Taylor's Trip to Barcelona

     After spending eight weeks over the summer in Barcelona, University of Massachusetts student Taylor Gilmore said she would recommend other students get involved in the study abroad experience.

     Gilmore, a native of Walpole, Mass. had always hoped to explore other countries.

     “I’d always wanted to go to Europe and it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live there,” said Gilmore.

     While abroad in June and July, Gilmore took Spanish language courses, developing her Spanish-speaking abilities.

     “My only prior Spanish language experience was in high school,” said Gilmore.  “Living in Barcelona definitely helped improve my Spanish language skills because you are constantly practicing with native speakers.”

     However she also did a lot of traveling, seeing parts of England, France, Italy and the Czech Republic as well as other parts of Spain.

     Gilmore said the experience was everything she expected, “if not harder” because of the significant lifestyle differences in Europe, as compared to that of the United States.

     “It’s culturally so different that it was difficult to adjust,” she said, referring to the food, the language and the size of the city in general.  She explained that Barcelona also participates in siestas from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. every day.  People typically spend this time sleeping, eating elaborate three-course lunches and drinking alcohol.  All stores are closed for the three hours to allow employees to partake in the siestas.

     She also found living in Barcelona to be much more exciting than living in Amherst because of the city’s scale.  Amherst’s population of around 38,000 people pales in comparison to that of Barcelona, which is over 1.6 million.

     “It was very interesting visiting the different tourist attractions because they were always full of people,” said Gilmore.  “There were always lines out the door at the nightclubs and if you went to the beach you could expect to be sitting within three inches of another person, who was probably speaking a language that you didn't understand.”

     However, Gilmore remarked that Barcelona is also a lot more dangerous because of the frequency of pickpockets.  In fact Barcelona was picked by TripAdvisor.com as the number one city in the world to beware of pickpockets.

     Though Gilmore had to take the crowded subway on a regular basis and was frequently at risk of having her belongings stolen, she returned to the U.S. without personally experiencing theft.  Unfortunately three of her four roommates were not so lucky.  One had her phone pick-pocketed twice, another had her camera stolen and the third had her phone taken out of her purse while at a nightclub.

     All the same, Gilmore considers study abroad to be “a very rewarding experience,” that she would encourage other students to take part in.

     “I highly recommend students study abroad because it allows you to see and experience other parts of the world and different cultures.”

     Gilmore said she would consider going back to Spain in the future to teach English, but only temporarily.

     “I would miss my family too much to move there permanently,” she said.

     Here at UMass, Gilmore, now in her junior year, studies both journalism and communications.  She also is pursuing a minor in psychology.

     Gilmore currently works as an intern in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences where she primarily writes articles and edits videos.  The monthly SBS newsletter, which is sent out to its students by email, is subject to her editing expertise.     

By Shelby Ashline

UMass plans to open Springfield satellite campus

The University of Massachusetts is currently exploring the possibility of opening a satellite center in downtown Springfield, which could be open as soon as the fall of 2014.

The satellite would be used as a way to supplement the UMass experience, said Ann Scales, director of communications at UMass, in a phone interview.

“Many residents [of Springfield] wanted the opportunity to attend classes that were offered by UMass and to get a UMass degree,” Scales said. “[But] Amherst is the closest campus and there’s no [mode of transportation that would] get you there quickly.”

According to an Aug. 6 UMass press release, “the UMass system has more than 75 staffed locations across the Commonwealth that house academic and training and research programs … in addition to the system’s five main campuses.”

UMass-Amherst faculty and staff are involved in over 120 programs from various fields of study in Springfield. They also conduct research, teach and work in administrative capacities in the area.
Springfield, however, was identified in a study conducted by the UMass Donahue Institute as an area with “unmet need.”

The study, conducted at the request of UMass President Robert L. Caret, “identified Springfield as a prime site for a satellite center in part because UMass-Amherst … already has a significant presence there,” according to the press release. Because of its prominence in Springfield, UMass-Amherst would take the lead in overseeing the satellite center.

“One possibility is that [UMass-Amherst] would offer the ‘lion’s share’ … of the programs … and [would provide] lots of administrative support,” Scales said.

However, classes could potentially be provided by several, if not all five, of the UMass campuses, the press release said. Scales further explained that the University hopes to involve other community colleges and institutions in the Springfield area as well.

