AAS Elections Committee hosted Speech Night for Executive Board hopefuls running in the elections this Thursday. Candidates for all the top positions on student government outlined their platforms: five of those speakers will guide and shape the direction the Senate will take over the next academic year.
The year of 2012 has afforded the AAS seven productive meetings so far. Since late January, Val started using a Twitter account. @AmherstDining has kept us up to date on the meal schedule with tweets and pictures since Jan. 22. Twelve lucky students got to eat dinner with President Biddy thanks to a raffle, and Val has hosted six separate World Cuisine events, including an American Tour sampling food from the East Coast, South, Midwest and West Coast, along with a thoroughly Fat Tuesday lunch and dinner menu for Mardi Gras and a delectable Argentine dinner.
