Winter 2002

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Exchange: To and from the editors

ALL THE LETTERS, ALL THE TIME From our readers, most recently:

MORE TEST RESULTS THE RECENT ARTICLE "ONLY A TEST" [Winter 2002] presents an opportunity to test oneself using sample questions from the MCAS. As described, this is a standardized test Massachusetts 10th graders must pass to graduate from high school. I am typically intrigued by such challenges and did not expect to have difficulty with these questions. However, I find that I cannot answer Question 1a). Is it that I misunderstand the question, that the term "rate" has changed, that the questioners have omitted a key element of information, or that the questioners themselves have misunderstood the question? On the surface it seems that the questioners have provided the information necessary to determine the percentage increase in the minimum wage. Most would probably proceed to do so and likely be marked correct. However, the question actually solicits the rate of the change which would, it seems to me, require knowledge of the period between the setting of the two different minimum wages. Rate has an element of time - in this case $0.50 divided by the time between the effective dates of the $5.25 per hour and $5.75 per hour. If the testing is commensurate with the teaching or vice versa, it is little wonder why Johnny is struggling so much or maybe I just deserve those who-cares-it-is-close-enough looks. James Vander Wyk Powder Springs, ’72G PLEASED BY DWIGHT ALLEN ARTICLE AT LAST MY WINTER 2002 ISSUE of UMass has caught up with me here in the Pretoria area of South Africa. I'd like to thank you for publishing John Stifler's excellent article on the Allen years at the School of Education and last October's reunion in Amherst. The deafening silence about this extraordinary period since 1978 on the part of the university (and, for that matter, the School of Education itself) has surprised and disappointed me for many years. Did those of us who enjoyed the privilege of being part of this adventure make mistakes? Absolutely! In fact, that was part of the point — to take the risks necessary to making a difference. But, as Mr. Stifler points out so well, the story has another side that I was afraid had disappeared into the mists of some strangely revisionist history. Under Dean Allen's leadership the School of Education created a model, a momentum and a meaning whose impact literally has been felt around the world. During more than 20 years of work in Africa I have regularly encountered other professionals — Africans and Americans — who still speak proudly of their time at the School. Perhaps its time to consider more carefully what lessons, positive and negative, we can learn from Dwight Allen's revolution. Phil Christensen '72G Centurion, South Africa SOBERING QUESTIONS ABOUT ATHLETICS JOSEPH LARSON'S LETTER ["Grounds and buildings blues," Exchange, Winter 2002] was a sobering note about state funding and money from athletics. The letter prompts many questions which might be addressed in future magazines. 1. What are the six peer state universities being compared? 2. Do these state universities have private universities like Boston College keeping their university football and basketball programs second rate which are the two main money making sports? Do they also have several large universities like Harvard, MIT, Northeastern and Boston University with politic influence trying to keep our state university in Amherst subordinated? 3. Did UMass ever get the opportunity to join the Big East Conference in either football or basketball, which is a much more profitable conference than the Atlantic 10? We all know where UConn got the money to jump to Division I football. If UMass were in the Big East, imagine how BC's control of quality Massachusetts Division I football players would be harmed? 4. When UMass won the National Division IA Title, isn't it true we lost money on the program that year? 5. Did BC or UConn in the Big East ever dare to play any stellar basketball teams coached by John Calapari? Were they afraid to get embarrassed which would hurt their recruiting efforts? 6. How long did it take to get the commonwealth to finally support a quality sports complex like the Mullins Center? Why have we lost quality coaches like John Orr in basketball and Dick MacPherson in football in the past? I also get frustrated visiting great land grant institutions here in the Midwest. They have a profitable conference and everyone from taxpayers to policticians backs their schools 100 percent. They realize athletic programs are the best strategy for generating money for the university. BC and UConn in the Big East have their priorities straight. How many times has the UMass athletic program been attacked by either students, faculty, politicians, or Boston newspaper-writers when we try to elevate the program? Maybe I'm a little paranoid about this subject