“UMass-Amherst will be intimately involved in helping run the satellite center and it will be offering particular degrees, programs [and] classes there … [But] I think that the goal and the hope is that we would work with other colleges in the area who may also be part of offering various classes,” Scales said.

The satellite would likely offer onsite classes as well as classes through UMassOnline, according to the press release. The center may offer two-year associate’s degrees that could lead to bachelor degrees.

At this stage in planning, however, there is still much that is not known about the satellite center, including its probable location.

In the initial request for proposed locations for the satellite issued in early August, UMass said it was looking for “25,000 square feet of space suitable for classrooms, faculty offices and other uses, with the option of doubling the amount of space at a later date,” according to the press release.

Though proposals were due Sept. 3, it is not yet clear where the proposed locations for the satellite are or which locations are the most promising.

“There’s a committee that’s been set up to review the proposals,” Scales said. “They’re working with UMass Building Authorities and a realtor with knowledge of Springfield to figure out … if any of the [potential] places are suitable.”

It is also not clear yet where the funds to create and operate the satellite center will come from, or whether new staff will be hired to operate the facility or pulled from other campuses and locations in the UMass system. These are some of many aspects of the satellite center that, according to Scales, are still under consideration.

“We’re sort of taking it one step at a time … We have to find out whether or not we have a suitable location,” Scales said. She added, “We’re [also] looking at what programs we might potentially offer there and what staffing might be available or what … staffing might be required.”

Although there is still much to figure out, UMass and Springfield officials have been talking about creating a satellite for nearly two years, following Caret’s statewide bus tour in October 2011. Caret found that “business and civic groups in various regions across the state that are somewhat distant from UMass campuses expressed interest in seeing UMass expand its presence.”

“We very much want to open a satellite center in Springfield because an essential aspect of our mission of service to the Commonwealth is working to build better lives and futures for people and communities, which is what this would represent,” Caret said in the release.

Henry M. Thomas III, chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees and a Springfield resident and civic leader, also said that the project “would enhance the University’s ability to apply its many strengths in ways that help spark the revitalization of this region. It would be a win-win for the University and for the city.”

By Shelby Ashline

Monkey Bar regains liquor license

The Monkey Bar and Grill, a local restaurant and bar located on North Pleasant Street, regained its liquor license on Oct. 1 after a month-long suspension.

The suspension was the result of a “license violation,” according to general manager Rasif Rafiq, who declined to say more on the violation.

During the 30-day suspension, which was effective throughout the whole month of September, the location did not close. Instead, business focused around Bistro 63, the restaurant portion of the establishment.

“Most … places usually close when they lose their liquor license,” said Rafiq, who has worked at The Monkey Bar for five years in various positions. “We did not close because we have a restaurant, a very successful restaurant, and that is the basis of this business.

“While the month of September was difficult for us, (because) we didn’t have the club nights … we did stay open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, serving dinner to our loyal customers,” Rafiq continued. “We had a lot of support during this time.”

Rafiq also said that it’s not an uncommon occurrence for a bar to temporarily lose its liquor license, especially being in a college town.

The Monkey Bar has had four “prior incidents” since its opening in October 1999, according to the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. Records indicate the bar has previously experienced liquor license suspensions, each for varying periods of time.

Prior to the most recent incident, the last suspension on record that was issued by the Commission began Oct. 5, 2011, and lasted for 12 days. This occurred after two 20-year-old women gained access to the bar using fake identification on April 7, 2011.

Another suspension, which began April 20, 2011, held for nine days and was the result of a similar incident on Dec. 3, 2010, when three 20-year-old women gained access to the bar using fake IDs.

According to Rafiq, The Monkey Bar has been implementing changes that will improve its security during club nights, which begin after 10 p.m.

According to Rafiq, there is a new ID detection machine which has the ability to detect fake IDs. New infrared camera systems have also been installed.

“We’ve really invested in equipment,” Rafiq said. “We try to have eyes and ears everywhere.”

Rafiq has also employed “double the amount of security,” which equates to seven or eight people watching the numerous entrances.

“Usually we’d have a bouncer checking IDs, (but) now myself or the owner (Mauro Aniello) … are at the door every single night,” he said.

On Oct. 1, when the bar was reopened, The Monkey Bar employed a “Booze for Boobs” theme as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The bar donated a portion of its revenue from the night to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The bar is planning another themed night, called the First Annual Midnight Masquerade, for the evening of Nov. 7. Customers will receive masks at the door to wear until midnight.

