2007: UMass in Four Years - 5/3/2007
UMass in four years
By: George Kennedy. He can be reached at gkennedy@student.umass.edu.
Posted: 5/3/07
I am graduating in a little over two weeks, and while I am anxious to get a job and start making money, I am sad to be leaving this wonderful place. Sure, there is a large enough police presence to invade Poland, and there are enough potholes on Massachusetts Ave. that you could lose a filling driving over it, but in light of all this, the experiences I've had here could not be traded for all the money in the world.
I am going to cite things that were the best about being here, the not-so-great, and things that went under the radar that deserve a little attention. The friends I have made here and the great times that resulted from those friendships are something that money cannot buy or make any of the following things that I am about to trash on worth dealing with.
First are the things that have ceased to be since arriving here four years ago, as well as good things that have shown up in the meantime.
Gone: Frat Row. Ok, we all outgrew it, but everyone has to start somewhere. It was close to Southwest, and for a wet-behind-the-ears freshman, that first time walking onto Frat Row seemed like walking onto the strip in Vegas. Every front porch is crowded, the front lawns and sidewalks were packed, and $5 could go a long way. Some of my best friends today I met at frat parties, the first few nights of school. It got old, but it was a great base on which to build a social life, and the new freshmen have no such institution.
New: Berkshire DC. Everything that I hated about the dining halls, I forgot when I went into the refurbished Berkshire Dining Common. They finally have good pizza, there is always something good to eat, and best of all, there is a sushi bar. The five plates of sushi that I eat for one meal swipe would cost me over $35 at an actual restaurant.
Gone: Barsies. Officially called Barsalotti's, it was the one bar where everyone knew your name. I can bump into friends at any bar, but it was Barsies where it would take me 30 minutes to get from one end of the bar to the other, just talking to people. I could go out any week night (which I seldom did Mom, I know you're going to read this) and the place would be bustling with people, decent prices, and I could hear myself talk. It was the polar opposite of "Club Pub" whose patrons spend too much time blowing their hair out to pick up a Collegian, let alone make it to the editorial page. I'm sure little Billy would rather hear that mommy met daddy having a conversation over a Guinness than daddy trying to pick up mommy by grinding with her on the dance floor. Barisies will be missed.
Now for the good, bad, and worth mentioning:
Bad: Police Presence. I wish this was up in the "Gone" section, but alas. Here is a good sport: sit near the Horseshoe with bottle of Jim Beam, and every time a cop pulls a driver over for something completely unreasonable, take a shot. Guarantee you'll be passed out within an hour. I understand why the school had so many cops show up for the riots, but you can send them home now so they can stop harassing kids getting the education they never thought to get.
Good: Hobart Hoedown and Townhouse Throwdown. It may be cliché to mention and everyone knows our ranking of No. 7 last year among party schools, but to be there and see how many people came out is a sight to behold. If you have never shown up to the Townhouse Quad when it is full, you are missing out. You don't even have to drink; just see what an impressive gathering of coeds is taking place (I'm sure the Amherst PD appreciated that). On second thought, you may get pepper-sprayed by an Amherst cop for allegedly inciting a riot.
Bad: Elevators. North Apartments: very new. North Apartment elevators: very slow.
Good: Grad Lounge. Love a bar on campus, but waiting for the day I can use my UCard there.
Good: BDIC (make your own major). I'm not in it, but a student once created a major to study the aerobics of a frisbee. He invented the aerobe and is a very rich man. The general opportunities offered by a school of this size make it such a great place as well.
Good: PVTA. I have a slogan they should adopt: "Designated Driver for all of Pioneer Valley."
Places to check out: Puffers Pond, Crazy Noodles, The Moan and Dove, The Robert Frost Trail, and in the name of everything holy, order a buffalo chicken calzone from Chicago's.
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