Amherst Voices: Tess Taylor ’00

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Illustration of vegetables growing above and below ground by Helena Pallarés

“Gardens and poems are places we go to excavate ourselves.” Poet Tess Taylor ’00,  writing in the Fall issue of Amherst magazine.

Congratulations, Mammoths!

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The Amherst men's soccer team congratulate St. Olaf on their NCAA Division III win.

Congratulations to the men’s soccer team on an outstanding season, collecting the national runner-up trophy for the third time in the last four seasons at the NCAA Division III Championship game. Game Recap. (Photo credit: Dan Hunter: d3photography.com)

Go Mammoths!

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Men's soccer team celebrate their semi final victory.

Congratulations to the men's soccer team on their win over Washington & Lee in the NCAA Division III semi-final! They'll face St. Olaf for the final on Sunday, Dec. 3 at noon. Game Recap. (Photo credit: Dan Hunter: d3photography.com)

Congratulations, Coach Paradis!

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Christine Parradis

“I do believe we are all bridges--as we link the past with the future through the span of our careers.” Longtime women's lacrosse coach Christine Paradis, speaking at the Nov. 16 ceremony marking her induction into the Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Amherst Voices: Heid E. Erdrich

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“The future of Native art is being revealed.” Heid E. Erdrich, guest curator for “Boundless,” a Mead Art Museum exhibit, in the new Amherst magazine.

Amherst Voices: Roxane Main ’25

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“I’m trying to find a new way to help my community by finding a bridge between Western education and Indigenous values.” Roxane Main ’25 the first Amherst student to win a Udall Scholarship to address environmental challenges affecting Native nations.

Amherst Celebrates

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Congratulations to the men’s and women’s soccer teams for capturing their second consecutive NESCAC championship wins! Go Mammoths!

Amherst Voices: President Michael A. Elliott ’92

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“ I can assure you that you will write subpar essays─I surely did. And on the other side of that experience will not be failure, but something else: learning.” President Michael A. Elliott ’92, offering words of wisdom about college life to current students.

Amherst Voice: Ash Smith ’18

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“It matters to me that my work is meaningful and has some kind of impact.” Ash Smith ’18, who is doing research for BREHA, Amherst’s new Black Feminist Reproductive Justice, Equity & HIV/AIDS Activism Collective.

Amherst Voice: Luke Herzog ’24

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“Theater is the most collaborative art form. When you put on a play, it's really putting together a team.” Luke Herzog ’24, winner of the John Cauble Award for Outstanding Short Play at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. 

Amherst Voices: Gabriel Echarte ’23

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“Through teaching, I am reinforcing my commitment to an open and free world.”  Gabriel Echarte ’23 on being awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship.

Amherst Voices: Matthew McGann

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The first year class gathered in Johnson Chapel.

“ I, for one, know 100 percent that they will make a difference in this world.” Matthew McGann, dean of admission and financial aid, speaking of the incoming class of 488 students.

Amherst Voices: Edmund Phelps ’55

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An illustration with a chart indicating  various years.

“I had at long last used my creativity to build a new theory of a nation’s happiness.” Nobel laureate in economics Edmund Phelps ’55, H’85 in his new memoir.

Amherst Remembers

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Close up of 9/11 memorial showing alumni Brock Joel Safronoff

“Today, we mourn, remember, and honor the lives lost on this day 22 years ago, including those of three Amherst alumni—Frederick C. Rimmele III ’90, Brock Safronoff ’97 and Maurita Tam ’ 01.” Read “9/11/01: A Dispatch from Campus.”

Amherst Voices: Laura Jarrett

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“I credit Amherst enormously for framing how I look at issues of racial justice and sexism, all of the things I care about deeply, and the things I end up covering on CNN every day.” News anchor Laura Jarrett ’07 from the Black Women of Amherst College podcast series.

Amherst Voices: John Cho

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“You learn to say, ‘It’s imperfect, but it works.’ People don’t come for perfection... Perfection is you placing yourself at center.” Actor John Cho in a talk in Amherst’s Johnson Chapel

Amherst Voices: Bruce Becker ’80

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Quote by arhitect Bruce Becker about the Hotel Marcel

“It’s like walking into Mad Men.” Architect Bruce Becker ’80 on his award-winning, environmentally innovative hotel, The Marcel.

Amherst Voices: Leo Kamin ’25

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Quote about Haoran Tong by Leo Kamin

“His time at Amherst is a testament to Tong’s belief that home is a verb, not a noun.” Leo Kamin ’25 on Haoran Tong ’23, in “The Pride of Amherst.”

Amherst Voices: President Michael A. Elliott

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the Amherst College seal with a quote by President Elliott

“We remain resolute in our commitment to recruit and support a diverse community of scholars within the bounds of the law.” President Michael Elliott responds to the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding race-conscious admissions practices.

Amherst Voices: Ilan Stavans

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Quote by Ilan Stavans

“In un placete de La Mancha of which nombre no quiero remembrearme, vivía, not so long ago, uno de esos gentlemen who always tienen una lanza in the rack, una buckler antigua, a skinny caballo y un greyhound para el chase.” Professor Ilan Stavans, in his Spanglish translation of Don Quixote, from the new issue of Amherst magazine.

Amherst Voices: Niki Russ Federman ’99

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Quote by Niki Russ Federman

”I think I was drawn to it on some subconscious level, finding my own entryway to think about food on a more intellectual level.” Niki Russ Federman ’99, co-owner of the New York landmark Russ & Daughters, on her favorite Amherst class.

