Tusk Talks is a podcast brought to you by The Amherst Student where we get to know the stories of the Amherst College community. Each episode, we talk to a different student, alumni, staff or faculty member and listen to the Amherst experience through their voice.
Counseling Center (Jordan Barnard and Student Panels)
In this episode, we sit down with Counseling Center psychologist Jordan Barnard and two panels of students to investigate recent tensions between Amherst's Counseling Center and the student body. After touching on wait times and inaccessibility, we talk about the structural and cultural changes that could be made to aid students in their mental health and wellbeing.
Episode Notes:
"Elevated Demand for Mental Health Services Strains Counseling Center" (https://amherststudent.com/article/elevated-demand-for-mental-health-services-strains-counseling-center/)
"Letter to the Editor: Counseling Center Resources" (https://amherststudent.com/article/letter-to-the-editor-counseling-center-resources/)
Produced and edited by Sam Spratford '24 and Spencer Michaels '24.
6 Oct 2021
Amherst Community Connections (Sophia Harrison '22 and Julia Zabinska '22)
The Town of Amherst, like most of the country, is experiencing a shortage of affordable housing. To supplement The Student's coverage of the Town's policy response, we sat down with Sophia Harrison and Julia Zabinska to talk about their work for Amherst Community Connections — a local resource hub for those experiencing housing instability. Harrison and Zabinska detailed the nature of their work, expressed their own visions for change and emphasized the need for institutions — including Amherst College — to consider the nuanced, human stories behind the housing crisis.
Episode Notes:
Produced by Sam Spratford '24 and Andrew Rosin '25; edited by Cole Richards '23.
1 Sept 2021
Episode 7: Sunrise Amherst (Meenakshi Jani '23 and Claire Taylor '23)
In this edition of Tusk Talks, we sit down with Claire Taylor ‘23 and Meenakshi Jani ‘23, two leaders of Sunrise Amherst — an offshoot of the broader Sunrise climate action movement. Sunrise Amherst has been integral in campaigning for the college to divest from fossil fuels and the prison-industrial complex. Taylor and Jani dive into the timeline of their campaign, the group’s founding principles and a reflection on the actions that the college has taken so far. Musical credit goes to Guillermo Rodriguez ’22 and Quentin Jeyaretnam ’23. Audio editors: Ashley Chang ’23, Sam Spratford ’24 and Rebecca Picciotto ’22.
7 Apr 2021
Episode 6: Sung Kwak ’22
In this episode, we catch up with Sung Kwak ’22, the senior chair of the Asian Students Association (ASA). Musical credit goes to Guillermo Rodriguez ’22 and Quentin Jeyaretnam ’23. Audio editors: Ashley Chang ’23, Sam Spratford ’24 and Rebecca Picciotto ’22.
15 Feb 2021
Fall 2020: Reflections
For this episode of Tusk Talks, we sat down with eleven students to reflect on fall 2020: Amherst’s first full pandemic semester. Musical credit goes to Guillermo Rodriguez ’22 and Quentin Jeyaretnam ’23 for this episode’s music. Interviewers: Olivia Gieger ’21, Noah John ’21, Erxi Lu ’24, Dylan Momplaisir ’21, Rebecca Picciotto ’22, Skye Wu ’23. Audio editors: Olivia Gieger ’21, Rebecca Picciotto ’22, Skye Wu ’23.
2 Nov 2020
Episode 4 - Ben Gilsdorf
This week, we sat down with Ben Gilsdorf ’21 who has served as the head student organizer for AC Votes, coordinating the voting process for the Amherst community this election year. Musical credit goes to Guillermo Rodriguez ’22 and Quentin Jeyaretnam ’23 for this episode’s music. Audio editors: Ashley Chang ’23, Carolyn McCusker ’21 and Rebecca Picciotto ’22.
18 Oct 2020
Sydney Ireland ’23
This week, we sat down with Sydney Ireland ’23 who is the first woman in history to become an Eagle Scout. Musical credit goes to Guillermo Rodriguez ’22 and Quentin Jeyaretnam ’23 for this episode’s music. Audio editors: Ashley Chang ’23, Carolyn McCusker ’21, Rebecca Picciotto ’22 and Skye Wu ’23.
5 Oct 2020
Tusk Talks: Jeremy Thomas '21
This week, we sat down with newly elected AAS President, Jeremy Thomas ’21. Special thanks to Guillermo Rodriguez ’22 and Quentin Jeyaretnam ’23 for this episode’s music. Audio editors: Ashley Chang ’23, Carolyn McCusker ’21, Rebecca Picciotto ’22 and Skye Wu ’23.
20 Sept 2020
Tusk Talks: David Rosa
For the first episode, we interview former Interim AAS president, David Rosa.
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