Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
10/26/2015
This is a notice of upcoming events, photo opportunities and story ideas at UMass Lowell, compiled by the Office of University Relations, 978-934-3224. For more stories about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu/pressroom. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication unless otherwise noted.
Sources of the week
UMass Lowell faculty experts are available to discuss:
- How workers’ performance can be affected by inadequate sleep as a result of Daylight Saving Time, which begins on Sunday, Nov. 1;
- President Obama’s new guidelines to curtail the number of standardized tests taken by the country’s schoolchildren;
- General Motors’ decision to reinstate U.S. manufacturing of its Camaro model, which began rolling off the assembly line on Monday for the first time since 1992.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
Human Toll of Gun Violence Demonstrated in Quilt Exhibit
Local Families to Scare Up Fun at UMass Lowell Halloween Party
Artist’s Creativity Flows from Respect for Water
Chamber-Pop Group, String Ensemble Combine in Concert
University Orchestra Conjures Up Spooky Specters
‘Stars Wars’ Event Promotes Love of Reading to Children
QuiltHuman Toll of Gun Violence Demonstrated in Quilt Exhibit
When: Monday, Oct. 26, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What: Eleven quilts stitched by people across the country to demonstrate the human toll of gun violence will be on display in the “Mother’s Dream Quilt Project” traveling exhibit. The exhibit is a collection of quilts created from swatches of fabric from clothing and blankets that have meaning for victims and survivors of gun violence. The display includes biographical information about the fallen and shares survivors’ hopes for the future. The quilts are made by mothers and supporters at community events, including quilting bees that were held in Jamaica Plain, Lawrence, Natick, Newburyport and Roxbury. The exhibit is presented by the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action For Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, which advocates for stronger gun-control laws and public safety measures. The group estimates 30,000 people in the U.S. die each year as a result of gun violence. The exhibit is open to the public.
Where: University Crossing, First Floor, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell
Contacts for media: media@momsdemandaction.org, 269-271-2331 or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
HalloweenLocal Families to Scare Up Fun at UMass Lowell Halloween Party
When: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 4 to 8 p.m.
What: Lowell children and their families are invited to have some frightful fun at a free, annual Halloween event presented by UMass Lowell staff and students through the university’s Office of Residence Life. Trick-or-treating, games, activities, and spine-chilling surprises await at Riverview Suites. Free event parking will be available after 4 p.m. in the Broadway/Riverview lot, which is located off Broadway Street and is adjacent to the residence hall. Staff will direct guests from the parking lot into the building.
Where: Riverview Suites; accessible via Broadway/Riverview Lot, 952 Broadway St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
WaterArtist’s Creativity Flows from Respect for Water
When: Artist’s talk and reception, Thursday, Oct. 29, 3:30 p.m. Exhibit runs through Wednesday, Nov. 25. For University Gallery hours, see www.uml.edu/Dept/Art/galleries_university.htm.
What: The scarcity of the world’s water and the importance of the resource is the topic of “In Solidarity,” an exhibit by visual artist Naoe Suzuki that reimagines rivers in works of art fashioned by laser-cut paper. Suzuki will discuss the creative process behind her work during a talk followed by a reception. Both events and the exhibit are open to the public and admission is free.
Where: Artist’s talk – O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 222, South Campus, 61 Wilder St., Lowell. Reception and exhibit – University Gallery, Mahoney Hall, South Campus, 870 Broadway St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Deborah Santoro, gallery coordinator, 978-934-3491, Deborah_Santoro@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
BirdsongChamber-Pop Group, String Ensemble Combine in Concert
When: Thursday, Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m.
What: Birdsong at Morning, a critically acclaimed chamber-pop ensemble led by UMass Lowell Music Prof. Alan Williams, will perform in a free concert that will showcase selections from the new album, “A Slight Departure.” The group’s music, described by the Boston Herald as “both unpretentious and ravishing,” will be paired with a performance by the UMass Lowell String Ensemble, under the direction of Music Department faculty member John-Morgan Bush. The event is open to the public.
Where: Durgin Concert 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 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
LathamUniversity Orchestra Conjures Up Spooky Specters
When: Friday, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m.
What: UMass Lowell music students who are members of the University Orchestra will perform eerie classics by Mozart, Mussorgsky and other spook-tacular favorites during the group’s annual Halloween concert, directed by Music Department faculty member Mark Latham. Audience members are encouraged to come in costume. The event is open to the public and admission is free.
Where: Durgin Concert 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 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Stars‘Stars Wars’ Event Promotes Love of Reading to Children
When: Saturday, Oct. 31, noon to 2 p.m.
What: “The force” will be with UMass Lowell’s mascot Rowdy the River Hawk as he entertains local children and their families during “‘Star Wars’ Reads Day.” The book “The Return of the Jedi” – which recounts the third installment of the “Star Wars” film saga – will be read aloud during the event, which will include a Halloween costume contest, coloring, face-painting and other activities. Attendees are encouraged to come in costume as their favorite “Star Wars” or Halloween characters. Presented by UMass Lowell’s bookstore, the River Hawk Shop, the event is open to the public and admission is free. Parking is available in a metered lot across the street from the building.
Where: The River Hawk Shop, University Crossing, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu