UMass Magazine Online

Fall 2004

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Exchange: To and from the editors

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Best Ever
I just finished reading the latest UMass Amherst magazine and said WOW! It was by far the best issue that I have read since I graduated. The articles were articulate, interesting, and in-depth. It was great to see articles about successful UMass graduates such as Pam Liebman. The article on Bill Cosby was fabulous. I was especially impressed with such well-written stories regarding alumni outside of the Pioneer Valley. Past magazines seemed to contain many local alumni. I found it very interesting to hear about successful alumni who have left the area. Thank you and keep up the great work!
Katherine (Kane) Farrington ’86
Overland Park, Kansas

Thankful Survivor
I enjoyed the article “Setting the Record Straight: The truth about the 1704 raid on Deerfield” because I am a descendant of Godfrey Nims through his daughter, Thankful. At the time of the raid she was living in a home that was built into the side of a hill. The snowstorm completely covered the house so it was not seen by the raiding party. She, along with her infant daughter and husband, apparently awoke the following morning not aware of what had happened. I’m also a descendant of John Sheldon, whose wife was fatally shot though the front door of the Indian House.
Donald Robinson ’66, ’84G
Leverett

Degrees of Error
I read with interest the article about Bill Cosby and the article written by Janine Roberts. Both their doctorates were listed as Ph.D.s, yet both came through the School of Education. I was in the master’s degree program in psychological education with a concentration in family therapy and group work when Janine was in the doctoral program; I then continued on in the doctoral program. I always thought my degree was an Ed.D. It seems ironic that the alumni magazine would make such an error—or do I really have a Ph.D.? It would make life easier for me because there are people who don’t understand the Ed.D. degree. However, in the interest of accuracy, I shall sign my name with the degrees I think I have.
Carol L. Sachs ’80G, ’90G
Longmeadow

Editor’s Note: We indeed listed Janine Roberts’ and Bill Cosby’s degrees in-correctly. Each earned an Ed.D. As you indicate, the Ed.D. is not as widely understood as a doctorate, yet both require an intense commitment of time and energy. We apologize for the error—and laud all of our advanced-degree graduates for their achievements. As well, on page 80, we referred to Janine Roberts’ daughter incorrectly; her full name is Natalya Weinstein-Roberts ’04.

Glaring Oversight
I liked your online article on recent work on the Deerfield incident of 1704. I was surprised, however, that author Faye Wolfe neglected to mention history professor Alice Nash in her discussion of UMass affiliates reconsidering the event.
Not only did Professor Nash teach a course based on the raid, in which UMass student participants retraced the journey to Montreal of the original captives as part of the class, but she has just returned from spending the year teaching on a Fulbright Scholarship in Montreal where she retraced the journey from north to south, including bringing the French Canadian students to the early presentation of Harley Erdman’s opera production. In fact, it was the French Canadian students’ comments on the stereotyped presentation of a French fur trapper in the opera that encouraged Erdman to revise the character.

I just thought you might want to include all the work being done on the event at UMass in your article.
Laura L. Lovett
Assistant Professor
Department of History

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