THE MASSACHUSETTS
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DAILY COLLEGIAN DailyCollegian.com
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Man demands a name change for town of Amherst Amherst forced to face its history By Abigail Charpentier Collegian Staff
He is currently in contact with the Wampanoag and other tribes in Western Massachusetts. He hopes to add their names to the petition and flood the governor’s office with petitions. Several people have tried to rename the town of Amherst in the past. However, the cost of conversion has been the main issue blocking the change of the town’s name. State Representative Solomon Goldstein-Rose said he had heard of people trying to rename the town of Amherst to “Norwottuck, after Emily Dickinson, or perhaps Lord Jeff’s sister or some relative with the same name who wasn’t so awful.” But none of these had become actual town meeting proposals, Goldstein-Rose noted. Regarding the topic of a name change, Amherst Select Board Chair Douglas Slaughter said, “At the beginning of Select Board meetings, we have time set aside for public comment. Citizens may bring this or any other topic to a greater level of attention with us and the community as a whole at that time.” “I just think it’s time for someone to speak up,” said Bowen, who encourages people to write to their congressmen, senators and governor if they feel the same way. As of Aug. 24, Bowen had not received any responses from officials regarding his petition.
On Aug. 16, William Bowen of Belchertown emailed town and state officials asking them to no longer recognize Lord Jeffery Amherst and rename the town of Amherst. The issue of Lord Amherst and his violent crimes against Native Americans has been on Bowen’s mind since he first started driving through Amherst nearly 39 years ago. Bowen sent his petition to his town officials, Amherst’s town officials and state officials, sharing his views and stance on the town of Amherst being named after a “glorified butcher of Native Americans,” according to Bowen. “It’s like naming a town after Adolf Hitler,” Bowen said. Lord Jeffery Amherst was a British general in America during the later battles in the French and Indian War in the mid 1700s. Lord Amherst was documented using biological warfare against Native Americans, when he instructed that smallpox infected blankets be passed out to “the heinous dogs,” as he described them. When Bowen worked in Amherst, he had several Native American customers who were offended by the town name. “I think it is a slap in the face to Native Americans, Abigail Charpentier can be reached and I’m not a Native at acharpentier@umass.edu and American,” Bowen said. followed on Twitter @abigailcharp.
UMass, Eversource partnership to help energy efficiency UMass upholds sustainability legacy B y W ill Soltero Collegian Staff
The University of Massachusetts and Eversource have agreed on a partnership with hopes to increase the University’s energy efficiency. Eversource, an energy providing company that serves much of Western Massachusetts, will collaborate with UMass in major construction and renovation projects that hope to make the University more sustainable and efficient in its power usage. Similar to a prior agreement signed by the two in 2014, the nonbinding commitment hopes to save the University $1.8 million in annual energy costs through the first half of 2020. “We are pleased to renew this important part of our
working relationship with Eversource,” said Andrew Mangels, the University’s vice chancellor for administration and finance since 2015, in an official statement. Mangels added, “The partnership has already contributed significantly to reducing electrical consumption on campus, and it has supported the UMass Amherst commitment to sustainability, reduced carbon emissions and responsible use of energy.” According to a press release published by Eversource in May of 2016, the partnership aimed to save nine million kilowatthours, the equivalent of taking 1,300 vehicles off the road. The company also stated, “This incentive is allowing UMass Amherst to fully upgrade their street and parking area lighting all at once, rather see
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Rohen Sundaram and Rachel Bates, part of the Residence Hall Association, meet Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy at the UFest welcome event on Sunday, September 3.
Two inspiring UMass students beat the odds to win full-ride scholarships Immigrant students share their stories By Caeli Chesin Collegian Staff
The University of Massachusetts will welcome two immigrant students in the fall, each with a four-year, full-ride scholarship and an incredible story. At just 13 years old, Sayed Shah came up with a solution when his home district in Pakistan lost access to electricity. Using the skills he learned in his math and science classes, he created a light run by a water-powered electric motor, ensuring his family would not have to eat dinner in the dark. Cuishan (known to friends as Hannah) Mei came to Boston at 12 years old from the Guangdong Province in China. Though she has always had a pas-
sion for chemistry, when her grandfather was diagnosed with a brain tumor about a year ago and died shortly thereafter, she felt more of an incentive to study medicine. “It can be painful and it happens so fast,” Mei said. “It has inspired me to focus on some drug or discovery.” The Vertex Science Leaders Scholarship is awarded to two students planning on pursuing an education in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) at a UMass campus of their choice. Twenty-year-old Shah and 18-year-old Mei both chose UMass Amherst— Shah planning to study computer engineering and Mei, biochemistry. “I couldn’t go to UMass Amherst without this scholarship,” said Shah, who is looking forward to the freedom of campus life and embarking on new
opportunities. “Sayed and Hannah have demonstrated great initiative and determination in the face of extraordinary personal challenges, and I’m proud to welcome them to the University of Massachusetts,” said UMass President Martin T. Meehan in Vertex’s press release from July 17. “UMass is committed to giving hardworking students access to a transformative education and preparing them to thrive in the Commonwealth’s innovation economy.” According to UMass spokesperson Patrick Callahan, the scholarship program was created in 2013 by the University of Massachusetts school system, Boston Public Schools and Vertex Phar maceuticals. To apply, students must have a minimum of a 3.25 GPA and be interested in pursuing STEM studies. “This scholarship pro-
gram highlights one of the University’s strengths: its outstanding STEM-related programs,” Callahan said. “It also demonstrates how high-quality education in the life sciences is supported by one of the top biotechnology companies in Massachusetts. The combination helps create a strong and technicallyadvanced Massachusetts economy,” he added. Vertex solidified its commitment to STEM education in 2012, launching a $1.5 million partnership with Boston Public Schools, according to a company press release from 2016. The commitment has given more than 1,000 students the opportunity to intern for the company, join a science fair mentorship program and introduce learning lab spaces for Boston Public School students. Shah and Mei are internsee
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Investigation continues into Hatfield man’s body recovered in Conn. River Man identified as Mark Gilman, 34
Connecticut River off Bridge Lane in Hatfield on Aug. 30, according to a statement released by Mary Carey, the commuBy Jackson Cote nications director for the Collegian Staff Northwestern District The investigation into Attorney’s office, on Aug. the Hatfield man whose 31. This man was later body was recovered from identified as Mark Gilman, the Connecticut River 34, of Hatfield. is still ongoing, accord- The car Gilman was in ing to the Hatfield Police entered the Connecticut and Massachusetts State River at a high rate of speed before 7 p.m., Carey Police. The body of an adult also stated. male was recovered by The Massachusetts State the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis Police Dive Team in the and Reconstruction inves-
tigates a variety of physical factors of the incident, including the condition of the car involved, whether or not the car damaged any other structures and whether it left marks on the road or the banks of the river it crashed into, according to David Procopio, spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police. “It’s just an analysis of the physical evidence of the incident,” Procopio said, describing a typical collision reconstruction. “It’s basically trying
to reconstruct what happened.” According to Procopio, the collision reconstruction of the incident is ongoing and usually takes a few weeks. The Hatfield Police Department stated on Sept. 1 the investigation is still ongoing. The Northwestern District Attorney’s office will announce any updates on the investigation. Jackson Cote can be reached at jkcote@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @jackson_k_cote.