Massachusetts Daily Collegian: Feb. 5, 2014

WHO LET THE WOLF OUT? PAGE 8

Minutemen return to Mullins to face La Salle PAGE 8

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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

SignS for peace

News@DailyCollegian.com

Administration considers virtual textbook store Change prompted by high costs By aishwarya Vishwanath Collegian Correspondent

JUSTIN SURGENT/COLLEGIAN

Small handmade messages for peace adorn a tree inside the Student Union.

Professor gives climate change talk

By Katherine GilliGan Collegian Correspondent

Dr. Richard Palmer, professor and head of the University of Massachusetts’ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, spoke Tuesday afternoon about the incorporation of climate science into the planning and managing of cities and natural resources as part of the University’s Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series.

The talk, which took place in the Massachusetts Room of the Mullins Center, focused on sustainability and collaboration between different groups of people to solve the “wicked

problems” that face our environment. Palmer explained that these are problems that “resist resolution,” and are difficult to solve because of changing requirements.

Palmer is nationally recognized, and a prominent figure in the American Society of Civil Engineers. He has won several awards, including the society’s Julian Hinds Award.

At the end of Tuesday’s lecture, he was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal, the highest recognition given for service to the UMass campus.

During the lecture, Palmer used the question of, “How reliable is the drinking water of the nation’s capital?” as an example of some of the

problems we face. Although this might sound like an easy question, Palmer explained that there are multiple factors at play, such as the number of dams, droughts and the possibility of the capital’s population changing. When making a forecast with all of these factors, he noted that most of the predictions were a lot higher than the actual outcome.

Palmer also laid out some facts regarding climate change. He said the surface temperature is rising and ice sheets and glaciers are losing mass, causing the sea to rise continuously.

According to Palmer, the projected impacts of these

changes are significant.

Animal ranges and migration patterns are being altered and coastal areas face erosion and submersion. It’s predicted that by 2100, hundreds of millions of people will be affected.

Palmer noted the challenge of making decisions when there are so many uncertainties. While collecting and analyzing data from some of his projects, he said that he sometimes has come up with 112 different scenarios. Although this is a wide range, Palmer said the scenarios are more accurate within a smaller time frame. The further into see

Serving the UMass community since 1890

CLIMATE on page 3

Due to the high price of textbooks and declining sales figures, the University of Massachusetts is exploring the option of switching to a virtual bookstore to supply textbooks and course materials.

Currently, students can purchase course materials from the University Store, the Textbook Annex and the bookstore website. The proposed virtual store would sell both digital and physical textbooks, and would have a delivery service so students could have their order sent to their residence hall or elsewhere on campus. The Virtual Course Materials Store would be available to both undergraduate and graduate students and accessible to students taking online or distance education courses, according to a Campus Bookstore Consulting report The reasoning behind the possible shift involves not only students’ concerns over the high costs of textbooks, but also the availability of new technology, such as digital textbooks and Massive Open Online Courses, as well as new teaching methods that require virtual course materials.

Textbook sales at oncampus bookstores have been on the decline.

According to the report, sales decreased by 30.2 percent from 2009-2013. During

the same time, used textbook sales dropped by 62.5 percent.

A Virtual Course Materials Store is being touted by the UMass administration as an attempt to lower textbook prices for students. However, it is still unclear how the new prices will compare with those of competing retailers.

The amount of money spent on course materials is on the forefront of some students’ minds. When asked what he thought about the administration’s potential plan for the virtual bookstore, UMass sophomore Jacob Lytle expressed skepticism.

“I fail to see how UMass can make things cheaper than Amazon.com,” he said.

Later this month, the University will issue a request for proposals from various publishing companies and companies like Amazon.com and Google to see what they have to offer in terms of virtual store services and details.

Information will include pricing models, payment methods, such as UCard debit and details on materials deliveries and potentially reduced shipping charges.

With the introduction of a Virtual Course Materials Store, the current Textbook Annex and other bookstores on campus would be either eliminated or be significantly downsized.

According to UMass spokesperson Daniel Fitzgibbons, see

BOOKSTORE on page 3

Transcending time, race Snow storms hit U.S. with a postage stamp By michael musKal Los Angeles Times

UMass prof. helps USPS honor author By ariel DicKerman Collegian Correspondent According to the Mer riam-Webster Dictionary, “art” is defined as “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings.”

U n ive r s i t y of Massachusetts professor Steven Tracy has used his imagination, as well as both his literary and musical skills, in collaboration with the U.S. Postal Service to analyze and express the ideas of an important African-American author, Ralph Waldo Ellison. The finished product is a 91-cent postage stamp to be released within the next few months.

Last year, Tracy was contacted by Jeff Sypeck,

a photo assistant for the Postal Service. Sypeck asked Tracy if he would be interested in consulting on the making of a biography and postage stamp honoring Ralph Ellison due to his history as an African American Literature expert and author of “A Historical Guide to Ralph Ellison.” Artwork by Kadir Nelson and text were sent to him to edit for accuracy.

Ellison won the 1953 National Book Award for the only novel he would complete in his lifetime, “Invisible Man,” which was one of the first novels by an African-American author to examine racism in the U.S. According to Tracy, the novel “was called, by many people, one of the most significant American novels in the post-World War II era, and so it had quite an impact. There are people who said that the day that it was released, America

was changed forever.”

What is lesser known is Ellison’s attendance at the Tuskegee Institute, an African-American vocational school in Alabama, for his musical abilities on the trumpet, which would later help pave the way for him to explore visual and literary art in his lifetime.

Tracy, who teaches AfroAmerican Studies at the University, has written, edited and contributed to 30 books. Tracy said that because he grew up during the civil rights era and attended a Cincinnati high school with a large African American community, he “tried to become involved in opening up American society to those elements of the American community that are now considered inside the so-called ‘mainstream.’”

His father’s jobs at a black cemetery and a convenience see

STAMP on page 3

For as much as two-thirds of the United States, this has, indeed, been the winter of our discontent.

Even as a harsh storm was dropping as much as 10 inches of snow on parts of the Midwest, especially Kansas, that same system was moving east and was expected to make the evening commute and Wednesday’s morning drives to work in the Northeast miserable experiences.

Nor could the Northeast take comfort that the worst was over. After a snow storm earlier this week, a third storm is gathering and is expected to hit at the end of the weekend and into the early part of Monday, proving that three of a kind is only good when playing poker.

Winter storm warnings were posted for more than a dozen states where well more than one-third of the nation’s population lives.

Where there weren’t warn-

MCT

Michael Angelo Chavez laughs while his mother Ana runs a snowblower outside of their Wichita, Kan., home on Tuesday. ings, there were advisories.

“Heavy snow and freezing rain will impact the central U.S. today from the Plains into the Ohio Valley,” the National Weather Service warned. “As the system moves east, the heavy snow and ice will impact locations in the Northeast on Wednesday. In addition to the winter weather, heavy rainfall could result in flood-

ing across the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys.”

The heavy snow closed schools throughout the region where many places were reporting that the days lost to weather were piling up almost as high as the drifts outside. Indiana, for example, has some areas where schools were closed see

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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

THE RU N D OW N ON THIS DAY...

In 1971, astronauts landed on the moon in the Apollo 14 space mission. This was the first moon landing since the historic Apollo 13 mission that never made it to the moon due to technical difficulties.

AROUND THE WORLD

Tunisia TUNIS, Tunisia — The suspected assassin of leading Tunisian opposition figure Chokri Belaid was killed during an anti-terrorism raid by security forces north of the capital Tunis, the government said Tuesday.

Kamel Gadhgadhi’s body was found among the bodies of seven gunmen killed during the raid in Raoued suburb, which ended Tuesday afternoon after a day-long siege, Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou told reporters.

One police officer was killed in the shootout between the police and the suspects, who were holed up inside a house, he said.

The fighters included some of Tunisia’s most wanted terrorism suspects, according to a ministry spokesman. The ministry said they were members of the radical Ansar al-Sharia group. dpa

Egypt CAIRO — A Dutch reporter left Egypt on Tuesday after learning she was one of four foreign journalists accused by Egyptian prosecutors of terrorismrelated charges, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said.

Dutch diplomats had held talks with Egyptian authorities to ensure that the journalist, Rena Netjes, would not be arrested when she arrived at the airport for her flight out. She arrived back in Amsterdam later Tuesday, and the Foreign Ministry said in a statement that she would “take up her defense from there.”

