Has anyone from Hampshire applied to law school? How do you get around the GPA requirements? Note: My concentration was in fine art so I would be relying heavily on the LSAT and my extracurricular and post-graduation work in politics and social justice organizations.

Any advice about applying to non-humanities graduate programs would be really appreciated.

After 5 years of successfully forwarding all my Hampshire e-mail to my Gmail account, it has suddenly stopped working. I have no idea why and I can't remember how I set it up in the first place. Help?

<>

I'm a sophomore at Smith looking to take the RAD self-defense class at Hampshire that runs from late January-early Feb after J-term when classes start up again. Is is difficult to get a spot in? Anyone who has taken the class before & has something to say about it is more than free to comment as well. I think Amanda Surgen is teaching it, but I could be remembering wrong.

Where:
Worlds Apart Games
48 N. Pleasant St (Down town Amherst between the ABC and the fire station)
Amherst, MA 01002
413-259-6893


When: Sunday, October 4th 1pm

What: Sealed deck Magic tournament with prizes

Entry Fee for this event will be $25.00

Tournament Structure:
The format for this event is a Swiss Rounds Sealed Deck using 6 Boosters of Zendikar. Each player will build their decks from their boosters adding as much basic land as they wish, to construct a deck of at least 40 cards. We will have basic land on site that may be borrowed for this event, just please make sure that you return any land that you borrow.

Prizes:
For this event, we have the following up for grabs....

The first 36 attendees receive a free foil promo card Valkut, the Molten Pinnacle!

Zendikar Packs based on attendance. 90% of the Prize pool will be split among the top placers (Based on attendance).

The remaining 10% of the prize pool will be given out as random door prizes throughout the tournament. Playmats and other merchandise will also be given out as door prizes and to the top placer(s).

Where:
Worlds Apart Games
48 N. Pleasant St (Down town Amherst between the ABC and the fire station)
Amherst, MA 01002
413-259-6893



When: Sunday, September 27th 1pm

What: Sealed deck Magic tournament with prizes

Entry Fee for this event will be $25.00

Tournament Structure:
The format for this event is a Swiss Rounds Sealed Deck using 6 Boosters of Zendikar. Each player will build their decks from their boosters adding as much basic land as they wish, to construct a deck of at least 40 cards. We will have basic land on site that may be borrowed for this event, just please make sure that you return any land that you borrow.

Prizes:
For this event, we have the following up for grabs....

The first 36 attendees receive a free receive mythic foil promo card Rampaging Baloth! AND a Planechase Celestine Reef

Zendikar Packs based on attendance (3 packs per person!). 90% of the Prize pool will be split among the top placers (Based on attendance).

The remaining 10% of the prize pool will be given out as random door prizes throughout the tournament. Playmats and other merchandise will also be given out as door prizes and to the top placer(s).

Open Dueling -
Players who are new to the game may want to join in the festivities without being in a tournament. That Cool! There is open dueling all Sunday with brand new intro packs,and booster draft sets. Plus, a promo card will be awarded if you fill out your open dueling card!!! (While supplies last)

Hey Hampsters,
Hampshire Alum Ken Burns is on The Colbert Report tonight!

It's kind of last minute (It's 11:33PM as I post this) but it'll be on again tomorrow, so check it out if you want to see (as far as I know) the first Hampshire alum on the Colbert Report!

When: This Saturday (September 19th) at Midnight.

Where: South Hadley Tower Theaters (Across the street from Mt Holyoke)
http://www.towertheaters.com/

What: Rocky Horror Picture Show Back to School/Pirate Night --- Catholic school girls meets pirates (why not)


Tickets are only $3 and crap kits (full of everything you need to throw, blow, or put over your head) are FREE to all.


Come out and celibate talk like a pirate day in style.
Bring your friends and watch them squirm at the debauchery! -- A great time for all!

So I'm applying to Hampshire for 2010, and I just had a few questions. 

1. I was wondering what the local band scene was like around Hampshire. What about the consortium? 
2. How's the hampshire music department? I'm not planning for my main concentration to be music, but I may want it to involve it a little.
3. I'm a drummer. Are there drums on campus, or should I bring mine?
4. I love hampshire. It's my first choice, and when I visited it, I fell in love more. My grades aren't that bad, though, I don't really think reflect who I am, and could hurt my application. It's a high B average, but I have had consistent Bs in an alternative english program where you grade yourself (I give myself Bs to help myself improve). Could the grades hurt me?

Thanks.

I'm an alum in need of a current student to request some scientific papers through the 5 college library system and send them to me.  I'll pay!
Regular old internet research just doesn't cut it, I'm afraid :P

Magic: The Gathering Booster Drafts are every Thursday night at Worlds Apart Games.

Come down and check it out! Its one of the cheapest and most fun ways to collect and/or play magic. Friendly to beginners and old players alike.

These events are sanctioned so players can earn player rewards for playing!

When: Every Thursday at 6:30pm
Where: Worlds Apart Games
48 N pleasant st B2 (under papa gino's)
www.worldsapartgames.org
413-259-6893

How much: $10

Prizes! --- Prizes are a Rare redraft at the end. As well as random door prizes (promo foils!).

Dear lazyweb of Hampshire:

I have a problem; I am getting into Hampshire late in the evening Monday -- this year the housing office arranged for keys to be put in mailboxes for acquisition after-hours. However, I think I may not remember the combination to my mailbox -- I have some time before my plane leaves on Monday when I could call Hampshire, though. Which office(s) should I call in order to ensure I don't end up spending a night sleeping in the mail room or Airport Lounge or such?

As everyone makes their summer plans, I wish to remind you to consider attending Pi-Con! Pi-Con is a weekend-long celebration of science fiction and other fan interests - there's webcomics, science, costuming, gaming, larping, filk, lifestyle, and lots more. This year, it's happening August 21-23 in Enfield, CT right off 91, just south of the MA border. Register today!


This year will feature Author Guest of Honor Mary Doria Russell (award winning author of The Sparrow and Children of God), Webcomic Guest of Honor Jeffrey Rowland (creator of Wigu, Overcompensating, and the awesome t-shirt site Topatoco), and Guest of Awesome Genevieve Iseult Eldredge. We will also see the return of our video game room, two full rooms of all day board/card/table top gaming, many favorite panels and events including the panel in the pool, and the new addition of Filk programming! There will also be performances by our local Rocky Horror and Repo casts (The Come Again Players and Genetic Imperfection)

Full weekend pre-registration rates for Pi-Con are currently $40 for adults or only $25 for students! Get your registrations in at the early rate!

Room reservations are *open* for Pi-Con! Room rate will be $109/night + tax. Just go to http://www.pi-con.org/hotel.php and you can register online for a room.

For more information, to volunteer, sign up to vend, or otherwise contact us, check out our web page at www.pi-con.org

Magic 2010 Prerelease Sealed Deck Tournament


Where:

Worlds Apart Games

48 N. Pleasant St (Down town Amherst between the ABC and the fire station)

Amherst, MA 01002

413-259-6893

When: Sunday, July 12th 1pm

What: Sealed deck tournament with prizes

Entry Fee for this event will be $25.00

Tournament Structure:
The format for this event is a Swiss Rounds Sealed Deck using Boosters of Magic 2010. Each player will build their decks from their boosters adding as much basic land as they wish, to construct a deck of at least 40 cards. We will have basic land on site that may be borrowed for this event, just please make sure that you return any land that you borrow.

Prizes:
For this event, we have the following up for grabs....

The first 24 attendees receive a free receive mythic foil promo card Vampire Nocturnus!

Magic 2010 Packs based on attendance (3 packs per entry!). 90% of the Prize pool will be split among the top placers (Based on attendance).

The remaining 10% of the prize pool will be given out as random door prizes throughout the tournament. Playmats and other merchandise will also be given out as door prizes and to the top placer(s).

Open Dueling -
Players who are new to the game may want to join in the festivities without being in a tournament. That Cool! There is open dueling all Sunday with brand new intro packs,and booster draft sets. Plus, a promo card will be awarded if you fill out your open dueling card!!! (While supplies last)

The much awaited Worlds Apart Games Board Game League has begun. Participation is free, and players have the chance to win a portion of $100 in prizes to the store!

The League is will run through Sunday, August 16th when we shall wrap up with a final tournament!

You may join at any time, but the sooner you start, the sooner you can start earning league points.

Don't worry if you are not very experienced with board games. You get points for every game you play, so you can make up for a lack of practice with enthusiasm and tenacity.

Hey everyone,
My band is looking for an experienced bass guitarist. We rehearse in Longmeadow and can perform any song of your choice. Since we are a professional group, we seek a committed, dedicated musician. Please comment so that I can give you more information about us. Thanks!

