Fifty Years of Magic: Disney World Celebrates Its 50th Birthday

By: Olivia Vadnais

On October 1, 2021, Magic Kingdom - one of the four main theme parks of Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida - turned half a century old. The 18-month-long celebration will take place in Walt Disney World through March of 2023, and is slated to be filled with many new attraction openings, exclusive snacks and entertainment, as well as plenty of merchandise and other experiences available to commemorate the event.

Magic Kingdom is kicking off its birthday with some brand-new entertainment. The park gained a new cavalcade in honor of the celebration as well as a new fireworks display (Disney Enchantment), replacing the beloved Happily Ever After, which has been running since 2012. Magic Kingdom isn’t the only park celebrating the anniversary though. The other three parks - EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom - are all getting in on the festivities. EPCOT debuted a new fireworks show as well, titled Harmonious, which is the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park. Hollywood Studios has “Beacons of Magic”, where its Tower of Terror is lit up in celebration of the anniversary in addition to the other four park icons. Animal Kingdom has a new daytime show in the Discovery River Amphitheatre called Disney’s KiteTails, which performs multiple times daily. And of course, throughout the resort there is plenty of merchandise and snacks specially themed to the celebration.

In addition to these celebrations, quite a few openings will be occurring through the next eighteen months at the resort. Magic Kingdom will be welcoming a new TRON coaster hopefully sometime in early 2022, as construction delays have pushed it back multiple times due to the pandemic. Splash Mountain is supposed to get a retheme to the 2009 film Princess and the Frog, but a timeframe has not been given yet. On October 1 EPCOT’s France pavilion unveiled its expansion including a new trackless ride called Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and a new creperie restaurant. EPCOT is also set to open Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind sometime in 2022, which is another brand new state-of-the-art coaster. Space 220, a full-service restaurant where diners feel as though they are dining on a spaceship circling Earth. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is slated to open March 1, 2022, and this three-day experience immerses guests in the Star Wars world like never before: from sleeping, eating, and daily activities, a stay at the Starcruiser is not to be missed for fans of the franchise.

Magic Kingdom and the resort as a whole have changed greatly over its fifty-year lifespan, but its charm persists. It is a welcome celebration and shows how successful Walt Disney’s vision for the Florida park could be. If you want to join in the fun, you have plenty of time, but make sure to book quickly, because high crowds are expected throughout the span of the celebration. Hope to see you real soon!

Fun Local Fall Activities

By: Page Cole

I know everyone is feeling the stress of the beginning of the school year start to weigh down on them. Transitioning back to in-person classes and normal campus life has been a huge adjustment for most of us. Taking time to relax and unwind with friends is super important for our mental health and wellness. With my favorite season right around the corner, there are so many fun fall activities that are available locally for us students to enjoy, on campus and off campus. I encourage everyone to take a break from homework and treat themselves to a good time with old and new friends! 

Atkins Farm, 1151 West Street, Amherst MA 

When most people think of fall, they think of apple picking and enjoying a delicious, warm, apple cider doughnut. Personally, apple picking is my favorite fall activity and I just had to start off with Atkins Farm. Atkins Farm is located just about fifteen minutes from campus and is perfect for a stress-free afternoon. They provide services to go apple picking in their orchard, as well as an adorable locally grown grocery store with fresh fruit, vegetables, produce, and even a flower shop. They also have an ice cream shop that features two delicious fall ice cream treats. They serve an apple harvest shake as well as an apple cider donut sundae. Don’t walk, but run to Atkins Farm to feast on all of their delicious apples and treats! 

Pumpkin Painting, W.E.B. Du Bois Library 

I know a lot of us don’t have a ride to off-campus locations, so if that is the case then this is the perfect opportunity for you! Right in Umass’s own library, the Library Outreach Series is offering pumpkin painting from 7-8 pm on October 21st, which is a great way to end your busy day and meet other Umass students who you might not usually be able to meet. But, this is not any normal pumpkin painting like we are all used to. Participants will be using a 3D printer to print their own pumpkin to paint. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, sign up now! Spots are limited and they are being filled up fast. 

Mike’s Maze at Warner Farm, 23 S Main Street, Sunderland MA 

About thirty minutes north of campus is Mike’s Maze at Warner Farm, which offers a corn maze, shaped into the word “Imagine”. If you are the type of person who is up for a challenge, then this is the fall activity for you. Grab a couple of friends and use your navigation skills to find your way out of this challenging maze. If you find yourself out, (don’t worry, you will), then treat yourself to a delicious meal at the Corn Cafe. They have a wide variety of foods and even some specialty desserts. If this isn’t enough for you, they also have a petting zoo and hayrides. It is a little far, but definitely worth the drive for all of this fall fun! 

Get outside and enjoy one of these activities in this beautiful fall weather. Remember to make time in your busy schedule for yourself, it is just as important as schoolwork. Happy Fall!

Struggling to Find a Balance

By: Victoria Boyne

As we all return back to in-person classes, it is impossible not to recognize the common juggling act that many students are facing. This is the act of balancing a full course load with extracurricular activities, jobs, family commitments, social life, and self-care. Unfortunately, many students are unable to balance their commitments and thus some are forgotten about. If this is a problem that affects you, don’t worry. Below we will explain how to stay organized and balance all of your commitments! 

1. Use a calendar! This is such a small habit to adopt that can make a world of difference as you try to plan out your time. This can be an agenda, a desk calendar, or my personal favorite calendar apps such as Google Calendar. Regardless of the medium, adopting a calendar system that will work for you will allow you to plan out your classes, extracurriculars, homework time, etc., and thus leave you with ample time to complete your day-to-day tasks. 

2. Put your electronics away! This is a skill that I still struggle to adopt. The amount of time that we, as a society, unknowingly spend on our phones is insane and could likely be more efficiently spent. For example, aimlessly scrolling through Tik Tok and Instagram before bed not only takes away our beloved sleep but also makes it harder for us to wind down after a busy day. Furthermore, having your phone next to you as you study and do homework is a known distraction that I, and many others, struggle with. Taking the time to disconnect from electronics and focus on work, friends, and family could be a really valuable change to focus on as we get deeper into the semester! 

3. Find a good study space! This is different for everyone, but I truly believe that a good study spot can make all the difference in your productivity when completing your work. Personally, I love working in the Breakout rooms in Isenberg, the top floors of the library, and any coffee shop. But recommend trying new study spaces until you find the best working environment for you, this is likely somewhere that is free of distractions! 

4. Take good notes! This is so important as we begin to adjust back to in-person learning and can save you so much time when you need to go back and study. Prioritizing notes not only allows you to stay focused in class but also helps tremendously when searching for content, as you will no longer have to search through lengthy PowerPoints for formulas and simple concepts.

5. Create study groups! This allows you to meet so many new people in your classes and be social while also giving you an outlet to ask questions. This can be extremely beneficial when studying for a test or in classes that have a focus group assignments. 

One last tip is, don’t be too hard on yourself! It is okay to take breaks, miss events to focus on yourself, or do poorly on an assignment here and there. Though we all want to do everything perfectly, that is not always attainable and that is okay! Remember that you are not alone and so many other students are struggling to balance everything.

Managing the Pressure of Feeling the Need to be Involved on Campus

By: Julie Dannevig

Between being surrounded by high achieving peers and juggling assignments from demanding professors, feelings of success and satisfaction can be hard to come by as a college student. While readjusting to pre-pandemic campus norms this semester, I have been painfully reminded of the added pressures that come with in-person classes, clubs, and events.  I’ve personally had to recognize and give myself credit for the effort it takes to jump full-swing back into this taxing lifestyle. This semester, in particular, I have been dealing with an ever-present sense of dissatisfaction and unrest. Having the opportunity to be in-person after a year and a half of restrictions was gratifying at first, as it inspired motivation and opened many doors for me. However, I found that gratification quickly turned to feeling overwhelmed and unable to keep up. 