Egyptian authorities had said last month that a Dutch national was among four foreigners named in an indictment of 20 journalists working for the Qatarbased news broadcaster Al-Jazeera. Netjes does not work for Al-Jazeera, however. She reports for a Dutch broadcaster, BNR Nieuwsradio, and for a Dutch daily newspaper, Het Parool.

Netjes denied any wrongdoing. “It is tremendously frightening that you suddenly have all sorts of false accusations against you,” BNR’s website quoted her as saying.

Los Angeles Times

Syria WASHINGTON — At least 50 Americans have joined the mix of extremist groups that are fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, and some could try to mount terrorist attacks at home, U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday.

Intelligence officials say the Syrian civil war has become one of the biggest magnets for Islamic extremists around the globe since CIA-backed militants fought to oust Soviet troops from Afghanistan in the 1980s, a war that ultimately gave rise to al-Qaida.

Tribune Washington Bureau Distributed by MCT Information Services

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Putin’s ‘ring of steel’ becomes obvious Security plans for Olympics progress

By William Douglas McClatchy Foreign Staff

SOCHI, Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s personally promised “ring of steel” to secure the 2014 Winter Olympics is taking shape.

Armed soldiers in hooded drab-green parkas stood guard Tuesday at the end of one runway at the Sochi Airport, where Olympic athletes, spectators and foreign dignitaries are beginning to arrive.

A camouflaged anti-aircraft station rests atop a hill nearby the cluster of ice events stadiums at the Winter Games’ Black Sea coastal venue.

Sochi is beginning to resemble a police state, and that’s just fine with the Olympic athletes, fans and locals.

“I feel pretty good about it, I mean they are trying as hard as they can,” said U.S. bobsled pusher Chris Fogt, an Army captain who worked in intelligence and security in Iraq after the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. “Something happened in Atlanta in ‘96, it can happen here. You just hope. I think that they are trying their hardest and they are doing everything they can.”

British short track speed skater Jon Eley said: “The security is good, not over the top, and we feel safe.”

The safety of the athletes could be tested, as two members of Austria’s Olympic committee reportedly received a letter containing threats to kidnap skier Marlies Schild and skeleton competitor Janine Flock at the Winter Games, which officially open Friday.

Terrorist threats, the proximity of Sochi to troubled spots like Chechnya, and the general angst of hosting a large-scale event in the post-9/11 age have unnerved some people to the point of staying away from

the Games.

A poll released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center found that 44 percent of Americans believe that holding the Winter Olympics in Russia was a bad idea, while 32 percent thought it was a good decision.

Of those who disapprove of the Games being in Russia, 62 percent cited the potential for terrorism or general security issues as the reasons.

After hearing concerns about Sochi security from Washington and other world capitals, Putin vowed to encircle Sochi in a “ring of steel” to discourage or thwart any terrorist activity.

From the looks of things, he’s trying to deliver on his promise.

Even Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader and fierce Putin critic, thinks it’s unlikely that Sochi will be victimized during the Winter Games.

“I think that the security measures which are in place will guarantee security in Sochi,” he told BBC News.

“Of course, this region isn’t very stable, but in the end I’m sure that the Russian state is capable of ensuring security in the Olympic zone.”

The Olympic Park and Olympic Village railway stations - critical transportation hubs for moving people from the coastal region to the mountain events - look more like airports than rail terminals.

The number of police officers, soldiers and Russian Cossacks walking beats at the stations has grown in recent days. A security force of 40,000 - police officers, military and Federal Security Service agents are expected to descend on this city of 400,000 for the Games.

Passengers must go through metal detectors, have their bags X-rayed, and have suspicious contents examined before gaining entry to the stations. If the metal detectors go off or something doesn’t look

or feel right, stern-looking security officials donned in purplish patchwork quiltstyle warm-up suits are at the ready to provide a thorough pat down.

U.S. speed skater Shani Davis said he likes the security agents’ style wardrobe-wise, at least.

“Purple is my favorite color, and if anyone wants to give me a jacket then I’d be happy,” Davis told Olympic News Service.

There’s been an increase in recent days in the number of police officers and soldiers who stroll the aisles of passenger trains.

Recordings in English and Russian over the train’s loudspeakers urge passengers to watch out for and report suspicious items.

Television cameras monitor the tracks along the high-speed rail line to mountainous Krasnaya Polyana. And security forces were stationed under the rail route’s bridges and the underpasses of the highway next to the tracks.

The local train from Olympic Park to Sochi runs along the Black Sea, offering stunning views and a glimpse Saturday at what appeared to be a military vessel strategically anchored just offshore.

Behind the scenes, Russian authorities are reportedly aggressively monitoring telephone and Internet activities in Sochi to such an extreme that the European Federation of Journalists issued tips for its members covering the Winter Games. It urged members to increase the protection of their gear against spyware and malware, and to turn off geotagging and GPS applications on phones and laptops if they’re conducting sensitive interviews.

Still, several U.S. security analysts say Russian officials have done well thus far in protecting the Olympic zone but stressed that their work has only just begun.

“I understand it’s going quite well,” said Fred Burton, an analyst for

Stratfor, a Texas-based geopolitical intelligence firm and a former State Department counterterrorism agent who worked the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. “Once you get through the opening ceremonies. That’s where I’d be concerned. Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 is when you start re-evaluating, making sure you’ve got individual venues covered and your outlying areas covered.”

Residents in Sochi and nearby Adler have mixed views about the security blanket covering their area.

Knarik Kochkonian, a souvenir shop owner in Adler, said she’s “absolutely unruffled” by the heightened security or potential for danger during the Games.

“Of course I’ve heard about the terror threats, but my intuition says everything

will go well,” Kochkonian said through an interpreter.

“The government has done its best to ensure security during this event. I think nothing bad will happen.”

But Olga Shapranova, an Adler grocery store worker, said she’s concerned.

“My son goes in for skiing at Krasnaya Polyana,” she said through an interpreter. “I will not allow my son to train (there) during the Olympics. Maybe I am overreacting, but one can never know what may happen.”

That said, Shapranova plans to be in the stands rooting for the host country during the Winter Games.

“We bought tickets for some competitions, and we hope everything will be OK and we will enjoy the Games,” she said.

Some in Congress want to scrap the NSA spying Obama’s plans draw skepticism

the Patriot Act. “Congress never intended to allow bulk collections,” said Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., author of the 2001 By sean CoCkerham Patriot Act. McClatchy Washington Bureau Debate is intensifying in WASHINGTON — Congress over whether to Democrats and Republicans scrap the massive data colon the House Judiciary lection effort or to modify Committee blasted the gov- it. There’s widespread skepernment’s bulk collection ticism among both parof Americans’ telephone ties over President Barack records on Tuesday and said Obama’s plans for the proit’s a misuse of authority gram’s future and a desire granted by Congress under for Congress to curb the

National Security Agency.

“In my district and many others, NSA has become not a three-letter word but a four-letter word,” Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., said at a Tuesday hearing on the surveillance effort.

Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., said Congress needs to end the bulk collection.

“Consensus is growing that it is largely ineffective, inconsistent with our national values, and inconsistent with the statute as this

committee wrote it,” said Conyers, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee.

An independent federal privacy board reviewed the spy program and said there was no evidence it had made a real difference in thwarting any terrorist operations.

David Medine, who chairs the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, told the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that the program should come to an end.

“We conclude the benefits of the program are modest at best and they are outweighed by the privacy and civil liberties consequences,” Medine said.

A senior Justice Department official defended the surveillance program, saying it’s needed for security, and said the Obama administration is seeking to alter how the program works.

“These are things that if you don’t collect them and something blows up, people are going to be very angry,” Deputy Attorney General James Cole told the lawmakers.

Cole said the bulk collection of phone records is a useful tool that helps connect dots between suspected terrorists and people who may be assisting their operations.

Obama wants to keep the spy program, although he’s proposed several changes in the wake of the public furor that followed news of its existence. Leaks from former defense contractor Edward

Snowden revealed the previously undisclosed scope of the surveillance effort, in which the National Security Agency collects millions of Americans’ phone records.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte said the program needs to be changed. But the Virginia Republican said he’s skeptical of Obama’s approach.

Obama wants someone other than the federal government to store the massive database of phone records, which includes numbers dialed and the duration of calls but not the content of the calls. The president didn’t say who should keep the data and the Justice Department is weighing options, including the telephone companies themselves.

Goodlatte said that could raise its own privacy problems.