Hey who out there likes to eat pizza and network but also eat really yummy pizza? Well if you are also anywhere near Portland Oregon we are having an alumni meet up this Thursday, May 21, 2009 at 7:00pm @ Flying Pie Pizza (7804 SE Stark, Portland) there is also vegan cheese, whole wheat crusts and gluten free options available on the Menu. Hope to see you there!!!!

Also feel free to show up if you are a current/prospective student as well all are welcome!

Where: 48 N Pleasant St (Downstairs between the ABC and the Firestation).
Amherst, MA 01002
413-259-6893

More info: www.worldsapartgames.org

Hey everybody. I'm graduating this year and I'll be moving away from the Amherst area after Commencement. My queen-size box springs for my bed won't fit in the moving van. I've considered taking it to the Salvation Army or just leaving it at the free bin on Hampshire's move-out day, but I thought I'd post on here first to see if anyone was interested.

I bought the box springs new for $139 last September and they're in really good condition, and I was hoping to get something between $30-$50 for them but I'll give them away for free if I have to.

Hi there Hampshire Students. I am an alum and in the area for a short time and need someone to help me get my stuff from storage. I would like to pay you and your vehicle (preferably a car with a roomy trunk or a truck) $20 for the hour or so I will need you.

Does anyone have a schedule for graduation?  I mean as complete a schedule as possible- with all the rehearsals, Div III presentations, dinners, addresses, etc etc etc.  All us soon to be alumni in my mod are trying to piece it together and it's really not working, there's just too many things happening and they've all been e-mailed to us in the most disorganized way possible.  Is there an office with a master list or something?

Thanks!

Anyone know of an older student who is potentially looking for a single in a fantastic five person Greenwich mod (35 - spaceship 5.) Two bathrooms, sunlight, gas stove

We are:
Clean (but not TOO clean)
Respectful of quiet (but not particularly quiet)
Respectful of substance free (but not exactly substance free)
Friendly
and all Female (so far!) 

I'm going to be a Div III (and I'm the intern for Spaceship 5) and the other three are going to be Div II students.

Basically we are looking for one more friendly respectful older student who wants to come live in an awesome mod.

(alternatively, if you have a group of four who want a five person greenwich mod - you should let me know in that case as well!) 

Hey Guys,

Mod lottery is coming up very soon. The people in our double just backed out this morning...

We're a group of third years (going on Div III) who need 1 single and a double to be filled.

We're good with chores, love to cook and bake and are clean. We're friendly, but respect each others need for quiet. Since we're all going to be Div III next semester, this will not be a party mod and noise will be kept to a minimum. Depending on who we mod with, we might end up doing farm share. We have a Wii!

We're going for an Enfield mod.

Trust me, the rooms are nice and the double is incredibly spacious (more so than Greenwich doubles.)


Tam

Hey Guys,

Mod lottery is coming up very soon. The people in our double just backed out this morning...

We're a group of third years (going on Div III) who need 1 single and a double to be filled.

We're good with chores, love to cook and bake and are clean. We're friendly, but respect each others need for quiet. Since we're all going to be Div III next semester, this will not be a party mod and noise will be kept to a minimum. Depending on who we mod with, we might end up doing farm share. We have a Wii!

We're going for an Enfield mod.

Trust me, the rooms are nice and the double is incredibly spacious (more so than Greenwich doubles.)


Tam

Hey, so I'm filling on the CW application (due tomorrow, yikes!) and there are a few faculty who I know are part of the creative writing program and that I'm applying for (Nell Arnold for instance) but I don't know if some of the other people I'm trying to get on my committee are part of it.  I tried looking on Hampshire's site, but all I can find is a page that says, yes, Hampshire has a creative writing program (http://www.hampshire.edu/academics/3074.htm) or the page that lists all of the IA faculty, but doesn't clarify which are part of the CW program and which aren't (http://www.hampshire.edu/academics/7188.htm).

I know I've found the page listing the CW faculty before, but that was before Hampshire updated the site, and the application doesn't list it either - like the F/P/V app does.  Can anyone help?

Hey folks,

Does anyone have a copy of "The Archive and the Repetoire" by Diana Taylor?  I need it for my Div III, and it is either missing or on hold at all the 5 college libraries.  If you let me borrow it I'll mention you in my acknowledgements page!!  Wooo!!

I just received a letter stating that although not accepted, I've been offered a spot on the wait list. Checking around the web, apparently it's very tough to get accepted after you've been wait listed at a college. Is this the same with Hampshire? Can anybody whose been wait listed and accepted in the past chime in with some advice or something? Or should I just go ahead with picking out a second choice college? This is all very disheartening for me because Hampshire was really the only school I was interested in.

The following has been a floating around a little bit on fb. Thought it should be here too.

March 3, 2009

Letter to Ralph Hexter and Sig Roos:

We were chagrined, no heartsick, to read the letter you and Sig Roos sent to Alan Dershowitz along with your letter to the community (effectively your second letter to Dershowitz) which are now publicly circulating.

Your deference to Mr. Dershowitz is unwarranted: "We begin by affirming our high esteem for you, both as a legal scholar and a powerful voice against anti-Semitism."

Dershowitz is anything but these things. He has legally justified the use of torture. He uses anti-Semitism as a cudgel against people who criticize Israeli policy.

Dershowitz has built a reputation for vindictiveness, vilifying critics of Israeli policy, both individuals and institutions, rather than articulating intellectual arguments. He characterized Hampshire as "a school that now promotes discrimination and is complicit in evil." Is this not the very essence of demagoguery? And followed with a threat: "There must be a price paid for bigotry."

Dershowitz gave you an ultimatum: you must issue a statement that makes clear that Hampshire has ”rejected an attempt by students for Justice in Palestine to divest from companies supporting the occupation of Palestine, and instead applied existing principles, requiring them to divest from companies which failed to meet certain standards" or he would make you pay for Hampshire's "bigotry." You obliged with the former. Instead of responding as the creative institution that you represent by providing an alternative framework to answer the threat, you lent credibility to intimidation, and you abandoned the college's tradition of moral and political commitments to independence, justice and activism. You have demeaned students who mastered a huge amount of material, who engaged hundreds of students in a process of education, debate, and action, including Israelis and Palestinians who intimately know the realities of Israeli/Palestinian relations. You have threatened them because their interpretation of events doesn't agree with yours.

Perhaps you should return to the work of your highly respected friend, Judith Butler, who has laid the foundation for responses to such claims as Dershowitz'.

From Butler: "It is important to distinguish between anti-Semitic speech which, say, produces a hostile and threatening environment for Jewish students -- racist speech which any university administrator would be obliged to oppose and regulate -- and speech which makes a student uncomfortable because it opposes a particular state or set of state policies that he or she may defend. The latter is a political debate, and if we say that the case of Israel is different, that any criticism of it is considered as an attack on Israelis, or Jews in general, then we have singled out this political allegiance from all other allegiances that are open to public debate. We have engaged in the most outrageous form of 'effective' censorship.'"

Judith Butler captures the essence of the Dershowitz strategy -- 'effective ' censorship'. Here she plays with Larry Summers’ statement that criticism of Israel, which if not in intent, then in effect, is anti-Semitic. We are sure you've read her stunning rejoinder to Summers. But most importantly, the intent of such censorship is to produce a stasis in regard to U.S. and Israeli policy toward Palestine.

You have turned away from the challenge to be intellectually and administratively creative, drawing on a base of support from the Hampshire community itself, and even from people who had previously not known about the college. Standing against the intimidation and threats leveled at Hampshire, alumni are mobilizing each other to donate to Hampshire, most for the first time. Jewish Voice for Peace, with a following 80,000 people, sent a letter of congratulations to SJP. Letters have come from all over the world, from countries where many had not heard of Hampshire, but now celebrate the college. People of stature like Adrienne Rich, Archbishop Tutu, Paul Gilroy, and Anat Biletski (the former director of the highly respected Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem), among others, recognized the courage of the college. And now?

Your open letter to the Hampshire community was taken by Dershowitz -- and rightly so -- to be the capitulation he wanted. In effect you have allowed Dershowitz to frame the discourse for you. How is it that you feel comfortable engaging with a demagogic bully, yet uncomfortable engaging in a genuine conversation with students who have demonstrated over and over again their willingness to participate in dialogue and in rational discussion? In this you have violated what you say are your own principles of civil discourse.

Hopefully the students and faculty will continue to define Hampshire against your failure to embrace civil discourse, justice and human rights, against your abandonment of the Palestinians when all around the world, including among Jews, the devastation of Gaza is inscribed on people's conscience. You indicated in your letter that Hampshire is defined by the administration, the trustees and the investment committee, not the faculty and students. You are mistaken.

