The Collegian News Blog

Emily Reynolds
Collegian Staff

The University of Massachusetts Amherst gets a lot of funding from the federal government. Close to 70 percent of the money for research on campus comes from federal agencies. Just over $6.5 million of that funding comes from the Department of Defense.

Research from the DOD comes from four places, Navy, Army, Air Force, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). While most students have heard of the three branches of military that give the school money, very few have probably heard of DARPA.
The point of DARPA is to imagine what the US military will need in the future for any endeavor that they take on, and start planning and building for it today. In their words, they want to stop technological surprises for our military and create them for adversaries. Basically, they take a lot of different science and research and see how it can be used for the military.

The agency has five offices: Defense Sciences Office, Information Processing Techniques Office, Microsystems Technology Office, Strategic Technology Office, and Tactical Technology Office.
Each office has dozens of ongoing projects. According to a chart on their website, www.darpa.mil, the agency has around a $7 billion budget for science and technology programs for the armed services.

At UMass, DARPA funded a Disruption Tolerant Networking project, which put devices into 40 buses on the UMass campus in 2005. The point was to "provide network services when no end-to-end path exists through the network." Basically, it creates a way to communicate in areas where the normal means of communication can be destroyed or degraded for long periods of time. It can be used in war zones or during natural disasters.

Southwest area government representatives are seeking feedback from Southwest residents to improve future functions.

In an effort to gain insight from members of the Southwest Community, last Tuesday, the South West Area Government and the Southwest Senators presented information at the about past and upcoming events for this year. The talks were dubbed as a "Back to the People" event, and although few members of the Southwest community attended, members of SGA and SWAG intend to act upon their suggestions.

Some of the suggestions included:

- creating a bi-weekly newsletter about SGA and SWAG that would be sent out electronically for anyone interested
- holding an energy conservation contest
The contest would determine how much water and energy is used by each building in Southwest. Prize for the most energy-efficient has not been determined.
- fixing the "noise problems" during weekdays
Evidently, you, the pan flute and drum playing band member, you are an irritating problem at 3 a.m.
- posting minutes on the SGA website to increase communication between SGA and the students

Currently, SWAG places its minutes on their blog located at blogs@umass.edu/SWAG. As SWAG's goal this year is to increase communication with Southwest residents, members have been sending out weekly facebook messages with updates on their activity.

So far this year, SWAG has hosted a band called Stephanian from Boston, aided in the House Council recruitment and election process, and hosted an event known as Southwest Saturday. Southwest Saturday was held in early October, and it featured a BBQ party on the patio between Berkshire and Hampshire.

Southwest governor Chris Faulkner said all the events so far had been a success.

Alyssa Creamer can be reached at acreamer@student.umass.edu.

The Collegian is ready at this point to call the election for Senator Barack Obama from Illinois.

With California and its 55 electoral votes almost certainly in Obama's column, he now only needs to win one of Virginia, Florida, Colorado or Indiana - all races he is currently leading, but are too close to call.

So, I know who is going to be super duper happy tonight. It totally looks like Obama has not only won this, but slapped the McCain administration across the face. The race is not even close.

The Boston Globe is reporting Massachusetts has voted "yes" on ballot Question 3 to abolish dog racing.


-Matt Rocheleau

According the The Boston Globe, and WBUR of Boston, Massachusetts voters have passed Question 2, a proposal to lessen the penalties from a criminal to a civil offense for people caught with one ounce or less of marijuana.


-Matt Rocheleau

ABC and MSNBC are projecting Barack Obama has won Ohio. This, after both outlets called Pennsylvania in his favor.

Overall, Obama has been projected to have won 195 of the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the election, while McCain has won 85, says MSNBC.com.

According to an article by Eric Moskowitz of The Boston Globe, Massachusetts voters chose "no" on ballot Question 1 to eliminate the state's income tax, meaning there will be no change.

The Associated Press called the results for Question 1 at 8:45 p.m.

The same ballot question was also defeated in 2002 by a "slim margin," the article said.

The Globe also reported Massachusetts Democratic Sen. John F. Kerry has been re-elected defeating GOP candidate Jeffrey Beatty.

The Associated Press called Kerry the victor shortly after 8 p.m. when the polls closed.


-Matt Rocheleau

I headed to the east coast of Massachusetts to vote in my home town of Bedford today. At 6 p.m. there were still a steady number of people streaming in, though there were no lines in the town of about 13,000 people. 

While at the polls I was able to speak with Town Clerk Doreen Tremblay. 

