Summer 2003

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Exchange: To and from the editors

LETTERS IN PRINT, SUMMER 2003

WAUGH BROUGHT TO LIFE Your article about Frank Waugh turned a mythical name from my past into a real human being. My father, Linus A. Gavin ’27, must have made reference to “Prof Waugh” a thousand times over the years. The Depression and a growing number of mouths to feed (including, of course, mine) forced Dad out of landscape architecture and into another line of work, but throughout his life he was never happier than when he was rearranging the shrubbery around his house on Cape Cod or rebuilding a crumbling stone wall at his home in Chesterfield. As a student of Frank Waugh, my father developed a deep appreciation for the textures in nature. And, a full century after he started teaching at Mass. Aggie, I have no doubt that Prof Waugh is guiding my hands as I lay a terraced flagstone patio outside my home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. James K. Gavin MFA ’67 Santa Fe, New Mexico I WAS PLEASED to read about Professor Frank Waugh in the article celebrating 100 years of Landscape Architecture at UMass. I was a botany major myself, but I took his course in art appreciation. The picture of Professor Waugh with his flute was appropriate, since he use to bring his flute to class and play us a tune! He taught us to observe and to write about what we saw – our favorite campus building (the Old Chapel for most of us, of course, and a sunset from the roof of Clark Hall)! I do have one of his books The American Apple Orchard, 1912. During my 50th reunion in 1987, I met his daughter, Dorothy, at the dedication of a wildflower garden in his honor. I was disappointed and, I’m sure, she and other relatives must have been also since it was very small andI was not pleased at all at an item in the March Reader’s Digest under “That’s Outrageous” about English professor Burt and his course on male sexuality. UMass was rightly held up to ridicule! I wonder what the English professors of the ’30s, Frank Rand, Barney Troy and my Professor Goldberg would have thought of that? I know that I was disgusted at what passes for education in the 21st century!! Webster Chandler ’37 Griffin, Georgia PROFESSOR NICK DINES OF landscape architecture and regional planning tells us that the so-called Waugh Garden, which sits in front of Hills Building, has had a sad fate. It was never a wildflower garden, but it did have perennials, shrubs, benches and a paved gathering space. Dines himself maintained the garden for eight years, but it has not survived the larger- and smaller-scale theft of plants, compounded by damage from feet and an errant snowplow. The winter issue’s article on Frank “Pinky” Waugh in the UMass brought back happy memories. I took his art appreciation course and later, as the first “art editor” of the Collegian, interviewed him about his etchings. I also own one of his etchings, Slopes of Mount Warner, which he gave me as a wedding present. I was a biology major, and went on to Harvard for advanced work. Dr. Tippo – later president of UMass, was a grad student then at Harvard, one of four grad student assistants in a famous rhyme starting “Hall, Haskin, Tippo and Todd, down the biological path they trod” – well, I won’t bore you with the rest of the rhyme. Anyway, it was fun to have my memory jogged. Bettina (Hall) Harrison ’39 Winchester AS A GRADUATE OF THE UMASS landscape architecture master’s program in 1977, I wanted to thank UMass on two accounts. First, the article in your Winter 2003 UMass Magazine by Jan Whitaker highlighting Frank Waugh was a pleasure to read. It made me realize how lucky I was to be part of a university with such a history. Second, UMass provided an educational doorway not only for me but, also for my mother, class of 1938. In my experiences as a landscape architect searching for the beauty in daily life, I am often reminded of the passionate teaching of Julius Fabos, Nick Dines, Carl Carlozzi, Paul Procopio, Hugh Davis and Bill Stewart, my inspirational professors. Their dedication to natural beauty and the practical role of the landscape architect and planner to champion its survival in daily life is part of my education that I treasure. I have my own landscape architecture company, but have recently branched into a new application of vision: writing and illustrating a soon-to-be-released book of poetry intertwined in a story set in a garden. My mother, Ruth Wood Pflager, graduated from “Mass Aggie” with a degree in Floriculture, but started her education in landscape architecture. The goals of UMass to teach the vision of beauty were not lost on her. A great inspiration for her has been her ongoing pride in UMass and she has stayed very active in the alumni activities. Jessie Avery ’77G Lafayette, Colorado MORE ON CONRAD WIRTH It was a delight to read your account of the long and significant history of landscape architecture at UMass. I should point out, however, that