Issue 24

Men’s Lax Downs Williams on Senior Night See Sports, Page 10

THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

VOLUME CXLIII, ISSUE 24 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

President Martin Appoints Two New Class Deans Sophie Murguia ’17 Managing News Editor

The Office of the President hosted the City Streets Celebration on Monday night. Members of the community gathered in Valentine Quad to enjoy live music, face painting, fire dancers, hayrides and balloon artists, as well as a selection of food from countries around the world.

Photography Editor Olivia Tarantino ’15

JC Ruling Not Overturned A senator’s motion to overturn the Judiciary Council’s April 15 ruling on the executive board elections complaint failed to get the three-fourths majority it needed to pass.

Sophie Murguia ’17 Managing News Editor The Association of Amherst Students senate voted Monday night to defeat a motion that would have overturned the Judiciary Council’s ruling on the recent executive board elections complaint.

Senator and Judiciary Council member Servet Bayimli ’16 brought forward the motion a week after dissenting on the Judiciary Council’s decision to dismiss the complaint. Chloe McKenzie ’14, the member of the acting Judiciary Council who abstained from the vote, joined Bayimli in presenting the motion to the senate.

The April 10 complaint asked the Judiciary Council to determine whether any of the candidates in the presidential and vice presidential runoffs had exceeded the $45 spending limit for the campaign. The Judiciary Council ruled that none of the candidates had gone over the limit for campaign expenditures, defining campaign expenditures as “those campaign materials visible to the Amherst College community in public spaces.”

Bayimli and McKenzie disagreed with the Judiciary Council members who voted to define campaign expenditures in this way.

“I dissented one, because of the linguistic issues, because it was a misinterpretation of the term campaign expenditure,” Bayimli said in an interview. “Second, I dissented on that definition because of the cultural implications of the definition.”

Bayimli and McKenzie argued that the definition discriminates against candidates from low-income families.

“By this interpretation of the term campaign expenditure, I could technically hire an elections consultant that charges $1500 an hour, and as long as I meet with them in my private room, I could only report zero dollars of campaign expenditures,” Bayimli said. “Or if I printed a thousand posters, and I slid them under people’s doors, I have to report zero dollars in campaign expenditures because those doors are private spaces. That’s just a privilege that students here may not have.”

This definition of campaign expenditures proved controversial because Amani Ahmed ’15, the winner of the presidential race, revealed to the Judiciary Council that she spent $20.35 on posters that she printed but never hung up. Because the Judiciary Council ultimately defined campaign expenditures as materials visible in public, it did not consider this sum to be part of her campaign expenditures.

However, Bayimli and McKenzie said that campaign expenditures should include materials that are printed for the intent of promoting a candidate, even if those materials are never used. Ahmed spent $39.40 on campaign materials she did use in addition to the $20.35 on unused posters, meaning that according to Bayimli and McKenzie’s definition, she would have exceeded the spending limit.

“A campaign expenditure, in my mind, is something that is used to affect election results

and to affect people’s voting,” Ahmed said. “If those posters were never used, if they were never put up, and if they were never visible to Amherst students, then I don’t think that they should be counted as campaign expenditures.”

Ahmed said that she did not use the original posters because the day the posters were being printed, Lindon Chen ’15 volunteered to be her campaign manager, and he convinced her to change the style of her campaign materials.

“I told her to not use those posters, and that I would make her other posters,” Chen said.

Despite the possible implications for Ahmed’s campaign, Bayimli and McKenzie said that their concern was about the larger implications of the Judiciary Council’s definition, and not about any specific candidate.

“We are not here because we support or condemn one candidate over the other,” McKenzie said at the meeting. “We did not vote for nor endorse either candidate. We are not asking you to disqualify or impeach Amani.”

Peter Crane ’15, Ahmed’s opponent in the presidential runoff, confirmed that his campaign was not involved in the movement to overturn the Judiciary Council’s ruling.

Many of the senators and other students present at the meeting agreed that the Judiciary Council’s definition of campaign expenditures was problematic. While some students felt that the senate should overturn the Judiciary Council’s decision, others argued that the ruling Continued on Page 3

Professors Rick López and Lyle McGeoch will assume positions as class deans starting July 1, President Martin announced last week.

López, an associate professor in the History Department, has been named Dean of New Students. McGeoch, the Brian E. Boyle ’69 Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, has been appointed Dean of the Class of 2017.

During their three-year terms as class deans, both professors will advise students in their respective classes, take on administrative responsibilities in student affairs and teach one class per semester.

Dean of the Faculty Gregory Call and Chief Student Affairs Officer Suzanne Coffey recommended their colleagues for these positions.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Lyle McGeoch and Rick López in many contexts and grown to admire their dedication to their students,” Call said in an email. “As two recent chairs of the Committee of Educational Policy, Rick and Lyle were thoughtful and effective advocates for our students and faculty alike. As a former Dean of New Students myself, I know Lyle and Rick will be conscientious shepherds, and that they will thoroughly enjoy enabling our students to do their best work.”

López received his B.A. at Amherst and has an M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale.

“I’ve always given a lot of thought to what Amherst does well and what Amherst can do better, since the time that I was a student here,” he said. “I’ve always felt very committed to the institution, trying to think about the things that it can offer and the kinds of change that it can represent.”

López said that he is particularly excited to help the College in thinking more about its diverse identity and making sure that students from all kinds of backgrounds find support at Amherst.

“I see the position as an opportunity to be involved in what the College does and to make it do some of these things even more effectively,” López said. “I think we do a pretty good job, but I think we could refine what we do.”

López will replace Pat O’Hara, the Amanda and Lisa Cross Professor of Chemistry, who began her term as Dean of New Students in 2010.

McGeoch said that when he learned the Dean of New Students position was available, he was eager to apply.

“I think it’s an important role in the College,” McGeoch said. “It’s very much of an academic support role that can have a really positive effect on the lives of the students, and I thought it would be an interesting challenge.”

McGeoch has a bachelor’s degree from Princeton and a Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon. He has been teaching at Amherst since 1987.

“I’ve always really enjoyed the people aspect of being a professor,” he said. “Obviously by the time you get to this stage, we all enjoy the classroom part of it. But it seems to me that advising is important, and supporting students in their work is really important, and this will be a good chance to do even more of that.”

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News

“The motion failed because only 20 out of 31 senators voted to overturn the Judiciary Council’s ruling.”

Senate Votes Not to Overturn JC’s Ruling Page 3

April 16, 2014 - April 20, 2014

>>Apr. 16, 2014 10:21 p.m., King Dormitory An officer met with a resident about issues she has been having with another student. Information was provided and the matter was referred to the Dean’s Office. >>Apr. 17, 2014 11:56 p.m., Sellen St. A caller reported several males looking into cars parked on Sellen St. A car alarm was also sounding. Officers investigated the area but found nothing amiss. >>Apr. 18, 2014 12:40 a.m., Plaza Dormitory While checking the building, an officer discovered the latch on an exterior door was intentionally jammed so the door would be in an unlocked position. The residents were fined $100 for tampering with a safety device.

12:41 a.m., Waldorf-Astoria Dormitory While checking the building, an officer discovered the latch on an exterior door was intentionally jammed so the door would be in an unlocked position. The residents were fined $100 for tampering with a safety device.

9:05 p.m., Cadigan Center Officers and the Fire Department responded to an alarm and discovered it was activated by cooking smoke.

11:02 p.m., King While in the building an officer discovered an unauthorized party with alcohol. It was shut down and the alcohol was confiscated.

11:45 p.m., Morris Pratt Dormitory Officers responded to a report of a white powdery substance in lines on a table in the third floor common room. It was tested and found not be be narcotic. >>Apr. 19, 2014 9:07 a.m., Marsh House Officers investigated a smoke

detector sounding in the kitchen and found it was caused by cooking smoke.

9:21 a.m., Wilson Admissions Officers investigated an intrusion alarm and found it was accidentally set off by an employee.

9:13 p.m., Plimpton House Officers responded to a complaint about an unauthorized party in the first-floor common room and shut it down. Eleven bottles of champagne were confiscated.

9:37 p.m., Morrow Dormitory Officers and the Fire Department responded to an alarm and found it occurred when popcorn began to smoke in a microwave.

11:24 p.m., Hitchcock House Officers responded to a report of a fight in the parking lot and discovered it involved a student and non-student who were in a relationship. Neither person wanted to pursue a formal complaint against the other at this time.

11:41 p.m., East Dr. Three females were observed urinating in front of the police station. They ran toward the social dorms when a dispatcher called out to them from a window. >>Apr. 20, 2014 12:34 a.m., Hitchcock House A written no trespass order was issued to a man who had been involved in an altercation.

5:04 p.m., Morrow Dormitory An officer responded to a complaint about the odor of marijuana and traced it to a second floor room. A small amount of marijuana was confiscated and the matter was referred to the Dean’s Office.

9:21 p.m., Coolidge Dormitory While checking the building, an officer discovered a smashed chair in the basement.

Martin Medina Elizalde Fresh Faculty Department of Geology Professor Martin A. Medina Elizalde is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Geology. He holds a B.S. from the Univ. from Southern Baja California, a M.S. in Center of Research and Advanced studies in Mexico and a Ph.D from the Univ. of California, Santa Barbara.

Q: How did you begin studying your subject and what made you decide to pursue it?

A: When I was 15 years old, I read a book by Isaac Asimov about ice ages and using isotopes to infer changes in ice volume and sea level. I became very interested in learning more about this subject after reading that. Then when I was about to graduate with my master’s degree, I came across a paper on the ice ages by David Lea, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. That’s when I decided that this is what I want to work on and study further, so I contacted him and got to do my Ph.D. with him!

Q: Why did you decide to teach at Amherst?

A: I came to give a talk on my research last year, and I got to meet whom I really liked. I felt like I connected with the Department of Geology on a personal level. They are all doing interesting research, so I think that Amherst College offers a very stimulating scientific environment. I was always interested in teaching, and Amherst felt like an ideal teaching platform where students are committed to acquiring broad knowledge on many different topics. Also, I have some research collaborators at UMass, so it is really a perfect location to develop my own science as well.

Q: What is your research on and what made you interested in it?

A: Currently, I am working on reconstructing past climates of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. I became interested in this region after living there for several years, and it’s a fascinating area because one of the most ancient civilizations developed there — the Mayan civilization. It is an amazing place geologically and geographically with a very interesting history. So I have both a personal connection and a scientific interest in this region. Right now I am using and examining corals and stalagmites that are abundant there to reconstruct past climates.

Q: Are you currently working on publishing anything and what have you published before?

A: I am working on publishing a study investigating the role tropical cyclones played in controlling climate variability at the end of the Mayan civilization. This is in collaboration with Raymond Bradley and Steven Burns at UMass. In the past, I have published a series of papers looking at sea level changes, climate sensitivity, and the role of climate during the collapse of the Mayan civilization in journals like Science, Nature,

and Earth Planetary Science Letters.

Q: What classes are you teaching this semester and planning to teach next semester? What are they about?

A: I am teaching a course called ‘Climate Change, Global Warming, and Natural Resources’ in which we talk about the scientific aspects surrounding the theory of global warming — everything from the physics to the climate impacts of global warming. We also discuss other relevant issues like energy, energy usage, mitigation strategies, and environmental politics throughout the course. I will teach the same course next semester, and I will also teach a new course on paleoclimatology. In that course, we are going to talk about Earth’s climate history, the different archives we use to construct past climate changes, and what the records are telling us for the future.

Q: What do you hope to contribute to Amherst?

A: I hope I can spread as much knowledge about climate change as possible. I think I am one of the leaders in my field, and I hope I can continue to generate new information and provide the latest, most developed ideas about my subject area.

Q: Why do you think climate change is important?

A: I think climate change is one of the most important challenges our civilization faces today.

I would say that we are in a climate crisis right now. Depending on how we act today, it might be an issue that will affect generations to come.