Tremblay said that as of 6:30 p.m. ET about 7,000 people had voted, out of the 9,000 registered voters. Tremblay said she expected close to a 90 percent voter turnout by the end of the night, up from around an 85 percent turnout in 2004. 

A number of factors were bringing voters out to the polls in Bedford. 

Resident Wieslaw Brys said security in Eastern Europe and the Ukraine, as well as the Middle East was what brought him to the polls. He said he was pretty much against all of the ballot measures.

Lawrence Pruyne said Question 2 was the most important ballot question for him "Decriminalization of Marijuana? Forget it, it's a gateway drug."

Noreen O'Gara said Question 1 was on her mind as she went into the polls. "I'm an advocate for education, it's the safety net that we all need, for libraries, for public health, so that question was very important to me." O'Gara said she thought we were losing income as a state by not having fewer penalties for marijuana possession, and by making it legal and taxing it the state could tap into a new source of revenue. 

"I also care about the dogs too," she added

- Ben Williams

Labels: Bedford, Dodge Neon, East Coast

ABC has just called Pennsylvania for Obama, considered one of the most important cornerstones to winning the electoral college. 

After 1 percent of precincts reported, The New York Times awarded Florida to Barack Obama. Considering the importance of Florida in the outcome of the election, you'd think one of the world's most respected newspapers would wait until more concrete results filter in to award such a crucial state.

The following states closed at 7 and 7:30 p.m. ET : Vermont, Indiana, Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Georgia, Florida, Ohio, and West Virginia. 

John McCain just was declared the winner in Kentucky and Obama has won Vermont, according to NBC.

Since I'm a Vermonter born and raised I would like to comment on Obama's victory. This is the most expected victory in political history. The last time I was up there it seemed like practically everyone was in love with the Senator from Illinois. His credentials as Vermont's president of choice were also helped by the fact that he is the only 2008 presidential candidate--and the first major party candidate in years--to visit the Green Mountain State.

But Vermont's decidely liberal bent and the shear domination of state politics by the Democratic Party for the last 20 years or so make it an easy victory. Only two counties, my own one of Rutland and the rural Northeast Kingdom county of Essex have any real Republican presence anymore and only Essex voted for Bush in 2004.

So my mission today was a simple one: to interview UMass students at the polling places about their reaction to having to vote for Senator in General Court, for which the two candidates are Senator Stanley C. Rosenberg (D) and Keith C. McCormic (R).

I decided to go to the polling place at Wildwood Elementary School, Amherst, since it was in close proximity to campus and since that is where most students were voting.

I headed out. But of course I take the wrong turn out of the campus and walk in the opposite direction, only to find myself at the North Fire Station, also a polling place, but one lacking any UMass voters. So I walk back the way I came, past campus, and onward to Wildwood Elementary; at least I was pleased with the long lines and numerous UMass students who I could interview about their thoughts on the candidates for Senator in General Court.

As I stood near the building exit (from where people left after voting), I spoke to several students, one of whom was even an alum. I didn’t know what to expect; maybe students had a very good idea about the candidates and what they stood for, or maybe they had no idea.

It turns out the majority of students whom I talked to fell into the latter category. Most students said they had never heard of either candidate and as a result, they either refrained from voting or voted for the party and not the candidate specifically.

Although one student did say that she did some research before coming to the polls, I think I can come to the general conclusion that neither candidate is well-known by students, and on the students’ part, that they didn’t take the time to make themselves aware that they would have to vote for Senator in General Court. Well, that gives us something to think about.

- Shalini Jayarama

There's only a few hours left in the polls so, if you haven't yet, GO VOTE!

That being said, please, I beg of you, please don't be ignorant in your choice. I'm not advocating one candidate over another (although I do have my personal choice), but I am imploring all voters to educate themselves, at least a little, before casting their ballot.

Over the course of the past few weeks, I've had a number of conversations with people supporting all sides of the ballot. From Nader/Gonzales to Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin, I've heard praise and criticisms abound.

A friend of mine begged me to not vote for McCain. "He doesn't know what he's doing and he's so old, he'll die in office," she said. "If that happens, Palin will be president and she'll start a war." Are McCain and Palin really as innept as she says? Of course not. Even more importantly, aren't we already in a war? These candidates wouldn't have the support of however many millions of Americans if they couldn't get the job done. If Palin does end up being president, will it be the end of the world? No. Even if she is as terrible as my friend says, she has dozens of advisers (and Congress) so she doesn't go astray.

