Fall 2001

Departments

Exchange

Around the Pond

Branches of Learning

Extended Family

Great Sport

North 40

Performing Arts

Contributors

Features

Classic Turf

Berkshire Nightingales

A New Road to Learning

Exchange: To and from the editors

LETTERS IN PRINT, FALL 2001

BUTTERFIELD – TWO VIEWS EDITOR'S NOTE: The passionate letters that follow arrived at the magazine just as we were putting the subject on our story list. Both George Beauregard ’47 and Julian Parker-Burns ’94 lived in Butterfield as undergraduates. Their letters followed press accounts of last spring’s decision by Housing Services, in the wake of persistent discipline problems, to assign all current residents to other housing this fall and to undertake a renovation that included closing the kitchen. Writer John Stifler’s update appears in the Around the Pond section of this issue. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS going on at beautiful old Butterfield? The behavior of the students is outrageous and totally unacceptable, and should not be acceptable on any college campus. The decision of the university not to pursue the culprits is equally difficult to digest. The entire incident is just another example of the prevailing attitude in our society – refuse to take responsibility, and, if there is a bill to pay, just send it to the taxpayers. A disgusted former Butterfield resident, George Beauregard ’47 Holyoke CONCERNING THE TRAGIC CLOSURE of the Butterfield kitchen: As a resident from 1989 to 1994, I was a co-director of the Butterfield arts group, head bread baker, veggie chef, and held various positions on the house council. I helped to organize the 1940-1996 reunion. I even know what is inside the time capsule in the Butterfield cornerstone. As you can see, I am incredibly devoted to Butterfield’s past, present, and now, more than ever, its future. Over the years I have watched Housing Services wrestle with what they think are the problems of Butterfield: vandalism, lack of safety, and loud and embarrassing behavior. I have watched as Butterfield residents desperately try and make their voices heard as to what they think are the key problems, all seemingly on deaf ears. I have seen Housing continue to make poor judgments in trying to fix these real problems: flooding the dorm with freshmen, restrictions on student’s freedoms, using dishonorable tactics to ensnare unruly students. All of these actions may have had their logic within the given circumstances. However, the most recent action is perhaps truly the most thoughtless of all: the closure of the Butterfield kitchen. This was not only a tragic moment in the great history of Butterfield but the sad end of an era for the university. Butterfield was originally designed as the first all-women’s dormitory. With the onset of World War II it became a ROTC dorm with the women being moved, I believe, to the newly built Van Meter. After the war Butterfield evolved into a jock dorm due to the angle of the hill and the fact that the flat, grassy area in front (which was cut in half to make room for more parking) doubled as an excellent playing field in fair weather and an ice rink in the winter. At some point in the late ’50s or early ’60s the dorm became coed. In the mid-to-late 1960s Butterfield was making more money than all of the student government combined, thanks to the entrepreneurial visions and strength of the dorm community. The ’70s saw the creation of a cooperative kitchen. Anyone who wanted to live in Butterfield had to take an active role in making it run, everything from the house council and arts groups to the preparation of daily meals. At some point in the mid-’80s the cooperative fell apart; after this people were paid to work in the kitchen, and various other elements of running the dorm became optional. In the spring of 1989 I was drawn to Butterfield because of the superior quality of the food. Only after I moved into the dorm did I start to realize all of its wonderful potentials. By the end of my stay in Butterfield I was already working on a massive reunion to bring all of these historical elements back together again and further understand what makes the place tick. And you know what the consensus was: the kitchen. Everyone I spoke with at the reunion pointed to the fact that the dorm came together to eat as "family." Some of these people had their very first experience of family when they came to eat at Butterfield. In my many years associated with the kitchen it became a familiar sight to see a strange man or woman walk in the door, introduce themselves as a former resident and ask if they could take a tour around their favorite memory of the dorm – the kitchen. If you take away the last in-house dining plan (I know Chadbourne and Greenough, and perhaps Van Meter, used to have in-house meal plans, scrapped in favor of the centralized dining fiasco) you are not only taking away a major chunk of university history but also the last stronghold of community spirit. The UMass experience can be four years of facelessness and personal and educational priorities reduced to an ID number and amassed credit points. Due to the many roles that I played in Butterfield, I often would say, "I go down the hill for my credits and come up the hill for my education." The Butterfield dining plan brought people together in a way that no other force on campus could. Perhaps this is what Housing was afraid of; perhaps they mistook the sense of community built around the dining plan as a conspiracy. Or perhaps Housing was grasping at straws because it is sick and tired (and rightly so in several cases) of the levels of delinquency and immaturity that a few Butterfield residents have become known for. If Housing was truly interested in respectfully putting a damper on vandalism and safety problems and fostering a sense of community in an otherwise fractured and de-unified state university, they should have taken a look at the dorm’s history of intentional community and spoken with its devoted alumni. To have done away with the Butterfield kitchen was to metaphorically chop out the heart of a patient with a simple learning disorder. Julian Parker-Burns ’94 Taipei, Taiwan ANOTHER ALUMNUS SERVED IN YOUR VERY NICE ARTICLE about chancellor of higher education Judith Gill ’72 ["Coaxing the Cats," Spring 2001] you made one error of omission. Along with Jim Collins ’68, who held the position only a short time, another UMass graduate served as chancellor: Paul Marks ’57, who was acting, then permanent, chancellor in 1991 and 1992. He did a fine job and went on to become president of Montserrat College in Beverly. He later received an honorary degree from UMass. Judith Fleischer Gass ’59 Brookline BEAT PRIDE IN "ON THE TOWN," [Spring 2001] Greg Lauzon ’90 is quoted as saying his most memorable show was the Beat Farmers at the Hatch, a "crazy-ass hillbilly rock-and-roll band from Texas." He was only partially correct: They were and will always be a "crazy-ass hillbilly rock-and-roll band" from San Diego, California! We in San Diego are very proud of the Beat Farmers and I wanted to make sure that "America’s Finest City" was properly credited. Mr. Lauzon was particularly impressed by the drummer and lead singer of the band – Country Dick Montana, who unfortunately passed away a few years ago from cancer. All of us in the San Diego music scene miss him terribly. Thank you for your indulgence of my nitpicking. The article was cool and brought back many memories for me. Mary Alice Cedrone ’82 Oceanside, California WANTED MORE ON ASIAN ARTS IN HER COVER STORY ON the Fine Arts Center ["Balancing Act," Spring 2001], Marietta Pritchard makes only passing mention of the Asian Dance and Music Program. Yet it is this program that has been among the center’s most distinctive. During the past few years, under the able stewardship of Ranjanaa Devi, the Asian Dance and Music Program has enriched the cultural repertoire of my family and of the entire Valley. It has afforded area Asians renewed pride in their heritage as marvelous performers from almost every region of the continent have taken the stage. Its focus on the arts of Korea, Japan, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Turkey, Iran, India, and Gypsy culture has allowed us to witness the continuation of ancient art forms not easily found anywhere, not even in large cities. For a university to put forth such unusual and rich offerings is not only a treat for us all but a tribute to the program. I’m sorry Pritchard didn’t feel it deserved more than the scant attention she gave it. Rashna Singh ’77G Amherst Visitors to our website this fall will find links to articles of interest in our archives, including a story on the Asian Dance and Music Program. OUR FINE CENTER CONGRATULATIONS TO MARIETTA PRITCHARD for describing the cheerful, faithful, untiring work of the staff at the Fine Arts Center ["Balancing Act," Spring 2001]. In the more than 20 years I have known them, this crew is there, night and day, making sure the special gift that the FAC provides to the community and the university is delivered without a hitch. It was also always inspiring to me to see director-emeritus Fred Tillis at every event, despite his hectic life as artist, administrator, and poet. I wish his successor, Dr. Willie Hill, the same kind of success in building a