Entries Tagged as 'Uncategorized'

The End of History?

December 26th, 2008 · 10 Comments

Err…AmhPub, rather?
Actually, those of you who have taken a class with Professor Pavel Machala will recognize the title: neocon-turned-Obamacon Francis Fukuyama famously declared that the end of the Cold War represented the end of history, at least in the sense of ideological competition.  Well, there’s been a bunch of history since then, and guess what: [...]

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Thoughts on the Spring Concert

December 8th, 2008 · 4 Comments

Well, where to begin?  I suppose that I should make it clear right now - I’m not about to bash Program Board.  They’re doing a fine job; they reformed the voting process, are working tirelessly for your benefit, and have exponentially multiplied their level of transparency.  Nevertheless, I’d like to make a few points.
PB should [...]

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Endowment Press

November 30th, 2008 · No Comments

Ron Lieber of the New York Times: (any relation to Dean Ben, do you think?)
To me, the best pitch of all would invoke a specific debt. Universities tend not to remind alumni of the precise sum of their four or more years of scholarships. It would look too much like a bill. But I should [...]

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Pre-Thanksgiving Round-Up

November 24th, 2008 · No Comments

Congratulations to new the Student Editor-in-Chiefs Robyn Bahr and Haley Castro.  The first issue is fantastic; I’ll be commenting on a bunch of goodies from the issue.  Kudos as well to the new Indicator EICs Karl Teo Molin and David Vaimberg.  Looking forward, boys!

President Marx:

We have something like one-third less endowment and so we [...]

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Malta?

November 15th, 2008 · 1 Comment

Professor Hadley Arkes is looking at real estate in Malta:
After the election: I’ve been on the internet, looking at real estate in … Malta. Just think, a four-bedroom townhouse, near the new marina, in Zabbar, $350,000 USD (asking). Hmm. It is not only that the outcome of our election portends a moral disaster at several [...]

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AOL is Amherst; Yahoo is Yale

November 7th, 2008 · No Comments

Or, at least, their corporate merger code names are:
In the case of Yahoo’s merger talks with AOL, which are ongoing, the pair seem to be aiming for a tony image, using the names of two upscale institutions of higher education: Yale University and Amherst College.
Why? Obviously, the first letter of each school corresponds with the [...]

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Election Day at Amherst

November 4th, 2008 · No Comments

Although some disgruntled Paulites may disagree with me, I’d like to encourage all local voters to excercise their civic duty today and get to the polls.  If you’re a student, your polling location is:
Bangs Community Center
70 Boltwood Walk
Good luck, and remember to vote!

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Endowment / Lord Jeff Roundup (Updated)

October 31st, 2008 · No Comments

I’ve been getting behind lately, but I think a roundup of the last week or so is necessary.

President Marx sent out the campus-wide email and press statement:

College and university endowments across the country have been significantly affected by market volatility in recent weeks, and Amherst’s is no exception. Even with our relatively strong investment management, [...]

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Town Select Board Election

October 26th, 2008 · 1 Comment

So far, I’ve avoided any type of election analysis or opinion - that is not the place of this particular blog, after all - but I do feel compelled to make a note of one that could significantly impact the College.
Residents of the Town of Amherst may be aware of a competitive race for a seat on the Town Select Board. Four contenders are vying for the spot - a brief description of each can be found at the Amherst Bulletin.
Two particularly noteworthy candidates for the election are Aaron Hayden and Dave Keenen.

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Fuzzy Math

October 18th, 2008 · 1 Comment

In my last post, I linked to an Op-Ed by Amherst President Tony Marx in the LA Times.  In the piece, he argues against a proposed minimum spending rate on colleges’ endowment funds.  His points are especially compelling given the state of the market.  For the record, I stand in basic agreement with his reasoning.
However, [...]

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Tags: Uncategorized