The Amherst Student

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Channel • 6 Shows

Film Reviews

Film Reviews

Updated Twice Weekly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated Fortnightly
Society & Culture

Society & Culture

Updated Monthly
News

News

Updated Weekly
News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated Monthly
Education

Education

Updated Fortnightly

25/03/2024

Grafting Trees: Prof. Matthew Westermayer

Grafting is an essential agricultural technique for making trees bear sweet-tasting fruit. In the ancient Mediterranean, it was the only known way for humans to modify nature. The graft, then, was and continues to be a prompt to rethink our relationship with the nonhuman world. As Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion Mattthew Westermayer asks, “What is nature insofar that a tree is so malleable?” In conversation with host Priscilla Lee ’25, he traces the roots of grafting as metaphor in Greek and Roman literature, and how it grows beyond metaphor to become spiritual practice—particularly, in Ephrem the Syrian’s Christian hymns. Once you see arboricultural practice as a way of understanding the world, Professor Westermayer promises you won’t stop finding it, everywhere you look. Episode notes and further reading: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kwl4ek6QJ-4-MbbRdF9IiV4TERgnlRk7unXKd8GCmLk/edit?usp=sharing

25/03/2024

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40 min
22/09/2021

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

This week, we discuss the recent surge in Covid-19 cases at UMASS Amherst, student experiences with Five College courses, and a staff writer’s first installment in an investigative series about “class struggle” at the college. Episode Notes: September 8th Employee Shortage Article Produced by Maggie McNamara ‘23 and Sam Spratford ‘24; edited by Cole Richards ‘23.

22/09/2021

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24 min
29/09/2021

Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Today, September 29th, we’ll be discussing how the local economy was affected by the return of students, Amherst’s fall break travel recommendations, and an inefficiency in paycheck distribution that sheds light on student frustration with administrative transparency. Produced by Sam Spratford ‘24 and Maggie McNamara ‘23; edited by Cole Richards ‘23.

29/09/2021

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11 min
04/05/2022

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

This week, we talk about the most recent development in a 50-year movement to establish an Asian Pacific American Studies department on campus, and what a recent wage increase reveals about labor dynamics at the college. Produced by Sam Spratford '24. Audio Engineering by Sebastian Son '22. Wage Raise Breakdown: https://www.amherst.edu/offices/human_resources/ohr-announcements/compensation-increases-faq

04/05/2022

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24 min
13/10/2022

Glee

On this pilot episode, Victoria and Mari weigh the arguments for the best episodes, musical moments, and character arcs of the iconic 2000s TV series "Glee."

13/10/2022

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27 min
13/03/2024

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.

13/03/2024

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35 min
29/03/2023

Jukebox Ep. 4: Ambulance (2022)

In the first Jukebox episode of the Spring 2023 semester, Miles and Tim analyze "Ambulance" – a film they call "exhilaratingly see through" but "really entertaining." Arguing that "Ambulance" is an allegory for the Covid-19 pandemic and a commentary on the high cost of health care in the US, Miles and Tim cover the film's main themes and more.

29/03/2023

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29 min
03/12/2021

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Today, we discuss the student quarantine experience and the unfolding debate over whether or not the college should maintain a remote learning option. Episode Notes: Produced by Sam Spratford '24 and Maggie McNamara '23; edited by Spencer Michaels '24.

03/12/2021

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11 min
09/02/2022

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

This week, we talk about the Instagram account @/amherstshareyourstory, some developments in Amherst's presidential search process, and recent student housing errors. Visit amherststudent.com to read all of our latest stories. Episode Notes: Produced by Sam Spratford '24; edited by Nicole Richards '23.

09/02/2022

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18 min
02/11/2022

DNA Folding: Prof. Ashley Carter

DNA is not a static thing. It is constantly being folded and unfolded, a process which explains why genetically identical twins aren’t actually identical, and how our cells specialize into their various functions. Sit in on office hours as Amherst's Associate Professor of Physics Ashley Carter breaks down the mechanics of DNA folding, as well as the applications of this research in nanoengineering, epigenetics, data storage, and more! Produced and edited by Priscilla Lee ‘25. Episode Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IoTWy-TlLCbL4ZwDy3C_ftpH-v-0S6XBDUT50jZhZpw/edit?usp=sharing

02/11/2022

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34 min

Your one-stop shop for all our podcasts, from news to comedy. For inquiries, tips, and all other business, please e-mail sspratford24@amherst.edu.