Issue 1

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THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF AMHERST COLLEGE SINCE 1868

VOLUME CXLIV, ISSUE 1 • FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2014

Class of 2018 Arrives on Campus College Welcomes Geographically Diverse Class

Students Discuss Alternatives to Fraternity System Sophie Murguia ’17 Editor-in-Chief

Photography Editor Olivia Tarantino ’15

On Wednesday, upperclass students welcomed the class of 2018 with “Voices of the New Class,” a performance featuring excerpts from new students’ admissions essays.

Sophie Murguia ’17 Editor-in-Chief Lugging boxes, suitcases and the occasional piece of furniture across the first-year quad, the 470 members of the class of 2018 arrived on campus and settled into their new homes last Sunday. After moving in, members of the new class gathered in their residence halls and officially began the college’s nine-day orientation program.

This year’s class survived the second-most competitive applicant pool in the college’s his-

tory, with an acceptance rate of just under 14 percent. Of 8,479 applicants for the class of 2018, 1,174 were offered admission. Forty percent of admitted students ultimately chose to attend.

“The admissions staff is particularly excited to welcome those who have chosen us,” said Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Katie Fretwell ’81. “To have them come to campus and be real and meet one another is incredibly exciting.”

Fifteen transfer students also arrived on campus this week. The college admitted 33 of

403 transfer applicants, for an acceptance rate of 8 percent.

Fretwell said that the incoming class is particularly notable for its unusual geographic distribution.

“We have six students from Alabama, which is surely a record,” Fretwell said. “We have five students from Hawaii, surely a record, and our first student from Somalia.”

Members of the class of 2018 hail from 31 countries and 39 states, plus the District Continued on Page 3

Following the trustees’ decision to ban underground fraternities, a group of students and administrators has been exploring ways to create alternative social groups on campus.

Amherst’s ban on fraternities went into effect July 1, meaning that students are now prohibited from belonging to any fraternity, sorority or “fraternity-like or sorority-like organization,” in the words of the trustees’ decision. Prior to the ban, three off-campus fraternities had been active at Amherst: Chi Psi, Delta Kappa Epsilon and OT (formerly known as TD).

Over the summer, a small group of students met to discuss reforming social life at Amherst in the wake of the fraternity ban. The group includes former fraternity members, senators, athletes and other unaffiliated students.

“I think the goal of everyone is not just to fill a void created by fraternities, but to create something even better than fraternities,” said Abe Kanter ’15, the former vice president of Chi Psi and a member of this student group.

The summer conversations have focused on ways to create more inclusive social groups that preserve some of the benefits of the fraternity system.

“There are a lot of things in the fraternity system that we want to get rid of,” said Tomi Williams ’16, who helped organize these conversations. “We don’t want hazing. We also don’t want people to feel excluded. But there are some things that fraternities bring that we want to be able to replicate, like the cohesiveness they have and the sense of belonging.”

Members of the student group have drawn inspiration from social organizations at colleges such as Duke and Union. Brian Lobdell ’15, the former president of Delta Kappa Epsilon, said he was particularly intrigued by Duke’s selective living groups — residential communities with selective membership that are often centered Continued on Page 2

Planning Moves Forward on Greenway Dorms Jessie Kaliski ‘15 Staff Writer In two years, Amherst will welcome the addition of four new dorms: the Greenway Residence Halls.

The design process of the new residence halls, which will house approximately 300 sophomores, juniors and seniors, is halfway through completion. Following the finalization of the design development stage in late September, the construction document phase will proceed and conclude in late December. After bidding and negotiation, construction will finally commence in early February 2015.

The layout of the new residence halls will be comprised of an equal distribution of singles, doubles and suites. The doubles will be both two-room and one-room, and the suites will be a combination of four singles, two doubles and two singles and a double.

“These dorms will be quite unique in many

ways relative to other dorms on campus,” said Tom Davies, Assistant Director of Facilities and Director of Design and Construction at Amherst. “Inside and out, these [dorms] will be really quite special.”

The new dorms will include familiar features, such as studies, common rooms and kitchens, but will also contain an array of novel elements: meeting and seminar rooms; a large event space; a demonstration kitchen that can be used for cooking classes, reserved by student groups for special events or requested by any members of the student body; a bicycle shop and a yoga, exercise and meditation space.

Beyond the spaces within the dorms for socializing and studying, the area outside the Greenway Residence Halls will include sitting areas, grills for outdoor barbecues and spaces to play pickup games of basketball and beach volleyball, among other recreational sports. In addition, a pathway will be constructed to connect the new dorms to the main campus.

As the name suggests, the Greenway Residence Halls will incorporate many environmental sustainability features.

“These will be the most energy efficient buildings on campus,” Davies said. “A wide range of innovative engineering and architectural design features will be incorporated, some visible, many not.”

From locally milled wood to a specific type of concrete that lowers the carbon footprint relative to traditional concrete, the construction of the buildings will be significantly more environmentally friendly than that of the other dorms on campus.

“Floor to floor height is less than traditional, which not only reduces carbon footprint but makes the building more walkable, and thus [creates] less reliance on elevators,” Davies said.

Greenway’s heating and cooling system will be a thermal radiant system. With minimal noise, the system will heat or cool the concrete structure and radiate a comfortable tempera-

ture throughout the entire building.

“Such an approach is quite complicated, requiring sophisticated computer controls,” Davies said.

Computer modeling will also be used for the design of sun-shading on the southern side of the building. This technology will block heat during warmer months and allow sunlight and solar radiation during colder months.

Besides these invisible features, each room will house tall, thin ventilation panels.

“These tall ventilation panels are designed to allow air to circulate in a room as warmer air flows out the top and cooler air flows in the bottom,” Davies said.

There will also be large windows to ensure maximum light into the rooms and showcase views of the Holyoke range.

The design plan of the dorms is heavily influenced by input from the student body. A Continued on Page 2

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News

The new class of 2018 includes a record five students from Hawaii and six students from Alabama.

Class of 2018 Arrives at Amherst Page 3

May 25, 2014 - August 25, 2014

>>May 15, 2014 11:46 a.m., President’s House An officer responded to a report of a moose in the area of Woodside Avenue. The officer assisted the town police with the matter.

5:38 p.m., Charles Drew House An officer and a member of the Environmental Health and Safety office investigated the report about an odor of gas. The origin could not be located and the area as vented.

5:35 p.m., Marsh Parking Lot An officer and the Fire Department responded to a report of smoke coming from a vehicle. It was found that the operator drove the car with the emergency brake on.

>>May 27, 2014 10:29 p.m., Stearns Dormitory Officers and the Fire Department responded to an alarm which was activated by a fourth floor detector for no apparent reason. The system was reset.

>>May 16, 2014 8:03 p.m., Plaza Dormitory An officer encountered a man, who has no affiliation with the college, going through a dumpster. After being identified, he was directed off campus. >>May 17, 2014 12:16 a.m., Plaza An officer responded to a report of fireworks being shot off and located seven people in the area. One student took responsibility and surrendered the remaining fireworks. The matter was referred to the Dean’s office.

>>May 30, 2014 7:20 p.m., Seelye House An employee reported a broken window. It appeared it was smashed by a rock. >>May 31, 2014 9:39 p.m., Wieland Dormitory Officers assisted a man who became stuck in a malfunctioning elevator. >>Jun. 2, 2014 9:40 a.m., Morgan Hall Observatory An employee reported the continuing problem of coffee being stolen from the office.

1:16 a.m., Crossett Dormitory An officer on patrol heard shouting and the sound of something being smashed in a third floor suite. The officer discovered that two chairs had been smashed.

>>Jun. 21, 2014 11:07 p.m., Northampton Rd. An officer responded to a report of two men swearing at each other outside the building. No one was found when the area was checked.

>>May 19, 2014 6:41 p.m., Cohan Dormitory A student reported her air conditioner was found damaged. An investigation determined the unit was accidentally damaged when an employee attempted to remove it.

>>Jul. 16, 2014 6:37 p.m., Orchard St. AC officers, and officers from the town, responded to a report of a male and female fighting in a car. It was discovered they were practicing self defense training.

6:41 p.m., The Octagon An officer responded to a report of three people on the roof. They were identified as students and directed away from the area.

7:17 p.m., King Dormitory An officer investigated a smoke detector signal from the third floor and found that a detector had been hit by a Frisbee.

>>May 23. 2014 9:43 p.m., Social Quad An officer investigated an incident where a vehicle knocked over a light pole and left the scene.

>>Jul. 20, 2014 2:45 a.m., Kirby Theater Officers on patrol noticed a group of people on the roof. They fled the area upon the officer’s arrival and could not be located.

11:49 p.m., Valentine Quad Officers on patrol observed two men tipping over tables and chairs set up in the Fayerweather quad. After being identified, they returned the tables and chairs to their original positions.

>>Jul. 27, 2014 11:29 a.m., Tennis Courts An officer encountered a woman, who had no association with the college, picking up tennis balls from the courts. She was identified and directed off campus.

>>May 24, 2014 2:57 a.m., Coolidge Dormitory A resident reported he found an unknown female sleeping in his room.

Officers responded and located the person who identified herself as a student. She was mildly intoxicated and was transported to a friend’s room where she was allowed to stay the night.

>>Aug. 9, 2014 1:37 a.m., Valentine Dining Hall Officers and the Fire Department responded to an alarm and found that a fan had caught fire in a basement mechanical room.

>>May 25, 2014 2:23 a.m., Webster Circle A caller reported a male was letting air out of a tire on a car parked on Webster Circle. The man was not located. A car with a partially deflated tire was found.

>>Aug. 21, 2014 6:58 p.m., Stearns An officer investigated a distress call from an elevator phone. No problem was found. >>Aug. 25, 2014 12:02 a.m., Social Quad An officer encountered a student urinating outside of Stone. He was fined $100 for the offensive behavior.

Dorm Design Emphasizes Sustainability Features Continued from Page 1 Dorm Design Student Advisory Group has been formed, and architects also gathered student input from from pop-up presentations and discussions at Valentine, as well as meetings with other groups on campus, including the College Council, the strategic planning committees, the Facilities Working Group and the Green Amherst Project.

The Dorm Design Student Advisory Group is a mixture of 15 or so Amherst students who vary in class years and housing experiences.

“The architects were very interested in learning how Amherst students, as opposed to the typical generic college student, live,” said Gillian Lupinski ’15, a member of the advisory group.

Abigail Bliss ’15, another member of the Dorm Design Student Advisory Group, has had conversations with Tom Davis, Jim Brassord and the rest of the Facilities Working Group since her sophomore year.

“While it is both flattering and daunting to feel like my voice is being taken into consideration, it is also extremely encouraging to know how much they care about creating community through spaces on campus,” Bliss said.

During meetings, the architects and Amherst faculty were eager to listen and adjust existing plans when concerns and comments arose. One concern involved the integration of multiple forms of housing in the new dorms —

singles, doubles and suites scattered throughout the new buildings. “Noise concerns were addressed,” Lupinski said, “and it was generally decided that all suite style residences should be grouped together in a given building to minimize disruption for other inhabitants.”

