In the Pioneer Valley, we have a much higher proportion of cultural venues that our population would traditionally value. The reason is fairly obvious, as we have five colleges in our area of the Valley, along with several other colleges and groups of artists resting in the broader community.
This cultural resource is so vast that during the academic year there is hardly a night, even on a Sunday or Monday, where, if pressed, one could not find at least one performance, concert, comedy show or athletic event to attend.
You will find that most events in this area are subsidized for students, so that the admission price is quite reduced and within the budget of most University of Massachusetts students, and many more events are completely free.
At UMass alone we have several outlets for culture. First, we have an excellent resource in our Registered Student Organizations. Many RSO events begin to appear a few weeks into the semester. These groups provide a great educational gateway into ethnic traditions. It is a huge mistake for people who may not be related to a particular ethnicity by heritage to ignore or stay away from the events. They are open to all. This is a great opportunity to break out of our normal social circle and meet some interesting people.
As an additional inducement to attend, many of the events feature food, or even a full meal, as part of the event. Who wouldn’t want to go to a cultural event, learn new things, and then enjoy an ethnic meal?
We also have more institutional venues for culture on campus, including the immense resource found in the UMass music department. The music department not only hosts various concerts throughout the semester, but many nights feature faculty and student recitals. Recitals are generally free and open to the public. This is a wonderful chance to bring a friend and listen to some classical, jazz or other forms of music. Many of these performances occur in and around the Fine Arts Center, including Bezanson Hall, which is a short walk from the dorms or the library.
Students can gain exposure to different theater events on campus through the department of theater, along with other organizations, and the schedule has been largely set and is posted both online and around campus. The Fine Arts Center main auditorium also features outside groups that are brought to Amherst and strategically invited to inspire the campus community. You can keep an eye out for all of these opportunities on the Fine Arts Center’s website.
In addition, many exciting events are held in the Mullins Center. Some of the Mullins Center events tend to have a higher cost because they cater not only to students, but also to the entire Pioneer Valley community. These events feature popular musical performers, critically acclaimed comedians and a slew of other famous artists. The Mullins Center also holds UMass athletic competitions that are completely free to undergraduates. There is certainly still time to attend one or more basketball or hockey games before the end of the season.
Many academic departments will host special symposia and other gatherings where students are exposed to many lecturers’ fields of study. Most of them, along with the other events mentioned, will be posted on the Arts & Events section of the UMass website.
Events and activities are, again, boundless. The five-college consortium also provides students with access to a number of activities to peak nearly every interest. At fivecolleges.edu, there is a calendar that shows the summary of all events at all five colleges. The entire system is accessible by PVTA Routes 38 and 43, so transportation by car, while perhaps preferable, is not required.
In addition, our community has a large pool of museums to visit, including high-end art museums at Amherst College, Smith College and Mount Holyoke, a natural history museum at Amherst College, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and the Yiddish Book Center at Hampshire. With the exception of the Museum of Picture Book Art, all of these museums listed are free for UMass students.
This is only a small sampling of the cultural opportunities available to UMass students. I have left out other museums in our area (check museums10.org), other colleges that extend up and down the I‑91/Pioneer Valley corridor (from Greenfield Community College to Springfield College and more), the arts and music scene in Amherst and Northampton (Academy of Music, Iron Horse, etc.), and the metropolitan events that occur in Springfield (including Symphony Hall and the MassMutual Center).
This semester take the short walk from the library or your dorm to the FAC and enjoy a show. Make a list of all the upcoming events that capture your enthusiasm and makes plans to go with friends or a date. By engaging in art, music, sports and culture, the UMass experience is truly enhanced beyond repetitive academic routines, and the reward will exceed beyond what you ever anticipated.
Eric Magazu is a Collegian columnist. He can be reached at [email protected].
