Massachusetts Daily Collegian: Sept. 5, 2013

UMass grad wins Food Science award PAGE B1

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DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, September 5, 2013

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Football Special Issue

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PHOTO BY MARIA UMINSKI/COLLEGIAN

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By Cameron mCDonough Collegian Staff

he 2013 season for the Massachusetts football team got off to a rocky start on Saturday, but coach Charley Molnar has high hopes that this edition of the Minutemen will be an improved football team from last year’s 1-11 squad.

That doesn’t mean that he has a specific goal in mind when it comes to how many games his team should win in its second year in the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mid-American Conference, however. see

EXPECTATIONS on page a4

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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, September 5, 2013

UM hosts Maine in home opener

DailyCollegian.com

Maine game is must win

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MARIA UMINSKI/COLLEGIAN

UMass coach Charley Molnar addresses his team at practice during training camp.

By Nick caNelas Collegian Staff

The scoreboard may have read 45-0, but the Massachusetts football team could see the distinct improvements from last season’s squad in its loss to Wisconsin last Saturday.

So much so, in fact, that the players were quick to point it out to their head coach.

“I had so many players come up to me to say, ‘Coach, we’re really close,’” UMass coach Charley Molnar said.

“So they can see it and they can sense it.”

The Minutemen (0-1) have a chance to turn their progress into wins on Saturday when they take on former Colonial Athletic Association rival Maine in their 2 p.m. home opener at Gillette Stadium.

Not only is it a chance for UMass to capture its first win of the season, it’s a chance to finally get in the win column at its newest home field.

The Minutemen haven’t won a game at Gillette in seven tries since 2010. But Saturday marks their best chance to date.

The Black Bears (1-0) are UMass’ first Football Championship Subdivision opponent since its jump to Football Bowl Subdivision following the 2011 season.

Since then, the Minutemen

“I had so many players come up to me to say, ‘Coach, we’re really close.’ So they can see it and they can sense it.”

Charley Molnar, UMass coach have had a chance to gather two FBS recruiting classes for their roster, something that will help make them a rare favorite in the game.

“That’s what we’re trying to do every week that we go out there, especially this week,” quarterback Mike Wegzyn said about trying to get that all-important first Gillette Stadium win. “I think this is gonna be a good week for us. I’m excited to be at Gillette and finally play in front of our own fans.”

A win on Saturday is certainly not guaranteed, however.

Just last weekend, six FCS teams pulled off stunning upsets over FBS opponents.

For safety Devin Brown, it was a firm reminder that a win won’t simply be handed to them.

“If you look at Week 1, watching all the FCS teams beating the FBS teams,” Brown said. “That in itself was a wake-up call that you can’t take anybody lightly no matter who you are and who you’re playing against.”

This Maine team is also a veteran group with many of the same players that beat UMass in the team’s previous meeting in 2011.

ball team and if you’re not careful they’ll tempo you on defense and catch you in between substitutions before you can get your calls in so you gotta be on top of your game defensively.”

Brown isn’t quite as concerned. The UMass defense goes against the team’s spread offense every day in practice, so it isn’t something the defense is unfamiliar with.

“It’s not too big of an adjustment because we go against the spread every day when we go against our own offense,” he said. “We know Maine runs a lot of passing sets and they also run the ball so between us and Wisconsin I feel like we’re pretty prepared.”

Ultimately the most important challenge for the Minutemen on Saturday will be to avoid underestimating their opponent despite the hope to establish themselves as a legitimate FBS program.

“If you start viewing a team as worse than they are, perceiving them as bad, then you’re gonna play down to whatever level you perceive it as,” Wegzyn said. “Just the same as you should perceive every team as better than you as you’re preparing so you can play up to the calling.”

With that being said, these Black Bears are also the same group that is projected to finish in the bottom half of the CAA standings, while the Minutemen appear to be getting better with each week.

“We’re on course to have a winning performance,” Molnar said. “Doesn’t guarantee a win but it means we have a chance.”

What UMass can guarantee is a much different look from its opponent.

The Minutemen go from facing a Wisconsin team that ran for nearly 400 yards on 44 carries, to a Black Bears team that is more apt to throw the ball in its up-tempo, spread offense.

Molnar, in fact, expects a bigger challenge from Maine quarterback Marcus Wasilewski than the one Badgers quarterback Joel Stave gave UMass.

“Offensively, (it’s) night and day,” Molnar said. “(A) no huddle, fast-paced offense. I would say that Maine’s quarterback is just a better pure passer than what we just saw this past week.

Nick Canelas can be reached at “They run to set up the ncanelas@umass.edu and followed on pass; they’re a passing foot- Twitter @NickCanelas.

Broadnax ruled out for home opener Blanchflower a game-time decision

By Mark chiarelli Collegian Staff

The Massachusetts football team’s first appearance at Gillette Stadium in 2013 may potentially come without two of its most explosive offensive weapons.

UMass coach Charley Molnar ruled running back Jordan Broadnax out for Saturday’s matchup against Maine, and said star tight end Rob Blanchflower would be a game-time decision, according to Daniel Malone of MassLive.com.

Neither player has practiced in over three weeks.

On Monday, Molnar mentioned he would “proceed with caution” regarding injured players due to the length and importance of the entire season.

If Blanchflower cannot play, one of the players the Minutemen will rely on is Derek Beck. He caught six passes for 37 yards in the season opener against Wisconsin and has earned the trust of his coach.

“He stepped up. He played better than he did for us last year.”

UMass coach Charley Molnar on Derek Beck.

“He stepped up. He played better than he did for us last year,” Molnar told MassLive. com. “He had the one drop, which was disappointing only because he rarely drops the ball.”

Stacey Bedell assumed first-team responsibilities following Broadnax’s injury and has shown positive glimpses early on. Bedell ran for 70 yards against Wisconsin on 19 carries, his first steady workload in two seasons.

“I think he proved his mettle, that he could handle his workload through the course of the game,” Molnar said.

“Because when they tackle you in Wisconsin, they’re a pretty darn physical football team. He certainly got up each and every time and answered the bell. So, I feel a lot better about his durability.

Mark Chiarelli can be reached at mchiarel@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Mark_Chiarelli

MARIA UMINSKI/COLLEGIAN

Jordan Broadnax has yet to play for UMass this season.

hen the Massachusetts football team’s 2013 schedule was released, one game in particular stood out to me as more important than any other.

No, it wasn’t the Minutemen’s matchup with defending Big 12 champion Kansas State on Sept. 14 or last week’s season openNick er against Canelas No. 23 Wisconsin. It wasn’t even a Mid-American Conference game.

Instead, it was Maine, the team that UMass takes on in its home opener on Saturday at 2 p.m. My feelings haven’t changed, either.

Why, you may ask, would a Division I-A football team’s most important game of the season come against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent?

It’s a pretty simple concept.

If UMass wants to convince its fan base, recruits across the nation and even itself that it is not only a much-improved football program than the one that took the field against Connecticut in the season opener in its inaugural Football Bowl Subdivision campaign last year, but that it even belongs in the FBS to begin with, then it must beat Maine on Saturday.

I’m not just talking about a win, either. The Minutemen must actually look like the superior team out there.

Just two years ago, UMass was knocked off by the Black Bears, 32-21, in its final season as Colonial Athletic Association rivals.

But that was FCS UMass. Now we need proof that FBS UMass is different.

There is probably at least one of you reading this and thinking, ‘Wait a minute. Six FCS teams just pulled off Week 1 upsets over FBS opponents.

What’s the big deal?’

You’re right. And I’m just as surprised as you are. But here’s the difference.

Of those six teams, five were ranked in the FCS Top 25 heading into the season. The team that wasn’t ranked – McNeese State, which crushed South Florida 53-21 – received its share of votes as well.

The biggest shocker of them all was North Dakota State’s 24-21 win over the Wildcats. But the Bison are also two-time defending FCS national champions.

The Black Bears, on the other hand, are coming off a 5-6 season in 2012 and have had just one winning season in the last four years. They are picked to finish eighth out of 11 CAA teams.

Put Maine on the same field as one of the six aforementioned teams, which includes a Towson team that the Black Bears have lost to each of the last two seasons, and it wouldn’t even be close.

Here’s another difference.

Kansas State can recover and probably will recover from the loss to North Dakota State. This is a team that was ranked No. 1 in the nation at one point last season and as a Big 12 team has the means to draw top-of-the-line

recruits.

The Wildcats could use a team such as Michigan to prove that big-time programs can recover from such gut-wrenching defeats. After their stunning loss to Appalachian State in the 2007 season, the Wolverines went 15-22 from 2008 to 2010, but since then have gone 20-7 and won the Sugar Bowl in 2011.

UMass isn’t at that point, however, and probably can’t recover from a loss to Maine. The time and resources simply aren’t there.

UMass coach Charley Molnar has often talked about the importance of getting better every game and eventually building the Minutemen into one of the MAC’s elite in the next half decade.

A loss to an FCS foe would certainly be a step back.

New England sports fans are very resultsoriented people. I would know, I grew up 30 miles north of Boston and have been watching sports my entire life. So how could UMass possibly convince its students and alumni, most of which hail from the New England area, to buy into a program if it fails to separate itself from an era two years gone?

Based on the low attendance numbers last season, there’s already only a small contingent of UMass fans clinging to a brighter future. This would cut the thread loose.

The Minutemen will probably draw their biggest crowd of the season on Saturday. It’s the home opener and both UMass fans and Maine fans will probably make the trip to Gillette Stadium to make for a more respectable crowd.

This will be the Minutemen’s one and only chance to make a first impression as the 2013 team and bring fans back to the stadium.

UMass needs fans. Not just for the sake of support, but quite possibly for the sake of its FBS livelihood.

FBS regulations require the Minutemen to have an average attendance of 15,000 this season, something they weren’t close to last year, or face a 10-year probationary period.

The Minutemen have made significant progress in recruiting, and an on-field setback would almost certainly affect the decision-making of several recruits, especially if these players are being convinced that they’re joining a team that is expected to get better and better with each season.

