University of Massachusetts Amherst

Latest Articles

Mickey Mouse Multiculturalism

Massachusetts treasurer and independent candidate for governor Tim Cahill was off base when he accused incumbent governor Deval Patrick of "playing politics with terrorism" in the wake of Patrick's visit to the controversial Roxbury mosque maintained by
Governor Patrick's problematic Mosque visit. Plus, Bush — and the GOP — vote yes for torture
By EDITORIAL | June 11, 2010

Charges against former UMass student to be dropped

A Mattapan man's 28-month legal ordeal ended in a Northampton courtroom last week, as the Northwestern District Attorney's office agreed to drop all charges against him pending an additional two months of incident-free pre-trial probation.
Justice Is Served Dept.
By JEREMY C. FOX | June 11, 2010

Bedroom community

Okay, so Dead Cats Dead Rats are not actually from Boston.
Dead Cats Dead Rats dig out of the 'burbs
By BARRY THOMPSON | June 04, 2010

Heck of a Guy

Scott Brown’s stunning victory in January’s special US Senate election continues to reverberate through Massachusetts politics.
Despite a history of illiberal views and a boorish reputation, Guy Glodis enters the Democratic state convention unscathed
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | May 28, 2010

Slideshow: History of Guru and Gang Starr

Here is our salute – in photo, audio, video, and writing – to a Roxbury legend and the vast Gang Starr legacy he left behind.
A collection of videos, photos, music and more from our archives
By CHRIS FARAONE | May 21, 2010

Our Local Heroes(1)

In the 13th annual edition of the Providence Phoenix’s Best issue, we highlight people and organizations who are doing exceptionally good work.
We are all in their debt
By PROVIDENCE PHOENIX STAFF | April 16, 2010

UMass racial-confrontation case may finally come to a close

A racial incident that rocked Western Massachusetts two years ago may finally be laid to rest this week, as a black former UMass Amherst student charged with aggravated assault returns to court, apparently having reached an agreement with the Northwester
Is justice being served?
By JEREMY C. FOX | April 02, 2010

The Cultural Caucus's big gamble

The recently formed Cultural Caucus, a loose, formal coalition comprising a dozen arts-friendly state legislators, appears poised to christen its political life by inserting itself into what could be the most intense statewide political battle of the spr
Formed to be a savior of the arts in the Bay State, a political coalition is playing high-stakes poker by putting casinos in its sights
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | March 05, 2010

New and improved Romney

Scott Brown's unexpected victory in last month's special US Senate election captured the attention of the country — and particularly of core Republican voters, who huddled eagerly before their TV screens to watch their hero du jour give his acceptance
He's more fiscal, less social. And he's got millions. But will GOP voters give a Mitt?
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | February 12, 2010

Building block

Your editorial, “Menino’s Promise,” about Mayor Menino’s inauguration, stated: “He must shelve his reservations about becoming more involved in private development.”
Letters to the Boston editor, January 15, 2010
By BOSTON PHOENIX LETTERS | January 15, 2010

Battle of the Bulger

Earlier this fall, with almost no fanfare, Beverly-based Commonwealth Editions published a new biography of Boston's archetypal politician — James Michael Curley: A Short Biography with Personal Reminiscences — written by former Massachusetts Senate pr
Former Mass. Sen. Pres. William Bulger defends James Michael Curley's legacy — and his own
By ADAM REILLY | December 18, 2009

Critical Mass

If free speech is what gives value to the campus "marketplace of ideas," UMass Amherst would long ago have gone bankrupt.
Over the years, UMass Amherst has proven to be a reliable hotbed for political hypocrisy and squelching of free speech
By KYLE SMEALLIE AND HARVEY SILVERGLATE | November 20, 2009

Courthouse bomber to speak about social change

After it was initially canceled, a controversial talk by a radical activist will go on Thursday at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Ray Luc Levasseur, who grew up in Sanford, Maine, and became a radical in part due to his experiences as a soldier
Censorship averted
By RICK WORMWOOD | November 13, 2009

Coakley takes a stand

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley this week separated herself from the gang of essentially like-minded candidates seeking to fill Senator Ted Kennedy's Washington seat by rejecting the US House of Representatives compromise that traded appr
Plus, free speech at UMass
By EDITORIAL | November 13, 2009

Khazei, Like a Fox?