Amherst Voices: Philip Palmer

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Black and white group portrait of librarians at Amherst College in 1900 including Belle da Costa Greene.

“The Amherst photograph is the most exciting discovery we’ve made while preparing for the exhibit.” Philip Palmer, curatorial lead for an exhibit on Belle da Costa Greene at New York’s Morgan Library.

Amherst Voices: Jonathan Putnam ’88

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Mangos ripening on a tree.

“We planted thousands and thousands of mango trees. One of my proudest moments was going back years later and seeing how high they’d grown.” Jonathan Putnam ’88 in the new Amherst magazine.

Amherst Announces

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Announcement about Peter Pouncey

Amherst College mourns the loss of former President Peter Pouncey, who died on May 30. He served from 1984 to 1994 and is remembered for guiding the College through a time of transition into greater stability and diversity.  Read the story.

Amherst Announces

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Sheree Ohen joins Amherst College as Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer

Amherst College Names Sheree M. Ohen New Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer. Read the Press release.

Amherst Voices: Marc Schulz ‘84

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Five people gathered around a table smiling and talking.

“It can start with a simple text: ‘I am thinking about you.’” Marc Schulz ‘84, on lessons about human happiness, in an interview in the new issue of Amherst magazine.

Amherst Voices: Lee Spector

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Graphic of a phone with ChatGPT showing.

“The meaningful part of education is about the transformation of you and your capabilities.” Lee Spector, the Class of 1993 Professor of Computer Science, speaking at a panel on ChatGPT.

Amherst Voices: Matt McGann

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Exterior of the supreme court building

“It is not a time to be shy about values.” Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Matthew McGann, in an interview about race-conscious admissions in higher education

Amherst Voices: Jack Betts ’24E

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Quote by Jack Betts about name, image, and likeness.

“I capitalized on a market that had zero history of finding success.” Jack Betts ’24E, on marketing his name, image and likeness as a Division III athlete.

Amherst Voices: Darryl Harper ’90

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Several musicians playing together on a stage.

“There are not many live-music venues like this anywhere.” Darryl Harper ’90, professor and jazz clarinetist, on a new addition to the Town of Amherst.

Amherst Voices: Colin Diver ’65

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Illustration by Andrea Cobb

“It is the life transformation from being dependent on your family to becoming independent. It’s about coming to discover much more about who you really are.” Colin Diver ’65, on the purpose of college, from an interview about his new book on college rankings.

Amherst Announces

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Portraits of honorary degree recipients at Amherst College 2023.

Moderna President, Pulitzer Prize-winning Poet Among Six To Be Honored at Commencement. Learn more.

Congratulations, Hall of Famer!!

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Dave Hixon coaching the players during a basketball game.

Congratulations to David Hixon ’75, longtime men’s basketball coach with 800+ wins, the first Division III coach to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame! Read the story.

Amherst Fact

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Students walking past the Science Center at Amherst College

In its new survey of leading liberal arts colleges, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education names Amherst as the only school in the 30-year history of its survey to enroll a first-year class that is more than one-fifth Black.  Read about this groundbreaking accomplishment.

Amherst Celebrates: We Are So Proud of You!

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Congratulations, Amherst Mammoths

Congratulations to the hard-playing, history-making Mammoths for their triple-OT runner-up result in the National Championship game. A truly well-played season! Game Recap.

Amherst Celebrates: Congratulations!!

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Congratulations, Amherst Mammoths

The Mammoths are headed to the Women’s Ice Hockey National Championship on Sunday, March 19th at 3 PM—GO MAMMOTHS!! Game details.

Amherst Voices: Matt McGann

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Quote by Matt McGann about the future of race-conscious admissions.

“How can we have a process that allows students to bring their whole selves to Amherst except for [their race and ethnic] identity?” Matt McGann, dean of admission and financial aid, at a recent campus event that centered on the future of race-conscious admissions and the Supreme Court.

Amherst Voices: Ted Conover ’80

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Illustration of a van driving up a deserted mountainous road by Elisabetta Bianchi

“The American firmament was shifting in ways I needed to understand, and these empty, forgotten places seemed an important part of that.” Ted Conover ’80, in his new book, Cheap Land Colorado: Off-Gridders at America’s Edge.

Amherst Voices: Makena Onjerika ’10

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Book cover of We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

“This book left me feeling breathless and small and mortal but also part of a universe that will not ever let me go, not really.” Makena Onjerika ’10, reviewing the novel We All Want Impossible Things, by Catherine Newman. ’90.

Amherst Voices: Valeria Luiselli

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Books to be featured at LitFest 2023

“Stories are a way of subtracting the future from the past, the only way of finding clarity in hindsight.” Valeria Luiselli in her novel Lost Children Archive. Luiselli is a featured speaker at Amherst’s upcoming LitFest, an annual celebration of writers and writing. See the LitFest schedule.

Amherst Voices: Meghan O’Rourke

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A quote by Meghan O'Rourke

“The people we most love do become a physical part of us, ingrained in our synapses, in the pathways where memories are created.” Meghan O’Rourke, in her book The Long Goodbye: A Memoir. O’Rourke is a featured speaker at Amherst’s upcoming LitFest, an annual celebration of writers and writing. See the LitFest schedule.

Amherst Voices: Victoria Chang

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A quote by Victoria Chang

“Blame has no face. I have walked on its staircase, around and around, trying to slap its face but only hitting my own cheeks.” Poet Victoria Chang in her book Obit. Chang is a featured speaker at Amherst’s upcoming LitFest, an annual celebration of writers and writing. See the LitFest schedule.