In the end, however, UMass shouldn’t lose this game.

The team I saw last week was an uncalled timeout away from trailing the three-time defending Big Ten champion Badgers by a mere touchdown at halftime. If that team shows up, with or without a healthy Rob Blanchflower, Saturday’s game should be over by the third quarter.

But if I’m wrong – it definitely wouldn’t be the first time – expect a whirlwind of negativity to cloud the UMass football program for the rest of this season and potentially future seasons.

Nick Canelas can be reached at ncanelas@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @NickCanelas.

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Thursday, September 5, 2013

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Offensive line key for Minutemen this season Line allowed 32 sacks last season

By Cameron mCDonough Collegian Staff

Massachusetts football coach Charley Molnar isn’t asking for much from his offensive line.

He just wants them to play average. But that’s easier said than done for a unit that allowed 32 sacks last season, which was second most in the Mid-American Conference.

Fast forward to the 2013 season opener, and it looks like Molnar may be getting his wish. The offensive line didn’t allow a single sack or a tackle for a loss (TFL) against No. 23 Wisconsin despite losing 45-0 last Saturday.

However, the offensive line still committed six penalties at the line of scrimmage, which put a partial damper on things for Molnar.

“It was a cleaner game by our offensive line. The penalties were very, very disappointing because we felt like we had more poise and that we had demonstrated that during camp,” he said. “But the upside of it is though the quarterback was pressured

at times, there weren’t any sacks and we didn’t have any TFLs, we had no TFLs in that game. So every play was zero or better, which is an improvement from where we were a year ago.”

The leader of the offensive line is redshirt senior Anthony Dima at left tackle, who was named to the 2013 Outland Trophy preseason watch list. He is flanked by Tyrell Smith at left guard, Matt Sparks at center, Vincent Westcarr at right guard and Rutgers transfer David Osei at right tackle.

The offensive lineman who impressed Molnar the most on Saturday was Sparks. He had a particularly daunting task in trying to block nose guard Beau Allen, who started in all 14 games for Wisconsin last season and made 37 tackles.

“I’ve not said very much about him this camp, but Matt Sparks was up against in my opinion, maybe the best nose guard (Allen) in the country, and he fought through the whole game,” he said. “And that guy made a number of tackles, but it wasn’t a blood bath, he didn’t take over the game. He didn’t command extra help play after play, and we were prepared to help our center out in every which way possible

MARIA UMINSKI/COLLEGIAN

UMass quarterback Mike Wegzyn is hoping for this kind of protection from his line all year. if necessary and never had to use those strategies.”

But this was only one game. The next test for the offensive line is to remain healthy, which was a struggle for them last season.

The Minutemen had to plug freshmen right into the fire last season due to injuries, and their inexperience meant quarterback Mike Wegzyn was under constant

pressure.

Molnar talked about the health of some of his offensive linemen at UMass media day in August.

“Unfortunately with guys in and out, as you know (and) as I’ve talked about a few times, we’ve taken Vince Westcarr, and we’ve really tried to control his reps so we can get him through the course of the season,” he

said. “So, he’s really in and out of the lineup. And now with Dima, he’s almost 100 percent, but he’s still struggling with some of the issues that have kept him out of the lineup. So, when you take those two guys out, who are bonafide starters, all of a sudden we don’t look quite as good.”

Luckily for Molnar, Westcarr and Dima are

healthy at the moment, and they both were a part of the Minutemen’s improved line play on Saturday.

And as Molnar said at media day, he feels that when healthy, this offensive line “has been the best since I’ve been here.”

Cameron McDonough can be reached at cameronm@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Cam_McDonough.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS SEASON One win is something that isn’t too hard for most teams to build upon, but the Massachusetts football team still has its work cut out for it. The Minutemen finished its first Football B o w l S u b d iv i s i o n season with a 1-11 record, and have a f avo r abl e Nick e n o u g h Canelas schedule to at least top that.

UMass may have lost its first game handily, but the offensive line didn’t allow a single sack, or negative play for that matter, which should give quarterback Mike Wegzyn more time to develop as a passer and expose some of the weaker defenses in the MidAmerican Conference. The UMass defense also showed

some promise against Wisconsin, but needs to cut back on the big plays if the Minutemen want to stay competitive.

Ultimately, I think UMass will finish the season with three wins, which may seem marginal on paper, but is a significant step in the development of the program. Wins over Maine and Akron at home should be a lock, but the Minutemen could also sneak up on one of the mediocre MAC teams such as Miami (Ohio), Buffalo or Central Michigan.

Of course, much of UMass’ success will depend on whether or not it has a healthy Rob Blanchflower, who missed the season opener with a pair of undisclosed injuries. He is arguably the Minutemen’s biggest offensive weapon and his presence would be sorely missed.

The Massachusetts football team and its fans learned last season that a move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision is no cake walk. The Minutemen went 1-11, and many of those 11 losses were blowouts.

The 2013 s e a s o n opener was Cameron more of McDonough the same in terms of the result – a 45-0 thrashing against Wisconsin – but there were notable improvements.

The offensive line didn’t allow a single sack, allowing quarterback Mike Wegzyn to have time to maneuver in the pocket. The defense had its moments in the first half including an interception and holding the Badgers to

17 points. But the growing pains were also noticeable especially in penalties at the offensive line. The defense also allowed three Wisconsin running backs to run for over 100 yards, most of which came on big plays.

UMass coach Charley Molnar told the media in August that he sees an improved team from last season, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will translate that improvement into wins. The Minutemen’s best chance at a win comes this Saturday against Maine and then later on in the season against Akron. Look for UMass to win those two games and have a chance to come away with a third victory, perhaps against Miami (Ohio).

Three wins might be hard to get to without tight end Rob Blanchflower and running back Jordan Broadnax, who sat out last weekend.

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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Driven

by

Bedell welcomes new starting job

DailyCollegian.com

COMPETITION

By Nick caNelas

S

Collegian Staff

tacey Bedell’s competitiveness doesn’t just stay on the football

field.

It carries over to the virtual world as well.

The running back for the Massachusetts football team often spends his free time playing video games – football games, such as NCAA Football or Madden, of course – with close friend and teammate Tajae Sharpe.

The wide receiver usually gets the better of Bedell. But he’s always back for another round.

“He beats me a couple of times, but I don’t give up, I keep trying,” Bedell said.

“He’s a little better than me right now.”

It’s that kind of competitive drive that turned Bedell from a medical redshirt after breaking his collarbone two games into his freshman season in 2012 to becoming the Minutemen’s starting running back this season.

Bedell overcame the challenge of having to sit and watch his team play by turning the situation into a valuable learning tool. In that time, not only was he in the weight room physically preparing himself to play again, but he was also learning what it takes to be a college football player.

“When you make the transition from high school to college there’s a lot of things. Really every aspect is different,” UMass running backs coach Roderick Plummer said. “With him being someone that’s really smart, he picks up on things quickly. But really there’s steps to take every day at this level, especially when you’re a freshman at this level for the first time.”

Some of those steps included pass-blocking, route running and just learning how to play in UMass’ offensive system.

So when projected starter Jordan Broadnax, whom he said is like a big brother to him, went down with an ankle injury in training camp, Bedell was immediately ready to fill in for his mentor.

First experienceSUBHEAED

MCT

Stacey Bedell tries to break free from Wisconsin defenders in UMass football’s 45-0 loss on Saturday.

Bedell fulfilled a dream last Saturday when he made his first collegiate start against Wisconsin in front of over 75,000 people at Camp Randall Stadium.

Bedell said that he had butterflies the week leading up to the game, but once Saturday came he was as confident as ever. His coaches could see it as well.

“He’s a confident young man,” Plummer said. “I expected him to jump in

EXPECTATIONS “I haven’t ever spoken in terms of wins and losses with the coaches, with the team or with the public,” he said. “I don’t want to set a goal that’s too high because it sounds good and I certainly don’t want to set a goal that’s too low.

“But I expect to see not only development internally, but I also expect externally that you people watching the games, follow us on a weekly basis, will see an improved football team and say they may or may not be ready to win big in 2013, but you can see that we’ll be a competitive team in the near future.”

His team struggled to stay with No. 23 Wisconsin on Saturday and started off its season with the same sour taste that it did in 2012 when it was shutout by Connecticut in the opener.

But Molnar sees an improved team from a year ago. “(Last year felt) different because I knew we had a long ways to go,” Molnar said. “I thought that maybe some of the guys from our football team would just step up and

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with both feet. I knew this was something he’s been looking forward to for a long time.

“We just talked about continuing to improve. I think he was anticipating being the starter. It’s something he’s wanted to do since he’s been here.”

Though Broadnax couldn’t practice, he was there throughout the week to work with his teammates and help them prepare

for the game. Before kickoff, Broadnax sent all the running backs, including Bedell, a text message to encourage them and motivate them.

From there, it was go time.

Bedell finished the game with 70 yards on 19 carries and a fumble before being pulled in the second half for Lorenzo Woodley in a 45-0 loss to the Badgers.

UMass coach Charley Molnar said after the game that we hadn’t seen Bedell at his best yet, and after watching the film noticed that he was hesitant to react to his reads at the line of scrimmage.

Molnar did, however, give Bedell the benefit of the doubt because of his lack of experience.

“He hasn’t really had consecutive carries since high school,” Molnar said.

“He never got into a rhythm or a flow like he had to this past Saturday.”

Like any competitor, Bedell was far from satisfied.

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be able to carry the day. Once we got through the first game when I saw that wasn’t going to be the case, I tempered my enthusiasm to understand where we’re at as a football team developmentally and we were really on the ground floor.

“We’ve taken a step up. I can’t tell you if we’re on the second floor or the third floor yet. Let us play a couple of games. But we are definitely better than we were a year ago.”

Molnar also has the luxury of an experienced No. 1 quarterback that he can turn to in redshirt sophomore Mike Wegzyn. That didn’t look like it would be the case at the end of last season when backup sophomore quarterback A.J. Doyle got the start against Central Michigan, but Wegzyn outdueled him in the offseason for the starting job again.