Similarly, the Advisory Group “pointed out that the common areas on the first floor of some dorms are too large and impersonal and are often usurped for use by outside student groups’ meetings,” Davies said.

Consequently, the Greenway Resident Halls will have study spaces separate from the entry common rooms, with the common rooms themselves being smaller than ones in, for example, the first-year dorms.

Questions still lingered at the advisory meetings, like how well students will react to having multiple grades intermixed in the dorms rather than the dorms designated as solely upper- or lower-classmen, and if these new dorms, which will most likely be in higher demand, will work in the college’s current room draw system.

Of course, discussion between students and faculty will not cease. “Student input has been on hiatus since May, but will pick up again as the new semester gets underway,” Davies said.

“The nature of the discussion at this point will be around details as the primary aspects of design are well established at this phase of the project.”

Image courtesy of Tom Davies

According to members of the Facilities Department, the new Greenway dorms will be the most energy efficient buildings at Amherst.

Students Look to Reform Amherst’s Social Life Continued from Page 1

around a particular theme.

“We’re working to emulate models at other schools that are successful, because we’ve realized that doing something without any sort of road map isn’t going to be successful,” Lobdell said.

The group has looked at models from schools that have eliminated fraternities, schools that still have fraternities and schools that never had fraternities to begin with.

“We’ve talked about things with different ranges of exclusivity, and different ranges of administrative involvement,” Kanter said. “We talked about single sex and coed organizations, or multiple organizations — some single sex, and some coed.”

Students met via Google Hangout to discuss their ideas with Chief Student Affairs Officer Suzanne Coffey and new Dean of Students Alex Vasquez. Coffey said that representatives of all three underground fraternities were included in the discussions.

“It’s great to have their voices at the table,” Coffey said. “I think what that says is that they’re ready to look at options, to think about ways

that they can find a superior alternative to what fraternity life gave the college, and to involve more people.”

The former leaders of the underground fraternities have already announced their intention to comply with the ban.

“I went down to Nashville this July for Chi Psi’s national convention,” said Will Kamin ’15, the former president of Chi Psi. “At our formal meeting I brought forward a motion to the floor for our charter to be made inactive indefinitely, such that it wouldn’t be reactivated unless the college for whatever reason decided to reverse its policy.”

Lobdell said that Delta Kappa Epsilon has revoked its charter. OT was not affiliated with any national fraternity at the time of the ban.

Moving forward, the student group that met over the summer will continue brainstorming new kinds of social groups and soliciting input from the community.

“Once everyone gets back on campus, we want to gauge student input on our ideas, but also open up the floor for new ideas,” said Virginia Hassell ’16, a member of the group. “We’re still working on how to do that.”

The Amherst Student • August 29, 2014

News 3

Q&A with New Dean of Students Alex Vasquez kind of experience that makes them lifelong learners. I think we do that better at small colleges. So when you have an opportunity to work at a great small college, you have to really consider it.

I wasn’t looking for a job, but I always said that I would be a dean of students, or take any position that came my way, as long as the needs of the institution matched the skill set that I would bring to it. I felt like there was a real synergy between the needs of the college and the skill set that I brought. Amherst is a great place. And if you study small colleges like I do, you pay attention to really great small colleges.

So the right set of circumstances came together.

Image courtesy of Office of Communications

New Dean of Students Amherst Alex Vasquez comes to Amherst from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. At Wheaton, Vasquez spent 13 years working in a variety of administrative roles, including positions in the dean of students office, the provost’s office, the advising office and the president’s office. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education at Boston College.

Q: Why did you decide to come to Amherst?

A: Although I went to a large public institution, I’ve only worked at small liberal arts colleges. I was at Colgate University for a while, and then Wheaton, and now Amherst. I believe in what we do at small colleges: I believe in the liberal arts education and the power of that education.

I enjoy students. I enjoy the experience of small colleges. I like to see the places in which we as a group have helped make that experience the kind of experience that students want, the kind of experience that they can really leverage, the

Q: How do you think your skills fit Amherst’s particular needs?

A: I would say I feel like I’m a relationship builder. And one of the things that I picked up in my conversations between students, faculty, and administration on my visit was really the breakdown of the relationship. I feel like there was certainly a lack of trust on the part of the students towards the administration. But I also felt like there was a lack of trust in the other direction as well. One person said to me on my visit, “Sometimes I feel like as a staff and as an administration we’re a little too paternalistic with students.” And one of the things that I say pretty often is that we believe in what we’re doing. We believe that we’re educating students in the right way, and that we really co-sign on that experience. Sometimes you have to throw students the keys and say, “Okay, it’s your turn to drive.” And I think there are moments in recent history when they’ve been reluctant to allow students to take the risk and drive, and say if we think we’ve prepared them the right way, then this is going to be okay. And I feel like as a relationship builder I can come here and spend some time building trust with the student body, and showing students that they really have a

voice in the administration — building the bridges.

Q: Could you describe what your role as dean of students will be? I know it’s slightly different than the dean of students role was before.

A: It is slightly different, with the dean of students role in some ways being split. Under the previous dean of students, there was a lot in this area, in the Office of Student Affairs, that would all go to one person. What Suzanne [Coffey] and I have done is think about the leadership of the division in a sort of team approach. She and I help lead the division, along with the rest of our leadership team. Under my immediate purview I have the residential life area, student activities, conduct, religious life and part of orientation. Suzanne would have primary responsibility for class deans, counseling, some of the support staff. We make lots of collective decisions, so anything that comes to me goes to Suzanne and vice versa.

Q: Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

A: My parents are from the Dominican Republic and they immigrated to the U.S. I was born and raised in the U.S., both in the Bronx and in northern Manhattan. I went to the State University of New York at Albany. I did my bachelor’s degree there, and then I came back and did my master’s degree at the same institution.

After that, I actually didn’t go into higher education, although I certainly knew I wanted to go into higher education. But I felt like leaving college I had a lot to explore, and I wanted to have that business career experience.

When I left college, however, the economy was terrible and I ended up temping at a temp agency. I worked at the Coach company. I worked at Guess for a while. All my family’s in fashion — I’m like the only person who’s not.

These were long-term temp jobs. I did opera-

tions stuff, like I did product development for Coach. And then I got placed at a corporate consulting firm that did management and benefits consulting, called Segal Company It was great to work with management. So I worked my way up, and I was there for about three years. I said to myself when I got there, “I only want to do this for three years.” Because I knew that after three years it would be really hard to turn around and go into higher education, because I knew that promotions would come and raises would come. So I left there and went to Colgate University as assistant director for campus life, and then on to my higher ed career.

Q: What have you noticed that distinguishes Amherst from the other places you’ve worked at?

A: I think Amherst has benefits that other small colleges don’t have. The Five College Consortium is an unbelievable benefit, not even just in how we partner [with other colleges] but in making sure that this experience is not an isolating experience.

Also, I feel that at Amherst, I will be working with people who are willing to do whatever it takes to make the student experience what twe want it to be for students. I think one of the things that was most convincing for me, in addition to having unbelievable students is that we have an unbelievably committed group of faculty and staff who were really willing to do whatever it takes to create the kind of student experience that’s going to be the right kind of student experience. When I came, Biddy said a really interesting thing. I said, “Biddy, tell me what it is you want out of this role. What do you want this experience to be?” She said, “I’m not sure, but we’re Amherst College and it should be better.” And that was really great.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

— Sophie Murguia ‘17

Steering Committee Works Class of 2018 Experiences to Draft Strategic Plan Revamped Orientation Emmett Knowlton ’15 Executive Adviser The strategic planning steering committee continued to make strides this summer, meeting in July for a retreat to review feedback, further define goals and prepare for the 20142015 academic year.

Launched in October 2013 under the direction of Provost Peter Uvin, the strategic planning committees are tasked with defining overarching goals for the college’s future.

Four core strategic planning committees have been drafting goals for different aspects of the college’s future: The Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning; The Enhancement of Student Intellectual Life; Diversity and Community and The Internationalization of Liberal Arts Education. The steering committee consists of the chairs of each of the four subcommittees, as well as President Biddy Martin and a number of senior staff members.

Last year, the four core committees met regularly, with 32 members of the faculty, 21 staff, 19 students and nine trustees participating in meetings. During the spring, the heads of each committee solicited feedback from the community and presented their findings to the faculty at Tuesday night faculty meetings.

In May the committees completed four draft reports, which were then published online on the strategic planning website.

Uvin explained that over the summer, parents and alumni offered “hundreds upon hundreds of comments” online in response to the four draft reports. “They pushed us hard sometimes,” Uvin said. “I liked that.”

In July, the steering committee met for a retreat and reviewed the feedback.

“Many of the alumni and some of the parents also pushed hard that we hadn’t taken costs seriously enough, the issue of controlling costs, which is a big issue, as we all know — for the college, for our students and their families, for society at large and politicians,” Uvin said.

“So we got pressure on that.”

Another common piece of alumni feedback concerned the Committee’s language about Amherst.

“They pushed hard, a bunch of them, on what make us distinctive and unique,” Uvin said. “They were saying that many of the things we were saying are things everybody else is saying. And in a way I must agree that they are not incorrect about that.”

Along with reviewing feedback at the retreat, the committee also worked to synthesize ideas from the draft reports.

“Many of the reports were chock full of really interesting ideas. But what often had to be done was formulate why these ideas are important, so beef it up in terms of a level of abstraction almost,” Uvin said. “Get to the first principles, that was the goal.”

The committee will hold another retreat early in September, then draft a preliminary strategic plan to share with the community.

“The steering committee will share the next iteration of the strategic plan with campus by the middle of fall semester,” said Chief Communications Officer Pete Mackey, a member of the steering committee. “From there, the steering committee will again carefully review feedback and move toward a final draft of the document. The goal is to present the final proposed plan to the Board of Trustees at their January meeting.”

Sophie Murguia ‘17 contributed reporting.

Continued from Page 1 of Columbia. The top three most represented states, in order, are New York, California and Massachusetts. Almost 10 percent of new students are non-U.S. citizens, and an additional seven percent are dual citizens of the U.S. and another country.

The new class continues Amherst’s tradition of supporting students from diverse backgrounds: 60 percent of incoming students are receiving financial aid. Sixteen percent of the new class are first-generation college students, and 44 percent identify as American students of color.

The class also includes a record five Native American students.

“That is a high water mark for us,” Fretwell said. “We’re very excited about that, particularly since we’ve made a special effort in recruiting that population.”

Last January, the college announced a series of initiatives aimed to help more Native students attend college.

This year’s class also boasts the usual range of stellar academic accomplishments: 85 percent graduated in the top decile of their senior classes. Members of the new class come from 396 secondary schools, with 59 percent from public schools, 35 percent from independent schools and six percent from parochial schools.

Fretwell also noted an unusual trend among new students.

