Massachusetts Daily Collegian: Dec. 7, 2015

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Monday, December 7, 2015

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RAs to march for just cause

‘My dress is not a yes’

PMs will support rally on Tuesday

By ColBy SearS Collegian Staff

SHANNON BRODERICK/COLLEGIAN

A crowd of more than 50 students gathered outside the Student Union Friday in support of CERC’s proposed Survivor’s Bill of Rights, which it has demanded the University of Massachusetts adopt. To read more about this story, see page 2.

Student groups host ‘Stand for Syria’ Event raises $1000 for Syrian refugees By afnan nehela Collegian Correspondent In an effort to raise awareness for the Syrian refugee crisis, student groups at the University of Massachusetts held “Stand for Syria,” a formal event in the Commonwealth Honors College Event Hall that raised money for the Syrian Emergency Task Force Sunday.

The International Relations Club, the Model United Nations team and Amnesty International at UMass collaborated to stage the event. This is the second of two events that Amnesty International hosted this year toward raising awareness on human rights violations.

About 150 students gathered in the event hall as two speakers discussed the ongoing crisis in Syria and the gravity of the refugee situation.

Bryan Lickel, an associ-

ate professor of social psychology and director of the Psychology of Peace and Violence Program, began the event by speaking on behalf of Syrian refugees and arguing against stereotypes that he said the media uses frequently to label them.

“It is really important to remember that there are people who are in such different circumstances, who are in fear and cold and hungry and just trying to find a better life for themselves and their kids,” he said.

Fiona Servaes, Freedom

Café representative, spoke after Lickel about human trafficking and how it becomes more serious and prevalent in conflict zones such as Syria, and how refugees are negatively affected by trafficking.

Nuha Muntasser, president of Amnesty International at UMass and organizer of the event, said that her passion for human rights stems from her constant interactions with Syrian friends who experisee

Serving the UMass community since 1890

REFUGEES on page 2

U n ive r s i t y of Massachusetts resident assistants and peer mentors are set to march to Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy’s office Tuesday to demand labor contracts that require the University to show just cause in disciplinary action situations for all Residential Life employees.

Participants in the “Rally and March for Just Cause,” which is scheduled for 1 to 2 p.m., will meet in front of the Student Union before heading to Whitmore Administration Building to deliver their demands to the Chancellor. An online “No Just Cause, No Peace” petition started by the United Auto Workers Union Local 2322 has collected more than 530 signatures. RAs and PMs are unionized members of UAW Local 2322.

“We feel like the Chancellor needs to know that they’re not listening to the workers and that UMass should be ashamed of itself,” said Court Cline, the UAW Local 2322 representative for Residential Life workers.

“We’re not saying that they can’t discipline people, we’re saying they have to follow the same kind of proof that every other worker on campus is entitled to in terms of discipline,” he said.

RAs and PMs are currently the only unionized employees on campus that do not have just cause included in their contract, according to Cline. He said that Residential Life

employees started bargaining for revised contracts in April and that their current agreements expired in July.

UAW Local 2322 identified just cause as the most significant contract issue that needs to be addressed.

Just cause, in this case, means that student Residential Life workers could not be suspended or terminated by the University without being able to appeal decisions they find unfair to a neutral arbitrator.

Cline said the burden of proof falls on the University.

“Without just cause, everyone becomes an employee at will, so people are disciplined or terminated without due process,” he said.

Cline said this “big flaw” in the RA contract is critical to Residential Life employees because when they are fired from a position, they also lose their on-campus housing and are forced to move out within seven days.

University spokesman Ed Blaguszewski addressed RA and PM requests for just cause in a statement to the Daily Collegian in October.

He said that though the University agrees due process is an important element in a work contract, there is already an appeals process in place that allows individuals to “contest or correct sanctions they believe were unfairly imposed on them,” and that adding another layer of appeals to this process is “not necessary.”

“Contracts between the University and resident assistants, beginning in 2003, have never included a just cause article for this reason,” he said.

Blaguszewski also said see

MARCH on page 2

Amherst residents gather Students run to support for holiday-themed festival domestic violence victims Over 100 attend Merry Maple event

By Stefan Geller Collegian Staff

Over 100 Amherst residents came together Friday in the town common to celebrate the holiday season as a community for the 40th annual Merry Maple festival. The festival was organized by the Amherst Chamber of Commerce and the Amherst Business Improvement District.

According to Kim Alli, marketing and membership director of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, the festival took around three weeks of planning.

“It’s about getting families together, the camaraderie of the town, encouraging patronage within the town,” Alli said.

Starting at 3 p.m. and going until 6:30 p.m. the holiday celebration began with face painting inside of the fire station, then moved to the steps of town hall as

the Amherst Middle School chorus performed in front of a crowd of residents.

While the students performed, Muddy Brook Farm provided horse-drawn hay rides, TD Bank gave out hats and firemen sold cider and doughnuts provided by the Amherst Chamber of Commerce.

Afterward, Santa Claus arrived riding on a fire truck, escorted by the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band, and the event closed out with the lighting of the maple tree in the common.

The atmosphere of togetherness within the town brought on by the Merry Maple Festival was a recurring source of joy amongst the organizers and the residents of Amherst.

“I think that what’s important about it is it’s a really huge communitywide event, everybody just looks forward to it every year,” said Sarah la Cour, the executive director of the Amherst Business

Improvement District.

“It just brings everybody together, young, old. It’s just a fun time.”

Meredith Sen, a town resident who brought her two children to the festival said she felt a similar sense of community at the event, saying that her favorite part of the festival was “bringing everyone together to celebrate the oncoming holiday season.”

The event also served as a kickoff to Greeting Card Day, a local holiday centered on deals at Amherst businesses.

“It generates more income, and it raises awareness about the small businesses in town,” said Alli.

All activities were free, while the food and hot beverages had to be purchased.

The festival was sponsored by TD Bank, Muddy Brook Farm, Atkins Farms Country Market, Applewood, The Works Bakery Cafe and The Mercantile.

Stefan Geller can be reached at stefangeller@umass.edu

$485,000 raised at 11th annual event

By ShelBy aShline Collegian Staff

NORTHAMPTON — The annual Hot Chocolate Run, which features a 3K walk and two 5K runs throughout Northampton to benefit Safe Passage, saw record participation Sunday, attracting 6,000 participants.

The event, which has been held since 2004, raised $485,000 for Safe Passage, an organization that provides assistance for those affected by domestic violence. The funds will be used to support safe shelter, legal services and counseling for adults and children who have experienced domestic violence, according to the organization’s website.

Of those who turned out to participate for the cause on a cold, foggy morning, several were students at the University of Massachusetts.

Junior marketing and sports management major

Kathryn McGonagle first heard about the Hot Chocolate Run through a community service based club within the Isenberg School of Management and felt inspired to sign up along with two of her friends: junior civil engineering major Molly Dempsey and junior finance and sports management major Ashley Griggs.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity, because … the services (Safe Passage provides) toward people who just need a helping hand is really cool,” McGonagle said.

“I feel lucky to be a part of supporting them and helping to spread their message.”

McGonagle and her friends signed up for the 5K Fun Run, one of the three events offered. There is also a 3K walk and a 5K Road Race for those who enjoy being more competitive.

Starting at the intersection of Old South Street and Crafts Ave, the track weaves through the streets of Northampton, which are cordoned off for the morning.

Live music was on site and some participants and event officials alike dressed in holiday costumes like penguins and polar bears, making for a very festive scene.

Although McGonagle had never participated in a 5K before, she has enjoyed community service events that she has done in the past, like the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

After learning about Safe Passage’s work, she felt that the Hot Chocolate Run would be a great way for her to give back.

“A lot of times I want to get involved and be helpful and contribute to the betterment of society, but sometimes I don’t know how,” she said. “I feel like this is a really easy way to stay healthy and also help out people who need a hand.”

McGonagle set a fundraising goal for herself of $125, including the mandatory sign-up fee of $25. By reaching out to family, friends and colleagues for donations, she see

RUN on page 2

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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Monday, December 7, 2015

THE RUNDOWN ON THIS DAY...

In 1941, Pearl Harbor, located on the Hawaiian island of Oahu was attacked by nearly 200 Japanese warplanes.

