Painting from the Same Palette

After reading the posts above it sounds like what people want to do is explore the social issues that exist on the Umass campus but also connect to the wider world. One of the things I think would be worth while to include in the mural is the student strike of last year. One of the chants at the strike was No Cops, No Fee, We Want More Diversity. There is great videos on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtKUWKYhkDI&feature=related. This link will take you to one video and from there you can explore other videos. It seems that the issues that drove the strike seem to at least connect back to different topics posted on here such as police and authoritative control over living, affordability, and diversity on campus.
Also another idea to consider is to use the mural to document student activism at Umass. From what I know it seems that through out its history UMass students have been very vocal about issues both with the campus and the nation at large. Often times these issue interconnect and overlap. For instance along with the student walk out last year the campus has been very vocal in Justice For Jason. Does anyone else see the connections I am trying to make?

Reflecting on previous posts, since I believe there are many good ideas already posted…

I like the idea of showing diversity of all aspects in the mural. Gay/lesbian, and race diversity are definitely problems that our society faces today. However, I think there has been great progress surrounding these issues that should also be portrayed in the mural. Many of the posts I see listed are about current and past issues that our community faces, however, the future should not be overlooked. I feel as though the “horizon” would be a cool aspect to focus on as a way of “looking into the future.” Along with college students of all races should being portrayed in this mural, I feel as though they should also put young children in it as well as a way of showing that the next generation is also responsible for continuing the ongoing successes and struggles we experience today.

Hey everyone, one of the things that interests me most is the political/protest history of UMass. Prof. Gaitenby mentioned an exhibit from 1996, that was part of the Feinberg Family lecture series that had photographs of past protests at UMass. I am currently trying to find more information on the exhibit, and in the meantime, I stumbled across the library’s photo archives. On top of some great pictures of UMass protests, there are a bunch (over 12000) of fantastic photos that show the image history of UMass. If anyone has a few minutes to look around the site, I think you might find it well worth your time. The site is easily navigable as well. Here are a few hyperlinks to some of the protest pictures I found that I liked:

http://www.library.umass.edu/speccollimages/referenceimages/RG130-0008376.png

http://www.library.umass.edu/speccollimages/referenceimages/RG130-0008381.png

http://www.library.umass.edu/speccollimages/referenceimages/RG130-0008391.png

http://www.library.umass.edu/speccollimages/referenceimages/RG146-0010793.png

http://www.library.umass.edu/speccollimages/referenceimages/RG145-0010165.png

http://www.library.umass.edu/speccollimages/referenceimages/RG145-0010148.png

As I said during the Skype session, I think the LLCs are worth talking about.

Here is a description of the different LLCs from the ResLife booklet:

http://mural.umasslegal.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/picture-1-11-27-09.png

Basically, LLCs are supposed to serve as support communities for minority groups, be they racial, religious, or gender.

We talked about this at length in the class the other day, so I’ll cut to the chase. I’m really torn about LLCs.

On the one hand, I feel that they provide a great service for disenfranchised groups. I would imagine that being, say, transgender is a lot easier in the company of other transgender people. As an upper-middle class white heterosexual male, I can’t say I’ve ever felt that disenfranchised. The closest I’ve ever come was when I went to school in the South for a year and was politically/culturally in the minority. That was hard enough that I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in the minority all the time. I definitely stuck close to northerners there.

At the same time, I feel like this sort of self-segregation is just as harmful to the collective community as enforced segregation is, albeit without the concurrent loss of autonomy from top-down separation. I’m certainly not a forced integrationist in the ‘make english the official language’ sense. However, I have to wonder what the effect is not only on the minority groups but on majority students themselves. If we presume that the long term goal is to break down the barriers of otherness that exist between these groups, does it help anyone to self-segregate, whether majority or minority?

Perhaps more practically, are there any ways to provide students with the social support of an LLC without the self-segregation?

