This afternoon, students got a little break from classes, tests and projects this afternoon by spending a little time with Zelda, Moka, Nellie and Penny in the Hammond Maine Lounge, These therapy dogs were a welcome respite from the stress that comes as the semester progresses. Keep your eyes on University Events for future visits.

Beginning this evening, the Communications Media Department will present its production of Lorraine Hansberry’s celebrated play A Raisin in the Sun. The play tells the story of a lower-class black family’s struggle to gain middle-class acceptance. The university’s production is directed by Professor Kelly Morgan. “It is brutally upsetting that issues presented in this play still resonate with us as a society," Morgan said. A Raisin in the Sun will be performed in the Wallace Theater for the Performing Arts at the McKay Complex at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with matinee performances at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Learn more about the production here.

While most students in Andrea Olmstead's Ceramics class worked on teapots, others continued working on different projects. Learn more about our Fine Art Program here.

Theater Professor Kelly Morgan teaches students how to utilize the sword as an extension of the character and a a vehicle by which the actor propels the story in his
Stage Movement: Combat in Weston Auditorium. This workshop-oriented course utilizes the basis techniques of movement with emphasis on developing each student's potential for effective physicalization of a character on stage.

The mood was set in an Antonucci Science Complex study space with hanging vines, the scent of flowers, and fog - courtesy of dry ice - as students in the Dr. Katharine Covino (English Studies) and Dr. Erin MacNeal Rehrig (Biology and Chemistry) FYE course "terraform" the space. Students also transformed the space by hanging & presenting the posters they created using the book, Bloom  by  Kenneth Oppel as inspiration.

Yesterday afternoon, the Fitchburg State community gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of TRIO Student Support Services here on campus. Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Bayless kicked things off  by welcoming everyone to the event, and thanking some key offices/personnel that helped make the event happen. Next, to honor I Am First Day, Dean of Students Dr. Hank Parkinson enlightened attendees with some "first-gen facts." Lastly, Director of TRIO Student Support Services Elizabeth Swartz thanked both speakers, and invited everyone to look at the four-floors poster-installation in the library, and enjoy cupcakes and refreshments.

Students in General Biology Lab learn about Gel electrophoresis, a technique used to separate DNA fragments and other macromolecules by size and charge. DNA samples are loaded into wells (indentations) at one end of a gel, and an electric current is applied to pull them through the gel. DNA fragments are negatively charged, so they move towards the positive electrode. Because all DNA fragments have the same amount of charge per mass, small fragments move through the gel faster than large ones. When a gel is stained with a DNA-binding dye, the DNA fragments can be seen as bands, each representing a group of same-sized DNA fragments.

Students in Earth and Geographic Sciences Professor Jane Huang's Web GIS (Geographic Information System) course work on mapping projects. One student is mapping out all of the highest elevation points in each state. 

This afternoon, students in Technical Theater Concentration continued to put the finishing touches on the  set for the upcoming production of A Raisin in the Sun at the Wallace Theater for the Performing Arts in the McKay Complex . The student designed & student built will be completed under the tutelage of Professor Ellen (Cap) Corduan. Learn more about the production here.

Students in Biology and Chemistry Professor Lisa Grimm's Anatomy and Physiology Lab identify musculature and what it's function is.