Weekly Bulletin

MSP balloting

The Massachusetts Society of Professors is holding elections for board members and officers on Tuesday, April 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the union's office in 121 Hampshire House.

Pension Reserve Investment Management Board elections

Balloting is underway for a seat on the state Pension Reserve Investment Management Board. Ballots and candidate information were mailed to eligible employees at their home addresses.

Five candidates are vying for the seat: Reid J. Cassidy, an 18-year probation officer; William (Bill) Wright, a staff member of the state Lottery Commission; Carol Parad Kurzman, manager of human resources for the state Department of Housing and Community Development; Ralph White, who has held the seat for 18 years; and William (Bill) Barabino, a Department of Mental Retardation employee.

Ballots must be received by May 3.

Blood drive

The Hampshire County Chapter of the American Red Cross will conduct a blood drive on Tuesday, April 30, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in 174 Lincoln Campus Center.

Student exhibits sculpture in Goodell

"Anhedonia," a space-specific installation of sculpture and found art by Ellen Piangerelli, a senior Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration major, will be on exhibit May 1-15 on the sixth floor of Goodell. An opening reception is scheduled for May 1 from 4-6 p.m.

According to Piangerelli, the exhibit anthropomorphically explores assumed experiences through six rudimentary nouns. The neglected space in the former library has been transformed into a walk-through exhibition resulting in a work that is literary, introspective, tactile and loud.

Alive With Dance performs student works

Alive With Dance, a registered student organization, will perform works choreographed by senior Dance majors on Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, at 8 p.m. in Bowker Auditorium.

Admission is $8 general public and $5 for students, senior citizens and children. Call the Fine Arts Center Box Office
(5-2511).

Sortino and Otrando are Sports Luncheon speakers

The Weekly Sports Luncheon on Wednesday, May 1 will feature softball coach Elaine Sortino and Bob Otrando, director of Strength and Conditioning in the Athletic Department. The lunch is at noon in 1009 Lincoln Campus Center.

The buffet lunch costs $6.50. Call 5-4289 for reservations.

Kaffeepause and student awards presentation

The Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures is offering a Kaffeepause on Wednesday, May 1 from noon-2 p.m. in the fifth floor lobby of Herter Hall.

All are welcome to join in German conversation, a look at recent German television news, free coffee and snacks. Undergraduate achievement awards will be presented at 1:15 p.m.

League of Women Voters' book sale set for May 3-5

The League of Women Voters of Am-herst is holding its 55th annual book sale May 3-5 on the Amherst town common. The hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology seminar

"Making Sense of X-Chromosome Inactivation" will be discussed by Jeannie T. Lee of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the department of genetics at Harvard Medical School on Wednesday, May 1 at noon in the Hiatt Auditorium, Goff Learning Center at the Medical School in Worcester.

RSU screens documentary on Desert Storm and aftermath

The Radical Student Union is showing the film, "Hidden Wars of Desert Storm" next week as part of its semester-long documentary series.

The film offers insights about the history of Western involvement in the Middle East, the events leading to the Gulf War, the hidden U.S. political agenda behind the ongoing embargo against Iraq and Gulf War syndrome's effects on veterans and local populations.

Narrated by British actor John Hurt and with the participation of Ramsey Clark, Denis Halliday, Scott Ritter, General Norman Schwarzkopf and many others, the documentary also features images recently brought back from Iraq as well as rarely seen footage from the war and declassified documents.
The film will be screened on Monday, April 29, Tuesday, April 30 and Wednesday, May 1. All shows are at 7 p.m. in 803 Lincoln Campus Center. A discussion follows each screening.

Campbell to speak about state's forests and parks

Elisa Campbell of the Office of Information Technologies, a former member of the state Department of Environmental Management's board of managers, will speak on "Our Glorious Heritage: Massachusetts Forests and Parks" at the May 7 meeting of the University Women's Network.

The luncheon meeting is at noon in 1009 Lincoln Campus Center.

Since coming to UMass in 1970 as a graduate student in the English Department, Campbell has been active on environmental issues, primarily through the Sierra Club, but also through her service on the DEM panel. While still a student, she began working at the University Computing Center (now OIT), writing manuals about how to use the computers. After finishing her doctoral work, she decided to stay on at UMass.

The menu for the luncheon is make-your-own chef salad, soup du jour, cornbread, coffee, iced tea, hot tea and chef's choice dessert.

Lunch is $7 for UWN members and $9 for non-members; $2.50 for beverage and dessert only. Members may brown-bag for free; there is a $1 charge for non-members.

To register for the luncheon, send a check payable to UWN to Avis Fusek, UWN treasurer, Biology Department, 221 Morrill Science Center III South, by Tuesday, April 30.

Al-Anon meetings

Al-Anon meetings are held on Mondays and Thursdays from noon-1 p.m. in Lincoln Campus Center. Check the daily listings near the elevators for the room number.

