Standing alone
Coming from a liberal town on Long Island and a family of Democrats, Hertzberg came to Amherst accustomed to standing out. "My father thinks that my Republicanism is a matter of teen rebellion. Half of me thinks he would have preferred tattoos and piercings," he said. As a staunch conservative in Amherst's liberal environment and one of three non-athletes on his freshman floor of 26, Hertzberg began his freshman year as something of an anomaly, but he took advantage of Amherst, a school "where [he] would be able to discuss ideas-where verbal exchange would be present and important."
Hertzberg has been the center of a good deal of controversy over his four years. In his first year, he ran for student representative to the Faculty Committee on Admission and Financial Aid on a platform of eliminating affirmative action. Though this campaign was unsuccessful, he fought a second battle against race-based preferences during his junior year. His push to eliminate diversity seats in the AAS by demanding a seat to represent the Republican minority on campus drew attention from the national press. Hertzberg was featured on "Hannity and Colmes" and "The O'Reilly Factor" and his efforts were featured in an article in The Boston Globe. Diversity seats no longer exist.
Though Hertzberg is known largely for his political beliefs, many of his accomplishments have involved raising political awareness and combating what he saw as a general "political malaise at Amherst." He discouraged self-segregation among the school's Republicans, leading the College Republicans to co-sponsor events with many other campus groups with wide ranging goals such as the Amherst College Diversity Coalition, the Pride Alliance, La Causa and Drew House.
Engaging discourse
Hertzberg is widely admired for his efforts to raise the level of intellectual discourse on campus. Associate Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought Martha Umphrey said that although her political leanings are not the same as Hertzberg's, she appreciates that he "tries very hard to debate ideas. He doesn't wish to descend into the slimy political mud-slinging so common in conservative politics." Umphrey also admires Hertzberg's insistence on rigorous argumentation from his peers.
"Ted has shown a remarkable courage in his willingness to make the argument in public-to state it in meetings and in print-even when he invites ungenerous, hostile responses," said Professor of Political Science Hadley Arkes. "Ted amply justifies his speaking thoughtfully and precisely. ... The difference that separates Ted from some of his adversaries on the campus is that he can give a more coherent moral account of their own liberal position than they can give themselves."
Hertzberg's ability to create unexpected ties is no less impressive off the political stage. "I am not an athlete myself," he said, "but my roommates are all swimmers … To this day, I feel uncomfortable eating anywhere but the annex." Ted's intramural softball team, "Team Farva" competed in the playoffs during the last week of classes, sporting T-shirts inspired by the movie "Super Troopers," offering to "punchasize your face for free."
Hertzberg also takes time to give back, and is described by friend Gail Zuckerwise '06E as "the most selfless person ever." In fact, Hertzberg faithfully donates blood every 56 days. The day after 9/11 he rushed to give blood, lying about his previous donation date only a month earlier so he would be eligible.
Future plans
Next year, Hertzberg will be working as an investment banking analyst at Lehman Brothers in New York. He has no previous experience, but views the job as a learning opportunity. "I am interested in learning about money and how business works, and Lehman Brothers will provide me with a crash course in that," he said about the new experience.
As far as life after Lehman Brothers, Hertzberg expects to attend law school eventually. In the coming years, we can expect to see Hertzberg on the national political scene, perhaps representing a Southern state such as Georgia or Alabama, where he can balance his love of country music with his patriotic love of country.
Director of Media Relations Paul Statt nicely summed up Hertzberg's relationship with Amherst: "Ted and I disagree about everything, including the proper way to mix a cocktail. My politics are radically left, but I like to keep an open mind. So does Ted. … What he said to CNN.com this year pretty much sums up why I like Ted: 'Being a conservative at Amherst has made me a stronger thinker; it's made me a better writer, and I hope it's made me a better person,'" said Statt. "Ted's presence has made me a stronger thinker-even if he's wrong. How can you call yourself a Conservative and drink a chocolate martini?"
Indeed, Hertzberg has made us all stronger thinkers.