A Fishy Tale
Oh my cod!
Holy mackerel!
Cod help us!
Our piscine pun-making abilities were pushed to the limit once the summer issue hit. Readers filled our inbox to the gills with notes about our embarrassing error involving a supposed photo of a cod that looked suspiciously trout-like. Creative director Brian Jenkins was conveniently on vacation, well out of reach of the gaff hook. Your letters took us to task, showed us you cared, helped us laugh at ourselves, and provided a clear reminder that we always have room for improvement.

James Baird ’51 of Petersham wrote:
“To add insult to injury, in that the brown trout is not native to Massachusetts, nor indeed, North America… and you might well hear from some alumni who serve as state representatives, since they are all well familiar with what a codfish looks like given that they gaze upon a large wooden replica of a codfish every day that the House of Representatives is in session. I shall be interested to see how you work your way out of this dilemma.”

All the way from Fountain Hills, Arizona, John A. Breznak ’71G advised:
“You should have passed the accompanying photo by Professor Juanes before print time. That sure looks like a nice specimen of a trout; almost certainly a strain of rainbow trout, which is a freshwater fish. It is definitely not a codfish. Oh well. Hey, here’s an idea. On one of your next days off, why not hook up with the Harrison brothers (“Points of View,” ) for a cruise down the Deerfield or Millers rivers. I’m sure they’ll show you how much fun it is to catch one of these babies ... and identify
them as well.”

John Foley ’76 of Worcester dutifully noted, even using proper Latin names:
“The picture your staff used to illustrate a sidebar about codfish … was not an Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua), but a native of more westerly regions, the rainbow trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss). While this species is now found in various waters Cape-side, it is doubtful that it had arrived there before the 20th century.”

Even spouses of alumni were motivated to write in, including Arthur Falbo, husband of Valerie Falk ’79, ’81G of Truro, who had a laugh on us:
“Someone must have been pulling your leg when they gave you the photo to use over your piece about cod and the Cape. The fish at the top of your article is a trout. I’m sure there are a lot of us who are getting a chuckle out of that. Thanks for keeping us on our toes.”

The trout/cod switcheroo wasn’t the only gaffe in the issue and we apologize sincerely for our errors.

The magazine staff has been inspired—and challenged—by exciting changes on campus. In August, we welcomed a new chancellor, Dr. Robert C. Holub, and a new vice chancellor of university relations, Tom Milligan, to help coordinate campuswide communications. We also grew acquainted with exciting new spaces on campus, including the Studio Art Building, School of Nursing’s renovated Skinner Hall, and a central heating plant. A recreation center for students is taking shape before our very eyes.

Change and growth are part of the landscape at UMass Amherst, and we’ll continue to do our best. Please continue writing . . . and thanks for never letting us off the hook.

Carol Connare

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More Cape, Please
I loved the summer issue, but I am a bit sad to not have been a part of it. My family has owned and operated Water Wizz Water Park in Wareham for 25 years. I am a graduate with a bachelor’s in arts and sciences. I was originally headed for Veterinary School but got sidetracked due to my father’s health, and for the past 15 years have represented our park as the general manager. We are on the local maps people buy. Maybe next year you could feature us along with more Cape and Island grads.
Rebecca Kells ’91
East Wareham

It is puzzling to me that you reviewed two restaurants in Wellfleet but omitted a great one, The Tavern, owned by Robert Morrill ’66 and Judy Pihl ’67. They established Sweet Seasons in 1974 and later moved it up to the Inn at Duck Creeke. They subsequently bought the inn and ran Sweet Seasons and The Tavern for many years. Now they just run The Tavern, which has entertainment and wonderful food. Judy’s clam chowder has won awards. The restaurant deserves to be recognized.
Diane McNeill Carvalho ’66
West Haven, CT

Thanks so much for featuring the Cape! Although my wife and I have returned to our New England roots for visits over the past decades, including the Cape, your lead article has again whetted our appetites. After graduation, we both worked there summers during law school. It is a little bit different now, isn’t it? Perhaps we will get another chance next summer when we return for the 50th anniversary gala.
Bob Myers ’59
Phoenix, AZ

French Connections
I’m an EdD graduate from the Center for International Education, and really enjoyed the last issue. It brought back memories of Massachusetts childhood summers—offshore on Nantucket to be precise, although you found enough culinary stuff to crow about on mainland Cape. Hey, what about telling people that there’s a UMass Amherst grad in Paris guiding strolls year-round to discover that city’s endless history? Very good wishes!
Arthur Gillette ’77G
Meudon, France