CERC rallies for Survivor’s Bill of Rights last Friday

AROUND THE WORLD

Venezuela elections seen as referendum on president CARACAS –– Voting in Venezuela’s legislative elections continued Sunday in what many see as the opposition’s best chance in more than 15 years to win power from the ruling party of President Nicolas Maduro.

Voting lines were long, particularly in some opposition precincts, where there has been growing frustration with the faltering economy and rampant crime.

In the working class neighborhood of Petare, hundreds of voters were preparing to wait at least an hour to cast their ballot.

Jessika Morneno said she spent eight hours Saturday in grocery store lines waiting to buy food and came home with only rice, beans and mayonnaise.

“I’m happy to stand in this line,” she said, as she waited to vote.

Moreno said she was voting for the opposition because of the economic trouble and what she sees as the collapse of the public education system.

“My kids come home and they barely have any homework, I don’t know how they’ll ever be ready for college,” she said. “The education system here has become very pitiful.”

In the 23 de Enero neighborhood, just yards from where President Hugo Chavez is buried, there were no lines at the voting center.

Coordinators of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela said the organization’s get-out-the-vote machine was effective Sunday morning.

The National Electoral Council did not report any major problems in the nationwide election to renew the 167-seat National Assembly.

Opposition groups reported sporadic power cuts and unnecessarily long lines at some voting precincts.

Voters were electing 114 representatives nationwide.

While it is a legislative race, many saw Sundays elections as a referendum on Maduro, who took office in 2013 after Chavez died.

Crashing oil prices have sapped the government’s ability to import food and other basic items, causing sporadic shortages and sometimes massive lines at supermarkets. While many blame government ineptitude for the crisis, the administration has blamed right-wing saboteurs and international plotters.

Miami Herald Distributed by MCT Information Services

SHANNON BRODERICK/COLLEGIAN

Emily Johnson shares her experiences and expresses her support for the Survivor’s Bill of Rights during Friday’s rally.

By ShelBy AShline Collegian Staff

A crowd of more than 50 students rallied together outside the Student Union Friday afternoon, clapping, snapping their fingers and chanting in support of the Coalition to End Rape Culture at the University of Massachusetts.

The organization aims to pass a Survivor’s Bill of Rights, a policy that would increase the rights and resources provided to survivors of sexual violence at UMass. Friday’s rally preceded a walk to the Whitmore Administration Building, where CERC president Priya Ghosh demanded a meeting with Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy about the policy.

Using a megaphone, Ghosh spoke to the crowd about the need for more support for rape survivors on campus. She was joined by six additional speakers who shared their personal stories.

“The reason we have so many people in CERC is because survivors are afraid to go out to the administration, so they go to us, their peers,” Ghosh said.

Although survivors may speak with counselors from the Center for Women and Community and the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health, Ghosh said they are encouraged to report the incident to the UMass Police Department, which is something that many survivors are not comfortable with.

It is CERC’s belief that survivors should “get support without having to report.”

“A great amount of the concerns shared by the students really are in line with what we want to achieve, and much of it has been

REFUGEES enced the ensuing conflict firsthand.

“A Syrian friend of mine once cried on my shoulder telling me how her entire family was wiped out due to a bomb, and another told me about how her aunt was raped.” Muntasser said.

“This just made me realize even more why this is such an important cause.”

Muntasser says she was impressed with the support the event received from the students and faculty who attended.

“I wanted my fellow students to be more active and aware of the Syrian conflict.

I want them to realize that being an American means having a voice and they should use it,” Muntasser said.

In addition to the donations that were pledged to Amnesty International’s

achieved,” UMass spokesperson Ed Blaguszewski said when reached by phone Friday night.

Blaguzewski provided an additional statement to the Collegian that said the University will continue to “diligently” work to support victims and survivors of sexual violence. Debora Ferreira, UMass’ executive director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, expects the University will adopt the Survivor’s Bill of Rights in the future, per the statement.

Blaguszewski said that there’s hope that “substantial progress” will be made to reach that goal over the course of the school year.

Ghosh also said at Friday’s rally that the University is not providing enough financial support to survivors of sexual violence, which is a requirement under Title IX policy. UMass has been under investigation for potential violations of Title IX policy since 2011.

“Under Title IX, UMass is required to pay for all the costs that recur when you’re a survivor,” she said.

“And the University is not paying for survivors.”

Per Blaguszewski’s statement, UMass provides reimbursement of tuition and fees to survivors that choose to withdraw from classes.

Other student speakers lamented a lack of general institutional support, expressed anger with the UMass Police Department’s response to reports of sexual violence, and reminded students that sexual violence on campus has occurred for generations.

At 1 p.m., after 45 minutes of chants and speakers, the group marched to the Whitmore Administration Building to the office of

continued from page 1

mission, three other organizations, Jusoor, MECI, and We Care about Syria, were invited to promote knowledge about the situation in Syria, and received about $400 in additional donations.

With an $8 entrance fee required for each attendee, the amount of donations totaled over a thousand dollars. The event was catered

by Tamales and Chipotle, and featured performances from different a capella groups on campus, including Duly Noted, Wicked Pitch, Choral Dilemma and Rang.

“I’m happy to see that there are other students who care about this issue just as much as I do,” Muntasser said.

Afnan Nehela can be reached at anehela@umass.edu

the chancellor and provost.

Several marchers carried a mattress, which had been covered with a floral print sheet. The words, “We demand a Survivor’s Bill of Rights now,” were written on the mattress using red duct tape.

Chants continued into the building, echoing up the stairs, only quieting when the group reached the chancellor’s office. Upon arriving, Ghosh spoke with the chancellor’s chief of staff, Natalie Blais. In response to Ghosh’s request for a meeting with Subbaswamy, Blais said she would try to confirm a meeting within the next two weeks and would be in touch with Ghosh.

The group initially presented its Bill of Rights to administrators last March.

To continue the fight for the Survivor’s Bill of Rights, representatives from CERC will speak at a UMass Board of Trustees meeting at UMass Lowell on Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Ghosh and fellow CERC member Abby Alfaro are allowed three minutes to speak about CERC’s mission, present statistics concerning campus rape and to introduce the Survivor’s Bill of Rights to the Board of Trustees.

In addition, CERC circulated a petition throughout the day outside of the Student Union. The petition, which shows students’ support in a Survivor’s Bill of Rights, was signed by more than 600 students before the march to the chancellor’s office. The goal, Ghosh said, is to get 1,000 signatures by the end of the semester.

Ghosh said CERC’s goal is not just to pass the Survivor’s Bill of Rights at UMass Amherst, but at all the UMass campuses.

Shelby Ashline can be reached at sashline@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Shelby_Ashline.

DailyCollegian.com

RUN

continued from page 1

significantly surpassed her goal, raising $386 for Safe Passage, a worthy cause in McGonagle’s eyes.

“I think people sometimes just need a little bit of Christmas magic and Safe Passage is one of those places that can do that and really change people’s lives,” she said. “It’s an incredibly powerful organization and they do incredible things for people who just need a little help.”

For passing her fundraising goal, McGonagle received a red Hot Chocolate Run hat.

All participants also receive a mug of hot chocolate at the end of their walk/run, which is where Safe Passage derives the event’s name.

Prizes are given to the top three women, men and grade-aged runners who participate in the 5K Road Race. Gift certificates are also given to the top 25 agegraded performances and to top fundraisers.

McGonagle and her friends expressed content with their individual performances in the 5K Fun Run

MARCH

and with the Hot Chocolate Run. “It was a really positive environment,” McGonagle said. “You could tell that there was so much support and that everyone was behind this one cause.”

In particular, the trio commented that the event had a very laid-back feel, so they did not at all feel intimidated by the prospect of participating, like they might have in a more competitive 5K. “Everyone should try this at least once,” said McGonagle’s friend Ashley Griggs of the Hot Chocolate Run. The event’s growing popularity reflects Griggs’ opinion. It has come a long way from its beginnings in 2004, when it attracted 450 participants who raised $6,000 for Safe Passage.

McGonagle added that she wished she had known about the event in previous years and is hopeful to participate next year as well.

Shelby Ashline can be reached at sashline@umass.edu.

continued from page 1

that most terminations in the RA and PM bargaining unit are for violations of the Code of Student Conduct or for workers not meeting minimum grade point average requirements, and that both situations that can be appealed through existing University appeal processes.