but I think an expanded discussion would shed more light on the extent of the problem. Bill MacLeod ’63 Naperville, Illinois MISSED WORD ABOUT CUTS I AM AMAZED THAT NOT ONE WORD was said in the latest issue of the alumni magazine about the deep cuts at UMass. The University of Minnesota, its staff, and its citizens wouldn’t stand for such a thing. If the alumni magazine doesn’t care, why should the alumni? If I hadn’t moved back to Massachusetts in 1995, I wouldn’t know a lot of what goes on at the Amherst campus. Noreen Roberts ’68 Goshen Note: Perhaps the words we devoted to the subject were too inconspicuous, but the editorial in the issue mentioned ["College Try," Exchange, Winter 2002], addresses the subject of these deep cuts. The upcoming issue (Spring 2002) will include an interview with Chancellor Williams and articles on faculty, staff, student, and alumni response. ADMIRED TESTING ARTICLE I WANT TO COMMEND YOUR ARTICLE highlighting the benchmark research of Dr. Hambleton and his colleagues ["Only A Test," Winter 2002]. Standardized tests such as MCAS and the SAT continue to polarize student achievement rather than accurately assessing the student’s aptitude and propensity for learning. The academic discipline of psychometrics is instructive and provides an avenue towards instilling equity in the construction and analysis of testing instruments. The debate over acute disparities of educational resources, especially amongst our public schools, has been clearly articulated by administrators, politicians, and faculty alike. However, strategies employed in narrowing this resource chasm have remained fragmented and ambiguous. Hindrance to progress exists not in the compilation of test scores but rather in the utilization of test results to improve teaching and empower students across various residential environments and degrees of socioeconomic status. The School of Education at UMass has a long and rich tradition of being a trailblazer in educational reform. The Center for Educational Assessment and its faculty are continuing the mission. The institution of American education owes its youth high standards in classroom instruction and quality in testing methodology. Indeed, the work of Dr. Hambleton and his colleagues is priceless to the university, the state, and the Department of Education. I am proud that the graduate programs at UMass continue to participate in both state and national public policy in order to promote quality and change. Kofi A. Cash ’00 Southfield, Michigan FAR-FLUNG FRIENDS I WISH TO EXPRESS MY DEEP appreciation to you for the good job that you are doing by keeping in touch with all the UMass ex-students. I sincerely commend you for this.I was last a student there in 1978 and must say that you have really given me confidence and a sense of belonging. Because of your care I have done everything with the full knowledge that whatever I do I must represent UMass; and, therefore had to do my best. In 1981 I completed my MPH with the University of California in Berkeley. In 2000 I attained a doctoral degree (Doctor of Nursing Science) from the University of South Africa. After graduating from the UMass until recently, I have all the time been working for the Government of Botswana's Ministry of Health's Primary Health Department, and I must say I contributed immensly to its development and growth. All these achievements I realised because of your keeping in touch. I wish to one day visit my University, the UMass, that has made me what I am both locally and abroad. Winnie G. Manyeneng ’77 Gaborone, Botswana I AM A GRADUATE OF UMASS (M.S 1986 in the Manufacturing Engineering Program, where I studied with Professor Dean Poli and Dr. Lawrence Murch). I have been regularly receiving copies of UMass, and I am writing to express my for the diligence with which you mail copies of the magazine. Every issue brings back a flood of nostalgia for the memorable days I spent in beautiful Amherst from 1984-1986. The diaspora of UMass alumni in India is quite considerable. We have a group of four alumni within two miles of each other in Pune, and we meet on an informal basis once in three months. Thank you, again, for your efforts to keep the alumni network vitalized. Jiten Divgi ’86G Pune, Maharashtra State, India MOVED BY TODD HILL TRIBUTE AS UMASS ALUMINI AND RESIDENTS of Battery Park City, three blocks south of the World Trade Center, we read with sadness and tears the stirring tribute to Todd Russell Hill ["T, Hill, Bo Tyson Hill, Sugar Hill, Rusty," Extended Family, Winter 2002] by Michael Petrocelli ’90. It especially touched me since I walked through the Marriott Hotel on my way to the Path station in the basement of the World Trade Center at 8 a.m. that morning. Alan was home and saw everything from our living room window. We are lucky that we only had to evacuate for three weeks, though our lives will never be the same. Michael’s memoir brought fresh tears that we thought we were