A Whirlwind Adventure

During my first week at Amherst, I ran into two editors of The Amherst Student pinning up a poster in the foyer of Appleton Hall. I had been on my high school newspaper for the past three years and knew that I wanted to work for a publication in college, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to join. I talked with the two of them for a few minutes and they handed me a copy of the paper and told me when and where to show up for the intro meeting. That first year at Amherst, I started writing for the new

Scholar, Swimmer, Lawyer, Trustee and Father

After graduating college, most people visit their alma mater’s campus every once in a while. Maybe they’ll make a trip out for their 20th reunion or when their high schooler adds Amherst to their never-ending list of schools to visit. But some, like Andrew Nussbaum ’85, find themselves returning to campus year after year. A lawyer at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, the chair of Amherst’s board of trustees, an avid swimmer and a dedicated father to three daughters, Nussbaum embodies so many of th

A Filmmaker Exploring Identity

Walking around campus, it’s easy to spot Helena Burgueño ’19. She is, after all, almost always impeccably dressed. When I asked her friend Rojas Olivia ’19 to describe Burgueño he said, “Majestic, in all ways.” And indeed she is. During our interview, Burgeuño recounted a time when a drunk woman in a bathroom told her she was “power clashing.” “This woman probably has no memory of telling me I was power clashing, but I feel like she gave me this great gift with this term,” Burgueño said. “I d

College Explores Possible Student Center

The college announced on April 17 its intentions to explore building a student center on the land currently occupied by Merrill Science Center and McGuire Life Sciences. Separate meetings with students and faculty convened shortly after. The decision to look into constructing a student center on the Merrill/McGuire site comes after the college identified a new student facility as a high-priority need on campus, according to Chief Student Affairs Officer Karu Kozuma. Both Kozuma and Chief of Cam

Actor, Model and Programmer Breaks Barriers

Lyndsey Scott ’06 struts down the runway with a train of multicolored balloons trailing behind her. It’s 2009 and Scott walks in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, an event 800 million people watch annually, according to Harper’s Bazaar. That same year, she was the first African-American model to sign an exclusive runway contract with Calvin Klein. Scott has also walked in shows for Prada, Louis Vuitton and Gucci and modeled in campaigns for Covergirl and DKNY. Off the runway and away from the

Science Center Opening Explores Liberal Arts

With the official opening of the Science Center on Oct. 20, the question of how science fits into a liberal arts education, and more specifically an Amherst education, guided the events of the day. Andrew Nussbaum ’85, the chair of the Amherst board of trustees, began the event by speaking about the presence of science throughout Amherst’s history and into today. “Our message, which is now gloriously manifested in this building, is simple and it is clear: science, scientific inquiry and disco

ResLife Undergoes Structural Changes after Staff Turnover

After four of the five assistant directors of residential life (ADs) left the college over a two-month period this summer, the Office of Residential Life has undergone an organizational restructuring that will create at least six new positions. In past years, departmental duties were divided between a director of residential life, an assistant director of operations, an administrative assistant and five ADs, each overseeing a segment of campus in addition to other duties. Now, the office plans

New Chef Forages for More Customizable Dining Options

Entering the kitchens in the basement of Valentine Dining Hall is like entering a more intense version of the seating area at noon on a Monday. It’s loud from the dishes being washed, it’s smokey from the burgers being grilled for burger night and it’s very easy to bump into the people and equipment that fill up the space. Yet Stefania Patinella, Amherst’s new executive chef hired in July, navigates the commotion-filled kitchens with ease. She first stops to chat with the garde manger, who’s s

Pub to Provide Students with Social Space and Alcoholic Beverages

Following discussions last semester surrounding ways to create more social spaces on campus, a currently-unnamed pub will open on Sept. 13 in the Schwemm’s and Grab-N-Go space. On weekday nights, it will continue to serve late-night food, but on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, the space will be converted into a pub that will serve food, alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages. Although students who are under 21 will be allowed in to the pub, only students who are of legal drinking age will be

