It is easy in such a quiet moment after such great anxiety to believe that all is well, that we may return to the dreamy nature of our lulling Amherst bubble. This is unequivocally not the case. As President Marx hammers home in many venues, the $37 Million in cuts for the ’09-’12 academic years — along with our more stable financial position — only buys us time to discuss future budgetary corrections.
Jide Zeitlin, the Chairman of our Board of Trustees, noted in his August letter that we must rethink our cost structure. Whatever changes these may be, students’ input remains evermore important, as upperclassmen can provide wisdom gained through years spent here, while underclassmen will feel any changes’ effects the longest. We can be sure that our faculty, administrators, staff and trustees will be debating the future of Amherst. As such, why shouldn’t students do the same?
These longer-term issues aside, everyday issues of academics and student life — some of them the results of budget-driven changes, while others continue from pre-crisis times — remain pertinent. From casual dinnertime chatter to full articles and editorials in The Student, it is clear there are many things that trouble students. Course availability, the quality of scientific and musical education, overcrowding throughout the College, the functions of our athletic program and affordability of Amherst are but the tip of the iceberg in student concerns. Our administrators and managers can only tell so much of the story to our Trustees. Only students have the on-the-ground stories that convey the effects of policies. It is in a moment like the one we find ourselves in on Oct. 16, when powerful ears make themselves available as an audience, that such concerns should be expressed. Over a standard Valentine lunch, talk about how a friend had trouble finding a good fourth course, how our musicians struggle to hone their talents in the confines of existing facilities or how a floormate fears for his/her ability to continue coming to Amherst. For that matter, talk about the lunch itself and how long you stood in line to get it!
The effects of policies enacted from above are hard to gauge without the primary input of those who live under the policies. When the AAS sends out the email asking for your participation in the Oct. 16 lunches, I hope you sign up to advance the interests of all students. Have a good lunch and tell a good story. How hard can it be?