Amherst Life Blog

Land and Rights: Spread the Word

2012-01-24T22:28:00.003-05:00

We at Amherst Life have been covering local Pioneer Valley events for several years. Occasionally we look at national and international news. In this series, Land and Rights, we are going to document the struggles and heroic activities of people across the Americas who are engaged in a very real war against powerful multinational corporations, governments, private military forces, and much more. We feel that these stories mist be spread. We live in a town that is quite safe--our duty is to use that safety. People must know about what is happening on the continent. If that means taking some time to document the unjust activities and human rights violations that make other areas unsafe, it is a cause worthwhile. Sometimes all it takes is a few words, a persuasive sentence, an image for voices to be heard across time and space.

PBS did a remarkable job documenting the struggles in Cauca, Colombia, where an Afro-Colombian community continues to battle massive multinational corporations who, backed by the government, have been trying to remove people from their homes for the past decade. It is a civil war. People are being murdered. Look here at the work of brave women warriors in the community who face death threats daily, have watched all of their male colleagues be murdered, and still fight:

Women, War, and Peace (PBS)

We would like to know what is happening NOW. The PBS special ends in 2011. We will be following this and we hope you will too.

Amethyst Brook

2012-01-03T00:22:00.000-05:00

Well, we are more afraid of downtown Amherst when everyone is out of town (notice we've don 5 blog posting is one day?) than dogs running around the Amethyst Brook
(See: http://www.bollier.org/commoners-amethyst-brook), but we do have a few questions for people. We see "no trespassing" signs in a few areas across from the newly constructed greenhouse. Is the private property the river itself? We can't figure out if the river and river bank are privately owned now. We do know, however, that nobody has listened to us about the dangerous barbed wire fence remains that innocent deer probably don't see at night and get cut up by. This fencing is still up and needs to be removed before more humans and animals get hurt.

Protest: The Test in Pro-Test?

2012-01-03T00:20:00.000-05:00

Amherst and the valley is known for resistance and protest. We walked around the UMass campus recently and saw two tents set up near the main strip on campus. The vibration of such an encampment looked pitiful. In truth, it looked like those two tent-owners had been paid by higher-up people to make the protest movement look ridiculous. And so, we'd like to hear from our local readers: is this movement CIA funded, an attempt to make a mockery of what it means to resist and protest? The media clearly focusses on the stories of priveleged, mainly middle-class white kids who don't seem to really know what they are doing. Head to areas hard-hit by capitalist greed and the stories that these college kids are telling simply make the harder-hit angry. Is this one of many ways of undoing any effort to resist: show the resistors as a bunch or unorganized, spoiled brats? Make their movement, which is needed and deserved, appear to be a movement of whining adolescents suffering from arrested development? We want to hear your views! Comments please!

LIT: a new posh nightclub-lounge in Amherst?

2012-01-03T00:19:00.000-05:00

The folks at Moti's are aesthetic geniuses and they serve a mean plate of food. You will pay handsomely for that plate, but, compared to the choices in the downtown area, your getting your dollar's worth. The owners are also hiring geniuses. They gave managerial responsibilities to one of the most dynamic figures in Amherst and she is shaping a space with multiple trajectories in mind. For now, it seems to be a place for slightly-better-dressed college kids to hear some of the best music in the area in a clean, nicely decorated, beautifully lit (yes, lit) environ. Yet with staff members, the crew at Moti's has privately suggested interest in a Lorca-Rummi poetic exploration night, not necessarily limited to those two giants of the literary world. And so, publicly, we at Amherst Life want to make this clear: you open the stage and mic for poetry, connected to the Silk Road, Spain, the Medditeranean, North Africa... We will get your joint filled. Nightly. Words, thoughts, perspectives will be lit up--and the "downtown" scene will also be alight. We make this public too: get some more non-drinking involved in your space, and we will help fund your endeavors. amherst_life@yahoo.com.

Unemployed with Four Diplomas in My Pocket

2012-01-03T00:18:00.000-05:00

We put the word out as a basic email to our readers---"highly educated, living in your car?" was the subject heading--and the result was an outpouring of stories. Ph.D.s living in their cars? Is this true? "They must be dealing with other issues, their are jobs on this very campus," a staff member at University Career Services stated. This is true. And so we inquired with our readers. "Anyone try to get a job at UMass with your Ph.D.?" Listen to this one: we got a letter from a young doctorate holding, star of the department, teacher extraordinaire with so many amazing letters written by students about her teaching performance that the university gave her a wonderfully written one-sentence letter with her name mis-spelled, naturally... Yes, we received word from this gifted scholar/educator who received B.A.s and a Ph.D. from UMass, who successfully advised hundreds of students, that not even a single response was elicited by her graceful cover letter (we saw it) and remarkable resume to the Honor's College and university advising services. She sent two emails. Nothing. She decided to apply her vast knowledge of international education and went ahead and applied for multiple study abroad positions in UMass's IPO office. Nothing. Not one word. She contacted numerous departments. Nothing. Blank space. Her own university wont even respond to her. So, we have this to say to university advising, academic departments, and study abroad advising: are you prepared to tell your students that you won't even respond to their emails and employment inquiries as you advise them through their fields of studies? Are you explaining that you yourselves wouldn't even hire them?

New Low for Ph.D.'s looking for work: Harvard University

2012-01-03T00:16:00.000-05:00

This just in from one of our readers, a guy with a Ph.D. in literature with, oh dear, a social consciousness. That combination is lethal, we have found. Let me get this straight: "you did seven years of M.A. and Ph.D.
studies at one of the top public universities in the U.S. (UMass), you scraped by on 12,000/year for six years before they kicked you out of funding even though you were consistently rated one of the top instructors in the entire university (I'm paraphrasing his email) and you still have a desire to "help out" in the public education system? Well, if we didn't have the same goal, we'd think you had lost it in Ph.D.-land. But no, there are may of us, and there are many places like Harvard who recently turned down our colleague, mostly because he had the audacity to question their salary.

Like me break it down. Harvard's Placement Specialist Position, advertised publicly at 47-74K/year, a position in which, as Harvard HR unabashedly states, requires 50 plus work weeks between November and March, weekends and nights often. Sounds fairly normal. But when our dear UMass grad inquired about the wide range--commonplace now--he was told "high 40s." FYI: Harvard understands high 40s as 42,000/year, before taxes of course. The highly visible pay range for a "055" position, 35 hours per week, is beyond what they were going to pay for this 50 hour/week job. Harvard is fairly well endowed. Yet, they get away with this because "this is a mission-driven position." Mission driven is the new word for under-compensating. It is the new catch phrase for traps for socially conscious, highly motivated, highly qualified people.

Unemployed, Depressed Ph.D.: My Education is Getting in My Way

2012-01-03T00:06:00.001-05:00

We have a hard time sympathizing with people who dedicate their lives to research and writing yet can't seem to figure out that universities are basically factories that do not care about the folks on the assembly line unless they bring the university prestige and money. Humanities: unless you are Noam Chomsky, forget about it. Lowest on the assembly line. They are cutting entire language and literature programs daily.

Yet... the number of people we know who are walking around with advanced degrees in the humanities, unemployed, is staggering. We are now collecting stories from these people who are basically saying that entry-level they are only eligible for entry-level positions yet entry-level positions won't hire them.

Check out this guy's story:

"I write to vent. Nothing more. Do you know what it means to work at $12,000-14,000/yr in Amherst, high rent, high cost of living, for five years, while defending myself from a university that took away my outside merit-based grants because they said I didn't have financial "need" (UMASS said this to me as they handed me one of 1000 tiny sheets of paper with the address of the localsoup kitchen) to earn the highest degree possible in my field after dealing with horrific committee interference with my development as a human being, while being a grad student teacher--the folks that run the UMass campus and actaully care about their students... Yes, all of this.... to then graduate and loate academia so thoroughly that I want a non-teaching job even though I won teaching awards... yes... I continue... to the apply to study abroad programs because I believe in the power of study abroad to help transform students' experiences... to be then harassed and questioned, and have my recommnders contacted MULTIPLE times by some insane director at the University of Miami... a lady who told them she thought I was using her for transitory work even after she questioned me over 15 times, hous on the phone, hours of skype interview, demanding answers about using her office as a stepping stone... to then speak badly about my candidacy to my recommenders.... I had to write this email to her...

And now I have to say, I'm angry that offices like this can be run so horribly and I think parents should know their kids have absolutely no organizational structure behind them, and the type of people running these programs are insane... So I found the UMiami provosts information and may even write to him."

Our reader withdrew his candidacy with an email that we have urged him to publish on his own. It is so critical of the state of study abroad and the way administrators are abusing their power that it deserves its own blog.

UMass Health Services: Not Diagnosing Swine Flu?

2009-11-21T03:43:00.003-05:00

People, UMass-Amherst's Heath Services Center is not diagnosing students with Swine Flu nor are they keeping track of the numbers of students with swine flu... They don't seem to think that knowing/having the number of students with swine flu matters. We find this troubling. More troubling is the fact that they are now asking that people with the flu/swine-like symptoms "just go home." So, nobody knows how severe the outbreak is at UMass. This is not good. We welcome your comments.

Lincoln Street Closes, Still no Parking

2009-11-21T03:35:00.002-05:00

Um, excuse us, but did the town vote to SHUT DOWN the entryway from Lincoln Ave. onto the UMass Campus? For the first few weeks of school, barricades were set up, police were patrolling and ticketing anyone who tried to go around the barricades, traffic was altered, and all of this without much notice at all. So, our question is the following: why does the town act so quickly to do some radical street alterations and, at the same time, drag their feet when it comes time to offer center residents a 24-hour parking space during the winter? The answer: people who don't have driveways/off-street parking are the ones renting apartments in buildings. Those on Lincoln are the landed gentry. Come on Town Hall! It is NOT THAT HARD to open up 24 hour parking for the center residents. You shut down an entire street, you can do this. The spaces are already there.

Moti Restaurant

2009-11-21T03:30:00.002-05:00

Well, we don't want to boast, but it does look like the owners of Moti saw our business prospects in Amherst posting (along with two new taxi companies) and they are doing very well. The moral of the story: if Amherst Life calls for a new business in town, one might act on it.

We are still looking for music venues! Live and recorded music -- something other than the bars in town please!

We will keep posting our ideas for new businesses in the area. Right now there are two prime spaces in the center of town, perfect for a music cafe.

Moti is definitely worth a visit -- good food, very friendly staff. The only thing is that if they are going to serve to a university crowd, more food on the plates is necessary for the price! But good quality and finally some Persian/Mediterranean cuisine!

Business Folk: Free tips!

2009-06-02T11:51:00.003-04:00

OK, you might ask, "what's in it for you?" Our response: a more dynamic town and more places for the non-binge drinking inclined. So, for what it's worth, we'd like to give entrepreneurs a few tips:

In Amherst, one kind of business thrives: the cafe/restaurant. Yes, that is it. There are multiple, but none of them have concocted the "perfect" mix of cheap food, good coffee, nice & clean space, and good MUSIC on Friday's and Saturday's. This is not rocket science but for some reason, nobody around here can put it into action. Amherst needs a cafe with god rice and beans, hummus and pita, coffee and tea, basic vegetarian (and well-done) grilled vegetables, some "top picks" books for sale (cheap), some good prints for sale (artwork), weekly music (quality, please, don't be cheap or we will trash you forever!). So there you have it: trust us. You will make a lot of money here and you will improve our lives. Donations accepted.

Holyoke PVTA!

2009-06-02T11:45:00.002-04:00

We would like to propose an express bus route from Holyoke Center (not the mall) to UMass-Amherst. There are thousands of students and faculty-members who live in Holyoke and commute to Amherst, and Holyoke is the only affordable place to live in the area. You open a bus route, Holyoke gets more students, that means more money flowing into the city, that means more life in the city, that means grad students can actually live without going to the local church for free food. We would like to hear your ideas about an express bus route. Please post them below.

Cultural Bazaar in Amherst

2009-06-02T11:42:00.003-04:00

Could someone please explain what does not count for "indigenous" cultural objects, please? We went to the bazaar, and (though many folks came in the interest of cross-cultural exchange), there were some vendors selling mass-produced products. So, is a factory-produced mask an "indigenous" cultural representation. Probably. But that forces the "real" vendors -- those who are crafting by hand -- to lower their prices and not get the money that their work deserves. You comments are welcome!

Unethical landlords!

2009-06-02T11:38:00.002-04:00

Ok, this is not the space to trash your landlord! This is the space, however, to get even! If your landlord has been unethical and you have the documentation to prove it, post your case and let the public know! We do not want made-up stories! We want real cases that have legal documentation so that us renters know what we are getting into! Posts can be posted below.

Translating architectural forms: more for you housing seekers!

2009-06-02T11:33:00.005-04:00

This is another piece of advice that international students and folks from warmer climes often forget to consider....

If you are interested in a 1st floor apartment (ground floor) always ask if there is a basement or if the apartment is right on the cold earth! If you have a basement, heating prices can be affordable. Sometimes there is even a furnace beneath the unit (and that is good!). However, if your unit is not above a basement and rests upon a slab of concrete that is right on the ground, you can expect to pay HIGH prices for heating in the winter. Around 150/month, at least...

So, something to consider! We believe the first floor apartments at Colonial Village are an example of units without a basement below... We have to confirm that, though... Someone let us know!

Housing in Amherst

2009-06-02T11:23:00.002-04:00

We know... the UMass housing page is down and now you are limited to "craigslist western mass." But that makes the search a little easier, and hopefully the people who post on UMass will realize that a "vacant" 1-bedroom apartment is not a room in a private home! We are so tired of these people! So, for the record, and for all of the landlords out there, a room in an apartment or home is just that: a room! Wow.

We have also come across multiple scams that out-of-town folk should know about.

1) Be weary of craigslist ads that use "Western Massachusetts" as a town name. Western Mass. is a huge area and there are probably 40 towns and cities in this part of the state.

2) If you are renting a "room" or a vacant apartment that includes heat, you should ask WHO controls the heat. You will be surprised (or maybe you won't...) that some of the landlords in the happy valley keep daytime heat regulated at 68 degrees in the winter months. That may not sound cold to you, but think about the cold winter draft that may enter your abode at night. Something to consider.

3) Beware of folks who say they will pay the agency fee on the apartment you are about to lease! They might say that they will cover the fee, which is nice, but get the money in cash then!

4) Check the PVTA schedule and call PVTA for bus route info. Some landlords are calling a 2 mile walk "close" to the major bus stops. That is good for exercise-sake, but not so good when you have to get to campus in a hurry.

5) We'll keep posting! Come back. And tell us your stories as apartment searchers!

Our intention is to make the move into the area smooth and to do that we like to keep landlords and homeowners in check! This is your space to keep the pressure on and to let us all know about unethical landlord practices. So, post away below!

Jason Vassell Meeting Tomorrow

2008-11-23T22:49:00.002-05:00

This just in...

We are writing to remind you of the community-wide organizing meeting that
is taking place tomorrow, Monday, November 24th, at 6 PM. It will be held in
the lower level meeting room of the Bangs Community Center. The Bangs
Community Center is located at 70 Boltwood Walk in Amherst, behind Rao's
Coffee.

Our rally last week was very successful. Despite the freezing temperatures,
several hundred supporters came to voice their support. We presented over
4500 petition signatures to District Attorney Scheibel's office. We received
favorable coverage in all of the major local newspapers and on all of the
local TV channels. The newly formed Western Massachusetts Coalition for
Justice for Jason is growing by the day. We are gaining momentum."

Your attendance is needed!

Art Exhibit at UMass -- "In Other's Words"

2008-11-20T13:46:00.001-05:00

An interesting exhibit by students at UMass-Amherst.

"The Student Union Art Gallery, located in the Student Union Building at UMass Amherst, presents "In Other's Words," curated by farm members Susie Nielsen, Claudia Middendorf, and Christine Gallagher. The exhibition is about the power and reinvention of language, defined as a pattern used by a particular group within a community (usually occupational) or a special pattern created for communication: "a body of words and the systems for their common use." What happens when you take one language and ask it to describe, unite, react or interact with another?

The show dates are November 12 through December 5. The opening reception will be held on November 20 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Gallery hours are Mondays-Thursdays 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and Fridays 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. For more information, call (413) 545-0792.

Directions & Parking

Located on the 2nd floor of the Student Union building. Parking is available in the Campus Center Parking Garage located next to the Campus Center with a passageway leading directly from the garage on the 2nd floor."