Wegzyn was missing two of his top targets against the Badgers in junior running back Jordan Broadnax and redshirt senior tight end Rob Blanchflower due to injury.

Redshirt freshman Stacey

Bedell and graduate student Ricardo Miller got the start at running back and tight end respectively against Wisconsin in their absence.

But perhaps one of the biggest areas of concern for the UMass offense is the offensive line, which suffered multiple injuries last season. That meant that a lot of freshmen had to play and try to protect Wegzyn. Redshirt senior Anthony Dima anchors the line, but questions remain around him.

Molnar, however, thinks that the line is “the best since he’s been here.”

On the other side of the ball, Molnar believed that his defense was outperforming the offense when he spoke at media day in August, which can be attributed to the health of the players.

“I would say right now that the defense remains ahead of the offense,” Molnar said.

“They’ve been very fortunate to be relatively injury free.

We’ve had some guys out, but for the most part every guy on defense has managed to get back into the mix of things.”

The defense struggled

during the game against the Badgers, though, especially against the run. The defense allowed Wisconsin to run for a total of 393 yards and three different running backs to eclipse the 100-yard mark.

They were able to hold the Badgers to 17 points in the first half, but things started to unravel in the second half.

This year’s defense is led by the likes of redshirt senior Kevin Byrne on the defensive line, sophomore Kassan Messiah at linebacker and redshirt sophomore Randall Jette at cornerback.

While the Minutemen have those key players back, they will be without Perry McIntyre, who led the UMass defense at linebacker, Hafis Williams and Chaz Thompson on the defensive line and Darren Thellen at defensive back.

But while the team is built for a more successful run than last season, the next step for these Minutemen is to turn that into wins.

Cameron McDonough can be reached at cameronm@ umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Cam_McDonough.

“Even though it was my first collegiate start I feel like I could’ve played a little better than I did in the game, but I can’t go back and erase my mistakes now, so now it’s time to move on and focus on Maine,” he said.

Mirror images It’s only fitting that one of Bedell’s favorite NFL players is Adrian Peterson.

The Minnesota Vikings running back battled his way back to the playing field just nine months after getting surgery to repair a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee in December 2011, and went on to run for over 2,000 yards and earn Most Valuable Player honors in 2012.

Though Peterson’s case may be extreme compared to Bedell’s, the UMass running back draws inspiration from his work ethic and perseverance.

“I know he’s a hard worker,” he said of Peterson.

“He’ll never give up on something he wants and he just works hard on the

field.”

Growing up, Bedell’s favorite player was LaDainian Tomlinson when the running back played for the Chargers from 2001 to 2009. Bedell wore No. 21 at William Floyd High School in Long Island, N.Y., where he was an All-State player who ran for 2,562 yards and 39 touchdowns as a senior in 2011.

Nowadays, there’s Peterson. But the player he most mirrors his game after now is San Francisco 49ers tailback LaMichael James because he believes they have a similar skill set.

“LaMichael James (has) a lot of speed, quick cuts and moves just like me,” Bedell said.

Best to come Plummer said that football players make the most progress from their first to their second start. And he’s hopeful that will be the case with Bedell on Saturday when the Minutemen host Maine at Gillette Stadium.

It appears Bedell, Molnar and teammates feel the same way, and if what they all say holds true,, watch out.

“On the field I think he’s electrifying,” Sharpe said.

“He could break at any moment. He’s fast, he’s very humble and he’s patient.”

“If he’s at his best he has the opportunity to make big plays,” Plummer said. “That would be the thing that I’m looking forward to is him getting an opportunity in the open field and really show that he’s elusive.

“He has the opportunity to hit another gear and be tough to tackle in the open field and that gives us an opportunity to put some points on the board.”

Bedell’s a humble player who is hesitant to talk about his personal goals, so he won’t touch on his future too often. But he expects nothing short of major improvements on Saturday, and that’s his only focus.

And it seems he’d like to make some improvements with a controller in his hands as well.

“He’s definitely the same guy on and off the field,” Sharpe said. “He gets a little more animated, though, playing video games.”

Just a competitor doing what he does best.

Nick Canelas can be reached at ncanelas@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @NickCanelas.

Follow us on Twitter @Cam_McDonough and @NickCanelas for all your UMass football updates.

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Thursday, September 5, 2013

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FIELD HOCKEY

CLASS OF THE CONFERENCE

UM set sights on conference repeat

By Jason Kates Collegian Staff

With the anticipation of veteran players returning and new players coming in, the preseason always poses as an exciting time for Massachusetts field hockey coach Carla Tagliente.

This year, nothing has changed.

“This preseason we focused on bringing all the new players up to speed in terms of tactics, and what we are trying to work on,” Tagliente said. “Another big area we are focusing on is forming our own identity as a team, as well as our goals and what we’d like to accomplish this season.”

Last season was a memorable one for the Minutewomen, who accumulated a 15-9 record that included an Atlantic 10 title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Now, it must build on last year’s success and live up to lofty preseason expectations.

The Minutewomen enter the year with 15 returners and earned seven of eight possible first-place votes to repeat as A-10 champions.

Although they lost several top scorers due to graduation, Tagliente believes her squad will still maintain the high-powered offense that averaged just below three

Sophomore Brooke Sabia leads the Minutewomen with four goals in three games this season. goals a game last season.

“We have a lot of depth this year, more than we had last year,” Tagliente said.

“I don’t know who will step up and score those goals but it will be by a committee of players, and I believe we have more people capable of scoring this year than last.

“What you’ll see is even

more spreading of the scoring across the board from different players this year.

We’re still playing the same style of hockey in terms of fast-paced and a lot of attacking, so we hope to maintain this style of play.”

Tagliente has made it clear that there is no player in particular that will need

to step up and have a great year, but will need a team effort to have the season they had last year.

“As a coach, you always want to see all of your players step up and pick up the slack,” Tagliente said. “Good teams are made up of many moving parts, and one thing I look for always is strong

MEN’S SOCCER

EVAN SAHAGIAN COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO

schedule in segments and not by each individual game.

“We have our non-conference portion of the season first, which is about 13 games, then we have our A-10 play,” Tagliente said. “We don’t look at certain games on the schedule but instead will focus on getting better in non-conference play so we are ready and running on all cylinders when conference play begins.”

UMass gets a major boost with key returning players such as junior defender Lauren Allymohamed, senior defender Hannah Prince, and sophomore goalie Sam Carlino. This past summer, Prince and Carlino represented the USA in the U-21 Junior World Cup in Germany.

With the season beginning on Aug. 30, Tagliente is ready for her team to go out there and set goals for this upcoming year.

“We have our longer term goals as well as our short term goals,” Tagliente said.

“Our longer term goals are obviously to perform in A-10 play and win a championship and go on to the NCAAs. “Our smaller level goals are all focused on the first 10-12 games of the season and just getting better every day, and really solidifying the style of play we will be bringing to the field this year.”

leadership from the upperclassmen on and off the field, which will lead to a positive influence on the younger ones, especially the incoming freshmen.”

Following a season that included marquee wins over teams such as Syracuse, Boston College and Ohio Jason Kates can be reached at State, Tagliente looks at the jkates@student.umass.edu.

Minutemen prepare for Windjammer Invitational UM seeking first win of season

By MarK Chiarelli Collegian Staff

The Massachusetts men’s soccer team will play in Vermont’s Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Windjammer Classic this weekend hoping to build upon a pair of strong defensive showings in its opening weekend.

UMass (0-1-1) allowed only a single goal in two showings against Evansville and Bradley, coming to a scoreless draw against Evansville and losing to Bradley, 1-0, in consecutive overtime battles.

Now, the Minutemen look to make greater strides against both New Hampshire (1-1) and Vermont (1-0-1) in what UMass coach Sam Koch described as a “huge weekend.”

Koch acknowledged the challenge both teams posed for his young squad while particularly highlighting UNH, which defeated Evansville in

“We gotta get him to be able to talk to the snakes better so we can get some goals for him and he won’t get bitten.”

Sam Koch, UMass coach the same tournament a week ago.

“New Hampshire I think is one of the better New Hampshire teams I’ve seen in a long time,” Koch said. “They work off the ball very well, they have a good understanding with each other and they have three, I think, very good players.”

Koch hinted that UNH may provide his team with a good sense of where it progressed early in the season.

“I think it’s going to be a great game, a great test for us,” he said. “We have our work cut out for us no doubt.

New Hampshire is the game we have to worry about right now.”

If UMass is going to beat the Wildcats, it’ll have to slow down their potent attack. Fortunately for the Minutemen, goalkeeper Nick

capitalize on more opportunities going forward.

“Bottom line is you gotta put your chances away to win games and we haven’t done it,” Koch said. “Is it a concern?

It’s a concern. Is it a major concern? Not right now. The whole emphasis right now is making sure we defend well and I think we showed this weekend we can do that.”

Schwartz brushed off any ideas that the offense was an issue despite UMass being outshot 41-19 through two games.

“Not so much, we’re getting used to each other,” he said. “We were defending a lot, we were really tired after the first game. In all honesty, the first game we should’ve won I think, we had some chances in the second half and the overtime but I think we’re gonna keep progressing. I’m not too concerned right now.”

The Minutemen will take on New Hampshire on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

Ruiz was on top of his game in the opening week, allowing just one goal in two contests.

Josh Schwartz, the Minutemen’s leading point scorer from a year ago, was impressed by Ruiz’s importance.

“He played great, really well,” Schwartz said. “(Ruiz) has been great, big time saves.”

Koch expanded on Schwartz’s sentiments.

“You couldn’t ask for a better start. Obviously we were snake bit a little bit. We gotta get him to be able to talk to the snakes better so we can get some goals for him and he won’t get bitten,” Koch added in a humorous moment referencing the team’s lack of early goal scoring.

