Today we are featuring a post by a guest author, our intern, Max Girard! Welcome Max! Max is working on a great project in the archives, scanning and cataloging photographs. All of her work will be available online in our digital collections, along with yearbooks and newspapers, very soon!

Hello! My name is Max Girard and I am an intern in the archives this semester. I am currently working on my master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons University.

As spring begins we get to say goodbye to snow and slush, and hello to sunshine and warm weather!

To shake off the wintertime blues and get ready for spring, here are a few springtime photos of campus.

In this photo from April, 1979, Hampden County Sheriff Michael J. Ashe leads the academic procession for the dedication ceremony of the newly constructed Blake Law Center

A picture of Deliso Hall from June, 1976. (Notice how the arches are not glassed in yet.)

Student walk out of the St. Germain Campus Center in June, 1976.

Sometimes, our student newspaper, The Westerner, will provide not only a glimpse into the life of students on campus, but will also place the reader in the larger context of the world outside of Western New England. That’s why we so enjoyed stumbling upon this article in the paper from exactly 40 years ago, in March of 1979.

As students were gearing up for spring break here at Western New England, and also across the country, they were concerned with the ever relatable question – what to wear on vacation!

Not only is it fun to read about all of the different fashions from the late 1970s (So much “vibrant” yellow and green! And matching jogging suits!), it’s interesting to see how clothing was bought and sold 40 years ago. The article tells students to head on down to the Eastfield Mall and shop at one of two clothing stores, Brooks, and Outfits. Shopping in a physical store was a the only option back then, no ordering online! And the store were different, too. Sure, department stores likely got a lot of business, but small, privately owned boutique type clothing stores were able to thrive, whereas now chain stores, for the most part, run the world.

So, any alums out there remember shopping at Brooks or Outfits? Or remember any other great stores at the Eastfield Mall? Let us know!