Workers are normally put on paid administrative leave while they appeal, he says.

The University concluded its statement by saying that it will continue to work with the union to see if the two parties can agree on a system that “provides an opportunity to guarantee a chance to have a fair hearing but does not include the time consuming and costly process of labor arbitration.”

The RA and PM bargaining unit is made up of more than 400 undergraduate students. RAs work 20 hours per week for 34 weeks and PMs work 15 hours per week for 34 weeks.

Sïonan Barrett, a resident assistant in John Quincy Adams Tower and president of the Student Government Association, said she will be marching on Tuesday and that the plea for just cause is an issue that is personally important to her.

She said that she went through the conduct system as an RA during her sophomore year, and if the verdict determined in her situation had been decided differently, she would have been out of a job without any proof she violated the Code of Student Conduct.

Though she would not specify what her disciplin-

ary situation was, Barrett said one of the five RAs involved in the situation was terminated – Barrett herself was not.

“I wish there was a little bit more proof and also more negotiating before they let go of RAs because I think a lot of the times the department thinks we’re dispensable,” she said. “The RA union has been organizing around just cause for a couple contracts and this is a time that we’re actually going to prioritize it and I hope that the University takes it seriously.”

Ian Roche, a senior and second year PM, said in a UAW press release, “We want the Chancellor to understand that there will be no labor peace until this issue is resolved. Knowing the overwhelming support we have from students, UMass faculty and staff unions, community leaders and political officials, we are ready to fight as long as it takes.”

Cline said he anticipates the Chancellor will not come out and speak to the rally, which is why a delegation will be sent into his office to present the UAW petition.

He said that the union is taking the issue to the Chancellor because the University bargaining team has acted as his representative in the past, and that he “needs to know that they’re not listening to the workers.”

Colby Sears can be reached at csears@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @colbysears.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

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Monday, December 7, 2015

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US Justice Dept. Supreme Court to reconsider ‘one person, one vote’ principle Tuesday to investigate Chicago Police

By Howard mintz San Hose Mercury News

By timotHy m. pHeLps

Tribune Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice will open a wide-ranging civil rights investigation into the Chicago Police Department after the release of a video showing a patrolman's fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald and police reports from the officers on the scene that conflict with that video.

A law enforcement official familiar with the coming investigation said the inquiry probably will be announced "in the next week" and will focus on officers' use of deadly force, including the system of oversight of police shootings, as well as training and community engagement.

Calls for a Justice Department investigation have been growing since the release of the video, which shows Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times as McDonald, carrying a small knife, walked away from officers on a commercial strip on South Pulaski Road in October 2014.

The department had claimed that McDonald pointed the knife at officers and had moved toward them in a threatening manner. Several officers at the scene also said in reports that McDonald presented a threat; some even said he seemed poised to attack after he had been shot and was on the ground.

The video, which prompted protests upon its release and led to the firing of police Supt. Garry McCarthy, undercuts those accounts.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel initially said he opposed an investigation, but abruptly changed course and said he would welcome federal intervention. In a statement Sunday, Emanuel spokesman Adam Collins echoed the mayor's comment about welcoming a federal

investigation.

"We will let the Department of Justice address what action they will or will not choose to take," Collins said in the statement, "but as was made clear last week, we welcome the engagement of the Department of Justice as we work to restore trust in our police department and improve our system of police accountability."

At the same time, City Hall announced that it had fired Scott Ando, chief administrator of the Independent Police Review Authority, the civilian agency that investigates police use of excessive force, including shootings.

The agency has long been a target of criticism, as was its predecessor, the Office of Professional Standards.

Both were accused of failing to do meaningful investigations of police misconduct.

The investigation will be conducted by the Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. The unit has at least 15 attorneys who are dedicated to conducting such inquiries. They primarily use a 1994 law that followed the police beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles.

Since 2009, the Civil Rights Division has investigated almost two dozen police departments in cities such as New Orleans, Seattle, Baltimore and Ferguson, Mo. The investigations are typically called "pattern and practice" investigations from a federal law that bans "a pattern or practice of conduct by law enforcement officers" that deprives people of their constitutional rights. Investigations can take months, if not years, and often result in lengthy reports followed by negotiations of a consent decree that require systemic reforms overseen by independent monitors.

Coalition dropped 3,271 bombs on ISIS in November By tony CapaCCio Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON –– The U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State last month dropped the most bombs in its 16-month campaign in Iraq and Syria, according to new Air Force data.

The 3,271 munitions used in November were almost double the 1,683 in June, the low point of this year.

They bring to almost 32,000 the weapons – most of them precision-guided – dropped by fighters, B-1B bombers and drones in almost 11,000 combat sorties since August 2014, according to statistics compiled by U.S. Air Forces Central Command.

President Barack Obama has defended his strategy for fighting Islamic State against criticism from Republicans in Congress and in the presidential campaign who say he's not being aggressive enough in the fight. Demands for a change in strategy increased after the terrorist attacks in Paris last month and the shooting rampage that killed 14 people in California on Wednesday, which is being treated by the FBI as a terrorism case.

While Persian Gulf states in the led coalition have flown relatively few airstrikes, Britain has expand-

ed its bombing beyond Iraq into Syria, and France has sent its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, into the eastern Mediterranean as a launch pad for airstrikes into Syria.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter also has announced creation of a U.S. "expeditionary targeting force" that can conduct special operations in Iraq and Syria.

No U.S. official has suggested that airstrikes or special operations alone would destroy Islamic State in Iraq and Syria without capable indigenous forces to attack and hold cities such as Sinjar, and eventually Ramadi and Mosul.

The battle against Islamic State isn't succeeding and more needs to be done to address the threat, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

"We're not winning but it's too soon to say that we are doing everything we need to do," she said. "We have to fight them in the air. We have to fight them on ground and we have to fight on the Internet. And we have to do everything we can with our friends and partners around the world to protect ourselves."

With the potential for a seismic shift in the political landscape of states hanging in the balance, the U.S. Supreme Court this week takes on a case that will test the framework of the “one person, one vote” principle that has defined political boundaries for generations.

The court on Tuesday will hear arguments in a case from Texas that threatens to upend how states draw their political districts based on census-driven overall population numbers - and could alter political influence in states such as California, where mushrooming Latino populations in urban areas, including illegal immigrants and other noncitizens, play a key part in shaping political maps.

Conservative groups have challenged the “one person, one vote” premise based on a simple argument that

counting overall population, including those ineligible to vote, unfairly diminishes the power of citizens who are eligible to vote. They have urged the Supreme Court to invalidate the current system, which would force states to completely redraw local and state political districts using different factors and perhaps open the door to eventually reconfiguring congressional districts.

The backdrop of this legal showdown is the increasingly supercharged political tug-ofwar between Republicans and Democrats over voting regulations. A 2013 Supreme Court’s ruling gutted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and efforts have been made in many Republican-leaning states to enact Voter ID laws that critics say target minority voters inclined to vote Democratic.

In the Texas case, two voters challenged how Texas draws state senate districts,

arguing that they count for less in calculating those boundaries than ineligible voters used to assess total population numbers-whether noncitizens, children or even felons. Conservative groups have aligned with the challenge, arguing in Supreme Court briefs that the current system distorts the rights of nonvoters in the democratic process, particularly in states such as California, Texas and Florida, where larger numbers of noncitizens are counted in those census figures.

A three-judge federal court panel in Austin had rejected the two voters’ claim, and election law experts were surprised in May when the high court agreed to take the case.

Civil rights groups and 22 states, including California, have warned the Supreme Court of dire consequences if the current method is altered, arguing that politicians represent all people, not just those who vote. Critics of

the Texas challenge, including the Democratic National Committee, suggest the case is a thinly veiled part of Republican efforts to undercut minority voting numbers.

In large part, the critics are banking on the Supreme Court’s own words in a 1964 ruling that upheld the oneperson, one vote concept by saying “legislators represent people, not trees or acres.”

Despite the undercurrent of issues related to immigration and noncitizens, these groups note that other nonvoting blocs, notably children, tend to be represented heavily in census numbers in large urban areas and would lose protection if the system changed. Several cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, have sided with Texas in the case, saying that relying only on eligible voters “would make the nation’s cities and large urban areas the losers.”

Obama discusses terror in speech

By LesLey CLark and anita kumar

McClatchy Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama appears to be playing catchup to the national mood on terrorism.

