Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
10/30/2012
Oct. 30, 2012: This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell, compiled by the Office of Public Affairs, 978-934-3224. For more stories about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu and click on “News.” In case of inclement weather, call 978-934-2121; if the university is closed, all events are canceled. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.
Sources of the week: UMass Lowell meteorologists can discuss the significance of Hurricane Sandy while the university’s economic experts can discuss the storm’s financial impact. Political science experts can provide analysis of the race for the White House between President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney.
Local Children, Families Enjoy Halloween Fun on Campus
Common Themes in ‘Townie’ and ‘Fish Tank’ Explored
Revitalizing Economically Distressed Neighborhoods is Focus of Talk
Acclaimed Percussionist Teaches Students, Performs with Trio
Flag-Raising Event Honors Veterans, Inducts Hall of Fame Members
Local Children, Families Enjoy Halloween Fun on Campus
When: Tuesday, Oct. 30, 4 to 8 p.m.
What: Lowell children and families are invited to don their most creative costumes and head out to UMass Lowell for an evening of fright and fun. Last year, more than 1,000 people enjoyed this Halloween celebration, which includes a haunted house, activities and safe trick-or-treating throughout two of the university’s residence halls. Student volunteers participate in the annual community event.
Where: Sheehy and Concordia residence halls, South Campus, 6 Solomont Way, Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Common Themes in ‘Townie’ and ‘Fish Tank’ Explored
When: Tuesday, Oct. 30, 6:30 p.m.
What: The public is invited to a screening of “Fish Tank,” director Andrea Arnold’s 2009 coming-of-age story about an East London girl who dreams of becoming a dancer. The film, which won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, is featured as part of UMass Lowell’s Common Text Book and Film Series. The series invites first-year English students and members of the community to read the same book and watch films with complementary themes. This semester’s book is “Townie” by Andre Dubus III, a best-selling author and a UMass Lowell English professor. “Townie” tells the story of Dubus’ rough-and-tumble formative years growing up in Haverhill.
Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Revitalizing Economically Distressed Neighborhoods is Focus of Talk
When: Monday, Nov. 5, noon
What: UMass Lowell’s David Turcotte – a research professor of economics and program manager for the Center for Family, Work and Community – and Michael Johnson, public policy and public affairs professor at the McCormack Graduate School at UMass Boston, will discuss issues central to “Reconstructing Neighborhoods: Foreclosed Housing and Redevelopment Strategies in Distressed Communities.” Turcotte is the co-editor of the Merrimack Valley Housing Report, a monthly publication on regional housing, trends, data and issues. Johnson assists community development corporations as they design strategies for foreclosed housing acquisition and redevelopment in order to revitalize neighborhoods. The talk is co-sponsored by UMass Lowell’s College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; the Department of Economics; the School of Health and Environment; the Economic and Social Development of Regions Program; and the Center for Industrial Competitiveness.
Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Fifth Floor, Room 500M, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Acclaimed Percussionist Teaches Students, Performs with Trio
When: Wednesday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m. – concert; Thursday, Nov. 8, 1 p.m. – student workshop
What: World-renowned Flamenco percussionist and composer Nacho Arimany brings his band, Nacho Arimany & Trio, to UMass Lowell for a free concert that explores his music’s Afro-Cuban, Flamenco, African, Indian and jazz influences. On Nov. 8, Arimany will offer a workshop on percussion techniques for UMass Lowell music students. The concert is open to the public, but the workshop is not.
Where: Durgin Concert Hall, Durgin Hall, South Campus, 35 Wilder St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Flag-Raising Event Honors Veterans, Inducts Hall of Fame Members
When: Thursday, Nov. 8, 11:30 a.m.
What: A flag-raising ceremony will unite the UMass Lowell community to honor the region’s military veterans, student veterans who attend the university and 2012 UMass Lowell Veterans Hall of Fame inductees. For the third time, the university has been honored as a military-friendly school – one of only three public universities in Massachusetts to earn this designation – by G.I. Jobs magazine. Through its Office of Veterans Services and other programs and offerings, the university serves more than 1,200 student veterans. In addition, the university’s Student Veterans Organization helped establish one of the country’s first chapters of SALUTE, a national honor society for military veterans.
Where: Cumnock Hall lawn, North Campus, 31 University Ave., Lowell. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held inside Cumnock Hall.
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu