Story and Source Ideas for Journalists
02/16/2016
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, events are canceled. 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 Please note that contact names below are for the media and are not for publication unless otherwise noted.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:
- The effect of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s death on cases pending before the high court;
- The politics behind the process to nominate Scalia’s successor and who some of those candidates may be;
- How the SAT has been revamped and what high-school students need to do to prepare to take the updated exam this spring.
Contact UMass Lowell media relations if you need an expert source on any subject.
Influence of Latino Americans Explored in Free Program Series
Author Recounts Impact of Famed Newspaper on U.S. History
Event Honoring UMass President Includes Bobblehead Giveaway
Concerts Showcase Noteworthy Musicianship of Performers
Cambodians’ Life in the 1970s is the Subject of Exhibit
Acclaimed Artist to Explore How Animals are Portrayed in Creative Works
Influence of Latino Americans Explored in Free Program Series
When: Tuesday, Feb. 16, Tuesday, March 8 and Tuesday, April 5, 7 p.m.
What: The history of Latinos in the United States and their contributions to American culture is the focus of a free event series presented by UMass Lowell Libraries and held at libraries on campus and in Lawrence and Lowell. During the Tuesday, Feb. 16 program, “The New Latinos,” Maria Matz, a UMass Lowell associate professor who teaches Latin American studies and culture, will lead a discussion on how immigrants from Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic arrived in the United States in the mid-20th century to seek a better life. On Tuesday, March 8, Matz will present “Prejudice and Pride,” which chronicles the labor movement led by César Chavez and the gains made by Mexican Americans in the 1960s and 1970s. During the program “Peril and Promise” on Tuesday, April 5, Matz will explore the rise of Latino American celebrities in popular culture. Members of the public interested in learning more may e-mail Sara_Marks@uml.edu or visit (http://uml.beta.libguides.com/programming) http://uml.beta.libguides.com/programming.
Where: Tuesday, Feb. 16 and Tuesday, April 5 – Lawrence Public Library, 51 Lawrence St., Lawrence. Tuesday, March 8 – 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, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Author Recounts Impact of Famed Newspaper on U.S. History
When: Thursday, Feb. 18, 12:30 p.m.
What: Abolitionist Frederick Douglass’ visit to the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893 – where he influenced an up-and-coming generation of civil rights leaders – will be the focus of a program presented by journalist Ethan Michaeli. The talk, which is free and open to the public, is adapted from Michaeli’s acclaimed book, “The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America.” The work recounts how Douglass inspired entrepreneur Robert Abbott to establish the Chicago Defender in 1905 and chronicles the publication’s impact from its inception through today. Michaeli previously worked at the newspaper as a reporter and copy editor.
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, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Event Honoring UMass President Includes Bobblehead Giveaway
When: Friday, Feb. 19, 7:15 p.m.
What: Lowell’s annual Winterfest, a citywide celebration of the season, will kick off with a night honoring the UMass system and President Marty Meehan as the River Hawks men’s ice hockey team – ranked 11th in the nation – takes on the Minutemen of UMass Amherst. Meehan, former chancellor of UMass Lowell and a 1978 graduate, returns to campus to drop the puck before the game. As part of the festivities, the first 1,000 fans in the arena will receive a bobblehead in Meehan’s likeness, courtesy of Xfinity.
Where: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Lowell
Contacts for media: Pete Souris, Athletics, 978-94-34-3771, Peter_Souris@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
Concerts Showcase Noteworthy Musicianship of Performers
What: UMass Lowell musicians will showcase their talents during two concerts for the campus and public. These performances are:
- “Broadway on the Merrimack” – Selections from musicals including “West Side Story,” “The King and I,” “My Fair Lady” and more will be performed by the UMass Lowell String Ensemble, comprised of university faculty and student musicians, and the UMass Lowell Opera Workshop. The concert will be directed by John-Morgan Bush, a Music Department faculty member. Tickets are $15 per person and are available at http://beta.brownpapertickets.com/event/2500375. Event proceeds will benefit scholarships and programs for UMass Lowell students studying string instruments. Wednesday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m.
- Faculty Woodwind Quintet – The group – made up of UMass Lowell faculty and staff musicians who play flute, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon – will perform a free concert for the campus and public. Selections include German composer Paul Hindemith’s “Kleine Kammermusik,” August Klughardt’s classical “Wind Quintet” and Gyorgy Ligeti’s contemporary piece, “Bagatelles.” Thursday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Durgin Hall, Fisher Recital 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, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
Cambodians’ Life in the 1970s is the Subject of Exhibit
When: Exhibit runs through Saturday, Feb. 27; for exhibit times or to arrange a visit, e-mail Deborah_Santoro@uml.edu.
What: The exhibit “1975” features commissioned works by three Cambodian artists whose art evokes the power of memory, war, displacement and globalization. Artist Anida Yoeu’s video installation and silk-screened prints recall life in a refugee camp after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Amy Lee Sanford’s video and photographs depicts the turmoil of the late 1960s and the 1970s, as told in letters written by a father she never knew. LinDa Saphan’s drawings of present-day Phnom Penh reveal the costs of urban development. The exhibit is presented by UMass Lowell’s Department of Art and Design, Center for Asian American Studies and the Nancy Donahue Endowed Professorship in the Arts.
Where: University Gallery, Mahoney Hall, 870 Broadway St., South Campus, 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
Acclaimed Artist to Explore How Animals are Portrayed in Creative Works
When: Wednesday, March 2, 5 p.m.
What: Performance artist and painter Vitaly Komar will present “Year of the Monkey: A Depiction of Animals in Art,” a free program that is open to the campus and public. Born in Moscow, Komar arrived in New York in 1978 and gained worldwide attention for his professional partnership with fellow avant-garde artist Alexander Melamid. In one of their most famous undertakings, the duo produced a series of paintings created by elephants that were later sold at auction to raise funds for the animals’ care.
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, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu