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Opinion

Letter from the Department of Black Studies

We in the Department of Black Studies were extremely dismayed to learn that posters reading #BlackLivesMatter were torn down or postered over this past weekend. The #BlackLivesMatter campaign is of particular and urgent concern for our fellow humans who suffer disproportionately from police violence, but it should be of concern

Ebola: Separating Fact from Fiction

Let me tell you a story about a disease straight out of Stephen King’s darkest novels. Once you’re infected, there’s a high chance you’re doomed. But you won’t know it for a while. Instead, for eight to 10 days you’ll seem normal, talking to

Black Lives, Shadow Lives: A Response to "All Lives Matter"

When I was around 15 or 16 years old, I witnessed an extrajudicial killing by Jamaican policemen outside my mother’s workplace. A black man was running from the police and attempted to scale the wall leading to the entrance of the premises. The authorities quickly pursued the man, and

Fall Break Should Be a Break

The common wisdom at Amherst is that you learn the most outside of the classroom. When we look back on our past years, what we will remember most are the late night talks in our first year dorms, chats with our professors over coffee and our favorite pieces of art

Queeriosity: Being Transgender in the Five Colleges

As my first year at Amherst was coming to its end, I began to reflect on my first-year experience in the Amherst community. More specifically, I thought about how much Amherst’s queer community had influenced me to grow and accept my identity. As I packed my things, preparing

Israel-Palestine: Why the Waiting Game Must End

There has been more than a century of continuous fighting in the Middle East between Israelis and Arabs. Over time, numerous attempts at reaching a peaceful resolution have been made and always resulted in failure. Currently, the proposition for peace focuses on the idea of a two-state solution. This

Val Late Nights: A Sweet and Surprising Way to Build Community

Because of our open curriculum, diversity of extracurricular activities and number of athletic teams, Amherst students sometimes don’t have a lot in common. In many ways, we’re a community of communities. But one thing that is universal among us is Val. Regardless of your opinion of the food,