THEATRE PAGE 5
PAGE 8
THE MASSACHUSETTS
A free and responsible press
DAILY COLLEGIAN DailyCollegian.com
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Serving the UMass community since 1890
News@DailyCollegian.com
Durocher trial enters third day with eight witnesses By Patricia LeBoeuf and SheLBy aShLine Collegian Staff
NORTHAMPTON — Jurors heard testimony from eight witnesses Wednesday in the the trial of former University of Massachusetts student Patrick Durocher in Hampshire Superior Court. Durocher, 20, of Longmeadow, has been charged with one count each of aggravated rape, kidnapping and aggravated assault and battery against another UMass student. The incident occurred on Sept. 2, 2013 -just three days into his freshman year. Of Wednesday’s eight wit-
nesses, two provided details about the alleged victim’s activity earlier on the night in question, and another two testified that they saw Durocher laying on top of the female student on the grass just north of the Campus Center. The jury also heard from two UMass Police Department officers who arrived at the scene, a nurse who attempted to examine the woman and a forensic analyst who determined the woman’s blood alcohol content. Laura Sheehan, a senior accounting major at UMass, and Danielle Dubois, a senior biology major, described events that happened earlier
that night. Dubois, Sheehan and the victim, all residents of the same dormitory in Southwest Residential Area, met up in the dorm at around 9:30 p.m. to consume alcohol before going to a fraternity party. Dubois estimated that the group arrived at the party at around 11 p.m. Once there, both Dubois and Sheehan parted ways with the victim. Both also left the party before the victim, who Sheehan said wanted to stay and who she described as “in control” at the time and not overly intoxicated. Rebecca Finell, a junior dance and hospitality and
By Stuart foSter Collegian Staff
U n iv e r s i t y of Massachusetts system President Marty Meehan has cancelled salary increases for employees working in the President’s Office and the Central Administration of the UMass system. The pay hikes are being cancelled for the University system to cover a $10.9 million budget shortfall, said UMass Director of Communications Ann Scales. “This decision affects 286 non-union staff members who were set to receive a 1.75 percent salary increase at the end of January,” Scales said in a statement. Meehan told the Board of Trustees that the cancella-
that the male party had his pants pulled down around his ankles...Her dress or skirt was hiked up the whole way. “At first, it was kind of funny,” Georgallis continued. “We didn’t really realize what was going on.” Georgallis recalled that people were pointing and that one of her friends began to take photographs of the couple. One of the photos was shown to the jury. Finell said that as she and Georgallis approached, she saw Durocher pull up his pants. Finell said she noticed the woman for the first time at that moment. During cross-examination,
Finell said the woman did not cry out for help or appear to struggle, and her clothing was not ripped or torn. The woman was immobile and appeared to be asleep, Finell continued. She doesn’t remember the woman saying anything when she first encountered her. “Someone asked her if she was alright and she asked us if we could take her home,” Georgallis added during her testimony, elaborating that the woman opened her eyes when they spoke to her. The woman’s eyes appeared glassy, Finell said. see
TRIAL on page 2
Idea jams
Salary increases cancelled for nonunion UMass staff University combats budget shortfall
tourism management double major, and Eftihia Georgallis, a junior political science major, also attended the fraternity party and were walking back to their dorms in Southwest when they first came in contact with the victim at around 2 a.m, according to the witnesses. Georgallis testified that as they were walking past the Campus Center, she saw both a man and a woman lying on the ground. Finell, however, said she did not see the woman at first. “I think the male was on top of the female,” said Georgallis, adding she could not be sure. “We noticed
tion of the pay hikes would save the UMass system $548,288 and prevent a reduction in the quality of the universities, according to an article in the Boston Herald. The decision to cancel the salary increases comes after Meehan’s approval of $10.9 million to be allocated for retroactive and future pay raises in September, which had been negotiated between the unionized workers at UMass and the state of Massachusetts. In September, Meehan said he was confident that the Massachusetts state legislature would increase funding to UMass in order to help cover the $10.9 million, which Meehan approved to be taken from the UMass system budget. H o w e v e r, the Massachusetts State Senate see
BUDGET on page 2
JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN
Birton Cowden speaks to students at the “Idea Jams” workshop, held Jan. 26-28 in the Integrative Learning Center. The workshops are aimed toward students who are interested in learning about entrepreneurship.
‘Soup for Syria’ seeks empty UMass programs assist stomachs, generous hearts women in STEM majors Event to support Syrian refugees By Marie Maccune Collegian Staff
Posters reading “Syrian Refugees Welcome Here” adorn restaurant windows and storefronts in Amherst Center. They announce that on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 4:30 p.m., the Amherst Jewish Community will be hosting “Soup for Syria,” to raise money to support medical help for refugees. Soups from the cookbook, “Soup for Syria: Building Peace Through Food,” will be served and attendees will be updated on the refugee crisis. A collection will also be taken for the Syrian American Medical Society Foundation. “It’s all related to the growing consciousness in the Valley,” said Judith Souweine,
Chairperson Tikkun Olam for the Amherst Jewish Community, which is located at 742 Main St. Souweine’s committee, which organized the event, “attempts to provide actions and volunteers for both local and international efforts.” In Hebrew, Tikkun Olam means “repair the world.” Musicians from both the Layaali Arabic Music Ensemble and Klezperanto will also perform at the event. Speakers include Michel Moushabeck of Interlink Books, who compiled the cookbook, and Michael Kane of Valley Syrian Relief. Professor David Mednicoff, who is the director of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Massachusetts, will also be speaking. In an email to the Daily Colle gian, Mednicof f described how he came to be involved with the event. “As someone with a background and experi-
“All of us are refugees. Somewhere down the line, we all came from somewhere else.” Judith Souweine, Chairperson Tikkun Olam for the Amherst Jewish Community ence in refugee law, I have specific knowledge of both the Middle Eastern side of the Syrian crisis and the U.S. and international legal sides,” Mednicoff said. He went on to explain that he feels a strong responsibility “to encourage members of the University and the Amherst community to work to help Syrian refugees,” as it is “important to both U.S. and Middle Eastern security to do so.” see
SYRIA on page 2
Initiatives provide ‘safe environment’ By KriSten Leonard Collegian Correspondent
It has been illustrated as a common trend at many universities across the country: science, technology, engineering and mathematics departments are traditionally dominated by male students. The University of Massachusetts is no exception. Based on figures from the National Center for Education Statistics, UMass features an average number of females in STEM majors. For example, within the mathematics department, only about a third of the students are female. In engineering, only around 16 percent. By contrast, the most popular field for women is health professions with about 84 percent of students being female. Although there is no
proven fact for why this trend occurs, there are some possible ideas. Sophomore mechanical engineering and applied mathematics double major Heer Patel shared her insight that perhaps this trend is due to events in history such as war. Patel explained that since most of the time women were nurses during wartime and the men who did not go to war were in charge of the sciences, perhaps this trend set a standard, as well as stereotypes that the modern world continues to follow. Krista J. Gile, an assistant professor in the mathematics and statistics department, speculates that these standards were set due to the fact that when “people see others similar to themselves doing something, they are more likely to consider doing it themselves and more likely to believe they can succeed.” For example, Gile contin-
ued, when women see other women in majors such as education, they may lean toward those majors themselves. Gile also shares that there are impacts such as “college professors, high school teachers, family friends and media representations” that affect the decisions of students. Gile and Patel are two examples of women who have overcome the barrier of stereotypes. But they both agree that this did not come without some challenges. “Sometimes I feel like I have to prove myself especially well because people might start from the assumption that, as a woman, I might not be good at something,” Gile said. “Usually, once I get to know people and work with them, I forget about my gender and theirs,” she added. Patel said she thinks people react differently when see
STEM on page 2
2
Thursday, January 28, 2016
TRIAL
THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
BUDGET
continued from page 1
When asked by Durocher’s attorney, Vincent Bongiorni, if the woman told her that she had been attacked, Georgallis replied that she did not and so she didn’t call the police. Bongiorni also asked Georgallis if she noticed marks on the woman’s neck. She did, she said, and the woman explained that they were hickeys. The group tried to assist the woman in walking back to her dorm. Georgallis said that her speech was “very slurred,” “slow” and that she needed to pay close attention to understand her. “We were carrying a lot of her weight,” Georgallis continued. “We were walking very slowly. She definitely could not walk on her own.” After only five or 10 minutes, Georgallis said she asked to lay down in the vicinity of the grassy area between the Old Chapel and Bartlett Hall, and Finell and Georgallis agreed. Not wanting her to fall asleep, Georgallis and her friends tried to keep her engaged in conversation. “She couldn’t tell us anything about (Durocher) other than she had met him that night,” Georgallis said. In Georgallis’ opinion, Durocher was intoxicated as well. Georgallis and Finell said they saw Durocher again, walking with a group of men. One of their friends stopped him. Another man, who identified himself as a residential assistant, later approached the group to ask if everything was alright. Georgallis assumed that he was the one who called the police. Jurors also heard testimony from Robert Thrasher and Christopher Stechmann, two UMPD officers. Thrasher and Stechmann responded
to the incident after hearing the dispatch over the police radio. When the ambulance arrived, Thrasher sent an officer with the woman to ascertain what happened. Another man approached Stechmann and led him to the suspected crime scene. “I garnered information from that individual that led me to believe I needed to take further action at that time,” Stechmann explained. Stechmann found two torn pieces of paper on the ground -- part of a UMass campus map -- as well as a condom wrapper and condom. He froze the scene and the detective squad was called in to analyze the scene. They arrived at approximately 2:30 a.m. The jury was shown photographs of the scene next to the Campus Center, showing the paper, wrapper and condom on the ground. Meanwhile, Thrasher and UMPD Sergeant Matthew Malo brought Durocher back to his dorm and asked to take his shirt, shorts, sneakers and underwear for evidentiary purposes, Thrasher explained. Bongiorni established that Durocher voluntarily gave up his items, as he was not under arrest at the time. Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Jennifer H. Suhl introduced Durocher’s clothing from that night into evidence, along with photographs of the items and video surveillance footage of the lobby and main entrance of Durocher’s then-residence hall. The videos, both under a minute in length, showed Durocher, Malo and Thrasher entering the lobby and the main hallway of Emerson Hall in the early morning hours.
The woman was taken by ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton and at around 4 a.m., Marie Boutin, a certified sexual assault nurse examiner, was called in. Boutin was the sixth witness called to testify Wednesday. When she arrived, Boutin said she “tried to speak with (the woman), but she wasn’t able to speak to me.” “I didn’t feel...that I could get her to engage long enough to do that examination,” said Boutin, explaining that a patient must establish consent prior to being examined. However, during crossexamination, Bongiorni introduced a document from the hospital, written before Boutin was called, which stated that the patient was refusing an exam and refusing to speak to police. He also emphasized that a definitive examination was never conducted. The final expert called to the stand was Samantha Fisk, a forensic analyst working in the office of alcohol testing within the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory. Based on a blood sample that had been collected and delivered to her for testing, Fisk told the jury that the woman’s blood alcohol content was .22. However, Bongiorni emphasized that “everyone is unique” and responds to alcohol differently, to which Fisk agreed. The trial will continue into Thursday. Suhl said in her opening statement that the alleged victim is expected to testify at some point. Patricia LeBoeuf can be reached at patricialebo@umass.edu. Shelby Ashline can be reached at sashline@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Shelby_Ashline.
DailyCollegian.com
continued from page 1
did not approve the additional funding, necessitating that all of money be allocated from the UMass system budget. Meehan has said that $10.9 million in budget cuts must be enacted in 2016 to afford the pay raises to union members. Of the sum, he said that $5 million will come from the Amherst campus. The cancellation of salary increases to the 286 staff members comes after multiple members of the JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN UMass administration President of the University of Massachusetts system Marty Meehan, seen here while received pay raises in 2015. visiting the Amherst campus, will enact $10.9 million in budget cuts in 2016. The raises included a $19,000 annual increase of the UMass employees, office’s current location on for UMass Executive Vice UMass union representa- Franklin Street in Boston. President James Julian Jr. tives criticized the hikes as Meehan said the move Julian now earns $371,384 being more excessive than was justified by the risannually and Vice President the cost of living hikes they ing costs of the Franklin of Communications Robert said they had fought for. Street location and that the The UMass system UMass Club, also housed Connolly now earns $211,569 per year after administration was also there, would be benefitted criticized for moving into by the move. receiving a raise as well. While University offi- a new office in Beacon Hill, cials said the pay raises which the Boston Herald Stuart Foster can be reached at were on track to relatively reported cost $1.5 mil- stuartfoster@umass.edu or followed match general raises for all lion more in rent than the on Twitter @Stuart_C_Foster.
