In Other Words

Letters to the Editor.

Button for the Hate has No Home campaign

As the fall semester opened in the wake of racially charged violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy seized the opportunity to reaffirm UMass Amherst’s commitment to ensuring a safe and welcoming living-learning environment for all. Launching the campus’s enthusiastically received Hate Has No Home at UMass campaign, Subbaswamy called on “every member of our community to reject hatred in all its forms and to stand united in defense of tolerance, diversity, and inclusion.”

UMass Amherst’s diversity and progressive philosophy regarding gay rights, multi- cultures, race diversity, women’s rights, and saving the planet is a big reason I selected UMass as my university. Way ahead of most schools in the 1970s.

Laura McKenna ’80
via Facebook

Good to see that UMass remains an open and tolerant place.

Alexander Thiel
via Facebook

Thank you, sir. I’m prouder than ever that my daughter is attending UMass Amherst.

Fiona Bitteker
via Facebook

On behalf of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), we write to commend you for launching the “Hate Has No Home” campaign at UMass Amherst. By doing so, you have taken significant and proactive steps to counter hate and divisive rhetoric by bringing the community together to spread a message of inclusion as students return back to campus.

Robert O. Trestan
New England Regional Director, Anti-Defamation League

I am a new international student and the university’s campaign to fight the bigotry that we have found ourselves in is truly commendable. The numerous posters crying out “Hate Has No Home at UMass” have acted as a comfortable reassurance whenever I feel threatened looking at the news as I find my feet in this amazing country. Thank you again for this wonderful campaign, more power to you!

Vinayak Mathur
Graduate student, Computer Science
 

 

IMAGES OF SUMMER

The Summer 2017 issue was fascinating, not just for the range of content, but also (primarily) for the diverse graphics.

Brad Klein ’84PhD
BLOOMFIELD, CONNECTICUT

 

MORE FRIENDS OF SHELLY

Thank you for the latest issue. I devour them even though I’m an old-timer from the Class of ’56. I especially enjoyed the article about Shelly Saltman ’53 (“That Was Me!” Summer 2017). I knew him well as a colleague at the Collegian and on WMUA. He was always there—as MC at a pep rally or other function.

Ron Aldo Musto ’56
VERO BEACH, FLORIDA

Thanks for the wonderful article about Shelly Saltman. Being that my name is Myrna Ann Saltman, and being that I do not know other than a few names of folks from my father’s family, would you please send me an address so that I might contact Shelly to see if we are related? I would appreciate that greatly.

Myrna Ann Saltman ’59
BURLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS

We will forward your note to Shelly so that he can follow up, perhaps with a long-lost cousin! —Ed.

He did. He called. We are. Maybe second cousins twice removed? And we just had a wonderful, long conversation. Thank you so much!

Myrna Ann Saltman ’59
BURLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS

 

LOVE FOR OLD CHAPEL

Thank you for the brilliant video on Old Chapel (“Something Old, Something New,” Summer 2017). It brought a lump to my throat . . . but also a song to my day. Three cheers, UMass, and thanks to the chancellor for restoring this iconic building. 

Meenakshi Gopinath ’73G
NEW DELHI, INDIA

Readers can view our mini-documentary on Old Chapel here.

When twilight shadows deepened and the study hour(s) drew nigh, when shades of night were falling, and the evening breezes sighed, my sister (Patience Pye Skarsgard ’67) and I would meet near Old Chapel at Mem Hall. It was quiet; it had comfortable chairs; and it had the biggest, cheapest, coldest Cokes on campus. After the study hour(s), we (two Congregationalists!) would head over to the Newman Center (also a great place to study) for the best burgers on campus. Most times, Patey paid. Great, great memories!

Jim Pye ’69
DUXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS

How well I recall the Old Chapel—where I spent so much of my time as sports editor of the Collegian. After graduating at the top of the chemistry class in 1948, I attended graduate school at MIT. Dr. J. Harold Smith, my freshman chemistry professor, inspired me to make that my career. And it was a long and very productive one. I earned many awards and commendations along the way and, thanks to my UMass education and experience, was able to contribute much to our U.S. space programs and defense systems, including the current armor-protection material, structural adhesives, and composite materials that have served our country so well and made possible the advanced systems we have today. Thanks for a great magazine.

George Epstein ’48
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

I proposed to my wife (Jean Creamer Ferrara ’62) of 55 years in front of Old Chapel on a drizzly evening in 1961. Together, we listened to the refurbished bells on their rededication on the occasion of my 50th reunion in 2010.

So pleased to see it restored to its past glory for the appreciation of all students— past and present.

Conrad P. Ferrara ’60, ’61G
LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA

 

MANGA MADNESS

What a wonderful piece (“Licensed to Translate,” Summer 2017) by Jenny McKeon! It made my week, and I plan to save and re-read it whenever I need a pick-me-up at work! Excellent magazine you are putting out! Read it cover to cover.

Peter Regan (attended 1977–’79)
DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS

 

Correction: In “Ick, a Tick!” (Summer 2017) we reported that it takes 24 hours of attachment for a tick to transmit the Lyme virus to your blood. The tick transmits the Lyme disease bacterium, not the virus itself.
 

Class Notes Are Back!

Starting with our next issue, Class Notes and In Memoriam will be back in print in UMass magazine.

Submit your career and family news to UMassAlumni.com/classnotes. Report address changes and deaths to updates@umass.edu.

Letters to the Editor