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Amherst

Now that the academic year is done, let's take a look back at some of the most clicked, tweeted, liked and shared bits of Amherst-related news. Here, in chronological order, are the year's highlights:

1. Meet the Class of 2018, by the Numbers
Amherst's class of 2018 includes an internationally ranked table tennis player, a Morse Code enthusiast, a U.S. military veteran, a blacksmith and someone who wears size 16 shoes.

2. Justice at the Movies: Top 10 Trial Films
Professor Martha Umphrey lists some of her favorite films featuring trials.

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The moose in Frost Library

3. The Moose Abides
In December 2014, a moose mysteriously appeared in Frost Library, and no one asked him to leave.

4. Amherst Cuisine: Inspiring Students to Get Creative—and Healthy—with Food
Student Health Educators Morgan Brown '15 and Liz Mutter '15 taught their classmates to approach eating at Val with more imagination.

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Prof. Daryl Haggard

5. Amherst Astronomy Professor Detects Record-Breaking Black Hole Outburst
Daryl Haggard and her team detected the largest X-ray flare ever from the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy.

6. Day of Dialogue on Race and Racism
More than 1,300 students, faculty and staff participated in a daylong discussion to thoughtfully consider how issues of race play out on campus.

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Frost Library

7. Frost Library Wins Prestigious Award
The Association of College & Research Libraries named Amherst's library a winner of its 2015 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award. 

8. Amherst Recognized as a Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Scholars
... according to data released by the Fulbright Scholar Program and published in The Chronicle of Higher Education in February 2015.

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Winter at Amherst

9. Winter 2015, By the Numbers
This winter was one for the books in New England. February, in fact, was the coldest month in the region on record, according to the local paper.

10. Saving the Planet and Making It Laugh
David Beron Echavarria '15 and Richard Altieri '15 were awarded Thomas J. Watson Fellowships to explore how other cultures deal with two basic products of human life: laughter and garbage.

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Robert Gates

11. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates Speaks at Amherst
Gates visited Amherst in February 2015 to speak with history professor Frank Couvares about foreign affairs, Middle East conflicts, the workings of Washington and government leadership in our democracy.

12. Ready for the Year 3015? World’s Slowest Photograph Will Chart a Millennium’s Evolution
The Mead Art Museum is already planning an exhibition in the year 3015 that will unveil the world's slowest photograph, taken in a single exposure over the course of 1,000 years. 

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Studio Art Majors

13. Finding Inspiration: Studio Art Majors Share the Stories Behind Works on View
Studio art majors Natasha Blackmore '15, Shannon Brathwaite '15, María Darrow '15 and Emma Rothkopf '15 discussed their inspirations and the artistic processes they've developed while at Amherst.

14. History Professor Debunks Common Misconceptions about Nazi Germany in New Textbook
Dean of the Faculty Catherine Epstein is the author of Nazi Germany: Confronting the Myths.

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Commencement

15. The Class of 2015 and Commencement, By the Numbers
Some behind-the-scenes facts about Commencement 2015 and the individuals who received degrees.