Story and Source Ideas for Journalists

10/27/2014

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. For more stories about UMass Lowell, visit www.uml.edu and click on “Media” at the top of the page. Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication.

Sources of the week

UMass Lowell faculty experts are availa ble to discuss:

  • How parents can be sure their child’s Halloween costume promotes a healthy self-image;
  • Massachusetts races for governor and attorney general, among others, and the state’s referendum questions in advance of Election Day, Nov. 4;
  • The outlook for the holiday shopping season and what it could mean for large and small retailers and overall economy.

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

Portuguese Writer to Discuss Influence of Walt Whitman

When: Tuesday, Oct. 28, 3 p.m.

What: Portuguese journalist and literary critic Filipa Melo will present the free talk “Whitman and Pessoa: Brothers in the Universe,” an exploration of how the work of Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa was influenced by American poet Walt Whitman. A host of cultural programs on Portuguese Public Television, Melo will teach a master class in the UMass Lowell English Department this semester as the first author in the Luso-American Foundation/UMass Lowell College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Writer-in-Residence Program. Her talk is presented by UMass Lowell’s Jack and Stella Kerouac Center for the Public Humanities, the English Department and the Saab-Pedroso Center for Portuguese Culture and Research.

Where: O’Leary Library Learning Commons, Room 478, 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

Event for Local Children Scares Up Halloween Fun on Campus

When: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 4 to 7 p.m.

What: Local children and their families are invited to have some kooky and spooky fun at UMass Lowell’s free annual Halloween event, presented by the Office of Residence Life. Now in its eighth year, the event will include games, activities and safe trick-or-treating through two of the university’s residence halls, along with a “haunted house” experience for older children. Members of the public who have questions about the event may call Residence Life at 978-934-5160.

Where: Sheehy and Concordia halls, South Campus, 4 and 6 Solomont 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

Literary Journalism Focus of Program by Award-Winning Writer

When: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

What: Acclaimed author Maureen Stanton, an associate professor of English at UMass Lowell, will read from her work and discuss her writing during this free event for the public and campus community. Stanton specializes in literary journalism and her 2012 exploration into the world of collectors, “Killer Stuff and Tons of Money: An Insider’s Look at Flea Markets, Antiques and Collecting,” won the Massachusetts Book Award for Non-Fiction. She is also the winner of the Iowa Review and American Literary Review prizes. Stanton teaches writing at the university. The event is part of UMass Lowell’s Jack Kerouac Literary Festival and is presented by the English Department and the Center for Women and Work.

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

Attorney General, State Rep. Candidates to Debate

When: Thursday, Oct. 30, 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

What: Candidates for Massachusetts attorney general and state representative will debate the issues before voters at an event for the public and university community. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., Democrat Rady Mom will face unenrolled candidate Fred Bahou as they contend for the House of Representatives 18th Middlesex District seat. The district serves constituents in Lowell’s Acre and Highlands neighborhoods and portions of UMass Lowell’s campus. At 7 p.m., attorney general candidates Democrat Maura Healey and Republican Jon Miller will square off in the night’s second debate. There is no incumbent in the race, as Attorney General Martha Coakley is a candidate for governor. The event is presented by UMass Lowell’s Center for Public Opinion and The Sun newspaper of Lowell. Moderating the Healey-Miller debate will be James Campanini, The Sun’s editor. The candidates will be questioned by panelists including Tom Zuppa, The Sun’s managing editor; UMass Student Trustee Phillip Geoffroy, a UMass Lowell student and political science major; and Chris Camire, city editor of The Sun’s sister paper, the Sentinel and Enterprise of Fitchburg. Moderating the Mom-Bahou debate will be Christopher Scott, The Sun’s enterprise editor, who will be joined on the panel by Zuppa; Frank Talty, co-director of UMass Lowell’s Center for Public Opinion and assistant dean of the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; and Soben Pin, managing partner of Lowell-based KhmerPost USA.

Where: University Crossing, Moloney Hall, Second Floor, 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

University Orchestra Audience to Bring Halloween Spirit to Concert

When: Thursday, Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m.

What: Audience members are encouraged to come in costume when the University Orchestra performs a frightening array of Halloween classics during a free concert for the public. Conducted by Mark Latham, a UMass Lowell music faculty member, the orchestra will perform selections including Saint Saens’ “Danse Macabre,” Marchner’s “Der Vampyr Overture,” Berlioz’s “March to the Scaffold” and “Witches’ Sabbath” from the Symphonie Fantastique. The venue is handicapped-accessible and offers free parking in the nearby Wilder Street lot.

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

Accounting Students Help to Build Habitat for Humanity Home

When: Friday, October 31, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

What: Accounting students from UMass Lowell’s Manning School of Business will lead volunteer efforts by fellow students, as well as faculty and staff from across the university to assist Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell with the construction of a home in the community. Volunteers will spend the day painting and installing flooring, doors, cabinets and more.

Where: 133-135 Willie St., Lowell

Contacts for media: Kim Trainor, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell, 978-692-0927, ktrainor@lowellhabitat.org or Nancy Cicco, UMass Lowell, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu

Summit to Teach State’s Girls about Careers in Science, Technology

When: Saturday, Nov. 1, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

What: More than 100 girls in eighth through 12th grade will participate in hands-on workshops that will teach them about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics during Girls STEM Summit-North. Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rachel Kaprielian is scheduled to provide opening remarks, encouraging students to pursue college degrees in these fields. The event is presented by Jr.-Tech Inc., a Massachusetts-based nonprofit and Cubist Pharmaceuticals of Lexington, in partnership with UMass Lowell.

Where: Cumnock Hall, North Campus, 31 University Ave., Lowell

Contacts for media: Deborah Vogt, Jr.-Tech Inc., 617-512-1794, vogtboston@comcast.net or Nancy Cicco, UMass Lowell, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu

BSO Ensemble to Perform at UMass Lowell String Project Event

When: Sunday, Nov. 2, 2:30 p.m.

What: In a first-of-its-kind event in the city, Lowell schoolchildren age 8 through 10 who are learning to play the violin, viola and other stringed instruments through the UMass Lowell String Project will share the stage in concert with a Boston Symphony Orchestra chamber ensemble. String Project members will perform songs they’ve learned in their first few months of lessons, while the BSO members will play quintets by Max Bruch and Felix Mendelssohn, giving the audience a sense of musicians’ journey learning their craft. Last spring, the String Project was honored by the National String Project Consortium of the American String Teachers Association as the outstanding program of the year for its leadership in proving music education to students in Lowell public schools and its commitment to engaging the community.

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

‘Mill Power’ Explores Significance of Lowell National Historical Park

When: Thursday, Nov. 6, 4 p.m.

What: Paul Marion, UMass Lowell’s executive director of community and cultural affairs, will read from and discuss his new book, “Mill Power: The Origin and Impact of Lowell National Historical Park,” which traces the history of the urban park from 1966 through its place in the community today. Marion – a Lowell native and UMass Lowell graduate – worked for the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission in the 1980s, helping to develop the park’s programs and properties. Marion and individuals featured in “Mill Power” will sign copies of the book, which will be available at the River Hawk Shop, UMass Lowell’s expanded bookstore at the new University Crossing student center.

Where: 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

Share