His prime-time speech Sunday on the threat posed by Islamic State militants and their admirers may have been only his third address ever from the Oval Office. But he has spoken at least a dozen times about terrorism in the weeks since the Paris attacks and the mass shooting in San Bernardino, Calif. And it apparently hasn’t worked.

The unusual venue of a prime-time TV address came as aides sought a way for Obama to reassert himself on the issue of national security. Despite frequent comments in past days, he’s faced criticism from Republicans for what seemed a dispassionate response to the backto-back attacks, doubts about his strategy from members of both major parties, and the defection of 47 Democrats in the House of Representatives who did not accept his assurance that his administration already is doing an adequate job screening refugees from Syria.

Yet much of Obama’s failure to drive the conversation his way _ that his strategy against the Islamic State is working however slowly - stems from his own rhetoric, particularly his reluctance to speak in anger or alarm about terrorism.

Last week, for example, his White House lagged behind his own FBI director in saying flatly that the San Bernardino attack was an Islamic jihadistinspired “act of terrorism.”

On Sunday, Obama strived to use clearer language to assure the country.

“This was an act of terrorism,” he said of the California attacks.

“We will destroy ISIL and any other organization that tries to harm us,” he added, sharpening his wording from his traditional phrasing of “degrade and ultimately destroy.”

He also implored Americans not to scapegoat Muslims for the actions of a “death cult,” but called out Muslim leaders and nations to do more themselves. “It’s a real problem that Muslims

BRIAN VAN DER BRUG/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Trish Hughes, left, a Democrat, and husband Robert Garcia, right, a Republican, watch President Barack Obama’s speech from the Oval Office together at their home in San Bernardino, Calif. Sunday. must confront without excuse,” he said.

Obama’s usual reticence _ also on display in the aftermath of the 2009 Fort Hood, Texas, shooting and his administration’s initial focus on a video-inspired demonstration after the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya _ is seen as deliberate caution by his White House and dismissed as insufficient to the task by his critics.

Before Obama spoke, a senior administration official knowledgeable about the speech but not authorized to speak publicly as a matter of practice said that the president “felt compelled” to deliver a speech to address fears prompted by both recent attacks.

“We recognized that there are very real and legitimate fears in the United States and around the world about the nature of this terrorist threat,” the official said.

Re publicans were unmoved: “President Obama is a wartime president who doesn’t seem to realize it,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. Obama’s customary hesitancy followed by acknowledgment reflects an inherent tension in Obama’s presidency: He campaigned for the White House, and has spent much of his seven years in office promising to turn the page on war and the threat of terrorism only to be forced to react by events in a convulsing Middle East. He again ruled out a ground war Sunday.

John Hudak, a fellow

in governance studies at the Brookings Institution who studies the presidency, said Obama’s “overly cautious” tendency comes from a naturally deliberative personality as well as a rare attitude for a politician that if he doesn’t have anything to say then he won’t say anything.

Americans often want to hear from their presidents, though, in the way Bill Clinton spoke after the Oklahoma City bombing and George W. Bush after 9/11.

“After a series of tragedies, Americans are looking for someone somewhere to make them feel better,” Hudak said. “A president has the opportunity to make them feel better. ... His biggest weakness is not being able to do that.”

Critics complain that Obama has a tendency to react slowly or awkwardly.

When a Muslim Army doctor killed 13 and wounded 30 others at Fort Hood, Obama didn’t comment until the following day. And his administration long called it an act of workplace violence, not Islamic-inspired terrorism.

After a would-be terrorist tried to blow up a Detroit-bound jetliner on Christmas Day 2009, a vacationing Obama didn’t make a public comment until four days later. When the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in April 2010, Obama didn’t speak publicly on it until nine days later.

Republicans complain that Obama hasn’t been

forceful enough.

“If I am elected president we will utterly destroy ISIS,” Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz said Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa. “We won’t degrade them. We will utterly destroy them. We will carpet bomb them into oblivion.”

E ve n p ro m i n e n t Democrats have criticized Obama’s strategy as weak, or have raised doubts about his assurances in past weeks.

In the House of Re presentatives, 47 Democrats brushed aside White House assurances that it is adequately screening refugees coming from Syria to the U.S., and voted for a bill that would require the administration to certify that any refugee has been fully vetted and is not a terrorist before they could be admitted to the U.S. And on the campaign trail, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton said Sunday that Obama’s approach needs bolstering. “We’re not winning,” she said on ABC News.

Jens David Ohlin, a law professor at Cornell University who studies war, said Obama is trying to strike a balance between his own cautious nature and what the American people want to hear in time of crises.

“Obama is often aggressive in his actions but rhetoric is always measured,” he said. “He’s not going to get on a soapbox and beat his chest.”

Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” - Maya Angelou

Monday, December 7, 2015

Editorial@DailyCollegiancom

Despite appearances, grassroots organizing works Two weeks ago I was in Washington Washington for Jobs and Freedom, we D.C. for an intersectional, direct action rarely valorize the NAACP, Union rank and demanding progress be made on racial, file, and Student Nonviolent Organizing Committee members who spent countless Lucas Gutterman hours making phone calls to community leaders to organize buses to the march, immigration and environmental justice fundraised for event materials, and risked from the current administration and the their lives registering black citizens to 2016 presidential hopefuls. vote in the deep South.

While laying out our sleeping bags on There is an inherent distrust of those a church floor my friend turned to me, who are intentionally trying to change our looking up from her phone, and said, “the society and our political opinions. SNCC president of the University of Missouri organizers who traveled to the South in just stepped down because of a student- 1961 as part of the Freedom Rides and athlete strike after his mishandling of young racial justice organizers who travcampus racism.” I flatly replied “huh,” eled to Ferguson in 2014 were both slurred and paused in mock consideration. with the historical epithet “outside agita“It’s almost like grassroots organizing tors,” and its recent incarnation “profesworks,” I said. sional protesters.”

A quick glance at history shows mass action has often been the prime cause of social change. However, the idea that actions taken by the primary stakeholders in a community, like students, citizens, and residents, can affect institutional I get it. I used to be a ruffled sympathetchange is more controversial than ever.

From the French Revolution, to the Black ic liberal. “What’s your concrete plan?”

Power and Civil Rights movements, to suc- I’d implore. I distrusted marches and ralcessful decolonization efforts around the lies. Where was the intellectually difficult world as in South Africa and India, social conversation about the tough decision at the heart of the issue? “Why don’t you movements make change.

Not only do self-designated, reason- just meet with decision-makers?” I asked able and sympathetic liberals decry mass rhetorically while clicking my tongue. It movements as ineffectual, but the people wasn’t until I tried to convince my friend at the heart of these movements – the to join me in attending the 2013 Forward on Climate rally, to protest the Keystone organizers – are erased or condemned.

We’re taught in high school and on tele- XL pipeline and push Barack Obama to vision that typically a charismatic leader take bold climate action, that I articulated who spurs the masses to action through a the purpose of rallies.

Meeting with decision-makers and memorable speech at a grand rally, at least historically. The people who spent hours developing policy proposals are both nechaving one-on-one conversations with the essary tactics to win change. But they are masses are nowhere to be seen. When not sufficient. A rally’s purpose is to build we learn about Martin Luther King’s “I and retain the base, gain media attention Have a Dream” speech at the March on and display grassroots power. The tac-

tic does not lend itself to reading aloud 10-page policy documents, even though we have written them. The tactic doesn’t lend itself to sharing the timeline of our frustrating attempts to meet with decision makers and calmly negotiate, even though we have.

As a critical sympathetic outsider I only glanced at the movements in front of me and confirmed my own biases. I didn’t find the policy documents and the gradual and strategic escalation after failed negotiations because I wasn’t looking for them.

I didn’t ask to be included. I didn’t attend meetings.

Effective organizing strategy includes tactics both inside and outside official decision-making processes. We send emails and make phone calls. We schedule

“Meeting with decision-makers and developing policy proposals are both necessary tactics to win change. But they are not sufficient. ”

We often lose. If our issues were easily solved, then we would have already won. Organizing isn’t required to keep the status quo. No one runs grassroots campaigns to raise tuition and fees, lengthen mandatory minimum sentencing, keep big money in politics, close down public schools, keep carbon caps high, pass international trade deals, and keep wages stagnant. By definition, we’re asking for decision-makers to work against their closest allies’ interests. People tend to take the path of least resistance, and the inertia of the status quo doesn’t resist.

