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Thursday, November 14, 2013
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Problems arise in new dorms Panic spreads
in Philippines after typhoon
This article is part one in a series addressing student reactions to the Commonwealth Honors Complex.
By Jaclyn Bryson
By alexandra Zavis and sunshine de leon
Collegian Staff
The recently constructed $192 million Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community (CHCRC) at the University of Massachusetts has attracted both freshmen and upperclassman in search of the best housing options possible. “I thought it would be cool to live somewhere new, see what it was going to be like,” said Shannon Moore, a junior living in the new dorms. “They’re really nice. I do like living here.” But even as some students enjoy living in the CHCRC, there are also some still experiencing problems in the buildings. “I think there are still a lot of adjustments that have to be made since it’s all new,” Moore added. Some students have noted that some of the dorms have inadequate cell phone reception. Kimberly Wong, a sophomore, said that despite having a reputable cell service provider like AT&T, it is nearly impossible to make a call or send a text from her dorm room. “In my suite I don’t get service,” she said. “It does bother me because not only do you have to pay a fee to be (a student) in the honors college, we’re also paying more for the dorms themselves. To be paying so much and not be able to
Los Angeles Times
JAMES JESSON/COLLEGIAN
A view across the street from the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Complex, which opened this fall. make a phone call from your room is really frustrating.” S o p h o m o re Julie Morissette added that many students with different service plans are experiencing different issues. “I have Verizon, so Verizon is always good,” she said, adding that those with other providers like AT&T typically have problems. To combat this, many students have noticed that telephones have been installed in the hallways. But some students don’t think this is a solution to the issue. “They put phones on every floor, right outside our door we have a phone,
“If there was more space to commune, I feel like you would get a better idea of who you are living with.” Ezra Dantowitz, junior but I don’t know if we would ever use that,” said sophomore Colette Kramer. One of the biggest perks that attracted students to the dorms in the first place was the promise of their own personal air conditioning and thermostat. And while many say that it came in handy during the first few blistering hot weeks of September,
it has definitely not been without its problems. “You can’t really control it,” said sophomore Byron George Georgellis. “You can’t really customize it to what you want. You have a variance of two degrees or three degrees.” Sophomore Ali Strand added that there have been see
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MANILA — Five days after Typhoon Haiyan ripped through the central Philippines, panic was spreading Wednesday and parched, hungry residents were resorting to increasingly desperate measures, including breaking into the homes of the dead. Eight people were crushed to death when a huge crowd stormed a rice warehouse near Tacloban, one of the worst-hit cities, authorities said. More than 100,000 bags of rice were carted away in the melee, according to news reports Wednesday. Elsewhere, residents dug up underground pipes and smashed them open to get water. The official death toll stood at 2,275, but aid workers feared it would continue to grow. The United Nations estimates that more than 11 million people were affected by the storm, one of the most powerful ever to make landfall. As concerns grew about rampant looting and lawlessness, Philippine security forces sent reinforcements and imposed a nighttime curfew in Tacloban. Armed assailants have been holding up aid convoys headed to the city. On
Tuesday, troops killed two suspected communist rebels who attacked one such convoy, the military said. Local officials said bands of looters, having cleaned out shops in Tacloban, were beginning to break into the homes of people who had died or fled the city. But there were reports that newly arrived troops were restoring order. Flights delivering aid from around the world are arriving at the airport in Cebu, which has been turned into a logistics hub for the relief effort. The many donations included a field hospital from Belgium and a portable purification plant from Germany, according to European officials. By the end of the day Wednesday, the United States had delivered nearly 274,000 pounds of supplies to Tacloban, about 100 miles northeast of Cebu, said two senior Obama administration officials who briefed reporters in Washington on condition of anonymity. The shipments included plastic tarps, hygiene kits, blankets and medical supplies. U.S. military personnel had also evacuated about 800 people from Tacloban to Manila for medical treatsee
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Band staff continues Victims’ families lash to prepare for parade out at ‘Whitey’ Bulger UMMB managers readying for Macy’s This article is part four in a series as the UMass Minuteman Marching Band prepares for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
By Jaclyn Bryson Collegian Staff
D
uring this time of year, the biggest concern for most students is getting through the end of the semester. But for Rebecca Baturin and Alexis Sabol, it’s figuring out how to get 400 students on seven buses through Thanksgiving Day traffic in New York. “We’ve never been to New York City as a band,” Baturin said. “It’s not going to be easy.” Baturin, a senior, and Sabol, a junior, are both co-band managers of the University of Massachusetts Marching Band. According to Baturin, the job requires them to supervise a staff of 35 students who run the day-to-day operations of the band. “We have a uniform staff, we have a personnel manager, equipment staff. We kind of oversee all the mangers
that run those individual staffs,” she said. “It’s definitely an on-the-fly job. It’s like figuring out problems, and getting stuff done.” But with the band performing in the upcoming Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, there is more they need to do, like coordinate transportation to New York, get copies of music from the library manager and check in regularly with the public relations staff, to ensure that the band is ready for their televised performance. “It’s a lot of work, but I don’t think the band would be able to function without an (administrative) staff and without some sort of student leader in charge of it,” Baturin said. “So it’s definitely worth the effort that we put in.” As students, Baturin and Sabol also said that balancing schoolwork and band management can be challenging. Baturin added that
they also have office hours, so one of them needs to be available at all times. “There are some days where it’s very easy and some times where you have to climb ahead and make sure you are fulfilling your duties as a student and a band manager,” Sabol said. And since both Baturin and Sabol play the clarinet in the band, they have to prepare to perform in the parade alongside their fellow band members. In order to get ready, they have to master their parade march routine, something the band is not used to. Despite their numerous administrative duties, Sabol stressed that it is still important for them to make time to practice for Macy’s. “Whenever we have rehearsals, we put usually 100 percent effort into getting our (administrative) staff work done first so that we can be present at rehearsal,” she said. Despite the work they must put in before their debut in the parade, both Baturin and Sabol agreed that it would all be worth it. Baturin said that when the band played at other schools in the past, they would see
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Mobster believes that trial is a sham B y edmund h. m ahony The Hartford Courant
BOSTON — Relatives of James “Whitey” Bulger’s victims lined up in court Wednesday, struggling to describe broken dreams and horrible murder. But descriptions of loss came with flashes of hatred for a crime boss whose alliance with corrupt law enforcement agents enabled him to litter the city with bodies and escape arrest for decades. “This man has built up so much hate in my heart that I would like to strangle him myself, “ said Steven Davis, whose younger sister Debra was choked to death in 1981 and buried in a salt marsh because Bulger suspected she knew too much about his relationship with a corrupt FBI agent. “Look at me,” Davis barked at Bulger, who was seated nearby in the courtroom, scribbling at a legal pad, trying to look disinterested as his two-day sentencing hearing opened in U.S. District Court. “This son of a bitch should be forced to look every one of his victims I the eye.”
