Students Get Connected During Opening Week

It’s a time to get acquainted, get connected and get inspired. It’s Opening Week at UMass Lowell.

More than a week of welcoming activities, focused on students entering the University, begins on Saturday, Aug. 30. The week will be full of entertainment – Comedy Central’s Mike Birbiglia, a hypnotist, outdoor movies and a mini-carnival – and events such as a massive dodgeball tournament, barbecues and a dinner on the roof of the UML East garage. 

“The purpose of Opening Week is to give students lots of opportunities to meet other students,” says Associate Dean of Students Annie Ciaraldi. “We schedule a mix of activities to help them do that.”

Opening Week also helps students prepare for the challenges of college. Programs include speakers Ed Gerety, who advises students on the path to first-year success and Travis Roy, who shares insights on handling life’s biggest challenges.

The Ultimate Road Trip, a program full of hints on time management and other key skills, will also be offered.  Visit the Opening Week website for the complete schedule.

The academic highlight of the week will be UMass Lowell’s third annual Freshman Convocation on Tuesday, Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. in the Campus Recreation Center. Themed “Creating the Future: Yours, Ours and Theirs,” Convocation will feature keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, a noted social justice activist who will address the freshman class about making a difference in the world, in their own lives, and in the lives of others. Learn more about Washington by visiting his website.

Convocation will include welcoming remarks and good wishes from Chancellor Marty Meehan, Provost Ahmed Abdelal, Dean of Students Larry Siegel, Lowell Mayor Bud Caulfield, University Professor Susan Braunhut and Student Government President Colleen Phelan.  This required freshman event is the official launch of the academic year.

A barbecue lunch, music and a club fair, at which students can mingle with faculty and academic deans, will be held outside the Campus Recreation Center immediately following Convocation.