It will certainly put constraints on critical aspects of human life that currently sustain our civilization.

Q: Could you describe the recent field trip that your class went on?

A: We went to a dairy farm whose energy is entirely generated by solar panels. We learned how solar panels can be implemented on a small scale and how they could possibly be used to support an entire city. Students had the opportunity to ask technical questions about solar energy to Lawrence Cook, the Project Manager of Energy Systems and Installations and an expert on solar energy. The owner of the farm also gave us his perspective and talked about the benefits and challenges of installing and using solar energy compared to traditional forms of electricity. I think students were also happy to interact with the many livestock there too.

Pierre Joseph ’15 Wins Harry S. Truman Scholarship Judd Liebman ’16 News Section Editor Pierre Joseph ’15 won $30,000 to go toward graduate school through the Truman Scholarship. The Truman Scholarship, created in 1975, aims to “support young Americans who are making a difference and become part of the future of public service leadership,” the Truman Scholarship website says.

“Truman is for people who want to do domestic work,” Joseph said. “They are looking to invest 30,000 dollars and this big network in people who will be doing things here.”

Joseph said he decided to apply to the fellowship in October because he has always wanted to pursue public service and hopes to attend either the Kennedy School of Government or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Depart-

ment of Urban Planning. Joseph’s main focus in his work is community and state issues.

“I’ve always wanted to be involved in government and electoral politics,” Joseph said. “It is just deciding where I can make the biggest difference. And that is state politics.”

Specifically, Joseph has developed a passion for place-based community development in Massachusetts gateway cities, cities that thrived during the industrial era but have since declined. Joseph believes anchoring institutions should replace relocation programs to rebuild struggling cities.

“Communities are now shells of their former selves,” he said. “If you can get these anchors on board, everything else will follow.”

The Truman Fellowship requires that the recipient work in Washington, D.C. in an eightweek internship, pursue graduate education at

some point and dedicate three to seven years to public service. Joseph’s experience in public service mostly includes legislative and judicial work, so he will use the internship to explore executive administration, he said.

“It’s interesting to see how all of these organizations interact to create a web of bureaucracy,” Joseph said. “Government does not need to be this big bureaucracy, it can be streamlined.”

The extensive application for the fellowship required Joseph to look down the road 10 to 15 years to see where he wants to be.

“It’s honestly like taking a fifth class because it is such an introspective process. You have to paint a picture of yourself,” Joseph said.

In his application, he discussed the experiences he has already had working in public service, including an internship with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

“Interning for Senator Warren has been a rewarding experience, allowing me to develop a pulse on the challenges families face across the Commonwealth,” he wrote. “By exploring multiple constituent service issues from Veterans Affairs, to student loans, to consumer finance, I successfully learned to maneuver the federal bureaucracy, getting answers for constituents.”

For Joseph, the picture centered on Massachusetts politics. A Springfield native, Joseph said that he wants to pursue a seat as a representative in the state senate or as a Massachusetts Senator.

“I’d like to either be a state senator or a U.S. senator, he said. “Massachusetts is great.

We have given a lot to this country in terms of public service and I’d like to continue that tradition.”

The Amherst Student • April 23, 2014

News 3

Strategic Planning: Research and Teaching

Sitina Xu ’16 News Section Editor This article is the fourth part in a four-part series about the core committees involved in this year’s strategic planning process.

This year, the Strategic Planning Committee for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning is looking into essential support structures needed to be put in place for the College to continue thriving as a research and teachingbased institution.

Specifically, this committee is charged with examining the questions such as how top-notch research by faculty plays into faculty teaching and student learning and how the College can support student-faculty collaboration and increase research productivity.

“The focus is on the academic core which is teaching, researching, and learning,” said Associate Professor of Chemistry and Chair of Biochemistry-Biophysics Anthony Bishop, who chairs the committee. “The very key aspect that this committee exists to strengthen even more is that research and teaching hold equal place and inform each other.”

Bishop said the College is invested in the process of students learning from their classroom in connection with the greater scholarly world. The committee is also discussing the College’s identity

as a research college.

A research college is one that involves leading scholar-professors performing leading research in their respective field and simultaneously using that research to inform and advance their teaching. Concurrently, students are able to engage with those cutting-edge discoveries and learn from faculty active in their field.

According to Bishop, the hope of a research college is to create an environment in which “students whose education is enriched by learning with active scholars, and active scholars whose teaching is enriched by the fact that they are at the forefront of their fields and they get to bounce those discoveries of fantastic students in the classroom.”

In order for this key dynamic between students and faculty to work, the committee is examining the proper supports the College needs to put in place in terms of time, money and infrastructure in order to best foster and cultivate an environment that integrates research and learning in this way.

“We are still in the midst of discussion and nothing is confirmed as of yet, but practically, this would look like basic financial support for scholarly faculty and for non-faculty scholars to build more of an infrastructure, as well as thinking of ways that the College can foster a greater integration of research in the classroom,” Bishop said.

One of the College’s main resources for re-

Senate Votes Not to Overturn JC’s Ruling Continued from Page 1 should stand and that the issue of defining campaign expenditures should be resolved in a future constitutional amendment.

At the meeting, Liya Rechtman ’14 spoke for the majority of acting Judiciary Council members who voted to dismiss the complaint. Rechtman, who is also a senator, said that the Judiciary Council’s definition of campaign expenditures applied only to this particular complaint, and that going forward the senate should focus on amending the constitution rather than overturning the Judiciary Council’s decision.

“I think that this campaign complaint exposed certain fundamental flaws in our constitution,” Rechtman said.

According to the AAS constitution, “any campaign item promoting a candidate” counts as a campaign expenditure. Some students present at the meeting believed that this language includes campaign materials that are printed but not used, while others argued that the language could exclude unused campaign materials.

“Clearly not everyone is on the same page about how the constitution should be interpreted,” Ahmed said. “I think what the JC ruling and the dissent involved in the JC ruling reveal is that there is ambiguity there.”

Ultimately, the motion failed because only 20 out of 31 senators voted to overturn the Judiciary Council’s ruling. Overturning a Judiciary Council ruling requires the consent of three-fourths of voting senators. Eight senators voted against the motion, and three abstained.

After the motion’s defeat, Bayimli and McKenzie submitted a referendum to the AAS that proposes a constitutional amendment redefining campaign expenditures.

“The campaign expenditures definition we have comes from Title 2, Section 431 of the Federal Election Campaigns Law,” Bayimli said. “The definition we proposed is very similar to that language with a few additions.”

The referendum will also ask students to vote on whether they support the Judiciary Council’s ruling. Tomi Williams ’16, the current Judiciary Council chair, said that if students vote against the ruling, the ruling will be voided, but there will be no impact on the election results. Williams said that the primary impact of voiding the rul-

ing would be a symbolic rejection of the council’s decision.

The student body will vote on the referendum in a special election on Friday.

Also at issue in the debate on overturning the decision was the question of whether the Judiciary Council is fundamentally an investigative body. Members of the Judiciary Council disagreed over how far the council should have gone to determine the validity of candidates’ reported expenditures.

Bayimli said that the Judiciary Council should have conducted an independent investigation to evaluate whether the candidates’ submitted receipts were accurate.

“We need to make sure that all the evidence we receive is valid, or else what’s the point?” Bayimli said. “There are inherent problems with the truthfulness of testimony, especially in an adversarial process like being in a Judiciary Council hearing and trying to win an election.”

Other acting members of the Judiciary Council, such as Allan Landman ’14, believed that such an act falls outside of the scope of the council’s powers.

“People give us the evidence; we don’t go and get the evidence,” Landman said.

Additionally, the Judiciary Council argued over whether it was appropriate for the council to have called Ahmed back for further questioning after she submitted her receipts at the council’s open hearing. In a private meeting after the open hearing on April 13, the council called Ahmed back because McKenzie thought she remembered seeing another large campaign poster that Ahmed had not reported.

During this discussion, the council asked Ahmed whether there had been any election posters for which she did not submit receipts.

Although the council determined that McKenzie had been mistaken about seeing another large poster, it was during this time that Ahmed revealed she had spent $20.35 on posters she did not use.

Bayimli and Landman said that it was unfair for the Judiciary Council to question Ahmed in a private meeting after it had already questioned her in an open hearing, particularly because none of the other candidates were called back for further questioning.

Finally, AAS representatives and students at

search of the College is its research libraries.

Missy Roser, Head of Research and Instruction at Frost Library, is one of the members of the committee.

“Supporting faculty research and teaching has always been central to the library’s mission, and in the past few years we’ve worked hard to strengthen our library-instruction program as well,” Roser said. “Last year our librarians worked with almost 200 classes, partnering with faculty to teach students how to do discipline-specific research. In addition, librarians work with thesis writers all the way through their process, from proposal to printing the bibliography, and support students doing independent research in the summer and in Mellon and other research seminars.”

Overall, Roser said the library aims to be the space and resource for “research, discovery and learning” and has done so by spearheading events “showcasing research, hosting faculty book talks celebrating new publications” and highlighting student research at the recent Amherst Explorations festival.

The committee is also looking at how to help students and faculty use their time more efficiently.

“Both on the student and faculty side, the most precious resource is time and how to think about freeing up time for innovation in the classroom, innovation in the lab and innovation for one’s scholarship,” Bishop said. “It is one the most

vexed issues of the strategic planning process, and I don’t know how we’re going to solve that problem.”

One way the committee has been grappling with the issue of time is by debating faculty time spent in committees. Matt DeButts ’14, a student on the committee, said the group is currently discussing what “a reasonable amount of committee work” is and “how to distribute it evenly” across the faculty in order to free up time for research and scholarship. No final consensus has been reached yet.

Furthermore, the committee has been investigating questions about the “teaching and learning center, senior faculty evaluations, how best to manage faculty time, and how — and whether — to modify tenure criteria such that it values conducting research with students,” DeButts said.

Specific recommendations and proposals from the strategic planning committees are not set to come out until sometime next semester, but Professor Adam Sitze, a member of the committee, anticipates that the report will discuss both short-term and long-term considerations.

“I expect that the proposals we will end up formulating will reflect a synthesis between the pressing needs our colleagues have identified, on the one hand, and our analysis of the basic dynamics that seem likely to define higher education and the world in the coming decades, on the other hand,” Sitze said.

Results of the motion The motion failed by a vote of 20-8 in favor of overturning with three abstentions. The motion needed a three-fourths majority to pass. Here are the senators’ votes by class.

The Class of 2014 Senators voted 6-2 in favor Kasope Aleshinloye..................yes Matt DeButts..........................yes Chris Friend...........................yes Ian Hatch...............................yes

Nica Siegel.............................yes Liya Rechtman.........................no Andre Wang..........................yes Tinsae Zerihun.........................no

The Class of 2015 Senators voted 6-2 in favor Amani Ahmed..........................no Peter Crane............................yes Nasaa Enkhbold......................yes KC Fussell..............................yes

Rama Hagos...........................yes Bryson Kacha.........................yes Marie Lambert........................yes Blaine Werner..........................no

The Class of 2016 Senators voted 3-2 in favor Shruthi Badri..........................yes Servet Bayimli........................yes RJ Kermes...............................no Hao Liu..................................yes

Juan G. Delgado Montes......abstain Richard Park.....................abstain Ali Rohde................................no

The Class of 2017 Senators voted 5-2 in favor Karen Blake...........................yes Sophie Delfeus.......................yes William Herman.......................no Chico Kosber.....................abstain the meeting debated whether candidates should have been asked to waive their federal rights by submitting receipts. The Judiciary Council asked candidates to prove that they had complied with campaign regulations, but did not specify that they should submit their receipts.

Requiring candidates to submit receipts would have meant requesting that they waive the privacy rights guaranteed to them by the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA. One of the original complainants, Joshua Ferrer ’17, was among the students at the meeting who said it would have been reasonable for the Judiciary Council to ask candidates to waive these rights.