“A sad thing is that we have a lot of students who have lost a parent,” she said. “It did not play a role in our admissions work, but it may be a commonality that students find among themselves.”

After arriving on the campus, the class of 2018 experienced a newly revamped orientation program, one that emphasizes more dy-

namic group discussion and includes an expanded series of three-day orientation trips.

“We really tried to take a number of core events and make them more active,” said Provost Peter Uvin, who was tasked with helping to overhaul this year’s orientation. “I think that orientation used to be very passive in many ways — students were often talked at, and that’s about the best way of losing young people’s interest.”

Examples of new orientation programming include “Faces of the Community,” a three-hour event related to diversity, as well as well as a series of open houses for cultural organizations on campus. Students also participated in a conversation inspired by the newly introduced “Ask Big Questions” program, an initiative aimed to spark meaningful dialogue among members of the community. On Monday, first-years and student orientation leaders met in small groups to discuss the question “What do we need to learn?”

The expanded series of orientation trips also marks a dramatic change from years past, when students could choose to either go on one of two three-day trips or remain on campus. Now, the three-day trips are mandatory for all first-years, including athletes.

Last year, students could participate in either FOOT (First-Year Outdoor Orientation Trips) or CEOT (Community Engagement Orientation Trip). This year, the college has added five additional options for orientation trips, including one that focuses on mindfulness and yoga, and another that takes place at Book and Plow Farm.

First-year students will return from their orientation trips on Saturday, then experience their first day of college classes on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Opinion Editorial

10 Tips for the Class of 2018 We know, we know. Orientation week is long and filled with more information than you’ll ever need to know.

But as the independent student newspaper of the college (since 1868), we are obligated to provide you, class of 2018 — and transfer students, who get way less love than they deserve — with some tricks to the Amherst trade. For both our sanity and yours, we’ve tried to keep these modules of wisdom as practical and far from banal Buzzfeed-esque listicles about College, Trying New Things and Following Your Dreams as possible.

Without further ado, here are 10 pieces of advice that will make you fare better at the Fairest College.

5. Exercise & Eat Well: It’s easy to wake up, go to class, go to Val, go to Frost, go to sleep. Maybe you’ll order wings before you go to bed. But for your own sanity, try to carve out some time for exercise, whether it’s in the gym or on the bike path or on the intramural soccer field. And eat well.

You’ll feel better, work more efficiently, and not have to worry about running the beer pong table all weekend long.

1. Office Hours: This is crucial and really easy. Check in with your professors, ask them questions about upcoming work, run ideas by them, or just get to know them better. Not only will that scary-intimidating professor become more human, she’ll also make you a better student.

7. Print At The Q-Center (It’s Free!): It’s the easiest way to be frugal at Amherst.

Obviously it’s easy to just print your assignment on A-Level of Frost if you’re working there, but think about how much money you’ll save over the course of the year if you never once spend money on printing.

2. Bring Your ID to Grab & Go: For whatever reason, you can’t just give your ID number to the person working at Grab & Go, and there are few things as infuriating as waiting in line practically from the mailroom only to be denied without your ID as swiftly as you will be using your fake ID at SpiritHaus (see what we did there?

Two tips in one).

3. Mix It Up Socially: If you haven’t already, you’ll quickly settle into a routine that involves always sitting in the same room at Val, always going to the same places to party and always hanging out with the same people. It’s important to establish a routine, but equally important to not let it define you. Go to Coffee Haus as much as you go to Pond.

4. Read Campus Publications: Don’t just open The Student to see if you made the crime log. And, for that matter, don’t just read The Student. Read AC Voice, The Indicator, Circus and the Muck-Rake. People at Amherst really do talk about what’s being written, and it’s important to stay updated about campus issues. You’ll be glad you did.

6. Use The Research Librarians: They’re among the most underappreciated members of the Amherst community and also some of the most helpful. They hone in on sources in JStor like first-years hone in on free beer during orientation.

8. If Something Annoys You, Do Something About It: If you’re genuinely upset or disagree with something, be it a campus policy, an article you read, or a bad AAS decision, don’t just be sarcastic and complain about it to your friends. Write an article about it, go to President Martin’s office hours, sit down with the AAS or a campus administrator. It’s the only way Amherst will change, and change for the better.

9. Support Your Peers: You’ll be amazed at what someone in your seminar can do on stage, or with a paintbrush, or a racquet. Go to as many thesis performances as sporting events, as many music concerts as Gad’s shows. School spirit is more than painting your face at the Williams football game (but you better do that, too).

10. Remember, Nothing At Amherst Is A Life Or Death Situation: We’re all striving for that 4.0, that undefeated season, that killer dance performance. And so, inevitably, we’ll all feel insanely stressed, frustrated, or unhappy at one point or another during the semester. But remember: we’re also insanely lucky to be at a school like Amherst, even if the food sucks.

Driver Wanted Have a car? The Student is hiring a deliverer. Email astudent@amherst.edu for more info.

E X E C U T I V E B OA R D Editor-in-Chief Sophie Murguia Executive Advisers Brendan Hsu Emmett Knowlton Orientation Editors Elaine Jeon Andy Knox Liz Mardeusz Nicole Yang

S TA F F Publishers Nazir Khan David Walchak Design Editor Andrew Kim Cartoonist Clarice Carmichael Photography Editor Olivia Tarantino

“As it stands, there will be elections for AAS president the fourth week of classes...”

Letter from the AAS Page 5

Amherst Terms & Expressions An Exhaustive Glossary Emmett Knowlton ‘15 Executive Adviser AAS: The Association of Amherst Students; specializing in election scandals, infighting, obscure bylaws and referendums.

A capella: The best way to kill many, many hours with your parents during Parents’ Weekend.

AC Voice: Polemical online-only publication; favorite topics include bathrooms, Keefe Campus Center, privilege.

AmCo: Abbreviation of Amherst Coffee, home to English and philosophy majors. [q.v.

David Foster Wallace ’84] “Amherst Awkward”: One of two ill-defined and alliterative campus diseases [see also: EEE]. Known symptoms include: strategically-timed iPhone usage while crossing the quad, uncertainty whether or not to acknowledge that guy from your First-Year Seminar you sort of know, half-smiles.

Amherst Scrutiny: Website containing reviews of Amherst classes and professors; helpful during pre-registration and add/drop.

Antonio’s: Go-to locale for when nights go to shit [See also: Hot Cheese Up Front].

Arkes: Political science professor; Amherst’s diversity of political thought.

Army of Darkness: Men’s Frisbee team [See also: SparkleMotion].

Ask Big Questions: Wildly successful campus initiative to spark campus dialogue by Provost Uvin.

Book & Plow: Campus farm.

Bird Sanctuary: Beyond tennis courts, popular destination for “bird-watching” and “nature walks.”

Campus Crime Log: Weekly police blotter; rite of passage [See also: The Amherst Student].

Carolyn “Biddy” Martin: 19th president of Amherst College. Known for an illustrious Twitter persona, hosting seasonal outdoor parties [q.v. Fall Festival; Winter Carnival], sending lengthy apologetic emails following campus scandals.

Chevy Lot: One of three student parking lots, along with The Hills and The Tennis Courts; location of cars never, under any circumstances, driven during the year.

Club Sports: Second-class athletic teams, despised by Athletic Department [See also: Suzanne Coffey].

Coffee Haus: Popular Friday night event host-

ed by Marsh Arts House; no auditions guarantees at least one trainwreck per show.

Consent: Something that, jokes aside, should be understood and taken seriously.

EEE: Massive campus conspiracy to prevent students from socializing outside after dark.

Eph [pron: eeph]: Short for Ephraim Williams, the founder of Williams College. Also one of two Williams mascots [see also: Purple Cows].

Firedogs: Women’s volleyball mascot.

Forbes: Illegitimate publication, maker of rankings.

Frank’s Red Hot: Valentine antidote.

Fraternities: [q.v.: frat-like]; Not-so-secretive groups of males that either represent white privilege or incredible diversity, depending on who you ask. Known for hanging upside down flags in protest. Formerly comprised of DKE, Chi Psi, and The One Whose Name They Legally Can’t Use. Current whereabouts unknown.

Hot Cheese Up Front: $1 cure to Friday night malaise.

JeffCast: Best way to watch Amherst sports without having to walk to the actual games.

Lewis-Sebring: Faculty dining hall past the bathrooms in the lobby of Val; no. 1 reason to go to office hours and/or do research for a professor.

Little Three: Rivalry between Amherst, Wesleyan and Williams.

Little Red Schoolhouse: Preschool nestled directly in the middle of the war zone that is The Socials; sick architectural joke.

Lord Jeff: Short for Lord Jeffery Amherst, the controversial mascot of the college’s athletic teams; founder of both the township of Amherst and biological warfare; possible founder of Washington D.C.’s NFL team.

Memorial Hill: Location of to 47 percent of student body cover photos.

Oscar Martin: President Martin’s toy poodle, mentioned approximately 1.2 times in any given Martin speech, an unofficial mascot of the college.

Rao’s: Rival to Amherst Coffee; home to English majors, philosophy majors, seedy townies.

PVTA [pron: Piv-ta]: Free bus service between five Colleges.

Science Center: President Martin’s brainchild; has currently lost the college somewhere around $20 million.

Social Cups: [See also: Amherst Awkward] Successful campus initiative; cleaner and more spacious than anti-Social Cups.

Continued on Page 5

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.

The Student will not print personal or group defamation.

Publication Standards

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 © 2014 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 • August 29, 2014

Amherst Glossary

Continued from Page 4 Soy Sauce: Second smelliest campus phenomenon behind Socials’ common rooms. Unclear whether actually helpful in melting the snow.

SparkleMotion: Amherst’s women’s Frisbee team [See also: Army of Darkness].

Suzanne Coffey: Beloved campus administrator [See also: Club Sports].

Thesis: Elaborate excuse crafted by self-hating seniors to be anti-social and nurse drinking problems.

The Amherst Student: Independent student newspaper, published weekly. Known for campus crime log, little else.

The Hill: Far-off land behind the Emily Dickinson House, comprised of Marsh, Plimpton and Tyler. Infrequently visited because of lengthy distance from campus (.6 miles between Marsh and Frost).

The Indicator: Student magazine, published monthly [See also: AmCo].

The Muck-Rake: Preeminent source of Amherst College and national news; not affiliated with the Wall Street Journal.

The Notch: Popular hike/announcement strategy (via social media) for newly exclusive Amherst couples.

The Socials: Four aesthetically pleasing, uncontroversial suite-style dorms behind Keefe Campus Center [See also: AC Voice].

The Trailers: Former modular housing dorms cruelly named The Plaza and The Waldorf-Astoria; recently demolished to make way for Greenway dorms.

The Triangle: Made up of Seelye, Mayo-Smith and Hitchcock, the three dorms at the corner

of Route 9 and South Pleasant Street. Though approximately the same distance to/from Frost as is The Hill, not considered “far away.”

The Zü: Also known as Humphries House and under no circumstances to be confused with The Zoo [q.v.: UMass-Amherst]. The college’s only co-op style dorm; despite its proximity to Pratt Field, not home to many football players.