“We need look no further than last month’s Target breach or last week’s Yahoo breach to know that private information held by private companies is susceptible to cyberattacks,” he said.

A presidentially appointed review panel has urged the database be removed from the government’s hands, suggesting that could ease public concerns about abuse.

Cole said the Justice Department is working hard to figure out exactly who should store the phone records, whether it should be the telephone companies or some other third party.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

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for a full week in January because of the weather and road conditions.

The National Weather Service warned of extremely difficult driving conditions. Interstate 70, an artery linking Kansas City and St. Louis, was closed in both directions early on Tuesday near Columbia, Mo., after several accidents involving tractor-trailer trucks.

More than 3,700 flights were delayed on Tuesday, and more than 1,200 were canceled by midday, according to Flightaware.com, a website that tracks air traffic.

According to masFlight, which tracks airline costs, January was the worst month for flight disruptions in recent history. It estimated that severe weather flight delays last month cost Americans $2.5 billion in lost business and productivity.

Icy conditions were also a problem in Arkansas, where multiple accidents were reported on several

major traffic arteries.

Conditions were most hazardous in the northwestern corner of the state, near the borders with Missouri and Oklahoma. Power outages were also reported as ice and snow clutched overhead transmission lines and the added weight snapped the circuit.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe directed that only essential state employees were to report to their jobs in the capital.

Records were buried MCT in snow piles. Detroit, for example, recorded 39.1 Donna Foulk shovels the sidewalk in front of her store, Donna’s Dress Shop, inches of snow in January, in Kansas City, Mo. during the snow storm on Tuesday. a record for the month, and New York City received this evening,” said National with less snow falling the almost 2 feet more snow Weather Service meteo- farther north.

Temperatures will drop than in most other years. In rologist Ben Deubelbeiss, Chicago, the storm marked whose agency has issued to below zero in some placthe 33rd and 34th days of a winter weather advisory es Wednesday night, startmeasurable snow this from 6 p.m. Tuesday until ing a stretch of three nights when the low will be in the season, according to the noon Wednesday.

As the snow falls, the minus figures, the newspaChicago Tribune.

“It’s going to be spread- wind will pick up with gusts per reported.

Only two other seasons ing north into the area, of 25 mph that could whip moving into the South Side up snow drifts during the in the past 129 years have of Chicago mid-to-late this drive home. About 2 to 4 seen more days of measurafternoon, then into the inches of snow are expected able snowfall through Feb. rest of the area mid-to-late in counties around Chicago, 3: 33 days in 1976-77 and 35

Farm bill will change lives nationwide Farmers must make operational changes

By Chris AdAms McClatchy Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — The massive farm bill that emerged from the U.S. Senate on Tuesday and is on its way to President Barack Obama will substantially change farmers’ lives nationwide and make a step toward altering the way they’ve done business for decades.

While the bill didn’t go as far as some would have liked in changing the nation’s farm payments system, and while it was ensnarled for months in the politics of food stamps, it nevertheless will cause farmers to restructure their operations - and their expectations.

“The biggest drawback was the time it took to get passed,” said Blake Hurst, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau. “We have farmers planting at the end of March, and we’ll still be waiting for the rule changes that come with the bill. So we have five years of certainty; we still don’t know what the rules will be as we pull into the fields.”

The bill sailed through the House last week, and cleared the Senate, 68-32, Tuesday afternoon. The White House has indicated its support for the legislation.

Among Senate Republicans, the vote was 22 in favor, 23, opposed; among Democrats, the tally was 44-9. Both independent senators supported the bill.

In a statement after the vote, Obama said, “As with any compromise, the farm bill isn’t perfect - but on the whole, it will make a positive difference not only for the rural economies that grow America’s food, but for our nation.”

The farm bill is the massive piece of legislation that is customarily revamped

CLIMATE

and passed every five years to lay out the structure of agriculture spending. It directs the activities of the Department of Agriculture, but doesn’t deal solely with traditional farm programs.

Among other things, it runs the government’s food stamp, school lunch and school breakfast operations, as well as rural housing assistance.

One of the biggest changes will be ending the farm program’s direct payment system in which farmers were paid regardless of need.

According to data from the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization that collects and analyzes farm subsidy information, such payments were worth nearly $159 million to Missouri’s corn, soybean, wheat, rice, cotton, sorghum and other farmers in 2012.

In Kansas, they were worth nearly $301 million in 2012, to wheat, sorghum, corn, soybean, barley, sunflower and other farmers.

The change represents a landmark shift in federal agriculture policy, according to Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

But the direct payments system is being replaced with a beefed-up crop insurance program.

In fact, there are two new programs: “agriculture risk coverage,” which will cover some losses before more extensive crop insurance begins, and “price loss coverage,” which sets specific target prices for different crops. If actual prices fall below those targets, farmers will be covered.

According to Mary Kay Thatcher, a lobbyist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, the big move away from direct payments to more insurance programs is important to ensure that “farmers have some skin in the game.”

“With crop insurance, there is some,” she said.

Craig Cox, a senior vice president for the Environmental Working Group, however, said the old system is merely being replaced by a new one that also distorts the marketplace by having taxpayers pick up the tab for a major portion of the costs in the new crop-insurance system.

It’s still a subsidy, only with different rules.

As for the risk that farmers themselves have to assume, Cox said, “It’s going to be less - and in some cases substantially less, depending on which choices farmers make.”

Overall, the Congressional Budget Office in an analysis last month projected that the Agricultural Act of 2014, as the legislation is formally called, would spend $956 billion over the next 10 years.

By far the biggest share of that spending - $756 billion or 79 percent - is in the nutrition program, which includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - or SNAP, what is informally known as food stamps. Nutrition spending overall would drop $8 billion when compared with the program in its present form. That’s far less than the Republican-led House would have liked, but slightly more than requested by the Democratic-led Senate.

In a statement, Marion Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, a nonprofit advocacy group, called the SNAP cuts “indefensible.”

“SNAP is the only defense against the wolves of hunger for 1.2 million jobless families,” she said. “With record numbers of children in poverty, Congress should be launching a war on child poverty and strengthening the safety net for children.¦” The crop insurance component is the second-largest in the bill and would

increase about $6 billion, out of total 10-year spending of $89.8 billion.

Terry Holdren, chief executive officer and general counsel of the Kansas Farm Bureau, said that “it’s probably not our favorite farm bill ever,” but said that Kansas farmers were supportive of the enhanced crop insurance programs.

He said the farmers were concerned about the pricetarget program, saying they could be difficult to implement.

What he liked about the bill was support for food and agricultural research to help figure out how to feed a growing world population without more land or water.

He also cheered the creation of a permanent livestock disaster assistance program that will provide retroactive payments for producers who suffered losses after the previous farm bill expired in 2011.

In a statement last week, Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas said, “I cannot and will not vote for this legislation. It all comes down to this simple question: Does the new farm bill improve agriculture and America? I believe the answer is unfortunately: no.”

Roberts, who chaired the agriculture committee when he served in the House, said that the new price target program “repeats a classic government subsidy mistake - setting high fixed target prices - which only guarantees overproduction with long periods of low crop prices, leading to expensive farm programs funded directly by taxpayers.”

“I have yet to hear one legitimate explanation for why Congress is about to tell all producers across the country that the federal government will guarantee the price of your wheat at $5.50 per bushel and rice at $14 per hundredweight for the next five years - regardless of movements in the market,” he said.

shared with the state and surrounding counties. The goal was accomplished and the water supply demand was met.

Palmer left the audience with several takeaway points. He stressed the need to formulate paradigms that allow the incorporation of climate change and other uncertainties into decisionmaking when appropriate, the importance of research

teams instead of individuals when forming solutions to problems and the developing trend of incorporating stakeholders into decisionmaking.

“The people with the weakest infrastructure are going to be the ones most affected (by climate change),” he said.

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the future the data predicts, the less consistent it is.

Palmer said it has started to become more effective to speculate on what the future may hold to decision makers and stakeholders, instead of just giving them solid facts.

He also discussed several of these decision-making approaches.

In 2005, Palmer worked closely with stakeholders when developing plans for

the Puget Sound Region.

During this time, agencies and organizations voluntarily engaged in the discussion of many key issues that affected water sources of the area.