“If you are a public candidate, you’re opening yourself up to public scrutiny,” he said in an interview. “That includes campaign contributions.

You’re held to a different standard.”

Rechtman was among those who disagreed.

“Someone running in a federal election knows they will be asked to waive federal rights, but none of the candidates here knew they would be asked to waive federal rights,” she said at the meeting.

Rechtman and others at the meeting also said they believed that asking students to waive their

Oluwatobi Oni-Orisan..............yes Katarina Cruz Padilla...............yes Siraj Sindhu............................no David Zhang..........................yes privacy rights could set a dangerous precedent, and that such a decision should not be taken lightly.

The original complaint also included a recommendation that the senate require candidates to submit their campaign expenditures after every election, although that recommendation was not discussed in detail on Monday night.

“While we have this clear limit on expenditures, there is no way for the senate to be making sure that the candidates actually comply,” said Pierre Joseph ’15, one of the complainants. “The only way to do that is to file a complaint with the JC.” Ahmed and Bayimli both said in interviews that they hoped the senate would turn its attention to a more thorough examination of campaign finances in the future.

“As president, and as someone who is going to be a part of senate in the future, that will be one of the first things that I want to change,” Ahmed said. “I want to make sure that the student body is on the same page about how campaigns should be run, and I want to make sure that students are happy about the way candidates are running their campaigns.”

Opinion Editorial

One Vote to Rule Them All Last Monday, the AAS voted on a motion to overturn the April 15 JC ruling regarding campaign expenditures. The motion failed to pass; twenty senators voted yes in favor of the motion, eight senators voted no and three senators abstained, meaning the motion fell just short of the three-fourths majority necessary to overturn a JC ruling. The closeness of the AAS vote on Monday is reminiscent of the AAS presidential election, and, in fact, in the minds of many students the two are one and the same. If the AAS motion had passed, another AAS presidential election would have been necessary. Therefore, knowing that the only candidate in question in the JC ruling was also the president elect, a senator voting in support of the motion to overturn the JC ruling would have in effect been a vote to invalidate the AAS presidential runoff election results.

The two issues, however, are distinct and each deserve a separate treatment. It is extremely unfortunate that the they have been confounded. The motion to overturn the JC ruling should have focused entirely on the question of whether the JC presented a valid interpretation of “campaign expenditures,” not just under the circumstances of this particular election cycle but as a general matter of principle and precedent. Nonetheless, with the knowledge of how their votes would affect the outcome of the AAS presidential election, it was inevitable that potential personal partiality towards the presidential candidates would have distorted senators’ decisions on a constitutional issue that should have been dealt with in isolation from the particular candidates involved.

The JC should have anticipated how personal partiality towards the candidates would affect students’ reactions to their de-

cision. They may not have expected that the AAS would motion to overturn the ruling, but they should have planned for such a contingency. Therefore, by disclosing the names of individual candidates in their opinions, the JC’s actions reflect a lack of foresight.

Since the JC ruled that no candidate had violated the Constitution, there was no reason to disclose the names of the individual candidates in their opinions. After concluding that no candidate should be disqualified, the JC should have revised the publicly available opinions to refer to the candidates generically, such as “presidential candidate one” and “candidate two.” If the JC had maintained the anonymity of the candidates in their decision, last Monday’s motion could have focused solely on the actual constitutional issue of campaign expenditure rather than being confounded with the outcome of the run-off election.

Since the JC did not maintain the anonymity of the candidates in their public opinions, senators should have been aware of how their personal bias may have affected their ability to vote impartially and acted accordingly. It is extremely inappropriate how neither presidential candidate in the run-off chose to abstain from voting on the motion.

Senators who campaigned extensively on behalf of either of candidates should have also abstained, as should have the JC members themselves.

If anything positive has emerged from the recent AAS motion and elections, it is that they have instigated a greater degree of political fervor among many students. Both results may seem coincidental, but the closeness of the votes in both the AAS presidential election and Monday’s motion vividly illustrate that every vote does indeed count.

“My precious!”

E X E C U T I V E B OA R D Editors-in-Chief Brendan Hsu, Emmett Knowlton Executive Advisor Brianda Reyes Managing News Sophie Murguia Managing Opinion James Liu, David Chang Managing Arts and Living Meghan McCullough, Elizabeth Paul Managing Sports Andrew Knox, Nicole Yang

“People need to come into an Amherst education having their minds completely scrambled...”

Defining Amherst... Page 5

The Judiciary Council Ruling Joyce Wamala ’18E Contributing Writer The current buzz on campus is predominantly regarding the controversial Judiciary Council ruling that was made after an election complaint that was filed on Thursday, April 10.

The complaint was to the effect that candidates had neared if not exceeded the budgetary limit for campaign materials. Ironically, the Judiciary Council was asked to look into the financial side of the matter without anyone vocalizing the fact that there is something wrong and unconstitutional about a victory based on two votes. To add to this irony, for a large subset of the student body, which is represented by the JC, this was the first time they had heard of its existence.

The current election cycle has been a graceful one, paved with strong platforms and innovative candidates. It is easy to see why the student body seemed so torn between our top two candidates (Amani Ahmed ’15 and Peter Crane ’15) to the point where the results of the run-off election hung in the balance of two sleepy heads at an equilibrium with their mattresses. Wake up on the right side and the result could have easily gone the other way.

Ahmed had some clearly defined points in her platform; she had the experience and passion to maximize support for her campaign.

At the same time, Crane was innovative in his approach to student representation and was an equally competent candidate.

It suffices to say that our two run-off candidates were so equally matched that either way, the school would be in good hands.

There is only one problem here. Nothing is equal or fair in politics, and the sole purpose of a run-off election is to make this distinction clear.

The future eight months of our school needs to be under the capable leadership of a candidate that will not be second-guessed at every turn because “the other candidate only lost by two votes and may have been a better choice after all.”

We need a student body that is definitively and by majority in support of the incumbent next year. What the Amherst Association of Students needs to do, then, is have another run-off election, focused on the two presidential candidates rather than the current run-off, which also included candidates running for vice- president. As a member of the voting public, you are aware of the personal

preferences you had in the first round of open elections this year, whether they were just for the sole candidate running for treasurer or for one of the four candidates running for president.

Regardless of the flavor of your preferential voting, many a voter was guilty of making one informed decision and then either playing eenie-meenie or asking a friend close by for whom else they should vote. We cannot let this kind of inaccuracy be ignored at our campus when considering results like these on a national scale would likely lead to more pensive action.

This is not to suggest that the JC does not know what they are doing or that the current winner of the run-off is undeserving. If in reading this article so far you feel that I have insinuated the above, then let me be intentional and curt: I have not. All I desire to relay to the student body is the fact that the leader of the student body needs to be elected on a more solid foundation than a two-vote difference for their own good. If the candidates did indeed legitimize their claim to the presidency amongst their supporters, then students will turn out to vote again.

The only difference this time is that all our elected representatives (senators) should make a concerted effort to make it clear to the student body that it is imperative that we make an informed decision and cast a vote for the future of our college.

Not enough weight is put on stressing the importance and the role of the student body president. Everyone seems to understand the importance of the president of the United States; it shouldn’t be hard to extrapolate this appreciation of leadership to the role of the student body president.

My goal here is not to attack a specific group or person. If anything, it is to bring to question our entire student body, especially those who actively participate in the politics of the school.

Does our role as students end at the ballot, or should it continue well into the term of office? Is it the responsibility of our elected representatives to guess what we need or is it our duty and right to convey our best interests to our liaisons with the administration?

Finally, if the JC is acting constitutionally and rules based on an outcome that will prevent further controversy and unfairness, shouldn’t it be doing whatever it takes to make sure the result of the presidential election is more clear-cut than the flipping of a two-vote coin?

Retraction: In the caption for the first-page photo published in the April 16 issue of The Amherst Student, it was written that the Student Health Educators and Peer Advocates of Sexual Respect hosted ConsentFest on April 2. This statement is not true. The Amherst Student apologizes for this error. ConsentFest was run by the Peer Advocates of Sexual Respect. The SHEs were one of many other groups that helped out with the event.

S TA F F Design Editor Brian Beaty News Section Editors Andrew Kim, Judd Liebman Opinion Section Editors Darya Barshak, Ashley Montgomery Sports Section Editors Sam Javit, Jason Stein, Jeremy Kesselhaut Publishers Nazir Khan, Diana Lopez, Syeda Malliha, Tia Robinson, Valerie Salcido Photography Editor Olivia Tarantino

Letters Policy

The opinion pages of The Amherst Student are intended as an open forum for the Amherst community.

The Student will print letters under 450 words in length if they are submitted to The Student offices in the Campus Center or to the paper’s e-mail account (astudent@amherst.edu) by 12 p.m. on Sunday, after which they will not be accepted.

The editors reserve the right to edit any letters exceeding the 450-word limit or to withhold any letter because of considerations of space or content.

Letters must bear the names of all contributors and a phone number where the author or authors may be reached. Letters and columns may be edited for clarity and Student style.

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The Amherst Student is published weekly except during College vacations. The subscription rate is $75 per year or $40 per semester. Subscription requests and address changes should be sent to: Subscriptions, The Amherst Student; Box 1912, Amherst College: Amherst, MA 01002-5000. The offices of The Student are located on the second floor of the Keefe Campus Center, Amherst College. Phone: (413) 542-2304. All contents copyright © 2011 by The Amherst Student, Inc. All rights reserved. The Amherst Student logo is a trademark of The Amherst Student, Inc. Additionally, The Amherst Student does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation or age.

The views expressed in this publication do not reflect the views of The Amherst Student.

The Amherst Student • April 23, 2014

Opinion 5

A Face to the Frustration Sharing Ideas: An Interview The International Perspective with Johnathan Appel ’16 Chico Kosber ’17

The International Perspective is a biweekly column that provides a platform for students to share their opinions about our larger world. This includes international outlooks on domestic issues as well as opinions on problems occurring around the globe.

I think that the most formative experience I’ve had so far as an international student was my time on AAS senate. In Cairo, there’s barely any form of student government present in school systems. For most schools in my hometown there’s none at all. There’s no form of student representation to the administration.

However, at Amherst College, it’s different. Our student government is reflective of our diverse student body. Most senators push forward with their senate projects that aim to enhance student life at Amherst. Yet we tend to forget that. For most people, the AAS is an amorphous entity far removed from daily student life, but the senate is representative of the school. This year we’ve had one of the most competitive elections. This means that more people have run for senate and want to change things. However, even with that increased diversity I find myself coming away from most senate meetings dissatisfied. I think senate ultimately should facilitate student life rather than direct it. We should provide each club with the tools to succeed. That should be our ultimate goal. From that keystone, I think everything else should be built. Whether that means spending more time reviewing budgets or focusing on other things remains to be decided. Currently, our senate meetings revolve around budgetary debates, and the uproars over JC rulings. Personally I don’t think our meetings should be centered on things we aren’t particularly excited about (namely budgets). On the other hand, the budget debates that we have are crucial. We make sure that all our funding fits within constitutional guidelines and that the

events we fund are open and accessible to everyone in the student body. I write this to clarify the seemingly petty debates the AAS minutes transcribe.

We as a senate have been trying to move out of budgets taking most of our meeting to things that we as senators have been excited about. And again we have to deal with the balancing act of making sure our funding is fair and accountable. Your senators aren’t nameless, faceless people who don’t care about the student body.

We weigh our decisions heavily and deliberate before we come to a vote. A lot of the time, we leave frustrated and think about what we could have done better or whether we could have said something a little more eloquently. The frustration that comes from that is a natural result from the majority voting process we have in senate.

