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5 Things You Need to Know Today in Worcester – March 17

By Tom Marino | March 17, 2021
Last Updated: March 23, 2021

In today’s daily 5 Things You Need to Know feature, ThisWeekinWorcester.com explores five important items and stories that Worcester and Central Massachusetts residents should keep a close eye on.

These five things can cover a whole range of subjects and issues that we feel are pertinent to understanding what’s going on in the city and the cities and towns surrounding Worcester.

In today’s edition – Wednesday, March 17 – three members of Congress and alumni to speak at Holy Cross event, Friday is drive-thru Match Day for UMass Medical Students, the Worcester chapter of the Sunrise Movement joins a global day of action,  the Worcester Chamber Music Society announces its first in-person camp and Massachusetts ranked the most innovative state in the country.

 

Three Members of Congress and Alumni Speak at Holy Cross Virtual Event

Three members of congress and all Holy Cross alumni will speak at a virtual event “College Hill on Capitol Hill: How Our Alumni in Congress Would Heal the Nation” on Thursday March 18 at 7 PM.

The three Holy Cross alumni — Sen. Robert Casey ‘82 (D-Pennsylvania), Rep. Peter Welch ’69 (D-Vermont) and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier ’74 (D-California) — were serving in Congress during the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol and subsequent second impeachment of former President Donald Trump.

You can register here for a discussion about the political crisis we’re in and how we move our country beyond. Featuring a special welcome from Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern and an introduction by Holy Cross President Rev. Philip Boroughs, S.J.

 

Drive Thru Match Day for UMass Medical Students on Friday

UMass Medical School will one of the few medical schools in the country to host a physically distanced, in-person, drive-in Match Day celebration.

Match Day is when soon-to-be graduates of medical school find out where they will start their residency training, the next step in their professional journey. For medical students, it is a highly anticipated day.

The event will be Friday, March 19 at 11:30 AM. Students will arrive in their cars at the school’s campus at 333 South St. in Shrewsbury at 10:30 AM.

Students will open envelopes to find out where they matched at noon.

In 2020, UMass held Match Day online. It held early commencement two weeks later with many graduates heading to the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.

 

Sunrise Movement to Rally at City Hall

The Worcester chapter of the Sunrise Movement, a youth movement to stop climate change, will host a rally on Friday, March 19, at Worcester City Hall.

The rally is a part of a global day of action themed “No More Empty Promises.” The group will picket from starting at 4 PM and have speeches and performances starting at 5 PM.

Mothers out Front Worcester, 350 Central Mass, and Worcester Congregation for Climate Action will cosponsor the event.

For more information, see the group’s Facebook or Twitter page.

 

Worcester Chamber Music Society Announces First In-Person Camp

The Worcester Chamber Music Society [WCMS] holds its first in-person lessons, coaching and workshops for amateur musicians age 12 through adult July 12 through July 16.

The camp for strings, woodwinds, and piano will be at Trinity Lutheran Church at 72 Lancaster St. in Worcester.

Interested individuals can apply now through June 7. WCMS encourages adult amateurs to apply.

WCMS Education Director Ariana Falk created the program which includes coaching sessions, workshops, and performance opportunities led by musicians at their organization.

COVID protocols in place to insure the health and safety of all participants.

 

Massachusetts Ranked Most Innovative State

A recent study by WalletHub.com ranked Massachusetts the most innovative state in the United States.

The study created the rankings by analyzing 22 key metrics and comparing all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Key metrics Massachusetts ranked well in include:

  • 1st – R&D Spending per Capita
  • 1st – Venture-Capital Funding per Capita
  • 1st – Projected STEM-Job Demand by 2028
  • 3rd – Eighth-Grade Math & Science Performance
  • 4th – Share of STEM Professionals
  • 5th – Share of Science & Engineering Graduates Aged 25+
  • 6th – Share of Technology Companies

An index score ranked Massachusetts with a 78.58. Next was the District of Columbia with a 75.16 followed by Washington with a core of 69.83.

Other states in New England ranked:

  • 10 – New Hampshire
  • 13 -Connecticut
  • 18 – Rhode Island
  • 28 – Vermont
  • 38 – Maine

The least innovative state in the study is Mississippi, with an index score of 21.96. Louisiana was second to last with a 23.49 preceded by North Dakota with a 31.27.

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