Proximity cards replaced old "number scramblers." During summer recess, the College began phasing out the once ubiquitous number pads that controlled entry to campus buildings in favor of proximity readers. "This will substantially enhance the prevention of unauthorized access to the residence halls while maintaining the ease of access for our community members," said Chief of Police John Carter in a memo to students on July 19.
Class of 2010 set new record for racial diversity. The class of 2010 claimed the highest percentage of minority students of any class in the history of the College-38.6 percent-according to the Office of Admission. This new record is a significant rise on the previous mark of 36.4 percent held by the class of 2007. Statistics from the Office of Admission show that the class of 2010 consists of 43 African American students, 52 Latino students, 46 Asian American students and 26 students of mixed heritage.
The College received a $13-million gift from the Argosy Foundation for the development of a Center for Community Engagement. The Center will expand the opportunities for student participation in community service and public service works.
Plimpton House opened its doors to Hampshire students. The College offered six doubles in Plimpton to upperclass Hampshire College students this fall as a result of overenrollment at the Hampshire campus.
College and community raised first Habitat wall. More than 50 students, school officials and community members gathered at Stanley Street-approximately a 15-minute walk from campus-to help raise the first wall of one of four new homes to be built on land donated by the College.
Senate announced a sum of $200,000 in reserves fund. Director of the Campus Center and Associate Dean of Students Samuel Haynes revealed for the first time that the Association of Amherst Students (AAS) had accumulated $200,000 in reserves-money that is rarely used and largely consists of accrued interest.
IT unveiled new plan for 2006-07 school year. The College now has the Five College fiber ring, wireless access in all academic buildings and an Internet 2 connection-an advanced networking consortium of universities, corporations and laboratories in the United States. IT also implemented a new Geographic Information Systems lab, as well as a digital video and computer animation labs. IT has also begun to distribute faculty-assigned videos to their classes via the existing data network.
October
Marx and Parker spoke at Yale Conference. The Roosevelt Institution, the first student think tank in the nation, sponsored a two-day conference, entitled "A Seat at the Table: Socioeconomic Diversity and Access to Selective Colleges and Universities," at Yale University on Oct. 6-7. The conference consisted of a series of workshops, panels and speakers, among them President Tony Marx and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Tom Parker. Among the topics discussed were the challenges and importance of having socioeconomic diversity in elite institutions as well as the challenges students face when attending those institutions. Of all the schools represented at the conference, the Amherst delegation comprised the largest one with a contingent of 15.
Faculty approved three Five College Certificates. The faculty discussed and ultimately voted to approve three Five College Certificates in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, Asian/Pacific/American Studies and Native American Studies.
NoteWiki debuted at the College. Naturally On The Edge (NOTE) announced the launch of its latest achievement, NoteWiki. A collaborative Web site, NoteWiki will allow anyone, including alumni, with an ACData account to modify its contents. Naturally, it's akin to other wiki-powered programs on the Internet, like the very successful online encyclopedia, www.wikipedia.org.
November
Patterson '05 found innocent of rape. Taharqa "T" Patterson '05 was acquitted of rape charges by a Hampshire Superior Court. The jury deliberated for four hours before finding Patterson not guilty of the charges of rape and placing a person in fear.
Educate! Date Auction matched 28 couples for a sum of $1,733. Proceeds from the auction went to Educate!, the student-run organization, founded by Amherst senior Eric Glustrom, that provides money to fund education for African refugees in Uganda and Rwanda. Now in its third year of existence on the Amherst campus, Educate! is one of the College's most popular student groups.
Committee created fund in honor of former Dean Ed Wall. The Committee to Honor Ed Wall, a former Dean of Admission at the College who passed away on Nov. 5, 2004, announced the establishment of the Ed Wall Fund, which will help to finance student scholarships.
December
100 Projects for Peace for $10,000 apiece. Amherst College students are among a select group of undergraduates eligible to receive funding from the 100 Projects for Peace Grant for student-initiated independent grassroots projects. Only 76 colleges and universities around the country were selected to participate in the program. Recipients of the grant were tasked with designing their own grassroots project to be implemented during the summer of 2007. Each approved project received $10,000.
Hockey players cornered thief. Campus Police arrested a young man for trespassing on Dec. 17 in connection with a report of theft. The officers were assisted in the arrest by members of the College men's ice hockey team.
January
Open forum tackled polemical humor and race. The Black Student Union (BSU) held an open forum inviting The Indicator's staff as well as the rest of the student body to discuss the content of the publication's Features (humor) section, which had sparked controversy during the last weeks of the fall semester.
Iran acknowledged Amherst's appeal. The town of Amherst found international fame after a town meeting passed a resolution urging the United States government to engage Iran diplomatically. The meeting, which took place in November, elicited responses from a Massachusetts Congressman, the United Kingdom and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Hood received OPUS award. After years of research, Professor of Biology Michael Hood and his University of Virginia colleague, Janis Antonovics, received the Opportunities for Promoting Understanding through Synthesis (OPUS) award from the National Science Foundation. Hood's work studied the plant fungus microbotryum as a model for sexually transmitted diseases in a population.
Former College president died at 88. Former Amherst College president Calvin H. Plimpton '39 died Jan. 30, at the age of 88. He died at his home in Westwood, Mass., after suffering complications from surgery for a fractured hip. Plimpton served as President of the College from 1960 to 1971.
February
A record number applied for Class of 2011. Following a successful early decision round, the Office of Admission released the final numbers regarding the applicant pool for the incoming first-year class. There were 6,662 regular decision applicants for the Class of 2011. The number of applications was up nine percent from the previous year, setting a new College record.
Study abroad hired new director. The College hired a replacement for study abroad advisor William Hoffa. Janna Behrens, who had previously served at Tufts University for five years, is the new Director of International Experience. Behrens' responsibilities at the College includes acting as the Assistant Director of the Career Center and Assistant Dean of Students.
Campus center game room displaced to accommodate CCE. Students will be greeted by multiple changes to the arrangement of offices and meeting spaces in the Keefe Campus Center upon arrival next fall for the 2007-08 school year. The game room is changing locations in order to accommodate the newly established Center for Community Engagement (CCE), taking over and expanding on the role of the current Community Outreach Center. To compensate for its extra responsibilities, the CCE will be hiring additional staff members.
Faculty debated student increase. The Faculty discussed a resolution proposed by the Committee of Six regarding the implementation of proposals to increase the size of the Faculty by 18 and to increase the size of the student body by 80 students starting from 2010. The resolution proposed that the increase in the size of the student body be distributed over the next six to eight years (approximately 10 students per year) and that the additional slots be filled with international students with financial need and "vibrant" academic twos.
March
Former Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso gave a lecture entitled "Environment, Development and Democracy: Challenges for Brazil." Cardoso addressed pressing environmental issues, and the need for global action.
Val's newest pizza chef serves up a variety of sensations. Ever since Misael Gonzalez, originally from Puerto Rico, took over as Valentine Dining Hall's resident pizza chef, Amherst's students have raved about "Junior's" zesty creations.
Student Athlete Advisory Committee made its debut. Earlier this year, a Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) was established at the College, the first in its history. The stated purposes of the SAAC include fostering a positive relationship between the athletic and academic communities, promoting athletics as a valuable part of college life and implementing programs that encourage school spirit and sportsmanship.
Nobel laureate Menchú-Tum spoke regarding racism. There was not a seat to spare. Audience members squished, squatted and stood in Johnson Chapel to hear a speech by Rigoberta Menchú-Tum, winner of the Noble Peace Prize in 1992. Titled "Healing Communities Torn by Racism and Violence," Menchú-Tum's speech addressed the need to find equilibrium both individually and in the world.
Alumni in medicine returned for panel. The Charles Drew Health Professions Society brought eight professionals in the field of medicine-seven of whom were alumni-to the campus for the Alumni Health Professions Panel. They represented a broad range of medical specialties and came to share stories and advice and to converse with current College students interested in pursuing careers in medicine. Discussion topics ranged from surviving medical school to empathizing with patients.
April
Amherst placed third in RecycleMania among NESCAC schools. RecycleMania 2007 came to a close. RecycleMania was a friendly national competition designed to increase recycling awareness and to encourage college students from across the country to recycle. Over 200 schools participated, and the College finished a respectable 19th out of 175 in one of two main events, the Per-Capita Classic, at 41.61 pounds recyclables per person. Out of the NESCAC schools, Amherst just edged out Colby College to end up third behind Tufts University (16th overall, 48.59 lbs. recyclables/person) and Middlebury College (13th overall, 49.45 lbs. recyclables/person).
Zumbyes emerged victorious at ICCA. The Zumbyes made a triumphant return to the College after securing third place in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA). The competition was held in New York City at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. The Zumbyes competed against six other top a cappella groups from universities all over the U.S., as well as one group from Oxford, England. Though the group had participated in the past, this was the first time they placed. The Zumbyes were named New England champions back in March at MIT.
VPI tragedy prompted a swell of support and commiseration. The news of the tragic shooting at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University dominated discussion and commiseration from students all around the College. Students, faculty and staff engaged in informal fora and dialogue regarding the incident, and were quick to offer their support to those affected by the tragedy, both here on campus and at Virginia Tech.
Beloved Fink concluded 43-year career. George H. Corey Professor of Chemistry Richard D. Fink retired at the end of the semester, concluding a long, distinguished career. During his 43 years of instructing at the College, Fink made a profound impact both in and out of the classroom. Emeritus Dean of Students Onawumi Jean Moss hailed him as "one of the most understated agents of change ever."