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Printed in the Nov. 5, 1999 issue of The Campus Chronicle By Kay Scanlan A time capsule, a joint town-gown bell ringing, an oral history project and a landscape reproduction of the new logo along with "UMass 2000" are among the projects planned on campus as 1999 winds down and attention turns to the new millennium. "It's important to remember our past, even as we make plans for the future," said Chancellor David K. Scott. "The arrival of the new millennium provides a perfect opportunity for celebrating our history and for noting how far we have come." Scott has named a committee to consider what articles would be appropriate to put into a time capsule to be opened 100 years from now. The committee represents a range of views, with appointees from all parts of the campus community, including alumni. Co-chairs are Ronald Story, professor of History, and Susan Krauss Whitbourne, professor of Psychology. The committee will also suggest an appropriate ceremony for placing the time capsule in the around in the spring of 2000. Scott said the committee will seek broad community input about what items the time capsule should contain. "I want committee members to consider what we would want people to think about the campus 100 years from now," he said. For the oral history project, Scott has named a coordinating group to augment the oral histories that are now in the library. He has instructed the group to "try to span the experiences of the century" on campus. "We have people connected with UMass who, when put together, do span the entire century, including alumnus Carl Allen, and of course the students here today," he said. Allen is a graduate of the Class of '14, lives in Westborough and is nearly 107 years old. Scott said Allen will be able to contribute a perspective of what the campus was like before World War I, compared to current students, who can contribute an entirely different perspective of nearly 100 years later. Coordinators are Doris Abramson, '49, professor emeritus of Theater; Donald Junkins '53, professor emeritus of English; Daniel Melley '55, retired vice chancellor for University Relations and Development; and Esther Terry, Afro-American Studies department chair and associate chancellor for Equal Opportunity and Diversity. Another committee will look into the joint ringing of the UMass carillon and the town bells in Amherst and Hadley to mark the new year. Members are Patricia Vinchesi '82, director of Community Relations; Richard Nathhorst '79, of Facilities Planning; and James MacRostie, associate director of Operations in the Fine Arts Center. Scott said the other schools in Five Colleges Inc., are also interested in joining this project, both in ringing their own bells and in coordinating bell ringing with their local communities. Following various suggestions over time from the Campus Beautification Committee, Scott has asked a group from the physical plant to find an outdoor location where "UMass 2000" and the new logo could be emblazoned, perhaps on a hillside. The logo could appear in spring bulbs, in a low hedge, or using pebbles to spell out the words and logo. Scott said the project is part of the effort of beautifying the campus, of bringing attention to the new logo, and of creating a symbol of the University at the Millennium. "The year 2000 will also mark the transition from the completion of Strategic Action to the beginning of the first plan for the new century, Strategic Intent," he said. "As we plan our future, it is important that we view it through the lens of our past history and achievement."
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