Today, a co-worker came up to me and told me she was still undecided. I encouraged her to do some backgrounding on the candidates, to check out their stances on issues important to her before she decided. Another co-worker overheard this and came over. "You can't vote for Obama," she said. "He's friends with terrorists. And he's communist." She continued, telling us that if Obama wins, America will be thrown into a terrorist-loving, Muslim, socialistic, economic disaster. I was blown away. I tried to convince her that what she heard was just propaganda, but she wouldn't listen. She couldn't understand how I didn't see this by just looking at him. I had to just shake my head and walk away.

So, please, vote for a candidate or vote against a candidate. I don't care. Just do a little research. Hear a rumor about McCain lighting burlap sacks of puppies on fire? How about the one where Obama eats kittens smothered in hollandaise sauce for brunch? Don't take my word for it. Go double check it with a reliable source, I'll even point you in the right direction...

- David Humphreys

Granted, my timing was bad, but having a poor voting experience is never a good thing.

Precinct 6 in Amherst, the Fort River School on South East St. was a mess.
Deciding to vote mid afternoon was definitely a poor decision, since I didn’t get over there until 3 p.m. – right when the elementary school was letting out its students.

I walked into the voting area, which resembled a converted kindergarten classroom, that was much too small for the constant stream of people that were arriving.

This brought up one interesting question. Why wasn’t the University able to secure funding to be able to have a voting booth in the Cape Cod Lounge, much like in the gubernatorial election? Or even Amherst High School, I’m sure there could have been a bigger room or even a more private way to vote than the method I just participated in.

I picked up my state ballot, but when I went to the second table to grab my ballot for the Amherst select board, I was met with an incredulous face.

“You know this is for the town of Amherst select board,” said the woman at the table.

“Yes,” I replied and rattled off my street name. “In Amherst,” I proceeded to emphasize.

Ma’am, just because I look like a college student does not mean that I haven’t been a resident of Amherst for four years – much like the rest of you upstanding, Amherst citizens. I’ve even spent the last year and a half living solely in Amherst, living on campus, contributing much more money than I probably should have to your local businesses and also paying rent in an apartment in Amherst. So let me have my select board ballot, please. I live here too.

I shuffled over to the scrunched and crowded, white booths. But with people filtering around and behind me it was hard to concentrate – or to even feel like I wasn’t projecting who I was voting for to the entire kindergarten classroom.

I left frustrated, although it only took me a total of 15 minutes to vote. I didn’t consider my experience too terrible – until I tried to exit the parking lot.

If voter competence was measured by driving ability, I’m pretty sure about half the people in that parking lot wouldn’t have been able to vote this Nov. 4.

Despite almost being hit by about three soccer moms as I was pulling out of my space, I waited another quarter of an hour for the buses to pull out of the lot. The intersection exiting the Fort River School is a dangerous one, and investing in a traffic officer probably would have been a better decision than just letting cars run wild.

Although my 2008 Amherst voting experience wasn’t bad enough to make me never vote again, hopefully the next time around we might be able to secure a different location – without the big, yellow school buses.

- Kate Olesin

I have yet to vote today due to the 3 hours of class I had, the time I spent interviewing students, the article I just wrote for tomorrow and the three meals I ate to suppress my never-ending appetite. But on my way from the DC to class to the library to student union and then back to the DC, I have notice the large amount of activists on campus that are in support of Barack Obama.

I have yet to see one McCain supporter walking around campus wearing a “McCain National Leadership Team” pin or lobbying their opinions with a microphone in support of McCain.

The vast majority of Amherst's registered voters are voting "Yes" on Question 4 - and more probably would if they knew what Question 4 was.

If "Yes" wins, the Community Preservation Act surcharge will double to 3 percent, ensuring that the town gets an additional $300,000 from the state to fund affordable housing and the preservation of the town.

Voters exiting the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Amherst almost unanimously said (after being reminded which one that was) that they voted "Yes" on the initiative.

When asked why they voted "Yes," some said they wanted to help preserve the college town. Others simply gave an "I dunno."

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian is calling it now, before any other news source: Amherst residents have voted "Yes" on Question 4.

"Do it again - just not today."

Those were the wise words of the nice old man with the handlebar mustache and the suit who showed me just how to press the buttons and vote for my candidates of choice.

I voted at Maple Point Middle School, where I spent the formative and hellish years of my life. There were about 80 people milling around complete with several nicely dressed politicians ready to pounce on the unsuspecting public as they entered the cafeteria.