We sometimes win. It takes a long time, a lot of work and some luck. It takes people supporting each other to be involved in organizing for the long haul. Anti-black police violence, prison reform and the student debt crisis are now ballot-box issues.

Trans students will have access to healthcare and students of color have access to consolers. The University instituted a Socially Responsible Investing Advisory Committee. Peer Mentors are unionized.

Dining Services plans to increase meal plan fees were rolled back. Student businesses have access to Dining Dollars.

Decision makers-tend to also take the path of least resistance, and we apply pressure to make sure that path is the one we want.

So please, ask to be included. Please, attend meetings. Please, share your grievances and solutions. Please, help how you can. We need you to retweet, make food, make phone calls, meet with decisionmakers, research policy – and yes, attend rallies.

Please, be part of the long history of social change so we can all win.

meetings with administrators and lobby our senators. We hold our own meetings to share our grievances and work out solutions. We develop policy documents. We collect petition signatures. We intentionally agitate. We shout into megaphones.

We hold signs with catchy one-liners that can’t possibly contain our policy document, our emotional connection to the issue, our complete understanding of our solution and collective social vision.

We block traffic in busy intersections.

We gather in businesses and scream and shout until the cops are called. We shuffle outside, past barking police dogs, quaking in solidarity and fear. We sing songs that remind us of our connection to past struggles. We realize that there have been organizers before us and there will be Lucas Gutterman is a Collegian columnist and can be many after. reached at lgutterm@umass.edu

The New York Times’ front page editorial matters “So why does it matter that one of the most prestigious newspapers in the world put an editorial on the front page?”

The New York Times ran an editorial on the front page of its newspaper

Jenna Careri Saturday.

The editorial, titled “End the Gun Epidemic in America,” addressed the country’s most recent mass shooting, in San Bernardino last Wednesday. The editorial board argued that the country needs to impose stricter gun regulations and criticized politicians for voting down gun control measures.

This is the first time an editorial has been on the front page of the New York Times since 1920.

What matters most, though, is not that it is the first front page editorial in 95 years. What matters most is why it is the first one in 95 years.

Traditionally, most newspapers do not run editorials on the front page. It gives off the wrong impression. Editorials argue.

They pick one side over another and attempt to convince the audience to do the same. Creating an image for the readers that the entire paper agrees on a divisive issue, such as gun control, can be conflicting for the readers, who often demand less partisan material.

By putting an editorial on the front page, the impartiality that a newspaper strives to uphold is called into question because it seems like the issue is of significant importance to the paper above others. The paper takes a more political stance than it typically would.

So why does it matter that one of the most prestigious newspapers in the world put an editorial on the front page? It matters because it means that it doesn’t care if you think it is trying to convince you of something. Which means, in short, the issue is of incredible importance.

With this article, the New York Times is putting its reputation on the line. Its editors are saying that this issue is important enough to all of them that they do not care that it is not impartial.

The Times is making a statement. The New York Times said, in its own words that, “it is a moral outrage and a national disgrace that civilians can legally purchase weapons designed specifically to kill

people with brutal speed and efficiency.” The editorial board dared to say that the United States of America is not trying. They did not say we are not trying hard enough. They said we are not trying at all.

The New York Times does not often share its opinion on its front page: it is usually within. That is why it has such a good reputation. That is why there has not been a front page editorial since 1920. To run a front page editorial, the editorial board needs to feel, without a doubt, that their opinion is worth their reputation.

If the New York Times is telling you it believes we need to do something about the gun epidemic, we need to do something about the gun epidemic. A paper like the New York Times doesn’t put its name on the line for nothing.

Jenna Careri is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at jcareri@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 2014, The Collegian has been broadsheet since January 1994. For advertising rates and information, call 413-545-3500.

ARTS DESK EDITOR - Nathan Frontiero SPORTS DESK EDITOR - Anthony Chiusano GRAPHICS DESK EDITOR - Maxwell Zaleski COMICS DESK EDITOR - Amy Daigle WEB PRODUCTION MANAGER - Patrick Hurley

SOCIAL MEDIA - Charlotte Hoff

Arts Living THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Monday, December 7, 2015

“I just like to smile. Smiling’s my favorite.” - Buddy Hobbs, ‘Elf’

Arts@DailyCollegian.com

FILM REVIEW

‘Creed’ floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee Film a triumphant ‘Rocky’ spin-off

By Nate taskiN Collegian Staff

How do you maintain your own identity and pay tribute to your origins at the same time?

In directing both a spin-off and a reboot to the “Rocky” franchise, “Creed” director Ryan Coogler has to fight an uphill battle as he enters the iconic Sylvester Stallone series. He must define his own style, yet remain respectful of what came before.

Meanwhile, Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the film’s titular hero, enters the boxing ring as the son of one of the greatest champions in history. The weight of that legacy rests on his shoulders as he tries to carve a name out for himself. Do these two figures, in-universe and out, succeed in their goals? Goodness, do they ever.

Jordan, who has come a long way from the wide-eyed Wallace we knew from “The Wire,” stars as the son of “Rocky” series legend Apollo Creed. Donnie is a product of infidelity, lost his father before he was born (though the film wisely leaves the circumstances around his death vague, as getting killed by the steroidpowered Ivan Drago feels a touch atonal) and he bounced around various foster homes and juvenile detention centers.

Donnie’s life changes at 14 when Apollo’s wife, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad), offers to adopt him. Years later, an adult Donnie finds himself trapped between worlds. On the one hand, he has a cushy office job with a promotion around the corner. On the other hand, he travels down to Tijuana to engage in legally dubious fights, and remains undefeated.

Feeling boxed in on both fronts, Donnie quits his job to fly up to Philadelphia and seek tutelage under his father’s good friend and legendary rival, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone).

I get the impression that a lot of people my age treat Sylvester Stallone like a walking punchline. His performance as Rocky, one that should win all the awards, should prove them wrong.

Stallone, with a slack jaw and forlorn eyes, carries decades of loneliness on his shoulders.

He awaits death. He awaits the opportunity to rejoin his beloved Adrian. His loved ones are gone, and, alone with his thoughts, he wonders what else he has to live for. At this moment, he meets Adonis Creed, and he’s rejuvenated.

As Adonis Creed, Michael B. Jordan bursts with star power. Donnie has the cocksure swagger of his father, along with the “aw-shucks” humility of Rocky. He’s sweet and awkward, with a smile that envelops the screen. His

goal is to prove himself worthy enough to stand in the ring, regardless of whether or not he wins, and that quality makes for a hero easy to cheer on every time he gets knocked down.

A third terrific performance rounds out the cast.

Tessa Thompson plays Bianca – Donnie’s love interest – a singer with a degenerative hearing disorder. She first set Hollywood on fire as the righteous activist Sam White in “Dear White People,” and as Bianca she brings that same energy, anger, charm and wit.

Her failing hearing makes her and Donnie perfect for each other – they both found themselves attracted to a career that will one day destroy them. Bianca is not defined by her relationship with Donnie, however. She has her own interests and goals, and the most beautiful aspect of their relationship is how they anchor it through mutual support.

Coogler and co-writer Aaron Covington establish their own voices, yet know just the right moments to recall the series’ past glories.

“Rocky” and “Raging Bull” have defined how boxing movies looked for decades, and middle-of-the-road affairs like “The Fighter” or “Million Dollar Baby” never had the ambition to break the status quo. Undaunted, Coogler’s camera weaves in and out of fights and uses long takes to

MARYSE ALBERTI/WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Adonis bears the weight of Apollo’s legacy, and seeks out the tutelage of his father’s friend and rival, Rocky Balboa. capture their intense brutality and physical intimacy.

Coogler and cinematographer Maryse Alberti captures a fight halfway through the film in a single spectacular weaving shot. This isn’t an empty gesture of a oneshot take that someone like Alejandro G. Iñárritu tries to pull off just for the sake of it. It rather recalls the work of Steven Spielberg in how its craft is so well executed that it made me forget I was even watching a movie.

While the original “Rocky,” directed by John G. Avildsen, had a social realist visual style,

Coogler directs “Creed” with a self-assured modern verve.

