By: Cameron Pellegrino '27
The UMass Journalism Department hosted its annual Journalism Welcome Party on Sept. 10. The decade-long tradition is hosted in the Journalism Hub — on the fourth floor of the Integrative Learning Center — and serves as the mark of a brand-new school year.
Students with years of UMass Journalism experience under their belt and first-year students alike filled the Journalism Hub, engaging in conversations with various student media outlets positioned at tables throughout the area.
“It was great to see everyone back, especially as a journalism major, this has become like a second family to me at UMass,” peer advisor Ezekiel Altman said. “It was just a fun time and it was great to see everyone again, and all the new faces of course.”
The event provided an opportunity for students to connect or meet with professors, fellow students and campus media. The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, WMUA 91.1 FM, The Amherst Wire, The Rebirth Project and PRSSA were among the organizations present and actively recruiting new members.
“They don’t have to take everything by storm, they don’t have to commit themselves to everything, but I would really encourage a first-year student to get at least one thing published this semester,” journalism advisor Beth Wallace said. “That would be my best advice, or at least make a pitch, go to a few meetings, see what your groove is and see where it leads you.”
The importance of student media and the plethora of possibilities it presents cannot be understated. Whether the experience comes in writing, on the radio or through multimedia storytelling, students gain valuable skills and build a portfolio that sets them apart. Getting involved with these platforms early is ideal, but students are free to join at any time.
“It’s never too late to get involved in campus media,” Wallace said. “I think that some students will think ‘Oh, everybody else is way ahead of me,’ and that’s not true at all. It’s just based on your own portfolio and experience.”
The hour-long gathering also featured an internship information table with journalism advisor John Ciampa. Internships and jobs are always on students’ minds and can be stressful to think about, but faculty and peer advisors are eager to help with the process.
A crafting table, UMass Journalism t-shirts and mammoth boxes of free pizza were also difficult to pass up. The Welcome Party was a lively and inclusive event, with a multitude of non-majors stopping by to participate in an icebreaker-style of Bingo.
The Journalism Department is gearing up for another exciting year, thanks in large part to the enthusiasm of the incoming class. During their first few weeks on campus, they have showcased curiosity, positive energy and the experience they bring from high school. Two new courses will also be introduced this year: The Visual Newsroom and AI and the News: Power, Adaptation and Democratic Futures. With resources and opportunities ready and waiting, the onus is on students to seize them and make them count.
“UMass Journalism is a great department, but it’s only as good as you make it,” Altman said. “These professors can give you connections, these professors can tell you what to do, but you have to go do it … It’s all out there for you, this place has so many amazing resources, you just have to go get them.”