The goal was to develop the best available data, information and pragmatic tools on the topic of water supply. The Climate Change Committee was formed, and all of their information was

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Katherine Gilligan can be reached at kgilligan@umass.edu.

because the University has not made any concrete decisions yet, any changes to the current on-campus job market is uncertain, but student jobs will be a consideration in the discussions of the Virtual Course Materials Store. However, the virtual store would also create new jobs, such

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as those involving liaising with the provider company and organizing and managing order deliveries.

More information will become available after the administration receives requests for proposals later this month.

Aishwarya Vishwanath can be reached at vishwana@umass.edu.

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store in a black community exposed Tracy to the African American music and culture of the time, which would later become his life’s work.

Like Ellison, Tracy faced much adversity while trying to gain notoriety within his respective field of African American studies. After Tracy earned his doctorate from the University of Cincinnati and published his first few books, which would normally be satisfactory qualifications for tenure, he still had a great deal of difficulty finding a job.

While Tracy considers his degree to be concentrated in American Literature, his two books with African American subjects also made him an expert in African American literature.

“When I went to interview for jobs in African American studies, there were places that said, ‘Well, we don’t wanna hire a white guy to teach in Afro-American Studies,’ so they said, ‘We would like to hire you, but that’s not our purpose in advertising the job,’” Tracy said.

After almost a decade of teaching high school and facing unemployment, former UMass English professor Joe Skerrett recommended Tracy to the AfroAmerican Studies department, which ultimately offered him the job that he has held for the past 19 years.

On March 8, Tracy will speak at a keynote roundtable discussion at the first ever Ellison Centennial Symposium, part of the

conference of Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the United States, which will take place in Oklahoma City.

Tracy also shares Ellison’s passion for music, particularly jazz and blues.

Tracy, a vocalist and harmonica player, opened for many jazz and blues greats on the Cincinnati music scene, such as B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Tracy has also recorded with his own band, Steve Tracy and the Kingsnakes, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. His expertise in the Cincinnati blues scene led him to write his second book, “Going to Cincinnati: A History of the Blues in the Queen City.”

In relation to Ellison’s work, Tracy said that “if you play music, in particular if you play the blues or jazz, and you get to know the kinds of things that musicians do when they play, when they improvise, when they come together with a certain theme that they play together, then you begin to realize how music goes into the creation of and the fashioning of the works that literary artists do. A big part of my career has been focused on talking about the ways in which African American music functions in African American literature, and also in American literature in general.”

Ariel Dickerman is a Collegian Correspondent and can be reached at adickerman@umass.edu.

Federal aid flows to Calif. farmers By miChAel doyle McClatchy Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — The Agriculture Department on Tuesday offered new aid to water-starved California farmers, while lawmakers tussled over competing anti-drought proposals.

Underscoring how California’s water crisis has reached a political boil, top federal and state officials jointly announced the relatively modest new package of aid that features $20 million for agricultural water conservation efforts.

Additional aid for California will be announced by the Forest Service on Thursday.

“This is really designed to pump resources into problem solving,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declared. “We expect and anticipate that this is the first of a number of (aid) announcements.”

Accompanied by Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., Vilsack announced the funding for which California farmers can apply. Grants will be provided for projects that could include improving irrigation efficiency, planting cover crops and protecting grazing lands, among other efforts.

“While we’re all praying for rain, we can use all the help we can get,” Costa said.

Officials opened up the aid taps precisely as the

Re p u bl i c a n - c o n t ro l l e d House prepared to approve on Wednesday an ambitious California water package tailored for Central Valley irrigation districts. The House bill authorizes several new dams, repeals a San Joaquin River restoration program and steers water from fish to farmers.

There’s little doubt the House will approve the GOP water bill, introduced by freshman Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., and based largely on a controversial bill previously authored by Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif.

There’s also little doubt that key elements will subsequently sink in the Senate, where California Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer have already vigorously denounced the House measure.

California Gov. Jerry Brown also opposes the House bill as an “unwelcome and divisive intrusion.” At the same time, the House push has seemed to motivate senators and administration officials to bounce back with alternatives. It did not seem a coincidence that the Agriculture Department aid was announced on the eve of House action.

In a similar happenstance, top state and federal water officials set Wednesday for a Sacramento briefing on drought responses. A Feinstein bill is expected within days.

Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” - Albert Camus

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Editorial@DailyCollegiancom

Simple solution to energy waste

Positive impact of service learning Incorporating community service and volunteer work into a monthly schedule is common among students

Karen Podorefsky and adults. There are many positives to volunteering besides the intrinsic motivation to be happy about helping to better the community.

You gain professional experience if you volunteer in your field, meet new people and learn about yourself and the world around you.

Learning is a large aspect of service. Volunteers learn about those who they are helping, how to become more engaged in the organization or community and how to do something different or new. Service and learning coincide because you essentially learn from everything you do, but what makes the term that combines those two words, service learning, different?

According to the University of Maryland, service learning’s intention is to “equally benefit the provider and the recipient of the service as well as to ensure equal focus on both the service being provided and the learning that is occurring.” The learning can occur outside a classroom, but involves group discussions and outside work to make it both curricular and co-curricular. The University of Massachusetts Civil Engagement & ServiceLearning (CESL) encourages the outcomes of this type of work. The broad outcomes are that “students can develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and perspectives in three different domains: academic, personal, and civic learning.”

Academic learning means that the concepts learned

through the service in the community can be related to education and involves expanding one’s views for both the service and academic area of study. Personal learning is similar, but the service affects an individual’s view of his or her own strengths, weaknesses and values, which they then have the opportunity to self-evaluate and work on through the community service project chosen. Civic learning means that students learn about the perspectives of those around them with different backgrounds and identities.

Community service and service learning are both

allowed us to deepen our understanding of the labor we participated in. We had varying learning goals day by day, but all enhanced the experience in the garden. It was sort of a built-in, highintensity daily debrief, and it allowed the group to get to know each other on a different level. We knew each other in the setting of doing laborious work, deep conversation and learning and social settings.

Hands-on work and being immersed in a culture is very different from reading about it. I don’t think you can really understand something until you experience it. You may hear about a certain group of people, area or concept, but until you have a chance to engage in it, there is no personal relation to allow you to build reputable knowledge.

“Service learning, when done right, inspires participants to a lifelong commitment to service, energizes grassroots communities and facilitates connections among diverse groups of people,” Kaplan said.

You don’t need to go on a trip to another country or even somewhere far from where you live to participate in service learning.

Taking part allows you to develop your own knowledge through the enhancement of any segment of society. It can be for a long or short period of time. UMass offers service learning classes and programs to accommodate for what you may want.

Many people learn best by doing, and the field experience is what provides you with background knowledge to be your best at a career or hobby.

to work on a project and live in people’s homes.

Rachel Olstein Kaplan, Associate Director of Yahel Israel Service Learning and one of the leaders of the trip, believes in service learning “because I see it as a much more sustainable form of service, both for the recipient communities and for the participants in the program,” she said. “By framing traditional service projects with in-depth discussions as well as historical and cultural context, everyone is able to gain much more from the experience and understand the implications and effects both in the immediate future and in the long term.”

“You may hear about a certain group of people, area or concept, but until you have a chance to engage in it, there is no personal relation to allow you to build reputable knowledge.” hands-on and rewarding, but I prefer service learning because it allows me to think more deeply about how I am affecting the world around me. The analytical thinking required for the project also allows me to reflect about how the work and setting affect me.

I have volunteered through community service projects for most of my life, but this winter, I experienced my first service learning project. I traveled to Maghar, Israel, with 12 other students on a trip through UMass Hillel and Yahel Israel Service Learning. When I began the trip, all I really knew was that we would be immersed in the Druze culture, a small religion that has communities in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria,

I’ll never forget a class I had my freshman year at the University of

Ian Hagarty Massachusetts. It was a World Literature Class in Bartlett Hall, and the heat ran for the majority of the spring semester. Myself and the other students in the class wondered what we could do, but there wasn’t a thermostat available in the room, let alone anywhere that we knew of. We opened the windows of the room, expecting some slight relief but unfortunately the heaters were directly underneath. This created an invisible wall of heat, blocking any cool air from entering the room.

As I sat there, sweltering, I couldn’t help but picture the countless dollars in electricity that was blowing directly out of the windows, relentlessly and senselessly. It was an incredible mis-

The program as a whole was an incredible experience because the UMass group and many students from the community transformed a trash and weed-filled area of land next to a high school into a community garden.

We became close with the Druze youth who helped us work in the garden and with the families we stayed with.