I know that there’s a huge amount of dissatisfaction with the AAS on whether we actually do serve a purpose. If the student body finds that student government fills a meaningless role within the sphere of our college then the AAS will inevitably dissolve. Or perhaps we get more senators who are able to take up the torch from where we currently stand. Our system like most, is flawed and imperfect; yet, we take the time to scrutinize the AAS’ rulings and the stances it takes. I hope that we continue to hold ourselves and the AAS accountable for what we stand for and to make sure it evolves into the best representation of the student body’s needs. Ultimately, these are my reflections on my time as senator and international student and they are in no way unanimously held by the AAS.

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Defining Amherst

Seewai Hui ’16 Defining Amherst is an initiative about exploring the purpose of an Amherst education. For more information, visit definingamherst.wordpress.com.

Johnathan Appel ’16 didn’t come to Amherst looking for a comfortable education. He came here to have all his ideas challenged. As a political science major, he finds himself re-evaluating the systems of privilege he benefits from and trying to understand their existence. Recently, he has become more involved with campus politics as a member of the Judiciary Counsel. He hopes our student body will find ways to use the AAS to empower ourselves and to tackle important issues.

In this interview, Johnathan explains how his interactions with other students and his classroom experiences have changed what he thinks and have taught him to constantly question his own ideas.

SH: What is the purpose of your Amherst education?

JA: I guess it’s two-fold. I came here because I want to be exposed to all different kinds of ideas, including conservative ideas. I’ve never felt more uncomfortable with my ideas in my life since I’ve been here. People need to come into an Amherst education having their minds completely scrambled, saying, “How do I even process the world anymore?” and that’s when the learning takes place. And then secondly, I really like to get to know a lot of people. I have come in here and thoroughly enjoyed being able to see people and know who they are and what their experiences are and being able to have that inform who I am.

That’s why I didn’t go to a big school. I love having multiple groups of friends and seeing how they all intersect. Those are my goals.

SH: How have you worked inside and outside of the classroom to accomplish those goals?

JA: As a political science major, I major in institutions and reproductions of inequality, which is fancy for understanding why I was born super rich, while other people were born poor and why we have systems of privilege. And I think before I got here, I, for example, assumed that the civil rights movement had done its work. But when I’m faced with similar issues in the classroom, like the racial caste system of mass incarceration in the war on drugs, for example, that boggles my mind and makes me reevaluate everything. My other goal I’ve tackled both inside and outside of the classroom. One of the most influential classes I’ve ever had was one in which we were talking about the war on drugs and how race informs random stops and frisks and three people in the class had amazing stories. And then I said to myself, “I was born on the upper east side. I’ve never been stopped and frisked in my life and I’ve used drugs.” If anything scrambles my mind and proves that systems of privilege still exist, it’s these other people’s experiences. And outside the classroom, I just try to get to know as many people as possible.

SH: Do you think we all have a larger, common purpose as students at Amherst?

JA: My immediate reaction is yes. As the largest population on this campus, we have a duty not to be apathetic. I was reading something for class and it was talking about acquiescence. In any kind of political movement, unless you have a big interest group, nothing happens. The student body

here can be that interest group to inspire real change on this campus. We did that with sexual assault reform. We can do that with so many other things. Another common purpose is that we’re all here to challenge each other. Ultimately we want everybody to leave here more ready for the world and more ready to inspire positive change in the world.

SH: Do you think it’s a school’s job to teach their students to challenge each other?

JA: I think it’s a school’s job to completely change what we think. I talked to one senior who’s going to finance and he said to me “I didn’t realize that I didn’t have to be an econ major. I wish I had been a history major.” I think it’s the school’s job to let people know that immediately. If I had my ideal world, I would make it so that students couldn’t declare their major their first year at all. You shouldn’t study what you thought you were going to study. It’s the school’s job to rattle your brain.

It’s the school’s job to actually encourage students to live lives of consequence, which we don’t seem to do, unless the consequence is reproduction because that’s what we’re doing — we’re just reproducing the same thing over and over again. ­ ­ SH: What is your involvement with and views on campus politics?

JA: I ran and won the JC by a narrow margin in January and I’m running for Senate. I see the Senate and I see politics as something that could be amazing. I see US politics as something that compromises, that takes things such as the feminist movement, and waters them down until they’re a shadow of what they were. But with AAS politics, I see a body that has had its power taken by the administration and I’m not a pure administration hater. I think they do great things, but as a student body, we need a way to empower ourselves and make student driven changes, and the answer lies within the AAS. Rather than being just a body that gives out money, it should be that and more.

It should empower students on issues, such as gender inclusive bathrooms or gender inclusive language in syllabi. Students are the largest population on this campus and we should have the most power, but we don’t, and the only way to treat that is through politics. It’s why I’m a poly-sci major.

SH: How does your education relate to your life?

JA: It changes my ideas through my experience engaging with the materials I’m reading. Also, sharing these experiences with other people, interacting with other people, having that dialogue, benefits my ideas on what I would like to do with my future. I think that’s really what an Amherst education is about. In four years, you’re going to come out thinking something completely different than what you came in thinking, and hopefully it will be a bit more on the mark. And then you will spend the whole rest of your life having gained the ability to question what you’re thinking. That will only help you grow. I want to learn to have the tools to constantly question my own experiences and the experiences of those around me and figure out how can I change things for the better.

Log on to Amherst.edu/go/netpartner to review your application status Office of Financial Aid finaid@amherst.edu Photo courtesy of Johnathan Appel ’16

Sophomore Johnathan Appel came to Amherst to “be exposed to all different kinds of ideas.”

Arts&Living

“On the surface it’s a hilarious, irreverent sex comedy...”

“Sex Criminals”...Page 8

Four Netflix Movies You’ve Got to See Image courtesy of www.boiseweekly.com

Netflixers too often assume that there are no worthwhile films available on the wildly popular streaming site, but if you dig around a bit, you are sure to find a few gems.

Marquez Cummings ’16 Staff Writer Ah, Netflix: the king of on-demand streaming. How many times has this website inexplicably caused you to dump hours and hours into bingewatching a T.V. show? Please tell me I’m not the only one who has found himself saying, “that’s definitely the last episode for today,” only to let another one auto-play? I honestly cannot put into words how amazingly epic Netflix is for casual and hardcore television fans alike. Yet, I also find this site rather odd. There is absolutely no doubt that if you want to watch the entirety of “The Office” or “Breaking Bad,” Netflix is the place to be. But when it comes to full-length movies, Netflix falls short.

Yes, it has a few classic and recent hit films for subscribers to enjoy, but I constantly find myself combing every genre category for something new to watch only to say “screw it, I’ll just watch the entirety of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ for the one-hundredth time.” I know I can’t be the only one with this frustration, so I decided to compile a small list of films that many Netflix subscribers probably haven’t seen. If you’re reading this online, feel free to add to this list and help us all conquer boredom (or finals procrastination) with some great feature-length films. #1. “Memento” Chrisopher Nolan’s first written/ directed screenplay easily makes my list of movies to watch. It follows the struggles of Leonard Shelby, a man who has suffered a traumatic head injury while defending his wife from home invaders. His injury renders him

incapable of converting short-term memory into long-term memory (basically Drew Barrymore in “50 First Dates”). Consequently, Shelby’s wife is killed in the struggle. In order to find the killers and avenge his wife’s death, Shelby tattoos himself with several pieces of information that will help guide him to the truth behind the fateful night he can never recollect.

I will say this right away: do not watch this movie late at night. If you even doze off for a second, you will find yourself lost in a narrative that alternates between chronological and reverse chronological order. In a nutshell: the story arc of this movie is like “Inception” on steroids. With that said, if you’re up for a mind-bending journey that will captivate you until the end credits, “Memento” is the movie for you. #2. “Fargo” Many of us have experienced the hilarity that is the Upper Midwestern accent: a lot of “you betcha’s” and “don’tcha know’s.” Now, combine this dialect with a crime-drama. What do you get? A darkly humorous movie called “Fargo,” made by the Coen brothers. In North Dakota, a man named Jerry Lundergard is in some deep financial trouble. Jerry concocts a plan to have two incompetent criminals kidnap his wife in order to ransom a tremendous amount of money from her wealthy father. After the job is done, Jerry and the perpetrators plan to split the money and part ways. From the moment that this insane scheme gets underway, things go from bad to worse. A police officer and two innocent men are killed during the kidnapping. This forces Frances McDormand,

a tenacious (not to mention very pregnant) police sergeant to attempt to solve the three murders in her district.

“Fargo” creates a world with so many colorful characters and shocking developments that you cannot help but become absorbed in the crazy premise. If I could describe this movie in two words, I would choose “quirky” and “brilliant.” The odd humor of this film relies on the great performances from each of the actors. The authenticity of life in North Dakota/Minnesota is captured so well here that it’s hard to believe that none of the actors hail from this part of the country. Additionally, this film is brilliant because all of the funny, light-hearted moments throughout the film become starkly and artfully juxtaposed with a poignant and introspective tale. This becomes especially clear by the end of the film, when a certain character gives a very simple and very memorable monologue. To sum up, this trip into the cold north of Fargo, North Dakota is well worth the time of any viewer. #3. “End of Watch” I never thought a buddy cop movie could have such an effect on me as a viewer. This is not your run of the mill crime film for a number of reasons, chief among them being that it’s a found footage film. Throughout the entirety of the film, we see through the lens of a hidden camera placed on the chest of officer Brian Taylor who is filming his daily exploits as a South Central Los Angeles cop for a night class film project. This plot device works on two fronts: to allow “End of Watch” to become a self-referential (aka “meta”) abstraction of film itself and to allow the audience to become

restricted within the thoughts and senses of Officer Taylor. Along for the ride is Officer Taylor’s best friend/partner, Miguel Zavala. Together, not only do these characters help quell the rampant gang-related crime of their district, but they also engage in hilarious, and sometimes very poignant, conversations during down time.

By the film’s end, we as viewers become extremely invested in both of the titular characters. This effect is due in part to the POV/hidden camera work, which forcibly places viewers in every single moment of the film, and in part to the incredible performances given

by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña.

In short, these guys were born to be on screen together. From the clever banter to the intense chase scenes sprinkled throughout the narrative, I was hardpressed to find a single moment where I realized that the movie is not actually a documentary style film project. This movie is a visceral, intense and overall heartfelt journey of two best friends who always have each other’s back no matter the danger.

#4. “Cabin in the Woods” At a glance, “Cabin in the Woods” seems to be a cliché horror film: a group of college-aged friends decide to take a weekend camping trip at a cabin in the middle of the woods. Each character has a generic horror genre identity: including the sexy “cheerleader-type” ditz, her dumb-as-rocks jock boyfriend, the comic-relief pothead,

the good girl and the wild card love interest. From the classic tropes of the horror genre, we expect several things to happen along the way to this group of friends, including the introduction of some sort of crazed killer that will pick off each character one-by-one until there are at most two left (usually including the good girl character). Essentially, this is very accurate to the actual plot of the movie. Funnily enough, that’s the point. This film represents the single greatest farce of the horror genre to date, expertly playing with audience expectations in a way that has not been accomplished since “Scream,” the ultimate satire on the generic high school slasher film. I refuse to get into specifics of the film’s clever twist, but I will say that there is more to the tragic situation of this generic group of doomed teenagers.

Although I won’t reveal anymore about this sly film, I assure everyone reading this that “Cabin in the Woods,” co-written by Joss Whedon, is well worth the watch. The greatest thing accomplished by this film is the blend of laugh-out-loud comedy and outright gruesome violence. I found myself laughing hysterically at what I was watching on-screen while simultaneously averting my eyes when another character bit the dust. Out of all of the movies on this list, “Cabin in the Woods” is probably the most overlooked film on Netflix. Watch it immediately and I promise you will be pleasantly surprised.

Image courtesy of www.projections.blogs.gainseville.com

Christopher Nolan’s “Memento” is a hidden Netflix mustwatch if you’re in the mood for a thriller.