I’m sensitive to both arguments and I don’t feel like I’m knowledgeable enough or have the correct perspective to really weigh in on what should be done. But we should definitely talk about it.

1. Josalyn, I am totally with you on the legacy of activism and speaking out. I definitely think that should be reflected in the mural.
2. I also really like the idea of working towards a horizon, as a representation of the future.
3. I think I get the gist, but what does LLC stand for?
4. I gave a presentation about this in my dorm tonight, and here are some of the ideas that came up:
- “I want affordable diverse education”
- pride in the UMass Marching Band
- the administration sucks
- bothered by the rock that is a memorial to Yitzak Rabin
- we have lots and lots of people, which is a good thing
- just hoping to graduate
- several people don’t identify as part of any “UMass Community”; thus, they don’t feel any pride in UMass, nor do they hold hopes for it.
- we need more community
- we’re notorious for our right-wing facists (i.e. the Republican Club)
- came to UMass because of good financial aid package, that’s it.
- proud of the library
- 12th floor of the library: linguistics section
- 2nd best linguistics department in the United States and Canada
- SO MANY PEOPLE in one place
- rejection is what is outstanding about UMass…it is not inclusive, just like the rest of the public school system. There is always an underlying feeling of rejection.
- “my friend visited from California. She went into the D.C., and everyone was just sitting there quiet, not talking. She was creeped out…here, when you’re sitting down at dinner with someone, they don’t talk. It’s creepy. People keep to themselves here.”

Now, I went back and read a few more comments, and want to agree, too, with Stephen and Abbie. I was never part of the Mary Lyon community, but they certainly looked like a dorm with real character - you can’t build a dorm’s character when it’s filled with completely new people every year. I also second Abbie’s summary that alot of our problems stem from a lack of connection, like what one person described in my last post: that people here often want to go about their business: so many of us don’t talk to the people sitting next to us on the bus, we sit in the Dining Commons (D.C.’s) all spread out so that we don’t need to come into contact with other people, we walk through lines for food and take it without a word. Even at my CHURCH, where we should have a community of people who love to be together, people usually don’t sit in the front row, and spread out so that they’re not sitting too close to each other.

Hi Mark and Danny, I would like to see the painting contain images of conflict resolution here at UMass such as people and groups that have made UMass a better place by their contributions. (Perhaps, a question better ask of Leah of who these would be.) Then I would like to see images of you two painting the mural and some kind of ‘hands across the divide’ similar to the one we see in NI when our SOM students travel to Derry. But rather than a divide that separates us, I would like it to show our joining together to make this world a better place. Looking forward to meeting you and participating in this great event!

I think it’s important to depict the history of UMass, one important aspect is the number of historical take overs (i.e. Collegian in early 80s for gender discrimination; Goodell and Memorial Hall with demands from the administration), as well as the most recent strike by students.

Also, if possible to depict the diminishing number of students of color on campus, as well as the decreased services offered to them.

Another important issue is accessibility. With the increased fees, UMass is becoming less accessible than ever to students of low income and to first generation students.

I agree with many of those who have written on this blog that it is important to depict the diversity at this university. UMass is known to be one of the biggest universities out there. We even have international students who come from different countries to study here. However, one of the biggest issues I have noticed during my three years at this school is that many of the students here are segregated by race and culture. I even had incoming freshmen asked me if northeast was where all the Asians reside. Therefore, I definitely agree that diversity should be an issued addressed on the mural.

Besides the issue with diversity, I believe the mural should also show one of the biggest attractions of this school; the campus itself. UMass has continue to improve in image for the past years by building more modernized buildings. However, it takes away the original suburban feel of the campus. Due to the changes, UMass may one day look completely different from what it did three years ago. I think the mural should show what UMass originally looked like to keep an image for future students.

It would be nice to see a mural of the originality of UMass and the future changes; the campus and the diversity issues.

Cory -

Do you really think that UMASS is well known for “right wing fascism?” Really? A bit of perspective perhaps…Collins is hilarious, not notorious…

There have been so many good ideas submitted, and many that I would have never thought of. The repeated theme of diversity shows just how important and prevalent it is in the UMASS community. Just by walking through campus you can get a sense of how diverse everyone is. There have been many conflicts pertaining to diversity over the years, such as issues with race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. A mural pertaining to those conflicts and how the UMASS community overcame them might be beneficial to serve as a reminder for people to be accepting of differences. These lessons and values we learn in our short time here stay with us long after graduation and carry on into our futures.

There is a lot of talk about including Justice for Jason in the mural. Although this is an important issue, it is also controversial. Adding this to the mural creates conflict instead of showing the overcoming of conflict. The mural should tell a story and teach a lesson, rather than encourage controversy.

Maybe Mark and Danny can paint something that teaches us a lesson, something they have learned from their experiences in conflict resolution and reconciliation. Their story is truly inspirational and the mural should inspire others as well.

I feel like diversity is a major theme in this blog, but I also think it needs to be placed in perspective. If we’re talking about racial diversity, UMass is not as diverse as many people may think. Relative to your High School maybe it displays outstanding diversity, only because your High School was greatly lacking in diversity. But the fact that it has been addressed in multiple blogs shows that it is on the tips of people’s tongues and in the the for front of their mind. I think that in itself is relevant when depicting UMass and its student body. As for diversity of ideas, backrounds, and cultures UMass shows an abundance of all. One of the things I love most about this university is its size and ability to draw individuals from every corner of the state, to across the country, to around the world. It is amazing where people come from before they come here, I guess in a way we are like a collective community of immigrants coming to learn.

One negative aspect of the community which I do not believe has been emphasized or addressed yet is the relationship with the Police forces. In the small town of Amherst there are multiple police forces, varying in size, which have had rocky relationships with the students in my years here. This is slightly reflected by the Justice through Jason issue, and while I do feel that should be left off of the mural due to lack of a definitive narrative, I feel it has gained such strong support because it echos both the issue of diversity and the presence and response of law enforcement. Many students who witnessed the “riots” or sport celebrations in Southwest dorm area during 2006 or 2007 felt police response was excessive and in fact instigated further delinquincy. Police responded to the crowd in riot gear on horses, with dogs, shields, loud explosions, and by firing paintball’s filled with pepper-powder at the crowd. When people from other schools visit, the extensive police presence is what jumps out at them the most. It is unfortunate but when I lived in Southwest it was very much a part of everyone’s life and their experience at the university.

Back to the positive, I feel there is nothing better then spring time in Amherst. The rugged winter keeps in hibernation, but when the first days of warm weather arrive you will never see a more vibrant campus. I think of it like a blossoming within each student the coincides with the multiple flowering trees on campus. Thinking back the panel discussion on Thursday, one of the things that Mark talked about was boxes, and how placing people into boxes can never lead to good things, and how we need to do away with boxes. I feel like blossoming is similar to the idea of opening up your mind and escaping the box that you were raised in. That is what this university has done for me, it has allowed me to wander outside the margins of what I had believed to be firm truths for so long. I feel that Mark’s metaphor was an important message for any community and I hope it is reflected in this mural.

This blog is a great way for two amazing people coming to help enrich our campus and the UMASS society to actually get a feel for what should truly be represented in this mural. While I very much agree that diversity on this campus is a major aspect, I think that with having the opportunity to have Danny and Mark painting here at OUR university, representing OUR campus and community, we should definitely focus on the positive aspects of having such a diverse and well rounded group of students, professors, etc. One of the most positive ideas that has been presented on this blog pertains to the idea of representing our past, present, and especially our future or “horizon”. While it is important for Danny and Mark to capture the remarkable UMASS history in this mural, I think we need to also make sure to step back, and allow these two men from such differing histories who have come together, to teach us. They have had a life full of experiences that we as a collegiate population can absolutely learn from. So while it is very important to include the important aspects of the UMASS campus that make us so unique and such a great institution we should also wholeheartedly encourage these men to express themselves and their life experiences and lessons that we can learn from. Why bring such remarkable men to our home if we are not willing to embrace everything they have to offer us artistically and otherwise? We have the rare chance to take part in such a ground breaking event and I personally cannot wait to see what these men come up with. With their learning of our past and present, and trying to set a precedent for our future I can only hope that they will allow us to see some of them in this mural as well.

The mural at UMass should focus on the positive aspects that the university has to offer prospective and enrolled students. UMass gives students a plethora of opportunities that provide and enable students to achieve more in the future. Financial aid, scholarships, and grants are readily obtainable to those that seek it, as is academic advising and tutoring. The library, a hub for student activity, is filled with resources that make student learning as easy as possible: tutors, a computer lab, refreshments, print services, quiet study areas. At UMass, help is always there for those who reach out for it.

The mural should not revolve around the negative issues UMass has dealt with and is dealing with. While it is important to shed light on prevalent issues at the university, I find it would be much more beneficial to create a message that promotes students to become more united with their peers as well as professors and UMass staff. It seems that the students of UMass find diversity to be a big problem, but personally I do not understand their demand to have this concern represented when there is little student activity to end it. It is wonderful that UMass is such a diverse place; of all people, Danny and Mark understand the devastating affects of diversity and how it can divide a group of people. Diversity hinders the integration of different groups of people at UMass, but this problem is found where other different groups exist, demonstrated by the conflict in Northern Ireland/the north of Ireland. Instead of depicting the issue the mural should represent potential answers and methods to solve the issue of integrating diverse groups on campus. Diversity is a global issue that people and students understand but do not proactively participate in changing current circumstances. UMass has many clubs and organizations dedicated to changing many local and global issues. With so much concern focused on diversity, the mural should incorporate student involvement and activism around campus and neighboring communities.

Instead of describing what diversity is like at UMass, I would like to see the mural depict a message of unity in the hope of bringing the students of tomorrow closer together. By incorporating UMass’ great academic options and classes, international and national student exchange and study abroad programs, Greek life, sports, livestock showing, student government, the Stonewall Center, health services, the arts and theater groups, to name a few, I feel UMass will be better represented as the great institution that I know it is. With so many majors and minors, not to mention BDIC (Bachelor’s Degree in Individual Concentration), the course choice outnumbers many other universities and colleges. That does not even include the course options UMass students are able to take at the surrounding colleges: Amherst, Smith, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke, due to the Five Colleges program. Student activities and activism should be portrayed to promote more involvement, which will help eliminate the diversity issue witnessed at UMass. Gathering information and experiences from all these diverse groups is important in accurately depicting UMass and a helpful way to combine all the diverse cultures found on campus.

I’d like to point out that I think Ashley is using the word “diversity” to mean something very different from the way most people are using it. I generally understand diversity to mean the presence of a variety of identities, so that can be cultural, ideological, ethnic, or other kinds of diversity. I also pretty much see that diversity as a good thing, and it seems like most of the people posting on this blog are using “diversity” in a similar way. The issues being referred to, then, are those of handling our diversity poorly, or not having enough diversity, or not embracing our diversity - not that diversity needs to be “ended.” Ashley, on the other hand, you seem to be using “diversity” to refer to the difficulty of building a community out of diverse people and groups…hence, referring to diversity as something that can divide people, and something that requires action. Is that about right?

Also, to Petey: nope, I don’t think UMass is notorious for our right-wing fascists. I wasn’t listing my opinions, I was listing things that people in my dorm said. So, there are definitely things in that list that I don’t identify with or agree with. But that’s not the point.