Nell Arnold
Carollee Bengelsdorf
Margaret Cerullo
Christoph Cox
Omar Dahi
Lynne Hanley
Michele Hardesty
Constance Valis Hill
Paul Jenkins
Kay Johnson
Amy Jordan
Kara Lynch
Heather Madden
Monique Roelofs
Mitziko Sawada - emerita
Falguni Sheth

Does anyone have a working AT&T phone I can buy from you?  Mine no longer works and I'm not up for shelling out the big bucks for a new one, since I'm not due for an upgrade anytime soon.  Any kind is fine, I just need one that works and that I can put a sim card in.  Thanks!

I need to reserve a space for a class I'm TAing. I'm leaning toward an FPH classroom. Who should I contact?

Hey guys,

My name is Jennifer and I am a casting associate at MTV's True Life. Right now we are casting for an upcoming episode of the award-winning series True Life.  For this episode, we are looking for people who are at odds with their parents for one reason or another.  The topics we are looking for are students who are living a more Americanized lifestyle their traditional parents don't understand, students who are practicing a religion that their parents don't support, or  students who are dating someone their parents don’t approve of.  We are also always interested in hearing other stories about what students and their parents don't see eye on.  I  would really appreciate if you could pass this along to anyone you may know

If you could have people email their situations to Parents@mtvnmix.com with their name, age, location, phone number, and recent photo of themselves I would really appreciate it.

Thanks, and feel free to message me with any questions
Jennifer

Since its initial episode in 1998, MTV's award-winning True Life documentary series has told remarkable real-life stories of young people and the unusual subcultures they inhabit. Whether documenting the lives of gay marriage activists, individuals dealing with obesity, or teens in high school--the True Life series tells its stories solely from the varied voices and points-of-view of its characters--putting the series in the unique position of reflecting the state of youth culture at any given moment.

I know there was a post about local salons, but I can't seem to find it. Feel free to direct me to that post and I can delete this one.

I'm looking for salon suggestions. I've been getting my hair cut by the same woman since I was 7, but it's been a while since I've been home and I'm in need of a hair cut. I've heard great things about Firefly, but I'm not sure my checking account can handle that experience right now. The prices of Bucci are certainly appealing, but I'm strangely picky/paranoid/nervous about hair cuts and am willing to pay a bit more if it means I'll get what I want. Does anyone have any suggestions for in between places? Has anyone tried Glamourama? I have curly-ish hair, so advice from other people with curly-ish hair would be great.

Thanks!

It's a 1 gig flash drive, and practically worthless at this point, but I  am sentimentally attached to the data. It's blue, with a black texture-y thing on the front and a little green light when you plug it in. SO! If you happen to have it (I may have left it in a public computer), and you still have the data, could you send the data to jtpisflat@gmail.com? I don't really care about the drive. No questions asked, blablabla.

I figured I'd give it one last shot... :-/

Hello Hampsters,

I'm a Div III student with a ton of work for one or two lucky Div II's who need community service.  My Div III involves a lot of interviewing, and I'm finding that it's easiest for me to refer to the interviews in my writing if I have a transcription of them first.  I probably have about three more interviews to do- each is between 45 minutes and two hours long- and I'm just at the point where I can't devote hours and hours to transcription anymore.  This is where you come in.

All you would need to do is borrow a transcription machine from media services and transcribe the interviews.  It doesn't have to be perfect; they're not being published or anything.  Each one needs to be done within a week or so of when I do the interview, and this is really the most important part.  So if you have an easy week coming up at some point in the next month or so, you need to fulfill your community service, and you like/can tolerate/are interested in transcription, send me an e-mail at sch05@hampshire.edu.

Does anyone have lightly used camping gear they would like to lend me and/or sell to me for cheap? Backpacks,light blankets, other things you might want on a farm in new zealand? Im trying to travel cheap, your help would rulleeee:)

Straight from emails-i-should-no-longer-be-receiving to your eyes, lovely H students.

<>Dear Alan,

We begin by affirming our high esteem for you, both as a legal scholar and a
powerful voice against anti-Semitism. We also appreciate that as a parent of a
Hampshire College alumnus, you are part of a community that we hold dear.
Nonetheless, we are saddened and frustrated by your recent column in the
Jerusalem Post and elsewhere and by your many comments in the press, which
present information about the actions of the Hampshire College Board of
Trustees that is simply not true. Hampshire College did not divest from Israel
or take the action it did because of Israel's relationship with the
Palestinians or its presence on the West Bank.

At no time did the college or the board take actions or make statements
motivated by anti-Semitism, bigotry and anti-Israelism.

Your influence in the public sphere of ideas has the power to cause great harm
to our - or, indeed, any - institution's reputation. So our frustration stems
from your decision to rely not on the official statements of the board of
trustees and from us as individuals, but rather from the press releases of a
student group, Students for Justice in Palestine.

Hampshire College has made a strenuous, good-faith effort to explain its
decision to exit a problematic mutual fund. We make this effort again, without
equivocation: Israel was not the cause for divestment from the State Street
fund. As you know, last spring, the student group SJP, which is sympathetic to
the Palestinian cause, petitioned, as is its right, the community-based
subcommittee (CHOIR) on responsible investing, which is a subcommittee of the
investment committee, in turn itself a subcommittee of the finance committee of
the board, asking that the college exit from one particular fund, State Street
SSgA. The group claimed that six companies in the fund were supporting or
profiting from Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. The companies
were said to be Caterpillar, General Electric, ITT, Motorola, Terex and United
Technologies. CHOIR passed a recommendation concerning these companies to the
investment committee, in accordance with the board's procedures.

The investment committee, however, expressly rejected this narrow focus, and
instead sought to apply our own socially responsible investment policies. This
cursory review suggested multiple problems - none of them having to do with
Israel - in the fund, and also revealed the implementation inadequacies of the
policy. The committee then turned to an outside, independent reviewer, KLD
Research & Analytics, the gold standard for socially responsible investment
screening, to look closely into the fund's components. KLD's review vetted
companies for several possible red flags, including employment discrimination,
environmental abuse, military weapons manufacturing, unsafe workplace settings,
and dealings with Burma or Sudan. Twenty-three equities were found to violate
the military weapons screen; four dealt with Burma and three with Sudan; 70
were involved in significant employment discrimination controversies; 28 were
found to be environmentally problematic; and 197 were cited for employee safety
issues. Some companies appeared in more than one screening category.

In sum, what KLD found was that of the fund's 455 holdings, well over 200 raised
significant concerns relative to Hampshire College's socially responsible
investment policy and were in violation of values of socially responsible
investing. It was on this basis that the investment committee voted as it did
to exit from the fund when an alternative fund has been identified. The
decision was entirely unrelated to Israel or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In fact, two of the six companies originally cited by students as problematic
were given a clean bill of health on Hampshire's policy by the KLD screeners
(and a third, it turned out, was not even listed as a constituent of the fund).

At the risk of repetition, let us emphasize again that this review did not
include Israel, its interaction with the Palestinians, nor its presence on the
West Bank as tests for the stocks in this fund. Moreover, Hampshire currently
holds investments in funds that include many hundreds of companies that do
business in Israel and in at least three actual Israeli companies: Amdocs, Teva
Pharmaceuticals and Check Point Software.

We understand that socially responsible investing is a very powerful tool and
must be used prudently. The investment committee and now the full board have
recognized during this process that the college's policy on socially
responsible investment, last revised in 1994, has become outdated and much too
awkward to implement. We are now at work developing a new college policy on
socially responsible investing, one that is up-to-date and provides clear
guidance for our investment advisors.

Sadly, though, there have been students and some members of our faculty who have
mischaracterized what happened here, claiming that the board did something that
it did not do. None is a member of the investment committee. We have great
respect for our students and encourage their endeavors - academic, social,
political. We very much want our campus to be a place for learning and for
healthy debate from all points of view. But we are also clear, and urge you to
understand us clearly, when we say that students do not speak for the college
and may not willfully misrepresent the school. It will be, and must be, the
college's task to undertake any disciplinary action, according to its
established rules and procedures. Discipline is an internal process that is not
shared with the public.

We understand that this is an emotional issue for all involved. We simply want
to state the facts plainly, separating them from the rhetoric, which, while
very public, remains all too often untrue. Your good opinion matters to us; it
matters, yes, because you are an influential public figure, but it matters even
more because we count you as one of the Hampshire family, and hope that you will
think of yourself that way, too.

Sincerely,

Ralph Hexter, president
Sigmund Roos, chair of the Board of Trustees
Hampshire College

(direct quote, but does ANYONE have this statement from a college link?)

ALSO:
"Shabbat dinner will be at 6:30 this week. Why? Because SJP is
having a workshop on anti-Jewish oppression. According to the email sent out to
the SJP email list, Zach Scholl and Katie Goldstein from Jews for Racial and
Economic Justice are planning the training for SJP and the seminar for
Hampshire on antisemitism and anti-Jewish oppression. So if you're interested
in going, it won't conflict with Shabbat dinner!"

Great, guys. Does someone have the place and time specifics of the SJP event? (Because I am on a few mailing lists inapprops, but notttt SJP's) 

So the minutes from that Board meeting regarding the divestment are supposed to be available on the intarwebz through offices and then the archives section (so said Hexter last night), but all I could find was a "summary" of the last meeting, which isn't the same thing as the minutes.

Still, it did say this:
"authorized the executive committee to establish an ad hoc committee, to report no later than November 2009, consisting of members of CHOIR, the finance committee, and the investment committee, as well as representatives of students, faculty and staff, to revise the CHOIR policy"

So, you know, some of you might want to get on that.

Below is an excerpt from SJP's official response to the statement of clarification that the administration sent out last week. I am posting it with two specific points in mind:

1. This was a victory for SJP and is the direct result of years of political organizing around this issue. The de-politicizing of the divestment was a last minute attempt to "save face," by which I mean "appease people who wanted us to fund the IDF even during the most recent siege in Gaza." (How that works out to be promoting a good and noble reputation for the institution, I will never understand.)

2. Let us be reminded of the large number of SJP members and supporters who are Jews and Israelis. SJP is not misrepresenting Jewish students at Hampshire, it is accurately representing non- and anti-Zionist Jewish students at Hampshire, among others.

<>
On May 8, 2008 SJP presented a proposal to the Committee at Hampshire on Investment Responsibility (CHOIR), a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees’ investment committee. The proposal was to divest from six companies due to their activities in the occupied Palestinian territories. On May 16, 2008 SJP made the same presentation to the full Board of Trustees, urging them to divest from the six corporations. On August 26, 2008 CHOIR voted “to recommend to the investment committee that Hampshire College divest of the following six companies: Caterpillar, Terex, Motorola, ITT, General Electric, United Technologies based on full consideration of the presentation by SJP.” This is a direct quotation from the CHOIR meeting minutes.

After this recommendation, the Investment Committee made the decision to divest from the mutual fund that held these companies. On Feb 7, 2009, the Investment Committee informed the Board of Trustees of its decision to divest. The administration denies that the decision was made in response to any concerns about any particular “region” or “political movement;” however SJP was explicitly asked by the administration what companies to avoid in the future in terms of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. This fact illustrates that the Israeli occupation and SJP’s work were undoubtedly the primary reasons for the decision to divest.

Furthermore, the violations of the other 200 companies cited by the “statement of clarification” were only researched days before the investment committee’s decision to divest from the mutual fund. For eight and a half months the only specific companies in the State Street fund that were discussed were the six companies SJP targeted. These facts prove that the decision was made on the grounds of the six companies’ involvement in the occupation of Palestine. We can only assume the reason the Board and administration chose to depoliticize this decision is because of the volatile nature of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

So my friend who works in an administration office tells me that something like 30 parents have called up admissions this morning and withdrawn their children's applications to Hampshire, in a year where application numbers are already down due to the economy. Apparently there is going to be a SURPRISE PRESS CONFERENCE with the national media on Monday in FPH where, I suspect, members of SJP plan on misrepresenting their viewpoint as the consensus of the college and the actions of the Board of Trustees as an explicit political statement. I encourage anyone interested in representing dissenting viewpoints, or even more moderate ones, to contact the media (the Boston Globe and Democracy Now!, for instance), the Board of Trustees (http://www.hampshire.edu/offices/599.htm), and their parents. Also, I plan on hanging around in FPH all day on Monday to see how this alleged press conference goes down. Also, please submit to the Omen if you have thoughts or feelings about this issue. (ejs07@hampshire.edu)

Conflux Release Sealed Deck Tournament

Where:
Worlds Apart Games             
48 N. Pleasant St  (Down town Amherst between the ABC and the fire station)          
Amherst, MA 01002              
413-259-6893

When: Sunday, February 8th 1pm
What: Sealed deck tournament with prizes

Entry Fee for this event will be $25.00

Tournament Structure:
The format for this event is a Swiss Rounds Sealed Deck with 1 Starter of Shards and 2 Boosters of Conflux. Each player will build their decks from their starter and boosters adding as much basic land as they wish, to construct a deck of at least 40 cards. We will have basic land on site that may be borrowed for this event, just please make sure that you return any land that you borrow.

Prizes:
For this event, we have the following up for grabs....

The first 32 attendees receive a free Promo Foil Card!

Conflux Packs based on attendance. 90% of the Prize pool will be split among the top placers (Based on attendance).

The remaining 10% of the prize pool will be given out as random door prizes throughout the tournament.  Playmats and other merchandise will also be given out as door prizes and to the top placer(s).

Conflux Release Sealed Deck Tournament

Where:
Worlds Apart Games             
48 N. Pleasant St  (Down town Amherst between the ABC and the fire station)          
Amherst, MA 01002              
413-259-6893

When: Sunday, February 8th 1pm
What: Sealed deck tournament with prizes

Entry Fee for this event will be $25.00

Tournament Structure:
The format for this event is a Swiss Rounds Sealed Deck with 1 Starter of Shards and 2 Boosters of Conflux. Each player will build their decks from their starter and boosters adding as much basic land as they wish, to construct a deck of at least 40 cards. We will have basic land on site that may be borrowed for this event, just please make sure that you return any land that you borrow.

Prizes:
For this event, we have the following up for grabs....

The first 32 attendees receive a free Promo Foil Card!

Conflux Packs based on attendance. 90% of the Prize pool will be split among the top placers (Based on attendance).

The remaining 10% of the prize pool will be given out as random door prizes throughout the tournament.  Playmats and other merchandise will also be given out as door prizes and to the top placer(s).

Does anyone have a hat that they would be willing to let me borrow for a day? I'm putting together a priest costume and trying to find something to hide my hair; I'm looking for a fedora, a Panama hat, a flat cap, or something along those lines; black is preferable but any neutral color (brown, white, gray, olive green, etc.) would also work just fine. I would take very good care of your hat (and, for the record, am very clean) and pick it up and take it back to you promptly; this would be for tomorrow night. I can pay in cupcakes, your choice on flavor/variety!

The Omen is gearing up for its 32nd semester of publication, and it wants you to submit! For those few of you who don't know the drill by now, The Omen is Hampshire's one and only open submission publication: we print abso-frickin'-lutely everything that we receive from any member of the Hampshire community. So take a few minutes this evening and write some nonsense or other for the Omen, because the Omen loves you. Submissions for the first issue are due Saturday evening.

email your submissions to ejs07 at you know where

If you want to become part of the tiny ragtag band of foolhardy individuals that puts together the Omen every other week, you should come to Omen layout this Saturday, January 31, from 7pm until probably very late, in the basement of Merrill A. It's a cool place to be.

Hey Folks! I'm a Div III dealing with my "I have to be in the real world?" denial by clearing out my worldly possessions a little bit, which means I've got some DVDs that need new homes! All in pretty new condition, unscratched, containing of all their special features diskettes and other such goodies. Titles and prices below. I'll consider offers below the posted price, but I might not respond to them for a couple days (taking in all offers, doncha know).

This Is Spinal Tap (Special Edition) - $10
The Seventh Seal (Criterion Edition) - $15
28 Days Later - $8
Amelie (2-Disc)- $10
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Special Edition) - $10
Killer Klowns From Outer Space - $10 Remember - In Space, No One Can Eat Ice Cream
Titus (2-Disc) - $10

Send offers to harposblues@gmail.com. Thanks!

-Elizabeth

I'm TAing my favorite class in the whole world this semester. I've had TAs in my classes, but I've never been one before.  If you've ever had a great TA, what made her/him great? People who have TAed, what were some things you did that made life better for students?

Hi guys,

I'm teaching an EPEC course in the spring. Description below. If you're interested, shoot me an email at jtp05@hampshire.edu.
--

This EPEC course will look at various types of media: movies, novels, magazine articles, etc. in an attempt to understand how social culture in the United States affects the individual experience of romantic love and intimacy. In this course, love is defined as intangible, and intimacy is the physical manifestations of love. This includes, of course, nonsexual representations. Due to time constraints, this course will limit its study to heterosexual, American couples. To a certain extent, the media we look at will be up to the class. I will present several possibilities and we can go from there. There will be three writing assignments. There are two tracks students may take: they can either write analytical, expository papers (two three-page papers, and one six to eight page paper) or they may write fiction, literary non fiction or memoir pieces of the same length which address themes we discussed in class. In the latter case, each piece should include a one page reflection on how the piece may indicate the relationship between the social construct and the individual. Students will be evaluated for their work.