I referred to Conrad L. Wirth (MAC, ’23), who directed the National Park Service from 1951 to 1964, as the most influential landscape architect ever trained at UMass, not (as stated in your article) the most influential landscape architect “in the history of the profession.” That would be an inaccurate overstatement, and I did not make it, although Wirth certainly was an important figure and a credit to Frank Waugh’s landscape program. Ethan Carr, Assistant Professor Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning ANOTHER ARTIST IN THE GARDEN I was delighted to see your recent feature on the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning that included descriptions of the UMass Arts Council’s public art sites built in collaboration with LARP. I wish to make a few small corrections: Sculptor Caroline Gould ’88 worked with Todd Richardson to design the Hampden Court and Sculpture Garden. And the site does not host changing exhibitions of sculpture, but instead features Gould’s permanent sculptural installation. Thank you for your coverage of this great department! Maren Brown Director of Education/Access, Fine Arts Center (former Director of the UMass Arts Council) SCIENTISTS MAKE FINE HUMANISTS I enjoyed reading the article entitled “On and off the road with Journalism 391R,” by Karen Skolfield in your winter issue of 2003. The photographs taken by those students attending the trip were quite impressive. I recently visited Sicily and loved the island, its beauty and its people, as did the visiting students. I have a warm relationship to the island, more so because my father was born there. However, I feel I must comment on one part of Skolfield’s phrasing. She mentions that amongst the mix of students from various colleges that participated in the course there was “even one lone” engineering student who attended the program. Is it so surprising that even one lone engineering student would attend an artistic program? Not really, because those not in a technical field usually think of engineers and scientists as having lacked a liberal arts education. One reason this attitude seems to prevail is because the undergraduate curriculum for these majors requires their almost full-time attention to attain a bachelor of science degree. Candidates must be devoted to their studies and have little time for anything else, including liberal arts. Fortunately, once working in the field, many of these professionals seem to have more time to attain accomplishments other than technical. As typical examples, I have paraphrased from The Civilized Engineer by Samuel Florman, the non-technical accomplishments of several well-known scientists and engineers: Benjamin Latrobe, one of the premier engineers in early 19th-century America, was an accomplished watercolorist. The Roeblings, father and son team, designed and directed the building of the Brooklyn Bridge; they were accomplished musicians and well versed in the arts. Edward Teller, the renowned physicist, wrote poems and was known for his love of literature and philosophical speculation. Regarding the present day “techies”: Steven Jobs, fabled cofounder of Apple Computer, Inc., in college discovered Shakespeare, Dylan Thomas, and took creative writing courses. Tom West, head of a team of computer-building engineers, has been described as a philosophically minded guitar player who took up engineering after studying liberal arts at Amherst College. Alan Kay as an undergraduate earned a bachelor of arts degree and then did graduate work in computers. He later led a computer design team at Xerox, became a chief scientist at Atari, and then took a top research post at Apple. There are others that have broad cultural interests. It is hoped that the above may help those who have been educated in the humanities to keep an open mind when judging engineers and scientists about not having a well-rounded education. Now that I have written all that, I want to get back to a pastel sketch I am doing of the wonderful photo on page 35 of the Sicilian doorway scene by Toni DeBlaiso ’02! Francis I. Baratta ’50 Arlington GET REAL ABOUT SPORTS As an alumnus, a 31-year employee of the university, and a pretty devoted fan of UMass athletics since the 1970’s, I read with much interest the article “Involved in just about everything.” I am enthusiastic about Ian McCaw and feel he can bring some much-needed enthusiasm to the athletic program at the university. It is certainly important to try to increase both fan and financial support for the various sport programs. And while I admire Mr. McCaw’s devotion to matching athletics with academic success, trying to sell high graduation rates and innovative strategies for fulfillment of the student/athlete experience will not alone fill the Mullins Center or get TV coverage for UMass football games. Let’s not fool around: The big money/TV draws are men’s and women’s basketball and football. Finding funds and support for these programs will continue