Tony Esposito: The Counseling Center’s best counselor; moonlights as a barista.

Tony Marx: 18th President of Amherst College; a favorite punchline for DWI and alcoholism jokes around campus.

Panda East: Haven for underage drinkers.

A Few of Biddy’s Favorite Things Biddy Martin Amherst College President

1 Intellectual quality The curiously long lines 2 for fried dough at festivals 3 Financial aid Trick or treating and 4 hayrides The view from Memorial 5 Hill 6 Book and Plow Farm 7 The physics jacket 8 Student publications The devotion of our 9 alumni

Faculty engagement with

10 students Students who come to my 11 office hours The feats of our student 12 athletes Student clubs and 13 performers (Gad’s) Orchestra, jazz, a capella, choral, 14 dance and thesis performances The diversity in our 15 student body 16 Dedication of the staff 17 History of great writers Student initiative and

18 activism

Letter from the AAS Party Policy: A vague and mercurial guideline; favorite subject for student complaint [q.v.: Denise McGoldrick; Susie Mitton Shannon; Charri Boykin-East].

Privilege: Among the most frequently deployed buzzwords in any Amherst student’s vocabulary. [q.v.: problematic; postmodern; dialogue] Purple Cows: Genetically impossible variation of cow.

U.S. News and World Report: Somewhat less, but still quite, illegitimate maker of rankings [See also: Forbes] Windowsill: Preferred dance surface.

Illustrations by Clarice Carmichael ’16

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Opinion 5

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Juan Gabriel Delgado Montes ‘16 AAS Vice President Hi! Welcome back to Amherst on behalf of the Association of Amherst Students (AAS)! A special welcome to the class of 2018 and incoming transfer students. The entire campus community has been working long and hard to help you make a home here at Amherst College. So, welcome home everyone, new and old!

Let me briefly introduce myself. My name is Juan Gabriel Delgado Montes and I am originally from La Paz, Bolivia. I am an economics major and the RC of Newport, the French and Spanish House. On campus, I am the vice president, and for a brief time, the acting president of the student body.

As a result, I would like to briefly clarify the result of last semester’s presidential elections. As it stands, there will be elections for AAS president the fourth week of classes, with all candidates eligible to run. This was the decision of the Judiciary Council — the legislative branch of the student government — after a student body referendum at the end of last semester. It is an obstacle to start the semester without a president, but there is a lot that can be done with you as a unified and active student body.

The AAS is the student government of Amherst College, and is made up 32 senators that represent you. Every year, we oversee more than a million dollars and put it to good use by funding clubs, initiatives, special dinners and almost anything you can think of that can help improve our student experience. We also bring student voice when the administration considers important changes, trying to get the best outcomes for students.

However, I think that there is more the AAS can and should do beyond funding student activities and responding to changes proposed by the administration. It is my hope that the AAS can move forward with a greater focus on student advocacy. The AAS should take the initiative to reach out to student groups and offer our help to fulfil their goals, having the college act upon their needs. This year the AAS must bring us together to actively propose our own solutions to the problems we face. We are the ones with the best understanding of our problems and thus we should regularly act as a younger, but equal partners with faculty and administrators.

As part of this I would like to invite all students to attend AAS meetings, taking place every Monday at 8:30 p.m. in Converse Hall’s Red Room. To this purpose, the AAS will display initiative and invite different student groups to meetings throughout the year. We will part-

ner with groups and ask them how we can help achieve their goals to better the Amherst community. Again, this means going beyond funding activities but really getting into a collaborative effort to brainstorm, identify challenges, connect different groups and above all, achieve more for students.

As part of the effort to build community, I have been working with the Office of Student Affairs to create a new tradition of campus-wide community dinners. The first of these dinners, open and involving the entire school, will take place the first week of October. The dinners are based around your first-year room meaning that as a first year you would be sitting at a table with your roommate and six other students that lived in the same room at some point: two sophomore, two juniors and two seniors. Because roommates and room pairs across years capture so many different groups of campus over four years, these dinners are a simple way for students to make friends with other students whom they would otherwise rarely interact. It is these kinds of events, born out of initiative, that are important opportunities to give our campus a greater sense of community despite our marked differences.

Over the summer, and this year, Amherst College as an institution has been changing.

We have hired Alex Vasquez as our new dean of students, the trailers have been demolished and the Office of Student Affairs is being redesigned.

Over the next semester we will see many new faces as the college is in a hiring phase after making vacancies in Residential Life, Student Conduct and Student Activities. Particularly in Residential Life, the AAS will take the initiative alongside to create a vision for a more rich residential experience that emphasises social community and personal growth outside academics.

Additionally, IT has been working on a mobile application and the AAS is helping shape its content. The app, rolling out this September, will allow students to access resources with greater ease, using their phones to load up AC Dollars, checking the Valentine menu for the night or even assignments on Moodle and more. The AAS will actively reach out to students for their opinions and ensure that the app is customizable to each student’s preferences.

This year will bring about many changes in student life and what defines our Amherst experience. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, run for senate or make sure that your senators are working on the projects most important to you.

I am very excited about this year and getting to know many of you! Good luck on classes, and let’s make sure Amherst is the best place to be for all!

6 Arts & Living

The Amherst Student • August 29, 2014 1 2

Good Eats Amherst in

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Reviews by Liz Mardeusz ’16 Sidebar by Jeff Feldman ’15 & Annalise Nurme ’15 Cartoons by Clarice Carmichael ’16

Panda East

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White Hut

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Lime Red

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Miss Saigon

The Works

The Student’s Guide to Eatin Well in Downtown Amherst 1. Rao’s Coffee (413) 253-9441 There are several coffee shops closer to campus, but its unique atmosphere and quality drinks and pastries make Rao’s worth the walk. Though Rao’s can get a little pricey, the baristas here are friendly and work quickly. Rao’s also offers a wider selection of espresso beverages, teas, and blended drinks than other area coffee shops. Be warned: seating may be difficult to come by, especially on a Sunday afternoon, so get there early!

2. Johnny’s Tavern (413) 230-3818 Johnny’s Tavern has a classier ambiance than some other local eateries, but this restaurant is a great spot for a casual meal with friends or a more formal celebration. On the menu, you’ll find updated American fare like steak, grilled cheese with tomato and avocado, truffle fries and burgers. Johnny’s also has an impressive selection of salads.

3. The Black Sheep Bakery Café (413) 253-3442 Black Sheep serves a variety of coffee drinks and desserts to make your Sunday study session a little more bearable. The café is a pleasant place to get some work done if you don’t mind a little background noise and arrive early enough to snag a seat. Black Sheep also offers an extensive selection of baguette sandwiches packed with fresh ingredients like mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes.

Before you leave, top off your meal with a cupcake or a brownie — Black Sheep’s sweet offerings are varied and sure to satisfy your sugar cravings.

4. Pita Pockets (413) 256-3600 Pita Pockets opened just last year but has already generated a dedicated following. The Mediterranean-style cuisine they serve is satisfying and doled out in generous portions. The father-son owners of the restaurant will greet you enthusias-

tically as you enter and prepare samples for you to taste before ordering.

5. The Lone Wolf (413) 256-4643 Lone Wolf is a popular breakfast spot amongst locals and college students alike, and the wait to be seated for Sunday brunch can be long. It’s also important to note that the restaurant’s policy won’t allow you to split your check, so figure out how you and your breakfast-mates plan to pay beforehand.

However, it’s hard to look at Lone Wolf’s menu and choose just one entrée — from challah French toast and traditional latkes to berry-garnished crepes and made-to-order omelets, there’s a meal to satisfy any palate. This restaurant also offers quite a few vegan options.

6. Bart’s Homemade Ice Cream (413) 253-2278 If you’re in the mood for an ice cream cone,

Bart’s Homemade Ice Cream is the closest place to campus to get one. Bart’s also serves sandwiches and a variety of coffee drinks.

While the shop’s list of ice cream flavors is long (malt vanilla is a must-try) a self-serve frozen yogurt bar is also available if you’d prefer a healthier option.

7. Antonio’s Pizza (413) 253-0808 True Amherst students know that Antonio’s is the place to go for great pizza. It’s small and seating can be hard to come by, but this pizzeria boasts a seemingly endless selection of gourmet slices. You can’t go wrong with any flavor on the menu, but its chicken-bacon-ranch can’t be beat and the tortellini slice is something you have to try at least once. Make Antonio’s a Friday night destination to experience “hot cheese up front.” Beginning at midnight, the restaurant serves plain cheese pizza for only $1 a slice.

The Amherst Student • August 29, 2014

Arts & Living 7 Delivery Although the Town of Amherst isn’t large, scary or unnavigable (as you can see in the map below), sometimes you can’t be bothered to leave to library or the comforts of your heated dormitory to stuff your face with cheap, greasy food. Unfortunately, those who suffer from this problem face an overwhelming array of delivery options. We’re here to help.

3

Italian You’d think pizza, the ubiquitous and delicious staple of delivery fare, would be the Italian food of choice for Amherst students ordering in.

However, a serious lack of quality pizza delivery places (Domino’s is probably the most popular option) and the presence of Antonio’s (whose delivery service is weak) means that calzones are the most popular Italian item on campus.

While D.P. Dough has the best prices, calzone connoisseurs know that the savings are not worth the subpar ingredients and gastrointestinal distress. Bruno’s and Pioneer Valley Pizza deliver well and, though your stomach may still take a while to recover from a 2 a.m. buffalo chicken calzone (what were you thinking?!), at least your taste buds will be satisfied.

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Amherst Chinese

Sandwiches Amherst Sub and Pizza is the clear winner here, with a little-talked-about and ridiculous deal for the famished: You get a free small cheese pizza with the purchase of any two large subs — plenty of energy whether you’re training for an Olympic event or powering through a Social Org study session.

Lime Red

Wings Wings Over Amherst, popularly known as just “Wings,” is really the only option. You’re going to want to order boneless wings, which are really just chicken fingers drowned in sauce which is why they’re so amazing. Make sure to go in with a friend or two to get the most bang for your buck, and expect everyone who you didn’t ask to demand “just one wing.” They’ll be attracted by the spicy buffalo aroma, which has been known to permeate the locale in which the wings are consumed; try to find an out-ofthe-way common room to gorge.

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There are many places to eat in Amherst, and chances are, between now and the time you graduate there’ll be even more. We compiled a list of our favorite spots in town for all the essentials: the best places to find donuts, dim sum, a strong cup of coffee, a $1 slice of pizza and plenty more.

Antonio’s is only a quick walk from campus, making it an ideal stop after a night out.

8. Glazed Doughnut Shop (413) 230-6811 Glazed is fairly new on the Amherst culinary scene, but it has already proved itself popular with Amherst students in need of a sugar fix. The bakery tests the limits of the standard doughnut with an array of gourmet and traditional flavors, including peanut butter and jelly, lemon raspberry, and buttermilk cake. Glazed is gluten-free and vegan friendly.