Every day presented active learning opportunities not only in the garden, but also in group learning sessions for about two hours afterwards.

The learning varied based on the day, but consisted of learning through Torah passages, about Israel, about different forms of service and other areas related to the Karen Podorefsky is a Collegian culture we were immersed columnist and can be reached at in for 10 days. Learning kpodoref@umass.edu.

“It really is our responsibility, especially as a school full of young and educated people who are soon to have a strong influence on the world, to take some significant steps towards a positive change in the way that we live.” use of resources, monetarily, as well as ethically when considering our constantly changing global environment.

You may not have personally experienced a classroom such as this, but think about your own dorm room, or possibly your friend’s dorm room. As far as I have seen, many people leave their windows open all winter long, at least partially, as they strive for relief from the overbearing heat that is pumped into the dorms.

I don’t live in a dorm anymore, but I remember my dorm in Pierpont Hall in Southwest – we could never close the windows, or we would suffocate from the heat. When you add up the number of dorms that must be experiencing this problem, UMass must really be wasting a daunting amount of money on heat.

As far as I am concerned, though, there is a very simple solution to this problem. Why don’t we just put adjustable thermostats in each dorm room?

According to homewyse. com, the cost of thermostats and their installations are approximately $200, on the high end. This would be a bit of an expense on the University. However, with the rising costs of fuel and therefore electricity, I believe that the school would, in a very short time, make all of the money back it has invested in personal programmable thermostats.

After the money is made back, the school would be saving countless dollars on energy expenses each year. Students constantly

Letters tothe edItor

Editorial@DailyCollegian.com

In 1977, I convinced a young University of Massachusetts professor whose name has long since faded from memory, to accept a semester-long writing project as a substitute for the standard class/exams/papers in his course syllabus. Somehow I managed to forget about writing my project until the night before it was due. Neither of us was particularly happy with the results. He was just plain angry.

That spring I made my professional acting debut in Northampton. I played a young, Irish student in the American premier of the Brian Friel play, “Volunteers.” I call that play my professional debut because I was paid $20. It came to about four cents an hour for rehearsal and performance over about three months.

I loved the theater and didn’t feel the same way about school. My girlfriend was graduating. It seemed like a good time to go out and take the acting world by storm. I didn’t. But that’s another story for another day. I left UMass with 85 graduation credits and a GPA of 2.32.

There had been another young, assistant professor whose name I would remember for the next 30-plus years. I even remembered many of the stories he told in class about his life and experiences as a political reporter in Chicago. I took every class he taught.

Ralph Whitehead was young and cool. He wore a brown leather bomberstyle jacket. His hair wasn’t as long as mine but it was pretty long (a sign of coolness at that time).

I’m not sure why, but he

reached me at a time when I wasn’t particularly interested in being reached.

Maybe it was because he seemed like an outsider and I felt like an outsider in this big, anonymous, intimidating place. I don’t know.

In early 2012, I got the idea that maybe I could finish my degree. Maybe I could find a way to substitute a writing project for the 35 credits I needed to graduate. Old habits die hard.

I spent some time on the UMass website. To my surprise and delight, I found Whitehead still listed as a Journalism faculty member. I sent him an email.

Surprise turned to shock when he wrote back and said he remembered me.

Whitehead had actually accomplished the goal colleges and universities set for their faculty. He man-

complain, and rightly so, about the rising costs of tuition and housing, but maybe this could be a way to alleviate some of the cost, even if only a small portion. People are always saying that times are tough, and efficiency is of rising importance, so let’s solve a problem. Personal programmable thermostats are a very simple and very common modern convenience, and with them, the school could really make a difference.

All in all, it really is our responsibility, especially as a school full of young and educated people who are soon to have a strong influence on the world, to take some significant steps toward a positive change in the way that we live. More and more experts in the scientific world are agreeing on climate change as a truth.

A recent report from the U.N. International Panel

aged to educate me in spite of my bad attitude and sloppy habits.

After a few emails, I realized my education still mattered to him. He steered me to University Without Walls (UWW), offered to become my faculty advisor and help in any other way.

I walked with the class of 2013 on May 10 and received the empty folder that displayed my UMass diploma sometime in the summer. I wore my cap and gown proudly. I finished what I started back in the days of bell bottoms, muscle cars and the Vietnam War. I’m not sure that would have happened if it hadn’t been for a connection I’d made all those years ago with an educator who genuinely cared about education.

Harry Munns

Letters to the editor should be no longer than 550 words and can be submitted to either to Editorial@DailyCollegian.com or to DailyCollegian.com We regret that, due to space constraints, not all letters will be printed but can be found online.

on Climate Change stated that scientists involved in the study, are 95 percent positive that humans have a major responsibility in rising temperatures on the Earth, primarily caused by carbon dioxide from pollution. I’d be more likely to fold on a straight flush than ignore a statistic like 95 percent.

Of course, part of this pollution is energy usage.

Yes, we do have an extraordinarily efficient Combined Heat and Power facility at UMass. The facility most often burns cleaner natural gas and produces far fewer emissions than the previously used coal burning power plant, but it still couldn’t hurt to further reduce our emissions. Our planet is heating up and emissions are still on the rise, so any change made is a step in the right direction.

We students at UMass pride ourselves on being scholarly, and I personally hope that we are somewhat devoted to the greater good of mankind, if not only for individual benefit. I think it’s time that we actually started to act the part. We are very well aware of the problems the future of this world is facing, and even if we don’t believe in them, saving a few bucks couldn’t hurt. With a few minor changes to the heating systems in our dorm rooms and classrooms, we could really make a big difference. Why would we be wasteful, especially if it isn’t beneficial in any way?

Ian Hagarty is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at ihagerty@ umass.edu.

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Arts Living THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“I won’t eat anything green.” - Kurt Cobain

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

FILM REVIEW

Arts@DailyCollegian.com

FILM REVIEW

‘Devil’s Due’ doesn’t deliver ‘August: Osage County,’ a A diabolically test of cinematic endurance disappointing film

By Paul Bagnall Collegian Staff

Going to see a new horror movie on the big screen should be an exhilarating experience. The suspense and tension of this macabre genre, when done well, grips the audience, awakening its fears of the unknown.

“Devil’s Due,” directed

by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, is one of the newest found footage horror movies to start the New Year, as it was released on Jan. 17. Their last horror movie outing was found footage anthology “V/H/S” (2012), which didn’t have the privilege to grace national theater screens. Despite this bigger stage on which to prove themselves, BettinelliOlpin and Gillet’s latest outing proves to be a dull and underwhelming film.

The story begins with newlyweds Samantha (Allison Miller) and Zach McCall (Zach Gilford) on their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. On the last night of the starry-eyed lovers’ honeymoon, they’re invited to a club by their cab driver (Roger Payano) for a few drinks and dancing.

Unbeknownst to the couple is that a diabolical cult has slipped them both a mickey to prepare for the birth of the Anti-Christ.

The problems with the film are clear within the first five minutes of screen time. This is probably the

cleanest and sharpest POV horror movie I’ve ever seen, which defuses any kind of atmosphere with sharp and expertly focused cinematography and lighting.

The helpless victim of “Devil’s Due” is not Samantha, but the suspense. The movie drags its knuckles with every jump scare and thinly veiled plot twist, leaving little room for any sort of subtlety. The jump scares and shocks were so telegraphed it was like I’d invited an annoying friend that would point out twists before they happened on screen.

The ineptitude of the script really shows in the droning dialog between the new married couple, which feels like watching two people bang two rocks together.

That actually sounds more entertaining than snoring through this tensionless mess.

The pacing suffers as well. “Devil’s Due” is possibly the slowest found footage horror flick to come out in recent memory. I had to be jolted awake with a jump scare in the same fashion a teenager would do when poking a dead-looking body.

Screenwriter Lindsay Devlin, whose previous work includes only the documentary, “In So Many Words,” has proven she can’t write very good horror. Her most glaring weakness lies in her inability to transition from scene to scene, each one feeling clumsier and more jarring than the last.

The scenes itself suffer from poor execution as well.

Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, on a few occasions, utterly fail to establish new characters and where they’re coming from, something that is vital in more traditional Hollywood films, never mind one of this genre. Quite a few times, incredible leaps were made between cuts that leave you in the dark until things are explained at a painstakingly slow pace.

