I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic lately, since I’m currently in the last semester of my undergraduate career. So, I decided to talk to both of my parents about their college experiences, which, like mine, occurred right here at UMass. While a lot of their memories recall campus and the UMass experience like I do, much has changed over time, as well — 33 to 39 years, to be exact.
My mom and dad, although at different times, were both members of the UMass community — and still are, as alumni and parents. My dad, Steve, was in the class of 1978, and my mom, Trish, 1984.
Our school started as the Massachusetts Agricultural College, the first class arriving in 1867 and paying $36 in tuition. After a brief period as Massachusetts State College, in 1947 the school was renamed the University of Massachusetts. Today, in-state undergraduate tuition is $14,971, with food and housing adding another $11,897. For an out-of-state undergrad, tuition raises to $32,204, plus the $11,897. The cost to attend UMass in 1978 totalled $2,340 for an in-state undergraduate. Tuition itself was just $480, while for out of state students it was a bit higher at $1,550. In 1984, the total cost was $3,926, $1,208 in-state tuition, $3,686 out-of-state. As of fall 2016, UMass has 23,373 undergraduate students, 6,664 graduate students, amounting to 30,037 students. In 1978, the total number of students was 24,018, while in 1984 the number rose to 25,906. Clearly, UMass was much smaller — and cheaper — in the past.
In addition to population, campus itself did not see as many construction projects as we are all too familiar with now. In 1957, the Student Union was built; in 1966, Lederle and Whitmore; in 1969, Herter; and in the 1970s, the Campus Center. In 1973, the Library Tower finished construction, the original name of the library, before it paid homage to W.E.B. Du Bois. In 1974, the Fine Arts Center originated on campus. Both my parents remember the newness of these buildings, which we all have experienced in our college careers at UMass. My parents didn’t have the Mullins Center, the Studio Arts Building, the Integrated Sciences Building, or the Integrative Learning Center that we all have learned to know so well.
While I am a double major in English and communication, my parents took different routes. My mom’s major was called human services, similar to social work but a part of the School of Education. My dad majored in legal studies and political science. I can’t imagine going to college without using my laptop, as I always have it on me. But my parents didn’t have computers, and they don’t even remember their existence on campus. I can’t imagine lugging a typewriter back and forth to class in my backpack. And without computers, there was no Spire, no Moodle, no way to check academic progress online, which made things a lot less organized. One of my best college experiences was studying abroad in Reggio Emilia, Italy. While neither of my parents took their travels overseas, my mom did head across the country to Boulder, Colorado for a year on domestic exchange. She loved it so much she even stayed an extra year, which I would have loved to do in Italy.
I spent the first two years of my college experiences in Southwest: the Melville basement introduced me to UMass. My mom’s initiation was the seventh floor of an Orchard Hill dorm, followed by a move to Central sophomore year. She even recalls sliding down trays from the dining hall on snowy days like we’ve been enjoying — or not enjoying — so much. My dad was also a Southwest resident, fondly remembering Pierpont. Southwest itself was pretty new at the time, as construction for the residential area began in 1964.
The activist spirits definitely started early at UMass. The right to protest, which we cherish now, was alive and well during the ’70s and ’80s. While living in Pierpont, my dad was part of a program called Project 10. The residents self-governed themselves and voted on their own set of rules. For example, they allowed pets and painted a rainbow on the side of the building each year, although it did eventually get scrubbed off. Wouldn’t pets in the dorms have been the perfect transition to college?
One thing I’m definitely jealous of were their spring concerts. My mom saw Bonnie Raitt, while my dad was able to experience Bruce Springsteen live as a last minute replacement before anyone knew who he was. Please, UMass, can we book someone like Springsteen this year? It is clear that the “Zoomass” reputation was already in full-swing. When my dad was at UMass, the drinking age was 18, while my mom emphasized the lack of strict rules regarding partying at the time. My first campus job as a residential security monitor would basically not have existed. Couches were thrown out the window, and my dad liked to go to dance parties (think disco) in Cance. Bluewall was the bar on campus before UPub ever existed. The Bluewall we all know and love used to sell beer, not burritos. UMass today is famed for having the best food in the nation. But, it wasn’t always that way. My mom worked at Frank, and her friend was instructed to scrape mold off beets before serving them…thankfully things have greatly improved!
There are many reasons to love our wonderful school and community, but one thing I am grateful for is the added connection it has created for me with my parents. Thank you for giving us some great years and memories to cherish. They were, we are, UMass.
The remaining images are courtesy of the author.