More Info @:
http://umass.edu/umhome/events/articles/80675.php

Bush Risks Endangered Animals

2008-11-19T21:26:00.002-05:00

This just in from Yahoo news: "Animals and plants in danger of becoming extinct could lose the protection of government experts who make sure that dams, highways and other projects don't pose a threat, under a regulation the Bush administration is set to put in place before President-elect Obama can reverse them. The rules must be published Friday to take effect before Obama is sworn in Jan. 20. Otherwise, he can undo them with the stroke of a pen."

What other things can the man do before he leaves office? S

Jason Vassell Trail

2008-11-19T19:48:00.003-05:00

Northampton, MA -- A crowd of approximately 80 students, professors, community activists and members rallied outside of the Northampton District Attorney's office in support of Jason Vassell, who will face trial for events that occurred last February when he was attacked by two white men at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. After being verbally threatened and physically beaten, Vassell allegedly defended himself against his white attackers with a knife, injuring one. Though it seems to be a case of clear self-defense, our justice system has turned the star student and community member into a felon who is now facing thirty years in jail. His white attackers face 1.5 years in jail, and the other, none. The difference in the sentences speak volumes. We would like to encourage all of you to write letters to international and national newspapers, columnists, news centers, alternative news organizations, and civil rights organizations. The word has to get around and out of the community!

Rally for Jason Vassell

2008-11-19T10:31:00.000-05:00

TODAY: JASON FACES A MAXIMUM OF 3O YEARS IN PRISON, BOWES FACES A MAXIMUM OF 1.5 YEARS AND BOSSE FACES 0 YEARS

*COME MARCH WITH US TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TODAY*

On Wednesday, November 19, at 3:30pm,
we will be meeting with supporters of Justice for Jason at Pulaski
Park in Downtown Northampton. We will then march together to the
District Attorney's office demanding Justice for Jason. Thousands of
petition signatures, statements of support from community
organizations, and letters from concerned supporters will be submitted
to her. The more supporters present the less she can ignore us!

JOIN US IN THIS EFFORT BEFORE JASON GOES TO TRIAL

**SIGN THE PETITION**

http://www.ipetitions.com/ petition/ J4JDismissalofcharges/

**SEND A LETTER TO THE DA**

Elizabeth Scheibel
1 Gleason Plaza
Northampton, MA 01060

CARPOOLS WILL BE LEAVING UMASS AT 2:30-EMAIL US IF YOU WISH TO JOIN!

THANKS AND HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

We're back!

2008-11-19T02:34:00.002-05:00

It's been a while, but we read a post on the (UMass Journalism blog and were inspired to get back at it! Thanks!

So, first thing: YES WE CAN!!!! Amherst cars were beeping, people were running in the streets, a whole crew from Amherst College rushed the center in celebration, and folks were happy! There is hope!

Second: You must hit la noche latina at the Iron Horse on Tuesday nights at aroud 10:30pm -- great latin music, people dancing, nice crowd.

Third: Amherst Town Management has still done nothing about on-street parking for handicapped & elderly folks who live on Amity street and other areas where there are apartment buildings that do not allow for on-site (driveway) parking. That is a big issue for people who have to move their automobiles all over the town in search for a space. And when it gets icy, it is dangerous for many. So, put some pressure on this rich-serving town hall and tell them that their b.s. has gone on long enough. Would you like your grandmother going in and out of her nice apartment to move a car in the middle of the winter, and then walk back 30 minutes through the snow. We think not. Speak up. These people in town hall have been notified for years now.

Fourth: We need reviews on the new Vietnamese restaurant in Amherst center. And whatis happening with the Souper Bowl? Can someone get the word out that the owner needs to have some live music at night? He has a great spot for dancing. A bar. And what do they do? Soup. And crackers. Not cutting it! You have a great space -- use it!

Fifth: Raos employees need a serious overview of cleaning procedures that should begin with sponges. More precisely, employees need to know that MULTIPLE/Different sponges are used for different surfaces. You don't use the same sponge for every surface. You see them doing that, let the manager know or post a comment.

Sixth: UMass continues to abuse it's email system by allowing vendors to sell their goods to students via the college email account. Some corrupt official/administrator is making a killing on commissions. We have to speak up about this!

Seventh: Thanks for reading and sorry for the long hiatus!

Welcome Back Students!!!

2008-08-27T12:56:00.003-04:00

We just wanted to welcome back students and families to the area. The town is in full-transition and it is exciting to see!

We also wanted to remind folks to buy local! You think you might save by shopping for back-to-school stuff at Walmart, Target, CVS, and Staples, but we have done our math and all of the paper supplies and office supplies are cheaper at Hastings in downtown Amherst. You just have to fnd it and it's not hard. Be adventurous! Hastings is just 1 block from the main intersection in the center of town (where Main Street crosses Pleasant St.). They have everything you need and more. And cheap! And not in huge bulks that people end up throwing away anyways.

Also, consider shopping at Maple Farms in Hadley and at Atkins Farms in Amherst-- better food, better quality, better prices too, and you are supporting local business-owners. Stop and Shop, Big Y, and Whole Foods are overrun with customers anyways.

So, have a good transition, check out local goods, and post here with other local-business recommendations!

Music Festival in Holyoke! Saturday the 23rd!

2008-08-19T17:05:00.002-04:00

This is going to be a great event! Check it out in Holyoke, only a 20 minute ride from Amherst!

2nd Annual Pioneer Valley Latin Jazz Festival

"Saturday, August 23, 2008 • 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
La Finca
24 Jones Ferry Road/Main Street
Holyoke, MA
Handicap access available
Directions & Parking
Admission: Donation $10
Event web site
Contact: Yvonne Mendez, pvlatinjazz@gmail.com, 413-218-1353
Music, as a universal language can bring together cultures and generations in celebration and appreciation. The 2nd Annual Pioneer Valley Latin Jazz Festival presents the best of latin jazz and supports local artists in the Valley.

Featured performers include Arturo O'Farrill, Jose Gonzalez, Markamusic and Conjunto de Bomba.

This event takes place at the 30 acre river front Nuestras Raíces Farms - a "green-friendly" community farm-home to locally-grown foods, produce store, a new restaurant, horse rides, and an outdoor stage. The PV Latin Jazz Festival offers a family-friendly space, good music, in a natural environment - offering world renowned entertainment while supporting the local community of the Main Street corridor in Holyoke.

Presented by CENA-Centro de Artes, in collaboration with Nuestras Raices Inc, El Festival de la Familia Hispana, Massachusetts Cultural Council, WEIB 106.3 Smooth FM, Mount Holyoke College, and the UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center."

Tourism Boom in Amherst?

2008-08-04T13:01:00.002-04:00

Our writers have been around for quite some time now and never have we seen such an active summer in Amherst. Gas prices leading to more local vacation trips? Better marketing of Amherst sites, Amherst things to do, Amherst culture? Eco-friendly business ventures? What is it? We want to know!! We see entire families going to Judie's restaurant (an Amherst Life pick), Freshside Cafe is booming (we recommend the outside seats to "people-watch" -- almost a Southern France vibe... Montpellier style...), and the local coffee shops (Rao's and Amherst Coffee) seem to be bustling with conversation, hard-working bloggers, writers, professors, film-makers and much more.

Thouhg we do not know the cause of this boom (post comments if you know any reasons please!), we thought we'd recommend a few places off the beaten path that visitors might like (Amherst sites to see, Amherst rivers, Amherst mountains, and much more)

So here it is:

Check out "the Notch" -- a beautiful mountain that overlooks the whole valley (you can stop at Atkin's Farms on the way -- great local food, sandwiches, groceries, best cinnamon donuts and pies on earth!). Yes, we reserve the right to exaggerate slightly. Just take 116 South and you'll get there.

Check out the Robert Frost Trail -- take Main street down the hill, heading towards Pelham. Beautiful rivers and woods and walking trails. Dog-friendly.

Take a ride into farm-country in Hadley -- beautiful mountain views, Connecticut river (yes, you can rent a canoe there, just go down route 9, next to the bridge, close to the i-91 ramps). Just take a ride and get lost, heading south, especially around Atkin's Farms...

Check out the great views from the beautiful campus of Amherst College -- it overlooks the mountains and is a great place to walk around

Check out Puffer's Pond! Head to the North Amherst lights, take a right, and then follow Pine Street all the way in to the Pond area. Very nice, though we are not sure if swimming is recommended in August (lots of bodies, small body of water...)

And let us know what you think! Any suggestions, feel free to post!

Best Massage in Amherst, MA

2008-08-04T12:07:00.004-04:00

This just in... We have reports of a thriving little massage center run by Susan Zarchin, right here in Amherst and close enough to the center of town to go for a nice walk down the hill -- a meander down historic Main street and you'll be there in 10 minutes or less.

Susan Zarchin :: 592 Main Street :: 413-253-5476

And a great consultant for "alternative medicine": homeopathic remedies, especially!

Here is the link with a map: http://www.amherstarea.com/business/index.cfm/fa/showBusiness/CompanyID/863.cfm

Send her our regards!

Amherst's Center for Cross Cultural Study

2008-07-25T16:56:00.003-04:00

Who knew that there was such a thing called the “Center for Cross-Cultural Study” right here in Amherst, MA? Yes, there is indeed, and they offer study abroad programs in Spain and Argentina. But why does the community not know about the center? Perhaps because the center does not actively promote their programs to students at UMass. Perhaps because their target audience and ideal client is not the working-class students of public universities, much less the public university that has shaped this town. We ask one simple question: why? How committed to “cross-cultural” study is a center who’s student-participants come from mainly middle to upper class backgrounds? Why is a center for cross-cultural study not actively engaged with the community? We would like to promote a center that proposes to study multiple cultures, languages, histories, and ways of viewing those histories, but until we hear some answers and until the community begins to actually learn about the center, our promotion only falls in the realm of questions. We welcome any answers and hope that you post them as comments.

Baku's African Restaurant :: Amherst

2008-07-25T13:53:00.003-04:00

Occasionally we are so impressed by a local restaurant that the Amherst Life Crew cannot escape the temptation to write about it. This time, our topic is Baku's African Restaurant, owned by Pat Ononibaku and located in the center of Amherst (check out the website for specifics: http://www.bakusafricanrestaurant.com/). And she runs, by far, the best local catering service too!

The quality of the food is superb in every way, the owner does not cut a single corner, the staff is excellent, and the music is jumping. The restaurant is easily overlooked, but keep a close eye once you pass the Loose Goose Cafe and Zana Clothing Store (depending on your direction) as you walk or drive on N. Pleasant St. -- you will be grateful! We recommend the jolloff rice with black eyed peas on the side, an order of plantains, and the curry chicken, all superbly prepared by the owner-cook). And if you forget our recommendation, don't worry, all of the dishes are excellent -- we have tried most!

Thanks to Pat and the Baku's crew for your great food and service! As the Chef's Bio page on the wesbsite says,

"Pat's interest in food was influenced by watching her mother prepare elaborate delicious feasts effortless (without recipes) and her generosity to entertain guests during family meals. Food was always plentiful in the house. Food symbolized love, enjoyment and fun, friendship, entertainment, family pride, etc."

Baku's continues in that line of generosity and the tradition of celebrating all of those elements -- fun, friendship, pride, love -- that food carries.

Enjoy your meal!

UMass Abuses its Email System (again)

2008-05-28T10:11:00.004-04:00

This morning the following email was sent out to what appears to be every graduate and undergraduate student at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst:

May 28, 2008

OFFER ENDING NEXT FRIDAY

This is your last chance to take advantage of the 20% discount available for the new 8gb Apple iPod nano video. Orders will be accepted at this special price until next Friday. Shipments can be delivered to either your home or school address. You also have the option to have this product sent as a gift to friends or family members. Orders are limited to 3 iPods per person. Please visit the online shopping system below before next Friday if you wish to take advantage of this offer. Have a great summer!

Sincerely,

Carly R.
Student Rep

Our first question is, WHO ALLOWS THIS TYPE OF MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO FIND ITS WAY INTO OUR UMASS EMAIL ACCOUNTS?

The ANSWER: whoever is getting paid to allow it, whoever is getting a commission based on clicks to the site ("Carly R." had a url address under "her" name that we decided to not include ), whoever is getting a commission on the total sales. Are we really to believe that UMass officials are simply "looking out for the students"?

--Mr. D, look, what a great deal on ipods! We should just let the students know so they can get that great deal. Oh how they love their ipods so! Such a beautiful discount to mark the beginning of their summer.

--Mr. Y [excuse the gender construct], why, what a thoughtful idea. Splendid indeed. They will adore it!

WE THINK NOT. Rather, we think it goes something like:

--Mr. D, if we disseminate this information to 35,000 people and make sure that the email arrives in their INBOX and not their SPAM folders that are designed to catch this kind of sleezy marketing strategy (imagine "Carly R." doesn't even get a last-name!!) we have the possibility of earning 10% on sales, $2/click to "Carly R.'s" webpage, and we can track who clicks when so we know who to send future ads to. That's nearly a million dollars in revenue.

THAT'S MORE LIKE IT.

So who is to blame for this? Someone high up at UMass. Who is making the money? Obviously not some "Carly R." (and could they at least have the decency to give "her" a last name?) By not giving her a last name they are announcing to the student body that folks on our campus are stupid -- not only are they covering up some UMass scam (we'd be willing to bet that someone in OIT designed the ipod page that "Carly R." represents), we the students are dumb enough to think that 1.) "Carly R." exists, 2.) that "Carly R." is the sleezy marketing trickster who somehow got approved by UMass officials to be able to send out a massive email, 3.) that "Carly R." isn't really "The People in Power at UMass-Amherst"

To summarize: those in power are making money off of the students AND calling them dumb. What should we do about this?

Best Summer Spanish Course Around!!!

2008-05-22T20:18:00.003-04:00

Here's your chance to take a course with one of the top language instructors from the UMass Languages. Literatures, and Cultures Department. It is run through Continuing Education at UMass-Amherst.

Learn Spanish and have fun!
Intermediate Spanish I

The Spanish instructor, Carmen Cosme, is
promising a Summer class full of colors and fla-
vors with less book assessments and more real
life situation activities to get you ready for the
real Spanish speaking world. You will learn cul-
ture from the Caribbean and the rest of hispanic
countries. Expect a lot of Music, short films,
games, food and dance.

What: Spanish 230-Session I
Class number: 60745
When: June 2 to July 10
Where: Herter Hall 206-UMass-Amherst
Time: MTUWTHF 9:30 -11:00 AM
Enroll now:
https://www.umassulearn.net/

Things to do in Amherst

2008-05-22T20:14:00.002-04:00

If you are here for the summer or passing through, here is a list of things to do:

--Robert Frost Trail
--Emily Dickinson Museum
--Amherst Historical Society
--Take the Bike Trail to the Connecticut River
--Jazz on Thursday's at Amherst Coffee
--Tuesday Night Salsa, Merengue, Bachata at the Iron Horse in Northampton
--Friday night Salsa, Merengue, Bachata at the Veteran's Club in Hadley on Route 9
--Puffers Pond

Let us know your favorite spots and hang-outs by posting comments below!

Islam in Amherst

2008-05-22T20:05:00.006-04:00

Seeking the Face of Islam in Amherst
by Niina Heikkinen

Sometimes I wonder if I have an FBI file. I wonder if someone monitors my phone and Internet conversations to evaluate how I as a female, 20 year old Catholic college student could be a threat to this nation. You may think that I am having delusions of grandeur. Well, you might be right. But what if I told you that every day I talk online with Muslim friends from Afghanistan? That changes things, doesn’t it? Bring up the words Muslim or Islam in this country and you will get a variety of reactions. Some people will immediately think of war, extremism, terrorists.

For others, these words provide images of comfort, faith and community. I fell somewhere in the middle, slightly wary of a religion in which women appeared to exist in a second tier, but knowing that extremism is exactly that--an extreme part of religion which emphasizes the importance of peace and non-violence.

My own exploration of Islam started on the bookshelves of the Jones Library. I read: My name is Iran, Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Bliss, and Prisoner of Tehran. I plodded through a dense book on early Islamic history to learn about Mohammed, his first followers and to understand the difference between being Sunni or Shia. My reading was eclectic and not strictly about religion. Yet through the stories, both real and fictional I started to build a new picture of what it means to be Muslim.

There is only so much that you can learn from books. I needed to experience Islam. An opportunity to do this presented itself in the middle of October when the Muslim Students Association hosted an Eid celebration at the UMass campus center. Eid marks the end of Ramadan’s forty days of fasting: during Eid, Muslims break their fast together, celebrate with friends and family, and reflect on how the lessons of Ramadan can be carried out throughout the year. Sitting at a candlelit table with a group of Muslim women, I had the unusual feeling of being a minority, this is what it must be like to be Muslim in Christian America.