SYRIA
continued from page 1
Mednicof f added: “My outreach work has led me to believe that many people in the U.S. and elsewhere genuinely want to help refugees. This includes friends and neighbors associated with the Soup for Syria event, in which I am happy to participate.” Souweine’s comments about her synagogue’s
STEM
involvement reverberate with that observation. She called the refugee crisis across the globe “enormous” and said she thinks “it’s all of our responsibility to do what we can.” “All of us are refugees,” Souweine said of the Jewish community and Americans. “Somewhere down the line, we all came
from somewhere else.” She added that as a member of the Jewish community, she feels particularly compelled to help, saying the Holocaust serves as a “constant reminder that we can’t turn our backs on suffering around the world.” Marie MacCune can be reached at mmaccune@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @MarieMaccune.
continued from page 1
learning about her double major. Some give positive feedback and praise her, while others tend to convince her that these majors are not the best for her because of her gender. Patel said she does not let the negativity get to her though. “It doesn’t matter what people have to say because I enjoy doing it and it definitely feels great when at the end of the day, I know I can continue doing what I’m doing,” she said. While there may be some negativity associated with women in traditionally male dominant fields, there are some ways that women are being encouraged to join these STEM majors. UMass is starting a chapter of the Association for Women in Mathematics. This organization, along with other organizations on campus such as the UMass Society of Women Engineers, have all been established to provide women in STEM majors a safe, supportive environ-
“Sometimes I feel like I have to prove myself especially well because people might start from the assumption that, as a woman, I might not be good at something.” Krista J. Gile, Assistant professor in the mathematics and statistics department ment. According to the AWM’s website, its purpose is to “encourage women and girls to study and to have active careers in the mathematical sciences and to promote equal opportunity and the equal treatment of women and girls in the mathematical sciences.” The organization has over 3,000 members from over 200 student-run chapters nationwide. In addition, scholarships, conferences, workshops, mentoring programs and travel grants for women in STEM majors exist through the AWM that can promote inspiration in the fields. Chief undergraduate advisor for the department of mathematics and statistics Eric Sommers believes
that this new organization will have a positive effect on campus. He explained that AWM can have a positive impact on men as well. “For men in the chapter, the experience will educate them about issues facing women and other underrepresented groups in STEM,” Sommers said. He added that “having the chapter at UMass alerts faculty that broadening participation in STEM is an important issue” and that having “more women PhD students and faculty in these disciplines (will help) establish role models for the next generation of students.” Kristen Leonard can be reached at kristenleona@umass.edu.
THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
DailyCollegian.com
By Bridget Bowman CQ - Roll Call
WASHINGTON — Lawmakers, state officials, advocates and law enforcement officers attempting to mitigate the heroin and prescription drug crisis plaguing the country had a message for Congress: We need your help. “Listen, we need financial help. The states cannot do this alone,” Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, said at a Senate Judiciary hearing Wednesday. He later added, “We’re scraping together pennies to try and make our treatment centers stand on their own.” Three senators from some of the hardest hit states joined Shumlin on the first panel of witnesses for the hearing. They urged their colleagues to take action on a piece of legislation before the committee, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act or CARA, which they believe will boost state and local education, prevention and treatment efforts. “I truly believe it can make a difference in the lives of the people I represent,” said
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who first introduced CARA along with Sens. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., Sheldon Whitehosue, D-R.I., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in September 2014. Portman later told reporters he is frustrated Congress has yet to act on the bill, but is hopeful it will move this year. The addiction crisis is gaining currency in the presidential campaign, with candidates from both parties pledging to address the problem. The bill would direct the Department of Health and Human Services to convene an interagency task force to develop best practices for prescribing pain medications, which witnesses testified can lead to drug abuse and serve as a gateway to heroin. The bill would also authorizes a series of grants, including incentivizing states, localities and nonprofits to expand educational efforts to prevent abuse and provide a treatment alternatives to incarceration. CARA would provide authorization for the $100 million included in the year-end spending package to combat
heroin and opioid abuse, and make it more likely that the programs would be funded in the future. “It is an investment. It’s not inexpensive,” Portman said. “But it’s an investment at a time when communities are desperate for resources.” Ayotte and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. also joined Portman at the hearing. New Hampshire and Ohio were among the five states with the most drug overdose deaths per capita in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From 2013 to 2014, New Hampshire saw a more than 73 percent increase in overdose deaths, and Ohio experienced an 18 percent increase in overdose deaths over the same period. “I have never seen anything like this,” Ayotte told her colleagues. Ayotte and Portman told reporters after outside the hearing that they have spoken to GOP leadership about CARA, who seemed open to taking it up. Portman pointed out that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s
state of Kentucky has also been hit by the epidemic. Kentucky ranked among top five states with the most overdose deaths per capita, with more than 1,000 deaths in 2014. “Sen. McConnell has a personal interest in this. Kentucky has been hit hard by opiate addiction and overdoses,” Portman said. “So look, I think leadership is interested in getting the committee to complete its work.” Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, also indicated the bill could move forward. “We might be able to move ahead,” Grassley said. “At least I hope that’s the outcome after I talked to all my members.” The senators stressed the need for the comprehensive bill, as well as more funds. Shaheen pushed her request for $600 million in emergency funds to address the crisis, as well as her bill addressing the drug case backlog that has resulted from law enforcement agencies not having the proper equipment to test heroin and other drugs.