through shedding. I walked to the Marriott site tonight and said a prayer for Todd. I also said a prayer for his family and friends to find the strength to get through all of this. We want them to know that they are not alone in his sorrow, and to thank Michael for overcoming his pain and grief to share that wonderfully moving tribute with all of us. Mary (Bernard) and Alan Ralph '75 New York City TOO NEW-AGE TO BE PRACTICAL THE ARTICLE ABOUT THE SCHOOL of Education during the Dwight Allen years ["No fear or loathing in Amherst" [UMass Gatherings, Winter 2002] neglected to describe the effects of Dwight Allen’s changes on the undergraduates who were studying to be classroom teachers. In fact the list of alumni who attended the Ed School Marathon included mostly former graduate students. I was an undergraduate elementary education major from 1966 to 1970. Although I enjoyed attending UMass, I was not satisfied with some of the changes in direction of the School of Education during my last two years. The student teaching block, an eight-week program, was not well coordinated. In our methods courses my fellow students and I were learning about innovative methods of teaching. However, most of us were placed in very traditional classrooms in school systems outside of Amherst. The classroom teachers in those school systems did not want their student teachers to try anything new or different. As a result, we sometimes felt frustrated. The UMass supervisor of the student teachers could not help us at all. He was a graduate student who had little to no classroom teaching experience! After my student teaching experience, I took more education courses to fulfill graduation requirements, but those courses were not practical. They were what one would call experimental, "touchy-feely," or "New Age." I learned more in my first year of teaching after graduation than I did during the education courses I took my senior year. According to another article in the same issue [Branches of Learning sidebar, Winter 2002], there are currently more graduate students than undergraduates in the School of Education. I do hope that undergraduates who want to be classroom teachers are not being shortchanged. Otherwise, those students will feel just as frustrated as I did. Julie (Berlow) Lindsay ’70 Rochester, New Hampshire STILL AWAITING TRUTH ON ED SCHOOL AS A SCIENCE MAJOR AND education minor from 1967 to 1971, the dictates of common sense steered me away from what the School of Education had to offer. For me, that was a good decision. The School of Education was more interested in promoting social justice and equity than establishing accountability for student learning. They diluted the degree program by reducing and eliminating requirements for education majors. In addition they encouraged unqualified candidates to their masters and doctorate programs and ultimately to the bureaucracy of higher education. I saw the impact of this lunacy among my peers. Instead of striving for excellence, students saw a world which rewarded the declaration of politically correct ideals and minimal effort. It is tragic for kids, not to mention society, that it took until the 1990s for Massachusetts to realize that standards of accountability for educational curriculum, instruction, assessment, and teacher evaluation were long overdue. What makes a good teacher has nothing to do with the nonsense promulgated during the Allen reign at UMass and glorified in the article entitled "No fear or loathing in Amherst" [UMass Gatherings, Winter 2002]. Good teaching starts with relating to kids, knowing your subject matter, and having a passion for teaching. A well educated teacher is equipped to learn from students, teachers, and administrators over time in real life situations. Candid and accurate testimonials from the communities where the alumni marathon conference attendees have applied their educational expertise would illuminate "what really happened at the School of Ed back then" more sufficiently than a love — fest of self congratulatory intellectual ingrowns. I’ve been waiting years to hear the truth about Dean Allen and the UMass department of ed in the ’70s. It sounds like it’s not coming any time soon. Deborah Nadeau Carter ’71 Windsor DEEP SADNESS AT BUTTERFIELD CHANGES I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW to convey my deep sense of sadness in regards to the changes made to Butterfield Dormitory ["The Butterfield Edge," Exchange, Fall ’01]. I was a resident there from 1985 — 89 and worked in the kitchen from my first semester as a baker and ended up being the manager my senior year. My time spent in the kitchen and eating family — style dinners with fellow dorm members are my fondest memories of my college career! I don't understand what goes through the minds of students who are violent to others and vandalize publice property of any kind, particulary the place they reside! I am saddened that these students have ruined a tradition