The holiday season is the perfect time show appreciation towards friends and loved ones. When it comes to the giving gifts, sometimes it’s hard to pick out what to get for people. But have no fear! SAA has your back in the gift giving department:

1. When it comes to finding a unique gift for a family friend or loved one who lives in Massachusetts, a UMass License plate is something you can’t beat. This is a gift that is useful, functional, and a great way to spread your UMass pride.
2. Looking at the UMass store in the Campus Center or online is a great way to be inspired and find some great quality gifts like a sweatshirt, foam finger, mug or a cozy scarf.
3. If you or someone in your family has strong UMass pride, then for 10 dollars you can sign up and become a member of the Militia. As a Militia member, you receive a unique long sleeve shirt, special seating at certain events, and other extra perks.
4. If you ever go into downtown Amherst, what better way to show someone you care by giving them a gift card to your favorite place to eat. Some fan favorites include Glazed, Antonio’s, and Judies just to name a few!
5. Check out Atkins farms and get a sweet treat for someone this holiday season. They have some of the best tasting baked treats in Western Mass.
6. Sometimes a more personalized gift like homemade cookies or brownies are the way to show your appreciation for a person. You can’t go wrong by baking something sweet for someone sweet!
7. Visiting Etsy’s website is also a great way to find countless unique gifts. If personalization is your thing then Etsy is a perfect place to go and check out! You could find the perfect gift for that certain person.

Overall, the holidays are about being around family and enjoying the time with them. Gifts are great but gift giving is even better. Going to UMass is a gift in itself that you might already realize or may realize in the future. From us here at SAA, we wish you Happy Holidays!

Sophia Coughlin ’20

Were you able to make it to SAA’s Multicolor Mile? Well if not, let me tell you what you missed! On October 19^th, SAA hosted their third annual Multicolor Mile on the Goodell Lawn. The event was a success with about 200 people signed up to participate in the one-mile color run. The event featured food, free Powerade, a photo booth, and blow-up activities such as basketball and bounce twister. We had many volunteers who helped out to make this event happen; thank you to everyone involved! We would also like to thank everyone who voted to dedicate $5 of their ticket towards their favorite cause on campus. There was an unbelievable three-way tie between Scholarships, the Center for Women and Community (CWC), and the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health (CCPH)! Ultimately, CCPH came out on top. Thanks again to our co-sponsor, T-Mobile, for helping to make this event happen. Keep an eye out for another big event by SAA next year on family weekend!

If you’re interested in more of SAA’s events or want to get involved, check us out at our social media:

Twitter: @UMassSAA

Instagram: @umasssaa

Facebook: @UMassSAA

Sophia Coughlin ’20

Are you looking for an exciting way to spend your Friday afternoon and give back to your favorite part of UMass all at the same time? Then you’re in for a colorful treat! From 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Goodell Lawn on October 19th, the Student Alumni Association will be hosting the third annual Multicolor Mile. Open to the public for $10 and $8 for UMass students, the Multicolor Mile will consist of a one mile run or walk (whatever makes you feel comfortable). The event will feature giveaways, activities, snacks, music and more all before and after the run. Start off your Family Weekend with a splash of colorful fun and bring you and your family to an event they won’t forget! This event is made for the students by the students, we encourage you and come on down, support and check out what SAA’s Multicolor Mile has to offer!

$5 of every ticket will fund an area of campus of the participants’ choice. You will have the opportunity to vote by throwing a ball into a basket just like a boardwalk game! Everyone has a choice in deciding where that money goes whether it be towards Scholarships, Student Veterans, the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health, Disability Services, or the Center for Women and Community. Have a favorite? We encourage all to come and partake in the festivities we have to offer, plus it’s a great way to get some great photos of college memories. I did mention we have a photo booth, didn’t I? So, don’t forget to bring your friends and family to Goodell Lawn this Friday to cast your vote, run or walk a colorful mile, enjoy giveaways and activities, and start your weekend off with a splash of color! We hope to see you there!

