I have a lot of pride in my alma mater and wouldn’t trade my four years at UMass for four years anywhere else, especially knowing now how everything turned out. However, on occasion, Matt and I like to discuss our “do-over colleges” - I often fantasize about NYU while he fantasizes about Maryland or USC.
Now, clearly there are cons to this fantasy, but that’s exactly why it’s a fantasy and not a reality. For instance, I highly doubt that I would’ve been accepted to NYU, I’d definitely have a lot more student loans (I can barely afford the loans I have now) and I’d probably have a lot more credit card debt because something tells me that I would've easily justified several outrageous fashion purchases all in the name of “fitting in” in NYC.
As they say, the grass is always greener…
Well, it wasn’t New York, Maryland or South Carolina, but last weekend, Matt and I decided to have our own little two-person reunion in Amherst. I skillfully scheduled a conference at UMass on Monday so that Matt and I could drive out there on Sunday, spend the day in Amherst and stay overnight at the University Lodge (very upscale).
The last time we were in Amherst was five years ago when we watched my younger brother graduate, but it’s actually been eight years since we last called Amherst our home. And while many changes have taken place over the past eight years, two things remain true: Amherst is a GREAT college town and UMass is a GREAT school.
The following is a list of some of our thoughts, discussions and realizations during and after our visit.
1. Eight years later we still get that indescribable feeling in our stomachs when we hit the UMass campus (sometimes we even get it when we hit the Amherst town line). I don’t know what it is. I used to think that it was just the excitement of being there, on our own and having the time of our lives with very little responsibilities, but why is that feeling still present eight years later? If I had attended a college in Boston, I don’t think I’d ever experience this sensation; Boston is a place I have visited quite often throughout my life and, therefore, I can associate it with lots of other things. Amherst, on the other hand, for me, is only associated with UMass and four of the best years of my life.
2. College kids look SO young. Or maybe we just look old. I’ll go with my first thought because Matt was very quick to say that he thought we fit right in and didn’t look out of place. And we DID get carded at the bar (the bartender even looked at the back of the license).
3. The fashion, overall, was highly disappointing. No matter what age you are, you always feel like you are “in the loop” when it comes to fashion. When I was in high school, I thought older people knew nothing about fashion. Then, when I was in college, I realized that high school kids weren’t really in the loop because they took much too long to catch onto the fashion trends. Now that I’m in my thirties, (and having somewhat of an identity crisis when it comes to fashion, but that’s a whole separate post) I realize that I am WAY more knowledgeable about fashion than I ever have been before. Maybe I can’t afford a lot of the stuff I would like to wear and my body doesn’t showcase the clothes as well it used to, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be knowledgable about today's fashion and still have one foot in the loop (let's face it, if you don't have a lot of money and you don't live in NY or LA, it's tough to be 100% in the loop).
Anyway, I guess we were expecting to see a lot more hipsters on campus. I think the only hipsters we did see were life-long Amherst residents who were well past college age. At this point we concluded that being a hipster is a lifestyle, not a trend. I tend to associate hipsters with a mid- to late-twenties/early thirties kind of crowd, but, after thinking about it, it’s hard to become a hipster. Hipsters are hipsters for life. I very much admire hipsters, but I could never become one no matter how hard I try. Yes, I can steal some of their fashion ideas, but I have a really hard time donning fashion that doesn’t coordinate (I have a similar problem with symmetry) and it’s tough to fight that. On another trendy note, as I walked through campus I saw only one girl wearing leggings and knee-high boots – she definitely stood out (probably in a sorority).
I digress.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that college students, for the most part, are slobs. Now, some people will argue that college is NOT a fashion show and that it’s actually a relief to be able to wear sweats/pajamas to class, however, you can still dress down and look good on a college budget. I always say that you can tell a lot about a person just by his/her jeans…well…let’s just say these kids are in need of a Stacy & Clinton intervention. Honestly, from what I saw, it doesn’t take a lot to stand out by looking good. Find yourself a nice pair of jeans and you’ll probably score a date that same night. And don’t give me that crap about college students being more focused on their studies than the latest fashion trends. We all know what college is REALLY about.
4. It was nice to see some new additions…
- Several new buildings are now putting the old ones to shame. No, the campus isn't made up of ivy-covered historical buildings, but, if you just pause for a moment and take it all in, you will realize that UMass REALLY is a beautiful campus. I don’t know how to explain it except that it just FEELS exactly the way college SHOULD feel.
5. And sad to see some missing pieces…
- Barcies, which was basically a hallway transformed into a bar and known for accepting any and all IDs, has been replaced by a typewriter/computer store. Yes, that’s right, a store that sells typewriters. Amherst is definitely a hippie town, but I was unaware that typewriters were in such high demand there. I’m pretty sure the only people in the store were members of the class of 2012 who stopped by to gawk at these ancient machines they had only heard about in legends and fairytales.
- D.P. Dough, a calzone place that may have actually coined the term “freshmen 15,” has now become Mr. Chicken.
- “Frat Row” basically doesn’t exist anymore. The houses are literally GONE and have been replaced only by grass. I guess this is a good thing?
- Delano’s, my college bar of choice, was closed for renovations. Really, it’s about time. They were well overdue for renovations back in 2000.
- The Copper Mine is the new name for what used to be an after hours club that was BYOB, if you can imagine that. The old name escapes us…maybe because WE are old.
6. We completely regret not taking advantage of all the school had to offer, mainly athletic events. I went to several basketball games throughout my four years, but, other than that, I only went to one football game and one field hockey game. I also never participated in intramurals...stupid.
7. The street that we lived on during our junior and senior years is DISGUSTING. I would be horrified if I was a parent driving down this street for the first time. The house that I lived in is probably in the best condition of any house on the street, but that isn’t saying much at all. On the other hand, it is still the best location; it’s as close as you can get to campus without actually being on campus.
8. Apparently students aren’t into “Sunday drinking” as much as we 30-year-olds are. We had no problem finding seats at a college bar to watch the Patriots lose last Sunday.
For those of you who didn’t visit or attend UMass, you might not “get it” BUT hopefully you can relate, in some way, with your own experiences. And if you haven’t visited your alma mater recently, I highly recommend it.