loyal following. Honoré S. David ’94G Amherst THE FINE ARTS CENTER STORY struck a beautiful and timely chord. As a viola player recruited by the UMass Symphony Orchestra during freshman orientation, I got a personal tour of the brand new Fine Arts Center – then only two years old – and a viola to play. I still have the program from my first concert with the orchestra at Bowker Auditorium. While I opted for a degree in art history as opposed to music, the richness of musical programming and the caliber of artistry presented was outstanding. For about nine years after graduating in 1982 I performed on keyboards with a Boston-based band at night and on weekends. I also never quit my day job, and went on to earn an M.S. in management, specializing in arts administration, from Lesley College. Fast forward to Miami, Florida, where I’ve lived since 1991. As director of operations for the production company Next Stage, I had the pleasure of meeting Willie Hill, president of the International Association of Jazz Educators, at a IAJE conference in Los Angeles and again during one of his visits to Florida International University. I was very excited to learn that Dr. Hill had accepted the position as the director of the center and very proud of the university’s selection. Recently I had the great fortune of being appointed producer of Festival Miami, the premier outreach vehicle of the University of Miami School of Music. Founded in 1984, Festival Miami presents more than 20 performances over a four-week period each fall. An exciting and challenging opportunity! And while I still haven’t quit my day job, I do manage to perform on piano at local bookstores, clubs, and festivals. The Festival Miami post provides an opportunity to fulfill my work to which I knew I was committed 20 years ago while wandering among the geometric shadows cast by the architectural wonder that is the Fine Arts Center – and sneaking into the practice rooms to bang out tunes on the piano! Barbara E. (Mutz) Muze ’82 Miami, Florida CALLING ALL DREAMERS I READ "THIRD DREAM THEME" [North 40, Spring 2001] as if I were having a dream. I mean, I also have recurring dreams about UMass and I also last studied there a good 20 years ago. 1) I am always visiting, maybe a year or two after graduation, and looking for the mail that has come since for me in the Mary Lyon dormitory mailbox. 2) Summer is over and I am packing, or driving up, or in the dorm looking for all the stuff I left behind – where did I put it, I can not find it. 3) School is over and I’m already home, but I left a lot of stuff up at school and I wonder when I will go back and pick it up and how will I get it home and how many trips will it take. I will be interested to see if other alumni also have recurring dreams (as silly as they might be) about UMass. Elizabeth (Moss) Driebeek ’81 Hamden, Connecticut IS, TOO, LIBERAL IN "THIRD DREAM THEME" (North 40, Spring 2001), Lou Groccia asks, in reference to a book entitled Mathematics: One of the Liberal Arts, "Really? A liberal art? Have they changed the rules?" I taught Math 100 from that book a couple of years ago, and started the semester by explaining what were regarded as "liberal arts" in ancient times and why it is important for people now to master them. "Art" means, among other things, knowledge or skill that can be directed toward some purpose. The original "liberal arts" were those suited to freemen, as opposed to slaves, and mathematics was very much included. Mr. Groccia’s piece was intended to be lighthearted, but his comment raises a serious point. The liberal arts, mathematics among them, are the skills and knowledge needed by citizens, without which they are not truly free. Joseph Horowitz Professor of Mathematics, Campus TRUCKING IN FROM BUFFALO ADDING A POSTSCRIPT to your caption "Sharp-Eyed Readers" in the last UMass [Exchange, Spring 2001], I can show that snow sculptures were indeed featured in the Winter Carnivals of the ’50s! In the centerfold of the Winter Carnival program for 1953 are pictures of some of the best of the fraternity/sorority efforts of the previous year. Kappa Kappa Gamma (my sorority) did the Brinks Robbery. I recall that in 1953 we had snow trucked in from Buffalo for some of our events, due to an extended thaw in the Connecticut River valley. Elinor (Gannon) Lowe ’53 Clinton MIKE’S REDUX FOR THE WRITER LAMENTING the demise of "Mike’s Westview" [Exchange, Spring 2001]: It is alive and well under new management and with a new face. A former Mike’s bartender, Mark Power (a.k.a. Harpo) ’79, ’83G, has reopened the former Mike’s as "The Harp." The atmosphere is Irish Pub, and that is reflected in the decor, beers