With a Red Sox World Series wrapping up this week, UMass Amherst is organizing school-sponsored events. Officials are trying to avoid the types of problems, including riots, that the campus has seen in the past.

The school will have free food and residence hall activities for students, particularly in the Southwest residence complex. The area has been the center of rowdy gatherings after some major sports events.

Campus spokesman Ed Blaguszewski says the school will look to change that this week.

“What’s happened in the past really, to some degree, is that plaza has been vacant, and into a vacuum, a small amount of people have come in recent years and try to be the center of attention,” Blaguszewski says, “and now we’re saying, ‘listen, we’re going to occupy that space.'”

Blaguszewski says the Student Government Association has taken the lead in organizing the programs.

Some recent disturbances include celebrations that turned rowdy in 2011 after Osama bin Laden was killed. And in 2012, a raucous gathering of students was dispersed after the New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl.

Blaguszewski says there will be a “strong police presence” on campus this week, including university, state, and Amherst town officers.

Photo is via Flickr from Nikita Gubanov.

Email UMass sent to students

Dear Student,

As the Red Sox and the Cardinals continue playing in the World Series over the next week, I want to let you know about some related activities that the Student Government Association is co-hosting with Student Affairs and Campus Life.

Programming will begin on any night when one of the teams has three wins and a chance to clinch the World Series. Beginning at 10 that night, the Southwest Concourse will be filled with free food, inflatables and much more.

In addition to the activities in Southwest, residence halls throughout campus will be hosting events, and the games will be  televised in all the Dining Commons.

It promises to be an exciting week of baseball and I want to thank the Student Government Association and the University Programming Council for their tireless work in helping to plan these activities. They epitomize excellent representation of the student body, and their leadership has established a positive tone and set of expectations for our community as we enjoy the games with enthusiasm.

As you watch the games – on or off campus – please remember to represent the campus well. Below this note you will find a link to the UMass Amherst Responsible Fan website, which provides information about acceptable and unacceptable fan behavior and other useful information.

Thank you,
Enku Gelaye
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life

http://www.umass.edu/stuaf/responsiblefans/