One day, one of the officers of the Muslim Students Association invited me to attend one of the Friday prayer services that are hosted by the club. What better way to learn about Islam? I felt like I was doing something elicit as I headed to the basement of the campus center. I found the prayer room easily but then I stood frozen for ten minutes before I gathered the courage to go in.

The first thing I noticed as I walked in was the set-up of the room. Men prayed in the front, sitting, standing or kneeling on long strips of white cloth, arranged at a diagonal so that they would be praying east, towards Mecca. I counted thirty men altogether. There were two rows set up towards the back of the room for the eight women present, but most chose to sit against the back wall. Part of the prayer was in Arabic, but everything is translated into English so I could follow what was happening. If I closed my eyes I could imagine myself sitting in the Newman Center, listening to Catholic priest instead of a Muslim student leading the prayer.

Islam is not nearly as foreign as I expected. Attending the Muslim prayer service, I felt the same calm that I do when I attend Mass. How do I reconcile this feeling with the suspicion that Islam generates in this country? My search for the true face of Islam continues.
----------------------------
Niina Heikkinen is a student in the Commonwealth College Honor's Program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. We are grateful for her contribution to the Amherst Life Blog and look forward to reading more of her work. Please post any comments or questions for Ninna below.

Tai Chi in Amherst!

2008-05-22T20:00:00.002-04:00

inner arts
Tai Chi
Internal Kung Fu for Health & Self-Defense
with Jeff Felberbaum

Ongoing classes in Amherst & Hadley
Group & private instruction
Discount for UMass students & employees.
Sliding scale available

(413) 210-0999
www.innerartstaichi.com

inner peace inner strength vibrant health

A need for smaller shuttles in Amherst

2008-05-22T19:47:00.002-04:00

We've been away for some time now, but Amherst Life is back and writing. Today's post is about the need for more local transportation: shuttles, affordable taxis, and carpool boards. We need it. Gas is about to hit $4/gallon and will go up during the summer, we are contaminating our air and water supply at an alarming rate, and it is time to make some changes.

We propose the following: cut PVTA service and use the money to invest in hybrid vans. Far too often we see two or three students in one of the enormous PVTA busses.

Some hard-working soul could find funds to subsidize an affordable taxi service so that people don't even NEED to own cars in the Valley.

And last, carpooling boards could go up on masslive and umass sites (end even here on amherst life). The trick is to work in familiar networks so rider safety does not become an issue.

Well, we hope our ideas will help. As always, we welcome your comments!

Words Can Trigger Change: Reader's Comments on Racism

2008-03-02T17:16:00.005-05:00

We'd like to thank one of our reader's for the following comment:

"I am glad to see that SOMEONE is putting this incident into perspective, citing all the reasons why self-defense is normal, particularly in an environment such as this one. Racism is rampant on campus(es) and it is rampant in the community at large--regularly and frequently practiced not only by "hicks" but by so-called "educated" professionals--doctors (especially), proprietors, landlords/"ladies" (particularly), "human" service agencies and on and on. In fact, I wonder sometimes if some of these very same people aren't active members of the KKK chapter you refer to. There is a goulash of bigotry, with the some of the same bigots showing up in different capacities (sometimes where there is a direct conflict of interest. This is why the problem of racism is never really addressed in earnest in the Pioneer? Valley, despite the false perpetuation of the area as, per capita, one of the most progressive, intellectual, intelligent enclave of thinking and community-minded individuals. Hah!

Hampshire county is the only place where I have been called a nigger to my face (twice); it is the only place where I had a doctor repeatedly use a perjorative term designed to defend during a visit and laughed with delight when I let on that I was onto what he was doing? it is the only place where I have been repeatedly attacked, trounced and trashed, i.e. libel, 5th degree verbal assault by an MD, verbal assault by two officers on two different occasions (with other bigots "hungry for my head" as well in attendance as well). For all their progressive IDEAS and declarations, residents of the Valley are remarkably silent when it comes to really championing civil rights or human rights.

I think the arrest and charging of Mr. Vassell with the crime of self-defense the SAME public outcry and outrage that the attack involving the Jena Six in Lousiana sparked, followed by the support of THOUSANDS marching for all over the country. I don't see or hear anything from Al Sharpton. THE INSANITY IN THIS VALLEY HAS GOT TO STOP. People here have got to stop letting those who perpetuate racism and racist acts blow their own horn about how progressive, tolerant and educated (and all the other euphemisms used) while the casualties keep piling up.Maybe the "sleeping giants" at the NAACP can be roused to action. And what action or involvement has the Human Rights Commission taken to date? Are they just puppets and handmaidens of the ones crowing about how "tolerant" they are? Dr. Martin Luther King--who daughters atteneded college in this area-- would backflip in his grave if he knew how lazy and lackadaisical the "talented tenth" are in this bastion of education--as would Dr. DuBois. MAKE MORE NOISE!!! The spotlight on civil and human rights crimes is regularly shone on every other place--Darfur, Kosovo, So Africa, Holyoke, Springfield--EXCEPT HERE."

Let's keep this dialogue going. NAACP. Human Rights Comission, and other organizations should be contacted and activated. They will be more inclined to do so if there is more public outcry and more written from the perspective of Mr. Jason Vassell. Public gatherings are powerful tools and words can be as well. Keep the pressure on!

Video Shot in South Africa: Racist Acts on the Rise

2008-02-28T13:54:00.006-05:00

In the Bluewall Cafeteria at UMass-Amherst several white students laughed when the South Africa story was covered on the wide-screen TV in the eating area:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7268519.stm

What motivated the students to laugh? We can't really say. Ignorace, surely. Lack of an ability to place oneself in the shoes of another, surely. But it goes beyond that: the story was framed by CNN as if a little joke was misinterpreted. "The four white students were making a fake reality show! Of course!"

The camera flashed through crowds of protestors (flashed is key -- they didn't want to ask any of the black and brown people offended by the video any questions) as if to say, "look at how this little misunderstanding led to all of these people getting so hot-headed." The protests were muted, framing anger without a voice. "No reason, no thought", the CNN cuts implied, "they just want to be mad at something."

CNN coverage, as we continue to see in mainstream media, looked only at the situation from the perspective of the four white students. Instead of interviewing the women in the video, CNN read the white students' apologies. None of the thousands of South Africans enraged by the video were interviewed. No effort at looking at a continuum of racism was made. They interviewed a few white professors who said they were upset by the images instead. And now they are even questioning Mandela's life-long fight for equality -- "see he didn't really get anything done." That is what is implied: "The riots that broke out in South Africa in protest of racial abuse on Wednesday, almost 16 years to the day that Nelson Mandela walked free from prison, have revealed just how distant the former president's dream of a Rainbow Nation remains from reality." (Yahoo News Writer, Alex Perry)

These incidents are pointing at a dramatic increase in racism on university campuses (U.S. and worldwide), and the poor coverage is a direct relfection on continued, biased reporting that mainstreanm media presents.

And we don't have to go far to see that: look at the way the local papers are covering Jason Vassell's attack -- "'Victim' stabs two" is one title (do they really have the audacity to make a pun here?), and the Boston Globe seemed to go at all costs to avoid the racism inherent in the stabbing incident (http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/21/attacks_rowdiness_rattling_many_at_umass_amherst/). And what about the Collegian?

"With candles in hand, approximately 35 students braved the cold weather last night for a two-minute vigil to show their support for former University of Massachusetts student Jason Vassell, while raising awareness about recent hate crimes on campus.

Excuse us: two minutes? Can you reduce the power of the gathering a little more please? Braving cold weather. How about starting with the powerful ideas and issues that the speakers were adressing? How about framing the story around the ideas and the injustice that motivated the gathering?

The moral in all of this: we need to keep the pressure on ignorant, hateful, racist actions and the way mainstream media is representing/reframing them.

Is UMass providing enough information to students?

2008-02-28T13:38:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, someone left a "threatening" note (graffiti?) in a men's room in Bartlett Hall. Classes continued on and people were urged to report "suspicious behaviour."

Today, another "update" was posted on the umass.edu webpage:

"Alert: This is a follow-up to the campus alert issued Wednesday regarding the threatening message found in Bartlett Hall. UMass Police continue to investigate, but do note that the time frame included in the threat has passed. The university is open for regular business today and classes are being held. While conducting your day-to-day campus business, please be alert and report any unusual activities to the police. If you have any information that may identify anyone involved in this incident, call the police at 545-2121. To provide anonymous information in this case, contact the police at 577-TIPS (577-8477) or go to www.umass.edu/umpd/About_Us/Anonymous_Witness"

What immediately jumps off the page is reference to a TIME FRAME, offered up by the writer of the men's room note.

Our question: if the author of the violent note implied a time frame for some kind of violent act, shouldn't buildings have been evacuated? Shouldn't people know about this "time frame" so they can choose if they want to be in the building? Further, if there is a "time frame" the university should close: it shows intent and given the context (Virginia Tech, Illinois, and a dramatic increase in violent crime on the UMass campus).

Our message to UMass officials: let us know when there is a threat and give us details. It is your responsibility to inform us. When you have a threatening note with a time frame mentioned, you owe it to the student body to inform and disseminate the information.

Vigil for Jason Vassell Tonight in Southwest (UMASS)

2008-02-27T08:17:00.003-05:00

Last post we re-framed the UMass hate crime/attack/stabbing incident from the perspective of Jason Vassell:

two white men kick in Mr. Vassell's window, insult him, verbally threaten him, call him "nigger", and break into his building. They proceed to beat him and break his nose. These are two racist, hateful individuals who have shown that they are not affriad to break a window, break into a building, and beat a man. And there are two racist attackers vs. one student. Two vs. One and they have already broken several laws without any remorse, and they proceed to cause bodily harm with the intent to murder -- just as the words they shouted proove. The victim, Jason Vassell, sees that the beating will not stop unless he defends himself in some way. He uses the only thing he has on him tht might prevent them from killing him. Though he acted in self-defence, he is the first one to be arrested and now Jason Vassell is on trial for attempted murder.

What can you do? Head to the Malcolm X center in Southwest Residential Area, tonight, Wedesday Feb 27th. If someone could post the time of the meeting as a comment that would be helpful.

Perspectives on UMass-Amherst Hate Crimes

2008-02-24T09:15:00.005-05:00

Amherst, MA -- We would like to re-frame this public, online discussion around the hate crimes that ocurred at UMass on February 3rd, 2008 and not the names/concepts that legal system uses (they become the default/norm terms that mainstream media uses to report the incident). We want to put YOU, the reader, in Mr. Vassell's shoes, just for a brief moment. When we talk about, write, or work from the idea of Jason Vassell as an "attempted murderer" who stabbed two men with a dangerous weapon ("allegedly" in self-defense), the events quickly transform. The tone automatically points to Mr. Vassell as a culprit and not a victim.

And when we work from Mr. Vassell "allegedy" defending himself against only one attacker and not two (especially when the incident report cites two racist attackers) the events take on a different character (even though they shouldn't). Further, we would like to emphasize the point that agressive, blatant acts of racism and hatred instigated this incident.

According to the Amherst Gazette, "the incident was sparked at 4 a.m. when two women visiting Vassell’s dorm opened a window and found a man’s face pressed against the window staring back at them. When Vassell asked the man (allegedly Bowes) to explain himself, the man went into a ‘loud tirade of racial invectives and violent threats directed at Vassell,’ the report states. Vassell then told him to go away, but instead of leaving, the man allegedly began kicking the window. The women then left the room and the police were called. While waiting for the police to arrive, Vassell called a friend for support, the committee claims. When Vassell opened the door to let his friend inside, Bosse and Bowes also entered the lobby. One of the men then assaulted Vassell, breaking his nose, the report said. Following this, Bosse and Bowes were stabbed."

The re-frame is in order: a man is staring into your window, utters "a loud tirade of racial invectives and violent threats directed at Vassell"/you; starts kicking in your window; you see he is with another individual or maybe you knew there were two racist, angry men together the whole time; you are in the middle of small-town Western Massachusetts surrounded by some towns that still have an active KKK; you are on a campus where police constantly harass you and where you don't have a sizeable community or an in-tact response system if "something goes down" because of the lack of "minority" students on campus...

Continuing... the two men who called you all kinds of names that white people have been calling you and your ancestors for 500 years have now broken into your building; the two white men who told you they wanted you dead are now illegally inside of your home and are breaking your nose. You have been beaten and nobody is able to stop the two white men. It appears you might just die as those two white men hoped. WHAT DO YOU DO? It is 2 crazy white dudes vs. you, a student, whose window and nose were just kicked in. You let them beat you until you die? Or do you fight back, do you use the object you have in your pocket just in case "something goes down" in the middle of nowhere, where cops will arrest you for looking at someone the wrong way or for just being somewhere "at the wrong time"? I think the answer is obvious: you fight back. And what happens? You are the first one to get arrested, you are put on trial for murder, the legal system forgets it was 2 vs. 1, forgets that two ignorant white hicks from kkk-ville New Hampshire, just over the state line, had kicked your window in and beaten you silly.

Now you have to explain why you couldn't have just "taken on" the one white guy without stabbing him. You have to explain that there were two racist hicks and not one. You have to explain why you defended yourself to people who don't understand what it means to be in a school that is 90% or more white, that allows its police force to constantly harass you, that does nothing to make you feel comfortable on a campus with a bizarre geographical position and increasing racial tension (see Haloween costume incident), close to NY and Boston, but still in the middle of nowhere. Meanwhile, you are on trial for murder, and the money to pay for this legal system that put you in this position is running out.

Hate Crimes at UMass: What you can do

2008-02-16T21:15:00.002-05:00

This was just posted on the ipetitions.com website by a group of UMass students and professors. You can sign the petition by going to the site:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/justiceforjason/

"On Sunday, February 3, 2008, Jason Vassell, a twenty-three year old African American student at the University of Massachusetts, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder and two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. These charges stem from an altercation that Jason had with two white men, who were on campus for no legitimate purpose and provoked the confrontation by smashing Jason's window and repeatedly referring to him as a "nigger." Although Jason never left the dormitory, he was the only one charged at first. While one of the perpetrators, Jonathan Bowes, was recently charged with two hate crimes and disorderly conduct, the other white man, Jonathan Bosse, has not been charged as of yet.

Jason Vassell, who has no prior criminal record and is a widely respected member of the UMass community, is currently being charged with a felony, though he was attacked in his own home by outside intruders, who put Mr. Vassell and fellow UMass students at risk.

We call for the excessive charges against Mr. Vassell to be reconsidered."

UMass-Amherst Stabbing

2008-02-09T11:58:00.000-05:00

Due to the pending trial we have decided to remove all posts regarding the recent stabbing of a UMass student. We will re-post and continue to cover the incident at a later time.

Fun Fundraiser for Local Soup Kitchen (with great food and music!)

2008-02-06T13:28:00.001-05:00

We just received this email, originally written by Hwei-ling Greeney (the town's incredibly active selectoboard member!), from one of our readers. A great cause, a great dinner, and they have even organized a concert! A fundraiser at its finest! We plan on attending!

"The question of eat or heat this winter has been such a dilemma in the minds of many guests of Not Bread Alone. I hope you will join me for the 2nd Annual Soup & Song event to raise funds for the new Wednesday meal program that we began last November. The new program, which has been in the works for over a year, fills an essential need in the community.

Until now, there has been NO hot meal served anywhere in the Amherst area
on Wednesday evening. We are glad that we are now able to fill this hole, as well as the stomachs of our hungry Wednesday evening guests. Your presence at the Soup & Song benefit event this Saturday, February 9, 2008 at the First Congregational Church of Amherst will be so cherished.

An All You Can Eat dinner with homemade cornbread and five varieties of
delicious and wholesome soup --- chili,vegetarian chili, clam chowder, spicy blackeye pea soup, and curry lentil soup --will begin at 5:00 PM.

Following dinner, Sarah Pirtle – the Valley’s best
folk singer will begin the benefit concert at 7:00 PM.

The cost of the concert which includes the meal is very reasonable: $5
for children and $10 for adults in advance.

Tickets can be purchased at A. J. Hastings or Food for Thought Bookstore.

Hope to see you this Saturday at 5:00 for dinner and
7:00 for concert at First Congregational Church of Amherst, 165
Main Street, Amherst (next door to the Black Sheep Café).

The snow date is Sunday, February 10."

Not Bread Alone Soup Kitchen

Multicultural Film Festival in Amherst!

2008-02-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

It's back! The multicultural film festival will begin on Feb. 6th. Check the folling link for more details: http://umass.edu/umhome/events/articles/71249.php

And feel free to comment on any of the films that you see!

