Introducing Our Newest Masthead: Who are We?

As Amherst College’s sole student-run newspaper, The Student’s Editorial Board is dedicated to raising awareness on local and national events, maintaining journalistic integrity, and fostering a space for moderated dialogue. 

From college-specific reporting to events in the wider Pioneer Valley, we strive to cover the most relevant information for students, faculty, administrators, and nearby residents. However, our values go beyond just reporting. By publishing voices from multiple perspectives, we hope to facilitate meaningful campus discourse. It is through The Student that students can turn tides and bring about meaningful change. The various activities of The Student give Amherst College community members the tools to engage in democratic practices. 

In commitment to the ethics of journalistic integrity, accurate reporting, and representing a diverse range of opinion, each newspaper edition is the culmination of an intensive writing, editing, and production process. The people behind the scenes take their role seriously in upholding The Student as an avenue for campus voice, and as such we would like to introduce The Amherst Student’s Editorial Board for the 2026 spring semester:

Editors-in-Chief

Edwyn Choi ’27 is a junior English major from Long Island. He’s spent a lot of time reading Shakespeare (three separate courses and one in-progress, just to be exact), and hopes to write a senior thesis on adaptations of Shakespeare in South Korea. When he’s not running his column on the best bathrooms on campus, he likes to write fiction and collect used books.

Perhaps the ultimate form of Anna Wang ’28 is found at horse shows — in her riding boots and Amherst College Emergency Medical Services jacket, working on her articles for The Student. She is a sophomore biochemistry & biophysics major on the pre-med track, proud U.S.-China dual citizen (yes — it is legitimately possible), genuine horse girl (no, not the kind you’re thinking of), and dedicated satire writer (objectively the best of The Student, in her opinion).  

Senior Managing Editor

Mira Wilde ’28 is a sophomore education studies major from Madison, Wisconsin. If she can’t be found dragging a wagon full of newspapers around campus with her best friend Ashley Bleasdille ’28, she’s likely playing guitar or pickleball, trying (and failing) new crafts, or calling her parents in between classes. With roots in the Features section, she believes that just about anything can be an article and wants to hear whatever is on your mind! 

News

Ira Buch ’29 is a freshman from Kyiv, Ukraine. She intends to major in English and computer science (so might end up double-unemployed). In her free time, she enjoys reading fiction novels, playing chess, solving Wordle, hanging out with friends, and scrolling on reels (conveniently compatible with any of the above activities).

Esther Grisoni Segantini ’28 is a history and political science double major from Minas Gerais, Brazil. As any good Brazilian, she can’t go a day without having at least three cups of black coffee. She loves traveling and dreams of visiting every country in Latin America someday. In her free time, she likes to experiment with photography (especially film cameras!) and read Brazilian literature whenever she can get a break from class readings.

Zaynah Shariff ’27 is a junior mathematics major from Queens, New York (the best borough). She has been with The Student since her freshman fall. Outside of the newsroom, you can find her trying out new brunch spots in the area, watching Formula 1 with her friends, taking photos on her digital camera, curating the perfect playlist, or spending hours on the Quad. She loves to travel and dreams of visiting every country in the world.  

Evelyn Soto ’28 is a sophomore from Long Island, majoring in English and political science. She has been with The Student since her freshman spring, and has since added journalism to her long list of potential career paths. In her free time, unsurprisingly, she enjoys reading (particularly literary fiction), writing poetry, making collages, spending her Mammoth Bucks on dirty chai lattes, and doomscrolling on Pinterest (especially since deleting Instagram). 

Dylan Vrins ’26 is a senior from Miami, majoring in environmental studies and sciences. Surprisingly still not retired, he has been with The Student’s News team since his freshman fall and has claimed the self-appointed, unbiased title of “Best Headlines Writer” on The Student. True to his major, he enjoys hiking, snorkeling and diving, nature photography, and Pokémon. 

Features

Talia Ehrenberg ’28 is a sophomore majoring in American studies and law, jurisprudence, and social thought (probably not totally unrelated to growing up in D.C.). Typically outside regardless of the weather (Pacific Northwest gap-year-trained), Talia enjoys existential conversations, taking too many sunset pictures, and researching niche American Jewish history. 

Belaine Mamo ’27 is a junior studying economics (no hate please) and French from Hempstead, New York. Like most of her early life, she enjoys spending time cooking or reading about science and languages. Otherwise, you’ll find her either listening to her CDs, at Amherst Cinema leaving cryptic Letterboxd reviews for friends to discover, staring longingly at photos of her dog and two cats, watching soccer (Força Barça), or binging law shows (please talk to me about Columbo or Perry Mason).

Ava Nair ’28 is a sophomore majoring in English and psychology. She now (sadly) calls Houston home, but grew up just outside of London in Surrey, England. Outside of the newsroom, she loves spending time with friends, being outdoors, baking, reading (any genre and any period, so please give recs!), and writing. If work or school didn’t exist, she’d want to spend as much of her time as possible traveling. 

Opinion

Caroline Flinn ’28 is a sophomore studying law, jurisprudence, and social thought and sexuality, women, and gender studies — basically training to argue about everything, all the time. Hailing from the superior state of New Jersey, she spends most of her time dismantling the patriarchy, taking photos with her six (will increase) cameras (both digital and film), and eating nachos (bribe me). When she is not fighting facism and championing civil rights, she is probably knitting, rotating through her one million hobbies, or listening to music 24/7 (ask me for/send me recs).

