Students in Hannah Sevian's freshman seminar aren't just learning about chemistry, they're learning how to teach concepts of atoms and molecules to eighth graders at Dever-McCormack K-8 School in Dorchester using science experiments and plays.The Civic Engagement Scholars Initiative (CESI) provided grant support for Associate Professor of Chemistry Hannah Sevian to purchase plays written by Holly Walter Kerby of Fusion Science Theater, plays which the students performed at the end of the fall 2013 semester.

Padraig O'Malley is the John Joseph Moakley Distinguished Professor of Peace and Reconciliation at the John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies. He is also the founding director of The Forum for Cities in Transition. In July 1997, O'Malley and Nelson Mandela co-convened a peace conference in South Africa with representatives from Northern Ireland. To read about the negotiations, go here: http://www.umb.edu/news/detail/umass_boston_professor_reflects_on_collaboration_with_nelson_mandela To learn about O'Malley's work, visit: http://www.umb.edu/moakley

UMass Boston's new assistant professor of costume design, Rafael Jaen, talks about the inspirations behind the costumes of UMass Boston's fall musical, Urinetown The Musical, running December 4-8, 2013, and talks about the role UMass Boston students are playing "behind the seams." For performance dates and times, visit: http://www.umb.edu/urinetown.

In this video, filmmaker Eva Weber describes her film Black Out, which was screened on November 21, 2013 as part of UMass Boston's Film Series, and discusses her current project. Right before the screening, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Winston Langley announced that a film studies minor for UMass Boston students has been approved and will be created.The final film in the fall lineup, Mistaken for Strangers, will be shown at 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 5, 2013.To see the full lineup, visit: http://www.umb.edu/filmseries.

Members of the University of Massachusetts Boston Beacons and the Salem State University Vikings, two Division III teams playing in Frozen Fenway on January 7, 2014, had their first meeting on November 19 when the two teams visited Fenway Park for the official coin flip. See Chancellor Motley's call and find out who will be the home team in this video. For tickets and other Frozen Fenway information, visit: http://www.umb.edu/frozenfenway

Professor Wang Linxu, whose work graces museums and exhibitions worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, did a demonstration at the University of Massachusetts Boston on October 28, 2013 at the request of UMass President Robert Caret. Professor Wang uses Chinese inks, mixed with Chinese black tea, and papers to display lighting and colors as seen in western oil paintings. This is a 1:55 video. For a 32-minute video showing Professor Wang's painting techniques, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmljgXAQ0jkTo see photos, go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/umass_boston/sets/72157637086961304/

Students at the University of Massachusetts Boston are serving as reading and writing tutors at three area high schools this fall, including the Muriel Sutherland Snowden International School at Copley, thanks to a grant from Calderwood International. The newest writing center held an open house on October 24, 2013. One of the UMass Boston tutors as well as teachers and staff members at Snowden International talk about why this partnership is such an important one in this video. To learn about UMass Boston's work at Snowden and two other schools, visit: http://www.umb.edu/news/detail/calderwood_umass_boston_writing_centers_expand_to_snowden_internationalTo watch a 2011 video on the initial Calderwood grant, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bGMWBvvnx0

Keys collected at UMass Boston last year are supporting UMass Boston students in need, just in time for the holiday season. Ralph Greenberg, the founder of the Key for Hope Foundation, presented the U-ACCESS Food Pantry with a check for $1,780 on November 7, 2013. To learn about the U-ACCESS Program and the food pantry, visit www.umb.edu/uaccess or email U-Access@umb.edu.To see photos from the check donation, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/umass_boston/sets/72157637637517646/

The UMass Boston Beacons will face the Salem State University Vikings on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 4 p.m. at Fenway Park as part of the 2014 Citi Frozen Fenway showcase. The players paused during the taking of the team photo to tell us how they found out about this historic opportunity. To keep updated on Frozen Fenway, visit http://www.umb.edu/frozenfenway

Andreia Soares, the director of the UMass Boston Strong Women, Strong Girls (SWSG) chapter, is being honored Wednesday, October 30 at the 12th Annual Women of Excellence Breakfast. The junior psychology major from Milford talks about the growth of the chapter in its first year and her thoughts on receiving the rising star award in this short video.