Cab Fares in Amherst

2008-02-02T17:40:00.000-05:00

Last night we called a local taxi company and asked how much it would cost to get a cab from Amherst center to Hadley, MA (specifically to Mi Tierra restaurant -- a great local restaurant!). The resonse: "it won't be more than $50." "No, no, Hadley with an 'H', not 'Bradley' as in the airport," an Amherst Life witer replied. "Yeah, I heard you," the dispatcher said, "no more than $50." Is this an isolated incident??? Are people paying $50 for a 10 minute cab ride to Hadley, MA, only a few miles down route 9? Please let us know!

Wealth Gaps, "Predatory Lending Schemes", and a Housing Crisis (Glen Ford)

2008-02-02T17:29:00.000-05:00

The following article by Glen Ford looks deeply at innequality and
offers a dynamic lens on lending schemes that have devasted communities
throughout the country. How do these trends play out in Amherst?

By Glen Ford
Black Agenda Radio
January 24, 2008
http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/012308LA.shtml

The subprime lending debacle should cause massive
rethinking among those who have long proclaimed
that the route to Black equality is through wealth
accumulation. In a report titled, "Foreclosed:
State of the Dream 2008," United for a Fair Economy
details the catastrophic losses inflicted on Blacks
and Latinos in the U.S. at the hands of predatory
lenders - "the greatest loss of wealth to people of
color in modern U.S. history." With more than half
of Blacks in many cities caught in the subprime
trap - and with even these usurious financing
schemes disappearing in the wake of the bubble-
burst - the prospects for Blacks to amass wealth
have grown bleaker than at any time in living
memory. At the current rate, it will take 5,423
years for Blacks to achieve homeowner parity with
whites.

"It could take more than 5,000 years before Blacks
achieve homeowner parity with whites!"

The core institutions of American capitalism have
condemned Black and Brown America to further
centuries of wealth disparity. Now standing at
about ten-to-one, the wealth gap between African
American and white median households cannot but
grow bigger in the wake of the subprime lending
catastrophe. The Boston-based United for a Fair
Economy recently released a report, detailing the
carnage wreaked on people of color by predatory
lenders - and it is mind-boggling.

The report, titled "Foreclosed: State of the Dream
2008," shows definitively that banks and other
lending institutions trapped Blacks and Latinos in
predatory lending schemes as a matter of policy.
"Even a surface check of the demographics shows,"
the report says, "that, in city after city, a solid
majority of subprime loan recipients were people of
color." The very scope of the crime proves that the
lending crisis is not the product of Black
"culture," but the result of calculated policies,
near-uniformly carried out by virtually all of the
nation's mortgage lending institutions. This is
institutional racism writ large, and indisputable.

The money-lenders have already sucked the value out
of whole communities, urban and suburban. The
wealth loss is staggering: People of color have
collectively lost between "$164 billion to $213
billion over the past eight years," with Latinos
losing slightly more than African Americans.

Before the crisis hit, it was estimated that it
would take 594 years - more than half a millennium!
- for Blacks to catch up with whites in household
wealth. Now, in the aftermath of the home mortgage
massacre, it could take ten times as long - more
than 5,000 years! - before Blacks achieve homeowner
parity with whites. Looking backward, that
stretches from now to when the great pyramids were
built.

"People of color have collectively lost between
$164 billion to $213 billion over the past eight
years."

If Black wealth creation through home-owning is
central to the drive for equality, then the private
sector cannot be allowed free reign; they have
already proven themselves criminally culpable in
the death of dreams. And the crisis is by no means
over. The rot extends to the non-mortgage practices
of global financial institutions, that bundle
worthless paper and trade it like real money. So
deeply corrupt are the mega-banks, brokerage houses
and finance capitalists of all kinds, the entire
planetary house of cards is in danger of collapse.

Domestically, cities are already feeling the crunch
of diminishing home property taxes - having long
ago given away much of their tax base to attract
many of the same corporations that created the
current crisis. Boarded up houses destroy property
values in the surrounding neighborhood, but there
are at present no reliable private mechanisms to
reverse the devastation. The banks aren't even
taking each other's paper - knowing it is as
worthless as their own.

Forget the sales sloganeering, that owning a home
is the "American Dream." Affordable housing is what
the people need, whether rental or family-owned -
many millions of new units. The private sector
cannot - will not - provide affordable housing,
since it is more concerned with creating
artificially high sale values than with meeting the
public's crying needs. Now that the bubble has
burst, it should never be allowed to be re-
inflated. There is only one alternative, and that
is massive public spending on housing that fits the
actual needs and budgets of the citizens. That's
the very least one can demand from one's
government.

For Black Agenda Radio, I'm Glen Ford.

Scientists create 'no-tears' onions

2008-02-02T08:52:00.000-05:00

Apparently, a group of scientists from New Zeland and Japan have deeme it necessary to develop a line on onions that, when sliced, do not make us "cry." One hormonal alteration and books like "Como agua para chocolate" become "dated." (it was the tears that fell into the food that led to the longing and weeping felt by every member of a wedding celebration). Instead of considering what happens when love is impeded by society, future students will consider another theme: why didn't they just use the "tear-less" onion; ho does the decision not to use the "tear-less" onion influence the novel; what would happen if I were to use a "tear-less" onion in a similar context? Those are the questions. But for now, Amherst Life's questions revolve around the ide of "what happens when we start putting DNA into our fruits and vegetables? How is this going to transform the human body, the animal kingdom, the plant kingdm, etc.? And, of course, what does Amherst think about the implications of using DNA injected food?

For more, check out the article on "tear-less" onions:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080201/sc_afp/nzealandsciencefoodhealthonions_080201200140

Canada's first Afrocentric public school: One step forward

2008-01-31T14:03:00.000-05:00

"A decision to create the first Afrocentric, or black-focused school funded by taxpayers in Canada's biggest city has sparked a heated debate." The aim would be to "use the the sources and knowledge and experiences of peoples of African descent as an integral feature of the teaching and learning environment."

Check out the BBC article at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7217212.stm

Our response: it is about time. The development of similar schools in the U.S. would be a bold step in the right direction. We welcome your opinions, as always.

Obama on the work we have to do

2008-01-31T00:24:00.000-05:00

“The teenagers and college students who left their homes to march in the streets of Birmingham and Montgomery; the mothers who walked instead of taking the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry and cleaning somebody else's kitchen — they didn't brave fire hoses and Billy clubs so that their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren would still wonder at the beginning of the 21st century whether their vote would be counted; whether their civil rights would be protected by their government; whether justice would be equal and opportunity would be theirs. . . . We have more work to do.”

— Barack Obama, Speech at Howard University, September 28, 2007

Comments are encouraged.

El Pueblo

2008-01-30T15:10:00.000-05:00

Disculpen la falta de ortografia y tildes. Vaya, tampoco es necesario. Lo que es importante es empezar a crear un dialogo sobre la invisibilidad de los latinos en Amherst, Hadley y Northampton. No es nada nuevo, claro, pero seria interesante ver lo que los latinos de la zona creen sobre la idea de abrir un centro comunitario para celebrar nuestras culturas latinas que se encuentran aqui. Un centro que tendria musica, comida, eventos. Algo que pueda generar dinero para financiar proyectos de ensenanza de lenguas, de traduccion, para pagar abogados en casos de racismo contra "gente de color", para promover los negocios de duenos latinos, afro-americanos, asiaticos e indigenas. Esto seria una bendiccion a toda la gente que vive y trabaja aqui en la zona. Comentarios serian enormamente agradecidos (y mas ideas!!)

Interest Rates Cut by 1/2 Point

2008-01-30T15:05:00.000-05:00

The market is plunging, people are losing their homes and even their jobs. How is this affecting our town? How are people in the area reacting to this?

Edwards Drops "Race"

2008-01-30T15:00:00.000-05:00

Check this yahoo! article that reflects the way (the) race is being covered in other publications as well:

He finished second in the Iowa caucuses that led off the campaign, but he was quickly overshadowed — a white man in a race against the former first lady and a 46-year-old black man, each bent on making history. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080130/ap_on_el_pr/edwards)

Well, well. A white man is "overshadowed" not because he is an inferior public speaker, not because of his lack of credientials, not because of an unsuccesful and unmoving campaign, not because of his dullness... But because he is white and a man. What does Amherst think about this article/view?

Music... please!

2008-01-28T23:19:00.000-05:00

This town needs music! We have to end the binge-drinking-only-scene downtown. People want variety! People need an alternative. Amherst College and UMass should chip in and open up a center for the arts -- a place where students and local folks can go to enrich their lives with live shows from all over the world. Maybe there would be less drunk driving... Maybe it would create a more healthy nightlife in Amherst...
Maybe it would create new business... The possibilities are endless! So help us bring in the live music! Let us know of any ideas regarding funding for a center for the arts in Amherst as comments.

ESL Classes @ Jones Library / Cursos de ingles

2008-01-26T17:31:00.000-05:00

The Jones Public Library is offering free, high-quality ESL classes. Click here for more information.

UMass takes on Xavier tommorow @ noon

2008-01-26T12:10:00.000-05:00

Amherst, MA -- "The defending regular-season co-champions of the Atlantic 10 battle... as UMass hosts Xavier at high noon in the Mullins Center. The Minutemen and Musketeers both finished 13-3 in the league a year ago. Xavier (16-4 overall) is currently in first place in the league at 4-1 following a 69-43 win at #16 Dayton on Thursday night. UMass (13-5 overall) is 2-2 in the league after a tough 81-77 loss at Saint Joseph's on Wednesday in Philadelphia. Sunday's game will air on the CSTV Networks across the nation." (from umass athletics website: www.umassathletics.cstv.com)

Criticism of Amherst Life

2008-01-26T10:59:00.000-05:00

We have been criticized on all angles after voicing our opinion that there is racism in Amherst, MA. The following appeared as a comment last night:

Amherst Life likes to make broad proclamations about the way things are in Amherst. The tone of the advocacy is idealogical rather than compelling on the merits. To me, the arguments are unconvincing because they make claims of fact without providing information, observations or experiences that inform the opinion and give it credence. Unsupported claims about unethical or immoral Amherst is an inherently self-righteous point of view, and frankly, it's easily dismessed. Here are some ideas. Write from the first person singular, from you to me. It's a more powerful voice. Write like your name is attached to the post. Speak to others like you care about them. Show them what you want them to see.

First, we are glad to see that people are reading and reacting to the blog -- that is the whiole point. Some of these discussions, when looked at beyind the context of an attack on Amherst -- are educational. Readers/commenters are brining their views to the table and there is dialogue. That is step 1.

Second, we'd like to address a few points in the commenter's critique. We may make broad proclamations and do our best to provide facts. Unfortunately, racism and acts of racism are not always documented. We must then look at issues from a broad perspective and then focus on things like: http://halogen.note.amherst.edu/~astudent/2001-2002/issue05/news/03.html

Developing a sensitivity and awareness regarding the multiple forms of racism in places like Amherst, MA is central to our mission. People who have that sensitivity, see the above link in a diferent context than folks who don't. Sometimes we need a broad understanding of race relations and racism to be able to see the effects of the above story (see the amherst.edu link in the previous paragraph).

And yes, we are dealing with ideologies and ideological constructions. Many of the topics we address are ideological and we try to explore them.

The commenter writes, "Unsupported claims about unethical or immoral Amherst is an inherently self-righteous point of view, and frankly, it's easily dismessed." In response, we'd like to say that, yes, there are elements in Amherst that are "unethical" and "immoral." Why is adressing those claims "self-righteous"? That remains a mystery to us. Perhaps the claims are easily dismissed to one party, but to another (as we see in the emails that constantly flow into our account), they are opening up a space for dialogue. Far too often people will say: there's no racism here, show me the evidence. When people feel it, it is there.

The commenter adds, "Here are some ideas. Write from the first person singular, from you to me. It's a more powerful voice. Write like your name is attached to the post. Speak to others like you care about them. Show them what you want them to see."

We appreciate your stylistic tips. However, We represent a collectivity and, as there are several of us, we prefer to express our views as a group. We write about topics that are very sensitive. Topics that have led to threats, intimidation, and "black-listing" (another word we should write about). As a group, we are willingy to confront what as individuals might be detrimental. And that directly reflects the state of things in this town.

And regarding the final point, "Speak to others like you care about them. Show them what you want them to see," we think you have a point. Some readers' comments have been quite agressive and we have responded agressively, often in ways that might make it seem like we don't care about people who have different opinions. In that sense, the commenter has every reason to remind us of our duty to do exactly what we want others to do; to show some respect and to listen to the "other" sides. We thank you for letting us see that, by responding to fire with fire, we may be contradicting ourselves and diluting our main purpose: to have dialogue. "To show them what you want them to see" means to have a space where multiple opinions can be expressed and respected. We thank you for those words.

Poetry Reading at the Jones Library in Amherst

2008-01-25T21:28:00.000-05:00

Time: Sunday, Feb. 3rd, 4PM
Location: Jones Public Library, Amity Street (Amherst)

"Please join us for an afternoon of poetry featuring Lynne Thompson, reading from her 2007 Perugia Press Prize-winning book, Beg No Pardon; Nikky Finney, Poet-in-Residence at Smith College; Keli Stewart; Kim Rogers; Laurie Guerrero; and Karen Johnston. This event is co-sponsored by the Everywoman's Center, UMass."

Perceptions: Response to Reader's Second Point

2008-01-25T09:02:00.000-05:00

The next point (point 2 in the “Town of Amherst: Reader Perceptions” post) is quite long, so we will break it up and answer each area that we feel needs some addressing.

Commenter: Calling someone a bigot is a good way to avoid addressing what they're saying.

Amherst Life: It is also a good way of expressing oneself, if in fact one believes that another person or group of people are truly “bigots” or racists.

Commenter: I'm not suggesting that there's any point in debating with Nazis, but you use the term "racist" very freely.

Amherst Life: We are not following your point on “debating with Nazis” and it needs some clarification. It seems you are tossing around words (as you accuse Amherst Life of doing) carelessly. We use the term racist freely, yes, because racism is pervasive. And, if you are sensitive to its practice, it is on the rise. Uncovering racism does not take much work, but once it is translated into the language of dominant groups -- into the range of perception of dominant groups -- it is amazing to see how uncomfortable dominant groups become. They declare reverse racism instead of addressing the real problem.

Commenter: An accusation of bigotry is a quick way to dispense of someone whose ideas you find threatening without ever actually engaging with what they have to say. Obviously there are real racists in the world, but throwing the term around lazily is anti-intellectual.

Amherst Life: Or it could be that an accuser has engaged what another person has to say and truly find that person to be a racist or a bigot. This is not out of the question and the person has a right to voice that opinion. You make the point for us: “Obviously there are real racists in the world.” And you make another good point: throwing around the term “racist” or “bigot” “lazily” or without grounds is problematic. But what happens when racism and bigotry is in fact there? What is “anti-intellectual”, as you call it, is racism.

Commenter: Your blog does far too much of this kind of name-calling.

Amherst Life: OUR blog (we are a group of Amherst-based writers) is not afraid of talking about racism and racist practices that we perceive on multiple fronts and in multiple forms.

Commenter: Take the parking issue. You may be right and the town counsel may be wrong, but this doesn't make them racists. In this context, it's an irresponsible accusation. Part of growing up is figuring out that not everybody who disagrees with you has nasty motives.

Amherst Life: We never said that the town’s “wrongness” on the parking issue is due to a racist elected body (we will look closely at that post and see how that could be interpreted, as it is not the opinion of the Amherst Life Blog ). We are not saying that “because they are racists, they don’t want to give a group of people a place to park their cars.” Their lack of action may reveal classism at its finest, but it des not show us that they are racists. That is revealed in other practices, such as WHO IS ON THE BOARD, who is given what licenses in town, who is required to do what to get those licenses, who is voting to discontinue bus service from Holyoke to Amherst, etc. Racism is in our local government, yes, but it does not appear to be a factor in the town’s lack of interest in letting people park somewhere, anywhere in Amherst.

Commenter: A related point: If everybody's a racist, then nobody is. When you throw the term around as loosely as you do, it stops meaning anything.

Amherst Life: if everybody is a racist, then everybody is! “Racism” may cease to have meaning to you, but it continues to have a great deal of meaning to those who are on its receiving end, to those who have to fight it on a daily basis while being told that it does not exist.

Town of Amherst: On Racial Tension and Racism

2008-01-24T11:17:00.000-05:00

This post is in reference to the the first of eight points that one of our readers made (they can be found in the “Town of Amherst: Reader Perceptions" post). We hope other readers will respond to some of the ideas that the commenter raises and/or the ones that the Amherst Life Crew touches upon. We will begin by addressing the first point (we have re-posted it below), and will slowly but surely make out way to the last in future posts.

