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News

United States faces government shutdown

(Photo courtesy of Mariam Zuhaib) “The United States Capitol on Oct. 2, 2025” Benjamin Heffner Connector Editor For the first time in over six years, the United States will face a government shutdown, after both a deadlocked House and Senate failed to reach a funding deal over Obamacare subsidies.   The shutdown, which went into effect

Campus Life

UMass Lowell Marching Band prepares for upcoming fall season

(Photo courtesy of Peter Currier) “Michael Hood-Dowd and UMass Lowell Marching Band performing at Convocation.” Benjamin Heffner Connector Editor The UMass Lowell Marching Band (UMLMB) has officially kicked off its new season with its marching show “These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things.” Not a reference to the song popularized by Julie Andrews, the

UML student builds website to assist LA fire victims

(Photo courtesy of LAfire.help) “Donnelly’s website has gained the attention of over 300,000 visitors.” Maxwell Valin Connector Editor In January 2025, a sudden surge of devastating wildfires ravaged coastal communities surrounding Los Angeles, California. Dozens of residents were killed, entire neighborhoods were wiped from existence, and historical landmarks were erased from where they once stood.

Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race 2025

(Photo courtesy of the wgbh.com) “Entries in the Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race must be able to handle all types of terrain, including as seen here, the Merrimack River.” Paul Melkonian Connector Contributor Saturday morning Sept. 20, Market Street, Lowell. Several hundred people milled around in a festive atmosphere; the street blocked at Shattuck and Central

UMass Lowell Marching Band prepares for upcoming fall season

(Photo courtesy of Peter Currier) “Michael Hood-Dowd and UMass Lowell Marching Band performing at Convocation.” Benjamin Heffner Connector Editor The UMass Lowell Marching Band (UMLMB) has officially kicked off its new season with its marching show “These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things.” Not a reference to the song popularized by Julie Andrews, the

Arts & Entertainment

“Hades II” Review: Weapons and Witchcraft

(Image courtesy of SteamDB. “Melinoe wields weapons and witchcraft alike in ‘Hades II’.”) Aaron Preziosi Connector Editor Riding the success of 2020’s “Hades”, Supergiant Games released its sequel “Hades II” earlier this year on Sept. 25 following a four-year development cycle and a year-and-a-half of early access on Steam. Much like its predecessor, “Hades II”

Players upset following two-day PSN outage

(Image courtesy of Forbes. “Sony’s PlayStation Network, the backbone of the PlayStation family’s online service, experienced a two-day outage.”) Aaron Preziosi Connector Editor Last weekend, PlayStation users experienced an unprecedented outage as Sony’s PlayStation Network  (PSN) went down for over 24 hours. Players were unable to sign into their accounts, browse the PlayStation store, or

“Hades II” Review: Weapons and Witchcraft

(Image courtesy of SteamDB. “Melinoe wields weapons and witchcraft alike in ‘Hades II’.”) Aaron Preziosi Connector Editor Riding the success of 2020’s “Hades”, Supergiant Games released its sequel “Hades II” earlier this year on Sept. 25 following a four-year development cycle and a year-and-a-half of early access on Steam. Much like its predecessor, “Hades II”

“The Substance” on the horrors of aging women

(Image courtesy of IMDB. “Elizabeth struggles with her self-image, allowing the film to tell its body horror story.”) Amy Lam Connector Contributor “The Substance” (2024) is a chilling horror film directed by Coralie Fargeat, starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, and Davis Quaid. This two hour and twenty-one minute film premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film

The role of music in shared spaces

(Photo courtesy of Mick Haupt, through Unsplash. “Music can bring many emotions to a shared space.”) Gaia Pirro Connector Contributor Music allows people to relax, but it can also help with concentration and boost creativity. While most college students listen to music through their headphones, occasionally music fills the common spaces of dormitories. Wherever it

“Adolescence” combines gripping crime drama with generational commentary

(Image courtesy of Netflix. “‘Adolescence’ draws from toxic masculinity and criminal drama to tell a gripping story.”) Celia Hoffman Connector Contributor Netflix’s new limited series, “Adolescence,” is a gripping telling of the danger which follows the “incel” and “red pill” wave that has grabbed a generation of young men and boys. Premiered on March 13,

“Explosive” comedy, right here in Lowell

(Photo courtesy of James Guiry) “Casey Woods hosts the “Bomb Shelter!” open mic night. James Guiry Connector Contributor “The Bomb Squad” (@bombsquadpresents on Instagram) is a group of local Lowell comedians that run shows around the city. The group consists of Fredo Cruz (@fredoacruz), Sean Delson (@soyboychik), Ren Marquez (@rrenmarquez), and Casey Woods (@caseywootchudoin). I

Sports

Lowell cruises to victory on opening night

(Photo courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics) “The River Hawks skate around the ice thanking the fans for their support in the regular season opener.” Jake Messer Connector Editor   On Friday, Oct. 3, the River Hawks bested Merrimack at home by a score of 4-0. Captain and graduate Jay Ahearn was the man for the

Lowell cruises to victory on opening night

(Photo courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics) “The River Hawks skate around the ice thanking the fans for their support in the regular season opener.” Jake Messer Connector Editor   On Friday, Oct. 3, the River Hawks bested Merrimack at home by a score of 4-0. Captain and graduate Jay Ahearn was the man for the