I agree with most of the ideas already discussed in this blog. I believe there is much diversity on the UMass Campus, however I do not see this as a negative aspect. I come from a very small town where there was not much diversity at all. That is one of the main reasons I decided to come to such a big school and it has truly been an amazing experience for me to interact and meet people of different backgrounds. Although I do agree there is separation on campus, with many dorms consisting of one particular group of people, I feel as though the mural should look to the future. Overall, I believe we are fortunate to be able to attend a University that is not populated by one particular group of people, like many other campuses around the world. If individuals want to separate themselves from others, that is their choice. But for the most part, I believe there is a lot of interaction between the many groups here at UMass and I hope the mural has an optimistic view and concentrates on the positive spirit of our school as a whole.

I also agree with a lot of the ideas already posted on this blog and I agree with the idea that the mural should reflect the many different cultures that are represented on the Umass campus. In my opinion it is the broad ranges of people and cultures that is one of the most attracting aspects of this school to those people interested in attending Umass. Growing up in a community that was a melting pot similar to Umass but on a much smaller scale I realized that Umass was a great fit for me because of the diversity this school offers. I think those people on this blog who said that the mural should reflect the positive spirit of Umass are being a little vague. I think that the mural should show all the different types of people at this school while connecting them to all the different activities that occur on a daily basis at Umass. Activities such as sports, dance clubs, cultural clubs, drama clubs, those who play music, and even those who spend all their time working and doing school work. At this university there are so many people doing so many different things it is almost as if this is not just college, but it is also a community similar to a small town. It is for all these reasons I believe the prospective mural should reflect all the different people this school has and what they are all doing on a daily basis, since it is these people and those activities that make this school what it is today.

I think the mural should incorporate all the opportunities that Umass Amherst offers to everyone of its students. From the experience of being here and being able to be who you want to be, to being able to be part of the mural creation is nothing less than an amazing opportunity. I also think respect is another issue that should be represented in the mural. Respect is something that we can never forget. We need respect for one another, our teachers, our campus, ourselves, and we need to respect each other on all the differing opinions we may have.

I know that many of the people that wrote earlier believe that you should put some of the negative things that happen on campus on the mural, and I agree to an extent, but you must not look over all of the good things that happen on campus. There are many varying opinions on campus, and I feel that you should depict the positive happenings on campus such as our stellar athletc program, music program, especially the UMass Minuteman Marching Band (one of the most prestigious marching bands in the nation), students hard at work in the W.E.B. Dubois Library (one of the tallest libraries in the world), and the many cultures that we have on campus. The University does have a bad reputation for being a huge party school, but there are a significant amount of activities on campus that warrant you two painting on your mural.

When I first arrived at UMASS, there were two things I noticed: one was the staggering physical size of our campus, which overwhelmed me for my entire freshmen year, and two was the diversity that is inherent at UMASS.

The architecture at UMASS is so unique that I believe recreating its history through art would be a tribute in itself to our school. UMASS started off over a hundred years ago as a tiny university and has now grown to monumental proportions. The university is always progressing and expanding. From a few tiny buildings at its beginnings, we now have our 24-story library, our 22-story residential towers surrounded by a number of lower dormitories, and countless number of unique buildings utilized for classes, experiments, studies, and student events and clubs. By painting the progression of these buildings throughout time, I believe it will show how we as an academic culture are always moving forward and looking backwards only to learn from our mistakes.

Our 22-story residential towers (I lived in one of these for 2 years) allowed me to meet a multitude of people, all with different backgrounds and traits. I became infatuated with discovering the experiences of everyone I met in order to grasp a firmer, more round view of the world not only right around me at UMASS but also of the many various places where students came from. UMASS represents the very values of America, demonstrating how our country has become a “melting pot” of different people. Our diversity demonstrates the equality that is shared among all students. These ideals of diversity and equality that lie deep within student culture are also what I would like to see illustrated here at UMASS so for all time, every visitor and observer of UMASS knows exactly who we were.