Reader/Commenter:
(1) I grew up in Amherst, and I disagree with your assertion that Amherst has "a long history of racism." What Amherst does have is a long history of racial tension -- which is not the same thing. This tension is due in part to the fact that it's considered socially acceptable in Amherst to imply that someone is a bigot if you disagree with them, even on issues only tangentially related to race. This tactic is effective because the white liberals who make up a majority of the town's population are terrified of being accused of racism. So such an accusation is a near-perfect trump card. In the long run, however, this sort of coercion is quite naturally going to lead to bitterness and mistrust on both sides (see, e.g., the West Side Story controversy).

Amherst Life:
--Several of the Amherst Life Blog writers also grew up in Amherst, so we hope that the commenter will not feel like we are calling him/her a “bigot” based on what he/she stated as a cultural norm in Amherst, MA (apparently, ideological differences “only tangentially related to race” often result in one or both parties being labeled as “bigots” or “racists”).

--A quick question on the distinction the commenter is drawing between “racial tension” and “racism”: does “racial tension” in Amherst arise from a context divorced from race, race distinctions, race relations, history of “race” as an ideology and cultural construction, and, of course, racism? We are not completely sure if you can separate these contexts.

--The observation that people are often labeled “bigots” when another person disagrees with them is interesting. First, maybe they are “bigots.” It is not out of the question, especially considering the history of “bigotry” in Massachusetts and in Amherst. People in Massachusetts put up more resistance to integrating public schools than in the South.... Is the commenter saying that people in Amherst are over-sensitive to racism? That people jump to conclusions? Maybe they should. Maybe the “white liberal” majority of this town (as the commenter calls it) are in fact racists and that is why they “are terrified of being accused of racism.” These are ideas. It would be interesting to hear our reader’s opinions on this matter.

--Regarding bitterness and mistrust on both sides: it’s already there. Whether Amherst folks call each other racists or not, those two elements are transformative.

--To conclude: if Amherst does not have a long history of racism, how do we explain the following: students and officials dress up in KKK garb in front of an “I love ALANA” poster at UMass and nobody loses their job; a store window is smashed and words of racial hatred are written all over it; the town name is celebrated and unchanged; police harassment of so-called “minorities” is rampant;local businesses are intimidating folks. In the history of Amherst, how many African Americans, Native Americans, and/or Latinos own/have owned businesses in the town? How many are on the selectboard? The answers are revealing.

These are not just the actions of kid “losers”, as the commenter suggests. There is malice, there is hatred, and there is racism in those acts. To deny it is to not see a situation from more than one side. And to give a voice to “other” sides is the point of this blog.

Town of Amherst: Reader Perceptions

2008-01-24T10:29:00.000-05:00

Once again we have some interesting comments from a reader and (we hope the reader does not mind...) we'd like to share them with all of you. They open the door for much-needed conversation. We will answer each question one by one, and hope other readers will as well. Thanks again for posting your views. The comments are as follows:

I'm the earlier commenter. A few thoughts based on a very quick perusal of your blog:

(1) I grew up in Amherst, and I disagree with your assertion that Amherst has "a long history of racism." What Amherst does have is a long history of racial tension -- which is not the same thing. This tension is due in part to the fact that it's considered socially acceptable in Amherst to imply that someone is a bigot if you disagree with them, even on issues only tangentially related to race. This tactic is effective because the white liberals who make up a majority of the town's population are terrified of being accused of racism. So such an accusation is a near-perfect trump card. In the long run, however, this sort of coercion is quite naturally going to lead to bitterness and mistrust on both sides (see, e.g., the West Side Story controversy).

(2) Calling someone a bigot is a good way to avoid addressing what they're saying. I'm not suggesting that there's any point in debating with Nazis, but you use the term "racist" very freely. An accusation of bigotry is a quick way to dispense of someone whose ideas you find threatening without ever actually engaging with what they have to say. Obviously there are real racists in the world, but throwing the term around lazily is anti-intellectual.

Your blog does far too much of this kind of name-calling. Take the parking issue. You may be right and the town counsel may be wrong, but this doesn't make them racists. In this context, it's an irresponsible accusation. Part of growing up is figuring out that not everybody who disagrees with you has nasty motives.

A related point: If everybody's a racist, then nobody is. When you throw the term around as loosely as you do, it stops meaning anything. If you think the town counsel of ultra-liberal Amherst is full of racists (rather than, say, people who you believe are misguided or ignorant with regard to racial issues), what do you call David Duke? A super-duper racist?

(3) Terms like "minority" carry political baggage. I think this is part of your point, and I agree that it's worthwhile to question our preconceptions regarding these sorts of things. But the goal of language is not merely to set the stage for a glorious future. It also has a duty to represent what exists. I certainly wouldn't be offended if whites were referred to as minorities (as you note, it's technically accurate if we're talking about the world at large), but on a purely practical level it would be silly to do so in the United States today. And practicality matters. We should all aim to be as straightforward as possible in our speech. Obscurantism is bad, even if you're just trying to be inoffensive.

(4) People who break windows and write racist slogans on stores tend to be losers. The fact that some pathetic, thoughtless people (probably kids) did this in Amherst isn't evidence that Amherst is a racist community. They'll probably regret it in a few years -- and if they don't, they will be very, very far outside of Amherst's mainstream (certainly not the embodiment of community sentiment).

(6) The fact that somebody is offended by something is not an argument. Something can be both offensive and right. For example, it strikes me as very unlikely that the New Testament is literally true. Presumably this opinion is highly offensive to some people. But the fact that it's offensive to them doesn't make me wrong (or right), and it's no reason for me to stop being honest.

(7) Intent clearly matters. I think you might be more likely to recognize this point if the standard that you apply to others were applied to you. For example, if someone were to call you an anti-Semite because you think that Amherst is rife with racism, you could reasonably object that this accusation is unfair because what you've said isn't anti-Semitic at all, that in fact you never mentioned Jewish people, and that you hold no anti-Semitic beliefs. This would be a very reasonable defense. The fact that somebody is outraged by what you have to say doesn't mean they have any good ground to be, and the fact that somebody might call you a bigot doesn't make you one.

(Intent also matters for other reasons. Don Imus isn't Lester Maddox. This goes back to my earlier point about the necessity of making sure that words like "racist" enable us to distinguish between members of hate groups and people whose views we merely consider ignorant or misguided.)

(8) The world is a diverse place. People are offended by all sorts of silly things (religious fanatics in particular -- see, e.g., the Denmark cartoon controversy). I don't feel bound to avoid offending people who get offended for bad reasons, and neither should you or anyone else. We have brains for a reason. My opinions don't become wrong or unspeakable just because other people don't like them.

So instead of going after your ideological opponents with ad hominem attacks and accusations of racism, try putting yourself in their shoes for a moment and crafting an argument that might appeal to a person of good will. I think most people are basically trying to do the right thing. I'm not saying you ought to abandon your principles, but you'd be a far more effective advocate if you listened to your conscientious opponents and treated them with respect rather than dismissing them as bigots. Maybe you could even get them to see your side.

Town of Amherst: On the term "Minority"

2008-01-23T09:55:00.000-05:00

One of our readers posted a question on Monday and it is an interesting one:

You note that white people are a minority in the world. This is true, and shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody, but what's your point? Of what significance is this to anything taking place in Amherst? Are you just complaining about the word "minority"?

Initial Response:

-Thanks for taking the time to comment on an important word, one that carries ideologies of power

-The point is that the word/concept/construct of "minority" is incorrect: the world's so-called "white" population is the "real" "minority." Is that a threatening denomination for "white" people? Imagine if it were connected to centuries of systematic cultural desctruction, human annihilation, and exploitaion. Would the word be even more of a threat?

-Amherst, MA has a long history of racism. PVTA bus routes were re-routed from Holyoke because "drug dealers" were coming into the Happy Valley; stores in the center of town had windows broken and words of racial hatred written on them. The very name of the town is connected to a figure who decimated Native American populations. Perhaps is we could talk about things like the term "minority", people would come out with a new perspective, one that re-contextualizes.

We have several more answers to this question but would like to hear from our readers. There is a lot inside of the author's comments that we can learn from.

Best Local Restaurant Award

2007-12-31T09:33:00.000-05:00

Hadley, MA --- This year's "Amherst Life Best Local Restaurant Award" goes to... Mi Tierra! Family-owned, family-operated, they have the best carne asada, best enchiladas, best yellow rice, and the best beans the Valley has ever seen. And the friendliest staff, cleanest kitchen, and general buena onda that we at Amherst Life have come across to date. It is Salvadoran and Mexican fare at its finest!

Mi Tierra is quickly becoming a pan-American cultural center, and the owners may start featuring live music this year! And we local folk all need that! Gracias a todos de Mi Tierra! Que clase de restaurante!

Their contact information:
phone (413) 587-9820
206 Russell St (Route 9)
Hadley, MA 01035

(foto of this excellent dish by M. Carey at aboutamherst.blogspot.com)

Ongoing parking problem

2007-12-26T18:04:00.000-05:00

We don't really care about parking; let's get it straight. What we care about is a town board who spends its time talking about budgets, speed cushions, and grants a few licenses here and there instead of listening to the needs of its residents. We have received over 60 emails from people in Amherst who have nowhere to park their cars over night and into the day. They are single mothers who can't leave their four kids at home to move their cars all over the town in search of a space to park their cars; they are elderly renters who have trouble walking when it is slippery; they are people who work from 10:30 pm to 4 am and have nowhere to park their cars so they can sleep during the day. We at Amherst Life find this problematic. And the worst part is that it is a situation that can be solved in five minutes. Give the people free 24-hour parking in the town garage. Five minutes shows the town that the selectboard and town manager (Mr. Shaffer) actually care about it's less-affluent population.

Bridging the Gap -- Issues in Private/Public Education

2007-12-26T17:52:00.000-05:00

“Alternicize” Mainstream Education
by Shelley Etkin

There are varying opinions in today’s society about what the purpose of education is. Personally, I have many qualms with the institution of mainstream education as it is set up currently. I feel many schools present information in a narrow way that caters to only a certain type of thinker and learner, known as someone who functions in terms of mathematical and linguistic intelligence. Schools that are well off are obsessed with figuring out their statistical “level” by standardized tests and comparing themselves with one another. However, schools that receive poor funding are dealing with a myriad of issues within their institution as well as among the student body that prevent them from creating a scholarly culture.

In the Pioneer Valley area there are many alternative education initiatives. One example is the Montessori schools (named after an innovator in the field of education) in Amherst and Northampton. These schools strive to foster an environment of respect and creativity, in which each student develops on their own path and at their own speed, but still develop a love for learning. Children gain a sense of engagement in community and empowerment, learning from one another as well as the teachers in a hands-on, active way. Likewise, there is the Common School in Amherst whose philosophy is to “foster intellectual competence and strength of character within a setting that nurtures each child’s curiosity, identity, sense of self-worth, and respect for others.” The school has connections with environmental centers in the area and thus the kids inspired “with a sense of belonging to human culture and history, and instills in each child the confidence that comes from discovering, making and doing things for themselves.”

While such initiatives are valuable, we are still faced with issues of socio-economic class in terms of who has the desire to and is able to attend such schools. While I fully support the growth of these schools, and others like them, I feel we need to instill alternative methods and philosophies within our public school system. Additionally, the private schools should not slip under the radar as they currently are, catering to certain (often socio-economic) groups and learning/teaching styles. This means spreading resources so that all schools can have better access and smaller, more engaged classrooms. This means installing mentoring programs (on the small scale) and more accurately distributed funding (on the legislative scale) that helps foster an intellectual, communally driven environment in public schools.

Alternative methods can make kids feel engaged and an important part of a community. They can be empowered by a community that values them and their scholarly desires. This is what we should be focusing on in education reform if we wish to see institutional change and progress. We can make “alternicizing” education the civil rights movement of this generation and I am confident we will see the benefits on an individual, as well as institutional, level.

Shelley Etkin is a student in the Honors College at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. We look forward to reading more of her ideas on "alternicizing" education, and will field any comments/questions to her (please click on the "comments" link below -- you do not need an account to grace us with your reactions, ideas, etc.)

Town of Amherst Looks at the National -- Article 1

2007-12-21T00:21:00.000-05:00

Why are there so many white supremacists with last names like “Black” and “Brown”? In(bred)grained complexes? Look at this one:
Click Here

Don Black’s donation of $500 was accepted by “Dr. Paul” (does this guy have a degree?). The campaign manager was quick to stamp out speculation on Klan/Paul ties:

"Dr. Paul stands for freedom, peace, prosperity and inalienable rights. If someone with small ideologies happens to contribute money to Ron, thinking he can influence Ron in any way, he's wasted his money," Paul spokesman Jesse Benton said. "Ron is going to take the money and try to spread the message of freedom."

$500 from a white supremist, $500 from Fox TV, it’s all the same. Or is it?

Town of Amherst Looks at the National

2007-12-21T00:20:00.000-05:00

How are Folks from/in the Town of Amherst Looking at the National?

How the local looks at the national and the global is a perspective that we are going to start embracing here at Amherst Life. Why? Well, for one, we find some patterns between (for example) the Town Manager, the Town “Selectboard” (such a gender-conscious name) and the present administration. We see parallels between the Amherst Police (how many African American and Latino drivers can they pull over in a day? how long are they going to let those three white men who live next to “Subway” sell drugs and stumble around the town? – don’t get us wrong, we don’t care if the police ignore these guys who are selling flowers that they picked from people’s gardens or stuffed animals without a peddlers license; we just find it interesting that if those were three African American, Latino, Native American, and/or Asian men they would be detained in a NY minute.)

Slight tangent... returning to point at hand... we see parallels between the Amherst Police/UMass police and the rise in police harassment, abuse, and violence against “minorities” (we have to keep reminding folks that the people that mainstream U.S. folks call “minorities” are the WORLD’S MAJORITY and that so-called “white” people are the world’s MINORITY) and we think that step one in creating some change in the “happy valley” is probably informing the happy valley that the cultural practices that these towns engage in (under the guise of “being liberal”) are forms of racism, classism, and sexism that permeate society. It also makes it easier for us to call you out (you being the Town Manager or the Selectboard) if we can show you what the same pattern is amounting to on a national scale. So, without further a due, Amherst Life goes National.

If you live in the area and are writing about local or national events, send us a line with your document attached (in Word is best): amherstlife@yahoo.com

We are trying to get a range of local experiences and perspectives on the national and the global.

Look forward to hearing from you all.

3 funny-lookin white men continuously spotted in Amherst center

2007-12-18T23:09:00.002-05:00

Amherst, MA --- Who remembers the tune, “It’s the story, of a man named Brady...”? Yes, it’s from the Brady Bunch. But in Amherst, the meddley has a little twist: “It’s the story, of a Town Called Amherst, who has three scarey lookin white men selling drugs in the street... They sell stolen stuffed animals, crack, weed, fight, and stumble into popo’s beat... And in the end the town defends their freedom of speech! Yeah! It’s the story, of a town called Amherst...

Amherst Parking Situation

2007-12-18T23:09:00.001-05:00

Amherst, MA --- After three weeks of writing to town officials and the Amherst selectoboard.... [drumroll].... absolutely NOTHING has been done regarding the request for 24-hour parking for permit holding center residents!

Do town officials not care about the renting population here? Is our elected body working for all of the residents or only the ones who own property here?

What they are saying is basically: ‘if the new parking ban leaves you without anywhere to park, get over it.’ It’s that simple.

So here is the deal. If you want a place to park, send us an email with your name, email, and address with a note of your own or the following pasted into he email:

“We do not have a place to park between December and June and want the town to open up spaces for us. The Parking Garage is full and it is not possible for us to move our cars at night and again before 8AM. We work late night shifts, we are single parents that can’t leave our children alone, we have situations that you are not thinking about.”

We will print out the emails and bring them to the Town Manager who has been anything but cooperative.

Amherst Life Wants to Bring in the Music!