--

Thanks,
Joanna

Not that I am not terribly upset about the middle east conflict and all, but there is a middle library conflict that I am having a bigger issue with:

It is 11:42 AM on Sunday and the airport lounge is closed! WTF. In addition, my friend told me they've been kicking people out of the APL at 10 PM over jan term.

Clearly, the purpose of the airport lounge has been forgotten. I think we should demand that Hexter divest from all offices related to this outrage. HOW DARE THEY TAKE OUR STUDY LOUNGE FROM US?

 I've looked on the site, it said there are none, but on princeton review it has a list of high school classes we're supposed to take. So does any one know the high school requirements?

Does anyone know how to hire a Div II assistant for your Div III so that they can get community service credit?  I have tons of transcription work that I need done and a Div II friend of mine is interested in helping out if she can get community service.  I know that it's possible, but I don't want to get started until I know exactly how to make sure it counts for her.  Thanks!

Never mind! I was able to do it myself. Many thanks to yeti_herd for his advice. :)

Seriously, you guys.

Things I would absolutely love to see you do more (or less)--both as jolt posters, and Hampshire College students:

1) Don't let the MAN-- whether that be the institution or the pagan, genderqueer, person of color next door-- tell you what you should think. Decide for yourself.

2) Stick up for your friends. They're your friends.

3) Learn what tolerance means. IE, have more respect for people whose politics are to the right of yours.

4) Engage. If I overhear/read one more person saying "Well obviously you are ignorant, end conversation," I may just give up on you altogether.

5) Get used to the idea that just because you understand something to be part of your identity does not mean it can't be understood as a concept as well. Atheists can talk about religion, straight people can talk about homosexuality, etc. Various opinions can be legitimately held and unless you're insecure, you can accept those opinions as things you disagree with, as opposed to personal attacks. 

6) Be passionate. As in, not boring.

7) Post more on the Hampshire form, plz. Consider submitting pictures of your costume to the Jolt costume contest at this link:
http://hampshire.thejolt.com/pictures/submit_picture.html?album_id=1454

8) GET PUMPED FOR HAMPSHIRE HALLOWEEN. It's going to be incredible! Things I, personally, am looking forward to: Gin and Tonics (first show of the year!), fireworks, Circus Fire Show, Ukalele Loki/Primate Fiasco/Circus show, Soul Live, Exit Ghost, and of course, midnight breakfast. There will be lots of other awesome stuff, and a complete schedule will be posted soon. This year's event will take place on Halloween itself--Friday, October 31st.

I was going to do 10 things, and do like a 10 commandments analogy, but now that I think about it, that sounds pretty lame.  In my next post, I would like to present a list of links to student webpages, webcomics, public blogs, etc. If you have stuff on the net you want to show off, send it to me at jtp05. <3
---

So my recent internet procrastination method has been googling/ebaying/otherwise finding haunted ("haunted?") objects. This came from discovering Robert The Doll (http://www.robertthedoll.org/). Then I found out that there are tons of "occult objects" out there. Who knew? Can you even imagine having a house full of creepy haunted shit?  Do you believe in ghosts? In high school, I worked for IT, and one of the guys there was an experienced ghost hunter. How cool is that?

I am excited that Hampshire Halloween is actually on Halloween this year. Who knows what will happen!

Entry Fee for this event will be $25.00

Tournament Structure: The format for this event is a Swiss Rounds Sealed Deck with 1 Starter of Shards of Alara and 2 Boosters of Shards of Alara. Each player will build their decks from their starter and boosters adding as much basic land as they wish, to construct a deck of at least 40 cards. We will have basic land on site that may be borrowed for this event, just please make sure that you return any land that you borrow.

Prizes: For this event, we have the following up for grabs....

Shards of Alara Packs based on attendance. 90% of the Prize pool will be split among the top placers (Based on attendance).

The remaining 10% of the prize pool will be given out as random door prizes throughout the tournament.
We may also have MTG: Play Mats as door prizes, based on attendance.

Where:
Worlds Apart Games
48 N Pleasant St  B2 (downstairs)
413-259-6893
www.worldsapartgames.org

---------------------------
Sealed League:

This tournament kicks off our December sealed league*.  Anyone participating in the tournament may choose to keep their deck for participation in the league at no additional cost.

Additional packs may be purchased and added to the deck after playing the first 10 matches and again after 20 matches. 

The league will run from Sunday December 7th and ending Saturday January 5th. 
Prizes will be awarded for best match win record(s)  as well as number of games played.
All players completing 15 league matches will receive a Promo Sprouting Thrinax.
All players completing 28 league matches will receive a Promo Woolly Thoctar.

*Participation in the Tournament is NOT required for entrance to the Magic League.  Anyone wishing to join the league may do so at any time during the league. Cost of entrance will remain $25.

I'm doing a radio show for class that is a satirical look at the Messiah from a Jewish perspective.  I'm really open as to the types of voices I'm using, so if you're at all interested email me at sld06@hampshire.edu.
Sarah

Does anyone have an extra power adapter for an iBook/Powerbook G4 that I could borrow for a few days? I just ordered a replacement, but it won't be here for a few days. If you do, please e-mail me at LAB05 or call extension 2621. I have a big paper to write this weekend and I'd rather write it on my own computer.

THANKS

I have three pairs of jeans that I no longer need and would like to sell them. I have two pairs of Levi's slim straight fit which are 32W/30L and one pair of Levi's straight fit which are 32W/32L.

They are all in good condition, although the straights have a few, small paint spots.

$15/ea or best offer.

I'm in Prescott 102 J, and am contactable either by leaving a comment here or you can send me a message at my Hampshire address, cds06 [at] hampshire [dot] edu.

Hey there, Hampshire folks who knit. I'm seeking a set of 5 #0 dpns, suitable for making a sock. Two socks, as a matter of fact. If anyone would be willing to lend me a set for anywhere from a few weeks to a month, depending on how much free time I have. I would:

a - be grateful
b - provide baked goods OR
c - write a fawning personality piece (300 to 500 words) about you to be submitted to the publication of your choice or circulated around campus in such a way as to build a cult-like following around you.

And I'll definitely have the needles back to you by December 15th. Please?

Offers to seb05@hampshire.edu

Put them on Flickr or your stout webspace or anything more publicly accessible than Facebook and link it up right here. We'll want to remember this shit.

EDIT:

So what did you all think of Hampshire Halloween? This was the last Hampshire Halloween that's Hampshire exclusive. Next year, at least 500 tickets will be sold at each of the other four schools in the consortium.

I separated the people I saw into four groups in my mind:

1) Hampshire students <3
2) People who I didn't recognize as Hampshire students but  who definitely added to the enjoyment (especially when dancing!).
3) People who clearly didn't go to Hampshire, and also didn't fucking belong there.
4) Hampshire students who should really be UMass students and also not at Hampshire Halloween. 

Can you tell I am a judgmental person? Yes, I am.

My delight at Hampshire Halloween came from talking to people who were not sober, looking at costumes, and listening to groups in the gallery (Dear bands who did not have huge audiences: I appreciated you!) 

--
Anyway.
 
I went to the Mako-Hill talk in FPH Friday afternoon. I felt bad because I had to leave right after my question at the end of the discussion which made it look like I didn't care what anyone else thought, but actually, I had to go be COCA's bitch. Nonetheless I found the same problem I do in all open software discussions: incredibly intelligent, committed people who are unrealistically optomistic about what people will do to protect and use their freedom. I mean, really, look at this fucking country. Does it look like people are being pro active about protecting their freedoms? Not so much. Now, you have TWO tasks: First, you have to convince people that technology is politicla to begin with and then you have to convince people they need to do something about it. This will prove to be a lot more difficult than most suspect.

At this point, I think it's probably MORE important to make people care than anything else. I really liked Mako-Hill's idea of "user centric" arguments for free software, as well as his idea about "revealing errors" (uncovering technical errors which in turn uncover the problems with the systems of power involved in technology distribution and use).  But I think this in the same way that I think it's probably more important to make people care about their own freedom, and be pro active on their own behalf than anything else. I think people are not stupid, I think they're scared. What makes people not scared? Community, solidarity, feeling like you have people behind you.

Which brings me to point #2: The IDEA that if a person's Linux system crashes, or any number of other coding or personal computing issues arise, there is a whole community of "customer support" out there is sweet. But in reality, if I say "yo, I can't get video work to on my linux distro," the kind of help I'll get--if any--is distinctly different than the kind you get when you call Microsoft's customer support. These two things are not equal. The fact is you are not just promoting free software, you are promoting the ideals of understanding and God help us, work where people are used to expecting others to be the ones solving the problems (Geek Squad). 

