UMass wins in more ways than one at Frozen Fenway 2012
Frozen Fenway was a blast! An outdoor ice rink is created in Fenway Park, and this year the UMass Amherst Ice Hockey team played rival University of Vermont. It was a thrilling game--the UMass Minutemen beat the UVM Catamounts in overtime, 3-2 on January 7, 2012.
It was so much fun to be rooting for UMass Amherst at an outdoor rink, especially when it was so mild outside that we barely needed coats. But for me personally, the high point of the day came from the stands, not the rink. At one point someone turned to me and asked if I was a student. “No, I’m Martha Baker,” I said. “You mean, the Martha Baker who sends all the email?” she asked—it turned out that she was a recent graduate of UMass Amherst, and from the College of Natural Sciences, no less. “I got SO MUCH email from you! I can’t believe that I’m meeting you in person!”
We went back to watching the game. After awhile, I felt another tap on my shoulder. I knew it was the student whom I’d spoken with earlier, and worried that she might have an unresolved academic issue to discuss. I started thinking that maybe it wasn’t so much fun to be at Frozen Fenway, but I steeled myself and turned to speak with her.
“Martha Baker, I just wanted you to know that I got the best education at UMass Amherst. The classes were great, and the professors were amazing. If I could go back and do it again, I would!” she said. The smile from that conversation didn’t leave my face until we were back in the car on our way back to Amherst. What a great day!
