AMHERST — Launching a party registration program, reducing water consumption and making donations to local nonprofits are evidence of the strong bonds between the University of Massachusetts, the town of Amherst and the business community, says Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the annual community breakfast Tuesday at the Student Union Ballroom, Subbaswamy told more than 200 officials from local towns, business leaders and UMass staff that the relationship is fundamentally hearty because of a shared history and shared enthusiasm for the future.
“As challenges arise, we have the capacity to address them collaboratively,” Subbaswamy said.
He pointed to the recent efforts to reduce municipal water use in the face of the ongoing drought, and how UMass is playing its part in protecting natural resources and dealing with climate change. On average, UMass uses close to half of all the water consumed in Amherst.
There is also the Party Smart Program, which begins next month and will reduce quality-of-life disturbances in Amherst neighborhoods and give more support to students, Subbaswamy said.
The UMass Amherst Community Campaign, a workplace giving campaign, raised more than $400,000, of which 60 percent was donated to local nonprofits, Subbaswamy said, and the University-Town of Amherst Collaborative is finding ways to build the local economy and promote a more diverse housing stock.
“We are all in this together,” said Georgia Moore, vice president of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce, which co-sponsors the event. “The stronger we are individually, the stronger we are together.”
Moore said chamber members appreciate that the students, faculty and staff at UMass support the Amherst area through jobs, investments and enrichment of the fabric of life.
Bryn Hennigar, a Commonwealth Honors student pursuing a double major in public health and psychology, explained how she and other UMass freshmen became involved in the community through the university’s IMPACT! program last year.
Her service took her to a dance program at Whole Children in Hadley, which offers programs and classes for children from toddlers through teens with a range of abilities.
“Civic engagement has been more important in my life as a UMass Amherst student than I would have ever imagined,” Hennigar said.
Subbaswamy said he looks forward to working with new Town Manager Paul Bockelman and Timothy O’Brien, executive director of the chamber, “and continuing the strong town-gown partnership.”
Bockelman, who attended his first community breakfast during his second week on the job, said it was the first opportunity to meet Subbaswamy. He was planning a more formal meeting with the chancellor later Tuesday.
The buffet-style breakfast featured what Subbaswamy said is “not just award-winning, but the best campus food in the country, according to The Princeton Review.” The dessert served was a large cake to celebrate the 50th anniversary breakfast.
As customary, the UMass Minuteman Marching Band performed during the breakfast, first introducing Subbaswamy to the stage and then later playing the UMass fight song.
Although she was not present for the accolades, the breakfast was also an opportunity to honor state Rep. Ellen Story, who is retiring from representing the 3rd Hampshire District after 24 years.
Subbaswamy said Story has been a champion for women’s rights, the environment and UMass, and that he laments losing her advocacy for the campus.
“In everything she does, Ellen brings authenticity that underscores her work as a public servant,” Subbaswmay said.
Moore said “Ellen is a friend to all” with a “steady, committed voice.”
Subbaswamy acknowledged the passing of two longtime leaders in Amherst during the past year, retired Department of Public Works Superintendent and Amherst Baseball founder Stanley Ziomek, and Town Manager John Musante.
“John was dedicated to the town and UMass and believed in our mutual strength through partnership,” Subbaswamy said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