I think that a mural will be best used by promoting diversity and optimism. Although there are always problems that need to be solved and negative issues that need to be attended to, a mural is most effective by portraying positivity and joy. An image of diversity, be it racial, economic, political, etc., would be fitting at Umass because of how many different types of people go to school here. There are many colleges that lack the variety of cultures and personalities that exist at Umass. A mural should reinforce the importance of this diversity. Although awareness of inequality and conflict is very important, a mural may not be the best venue for creating this awareness. Most people will view the mural casually while walking past it, and a simple message of unity and diversity would go a long way in instilling this mindset in students.

I agree with the past posts that diversity should be a part of the murals, both with the community on and off campus. Our student body is made up of several different cultures spread out evenly amongst all of our majors and jobs. Being such a large research university, we have welcomed experts from all around the world to study and teach here and increase the academics we are all apart of.
Recently, Umass has received national attention from inviting domestic terrorists and prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to live in Amherst and speak at our and neighboring Universities. This is something that will make Umass always remembered, and something that could be incorporated into a unique mural. While this event has triggered both positive and negative comments, Umass has showed it’s open arms to these individuals in a way to further teach the students about acceptance and sharing an experience that nearly all other college students do not have the opportunity of having.

In agreement with many previous posts, I am a firm advocate for diversity as part of the mural. I think that by painting the melting pot that is our UMass community, it will open eyes to people who may not be so familiar with the multicultural aspect of our society. I believe that different races, genders, religions, and statuses interacting and living peacefully in a community is the first step to equality and peace as a whole. As a third year student at UMass I have been lucky enough to share experiences with students from all over the world, and showing that in a mural would be an astonishing and beautiful thing.

I think having the mural at Umass would be a great idea. The mural should in some way include the need for people to embrace diversity. Although Umass has students from different countries in the world, still people are not always aware or accepting of different backgrounds. There is always some type of stereotype.
The mural should also depict social justice and embracing differences. By that I mean, people should not be judged on their sexual orientation. We are in 2009 and people should be more open-minded. We need to be more accepting towards those who are different. Even though racism is not as common as it used to be back in the days, it is still an issue today. One example is the Jason case which other people have commented on here on the blog.

I think a good idea for the Umass mural would be a diverse picture that dipicts the different parts of campus with pictures that express the meaning behind the specific areas. For instance, to display the athletics of Umass we could put a huge picture of an important trophy a umass team has won. Also, another example could be to display Southwest living area with a police car because that is where all of the Umass police people go to bust people. We could display the library as a large book of some sort or something like that. I think this idea could get really creative and express what our campus is like though the underlying aspects of the diverse areas of our campus. We can incluide the diverse types of people at umass along with the other diverse aspects such as the different education levels.

Since I first stepped foot on this campus, the presence of diverstiy has always been obvious to me. I believe this mural is a very good idea because not only is it a good representation of the post-war reconciliation, but it will also contribute to the diverstity on this campus which is already so prevelent. I also believe that it may inspire students to research topics and conflicts which may not receieve as much air time on the news as some other stories, but are very important non the less. As for what should be presented on the mural, I would really like to see the story behind the war, and also what steps were taken that eventually led up to this reconciliation. I am really looking forward to seeing this mural!

Upon coming to UMass as an out-of-state student in 2007, there is one issue that stans out in my mind. Our university is culturally diverse, comprised of differing races, genders, and ethnicities. Being that our President is a man of color, I feel that the mural should represent the changes that our society has undergone since the establishment of this university.

Western Massahusetts sits at the foeront of many controversial issues, for example sexual orientation and racial divides. People of all different backgrounds have united and developed many advances for society. The fields of science, tehnology, medical, and various social justices are products of the congregation of such differing characteristics. Therefore, I feel that th mural should represent these advances.

Dear Mark and Danny,

A few images that I believe are important to include in our mural are:

1. The beautiful landscape that Umass is located in. ie: Downtown Amherst, The Pioneer Valley, our library, campus, etc.
2. Athletics, clubs, student-run organizations
3. Conflict with past riots (ie:Southwest area of campus) and how we are trying to move beyond that behavior
4. Being known as a top research institution in the nation.
5. Diversity of the student and faculty population as well as the diversity of majors that you are able to take.
6. Successful well-known graduates of the university in all fields (ie: athletics,law and politics, film, business, Nobel prize winners, etc.)