The Monkey Bar and Grill also “really (tries) to engage the (University of Massachusetts) community,” Rafiq said. The bar uses student promoters to spread the word about upcoming club events and sponsors some of the UMass sports teams. The bar also accepts UCard Debit.

Rafiq estimates that approximately 80 percent of The Monkey Bar’s total business is made up of UMass students and faculty.

UMass students and faculty also occasionally hold private events at The Monkey Bar, where a 131-inch screen television is available for use in presentations, according to the business’s website. A large banquet room is also used for a variety of events, including small weddings and birthday and holiday parties.

Rafiq hopes that the business will continue to grow now that both the bar and restaurant portions are operating again.

“We’re going to be bigger than ever, not only in terms of the restaurant, but in terms of the club as well,” he said. “In the future … I would like (The Monkey Bar) to be open until 1 a.m. seven nights a week.”

By Shelby Ashline

Blue Wall to undergo renovations

Students who frequent the Blue Wall for meals will soon be forced to find alternatives as the University of Massachusetts plans to undergo renovations of the dining area after the end of this semester.

The transformation, which is expected to be completed by Aug. 15, 2014, will include a redesign that is hoped to provide better, more efficient service to its customers and become a more inviting space, according to UMass Director of Retail Dining Services David Eichstaedt.

Though the new design of the Blue Wall has not yet been finalized, Eichstaedt said it is likely that self-sufficient stations will be set up around the perimeter.

“We’re changing our way of thinking (regarding) the quality of the food and the preparation,” Eichstaedt said, “and this new design will allow us to do that.”

There is expected to be a larger variety of seating after the renovations with increased space for dining. In fact, according to Eichstaedt, the plan is to increase seating enough so that it will be feasible to close the Hatch, consolidating the Hatch, Blue Wall and the Marketplace into one organization.

Designers will be creating a “more open, free-flowing space” by removing the concrete walls in Blue Wall, according to Eichstaedt. The layout will also allow for traffic to flow quicker, according to Ken Toong, executive director of Auxiliary Enterprises.

The opening of the new academic building next to the Campus Center was “a big contributing factor” in deciding to renovate the Blue Wall, Eichstaedt said.

“We knew that we had to increase the seating and increase the number of food service venues to get people through fast enough,” he said. “We’re over capacity now, and when that new classroom building opens, it’s going to be even worse.”

Eichstaedt and Toong estimate that the renovations could cost anywhere from $14 to $19 million. Some of the funding would come from “state bonding through UMass Building Authorities,” Eichstaedt said. The rest of the money would be taken from what the university has reserved, according to Toong.

Bruner/Cott Architects and Planners, which is based in Cambridge, has been put in charge of designing the layout for the new Blue Wall, while Lee Kennedy Co. Inc. out of Quincy will head the actual construction.

During the renovation, accommodations will be made for Blue Wall and Market customers.

“We’re going to set up temporary feeding stations throughout the Student Union and Campus Center to help support the displaced customers,” Eichstaedt said. “We’re going to use the Student Union Ballroom as overflow seating for lunch Monday through Friday.”

There are also plans to have two food trucks parked as close as possible to the Campus Center to compensate for the loss of the Blue Wall, and the Hatch will have extended hours. It will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

When the Blue Wall reopens, it will be “more sustainable,” Eichstaedt said.  The compostable paper products such as plates and cups that are currently in use will be replaced by china plates and cups for the students that intend to stay at the dining area to eat.

Toong suspects that the Blue Wall will be so busy after its reopening that it will offer more jobs for the students as well.

The rest of the Campus Center will also experience changes. According to Eichstaedt, the Reading Room, which currently hosts meetings, is going to become “a quick-serve market,” similar to a Grab-N-Go.

After renovations of the Blue Wall have been completed, Worcester Dining Commons will be the next dining area to undergo renovations, followed by Franklin Dining Commons.  Renovations of Worcester and Franklin will likely occur in 2016 and 2018, respectively.

Toong’s goal for the restorations is to bring the next generation of retail dining to campus. He hopes to make the Blue Wall “the best retail location in the nation.”

By Shelby Ashline

UMass holds 'Amazing Race' competition

Cheers of encouragement rang out from spectators as dozens of students and faculty of the University of Massachusetts ran frantically around the Durfee Garden, waving flashlights in search of a plastic cup.