The editing is punchy and fast, and Coogler has fun with info cards that flash on-screen to introduce each new opponent.

One of the best sequences occurs in the middle of a training montage (did you think there wouldn’t be a training montage?) at which point, in glorious slow motion, Donnie jogs with a legion of Harley-riders behind him to the tune of composer Ludwig Göransson’s earth-shattering soundtrack.

“Creed” enraptured me.

I always had faith in Ryan

Coogler. His first feature, “Fruitvale Station” (in which Michael B. Jordan also stars) proved he would show no mercy – he’s a natural tear-conductor. A bold, fantastic artistic statement that transcends its genre, “Creed” moved and inspired me to my core, and I say that as someone with little actual love for the sport. When asked why Donnie chose his career, he replies, “To prove I wasn’t a mistake.” Well, mission accomplished. You win the round, Creed.

Nate Taskin can be reached at ntaskin@umass.edu.

FILM REVIEW

‘Room’ a harrowing drama Love and loss resonate in Compelling film warmly crafted ‘Brooklyn’ despite clear flaws By isaac simoN Collegian Staff

By alisa WeiNBerg

Collegian Correspondent

“Room” is a provocative exploration of the relationship between a mother and son who rely on each other to survive in the most unusual of circumstances. Based on the novel by Emma Donoghue, the film is driven by superb performances from veteran actor Brie Larson and talented youth Jacob Tremblay.

The story is told from the perspective of five-yearold Jack (Tremblay,) whose entire world consists of the small room he lives in with Ma, his mother (Larson.)

Jack was born in Room two years into his mother’s imprisonment there by a man who is referred to only as “Old Nick.”

Completely unaware of the existence of the outside world, Jack is content passing his days in Room with his mother, who tries her best to simulate a normal life for him despite her severe depression and physical pain from untreated cavities. When the two manage to narrowly escape from Room, they face the sudden challenge of adjusting to a world that is unfamiliar to one and appears changed to the other.

From the start, the film presents the audience with a picture of a mother and son who live in different worlds yet share an inseparable bond. Ma is a prisoner who bears the burden of deep psychological trauma, while Jack is a carefree child who delights at small things.

Different as they may be, neither could survive without the other, and it becomes clear that Ma’s love

DANNY COHEN/A24

Like the source novel, the film frames most events from Jack’s viewpoint. for Jack is the only thing stopping her from being consumed by hopelessness.

Unsurprisingly, the most powerful moments in the film are those that deal with the bond between the two, namely a scene in which Ma and Jack are reunited after Ma is rescued by the police.

“Room” stands out for its unique narrative elements.

Much of the expository information is delivered through Jack’s simple yet revealing monologues. As youth and extreme naïveté skew his perspective, the film expects the audience to initially infer most of the truth of his situation.

The movie borrows much of its strength from the source novel, which makes sense considering that the author adapted the screenplay from the book herself. That said, although Donoghue is undoubtedly a brilliant writer, it would have been refreshing to see the story change hands as it evolved from one medium to another.

While the first half of the film relies on suspense, the second half relies on convention. Compared to the careful way the characters were crafted in the first half,

the way they develop in the second half seems abrupt and haphazard. The film abandons subtlety and delicacy in the film’s latter portion as Ma’s mental health takes a sharp, melodramatic plunge, and Jack struggles to adjust to his new family and surroundings until, like magic, he’s fine. These sudden shifts feel frustrating.

“Room” is effective but not exceptional. Scenes that take place in Room lacked the nightmarish tension, unease, and feeling of claustrophobia that could have made the viewing experience vivid and unforgettable.

Director Lenny Abrahamson spared the audience more discomfort than he needed to, and consequently created a less realistic portrayal of the characters’ lives than the one he could have achieved.

Still, the characters are easy to empathize with and the story is extremely compelling.

“Room” is a portrait of unrelenting resilience, a testament to the idea that hope can blossom in even the most hostile environment.

Alisa Weinberg can be reached at aweinberg@umass.edu.

“Brooklyn” is a powerful film about love, sacrifice and cultural assimilation in a new place. Directed by John Crowley, the film tells the story of a young woman named Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) and her decision to move from Ireland to America. In search of work and a new way of life, she sails for the New World, alone, with nothing more than her own ambition.

After a tumultuous boat ride across the Atlantic, Eilis arrives at Ellis Island and is given little advice other than to not look like a tourist. She ends up staying in a boarding house for other women her age. The tenants have meals together, crack occasional jokes, and receive strict orders from their landlady, Mrs. Kehoe (Julie Walters), to never say the Lord’s name in vain.

Unlike most immigrant stories about America, this one is not set in the 19th century. Eilis does not go to the Lower East Side but to Brooklyn, and she enters a prospering post-war America, rather than the poverty of the late 19th century. The film is set in the early 1950s, and the period attire, food, and cultural atmosphere of Brooklyn are incredibly well-realized.

Eilis gets a job at an upscale department store selling jewelry, and takes night classes in the hopes of becoming a bookkeeper.

She pursues her burgeoning dreams and manages to write home rather frequently. One fateful night she goes to a dance in the basement of a local church, where she meets an Italian-

‘Brooklyn’ frames its characters thoughtfully, lingering on their faces, focusing tenderly on their emotions.

American man her age named Tony (Emory Cohen) who quickly becomes smitten with her.

At first, Eilis is not convinced of Tony’s feelings and is, if anything, a bit confused. But she comes to fall for his sweet, gentlemanly manner, something of a rarity given the historical Irish-Italian divide.

Her future in America is connected to the future of the nation. This comes across most clearly in the scene in which her soonto-be husband in America takes her to Long Island to imagine their future home.

The film is optimistic about America in this sense – it is the era of “Singin’ in the Rain” and a hopeful future (1952,) which seems to have some allure for Eilis.

Eilis shares a close-knit bond with her sister and widowed mother, and family tragedy calls her back to Ireland, where she is forced to question her ties to her motherland and to her newfound home in America.

She meets a privileged Irishman named Jim Farrell, and the film reveals the strain that has developed in her relationship with Tony. Here screenwriter Nick Hornby’s script affectingly parallels Eilis’ romantic and cultural conflicts. The resolution to this particular arc reveals her character’s growth in a satisfying, nuanced fashion.

More importantly, the film avoids cultural stereotypes, for the most part – the Irish are not character-

ized by their drinking and the Italians are not part of crime families or presented as totally insular.

In fact, Tony’s family warmly welcomes the Irish girl at the table, despite some initial embarrassment from Tony’s younger brother’s comments about Italians not liking the Irish.

The only conventional image perhaps is of the benevolent priest, Father Flood (Jim Broadbent), but he is there to suggest the cohesion of the Irish community in America, given the important role churches played for immigrants at any time of their arrival.

The film draws a vivid contrast between postwar America and post-war Ireland. The latter is presented as having a somewhat more rigid class structure and as a place of small town gossip where everyone knows everyone else’s business. But neither Ireland nor America is vilified or painted too harshly. In this way, the film moves beyond simple caricatures of these lands and makes the difficulty of Eilis’ decision on where to stay more accessible to the audience.

“Brooklyn” is a smartly written film that deals with issues of identity, love and loss. It is a slow, patient drama, one that frames its characters lovingly, lingering on their faces and focusing tenderly on their emotions.

Isaac Simon can be reached at isimon@umass.edu.

6

Monday, December 7, 2015

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Comics Don’t

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WE WANT YOUR COMICS! Put your comics in front of thousands of readers.

Questions? Comments? Comics? Email us: comics@dailycollegian.com

let finals ruin your Determination.

Frisky

a s oFter w orld

b y e. h orne & J. c omeau

n ice c lean F ight

t he a wkward y eti

b y n ick s eluk

F rostbitten

b y J ack b rady

b y s ean c lark

HOROSCOPES aquarius

Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

leo

July 23 - aug. 22

It’s possible that you may have a problem.

After a great meal I like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage.

pisces

virgo

Feb. 19 - Mar. 20

aug. 23 - Sept. 22

The scent of pizza fills you with determination.

As long as we got that hope, we can grit our teeth and face the same struggles, day after day.

aries

libra

Sept. 23 - Oct. 22

scorpio

Oct. 23 - nOv. 21

Mar. 21 - apr. 19

Go read a book or something.

taurus

apr. 20 - May 20

gemini

May. 21 - Jun. 21

You want to know your future? What future?