While Koch made light of Mark Chiarelli can be reached at the current situation, there’s mchiarel@umass.edu and followed on a sense the offense needs to Twitter @Mark_Chiarelli.

DailyCollegian.com

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

REUNITED

Thursday, September 5, 2013

A6 THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Anderson, Sollazzo meet again in Amherst B y c ameron mc D onough

J

Collegian Staff

ustin Anderson made up his mind.

He was ready to move on from Maryland and find a new home as a graduate student defensive lineman in college football. But he still had to decide where to transfer.

He said he had a list of potential suitors that included American Athletic Conference schools like Rutgers and Temple, but those schools didn’t have the secret weapon that the Massachusetts football team had.

While Anderson was playing for the Terrapins, he played under defensive line coach Dave Sollazzo as a freshman and sophomore.

Sollazzo was there when Anderson had his breakthrough season in 2010 as an anchor on Maryland’s defensive line. He started all 13 games and made 22 total tackles and two sacks that season.

But Sollazzo moved on to coach at Villanova in 2011 and then at UMass in 2012, which is where he remains today. And when Anderson decided it was time to find a new football home, he decided to reunite with his former coach in Amherst.

“What really sets UMass apart was I know coach Sollazzo,” Anderson said. “I knew who he was. We were together at the University of Maryland. So knowing him and knowing his terminology and knowing what type of coach he was, it made it easier for me to make that decision.”

Having the comfort level that he does with Sollazzo helped Anderson make the transition to a new team. It also means that he is prepared for the coaching style of Sollazzo.

“I can say that there is never a dull moment with coach Sollazzo,” he said.

“He’s loud all of the time, he’s in your face, he’s very vocal. You always remember coach Sollazzo. You never forget coach Sollazzo let’s put it that way. Coach Sollazzo, he’s a good guy.

He means well, but when he wants you to get after it he lets you know.”

Anderson also knows what kinds of drills Sollazzo likes to do and when he might get an earful.

“He also knew when he was gonna get yelled at because he’s been yelled at before for screwing up,” Sollazzo said. “So he knows the lay of the land when it comes to playing D-line for me is what it boils down to.”

“I can say that there is never a dull moment with coach Sollazzo. He’s loud all of the time, he’s in your face, he’s very vocal.”

Justin Anderson Although he is playing under a familiar face in Sollazzo, he still has a new defensive coordinator in Phil Elmassian. But that is nothing new for Anderson, who has played for four different defensive coordinators in his career, each with a different way of doing things.

Different defensive coordinators weren’t the only turbulence that he hit at

Maryland, though.

After his career year in 2010, Anderson suffered a broken foot, which caused him to take a medical redshirt and sit out the entire 2011 season. That season was also the first year that Randy Edsall was the man in charge for the Terrapins after replacing longtime coach Ralph Friedgen.

When Anderson returned

in 2012, he never really found a place under the new regime, playing in only five games, none of which were starts. He made six total tackles over the course of those five games, one of which was for a loss. So after a disappointing redshirt junior campaign, Anderson felt like it was time to get a fresh start.

“There was some other stuff that went on inside the team, but it just didn’t work out for me towards the end,” he said. “And after coming back from that broken foot and everything, it didn’t really work out for me. So that’s why me and my family decided it was time for me to move on.”

Although Anderson might be a new face in Amherst, he brings an Atlantic Coast Conference-tested leadership style along with him. As someone who has played in front of 80,000 people before, he can help his teammates prepare for environments like Wisconsin, who they lost 45-0 to on Saturday, and Kansas State.

Anderson, however, feels that he needs to earn the respect of his teammates first.

“I feel like a leader is someone that they appoint to lead the team and go on and do great things,” Anderson

said. “So I feel like if I earn their respect and that’s what they decide to put me at, at the end of the day, then I will fulfill that role. But as of now, I’m just gonna come in here and earn their respect so they can trust me to go out on the field and do my job and help us win football games.”

Going forward, though, Anderson and the defensive line hope that they will have better games than they did in the season opener against the Badgers. The rush defense allowed a total of 393 yards on the ground and three different players to rush for over 100 yards for Wisconsin.

Despite the end result, it was still a special moment for Anderson to don his new jersey for the first time and play beside his new teammates – as a Minuteman.

“Going out there with the team felt great,” he said.

“I felt like I was up there, so it felt real good to go out there with them and play with them. It’s a new team and new place, but guys still want to go out there and play football and just play the game that we love to play.”

Cameron McDonough can be reached at cameronm@ umass.edu and followed on twitter @Cam_McDonough.

MEN’S SOCCER

Minutemen searching for offensive spark

Josh Schwartz ready to lead

By Patrick Strohecker Collegian Staff

It wasn’t for a lack of good attempts.

After going its entire opening weekend — over 200 minutes of play — without scoring a goal, the Massachusetts men’s soccer team is still searching for that elusive first goal.

Even with two straight shutouts to start the season, Minuteman coach Sam Koch didn’t seem concerned, but, instead, admitted that he thought his team just ran into good goaltending.

“The Evansville goalkeeper did a great job,” he said. “He saved two balls that I thought were in. The Bradley goalkeeper was outstanding as well. We went against two very good goalkeepers.”

Still, a lack of scoring is becoming a trend for UMass (0-1-1) since it last made the College Cup in 2007. The Minutemen have seen their goal production steadily decline, with the low point coming in 2011 when they scored only nine goals the entire season.

In 2012, UMass failed to score in its first three games of the season and only had one goal in its first four games, so it is still at least a couple games away from being a serious cause for concern.

“The bottom line is you have to put your chances away to win games,” Koch said. “We haven’t done it. Is it a concern? It’s a concern.

But is it a major concern?

Not right now.”

The offense had numerous question marks entering the season, primarily trying to figure out where

News@DailyCollegian.com

‘Part of making a difference’ UMass earns $95 million life sciences grant Funding will help build new labs By allison ludtke Collegian Correspondent

COURTESY OF WISIANI WIJAYA

Wisiani Wijaya receives her research award from the Institute of Food Technology on July 16, 2013. She won first place.

Indonesian UMass food science graduate wins award for pesticide research

By Mary reines Collegian Staff

A faster way to detect pesticide residue was discovered by University of Massachusetts Honors graduate Wisiani Wijaya. She won first place at the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association’s (IFTSA) undergraduate research competition in July.

What once took hours only takes about 15 minutes with Wijaya’s new method, and it is being tested for use at the food company CSM Bakery Products North America in Woburn, which would like to implement her novel technique.

Her winning research is officially titled “Rapid Detection of Acetamiprid in Foods using SurfaceEnhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS).”

According to Wijaya, acet-

amiprid is a type of pesticide and SERS is a combination of Raman spectroscopy and nanotechnology. Wijaya said that the nanotechnology allows more detection sensitivity than regular Raman spectroscopy.

“So basically the goal of my project is to develop a SERS-based method that is rapid, simple and sensitive, to detect acetamiprid in foods,” she said.

Although there is skepticism about the necessity of pesticide, Wijaya believes that without it, there wouldn’t be enough surviving food growth to sufficiently feed Americans. Pesticide can be dangerous, but it also wards off harmful insects that could infect and kill plants.

Wijaya, 21, was already in the middle of research when her professor, Dr. Lili

He, encouraged her to compete at IFTSA. Uneasy about having a deadline, Wijaya hesitated on the decision.

Would she have enough time to complete her research?

Despite her qualms, she took the plunge, and completed her research in about a year. She said that the process was frustrating at times, involving a lot of trial and error. But when she finally made her discovery, she realized it was worth it.

“The best feeling is when you figure it out,” she said.

As one of six finalists, Wijaya attended an IFTSA conference and gave an oral and poster presentation.

“It was a whole new experience for me because I’ve never presented in a conference before and it’s obviously challenging, but it’s a very rewarding experience as well,” she said.

We’re soarin’, flyin’...

Wijaya, originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, came to the United States four years ago to study at Santa Monica College in California. After a year, she transferred to UMass for its highly ranked food science program, and enjoyed all of her classes.

Wijaya particularly liked her survey of food science class where she got to make yogurt. She also got to make caviar using molecular gastronomy.

“It was a good introduction into food science,” she said.

Wijaya’s interest in food science dates back to her childhood when she used to go grocery shopping with her mother.

“When I was little, I had a lot of questions about the food,” she said. see

AWARD on page B2

By david Barnstone Collegian Staff

NICOLE EVANGELISTA/COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO

its production would come from.

The Minutemen only returned five upperclassmen from last year’s fivewin team, with only Josh Schwartz, Brett Canepa and Peter Alvarenga having any significant impact on the offense returning.

But with Canepa, the team’s captain, out for the first part of the season with a torn ACL, Schwartz, last year’s leading scorer, took it upon himself to be one of the leaders of the

young offense.

“I think it’s just all about building the relationships with the other forwards,” he said. “We’re playing with three forwards this year, so it’s a little bit different, but definitely trying to get everyone on the same page. I can take responsibility.”

Heading into this weekend’s Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Windjammer Classic in Burlington, Vt., UMass will again be facing two tough opponents

in New Hampshire and Vermont, both of which have strong goalies that will make it tough to score.

Despite the lack of goals to open up the season, Koch took away a positive from last weekend’s goal-less games and doesn’t see a need to change any tactics heading into this weekend.

“You know, we had chances to win both games in the overtimes,” he said.

“I think the games could have gone the other way.

Obviously they didn’t. But

I don’t think it’s a question of changing, or having to revamp everything, we just have to continue to keep getting better.”

There were glimpses of hope from some of the new players in the first two games and one in particular that caught Schwartz’s eye.

“Matt Bolduc is a huge threat on the wing,” Schwartz said. “I think we’re just going to keep progressing. I’m not too concerned.”

As for Koch, he still sees that one of the main ways to generate offense is to make sure his squad plays tough on the opposite end of the field.

“Do we have to work on our offense? No question,” Koch said. “But we have to continue to keep working on our defense to make it.”

Patrick Strohecker can be reached at pstrohec@umass.edu and followed on Twitter at @MDC_Strohecker.

EVAN SAHAGIAN/COLLEGIAN

A parachuter prepares to land on the lawn in front of the Fine Arts Center during the Student Activity Expo on Tuesday.

see

GRANT on page B3

UM engineer researches energy efficient fuel cells $750,000 awarded

by Dept. of Energy

Josh Schwartz is one of three returning upperclassmen set to lead the UMass offense in 2013.

This past June, the University of Massachusetts received a $95 million grant to fund life sciences projects and research at the university.

Funded by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC), $5.5 million will go to the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, a joint venture between UMass and Baystate Medical Center. As part of Governor Deval Patrick’s 10-year, $1 billion plan for using innovation centers to create economic development in Massachusetts, it is one of the largest capital grants ever given to UMass.

Aside from funding the equipment of the newly built $157 million Life Sciences Laboratories, the grant will also fund the creation of three new research centers at UMass. The first center, to be called “Personal Health Monitoring,” will concentrate on developing nanotechnology in the form of bio-sensors to monitor patient data in real time. It will allow a patient’s body to transmit data on a constant basis to a monitoring point, offering consistent updates of the patient’s health. In some cases, people may either ignore a health problem or not sense that something is wrong, and by the time it is caught it may be too late. These bio-sensors would correspond with biomarkers within the body, indicating warning signs if any appear.

“It’s prevention, early intervention and overall

maintenance,” said Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. Not only would this technology help people manage their own health, but it compiles long-term data of known diseases, accruing valuable research while potentially lowering health care costs.

The second planned center to be funded by this grant is called “Bioactive Delivery Bridge,” and will focus on discovering agricultural options for pharmaceuticals, designing allnatural formulas for food products, and researching “nutriceutical” compounds – a type of agent with nutritional value as well as a positive effect on biologic function. The ultimate goal is to discover new, sustainable ways to fight infections.

At the final planned center, called “Models to Medicine,” students and faculty will translate protein research into new therapeutic targets. Research over the past 10 years suggests that several diseases facing us now, including cancer and Alzheimer’s, could be derived from protein dysfunctions. Drugs could be used to modify proteins, aimed at inducing a beneficial, biological effect.

The industry of western Massachusetts comes in alongside these projects, particularly the “Personal Health Monitoring” biosensors that can pick up and transmit signals while functioning within the body. According to Dr. Windham-Bannister, these planned centers are being developed with the “very strong competencies of

The federal government has poured billions of research dollars into finding a way to wean American motorists off gasoline and push the nation toward adopting cleaner fuels such as hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. Now, some of that money is coming to support the work of one engineer at the University of Massachusetts who is trying to understand the fundamental science of fuel cells and use that knowledge to suggest ways to make them less expensive and more efficient.

A s h w i n Ramasubramaniam, assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, has been awarded a five-year $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to study the nanoscale materials inside fuel cells. The money will be used to support doctoral and post-doctoral researchers.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity.

Fuel cell technology is an attractive alternative energy source because the reaction produces water and heat as byproducts, instead of greenhouse gases like the carbon dioxide released from burning gasoline. A fuel cell vehicle also has a greater driving range and is more efficient than a battery-powered one.

Fuel cells, however, are expensive.

Ramasubramaniam said many of them rely on rare metals, like platinum, which are used as catalysts to speed up the rate of chemical reactions. In this research project, he will use computer modeling to design and evaluate improved ways to use this costly material.

The key is to minimize the amount of material while maximizing its surface area. If you have a brick of platinum, for example, most of its atoms are sitting inside where they are not helping out with the reactions. Ramasubramaniam said you want the surfaceto-volume ratio to be as

high as possible in order to increase the number of reaction sites.

“So instead of taking one, big block of platinum, you take a lot of small clusters of the same thing,” Ramasubramaniam said. “You’re using the same amount of mass, but now you’ve got way more surface area.” .

The assistant professor will also be looking into the material that these small pieces of platinum are anchored to, usually thin sheets of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice called graphene. Ramasubramaniam said graphene is more effective in fuel cells than other commonly used carbon supports. He wants to know why platinum and graphene work so well together.

Once he has answered these basic questions, Ramasubramaniam can explore new ways of optimizing these materials.

This could mean using lesser amounts of platinum or replacing it with another metal altogether.

Ramasubramaniam is see

FUEL CELLS on page B3

B2

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, September 5, 2013

DailyCollegian.com

Wandering through the Wyoming Wilderness

THE RU N D OW N

Unplugged summer brings new friends

ON THIS DAY In 1997, UMass agreed to a five-year deal with Coca-Cola to give it control over beverages in vending machines and dining halls across campus. In return, Coke paid UMass $270,000.

By Samara aBramSon Collegian Staff

AROUND THE WORLD

Putin promises no anti-gay prejudice at 2014 Olympics MOSCOW – “We can be absolutely sure that Russia will support the principles of Olympism, which don’t allow discrimination of people on any basis, either ethnicity or gender or ... sexual orientation,” Putin said in an interview with Russia’s First Channel television network and The Associated Press, which was posted on the Kremlin website Wednesday.

The law, which criminalizes public displays of support for gays and lesbians, has drawn international condemnation and calls for a boycott of the Sochi games.

Putin accused the media of stirring up fears of discrimination in Russia.

“People of untraditional sexual orientation are in no way infringed upon, either in a professional sense or in terms of salary,” he said in the interview. “I am working with such people. ... We have absolutely normal relations, and I don’t see anything special in it.”

MCT

Samantha Marino had an “amazing” experience over the summer in the wilderness of Wyoming. A management major at the University of Massachusetts, Marino left her hometown of Byfield, Mass., on May 15 to spend the next three and half months at Pahaska Tepee Resort, which is 50 miles from the nearest town.

Marino’s stepfather worked at Pahaska in the 1970s and told her about it when she was a senior in high school, thinking it was something she might enjoy.

She explained that national parks hire people seasonally, providing them with housing and food for a small portion of their paycheck.

“Not many people seem to know about it, but all national parks do it,” she said. “My stepdad told me it was an amazing place and experience, and it has been.”

Marino spent her summer working at a restaurant in the resort with 45 coworkers

AWARD

and no cell phone service or reliable Internet.

While many people may be nervous about approaching such a scenario, Marino thrived in the close-knit atmosphere of her colleagues, calling it “the closest thing to total wilderness that [she] will probably ever experience.” Living among buffalo, moose and bears, she learned enough about the wilderness to help her decide on some academic interests to pursue.

“I didn’t come out here with my studies in mind,” she said. “But I’m now more likely considering working in sustainability, or preservation or something to do with the outdoors.”

Marino explored the wilderness and went hiking in her free time, learning about Wyoming ecology and survival.

Marino also learned about the importance of the people she surrounds herself with.

“When you’re living with so few people in the middle of nowhere, your clothes, style, stereotype, history – none of it matters,” she said, just days before she left for Massachusetts. “The people

here come from about 35 different states, backgrounds, lifestyles and ages. But none of that means anything because now we’re all in the same situation, living, working and spending every day – every meal – together.”

Marino became especially close with a 52-year-old woman named Linda, who went to Pahaska to escape the tornadoes in Oklahoma.

“We pretty much had nothing in common except our jobs at Pahaska,” Marino said. “She’s had a really wild but tough life.”

Marino said that Linda, who was in foster care until she left home at the young age of 14, had a lot to teach her about life.

“Linda was extremely fun and kind and great to talk to, but also showed me that I have so much potential and am very lucky for the life and opportunities that I’ve been given,” Marino said.

“I now see how wealthy we all are, here in Massachusetts and in New England in general, now that I’ve seen so many other places and met so many other people,” she added.

Marino also became close

with two female college students from Texas and New York City who she plans on staying in touch with through Facebook. However, Marino said that Linda was the hardest person to say goodbye to.

“She… taught me to keep a smile on my face even when things aren’t going right,” Marino said.

Marino learned the importance of deep connections and plans to take that lesson back to UMass with her this semester, and then to Paris, where she plans on studying abroad in the spring.

“People are just people and we can become friends with anyone regardless of age, race, upbringing, beliefs – all that matters is how much care and respect you show them,” she said.

Since returning from Wyoming, Marino has found that she hates texting now even more than she did before.

“I’m almost never on my phone,” she said. “I also think I hate TV a little more now, although I haven’t tried watching any since May.” Even though she enjoyed

her summer in the wilderness, Marino does remember getting scared just before she left for Wyoming.

“I worried that I wouldn’t make any friends and that I was just going to be stuck out there not liking it,” she said.

Added Marino: “Fortunately, the people I was with were so free-spirited and friendly that I had no problem making great friends.”

Marino found that living and working in the wilderness reinforced the importance of the people around you.

“I hate to sound corny, but it honestly feels pretty natural breathing fresh air, experiencing the sun and the elements and getting exercise rather than sitting in a dark, closed space all day,” she said. “There are so many beautiful sites to see and it’s definitely an accomplishment getting to the top of a mountain and seeing that view – it’s also a thrill if you see an animal, like a bear, up close.”

Samara Abramson can be reached at sfabrams@umass.edu.

continued from page B1

Wijaya wondered why milk had to be refrigerated or why chips got soggy when they were left out. Studying food science satisfied that curiosity, and now her mission is to keep people safe.

“Food safety directly impacts our health and productivity,” she said.

“Imagine if you don’t have safe food. … People get sick and it brings down our

country’s development too.”

Wijaya currently works as a quality assurance technician for CSM Bakery Products North America, monitoring the safety and quality of food products.

“I hope I can be a part of making a difference,” she said.

Mary Reines can be reached at

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Capital campaign UMass Rising continues to soar past $200M

Funding to go to The average UMass student graduates with scholarships, grants approximately $28,000 in debt and there

By Brian Bevilacqua Collegian Correspondent

Buoyed by donations from the public, the University of Massachusetts has raised $200 million in the midst of its most expansive fundraising campaign in its 150year history, named “UMass Rising.”

