General

Tent State at UMass begins

Monday, 17 April 2006
All day

Tent State University
(TSU), is an event that's going to be happening on the UMass-Amherst
campus from April 17-21. TSU is a week-long outdoor alternative
university shaped by the students, workers, and community members.

The problems with public higher education in this country are myriad.
What Tent State does is provide a framework for change. It’s our
opportunity to enact our positive vision of what a public university
could and should be: a democratically-controlled public space that
brings together a diverse group of people, from both inside the
university and from the surrounding communities, to exchange ideas,
art, and culture.

We’re going to have professors and graduate assistants opening up
their classrooms to the general public. We’re going to have
workshops, teach-ins, and discussions out on the lawn under the
tents. We’re going to have artists from the community: musicians,
poets, and theater troupes performing for free throughout the week.
There will be opportunities for taking part in direct actions and
peaceful protest. And we’re going to have public forums to talk about
the issues that are of concern to the attendees and a chance to make
decisions about how we want to proceed with advocating for systemic
changes in public higher education.

We would love to have you or your group come and participate in Tent
State. You can get involved by planning a workshop, by volunteering
to perform, or by simply showing up and taking part in the various
activities throughout the course of the week. If you're interested in
teaching a workshop, a form is attached. If you want to get involved
in another way, please email tentstateumass@gmail.com.

Location:
UMass, Amherst campus