Looks like you’re gunna have a hard time.

Today will be more bananas than Gwen Stefani in a produce aisle.

sagittarius

nOv. 22 - Dec. 21

Knowing that the semester is almost over fills you with determination.

Feeling the calming tranquility fills you with determination.

cancer

capricorn

Jun. 22 - Jul. 22

Seeing happy puppies fills you with determination.

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

When you can tell your story and it doesn’t make you cry, that’s when you know you’ve healed.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

DailyCollegian.com

Monday, December 7, 2015

7

CLUB HOCKEY

UMass beats RPI, UConn over successful weekend Lespasio’s hat trick helps UM Friday

By Ryan ames Collegian Staff

A hat trick from freshman Anthony Lespasio powered the Massachusetts club hockey team to a convincing 5-2 win over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Friday night at the Mullins Center.

Lespasio started the scoring for UMass by recording a power play goal eight minutes, 39 seconds into the first period. After an Engineers slashing penalty, the Minutemen won the ensuing offensive zone face-off and, following some good puck movement, Lespasio was found open and deposited it into the open net. Brian Collins and Peter Kelly were credited with the assists.

UMass never gave up the lead in Friday’s affair, and after an RPI goal cut the Minutemen lead to 2-1 in the second period, UMass rattled off three straight goals to put the game out of reach.

Lespasio’s second goal

MOODY

came 4:46 into the second period when he caught an attempted RPI clearing pass mid-air and banged it past the unsuspecting Engineer goaltender for UMass’ third goal of the game.

RPI scored its first goal just a minute before off a quick wrist shot from the point.

Lespasio’s final tally came once again on the power play less than a minute after his second goal.

Similar to his first goal, UMass worked the puck around the zone with ease and found Lespasio all alone for the tap-in goal.

Mark Fidler and Brian Collins had the assists on the play.

Assistant coach Scott Cook praised Lespasio’s dominating performance following the game.

“He played excellent (Friday). Every night he comes out and plays hard and his linemates really helped him out especially on the power play, so it was good to see him get rewarded out there,” Cook said.

The game began with big hits and rough play, a trend the Minutemen have

developed over the season that, for the most part, has produced positive results.

Perhaps the biggest save of the game came less than five minutes into the period after UMass goaltender Connor Walker stonewalled an RPI player on a breakaway attempt. A blocked shot from the point produced the breakaway but Walker was there to shut the door and preserve the tie.

UMass’ second goal came in 4-on-4 when Allan Haynes found an opening down the left side and made a crisp pass over to sophomore Rob Tirea, who beat the Engineers goaltender at 13:40 of the first.

The Minutemen did run into some penalty trouble, committing six in the first period alone with 12 total on the night, but an effective penalty kill allowed UMass to pull away.

“I would really like to see that number go down,” Cook said. “That was definitely the biggest negative, anytime we were down a man it was troublesome for us, so we got to calm down with the penalties because it’s one of those things that

can really hurt us in the long run.”

The Minutemen kept attacking inside RPI’s defensive zone in the second period and shook off any rust that was present in the first following their long holiday break entering Friday’s contest.

Captain Ryan Daigle added an insurance goal at 9:47 into the period after a fluke bounce forced a scramble in front of the Engineers net where Daigle ultimately forced it into the open cage.

RPI scored just over a minute later after Walker left a big rebound that was put in by an Engineers forward just outside the crease.

UMass held on for the victory and didn’t allow a single goal in the third period.

Senior Kyle Wakefield summed up his team’s impressive performance.

“The boys came out great after a little time off,” he said. “We got the gravy out of our system early, Lespasio had a game and we stepped up and got it done.”

This wa s the

REBELS

continued from page 8

Jabarie Hinds scored one point on a second half free throw Saturday after coming into the matchup with Ole Miss averaging 19.7 points per game for the Minutemen.

After opening the game in man defense, Kennedy made the switch to a 1-3-1 zone for Ole Miss that gave UMass’ guards trouble with 6-foot-9 forward Anthony Perez heading the top of the zone.

“Jabarie’s a great player and everyone’s going to have an off-day. He’ll bounce back,” forward Seth Berger said, who scored a career high 14 points. “We’re not really concerned about him and he’ll bounce back in practice tomorrow.”

Kennedy shared the same praise for Hinds.

“He’s a terrific player. I remember him from West Virginia and he’s a guy that can really score,” he

IRISH

said. “He just never seemed to establish rhythm and that’s the reason that you change defenses.”

Hinds wasn’t the only Minutemen guard who struggled Saturday as Trey Davis scored a season-low nine points on 4-of-18 shooting, including 1-of-7 from 3-point range.

Despite scoring a teamhigh 24 points, Donte Clark struggled for a large portion of Saturday’s game.

After a made 3-pointer with 15:29 remaining in the first half, Clark didn’t score again until the 15:13 mark of the second.

“The three guards for UMass are very, very good.

That team is going to win a lot of games,” Kennedy

said.

Kennedy added: “I think that 1-3-1 was a little problematic for them. Typically teams with smaller guards, and UMass with Hinds and Davis, who are smaller, they have a hard time seeing over that so it makes them passive which was really our objective.

I think in the second half it became problematic because they weren’t making shots at the rate that they normally do. As a result they are trying to drive that zone, which was given us opportunities in the open floor.”

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

continued from page 8

at 7:11 in the first period, but Malmquist put the Irish back ahead under two minutes later.

UMass would generate several good opportunities early in the game, but couldn’t solve Peterson. The sophomore from Waterloo, Indiana won his fourth straight game against the Minutemen dating back to last year’s Hockey East tournament. The Fighting Irish won the opening round series two games to one after the Minutemen took the opening game in an epic five-overtime marathon that set the NCAA record for longest Division I game played.

In that game, Peterson made an NCAA-record 87 saves despite taking the loss.

“We had great pace and energy in the early going, but

their goaltender was equal to the task,” Micheletto said.

After Notre Dame retook its lead, Micheletto said the Minutemen started to struggle in a bad position on the road.

“Trying to play from behind on the road on night two of a trip is not an easy task,” Micheletto said.

Sophomore forward Dennis Kravchenko – the team leader in points with seven goals and 10 assists – failed to record a point for the sixth straight game. He had 17 in the first 11 games of the year.

But despite the pointless night, Kravchenko looked more like himself in the 5-1 defeat, landing four shots on net and hitting one post on a wrist shot that beat Peterson.

“Tonight he generated as many offensive chances as anyone,” Micheletto said.

“His game is in a good spot.

He was our leading scorer last year and is drawing a lot of attention this year, especially on the road.”

Micheletto also said the amount of road games has contributed to Kravchenko’s slump, as opposing coaches have used the benefit of having the last line change in order to match up their top defensemen against the sophomore.

The Minutemen will return home Friday night, when they’ll host Union.

Puck drop at the Mullins Center is set for 7 p.m.

Ross Gienieczko can be reached at rgieniec@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @RossGien.

Scott Cook, UMass assistant coach Heading into the third period tied at one, Daigle continued his hot streak by scoring the eventual gamewinner with 1:13 remaining in the final period. The captain fought through a Huskies defender and beat the opposing goalie to give UMass the decisive 2-1 lead.

Walker got the start again for the Minutemen in UMass steals Saturday net and had another stellar outing, allowing only one game vs. UConn goal.

Following up on their UMass returns to action home win over RPI at the next weekend on the road Mullins Center Friday with contests against night, the Minutemen travMarist College Friday and eled to Storrs, Connecticut Central Connecticut State for the backend of their weekend series in a match- University Saturday to round out the first half of up with Connecticut.

In a low-scoring game, its season.

UMass clinched the weekend sweep with a 2-1 win Ryan Ames can be reached at over the Huskies. rames@umass.edu.

Minutemen’s first game following their Thanksgiving break, but Cook thought his team responded well in the win.

“It’s a tough stint between the Thanksgiving and Christmas break because it’s such a short time with exams going on so any positives you can take from this win is huge,” he said.

continued from page 8

Davis and Hinds struggling, UMass forward Seth Berger stepped up to score 14 points in 20 minutes off the bench.