This semester’s Amazing Race, which is similar to a scavenger hunt, had 19 teams participating in 10 challenges across campus which would test them both mentally and physically.The pressure was on for each team of no more than three people to find the one cup that had their team’s number written on it. Only then could they receive their first clue and embark on the fifth biannual Amazing Race competition, which was held Friday evening.

Oscar Collins, associate director of Academic Support at the Center for Multicultural Advancement and Student Success, explained that the Amazing Race was originally planned in the fall of 2011 to create a fun activity that students would want to participate in.

The event also allows students to work with the UMass Police Department, which is in charge of coming up with all of the challenges. Police officers as well as UMass staff members man each of the stations where competitors complete their challenges and receive their next clue.

“For CMASS, our goal is really to work with a campus partner that students don’t always have a positive experience with,” said Collins.

“The other goal is really to have students see as many different parts of campus as possible, especially places they might not be aware of or have not frequently visited,” Collins added.

Team check-in and registration began at Wilder Hall at 7:00 p.m. At 7:30 p.m. the teams gathered outside of the building on Stockbridge Road to listen to UMPD Lieutenant Tom O’Donnell explain the rules of the race.

O’Donnell began by saying that running was not allowed during the competition. Skateboards, bicycles and cars were also prohibited. However smartphones could be used to help competitors solve riddles.

Teams were expected to use crosswalks when crossing streets and were asked to be respectful of others. Sabotaging other teams’ success in any manner was forbidden as well.

After each team had found the cup with their team’s number on it in the Durfee Garden, they received the first clue: a map of the counties in Massachusetts with question marks over Hampshire County, followed by a photograph of fruits and vegetables.

The teams set off to Hampshire Dining Commons, where each group had to carve a pumpkin that they would carry throughout the remainder of the race.

After two hours of traveling back and forth across campus and completing various challenges, the first teams began to return to Wilder Hall. At 10:45 p.m. the official winners were announced.

The winning team had named themselves “Pink Fluffy Unicorns.” In second place were “The Spookys” and “Team IDX” came in third.

Members of the winning team received $50 gift certificates to local businesses, second place team members received $40 gift certificates and third place team members received $25 gift certificates.

All competitors also got to enjoy pizza and wings together upon returning to Wilder Hall.

After coming in first place, “Pink Fluffy Unicorns” freshman team member Justin Chow said he felt both “exhausted” and “ecstatic.”

“I feel proud of my team. It’s such a team effort,” he said.

All of the teams seemed to have different opinions regarding which physical and mental challenges were the most difficult, though the majority agreed that they would want to compete again next semester.

“The letter scramble at the library took us a long time,” said Chow. Freshman teammate Weiixen Fam found sprinting at the Mullins Center to be the most physically demanding challenge.

In the future, Collins said he would love to see more participants.

“I think it would be fun to have more staff teams,” Collins continued. “The staff members who have come out in the past…they’re coming out just to connect with students [and] you get to see them in a different sense.”

The only faculty team that competed this semester named themselves “Cool Chicks Play Hard” or “CCPH,” which also stands for the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health, where the team members all work.

“CCPH” team member Linda Scott called the Amazing Race “a wonderful event for stress management.”

“I think it’s a really great opportunity for all of the different parts of UMass to interact,” Scott said. “We tell [students that there are] a lot of great things to do on campus, and we have to go out and show them that it’s true.”

By Shelby Ashline

Amherst institutes parking ban

An overnight parking ban will be in effect throughout Amherst from Dec. 1, 2013 to April 1, 2014, according to Amherst Chief of Police Scott P. Livingstone.

The parking ban, which will be in effect from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. every day will make it easier for the Department of Public Works to keep the roads clear of snow, according to Captain Chris Pronovost of the Amherst Police Department.

Pronovost explained that different cities use a multitude of tactics to keep the roads clear for plows.

“We find (the parking ban) to be the most efficient way of doing that in (Amherst),” he said.

The ban will be in effect throughout downtown Amherst as well as on the outlying streets in the town’s more rural sections.

Residents who normally park their vehicles on the street outside their homes are not exempt from the rule. There aren’t any special accommodations for handicapped people either.

According to a Nov. 12 press release, overnight parking will be allowed in the lower level of the Boltwood Parking Garage, although it is necessary to pay the meter between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. six days a week.