The Amherst Student • April 23, 2014

Arts & Living 7

Darienne Doesn’t Dress to Impress

Julianna Glasser ’15 Staff Writer “Not everyone has to like what I am wearing,” says Darienne Madlala, a sophomore pre-med and History major.

She only has a few minutes to discuss her unique sense of fashion. Between labs, we convene over Grab n’ Go sandwiches behind the vending machines in the basement of Keefe to talk.

“I have never cared. I always think you should just wear what you want to wear. And I am really not that type of person to judge what other people wear.”

“Clothes can be from any store,” Madlala continues. “It is just a matter of looking.”

Color is the first thing that draws her attention, although she admits that too much color can be a problem. Her style is defined by her love of vintage, but she also warns about not going overboard: “vintage things are cool, but you have to have a balance.”

Madlada prefers loose and flowy clothing to “figure-hugging stuff.” But what is the real secret to her unique sense of style? Madlala admits to throwing pieces together in the morning without giving too much time to focus on what looks good together. Somehow, magically, it always does!

Madlala says she is not a big shopper and could not even remember the last time she hit the stores.

“Anyway,” Madlala notes, “I al-

ways find my best things when I am not looking.”

That said, when it comes to sorting through racks, she maintains her patience and shops with a sense of purpose: “I have patience.

You have to. Otherwise you are just going to walk out of the store with boring stuff.”

Madlala recalls a recent shopping trip to Forever 21 when she spotted a fantastic pair of heron pants on the other side of the store.

She and her friends were blown away; the pants were incredible!

They all wanted to get them, but Madlala had found the last pair.

“It’s a matter of where you look.

And it is a matter of patience,” she reminds us.

Madlala has many fashion icons and admits to finding inspiration from anywhere she can get it — from her sister, Rachel, to her mom and Agnes Dean; fashion model.

Madlala’s mom taught her how to sew when she was young and encouraged her fashion sensibilities, while she says her sister was the one who pushed her to try new things.

In fact, Madlala says that her sister still pushes her today, both in terms of her fashion choices and as a person. Madlala’s favorite go-to pair of pants once hung in her mom’s closet. She credits Agnes Dean as her inspiration for her first pair of shin-high black Doc Martin boots, which she bought when she was 14 years old.

“I get my greatest source of fashion inspiration from Agnes Dean.

Oh, my gosh! Love her! Google her!

There was a point in her fashion career when she was better known for her street clothing than her actual fashion modeling. She does not have a stylist; she dresses herself.

She’s my style icon.”

When asked about tips for springtime fashion, Madlala recommends a good lipstick. As Madlala jokes, “It’s important to brighten up ones’ days … at least brighten up mine.”

In fact, one of Madlala’s best friends, who joined us during our conversation, notes that Madlala is the one who got her into lipstick.

And what about looking forward to summer? Madlala favors city sports shirts and shorts — and that’s it. As far as her favorite beachwear, Madlala is very firm about wearing a one-piece bathing suit.

“One pieces are my personal thing. I am at the point where I am just over two-pieces.” She has already purchased her summer suit and the good news, as Madlala declares, “It’s sexy!”

As time for Madlala’s lab is fast approaching, she notes, “I have always appreciated when other people appreciate what I wear. But I do not expect the things that people have said or the compliments I have received.”

Madlala continues, “I used to say that clothes have to give me life … in a way. I think if everyone likes what you are wearing then you have done something wrong. Not everyone is going to like the pants

Image courtesy of Julianna Glasser ’15

Darienne Madlala ’16 is more concerned with staying true to her personal taste than in trying to please others.

I wear — they are crazy. I admit it.

If people appreciate what you wear then that is fine, but if everyone likes what you wear, then, like, you are just generic.”

And what do I like about Madlala and her fashion style? Madlala is who she is and she is not afraid

to take chances. She exudes confidence: “In five years, I will definitely be in medical school — somewhere in the world.”

This confidence is apparent in her fashion style as well: Madlala knows who she is and definitely knows where she is going.

8

Arts & Living

The Amherst Student • April 23, 2014

Yes, it’s Called “Sex Criminals”

Brendan Hsu ’15 Editor-In-Chief

Suzie, a girl, meets Jon, a boy. Their orgasms stop time, and they begin using these powers to rob banks and save a local library. Sex criminals.

Written by Matt Fraction (Hawkeye) and illustrated by Chip Zdarsky, the comic book “Sex Criminals” (whose first five issues are collected into a trade paperback forming Volume One) is nothing short of a marvelous read. On the surface it’s a hilarious, irreverent sex comedy unafraid to throw dildos into its lead’s face. At its heart, however, “Sex Criminals” is a character-driven drama of eminently likeable people and a little more to say about the world. Fraction uses the title’s bizarre premise as a brazen vehicle to discuss sex in society: from its double standards to its expectations, judgments and hushed omnipresence.

The series begins medias res with Jon and Suzie robbing a bank but immediately pulls back to adult Suzie narrating her past, appearing in-panel alongside her younger self. Fourth wall be damned, Suzie speaking to the reader better connects with the character and also provides some welcome introspection. Her father dies at a young age, leaving Suzie with her struggling mother in a house that carries the sound of her mom’s sobbing. As adolescents tend to do, Suzie discovers masturbation, and with it, an escape to The Quiet, her time-frozen sanctuary.

She struggles to comprehend what she has done, confused that freezing time isn’t the norm and how this thing could feel so good, because at that age everything about sex is confusing and weird and tinged with guilt. So Suzie sets off to learn and runs headfirst into the stigma and misinformation the world holds for women.

Jon’s past is told to Suzie in Issue Two, following the male perspective growing up in a world where, “sex was everywhere and like, nowhere at the same time,” touted as the thing to do and strive for but at the same time always shunned away from, especially growing up without modern internet.

As adults, the isolation of The Quiet (Jon has another, less-poetic name for the place) has been both a source of pleasure and escape but also of awkwardness and desolation. Until now, every partner of Jon or Suzie has frozen in place when they climax, and they are rendered alone at their most intimate.

Together, everything changes. These two people have the world’s biggest motivation to understand sex and could never share it until meeting each other, and so begins their delightful romance.

However, the sex is a kicker sealing the deal. Jon and Suzie’s personalities mesh perfectly, forming a couple as enjoyable to spend time with together as apart. Bookish, witty and cautiously optimistic, Suzie is an endearingly human narrator. Jon is equally intelligent, clever and confidently self-deprecating.

In short, the pair is alarmingly likeable.

Good people, too, despite the work’s title. The bank is foreclosing on Suzie’s local library, her other sanctuary and the source of much of her information and self-discovery as a child (books don’t judge). Jon, a bitter personal assistant working at a local branch, suggests the near-victimless crime of stealing, “less than one thousandth of their annual budget on f[***]ing lobby pens.”

“Sex Criminals” reads like a justification for the entire medium of graphic novels. It’s sharp, efficiently written and always aware of how serious it is in the moment. Though the book’s strongest element is its writing, its success would not be possible without illustrator Chip Zdarsky. He presents a vibrant, colorful world with distinct character designs.

The paneling is great, with “show, don’t tell” in full force. Actions and scene descriptions are handled by the art, leaving everything else to the writing.

Fraction’s dialogue and narration are tight and efficient, always pushing the characters or the plot. In the meantime, Zdarsky has littered the story with Easter eggs and visual gags in a gradient of subtlety (the story’s sex shop is a goldmine). It’s a dirty book of sex jokes, but most of them aren’t shoved down the reader’s throat. The creators are confident and content to let the story stay at the forefront, and as a bonus this makes every re-read worth it just to discover what else Zdarsky has slipped in the background. The Quiet is a surreal marvel with its bright palette and shimmering lights, and faces are telling and expressive. Zdarsky even manages to feature a musical number in a comic book.

The most important depictions, however, are those of sex and the characters. The coitus in “Sex Criminals” is never vulgar but sometimes romantic, sometimes awkward and sweaty and punctuated by bad music and sometimes sleazy. But it’s always honest.

Suzie and Jon are attractive, but often

Image courtesy of Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky

“Sex Criminals” uses the premise of Suzie and Jon’s powers for greater discussion on sexuality as a whole. shown at less flattering angles that emphasize their flaws rather than the constant heroic glamor that media tends to portray. As absurd as its premise is, “Sex Criminals” is always grounded in showing its characters realistically and empathetically.

A critical darling and Time Magazine’s Comic of the Year, “Sex Criminals” is still not without its flaws. Its characters, especially the leads, are

KenKen

certainly the most entertaining part of the book. Character development and flashbacks are so strong that the presently developing plot stands a little weak in comparison, leaving issues four and five of the volume a small decline. Also, the book’s antagonists, the Sex Police, read a little silly, but this is acceptable given that this book is about bank-robbers with time-stopping genitals. Throughout the first volume the

Sex Police remain fairly underdeveloped, though as an ongoing comic the series has time to flesh them out.

Considering the primary weakness of “Sex Criminals” is that its character development is too strong compared to its plot, the book is a must-read. It’s poignant, intimately associable and authentic. It also has a lot of dirty jokes.

Through and through, “Sex Criminals” is book that deserves to be read.

The numbers you use in a KenKen puzzle depend on the size of the grid you choose. A 3 x 3 grid (3 squares across, 3 squares down) means you use the numbers 1, 2, and 3. In a 4 x 4 grid, use numbers 1 to 4. A 5x5 grid requires you use the numbers 1 to 5, and so on.

The numbers in each heavily outlined set of squares, called cages, must combine (in any order) to produce the target number in the top corner using the mathematic operation indicated (+, -, ×, ÷).

Here's how you play: • Use each number only once per row, once per column.

• Cages with just one square should be filled in with the target number in the top corner.

• A number can be repeated within a cage as long as it is not in the same row or column.

KenKen® is a registered trademark of Nextoy, LLC. Puzzle content ©2014 KenKen Puzzle LLC. All rights reserved.

For more KenKen puzzles, visit www.kenken.com

The Amherst Student • April 23, 2014

Sports 9

At 14-0, Women’s Lacrosse Baseball Looks to Lock Up Top-Seed in NESCAC West Stays Undefeated

Holly Burwick ’16 Staff Writer

The third-ranked Amherst women’s lacrosse team went yet another week with an unscathed record thanks to two wins on the road over Springfield and NESCAC archrival Williams. The Jeffs are now 9-0 in the NESCAC. Last Thursday, the Jeffs took on Springfield in a matchup that was postponed before Spring Break. Priscilla Tyler ’15 led the Jeffs with four goals in the team’s 8-2 victory. Rachel Passarelli ’16 and Krista Zsitvay ’14 each added two goals of their own to cap off the scoring. Alex Philie ’14 contributed both offensively and defensively with five ground balls, while Christy Forrest ’16 preserved the win in net for the Jeffs with two saves on the day.

Zsitvay opened up the scoring by capitalizing on a breakaway, but Springfield tied the score just a minute later. Tyler then netted two consecutive goals to give the Jeffs a 3-1 advantage going into halftime. Zsitvay, Passarelli and Tyler added their remaining tallies in the second half to contribute to the 8-2 win.

On Saturday in Williamstown, Amherst came away with one of its biggest wins of the season. Despite falling behind 4-1 to start the game, the Jeffs recovered from their biggest deficit of the season thus far and tied the game up 5-5 by halftime. The comeback was due to free position conversions by Tyler at the start and close of the half, back-to-back goals from Zsitvay and an additional Passarelli tally. Tyler would go on to score three more goals, giving her nine goals in the past two games.

“Even though we went down in the beginning, we were never nervous or negative which shows how much we trust each other. I have never been a part of a team that is so smart and composed, and it felt great to be out on the field. I was just in the right place at the right time and was able to put the ball in the net, but it was a team win, and every member participated on and off the field,” Tyler said.