and tremendous experience for future UMass students. They will never be able to experience the traditions and unique qualities of Butterfield! It was always known as the Hippie Dorm where peace and love were the predominant feelings, not violence and vandalism. The one thing that saddens me most is that the actions of these students put a wonderful, caring person out of a job he loved! Phil Cavanaugh loved working with the students and made a tremendous impact on my college experience! Too many younger people today do not think about how their actions will affect others lives! Future Butterfielders will only know stories of why the dorm was "Reprogrammed" and not about the wonderful experience it once was. I am also saddened because there will be no more dorm reunions like the one in 1996. It is a wonderful opportunity to go back and relive your college days with others of all ages who share their common experiences about a wonderful place to live! With deep regrets, Cris Siskin '89 St. Petersburg, Florida AN IMPORTANT PREPOSITION I APPRECIATE YOU NOTING in the Winter 2002 Exchange ["Greengrass Memories"] that I was a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award last year. It is important to note however that I am not the Commander OF the Navy Nurse Corps, but am a Commander IN the Navy Nurse Corps. Mary Chaffee '83 Montgomery Village, Maryland Note: Commander Chaffee has also recently been appointed special assistant for homeland defense in the Pentagon’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. F FOR EFFORT NO WONDER THE KIDS ARE having trouble coming up with the answers the test designers require. Look at p 26, Question 3: "... in a beaker of water." Now, look at the answer: "...of the water in both beaker." Also, the question asks what will happen chemically, and what will happen regarding appearance, not what change will occur volumetrically. Not a very well crafted question from the experts. Roger Hewett Amherst Note: Roger Hewett, a retired director of planned giving at UMass, was but one of a small spate of readers critiquing the MCAS sample questions taken by writer Marietta Pritchard from online sources. Regarding the beaker/beaker(s) anomaly, there is a somewhat mitigating detail: On the test form the question is accompanied by a drawing of two beakers. No such mitigation regarding the other instances of imprecise language; this lends credence to the suspicion of Paul Gilroy ’79 that "the person who wrote the questions is not going to graduate from high school this year." F REDUX IF TWO IDENTICAL TEST TUBES are inverted in a beaker of water how can part of the answer be "there will be some evaporation of the water in both beakers". I'm sure this one will bring some interesting replies. Obviously the person who either wrote the question or wrote the answer is not going to graduate from high school this year. Paul Gilroy ’79 Campus Note: The writer is director of prospect management and research services in the development office on campus. F CONTINUED "ONLY A TEST" [Winter 2002] was quite revealing. I tried to test myself, as your article encourages, particularly by MCAS Question 3. It says " Two identical test tubes are inverted in a beaker of water." The correct answer given states " There will be some evaporation of the water in both beakers." Um — What two beakers? Is this the correct answer? Can your experts in this article help explain this? Is this meant to be an example of good or bad? Richard Lopatka '64 Sunderland STILL MORE F SAMPLE TEST QUESTION 1 ACCOMPANYING "Only a Test" (winter 2002) illustrates a failure to adhere to the second principle of test creation listed in the "Constructing a good test" sidebar to the article on standardized tests. The principle is to "be sure there is only ONE correct answer ..." Question 1 presents information about a 50 — cents hourly minimum wage increase from $5.25 to $5.75, and in subquestions a) and b), asks for answers based on the rate of increase. Subquestion c) asks what new hourly wage for a person currently receiving $7.40 "would reflect an increase comparable to that received by the minimum wage earners?" The answer presented as correct, $8.10, calculates a new wage that has the same rate of increase (percentage increase) as for the minimum wage earners, 9.5%. But the question didn't say "reflect a rate of increase comparable..." It said "an increase comparable." Thus, an increase of 50 cents to $7.90 should also be a correct answer, because 50 cents for one employee clearly is comparable to 50 cents for another employe. In fact, an increase of anywhere between 50 cents and 70 cents would be comparable based on varying mixes of the actual increase and the rate of increase. If the question writer wanted the answer based on rate of increase, that's what he should have specifically requested. No doubt the question writer had rate of increase in his mind. But don't expect the test — taker to be able to read the