Terras Irradient

It's hard to go a day without reading about divestment, either at Amherst or elsewhere. But why is divestment so hard? And why is it the only endowment-related initiative we talk about? On this episode of Terras Irradient, we explain why the endowment is such a hot button issue, how it works (and doesn't work), and how we can make it more equitable. Act 1: Vanessa Glass '26, on Jews fo...

How do departments decide which new professors to hire? Who allocates these hiring slots? What happens when a job search fails? On today's episode of Terras Irradient, Host Andrew Rosin '25 is joined by professors leading their department's search committees, the chair of the Committee on Educational Policy, and professors hired as recently as last month to discuss each stage of the fa...

If you've ever studied in the "C-Level" of Frost Library – colloquially known as "the Catacombs" – there's a good chance you've worked next to George H. Nash '67. Who is Mr. Nash? He's a scholar of American conservatism and a biographer of Herbert Hoover. He was a student at Amherst College when John F. Kennedy gave a speech at the dedication ceremony for Fr...

How would Amherst College change if it eliminated athletic recruitment? What would the campus community gain or lose if Amherst did not have varsity sports? What is the student experience like at Reed College, a peer institution that does  not  have athletic recruitment or varsity sports? On this episode of Terras Irradient, host Andrew Rosin '25 is joined by Senior Managing Editor Dustin Cope...

It's April of 2023, and no Covid-19 era polices remain. But does this mean that the Amherst campus has returned to its pre-pandemic normalcy? The current seniors -- members of the class of '23 -- will be the last class of Amherst students to have experienced Amherst before the pandemic. So, before they graduate, we asked three current seniors and two recent graduates to share their experie...

What are the main barriers to getting involved in campus life for student-athletes? Why are some student-athletes more involved than others?  And what can we do to better facilitate community engagement among student-athletes? On this episode of Terras Irradient, host Andrew Rosin '25 is joined by Tom Ye '25, Lauren Dinhofer '23, Clay Zachary '23E, and AnLing Vera '25 to discuss the reasons w...

What does the Board of Trustees do? If you can't answer this question, you're likely not alone. Luckily, on this episode of Terras Irradient, we're joined by three members of Amherst College's Board of Trustees -- Andy Nussbaum '85, Paul Smith '78, and Shirley Tilghman -- to break down their role on campus. From the construction of the new student center to the wages of Valentine Dining Hall Emplo...

In March 2022, the Wesleyan Union of Student Employees made history by becoming the first undergraduate student union to be voluntarily recognized. This development arose on a changing landscape of labor militancy throughout the US: as the Amazon Labor Union was entering the national landscape, so did students at Iowa’s Grinnell College formalize a union for all student employees. How do the Amher...

If Amherst boasts a 93% graduation rate, then what are the stories of the forgotten 7%? Through the voices of transfer students -- that is, students who transferred away from Amherst -- we begin to answer this question. Produced by Andrew Rosin '25. Edited by Andrew Kim '26.

What exactly does a career in public service entail? How and why do Amherst grads fail or succeed in entering the field? All these questions, and more, on this semester opener. Read the rest of our series examining career outcomes at https://amherststudent.com/article/a-better-amherst-amherst-isnt-doing-its-job/ and https://amherststudent.com/podcast/the-student-sums-it-up-wednesday-april-20-2022/...

In 2020, 1/5 of Amherst College graduates went on to work in the finance industry; the next-highest number of grads — only 11% — went into consulting. In other words, finance is far and away the most appealing industry to Amherst students. At a school with such diverse opportunities, and which purports itself to be a progressive institution, why does there seem to be an Amherst-to-Wall-Street pipe...

In this episode, we discuss the enforcement and punishment processes of Covid-19 restrictions and other regulations placed on the student body. To shine a light on alternative judicial models, we interviewed a Reed College student. Should Amherst adopt these alternative principles of justice?  Episode Details:  Produced by Conner Glynn '24 and Karen Lee '25; edited by Sam Spratford '24.&...