(Photo courtesy of Judith Aquino) Signs made by union members as part of the UMass Lowell Unions United action on Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day in 2025 Najifa Tanjeem, Ava Peters, Adri Jackson Connector Contributors Last semester, a UMass Lowell graduate teaching assistant (TA) had to choose between filling a prescription and paying rent. She chose rent. This…
Nvidia’s DLSS 5 pushes graphics in a new direction
(Image courtesy of Nvidia. “DLSS 5 will use AI-powered rendering to change the graphics of games in real time.”) Jesse Nguyen Connector Editor Video games, much like other media forms, have consistently improved as time passes and new breakthroughs occur. Games are increasingly released with more talented voice actors, more complex stories, and more sophisticated…
The embarrassment of Chris Kempczinski and the decline of fast food
(Photo courtesy of msn.org) “After McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski went viral for his Big Arch taste test, other fast-food executives decided to join in on the fun.“ Aaron Preziosi Connector Editor By now everyone has seen the video of McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski trying the new Big Arch sandwich, if one could even call the miniscule morsel he extracted…
The messages we absorb: misogyny in media and its wider impact
(Photo courtesy of bostonglobe) “The shameless retooling of Kevin Can Wait” Amy Lam Connector Staff Imagine a husband in the kitchen wearing an apron and rubber gloves to clean the house and watch their children for a day which ends in a disaster. The husband cannot cook, feed his children, or wash the dishes properly.…
Lowell as the first Learning City in the US: UMass Lowell is Taking Advantage of the Classroom Without Walls
(Photo courtesy of https://www.lowellma.gov) “Lowell, Massachusetts, Becomes First U.S. City Named a UNESCO Learning City” Emerson Tully Connector Contributor “Lowell being designated by UNESCO as the first Learning City in the U.S. is a wonderful achievement for the city, UMass Lowell, and all educators in the community. This puts Lowell on the global map as a place where learning, understanding,…
America’s looking to break Olympic traditions
(Photo courtesy of James Squire of Getty Images) From left to right, Alysia Liu, Amber Glenn, Isabeau Levito Jesse Nguyen Connector Editor This Winter Olympics in Milan will be one to break many cycles in the figure skating world, and America is at the core of this. While the sport has seen a steady decline…
How capitalism warps personal value
(Photo courtesy of Sarah Rice from The New York Times) “Charles Meynier’s painting cycle ‘Apollo and the Muses,’ 1798-1800, in the neoclassical gallery at the Cleveland Museum of Art Jesse Nguyen and Olivia O’Sullivan Connector Editor and Connector Staff Have you ever felt guilty about having a hobby? Or do you ever get that weird…
The societal implications of piracy in today’s modern age
(Image courtesy of Aurich Lawson) “‘Shiver me Timbers” Alyssa Mascarenhas Connector Contributor I have no issues with piracy. Media piracy is generally used to get around the price of access and has been around in one form or another for centuries. Manuscripts and books were historically largely produced by the state and church for a high price but were copied…