2007-12-18T23:08:00.001-05:00

Amherst, MA --- Amherst Life has returned to the chalk boards and is drawing out the plans for a new Center for the Arts in the downtown area. We are interested in purchasing the vacant building formerly occupied by Pinocchio’s restaurant, renovating it, and turning into a space for musicians, dancers, writers, film directors, photographers, sculptors, wood carvers, and whatever other form of art that crosses the mind. The plan includes an art gallery, a small performance space, a large performance space, a film viewing room, a café, and an area that will be used for teaching. We also hope to have studios for musicians and dancers. We want to bring in artists and feature performances every day of the week. As we are working on this project it would be great to know what you all from the town think – if we build it, will you come? Leave us comments or write to us at amherstlife@yahoo.com

Look forward to hearing from you

Apologize Through Positive Action, Not Manipulation

2007-12-18T23:03:00.000-05:00

The students involved in an act of racial hatred issued an unseen apology (and they had a professor of Spanish literature read it at light speed on their behalf – cowardice?-- at the forum), and have since engaged in several not-so-brilliant attempts to manipulate and persuade professors and colleagues that THEY are the victims of this incident. It gets worse: they have created two equally non-brilliant methods of turning themselves into victims: 1) Spain is marginalized in Europe and Spanish students and professors are marginalized here because of their “multicultural” backgrounds, 2.) it should be o.k. to “quote” a Colombian festival called blancos y negros in which slave holders and plantation owners and their light skinned descendants painted themselves as black Colombians, and darker-skinned Colombians were forced to parody themselves by painting their faces white. To summarize: instead of issuing a REAL apology (nobody even saw it to begin with) the students have tried to sneak their way out of ANY responsibility. And again, they got away with it.

Those students either need to get involved in creating forums where we can discuss this kind of ignorance or deal with the wrath of equally ignorant professors, chairs, administrators who may very well eliminate the problem (though we are seeing that that will never happen unless it was a dark-skinned international student dressing up as a “white dude”, Abe Lincoln, or some other white “forefather”) instead of thinking about how they are complicit. The first step: look at the situation of inequality in Spain and Colombia (it does exist) and consider why in their rush to defend you, your professors, peers, and other representatives forgot about that situation. If you want to go back and change what happened, that is a start.

UMass: On Perceived “Witch Hunts” in the Wake of Obscured Racism

2007-12-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

UMass-Amherst --- The point of having a forum on racism at UMass was (and is) to turn a specific incident into a learning experience that can bring about institutional change. By focusing on the event alone, by declaring people's concern regarding a series of events a "witch hunt", by getting caught up in feelings that people are attacking Spain or Colombia as nations (let me remind you that the people offended by those images also felt attacked) you ARE MISSING THE POINT and PREVENTING CHANGE from occurring. You are making it worse.

As students, you are making it worse for us as a community because you are sidetracking the purpose – to look at the RESPONSE to this incident and recognize that students coming forward were threatened and intimidated by faculty and officials. As faculty, you are making it worse because – whether you believe it or not – you hold positions of power in this university. By threatening students, by ignoring them, by pushing the issue to someone else, by not informing your colleagues of what is going on YOU ARE contributing to the construction of a community of intolerance and ignorance, and you are condoning any type of hate crime. Finally, as friends of the people involved in the initial racist act at a Halloween party via costume wearing, you are also making it worse for your dear friends. Why? Because by insisting on the “witch hunt” or “out for blood” concept, by insisting that people have disrespected your nation by not understanding its cultural traditions, you are making it very possible for the university to say “well, damn, lets side step the whole problem and get rid of those two students – that’s why people are upset, ain’t it?” To re-phrase, you are making it easier for the university to cover up the fact that they DID NOT RESPOND IN CONSTRUCTIVE WAYS TO THIS INCIDENT BUT RATHER FOSTERED THE TYPE OF THREATENING AND INTIMIDATING BEHAVIOUR ADOPTED BY A HANDFULL OF PROFESSORS AND OFFICIALS (and believe me, covering up is exactly what they would like to do, as seen in the ZERO coverage allowed in our campus newspaper) and just get rid of your compatriots.

I’d like to conclude by saying that by insisting that this is a witch hunt or a hunt “for blood”, and by insisting that Spanish and Colombian nations are under attack YOU ARE ARROGANTLY AND IGNORANTLY overlooking the fact that people (MANY people) were highly offended, angered, disturbed, saddened by the images – direct or indirect – that they saw. By acting in this way, you are not allowing the victims to let their voices be heard and you are preventing change from occurring. By insisting that you as Spanish or Colombians or as the perpetrators involved in this incident are victims you are forgetting that MANY people were offended by the incident and the response to the incident. You are BLOCKING the voice of the real victims of racism from being heard, and that is, in many ways, worse than the original costume-wearing act because you know that something happened at a Halloween party that hurt people all over the country and you disregard them. You are fully aware of what you are doing.

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Racism at UMass-Amherst

2007-12-06T12:14:00.000-05:00

UMass-Amherst (MA) --- On Wednesday, December 5th, 2007, over two hundred students and professors met to discuss acts of racial hatred (all related and linked to a steady increase in acts that are occurring throughout the country), how these acts reveal institutionalized racism, and how to begin to organize so that we, the community, can meet and discuss specific incidents and specific concerns without being intimidated by students, professors, and university officials.

You’d think that blogs, local TV stations, and local papers would be showered with insights regarding what was one of the most productive and powerful discussions on racism that any of us from Amherst Life has participated in at UMass. A search through the UMass website and Google, however, will reveal that the three brief pages covering the event show no concern for detail and are largely uninformed.

WFSB Channel 3 was there. The UMass Daily Collegian was there. Why is nobody writing in detail about this? Why is the campus newspaper silenced? The answer: reputations are at stake, Professors, Chairs of Departments, and University officials are being called into question, and a dirty little “scandal” can disturb the imaginary “equilibrium” that never existed at UMass. What could be a learning opportunity for the community, a chance to raise awareness on the steady increase in acts of racial hatred throughout the university and the nation, is being pushed aside and obscured. Not only does this directly reflect on the University’s views regarding acts of racial hatred and the fact that the university itself is complicit by doing NOTHING (no statements, no support, no help in organizing a forum to discuss the issue), it reveals how local media is being manipulated and how the overall message is “get over it” and move on before people’s careers get hurt. Our response at Amherst Life: forget your careers and forget your guise of racial equality. From officials dressed in KKK garb in front of “I Love ALANA” posters (a campus organization for students “of color”), to the closing of the ALANA central offices, to HUGELY reduced funding allotted to “Opportunity Fellowships” for so-called minority students (a MAJORITY of the worlds population), to the present situation, the university’s reputation is lower than low, and now is the time to come together as a collective force to discuss these issues without feeling threatened and intimidated. This is an opportunity to listen and to make some changes on this campus. NOTHING is not an acceptable practice.

The conservative white backlash regarding a series of incidents involving acts of racial hatred is either 1.) obscuring events involving racial hatred and ignorance, 2.) defending specific perpetrators on the grounds of intent vs. non-intent, 3.) pledging allegiance to a first amendment (students are free to offend others, you see, and to call people out is suddenly impermissible even though the victims of racial hatred are also protected by the first amendment), or 4.) directly and indirectly threatening students who are voicing their concerns on these issues. AND THEY ARE GETTING AWAY WITH IT because nobody is covering these incidents as they arise. People are being silenced as professors and officials wipe their hands clean of any responsibility. And the most despicable twist is that -- instead of recognizing that specific actions occurred and were highly offensive, instead of looking at the issues that obscuring information can lead to (students being intimidated and threatened), instead of taking this situation and letting people learn from it – the countless victims of all of this are being re-victimized. The First Ammendment goes both ways: you are free to express and to offend, and you are free to EXPRESS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN OFFENDED BY A SERIES OF ACTS. You are free to express that you are offended and threatened by that series of events.

The issue is no longer the initial acts of racial hatred (and it is hatred because the act was perceived that way), it is the handling of the incident. It is the fact that the victims of this incident (anyone who was impacted by it, and that includes ANYBODY regardless of location, race, gender, class, nationality) are now being intimidated, threatened, and silenced which has prompted us to write this and to DEMAND that people’s voices be heard.

Our utmost respect goes out to the people who have had the courage (and it takes just that) to move forward despite implicit and explicit threats, to the organizers of the forum, people who spoke, people who responded, people who attended and listened and LEARNED.

We at Amherst Life welcome your comments so that dialogue can continue. We ask, in the spirit of the forum, that you not refer to the specifics of the incident, that you not refer to the names of specific people. The threat against people who have come forward to voice their disapproval with the situation is real and we do not want to jeopardize their well-being any further. We thank you for your cooperation.

To read more articles on racism at UMass, click here to return to the Amherst Life Blog Homepage:

The Issue is Institutionalized Racism at UMASS, Not One Event

2007-12-06T12:13:00.000-05:00

Before we discuss the issue of accountability and condemnation regarding acts of racism at UMass-Amherst it is necessary to return to two points in the previous article. After those two points are addressed vital aspects regarding the nature of a system of white supremacy become clear. In the spirit of the forum that took place on Wednesday ("Costumizing Racism”), the goal here is to transform ignorance into a site for learning and draw out a plan to facilitate that learning so the community can be made aware of the implications of institutionalized racism.

The first point to return to: “And the most despicable twist [regarding this event] is that -- instead of recognizing that specific actions occurred and were highly offensive, instead of looking at the issues that obscuring information can lead to (students being intimidated and threatened), instead of taking this situation and letting people learn from it – the countless victims of all of this are being re-victimized.” Those who were offended and hurt by the initial acts of racism at a specific Halloween party (and there are MANY, across color “lines” and geographic locations) are now in a position where they cannot speak their minds and let their voices be heard, cannot educate the community, because they are being threatened and intimidated by students, professors, and university officials/administrators.

Second point to return to: “The issue is no longer the initial acts of racial hatred (and it is hatred because the act was perceived that way), it is the handling of the incident. It is the flip – that the victims of this incident (anyone who was impacted by it, and that includes ANYBODY regardless of location, race, gender, class, nationality) are now being attacked, threatened by professors and officials, and even the threat of legal action that has prompted us to write this and to DEMAND that people’s voices be heard.”

To re-state: the initial act of racism at a Halloween party is no longer the focus of the community’s concern. The individuals involved have been held accountable (though the degree to which has not been made public), issued an apology via a spokesperson (though it is true that the majority of the people offended by their actions never saw nor heard an apology of any kind), and have expressed that the intention and the thought that went into their Halloween costumes was not meant to offend (though intent vs. non-intent does not change the fact that people are angered by the act and the reaction on the part of students, professors, and UMass officials). Yes, we can condemn these students and demand more accountability. Yes, we can show that reference to the historical context that informed the decision to use a specific costume is framed within a period of slavery. We can argue that recognizing this is the first step towards learning from the incident. We can do all of this. But by focusing on the act itself, the despicable irony of the two points mentioned above is not pursued as a site to contend. Students, professors and officials calling this incident “a witch hunt” and a search “for the blood” of the costume-wearing people; an act of slander; and a platform used to disrespect specific nations (which, as is the case in the U.S. and throughout the world, have serious work to do to allow their people to have a voice) are MISSING THE POINT. The forum occurred in response to specific acts that motivated a series of what are arguably more serious acts: non-action, obscuring of events, silencing of students, direct and indirect threats against people trying to voice their feelings, pressure from people in positions of power to move on, a silenced campus newspaper, no effort from the administration to organize a space to discuss this issue and the issues it reveals as deeply embedded in the university.

By insisting on the idea that this is a “witch hunt” and an example of people “out for blood” you are blinding yourself and blinding your community to an even bigger issue. And that is that the people you are seeking to represent -- by focusing on the misconstrued idea of a “witch hunt” and by failing to look at the way this reflects on the university’s roles and history in all of this -- are going to be the ones that the university (professors and officials alike) uses to wash its hands clean of any responsibility. THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE INCIDENT ANYMORE, IT IS ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE RESPONSE TO THE INCIDENT THAT REVEALS AREAS TO REFORM WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY. Instead of pointing a finger at the many people offended by the incident and the response to the incident, you might take a minute to 1.) recognize people’s position, 2.) recognize that those offended are being re-victimized, 3.) And look critically at the institution that could rid itself of any responsibility by focusing on the event that you blindly demand we focus on. The people involved in the initial actions at the Halloween party are REMOVABLE PARTS. In the eyes of the officials, the University gets rid of the initial problem, it shows that it is not a racist institution and it shows the community that it has gotten rid of the problem/taken responsibility of it. Clearly, there is more going on that needs to be identified at an institutional level

What do we mean by “an institutional level”? Look at the silencing that is going on. Denying people the right to express themselves, whether by overt threats or threats insinuated, is a problem. The problem (again, if seen at the level of institution and not individual act) shows the community the following and MUCH more 1.) a way of responding to and acting on incidents of racism needs to be clear and people in positions of power within the university (professors, chairs, chancellors, etc.) must be trained to deal with the situations in more constructive ways and ways that do not foster a community of silencing and threats, 2.) the University must give us a clear statement regarding its commitment to diversity (where is the school “Diversity Statement”, for example?), to recognize that inequality exists in the state and beyond its borders, and, as a public institution, to act on it, 3.) to provide a space for/funding for weekly educational forums that allow people to educate themselves and address issues of concern in a space that will not lead to threats and intimidation.

The message: the members of the community who are informed (which you must understand is small in number due to the silencing that we need to address) have moved on from the initial incident. The focus is the response to the incident from people in power and the need to start working on the three points listed in the previous paragraph as stepping stones for more work. This is not a witch hunt or a blood bath. It is a search to make change so that this kind of incident and the response to it does not repeat. By insisting on the concept of witch hunt you make it easier for the university to go back to what IT perceives as “the problem” and to deal with it in unfair ways that are not constructive to the parties involved in the initial acts and are not constructive to the goal of working with the issue. Damaged reputations can be healed by working toward fostering change at an institutional level. This, to repeat and to conclude, is not about one incident nor is it about the parties involved: it is about the reaction to it. By focusing on the construct of a witch hunt you are inviting the university to side-step the whole issue, wipe itself clean, and to continue to do NOTHING.

As a community, we should not let the students involved in the event be the scapegoats for the university’s lack of commitment to social justice and equality. We need to protect the students from the Halloween party in PRODUCTIVE ways (calling upon the nation is not constructive, calling people expressing their views “witch hunters” is not constructive). As a community WE NEED TO PROTECT THEM so that the university can see itself, see its problems, see what needs to be worked on, see how much we have to learn, and not CONDEMN them as if they do not reflect the kind ongoing practices exemplified in the resonse to the initial act. We need to protect them so that the university does not treat them as removable parts and ignore this issue. We are human, we make mistakes, we make changes based on those mistakes. If the university continues to act the way it has (notice that the UMass Daily Collegian continues to be silenced) it will get rid of what it perceives to be the problem and prevent change.

Again, Our utmost respect goes out to the people who have had the courage (and it takes just that) to move forward despite implicit and explicit threats, to the organizers of the forum, people who spoke, people who responded, people who attended and listened and LEARNED.

We at Amherst Life welcome your comments so that dialogue can continue. We ask, in the spirit of the forum, that you not refer to the specifics of the incident, that you not refer to the names of specific people. The threat against people who have come forward to voice their disapproval with the situation is real and we do not want to jeopardize their well-being any further. We thank you for your cooperation.

click here to read more articles on racism at UMass

Karnatic Jazz Encounter

2007-12-06T12:11:00.000-05:00

A stunning performance at Bowker Auditorium. The Karnatic Jazz fusion group sheds light on a long history South Indian, African, and African American musical and cultural exchange. And the result is powerful. The South Indian component of the band seemed to be the strongest, technically and emotionally. And the violinist stole the show! She is incredible!! Check the group out at

Student Strike at UMass

2007-12-06T12:10:00.003-05:00

The Strike occurred and UMass students are still waiting to hear if their demands will be listened to. More diversity, an end to undercover cops snooping into the dorms, fee rollbacks, contract with the grad. students who run the campus (it’s true, and most of them are better teachers and care more than the “real” professors for 1/5 the pay!), and could the school at least let the students use the STUDENT Union without charging them? That is the most ridiculous thing we have heard of!

Events in the Area

2007-12-06T12:10:00.001-05:00

Please let us know of any events in the area that you would like the public to know about! We see that UMASS/5-Colleges have so many great things happening but their website is terrible and nobody ends up knowing. Send us a line at amherstlife@yahoo.com

Poetry Slam

2007-12-06T12:07:00.000-05:00

Amherst Life is interested in organizing a Poetry Slam with DJs, music, dance, and much more. If you are interested in performing, please send us your stuff (it will not be posted on the site without your permission!) amherstlife@yahoo.com

English 112 Writes Back!

2007-05-07T15:11:00.000-04:00

Coca-Cola, world wide human rights violations, and exclusive vending contracts with UMass... What does this spell? A group writing project for students in College Writing 112 at UMass-Amherst! For the past few weeks the 'Bartlett Crew' (as the instructor calls this group of talented writers...) has been researching claims made against Coca-Cola, investigating the nature of UMass’s dealings with Coke, and gathering the data into a series of collective writing pieces. The goal is simple: make the community aware of Coke’s activities, put on the pressure through the written word, and demand action from university officials. Writing under a group name which represents the first two initials of each member of the class (“Craig Molton Jenkins”), several students brought together the research into a unified essay and have been kind enough to post them on the Amherst Life Blog. We fully support your call to action and sincerely thank you for bringing our attention to this inhumane contract!

