Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

02/19/2014

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. In case of inclement weather, call UMass Lowell’s weather hotline at 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 Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.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 are available for interviews on:

  • The science behind this year’s snowfall amounts and the outlook for the rest of the season;
  • How a proposed increase in the minimum wage could affect the economy;
  • The likelihood of a 2016 run for president by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan and the challenges he could face.

Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.

Book Discussion Series Explores Lowell’s History

When: Thursday, Feb. 20, Tuesday, March 11 and Tuesday, April 8

What: The UMass Lowell Libraries are hosting a free, reading and discussion series about the history of Lowell. Remaining events in the series feature local historians including UMass Lowell Profs. Robert Forrant and Marie Frank, along with Librarian Martha Mayo. Each will lead discussions on books on the city’s past. The sessions will cover the books noted on the following dates:

  • “Images of America: Lowell Vol. 1” on Thursday, Feb. 20, led by Forrant;
  • “Campus History: UMass Lowell,” on Tuesday, March 11, led by Frank;
  • “Images of America: Lowell Vol. 2” on Tuesday, April 8, led by Mayo.

Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to register in advance; free copies of the titles will be distributed at the program. To register contact Sara Marks at Sara_Marks@uml.edu. Support for the series is provided by the UMass Lowell Center for Arts and Ideas.

Where: Sessions on Thursday, Feb. 20 and Tuesday, April 8 will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Pollard Memorial Library, 401 Merrimack St., Lowell. The Tuesday, March 11 session will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at O’Leary Library Learning Commons, South Campus, 61 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

TOP

River Hawks Soar During City’s WinterFest Weekend

When: Friday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 22

What: Great times on skates await at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell as part of Lowell’s 2014 WinterFest, the annual citywide celebration of the season:

  • Free public skate – Shake off the winter blues and take a twirl on the home ice of the UMass Lowell River Hawks on Friday, Feb. 21, 3 to 5 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own skates; a limited number of pairs will be available for free at the arena.
  • UMass Lowell River Hawks Hockey – The 2013 Hockey East champion River Hawks will face off against the top-ranked Boston College Eagles in this much-anticipated league match-up on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for this last game of the regular season. Ticket-holders in their seats by 7 p.m. will receive a free UMass Lowell replica jersey T-shirt, courtesy of the UMass Lowell Division of Online and Continuing Education. Fans are encouraged to wear the shirts to “blue out” the crowd in support of the home team. Tickets are available through the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell box office, www.TsongasCenter.com or by calling 866-722-8780. Tickets for UMass Lowell students are free with a valid student ID.

Where: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

TOP

Free Event Celebrates A Cappella Singing

When: Tuesday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.

What: A cappella singing – enjoying a renaissance thanks to TV shows such as “The Sing Off” – will be the focus of a free public event that will bring together several of the region’s top harmony groups. Fireside, a new barbershop quartet that includes two UMass Lowell faculty members, will perform along with other male and female choruses and award-winning ensembles, including the Gentlemen Songsters, Metro West Harmony Chorus, Boston Accent and Average Joes. Kirk Young, a music educator and Average Joes’ member, will share how a cappella music is arranged and why studying the form is helpful to musicians in all genres.

Where: Fisher Recital 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 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

TOP

Student Actors Raise Curtain on ‘ShakesScenes!’

When: Wednesday, Feb. 26 through Saturday, March 1, 7:30 p.m.

What: “Shakescenes! Fools and Divas,” presented by UMass Lowell students involved in the university’s Theatre Arts Program, will explore the truths and follies of love conveyed by William Shakespeare’s classic plays. Performers will stage scenes of passion, betrayal and sacrifice from “Twelfth Night,” “Troilus and Cressida” and “Romeo and Juliet,” directed by Nancy Selleck, the program’s director and a faculty member in UMass Lowell’s English Department. Tickets, which are $5 for students and seniors and $10 for the general public, are available at the door.

Where: Comley-Lane Theatre, Mahoney Hall, South Campus, 870 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

Share