 This program is brought to you by CableFranchiseVs and generous donations from viewers like you. Hello, and welcome to the Amherst Weekly Report of February 19, 2021 from Amherst Media. I'm Faith Gregory, filling in for Claire Healey. The Resident Assistant Pure Mentor Union of UMass Amherst has issued a set of demands regarding the current COVID-19 outbreak on UMass campus. The demands include committing to full employment and safety of the UMass Amherst community, adequate safety resources, and fair consequences for students in violation of COVID-19 protocols. The Daily Hampshire Gazette reports that in addition to these demands, the union issued a no-confidence vote in Chancellor Sipaswamy because of the outbreak. The RAPM Union's full set of demands is available on their link tree at linktr.ee forward slash rapm union. The town of Amherst reports that the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Board of Directors has invited them to work together on feasibility studies around MSBA school construction projects. The Amherst Elementary School Building Committee has been monitoring the application process and will work with consultants to develop plans for the project. Amherst College will host Litfest 2021, an annual festival celebrating fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and spoken word performance from February 26th through the 28th. The event will be virtual and features writers such as Charles Yu, Megha Majumdar, and Natalie Diaz. The virtual Litfest is open to the Amherst community and the general public. Governor Baker has issued a press release announcing vaccine appointment booking for individuals ages 65 and older and for people with two or more of certain medical conditions starting on February 18th. The release also states that it could take more than a month for all eligible individuals to secure an appointment unless the federal supply significantly increases. To find out if you're eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine or to book a vaccine, go to www.mass.gov forward slash COVID vaccine. The Boston Globe reports that the site VaxFinder.mass.gov experienced significant crashes on the first day of the rollout for the next phase of vaccination efforts. This is an ongoing story. The Regional Tibetan Association of Massachusetts organized a 90 minute virtual gratitude celebration to mark the successful passing of the historic Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 and to honor Congressman Jim McGovern and Senator Marco Rubio yesterday for their bipartisan support. Congressman Jim McGovern called the passing of the bill, quote, a tremendous achievement. In thanking his Holiness the Dalai Lama for being an inspiration to the United States, Congressman McGovern expressed his commitment to, quote, redouble his efforts, unquote, and ensure that the Biden administration effectively implements both the PSA 2020 and the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018. Congressman McGovern expressed his expectations of a stronger coordination between the U.S. administration and the Congress on issues of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's reincarnation, human rights of Tibetan people, and security of Tibet's environment and water resources. Congressman McGovern called for an appointment of a high-level special coordinator for Tibetan issues and expressed his hopes for a meeting between President Biden and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The ceremony recognized the signing of the TPSA into law, marking a fresh chapter in the U.S. Tibet history, a chapter of hope, courage, and strength. A citation presented to Congressman McGovern and Senator Rubio thanked them for, quote, adding a bright chapter in the history to U.S.-Tibet relations and for renewing the hopes and aspirations of Tibetans inside and outside Tibet for freedom. This significant event was streamed live on Tibet TV, the official channel of the Central Tibetan Administration on February 16th. The recording is available on YouTube. Amherst Media was honored to have the members of the Regional Tibetan Association of Massachusetts in the studio and to play a role in hosting their event. Congratulations go out to all involved. As of February 18th, 2021, at 9.12 a.m. Eastern Time, UMass Amherst is reporting 41 positive COVID-19 cases on campus with 434 active cases and a 1.61% seven-day cumulative positivity rate. An update from Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Brandy Hefner LeBlanc on February 17th stated that the Public Health Promotion Center is encouraged by the recent moderation in positive cases. As of recording, a decision has yet to be made about whether or not students will be able to resume face-to-face instruction. That's all for this week's episode of the Amherst Weekly Report from Amherst Media. I'm Faith Gregory, filling in for Claire Healey. We'll see you again at the same time next week.