WHAT’S HAPPENING IN AMHERST?

There is a lot happening in Amherst this fall.  Here is a brief listing of some select events. 

Puerto Rico Day Celebration
Join the Amherst Regional Public Schools for a Puerto Rico Day Celebration on Monday, September 23rd from 12:30-1:30 PM at Town Hall. There will be performances by Amherst Regional Public Schools staff and students, a reading of the Town proclamation and the raising of the Puerto Rican flag. The entire community is invited to come and celebrate! For questions or more details, call ARPS at (413) 362-1871

Film and Discussion, Venezuela in Crisis
Join a conversation about the crisis in Venezuela that will follow a showing of a documentary about the 2002 coup in Venezuela that briefly deposed President Chavez. The coup is a pivotal event in the recent history of Venezuela and its relations with the United States. Made by a television crew from Ireland, the Washington Post wrote that it “gets viewers inside these tense, emotional and occasionally terrifying events with immediacy and, given the confusion of the time, remarkable clarity.” Showing will take place on Wednesday, September 25, at the Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk, in Amherst. The program begins at 6:30 pm. Sponsored by the Western Mass Venezuela Solidarity Coalition

Anti-Nuke Seminar and Discussion
All are welcome to learn about their role in the fight to save the earth and beat the bomb. Speakers include members of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, and leaders of many local youth, climate, and peace organizations.  The event will be held Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 6:00pm at the 3rd Floor Integrative Learning Center, in the Communications Hub, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. There will be free pizza, with vegan options available. The event is free and open to the public.

Global Climate Strike Continues- UMASS Events: FRI SEPT 27.
UMass – 11:00 AM – Funeral processions begin at
North Campus Traffic Circle
Computer Science Building/Engineering Quad
Franklin Dining, Central Residential Area
Hamden Dining Area, Southwest Residential/
Kendrick Park, Amherst
Robsham Visitor’s Center, University Drive
Die-in: Noon. Die-in in front of the Fine Arts Center, followed by a procession to Whitmore Administration Building, where climate demands  will be read by participating UMass groups. There will also be music, singing, performance, and an announcement of planned next action steps.  More info here

Fort River Clean Up Festival
Join us for an important community clean-up and celebration of Fort River. Participate in the clean up and then stay to celebrate our wonderful river with food, games and displays.  Ready to get dirty for cleaner rivers? Sign-up here! Saturday, September 28th at Groff Park at 83 Mill Lane, Amherst MA 9:30 am – Noon: Clean-up  Noon – 2:00 pm: Celebrate!  We supply: water (bring a bottle), bags, gloves, lunch. Please wear: mud boots/sneakers, long pants, long-sleeved shirt. FREE community cookout, live music, fun activities, raffle, river information and more. 

Hannah’s Ride
UMass Amherst Information Technology (IT) has organized a memorial bike ride and community event in memory of former student Hannah Frilot. The event will take place on Sunday, Oct. 6.  An avid bike rider, Frilot was an IT student worker whose energy and passion for advocacy and helping others left a profound impact on those around her. Following her death in 2014, UMass Amherst IT set up the Hannah Frilot Memorial Scholarship in her honor, awarding a $1,000 scholarship each year to an undergraduate student pursuing a career in STEM in which their gender is underrepresented, much like Frilot, who was an industrial engineering student. 

The ride itself will span 17 miles, beginning and ending on campus at Lot 33, between Sortino Field and the Southwest Residential area. A shorter, “challenge” route will also be available. Registration forms can be found online at umass.edu/it/hannahs-ride or completed in person between 8 – 10 a.m. the day of the ride. 

All riders will head out at 10:30 a.m., but students and community members of all ages are invited to take part in the entertainment, raffles, and other festivities throughout the day, including a performance by the UMass Drumline, a special “Bike Rodeo” put on by the UMass Police Department, an art tent with pieces for sale and more.

In the event of rain, Hannah’s Ride will take place at the same time on Sunday, Oct. 13. Additional information and updates can be found at the scholarship’s official Facebook page, facebook.com/FrilotFund.

Global Warming: A Problem for Penguins.  Saturday, September 28, 2019.2:30-3:30.  Woodbury Room.  Jones Library. Penguins are an indicator species, and they are alerting us to the health of the environment in which they live. In fact, climate change is the top threat to penguin populations today. In this eye-opening presentation by Dyan deNapoli, the various ways in which global warming is affecting all 18 penguin species will be discussed. Action steps that individuals can take to help penguins and the environment will also be part of the conversation.