There’s nothing like getting pumped up for the university you’re attending. School pride is something we take very seriously at UMass Lowell, and if you’re a Debbie Downer when it comes to school spirit like I was on my first campus tour, let me give you a jump start. Here are 20 reasons to Cheer at UML, and get the school spirit going.
Division 1 Sports
In the past year, UML has finally brought all of it’s University sports to the NCAA’s Division 1. With that, we now have 18 teams competing on the highest level with some of the top schools in the country- and killing it! We have two consecutive Men’s Ice Hockey East Championships under our belt, not to mention our softball, baseball, golf, cross country, track & field, volleyball men’s and women’s lacrosse, soccer, and basketball teams.
Marching Band
I would like to say I’m a completely unbiased person, but when it comes to marching band, that’s a bold faced lie. Having been in marching band for 8 years, and in the UML Band for 4 of those years, I can say that nothing gets me quite so worked up than musical work of director Dan Lutz. Not only is the band musically and visually up there with the best of New England, it’s filled with a wonderful mix of diverse people, from all walks of the university, and it’s just amazing.
I could write a love letter to bagels on pretty much any day of the week, but if it’s an Einstein’s bagel, it would be different story. I wouldn’t just write a love letter, it’d be a sonnet to the bagels, the smear, and the tea. Not only a highlight of south campus, but a highlight of my life.
Truly the unsung heroes of UML, you’d be surprised at how intense the Chess Club tournaments get. It’s truly an art, the way these guys play, and it deserves all the enthusiastic yet quiet cheering it can get.
Late night smoothies at Red Mango
You know how everything tastes better after 9 PM? It’s probably some amalgamation of rebellion against parental influence for meal and be times, mixed with how good the smoothies at Red Mango taste at normal hours of the day, but it kinda just amps it all up. Don’t just cheer to that, clink cups and cheer with a friend for late night bonding.
Intramural sports are crazy kinds of cool. As a recreational sport, there’s all this good natured competitiveness and sportsmanship between UML students competing for the intramural cup. And there’s such a wide variety of sports! 8-Ball, 9-Ball, Badminton, Basketball, Broomball, Dodgeball, Flag Football, Floor Hockey, Ice Hockey, Indoor Soccer, Outdoor Soccer, Powder Puff Flag Football, Racquetball, Softball, Squash, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, and Wiffleball! There’s something for everyone, and I’ll gladly cheer to that.
I don’t know about you, but breakfast is integral to my day. And what better way to start that than with an omelette? But not just any omelette. An omelette graced by the presence of Diane, the Omelette Queen in South Dining. I wouldn’t be able to say how, but she always manages to get the eggs cooked quickly, and perfectly. The veg is seared, the cheese melty, and I would cheer about this, but my mouth is probably stuffed with omelette-y goodness.
Since we’re cheering, it would be wrong to not cheer on UML’s number one fan and representative, Rowdy. This bird is dedicated, at every major sporting event, at Welcome Days, Orientation, and all over Social media, even traveling with the Hockey team to away games. In short, get rowdy for Rowdy!
There’s something about having a new chancellor that makes me both really really excited, and really proud. Even more so when the Chancellor is heavily involved with the school’s image and quality. Chancellor Moloney, since her first day in office, has been working to improve not just UML, but also Lowell, with a series of speeches and grants to students and community members. I’m cheering on this new chancellor, who will bring us to bigger and brighter things.
The (New) McGauvren Student Center
New buildings are exciting. They’re especially exciting when you remember them from before they were renovated. I used to have printmaking classes in Mcgauvren when it was half art department and half student center. Seeing it undergo the transformation into the building it is now has been exciting, and now that it’s finally open, complete with new dining hall, the Merrimack Market, Freshii, and Subway, I’m cheering every day I go there (which is every day).
What cooler than radio? Student Run Underground Radio (literally). WUML is host to an eclectic collection of taste makers and disc jockeys, with varying tastes and far out radio shows. If you’re looking for the hippest of the hip, just tune in to 91.5.
Changing the world is a big deal. Difference Makers? They’re the ones who make it possible by funding the students who want to make a difference. They’ve funded students who have created means for clean drinking water, affordable prosthetics, and community and campus programs like SOS. The things achieved are absolutely incredible.
New buildings are popping up all over Lowell, which is pretty awesome in itself. But if that building is environmentally efficient with food options and space for clubs, I’m already cheering. Ucrossing houses both the business and fun sides of the University. While it’s home to the Registrar, UCaps, Financial Aid, and the Solution Center, it has houses the Office of Student Activities, The Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the Club Hub.
There was once a time when getting university paperwork sorted out was the biggest hassle on this planet. You’d start in one department, say the Registrar’s Office, then be told to go to Financial Aid, who would tell you to go to UCaps, who would send you back to Financial Aid who would send you back to the Registrar, who would tell you that there is nothing they can do about your issue. But the dark ages are over, my friends, because there is a Solution. The Solution Center, located on the first floor of UCrossing, has reps from all of those departments available to help you figure out where your bills go to, how to get a work study job, or the exact place to send you to. I’m cheering, dear readers, with tears streaming down my face.
You know how I said that intramural sports were great? They still are, in fact their fantastic. But it’s also fantastic when UML athletes get to show their merit against other schools. Always the pinnacle of sportsmanship, our Club sports rep us across New England, and do a killer job at it. They deserve some cheering at their games, and I highly suggest going.
Waffle Fries at Hawks Nest
Okay, so fries are great, maybe some of the greatest ways to eat potatoes. Waffle fries though? It lie heaven. It’s so much fry, but it’s ALL crispy and delicious. And the Hawk’s Nest, does it just the way it should be. Remember the whole ‘eating late at night’ thing I mentioned when I was talking about Red Mango? This applies here as well. Take a friend!
Inter library Loan
I’ll admit to also being terrible biased towards libraries. My mother is a librarian, and my first two jobs were at libraries, one of which was O’Leary library, on South Campus. So the fact that were have an Inter Library Loan system within a vast and nuance consortium of libraries, colleges, and data bases has me bouncing off the wall. Any scholarly source you could possibly need is practically at your finger tips, and both hard and digital copies are accessible.
Club Events
What’s cooler than what your peers have planned on campus? Nothing, that’s what! The clubs on campus are some of the most dedicated and diverse people, and can they throw a shindig together! Whether your busting a move at LASA’s Rumba Latina, getting political with F.R.E.E.’s Feminist Fondue, or going for gold with the Magik Club’s Smash Brothers Tournament, you’re guaranteed to have a great time.
Musical Guests at the Tsongas
While it’s usually home to our Division 1 Hockey games, the Tsongas center receives a large amount of musical guests. When Fall Out Boy came to the Tsongas, I wasn’t cheering, I was screaming my lungs out. And for some of these shows? Student ticket prices. If you wanna see your favorite group, or treat a parent or guardian to different side of your UML Opportunities, check out the Tsongas website to see who’s coming for a visit.
UML Students
What’s a university without it’s students? Here at UML, we have some of the smartest, brightest, determined, resourceful, and dedicated individuals studying all kind of things, and going on to incredible fields of work. It can tough to get a degree, but cheering each other on, and encouraging one another, that will make all the difference.
Keep Cheering!
-Kelsey