Several million of these donations were raised over the summer from alumni donations, elevating “UMass Rising” from the $183 million it stood at as the campaign began its public phase last spring. A summer of giving put the campaign on a successful trajectory.

Through donations from alumni and philanthropists, the university is on pace to reach its goals for expansion and improvements throughout the campus. The ongoing fundraising is about twothirds of the way towards its goal of $300 million.

“UMass Rising” began on Jan. 1, 2010 in its “quiet phase,” during which the university collected donations from many frequent givers. The campaign was publicly announced during UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy’s inauguration last spring when the school already passed the halfway mark in its fundraising efforts in the hope of encouraging others to give

have already been large sums of money committed towards improving the school at a time where there are limits imposed on public spending. The “UMass Rising” campaign aims to improve the university without further burdening the students who take on debt while attending college.

the state’s flagship university the final push towards its goals.

UMass has seen an increase in applications, leading the university to push for further improvements to sustain interest in the school. The public push for more donations to the flagship campus has been coupled by talk of elevating UMass to one of the top schools in the nation, requiring funding that could reach billions of dollars to rival other large state schools Fredrika Clement, one of the many university officials organizing the campaign, outlined the goals of “UMass Rising.”

“Obviously our main priorities in promoting donations are scholarships and funding for research grants and maintaining a top facility for our students,” Clement said.

Goals of the campaign include $55 million for merit and need based scholarships,

UMass student graduates with approximately $28,000 in debt, according to a Collegian article, and there have already been large sums of money committed towards improving the school at a time where there are limits imposed on public spending. The “UMass Rising” campaign aims to improve the university without further burdening the students who take on debt while attending college, although it is not clear if the campaign will alleviate the burden students already bear.

While rallying public support for funding, UMass President Robert Caret wrote a letter in The Boston Globe supporting an increase in state support for the school in order to allow a tuition and fees freeze for UMass students. The state agreed to increase funding to a 50/50 split between the state and the school itself, but under Caret’s promise, UMass would make its money stretch further than in the past and provide the state with a top university.

Caret said in the letter of UMass’ recent increase in popularity and prestige, “This trajectory of excellence, however, is threatened by the realities of the current economic climate. Our ability to provide financial help to talented and in-need students is at risk.”

and $97 million for research program funding. There are also two goals of $54 million -- one for sustaining an elite faculty and one for building the infrastructure of UMass.

Part of the infrastructure donations will go toward repairing and reopening the Old Chapel, which has been closed for 17 years. These goals go much further than the school’s previous fundraising campaign, which concluded in 2001 at $130 million total, according to The Daily Hampshire Gazette.

While all donations go specifically towards the donor’s requested area, the university is also encouraging donors to help sustain its annual fund, which consistently provides the school with the money required to remain competitive among other top universities.

The “UMass Rising” campaign, which appears successful thus far, comes at a difficult time for col- Brian Bevilacqua can be reached at lege funding. The average bbevilac@umass.edu.

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mreines@umass.edu.

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studying nanoparticles, which are so small that you need a powerful and specialized microscope to even see them. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter.

According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative, that means a single sheet of paper is roughly 100,000 nanometers thick. A single nanoparticle is one million times smaller than an ant.

Working with materials on a nanoscale has been a major research focus because matter takes on unique properties at this level. Platinum, gold and silver are the least reactive metals in their normal, solid state. Shrink these elements down to nano size, however, and you can use them to catalyze chemical reactions inside fuel cells.

Ramasubramaniam says precision is important when working on a nanoscale.

“While changing the physical dimensions of these clusters, you’re also subtly changing their

Thursday, September 5, 2013

GRANT

B3

continued from page B1

western Massachusetts” in mind, including the capabilities of advanced manufacturing, nanotechnology, polymers, and agriculture home to the region.

With this grant came a desire to draw attention to businesses in western Massachusetts, hoping to ultimately find ways to leverage the different regions of the state that promote economic development. According to Ed Blaguszewski, Executive Director of News and Media Relations at UMass, “This is very much an opportunity for western Massachusetts to become a much more significant player to a growing and important sector in the economy; a sector that can improve people’s health and well-being.”

In the five months during which the study ran, UMass faculty members worked to find how this grant might benefit both students and local industry. The University planned to use this money to accelerate the pace of this “cutting edge” science out into the market place, especially in terms of products and jobs in the life sciences.

“We think it is incumbent upon us right now to keep up with the demand for workers in the life sciences.” said Windham-Bannister, who also named Massachusetts as the premier job-creator in this field, faster than any other state in the country.

Research funded by this grant will offer students the opportunity to gain technical skills and first-hand experiences with research-

“This is a wonderful convergence of manufacturing, design, communications and life sciences.”

Dr. Susan WindhamBannister, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center ers, making them more competent workers for prospective employers and inspiring economic growth in the region.

“This is a wonderful convergence of manufacturing, design, communications and life sciences,” Windham-Bannister said.

According to WindhamBannister, some companies have already expressed interest.

This grant not only affects research and business, but the UMass student body as a whole, as it requires a combination of many different disciplines working together to create new solutions in life sciences.

“The fact that we have been selected to play a leading role in some very important research in the state, and the country, speaks great measures of the quality of the work that faculty and students are doing,” Blaguszewski said.

Allison Ludtke can be reached at aludtke@umass.edu.

continued from page B1

chemical properties and so you have to be careful in trying to understand how exactly this is going to affect the rates of reactions,” he said.

When the materials are scaled up to a visible size again, a single fuel cell produces a very small amount of electricity by itself. In a fuel cell vehicle, you might have hundreds of these individual cells linked up inside a fuel cell stack. This is part of the reason why fuel cells are so expensive.

The government’s support of research like Ramasubramaniam’s has driven down the cost of fuel cell transportation systems, from $275 per kilowatt in 2002 to $47 per kilowatt in 2012, according to data from the Energy Department’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office.

Earlier this month, the department announced a combined $4.5 million investment in projects at the 3M Company and the Colorado School of Mines,

an engineering university, to improve the efficiency of fuel cells.

At UMass, the project is being funded through the Energy Department’s Early Career Research Program, which Ramasubramaniam, 36, said, “funds people like me, who are still starting up their research careers and getting going.”

The Energy Department’s Office of Science received more than 700 grant applications from university and national laboratory researchers from all over the country.

R a m a s u b r a m a n i a m’ s proposal was selected along with just 60 other scientists who submitted their projects for consideration.

Although the funding program is highly competitive, it allows young researchers to compete against others on their own level. The Early Career program aims to provide “support to exceptional researchers during the crucial early career years,

Tickets on sale at the Mullins Center box office and ticketmaster.com

when many scientists do their most formative work,” according to an Energy Department press release announcing the awardees.

Ramasubramaniam came to the United States after graduating from the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, India, because he feels the graduate education system is superior here than in other parts of the world. After completing his graduate studies at Brown University, he joined the engineering department at UMass, where he has found the large school to be a valuable venue for scientific collaboration.

“There are groups of people all over the place doing extremely interesting and high quality work and I get to interact with all of them,” he said.

David Barnstone can be reached at dbarnsto@umass.edu.

Opinion Editorial

Arts Living THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, September 5, 2013

“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” - Pablo Neruda

Beware the media circus For as long as there have of gun violence” as a way been courts, there have been of honoring Trayvon Martin. famous cases that have the But the relevance of these serious issues to the trial Hannah Sparks doesn’t excuse the defense’s tasteless knock-knock jokes ability to hold the public’s or the ruthless take-down attention. Certain cases, of the testimony of Rachel integral to the American Jeantel, with whom Trayvon identity at this point, have Martin was talking on the been branded into our minds phone when he was shot, by from childhood: The Scopes Monkey Trial. Brown v.

Board of Education. Roe v.

Wade.

But something separates Plessy v. Ferguson from, say, the trials of O.J. Simpson or Casey Anthony – the scope and intensity of the media attention devoted to them.

With courtroom cameras, constant television coverage, and now, input from users of pundits and the public. That social media, the trial-slash- was pure performance. media-circus has become The Bulger trial sparked such a fixture of the news discussion of corruption in cycle that it nearly flies under law enforcement and the govthe radar as the strange spec- ernment, as Bulger and parttacle that it really is. ner Stephen “The Rifleman” We eat it up, sometimes Flemmi were once “top for pure voyeuristic plea- echelon” FBI informants, sure, and other times for recruited by dirty FBI agent more legitimate purposes. John Connolly, who is now Occasionally, the full-on in prison. Star witnesses like media circus is warranted Flemmi and John Martorano because it draws attention to were former mobsters who the issues highlighted by the testified against Bulger under case. This summer’s mega tri- immunity. als – of George Zimmerman You might not agree with and James “Whitey” Bulger Bulger’s claim that his trial – can claim this to a certain was a “sham,” but some of degree.. these factors make it hard to Racism, controversial know who to trust in the trial Stand Your Ground laws and of a mobster in whose world gun control were all at the back-stabbing and lying were heart of the Zimmerman simply par for the course. trial. President Barack But despite the larger Obama used the case to urge issues at play in these trials, Americans to “stem the tide the focus is of course always

on the payoff — the verdict — and, most importantly, whether the jury’s findings match the judgments the public has already made for itself.

And as in any situation in which there are high expectations, the chances for disappointment are equally high.

Some Massachusetts taxpayers feel angered by the

Despite the larger issues at play in these trials, the focus is of course always on the payoff — the verdict — and, most importantly, whether the jury’s findings match the judgments the public has already made for itself.

thought he deserved.

That trial was, in a certain way, a kind of study in our justice system, in which proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt is more important than the weight of public opinion.

In the long run, it does benefit us to have those legal standards, even when they don’t match up with what we’ve decided the sentence should be.

Regardless of the details or outcomes, the main problem with media-circus trials is that, in the end, they are distractions, modern-day gladiator fights in which we hang on the judge or jury’s thumbs-up or thumbs-down, but are still inevitably let down.

