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The digital-first, student-run magazine of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Journalism Department

Amherst Wire

The digital-first, student-run magazine of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Journalism Department

Amherst Wire

The digital-first, student-run magazine of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Journalism Department

Amherst Wire

Worcester Dining Hall. Barbosa Photo.

Crowded Dining Halls and Forced Triples: Is UMass Growing Too Fast?

Thierry Barbosa, Assistant News Editor November 11, 2025

UMass Amherst is a school that prides itself on its quality of life for students. But with a student body that has steadily grown over the past couple of years, along with less undergrads moving off campus...

Della Fera Photo

Hampden Art Gallery celebrates 50th anniversary with new exhibition

Max Della Fera, Contributor November 4, 2025

In 2019, artist John C. Anderson, driving and listening to an NPR broadcast on global warming, heard a broadcaster say that over 3 billion birds, or around 30% of the bird population, had died over the...

Dotted Line from UMass Amherst performing at the WMUA Battle of the Bands Fall 2025.

Five Colleges, Six Bands: WMUA hosts annual Battle of the Bands event

Laura Slafka, Entertainment Editor October 30, 2025

WMUA’s biannual Battle of the Bands (BOTB) event kicked off at The Drake this past Saturday, October 18th at 8 pm for a night of student-led live music.  Open to the Five College students and the...

Cover photo for "The Dream." (Credit: The Music Universe)

An ode to 70s Rock: Exploring The Favor’s new album

Shannon Burke, Contributer October 29, 2025

The fresh-eyed alternative band, The Favors, debuted their first album, “The Dream” on Sept. 19. Consisting of four members, the band includes lead vocalists Finneas Baird O’Connell and Ashlyn Rae...

Ghostface from the "Scream" franchise. (Credit: IGN)

Why Horror? Inside the Cinema of Fear

Violet Kowles, Contributor October 28, 2025

With Halloween just around the corner, horror movies are reaching their highest streaming numbers of the year. People are also flocking to the theaters to get a good scare, but why?    A poll...

Documents from the Ellsberg archives

Artist Tammy Nguyen unveils “Political Uses of Madness” Exhibit pulling from the Ellsberg Archives

Paige Rawson, Managing Editor October 27, 2025

On October 16th, the UMass Museum of Contemporary Art hosted a reception to celebrate the unveiling of Tammy Nguyen’s new exhibit, “The Political Uses of Madness.” The Connecticut-based artist...

Poetry: West Chester, Then

Poetry: West Chester, Then

Grace Holland, Contributor October 23, 2025

I see the green benches at the table of the old apartment On Chestnut Street, if my memory serves me right, I see myself, six or seven, Emma, ten or eleven,   Sitting on the carpeted floor...

A banner at the front of Goodell Lawn welcomes students to the UMass Student Farmer's Market.

Flowers, Chainmail and Cider Donuts: Inside UMass Farmer’s Market

Laura Slafka, Entertainment Editor October 20, 2025

Next Friday, Halloween, will be the last UMass Student Farmer’s Market of the fall semester before they kick off again in the spring. Any student in the Five College Consortium can apply to table at...

A still image from "Made in Ethiopia"

Behind the Scenes of “Made in Ethiopia”

Laura Slafka and Violet Kowles October 14, 2025

UMass welcomed co-directors Xinyan Yu and Max Duncan for a public screening of their documentary, “Made in Ethiopia,” on Oct. 3. The documentary follows three women striving for success as a Chinese...

The welcome banner for UMass Sex on the Lawn 2025.

Sex on the Lawn? It’s not what you think

Laura Slafka, Entertainment Editor October 7, 2025

On Sept. 26, student volunteers, coordinators, and local/national health and safety organizations set up shop at the South Lawn for Sex on the Lawn, a sex-ed event that ran from 12 to 4 pm. The event was...

Ed Fast and Congabop performs at Northampton Jazz Festival 2025 in Pulaski Park.

Inside Northampton’s Jazz Festival

Laura Slafka, Entertainment Editor October 6, 2025

Northampton came alive with the sounds of saxophones, scat singing, and Afro-Cuban rhythms during the annual Northampton Jazz Festival, which kicked off Sept. 26 with the crowd-favorite “Jazz Strut”...

Tom Ricardi displays one of his raptors, a barred owl.

Birds of Prey Make a Guest Appearance for UMass Homecoming

Anna Carpinelli, News Editor October 6, 2025

Birds of prey, including a falcon and an eagle, were showcased at the W.E.B. Du Bois Library on Friday by Tom Ricardi, a wildlife biologist and licensed animal rehabilitator.  The homecoming event,...

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