There are also a few scenes that incorporate an adventure camera that Mr. McCall attaches to his shirt, giving the viewer a first-person perspective to add tension. Andrzej Bartkowiak’s 2005 film “Doom” did the same thing with this perspective that also failed. It felt like I was watching the directors play a first-person horror video game with these scenes, except I forgot to bring my controller to join in on the fun.

“Devil’s Due” brings nothing new to the horror genre. The pacing is slow and the plot points are predictable. The characters aren’t interesting, any sense of suspense and atmosphere is missing and the cinematography is overproduced for a film of this genre. If you’re in desperate need of a cure for rampant insomnia, “Devil’s Due” is a must-watch. Otherwise, spare your eyes from this unholy abomination so you can maintain your faith in found footage horror.

Paul Bagnall can be reached at pbagnall@umass.edu.

Stellar finish makes up for slow start By lauren romag Collegian Correspondent

Prepare to be the unwelcomed fly on the wall to a family forced to reconnect after the suicide of the family patriarch, Beverly (Sam Shepard), in “August: Osage County.”

The focus of the film falls on Barbara (Julia Roberts), the eldest of the Weston Daughters, whose life is slowly crumbling as she has to deal with separating from her husband, Bill (Ewan McGregor), and trying to connect with her emotionally removed daughter, Jean (Abigail Breslin). You are simultaneously introduced to a star-studded cast that makes up the rest of her family that is trying to deal with the sudden onslaught of drama.

It is made clear very early on that the film consists strictly of dysfunctional family bickering. There isn’t any substance besides various yelling matches between characters and the occasional breaking of dishware. Nearly everyone is completely insufferable, and it doesn’t help that you are also left with a more-than-subtle feeling of being out of the loop on sources of conflict, which proves to be more frustrating than for the good of the story.

This is especially true in the case of Little Charles

(Benedict Cumberbatch), the first cousin of the sisters and secret lover of the youngest, Ivy (Julianne Nicholson).

Portrayed as the family screw-up by his mother, the constantly berating Mattie Fae (Margo Martindale), besides some scenes displaying his apparent clumsiness and forgetful nature, comes off as sweet and well-wishing, not the complete and utter disappointment that he is considered to be.

To further muddle things, characters have a habit of disappearing when they are most vital to the occurrences on screen. Halfway through the film, most depart without ever being heard from again, regardless of the apparent necessity for their presence to be known for much needed character development.

There is a standout, though, whose character is perfectly formed and who brings a performance that won’t soon be forgotten. Rather, her Oscarnominated role shines as a beacon of what the film ought to have been. Playing the family matriarch, Violet, Meryl Streep brings to the screen what Cate Blanchett brought to “Blue Jasmine” – complete and utter devotion to her crazed and drug-addicted onscreen counterpart.

With her role consisting of instigating the majority of the conflict that occurs, Streep is unsettlingly believable, often delivering near-fatal blows in the form of plot revelations that will stick with you even as the credits roll. Her shock-

ing appearance consisting of a shaved head and hauntingly empty eyes have the ability to both enrage and pity as you watch her tear apart the lives of those around her and establish her isolation.

Other than this gem of an actress, for the first hour and a half, the film is more than borderline unendurable with characters that are generally shallow and hard to connect with and a storyline that is cliché at its best and watching-paint-dry lethargic at its worst. However, if you can make it to the last half hour, a glimmer of substantial plot revelations begin to unfold.

Spoilers aside, the film leaves you with a heavy heart as you try to process the rapidfire bombshells that were just tossed your way. | “August: Osage County” is a commitment. If you are not willing to bear with it for the long haul, don’t bother.

However, if you are willing to accept its (often dragging) baggage and see it through until the end, you won’t leave disappointed. The information that you have unexpectedly waited to hear is gutwrenching and raw. You may indeed react much in the same way as Barbara, though what that reaction may be is yours to discover.

Just don’t blame yourself if, at times, you would rather plan to run away with Ivy to New York than stay until the credits.

Lauren Romag can be reached at lromag@umass.edu.

FILM REVIEW

‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ sparks ambivalence in moviegoers Scorsese’s latest not for the conservative By lauren romag Collegian Correspondent Profanity-ridden and raunchiness abound, Martin Scorsese delivered his newest film that is sure to become a number of people’s dirty little secret.

Based on the memoir of the real Jordan Belfort, “The Wolf of Wall Street” artfully tells the tale of a drug-fueled, prostitutefrequenting stock firm that dominated the corrupt Wall Street of the 1990s. Narrated

by Leonardo DiCaprio, who stars as the man behind the madness, the film, and your opinion of it, is

unfortunately a doubleedged sword. To say that you enjoyed the film would portray you as a debauched wanton, while not being particularly impressed would imply a reserved prude who instantly turns away from graphic nudity and drug use.

Putting aside any notions of what a socially acceptable position on this film would be, few can deny that it’s entertaining. The pacing is perfect, moving the plot along without cutting corners in terms of paying attention to detail.

Besides a set of unsettling fake teeth on Jonah Hill’s part, the acting is impeccable.

DiCaprio, amongst others, commits wholeheartedly to his role,

THOMAS HAWKE/FLICKR

Many are lauding Scorsese’s latest film as his best of the past 20 years.

and it does not go unnoticed. As the film progresses, you can see Belfort and his colleagues succumb to the insanity that their lifestyles radiate. From rational stockbroker to the “Wolf,” you can track the change in DiCaprio’s increasingly twitchy eyes.

Not alone in the quality of his acting, the cast includes a plethora of supporting talent that all contribute to portraying an extravagant, yet believable tale of the rise and fall of an empire. Even Matthew McConaughey, who plays a small, mostly improvised role as the man who set Belfort on his way to becoming the man who nearly made $1 million a week, leaves a lasting impression.

Whether or not it is Oscar worthy, “The Wolf of Wall Street” is most certainly worth the price of admission if, for a surreal three hours (which you don’t truly feel pass), you want to know what it would be like to be whisked away into a world where cocaine falls like snow and swears are expelled like air.

Nothing could stop this motion picture from being in-your-face and proud of it. All exaggeration aside, it is speculated that this movie contains the highest numerical occurrence

“The Wolf of Wall Street” marks the fifth collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio. of the “F-bomb” since the beginning of film. It will take you on a journey where you will see the worst workplace conduct imaginable.

You will witness drugs being taken from places where they should never be in the first place. You will sink in your seat, slightly embarrassed at the notion of seeing someone who you know being aware that you are not only watching a film of this caliber, but enjoying a film that somehow slipped past being slapped with a

NC-17 rating.

But, at the end of three hours, you will not only be willing, but almost wishing, to stay for more. At the very least you’ll be mildly invested in checking out the uncut director’s version – though you may never want to admit it – whenever that may be released.

The question isn’t necessarily whether or not you should see this movie, but whether or not you are ready for it. Perhaps this isn’t the film that you

ALESSIO TREROTOLI/FLICKR

would take your grandparents to for some quality bonding time. Maybe you should leave your underage or immature sibling at home. Regardless of your decision, please, do us all a favor and don’t ask those who have seen it if your butt will hurt after sitting for three hours because, no matter how much time has passed, the end will always come too soon.

Lauren Romag can be reached at lromag@umass.edu.

6

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

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GUARDS

URI

continued from page 8

guards) because you don’t always have to bring the ball up the court,” Davis said.

“You can rely on (Derrick Gordon) or Chaz (Williams) and it’s just a much faster tempo. Once we got going in the second half against St. Joe’s you could tell that things really started moving and we started coming back.”

Kellogg said it’s something he’s mulled over in the days leading up to Wednesday night’s matchup against the Explorers.

“That was one of the thought processes,” Kellogg said. “It was more along the lines of trying to match up with the three-guard lineup.”

He also noted that when the Minutemen featured a lineup consisting of Davis, Williams and Gordon against Saint Joseph’s, it was the team’s best lineup.

But he’s also cognizant of making too many changes during a time of flux.

“But you know what, we’re a pretty good team,” Kellogg said. “Why don’t we make (La Salle) match up with what we do and how we play? I think at times you get away with worrying about other teams instead of doing what you do well.

I’m finally going back to the philosophy of let’s do what

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Trey Davis is averaging 28 minutes per game over his last three games. we do well and play UMass basketball.”

Esho-less Kellogg also noted that the Minutemen would “probably” be without the services of reserve forward Maxie Esho, who has yet to clear NCAA concussion protocol after he sustained a head injury Saturday against St. Joe’s.

