Massachusetts Daily Collegian: Sept. 17, 2013

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THE MASSACHUSETTS

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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

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Christians preach religion outside Campus Center Evangelists come to UMass to speak

two weeks and, according to Smith, officially have no name. When embarking on his tours, he typically invites along a few of his friends who share in his beliefs to aid him in spreading his message, and this tour is no different. On Monday, Smith was joined by Don Karns, a renowned apologist from Virgina, Sye Ten Bruggencate of Ontario, Canada, Mike Stockwell, a former U.S. Marine from Long Island, N.Y., and Andy Noble from Sydney, Australia. An apologist is a person who has been taught and trained in skills necessary to defend his or her faith. Smith says that when picking friends to join him on the tour, he chooses mature men who like college students and who won’t be spooked by heckling. “Each of us has had a powerful confrontation with God,” Smith said. Armed with signs and conviction in their belief, Smith and his fellow Christians speak to students about any qualms they have about the Christian faith, while also attempting to have a discussion with them about Christianity and the Bible. Smith is part of the Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship, a devout Christian group that preaches the Bible throughout the United States. PEF does not directly sponsor Smith and his Ivy League tour. Smith said while his tour often draws large crowds on college campuses, he is not fazed by the hecklers. Those who come over to poke fun at his mission tend to bring along the target audience who, for Smith, are “people with a sin problem.”

By PaTricK Hoff Collegian Staff

CADE BELISLE/COLLEGIAN

Presbyterian evangelist and former U.S. Marine Mike Stockwell spreads the word of his belief outisde the Campus Center on Monday.

D.C. Navy Yard shooting leaves 13 dead Civilian contractor suspected gunman

down six hours after the first reports of the violence came in at 8:20 a.m. The U.S. Senate was placed on a preventive lockdown early Monday afterBy Kevin G. Hall and Marisa noon, with votes postponed. The lockdown was later Taylor McClatchy Washington Bureau partly lifted. The Washington WASHINGTON – A mass Nationals, whose stadium is shooting Monday morning at just blocks from the crime the Washington Navy Yard scene, postponed their game left at least 13 people, includ- Monday night against the Atlanta Braves. ing a suspected gunman, “We have no indication dead, three others wounded of any motive at this time,” and authorities desperately searching for a middle-age man in a military-style uniform. District of Columbia Police Chief Cathy Lanier said police have identified the gunman as a civilian naval contractor, Aaron Alexis, 34, of Fort Worth, Texas, who was identified by fingerprints. He was a full-time Navy reservist until 2011, last serving with a logistics support squadron in Fort Worth. He reportedly used a friend’s identification to get into a building at the Washington Navy Yard and engaged in multiple shootouts with police before being fatally shot. Police remained engaged in a manhunt for another man believed connected to Alexis. Three victims, including a police officer, were brought to MedStar Washington Hospital Center. In a news conference, Dr. Janis Orlowski, the center’s chief medical officer, said the chances of their survival were good. She confirmed that all three victims were alert and speaking. The police officer was shot in both of his legs. The other two victims are both female civilians. One suffered injuries to her shoulder, the other to both her head and hand. All three are confirmed to have been wounded inside the Lanier said at her second Navy Yard. news conference of the day, Orlowski said the hospi- adding that “there are very tal’s main concern was get- few questions we can answer ting them “healed and back on at this point.” their feet right now.” The FBI was taking the The neighborhood near the reins of the investigation, the naval facility remained sealed police chief said. Lanier credoff, with residents locked out ited D.C. police and the U.S. and nearby schools locked Park Police for preventing

white and one black, between 40 and 50, were sought for questioning. The white male was said to have been dressed in a tan military-style uniform with a beret-like hat, the black male wearing an olive-colored military-style uniform. “These are people that we believe are involved in some way and we are trying to locate,” Lanier said, citing “multiple pieces of information that we have least two other individuals seen with firearms.” Later in the afternoon, police confirmed that the man in the tan outfit had contacted authorities and was cleared. The area around the Navy Yard, not far from Capitol Hill, had been sealed off by layers of law enforcement personnel from local and federal agencies. Senate Sergeant at Arms Terrance Gainer issued a statement midafternoon announcing that no one would be allowed in or out of Senate offices. “In light of the uncertainty surrounding the shooting at the Navy Yard this morning and particularly the possibility of suspects remaining at large, we have decided to lock down the Senate complex,” according to the statement. “You may move about the building; however, for the next two hours you may not leave nor can anyone enter the building. This will be in effect until we deem the situation safe in the neighboring community. We do not have any information to suggest the Senate, its members or staff are in any danger, but out of an abundance of caution, we feel this is the best course of action to keep everyone safe.” The shooting began there was no evidence one inside the Naval Sea Systems Headquarters way or another on terrorism, Command and he confirmed there was building, a workplace for 3,000 uncertainty about reports of people, according to a press release from Naval District additional gunmen. “We don’t know for certain Washington. Contractor Sean Carroll if there were other shooters,” described to McClatchy a chathe mayor said. At an earlier news conference, Lanier said two men, one see SHOOTING on page 3 even more bloodshed in the morning rampage. “I think the actions by the police officers, without question, helped to reduce the numbers of lives lost,” Lanier said, calling the actions of first responders “nothing short of heroic.” Because the attack happened at a military facility in the capital, there were immediate fears that terrorism might be involved. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray told reporters

Scott Smith did not always believe in God. He admits that while he was being raised Catholic, he “thought it was all baloney.” About 34 years ago, however, he came to a personal realization about his faith. “I realized that if God exists, I’m up the creek,” Smith said. He also said that he realized that he qualified as a lawbreaker under the Bible and so he “called out” to Jesus to guide him. After this, Smith began to read the Bible more and decided that it was his job to educate young people about the Bible. About twenty years before beginning his tours, Smith opened a school in Florida, called Smith Preparatory Academy, where students are given “a Christcentered and skills-driven academic experience.” Two campuses are still open, one in Longwood and the other in Orlando. However, about two years ago Smith sold the Christian preparatory school that he started, and decided to instead go to college campuses, to talk to students in order to “appeal to their intellect.” Smith tours the Ivy League colleges twice a year, but includes the University of Massachusetts on his tours because he finds the campus beautiful and rich with students. His fall tour brought him to UMass on Monday, creating a moderate sized cluster of people between the Campus Center and the Student Union for most of the day. Patrick Hoff can be reached at Each of his tours last pphoff@umass.edu.

SGA vice president looks to new year She’s more than just a politician This article is one in a series on top SGA officials.

B y eleanor H arTe Collegian Correspondent Emily Hajjar has big plans for this year. A senior political science major, she is also a student athlete and vice president of the Student Government Association. She has a lot on her plate. But that isn’t stopping her from trying to make this year her best one yet. Hajjar grew up in Quincy and when she came to the University of Massachusetts in 2010, she joined as a walk-on to the rowing team and has not looked back since. Now a varsity coxswain, she practices at 6:45 a.m. six days a week, and most weekends she has a race. “We’re competing every weekend in October, and then from spring break until after finals is our

championship season, and our busiest,” Hajjar said. Along with the rowing team, Hajjar also won the election for SGA vice president in April alongside current SGA president Zac Broughton. Hajjar’s favorite part of being vice president of the SGA is the people she meets. “I like meeting people when they come in the office,” she said. “I like getting to know them on a more personal level and answering people’s questions.” As vice president, Hajjar describes her role as being in charge of the internal functions of the SGA. “The cabinet is my responsibility, as well as area governments and also agencies,” she explained. Hajjar and Broughton went into the election in April with a list of goals that they want to accomplish during their tenure, and with student trustee see

HAJJAR on page 2

ARTS & LIVING

SPORTS

EDITORIAL & OPINION

DailyCollegian.com

“The Hunt” manipulates the emotions of the audience

Blanchflower returns to practice

Columnist Johnny McCabe rates Apple’s newest line of iPhones and examines whether Apple may have hit a wave of stagnation.

Check out photo slideshows and videos related to Sports, News, Op/Ed and Arts under the ‘Multimedia’ tab at DailyCollegian.com

Thomas Vinterburg’s film is not one for those with a weak stomach. SEE PAGE 5

UMass tight end Rob Blanchflower returned to practice on Monday, though he had “limited” participation. SEE PAGE 8

SEE PAGE 4


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