available, and the newly re-opened kitchen. Not surprisingly, the clientele is mostly UMass alums and present attendees, as well as many former Mike’s customers. Mary Lareau Moore ’73, 99G South Deerfield INSPIRED BY "TIES" I WANTED TO TELL YOU how much I enjoyed the "Family Ties" album created by history professor Kevin Boyle and his students [Around the Pond, Spring 2001]. I have been trying to get my mother to journal about her experiences during WWII with my dad. This should inspire her! What a great idea! Kudos to Kevin Boyle! I would have submitted my memorabilia had I been in his class! Diane O’Malley ’70 Spring Hill, Florida REBUTTAL TO "RAPE OR REGRETS?" I FELT COMPELLED TO WRITE in response to the letter headed "Rape or Regrets" in the last issue. Rape is not a simple issue. It happens more than one way. While we often think about rape as the blitz attack of a man jumping out of the bushes, that is rarely the way it happens. Usually the attacker is someone the victim knows. This includes date-rape and wives being raped by their husbands. Just because a woman is confused about what happened to her doesn’t make it any less real or any less traumatic. I spent several years working on a rape crisis hotline. One thing I learned is that women often struggle more with a date rape or a rape where alcohol was involved because they feel like they somehow should’ve been able to stop it. Unfortunately we need to teach men while they are young that NO means NO. Following a conflict resolution program for teens, one young man reported that what he learned from the course was "not to rape women." If that’s what it takes, then let’s do it. Andrea Perr ’82 Vienna, Virginia RESPONSE FROM "KNUCKLE-DRAGGER" NOW, I’M JUST ANOTHER knuckle-dragger, so please bear with me. I read with interest the piece by Sut Jhally and Jackson Katz regarding a Men’s Health article on the best colleges for men ["Heads up, knuckle-draggers," in "Big Trouble, Little Pond," Winter 2001]. I had read part of the Men’s Health article to see if I could glean some information on colleges where my daughters should not go. As I dimly recall, the article was more anecdotal than informative and of little value to anyone seriously seeking an appropriate college. I was more disturbed by Jhally and Katz’s response. Even the most ardent adherents of the "boys-will-be-boys" philosophy are beyond name-calling by the time they get out of high school. Yet the authors engage repeatedly in this time-honored if infantile device. They refer to "the knuckle draggers" at Men’s Health (this one paragraph after "Watch out when ‘the’ appears before any group description – you know crude stereotyping is about to occur"). They refer to women who do not adhere exactly to their way of thinking as "babes and bimbos." They call the writer/editors at Men’s Health liars because they do not follow the same statistics as the authors. As respected academicians, the authors surely know that everyone believes and cites the statistics that support their argument, ignoring statistics that undermine their argument. Is this lying? Perhaps it’s misguided, but we all do it, most of us presumably in good faith. Unfortunately, the many good points that Jhally and Katz make will be dismissed by the very people they should be trying to convince. Those already in agreement will nod in assent, but is the point to preach to the converted? I’d rather think such debate is intended to move us all toward a more enlightened vision of the nature of our relationships. As with statistics, we generally hear what we want to hear and disregard the rest. By giving their opponents such easy means to dismiss their argument, Jhally and Katz have done little more than call names. And that seems to be an occupation better suited to knuckle-draggers and bimbos. Dennis Harrod ’76 Cazenovia, New York FRUSTRATED BY CAMPUS’S APPEARANCE I COME OUT TO UMASS several times each season for athletic events. It is frustrating that I always seem to see the heart of the campus, within view of the Campus Center, so neglected. Weeding, mulching, and trimming the beds could be done by students. Proper lawn maintenance would also help enhance an area seen by students, faculty, state employees, alumni, and visitors. I have children who presently attend and have graduated from a state university and a private one. Both of those campuses were maintained. UMass should aspire to be a world-class institution in appearance, as well as reputation. David A. Katz ’71 Framingham

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All the letters

LETTERS IN PRINT, Fall 2001

TURNING TOWARD EACH OTHER: remarks by Chancellor Williams

CORRECTIONS