Whether it be your roommate who is on the e-board of what seems like every club UMass offers or your lab partner who has already been accepted into their dream internship for next summer, it’s easy to feel as though everyone around you is running ten miles ahead. I have come to realize, however, this comparison is not only unproductive but for some, it can be downright debilitating.

As I entered the latter half of my college career this semester, I fell into a panicked mindset and felt as though if I didn’t get my life together immediately,  I would never get a job post-graduation. As a result, I found myself maniacally signing up for clubs, spamming my LinkedIn with posts, and applying to any and every internship position I could find on HandShake. My efforts, however, were not very fruitful and I wasn’t transformed into a stellar, standout student (shocking, I know). After a brief reality check followed by a strong dose of introspection, I forced myself to step back from this manic episode, take a breath and remind myself that college is not a competition and trying to do everything is only a recipe for exhaustion. 

It is so easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to peers and thinking you are not doing enough, but it’s important to remember this mindset rarely gets you far. In order to keep myself grounded, I try to take time out of the week to not think about work and do something for myself. Whether it be going to a class at the rec center or watching a movie with a friend, taking a step back from academics can be so effective in avoiding total burnout. I also make it a point to remind myself that college will not always be fun and in reality, it often just instigates stress and self-doubt. Recognizing that these feelings are normal and undoubtedly shared by many of my peers helps me to remember that hard times do pass and it’s important to remain realistic about my own abilities so I don’t push myself too far. 

Taking control of your college career by joining clubs you are passionate about, taking courses that are relevant to your aspirations and, most importantly, staying present to appreciate and enjoy your fleeting youth is ultimately what will enable you to build your strengths, develop confidence in your work and allow you to flourish in the many years ahead.

Transitioning BACK to In-Person Classes

About a year and a half ago everyone was talking about the challenges of switching to online classes. Now that we’re on campus again, no one is talking about the challenges of transitioning BACK to in-person classes. I’ll admit, it was extremely convenient to wake up 5 minutes before my morning lecture, hop onto Zoom, and listen with my camera off. This was a “new normal” that became very comfortable for me after a short period of time. With that said, I love being on campus and feeling the constant energy of nearly 30,000 people.

Strangely, transitioning back to in-person classes feels more difficult than the initial transition to online classes. Maybe that’s because in-person classes require a lot more attention and drain your social battery faster. If you’re struggling to make the transition like myself and many others, here are my best tips for overcoming the initial hump:

• Create a loose schedule. It doesn’t have to be hour by hour, but creating a day-to-day schedule may help you stay focused, prioritize your work, and minimize stress about turning things in on time. Ideally, you’ll create a routine that you can stick to, but won’t feel badly if you don’t follow it 100% of the time.

• Put yourself out there during classes. Don’t be afraid to speak up, ask questions, and talk to the people around you. Online classes made it feel awkward to answer questions over Zoom or difficult to strike up a conversation with a classmate. Talking to someone in class every day is a great way to start feeling more comfortable with being back in person.

• In person classes create a very social environment. This usually means a lot of stimuli happening at once, especially in those 470 person Mahar lectures. I have found it extremely challenging to focus during large lectures, and recommend having something that can stop you from fixating on those distracting stimuli. Even just having a pen in my hand to play with helps me focus so much more. 

• Be patient. So many opportunities and responsibilities were thrown onto us in the matter of a few weeks and it can feel overbearing. We must remember that we just came out of a global pandemic, and are arguably still in it. We’ve all had different experiences this past year and a half so remember to be patient with yourself, peers, and professors. At the end of the day, we’re all doing the same things in life, why not be kind and helpful to each other.

• In person exams. Realistically, online exams are way different than in person ones. Maybe you didn’t even bother to study or always kept notes out. With in person exams, that doesn’t fly. Give yourself ample time to prepare for in person exams, your brain isn’t used to cramming like it used to be! 

• Switch up your studying locations to avoid burnout and feeling like you’re living the same day over and over again. During remote learning, I found myself either studying in my bedroom, or on my kitchen counter. Having not been on campus before, I have pushed myself to explore new studying locations each week. The library is a great go-to, and the student union is another convenient place. Even your dorm’s common room is a small, yet significant change to feel refreshed.