2009: Fall

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FEATURES

Image “Our Fellows Deserve to Be Heard” How CNN and an elderly Army medic gave Martin Vogel ’48 something he sought for 60 years: a first-hand account of his brother’s death in a Nazi POW camp. By Katherine Duke ’05

Image War Correspondents The story of two Vietnam-era classmates and friends—one an anti-war activist, the other a Marine—and their letters to and from the front. By Tom Fels ’67

Image The Off-Brand Conservative Since she first arrived at Amherst, the author has been several kinds of conservative—several kinds of liberal, too, but it's the conservative part that needs explaining. By Susannah Black ’99

Image The Soul of the College “Your professors will change you forever,” President Marx said in this year’s Convocation address. “I know. It happened to me.”

departments

College Row
Two gifts make history — Fifty things to do before graduation — The endowment loses 20 percent — The hunting professor — First-year wins MTV Video Music Award — And more

Visit
How pigeons helped change everything

My Life
Rebecca Sinos, professor of classics

Sports
Men’s basketball begins a season of “ifs” — Sports Illustrated’s Phil Taylor ’82

Amherst Creates
Photography by Mary Beth Meehan ’89 — Rand Richards Cooper ’80 reviews The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown ’86 — Singer-songwriter Amy Speace ’90  — Broadway's Alan Zachary ’96 — And more

What They Are Reading
Elizabeth Barker, director and chief curator of the Mead Art Museum

Letters
The health care debate  — More on the Grunion — The “Lord Jeffery Amherst” lyrics — And more

Lives of Consequence

Back Cover

Did You Bury a Time Capsule in 1964?

During excavations near Hitchcock House (formerly Alpha Delta Phi House) last year, workers unearthed a Valentine milk pitcher stuffed with such items as a 1964 newspaper, two books—King Lear and You’re Out of Your Mind, Charlie Brown!—and Mitch Meisner ’64’s student ID. Meisner, who barely remembers the endeavor, suspects he was not a major player. Tell us what you know about the time capsule at magazine@amherst.edu.

Photo by Samuel Masinter ’04