writer's mind. In legislative drafting, for example, if the terminology is changed from the first usage to the second, that must mean something different is intended. My reaction was that clearly subquestion c) wanted something different from a rate of increase answer because, unlike a) and b), it didn't specify "rate of increase," it just said "increase." So I got it wrong. I just hope I don't have to repeat high school. Richard L. Barnes Bethesda, Maryland Note: The writer is the parent of UMass student Devlin J. Barnes. REMEMBERING WILLIAM BOSWORTH IT SADDENS ME THAT UMass Magazine has failed to mention the passing of my father, William Bosworth, in the Class Notes section, other than his name in the In Memoriam section, after I sent in materials about him to your Munson Hall office. My dad was graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Education in 1931 from Mass. State College, and also received a Master's Degree in Psychology in 1935 from the college. He had a lot of good memories of his days there, where he was the head cheerleader both as an undergraduate and a graduate student. He lived at the Dean of Women's house on Fearing Street during his freshman year, and as a senior lived in and did chores at President Thatcher's house. He loved the horses in the calvary ROTC of the day (participating in the group's ride/camping trip from Amherst to northern Vermont after his sophomore year), until flunking an ear exam ended his ROTC days. Under the tutelage of "Kid" Gore he began his lengthy summer camp career while still an undergraduate. He was fond of English professors Frank Prentice Rand, "Pat" Patterson and "Bull" Prince and a Psychology professor, Dr. Glick. He took the Horticultural Manufacturing course from Prof. Chenowith and learned to make jams and jellies, which he continued to do throughout his life. My dad was also the last to pass away of his generation of the Bosworth family who attended UMass. His sisters Marguerite Rose and Maude Elinor both were graduated in 1926 from MAC and his sister Clare Elizabeth in the mid — 1930s from Mass. State. He went to a number of his class's reunions over the years, including into the 90's, and helped to correspond with his living classmates and coordinate some of their reunion doings. He contributed monetarily as well, within his means as a school teacher and retiree, including to the Campaign for the University of Massachusetts in 1999. I think he would have liked some mention in your magazine. I'm not sure why you have chosen not to respect this. Michael Bosworth ’93G Montague Note: We are glad to publish Michael Bosworth’s tribute as a letter, and to have the chance to go over the changes we made to our obituary policy in the mid — 90s. Until then, we tried to publish brief obituaries in the print magazine for all alumni, faculty, and student deaths. This brevity proved distressing to readers, as did the uneveness of coverage, since for some people we had no information at all. Our solution was to publish a simple list in the print magazine, and transcribe published obituaries of all those for whom we have them in our online edition. We also gladly accept memorial letters to the editor. While imperfect, this system represents our best effort at present to be equitable and to provide the most connections and information we can in both the print and online editions of the magazine. HOW CHRIS PREPARED – THE MAXI-SERIES ENCLOSED IS A TRUE ACCOUNT in reply to your request [Reader Reply Card, Winter 2002] of how I prepared for "The Big Test" way back then. It is all true, I swear— although anyone who could personally verify my statements — well — they have all passed on to that Big Research Library in the Sky, as we used to say — George, Abe and I — why we were like the three musketeers — and John Lederle — why he’d tag along if we let him — but he was too young to go to the Drake — so we had to tie him to a tree outside or he’d wander off and get himself scalped over and over — slow learner, that one. Donna and I have hundreds of slides, photos, and our beanies and cheat sheets and other paraphernalia which contributed to our unwavering success at Umee and if you’re interested and if the "Old Dean of Them All Upstairs" doesn’t make me bite the Big One — I’d be interested in publishing (I assume you’re going to publish my account) more stories — perhaps on a regular basis — with photographs of wooden buildings — no building over four stories on campus, "an endless extrusion from my protrusion" (Pilgrims etc.) of life-enhancing colorful docudramas of Pioneering Tales in the Pioneer Valley before the White Man settled the Campus. Examples of which are my hair raising "Escaping from the Campol on a three speed," or the ever-popular "The Night I Saw More Than I Wanted To Passing Campus President John Leaderless’ House On the Hill." I have an endless supply, as you can sense. But I must go — they’re warming up my bi-plane for my last mission