$240 Million Science Center Opens Sept. 4

After years of planning, construction and moving, the new Science Center will open on Sept. 4 as students begin their fall classes, with an opening celebration on Sept. 7. Plans for constructing a new science center came after the facilities department and science faculty evaluated Merrill and McGuire in the mid-2000s and “determined that the facilities had deficits in terms of an obsolete utility infrastructure and inefficient physical layouts that posed challenges to conducting advanced scien

A Night in the Life of an Amherst College Police Officer

Walking around campus any day of the week, at almost every hour, you’re bound to see an Amherst College Police Department (ACPD) cruiser driving around. While ACPD plays a visible role on campus, it can be hard to understand what it actually does. On March 24, I spent three and a half hours with Sergeant Jeffrey Shea on a Saturday night to try and observe how ACPD runs. The night began at midnight with a patrol around Amherst to all the properties that the college owns. Sitting in the large pic

A Night in the Life of an Amherst College Police Officer

Walking around campus any day of the week, at almost every hour, you’re bound to see an Amherst College Police Department (ACPD) cruiser driving around. While ACPD plays a visible role on campus, it can be hard to understand what it actually does. On March 24, I spent three and a half hours with Sergeant Jeffrey Shea on a Saturday night to try and observe how ACPD runs. The night began at midnight with a patrol around Amherst to all the properties that the college owns. Sitting in the large pic

College Releases Draft of Self-Study for Reaccreditation

A draft of Amherst’s self-study, the first step in the process of renewing accreditation with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), was sent to members of the college community for feedback on Feb. 9. The process of reaccreditation began in Feb. 2016 when the Steering Committee on Reaccreditation, which is made up of a variety of administrators, faculty and staff, was first formed, according to Amherst’s reaccreditation website. Over the past two years, data on all aspec

Fresh Faculty: Dianne Pater

Dianne Pater is a visiting assistant professor of biology and a consortium for faculty diversity scholar. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico and her doctorate from the University of California, San Diego. Q: How did you first get interested in your field? A: When I started as an undergrad, I knew that I wanted to do biology, but I was really interested in vaccine research … One of the intro classes at my university was a plant and animal form and function class

Dining Services Looks to Expand Options

Following student feedback and trends in historical data, Dining Services has made several changes to its offerings this semester, including adding a daily lunch-time burger bar, serving hot food on Wednesdays at Grab-N-Go and extending weekend hours. Burger Bar serves both a meat and veggie patty Monday through Friday, with the type changing each day. Traditional beef burgers are served on Tuesdays and Fridays, turkey burgers are served on Mondays and Thursday and chicken quinoa burgers are se

B43 Bus Route Under Examination Following Funding Cuts

In an effort to improve traffic flow along Route 9, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has begun a study to determine if changes to the B43 bus line, which a number of people in the Five-College community rely on for transportation, could potentially make travel easier and faster along Route 9. The B43 is run by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA). Its route connects Amherst College, UMass, Hampshire Mall and Smith College. One of the changes MassDOT has proposed

College Hires New Administrative and Support Staff

The college announced new staff hires over the summer. Some of the most significant additions include Chief Advancement Officer C.J. Menard and several members of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Menard was hired after several months of searching. During this time, candidates interviewed with the board of trustees and President Biddy Martin. The process culminated with nine applicants visiting Amherst for interviews with a committee comprised of Dean of the Faculty Catherine Epstein, Chi

Folger Shakespeare Library Given 1.5 Million Dollar Grant

The Folger Shakespeare Library, administered by the college, was awarded a grant in August by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for $1.5 million to fund a four-year collaborative research project called “Before Farm to Table: Early Modern Foodways and Cultures.” The Folger Library, located in Washington D.C., houses the world’s largest collection of materials on Shakespeare and was founded posthumously in 1932 by Henry Folger and his wife Emily Folger. According to the library’s Executive Directo

An Ethical Thinker Dedicated to the Press

Sophie Murguia isn’t usually on this side of an interview. “I’m so nervous right now,” she said. For the past four years, Murguia has been heavily and integrally involved in The Amherst Student. She was managing news editor as a first year and editor in chief from her sophomore year to the end of her junior fall semester, after which she served as executive advisor to the editing staff. When I asked her about other extracurricular activities Murguia did during her four years at Amherst besi