Right Way To Party

 UMass Amherst, the flagship of higher education and #1 employer in Amherst

So yes, UMass students in general get an undeserved bad rep from a distinct minority of classmates more interested in the next party as opposed to the next mid-term paper. But this once-every-four-year election certainly demonstrates the vast majority of our town's temporary citizens will soon lead responsible, productive lives outside the Ivory Tower.

 Bangs Community Center. Students by the busloads descended on voting precincts

Since mid-August our beleaguered Town Clerk's Office registered a whopping 7,000 new voters, a 33% increase, pushing the current total to over 22,000.  Town Clerk Sandra Burgess guesstimates students make up 95% of those new registrations, overwhelmingly from UMass, but a noticeable number from Amherst and Hampshire College as well.

Late last night, after major main stream media called the election, UMass (Southwest) erupted ... but with revelry of the good kind.  Like last year when President Obama made a late night announcement that Osama Bin Laden had finally recieved his well deserved dose of old fashioned justice.  

According to UMPD Chief John Horvath last night's  gathering was, "Celebratory in nature with no arrests. The crowd dissipated and dispersed without police intervention."

While I do not celebrate the outcome of the election yesterday, I most certainly celebrate what the process represents:  America at its finest!