No outcome could possibly match the hype that surrounds these cases, so we should just avoid the hype and let the most important issues and facts of the trial speak for themselves.

By funneling so much attention into a few designated “spectacle” trials, the media also neglects other equally important cases people may not give as much thought to otherwise. So before you get sucked into the next Casey Anthony, Amanda Knox or O.J. Simpson-style vortex, remember that there are news stories that are off the radar and just as worthy of public scrutiny as the spectacles the media serves up to us on a silver plate.

expensive yet largely uncontroversial display that was the Whitey Bulger trial. Though his court-appointed (and taxpayer-funded) lawyer, J.W. Carney Jr., is part of one of the best legal teams in the state, obviously the worldfamous mobster wasn’t going to avoid being sent to prison for the rest of his life.

The draw of the trial wasn’t the uncertainty of the outcome, but the fact that Bulger had finally been found and returned to the city he had once “terrorized” in order to face the long-awaited music.

The George Zimmerman trial was a bust in the public’s eyes as well, but for a different reason. Whether you blame the prosecution, Florida attorney general Angela Corey, or the jury, Hannah Sparks is a Collegian columZimmerman didn’t receive nist and can be reached at hsparks@ the punishment that so many umass.edu.

Reform through language Throughout current munity about their existence.

President Vladimir Putin’s This law not only takes away tenure in the Russian gov- from the kinds of freedoms everyone should be entitled Dennis Topakov to, but it most importantly treats LGBT individuals as ernment, he has proven pariahs. time after time that he’s in The penalties for violating the business of driving the this law vary. Russian indicountry back into the Stone viduals engaging in this proAge regarding social develop- paganda can be fined $120-150, ment. whereas public officials can The recent “Anti-Gay be subjected to fines of up Law,” signed into law by to $1,500. Registered organizaPutin on June 30, is Exhibit tions can either be fined up A. The law bans the spread of to $30,000 or forced to cease “homosexual propaganda,” operating for 90 days. Fines

The way we communicate with one another is such an integral part of our daily routine that what we say and hear soon becomes what we think and believe. which it defines as, “The act of distributing information among minors that 1) is aimed at the creating nontraditional sexual attitudes, 2) makes nontraditional sexual relations attractive, 3) equates the social value of traditional and nontraditional sexual relations, or 4) creates an interest in nontraditional sexual relations.”

In other words, individuals will not be allowed to promote or even talk about LGBT culture on the street or on the Internet. They will not be allowed to hold pride parades or educate the Russian com-

increase dramatically for spreading online propaganda.

Foreign citizens can be subject to fines and deportation.

As heinous as this law appears, does it differ that much from some attitudes held by Americans? For example, the American Family Association, a nonprofit organization upholding Christian values, actually supports and praises Putin for his actions. At first I couldn’t believe that people living in a country where freedom is so important could support such blatantly unjust laws.

But then I performed a lit-

As American supporters of Putin’s laws show, homophobia doesn’t reside solely in Russia. It also rears its ugly head in the country where freedom is fundamental.

Having moved to the U.S. from Russia when I was 8 years old, I have been able to observe how Americans view those who are different.

I have found that they tend to choose to look the other way and do not speak out.

Russians, on the other hand, voice their distaste, whether through intolerance, acts of violence or repressive laws.

Neither approach is preferred.

Russia is a country afraid of change. It is very black and white, with no gray area in between. What is traditional is right, while what is new or different is wrong. In a way, Russians are ignorant of social evolution, not because they are against learning, but because Putin speaks for the country without counsel.

Despite what people hear on the news, Russia should not be looked at as a country filled with cruelty and bigotry. That’s not where I was born. It’s a country plagued by a tyrant who blindly lusts for power and broadcasts his intolerance to the world.

tle experiment. I sat my mother, born and raised in Russia but influenced by U.S. social customs, and her friend, a very level-headed individual with a political science degree from the University of Massachusetts, down and asked them their opinion on Putin’s new law.

My mother’s friend was disapproving, saying that the law is tyrannical and takes away from human rights. My mother was more hostile. Despite living in the U.S. for the last 15 years, she kept referring to gays and lesbians and “their actions.” Nuances within her speech gave off subtle hints that set LGBTQ individuals apart from straight men or women.

I believe reform must start with language. The way we communicate with one another is such an integral part of our daily routine that what we say and hear soon becomes what we think and believe.

If we use words that alienate a certain group, then that is exactly how we are going to act toward that group. We shouldn’t refer to gays and lesbians as a negative “they,” but as a positive “us.”

One might say that because my mother was raised in Russia, her views are different. But if Americans really did have much more tolerant attitudes toward the LGBTQ Dennis Topakov is a Collegian columcommunity, her mindset nist and can be reached at dtopakov@ would have changed by now. umass.edu.

Editorial@DailyCollegiancom

The importance of Gen Eds The longtime tradi- time to have a double major tion of general education or minor because they don’t have to worry about fulfillKaren Podorefsky ing credits for extra classes.

“I really like that we courses designed to shape have the freedom to crewell-rounded students con- ate our curriculum,” said tinues today, allowing stu- Linda Loi, who graduated dents to explore fields they from Smith College in May. may not be interested in “It gives us the wiggle room or to simply broaden their to learn about things we knowledge on a subject. would not have bothered According to Daniel to learn about before. For de Vise’s article in example, I was able to go to The Washington Post, UMass and take journalism “Advocates of general edu- classes.” cation contend students Brown University has should not be allowed to concentration requirecomplete college without ments, meaning you need learning some amount of to complete certain classessential knowledge…to es for a major. Like some cover essential subjects.” majors at UMass, students But what do these core can choose what interests classes do for students in them in their major as long the long run? Some of the as they fulfill a certain Gen Eds at the University amount of credits. of Massachusetts teach Students at Brown also interesting “Jeopardy” fact have a writing requirement. knowledge, but are not as Writing courses are offered beneficial as they could be within every department, to students once they grad- so students aren’t forced uate. to take classes on subject

Some of the Gen Eds at UMass teach interesting “Jeopardy” fact knowledge, but are not as beneficial as they could be to students once they graduate.

For example, it would be useful if students were required to take a basic finance class. I have a slim chance of learning important life skills like that through a class since I have no extra time in my schedule, and because I have extra time in my schedule.

Required writing classes are worthwhile, so long as they teach students more than basic writing skills. It is important for any student to have strong writing skills, as even if their major doesn’t require writing essays, they will still need to write cover letters, applications, recommendations and more throughout the course of their lives.

In some cases, by forcing students to enroll in classes they may not have taken otherwise, general education courses can help students find their major.

Conversely, a student could come to school with a major picked out and decide to switch based on a newly found passion. Without Gen Eds, some students wouldn’t be able to do this.

There are, of course, schools that do not require general education courses.

Smith College has an open curriculum, which allows students to complete a major and earn the correct amount of credits to graduate. The only class undergraduates are required to take is one intensive writing course during their first year.

This doesn’t mean that students enter their freshman year knowing what their major is. Students can take classes inside and outside their potential majors to explore what else is out there. This way, there is

material that doesn’t appeal to them.

“The purpose of the missing core curriculum is to give students more of an opportunity to explore areas that are completely unrelated to what they would expect to do,” said Amy Sung, a senior environmental science major at Brown. “This is somewhat overwhelming when you first arrive. … It really empowers students to make individual decisions about where they want to take their degree and how they want to use their time.”

Over time, people need to become self-directed and focus their studies in order to complete their concentration requirements. One fear is that some students may feel like they should only take “easy” classes to avoid challenging material, but Sung has found this is not the case.

Students pay dearly for their education and most realize that they must make the most of their four years. At a large school like UMass, students are given the responsibility to stay on track because advisers won’t chase students down to make sure they’re doing everything correctly. In a sense, UMass trusts its students to make the most of their learning experiences. Though choosing from a catalogue of classes to fulfill Gen Eds allows us to customize our experience, providing courses that teach life skills may be an improvement for the future.

Karen Podorefsky is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at kpodoref@umass.edu.

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The Massachusetts Daily Collegian is published Monday through Thursday during the University of Massachusetts calendar semester. The Collegian is independently funded, operating on advertising revenue. Founded in 1890, the paper began as Aggie Life, became the College Signal in 1901, the Weekly Collegian in 1914 and the Tri–Weekly Collegian in 1956. Published daily from 1967 to 2013, The Collegian has been broadsheet since January 1994. For advertising rates and information, call 413-545-3500.

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Thursday, September 5, 2013

Arts@DailyCollegian.com

H E A LT H

College dining: choosing healthy over easy

Ditch junk food for better health By allison ludtkE Collegian Correspondent

Here at the University of Massachusetts we are fortunate enough to have a variety of dining options available, but sometimes it’s not always easy to remember to eat healthy in the hustle and bustle of college life. In times of stress, trusty chocolate and a bag of chips are an easy go-to, especially in the busy realm of exams, parties and dining halls. The ominous smell of french fries and warm chocolate chip cookies require superhuman willpower to resist, particularly when you have an exam (or three) to cram for over the next few hours. There’s something about that sweet and salty bite of junk food that offers comfort, but seldom helps us ace that exam or feel well the next day. The question then becomes how to eat and feel satisfied without succumbing to the unhealthy allure of junk food.

Instead of reaching for

Greek yogurt in the center and sprinkle a package of instant oatmeal atop it.

Microwave for a minute, and enjoy. No access to an oven or microwave? Kashi brownies or Fiber One Sweets chocolate bars are filled Feeling like dessert? with protein and curb the Instead of buying that sweet tooth just as well as pint of Ben and Jerry’s a processed sugar snack.

Half-Baked ice cream, try some Yasso yogurt bars or Pasta Edy’s Outshine fruit bars.

