UMass Summer Scenes

No time really to blog today, so I'll just throw you a handful of pics.

This stairway in the UMass Campus Center leads to areas related to three of my favorite things. 

When I was at UMass I never belonged to the Science Fiction Society, although I am a big fan of that genre and spent a lot of my time at UMass in outer space, at least figuratively. I did write for the UMass Collegian. Today however I was headed to WMUA, the campus radio station.

Although I've done a lot of radio over the years, at UMass the only radio I did was for the micro-station at the Sylvan dorm complex where I lived. This visit to the campus radio station had nothing to do with me however, instead I was going to check out my friend Damon Reeves and his band, who were performing in studio. 

The name of the show Damon was performing on is Katie's R&B Review starring Katrina Wright. Here's the host working the board.

I was surprised to see all the vinyl records the studio had. Now practically antiques, I'll bet they would bring a pretty penny on Ebay.

Today I was surprised to see all these tents pitched by the campus pond.

 



It turns out they're holding a big organic food conference at UMass this weekend. Attending will be farmers, scientists and the curious public. The conference used to be held at nearby Hampshire College, but has outgrown that location and moved to UMass. Attendees are invited to camp out by the pond and groove to nature. Some even brought the kids. 

One of the people addressing the conference is Tom Stocks, a retired educator and friend of the legendary nature writer Wendell Berry. Here is one of Berry's poems.

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

— Wendell Berry