A Vacation Possible for 2020: A Stay at the Gran Hotel

In terms of television, 2020 will likely be remembered as the year of the re-run. With production on new shows indefinitely halted and hours upon hours of unexpected free time needed to be filled, rewatching an old favorite show can be both comforting and an easy way to pass the time. However, as much I have enjoyed binging my old favorites, they’ve had a hard time fully capturing my scattered attention and  cultivated a nagging feeling that I am somehow in high school again. Stumbling upon a ne

Netflix’s “Unbelievable” Portrays Effects of Rape in New Way

One night this past September, co-creator, executive producer, director and writer of the miniseries “Unbelievable” Susannah Grant ’84 realized that the show had achieved more success than she ever imagined possible. “The series had been out not even a week at this point. Everyone else in my house was asleep, and I thought, I’m just going to check Twitter,” she said in a phone interview. “I don’t even have a Twitter … and the number of languages that were represented in the Twitter discussion

Student Production “Medea” Reinterprets Greek Tragedy

As the lights illuminate the stage in Kirby Theater, they reveal an Old Hollywood dressing room with a rack of vintage dresses, a vanity and a chaise lounge that sit alongside a director’s chair. The opening lines of the play, which command the audience to “Listen. There’s a story that has to be told,” immediately send a chill over the glitzy scene. No matter how deceiving the set may be, this is a Greek tragedy, and the wheels turning toward the show’s tragic end are already in motion. This p

Underappreciated Study Spots In and Around Amherst

Fall semester is in full swing, and with it comes the deluge of papers, problem sets, course readers and lab reports. Whether you’re studying for a midterm or reading “Middlemarch,” the time has probably come for a study spot that is not as nap-inducing as your bed and less soul-crushing than the basement levels of Frost Library. No matter if you prefer a quiet or bustling ambiance, coffee or tea, surroundings of books or art, there’s sure to be a study space in or around Amherst that’s perfect

The Hits and Misses of Popular Book-to-TV Adaptations

When the first season of “Game of Thrones” hit the small screens in 2011, it jump-started a trend that would create some of the best television of this decade. The book-to-movie adaptation is over; long live the book-to-television adaptation. At the 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards, the two shows that ended the night tied for the most awards were both series based on novels: “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Big Little Lies.” While adapting a popular novel into a television series seems like a surefire way

All the World’s His Stage

“How do you condense Wes?” pondered Associate Director of the Center for Community Engagement Zoë Jacobs, with whom Wesley P. Guimarãres dos Santos ’19 worked on two different summer projects. “Wes is one of those people, no matter what it seems that life throws at him, he is so thoughtful and he is so committed to sticking with his values but also figuring out the way forward,” Jacobs said. “Regardless of what happens, I have no doubt that he will do something really amazing and special.” Jac

Punk Iteration of “Dr. Faustus” Transforms Elizabethan Play

What happens after someone sells their body and soul to the devil? Although an unusual question, it is one the cast and crew of the college’s production “Doctor Faustus” had to consider. “Doctor Faustus,” written by Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe and first published in 1604, follows the tragic fall of its titular character after he promises his soul to the devil. However, this adaptation of the tragedy was in no way stuffy or outdated. Rather, it drew on a variety of distinctly mod

Four Ways to Cope with a Winter That Never Seems to End

March is here, and with it brings the promise of warmer and sunnier days. However, one look at the weather predictions brings forecasts of half a foot of snow and highs in the 20s. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can cause depression symptoms during the winter months, and according to the Cleveland Clinic, it is estimated that as many as 9 percent of Americans experience SAD, while many more have mild symptoms of the disorder when the days are colder and darker. Additionally, the National Inst

The Subtle Magic of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Delights

On the surface, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” seems to be as ditzy as its titular character. However, beneath Miriam “Midge” Maisel’s “new look” dresses and red lipstick lies a complex and fascinating person that has enchanted viewers, critics and award show judges alike. The series follows Midge, an optimistic and witty Jewish housewife living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in the 1950s who becomes sucked into the world of stand-up comedy. The show’s first season was the standout champion of

Shiru Cafe Calls into Question the Cost of a Free Cup of Coffee

A new coffee shop, Shiru Café, has plans to open in Amherst’s already saturated coffee market. However, it has a unique draw: the coffee is free for students. Well, sort of … rather than paying with cash or card, students give Shiru personal information and with their new Shiru login, they can order their free drinks through the company’s website. Shiru, which is owned by the Japanese company Enrission Inc., first opened in Kyoto, Japan in 2013. The company now has over 20 locations at some of J

Best Books to Binge this Winter: Comedic, Historic and In-Between

Winter is coming, and with shorter and colder days, it is only natural to want to cuddle up with a great Netflix series. However, if you’re running low on shows to watch, try one of these books that mirror the shows you usually binge. For fans of “Handmaid’s Tale” and “Criminal Minds”: “Alias Grace” by Margaret Atwood In this gripping and suspenseful novel, Margaret Atwood, author of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” reimagines the notorious 1843 murders of Thomas Kinnear and Nancy Montgomery, Kinnear’

New Mead Exhibit Asks “If Timing Is Everything, What is Time?”

When walking into the the Mead Art Museum, one will inevitably pass by Stearns Steeple, which has stood on the same ground since 1873, even as the landscape of the rest of the college has evolved around it. A closer inspection of the Steeple reveals that many of the stones that make up its base are engraved with different years: 1927, 1869, 1921, 1898. These markers remind me of the persistence and influence of the past in our present — which also happens to be what the staff at the Mead intends

Q&A: Artist Radcliffe Bailey on Process, Creation and Acceptance

Radcliffe Bailey is an American artist based in Atlanta, who is especially known for his mixed-media, painting and sculpture work that centers around African-American history. One of his pieces, “Seven Steps East,” is currently on display at the Mead Museum as a part of the “HOUSE” exhibition. Bailey visited campus recently, and The Student had a chance to interview him. Q: When did you first realize you wanted to become an artist? What was the first piece that you created that made you realiz

The Mead's Newest Show Questions What Makes a House a Home

On Feb. 8, “HOUSE,” the Mead Art Museum’s main exhibition for the spring and summer, will open to the public. The exhibition features 58 pieces of art that vary in media, size and country of origin, but are unified in subject matter. All of the works come from the collection of John Wieland ’58 and his wife, Sue Wieland, who began collecting art together over 50 years ago. The couple started specifically collecting pieces featuring houses as a result of John’s career as a developer in Atlanta,