Trump expected Clinton pushes to cast shadow Sanders to debate over GOP debate before first primary By david Lightman
McClatchy Washington Bureau
DES MOINES, Iowa — Donald Trump’s going to make a difference in Thursday’s Iowa Republican debate even though he’ll be absent. Trump is boycotting the debate, the last before Iowa Republicans signal their choice for a presidential nominee in precinct caucuses Monday evening. He’s annoyed with debate sponsor Fox News and with one of the moderators, Megyn Kelly. In the first GOP debate last year, she pressed him about his derogatory statements about women, and Trump’s been belittling her ever since. So without him, the twohour main event at 9 p.m. EST at Des Moines’ Iowa Events Center suddenly has an air of mystery. Will Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, Trump’s main challengers, be able to fire away at the real estate mogul without fear of retaliation? Or will the pre- and post-debate chatter be all about the candidate with the guts - or the gall - to skip a debate five days before the vote? Trump and Cruz are dueling for the Iowa lead, with Rubio winning endorsements from mainstream Republicans and showing some potential to rise. For others, the debate, and for that matter the caucuses, have different meanings. Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, and John Kasich, the governor of Ohio, are more focused on New Hampshire’s Feb. 9 primary, where the sort of center-right voters sympathetic to their views will be voting in bigger numbers. But for those at the bottom of the polls, including Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky - who refused to debate earlier this month when he didn’t make the main event - the debate is the latest and perhaps most crucial chapter in the caucus campaign’s closing days. The debate on the main stage will start at 9 p.m. EST. Four other candidates, including for the first time Jim Gilmore, the former governor of Virginia, will vie in a onehour debate starting at 7 p.m. EST. The buzz, though, will involve the Big Three. The out-
By anita Kumar
look:
DONALD TRUMP He’s risen in polls as he raised doubts about Cruz. The debate could have helped him maintain that momentum and boosted the throngs of voters who enthusiastically pack his rallies to show up Monday. His pique at Kelly changed the dynamic. Political wisdom says that in the days before the Iowa caucuses, a candidate needs to energetically barnstorm the state to show no voter is unimportant. Trump, though, has broken all the rules thus far this year, and he hasn’t been much for person-to-person campaigning. He’s remained typically Trump. “Let’s see how much money Fox is going to make on the debate without me,” he said Tuesday.
TED CRUZ He wants to stress policy differences with Trump and will maintain how Trump cared little about conservative principles until he started thinking about a White House run. Cruz is likely to remind voters how in 2012 Trump was not as tough on undocumented immigrants as he is now, criticizing GOP nominee Mitt Romney’s views. “He had a crazy policy of self-deportation which was maniacal,” Trump said at the time. Cruz could also go after Trump, who has close ties to Wall Street interests, for supporting the financial bailout of 2008. Trump did have reservations, saying “maybe it works and maybe it doesn’t.” He’s vulnerable, though, to reminders that he borrowed a halfmillion dollars from Goldman Sachs.
MARCO RUBIO He’s trying to solidify his position as the darling of the Republican mainstream. The Des Moines Register and the Sioux City Journal, two of Iowa’s most influential newspapers, endorsed him in recent days. Monday, he appeared with “good friend” Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. Rubio, though, has had trouble getting noticed in debates. Trump and Cruz have waged lively fights, while Rubio tends to be lost in the Kasich-ChristieCarson-Bush crowd.