The Ephs temporarily stole the momentum at the start of the second half, scoring just 20 seconds in; nevertheless, this score would be

the last goal for the Ephs as well as their last shot on goal in the game. The Jeffs’ defense played flawlessly for the rest of the half, not allowing another shot. At the same time, Amherst amped up the scoring, coming away with eight more goals. Contributors included three more from Tyler, one more apiece from Zsitvay and Passarelli, as well as single tallies from Sarah Spector ’15, Philie and Elizabeth Ludlow ’14. The Jeffs finished the game with a decisive 13-6 victory.

“What’s special about this team is that we are not relying on any one player to carry us.

Each game different players step up at key times to make a stop, get a ground ball, or put the ball in the net,” coach Chris Paradis said.

The Jeffs will return to action for their last game of the regular season against Trinity on Wednesday — a huge game as Trinity is currently seated second in the NESCAC, right behind Amherst.

“It’s our team chemistry and respect for each other that has gotten us this far and I am confident that will carry through to our game against Trinity on Wednesday,” Tyler said. “As long as we keep our composure and keep playing for each other, our team will hopefully be playing well into May.”

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

Rachel Passarelli ’16 has 28 goals and seven assists on the season.

Koh, Gracie Lead Golf Teams in NESCAC Play Katie Paolano ’16 and Lauren Tuiskula ’17 Staff Writers Men The Amherst men’s golf team kicked off NESCAC play this weekend, finishing in sixth place at the Taconic Golf Club hosted by Williams. Senior captain Nicholas Koh placed seventh individually to lead the Jeffs. Knocking off nine strokes from his round one score of 79, Koh finished with a 70 on Sunday to record a two-day score of 149.

“The key to the weekend was our upperclassmen,” Harrison Marick ’17 said of Koh and Jarvis Sill ’15. “Those were two big performances that kept us in the hunt.”

Sill placed 10th out of 45, scoring 153 (73, 80) on the weekend to help pace the Jeffs. Marick finished 22nd overall with a 157 (80, 77), followed by fellow classmate Nicholas Kafker ’17, who finished 30th with a 163 (82, 81).

Rounding out the competition for the Jeffs, Erik Hansen ’14 and Brandon Brown ’15 finished 35th and 37th, respectively.

Amherst will return to Williams on Wednesday for the Little Three Championship.

“We want to win. We care more about this than any other tournament,” Kafker said. “We were talking to an alumni from the 80’s, and he said the thing he remembers most about his college golf career is that he lost to Williams his freshmen year and then won the three years after, so it’s something that sticks into your mind for eternity. There’s nothing quite so serious as Div. III golf.”

Women Amherst women’s golf played host to 15 teams this weekend, competing in the Jack Leaman Invitational. The Jeffs placed fourth overall, earning a 650 two-day score, and head coach Michelle Morgan praised the weekend as a “great effort by the entire team.”

“We played ourselves into a great position on day one to win the tournament and came close, only to losing by six strokes. That is good competitive golf and shows we are one of the elite programs in the Northeast,” Morgan continued.

“The Amherst ‘B’ team also proved their competitiveness and the program’s depth by finishing in the middle of the entire field of 18 teams.”

Jamie Gracie ’17 finished at the top for the Jeffs with a fourth-place finish among 87 competitors, turning in a score of 74 in round one and 84 in round two.

“We played really well on the first day,” Gracie said. “I think it was the best team score this year and I had my best round on relation to par that I’ve ever had.”

Senior captain Sooji Choi placed second amongst the Jeffs and tied for 10th overall in the tournament with a two-day total of 161, while co-captain Kristin Lee ’14 came in at 18th, shooting an 82 in both rounds. Rounding out the top scorers for Amherst was Devyn Gardner ’16, who scored an 83 in the first round of play followed by an 84 in round two for 25th overall.

The Jeffs will compete at the Williams Spring Invitational this weekend for their final regular season tournament before the NCAA Championship.

Devin O’Connor ’16 and Karl Greenblatt ’15 Staff Writers

The Amherst baseball team had another successful week, cruising to a victory over Castleton State Thursday before a three-game sweep of Middlebury this past weekend.

On April 17, Amherst scored early and often in a 9-2 win over Castleton, capitalizing on the Spartans’ nine errors in the game. In the bottom of the first, with runners on second and third, Conner Gunn ’16 hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in the first run, and Alex Hero ’14 followed with an RBI single to center. Amherst scored two more runs in the bottom of the third before Castleton finally got on the board in the top of the fourth. The Jeffs would later add another run when Hero brought in Taiki Kasuga ’14 with an RBI groundout.

There was a lull in the scoring until the bottom of the seventh, when Mike Odenwaelder ’16 scored another run for the Jeffs on a throwing error by the right fielder. Castelton answered in the eighth by putting its second run up, but the Jeffs scored the final two runs of the game in the bottom of the eighth.

Quinn Saunders-Kolberg ’14 turned in an excellent performance on the mound, allowing just one run on four hits over seven innings.

On Friday, April 18, Amherst traveled to take on Middlebury in a three-game series. In game one, the Jeffs took the lead in the second inning when Hero singled, stole second and third and scored on a ground-out by Yanni Thanopoulos ’17.

No runs were scored until the top of the fifth, when the Jeffs put two more on the board with the help of some walks and aggressive base running. That inning accounted for the last of the offense for the day, as Amherst came away with a hard-fought 3-0 victory. Dylan Driscoll ’14 earned the win in another shutdown outing, striking out five over seven innings.

The nightcap went 10 innings, as pitching dominated both sides. Amherst put the first run on the board in the top of the fifth, when Dave Cunningham ’16 scored on a single by Anthony Spina ’17. On the mound, John Cook ’15 didn’t allow a Panther run until the bottom of the seventh, when Middlebury’s Jason Lock hit a lead-off double and

Photo courtesy of Megan Robertson ’15

John Cook ’15 earned NESCAC Player of the Week Honors this week. later scored on a ground-out.

With the ninth at 1-1, Amherst broke through in the 10th on a home run by junior Tyler Jacobs.

In a rare feat, the economical Cook pitched all ten innings, giving up only five hits, one walk and one run on 126 pitches. His performance earned him NESCAC Player of the Week Honors.

The Jeffs closed the weekend with an 11-3 win on Saturday. Midd. put the first run on the board in the bottom of the first, but the Jeffs answered with a huge second inning, tallying five runs. They added another run in the fourth and put five more on the board between the seventh and eighth innings to secure the victory. Keenan Szulik ’16, Eric Kotin ’14 and Robert Cahill ’14 gave up a total of only six hits over nine innings. Thanopoulous led the offense, going 4-for-5 from the plate with three RBI, and Kasuga and Gunn each tallied three hits.

The Jeffs face Hamilton on Wednesday and Wesleyan this weekend in a crucial home game series, where they hope to earn the No. 1 seed for the NESCAC tournament. This meeting will the first since the two teams squared off in the 2013 NESCAC Championship, where Amherst won on the road to become conference champs.

Softball Sweeps Keene State, Improves to 17-7 Virginia Hassell ’16 Staff Writer The Amherst softball team swept Keene State this past weekend in a non-conference series.

In the first game of the doubleheader against Owls on Saturday, Donna Leet ’15 and Briana Cook ’16 helped the Jeffs jump out to a quick 1-0 start, as Leet singled and then stole second to advance into scoring position. Cook sent a shot deep to left field to drive the junior home for the score. Amherst tacked on another Leet run in the third with a double from senior Carolyn Miller.

Keene State refused to surrender, notching two big hits and driving in three in the top of the fourth to take their first lead of the game.

“The key was that we never let our spirits get down,” Nicolette Miranda ’16 said. “We were focused on winning the whole game. It didn’t matter what was going to be thrown our way; we were going to pull through it.”

With two outs and no runners on in the bottom of the fifth, Alyssa Sherwill ’15 fueled the counter-attack with a double to left center. Miranda singled to drive in the go-ahead run for Amherst.

“We trusted our bats, and we know our lineup is deep,” first-year Annie Apffel said. “We trusted who was up to get it done, so we knew when Nicolette got up to the plate that she would get it done.”

Jackie Buechler ’17 remained poised on the mound, hurling a complete game for the 6-3 Jeff win. The first-year allowed three earned runs

and seven hits, while striking out four. Leet led all batters, going 4-for-4 at the plate, while the team combined for a total of fifteen hits.

Amherst wasted no time in the second game by securing a victory in five innings. Knocking in eight runs in the first, the Jeffs pulled ahead and never looked back en route to an 11-3 win.

Silkowitz jumpstarted the attack with a leadoff single. Junior Kelsey Ayers joined Silkowitz on base momentarily before both were driven in on a Cook two-run double.

“Offensively we were in our element,” Miranda said. “At the end of the day, our coach actually said that was the team she knows we can be. She was so proud and that meant a lot to us.”

Cook was terrific on the day leading the Jeff offense, going 2-for-3 and adding three RBI. Ayers, Silkowitz and Apffel contributed two hits apiece. Lauren Tuiskula ’17 pitched three perfect innings en route to the victory.

“As far as the Keene State games go, we were ready to go and ready to win” Miranda said. “We really needed that to give us a little bit of a spark for the rest of the season.”

Senior leadership has played an important role in the season thus far and will only prove to be more vital as Amherst continues forward.

“They’ve been great leaders setting a tone for the team and reminding everyone that it’s not over until it’s over,” Apffel said. “Every game we win from now on is trying to help us extend our time with them.”

Amherst will finish out the regular season on the road, traveling to Smith on Monday — the first of seven games in the team’s final stretch.

10 Sports

Schedule

WEDNESDAY Softball @ Elms , 4 p.m.

Men’s Lacrosse vs. Trinity, 4:30 p.m.

Women’s Lacrosse @ Trinity, 7 p.m.

Baseball vs. Hamilton (@ Albany, N.Y.), 7 p.m.

Men’s Golf @ Little Three Championships, TBD FRIDAY Baseball vs. Wesleyan, 4 p.m.

Softball @ Hamilton, 5 p.m.

SATURDAY Men’s Tennis @ Middlebury, 11 a.m.

Softball @ Hamilton (DH), 12 p.m.

The Amherst Student • April 23, 2014 Baseball @ Wesleyan (DH), 1 p.m.

Women’s Tennis @ Middlebury, 1 p.m.

Men’s Golf @ NESCAC Championships, TBD Women’s Golf @ Williams Spring Invitational, TBD Men’s Lacrosse @ NESCAC Quarterfinals, TBD Women’s Lacrosse @ NESCAC Quarterfinals, TBD Women’s Outdoor @ NESCAC Championships, All Day SUNDAY Men’s Golf @ NESCAC Championships, TBD TUESDAY Softball @ WPI, 5 p.m.

18th-Ranked Men’s Lax Tops Williams 14-9 Greg Williams ’16 Staff Writer The Amherst men’s lacrosse team had a stellar performance against their rival Ephs this past weekend. Williams, coming off a big win over seventh-ranked Tufts in their previous game, stepped onto the new Pratt Field last Friday night with hopes of continuing their success. The Jeffs, who drew a big crowd in honor of their seniors, did not waver and were able to top the Ephs 14-9 thanks to big three-goal days from sophomores Dylan Park and Kane Haffey, as well as another six-assist game from fellow sophomore Quinn Moroney, who earned NESCAC Player of the Week Honors this past week for his stellar performance.

Kevin Curry ’15 opened the scoring for Amherst about a minute into the first period. His goal was the first of three consecutive tallies for the Jeffs, as they saw two more scores from Park and Sam Carson ’17, respectively.

Williams rattled off two goals, including a man-up score with 1:38 remaining after Curry was penalized for a crosscheck. Park scored his second of the game with thirty seconds left, but Williams found the back of the net with five ticks remaining on the clock to go into the second period only down one with the score at 4-3.