Replacing Esho’s 8.3 points and five rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game off the bench won’t be an easy task. Freshmen Seth Berger, Demetrius Dyson and Clyde Santee will see increased playing time against La Salle in Esho’s place.

“A lot of the coaches have been talking to me and the

other freshmen and they’ve been saying that you’re going to get your opportunity on Wednesday,” Berger said. “We’ve been using this week in practice as preparation.”

Berger’s appeared for short periods of time as a defensive substitute in recent games and is excited to have a chance to expand on his role on Wednesday.

“We’ve been preparing the same with the mindset that we’re gonna get a shot,” he said. “We’re looking forward to it, to finally get a chance to show what we can do.”

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

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

7

continued from page 8

and that hasn’t been helping us lately, so I have to just be more aggressive to help our team try to get a victory.”

Timbilla added that getting off to a quick start will be important against the Rams.

“Obviously, we have been starting out a little slow lately, so we have to get off to a good start and rebound, box out and play some good defense,” Timbilla said. “We feel that if we can do all those things, we should be able to get a win.”

On the defensive side, Dawley said that limiting URI leading scorer Tayra Melendez (12.9 points per game) is critical.

Dawley said that senior Kiara Bomben will get the assignment of guarding Melendez, who the coach described as “a good overall player who is a little on the quick side.”

Henry, Tarnachowicz updates The Minutewomen have not been at full strength due to the limited play of sophomore Nola Henry (flu) and the absence of junior Paula Tarnachowicz

CADE BELISLE+/COLLEGIAN

Kiara Bomben drives with the ball for UMass women’s basketball in a game against George Washington earlier this season. (ankle).

Henry has seen decreased minutes due to lingering effects of a flu that she caught prior to UMass’ game against Virginia Commonwealth on Jan. 18. Dawley said that she is “close to 100 percent” but must work her way back into the starting rotation.

“When you’re out that long, you lose your spot to someone,” Dawley said, “so now it’s a matter of getting

her spot back.”

Tarnachowicz injured her ankle in the second half against Dayton on Jan. 22.

Dawley said she is participating in practice and has made “a lot of progress.”

However, she is still considered day-to-day and her status for Wednesday’s game is unknown.

Anthony Chiusano can be reached at achiusano@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @a_chiusano24.

HOCKEY EAST

River Hawks roll, BC’s No. 8 Kansas shakes off slow Demko blanks Friars MEN’S BASKETBALL

start for road win vs. Baylor Wiggins’ prayer at buzzer sparks KU By rusTin dodd The Kansas City Star WACO, Texas — He had gone scoreless for 19 minutes, 59 seconds – another lost first half for Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins.

Maybe it was Baylor’s zone, or Kansas’ desire to play inside-out. Maybe it was just a general hangover after the eighth-ranked Jayhawks’ first Big 12 loss on Saturday at Texas.

For nearly 20 minutes, Wiggins was nearly invisible.

And then this: In the final seconds before halftime, Wiggins hit a running buzzer-beater from 50 feet. In the moment, it just meant an eight-point halftime lead for Kansas – as opposed to a five-point advantage.

But if you believe in omens, it was pretty clear.

Kansas would find a way to escape Baylor with a victory on Tuesday night. And by the end, the Jayhawks had.

Kansas 69, Baylor 52.

By the end, after Naadir Tharpe had regained his scoring mojo, and Wiggins had broken his cold spell, the Jayhawks were rolling again. Kansas (17-5) had picked up another Big 12 victory in its pursuit of a 10th straight Big 12 title.

Tharpe finished with a team-high 22 points – one off his career high – while Wiggins had 14 points and seven rebounds. It wasn’t the prettiest 14-point performance, of course.

By early in the second half, Wiggins had hit just one of one from the field. If you included his two-of-12 performance against Texas on Saturday, he had connected on just three of his last 21 field-goal attempts – and one was a 50-footer.

Baylor closed the gap to 42-38 on an inside move from Isaiah Austin with 15:11 left, and the Jayhawks went more than four minutes without a field goal.

Tharpe finally broke the cold stretch with a threepointer that pushed the lead back to 48-42 with more than 12 minutes left. The three-pointer, Tharpe’s fourth of the game, gave him 20 points on the night.

Freshman center Joel

Embiid spent most of the night in foul trouble, picking up his fourth foul with just under 13 minutes left in the second half. He would emerge with some timely offense down the stretch.

Wiggins’ second field goal – another three-pointer – also came in timely fashion. It pushed the KU lead to back to 52-44 with 9:22 left, and he quickly added a run-out slam that gave the Jayhawks a 10-point cushion with just under nine minutes left.

Tharpe would find Wiggins again on an alleyoop dunk with 7:49 left. And from there, the Jayhawks could coast.

For the second time in four days, Kansas had ventured into the state of Texas for a road showdown.

The first leg of the road swing, of course, could not have gone much worse. The Jayhawks has suffered a double-digit loss at Texas, and the players kept saying it was a long season. No team was going to run the table in this Big 12.

“It happens,” sophomore forward Perry Ellis said on Saturday.

UML defeats Merrimack 4-2

Freshman goalie leads BC Freshman goalie Thatcher Demko carried No. 2 Boston College to a 2-0 win over No. 7 Providence on Friday.

Demko, making his 11th appearance of the season for the Eagles (20-4-3, 12-11 HEA), captured his first career shutout and stopped all 30 shots he faced. Friars goalie Jon Gillies made 28 saves against Boston College’s high-powered offense in the loss.

The game remained scoreless until 10:45 of the second, when BC’s Brendan Silk gave the Eagles the lead on a 2-on-1 breakaway. That would prove to be all the Eagles needed as Demko turned away countless scoring chances by the Friars.

Johnny Gaudreau also added his 23rd goal of the season.

Boston College opened up the Beanpot Tournament with a 3-1 win over Boston University on Monday.

The Eagles will take on Merrimack at home Friday before continuing Beanpot play against Northeastern on Monday. Providence is off next weekend before taking on Connecticut at home on Tuesday.

By Tyler Fiedler Collegian Staff

Dame, New Hampshire scored a sweep with a 5-2 victory on Saturday.

The Wildcats’ (16-13-1, 8-6 HEA) Matt Willows was the shining star of the contest, recording a goal along with two assists. Notre Dame fell to 15-11-1 and 4-8-1 in the conference after the two losses.

It was a complete team effort for UNH as 11 players recorded at least one point. Kevin Gousmas tallied a goal and an assist while Maxim Gaudreault, Collin MacDonald and Dalton Speelman scored the Wildcats’ other three goals.

UNH took an early lead on a one-timer from Gaudreault. Notre Dame answered with a goal of its own at 17:27. UNH regained the lead at 3:33 of the second period on a redirected shot by Speelman.

ND could not take advantage of a 5-on-3 power play but capitalized on a T.J. Tynan rebound goal to tie the score.

That was all UNH goalie Casey DeSmith would surrender. He stopped 14 shots in the second and 10 in the third period as part of his 32-save night.

UNH returns to action Feb. 7 for a weekend home series against Vermont. Notre Dame takes on Maine in a home weekend series Friday.

The No. 8 UMass Lowell hockey team received strong performances from its seniors in a 4-2 win over Merrimack on Friday night.

Senior defenseman Joe Houk and senior forward Derek Arnold each chipped in a goal and an assist helping the River Hawks (177-2, 7-4-1 HEA) suppress a strong performance from Merrimack. Arnold capped off the scoring with his eighth goal of the season and his first in 10 games.

With over eight minutes remaining in the first period, Evan Campbell gave the River Hawks a 2-0 lead. But the Warriors (7-14-3, 2-8-2 HEA) turned it around in the second period, scoring two goals in a two-minute span thanks to goals from Justin Mansfield and Mike Collins.

Freshman forward Joe Gambardella scored the go-ahead goal for UMass Lowell.

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made his 15th start of the season for the River Hawks, stopping 23 of UNH takes two from 25 shots from the Warriors.

Notre Dame Merrimack goalie Rasmus Tirronen made 31 saves in In a weekend series with Tyler Fiedler can be reached at a losing effort. the No. 14-ranked Notre tfiedler@umass.edu.

MULLINS

continued from page 8

ate matchup problems for UMass. It even had Kellogg pondering mixing it up and starting guard Trey Davis on Wednesday.

UMass has struggled opening games lately, spotting teams big leads early and having to play catch up.

While a better start is a teamoriented concept, it falls heaviest on the shoulders of Williams.