REAL reasons why people might switch to Linux:
1) Being broke and experiencing a proprietary OS crash.
2) If they're already activists (I guess I need to specify active activists, which is ridiculous).
3) If they're "technologists," or "technofiles." 
4) If one of the above sets it up for anyone else in such a way that the person doesn't need to know anything except "double click on open office instead of Microsoft Office and Firefox instead of internet explorer." 

A lot of people think that #4s are substantially better than oblivious Windows/Mac OS X users but actually, they are identical. What you are promoting here is NOT having Linux on your computer, but the understanding and ideals that would make you desire Linux in the first place. Yes, every person who has Linux is one less person that has a proprietary operating system, but #4s are more than likely to return to proprietary operating systems. Normally, I would put #1s in this category too, but I discovered that people who take the time to set up Linux and make it work themselves tend to appreciate it more. Like, people who are pro active about protecting and using their freedoms are more appreciative of those freedoms. 

It reminds me of the anarchist idea that instead of there being a police force you call, all citizens are trained to protect, and take turns patrolling the streets in teams. Asking people to take personal responsibility because they have the RIGHT to do so, because they don't NEED to let an institution, which will inevtiably discriminatory, or at the very least, will have the power to choose what "should" happen in terribly grave situations, decide for them what is "just" or even, "right."  Which is great in concept, except

1) Lack of education
2) Lack of motivation

Can you trust this responsibility  to people who are ignorant with no interest in educating themselves? People want the comfort of not having to deal with problems personally (hence the invention of institutions in general, arguably) and people are lazy. And you are going to have to change that if you want people to care about the Free/Open Software Movement.

//rant

Hello!

Is anyone perhaps heading into Boston on Thursday, November 6th? Possibly even going to the Decemberists concert at the Orpheum?

I would love to keep you company in your car if you are! E-mail me and lets talk about possibilities!

Hey folks... remember the carefree days of Stage6, when you could watch high quality Cop/Detectives episodes without YouTube-induced interruption? And then, out of nowhere, Stage6 was no more, and we were all reduced to a huddled mass of confusion.

Well, FRET NO MORE, for Cop/Detectives is now available for your viewing pleasure on Vimeo. See all eight episodes, plus a whole bunch of sketches, in their entirety! Show your friends, show your enemies, and see it all again for the very first time. Enjoy!

http://www.vimeo.com/CopDetectives

--Sam

Rebecca Guay is a magic artist from Amherst, MA best known for cards such as "Bitterblossom" and "Persecute Artist". She will be stopping by Worlds Apart Games for a few hours to do a signing and meet her fans.

Signing will be from Noon till 3pm. No purchase needed. 10 card max per person.

When:
October 26th, 2008 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Deck building for tournament will begin at 1pm.
Please show up early to have your cards signed before you build.

Where:
Worlds Apart Games
48 North Pleasant St
Amherst, MA 01002
(Between the Fire-Station and the ABC)
413-259-6893

How much:
Entry Fee for this event will be $25.00 -- This includes  1 Tournament pack of Shards of Alara and 2 Booster packs. 

Prizes:
For this event, we have the following up for grabs...Shards of Alara Packs based on attendance.
90% of the Prize pool will be split among the top placers (Based on attendance).
The remaining 10% of the prize pool will be given out as random door prizes throughout the tournament.

We may also have signed cards from Rebecca to give out as part of the prize support.

More info: http://www.worldsapartgames.org/

Hi, does anyone have a Nikon lens they wouldn't mind lending out in the next couple days? I bought a Nikon D50 on eBay, just the body, and the lens isn't going to be here for a little while longer yet, so I was wondering if someone else had one they'd be willing to lend out briefly - or I could even just stop by and try it out in your mod/dorm while you were there if you'd prefer - so I could make sure that everything is in working order with the camera.

Hello Hampsters!

I wanted to tell you all that now Hampedia has incorporated a Hampsters Talk forum were you can post anything you want!

The great thing about the Hampster Talk on Hampedia is that there is much more freedom in terms of the content that can be included and referenced in every post (video, images, sound, text, maps, calendar, etc...). Also all the information posted on the Hampster Talk belongs to the members of the Hampshire Community because Hampedia is Hampshrie project  (as oposed to a third party organization). As a result every post will remain visible and will help to enhance our perception of Hampshire as a whole.

To start using the Hampster Talk just go to:
If you have any question email us at hampedia@hampshire.edu   

And I just noticed this flier sitting next to me.

It says: 
A 20% discount for on-line purchases at the Hampshire webstore (except for diploma frames and gift cards).
The code at checkout is: HAMPFUND09.
The code can be used more than once by any customer, and will expire on July 31, 2009.

http://emporium.hampshire.edu

(It's really intended for current Hampshire students because the quote uptop says "need hampshire college paraphernalia but aren't near campus to get it?") 

But I doubt the form will know the difference, or that anyone will really care.

Is anyone planning on taping the Ahmed lecture and making it available publicly in some way?  A few modmates and I will be missing it and were hoping to catch it online somewhere.

Hi,

I am a 2nd year student looking to transfer to Hampshire next fall. I live over on the other side of this country, in the San Francisco Bay. I signed up for the November 10th visiting day, and plan to attend the open house on the 8th. Is there any chance that any resident of Hampshire could stash me for the weekend? I understand that hosting programs are available for first year applicants only. I will be traveling by myself, and would really appreciate not having to stay in a hotel for my first visit to Amherst. If not, suggestions are good too.

- Heidi S.
inertioned@gmail.com

When: Sunday - October 12th -- 12pm (Noon!)

Where: Worlds Apart Games
48 N Pleasant st B2
Amherst, MA 01002

How much: $25.00

Tournament Structure:
The format for this event is a Swiss Rounds Sealed Deck with 1 Starter of Shards of Alara and 2 Boosters of Shards of Alara. Each player will build their decks from their starter and boosters adding as much basic land as they wish, to construct a deck of at least 40 cards. We will have basic land on site that may be borrowed for this event, just please make sure that you return any land that you borrow.

Prizes:
For this event, we have the following up for grabs....

GRAND PRIZE = VAULT OF DRAGONS*
(http://sales.starcitygames.com//carddisplay.php?product=52057)

Shards of Alara Packs based on attendance. 90% of the Prize pool will be split among the top placers (Based on attendance).

The remaining 10% of the prize pool will be given out as random door prizes throughout the tournament.

*Minimum attendance for the Vault prize is 12. If there are not enough people, we will hold a regular sealed event for $20, with prizes being booster packs based on attendance as well as door prizes.

More: www.worldsapartgames.org

It's tough, sometimes, to figure out what I should write here vs. what I should write in my personal livejournal. I mean, if it would bore you, chances are it would bore my friends too. So the real question is, what needs to be private (locked in my friends only journal) and what can be public? There is a fine, fine line between dry, candid humor and an insult. This is generally why I talk about myself so much--if I talked about you, you'd probably like me a lot less than you do now (which I gather varies from person to person, or jolt to jolt).

Today, I am going to talk about Linux and the boys who play with it.  Yes, I said boys. Is it because I am sexist and assume that only men are interested in Linux? No. It is because at the GLUG (Gnu Linux Users Group) meeting I attended last Tuesday, I was the only girl. I would love to see that change, though. So if you are a chick who is into Gnu Linux or  free software or just generally appreciates freedom of information, please consider coming to the meetings which happen Tuesday evenings @ 6 PM in various locations in FPH (Ask Nico).  

What I learned: 

1) KDE and Gnome are desktop environments which can be run on any of the major distros at least, which are Mandrake, RedHat, Ubuntu, and to a slightly lesser extent, Gentoo.
2) There is no "Linux Standard Base," (one linux distribution to rule them all) and so patching for relatively standard software for Linux (I am guessing Open Office, GIMP, etc) can be awkward because patches for different distros may happen at different times and may not automatically patch. This means, ideally, the most recent version should need as little patching as possible, because the more patching involved, the more inconsistency in the software accross the board.
3) Wireless and sound cards are the two biggest issues with Linux distros right now, and those issues will probably be resolved within the next 5 years.
4) The Open Software/Freedom of Information enthusiasts are way too optomistic about the general intelligence and motivations of mankind.
5) There is an amazing phrase,  "the year of the desktop," which is the year when Windows and Mac OS X are replaced by a Linux Distro (which I guess would then have to be the standard base) as the most common operating system.
6) People who know a lot about open software make me so jealous!