As if distracted, Bulger, 84, set down his pen. He put on a pair of eye glasses and turned an empty expression on Davis. “She was a beautiful young woman that was a threat that had to be dealt with,” Davis said, in tears. “She did not deserve to be harmed this way. I hope Whitey dies the same way my sister did, gasping for breath as he takes his last breath.” Marie Mahoney tried to describe the blow she took as a 12-year old girl in 1973 when she learned from her mother that her father, William O’Brien and known as “OB,” had been cut down by a crew of Bulger gunmen. “So here I am, 40 years later, trying to put into words how this horrific night molded by life,” Mahoney said.”The only solace I have is knowing that the man who murdered my father will never walk the streets again. Rest in peace OB.” The she turned to Bulger, glaring, and she snarled, “We got you, you rat.” David Wheeler, whiteheaded now and older than his father lived to be, recalled the day in May 1981 that Roger Wheeler Sr. was shot between the eyes on Bulger’s orders. Roger Wheeler was a fabulously successful
Tulsa businessman who had just bought Florida- and Connecticut-based World Jai Alai. Bulger and his partners were planning to skim money from the business and were afraid Wheeler would find out. Wheeler complained, as relatives of other victims did, that Bulger’s role as a secret FBI informant and his partnership with corrupt agents allowed him to kill with what amounted to government sanction. “Shame on you Mr. Bulger,” Wheeler said. “For all your notoriety, you are a punk. You don’t even matter anymore. You’ve turned from a government assassin to pile of jail house rags. Enjoy your retirement. My family and I have nothing but contempt for you.” The wives, children and siblings of 10 victims of Bulger or others in his gang took advantage Tuesday of an opportunity to describe their lives to U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper. Their brief statements consumed most of the opening day of Bulger’s sentencing hearing. The hearing is expected to close Thursday. The only real mystery about the proceedsee
BULGER on page 2
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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Thursday, November 14, 2013
THE RU N D OW N ON THIS DAY... In 2005, the Graduate Employees Organization held a rally in front of the Student Union to raise awareness about their contracts which had still not been signed by Governor Mitt Romney.
AROUND THE WORLD
Toronto mayor admits buying illegal drugs TORONTO — Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford acknowledged purchasing illegal drugs under questioning Wednesday by City Council members trying to pressure him to step aside. “Yes, I have,” Ford answered when asked by a Toronto City Council member whether he had purchased illegal drugs within the last two years. Ford is resisting calls for him to either step down or take time off to deal with substance abuse problems. He says he is not an addict and had already apologized for his behavior. The mayor of Canada’s largest city has been under fire for months after reports surfaced about a video showing him smoking crack cocaine. dpa
Army accused of allowing contractor into prison KABUL, Afghanistan — An independent federal watchdog has accused the U.S. Army in Afghanistan of allowing access to a prison complex by an Afghan contractor identified by a Pentagon command as having assisted insurgents by providing bomb-making components. The contractor, which had been blacklisted by the U.S. Central Command in September 2012, was allowed inside the American-run prison next to Bagram Air Field for two days two months later, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan reconstruction. John F. Sopko, who heads the agency, known as SIGAR, said the incident shows a failure by the U.S. military to block contractors suspected of helping insurgents - and highlights communication breakdowns in passing the word about blacklisted contractors. The allegations were detailed in a so-called warning letter sent Nov. 8 to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, which was released to the public Wednesday. Los Angeles Times
Death of British spy found in locked gym bag ruled ‘accident’ Scotland Yard on Wednesday reversed a coroner’s finding of foul play in the 2010 death of British spy Gareth Williams, concluding that an accident was likely responsible for the death of the code-breaker whose naked, decomposing body was found stuffed inside a zipped and padlocked gym bag. London Metropolitan Police investigators had undertaken a review of evidence in the case 16 months ago, after initial restrictions on homicide detectives’ access to details of Williams’ intelligence work were lifted by the British secret service, MI6. Los Angeles Times Distributed by MCT Information Services
Teach-in aims to decrease cost of enrollment at UM By Nikoleta Nikova Collegian Correspondent
Davis added that there will be speeches by professors, such as Dan Clawson, professor of sociology, and even one by Jill Stein, former Green Party presidential candidate. But the majority of the presentations will be given by students. Davis hopes that many students will attend the teach-in and that it will “inspire them to get more involved in civic engagement” as well as encourage them to “join some the organizations that are organizing (the event).” Additionally, Davis and the other organizers are hoping that this teach-in will allow them to gather the people necessary to host a larger event in the spring. This is the second year that the teach-in has occurred. Davis said that last year’s event went really well, and that about 500 students showed up. He added that the topics at this year’s event are nearly identical to the ones last year. However, Davis still believes that the mission of UMass is unaccomplished. He “still (doesn’t) think that we have direct control over decisions that directly affect students.” Sophomore Liam Gude agrees with Davis, and thinks that the “tuition and fees should be lowered” and that “students need more power and more voice (on campus).”
In an attempt to decrease the cost of enrollment at the University of Massachusetts, several organizations at UMass are hosting a teach-in today featuring speeches from faculty, staff and students. “We don’t feel that the University of Massachusetts is upholding its original mission statement which says that (it) is supposed to be readily accessible to most of the people of Massachusetts, and with the rising of tuition and fees, it is not upholding that,” said Preston Davis, a senior at UMass and one of the organizers of the event. Davis explained that the event, which will take place from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Cape Cod Lounge, will be divided into several topic sections, each consisting of multiple speeches. Following each section, there will be brief periods of group discussion. Some of the topics that will be a part of the teachin include the privatization of higher education, access for underrepresented students and student power. According to Davis, one of the most important topics at the event will be about shared governance, meaning more cooperation between the university and the students. Davis believes that “students should have a direct line to decision making” and should “share the table Nikoleta Nikova can be reached at with administration.” nnikova@umass.edu.