Syla Steinman ’29 is a freshman and an undecided major, which is why she chose liberal arts. She is from Birmingham, Alabama, and outside of school she enjoys going for drives, looking at clouds, drawing, cooking, and questioning her insistence that she loves winter. She feels very strongly about speed limits, ions, and the idea that a perfect humanity would operate solely on logic. Emotions are not something that we need to transcend, Jean-Jacques, and the fact that you feel that way is telling.  

Joey Supik ’27 is a junior studying political science and Russian. He is a proud Baltimorean from Maryland — the state with the best flag. He works at the Amherst Center for Russian Culture, enjoys writing for both the Sports and Opinion sections of The Student, and is an Association of Amherst Students Senator. Joey spends his time scrolling on Instagram, occasionally reading books outside of class, and eating hot dogs. He loves watching the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, the Chicago Bulls, and the Arsenal. He shows up to production night in an outfit reminiscent of Ebenezer Scrooge.

Arts & Living

Amber Lee ’28 is a sophomore philosophy major from Orange County, California. On campus, she is the Social Chair of the Amherst Club Volleyball team and can be found studying in Val most days either with a cup of coffee or a Diet Coke. When she’s not working, Amber likes to nap in her room (yes, she knows she needs to fix her sleep schedule) or review soups. 

Jayda Ma ’28 is sophomore mathematics and political science major from Houston, Texas (yeehaw). She spends her free time wandering the Pioneer Valley in search of scenic views to draw, good lighting for photos, and the occasional mushroom worth foraging. A retired certified archery coach, she now channels her competitive spirit into reality TV marathons and other less physically demanding pursuits. When she’s not rearranging her ever-growing Smiski collection or gossiping with her fish, Jayda is probably baking, cooking, or otherwise taking over yet another campus kitchen.

Mila Massaki Gomes ’27 is a junior English and law, jurisprudence, and social thought double-major and a Mellon Mays Fellow. Native to São Paulo, Brazil, one of Mila’s biggest academic interests is translation and foreign literature. In her free time, she enjoys all kinds of crafts: knitting, crocheting, drawing, embroidery, and more! When her hands aren’t taken up with new artistic hobbies, she loves to read, learn new languages, and play guitar. 

Sports

Kate Becker ’26 is a senior law, jurisprudence, and social thought major from Princeton, New Jersey. When she is not in the newsroom (so all the time), she is on the field playing for the women’s lacrosse team, or writing her senior thesis on the expansion of presidential power in the aftermath of 9/11. If you can’t find her in either of these settings, expect to see her baking cakes or cheering for the Eagles (go Birds).

Helena Henson ’28 is a sophomore statistics major from Manhattan. Outside the newsroom, Helena enjoys taking her dog, Miso, on hikes, walking around new neighborhoods, jaywalking, and drinking exclusively sparkling water. She also cares way too much about the New York Rangers and Sirens.

Ethan Niewoehner ’29 is a freshman prospective history or economics major from River Forest, Illinois. Some say he peaked athletically in sixth grade, but they clearly haven’t seen him at club basketball or soccer recently. When he isn’t playing or watching sports, Ethan is probably reading, playing cards, or procrastinating work at Frost Library. 

Toby Rosewater ’28 is a sophomore English major from Scarsdale, New York. In his free time, he loves reading, writing, playing with his dog, Juneau, and maintaining his four aquariums. He’s an avid Philadelphia sports fan and is happiest during the baseball season. He collects vinyls, pocket watches, rare books, and Amherst merchandise. 

Joey Supik ’27 

Puzzles

Madeline Gold ’28 is a sophomore neuroscience major from Rockville, Maryland. She, like Editor-in-Chief Anna Wang ’28, was born at Shady Grove Hospital in Rockville, Maryland. She spends approximately 50% of her time in the Science Center, with the other 50% split between avoiding her organic chemistry homework by doing puzzles in the newsroom, eating Grillo’s pickles by the jar, and commiserating about the Washington Wizards.

Photography

Claire Beougher ’26 is a senior political science and Russian double major from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She started taking photos for The Student her freshman fall, and became the Managing Photo Editor soon after. She enjoys baking, reading, cycling, and winning regattas as part of the Amherst Rowing Team. Her senior thesis is on the role of photography in the Russo-Ukrainian War, and she hopes to continue taking photos in all of her future travels, including expanding her Snickers series. 

Graphics

Lucy Jones ’27 is a junior sexuality, women, and gender studies major from Paintsville, Kentucky. While graphic design and art have always been a passion, Jones also loves performing at Coffee Haus at Marsh House, doing random theater projects (shoutout Green Room!), and managing the Sylvia Rivera theme floor. Alone time is great, but indeed, community is the most important key in the song of life.

Design

Ashley Bleasdille ’28 is a sophomore economics and Black studies major from Brooklyn, New York. Whilst procrastinating, she completes a variety of trivia and geography games online — she can name every country in under eight minutes. The way to Ashley’s heart is through Val’s miso salmon and zucchini cake, a movie night at Amherst Cinema, or, most importantly, a Drake album. You’ll likely find her zipping across campus delivering weekly newspapers or completing an elaborate study crawl. 

Suri Lin ’28

Publishers

Ashley Bleasdille ’28

Flora Biro ’28

Mira Wilde ’28

Social Media

Kate Aubrecht ’26

Podcast 

Mark Anthony ’29

Briana Bao ’28

Samuel Ding ’26

Sarah Kong ’29

Rita Xing ’28

Anthony Xu ’29