I write this letter to explain and to apologize for what happened with the chain letter I forwarded to The Student on Nov. 9. During the last week of October, I spoke with one of the "Stop the Raid on Student Aid" campaign leaders, an alumnus from the Amherst class of 2004, whom I know and trust. He asked me to forward the stock letter from the campaign toolkit to The Student; he gave me permission to send it in any way I wished, modified or verbatim. I agreed to forward it as he had requested, since this process of forwarding letters is standard practice with grassroots organizing. As well, officeholders send op-ed letters to editors and constituents without attributing the letter to the staff that compose them all the time, be they news editorial-like pieces, op-eds or responses to constituents. I forwarded the piece, bearing the same title as the stock letter, in the body of an e-mail to The Student. Since I had permission to use the letter as I wished, and since this is standard procedure in organizing, I sent it on without a second thought about plagiarism. I am sorry for this lack of thought. In my mind passing on this letter, even as modified, indicated only endorsement of its contents, not authorship. I should have thought when this happened and made these things clear. I am sorry for what has happened. Additionally, I must apologize for any damage to the College community this has brought.
Michael Simmons '06
-----
Savage asks for common courtesy in the classroom
Is it really necessary for professors to assign homework over "break" periods? I don't think that anyone would die if for one or two classes a semester there was no assigned work and students could actually enjoy being home with family and friends without feeling stressed and guilty about all the schoolwork they should be doing instead. Aren't Americans overworked enough already?
Conversely, students should have more respect for professors and fellow students during classes. Specifically, I find it very disrespectful when at the end of a class, before the professor or other students have finished with valuable discussion or lecture, the class erupts all of a sudden into a deafening roar of papers being shuffled, bags being ruffled, jackets being zipped and minds being turned off as if there was some desperate need for the students to be poised to dash out of the class the minute the professor stops speaking, like sprinters preparing to launch from the starting block. If you don't want to even pretend to listen to your professor or classmates, do us all a favor and just don't come to class and distract those of us who want to learn.
Pat Savage '07
-----
BSU calls for change in attitude by AAS and BC
As chair of the Black Student Union (BSU), I have both witnessed and experienced certain attitudes from the members of Association of Amherst Students (AAS) which only serve to highlight disparities in the treatment of student groups, especially student affinity groups. These disparities can be seen in the decreasing size of our budgets and in the disrespect we have been shown. I refuse to have the finances of our affinity groups decided by a biased system; I propose that the AAS and Budgetary Committee (BC) undergo serious structural reform.
When I receive e-mails from Andrew Gehring, a senior senator, threatening, "Please mind your manners if you want to continue receiving both funding and respect [from the BC] in the future," I see a problem within the Senate. How can a senator send me such a message, then claim impartiality when considering our budget? Is the AAS fit to handle the needs of affinity groups on campus?
When diversity and multiculturalism are heralded as key components of the "Amherst education," to see affinity groups' funding, and therefore presence, diminish substantially is unacceptable. The BSU has had numerous problems with the BC and the AAS over the years, seemingly regardless of our commitment to budgetary obligations. I was told by BC members that the BSU's tiny Spring budget was mainly due to allegations that we only host "Black events," a sentiment publicly espoused by our former representative. Like the events of every other AAS-recognized club, BSU events are advertised-and open-to all students. Anyone who attended Harlem Renaissance, the BSU's biggest fall event, will affirm the racial diversity evident in both the performers and the audience. The BC's justifications are offensive misrepresentations. The disrespectful attitude of the BC members toward me and other members of student affinity groups ultimately shows their lack of professionalism which is necessary to their positions.
As a leader of a student organization, I refuse to shuffle and jive for the AAS to receive funding. Worse, I feel the Senate's attitudes toward affinity groups are a reflection of a larger institutional lack of care and commitment toward not only affinity groups, but the diverse student body that these groups represent. While personally, I would call for more secure funding for affinity groups, more importantly, reforms need to be made to uplift these groups, key voices in informing the general student body about the true diversity of Amherst.
Stephanie Sneed '08