What does it say about Amherst? What does it say about the community that we have
completed this set of projects, not just the Science Building but the dorms that
became necessary and the landscaping which I think is pure genius? The set of
projects we've completed say something about our commitment to beauty, to
natural beauty, and to the beauty of a built environment that is compatible
with the natural beauty of this campus. It says that we care deeply about
science. It says something about our commitment to sustainability. It says
something about the importance of the liberal arts emphasis on integration. We
have faculty and students who warrant a facility of this sort, whose research and
teaching deserve to occur in a place that allows them to do their best work.
We have an alumni body and a Board of Trustees who are also ambitious on
behalf of the college, and willing to support its academic mission to ensure
that Amherst remains the best possible undergraduate institution in the country.
This is not a case of "If you build it they will come." They are here. They are
our esteemed faculty, whose academic distinction is only surpassed by their
talent and commitment as educators of our students. And they are our students,
right here, right now.
A building at the end of the day is just a space. It is those people who make this
space a place.