An optional, all-North Star outing to kayak in Millers River with Billy Goat Boats. Sign up in advance with Saleem or on the bulletin board. Cost $, let your advisor or Saleem know if the fee is not affordable for you. The North Star building will be open, classes and one-on-ones are canceled.

An opportunity to see this world class dance company in a short performance at the UMass Fine Arts Center. Family members welcome. Tickets are $10 (if you would like to go and this is not affordable, speak to your advisor or Loran).

No classes or one-on-ones today.

For our October outing, like we do for most years, we’ll take a walk down the road and spend the afternoon at Mike’s Maze. The cost is $10 per person; let your advisor or Ellen know if this is not affordable for you. Family members are welcome. The corn maze (now in its 25th year!) features lots of fun activities, cute animals, and they have food for sale. The North Star building will be open this afternoon; afternoon classes and one-on-ones will be canceled.

No classes or one-on-ones today.

Learn more details of the lives of local enslaved individuals and the narratives of enslaved people becoming free. Historic Northampton staff will share information about the legal arrangements that kept slavery in place; how enslaved labor fueled the Northampton and regional economy; and the research at Historic Northampton, Forbes Library, and elsewhere in the Valley that underlies the exhibit. ​​As we explore the exhibit, we will discuss personal connections to this local history and discover what questions we still have about slavery in Northampton.

Through a blend of African gospel, African American spirituals, reggae, and American popular music, South Africa’s Soweto Gospel Choir celebrates hope, unity, and resilience in the most difficult of times. The ticket cost is $10; let your advisor or Loran know if you would like to go and this is not affordable for you.

Help bake 30+ pies for the Amherst Survival Center’s annual community dinner! We will take over the Sunderland Congregational Church’s kitchen and bake everything from scratch. Sign up with Loran.

No classes or one-on-ones today

Imagine a storm so powerful it creates a wintery canvas in which anything is possible. Now step into the mesmerizing world of Blizzard by Cirque Flip Fabrique, in which acrobatics, artistry, and awe inspiring performances combine to create a thought-provoking and unforgettable experience of visual poetry. Tickets are $10. Let your advisor or Loran know if you want to go and this is not affordable for you.

As Buddhist monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery create an intricately designed sand mandala from more than a million grains of colored sand, we will have the opportunity to observe the process and learn about Buddhism through sacred art. We will also create and take home our own mandalas and participate in a brief introduction to mindfulness. The cost is $3.

Our end-of-the-year celebration. We say goodbye to those who are not returning in the fall, enjoy some performances, and share a potluck meal.