This past weekend, SAA hosted their annual campus mile run with an exciting new twist that led to an amazing turnout! This year, instead of doing our usual Nearly Naked Mile, our members worked VERY hard to create something that has never been done before on the UMass campus, the Multicolor Mile! Our original goal was to get at least 500 people signed up, and we ended up substantially passing this mark and having over 700 signups, including students, families, and even some toddlers and dogs too! The weather was a bit grey and cloudy, but our SAA members, along with the runners,our fabulous sponsors (see below), the Alumni Association, UPC, and APO, provided enthusiastic bursts of color and energy, that surely transformed the afternoon. Nearly every SAA member was in attendance, and I cannot stress enough how much fun we all had!

Some of the highlights included the following:

• Moon bounce slides (or water slides)!
• Kan Jam by the starting line!
• The winner, Steven Verras, class of 2020. Stephen won a $50 gift certificate to Kohl’s
• Water squirters filled with all sorts of colors of paint being sprayed by our members!

Thanks to our new Philanthropy Chair, Jessica Morrison, participants were able to choose how the money from their registration fee would be used to give back to UMass. Runners were given a ball at the registration table and were then able to choose a bucket for the ball that corresponded with a specific category for the donations. The bucket with the most balls turned out to be student scholarships!

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Our Vice president of Traditions, Rose Arslanian, President Sara Hickey along with Fall Traditions Chairs Jenny Riordan and Becca Munro, played a crucial role in preparing for the Multicolor Mile. SAA has been planning this event since last March, and we would also like to thank ALL of our members for their hard work and dedication.

Check out some of these additional photos from the event!

Once again, THANK YOU to our sponsors, our fellow students, our SAA members, the Alumni Association, APO, and UPC. Without everyone’s help and positive, fun attitudes, this event would never have had the turnout that it did, and hopefully that same level of enthusiasm will carry over in the years to come!

By Lucy Armstrong

GO UMASS!