Hello everybody, it’s Halloween weekend! I’m very excited, as is everyone else I’ve talked to. I’m always curious as to how people will celebrate this most awesome of holidays. One answer I keep hearing is SALEM SALEM SALEM! Well, no one has screamed it to me three times in a row, but you get the idea. This very popular destination has grown immensely over the past ten years. Being from that area, I have a good idea about what there is to do on this year’s all hallow’s eve.

Salem is home to several famous, scary and fun ghost tours, museums, and haunted houses. Just off of Derby St. next to the Salem Wax Museum, you will find the Candlelight ghost tour. This walking tour takes you through some very eerie scenes as you are led through an old graveyard. The tour guides do an excellent job of creating a very unsettling atmosphere to an already creepy situation. If walking ghost tours are not your thing, there are several haunted houses located throughout downtown with ghouls and creatures ready to jump out at every turn. Three of the many fun museums include the Salem Wax Museum, the Salem Witch Dungeon, and the Salem Witch Museum.

Salem is home to several restaurants where you can dine and unwind after a night of thrills and scares. Derby St. is home to the Salem Beer Works, the sister restaurant to the Lowell Beer Works. A little down the road is Jaho Coffee Shop, where you can get your coffee or dessert fix to keep you going through the night. Around the corner on Washington St. are several more restaurants including an Irish pub, chinese cuisine, the Upper Crust pizzeria, and a Ben and Jerry’s. For those looking for a quick bite to eat, there are plenty of vendors selling hot chocolate, candy apples, cider and hot apple crisp.

Halloween night is anticipated to attract 100,000 people this year. As you can imagine, a lot of people means a lot of traffic. The train is a good way to enter Salem without the stress of driving. Just take the Lowell line into North Station and take the Newburyport/Rockport line to Salem from North Station. Here is a link to a more detailed and accurate version of what I’ve just explained: http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/

If you decide to go, have fun but be safe. With all of these people you will definately want to go with a group of friends. If you decide to drive, take heed: there will be a lot of traffic. The T is your best bet, but if you choose to drive be prepared for traffic and extreme difficulty finding parking. If you want a more detailed look at what is happening in Salem this weekend, I highly sugget you check out their website at: http://www.hauntedhappenings.org/

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

TC

So every year MILLIONS of people celebrate Halloween, but who really know what they are celebrating? Yes, it is a fun time for costumes, candy and parties BUT there is a much deeper meaning in it’s origins!! So get the full story and this Halloween know what you are celebrating!

Halloween, or All Hallows Eve as it was originally known, dates back over 2000 years back to a Celtic pagan holiday celebrated in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe as a day to honor the dead.

They believed that the dead roamed the streets at night, but not all of them were friendly. People would leave out gifts and treats to appease the ghosts so they would have a good harvest the next year.

FUN FACTS!!

• Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.
• Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.
• Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first.

Folklore!!

• Signs of a werewolf are a unibrow, hair palms, tattoos, and a long middle finger.
• To this day, there are vampire clubs and societies with people claiming to be real vampires.
• Many people still believe that gargoyles were created by medieval architects and stone carvers to ward off evil spirits.

Watch Out For…

• If you see a spider on Halloween, it is the spirit of a loved on watching over you.
• The Ouija Board ended up outselling the game of Monopoly in its first full year at Salem. Over two million copies of the Ouija Board were shipped.

Have a SPOOOOKYYY All Hallows Eve!!

-Erin

EPIC DADS

(Damn he saw it!)

Hey there!

It’s been awhile since I have said anything and I am truely sorry.
It is great to be past mid-terms. It is very important that you continue to keep up the good work though. We aren’t done yet. At the same time however, don’t push yourselves to hard. Little adventures here and there is never a bad idea as long as you still get all of your work done. It is obvious to say that we are all here to learn. (I hope) It is also important to create new memories and meet new friends. School work is certainly important but you also don’t want to miss anything social either. Like I talked about before, keep an eye open for any interesting events happening around campus and just jump right in!

Much Love,
Chris

P.S. I am sorry for any grammer or spelling errors…

Hey everyone!!

It’s Ashley, again. I’ve been sick the last couple of weeks so I haven’t been able to make a post. Make sure you take care of yourself and don’t let your schedule wear you down! I’ve been taking 20 credits and working, and playing rugby (before and after tearing my MCL) and believe me, it’s taken a toll on me. Get enough sleep and eat right to keep yourself ready to combat the nearing Flu season!

We’ve got something exicitng for you guys coming out soon….FRESHMAN and TRANSFER NEWSLETTERS!!! We’ve been working hard to come out with some interesting articles that you guys will enjoy. So make sure to read the newsletter and send us feedback either through here or via our email – smart_start@uml.edu!! Or feel free to call our office at any time – 978-934-3980.

Hope you guys enjoy your week!!

-Ashley

Hi guys! It’s Cynthia. So this is my first post because this semester has been crazy. As an engineer, sophmore year marks the begining of official engineering courses: so that means lab reports, lab reports, lab reports! Fun stuff!

So for all of you out there thinking that classes are easy, and you have no problem with calculus, chemistry, or physics, don’t worry, it will get challenging soon enough!

The most important thing though is to know when to work and when you’re too stressed to work. It’s not healthy to work every hour of every day. A great distraction for me is the UML Hockey games! This weekend your Riverhawks won both games at home! Exciting I know!

First was Colgate, Division 1 in the ECAC. It was a close game, but no worries, the Riverhawks took the game 5-3! 🙂 Saturday we took on Northeastern, and again prevailed 3-1. It was obvious that the Huskies were still a little bitter because the Riverhawks took their expected place in the Hockey East Championship Game last year.