“When I (tell him) to exert himself, it’s, ‘If you have plays make them. Don’t worry so much about getting other guys involved or their feelings,’” Kellogg said.

“Let’s just go play and play like (he’s) the best player in the league.”

While La Salle’s strengths rely primarily on its dynamic backcourt, the Minutemen will also need to be cognizant of the Explorers’ frontcourt.

Junior center Steve Zack has been a force this season after coming back from sprained ligaments in his left foot that forced him out of the team’s Sweet 16 run last season.

Zack scored 16 points and 16 rebounds in La Salle’s win over Duquesne on Saturday.

Limiting his second-chance opportunities will be key for UMass on Wednesday. “(La Salle) relies on some extra possessions for kick out 3s like a lot of teams do,” Kellogg said. “And if you limit their open floor

baskets off of turnovers and second-chance baskets, they’re like a lot of teams out there. It’s harder for them to score in the half court.”

UMass will likely be without key reserve Maxie Esho, who is experiencing concussion-like symptoms after taking a nasty elbow to the head in Saturday’s loss to Saint Joseph’s. Kellogg said he hopes to have him back for Sunday’s game at Rhode Island.

Wednesday’s game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff at Mullins Center.

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

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Sports@DailyCollegian.com

@MDC_SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

STUMBLING HOME

UM stays positive

By Andrew Cyr Collegian Staff

ALEX ARITAN/COLLEGIAN

Chaz Williams leads UMass men’s basketball in scoring (15.7 points per game) and assists (7.4).

Minutemen to host Guard play key to La Salle amidst two- UMass’ success game losing streak

By MArk ChiArelli Collegian Staff

Derek Kellogg said. “I just believe we need to play well. We need to

By PAtriCk stroheCker Collegian Staff put a full 40 minutes together. …

We just need to get back to the The old saying goes, “There’s basics.” no place like home,” and that It might not be time to panic couldn’t be any truer for the yet, but Wednesday’s game Massachusetts men’s basketball against the Explorers (12-9, team.

4-3 A-10) is important for the Coming off the worst stretch Minutemen. Senior point guard of games it’s faced all seaChaz Williams understands the son, UMass (17-4, 4-3 Atlantic significance.

10) returns to a more welcom“It’s a point to make a stateing venue on Wednesday when ment to ourselves,” he said. it takes on La Salle at Mullins “First off, just to let each other Center. know that we’re still here and The Minutemen dropped three we’re still together and still of their four games over the fighting.” past two weeks, with the only UMass enters Wednesday with win coming at home against a perfect 8-0 record at home, but Fordham. In that span, they fell can’t afford to take La Salle lightly. from No. 13 in the AP Top 25 Poll The Explorers possess some of to being unranked and not even the best guards in the A-10. They receiving any points in the latest start three and sometimes play poll released Monday. four at a time, which could cre“I don’t think it’s time to hit the panic button,” UMass coach see MULLINS on page 7

As of 1:14 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, Massachusetts men’s basketball coach Derek Kellogg was reluctant to make a change to his starting lineup.

Kellogg noted with a wry smile and quick glance at the clock that, despite still having time to rethink his decision, he’s hesitant to hit any type of panic button.

Doing so would result in a significant change for a team that’s used the same starting lineup in all 21 games this season. But UMass’ recent play – it’s lost three of its last four games – and the emergence of guard Trey Davis might require Kellogg to keep a watchful eye on rotational minutes moving forward.

Davis is averaging 28 minutes per game over his last three games. He led all scorers in the Minutemen’s 78-65 loss to St. Bonaventure with 18 points. For a team in dire need of explosive

scoring early in games, Davis’ ability to score in various ways is an intriguing option.

“It’s one of those things where he’s playing well and getting his minutes and he’ll get them either way,” Kellogg said.

Distributing additional minutes to Davis is even more appealing against UMass’ next opponent La Salle. The Explorers traditionally play a three-guard lineup, generating most of their scoring from the guard position.

La Salle became one of the darlings of the NCAA Tournament a season ago, racing to the Sweet 16 behind leading scorer and thensenior Ramon Galloway. Now, guards Tyreek Duren, Tyrone Garland and Jerrell Wright combine to average 40.7 points per game on a team seeking to regain the spark from a season ago. If the opportunity to match personnel arises, Davis will embrace the opportunity.

“It’s much easier (to play three see

GUARDS on page 7

It has been more than a month and a half since the Massachusetts women’s basketball team won its last game.

During that stretch the Minutewomen have been outscored by 275 points, with eight of the 12 losses by double digits.

Although UMass has struggled tremendously during that stretch, both coach Sharon Dawley and the rest of the Minutewomen believe they are improving and are ready to put their poor play behind them.

“Honestly to stay positive, we just have to think about the positives,” captain Emily Mital said. “If we think about the negatives, you’re going to see that on the court. We just have to keep each other up, keep the mood light, have fun, and just do the best we can.”

Despite struggling through a major portion of the season, guard Jasmine Harris has emerged onto the scene as of late. The sophomore has scored in double digits in the past four games, averaging 12.8 points per game during that stretch along with just under five rebounds per game.

“Instead of worrying about her shot she’s just been attacking,” Dawley said. “She’s been going to the foul line more, and more importantly she’s emerged as a leader. Although she was before, when you struggle on the floor you stop leading and you start getting quiet. Now she’s learned to lead regardless of how she thinks she’s playing.”

Harris hopes she has the support of her teammates as they try to gather some momentum.

“I just have to continue to stay positive and be a leader for this team,” Harris said. “Hopefully my teammates continue to rally behind me and I can keep doing that the rest of the way.”

Guard Amber Dillon is also expected to play a major role for the Minutewomen moving forward. She scored a career-high 11 points in her last game against George Washington in a seasonhigh 28 minutes played. Her quickness and ability to push the ball in transition will help UMass expose the 3-2 zone of Rhode Island, “We have to be able to score against that 3-2 zone,” Dawley said.

“Zone defenses have shut us down all year.”

Andrew Cyr can be reached at arcyr@ umass.edu, and can be followed on Twitter @Andrew_Cyr.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Minutewomen look to get back on track vs. URI UMass on 13-game losing streak

By Anthony ChiusAno Collegian Staff

Heading into Wednesday’s 11:30 a.m. matchup in Kingston, R.I., the Massachusetts and Rhode Island women’s basketball teams are looking to end its respective losing streaks and pick up a rare conference win.

While the Rams (6-16, 1-8 Atlantic 10) enter the game with a five-game losing streak, the Minutewomen (3-19, 0-8 A-10) are trying to avoid losing their 13th consecutive game.

“I think if (the team) didn’t feel pressure, they wouldn’t be human,” UMass coach Sharon Dawley said.

Despite these pressures, Dawley said that the team is confident heading into Wednesday because she thinks that her team “matches up” better against URI

compared to recent opponents.

In particular, one area where Dawley said she expects improvement in is rebounding.

The Minutewomen were outrebounded 60-35 in their 89-76 loss to George Washington last Wednesday, but Dawley seems more confident heading into her team’s matchup with the Rams, who she says possesses about the same size inside.

“The last couple of games, we’ve faced incredibly long and athletic people inside who have really killed us on the boards,” she said. “Our ability to box out should improve greatly on Wednesday, but we’ll see. We have to be consistent about boxing out.”

In addition, Dawley said that efficiency against URI’s threetwo zone defense will be a key factor to the Minutewomen’s success. According to Dawley, the continued aggressiveness of junior Kim Pierre-Louis and sophomore Rashida Timbilla

may help in attacking the Rams.

Pierre-Louis, who leads UMass with 12.8 points per game, has scored at least 10 points in eight of the team’s nine games since A-10 play began.

“If she continues to be aggressive … then I think she’ll continue to score in double figures,” Dawley said. “She’s a pass-first kind of kid, and that’s what we’re trying to get her to fight through and look for her own (shots) a little bit more.”

Pierre-Louis agreed and added that her confidence has been the key to her recent success.

“I don’t really think that there’s anyone that could really guard me one-on-one in our conference,” Pierre-Louis said.

Timbilla is coming off a teamleading 16-point performance in the Minutewomen’s loss to GW. “Coach Dawley has been harping on me to be more aggressive,” Timbilla said. “I think sometimes I just settle and just pass the ball, see

URI on page 7

MARIA UMINSKI/COLLEGIAN

The UMass women’s basketball team has a late-morning tipoff against Rhode Island.