over Bannananistan. (By the way, I am a little ticked at you – my new School Song "UMass Forever" has of yet not been officially accepted!! Printed on the website electronically — what’s that! I spent years of my short life writing that — I demand printed exposure. I want a survey — a poll — I think everyone will like it once they see it in print — us Old Grads we don’t have computers and New UnderGrads don’t even know its there — the only accouchement was in the Alumnus Magazine — your rag — and who reads that anyway?!!! I want notices sent to all the dorms and a vote taken — sample ballot available.) Composition: "How Did I Prepare for a Big Test Back in My UMass Days" by Little Chris Schill — aged 60 Yes! I prepared for a Big Test back in my UMass days — between fighting Indians and with my wife Donna ’64 we settled the frontier just beyond Dwight House where on January 26, 1963 we built our first log cabin in what was then ye Olde Appel Orchard. The well I dug is still there. No! We did not live together in the eary — excuse me — Early Days at Universitada de Massachusittensi (as we affectionately used to call it way way back then) because it was not allowed — can you believe it? Besides, George and Martha were always spying on us with monoculars (we didn’t use binoculars back then). I [will] never forget when our boat the four-masted clipper "Learning is a Trip" sailed from Poland in the winter of ’59 and sailed up the Connecticut River (which back then we called "The Big One") and we landed on the shore of Lake Quabbin (only one shore back then — now I’m told they have four!). Armed with only a blunder — bags and bags of M&M peanuts we fought and bribed our way to the U of M campus where we were separated (after four years on a boat together does that make sense? But things were strange back then — not like now where everything makes perfect logic!) Things were different then — the War was raging and my parents said to me, "Boy — when you leave — don’t even think about coming back — we are advertising your room for rent and we have calls coming in already." (Wait till they see my folks in person I thought to myself — we could do that even back then! Think to ourselves without a modem or online carrier can you imagine — but it was free and you get what you pay for.) Where was I? I could use a few more — how do you say it? — "gigs of memory" these days and my "hard drive" — that’s a joke — but you wanted to know how I studied for the Big One way back then — yes I remember. Motivated by no home to return to and with the Draft hovering over my head — waiting always waiting for me to fail — to conscript me into the R???? — we actually went (I’m ashamed to admit this) to every class — even when we were sick — we haven’t cut a single class in our four years there (Actually I did it in 3 1/2 with two full time jobs and weaving pot holders and stuffing envelopes in my sleep for additional income) we were tough back then. Tuition was $50 back then — I’m not lying — look it up if you don’t believe me! But back then money was worth more! [M]uch more! You could buy a house for $12 — a new covered wagon for $5 so see relatively — values have remained the same — what? — tuition now is about $8000 (in state) which would make a house about a million five and a car about an even $500,000 yeah that’s about right. Prices have progressed "even Steven" yeah we used to say cool things like that. So that’s it! We went to every class — sucked up to any professor who had a leg up on anything! We actually learned stuff! We read our texts leatherbound as they were and printed by Ben Franklin himself — on the moveable type — from cover to cover — every word! We didn’t have Highliters back then — we used blood which was scarce so we only accentuated the really important stuff. The other day I bought a used text from Umee and it looked like it was printed on yellow paper. So having "done our homework" as you say in New Speak we didn’t have to study! We were always ready — "Semper Fi" baby! The night before — we the original Minutemen — would put on our snowshoes, our raccoon Eyes, and load our muskets and trudge, the 2.307 miles to the Drake and get bombed! We’d pull an "all-niter" — it means something else today I’m told. And the women had to stay back in the stockaded Fort Hamlin where Ward Bond, John Wayne, and Housemother Mrs. Svengali would guard them till we got back. Since we had first brothers who somehow got all the copies of the tests and could be bought for a keg or two — we didn’t have anything to sweat anyway. And that’s how we did it — That’s how the West was Won! Waiting with baited breath, I remain and always will be (same difference) Chris B. Schill ’64 Brookfield

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All the letters

COLLEGE TRY: the campus budget crisis

READERS REFLECT: Dianne Lodge-Peters ’51, Invoking the Maroon

Veronica MacDonald ’99, The Pond says it all

LETTERS IN PRINT, WINTER 2002