Anyway, this whole Linux thing is problematic because it is this elusive dream I have been chasing since 7th grade. The thing about elusive dreams is that when they suddenly pop up in the middle of Div III, they can be dangerous. Now, you may not believe me when I tell you this, but computer security and open software could distract me to the point of doom, academically. This was, in fact, what I intended to concentrate in when I got to school. I requested the gamer hall (G2. Who remembers that?) not so much because I enjoy gaming (LucasArts adventure games FTW!) but because I figured the people most likely to be interested in computers were gamers. I don't know why I figured that. So I asked the kids in this group what year they were. With the exception of the infamous, shoeless Nico, and my friend Tal, I assumed they were all first years because for some reason, I thought that when someone who was interested in Linux appeared on campus, a little alarm would sound in my mind. Not so much. I sort of gave computer science a shot (I even got Lee Spector to chair my Div II), but I gave up in the face of the fact that for me to be good at it, I would have to spend 4 to 6 hours a day on it. I just need that much review and consistency to retain information and build actual skills. This is not true of most computer science students because unlike me, most of the world is not excessively slow in a literal sense. However, I can think, I can write, and I can type FAST, so I opted for writing and Cognitive Science wherein there is still much geekiness to be had. But I did give up a dream midway through Div II.

For the first time in my life, there is a time and place to go to feed my addiction to general computer-geek related things where people might actuall be (gasp) helpful! [you would be surprised at how many people are pro freedom of information and yet simultaneously anti sharing information] Tuesday is an INSTALL FEST. I could walk out of that room running linux. So my brain is all: YES! Do it! And retackle programming! And become the ubercomputergeek you have always longed to be!  On the other hand, will I ever find a time in my life when something equivolent to Div III is not happening? In the words of that famous rabbi, "If not now, when?" 

Should I go after these Open Software/Computer proficiency dreams of mine? Should I attempt to befriend and learn from these people I admire? Will it conflict with my Div III too much because it is about as important to me as my Div III?
I bring all of this completely boring information about my life to you because I think it translates well into a general life question which is this: How do you discern what you really want from what you think you want? And once you've done that, how do you discern how to get what you want in the most productive/efficient way possible? And if you decide to let something very close to you go, for the sake of something else, how do you let it go? Do you (the world) have these questions, or are your paths too clear, too well defined already, to need to ask?

This is the second biggest problem in my life. What's the first? I'll give you a hint- it isn't girls.

Is anyone driving to Boston any time after 4 on Friday? I want to go home and see my dog, and I'm willing to go any time this weekend.

So here's what happened.  A couple weeks ago I was hanging out with a friend of mine who was working in mixed nuts.  A customer in the store heard me saying that we were heading to Philadelphia over Columbus day.  She asked if she could grab a ride; I said, sure, no problem and wrote down her name and number.

The problem is, we're leaving tomorrow, and I said I would call her tonight...but I've lost the number and the name.  We passed once on the way in and out of Enfield and confirmed that we were both still up for Thursday, but I didn't realize I had lost the number by that point.  

So if this sounds like you, or someone you know...please contact me.  My e-mail is sch05@hampshire.edu.

Hey there :) My mod is in search of a coffee grinder and a dish drying rack, and figured we'd look around before makng purchases. We're open to trading or paying for these items (or just taking them off your hands!), new or used. Contact me at jpf06@hampshire.edu

I have a weird request, which is really what I feel like this community is all about. I'm a Div. III who was late to the 'request a library carrel' game, and consequently lost out. Is there a kind soul out there who'd be willing to share theirs?

I am neat, clean, and only have a couple of books to store; I'd mainly be using a carrel as a place to keep a handful of library books and to work on those Saturday nights when Prescott really isn't an environment conducive to reading about genocide and somber things. If we turned up to use the carrel at the same time, you'd get dibs. I'd just really like to have the option of a workspace.

Can pay in vegan cupcakes (they taste just like the real thing, I swear!) and undying gratitude.

-Lynne

It is tonight!

Both 8pm AND Midnight shows! -- Be there!




at the




Ticket Info: ONLY $10 for students! (and Only $12 for everyone else!)

Hi all,

I work at the library. Today another student was trying to print an image in color, but there aren't any color printers in the library. He came to the circulation desk to ask for help, and I told him he could email the image to me and I would print it tonight on my boyfriend's color printer. The guy doesn't know anyone here yet because he just arrived in the States.

Well, the image is in Word and my boyfriend doesn't have Word, so I can't open it to print it. The guy was hoping to get the print-outs by tomorrow evening. If there's anyone out there with Word AND a color printer, would you be able to help me help him out by printing it and getting it to me or him?

Email me at dac.cashore@gmail.com and I will hook you up with the document.

I have for sale a red Melita one:one coffee machine.  It's a pod brewer, and was great while I lived in the dorms with limited cooking space.  Now, however, one cup of coffee no longer cuts it, and I've moved on to a huge 12 cup coffee pot.  The Melita brewer comes with a few boxes of pod coffee, and also another spout that you can use for pod tea- I have a couple boxes of tea somewhere too.  It's in pretty good condition, clean and everything, and I've never had a problem with it not working.  It retails new (without the coffee) for 50 dollars; I'm selling mine for 25 with all the extra bits.  If interested, please e-mail me at sch05@Hampshire.edu.

I am sitting in the Community Council room, on the COUNCIL COMPUTER (Alex Torpey, appreciate this plz), because COCA just ended.  Plug-->If your student group would like to do something for Hampshire Halloween, please come see COCA on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM in the Community Council room, just off the airport lounge!!<---Plug  Disclaimer: The use of the Council computer to write this entry in no way, shape or form suggests that anyone on Council would ever support any content contained herein.

Today we finished Hampshire's first (ever) Rosh Hashanah service. It was beautiful, short and there was even nutella afterwards.  What more can a girl ask for? I was pleasantly surprised by the turnout, as well as the reception to my D'var Torah, which was surprisingly positive given that I wrote it at approximately the same time of night as I am writing this, with approximately the same amount of energy. (Incidentally, I was sitting in the Community Council room when I started this entry , but I have since switched to my own computer, in my own room. That's why this is going to post and some ungodly hour, I don't live in the Council room.)

I have two big questions for you, Hampshire College.

1) Does there exist at Hampshire anyone at all who self identifies as conservative? 
1b) Does there exist at Hampshire anyone at all with an opinion besides "all opinions are great!"?

I would like to meet you.

2)  How would you feel about having a day where we brought in as many alumni as we could find from as many fields as we can find to talk about what they're doing, and connect with the student body? Now that I work in Alumni Relations (did I tell you I work for Institutional Advancement yet?), I do all of this filing, and while most of it is boring, and all of it is confidential, it appears that many alumni feel disconnected after graduation. I think it might be beneficial for all parties, even the profiteering ones, to have an alumni day. Maybe annually, maybe once a semester. What do you think? If the idea appeals to you, I can bring it to Council. So let me know. As usual, you can comment on this thing, send me an email (jtp05), or IM me at "lovetherunaway."

Let's talk soon.

Love,
therunaway

PS: This is supposed to work without me copying/pasting now, we'll see!

I have two tickets to see The Dodos at Pearl Street Clubroom in Northampton, this Wednesday (Oct 1st) at 8:30 (doors at 8), and I'm unfortunately not able to make it to the concert, so I'm hoping to sell these tickets before the concert.  Originally I bought these at $13.50 + $2 service charge/ea. but I'm willing to sell them for $10 or best offer.  Please let me know ASAP if you are interested since the concert is tomorrow night (sorry for the short notice folks!)

If you are interested in these AMAZING SAVINGS(!) but don't know if you'd like The Dodos or not, feel free to check out their music here:

http://www.mediafire.com/?gpnwby0mawj - Visiter (pt. 1)
http://www.mediafire.com/?0nf9ibazak2 - Visiter (pt. 2)

http://www.mediafire.com/?nztxbgmt2lz - Beware of the Maniacs

To all interested: attend the Hampshire GLUG (GNU/Linux User Group) installfest, today, September 30 -- 6:00 in the East Lecture Hall, Franklin Patterson Hall.

The event is an opportunity for those interested to liberate their computers (all varieties welcome) by removal of locked-down, proprietary operating systems such as Mac OS X and Windows and their replacement with GNU/Linux. The specific variety of GNU/Linux that will be installed is Ubuntu GNU/Linux.

Even if you aren't sure you're interested in GNU/Linux or Free Software in general, attend and ask questions, or attend alternating weeks for discussion evenings around Free Software topics. Experienced users of Free Software, and GNU/Linux specifically will be on hand to help with installation (which is far easier than you expect, I guarantee) and to answer questions.

Also, join the Facebook Event. More information on the GLUG in general is available at the Hampedia page.

I hope to see many there!

Once upon a time, an infamous non-jolter (T.G.) called this campus "jew camp." Which, as a Jew, I must acknowledge is a legitimate point. There is no religious organization on campus that is as active as the Jewish Student Union, as far as I can tell. That said, what passes for Judaism around here is way different that at my conservative synagogue at home (and I gather, also from many reformed synagogues).  Point being, there is nothing at all that comes in from the outside, into this bubble, that doesn't go through a Hampshire filter.