Park and Haffey scored the first two goals of the next period, but the Ephs responded quickly with two more of their own. Seniors Devin Acton and Aaron Mathias scored to extend the lead to 8-5, with the assists coming from Q. Moroney and Patrick Moroney ’14, respectively. Mathias sniped some cheddar with just three seconds on the clock during a man-up opportunity to send

the Jeffs into the second half with some momentum, leading 9-5.

Amherst rattled off five-straight goals in the third, four of which came during a 2:00 lockedin penalty on the Ephs when the Amherst manup unit went “bonkers”, according to coach Jon Thompson. Ben Allison of the Ephs certainly didn’t feel too good about the progression of events while he was incarcerated for his illegal play. Haffey and Chris Albanese ’17 had two goals during the run, and Mathias notched another to extend the lead to 13-5.

Later, Ryan Cassidy ’16 was nailed with a 3:00 penalty after a big hit on his Eph opponent. Although Williams scored twice to cut the lead to 13-7, the Jeff man-down unit held them just to two goals.

Williams managed to out-score Amherst 2-1 in the final period, but the Jeff lead was insurmountable. Amherst dominated all aspects of the game, as they had more shots and groundballs, fewer turnovers and scored five goals during four man-up opportunities.

Senior Greg Majno played all sixty minutes in goal and racked up six saves on the evening.

Amherst improved to 11-3 on the year, and 6-3 in the NESCAC. They also locked up a playoff spot with the win and will try to improve their seeding Wednesday afternoon with a home tilt against Trinity.

The Bantams, who are 4-10 on the year and last in the conference, are not to be overlooked, as the Jeffs look to end their regular season on a high note with another home win. They look to lock up a high seed for the NESCAC championship this weekend, April 26-27, held at Bowdoin.

Photo courtesy of Niahlah Hope ’15

Dylan Park ’16 had three goals in the Jeffs 14-9 win over Williams on Friday.

The sophomore has 20 goals on the season and three assists.

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Chris Dale ’14

Priscilla Tyler ’15

Favorite Team Memory: Winning the team national championship my freshman year Favorite Pro Athlete: Roger Federer Dream Job: Retired Pet Peeve: People who always have to be right and have the last word Favorite Vacation Spot: Acapulco Something on Your Bucket List: Crash a wedding Guilty Pleasure: Lofthouse sugar cookies Favorite Food: BBQ Favorite Thing About Amherst: AC Voice

Favorite Team Memory: Finally beating Middlebury 11-0 and ruining their perfect season Favorite Pro Athlete: Mike Tyson Dream Job: Ballerina Pet Peeve: Val food Favorite Vacation Spot: Val Something on Your Bucket List: Try out for DASAC Guilty Pleasure: Free samples (Whole Foods or elsewhere) Favorite Food: Tuesday night Chinese at Val Favorite Thing About Amherst: International cuisine nights at Val

Women’s Tennis Takes Down Top-Ranked Williams Chris Rigas ’16 Staff Writer The fourth-ranked Amherst women’s tennis team made a statement on Saturday, knocking off first-ranked Williams by the convincing score of 7-2. The match was the culmination of the Jeffs’ undefeated week, which included four other wins — all against NESCAC opponents. The wins moved Amherst to 15-3 on the year and 7-0 in the NESCAC, extending its winning streak to six matches.

On Friday, April 18, coach Jackie Bagwell opted to rest her regulars in the team’s match against Conn. College, but the Jeffs still performed well, sweeping the Camels 9-0.

Isabel Camacho ’14 and Megan Adamo ’17 dominated Ellie Rudd and Charlotte Marcoux 8-0 in the top doubles court. Sophomores Rebecca Pol and Maddy Sung also made quick work of their opponents, as did first-years Claire Carpenter and Simone Aisiks. The Jeffs did not have any trouble in singles, either. Adamo beat Marcoux 6-1, 6-0 in the No. 1 slot, and Aisiks and Carpenter won from the No. 2 and 3 courts, respectively. Sung, Camacho and Lara Min ’16 all helped close the sweep.

Amherst opened its Saturday tripleheader by hosting Wesleyan, putting together another 9-0 sweep, headlined by Jordan Brewer ’14 and Gabby Devlin ’14. The senior pair beat Olivia Koh and Grace Smith in the top doubles court, and each one also picked up a singles win. The teams of Zoe Pangalos ’14 and Jen Newman ’14 and Safaa Aly ’15 and Sarah Monteagudo ’16 each took care of their opposite numbers to put the Jeffs up 3-0 after doubles. Newman, Sue Ghosh ’16, Monteagudo and Adamo also collected singles victories to help Amherst extend its winning streak to four matches.

Next up for the Jeffs was Hamilton, and Bagwell chose again to rest her starters in preparation for the next match against Williams. The second team was up to the task once more, carrying the Jeffs to an 8-1 win.

Ghosh and Camacho paired up to win 8-3 in the No. 1 doubles court, and Pol and Sung triumphed by the same score in the No. 2 court.

Carpenter and Aisiks fell 8-6 in the final doubles match, giving the Continentals their only win of the day.

Adamo won in the top singles spot, and Carpenter and Aisiks each bounced back to defeat their opponents in singles on courts two and three.

Sung, Camacho and Min wrapped up the Jeffs fifth straight win on the last three singles courts.

The Saturday afternoon showdown with topranked and reigning national champions Williams

was a rematch of the only dual-match Amherst played in the fall. The Ephs got the best of the Jeffs that time, 6-3, but the hosts were more than up to the challenge Saturday.

“Even though we played Wesleyan in the morning, playing Williams is so motivating for us,” Newman said. “I think that kept all of us from feeling the fatigue of such a long day.”

“I think all of us wanted to go out there, play our best and see what happened. Williams vs. Amherst you never know what happens. It’s always just a solid day of tennis,” Ghosh added.

Brewer and Devlin dispatched Kara Shoemaker and Rebecca Curran in the top doubles match 8-4. The other two doubles matches were closer, but Newman and Pangalos squeezed past Kathleen Elkins and Maria Pylypiv 9-7 and Aly and Monteagudo beat Linda Shin and Alex Stone 8-6.

“Winning all three doubles matches is such a huge advantage going into singles,” added Newman, who earned NESCAC Player of the Week Honors this past week. “It felt amazing to get all three and was a huge boost of confidence.”

Shoemaker knocked off Brewer in straight sets in the top singles spot, but Devlin, Newman and Ghosh secured wins over Elkins, Shin and Pylypiv, respectively. Curran topped Pangalos on the No. 5 court to capture the Ephs’ second and final win of the afternoon, as Monteagudo fought Monica Pastor to a three-set win in the No. 6 court.

“The match was super, super intense. I definitely think it was the most intense match of the season as of now. The energy was absolutely insane.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen my team that pumped up or that energized,” Ghosh remarked on the win.

“A triple header is super hard but we all pulled together and everyone played incredibly,” Newman said. “It was an incredible day, and I’m so happy to be a part of such an amazing team.”

Photo courtesy of Niahlah Hope ’15

Jen Newman ’14 earned NESCAC Player of the Week Honors this week.

The Amherst Student • April 23, 2014

Sports 11

The New Look Yankees Jer Bear’s Honey

Jeremy Kesselhaut ’16 The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is the most heated rivalry in sports and has produced some of the most dramatic and exciting baseball games in the sports’ history. However, this season the Yankees are without many of the players that have defined this era. Gone are Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Robinson Cano, not to mention this season is Derek Jeter’s last. Even without those star players, the new look Yankees enter the season with sky high expectations, but will they be able to meet them?

Photo courtesy of Megan Robertson ’15

Jamie Sandel ’17 won the 400m hurdles and was beat out for gold in the 110m hurdles despite running a personal best in the event.

Track Teams Earn Number of First-Place Finishes Andrew Knox ’16 Managing Sports Editor

Men Looking to defend their home track, the men’s track team competed in the Little Three Championships against rivals Williams and Wesleyan.

The men capped off a strong day by finishing with 128 points — good enough for second place.

“Williams historically wins, then Amherst, then Wesleyan — and this year, we came the closest to Williams that we have been since 2000, actually,” said first-year Jamie Sandel.

The Jeffs were led by senior Matt Melton and Sandel. Melton won the 400-meter dash in 49.30 seconds, finished second in the 200-meters and third in the high jump. Sandel continued his strong first-year campaign by winning the 400-meter hurdles and coming in second in the 110-meter hurdles.

“Although I had a personal record in the 110, I’m still a little unsatisfied with my performance, and at NESCACs and Div. III New England’s, I’ll try to run more focused and consistent races to qualify for ECACs and Open New England’s,” Sandel remarked on his performance.

Amherst also excelled in the distance events, as Jeff Seelaus ’16 and Kevin Connors ’17 scored important points by finishing first and second, respectively, in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Dan Crowley ’16 and Greg Turissini ’15 finished backto-back in the 5000-meter run for first and second place. The Jeffs had an excellent opportunity to go one-two-three in the event, but KC Fussell ’15 was unable to finish the race.

The field events also had a number of stellar performances. Juniors Mark Cort and Stephen Hetterich finished first and second, respectively, in the long jump. Hetterich continued a stellar afternoon by winning the triple jump with a jump of 12.86 meters.

Football transplants Rob Perdoni ’16 and Sam Caldwell ’16 were able to shake off a fair amount of rust and finished third and fourth in the shot put, respectively.

Women Highlighted by a number of impressive performances over the weekend, the Amherst women’s track team competed hard in the Little Three Championships. Led by first-year Karen Blake and senior Naomi Bates, the Jeffs scored 100 points in their third place finish.

“I think as a team we competed extremely well with Williams and Wesleyan — the best we could provided we didn’t have people in the throwing, pole vaulting or 400-meter hurdle events,” Taylor Summers ’16 said.

Bates continued her stellar senior season, winning the 200-meter dash, long jump and triple jump. She edged teammate Summers in the long jump, leaping 5.82m and defeated the top seed in the triple jump, Williams’ Candice Dyce, on a final jump of 11.30m.

Karen Blake ’17 blew by the field in the 100-meter to win the event in the nation’s second fastest time this season at 12.25 seconds. Blake is now program record holder in the event.

Bates and Blake were joined by Summers and Shyloe Jones ’14 to break another school record and win the 4x100 meter relay with a time of 46.80 seconds.

Also of note, Victoria Hensley ’16 continued to build off a strong performance at the UMass Invitational by finishing second in the 400-meters with a time of 1:00.29.

“For the rest of the season, we are trying to secure a spot in Nationals, and I think we will be able to get there,” Summers said.

The Jeffs will look to continue their strong outdoor season in the NESCAC Championships this weekend at Colby.

The New York Yankees are still wearing the same classic pinstripes, but looking at the players sporting those jerseys doesn’t feel the same. The Yankees look different. The personnel has changed, and with it, so has the Yankees image.

No more Mariano Rivera. No more Robinson Cano. No more Andy Pettitte. These three players had become marquee, household names for the Yankees over the years.

Cano departed for free agency, while Pettitte and Rivera headed for retirement after the 2013 season ended.

Rivera “closed out” his remarkable career in 2013, earning recognition as the best closer ever to play to the game of baseball. Respected all around the league for his poise, maturity and his dynamic cutter pitch, Rivera ended his career with 652 saves — the most all time. He has numerous other distinctions and records throughout his career, but he really developed a name for himself in the playoffs in which he has the lowest career ERA in postseason history at 0.70. Under his reign, he helped guide the Yankees to five World Series titles.

Rivera meant so much to the Yankees over his 20-year career, becoming just as much an icon for the Yankees as for the game as baseball. When the game was on the line, Yankees fans always knew that they had the edge over other teams with Rivera in the bullpen. However, now without the legendary closer to rely on, there is a lack of trust and a pool of uncertainty at the back of the bullpen.

Robbie “Don’t Ya Know?” Cano looked like the next great Yankee legend, who, like Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter and Rivera, would begin and end his career in pinstripes. However, the seven-year, $240-million contract offer from the Seattle Mariners was too hard for him to pass up.