World Awaits
Yesterday we received your latest magazine, and as always, enjoyed reading it. The cover in particular caught my eye. “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” touches our family. My daughter, Paige Rexrode ’07, graduated last May with a degree in French, and she is currently seven weeks into a yearlong trip around the world. As I write this, she is en route to India, having spent over a month in Africa. To read about her trip, visit her blog: paigesworldtrip.blogspot.com. Her itinerary includes Nepal, Tibet, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Japan, and Canada. Just thought you might be interested in what your alumna is up to.
Susan Rexrode
Orange

Compass, Please
I have a point of correction concerning the summer edition’s map. Holyoke is located on the west side of the river and Hadley on the east side. If one is traveling north on either Route 5 or I-91 through Holyoke, you pass from Holyoke through a small piece of Easthampton then directly into Northampton. Hadley is across the river to the east.
F.T. Moynihan ’74
Columbia, MO

Walking Tall
Reading the letter from Mel Foster ’57, about his being a walk-on, brought back some old memories for me. I arrived on campus in the fall of ’49 with marginal grades and little renown as a football player from Reading High School. As a walk-on, I decided to try out for freshman football. On the first day of practice, 110 (or so) kids showed up and there was not enough equipment for everyone. At the end of the practice, Coach “Red” Ball made up teams of 11 and I was one of a few left standing not included in the drill. Gradually, during the course of the season I managed to play a lot in the freshman games, probably due to my determination and quickness. I lettered all three years of varsity football, and as a senior quarterback for Coach O’Rourke, I played on a team that received national recognition for an offense that broke records at many levels. I was inducted into the “Hall” [of Fame] in 1972, possibly one of the few walk-ons to be so honored. There are always some athletes who are late bloomers and become valuable members of our various sports teams. Thankfully, the Athletic Department is open to giving such young people a chance to show their talents.

Sports were quite different in the early 1950s. Freshmen could not play varsity and the football team played only eight games. Lacrosse and other sports did not exist. Athletes were not segregated and were mixed in with the entire student body. Our instructors and professors were outstanding, as were our coaches. I remember at our initial convocation being told to look at the two people sitting on each side of us and that one of us would not make it past the first semester. It was a tough grind which forced me to learn how to study. My years at UMass Amherst were a defining moment in my life. I entered as a shy, immature kid and emerged as a young adult, confident and ready to take on the world. I am eternally grateful.
Noel Reebenacker ’53
Stuart, FL

The Real Story on Massachusetts Review
Nice job on the magazine, nice summer 2008 issue. One correction: in the note on Christin Couture ’74, there are two errors that I wish you would correct. First: Christin, wonderful as she is, and lucky as we are to have her, is not “the” art editor—she was appointed to join two existing art editors, Oriole Farb Feshbach ’76G and Pam Glaven ’79, both, incidentally, also MFA alumnae.

They continue a distinguished tradition of art editors that included in the past Leonard Baskin and Jerome Liebling. Second, the Massachusetts Review, was not established . . . “by a group of professors from the Five Colleges.” As the last of the original founders still around, I must set the record straight. It was founded by a small group of seven that included Fritz Ellert ’30, an alum and then chair of the German Department at UMass Amherst, Paul Gagnon’50, professor of history and the treasurer of the Alumni Association, and David Clark and I, two professors of English. On the basis of a promise of $1,500 from the Alumni Association, we dared to start the venture; no one from the Five Colleges was involved until we quickly recruited Leonard Baskin, then professor of art at Smith, along with Sidney Kaplan ’86Hon., professor of English at UMass Amherst, both of whom decisively set the tone and format of the journal. After two issues we were running out of cash; the Commonwealth at that time did not allow the campus a relatively free hand with the budget (that changed a few years later, and the support has been generous ever since).

So then we appealed to the Five Colleges (actually four at the time, Hampshire was not yet founded) for support for three years, and with the help of many distinguished academic friends at those institutions, they acquiesced. From then on, our editorial board always has been rich with members of all the colleges and UMass Amherst, and the journal has to report every year to the Five College presidents about the budget and finances. That is all. There has never been any editorial control of the magazine’s contents except by the editors and editorial board. Quite an achievement for a journal about to celebrate its 50th anniversary this spring.
Jules Chametzky,
Professor of English Emeritus;
Editor Emeritus, The Massachusetts Review, Amherst