September 18, 2015
The first Pindar Field Dinner of the 2015-16 school year took place in mid-september at the Alumni House. Recent Amherst College alumna, Melissa Martin '15, spoke before dinner about her experience graduating, the advice she offers to those who will graduate soon, and what she learned from Amherst College. After dessert was served, Executive Chef Jeremy Roush spoke regarding the culinary inspirations behind the menu and the specifics of the wines paired with each course.
October 2, 2015
At the year's second Pindar Dinner, professor of chemistry Pat O'Hara delighted students with an olive oil tasting. Professor O'Hara brought samples of four regional olive oil varietals from all across the world. She explained how to assess the flavor and quality of the oil, and which attributes to pay attention to. The dinner took place in the Powerhouse, decorated with photos of olive groves Professor O'Hara took while travelling abroad. The dinner was catered by Log Rolling Catering, their second time participating in a Pindar Dinner.
October 16, 2015
Professor Sheila Jaswal spoke in the Alumni House at the second "Over 21" Pindar Dinner of the year. The menu was, once again, expertly prepared by Chef Jeremy Roush, who also hand selected wine pairings to accompany each course.
December 4, 2015
Amherst College Baseball Coach Brian Hamm spoke with students at a special Film Noir themed Pindar Dinner. Guests enjoyed a custom menu designed by executive chef Jeremy Roush. The menu featured dishes specially designed around the black and white theme, and Chef Roush wrote descriptions in the style of film noir plot descriptions. Coach Hamm spoke and presented a selection of photos and videos documenting the baseball team's recent cultural exchange trip to Japan. He highlighted the cultural similarities and differences between Amherst and Japan's respective baseball teams, emphasizing what we can learn from these differences.
February 5, 2016
College Librarian Bryn Geffert commenced the first Pindar Dinner of 2016 with his remarks on Frost Library's efforts to stay abreast of the significant changes facing all libraries today. Thanks to the internet and unprecedented access to information from anywhere in the world, many libraries are shifting from acting as a repository of knowledge, to a resource on how to aquire and most effectively use information. Mr. Geffert explained how Amherst is adapting to these challenges, how his background working at West Point has shaped his work, and what the future of libraries might look like.