If there is to be a candidate in the Massachusetts US Senate race who inspires the sort of grassroots, progressive following that propelled Governor Deval Patrick into office three years ago — an insurgent candidacy, if you will — it figures to be ideali
Insiders don’t think Alan Khazei has a chance in the US Senate race. But progressive activists could make him an underdog with bite.
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | October 16, 2009

Cry me an Old Man River

Readers of this column over the past two years (my mom and my Aunt Theresa, mostly) know that I rabidly support my alma mater's basketball team, the University of Memphis Tigers. This past April, our head coach John Calipari relinquished the Tiger rein
Balls, Pucks, and Monster Trucks
By RICK WORMWOOD | June 19, 2009

Bytes of knowledge

Once upon a time, we thought it was novel to be able to buy books in our bathrobes.
Getting the most from an online education
By CLEA SIMON | May 01, 2009

Will the Globe survive?

What would Boston's media landscape look like without the Boston Globe ?
Sizing up the paper's future as it approaches the deadline from hell
By ADAM REILLY | April 29, 2009

Heavy flow

I was a little dismayed last week when I dropped into Doomstar!'s Central Square rehearsal space
Doomstar! let it all come naturally
By MATT PARISH | March 03, 2009

Public colleges get the shaft

When it came time to pick a college, Thomas Ahrens just couldn't pass up the relative affordability of a University of Rhode Island education.
Fewer teachers. Bigger classes. More applicants. Huge tuition hikes. the outlook for Rhode island higher ed is bleak .
By MEAGHAN WIMS | February 25, 2009

Dig it!

According to the invoice, 500 copies of the Diamond Mines’ brand new EP, Pave the Whales for Oil , were sent from Syracuse to Boston on January 6 — two whole days ahead of the projected ship date!
Diamond Mines shine all month at the Plough
By MICHAEL BRODEUR | January 27, 2009

You say what?!

When Professor Ludovic Lazarus Zamenhof created the language called Esperanto in late-19th-century Poland, he envisioned a world unified under a lingua franca.
On American campuses, Esperanto is an extracurricular language
By EVA WOLCHOVER | January 08, 2009

Body and Sol

What’s the last time you really enjoyed 100 of something?
‘Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective’ at Mass MoCA
By EVAN J. GARZA | November 05, 2008

Spelling lessons

A number of college students are turning to Wicca.
Campus witches have no brooms, no bleeding goats. Just cookies. Sorry.
By SARA FAITH ALTERMAN | October 20, 2008

Words as music

He originally set out to be a jazz critic.
Alan Lupo was many things — among them, the best metro columnist Boston may ever see
By MARGARET DORIS | October 08, 2008

Are universities selling out to oil nations?

As Academia searches for elusive dollars in a downward economy, oil-rich nations are enticing American schools to open satellite campuses in the Gulf.
As their big bucks beckon, Gulf campuses boom
By HARVEY SILVERGLATE | September 24, 2008

Dance in fall

This fall’s offerings of dance performances have an international flavor, as well as featuring the talents of Rhody-grown dance groups.
Must-see moves
By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | September 10, 2008

Unhinging the binge

I have a possible solution for the binge-drinking quandary: be more discerning about what you pour down your throat.
Some drinks are just too good to chug
By CAITLIN E. CURRAN | September 02, 2008

Dance, Monkey: Steve Hofstetter

Do you think we as a nation will ever be prepared to grant Dave Coulier immunity for his involvement with Alanis?
We put a visiting comic on the hot seat. This week’s victim . . .
By MARC HIRSH | August 27, 2008

Women on the verge

At next week’s Democratic National Convention in Denver, Hillary Clinton’s delegates will get just about everything they’ve wanted — aside from the nomination of their candidate, of course.
Clinton die-hards have created a new-girls’ network bent on remedying decades of sexism by putting women in elected office
By DAVID S. BERNSTEIN | August 20, 2008

Friends' Activity

Popular