Dear Campus Community, Welcome to spring semester! I invite you to share in my enthusiasm as we kick-off our sesquicentennial. For those of you who may not be familiar with the significance of our sesquicentennial, I offer a very short history lesson. In the midst of the Civil War, President Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862. States were given federal land and the proceeds from the sale of that land were used to fund public colleges of agriculture and mechanical arts. These public institutions had what was then a radical vision: any deserving citizen, regardless of wealth or social status, should have access to a college degree. One year later, the Massachusetts Agricultural College (MAC) opened its doors. The campus boasted 4 faculty members, 4 wooden buildings, and 56 students. Like the other land-grant universities opening across the country, “Mass Aggie” would be guided by the core principles of teaching, research and engagement (service to the community). Over the years, the campus continued to educate the citizenry of the Commonwealth, and to evolve and grow. In 1931, “Mass Aggie” became Massachusetts State College. By 1947, “Mass State” had become the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Today, UMass Amherst is a nationally recognized public research university with an internationally renowned faculty. Our student body, the brightest in our history, embarks on a journey defined by personal and intellectual growth across every discipline – and then some. Our campus of over 1,450 acres is undergoing a facilities renaissance. Our emphasis on innovation is far reaching and has brought the university to heights beyond anything our founders could have anticipated 150 years ago: we are undeniably an engine for change. In the coming months, as we participate in sesquicentennial events on campus and learn more about our history, we will no doubt find that we have much to be proud of – and we will build on this pride as we move this great university into its next era. Best wishes for a productive semester and I look forward to seeing you about campus as we celebrate our 150th anniversary. GO UMASS! Kumble R. Subbaswamy Chancellor
Monday, January 28, 2013
UMass History in the words of our current chancellor
We just got our usual "welcome to the new semester...." from the university chancellor. There are some interesting tidbits about UMass history in here so I thought I'd share it.:
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Politics- gun control
I know gun control and the 2nd amendment is not a subject that my friend here agree on, and I'm not looking to start a debate. I wrote this as a Facebook status and I'm copying it here. Yesterday my husband had Active Threat training at work (I did it a long time ago). Today my daughter is going to have her 2nd Lockdown Drill at school. Obama is talking about using an Executive Order to take guns away from people who have proven they are law-abiding citizens and have gone through extensive background checks in order to have their gun permits. Personally, I do not feel very safe right now. Criminals do not care about laws. If Obama and the rest of you get what you want, then I am pretty much a dead woman because if anyone breaks into my little house out here in the woods then there won't be anything stopping a thief from becoming a murderer. At least now with my husband having a gun permit and a decent sized brain, we'd have a chance. I'm having lots of nightmares about what our future looks like in this country, and I worry for my daughter and the generations to come.
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| Barack Obama (Photo credit: jamesomalley) |
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