Both are satisfyingly sweet Pasta (or Ramen Noodles while still having nutri- or Easy Mac) is a major tional value. What about a component of any college thick, creamy milkshake? student’s diet. It’s one of Instead of hitting the those foods that is available drive-thru, all you need is a pretty much everywhere, blender, two cups of choco- and to an extent can be late almond milk, 10 ice useful for providing enercubes, a dash of cocoa pow- gy. The downside is that der, a teaspoon of vanilla processed pasta primarextract and one banana for ily gives only short spurts a healthy shake with no of energy due to the high processed sugar. You can amount of simple carboeven make your own fudge hydrates that are in most pops with a cup of skim major brands. Although it milk and a one-third cup tastes good with butter and of Nutella spread. Combine high-calorie sauces, skip the two, pour the mixture the classic white pasta and into an ice cube tray and opt for whole grain pasta freeze overnight for a tasty instead. Better yet, spaon-the-go treat. If you’re ghetti squash is a natural craving something sweet vegetable option with combefore your morning class, plex carbohydrates that skip the Pop Tarts and are healthier for you than go for some fruit. Cut an the simple carbs in proapple, peach or nectarine cessed pasta. Cut the spain half, place a dollop of ghetti squash in half, scoop

that sugary cookie or bag of Cheetos and feeling guilty afterwards, try going for one of these healthier options:

the seeds out and bake for 30 minutes on 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Top it with a natural tomato sauce and you’ll think you’re tucking into a big bowl of Italian spaghetti. Packaged precooked bowls of brown rice are also quick and healthy.

You simply heat it up, add some peppers and onions or any other vegetables you fancy, top with some reduced sodium soy sauce and you have an instant stir-fry.

Sandwiches The sandwich is an essential staple of any college student’s diet. All it takes is two slices of bread and some type of “meat” or spread in the middle and you’ve created a simple but effective meal. As far as staying cheap and nutritious goes, whole grain bread with peanut butter is a solid lunch, packed with complex carbohydrates, good fats and protein. But if you want a crunchy, salty delight, take slices of cucumber and layer them with some pesto spread, cherry tomatoes and some sliced mozzarella for a tasty twist on a caprese salad. Better yet, if pizza is

your meal of choice, opt for an alternative using zucchini with crushed tomatoes and low fat mozzarella cheese. Cut the zucchini in half, add toppings and microwave for five minutes. Antonio’s is good, but this is a cheaper and guiltfree option.

Snacks

cheese never fail to satisfy.

For breakfast, whole grain or chia seed-based cereals, as well as granolas, are preferred options to sugary cereals.

In the everyday chaos of college life, keep your health in mind by doing simple things like choosing green tea instead of soda, natural peanut butter instead of processed peanut butter, Sugar in the Raw or stevia in your coffee instead of processed sugar and avocado or plain Greek yogurt instead of butter. And for those crippling sweet cravings, go for dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. But if you’re really craving that milk chocolate goodness, go ahead and indulge, in moderation.

The healthier options are endless, and surprisingly easy. Throw that family pack of Ramen out the window and give your taste buds, and body, a healthy treat.

Instead of going for chips, choose some mixed nuts with added raisins, cranberries or dark chocolate chips to create a sweet and salty mixture. You’ll get more energy and more protein than you would from a bag of salty potato chips. Kale chips or carrot chips are another option, both available at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.

A plain rice cake with a light peanut butter spread and a few raisins also does the trick to satisfy a snack craving. Hummus chips, lentil chips, and olive oil popped popcorn are other must-haves for the health minded. A handful of grapes, cherries or berries is always tasty, while baby carrots with hummus or cottage cheese, celery with peanut butter or cucum- Allison Ludtke can be reached at bers with Laughing Cow aludtke@umass.edu.

Simple but essential college necessities Get the most out of college life

rd.com/home/extraordinary-uses-for-duct-tape/).

By ElisE Martorano

We all want the crisp fall weather to kick in on time for the first day of classes, but in the Pioneer Valley that usually isn’t the case. Amherst typically has at least two to three weeks of very hot and humid weather in the beginning of the school year, and the heat can sometimes be unbearable in cramped dorm rooms and small apartments.

Buying a box fan to put in the window can increase air circulation in your space and provide relief from the insufferable heat of late summer days and nights.

Collegian Staff

Whether you’re coming to the University of Massachusetts for the first time as a freshman or returning for the last time as a senior, there are a few simple essentials that can make a world of difference while at school.

Chairs Having people over to hang out in your room can be a major help in making new friends, and the friend-making process becomes much easier when you have a room that offers hospitality. Owning a comfortable chair will entice people to spend time in your room and encourage them to feel comfortable in your space.

The rooms with the fun seating accommodations are always popular, and everything from beanbags to lawn chairs can suit your seating needs.

Duct tape Duct tape is truly an all-purpose miracle, and is one item you will thank yourself for bringing every time you run into a housing emergency like a ripped window screen or a wobbly fan. For hanging posters and photos on your dorm or apartment wall, it’s much more effective than putty, and if it’s used carefully, won’t damage your decorations. It’s also an excellent fortifier for battered folders and binders that have at least another semester’s use left in them. Duct tape can be the solution to getting out of almost any tight spot in college, from fixing broken book bindings to acting as a last minute lint roller.

For more brilliant ideas, visit the Reader’s Digest’s article “Duct Tape to the Rescue” (http://www.

Fan

Personal food supply College students know that dining halls are a miraculous thing -- delicious, healthy food in massive quantities and more choices than we could possibly imagine for every meal. But sometimes the effort to make the hike down to the dining hall just feels too great -- after all, we college students can be notoriously lazy. Having some good food supplies in your room such as bread, pasta, cereal, oatmeal, coffee, soup and so on can be a huge relief during a midnight snack attack or when you’re just not feeling motivated enough to walk anywhere for food.

Having a set of silverware as well as a couple plates, bowls and glasses or mugs can be extremely useful as well.

Painkillers A simple bottle of Advil or Ibuprofen can go a long way in college. Students are the frequent recipients of stress headaches and the occasional hangover, which is never a pleasant experience. When your head starts pounding and you still have three more

THOMAS HUSTON/FLICKR

Simple household items like chairs, storage containers, and fans can make a major difference in keeping dorm rooms and apartments organized. classes before your day is over, having painkillers on hand is a huge relief.

Pens and pencils We’re in college here, so it’s time that we stopped having to hearing the high school phrase, “Hey dude, do you have a pencil I can borrow?” Having made the choice to continue our education, it’s high time that we all started accepting that writing utensils are essential tools for students and required to be successful. Come to class equipped with several pencils and pens so that you will always be prepared for note taking, pop quizzes, worksheets and exams, as well as for those few individuals who didn’t bring a writing instrument who will surely be asking to borrow yours.

Readling light The ceiling lights in col-

lege dorm rooms can be kind of a drag -- they’re stark, too bright and are reminiscent of the lighting in a hospital or office building. Having a lamp or reading light with a softer glow can be much more relaxing, which will allow you to better focus on your homework. Softer lighting can also help make you more comfortable, which might even motivate you to do your homework to completion.

Reusable water bottle Hydration is extremely important; especially in the dregs of late summer heat. Staying hydrated helps keep you alert, prevents sickness and provides you with more energy. Unfortunately, it’s very cumbersome to have to continue buying big cases of plastic water bottles, lugging them to your

room, building up a ton of recycling and then having to repeat the process for the rest of the year.

Having a reusable water bottle that you can refill at your leisure is convenient and accessible as well as being environmentally friendly.

Storage containers Even though every dorm room comes equipped with many spaces for storage, sometimes it just isn’t enough. Bringing clothes for every season, toiletries, our favorite books, kitchenware, office supplies and everything else we need to survive and have fun at school requires a lot more storage space than in a standard dorm.

Bringing stackable bins or crates that can be stored under your bed or in the closet can be a huge help in decluttering and orga-

nizing your room, and can make the eventual process of moving out much easier as well.

Tissues Getting sick or catching allergies at college can be a major pain. Unless we bring a healthy supply of tissues, our only option is the toilet paper in the bathrooms, which is scratchy, insubstantial and just plain icky. You never know when a cold will strike, but when it does, being prepared is a necessary luxury.

Along with your standard living elements, these items will surely prove to be useful in making your transition into college life a bit smoother.

Elise Martorano can be reached at emartora@umass.edu.

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Thursday, September 5, 2013

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Comics

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I flippin’ love Dinosaur Comics and I believe you should too.

D inosaur C omiCs

P oorly D rawn l ines

B y r yan n orth

B y r eza F arazmanD

Tokyo...SOUTH AMERICA!!!

aquarius

HOROSCOPES Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

Today you will be confronted with the angst of only getting Wi–Fi in the doorway of the student union men’s bathroom.

pisces

Feb. 19 - Mar. 20

leo

Jul. 23 - aug. 22

Imagine a sharknado filled with sharktopi. Sit on that thought for a while.

virgo

aug. 23 - Sept. 22

Show you’re fitting into the UMass dialect by adding a “wicked” before every “very” you say.

“Amalgamation” and “conglomerate” are probably not the best ways to describe food you make for your friends.

aries

Mar. 21 - apr. 19

libra

Sept. 23 - Oct. 22

scorpio

Oct. 23 - nOv. 21

UMass at 6 a.m. on a weekday and UMass at 2 a.m. on a weekend are very similar places to be.

Just the simple concept of Thanksgiving pizza is something that should instill thankfulness and grace in everyone around the world.

taurus

apr. 20 - May. 20

It will take you four lost iPods before you realize the third elliptical on the left is actually a monster that only feeds on Apple products.

No matter how much you listen, want to be, and try to channel the energy, you will sadly never be a cat or David Bowie. Cry forever.

gemini

May. 21 - Jun. 21

sagittarius

nOv. 22 - Dec. 21

This weekend, make new discoveries! Explore new worlds! Realize there are more dining halls than just Berk!

Everyone says just be more positive, say yes more...smile! But this world needs a little bit more apathetic stares and “no.”

cancer

capricorn

Jun. 22 - Jul. 22

You aren’t gluten intolerant, but you choose to be gluten free? Why do you hate the glutens? They only want to love.

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

No childhood memory will ever be more prominent than hearing a Linkin Park song and realizing you can recite every word.