Retirement reception for Robert Swasey

A reception will be held Thursday, May 9 for assistant graduate dean for Enrollment Services Robert Swasey, who is retiring after 34 years of service.
The reception is scheduled for 4-6:30 p.m. in 1009 Lincoln Campus Center. All are welcome to attend.

Contributions towards a gift may be sent to Patricia Stowell, Graduate School, 534 Goodell, by May 3.

BCP graduation ceremony scheduled for May 3

The Bilingual Collegiate Program's 28th annual graduation ceremony will be held Friday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom.

All members of the UMass community are invited to attend the event, which will include food, music and a cash bar.

For information, call the BCP office at 5-1968.

Program focuses on medicinal plants

A lecture and panel discussion featuring specialists in medicinal plants will be presented Thursday, May 2 at 7 p.m. in 904 Lincoln Campus Center.

"From Field to Pharmacy" will feature an ethnobotanist, pharmaceutical chemist and natural products business owner, who will each focus on different aspects of the discovery, preparation, and use of plant-based medicines.

The program is presented in conjunction with the 15th annual HerbFest, a celebration of herbs organized by students in the Plant and Soil Sciences course, "Herbs, Spices, and Medicinal Plants."

HerbFest will be held May 7, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom.

Weight Watcher's meetings

The Weight Watcher's Winning Points Program meetings are held each Monday at noon in 253 Boyden. Call Cheryl (548-9404) or Jill (5-3321) for more information.

Molecular Genetics and Microbiology seminars

The Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology at the Medical School in Worcester is hosting the following seminars:

Renee Tsolis of the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center will discuss "Host-pathogen Interactions During Brucella abortus Infection" on Friday, April 26.

Professor R. John Collier of the department of microbiology and molecular genetics at Harvard Medical School, will speak on "Anthrax Toxin and Ways to Inhibit It" on Friday, May 3.

Both programs take place at 12:15 p.m. in the Hiatt Auditorium at the Goff Learning Center.

Physiology seminar

Albert Wang of the Boston Biomedical Research Institute will discuss "Caldesmon and Smooth Muscle Regulation" on Monday, April 29 at noon in the Physiology Seminar Room, S4-308 of the Medical School in Worcester.

Turf Research Field Day to be held in June

The UMass Extension Turf Program will host its annual Turf Research Field Day on Wednesday, June 19 at the Turf Research Facility on River Road in South Deerfield.

Presentations by faculty and graduate students about the latest turf research at will include an update on the Snow Mold Project, the 2000 National Kentucky Bluegrass Variety Trial and bluegrass weevils.

Other topics on the program are "Life After Dursban: What Are Our Options Now?," "Management of Application Strategies to Minimize Pesticide Exposure to Golfers," "Best Management of Post-Application Irrigation on Turf to Minimize Exposure to Volatile and Foliar Pesticide Residues," and "The Effects of Reinforcement Materials on the Water Infiltration, Wear Tolerance, and Playing Quality of Sports Fields."

Field Day provides turf industry professionals with an opportunity to meet with the UMass Turf Team, to learn about current turf research at UMass and to network with colleagues. The agenda includes a trade show, and green industry vendors and exhibitors will be on hand. At the close of the formal program, a cookout lunch (included in the price of registration) will be provided.

Pesticide re-certification contact hours have been requested for all six New England States.

Pre-register by June 14 or on-site the day of the event. Vendors wishing to set up a display must pre-register.

Information is available online (www.umassturf.org) or by contacting Thom Griffin, Turf Research Facility manager, at 5-3066, or by e-mail (griff@pssci.umass.edu), or Mary Owen, Extension educator, at (508) 892-0382, (mowen@umext.umass.edu).

Early music concerts

The Five College Early Music Collegium, directed by Robert Eisenstein, and the Tufts University Collegium, directed by Jane Hershey, will present a program of 16th- and 17th- century music from Spain and the New World on Friday, May 3 at 8 p.m. at First Congregational Church on Main Street in Amherst.

The free concert will feature voices and Renaissance instruments, such as viols, lutes, cornetts, sackbuts, shawms, dulcians and recorders, performing Villancicos from Spain, Mexico and Peru and motets by Francisco Guerrero.
Voces Feminae will perform English and Italian music from the Middle Ages and Renaissance on Monday, April 29 at Sweeney Concert Hall, Smith College and Thursday, May 2 at the South Hadley Congregational Church. Both concerts are at 8 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

Euridice Ensembles presents its spring concert on Saturday, May 4 at 2 p.m. in the Warbeke Room, Pratt Hall, Mount Holyoke College. The concert features baroque and classical chamber ensembles directed by Mount Holyoke faculty.

On Sunday, May 5 at 4 p.m. in St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Springfield, the Five College Early Music Collegium will offer a one-hour performance of its Spanish and Latin American repertoire. The church is located at 45 Buckingham St. Donations to the church will be accepted.

For more information, contact the Early Music Office at 538-2079 or by e-mail (reisenst@mtholyoke.edu).