(Image courtesy of Goodreads. “‘Hurricane Season’ speaks about some of the worst humanity has to offer.”) Rick Dalton Connector Staff “Hurricane Season” is a novel by Fernanda Melchor, with elements of crime, mystery and horror. It was first published in Spanish in 2017 before being translated into English by Sophie Hughes in 2020. The story…
U.S. Treasury ceases penny production
(Photo courtesy of Matt Slocum) “One of the last pennies pressed at the U.S. Mint” Olivia O’Sullivan Connector Staff On Nov. 12, 2025, after over 230 years in circulation, the last pennies were minted in Philadelphia at the U.S. Mint. The Mint has announced an auction for the final coins produced. President Trump directed the…
Figure skating bans transgender skaters from competition
(Photo courtesy: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch, Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports) “Amber Glenn takes a victory lap around the rink following the championship women medal ceremony during the 2024 US Figure Skating Championships at Nationwide Arena.” Olivia K Connector Contributor The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) – and as of late October, its member U.S. Figure…
Americans struggle without SNAP benefits
(Photo courtesy of Matt Rourke) “Americans wait in line for food assistance” Olivia O’Sullivan Connector Staff In the wake of the government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it would run out of funding to operate SNAP – the federal food assistance program – by November. The Trump administration previously stated that…
“Wicked: For Good” may defy expectations
(Image courtesy of IMDB. “Themes of choice define the story of ‘Wicked: For Good’.”) Benjamin Heffner Connector Editor Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked: For Good,” the long-awaited sequel to the 2024 film “Wicked” and based on the hit Broadway musical of the same name, will open in two weeks as early reviews indicate another successful award…
Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” revitalizes horror
(Image courtesy of IMDB. “Del Toro’s adaptation of ‘Frankenstein’ recontextualizes the pivotal novel.”) Rosalie Pineda Connector Staff As Halloween was just around the corner, Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” began its limited theater release on October 17. Since it was also slated for a Netflix release on November 7, few theaters in Massachusetts were showing it.…
Empowerment Through Service: Club Spotlight
Amy Lam Connector Contributor Empowerment Through Service (ETS) is a new student organization looking for volunteers to join them in giving back to the community through service in Lowell, founded by Yudaya Nanziri and Zainab Garelnabi. Their mission is “empowering our community through service work.” This club was founded on the idea that community fosters…
Strategies for managing midterm stress
Maxi France Connector Staff As the end of the semester approaches, anxiety is an issue that many UMass Lowell students contend with. According to the Winter 2025 Healthy Minds survey, 32% of UMass Lowell students reported having had an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. This information suggests that as midterms rolled around…
