Amherst College prides itself on its diversity, even as it strives to find ways to increase diversity and integrate the current students. In the midst of the Jewish High Holy Days, which began on sundown last Wednesday with Rosh Hashannah and continue for 10 days, concluding on Saturday with Yom Kippur, the question of how to celebrate at school becomes a central one.

For the first time, mom and dad aren't demanding that you celebrate in the traditional way, and this leaves you with a lot of freedom. For a particular subset of the College, those involved in fall athletics, a glaring problem presents itself-one of whether or not to participate in fall sports practices and games during some of the holiest days of the Jewish year.

The question of how to celebrate one's faith is a deeply personal one. We understand that there are many faiths celebrated on this campus and the entire campus can't arrange its schedule around these celebrations. However, the fact that the holiest day in the Jewish calendar falls on a Saturday this year makes the question of athletic competition on this day a particularly pertinent one.

While other religions may have their holiest day fall on Saturday, it is the particular nature of Yom Kippur that brings the tension between athletics and religion to the forefront. In order to repent for their sins, Jews are required to fast for the entire day-refraining from both eating and drinking for a period of 24 hours. Additionally, they must refrain from doing all manner of work. Thus, it is impossible for Jewish students to participate in athletic competition and follow the dictates of their holiday.

We would like to recommend that the College lead a division-wide initiative to prohibit athletic games from occurring on this day each year. It is unfair to make student-athletes choose between one of the most important religious observances in their faith and an athletic competition. Although it is unlikely that any athlete at Amherst would be punished for sitting out a competition for religious reasons, some individuals still feel as if they are being stigmatized or are placing an undue burden on their team if they choose to sit out.

Rearranging the schedule would take some effort, but the holiday does not always fall on a Saturday, the day most games are scheduled, so it does not seem unreasonable that every few years athletic departments take note of this important holiday in order to diminish the isolation felt by Jewish student-athletes who are forced to make this decision.