Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

02/24/2014

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.

Sources of the week are available for discuss:

  • Constitutional issues surrounding an Arizona bill to expand the definition of religious freedom and the proposal’s effect on the gay rights movement;
  • How Comcast’s deal with Netflix and its plans to merge with Time Warner could affect the cable industry;
  • The arrest of Joaquin Guzman, believed to be Mexico’s top drug lord, and what it could mean for international drug trafficking.  

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

A Cappella Groups to Perform Free Concert

Cappella Groups to Perform Free Concert

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

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

Job Training Program Gives UMass Lowell Student-Veterans an Edge   

When: Fridays, Feb, 28, March 7 and March 28, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.   

What: Student-veterans at UMass Lowell will learn how to translate their military experience into job skills and potential new careers in the life-sciences industry during the Edge4Vets workshop series. Participants who complete the course will earn a guaranteed interview for an internship from one of the program’s four sponsors, Covidien, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Fresenius Medical Care and Haemonetics. Mentors from these companies will help participants assess their strengths, develop confidence and make connections that will help them find career success after graduation. With a growing national reputation for success helping veterans land civilian jobs, Edge4Vets was developed by the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University and UMass Lowell is the first university to offer the national program in Massachusetts. More than 1,450 student-veterans attend UMass Lowell, which is ranked among the most military-friendly schools in the nation by G.I. Jobs magazine.  

Where: UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, 50 Warren 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

Award-Winning Writer-in- Residence to Present Work  

When: Thursday, March 6, 6 to 8 p.m.  

What: Award-winning playwright and novelist Laura Harrington, the UMass Lowell English Department’s Jack Kerouac Writer-in-Residence, will read selections from her work and answer questions from the audience during this free, public event. Harrington has written for the stage, radio, television and film. She received the 2012 Massachusetts Book Award in Fiction for her novel, “Alice Bliss.” The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s English Department.

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 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Marine Corps Musicians Present Free Concert for Campus, Community     

When: Thursday, March 6, 7:30 p.m.

What: The public and UMass Lowell students will get a rare chance to hear some of the world’s most accomplished musicians when the U.S. Marine Corps Jazz Ensemble presents a free concert of standards and original compositions. The group is part of the Marine Corps Music Program, which consists of 10 bands known as “the president’s own,” which perform for heads of state, foreign dignitaries, military leaders and the American public. Before the show, jazz ensemble members will present a workshop for more than 350 UMass Lowell music students in the university’s music performance, music business, music education and sound recording technology programs. The ensemble asked to perform at UMass Lowell as part of its current tour. The event is presented by the university’s Music Department. No tickets are needed for the show. Free parking is available across the street from the venue in the Wilder lot. Members of the public who would like more information about the event should contact UMass Lowell’s Director of Instrumental Outreach Debra-Nicole Huber at DebraNicole_Huber@uml.edu.

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 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

10th Annual ‘Mothers of Rock’ Show to Benefit Local Agency     

When: Saturday, March 8, 7:30 p.m.

What: New England Music Awards’ Rock Act of the Year Sarah Borrello and Brother Bellow will headline the 10th annual “Mothers of Rock” concert, which will also feature musicians from the UMass Lowell community performing songs from generations of artists, from Aretha Franklin to Lorde. The night will include a bake sale, raffles and other prizes. Admission is free but donations accepted at the door will benefit both UMass Lowell’s Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association (MEISA) and Girls Inc. of Lowell, which provides enrichment programs to girls. Members of the public who would like more information about the event should contact meisa@uml.edu or 978-934-5084. 

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 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

Book Discussion Series Explores Lowell’s History

When: 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 UMass Lowell Prof. Marie Frank and 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:  

  •  “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: 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. The Tuesday, April 8 session will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Pollard Memorial Library, 401 Merrimack 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

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