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sometimes sleep in a school gym in exchange for their performance. “It’s the biggest sleepover of your life,” Sabol said. Now, for their performance at Macy’s, since the Chancellor’s office has provided some funding for the trip, they are getting better accommodations and feeling more appreciated. “We are actually staying in a hotel as opposed to sleeping in a gym of a high school, which will definitely make the trip more fun,” Baturin said. “It feels like we are getting recognition for our efforts.” Sabol added that while people only see a small portion of their performance on television, she is looking forward to besting the cold weather and completing the three-mile parade route. “Everyone keeps hyping up the television performance which is only one minute and 15 seconds,” Sabol said. “But the whole hour that we are marching down Sixth Avenue is going to be the best part
CHCRC
“The whole hour that we are marching down Sixth Avenue is going to be the best part of the parade.” Alexi Sabol, co-band manager of
the entire parade.” When the band marches through New York City on Thanksgiving, both managers hope that viewers and participating band members will have a new appreciation for UMass after their performance. “A lot of times we say that the UMMB is our family, but I think that a lot of times people forget that UMass is our bigger family,” Sabol said. “I hope that with Macy’s we go out and we see UMass alumni and our chancellor supporting us and other faculty, and we realize that we are part of the bigger picture.” Jaclyn Bryson can be reached at
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ment. Philippine welfare personnel loaded up packages of rice and canned food provided by the World Food Program and distributed them to nearly 50,000 Tacloban residents. But even there, where the bulk of assistance has been delivered, bodies still lined the streets because, authorities said, there were not enough hands to remove them. Hundreds of additional Marines are expected to arrive in the Philippines by week’s end to bolster the relief effort, which has struggled against logistical hurdles and the scale of the devastation. Aid has yet to reach many victims of the typhoon, known by Filipinos as Yolanda, particularly on outlying islands. “The major challenge is logistics,” said Mathias Rick, a regional spokesman for the European Commission’s humanitarian aid directorate. “With all this aid arriving and at the same time, the various Philippine authorities - military, civilian structures, the Philippine Red Cross trying to distribute aid to so many communities ... obviously there are bottlenecks.” Some of the logistical problems eased Wednesday, as remote airstrips and major roads were cleared of debris. However, fuel shortages and lack of power remain problems in rural areas. The longer the aid takes
BULGER
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to arrive, the more people try to leave. Every day, desperate residents gather at Tacloban airport hoping for a spot on one of the departing supply planes. “It’s a very natural decision to take,” Rick said. “However, that of course makes it difficult for aid agencies to find out where people are going to, where people are staying, and how much is needed in the various towns.” With much of the aid headed to Tacloban, on the island of Leyte, concern is growing for other hard-hit communities, such as the port of Ormoc. “There is enough food in Ormoc for about two or three days, but if aid doesn’t come through soon ... the situation could descend into chaos,” said Julien Anseau, a spokesman for the U.S.-based aid group ChildFund International. “What we are seeing is aid coming into Ormoc, but it’s not staying in Ormoc, it’s going on to Tacloban.” An assessment team from the international aid group Doctors Without Borders visited Guiuan, in Eastern Samar province, where the typhoon first made landfall. “The village has been flattened - houses, medical facilities, rice fields, fishing boats, all destroyed. People are living out in the open; there are no roofs left standing in the whole of Guiuan,” team leader Alexis Moens said in a statement. “The needs are immense, and there are a
lot of surrounding villages that are not yet covered by any aid organizations.” Defending the relief effort, Philippine Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras said Wednesday that major roads have been cleared of debris and authorities have reached all but four affected areas to assess the needs. Additional logistics hubs are being established in Ormoc and at an airstrip in Guiuan. Aid deliveries will accelerate, Almendras told reporters. “It’s just we have not seen anything on the magnitude that we are talking now.” Amid the devastation, there were heartwarming moments of resilience. Daryl Dano flew from Manila to Tacloban to search for her family, whom she found alive. When she arrived in the morning, she said residents were busy sifting through the vast fields of debris for anything they could salvage. But at night, she said, she was amazed to see people light a bonfire and gather in a circle to sing. “They were sitting like Boy Scouts, sharing survival stories and what they did,” she said. “They were sometimes even making jokes about the destruction around them. “I asked them why or how they could laugh?” she said. A person replied, “I just have to think happy thoughts. This is my second life. I just have to move on from this point to the next.”
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ing concerns how many life sentences Bulger gets. The judge asked Bulger whether he had anything to say. He stood up, looked at the judge, said “no,” and returned to his seat. Bulger’s silence and his attempts during the hearing to look as if he had climbed with his pen and pad into a private space annoyed the relatives of his victims. The tried to speak to him directly and insisted, for the most part futilely, that he look at them. During his two-month racketeering trial last summer, at which he was found to have committed 11 murders and dozens of other crimes, Bulger refused to testify in his own defense, as his lawyers had all but promised he would. In a brief statement to the court, Bulger called the trial a sham because he had not been permitted to present a defense that he was authorized to commit crimes because, he claimed, he had once saved a federal prosecutor from an attack by the mafia. On Wednesday, Bulger’s two public defenders, who had been paid $2.75 million by mid September, said that Bulger is just as convinced now that the trial is a sham. On Bulger’s instructions, the
defense lawyers, J.W. Carney Jr. and Hank Brennan, said there would not participate in the sentencing hearing. “Mr. Bulger has made it clear to us that us that he believes the trial was a sham,” Brennan said. “Accordingly, he has instructed us to participate in the process.” Bulger’s disdain for the proceeding was even apparent in his attire. He work neat dungarees and tight polo shirts during the trial. He was led into court Wednesday in a bright orange, prison jump suit. Bulger’s federal prosecutors spoke at length, urging Casper to impose the harshest sentence possible. “He strangles people,” assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Kelly said. “He shoots people when they are hand-cuffed. He moves bodies from one place to another.” “He helped flood his own neighborhood with drugs so he could make a buck,” Kelly said. “That’s what it was all about with this defendant. As long as he could prosper, that’s all that matters. No one else mattered to him. Human life meant nothing.” Kelly referred to a particularly brutal murder of a bank robber and jewel thief named Arthur “Bucky” Barrett. After torturing
Barrett for a day to learn where he might have hidden money, Bulger shot him in the head, cracked a joke and instructed other gangsters to bury him in the cellar of a South Boston home while Bulger took a nap. Barrett daughter said Wednesday that she has been told her father died in 1983 while praying over a snapshot of her that he carried in his wallet. “These are the ones,” Kelly said, referring to a courtroom crowded with relatives of Bulger’s victims, “who had to live their lives without their fathers, their husbands, their brothers and their sisters. It is all thanks to this defendant, James Bulger.” “When Deborah hussy was seen as a threat he strangled her,” Kelly said. “When he thought Brian Halloran was going to be a witness against him, he shot him dead in broad daylight just down the street from here.... The carnage he has caused is outrageous.” “At the end of the day the victims in this case will never be able to get back what he has taken from them,” Kelly said. “But they may be able to take some solace in the fact that he will have to spend the rest of his miserable life in jail.”
doors don’t stay open on their own. Many students have to get creative when it comes to keeping their door open, like freshman Amanda Pellerite, who has a doorstopper and a flip flop shoved under her door to keep her room open and inviting to her neighbors. “If there was more space to commune, I feel like you would get a better idea of who you are living with,” said junior Ezra Dantowitz, who knows very few of his floormates. And for some, these issues all come down to money. The 2013-2014 rates
for the Honors College dorms were $3,107 for a first-year shared room and $3,417.50 for a shared suite style room, while the price of a shared room in most of the other residential areas is $2,807. Prices for single and apartment style rooms in the CHCRC are even higher. Moore said that with the added price of living in these dorms, planning to live there all four years of your college career may not be worth it. “It’s kind of tough that we paid more and because we are like the first
year of this happening. There’s a lot of stuff that’s gone wrong,” she said. Dantowitz added there has been so much hype from UMass that these dorms were supposed to support a community feel, but he doesn’t think that is completely true. “They have been talking it up as like building a whole community,” he said. “I feel like there is still kind of a disconnect between what they are saying and what they actually are doing.”
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times when temperatures have been uncontrollably high, presumably over 90 degrees, causing students to post to the Maple Dorm Facebook group wondering what was going on. Some students added that there are times when having the thermostat for the air conditioner feels pointless. “It’s really nice but honestly it’s not necessary in the winter,” said sophomore Jordan Greenberg. “I feel like we are wasting money and energy.” Some students also said that while the CHCRC dorms have many new and
improved amenities, like the Roots Café and classrooms in some of the buildings, the lack of lounge space in the residence halls is a big disappointment. “It’s kind of a bummer because I got a lot of my homework done in lounges last year,” Strand said. “It was an easy spot to just hang out and anyone would come in.” Without lounge space readily available, some say it is a challenge to just meet their neighbors in these dorms, especially since unlike most residence halls, the dorm room
Jaclyn Bryson can be reached at jbryson@umass.edu.
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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Thursday, November 14, 2013
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Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Thursday, November 14, 2013
“I never forget a face, but in your case I’ll be glad to make an exception.” - Groucho Marx
Editorial@DailyCollegiancom
Gridlock in US politics is not a result of partisanship It has become part of the For example, comconventional wisdom to say munist parties currently that American politics is too have seats in the parliapolarized or too partisan ments of Portugal, Spain, France, Ireland, the Czech Mike Tudoreanu Republic, Greece, Cyprus, Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine these days. After the recent and Russia. Meanwhile, in government shutdown, the parliaments of Spain, there were many commenta- Britain, Italy and Belgium, tors blaming it on the fact there are parties that want that the Republicans have certain regions of its counmoved too far to the right. tries to break away and Almost every week you hear declare independence. Could calls to return to the center, you imagine a communist to embrace moderation as party, or, say, a “Californian the solution to the current Independence Party” or a dysfunction in the federal “Party for a Free Texas” in government. the U.S. Congress? That is But, as much as I oppose what real partisan politics the Tea Party, I must point looks like. out that its extremist views Radical left and right parare not the problem here. In ties in Europe often get a fact, American politics is not significant share of the vote, really polarized at all when and sometimes cause the you compare it to other dem- large mainstream parties ocratic countries. The gulf to huddle together as allies between Obama and the Tea against them. For example, Party may seem enormous, Germany recently had a genbut it’s actually quite small eral election in September, compared to your average and the conservatives came left-right divide in places in first, but the three leftlike Europe. wing parties, put together, The website parties-and- won a majority of the seats. elections.eu, a useful data- However, the center-left base of election results and Social Democrats, who won the composition of parlia- 26.3 percent of the votes, ments in Europe, reveals refuse to be in the same govjust how diverse the political ernment as the radical Left landscape is over there, and Party (a descendant from how many seats are held by East Germany’s old ruling communist party) who parties with radical views.
won 8.8 percent of votes. Therefore, the resulting government will most likely be a “grand coalition” between the Social Democrats and conservatives. In Austria, which also had elections in September, the mainstream center-right and center-left parties barely got over 50 percent of the vote put together. Against
Party (originally founded as a Maoist group by left-wing radicals in the 1960s), the Freedom Party (a far-right party that wants to ban the Quran and stop all immigration from non-European countries) and many others. Many countries in Europe have at least one conservative party, one classical liberal, one social democratic
“In short, the problem with US politics is not that the Republicans and Democrats refuse to work together, but that the system was designed so that it breaks down when they refuse to work together.” them stood the right-wing Freedom Party with 21 percent of votes, and the Greens with 12 percent. Some countries have a very large number of parties with elected representatives, covering a wide variety of political views. In the Netherlands, there are 11 separate parties in parliament. The top two parties are the classical liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the social democratic Labor Party (PvdA). The other parties include the Socialist
and one environmentalist and/or socialist. So if other countries have such a great variety of elected parties who disagree with each other much more strongly than the most bitterly partisan Republicans and Democrats in the U.S., why is it that the U.S. government is so gridlocked while those other countries’ governments are not? The BBC’s Mark Mardell argues that the dysfunction in U.S. politics does not come from elected representatives holding any kind of radical
views, but from the way the system was designed. The American political system was designed to function on compromise. With features like midterm elections, sixyear terms for senators and staggered elections for the Senate, a powerful presidency and so on, the system is almost rigged to ensure that no single party holds all the levers of power. It is rigged to produce divided government – to make it so that the House, Senate and presidency will be held by different parties. And the system is also designed so that nothing much can get done unless all three of those institutions agree on it. So, either they compromise or nothing gets done. By contrast, most democracies in Europe and elsewhere do not normally have divided governments. A party is either in power or in opposition. All major elections happen at the same time and there are no midterm elections, which ensures that one party can’t win control of one branch of government while another party is still in the middle of running a different branch. The office of president, when it exists, is typically ceremonial. The multitude of different parties ensures that you
are never forced to compromise with one given party in particular – if party X won’t play ball, maybe party Y will. No single party can keep the government hostage. In short, the problem with U.S. politics is not that the Republicans and Democrats refuse to work together, but that the system was designed so that it breaks down when they refuse to work together. The American system requires compromise in order to function, whereas most other countries’ systems are designed to allow the different sides to hate each other with a burning passion without causing gridlock. We should stop lamenting the fact that our politicians refuse to play nice with each other, and instead ask ourselves how we can change the system so that it will work even when politicians refuse to play nice with each other. We could start by introducing some form of proportional representation in order to get more than two parties elected and thus prevent any one party from holding the government hostage. Mike Tudoreanu is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at mihnea. tudoreanu@gmail.com.
Opposition to ENDA by Boehner inhibits necessary social progress On Nov. 7, the Senate passed the Employment NonDiscrimination Act (ENDA) by a vote of 64-32. The act proposes protections against
Jillian Correira workplace discrimination based on one’s sexual orientation or gender identity, while at the same time prohibits preferential treatment and quotas. This historic vote marked the first time any United States’ legislation has so explicitly provided protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The contents of this bill outline what everyone should already know and practice regarding workplace discrimination. But prohibiting discrimination against the LGBT community in the workplace is not yet a nationwide law. In fact, in 29 states, there are no laws that prohibit an employee’s termination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. If you think that’s borderline lunacy, you’re not the only one. Nearly 73 percent of Americans support workplace protections for gay and lesbian Americans, and that number is lofted to 81 percent among younger Americans. Support for these protections is also in the majority among Republicans as well as in every major religious group. So that’s it, right? Argument over. The House, in a rare victory for the 113th do-nothing Congress, will pass ENDA because it’s what
most people want. Probably not. So far, the 113th Congress has passed 36 public laws. The 112th Congress, dubbed “least productive Congress in modern history,” by Ezra Klein in the Washington Post article, “John Boehner’s Congress is a train wreck,” passed 283 public laws. If the 113th Congress keeps up its less than lackadaisical pace, it’s on track to become the new unproductive title holder. I
a group of people in charge of passing national legislation who can’t seem to grasp the essentiality of protecting the LGBT community from unjust and cowardly mistreatment. Legislation regarding workplace discrimination based on gender, race and religion, have been passed and upheld in this country for decades. These characteristics, just like sexual orientation and gender identity,
“Legislation like ENDA helps to break this pattern of discrimination, to promote behavior that falls in line with the equal protections we’re afforded under the constitution.” think a hearty “congratulations!” is in order. Combine this pattern of laziness with House Speaker John Boehner’s opposition to the bill, because it will “increase frivolous litigation and cost American jobs, especially small business jobs,” according to his spokesman Michael Steel, and the chances of ENDA passing the House, or even being put up for a vote, don’t look good. It’s almost unbelievable that we live in a world where ending workplace discrimination for the LGBT community still needs defending, yet here we are. And it doesn’t need to be defended from the majority of the public, as statistics clearly show. It mostly needs to be defended from
things” are appropriate for Congress to ban, a common (and tiresome) argument for this type of legislation. Unfortunately for Carney, his comparison is dismissive – “lying to moms” is not quite as serious an epidemic as say, oh I don’t know, the LGBT community’s historical subjection to discrimination under a “system of oppression worsening the lives of million,” in Washington Post reporter Dylan Matthews’ words. Matthews is right. This kind of systematic oppression ruins lives and makes it harder for society to progress in equality. Legislation like ENDA helps to break this pattern of discrimination, to promote behavior that falls in line with the equal protections we’re afforded under the Constitution. Not to mention, this isn’t a question of where to draw the line: this legislation is born out of necessity. It provides protections for the LGBT community that are unfortunately not given to them willingly by many potential employers. Boehner should at least agree to put ENDA up for a vote in the House – then maybe this do-nothing Congress will finally agree to do something important.
have absolutely no impact on a person’s job performance. But these characteristics were, and still are, the basis for mistreatment as well as employee termination, where, “We just don’t feel you’re right for the job” is actually, “We just don’t feel you’re right for the job because you’re gay/black/ transgender/Muslim.” Timothy Carney, senior political columnist at the Washington Examiner, recently made a comment during a conversation on Twitter regarding ENDA, asking “Is it wrong to lie to your mom? Should there be a federal law banning it?” Assumedly, he’s trying to Jillian Correira is a Collegian colummake the point that ENDA nist and can be reached at jcorreir@ blurs the lines of what “bad 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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FOOD & DRINK
Fun with puns: Clown Shoes Genghis Pecan Clever name for equally clever beer By Emily A. BrightmAn Collegian Staff
Like most writers with a sense of humor, I’m a sucker for a good pun. And when I say a “good pun,” I really mean any pun; I masquerade like I have standards, but the worst puns are always my favorite. Some of the best beers I’ve sampled have in fact been crafted from the worst of puns. “Hoptimus Prime” from Legacy Brewing Company and Ninkasi Brewing Company’s dark Christmas ale called “Sleigh’r” are among the most humorous, but there is certainly no lack of a pun-laced trend in craft beer names. My latest delve in the realm of cleverly titled beers heralded the discovery of Clown Shoes Genghis Pecan Porter, a name that conjures simultaneous contrasting images of pillaging barbarians and warm pecan pie. With that strange but laughable image in my head, I was sold. Though the humor of Genghis Khan as a pop culture trope is all but exhausted, the pun serves its purpose in terms of being facetious enough to warrant a purchase. Genghis Pecan is a limited release from the Clown Shoes Brewery, a refined reissue of its 2012 Pecan Pie Porter. Last year’s
original batch was brewed with pecan extract, but the newly renamed Genghis Pecan is brewed with real roasted pecans and brown sugar for a more authentic flavor. Contract brewed at Mercury Brewing Company out of Ipswich, Clown Shoes has been brewing unique craft beers since 2010, and due to the small size of its operation, it maintains a relatively limited distribution. Its beers are available throughout much of New England and scattered locations across the country. Aside from the title, Genghis Pecan’s label is an odd sight to behold as well. The cartoonish visage of the beer’s namesake, adorned with all the trappings of barbarity, appears fighting off a flock of clown shoe-wearing turkeys with a pie in each hand. Befuddling though it is, from a company with a name like “Clown Shoes,” a certain level of ridiculousness is to be expected. Disregarding the bizarre visions catalyzed by the label, Genghis Pecan pours out a dark purplish brown with a sizable tan head that dissipates rapidly, leaving behind traces of foamy brown lacing. There appears to be very little in the way of particles or sediment when held up to the light, but the overall opaqueness of this beer makes that determination a bit difficult. Boasting a bold brown sugar aroma highlighted by the smoky
EVAN SAHAGIAN/COLLEGIAN
Named for history’s most famous barbarian, Genghis Pecan packs a punch. scent of roasted pecans, this beer almost literally smells like a pecan pie; notes of molasses and spice flood the senses, augmented by the definite scent of toffee mixed with caramel. The only aromatic difference between this beer and grandma’s pecan pie is the
distinct scent of alcohol. Perhaps all those tawdry holiday dinners with family might have been more interesting if booze had been grandma’s secret ingredient. In terms of taste, Genghis Pecan doesn’t hold to the flavor of pecan pie so much
as the aroma. The creaminess in the body of this beer highlights the tastes of chocolate and caramel malt, but the booziness in the aftertaste negates the warm sugary sensation of pie. There is a pleasant balance of sweetness and acridity on the tongue, and the medium-body of this beer lends itself nicely to a smooth drinking experience. Genghis Pecan fits nicely into the family of classic American porters with a malty sweetness amplified by mild bitterness from the hops, but stands out from the crowd as a result of its unique spice arrangement. Sweeter themed beers can easily toe that dangerous line of too sugary, but Genghis Pecan balances out the syrupy quality of the sugar with mild carbonation and a subtle smokiness in the malt that makes for a flavorful beverage without the added density. In addition to crafting some truly delicious brews, the Clown Shoes Brewery takes its business a step further than the competition in terms of freshness. The majority of brewing companies place the bottling date on the paper label of the bottle, but Clown Shoes has gone the extra mile to emboss the manufacture date of its beers on the actual bottle to maintain precise freshness. In an alcohol market that seems far more geared toward selling large volumes of
product rather than promoting quality, this kind of dedication to ensuring freshness puts Clown Shoes a cut above the competition for more than just its exquisite beers. The porter qualities of Genghis Pecan lend themselves well to compliment a heavy stew or meat dish, but the sweeter brown sugar elements can pair well with pasta or lasagna. And, naturally, Genghis Pecan will surely make an excellent accompaniment to a big slice of pecan pie, albeit sans the alcohol content. Though Clown Shoes distribution is limited, a fair selection of its seasonal and year-round brews can be found at Spirit Haus in Amherst. In addition to Genghis Pecan I recommend its Vampire Slayer Smoked Imperial Stout or the Galactica IPA, both of which are as flavorfully diverse as their titles are titillating. Better than their superb flavors is the price: most 22 oz bottles of Clown Shoes beer run well under $10, a surprisingly low price tag for such a small independent brewery. Any brew from Clown Shoes is guaranteed to be equal parts funky and unique, and possibly a little bit strange. But when it comes to craft beer, a little bit of strange is not only embraced – it’s encouraged. Emily A. Brightman can be reached at ebrightman@umass.edu.
H E A LT H & F I T N E S S
Quick fixes to boost your immune system for winter Tips to help avoid sickness this season By Emily A. BrightmAn Collegian Staff
The last few weeks in the Pioneer Valley have been speckled with frosty mornings and frigid nights, which can only mean one thing: autumn is coming to a close and winter is fast approaching. And unfortunately, as all New Englanders know, winter is the season of sickness. Between colds, the flu and general feelings of being physically run down, winter can and does take its toll. Instead of spending winter break holed up in your room with a bottle of Theraflu and more Campbell’s soup than Andy Warhol ever dreamed of, try these quick and simple tips to give your immune system a quick boost just before the germs of seasonal illness began to wreak havoc. A little healthy preventative maintenance now can save you undue amounts of physical and emotional stress down the road and keep you up to snuff throughout the bitter winter months.
While we spent years disregarding this simple suggestion, it turns out our parents actually had a point. Hand-washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of germs, and is so simple an act that it takes almost no cognitive effort whatsoever. In order for hand-washing to be fully effective, scrub your hands with soap and water for about 20 seconds and rinse thoroughly. Do this after physical activities like using the restroom or blowing your nose, and once or twice throughout the day if it’s convenient. Taking that extra few seconds to make sure your hands are really clean after using the bathroom is the easiest way to avoid getting sick, and is really so simple that there is no good reason not to be doing it regularly.
Sleep regularly and relax
This is another suggestion that sounds so blindingly simple that it almost doesn’t warrant being mentioned. But when it comes to the average college student, sometimes it’s the simplest of necessities that falls to the bottom of the priority list. Adjusting to the change in light after daylight savings time can be difficult as we hurtle into the darkest Wash your hands time of the year, so making sure Parents and teachers have you get enough sleep is vital to been squawking about the impor- your health. The recommended tance of regular hand-washing amount of sleep for young adults since we were barely out of the is seven to eight hours per night, diaper and into the playpen. but if your commitments prevent
you from dedicating that much time to slumber every night, set aside at least one day a week where you can be absolutely lazy and catch up on the sleep you missed during the school week. Taking the time to relax and sleep regularly keeps your body running at optimal level, and as busy college students we can always use a good excuse to be sluggish for a little while.
Stock up in Vitamins C and D
Though it may be uncomfortably cold, try to spend at least a few minutes in the sun every few days, if not simply to remind yourself that the sun does still indeed exist in the winter.
Stay active There is no more surefire way to come down with the winter blues than to be completely sedentary. It might be tempting to spend every night wrapped up in a blanket watching Netflix on your couch, but in the long run you may end up more depressed and under the weather than if you got out regularly. Even though the wind chill can be biting at times, it’s important to stay active all year, especially in the winter. Your muscles can go slack from inactivity over the winter and fat deposits tend to build up more as the air gets colder, so keeping yourself physically active helps to alleviate physical stress while keeping your vital bodily systems running regularly. Even if it’s something as simple as just going for a walk from your dorm to the dining hall, getting out in the fresh (albeit cold) air is much better for you than hibernating in your room all season.
to avoid any extra sugar. Our natural response to the cold is to load up on carbs to “bulk up” for the chillier months, but overeating can be more damaging than beneficial in the long run. A high level of sugar in the blood can negatively affect the cells responsible for fighting off bad bacteria, and suppression of the immune system has been linked to excessive amounts of processed sugar intake. Instead of packing on the extra pounds with sweets and sugars, try going for healthier options at desert like granola, yogurt or fresh fruit to curb your sweet tooth. Indulging in an occasional candy bar won’t do any irreparable damage, but try to avoid consuming too many sweets as this will only negatively affect your health and your waistline. Winter can be a difficult season to trudge through, but with a little patience and some healthful preparation, the darkest season of the year can be survived with grace. The stress of winter is only made worse by getting sick, so save yourself the surplus anxiety of being under the weather by making a few simple efforts to mind your health in the coming weeks. It may not help you pass all your finals, but at least you won’t be a sickly husk of a student when you show up for the exam.
Vitamin C is the archetypal supplement to take to promote good health, and capsules of the “miracle supplement” can be purchased at any drug store or absorbed easily through classic methods like orange juice and fresh fruit. Giving your body a regular dose of Vitamin C is a surefire way to boost your immune system, but getting enough Vitamin D is just as important in maintaining overall health. Though Vitamin D is not a critical dietary vitamin, its presence within the human body is a common marker of good health. Vitamin D is absorbed into our skin through sunlight and synthesized to aid in the overall function of vital organs and sysAvoid excess tems in the body. A deficiency in amounts of sugar Vitamin D has previously been That second cup of hot chocolinked to cancer and cardiovascular disease, so making sure you late or an extra brownie after get enough sunlight in the win- dinner can be especially tempting Emily A. Brightman can be reached at ebrightter is crucial to staying healthy. in the winter, but do your best man@umass.edu.
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FIELD HOCKEY
UMass set for NCAA 1st round matchup against UVA 24th appearance in program history By Jason Kates Collegian Staff
After winning its second consecutive Atlantic 10 championship, the No. 10 Massachusetts field hockey team will make its 24th appearance in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday when it faces No. 7 Virginia in the first round. The Minutewomen (18-4, 7-0 A-10) enter the contest riding an 11-game winning streak dating back to Oct. 2, when they defeated Northeastern 2-0. The Cavaliers (15-5, 3-3 ACC) have lost two straight, most recently losing to Duke in the ACC quarterfinals. UMass has prior experience playing ranked opponents this season, so Minutewoman coach Carla Tagliente doesn’t believe the challenge of playing a top 10 team will overwhelm her squad. “I think our schedule so far has prepared us well for what we are going to see on Saturday,” Tagliente said. “I don’t think Virginia is as strong collectively as other teams we have had to face, and I think we will match up well against them.” Unlike last year, UMass does not have to worry about playing in the play-in game, giving the team a couple extra days to recover and get ready for its game Saturday.
down Cavaliers forward Elly Buckley, who leads the team with 48 points, scoring 20 goals and eight assists in the regular season, After Buckley, three Virginia players are tied with 20 points and account for 25 of the team’s 58 goals. Keeping Buckley and a few other key players under control will be crucial in getting the win this Saturday and Tagliente has no doubt her defense is up to the task. For her team, it’s all about execution in the offensive end. “For us, it is critical that we create opportunities in the circle and continue to focus on set pieces,” she said. “We’ve been working on penalty corners all year, so being able to execute and jump out to an early lead will be important for us.” Junior defender Lauren Allymohamed, who just picked up the award for Atlantic 10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player, believes her team can beat anyone if it just focuses on the task BRYN ROTHSCHILD-SHEA/COLLEGIAN at hand and not look to the UMass’ Izzie Delario and Lauren Allymohamed (above) celebrate the first goal against Richmond in the Atlantic 10 championship game. future. “We just need to keep playTagliente said it was a huge the week is huge. Our players and knowing that we can keep no different from how her ing how we’ve been playing relief when finding out her are able to get an extra day getting better is very impor- team usually gets ready. and stay focused,” she said. team didn’t have to play in the of rest and recharge for the tant,” she said. “We could “We have some video on “If we keep playing as a team weekend.” potentially have two more them from the regular seaextra match. and continue to move the ball After playing her last game weekends of field hockey, so son, so we’ll go off of that and the way we have been, we can “The main thing is knowing where the team is going ever at Garber Field, senior it’s really all about not letting come up with a gameplan,” beat any team if we put our to be playing, and eliminat- Hannah Prince is not ready up at all and keep working Tagliente said. “They have a minds to it.” ing that element right away,” for her season to end and together as a team.” few players that are exceedThe contest will take place In terms of preparing for ingly talented, but we’ll at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Duke. she said. “With the fatigue knows her team has what it and wear the regular season takes to make a run in the a game against a tough team be well prepared for them like Virginia, Tagliente knows once Saturday rolls around.” brings, not having to play that NCAA Tournament. Jason Kates can be reached at extra game in the middle of “I think never giving up that the preparation will be UMass will have to slow jkates@umass.edu.
HOCKEY
UM hopes to solve goalie woes in time for BC series Mastalerz day-today with injury By Cameron mCDonough Collegian Staff
Believe it or not, there was a team that put on a bigger offensive display than New Hampshire did against the Massachusetts hockey team last weekend. Unfortunately for the Minutemen, that team is next on their schedule. UMass, fresh off of a 9-0 thumping at the hands of the Wildcats, is set to face No. 7 Boston College, which is coming off an 11-0 blowout of Army, this Thursday and Friday in a home-and-home series. A loss of that magnitude is something that Minuteman coach John Micheletto hopes his team won’t have to experience again. “The only thing that you’re always trying to do is as much as you’re trying to learn from a loss, you’re also not wanting one loss to become two because you’re not taking the lessons out of it and you’re not mentally moving on or physically moving on,” Micheletto said. “There’s an accountability factor that will have to take place. We also can’t let that hangover last until Thursday night.” To make matters worse for UMass (3-6-1, 1-3-1 Hockey East), the status of goaltender Steve Mastalerz is still up in the air, as he is listed day-to-day after he suffered an undisclosed injury in the second period of the team’s 4-1 loss to
UNH on Friday. That means Micheletto and his team are in a waiting period until they learn about the status of Mastalerz before Thursday’s game. Micheletto could not give a specific percentage on his chances to play this weekend, though. If Mastalerz can’t go this weekend, that means that either Mac Haight or Alex Wakaluk will be in goal for the Minutemen. Wakaluk earned the start on Saturday in place of Mastalerz, and the freshman allowed five goals on only 10 shots in his 22 minutes, 26 seconds of play before being pulled in favor of Haight. While the goalie is ultimately responsible for being the last line of defense against the other team’s offense, both Wakaluk and Haight were not helped out by the defense in front of them. Two of the Wildcats’ three goals in the first period came on 2-on-1 opportunities and a majority of the goals UMass allowed were “Grade-A” opportunities, according to Micheletto. “It’d be nice if we didn’t give up the kind of opportunities that forced them to make an unbelievable save after standing around for five minutes,” he said. “Asking any goaltender, especially either Mac or Alex in their first goes of the season and to see those types of opportunities barreling down on them is pretty unfortunate and unfair.” All five of the goals that Wakaluk allowed
were on his blocker side. UNH coach Dick Umile said after Saturday’s game that wasn’t a part of their gameplan and instead they were just trying to get it past Wakaluk. N o r m a l l y, the Minutemen would have until Friday to figure out their goalie situation, but this week they are presented with one less day to prepare for the vaunted Eagles (6-2-1, 3-0 HEA) and recuperate their injuries than they would normally. That also leaves less time for a struggling defense to figure out a gameplan for Johnny Gaudreau, who was named the player of the year in the Hockey East as only a sophomore last year. He’s coming off a twogoal performance in the blowout against Army and has amassed nine goals and 18 points this year. Micheletto said that his team won’t necessarily plan differently for Gaudreau, but when he is on the ice, his team will need to know where he is. “You’re gonna know where he is when he has the puck on his stick,” he said. “It’s when he doesn’t (have the puck) that you gotta make sure you’re checking him and having guys have eyes on him because he’s obviously very elusive and very dangerous.” Puck drop between the two is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at Mullins Center and at 7 p.m. on Friday at BC. Cameron McDonough can be reached at cameronm@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Cam_McDonough.
FOOTBALL
Minutemen look for 1st multi-win season in FBS Defeated Akron 22-14 last season By niCK Canelas Collegian Staff
Akron will always have a special place in Massachusetts football history. It was the team the Minutemen beat on the road last season for their first-ever Football Bowl Subdivision victory, and marked UMass coach Charley Molnar’s first win as a head coach. Now the Minutemen have a chance to make even more program history at the expense of the Zips. On Saturday, UMass (1-8, 1-4 Mid-American Conference) hosts Akron on Senior Day for a 1 p.m. matchup at Gillette Stadium in pursuit of its first multiple-win season as a member of the FBS. And it might be its last good chance to achieve that feat. The Zips (3-7, 2-4 MAC) are in the midst of another disappointing season under second-year coach Terry Bowden and present the Minutemen with a chance to send the seniors off on a high note with one last home win, even if it isn’t the same home field they stepped on four years ago. “It’s gonna be different because, obviously it’s our home field, but to me McGuirk is my home field,” Brandon Potvin said. “We’ve been playing on it since my freshman year. But home is home. It’s never gonna feel exactly the same, but with your family there you make it
work.” UMass is expected to get back some reinforcements as well. Senior tight end Rob Blanchflower looks likely to return after he was placed atop the team’s depth chart this week, while quarterback A.J. Doyle could potentially make his return after sitting out with an ankle injury in the Minutemen’s 63-19 loss to Northern Illinois on Nov. 2. Either way, UMass coach Charley Molnar expects a well-rested team coming off the bye week. “Our team was so banged up, we needed a bye,” he said. “I can’t tell you what it would’ve been like if we had to play last Saturday. We’re not gonna be at 100 percent, no football team is. We’re gonna be better than the last two games.” Akron comes into the contest as eight-point favorites, but it may not be the biggest challenge the Minutemen will face. UMass has been battling frigid temperatures all week in practice. It’s an adjustment particularly for Justin Anderson, who came off the practice field with a sweat-soaked sweatshirt under his pads. A graduate student who transferred from Maryland, Anderson has spent the last four years practicing in the friendlier weather conditions in the south. “It’s very cold,” Anderson said while rubbing his hands together. The weather may increase the role of running back Lorenzo Woodley on Saturday coming off a 163yard performance against
NIU. The colder conditions make it more difficult to throw or kick the ball, and Molnar is prepared to make the necessary adjustments. “I think part of playing football in this part of the country is being able to do well in the cold weather,” he said. “Your run game can work in all sorts of conditions and I can’t tell you that we found our run game the last game and the last half of the Western Michigan game, but we’ve certainly taken some steps forward. “If the weather conditions get tough, I think our run game can carry us through right now and Lorenzo will hopefully be able to improve upon his performance.” Despite all the emotions and celebrations that often come with Senior Day, senior defensive lineman Galen Clemons thinks the key is to not get too distracted and stay focused on the task at hand. “Parents are coming, which is good, friends’ parents are coming, which is also excellent, but the thing is we don’t want anybody distracted,” he said. “It’s gonna be great to see the parents there, it’s gonna be great to have them at our side coming into the stadium, but everybody’s just gotta keep their focus on the game, game plan, everything that’s important and that’s it. We’re gonna go out there and we’re gonna play Akron like it’s the Super Bowl.” Nick Canelas can be reached at ncanelas@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @NickCanelas.