“Trey and Jabarie, they’re our guards and they were getting me open. I was just trying to do my part to finish the plays,” Berger said. “You just have do whatever it

ALEC ZABRECKY/COLLEGIAN

“(Lespasio) played excellent (Friday). Every night he comes out and plays hard and his linemates really helped him out especially on the power play, so it was good to see him get rewarded out there.”

takes to win, and at that point in time we needed some buckets.

“Everyone plays a part.

Obviously Donte, Jabarie and Trey carry this team in scoring, so it just gives other guys the chance to step up,” Berger added.

UMass looks to bounce back from its second loss in three games as it heads

to Florida for a two-game road trip against Central Florida and Florida Gulf Coast. The Minutemen tip off with the Knights Tuesday at 7 p.m and will face the Eagles Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.

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

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Monday, December 7, 2015

Sports@DailyCollegian.com

@MDC_SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

ZONED OUT

Moody’s 30 points lead Miss.

Ole Miss holds Hinds to one point Saturday

By Andrew Cyr Collegian Staff

ROBERT RIGO/COLLEGIAN

UMass senior guard Trey Davis (12) attempts to drive toward the basket in Saturday’s loss to Ole Miss in Springfield. Davis shot 4-of-18 from the field against the Rebels.

HOCKEY

UM swept

by Irish in South Bend Minutemen drop below .500 for first time in 2015 By ross GienieCzko Collegian Staff

In the second game of its weekend series at Compton Ice Arena in South Bend, Indiana, the Massachusetts hockey team fell behind early, ralND 5 lied to tie the game 1-1, UMass 1 but allowed four subsequent unanswered goals as No. 20 Notre Dame finished a weekend sweep of the Minutemen with a 5-1 victory.

Fighting Irish goaltender Cal Peterson made 28 saves and forward Anders Bjork (a Boston Bruins draft pick) scored a pair of third period goals to put what was a 3-1 game out of reach.

Notre Dame (8-4-4, 5-1-2 HEA) was staked to its 3-1 lead off goals from Steven Fogarty, Dylan Malmquist and Connor Hurley.

UMass (6-7-4, 2-4-4 Hockey East) senior Shane Walsh scored the Minutemen’s lone goal for the second night in a row to increase his team-leading total to 11. He was one of the lone bright spots for a Minutemen offense that generated chances, but struggled to finish against Notre Dame on the weekend.

“We’re just not finishing chances,” UMass coach John Micheletto said. “We were generating plenty of grade-A opportunities.”

Fogarty opened the scoring at three minutes, 33 seconds of the first period after a shot from Mario Lucia deflected off of him and beat Minutemen goaltender Nic Renyard from a bad angle. Walsh evened the game see

IRISH on page 7

Minutemen drop second game of season in defeat to Ole Miss UMass struggles with Rebels’ zone defense

By Anthony ChiusAno Collegian Staff

SPRINGFIELD — Coming out of the halftime break with a slim two-point lead over Mississippi Saturday, the Massachusetts men’s basketball team looked to build on its lead and clinch a statement win over a Southeastern Conference opponent.

But with a 39-33 UMass lead three minutes into the half, all momentum shifted in favor of the Rebels with a lucky bounce ROBERT RIGO/COLLEGIAN and an impressive finish.

After an Ole Miss pass After scoring 11 points in the first five minutes Saturday, Donte Clark (0) finished with a deflected off Minutemen cen- team-high 24 points for UMass. ter Rashaan Holloway’s hands appeared primed to set up the the game at the 11:42 mark of coach Andy Kennedy said about Minutemen’s up-tempo transi- the second half when Holloway Moody’s second half perfortion offense on the other end converted on a shot in the paint mance. “In the second half we of the court, it instead bounced to momentarily sub- went downhill a little bit better, into the hands of side Ole Miss’ run. we adjusted some things and Rebels guard Stefan UMass strug- did some things a little differOle Miss 74 Moody for the uncongled finding shots ently that allowed Moody to get tested dunk to jumpto fall against the to the rim. He made one, he UMass 64 start their attack.

Rebels’ 1-3-1 zone made two and he – also like the The dunk set up a defense and finished UMass guards – can roll them 12-3 run for Ole Miss that UMass just 12-of-24 from the free throw off quickly.” would never recover from in a line and missed a total of 12 Moody’s counterpart, UMass 74-64 loss Saturday afternoon layups. point guard Jabarie Hinds – who in Springfield for the Hall of “You can’t give points away came into Saturday with a teamFame Holiday Showcase at the in a high-level game, a higher leading 19.7 points per game – MassMutual Center. level game than maybe we’ve was held to one point on a free “That was probably the played at different junctures,” throw that came with 1:52 left in biggest play of the game,” Kellogg said. “I don’t want to regulation. He and guard Trey Minutemen coach Derek Kellogg say it deflates you but it brings Davis finished a combined 4-forsaid postgame about the decisive you down a little bit when you’re 23 from the field as they faced dunk. “I thought we were com- at the free throw line and you trouble all day against Ole Miss’ ing the other way and I’m not make 1-of-2, 0-of-2. You miss the zone defense. sure what happened but next frontend of a one-and-one, then Kellogg said he attributed thing you know he’s dunking maybe you miss a layup and the team’s struggles against the it… I thought that was a huge you’re down five when you could zone to not enough time to pracplay because it seemed like we be up two or three.” tice and simulate the situation had a little bit of momentum.”

He added: “We scored 64, I over the two days leading up to Saturday’s game featured 10 thought if we made layups and the matchup. He added that the ties and 11 lead changes in what free throws, we could’ve been up defense up front made it hard was a tightly-contested matchup to around 75-80, which is a good to find open bigs like Holloway for the majority of play before number for the flow of the game down low in the paint. the Rebels (6-2) pulled away tonight.”

Donte Clark finished with a for good behind some late free Moody finished with a game- team-high 24 points before foulthrows to clinch the victory high 30 points for Ole Miss after ing out in the second half. Eleven after UMass shrunk the lead to scoring only six points in the of Clark’s total came in the first as little as six in the final two first half. five minutes of regulation. With minutes.

“I thought he was in much The Minutemen (5-2) last led better attack mode,” Rebels see REBELS on page 7

SPRINGFIELD –– After the first 20 minutes of play Saturday, it looked as if the matchup between Massachusetts point guard Jabarie Hinds and Mississippi point guard Stefan Moody wasn’t going to live up to the hype that everyone had hoped for.

Hinds, who came in averaging a team-high 19.7 points per game, was held scoreless in the first frame while Moody – the 14th best scorer in the country averaging 22 points coming into the contest – had just six points on 2-of-8 shooting.

That’s when Moody took over.

Whatever was said to him in the locker room inspired him, and whatever flavor Powerade he drank clearly gave him the lift he needed over the final 20 minutes.

The 5-foot-10 point guard scored 24 of his 30 points in the second half as the Rebels ran away from the Minutemen (5-2) in a 74-64 loss at Mass Mutual Center.

Ole Miss (6-2) head coach Andy Kennedy wasn’t worried that Moody’s first half struggles would translate over to the final 20 minutes of the game.

“No, I mean it is what it is.

I’m going to play him until he can’t play anymore,” Kennedy said.

Moody played 37 minutes and finished 9-of-18 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line.

“We run a lot of things through him. He’s making much better decisions with the ball as he’s becoming more and more comfortable. And at the same time we’ll still allow some exchanges that get him off the ball and run him off some screens where he is very, very good on catch and shoot,” Kennedy said.

Moody’s impact was immediately felt exactly three minutes into the half when a ball tipped off Rashaan Holloway’s hands giving him a wide-open path to the rim that he flushed down for the two-handed dunk.

UMass coach Derek Kellogg called the play “the biggest play of the game” as the Rebels outscored the Minutemen 43-31 in the second half.

“I thought that was a huge play because it seemed like we had a little bit of momentum,” he said. “It actually got him going where all of a sudden he had some confidence. He went unconscious for a little while there.”

After his dunk, Moody scored 15 of the next 19 points for the Rebels. “(Andy Kennedy) has a lot of confidence in me. I don’t shy away from any shot that I can potentially take,” Moody said.

“Coach always tells us to have a short memory for your shots, so if I take one and I don’t make it, I’m just looking for the next one.”

Hinds couldn’t match Moody’s play in the second half as his lone point of the night came on a free throw with one minute, 52 seconds remaining with the Minutemen trailing 69-60. see

MOODY on page 7