Aside from being given some information on where Mark and Danny come from, I would also like to see some trademark UMASS images in the mural. Some examples of these trademark images could be the library, the southwest towers, the football stadium, and maybe just some images of other historic buildings on campus.

I think that the Mural is an excellent idea for UMASS. I think there is so much diversity on the campus and I think for the most part people at UMASS are very accepting of all the different types of students whether it be differences in age, sex, gender, or race. I think the Mural should really reflect that, because it is such a possitive aspect of the campus!UMASS is also very rich in culture because it is such an old school. There is alot of history here and the campus has definatly seen alot of changes in society and in the country.

I feel that the mural should represent the uniqueness of our university, as well as the aforementioned diversity aspect. UMASS Amherst is a school comprised of many indiviuals who all have one thing in common- being a UMASS student. Whether they are on exchange from another univeristy, a transfer student, a graduate or undergraduate student, every one of us has UMASS pride. But a few certain things stand out in our university for me- one which definately is the student activism on campus. There are so many student groups on campus that strive to make a lasting impression- whether globally, or relatively local, such as the Justice for Jason activists last year, and voting tables in the dining commons, health conscious places to eat (Greenos, People’s Market, etc) all run by students. What is great about UMASS is that you can study abroad wherever you want- any country at all- there are no limitations to what country you can study in. If you dream it and there’s a university, you can be there studying next semester. Also, you can pick whatever major you want and you can even build you own major! The diversity and choices we have at UMASS Amherst is endless. It’s amazing that us students can also take classes at any of the other 4 colleges (Hampshire, Smith, Amherst, Mount Holyoke) in the area- and still have the classes count towards our own credits at UMASS. Students at our university have very diverse backgrounds- coming from all 50 states in the US, and of all classes and creeds. Our university is truely amazing, and I hope that this mural can incorporate how special we really are, as well as the conflicts we incurred and the struggles we’ve had over the years. Thank you for your time, Mark and Danny.

I agree with many of the people who said UMass should be depicted with diversity. But, I also agree with Anita where she says that our school is segregated by residential areas. Even though there are many different individuals with different backgrounds and cultures, I do not think our school is that diverse. I went to high school that had many races, whereas UMass campus is predominantly white. It is important to depict the opportunities UMass has to offer. Basically, UMass gives students an opportunity for an education, which is the most fundamental part that any University has to offer. By UMass being a public institution, it gives a chance for all social classes to gain an education. UMass is academically regarded and is as looked upon as any other private institution would be. I think the mural should focus on everyone being able to have a future due to the education they receive at UMass. UMass’s education is attainable no matter where a person comes from.

Seeing as the two artists are into political issues and are strong opponents of racism, I would not mind seeing them paint something to do with Jason Vasell and the protests against his arrest after he defended himself with a pocket knife fter two white males, who didnt even go to UMass shouted racial slurs at him outside his dorm building and made it into his dorm room and ambushed/attacked him sending all to the hopital with minor injuries. Though in the end thanks to the DA Elizabeth Scheibel he faces 30 years in prision if convicted of aggravated assault while the two white men got off pretty much scott free. It’s been 2 years and justice for jason is still trying to persuade the court system to get the charges dropped

I haven’t had time to read all of the previous replies, so I apologize if this is already mentioned. I don’t mean to be the one instigating negativity about the UMASS experience or anything, but I will say that it is becoming increasingly frustrating how many profiteering schemes it seems this school performs on the students. Despite being a public University, there is so much “red tape,” an incredible disconnect between the people in power and the student body, and a lack of student interest at times on the part of the higher-ups. Again, I don’t mean to be negative, but sadly, this is what comes to mind.