Cano had a remarkable .309 batting average in his career with the Yankees while batting in the three-spot for most of his tenure.

He finished in the top-six in the American League MVP race each of his last four seasons with the Yankees. He became a central offensive weapon, while playing stellar defense.

His departure has left a huge void to fill in the middle of the lineup and the middle of the infield. Due to his consistent and injury-free seasons, he developed into the most reliable and important offensive player for the Yankees and will be missed.

Despite having many talented and wellknown players, the Yankees failed to make the playoffs in 2013, largely part due to an injuryplagued infield, a lackluster pitching staff and offensive struggles.

The Yankees were without Derek Jeter for all but 17 games due to various ankle injuries and were without a hobbled Mark Teixeira for all but 15 games due to a wrist injury. These injuries forced Eduardo Nunez and Lyle Overbay into the lineup, both of whom were unable to fruitfully fill the void. A surprisingly ineffective C.C. Sabathia, who finished the season 14-13 with a 4.78 ERA, also didn’t help the Yankees’ cause.

As always, the Yankees had an extensive offensive spending spree, acquiring some new veteran players, leaving them with high hopes for the 2014 season.

These signees include 37-year-old Carlos Beltran, who resurrected his career with the St. Louis Cardinals after unimpressive stints with the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets; 30-year-old Brian McCann, who impressively had 20 home runs in seven of the last eight seasons with the Braves and 30-year-old Jacoby Ellsbury, the fast, dynamic and versatile outfielder and lead-off hitter the

Yankees stole from the Red Sox. They also bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring an expensive Masahiro Tanaka from Japan.

Other additions include 37-year-old second baseman Brian Roberts and 32-year-old third baseman Kelly Johnson. Late season acquisitions in 2013 included 40-year-old outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and 38-year-old outfielder Alfonso Soriano.

With the addition of all these older players — whom are undoubtedly past their primes — in the later stages of their careers, there is one thing that is for certain: the Yankees are certainly not getting any younger. While they do have some young and upcoming stars, especially in pitching prospect Tanaka, the Yankees roster is defined by older and more experienced players. Jeter, coming off the worst season of his career, is on the decline, and Mark Teixeira has shown durability issues that have continued into 2014 season. And Alex Rodriguez? Well, that’s a whole other issue.

Despite these concerns, there is still an abundance of talent and potential for the Yankees during the 2014 season. With fewer superstars in their prime and more seasoned veterans looking for a World Series title to close out their careers, there is a team-oriented feel to this Yankee team. Everyone will have to produce collectively; there won’t be as much pressure on individual players to carry the load.

Traditional Yankee teams have been built around a handful of superstars who have carried the torch and been responsible for most of the run production, but this team is different. Players know their role and know that there will be a diffusion of responsibility. Jeter may no longer be the superstar fielder and hitter that he once was, but he knows that.

He knows he will need to contribute in other ways, using his experience as captain to guide the team.

First-baseman Mark Teixeira seems to agree that this Yankee team will need to not only remain healthy but also play more cohesively.

“We’re back to being the Yankees again.

Last year, we weren’t the Yankees. We had so many injuries and we had so many guys that should have been in there to be lots of anchors [in the lineup.] That’s back. There is not one guy that has to carry this team,” he recently said.

Part of this new team-geared attitude expressed by Teixeira includes focusing more on fielding and defensive tendencies. The Yankees, just like the rest of MLB teams, are compiling more information on hitters’ trends and are using advanced sabermetrics to more accurately predict where balls will be hit.

Accordingly, the Yankees have been spending a lot of time implementing defensive shifts into their game plan, as they feel that there are benefits to having more instances of run-saving situations than run-producing situations. They used just 475 shifts last year and are already up to more than 90 in 2014, second behind only the Houston Astros. They are on pace for well over 1,000 shifts throughout the season.

It will be interesting to see how these new look Yankees will fair this season without Rivera to close games out and Cano to provide the offensive spark.

If they can follow Mark Teixeira’s sentiments with everyone playing within there own capabilities and with the team in mind, there is a lot of upside. However, if the veteran ball club fails to align and maximize the skill sets of these aged players, the Yankees could be in for another disappointing season.

Sports

“Amherst rattled off five straight goals in the third, four of which came during at 2:00 locked-in penalty...”

18th-Ranked Men’s Lax Tops... Page 10

Photo courtesy of Niahlah Hope ’15

Michael Solimano ’16 has been a critical component to both the Jeffs’ doubles and singles success this season, going 5-1 this past weekend to contribute to Amherst’s five conference wins. The team looks to secure its No. 1 seed in NESCAC this upcoming weekend against Middlebury.

Third-Ranked Men’s Tennis Improves to 29-2

Edges Defending National Champs Williams in 5-4 Thriller Nicole Yang ’16 Managing Sports Editor The third-ranked Amherst men’s tennis team remained undefeated in the NESCAC with five wins over conference teams this past weekend. The Jeffs’ success culminated on Sunday with a 5-4 victory over fifth-ranked archrival Williams on the Ephs’ home courts.

The team’s weekend began on Friday with a home match against Conn. College and an away match against 27th-ranked Trinity. Having to split squads, a number of Jeffs saw the court, and Amherst defeated both teams 9-0 to add two more sweeps to their growing season total.

Against Conn., first-year pair Anton Zykov and Andrew Arnaboldi stepped up in No. 1 singles, winning 8-2. In the No. 2 spot, Justin Hendrix ’14 and Sean Rodriguez ’15 stayed unbeaten on the season, edging their Camel opponents 8-6 and Myles Tang ’17 and Carlos de Bracamonte ’16 cruised to an 8-1 victory in the third spot.

In the singles matches, senior co-captain Chris Dale split the first two sets of his match 6-0, 3-6 before winning the third set 6-1 to earn the victory in the No. 1 spot. The rest of the ladder featured straight set victories, including a 6-0, 6-0 win by Brenton Arnaboldi ’14 in the fifth spot. Notably, in the No. 4 spot, Ben Fife ’16 played in the line-up for just the third time since returning from shoulder surgery. The sophomore won his match 6-3, 6-3.

The Jeffs saw similar success against Trinity, outscoring their Bantam opponents 97-39 in games. In doubles, senior co-captains Joey Fritz and Justin Reindel recorded another win in the top spot 8-6, while sophomore pair Aaron Revzin and Andrew Yaraghi won their match in the No. 2 spot 8-4, as did Michael Solimano ’16 and Russell Einbinder ’16 in the third spot.

Up 3-0, Amherst rode the momentum into the singles matches, not dropping a single set. Fritz

(6-4, 6-2), Solimano (6-2, 6-1), Yaraghi (6-2, 6-3), Reindel (6-0, 6-0), Revzin (6-0, 6-4) and Einbinder (6-1 7-6) all rolled to straight set victories to cap off the 9-0 sweep.

“I believe the success of our program depends on the individuals that make it up. If they support one another academically, athletically and socially, it creates a bond amongst the them,” head coach Chris Garner remarked on the team’s accomplishments thus far. “If they take advantage of their practice time, they will create a competitive team.”

On Saturday, the Jeffs dominated Hamilton 9-0 in the morning and followed with another 9-0 win in the afternoon over 29th-ranked Wesleyan.

Against Hamilton, Einbinder and Dale took the No. 1 doubles match 8-1, and Rodriguez and Hendrix won 8-4 in the second spot. Tang and de Bracamonte defeated their Continental opponents in the third slot for their second 8-1 win of the weekend.

In singles, the Jeffs had very little trouble; no Hamilton player was able to record more than three games in any of the matches. Of note, Fife earned another singles victory, defeating his opponent 6-0, 6-2 in the third spot, while fellow sophomore Einbinder stepped up in the top singles spot for a 6-1, 6-2 win.

Later in the day, Amherst took down Wesleyan for their fourth straight sweep of the weekend.

Fritz and Reindel prevailed in the top singles spot 9-8, while Greg Lyon and Cameron Hicks were no match for Revzin and Solimano in the second spot, as the sophomore duo cruised to an 8-1 win. Zykov and Yaraghi rounded out the doubles with an 8-4 win in the third spot.

The Jeffs’ success continued into singles play, winning yet again all six of the matches. In the No. 5 spot, Yaraghi was forced to play a third set tiebreaker to decide his match after winning the first set easily 6-0 and then dropping the second 4-6. The sophomore edged his Cardinal opponent

in tiebreaker 10-8 for the win. In the third singles spot, Solimano won his first set 6-1 and second set 7-6 to win his match and avoid a tiebreaker.

“In college tennis, you have to stay focused the whole time because the level of play is so high.

Everyone is a really good player, so what separates the guys who win from the guys who lose are the people who stay focused the whole time,” Solimano said. “That’s the goal: to stay focused for as long as you can. It’s obviously tough to do that every single point, but the more you can do it, you’re putting yourself in a better position to win.”

Riding a 16-match win streak into Easter Sunday, the Jeffs hoped to avenge their 5-4 loss from the 2013 NESCAC Finals against fifth-ranked Williams.

“All the other matches are about the tennis, but Williams-Amherst is all about the emotion. Anything could happen. It’s been 5-4 the last four years, which shows we have a lot of heart,” Revzin commented on the rivalry.

Amherst got on the board first, as Yaraghi and Zykoy defeated Alexander Schidlovsky and Brain Astrachan handily 8-1 in the No. 3 doubles spot.

However, Williams answered with wins in the top two doubles spots. Revzin and Solimano could not overcome an early break by Jose Raventos and Rohan Shastri, losing the second doubles match 8-5, and Fritz and Reindel fell to Matt Micheli and Conrad Harron by the same score in the top slot.

Down 1-2 going into the singles matches, the Jeffs needed at least four victories to notch the overall W. Yaraghi tied things up at two apiece with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Raventos in the No. 5 singles spot, while Solimano followed suit with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Schidlovsky in the No. 3 spot to give Amherst the 3-2 lead.

Reindel extended the lead to 4-2, defeating Adam Reich in the No. 6 singles spot, 6-1, 6-4. The Ephs’ Howard Weiss cut the lead to 4-3, downing Zykov in the fourth slot, 6-4, 7-5. With only the top

two singles matches remaining, Amherst needed just one more win to secure the victory. Fritz lost a heartbreaking three-set match to Micheli in the top spot. After winning the first set 6-4, the senior couldn’t capture the hotly contested second set 6-7 (5), and Micheli pushed the third set to another tiebreak, where Fritz lost 6-7 (3).

“When it got to the third set, Joey just couldn’t handle the guy. His fitness level was not there. I was actually hitting with him the day before at practice, and he said, ‘Sam, let’s just stop. Don’t tell Coach.

This is pointless. We shouldn’t have to practice. I have to work on my thesis’,” first-year Sam Silver remarked on the senior’s match.

“It was a tough match,” Garner added on Fritz’s performance. “They have played a couple of times, and both matches were very close.”

As Fritz battled Micheli in the top spot, all eyes were on second singles, which proved to be the deciding match. After losing a back-and-forth first set, 5-7, Dale dominated Harron in the next two, winning 6-1, 6-2, to clinch the win for the Jeffs, as they knocked off the reigning national champions.

Dale’s performance earned him NESCAC Player of Week Honors.

“Chris hung tough after a very competitive first set. Both players played really well,” Garner said.

The victory improved Amherst’s record to 29-2 on the season and 8-0 in the NESCAC. On Saturday, the Jeffs will travel to play eighth-ranked Middlebury for their regular season finale.

“We have to make sure the seniors are ready for their thesis defense; besides that, going to class, getting their academic work completed, so they have time for practice. If they can stay on top of their studies, they can use practice to blow off some steam for their next round of tests and papers,” Garner commented on the upcoming match.

When asked how he was preparing for Midd., Revzin responded, “All I’m focused on right now is getting a Bud Light into my mouth.”