People can also park in the Pray Street Lot, where meters are enforced from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, according to the press release.

The Amherst Police Department will issue a warning for a first offense.  A second offense will result in a $25 ticket.  After a third offense, the vehicle will be towed, at which time the owner will have to pay upwards of $100 to retrieve the vehicle, as well as another $25 fine.

If a person receives their third offense, the vehicle will be towed no matter what the weather is, the press release stated.

In the case of a snowstorm, the warning provisions will not be followed.

“If the DPW sees that there are cars, they’ll call us to get them out of there first before they attempt to plow,” Pronovost said. “(Otherwise) they have to … change their whole pattern of where they’re plowing or they have to make a large swoop around (the vehicle) and it just makes a mess.”

The parking ban is nothing new to longtime Amherst residents. Pronovost estimated that the ban was originally instituted in the 1960s or ‘70s.

The parking ban was voted in as a town bylaw long ago. Today the Amherst select board can vote on and make revisions to the law, and the Amherst Police Department enforces it.

Pronovost said the police have had fewer and fewer problems with violators of the parking ban in recent years.

“We’ve actually seen a decline in the number of actual fines issued and vehicles towed,” he said. “I think that decrease is probably because we’re doing a better job getting the word out (about the ban).”

The last week of November, police officers start putting warning tags on vehicles to alert owners to the parking ban before it begins so that they can make arrangements to park elsewhere.

Residents of Amherst can also view announcements made by the Amherst Police Department online. Information about the parking ban can be found at www.amherstma.gov, as well as on its Facebook page.

For students living off campus, Pronovost suggests they try to work with their landlords to come up with alternative places to park.

If that proves unsuccessful, “then unfortunately (students) have to try to work into their schedule moving the car to the lower level (of the parking garage) or to the Pray Street lot, and then getting back there in the morning to move it back out,” Pronovost said. “I know that can be really difficult.”

“I’ve heard of people trying to locate parking places from other private places but that’s difficult too because it’s at a premium around here,” he continued.

Pronovost believes residents and students can successfully avoid violations of the parking ban if they develop a plan where they routinely move their vehicles.

“Say you move (your vehicle) at eight o’clock at night,” he said. “You’re probably going to find a space in the lower level (of the parking garage) and you can still catch a bus back to wherever you’re trying to get to because the buses are running. … Then in the morning before you head to your class you have to make a detour and go move your car. It’s a pain, but it’s doable.”

Pronovost is hopeful the Amherst Police Department will not have many problems with violators this year due to raised awareness of the parking ban and is “hoping that people will find a good alternative.”

By Shelby Ashline

PVTA holds 'Stuff the Bus' campaign

The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority’s annual “Stuff the Bus” food drive began this year on Nov. 18 and will continue through Monday. All PTVA buses contain donation bins for non-perishable food items, which will be given to help “food insecure community members,” according to a press release.

The food drive was originally planned four years ago because the PVTA wanted “to do something to serve the community,” said PVTA Administrator Mary MacInnes.All food collected on buses operating out of the PVTA’s garage at the University of Massachusetts will be donated to the Amherst Survival Center. Food collected on buses from the Northampton and Springfield garages will be donated to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

“The other part of it too is many of our riders are low-income themselves, so it’s conceivable that our own riders will benefit from this program,” she added.

Last year the PVTA collected around 2,000 pounds of food during the campaign and MacInnes hopes to top that number this year.

“[The campaign has] been very successful in the past,” said MacInnes. “And [the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts] where we deliver the goods for the southern area and the Amherst Survival Center up north are always very appreciative of the donation.”

The area within which the PVTA operates includes 44 bus routes within 24 communities.  This includes anywhere between Sunderland in the north and the Connecticut border in the south, as well as between Westfield in the west and Ware in the east. Food donations come from within these 24 communities.

Donations are also accepted at the PVTA terminals in Springfield and Holyoke, as well as at the customer service office and the administration office, both located in Springfield.

According to MacInnes, the PVTA has conducted other drives in the past aside from the “Stuff the Bus” campaign, such as a winter coat drive, though they are not necessarily held annually.

“We also work with the United Way at the beginning of the school year for donating school supplies,” she added.

MacInnes said the PVTA will definitely continue to hold the “Stuff the Bus” campaign in future years.

By Shelby Ashline