Yee-Lynn Lee '23

The Town of Amherst held its biennial municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 2. Positions on the Town Council, School Committee, and Housing Authority were on the ballot, among others. Voters also participated in a referendum on a proposed renovation of Jones Library.

In an email sent to the college community on Oct. 20, President Biddy Martin announced that starting in the 2022-2023 academic year, the college will end its legacy admission preference as well as implement an expanded and simplified financial aid program.

Leaders of the Amherst Asian Alumni Network (AAAN) met with members of the administration on Oct. 6 to discuss the open letter they published calling for A/P/A studies. The administration affirmed their support of pursuing an A/P/A studies major at the college.

In an email sent on Oct. 7, Chair of the Board of Trustees Andrew Nussbaum ’85 updated the college community on the search and selection process for the next president of Amherst College, who will succeed President Biddy Martin after this academic year.

Writer and medical ethicist Harriet Washington spoke in Johnson Chapel on Sept. 30 as the inaugural scholar in the college’s Presidential Scholars series. The conversation covered topics including racial health disparities and vaccine hesitancy.

On Sept. 11, the administration announced updated Covid protocols, including a limited return of indoor dining and an expansion of travel boundaries. While the changes were less far-reaching than some would have hoped, students generally found the update to be what they expected.

The center formerly known as the Center for Diversity & Student Leadership (CDSL) is now the Class & Access Resource Center (CARC) going forward. The new name was brought about by student advocacy for a name emphasizing the center's activities.

The Amherst Asian Alumni Network (AAAN) wrote an open letter in early August to key administrators calling on them to commit to establishing a Asian/Pacific/American studies major. Though similar appeals have been ongoing for years, the recent wave of anti-Asian racism has redoubled the calls.

This summer, the Town of Amherst established a fund that will provide reparations to Black residents. The initiative intends to make amends for the town’s past harms as the community continues to grapple with its relationship to institutionalized racism.