Terras Irradient

Terras Irradient: The Endowment Episode

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 for Ceasfire Now's proposal for a Socially Responsible Investment Committee. Act 2: Isabelle Anderson '25, on Young Democratic Socialists of America's campaign in favor of a Massachusetts endowment tax. Referenced: AAS Calls on Trustees to Divest from Israel’s War and Occupation President and Chair of the Board of Trustees Respond to Alumni Divestment Letter Trustee Resolution on Investments in Sudan Proposal for a Socially Responsible Investment Committee At Amherst College The Effect of College and University Endowments on Financial Aid, Admissions, and Student Composition Edited and produced by Andrew Rosin '25. 

Terras Irradient: The Faculty Hiring Process

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 faculty hiring process.  Edited and produced by Andrew Rosin '25.

Terras Irradient: The Catacombs Historian

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 Frost Library. And today, he's a loyal user of the Frost Library Catacombs. On this episode of Terras Irradient, Mr. Nash shares some of his favorite memories from his time at Amherst in the 1960s and from his career as an independent scholar. From watching the news of the JFK assassination in the Morrow common room to having dinner in Georgetown with Ronald Reagan, explore the life and career of the historian whose part-time office is the "C Level" of Frost Library.

Terras Irradient: The Athletic Recruitment Debate

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 Copeland '25, varsity cross country and track star Theo Dassin '24, and Reed College junior Lucas Weiss to discuss the debate surrounding the potential end of athletic recruitment. Edited by Karina Maciel '25 and Andrew Rosin '25. Background Reading: https://amherststudent.com/article/faculty-view-discuss-data-on-athletic-recruitment/ https://amherststudent.com/article/faculty-votes-to-release-discuss-data-on-athletic-recruitment-policies/ https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/media/PlaceOfAthleticsAtAmherst_Secure_1.pdf

Campus Life After Covid-19

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 experience before and during the Covid-19 pandemic and to compare it with their experience on campus now.