There were eight polling stations with blue curtains wrapped around each one. Most people looked restless waiting for their turn to vote. The middle-aged woman in front of me, dressed in a Phillies jacket, turned around and said to no one in particular, "I didn't come all the over here not to vote."

Justification for the journey across the street. Everyone who voted at Maple Point lives in the neighborhoods directly across or adjacent to the school. I nodded in agreement.

The drive back to Amherst was again uneventful. But here are the highlights nonetheless:

-five dead deer on the side of the road in New Jersey (including the one killed last night marked with an orange X)

A special thanks to my poor car. Its been kicking for 10 years now and just recently celebrated its 100,000 mile. It struggled through the 600 miles to and from PA but it survived. The gas stations in New Jersey where despite the fact they pump for you, it's always cheaper. My mom for the $10 she contributed to my journey. And Dave Sedaris for putting his book "Naked" on CD.

Melissa

Labels: dave sedaris, deer, new jersey, voting, vw bugs

Several UMass students wasted little time taking advantage of the Student Government Association's precinct busing campaign. Around 9:30 a.m. UMass time, more than 20 students rode to Precinct 3, the Immanuel Lutheran Church on North Pleasant Street in Amherst, to cast their ballots.

Precinct constable and UMass alumnus Willie Wheeler, 59, of Amherst commented that most of the early turnout was students.

"[The busing] helps a lot," he said. "It makes it easier for students. They have a lot classes and some of them don't know where the church is, and the youth vote is very important."

Even with the influx of student voters and those of other age groups, Precinct 3's lines moved quickly, getting voters checked in, voted and on their way. Voters often complain about long lines at various Precincts, but Amherst Precincts experienced very little delay in the first few hours of today's election. At Wildwood Elementary School on Strong Street, Precinct 9, the wait time was no more than 20 minutes at any point this morning.

This is not the case in other states, however. Earlier this morning, CNN reported that voters in Richmond, Va., experienced long waits at the polls due to malfunctioning voting machines. Some precincts reported up to 3-hour waits, according to CNN. Click here for complete coverage.

Virginia is crucial state in the election, according to many political news outlets. A Democrat has not carried the historically conservative Commonwealth since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Long lines could discourage some from turning out. Real Clear Politics lists the state as a dead heat at the moment. The 13 votes at stake are crucial for Senator John McCain if he plans to defeat Obama.

The UMass voters who did make it to the polls this morning seemed to be leaning toward Senator Barack Obama. Jarrod Shirley, sophomore, turf grass management major credits Obama's "youth and energy" in earning his vote.

"I feel like the typical president in my lifetime has been an old, white man. And the current president has really made me sway against the Republican party," Shirley said this morning after voting at Precinct 9.

Dixville Notch, N.H., returned the first election ballots in the nation last night. Barack Obama won easily, but John McCain shouldn't be too concerned. The small county in northeastern New Hampshire cast 21 ballots, 15 of which went for senator Obama.

Labels: levers, minnesota, polls, RealClearPolitics

So far today, it's fog and campaign signs.

My absentee ballot never came. I applied for it perhaps a bit too late, or maybe it got lost in the mail, I'll never know. By this past weekend it became abundantly clear the ballot was never going to get to me in time. I felt guilty about the prospect of not voting so after my 6:30-9 p.m. class Monday night I decided to drive home.

I live in Pennsylvania - a five hour commute from Amherst. Some people might consider this move drastic, some felt it necessary. My mom thought I was crazy, but we do have a voting date tomorrow so she's content. For all intensive purposes my reasoning was more of a desire not to sit around my apartment until my 4 p.m. class agonizing over not voting in my first presidential election.

So here I am in my parents basement, the ultimate bloggers haven.

Highlights from a pretty uneventful journey home:

-I made it with out coffee or rest stops. Tomorrow I don't think I will be able to say the same.
-Driving at night took an extra half hour off my commute time.
-I toured the scenic cities of Springfield and Hartford on 84 West instead of the Berkshires on the Mass Pike (and the NY Thruway). There were a lot of trucks on the side of the road. It was weird.
-The truck in front of me on 31 South in New Jersey hit a deer. The deer stumbled and fell to its death right in my line of vision. Very disturbing.

It's 2 a.m. I have to sleep now despite what the managing editor thinks. I have to vote at about 9 a.m. so I can make it back to Amherst in time for my class (and a quick nap).

We do some crazy things for democracy.

Goodnight,
Melissa

Labels: absentee ballots, election day, pennsylvania, voting, vw bugs

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Labels: election, live blog, president, UMass