<p>AMHERST, Mass. (AP) – Police say an Amherst College student was stabbed multiple times during a charity fundraiser in his dormitory. His injuries are not considered life-threatening.</p>
<p>The 20-year-old student, whose name was not released, was stabbed in the chest and back about 1 a.m. Sunday. He was in fair condition Monday at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.</p>
<p>Marcus Smith, a student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, pleaded not guilty Monday to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.</p>
<p>Prosecutors said the 21-year-old Smith stabbed the victim seven times. They did not know each other.</p>
<p>I can honestly say this incident was extremely uncharacteristic of Amherst. It took place at a huge party in a dorm basement where the majority of people were actually UMass students. There was even security at the party, but, in a freak accident that still confuses me, they failed to find the guy's knife when he was patted down coming in. Parties like this are rare, violence outside of parties like this is virtually nonexistent, and you know you're going into an unusual situation if you elect to go to such a party. Amherst is one of the safest places I've ever been.</p>
<p>By "parties like this" I mean very large, over-crowded parties where the majority of students are from UMass. Which is a weird category, because only very few such parties ever happen at Amherst... but I guess that's what I meant. I think the key attribute to making a party have a potentially weird feeling is when people truck over from UMass en masse, specifically for the party, after seeing some flyers but without really knowing anyone there. </p>
<p>The vast majority of parties on the weekend are thrown by a small group of friends, who invite friends and friends of friends. Sometimes these balloon to larger sizes at random, but still most students are from Amherst and kind of know eachother--these parties have always felt extremely safe to me.</p>
<p>Frisking for weapons and alchohol is normal whenever a party is officially registered with the school. The school pays several student security workers to monitor the party and check people coming in. Again, only very few parties are registered with the school, and they are typically the large, themed ones sponsored by student groups. Come to think of it, some of the parties I've attended with student security had frisking, and some didn't... don't know why though.</p>