9. Pasta E Basta (413) 256-3550 If tasty, affordable Italian food is what you’re after, Pasta E Basta is your place. The first floor of the restaurant boasts long tables that work perfectly for team dinners or outings with a large group. Many dishes here can be cus-

tomized with your choice of sauce, pasta type and toppings. The focaccia bread the restaurant serves while you wait for your entrée is delicious — there’s no way you can stop eating after one piece.

10. High Horse Brewing (413) 230-3034 A restaurant and bar with a quirky vibe, High Horse serves up American cuisine with a twist. Show up at High Horse with an appetite for gourmet-style burgers and fries. Weekend brunch is also served here.

11. Oriental Flavor (413) 253-7673 Oriental Flavor is new to Amherst, as it opened its doors only last year. It is an authentic dim sum restaurant with dumplings and scallion pancakes superior to other Chinese establishments in the area.

12.GoBerry (413) 256-6003 GoBerry makes its own all-natural frozen yogurt with ingredients sourced from local farms. Fresh yogurt is prepared daily within the store, so the flavor selection changes from week to week.

GoBerry offers a good selection of toppings, notably crumbled Rao’s chocolate chip cookies.

13. Fresh Side (413) 256-0296 Fresh Side is another affordable option for lunch or dinner. Asian-fusion fare is the restaurant’s specialty, and many of its dishes can be prepared in a vegetarian or vegan friendly fashion. One of Fresh Side’s most popular items is the tea roll — essentially a larger version of a Vietnamese spring roll. Be sure to order a side of peanut sauce with your tea rolls, as some flavors can be a bit dry. It costs a bit extra, but it makes a great meal even tastier.

Dessert Sugar Jones cookies may dominate at RC-sponsored events — they’re tasty, and Sugar Jones will deliver quarts or gallons of milk — but true Amherst cookie fiends know that D.P. Dough has the thickest and gooey-est chocolate chip cookies around. They’re so good that students have been known to order a dozen just to satisfy the minimum delivery price and give the extras away to their friends. Calories don’t count when you share, right?

Delivery Express Delivery Express is a service that will deliver food from local restaurants like Amherst Chinese, Panda East, Antonio’s, and GoBerry, among others. However, the delivery fees are high, the wait times can be long, and they stop delivering at 10 p.m. (If you’re doing delivery right, you shouldn’t be ordering before midnight.) So, for those nights when you just want to stay in bed and watch Netflix over the horizon of your ever-expanding stomach, stick with the above-mentioned delivery staples and avoid Delivery Express.

Northampton When you get bored of your own award-winning college town, visit that of nearby Smith College. The renowned music scene is something you’ll have to explore according to your own tastes, but here are just a few of the best places at which to grub and gift: • • • •

• •

Dessert: Herrell’s Ice Cream, Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium Vegetarian/Vegan/Natural: Bela, Paul & Elizabeth’s Italian: Spoleto, Mulino’s Trattoria (see their cheap dinner specials) American: Local Burger (long lines during regular hours, but entirely worth the wait), Haymarket Café Indian: India House, India Palace Retail: Urban Outfitters, various boutiques

Arts&Living

Image courtesy of shockya.com

“Begin Again” is a new movie musical set in New York City. It was directed by John Carney and it stars Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo.

“Begin Again:” A Flawed, Charming Summer Flick Liz Mardeusz ‘16 Managing A&L Editor Irish director John Carney brought us the quirky and low-budget movie musical “Once” in 2007. “Begin Again,” his newest release, tries to replicate the charm of “Once” and almost succeeds in doing so. For its setting, the 2014 film swaps the streets of Dublin for an idealized version of New York City cherished by hipsters. There’s an abundance of red brick, green spaces and intimate music lounges and an absence of crowds. In “Once,” Carney selected the unknown actors Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová to play his leading man and lady.

Both Hansard and Irglová were musicians first and actors second, and this was clear in the film. For the summer hit “Begin Again,” Carney casts quite a few famous faces. This tactic certainly brings more buzz to the movie, but the authenticity of the musical performances suffers. Much of the success of “Once” was due to that film’s wellcrafted songs and sincere, natural act-

ing. “Begin Again,” though undoubtedly an enjoyable night at the movies, is just a little too manufactured to have the same effect that its predecessor did.

It’s clear that “Begin Again” got the Hollywood treatment: the cinematography is a little sharper and the actors more recognizable, but the storyline is slightly generic, the performances less heartfelt.

A scruffy-looking Mark Ruffalo plays Dan, a record label executive who has fallen from grace both professionally and personally. He lives in a shabby apartment suited more to a broke college student than a music business insider. He could use a shower, a change of clothes and a friend to tell him to put down the whiskey bottle. Ruffalo is the likable ne’er-dowell in “Begin Again,” a role he seems to play over and over again. However, he’s still a delight as Dan. Despite the character’s flaws, we sympathize with his struggle to connect with his moody teen daughter Violet (Hailee Steinfeld) and sort out his relationship with his estranged wife Miriam (Catherine

Keener.) He’s also grappling with some unwanted changes at his record label and dislikes the onslaught of inauthentic pop musicians recently signed by his business partner.

Then Dan makes a promising discovery when he stumbles upon a hole-in-the-wall music lounge. This is where he meets Gretta, a British amateur folk singer-songwriter.

Gretta, too, is down on her luck: her longtime boyfriend and occasional songwriting partner Dave has cheated on her after releasing a hit album, she has few friends in New York and she’s anxious to get home. Dan is inspired

by Gretta’s performance at the lounge and offers to sign her to his label on the spot. Gretta, however, has strong convictions about musical integrity and rejects Dan’s proposal almost as quickly as he utters it. This is what is somewhat bothersome about Knightley’s character — why is she so particular about what she considers to be “authentic” music? Must the lyrics be mournful and overly serious? Many of the songs Gretta sings during the film

seem either too cutesy or melodramatic, a cartoon version of real folk music.

On the other hand, her ex-boyfriend’s (played by Adam Levine of Maroon 5, surprisingly effective in his role) newly released album is presented to be overproduced and fake, but his songs are the catchiest and most enjoyable of the lot.

For the bulk of the film, Gretta and Dan embark on a project to make an album themselves, independently and without help from a label. They record on the rooftops and in the alleyways of New York City, aiming to produce music with as much integrity as possible.

They recruit a ragtag team of locals to play a variety of instruments for free.

Even Violet gets in on the fun and performs a guitar solo in one of several rooftop musical scenes. Gretta and Dan’s album is a low-budget passion project, undertaken simply for the love of music. Unsurprisingly, as “Begin Again” progresses, Dan and Gretta begin to develop feelings for one another.

However, just as in “Once,” these feelings never quite progress far enough

for a full-fledged romantic relationship. Instead, Dan and his estranged wife rekindle their partnership towards the end of the film. This just seems like sloppy, clichéd scriptwriting.

Despite its flaws, “Begin Again” is worth a watch. Here’s why: the energy of the performances is infectious, and you’ll leave the theater in a brighter mood than the one you walked in with.

Adam Levine’s turn as Gretta’s rockstar boyfriend Dave is fun to watch, and his version of the original song “Lost Stars” is uplifting and catchy — a true earworm. Keira Knightley does all of her own singing in the film, and her voice is lovely. The ensemble cast also includes James Corden, Yasiin Bey and Cee Lo Green. All three are as memorable in their roles as the more central players. It’s ironic that a movie whose characters are so fixated on authenticity and integrity is truly the more artificial, prepackaged little brother of another film, though it’s entertaining nonetheless. It’s no “Once,” but “Begin Again” is still worth the price of admission.

Trials, Rewards Accompany Peach Harvesting Season Ellie Andersen ‘15 Staff Writer There is a story about James Taylor, a boy and his pig. The boy raises a pig named Kosher until she is too large to live in his house and he finds her a new home with James Taylor’s pig, Mona. The story cheerfully touches on the boy’s mishaps with Kosher and the ultimate ending of any pig, but with an unexpected twist. I will not ruin the story for anyone because it is a wonderful twopage account that I cannot do justice.

However, Kosher’s owner, the young boy, just happens to be Michael Pollan, author of books such as “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “Botany of Desire” and a great influencer of today’s food culture. If you ever find yourself thinking about how much corn there is in everything we eat, namely high fructose corn syrup, you may owe some of this awareness to

Michael Pollan. Anyway, in response to his 2013 article, a mentor asked me to write a story about one of my own experiences with something related to food so I chose peaches.

If you are now wondering how I could choose such a simple fruit, let me explain. My father has an orchard behind our house, one filled with various fruit trees, as well as a patch of blueberries. Of course, we usually have more fruit than we know what to do with, so we enjoy sharing the bounty, but peaches have never been neutral with my family. They are like chocolate: as badly as we want everyone to taste and relish them, we cannot bear to part with these fleeting fruits. As soon as their golden flesh fills to the point of bursting, they bruise and rot, sneering at our inability to preserve, share or eat them soon enough. Because of this, we really do want to share them, but only so much.

I remember one year, as the peach season approached, my father encouraged a tenant farmer to pick as many peaches as he pleased. He did not give this offer another thought, but that year we savored fewer of the delicate fruits than we had hoped. As the heat of August pushed the fruit off the trees, the farmer mentioned to my father, “Oh yeah, I tried to make two barrels of peach brandy, but both failed.”

Frustratingly, failed peach brandy is not the only mishap to befall our peach harvest. A few years ago, we watched as the peaches slowly filled out and blushed into a golden pink before disappearing right as they peaked. We could not understand — there had been no blight or insects and the fruit was not dropping early.

But then we saw these casually placed peach pits sitting atop our eight-foot deer fence encircling the orchard.

They just sat there and taunted us as

we realized someone else was snagging our fruit. Then by chance, my brother glanced out the window and there sat a squirrel atop the fence post, relishing the flushed fruit until only the pit remained.

Farming is truly a race to the finish line — who will get to those crops first and how can you best guard against your competitors? There is no glorious rush of blood as the hunter captures his prey, but rather the resignation of a farmer protecting his crop, his pride and joy of a successful harvest. So, my brothers, being farm boys, began to stake out the peaches, watching for the thieves after finishing the day’s work. Soon enough, the squirrels clambered up through the fence, plucked barely ripened peaches and lounged upon the fence posts, nibbling upon the precious fruit.

I am not surprised that my brothers’ actions did not completely soothe their frustration as they observed the

squirrels, but there must certainly be a few missing tufts of fur and squirrels that feel wary of loud noises.

That year, we enjoyed and preserved perfectly ripened peaches, still missing a few here and there but willing to share a little bit.

As my brothers have continued this routine, our peach harvests have remained steady and plentiful, almost overwhelming us at times. However, this summer, as I finished my favorite run ending next to the orchard, I noticed that one of our best peach trees did not sag under the weight of ripe fruit. I sprinted into the house and quickly exclaimed to my mother, “Ma, are the squirrels back?” to which she replied, “Oh no, no, no. We got to them first. We have them all.”