to be a problem as long as the school remains mired in the silly, geographically confused Atlantic Ten Conference. The University of Massachusetts at Amherst is the largest single college campus in the northeastern part of the United States yet must compete with the likes of Fordham and St. Bonaventure, essentially one-sport (basketball) urban colleges, for talent in basketball or covet disgruntled western Division 1A players to shore up the football program. It seems obvious to me that Mr. McCaw’s first priority should be to convince the administration that a change in conference is necessary. The best choice: The Atlantic Coast Conference. Why? Because, despite its enormous talent and recognition, it’s currently too small to get a high number of post-season bids and could use a northeast member in otherwise Big East country to draw talent and exposure. If our school is to be free to be, as the current administration seems to want, then it should begin acting like the University of Massachusetts and divorce itself from a “mid-major” or “other colleges” status and become a truly major university, both academically and athletically. Put Duke rather than administration offices in the Mullins and Florida State rather than parking spaces in McGuirk Stadium, and fans, TV, and yes, money, lots of it, will follow. Douglas G. Smith ’77, ’82G Sunderland AN INVITATION TO AFGHANISTAN The title of R. Jay Allain’s letter “Not Enough on Afghanistan” intrigued me. Unfortunately, the letter wasn’t really about the article on Charles Sennott; it was merely an excuse to attack the US. Allain claims that “compelling journalism takes sides.” I believe that compelling journalism tells truth, in context. Allain also claims the US is guilty of “colossal neglect” in Afghanistan. He should tell that to the millions of Afghani girls attending schools that were closed before last year. Tell that to the millions of Afghani women receiving health care there – care they were forbidden to get under the former regime. Tell that to the millions of Afghani families who have returned to their country since the coalition – yes, a coalition, not the US alone – liberated their country from the fanatical Taliban and thuggish non-Afghan Al Qaeda. And especially tell that to the parents of the coalition soldiers who have been killed or maimed removing mines: At least 10 American, British, Norwegian and Polish soldiers were killed or maimed while removing mines just during the five months I was there. If Allain or anyone else really wants to correct the “neglect,” they should leave their cozy Cape Cod cottages and travel to Afghanistan. There are plenty of jobs available, especially in demining. Bryan Hilferty, ’87 Fort Drum, NY IN DEFENSE OF MULLINS It was very disappointing to see comments made by members of the UMass women’s ice hockey team concerning Mullins Center management in the article titled “Good Sport” in the Winter 2003 UMass Magazine. While I congratulate the women’s ice hockey team for their success on the ice [this] year, I was disappointed by the fact that Mindy Corr, ice rink manager, and I, met with Ms. Craven to discuss ice time scheduling and the ice rental rate increase prior to Ms. Trudel’s comments. We explained to Kelly Craven that her organization had received very favorable treatment in relation to the rental rate team members have paid. When their organization began, team members were paying $50 per person per season to rent ice from the times of 6-8 a.m.This translates to $15.50 per hour for ice time. Since that time, the team has requested and received the 9-10:30 time slot for practice, which is considered prime rental ice time normally priced at $120-$160 per hour. Per university policy, UMass users of the ice rink pay $120 per hour. This includes the men’s hockey program and intramurals. Non-university users are required to pay $160 per hour for those same slots. I explained to Ms. Craven that staffing expenses and the cost to maintain ice were higher than what her team members were reimbursing the building for. During difficult economic times, with budget cuts on campus, we are required to cover operational expenses, with a rate policy in effect for all users of the facility. Again, it is disappointing to the staff at the ice rink and myself to see those comments. We have given the UMass women’s ice hockey team favorable treatment in booking and ice time. With regard to changing areas, UMass is in the process of constructing four locker rooms that will be available for use by November 2003, and the team’s accommodations will improve dramatically. Mindy Corr understands what the team has received because she was a member of the women’s hockey team from ’97 to ’00, which had to skate at 6 a.m. Ms. Craven should understand the difficulties faced in managing the ice rink due to the fact she is an employee, as well as a user of the facility. Nancy Beauchamp, Executive Director, Mullins Center Mindy Corr, Ice Rink Manager RECYCLED RUBBER