Valentine’s Day: How to Not Dread It

Dreaded by some, eagerly awaited by others, inescapable for all, Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. This particular day at Amherst (and beyond) can stress us out for a multitude of different reasons. For those without significant others, it can be a lonely 24 hours overflowing with jealousy and handfuls of food that we will regret consuming later. For others who are in that weird in-between with another person it can hold immense pressure to do just enough but not too much. And then for th

Fun Fall Outings in the Pioneer Valley

As I sit in a dark green lawn chair overlooking the beauty of memorial hill, it’s hard to ignore the thoughts of doubt that creep into my mind. Have I taken advantage of this amazing place in which I live? Am I going to have any regrets? The uniqueness of the Pioneer Valley is one of the main reasons I chose to attend Amherst. Born and raised in the middle of a city, I knew I wanted to spend my college years surrounded by nature and in a place that offers more than skyscrapers and taxicabs. In

The Not-So-Glamorous Fashionista Life

Valentine’s Day marked the last day of New York Fashion Week, a biannual event dedicated to designer clothing, gorgeous models and chic spectators lining the sidewalks around Lincoln Center like Amherst students in Val at the lunch rush. For many of us, these factors are all we see. Though each event lasts for under an hour, they all take an unbelievable amount of hard work and preparation that only those behind the scenes can understand. Fashion has always been an informal hobby of mine, and o

Lana Del Rey's "Born to Die" Is To Die For

What determines our identity? Are we stuck with that with which we are born, a result of our environments and families, or do we have the ability to construct them anew? For Lana Del Rey, the answer is clearly the latter. Born Elizabeth Grant in New York City, the 26-year old singer grew up in Lake Placid until she was shipped off to boarding school at the age of 14 to deal with her alcohol addiction. Although born into a family of means, Del Rey continuously presents herself as struggling and e

Hating to Juggle Our Hapless Add/Drop System

Now that we’re substantially into the semester, and the sting of getting the boot from that first-choice class has subsided, it’s time to look back and rant on the confusion that is add/drop. We come to Amherst for one main reason: the academics. Our school provides the best teachers and they teach the best classes, so we agree to pay huge sums of money, time, energy and hard work. Why, then, semester after semester, are we subjected to a system that is not only inefficient, but also keeps us fr

It’s All About the Clash

Fashion trends are everchanging; they can be hard to stay on top of, and even harder to understand how they started in the first place. A fashion “trend” is a particular look or article of clothing that gains popularity within a large group for a specific amount of time. The roots of a trend can be hard to pinpoint. However, many can be traced back to celebrities and other figures in the public eye. When an admired star (let’s say Princess Kate) is photographed sporting a new look, the item flie