The Michael Pollan article is entitled “My Tragic Encounter With James Taylor’s Pig” and it was published in the Sept. 15, 2013, edition of the New York Times Magazine.

The Amherst Student • August 29, 2014

Sports 9

SUMMER SPOTLIGHT

Greg Turissini ’15

Rachel Tannenbaum ’15

Michael MichaelSolimano Solimano’16 ’16

Sue Ghosh ’16

Tell me about what you did this summer.

season: Determined.

Tell me about what you did this summer.

I interned as a research assistant for Dr. Iris Paltin, a neuropsychologist, in the Behavioral Oncology Department of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. I was mainly involved with research on the neurocognitive late effects of pediatric brain tumors. I also contributed to literature review and data collection/analysis for a current proton radiotherapy study.

Adjective to describe your upcoming season: DRIVE.

Tell me about what you did this summer.

I interned at the New York Stock Exchange with a brokerage firm there. It was great to get some “real world” experience, and I was incredibly fortunate to spend my days seeing what goes on on the floor of the exchange. After I finished working, I vacationed with my family and began playing some tennis in preparation for the upcoming season.

Adjective to describe your upcoming season: Exhilarating.

Tell me about what you did this summer.

For the first half of the summer, I worked in the Office of Multimedia at the Environmental Protection Agency in D.C. For the second half of the summer, I worked in a Neuroscience Lab at Georgetown University’s Medical Center. At the end of the summer, I went on a 10-day sightseeing/hiking trip through Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park!

Adjective to describe your upcoming season: Pumped.

Erin Martin ’16

Scott DeSantis ’15

Megan Kim ’16

Chris Martin ’17

Tell me about what you did this summer.

Tell me about what you did this summer.

Tell me about what you did this summer.

Tell me about what you did this summer.

I spent the summer at home with my friends

I worked at Northwestern Mutual in

This past summer I worked for a nonprofit organization called Net Impact in San Francisco. The organization provides resources, tools and networking opportunities to all of their chapters. Its purpose is to empower others to make a sustainable and social impact in the workplaces, campuses, and careers.

I worked with a fellow teammate, Bryce

Adjective to describe your upcoming season: Inspiring.

Adjective to describe your upcoming

Balancing studying for the MCAT and working full-time in a cardiovascular sciences research laboratory at the University of Toledo. In addition to working, I found time to run between 80-90 miles per week in preparation for my senior cross country season.

Adjective to describe your upcoming

and family. I worked at the local ice cream shop, Crescent Ridge Dairy Bar. Our ice cream has been rated #7 in the world. In addition to the dairy bar, I spent some time

Wellesley, Mass. near Boston this summer.

Northwestern Mutual is a financial planning company, and I have had a very positive experience working for them the past two years. I plan on continuing to work for them

shadowing doctors within the Boston area.

following graduation.

Adjective to describe your upcoming

Adjective to describe your upcoming

season: Determined.

season: Encouraging.

Women’s Tennis Ready to Rebound Following Heartbreak Katie Paolano ’16 Staff Writer Riding high on a 22-win season, women’s tennis is more prepared than ever entering their 2014 fall campaign. Last season, the Jeffs won their eighth NESCAC Championship in the last 10 years. Earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, the Jeffs went on to defeat Endicott, MIT, Carnegie Mellon and Williams, before falling to Emory in the National Championship match.

“Nationals was probably the most intense thing I’ve ever been through,” said junior captain Sue Ghosh. “It was such a great experience, and I’m so glad I could spend my last days with the tennis seniors in that setting.”

Amherst graduates one of the most decorated senior classes in the class of 2014, including All-Americans Jordan Brewer and Gabby Devlin, who captured their third NCAA Div. III Women’s Tennis Doubles Championship in the spring. All-American Jen Newman also leaves a big void in the Amherst line-up.

Despite graduating 10 seniors entering the

2014-15 season, Amherst still returns a stellar line up. Led by lone senior Safi Aly, the team will turn to the junior class in Ghosh, Lara Min, Sarah Monteagudo, Rebecca Pol and Maddy Sung.

Megan Adamo, Simone Aisiks, Claire Carpenter, Lola Fadulu and Amanda Zalameda round out the sophomore class, and the Jeffs have four incoming first-years they are eager to introduce.

Looking to step up as the top doubles tandem this fall, Aly and Monteagudo return from a stellar season, finishing off NESCAC’s with an 8-5 win over Williams in the finals. Also stepping up this year, Ghosh looks to set the tone in singles play coming off a strong sophomore campaign in the no. 4 spot. Monteagudo also returns with a number of individual victories under her belt at the no. 6 spot.

Tournament play this fall begins at the ITA Tournament hosted at Williams on Sept. 26. The team’s biggest match of the fall will be the dualmatch versus Williams at home on Oct. 11.

“The team is pumped, and I’m sure the energy and excitement from last season will be carried over to this upcoming fall,” Ghosh said.

Ciambella [’17], for a small wealth management firm in my hometown. While not working, we played soccer for a team and took adventures to the beach. The last week of summer I went to Nantucket with a friend’s family. season: Anticipated.

Women’s Soccer Returns to the Field With High Expectations Virginia Hassell ’16 Staff Writer After three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, head coach Jen Hughes and the Lady Jeffs set out to continue their impressive form in 2014. Finishing the 2013 season with a 10-4-3 record, the Jeffs found their way to the NCAA tournament through an at-large bid after falling to Trinity in the quarterfinals of NESCACs. In a back-and-forth battle against Messiah in the second round, Amherst saw its season come to a close, as the team failed to convert on several scoring opportunities, losing 2-0.

“Even though it didn’t show up on the scoreboard the way we wanted it to, every single player walked off the field knowing we put everything into it,” said junior defender Megan Kim. “If we can hold on to that feeling of what it feels like to be playing with each other and enjoying the game, the results will come with it this season.”

Returning the entire starting defense, the Purple and White will rely on the consistently dominant performances of All-NESCAC second team duo, junior goalkeeper Holly Burwick and

senior defender Maya Jackson-Gibson.

“We’re returning basically our entire defense, so that is going to be a strong point for us.

We can use that as a base to build on,” said senior captain Meghan Mills.

“We have a very veteran team coming back this year, and we have lots of experience, so we have very high expectations coming into the season. We’re really excited to have the freshman class,” added senior captain Mel Stier.

Under the leadership of Mills, Stier and fellow senior captain Alex Hart, success is certainly in the cards for this season. Stier, perhaps one of the most versatile players for the Jeffs, started her career as a forward before Hughes converted her to a defender.

“The captains are great, and the senior class as a whole are really great leaders, which is something key that we really need this year and that will take us very far,” Burwick said.

Returning to action against Middlebury on Saturday, Sept. 7, the Jeffs hope to continue their tradition of success on the field.

“As a team, we want to come together to that potential to win everything,” Kim said.

10 Sports

Schedule

TUESDAY Men’s Soccer @ New England College, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY Field Hockey @ Conn. College FRIDAY Volleyball @ Springfield Invitational, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY Volleyball @ Springfield Invitational, 10 a.m.

Men’s & Women’s Golf @ Trinity Invitational, 12 p.m.

The Amherst Student • August 29, 2014

Women’s Cross Country @ Smith Invitational SUNDAY Men’s & Women’s Golf @ Trinity Invitational, 12 p.m.

Men’s Soccer @ Middlebury, 3:30 p.m.

Field Hockey @ Middlebury, 4 p.m.

Women’s Soccer @ Middlebury, 4 p.m.

TUESDAY Field Hockey vs. Mount Holyoke

Amherst Baseball’s Japanese Adventure Dave Cunningham ’16 Columnist On August 3, the baseball team embarked on a 14-hour journey to the small island country of Japan as part of a cultural exchange. With the help of alumni, coaches and the school administration, Amherst rekindled a partnership with the prestigious Japanese liberal arts school, Doshisha University.

With movie options limited to “Draft Day” (quite possibly one of the worst films of the 21st century; am I really supposed to believe Kevin Costner dates Jennifer Garner?) and a Discovery Channel special on the attack methods of raptors, it was a godsend when we finally landed on Japanese soil. After getting through customs, we were greeted by our Japanese tour guide, and Doshisha alumnus, Akira. Never without a smile, Akira loaded us onto the tour bus, en route to the university dorms. Our first culture shock came in the form of our sleeping arrangements: blankets on the floor.

Luckily, the bed situation did not prove to be an issue, as our jet-lagged bodies possessed no strength to discriminate between bed or ground.

While a healthy portion of the cultural exchange was set aside for sightseeing and experiencing the finer points of Japanese culture, a major part of our trip was spent playing baseball with, and against, the Doshisha baseball squad.

It quickly became apparent that Japanese baseball is grounded by two main ideals: discipline and respect. While American athletes share similar principles, the Doshisha team took these values to a whole new level. When an authority figure speaks, hats come off, and a bow follows. When the field required maintenance, every single player had a rake and specific job that was completed with absolute perfection. If you think raking the infield dirt is not a difficult job, think again. The entire Doshisha field is dirt, not just the base lines; in fact, while it may seem comical to us, the Doshisha baseball team did not have access to the gym because four years ago a player “appeared to have a bad attitude.”

In terms of baseball mechanics, the Japanese players placed great emphasis on different aspects of the game. While American players pride themselves on overpowering arms, Japanese players preferred focusing on quick glove-to-throwing hand transfers. Amherst players constantly swing for the fences (and often strike out), but Doshisha ballplayers prefer to swing for contact and to simply get on base with a single. Due to the many dissimilarities in our game styles, we took the opportunity to learn from the Doshisha players, with the hopes of improving our overall game. Even though Mike Odenwaelder ’16 can drive the ball 420 feet over the center field fence, Doshisha had the last laugh and used their Moneyball tactics to defeat us, 14-6.

Contrary to initial beliefs, the language barrier did not prove to be a major issue. Luckily, the Doshisha team had two players who spoke excellent English and were able to translate coaches’ speeches or specific parts of drills. Hand gestures and bonding over Japanese MLB players helped to break the awkward silence too.

Off the field, we were fortunate to have the company of Professors Samuel Morse and Trent Maxey of the Asian Languages and Civilizations Department. They worked tirelessly to show us the

most interesting and exciting aspects of Japanese culture over our 12-day stay. Most of our sightseeing time was spent exploring magnificent shrines and temples — the most impressive being The Great Temple of the East, the largest wooden structure in the world. The architecture was truly aweinspiring, and the interior was home to a 50-foot Buddha statue. While I will never forget this cornerstone of the Buddhist religion, I think I speak for all my teammates when I say the most unique and entertaining aspect proved to be the peculiar activity outside. Directly outside the temple, hundreds of deer freely roamed an area much like the Boston Gardens or Central Park.

Visitors were allowed to pet and feed these animals at will. We all posed for pictures with the deer and gathered all the change in our pockets to pay for some deer food at a nearby stand. While these animals were technically wild creatures, they possessed a certain domesticated flair. After approaching a deer, we would bow our heads, and the deer would return the bow, expecting a treat in return much like a household dog. Needless to say, all of us were in utter shock, and it took a while for Coach Hamm to convince us that it was time to leave.