POP LOSES ITS FIZZ: THE INTERNATIONAL CORRUPTION OF
COCA COLA
By: "Craig Molton Jenkins"

Sold in more then two-hundred countries, the juggernaut corporation Coca Cola has become an international icon. Developed in the late 19th century, the company has expanded into a corporate entity. It is affluent in the sales of carbonated drinks, and advertised as an American symbol. Ironically, Coke has been affiliated with some foul play as violators of human rights, and perpetrators of environmental degradation. Both legislators and the public media are keeping hush about this public outcry. If the public does not prevent this massive industry from their unethical practices, their international abuse will have detrimental repercussions.

India is suffering enormously due to the crimes Coca-Cola is committing against humanity. More than half of India’s population lives below the poverty line, and seventy percent of citizens make a living through agriculture. Due to the usurpation of water in their wells, there has been devastating impacts on the agriculture system, leaving the country in an economic trough. Farmer’s that live in rural communities are given Coca-Cola’s toxic waste as fertilizer for their crop from local facilities. In many cases, people have had long term exposure to this toxic waste, and report living in a “public health nightmare.” Coca-Cola’s bottling industry in India is depleting their water supply, by polluting the groundwater and soil around their facilities. Contaminated water contains high concentrations of chloride and bacteria, which have influenced medical concerns including, scabs, eye abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal problems. Being in severe debt, the government can not financially support facilities which could filter contaminated water from the public, thus catalyzing environmental degradation. Pesticides, including DDT, are being sold in beverages to the public, with concentrations thirty times higher than European Union standards. India is not the only nation primarily affected by the unethical treatment of the notorious industry. Other countries, including Columbia, are suffering the abuse of this corporate tirade.

Recent controversy has accused the Coca Cola industry for the mistreatment, as well as numerous murders of Union workers in Columbia. Within factories across the country, paramilitary officers are intimidating, kidnapping, and assassinating Union leaders, as they defend their right for equal labor laws. Workers are not only being handed miniscule wages, but are also enduring labor conditions below international health standards. Unionization advocates are being incarcerated on a daily basis, with a total of 213 murdered. Employment has also dropped from 1300 to 450, in attempts to keep wages low and to stifle Union proliferation. While families live in a constant state of reprisal, the Coca Cola industry is martyring “communism” as an excuse for labor conditions. In 2001, a lawsuit was filed against the Coca-Cola industry, condemning them and anti-union partners for killing and torturing Union workers within the company. Coke denies such allegations but many organizations, including the International Labor Rights Fund, are investigating company grounds, in an effort to improve working conditions and raise wages. Public institutions are also reacting to this violence, as students across the nation voice their opinion about this concerning issue.

After the U.S labor groups filed a lawsuit against Coca Cola, the anti-Coke campaign made headway, raising eyebrows of affiliated administrations nation wide. With increasing violations of human rights in other countries, major universities bearing stern contracts with Coca-Cola, began to react. Over 130 universities have launched Anti-Coke campaigns and ninety have declined their contracts with the company, despite financial loss. Some of these universities include University of Michigan, New York University, and Rutgers- being one of Coke's largest contracts. Since no college wants to lower their reputation by showing support to an "immoral and corrupted" company, many have decided it was best to eliminate contracts with Coke, and withdrawal support for its products. This includes a discontinuation in sales of popular beverages including Sprite, Power-ade, MinuteMaid, and Desani.

Despite some of the students’ public outcry, and the actions of other major universities across the country, the University of Massachusetts and Coca-Cola continue to share an exclusive relationship dating back a few years. The India Resource center sent UMass a firm letter encouraging them to diverge from a renewal of this contract due to unethical treatment of India’s workers and an extraction of water resources. With these allegations of human rights violations in such places as Colombia and India, a number of universities have terminated their contracts with Coca-Cola, or put them on hold. However, UMass has not, extending a previous contract with the soft-drink corporation in 2005 for another five years, a contract which enables Coca-Cola exclusive soft-drink selling rights across the entire campus with few exceptions. Details of this contract include the company offering $350,000 a year as well as $250,000 more in one-time contributions. Furthermore, about $286,000 of the $350,000 will go to athletic sponsorships, the Mullins Center, the Fine Arts Center, the Alumni Association, UMass magazine, and the Sports Management program. Additionally, campus vending machine prices under the contract have risen from $1.10 to $1.25 for a 20 oz. Coca-Cola product.

As we approach a new semester, our administration is experiencing an encroaching dilemma. Should our university’s legislators sever their contract with Coca Cola, and lose millions in expenditures for corporately funded programs, or should they support a conglomeration advocating human rights violations, and corrupting our environment internationally? Already universities throughout the United States are sacrificing their expenditures to prevent international suffrage. Legislators on our campus are being gagged by financial dependency on Coca Cola, thus leaving students in the dark. It is time now to voice our outcry, and prevent our school from supporting these public acts of violence! Money is of little importance, when the lives of people across the globe are experiencing corporate affliction and environmental destruction.

Listen to the Cries, Hear the Voices, and Act Out
By: "Craig Molton Jenkins"

Large corporations are killing our world, and the Universities are finally starting to speak up; some of them. Many large corporations have been connected with Universities for years. Coca-Cola, being one of the largest corporations, is no exception. But the quality of the company’s morals has been questioned in recent years, with allegations of human right violations and the polluting of important water sources. These are things that can not be overlooked. But for some reason there are Universities that continue to share a contract with this company who has no right to be selling products after the many lives they have violated.

India is suffering enormously due to the crimes Coca-Cola is committing against their humanity. Sadly, more than half of India’s population already lives below the poverty line, and 70 percent of Indians make a living through agriculture, but because of Coca-Cola these people have lost their livelihood. Farmers in the Indian communities are given Coca-Cola’s toxic waste as fertilizer. Indians have had long term exposure to this toxic waste and are living in a “public health nightmare”. Coca-Cola’s bottling industry in India is causing severe water shortages across India; also they are polluting the groundwater and soil around their facilities. Contaminated water is high with chloride and bueleria, which have led to scabs, eye abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal problems. Last but not least, Coca-Cola is selling drinks with high levels of pesticides in India. These pesticides, including DDT, have appeared in drinks with toxin levels up to 30 times higher than European Union standards allow.

Another community that has been deeply affected by Coca-Cola is that of Columbia. Their issue is that of union workers and the violations that Coca-Cola has portrayed onto this country. Coca-Cola’s been paying these workers less than minimal and treating them like animals, sometimes resulting in death. These allegations have been concealed, but unfortunately for them word is getting out. Coke is being accused of using paramilitary groups to intimidate, beat, kidnap and kill union leaders. Rebellious workers demanding respect and high wages have been kidnapped and murdered. A total of 213 union leaders have been murdered while the number of workers has dropped from 1300 to 450 in the past seven years. This is an attempt to keep wages low and to stifle unions. In 2001, a lawsuit was filed against the Coca-Cola industry stating that they, along with their anti-union partners, were threatening and killing union organizers. Coke denies such allegations but many organizations, such as the International Labor Rights Fund, are looking to improve working conditions, higher wages, and make a safer environment for everyone involved. The spreading word has caused a lot of problems for this company, including, on a very large scale, the Universities that they share contracts with.

Coca-Cola has had contracts with many different colleges across the world. It is a huge corporation that everyone has heard about. In 2001 the campaign against Coca-Cola began, after the U.S labor groups filed a lawsuit against them. With increasing violations of human rights in these other countries, the students at some of these major Universities began to speak up. This awareness is slowly spreading, both nationally and worldwide. Over 130 Universities have launched Anti-Coke campaigns and 90 Universities have eliminated their contracts. Some of those Universities include Rutgers, University of Michigan, and New York University, with Rutgers being one of Coke's largest contracts. Since no college wants to lower their reputation by showing support to an "immoral and corrupted" company, many have decided it is best to eliminate contracts with coke and to stop selling its products; which include popular drinks like Sprite, PowerAde and Minute Maid.

With these allegations, there were also outcries at UMass. The University has a rather large contract with Coca-Cola that originated almost a decade ago. Despite some of the students’ public outcry and the actions of other major universities across the country, UMass and Coca-Cola continue to share this exclusive relationship. The India Resource center sent UMass a strong letter encouraging them to diverge from a renewal of this contract because of damages done to India’s workers and water resources. Umass, however, disregarded their plea, extending a previous contract with the soft-drink corporation in 2005 for another 5 years, a contract which gives Coca-Cola exclusive drink selling rights across the entire campus with few exceptions. Details of this contract include the company offering $350,000 a year as well as $250,000 more in one-time contributions. Although this money has been spread across campus for various funding, campus vending machine prices under the contract have risen from $1.10 to $1.25 for a 20 oz. Coca-Cola product.

The income that UMass has received from Coca-Cola may be important for funding, but by using their corrupt money, we are making a bad name for ourselves. We are supporting suffering by continuing our business with this company, and that is something that our school will never be able to live down. Stop these crimes, listen to the pleas, and let’s help keep our University a good name.

Coke Kills
By: "Craig Molton Jenkins"

The next time you are thirsty, before you take a sip you should ask yourself whether the product you are about to quench your thirst with is owned by Coca-Cola. Why, you might ask? To put it quite clear, it depends on if you mind supporting a company that has violated, violently mistreated, and even killed many innocent lives. Two of Coca-Cola’s bottling industries, one located in India and one in Columbia have done unimaginable damage. Thankfully, people have taken action against Coca-Cola including colleges that have abandoned them in their contracts. But, don’t think this is enough. You can help too. Coca-Cola needs to be stopped!

India is suffering enormously due to the crimes Coca-Cola is committing against their humanity. Sadly, 70 percent of Indians make a living through and depend on agriculture. Farmer’s in the Indian communities are given Coca-Cola’s toxic waste as fertilizer. Indians have had long term exposure to this toxic waste and are living in a “public health nightmare”. Coca-Cola’s bottling industry in India is causing severe water shortages across India; also they are polluting the groundwater and soil around their facilities. Contaminated water is high with chloride and bueleria, which have led to scabs, eye abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal problems. Indians are being forced to drink polluted waters because the only ways in which the groundwater can be cleaned (if it is even possible) is with money, which they clearly do not have. Last but not least, Coca-Cola is selling drinks with high levels of pesticides in India. India is being negatively affected by Coca-Cola in numerous ways, and they aren’t the only ones who are suffering on behalf of Coca-Cola.

Coke is also violating human rights in Columbia as well. They are being accused of using paramilitary groups to intimidate, beat, kidnap and kill union leaders. The laborers of Coke are being paid next to nothing and those workers demanding respect and decent wages have been kidnapped and murdered. A total of 213 union leaders have been murdered and the number of workers has dropped from 1300 to 450 in the past seven years. And Coke does these repulsive deeds in an attempt to keep wages low and to stifle unions. Now most families are living in a constant state of reprisal while Coke is using "communism" as an excuse. Fortunately, people are rising up against Coke including many workers, and communities of both India and Columbia.

The fight against Coca-Cola began in 2001 when the U.S. labor groups filed a lawsuit against them. With increasing violations of human rights in other countries, major universities bearing big contracts with Coca-Cola began to take notice. This awareness is slowly spreading, both nationally and worldwide. Over 130 universities have launched Anti-Coke campaigns and 90 universities have eliminated their contracts. Some of those universities include Rutgers, University of Michigan, and New York University, with Rutgers being one of Coke's largest contracts. Since no college wants to lower their reputation by showing support to an "immoral and corrupted" company many have decided it is best to eliminate their contracts with coke. As students of UMass, you may have noticed that coke products are still on campus here.

Despite some of the students’ public outcry and the actions of other major universities across the country, UMass and Coca-Cola continue to share an exclusive relationship dating back a few years. The India Resource center sent Umass a strong letter encouraging them to diverge from a renewal of this contract because of damages done to India’s workers and water resources. Instead, UMass extended a previous contract with the soft-drink corporation in 2005 for another 5 years, a contract which gives Coca-Cola exclusive soft-drink selling rights across the entire campus with few exceptions. Details of this contract include the company offering $350,000 a year as well as $250,000 more in one-time contributions. Furthermore, about $286,000 of the $350,000 will go to athletic sponsorships, the Mullins Center, the Fine Arts Center, the alumni association, UMass magazine and the Sports Management program. Additionally, campus vending machine prices under the contract have risen from $1.10 to $1.25 for a 20 oz. Coca-Cola product. Since UMass can’t stand up to Coca-Cola, then you have to!

The Empire Strikes and English 112 Writes Back!

2007-05-01T07:38:00.000-04:00

Over the next few weeks we hope to feature a range of student responses to articles written in the Daily Collegian (the UMass-Amherst newspaper). Please send your responses/letters to amherstlife@yahoo.com! We look forward to reading your work!
-The Amherst Life Crew

Amherst Parking

2007-01-17T01:49:00.000-05:00

In Amherst, MA you pay for a parking sticker that theoretically allows you to park in the street. Interestingly, you cannot park on the street between December and May (they will ticket and tow your car). So what becomes of the people who do not have driveways/on-site parking? We would like your comments as we will soon submit an official letter to the town requesting that one area be reserved for those folks who live in town, pay the fee for a sticker, and do not have on-site parking.

A Celebration of Paul Laurence Dunbar

2006-10-26T16:59:00.000-04:00

A Symposium on the Work of Paul Laurence Dunbar

Thursday October 26, 2006

Shirley Graham Du Bois Library,
New Africa House
8:00 pm

A Celebration of Paul Laurence Dunbar with reading by Students and Faculty from the English, Afro-American Studies and Theater Departments along with Symposium speakers

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Continued: A Symposium on the Work of Paul Laurence Dunbar

Friday October 27, 2006

Moran Conference Room, Bartlett Hall 316

9 AM Welcome Joseph T Skerrett, Jr., Convener

Dean Joel Martin
University of Massachusetts Amherst
College of Humanities and Fine Arts

10 AM Keynote Speaker Joanne Braxton,
The College of William and Mary

11 AM Session 1 Dunbar as Fictionist Gene Jarrett
University of Maryland, College Park

John Wharton Lowe
Louisiana State University

12:30 PM Lunch

2 PM Session 2: Dunbar as Poet James Smethurst
University of Massachusetts Amherst

Nadia Nurhussein
University of Massachusetts Boston

3:30 PM Session 3:Dunbar as Influence and Forefather Kalamu ya Salaam, poet

5 PM Reception

Best Local Cafe Award!

2006-10-26T16:09:00.000-04:00

The ballots are in and this semester's winner of our "Best Local Cafe Award" goes to the Loose Goose Cafe in Amherst! Not only do they have the freshest & tastiest food, best coffee, friendliest staff, and cleanest shop, they do it all with what we here call ¡Sabó’! (swing, style, and flavor).

You can check out their website and get directions by clicking on the following link: http://www.loosegoosecafe.com/

They also do catering, make delicious cookies, and deliver!

5 College Africa Day @ Smith College!!

2006-10-23T22:07:00.000-04:00

Africa Day 2006

11/04/2006 Africa day - Complete details
Starting at 12:30 p.m. at Smith College Scott Gymnasium join us for an afternoon and evening of events dedicated to the Continent & its Diaspora with music, food, talks, performances, and more>

11/04/2006 Five College West African Music Ensemble
1:00, Scott Gymnasium, Smith College more>

11/04/2006 Meet the Five College African Scholars
1:30, Scott Gymnasium, Smith College more>

11/04/2006 Skit and all about Africa & African Studies
2:30, Scott Gymnasium, Smith College more>

11/04/2006 Benefit dinner with African/Caribbean flavors
4:30, Scott Gymnasium, Smith College more>

11/04/2006 SACSA Jam Show
7:00, Sage Hall, Smith College more>

11/04/2006 SACSA Afro-Caribbean Party
10:00, Mwangi Cultural Center, Smith College more>

more> http://www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/african/news/

Judith Butler @ Hampshire

2006-10-23T22:02:00.000-04:00

Ninth Annual Eqbal Ahmad Lecture

JUDITH BUTLER
October 24 at 4 p.m.
Robert Crown Center

"Judith Butler will deliver the ninth annual Eqbal Ahmad Lecture at Hampshire College on October 24. The lecture, “Universality and its Paradoxes: Hidden Histories of Post-Zionism,” will be held at 4 p.m. in the Robert Crown Center and is open to the public free of charge.

