Surreality in Sicily

May 5, 2014

by Molly Boushell and Taylor Gilmore For the past 17 years, Professor Richard Newton has led UMass Journalism students to the sun-drenched Italian island of Sicily. Students in the three credit Journalism 391R course, otherwise known as the “Sicily class,” have the opportunity to travel to the isla...

An adventure in the caves of Northern Thailand

April 15, 2014

by Kristina Kulyabina A Bumpy Start I'm paddling in the front, my cohort Mikaela is in the back. The Lang River's current gains speed as we approach the vast opening of Tham Lod Cave. The tip of the inflatable red kayak is heading straight towards a rock masked by branches as I try to recall our t...

The Works Bakery Café has it all

Paul Bagnall, Writer

April 15, 2014

Coffee makers with beans imported from Costa Rica stand proudly in front of the food counter at The Works Bakery Café.

Bringing the taste of Africa to Amherst

Kaitlin Boyer, Writer

April 15, 2014

A colorful mural of a West African beach stretches across the wall in Baku’s, located at 197 North Pleasant St. In the mural, three African women are depicted: The woman on the left holds a basin of water, the woman in the middle carries papaya and mango, and the woman on the right carries a large yam....

What’s “in” for fashion writers

Emma Sandler, Contributor

April 14, 2014

I spent the entire month of February checking the British Vogue website every day, waiting for one particular announcement: the release of tickets to the third Vogue Fashion Festival in association with Harrods in London on March 29 and 30. The extravaganza promised to be a Mecca for the fashionabl...

Minding the gap: An American abroad in London

Vincenza Parella, Writer

March 31, 2014

I’ve been in England for almost two months and have completely fallen in love with this country of rolling green pastures, endless rain, and tea. And I’ve taken advantage of the fact that my university in Norwich is only about an hour and a half outside of London, making visiting the city easy to...

When a picky-eater goes to Ireland

Katie McKenna, Writer

March 31, 2014

For my entire K-12 schooling career I ate a peanut butter sandwich for lunch – no jelly.  Just a peanut-butter sandwich, every single Monday through Friday, for thirteen years. Most people found this to be pretty ludicrous behavior.  And then there were others, like my friend Nat, who also happened...

St. Patrick’s Day: Not as Irish as you think

Katie McKenna, Writer

March 16, 2014

What’s it like to spend the greenest day on the Emerald Isle? I can tell you one thing: It’s nothing like it is in America. “Why do all the Americans come to Ireland for St. Paddy’s? Don’t do it! Ye celebrate it so much more in America than we do here!” This was the general reaction I’d g...

The Summana Center for Healing in Northampton

March 3, 2014

By Kristina Kulyabina Bon Jovi’s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ is blaring through the speakers as four energetic women maneuver individual strip poles early Saturday morning. “Up! Good job, that’s it. Awesome, look at that she’s got it!” says Tekla Kostek, also known as T.K., class instruc...

Discovering the beauty of Nicaragua: It’s all about getting there

Erin Wolosz, Contributor

March 3, 2014

Dirty, poor, no-good, and lower class citizens. Spend only a short time in Costa Rica and you will undoubtedly hear Nicaraguans, or Nicas, as they are called throughout Latin America, described this way. The discrimination against Costa Rica’s neighbors to the north is apparent. They claim that...

Disconnect from the digital age at Mystery Train Records

Wendy Brown, Writer

March 3, 2014

It’s a place you stumble upon, a place that exudes a sense of an older time. As you walk in the door the distinct, musky smell of well-loved items surrounds you.

Leeds, England: Like London without the hustle

Emma Sandler, Writer

March 3, 2014

When I tell people I am studying abroad at the University of Leeds in England I always have to mention it is in West Yorkshire located two hours north of London by train, as many people have no idea where Leeds is. The truth is, that despite being the third largest city in England, Leeds does not get...