It has been an honor and joy to serve as president of the student body at this awesome college. The rock star caliber of the students attending Amherst College leaves me feeling fortunate to hold this position. I wanted to write to highlight some of the most meaningful work I have done and to announce plans for this term.

Last term, the first project I worked on was the Darfur campaign. Along with Amos Irwin '07 and other dedicated students, we collaborated closely with President Marx and the community to alert the campus of the ongoing genocide in Sudan. We invited Eric Reeves, an internationally recognized Sudan analyst, to speak to the campus in October. The strong community response to the genocide was apparent in the packed Johnson Chapel. We also provided students with opportunities to write and phone congressmen to urge action. We also inquired about any possible financial connection Amherst might have had to corporations tied to Darfur. It was announced that Amherst does not have direct ties to such corporations, and the tipping point of the Darfur campaign came over Interterm when the Board of Trustees passed a resolution announcing our non-investment and precluding any future investment in such corporations.

The most consequential result of the resolution came with the Trustees' decision to "communicate its decision to its external investment managers in the hope that they will take into consideration our actions and the situation in the Sudan as these managers develop and implement their own investment strategies," as is worded in the text of the resolution passed on Jan. 14. There is still much work to be done as the genocide grows. We will be working with the Career Center to institutionalize opportunities for students to do relief work over the summers that will aide in the international response to the killings. Additionally, we are pushing forward our well-received campaign with the faculty to write to their TIAA-CREF managers to avoid Darfur-affiliated funds. Notably, Amherst College is one of a few schools leading the effort to start similar campaigns on campuses across America. I believe our College is truly doing its part.

Last April I ran on a platform that included bringing a new tradition of off-campus retreats for students in either junior or senior years which would aim to create a great equalizing effect for students to explore the "terras irradient" mantra as they prepare to embark into the real world. Such retreats would afford a unique chance for students to engage with other students and faculty that they might not normally have the chance or time to connect with. As I mentioned then, such an institutional change takes more than one academic year to fully materialize, but as of now, we are in the process of bringing the fully researched and refined draft and proposal before the faculty. President Marx is about to review the draft.

I have also secured the visit of two former congressmen, a Democrat and a Republican, to our campus in early April for three days. They will hold plenary sessions with the political science department and visit with students to talk about public life.

The last noteworthy initiative is the refounding of Re-Think, Amherst's student-run think tank. Campus conservatives, moderates and progressives all convened to relaunch this endeavor late last fall as leading architects of the revamped program. Re-Think is critical to a school that puts a heavy premium on intellectual exchange and growth. We will kickoff the spring season with the visit of Francis Bok on Feb. 23. He will speak on 21st-century slavery and his experiences as an escapee from Sudan.

So, these are the biggies. I will write to you every other week this semester with updates about what I am doing in an effort to lend some transparency to my job. I entreat you to e-mail or stop me around campus with any suggestions or critiques. Thank you again for this privilege.

Michael Simmons '06

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Valentine meal plan needs more flexibilty

You know what I love most about the $40,980 in tuition fees that my grants, my mom and I pay each year? In that enormous sum there is a small percentage going to my Valentine meals, which I find utterly useless. As a student with limited financial resources, I look forward to those Friday or Saturday nights when a group of friends and I will venture into town to take advantage of the delectable Amherst cuisine. Thai, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, it's all there and it's at most 10 minutes away. Unfortunately, most college students, who are incredibly frugal and financially challenged, are bound to the atrocities that make up the Valentine menu. Why, do you ask? Why don't I just opt out of the meal plan? BECAUSE THEY WON'T LET ME! Unlike those at other schools, the meal plan at Amherst College is structured such that it is included in your comprehensive fees. You can't just choose not to be on it so that you could use the money for something else. No, you have to eat in Valentine, unless you are somewhat wealthy and can afford to eat off-campus whenever you want to, while still paying for the Amherst meal plan. There is only one way to get off the meal plan and the process is so convoluted and ridiculous that even people with serious dietary restrictions might not be able to see it through. It involves getting a note from a doctor saying that you require a special diet that Valentine is not providing, a conversation between your doctor and Dining Services, a meeting with the deans and a meeting with one of the managers in Dining Congressmen Services. Even after all that hassle, your request can still be denied! Why can't Amherst be like all other colleges, which have optional meal plans? Why is it that Amherst will pay $100 for my classmates, my professor and I to eat in town, but will only give me $100 to sacrifice all my breakfasts for an entire semester, the only meal that Val can't screw up? Why can't I opt out of lunch or dinner? Only God knows.

Nazir Savji '08