A leading theorist of power, gender and identity, Dr. Butler is Maxine Elliot Professor in the Departments of Rhetoric and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Yale University.

She is the author of Precarious Life: Powers of Violence and Mourning, a collection of writings on war’s impact on language and thought. Among her numerous other books are Giving an Account of Oneself (2005); Undoing Gender (2004); Antigone’s Claim: Kinship Between Life and Death (2000); The Psychic Life of Power: Theories of Subjection (1997); and Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (1990).

She is currently working on essays pertaining to Jewish philosophy, focusing on pre-Zionist criticisms of state violence. She continues to write on cultural and literary theory, philosophy, psychoanalysis, feminism, and sexual politics.

Butler is on the advisory council of the Jewish Voice for Peace, the board of directors of the Freedom Theatre in Jenin, Palestine and the executive committee of the U.S. chapter of Faculty for Israeli-Palestinian Peace.

The annual Eqbal Ahmad Lecture honors the teaching, scholarship and activism of long-time Hampshire College professor, the late Eqbal Ahmad. Professor Ahmad’s faculty colleagues, former students, family and friends from around the globe have joined together to make this lecture series a continuing celebration of his life and work."

For more information, contact Jackie Jeffery at jjeffery@hampshire.edu or 413.559.5379

Paquito D'Rivera & The Assad Duo

2006-10-23T21:57:00.000-04:00

This is going to be good!!

Paquito D'Rivera & The Assad Duo :: Dances from the New World

Thursday, November 9
Concert Hall 7:30 pm
General: $35, $25, $15
Youth 17 and under: $12
Five College Students: $15, $10, $7

A creative genius, Cuban-born NEA Jazz Master Paquito D'Rivera is widely considered the number one Latin American saxophonist and clarinetist of our time. His is known for playing an explosive mixture of jazz, rock, classical, and traditional Cuban music and has won four Grammy Awards. He is joined for this program by Brazilian brothers Sérgio and Odair Assad, recognized worldwide as one of the greatest guitar duos in memory. This concert will feature a myriad of works in trio format featuring compositions by D'Rivera, Villa-Lobos, Piazolla and others.

Sponsored by: NEA Jazz Masters, El Diálogo, The River 93.9

The Fifth Commandment (Play)

2006-10-23T21:55:00.000-04:00

Thursday, November 2
8:00 pm
Bowker Auditorium
$15-general public.
$8-low income patrons and seniors.
$5 students with valid I.D.

"Elia Arce’s timely and compelling performance and multimedia installation about U.S. soldiers in Iraq explores the complex themes of patriotism, violence, protest and sacrifice. This is a residency designed to engage the local community, students and veterans through integrated workshop activities.

In conjunction with this performance - The Visible Collective Media Presentation and Panel Discussion takes place Nov. 1 at 7:30pm, Cape Cod Lounge. Call for more details 413-545-9591
Our presentation of The Fifth Commandment, the Visible Collective and Project 2050 DeConstructing Dualities are part of a collaboration between New WORLD Theater, the Fine Arts Center and the UMass Department of History’s Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series. This year’s series, Protest and Politics: The 1960s and Now, will feature music, theater, panel discussions, visual arts exhibits, and documentary films."

Check online for a full listing of events: www.umass.edu/history/

Niyaz: Persian Fusion

2006-10-23T21:48:00.000-04:00

Friday, November 3
Bowker Auditorium
8:00 pm
General Public: $25, $15 / Youth 17 and under: $12
Five College Students: $10, $7

Niyaz is an acoustic electronic project that brings together five musicians to form an exciting new fusion of traditional Persian music and modern electronics. The quintet includes vocalist and composer Azam Ali, multi instrumentalist and composer Ramin (Loga) Torkian of Axiom of Choice, and twice Grammy nominated producer/ remixer Carmen Rizzo. These three veteran masters have all experienced success on their own and have found a new common ground in Niyaz where the mystical poetry of Urdu and Persian Sufi poets of the 14th and 15th century forms the lyrical framework for a fresh new musical adventure.

Sponsored by: The Valley Advocate, Apple, The River 93.9

Musafir: Gypsy Music & Dance from India

2006-10-04T19:35:00.000-04:00

Friday, October 6
Bowker Auditorium 8:00 pm
$25, $15; Youth under 17 and Five College students $10, $7

"Musafir (a Farsi word meaning traveller) is a rich performance tapestry highlighting the different cultures of the Thar Desert. This geographical area, located in the Indian state of Rajasthan, covers approxiamately 92,000 square miles. Believed by scholars to be the birthplace of the Rom, also known as gypsies, the people are well know for their passionate music and poetry.

Lead by master tabla player Hameed Khan, the ensemble consists of artist representatives from many of the districts located in this vast land.The snake charmers come from the Sapera-Kalbleiya district. Langas poets represent the Jaisalmer district, and the classical musicians and dancers are from the Soufi Muslim culture. Fascinating and colorful to watch, this performance will highlight the ancient culture that traveled from India to the West along the Silk route many centuries ago.

Listen to the sounds of some truly unique instruments: the Dholak folk drum, the Naganas- played with sticks, and small, hand-held, wooden clappers called Kartal. Mixed with the Tabla and a variety of bells and cymbals the musicians create pulsating, dynamic rhythms. Also included are a variety of strings and flutes such as the snake charmer's Been, tuned with wax, that functions like a bagpipe but uses a gourd for the wind chamber. The Satara or shepard's flute has two pipes. One pipe serves as a drone while the other plays the melody.

Hold your breath for the magical daunting feats of the Fakir breathing fire and the spinning snake dance performed in multicolored skirts and veils. It is all a part of an incredible fun filled visual and musical learning experience!

Hameed Khan Kawa is the creator and artistic director of Jaipur Kawa Brass Band and Musafir. His father and forefathers were musicians, exponents of both folk and classical Indian music. He is a master tabla player and after arriving in France in 1984, Hameed spread his culture by sharing it with artists of different persuasions. The Trio Erik Marchand was created as a subtle fusion of French Brittany, Arabian and Rajasthani traditions. Hameed Khan has played with musicians Chico Bouchikhi (Gypsy Kings), Najat Aatabou, Thierry Robin Gitans, Lo’Jo Triban, Natacha Atlas and many more." -- Fine Arts Center of UMass-Amherst

De Puerto Rico: Hopes, Dreams, Sorrows

2006-09-23T17:49:00.000-04:00

This is a relatively new exhibit at the Augusta Savage Gallery (Inside the New Africa House in the "Central" residential section of UMASS)

Hopes, Dreams, Sorrows
by Frank Diaz Escalet
Monday, September 18 - Friday, October 13

This native of Ponce, Puerto Rico has made leather clothing for the Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin, has been feature on public television and been exhibited in the Smithsonian in Washington DC. Describing his work as primitive and impressionistic, Frank Diaz Escalet depicts large dramatic images of neighborhood life and the characters in them.

Mombasa Party / Royal Drummers of Burundi

2006-09-23T17:46:00.000-04:00

This is going to be a GREAT concert!!

Friday, September 29
Concert Hall 8:00 pm
UMASS

Mombasa Party is a get-together of some of East Africa’s most well-known Taarab artists. It’s a wonderful mixture of Swahili and Indian Film songs. They will be joined by one of the greatest percussion ensembles in the world; the Royal Drummers of Burundi channel the energy and creative spirit of a nation through these drums and the rituals surrounding them. Their massed drum sound, or "Burundi beat" as it has become known, has influenced a lot of western artists since the 60’s. Their live performances are the ultimate African drum experience.

$30, $25, $15, Youth 17 and under $12, Five College Students $15, $10, $7

History Department: Events

2006-09-21T00:52:00.000-04:00

Check out the following link for info on events in the History Dept. at UMass:
http://www.umass.edu/history/feinberg.html

Events in Amherst!

2006-09-20T17:02:00.000-04:00

Here are a few interesting things going on in Amherst this week:

Salman Rushdie will be at Bowker Auditorium on Thursday (4pm doors open and it is free so get there early). That is at UMASS.

Beat Streuli Exhibit at the Fine Arts Center (UMASS). The opening is tonight at 6pm (FAC) but the exhibit will be there until Nov. 5th (VERY interesting exhibit on "transient pedestrian activity of urban life")
Link: http://umass.edu/umhome/events/articles/38867.php

Free Film Showing: The Untold Story of Emmet Till (2005)
Thursday, September 21 • 7:30 pm
Isenberg School of Management - Flavin Auditorium • Room 137
UMass Amherst Campus
Handicap access available

BSU Annual Black Comedy Show
Friday, September 22 • 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Bowker Auditorium
Stockbridge Hall
UMass Amherst Campus
Handicap access available

Sibling Site

2006-08-10T16:25:00.000-04:00

New visitors: you can check out local housing info at the Amherst Housing Blog! Please check out the site, share info on quality housing that you come across and delve into your own search stories!

Bringing in the MUSIC, live and direct from NYC

2006-08-01T22:16:00.000-04:00

It's official: Amherst Life will now be connecting some extremely talented musicians from NYC to local venues in the Valley and the 5-colleges! Genres presently include Jazz, Bomba, Plena, Salsa, Rumba cubana, Samba, Batucada, and Flamenco.

The service is geared towards owners/managers of local venues, 5-college event coordinators, alternative housing programs, Department Chairs, and anyone else who has a space and a need to hear live music!! If you are interested in learning more about the music project, please send an email (amherstlife@yahoo.com) or post comments below.

Also, If you are a band leader or soloist and would like to perform in the Pioneer Valley, please send an email to the above address and I will let you know what steps to take.

New Project for Young Writers

2006-07-26T11:12:00.000-04:00

Check out the following e-mail that just arrived today! This seems like a great project!

To the Editor of the Amherst Life Blog:

I am a Doctoral student in the English program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and previously worked as a College and Career Advisor for Aspira of New York. In the Fall, I will be teaching a basic writing course for incoming freshmen and would like to begin an outreach/dialogue/exchange program with high school students from all over the Americas and the group in my course.

The idea is to get students to post their writing on the online forum that I created, comment on and encourage each other's work, and, towards the end of the each semester, have students from New York, Springfield, Holyoke, and other participating cities come to the university for a college visit and a chance to sit in on several different courses including my own. In addition, I plan to organize a poetry / spoken-word “jam session” which will be open to the public and broadcasted live on the www.lenguamente.com website and 103.3 FM Valley Free Radio.

For more information about the project goals and objectives, please click here

You can also view a project summary (page 1) and a flyer for students (page 2) by clicking here.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope that we can get this project in motion.

Best regards,
Jacob Dyer-Spiegel
www.lenguamente.com

Que le ponga SALSA! Pa Gozar, Pa Gozar, Pa Gozar!

2006-07-24T13:46:00.000-04:00

Salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaetón, cumbia, samba... Te cuadra?

Here are a few venues:

Noche Latina at the "Iron Horse" in Northampton every Tuesday (free! 10pm-2am)

"Trumpets" in Chicopee on Friday nights (450 Memorial Dr Suite 1, Chicopee, MA 01020-5017 (413) 739-7311)

Also on Fridays there is a place called "Latin Quarters" with live bands downstairs and club music upstairs (cover $5, 80 Worthington St. Springfield, MA 413-205-2986/2987)

On Fridays you can also go to the "International Dance Club" (Click for directions)

On Saturday nights you can go to "Beaver Brook Golf Course" (183 Main Street Haydenville, MA 01039)

I will post more. Please post reviews (as comments) about these venues and let me know where else you can find música "latina" in the area...

Links to Area Events

2006-07-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

Here are the best websites on entertainment in the area. Of course, they don't list all of it so please visit the Amherst Life Blog regularly for the latest info and commentary...

Check out the Amherst Chamber of Commerce listing, the Valley Advocate, GazetteNet, and MassLive.

Post other links/listings in "comments" and please let us know of other things that are going on in the area. Feel free to promote your own work!!!

Conscious Hip-Hop Gathering

2006-07-23T12:28:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, July 29th, The Alchemists, I-Shea, Gokh Bi System, Barak Yalad, and DJ Theory & 1ne man sound will be on stage at "The Elevens" (140 Pleasant Street, Northampton, MA). Doors open at 9PM and the show startes at 10PM. Admision is $7 and is certainly worth it.

Looking to broaden your conscious hip-hop collection? Check out Jeru the Damaja, Gang Starr, and Mos Def & Talib Kweli by clicking on the links.

Let us know what you think about the show by posting comments (you don't have to register to leave a line or two!)

Travelers

2006-07-21T12:37:00.000-04:00

On Friday, July 21st at 8pm in Amherst Books (8 Main Street, Amherst), Mr. Todd Felton -- my former English teacher!! -- will be celebrating the publication of his exciting new book, "A Journey into Transcendentalists' New England". To check out Mr. Felton's book, Click Here!

In the spirit of his book's theme (travel and travel literature), here is an interesting site that can help you adventurous folks visualize your experiences on the open road.

Los tiempos coloniales en el "Colonial Village" de Amherst

2006-07-19T11:36:00.000-04:00

El siguiente ensayo fue enviado por un miembro de nuestra comunidad como respuesta a la entrada que puse el día 3 de julio entitulado, “El Valle”. Por favor, lean lo que dice.

Yo vivo en un lugar se llama “Colonial Village” en Amherst, Massachusetts. Al llegar, solo reconocí la palabra “colonial”: pues, en nuestra lengua que también fue impuesta, el significado es lo mismo, e, irónicamente, nuestra condición es la misma. ¿Quién somos nosotros?: somos los salvadoreños, los ecuatorianos, los guatamaltecos, los mexicanos, los dominicanos, los colombianos y muchos otros grupos que vienen a trabajar en los restaurantes de aqui para buscar una vida mejor. Arrancamos de nuestros pueblos para apoyar nuestros padres, esposos, hijos y amigos en un sólo paycheck que ni sirve para nosotros pagar la renta y comer bien. Los de la villa trabajamos duro, ganamos poco y tenemos que escondernos, bajarnos la cabeza para no llamar la atención, para no enfrentar aquella mirada que nos refleja la aceptación de la desigualdad. Nosotros de la villa nos reunimos los sábodos y los domingos con toda la familia y todos los amigos que tenemos cerca para recrear y reforzar nuestras memorias. Cocinamos, tomamos, comemos, bailamos, jugamos volibol y fútbol, nos transplantamos a nuestras tierras por un día que nos salva por toda la semana. Respiramos profundo, escuchamos trás las palabras que salen en español, las lenguas maya, azteca, quechua, nahuatl, voces de nuestros abuelos que hicieron, de alguna forma, el viaje al norte. Juntos conseguimos regresar a nuestro centro que compartimos sin importancia a la nación de donde vengamos. A veces pienso que todo esto es para mostrarnos la hermandad de nuestro pueblo que llaman de “latinoamericano”, quizás para después mostrar que no somos nada “latino” sino, somos los oriundos de todo esto, los que trataron destruir para crear algo sin valor. No sé. Pero sé que en numeros grandes, el blanco ya no nos puede mirar asi, el policia ya no puede interrogarnos todos, el jefe ya no nos puede demoralizar y podemos reconstruirnos. Pero ya pensando en el nombre del lugar donde vivimos, me doy cuenta que todo esto es parte del plan: vivimos en tu ‘colony’ y somos colonizados. Nuestra diáspora ocurre en el espacio que nos asignaron y hasta viene con nombre que indica nuestra posición. Hasta el único espacio que podría aparentar nuestro está marcado para que recordemos bien quien somos: mano de obra barata. Y a mi me revela que nuestra situación es tal que ni siquiera puedo poner mi nombre al final de este fragemento de un pensamiento.

Northampton's 'Vision for Downtown'

2006-07-18T12:52:00.000-04:00

So, the Gazette publishes another article on Northampton's Future and the city has paid The American Institute of Architects a handsome sum to come up with a "plan" (if you can call it that) to take down the trees in the center, widen the sidewalks, and put in parking garages. I quote, "Trees that block visual connections to sterling facades should be removed and replaced with lower profile plants and vegetation providing colorful and seasonal displays of community pride."

Interested in community pride? Instead of investing in ridiculous plans by the Institute, how about investing in a community garden for the folks on Michaelman Avenue and the "projects" behind Stop and Shop? Why not invest the money in developing real "equal opportunity" housing programs that aren't using the foundations of former mental institutions that were forced to shut down due to negligence and abuse? Would you city planners want to live there?

What else? Instead of spending a million on re-doing sidewalks, why not create a center for workers where basic language, reading, composition, information technology is taught for free? A few non-profits never hurt the area.

And what about the ongoing drug problem in Northampton? How about a community center for the kids? How about using the money wisely? Read trough the blog and check out some of the ideas for Amherst: they all apply to NoHo.