Hey you! Yeah you? Are you interested now in signing up for a colorful Friday. Well no worries! It’s not too late to sign up. Here’s the link and we will send you all the info you need for big day: www.umassalumni.com/multicolormile  

Sophia Coughlin, ’20

On Friday May 4th, at 9:00 the Student Alumni Association will present… Commencement Ball 2018!

We are just one week away from out 20th annual Commencement Ball! Each year, the Student Alumni Association hosts an amazing night of dancing, drinks, food, and fun and this year will be no exception. With a theme of “Red Carpet Premiere”, this will surely be a glamourous event that you will not want to miss!

Our Student Alumni members have been working so hard to create beautiful decorations in order to transform the Mullin’s Center into a magical world of Hollywood movies of all kinds. With areas covered in floating candles and magic to celebrate Hogwarts, a yellow brick road to transport you to Munchkin Land, and glamourous jewels and champagne towers reminiscent of the Titanic, the evening is sure to take you on a journey through some of the most popular Hollywood movies there are!

Tickets are on sale at the Mullin’s Center Box Office for $28.00. Seniors can purchase up to 4 tickets, so feel free to bring your friends! There will be food available at the event as well as a bar for those of age. Drink tickets can be purchased at the event. Both cash and credit cards will be accepted.

Come join us as we dress to the nines and dance the night away as we celebrate all of the accomplishments of this year’s graduating class!

Hope to see you there!

Jamie Downer ‘19

What’s better than food, UMass Alumni, and karaoke?

I personally cannot think of anything! If you’re like me and are intrigued by the previous statement, then I have the event for you! This coming Saturday, the UMass Alumni Association presents the UMass Remix.
The fun will begin with the “Student and Alumni Mixer” at 4:00 P.M. in the Hatch, which is located in the basement of the Student Union. All are welcome to come learn about UMass RSO’s and stories of both the past and present UMass. There will also be plenty of opportunities for networking! The event is free and light refreshments will be served.At the conclusion of the Mixer at 5:30 P.M., the festivities will continue with an amazing new event called the “Campus Crawl”! Beginning in South College, attendees are invited to indulge in cocktails and appetizers while enjoying light jazz music provided by a live jazz trio. Progressing to the next course of the meal and the next location on campus, dinner will be served along side live stage performances in the newly renovated Old Chapel. Finally, the event will conclude in the Campus Center Auditorium with beautifully crafted desserts and live band karaoke! This is an experience that you surely will not want to miss. All are welcome to attend and the cost of the event it $30! Walk ins are welcome and cash payment will be accepted at the door, as space allows!

So, please join us and Flashback and Fast-Forward at the UMass Remix!

Jamie Downer ‘19

It is crazy to think about just how close we are to the end of the semester!

With warm weather on the horizon, and many fun events being planned, I wanted to take a minute to acknowledge something super cool that just happened… our 2018-2019 SAA Leadership Team was elected! The president and vice presidents were elected, the cabinet positions were appointed, and everyone is so excited for all that the new leadership will accomplish in the coming year!
Being on the leadership team is not easy, so training began this past Wednesday. The leadership team met in Memorial Hall for an informational meeting to begin preparation for the transition from this year’s officials to next year’s. And while this meeting was very important and productive, the fun truly began after the meeting had concluded.

Piling into cars, the new leadership team headed to the Hampshire Mall to conquer an ESCAPE ROOM for this year’s Leadership Retreat! Our group was able to escape the room in only 50 minutes, with many of our members made big finds. Meg Brennan found the first clue, Heather Camacho, Elena Olson, and Jillian Smick decoded some key information, and Chris Craig kept up the team spirit with his cane and Sherlock Holmes hat. Not only was this event fun, it was challenging and forced participants to work together to reach an end goal. This skill will certainly come in handy as SAA is passed to next year’s team!

We want to thank All In Adventures for providing this amazing experience and anyone reading this should check it out if they get a chance to. We had an amazing time!

While it can be easy to start focusing on next year, we can’t “escape” from the rest of the semester! Stay tuned to see all of the fun things that SAA has planned for the upcoming final weeks… like our leadership team learned on Wednesday, there isn’t a second to waste!

Jamie Downer ‘19