Mira Serrill-Robins's column regarding the five-college consortium last week completely missed the point of what problems exist within the five colleges. Serrill-Robins failed to provide anything but unsubstantiated whining, and her misleading data and personal sob story did little to add to any meaningful discussion that aims to improve the five-college consortium.

It is precisely the elitist attitude conveyed by Serrill-Robins's article that exacerbates problems within the five-college community. We share our resources with the other four colleges because we know that they have plenty to offer in return; however, many students at Amherst simply fail to recognize this fact. We tend to get so caught up in our own college that we fail to take advantage of the full range of course and cultural offerings at the other schools.

The article's marginalization of the obvious benefits of the other four colleges-such as the fantastic music department at UMass or the medieval studies program at Mt. Holyoke-was unfair, as it glossed over one of the things that many Amherst students already utilize.

The most detrimental aspect of the article was the fact that it broadcasts an attitude of elitism and belittlement of the other four colleges as "not having much to give." This is no way to effect any sort of positive change. Instead, let's take aberrations in stride, and work instead to build a less-divided five-college community. And let's not forget how lucky we are to have these other schools around us. The College's resources are limited by its small size, but the partnerships we have formed with the other four colleges give us a unique situation that few other schools in the country can enjoy.