I think education is a very strong theme that should be portrayed in this mural. While all other points of diversity and out beautiful natural landscape, I think that this is a place of learning first and foremost. I am from an inner city- for me to be pursuing a fulltime University degree is strange within my group of friends- I was the only one to make the choice to do so. I am proud of my education- learning as much as I can to give back to my community so that it too can learn the difference between ignorance and stupidity. Education is so important- as Malcolm X said “If you stand for nothing you will fall for anything.” Learning about issues that are important to OUR youth, OUR generation, and hearing OUR voices should be one of the main components of this mural. We are moving towards a political gridlock in our country- red vs. blue, right vs. left with little to no discourse about common sense, or what is right for our people. It is time we take a page from history and learn from our pasts. A guest speaker, Professor Leah spoke in my Legal Studies class today- and one of the murals she showed was one that said “history is a rear-view mirror…but if you do not keep your eyes on the road you will never move ahead.” I think this is very apt for our young generation. By educating ourselves and our classmates, collegues and friends we can hope to progress those ideas which we feel are important to us- whichever ideas or ideals they may be.

I think it would b e nice to include a map of campus, or at least show the difference in areas on campus. Showing someway that each part of out campus is different will show diversity, which a lot of people are pushing for and I agree should be displayed, as well as the campus as a whole. This is important to show how our school looked when we made this, so that future generations can see what it was like here at this time. Just my two cents.

People have previously commented on the idea of UMass being a racially diverse campus. And yes, the university advertises itself as diverse in this sense, but is it truly? No. I believe we should include images of the different cultural RSO’s on campus to show how the students within the university are working towards a more diverse campus. Academics is not the only important part of a university, lets remember that and focus on what else is important to our growing and learning.

I would like to see an element of time in the mural. Despite whatever we go through in our lives, we’re always reminded that time will make it better. Time will either ease the pain of loss, give the grieving an opportunity to heal, or let minds come to rest. We have time to chase our goals here at UMASS, we have time to figure out where our lives will take us, and we are here NOW. We live in THIS moment. Growing, fighting, living, learning all together - whether we’re against each other or not.

I think the mural should so some kind of conflict resolution, so that the theme will relate to the idea that brought the muralists together in the first place. The world as a whole is facing a lot of problems currently and the mural could try and focus on the Umass involvement in these problems. For example, student and teacher efforts in combating global warming. Student clubs like the RSU that protested budget cuts on March 4th and many others. There are a lot of ideas that could be incorporated, but it definitely show Umass in its true light, not a glorified one that makes it seem like these problems are easily overcome.

The mural should work to represent UMASS Amherst for what it is and what it hopes to be. UMASS Amherst offers a quality education. The friends, professors, and others I’ve met at UMASS have changed me as a person for the better. College for most people is a time of personal growth and intellectual development, and the mural should reflect this. It should also have diversity represented in it in some way as it has been said here.

Although UMASS is not substantially diverse, it does have proud and strong minority communities and will hopefully be more diverse in the future. The mural could maybe show a future were more different types of people (not only ethnic or racial but also social for example) are joined together towards making this world a better place. I know this is pretty idealistic and kumbaya but it’s a mural it should be happy haha.

This mural should represent the history of UMASS and also its promising future. Whether it shows students at the campus pond in the good weather or students learning in a class…I’m excited to see whatever it is!

I commend the idea and recall being present last year for the web link between UMass and the two artists/activists. I hope Mark and Danny recall my comment about including women in the mural, since often the impression is that women were not part of the ’struggle’ or the solutions in NI. I can think of Bernadette McAliskey, the Peace Women, and the Women’s Coalition, for example, as more ‘public’ players, but also the women rarely seen on the telly, who have been behind the scenes, those women who kept families and communities together through difficult times, and those women too who were imprisoned for their political beliefs. In response to my comment last year, both Mark and Danny kindly acknowledged the role women play and have played in their lives …In this instance, maybe images speak louder than words. Let’s see it, please! Many thanks to all involved in this work. Íde O’Carroll, Amherst