At the end of the trip, we tossed on our suits and ties and traveled to the Foreign Ministry. We had the amazing opportunity to sit through a private meeting with Parliamentary Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hirotaka Ishihara. Following the meeting, we were welcomed to a reception dinner, hosted by Amherst grads who now work for the ministry. It was inspiring to see close to 10 former Amherst students now working for the Japanese parliament.

While touring the city of Tokyo with teammates, riding the bullet train and enjoying the fabulous dining were very memorable parts of the cultural exchange, I personally liked running a baseball camp for the students of Tagajo Middle School the most.

Most of the Tagajo players were displaced by the 2011 tsunami, and some still lived in temporary housing. These children have already gone through so much at such a young age, but their spirits are not broken. Smiles were painted across all these young athletes’ faces, and the baseball field seemed to be their safe haven. The parents and students looked at us like we were heroes, and they appeared so grateful for our small display of giving back to their community.

I truly will never forget the look on one of the student’s face when I gave him my Amherst hat at the end of the camp. He acted as though Babe Ruth had just handed him an autographed bat. That is what I will remember most about our cultural exchange. It wasn’t the five-star hotels or the Major League Baseball game. It was the look of absolute elation on the face of a 12-year-old boy. As athletes, we are lucky because our games are more than a home run or a game-tying goal. We have the opportunity to experience events that others do not and feel things others may not have the chance to.

The Amherst baseball team’s trip to Japan was far more than a vacation. It was a life-changing experience. Whoever said sports have the ability to transcend outside the field could not have been more spot on. In the end, the face of that young Tagajo player summed up my feelings for our Japanese cultural exchange: utter amazement.

Golf Teams Prepped for Fall Greg Williams ’16 Staff Writer Men The Amherst men’s golf team is looking to follow up its spring campaign with a strong showing this fall. The Jeffs graduated two seniors, but they are returning a solid core and will look to add to that group with three incoming first-years. Jack Arena ’83, Coach of the Year in 2010, will be returning for his 21st season as the Jeffs’ head coach.

Amherst had one of its best performances last spring at the Westport Hampton Inn Invitational, where the team finished in first place.

The Jeffs were led by Josh Moser ’15, who shot the lowest score of the tournament in the second round with a 73. He, along with James Line ’16, were awarded All-NESCAC honors for the spring season. Jarvis Sill ’15 was also critical to the group’s success last fall.

“We have a solid nucleus returning, led by Jarvis Sill, Josh Moser and James Line. Over the last couple of seasons, they have all had stretches where they have been our best player,” Arena said. “Sam Proctor ’18, Justin Henriksen ’18 and Danny Langa ’18 will be new to the program, and we hope they will be able to compete for the top five spots as well.”

“We qualified for the NESCAC Spring Championship last year and are hoping to be able to do that again,” Arena continued.

Amherst’s season begins the weekend of Sept. 6 at the Trinity Invitational.

“Despite graduating our two senior captains, we are very excited for the fall season to begin,” Liam Fine ’17 said. “I think this first week of practice will be crucial for us to fine tune our games before our season opener at Trinity.”

“As the French say, ‘We are ready for success,’” Nick Kafker added.

Women The women’s golf team will be hoping to put forward a series of strong performances this fall.

Captained by seniors Katherine Britt and CJ Bernstein, the team will be working with a number of returning players in pursuit of some top finishes.

Devyn Gardner ’16 and Jamie Gracie ’17, who were named WGCA All-American scholars, will play crucial roles in the fall.

The Jeffs have five fall tournaments to look forward to, starting with the NYU Invitational the weekend of Sept. 13. Their fall season will come to a close mid-October, when they travel to compete in the Wellesley Invitational the weekend of Oct. 11.

Field Hockey Poised for NESCAC Title Run Lauren Tuiskula ’17 Staff Writer After dropping their first two matches of 2013 in overtime the Amherst field hockey team rattled off 13 consecutive victories, en route to the program’s first-ever number-one seed in the NESCAC tournament. Their impressive run was cut short by just one goal, falling to Middlebury 1-0 in last year’s semifinal. After being snubbed by the NCAA tournament selection committee, this year’s goal is obvious.

The Jeffs will have to replace the contributions of three seniors, including two first-team All-NESCAC players in Alex Philie ’14 and Krista Zsitvay ’14. However, they have a strong core group returning with goalkeeper and AllNESCAC second-team honoree Rachel Tannenbaum ’15 and fellow second-team nominee Madeline Tank ’15 leading the squad.

Surrendering just 19 goals on the year, the fourth best number in the NESCAC, Tannenbaum posted three shutouts and a .782 save percentage in her junior campaign. Tank led the offense with a 30-point season highlighted by a team high of 13 goals and four assists.

The team’s leadership will remain strong, as head coach Carol Knerr returns for her 14th season at the helm. Knerr earned 2013 NESCAC Coach of the Year honors, leading the team to a 9-1 conference record.

“We will take things one day at a time and make sure we make the most of our practices,”

Knerr said. “We will stay focused in the moment and challenge ourselves to be the best team we can be.”

The incoming first-year class boasts six newcomers, a group that Tannenbaum comments will be “an important component to our success.”

Other offensive standouts include juniors Annika Nygren and Katie Paolano, who amassed a combined 22 goals and seven assists in 2013. Key defenders Annie Turnbull ’16 and Sydney Watts ’17 will also return to aid Tannenbaum in the team’s defensive efforts.

The Jeffs travel to open the season on Wednesday, Sept. 3 against Conn. College, a team they beat handily, 6-0, last year. The regular season opener will be followed by an away rematch of last year’s heartbreaking NESCAC semifinal against Middlebury on Sunday, Sept.

6. The Jeffs also fell to the Panthers in the 2013 regular season matchup by a 4-3 score in overtime.

Gooding Field will see its first field hockey action of 2014 the following week when Amherst hosts Mount Holyoke on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

“The NESCAC is one of the toughest conferences in the country, so preparation in preseason and continued training throughout the season will be essential to emerging as a top contender,” Knerr noted. “After a disappointing end to last year’s season, we are psyched to reemerge and take the NESCAC by storm. We can’t wait to start the 2014 season.”

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

Forward Katie Paolano ’16 had 12 goals and five assists last season. The junior looks to add to this total this year.

The Amherst Student • August 29, 2014

Men’s Tennis Looks to Win Coach’s Corner Todd Doebler, Men’s Tennis Back-to-Back Titles Nicole Yang ’16 Managing Sports Editor Riding that championship high, the Amherst men’s tennis team is ready to begin its quest to defend the Jeffs’ second ever NCAA Div. III title.

After a nearly spotless spring season that featured 26 wins, the Jeffs had a perfect postseason, going 7-0 and capturing both the NESCAC and national championships.

The 2014 NESCAC tournament highlighted some of the team’s best tennis of the season, as Amherst powered past Williams in the semifinals, 5-1 — the first time since April 2011 that an AmherstWilliams tennis match was decided by a score other than 5-4. In the championship finals, the Jeffs triumphed past top-seeded Middlebury, 5-1, for their third NESCAC Championship in four years.

With an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, Amherst entered as the fourth seed in the field of 64. After a first-round bye, the Jeffs hosted Stevens for a 5-0 sweep and followed that performance with a 5-1 third-round victory over NESCAC foe Bowdoin. They would then travel to Claremont, Calif. for the remainder of the matches, starting with Emory in the quarterfinals.

The Eagles gave Amherst little trouble, as the Jeffs cruised to another 5-1 victory, punching their ticket to a third straight Final Four. In the semifinal match against Trinity (TX), it appeared as if the Jeffs’ season was coming to a close. Falling behind 3-0 after the doubles matches, the Jeffs needed to win an improbable five of the six singles matches to advance to the championship final the next day.

The team’s top singles player, Joey Fritz ’14, got Amherst on the board early, defeating Paxton Deuel 7-5, 6-4. Despite losing the first set, Justin Reindel ’14 followed with a win in the no. 6 spot, and Michael Solimano ’16 evened the match score at three apiece, defeating Nico Mareno 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. In a remarkable display of grit and talent, Solimano rattled off seven straight games in the third set after being down 5-2. Needing just two more wins to seal the victory, Amherst turned to the reliable no. 5 spot, where Andrew Yaraghi ’16 defeated Jordan Mayer 5-7, 6-3, 6-3. Anton Zykov ’17 clinched the W, topping his opponent 7-6, 6-3 in the no. 4 spot, and the Jeffs were moving on to face rival Claremont-Mudd Scripps (CMS) in the championship match.

Starting in a doubles’ hole once again, 1-2 this time around, Amherst turned to the singles matches to make up for the difference. Solimano quickly leveled the score with a win in the no. 3 singles spot, 6-2, 7-6; however, CMS took back the advantage

with a win in the second singles spot. Yaraghi and Reindel were able to notch straight-set victories to bring the score to 4-3, before Fritz won his match 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, prompting his teammates to flood the courts and celebrate their national championship.

“Winning the national championship was a crazy experience, but just as sweet was the road that led us there. The adversity we fought through to win this one made it that much more special,” said senior co-captain Sean Rodriguez.

“I think the team will welcome the challenge of coming in as the defending champs. We’ll come in with a target on our backs, and I think we’re ready for that. We had a bit of a letdown in 2012 when we were trying to defend the title, so hopefully we can do a better job of staying focused and hungry throughout the year this time around,” added fellow co-captain Andrew Scheiner ’15.

The Jeffs will open the fall the weekend of Sept.

26-28 with ITA Regionals hosted by Middlebury.

Last year, Fritz and Ben Fife ’16 brought home the doubles crown, though neither of them will be competing to defend their title. Instead, the team will turn to lone returning doubles tandem, Yaraghi and Revzin, to make a deep tournament run.

“ITA Reginoals will be a great opportunity for guys on our team to step up in singles play and for doubles pairings to be established,” Scheiner said.

“We’ll also get a chance to gauge our competition in the NESCAC for our spring dual-match season, which should be interesting.”

Amherst will also be looking to fill the void of three singles spots left by Fritz, Chris Dale ’14 and Reindel.

“The loss of those three guys is tough, not only because of their abilities on the court, but also because of their leadership,” Rodriguez said. “Thankfully, we’ve got a deep team and a lot of the guys are ready to step up and take advantage of the opportunity.”

Junior phenoms Yaraghi and Solimano will look to build off of their stellar sophomore seasons, as Yaraghi went 22-3 in the no. 5 spot and Solimano went 17-2 in the no. 3 spot. These two will anchor the singles lineup for the fall, along with fellow returner, Zykov. However, a number of spots are up for grabs, and with the team’s deep squad, there will be many players vying for a starting position.