AMAZING I received the latest UMass Magazine today, and immediately turned to “One Giant Molecule,” being a 1960 (UMass Amherst) chemistry graduate myself. I have dabbled in a number of different applications for “crumb” rubber and various reprocessed grades of rubber from old tires for many years. One of the most intriguing uses of old tire carcass rubber is for mixing with various polymers and/or asphalt for repaving streets and roads, athletic running tracks and so forth. The final product can be made grainy with open pores or densely compacted to resemble cast rubber articles. For those who live in areas that suffer New England-style winters, you are familiar with the potholes and washboard streets that spring brings. Mixing the asphalt with fine crumb rubber plus a polymeric binder produces a tough, abrasion-resistant surface that resists potholing. One-component 100 percent solids reactive polyurethanes, or two-component polyurethanes make attractive binders. There are a wide variety of types of rubber, fineness of grind, mix ratios with binders and/or asphalt, compression and cure modes that serve a wide range of applications. I’m sure that the people cited in the article are familiar with the extremely wide range of innovative products that can be made from recycled tire rubber. Today, fast crystallizing, reactive hot-melt urethane adhesives are available that can be readily handled by available equipment and at application temperatures from quite low-melt temperatures, certainly below 80 C., that would permit an asphalt-polyurethane (MDI-polyester) adhesive and recycled tire rubber composite to be continuously applied and that would achieve an initial cure in seconds. Similar composite applications can be used as protective barriers under or around solvent and gasoline storage tanks, hazardous chemical storage tanks and the like. With the right urethane polymer properties, pipe linings can be made that resist the extremely abrasive ores and grain transfers and the like. These abrasion-resistant linings have been used to good advantage in the diamond slurry transport in South Africa, for example. Please continue to offer such interesting and educational articles as “One Giant Molecule.” Harold Garey ’60, Methuen Senior Scientist, Sovereign SC, Seabrook, NH SARAH HAMILTON’S LEGACY I was so sorry to read about the passing of Sarah Hamilton. I was a New Students Program counselor the summer of 1988 (one of the hottest summers on record!), and it truly was one of the best experiences of my life. Sarah was an amazing role model and supervisor with a knack for putting together a diverse yet cooperative group. I am another one who went on to a career in higher education (fundraising and alumni relations), and whenever I am at an event, I still keep in mind Sarah’s “No Clumping Rule”: Don’t be shy, but mingle with those you don’t know! No “clumping” in groups of more than two! P.S. I do have to mention, however, that Sarah’s “Don’t put a bean up your nose” advice was taken out of context. She was actually referring to the fact that when you tell someone not to do something, it plants the seed to make them want to do it. Instead, she told us to emphasize all we do want the new students to do and learn, not what they shouldn’t. Kristen Zagarella White ’90 Quincy REMEMBERING KINDAHL I too was very sorry to read that Professor James Kindahl of the economics department had died. I came to UMass in 1980 to study as a Fulbright Scholar for two years for my master’s degree. During my bachelor’s degree in economics I had studiously done everything I could to avoid coming into contact with applied economics, finding the world of theory much more appealing, but there was no escaping core econometrics in the master’s program. Jim Kindahl was one of those professors whose skill, enthusiasm and humor had a lasting impact: He undermined my prejudice and sparked an interest in econometrics which is still with me after 20 or so years. Now I make my living out of it, and try to inspire others in a similar way. He had a particular gift for jokes and sayings that captured a point beautifully, while at the same time managing to provoke laughter (in an econometrics class!). He was a great teacher. Richard Lewney G ’82 Managing Director, Cambridge Econometrics Cambridge, England KUDOS FOR WEB SITE I work in the office of public affairs at a Los Angeles university, and a colleague recently suggested I take a look at the UMassmag Web site to see how your university is rallying its alums to take action in the face of severe budget cuts. I was not only impressed with the article about this topic, but also with the humorous, well-written article about your school mascot, and the general quality of your online publication. I’ll definitely look to your mag for future inspiration. Keep it up! Laura Ferreiro Los Angeles, CA

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ALL THE LETTERS ALL THE TIME

LETTERS IN PRINT, SUMMER 2003

FROM THE CHANCELLOR