This is the first year of my college career that I will be attending every high holiday service that I should be (please don't tell my mother) because this is the first year that Hampshire is hosting its own high holiday services (read: I have no excuse). But like Judaism in general, the high holidays have a Hampshire twist to them. Erev Rosh Hashanah services will be one hour long, 1st day Rosh Hashanah services will be 2.5 hours long, and 2nd day Rosh Hashanah services will not happen at all. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Jewish services, what this basically means is that they will be very, very short. And I am going to put this out there right now: If it turns out that they are full of English sappy crap (those of you who go to UMass for high holidays will note that the entire 'supplement' booklet consists of such crap), I will be quite irritable. There is nothing I hate more than bullshit liberal rhetoric interrupting the efficiency (read: brevity) of a Jewish service. In this regard, the orthodox have it right: fast is better. Now, if in shortening the services, it turns out Hampshire has taken out the actual service, and left in the "English Sappy Crap," I will be disappointed indeed.

Today, I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine and she noted that unintentionally and surprisingly, her knowledge base about judaism grew once she got here. If I went anywhere else, I'm not sure I'd be practicing Judaism at all. But as it is, I'm living in a mod with a kosher kitchen, people who care about being Jewish, and am actually helping to plan the high holidays. Hell, I'm writing a d'var torah. But the thing that gets me is that it's so unceremonious. I sort of fell into all of this, I wasn't invested in any of it to begin with.

 Judaism was the piece of  my identity that I developed without even thinking about it. I have found that most people, upon reflection, can name such a piece of their identity that is similar: something that they developed unconsciously which contributes to their lives in a direct and conscious way. What would that piece be for you?

Love,
therunaway

at the



The Come Again Players are celebrating their 5th Anniversary by having TWO shows at Northampton's Academy of Music!!
When:
First show: Oct 4th 8:00pm

AND!

Second Show: At Midnight the same night!

(run time aprox 2 1/2 hours)

Come join in the Mayhem and be part of the most fun show you will ever go to!! We will have Live cast performing the movie, pre shows, pre pre shows, Give Aways! A (free) Raffle! Guest Casts from across the state doing preshows with/for us!, DeVirginizations! Dancing! Singing! Shouting! Throwing Things! (yes we actually do encourage those last two!) and of course getting off your ass' and doing the Time Warp!!

We will have crap kits full of everything you need to Throw, Blow, And put over your head. ( its your mom in a bag!) (this does mean please dont bring your own stuff to throw, we will have what is allowed in the theater)

So, bring your friends, bring your family, hell bring your enemies (it's fun to laugh at them)!! Grab your fishnets or any other crazy outfit you cant where anywhere else and get ready for the most amazing Rocky Horror Picture Show you will EVER SEE!!!!!!

Ticket Info: ONLY $10 for students! (and Only $12 for everyone else!)

How to Purchase Tickets: You can Purchase tickets through cast members or through Worlds Apart Games (Amherst Center, WAG)

You can also buy tickets directly through the online store on our awesome Website!

Anyone know where I can get my hands on a Bolex camera -- At hampshire or in the five college area?

Hey, does anyone know what happened to the lists that started getting posted last year in the dorms?  The ones that listed all the pub safety going ons that week?  I was in Merrill the other night and noticed they aren't being posted anymore.  What's the deal?

JTP, reporting in. I know, I know, how typical. But just remember it's because I love you, not because I love me.

So, first thing's first: Div Fucking III

Here I am, a new div II passee (as of this morning, zomg), looking at the wednesday deadline for passing into Div III and thinking: What about the people who don't have the amazing CS professor to save you when the SS professor fucks you over? (I feel like SS has made a profession out of fucking people over).

What do I mean by that, you ask? I mean absolutely this: Finding a committee is a political process, the most qualified faculty members probably won't work with you if you don't know them, and if you're terribly unlucky, they might turn out ot be rude, disrespectful individuals who would be perfectly happy to wait until the day before the Div III deadline to tell you they won't chair your committee ( i navigated around that awful fate, but it was damn close). Div II, students, two fuckin' huge pieces of advice: 
1) Do something related to your Div II for your Div III, because then you'll know people.
2) Make people like you NOW. Drop the words "Div III" around with a few of your favorites NOW.

Trust me, you do not want to be on the phone with Anne Downes less than a week before deadline.  Nothing makes you feel like your screwed more than a conversation on the phone with Anne Downes (actually, that's not true, people who have met with her in person tend to burst into tears of despair,  which is sight worse than a phone conversation).  I mean for shits sake, her last name is Downes.  No, no, in all seriousness, she helped me out tremendously. If you're a Div III student who has no committee, or only half a committee, call her up ASAP, so you DON'T ACTUALLY get screwed.

And speaking of getting screwed, my div III is on love and intimacy between heterosexual couples in U.S. cities (ok, and some non rural suburbs?) over the last century. Some of you are surely thinking: Will this in any way involve JTP getting screwed in the happy sense? The answer is no. I am a rock. I am an island.

So. God, what else? I'm gonna go to the ABC tonight and do that thing where I ask "what's that drink that's melon flavored?" Why? Because before I am tipsy, I can't ask for a drink called "nice melons" without blushing. Which is retarded (OH NO SHE SAID "RETARDED" IN  REFERENCE TO SOMETHING THAT WASN'T A MENTAL DISORDER!) because I have no trouble talking about, say, masturbating. But no worries, jolters, your stomachs are safe today.

Before I blow this pop stand (my dad always says that, love it), let me just tell you that yesterday morning, I officially became a jolt god, and you can direct all complaints about the jolt, as well as general hate and personal insults, at me any time you like. jtp05@hampshire
orrrrr "lovetherunaway" on AIM. Sounds hot.

Love,
therunaway

Hey guys,

This is

A) A test
B) A Bad Idea (TM)
C) Worrisome

Just remember, I fucking love you.

Rocky Horror back to school show       Tonight!

$3 for a ticket  -- Comes with a Free crap kit! -- (everything you need to throw, blow, put over your head, just like your mom in a bag)

Theme: Pirates vs Ninjas!



www.comeagainplayers.org

Come see the show!   South Hadley - Tower Theaters --- Across from Mt. Holyoke College!

Eventide Sealed Deck Tournament

Where:
Worlds Apart Games             
48 N. Pleasant St  (Down town Amherst between the ABC and the fire station)          
Amherst, MA 01002              
413-259-6893

When: Sunday, September 21st 1pm
What: Sealed deck tournament with prizes

Entry Fee for this event will be $25.00

Tournament Structure:
The format for this event is a Swiss Rounds Sealed Deck with 1 Starter of Shadowmoor and 2 Boosters of Eventide. Each player will build their decks from their starter and boosters adding as much basic land as they wish, to construct a deck of at least 40 cards. We will have basic land on site that may be borrowed for this event, just please make sure that you return any land that you borrow.

Prizes:
For this event, we have the following up for grabs....

GRAND PRIZE = VAULT OF DRAGONS*
(http://sales.starcitygames.com//carddisplay.php?product=52057)

Eventide Packs based on attendance. 90% of the Prize pool will be split among the top placers (Based on attendance).

The remaining 10% of the prize pool will be given out as random door prizes throughout the tournament.

*Minimum attendance for the Vault prize is 10. If there are not enough people, we will hold a regular sealed event for $20, with prizes being booster packs based on attendance as well as door prizes.

Yo hampsters, Betsey (FO2) here with some news about an upcoming event at Amherst Books:

Wednesday, October 1st, 5pm
Amherst Books, 8 Main St, Amherst

Cartoonists Will Get Social With You At Amherst Books!

Join a host of celebrated indie comics creators at Amherst Books to celebrate the release of Jesse Reklaw's new book The Night Of Your Life, the second volume of Reklaw's collective dream diary comic Slow Wave. The launch party also marks the first stop of Ken Dahl's northeast promotional tour for Welcome To The Dahl House, his new book from Microcosm Publishing. Get the first look at the third installment of Monsters, Dahl's Ignatz Award-winning comic that will never stop reminding us how fascinating herpes is. Come hang out, talk shop, buy some books and get 'em signed.

Also in attendance, these rad folks:
Robyn Chapman
Alec Longstreth
Clutch
Samuel C. Gaskin
Colleen Frakes
The Center for Cartoon Studies

For more information, email Nat:

These guys are all amazing, not only in terms of artistic and creative talent, but also in terms of congeniality, karaoke skills, and hair-styling decisions. I cannot urge you hard enough to hop the PVTA and come meet them. You could be back in time for Saga, even. There is no downside.

Talk this up, hampsters! I would poster like a mad thing, but.... I'm in the wrong country.