“The plan for the fall is to put in time on the court and in the gym so that we can have a solid showing at Regionals and so that the team is ready to take on Johns Hopkins and Carnegie Mellon over fall break. Both of those dual matches will be extremely competitive, and we hope to come out playing well to start off our season,” Scheiner said.

Cross Country Looks to Hit the Ground Running Andrew Knox ’16 Managing Sports Editor Women After several strong individual performances at the end of last season, the women’s cross country team is looking to take the next step and compete for a NESCAC championship. Led by returners Lizzy Briskin ’15, Caroline Rose ’16 and Catherine Lowdon ’17, the team looks to improve on an eighth place finish at the New England Championships last November. Briskin finished 36th overall out of a field of 371 competitors but missed qualifying the individual qualifying mark for Nationals by a matter of 10 seconds. Last season marked the first in ten years that the Jeffs failed to qualify for Nationals as a team.

“Every person who raced at regionals will be back next year, and there are others waiting in the wings for their opportunity to show they can compete at that level,” said Coach Cassie Funke-Harris.

The Jeffs offseason training will be put to the test, as they compete in the Smith Invitational on Saturday Sept. 6. The Jeffs won the invitational a season ago and look to repeat. That meet, the Jeffs placed three runners in the top five, led by Lexi Sinclair ’16 who paced the field, winning by a margin

of 15 seconds.

Men Coming off an inspired run to NCAA Individuals, Dan Crowley ’16 is hoping to lead the rest of the men’s cross country team to new heights this season. After a disappointing 11th-place finish in the NCAA New England Championships two seasons ago and an eighth-place finish last season, the Jeffs will look to continue to improve this season.

Thought the team will miss the presence of graduated seniors Gus Greenstein and Charlie Reighard six of the Jeffs’ top nine runners from last season are returning, and the team is excited to welcome a talented group of newcomers.

The men will test their mettle against a stacked field of Div. I runners in their first meet at the UMass Invitational on Sept. 13. In last year’s event, Crowley signaled his emergence as one of the Jeffs’ top threats by finishing fourth overall at the event with a time of 19:29.75.

The Jeffs open the season ranked 22nd in the country and will look to try and catch archrival Williams College, who is ranked third in the nation. Expect a very hungry men’s team this season as they look to emerge as a dark horse national championship contender.

Sports 11

Nicole Yang ’16

The Amherst men’s tennis team will be welcoming a new head coach this year, Todd Doebler. A die-hard Philadelphia sports fan who still has been known to call into Philly sports talk radio, Doebler brings with him both a love for the game as well as wide variety of coaching experiences, both at the Div. I and III level. He is excited to join the Amherst community, and the team is equally as excited to have him.

Q: Where are you from?

A: I am originally from Hatfield, Pa. Not too far from Philadelphia.

Q: Where did you go to school? And what did you study?

A: I graduated from Bloomsburg University with an undergrad degree in psychology, and then I got my master’s degree, also in psychology, at the University of Hartford.

Q: Did you have other career aspirations?

A: For a while I wanted to be a college professor either in education or psychology.

Q: Any other background info? Family? Pets?

A: My dad was a middle school teacher and coach. He got me going with sports at a very young age. We also had a dog growing up and most times it was a golden retriever. Now, my parents live closer to my sister in Utica, N.Y., so it will be nice to be back closer to them.

Q: Did you play any sports other than tennis growing up?

A: Growing up I played a lot of sports. I played everything I could. Soccer, hockey, baseball, golf and tennis.

Q: How did you become interested in tennis?

A: I started playing tennis because I would watch my dad play with his buddies, and I thought it looked like fun.

Q: What was it like to play tennis in college?

A: College tennis is a great sport because you have to learn how to compete and work through days when you aren’t playing your best tennis, but the team is still counting on you.

Q: What do you enjoy about coaching?

A: Coaching gives me a great opportunity to help student-athletes not only develop as players but also grow as people during their four years as a college athlete.

Q: What are some of the challenges you face as a coach?

A: I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure the team is playing their best tennis at the end of the year when it counts the most. Additionally, taking over for Coach Garner is going to be challenging because he did such an amazing job in his years here at Amherst.

Q: What about transitioning from Div. I to Div. III? A: I am very excited about this transition back to Div. III. My coaching career began at Trinity College, so I feel like my career has come full circle in returning to the NESCAC. Div. III tennis is such a special experience, and there are so many great players coming to play for schools like Amherst, so it creates a great coaching environment.

Q: Through all of your experiences at a variety of different coaching programs, what are some of your favorite memories?

A: Great question ... There are so many memories and amazing experiences that I have had along the way. It’s hard to name them all. I have been very fortunate to work for some of the best coaches in college tennis and also coach many special players. It is very special to still be able to be in touch with players from all of the schools I have coached with. These relationships make being a college coach such a rewarding experience. I am very excited to bring all of these experiences here to our guys on the team.

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Sports

Be sure to check out the September 10 issue of The Student for the rest of the fall sports previews!

Photo courtesy of Rob Mattson

Nico Pascual-Leone ’16 had six goals and a team-high nine assists last season. The junior was critical to Amherst’s offensive success and scored three game-winning goals, including one in the team’s home opener against Middlebury last year for a 2-1 overtime win.

Will Third Time be the Charm for Men’s Soccer?

Jeffs Set to Overcome Two Straight Elite Eight Exits

Jason Stein ’16 Sports Section Editor Men’s soccer returns to action in 2014 following a team trip to France this past summer and two consecutive Elite Eight appearances.

Last season, the Jeffs finished with an 18-1-2 overall record and an 8-0-2 mark in NESCAC play. The team also won the 2013 NESCAC Championship and attained a no. 1 national ranking for the first time in program history.

Although Amherst bested archrival Williams in its two regular season meetings of 2013, the Jeffs couldn’t hold off the Ephs during the Elite Eight in frigid conditions of late November 2013. Their 1-0 loss to Williams also snapped a 40-game unbeaten streak that began at the start of the 2012 season.

The Jeffs will be without the contributions of an extremely talented class of 2014, who finished with a 64-5-11 record, four trips to the Sweet 16 and back-to-back Elite Eight appearances. Despite losing last year’s standout senior class, featuring Max Fikke ’14 and Julien Aoyama ’14, the Jeffs still return a talented core capable of making another deep postseason run this fall. Amherst’s returning players accounted for 84 percent of the team’s overall goal-scoring in 2013, 76 percent of the season’s assists and 81percent of the Jeffs’ total points.

Crucial to Amherst’s lockdown defensive unit over the past two seasons is goalkeeper Thomas Bull ’16, a 2013 NSCAA Second Team All-American. Bull has posted incredible numbers in goal from his first-year debut and onwards, as he has amassed 24 career shutouts, 10 of which came last season, and has saved 79 shots, with 47 saves coming in the 2013 season.

Bull will serve as one of two captains this

season, along with senior defenseman Gabriel Wirz. Wirz will help anchor the defense with standout sophomore Justin Aoyama and Bubba Van Wie ’15, among others.

Offensively, the Jeffs will also see explosive firepower from forwards Nico Pascual-Leone ’16, Greg Singer ’16 and Chris Martin ’17, who combined for a whopping 23 goals, 16 assists and 62 points last season.

The squad will also welcome back forward Jae Heo ’15E and midfielder Milton Rico ’16E for the season. Neither player appeared in any games last season, but both have been extremely important pieces for the Jeffs in past years of their collegiate careers. In 2012, Heo scored eight goals and had seven assists, earning NSCAA Second Team All-New England honors, while Rico scored two goals and had two assists as a midfielder in 2012.

The Jeffs, ranked no. 3 nationally headed into the season, are slated to play a 15-game schedule in 2014. Amherst will play six games at home at Hitchcock Field and nine road contests. Ten of the team’s games come against NESCAC opponents. In the first game of the season, Amherst travels to New England College for an 8 p.m. matchup on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

The New England College Pilgrims, who finished with a 10-7-2 record in 2013, also served as Amherst’s first match of last year’s season. Although the Jeffs secured a 4-1 victory last season, the contest was closer than the score suggests. Amherst trailed the Pilgrims early in the contest and took some time to find its stride. However, the Jeffs managed to score four unanswered goals, thanks to an equalizer from Pascual-Leone, a goal by Elliot Cassutt ’17, and a pair of scores from Martin.

“New England College is a good team who is very good at home,” said head coach Justin

Serpone. “We were down 1-0 for the first 25 minutes of the game last year, and we need to do a better job of opening the season this year.”

Five days after its opening match, Amherst begins NESCAC conference play, facing Middlebury, who finished with a 9-5-1 overall record and a 5-4-1 NESCAC mark in 2013, on the road at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7.

Last year against Middlebury, Amherst trailed early after the Panthers converted a penalty kick towards the end of the first period of play. However, Singer added a goal in the second half to tie the score. With the game tied 1-1 after regulation, Pascual-Leone notched a goal three minutes into overtime to lead the Jeffs over the Panthers.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, the Jeffs will welcome Williams to Hitchcock Field in a highly anticipated matchup scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

This game marks Amherst’s home opener as well, for the Jeffs start the season with two more NESCAC road games following the Middlebury matchup. Williams has made two consecutive trips to the Final Four, both at the expense of Amherst, as the Ephs defeated the Jeffs in the Elite Eight in 2012 and 2013.

Last season, the 2013 Jeffs received a lot of key contributions and standout performances from first-year players, most notably Martin and Aoyama. Overall, the class of 2017 collectively combined for 31 percent of the team’s 49 goals, 24 percent of the squad’s 46 assists and 28 percent of the Jeffs’ 144 overall points.

While it is too early to tell which members of the class of 2018 will emerge, the opportunities for younger players to step up will be present as a result of the void left by the graduating seniors.

“I’m excited to see who steps up in preseason,” Serpone said. “There is a major void

that needs to be filled from the loss of last year’s senior group, specifically in the areas of leadership and toughness. I think we have some players that can step up, but it’s going to be a challenge. I expect there to be some great competition this preseason. We’re a pretty deep roster and every single person is battling for playing time.”

To begin this summer, members of the Amherst soccer program traveled to France, which proved to be a valuable learning experience and teambonding opportunity. The team’s France tour this past May marked the third such occasion in program history, as the men’s soccer team previously traveled to France in 1980 and 2005. While on the trip, the Jeffs played against Paris Saint-Germain U19, AJ Auxerre U19 and AS Monaco U19.

“We had a great time in France and got a lot out of the trip culturally and soccer-wise,” Serpone said. “We definitely made some memories that will last a lifetime.”

Although the Jeffs have experienced considerable success during the regular season and in postseason play over the last few years, Serpone believes that performance in past years does not determine the expectations for his 2014 squad.

“Every year is different,” Serpone said.

“We’ve had some success in the past few years, but none of that has any bearing on this season. We are 0-0 at this point, and we’re looking to get that first win. Our only goal at this point is to qualify for the NESCAC playoffs. That’s the only thing we are thinking about.”

There are certainly some question marks heading into 2014, but the Jeffs’ wealth of impressive returning talent and experience could allow for another deep run to be made in postseason play this season.