McClatchy Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton, facing an increasingly tight race for the Democratic nomination, pushed her chief rival, Bernie Sanders, to participate in an additional debate next week before the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire. “I’m ready for the debate and I hope Senator Sanders will change his mind and join us,” Clinton said Wednesday on MSNBC. “And I think the DNC and the campaign should be able to work this out. I’ve said for, you know, for a long time that I’d be happy to have more debates. And I hope we can get this done.” Clinton’s rivals, Sanders and Martin O’Malley, have long accused the Democratic National Committee of trying to help Clinton, the frontrunner, when creating a schedule that called for later and less frequent debates. But now that polls show Clinton may lose New Hampshire, and possibly Iowa, to Sanders, she is eager to have an additional platform to make her case in the final days, while Sanders appears not want to risk losing his momentum. Sanders did not answer questions about the issue after a meeting Wednesday with President Barack Obama at the White House. His spokesman Michael Briggs said the campaign will be working with the DNC and the other campaigns to schedule additional debates but he declined to answer other questions. NBC News and the New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper Tuesday invited Democratic candidates to participate in an unsanctioned presidential debate Feb. 4 in New Hampshire. Martin O’Malley, who is running a distant third in the race, immediately agreed. “In keeping with the best traditions of the New Hampshire primary, we have always believed that the voters of the Granite State deserve more than one opportunity to see their candidates for president debate side by side,” said John Bivona, O’Malley’s New Hampshire state director. Clinton told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews on Wednesday that she wants
Sanders and DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to agree to the debate in New Hampshire. “What I’ve said to my campaign is that I would look forward to another debate,” she said. “I am, you know, anxious, if we can get something set up, to be able to be there. And so let’s try to make it happen.” Clinton spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri said earlier this week that Clinton would participate if the other candidates agree, allowing the party to sanction the debate. But the DNC did not say it would sanction it even if the three agreed. The DNC had said any candidates who participated in non-sanctioned debates would not be invited to the official six. Four debates have been conducted, but the next one doesn’t come until Feb. 11 in Wisconsin. Late Tuesday, Wasserman Schultz said the proposed debate would not be sanctioned. “We have no plans to sanction any further debates before the upcoming firstin-the-nation caucuses and primary, but will reconvene with our campaigns after those two contests to review our schedule,” she said. Some New Hampshire Democrats have been urging candidates to schedule another debate before the primary. “We are grateful that the Union Leader and NBC have heard the voices of New Hampshire voters who have advocated loud and clear for a final debate since the summer,” the group New Hampshire Debates wrote in a letter to candidates. “Our historic first-in-the-nation primary will benefit immensely from a final, prime-time reckoning between the three candidates.” Many complaints have been lodged at the DNC about the debate schedule, which included debates the Saturday before Christmas and the Sunday of a threeday weekend. Since November, 145,940 people have signed Democracy for America petitions demanding the DNC hold more presidential debates. The three Democrats will appear next week for the New Hampshire Democratic Party dinner Feb. 5.
WEEK END
3
CALENDAR
Senate hearing on heroine epidemic highlights need for more resources
Thursday, January 28, 2016
FRIDAY
UPC During their weekly movie night, UPC presents ‘Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation’ from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Student Union’s Cape Cod
HOTHOUSE CLUBHOUSE The art exhibit ‘Hothouse Clubhouse: Works to Ease the Season!’ hosts its opening reception in the Student Union Art Gallery starting at 6 p.m.
SATURDAY
ANIMAL INSTINQ 3 An animal themed party called ‘Animal Instinq 3’ will be held in the Student Union Ballroom from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. on Sunday. MEN’S BASKETBALL The Massachusetts men’s basketball team takes on Fordham University at noon at the Mullins Center.
SUNDAY
NONAGE PORTALS View ‘Nonage Portals,’ a gallery of new paintings by Marjorie Morgan, that will be on display at the Oxbow Gallery in Northampton. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. IRON HORSE Brian Henneman, best known as the frontman for the Bottle Rockets, will play at the Iron Horse Music Hall starting at 7 p.m.
Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
“Take it easy.” - The Eagles
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Editorial@DailyCollegian.com
The dual nature of fraternities on campus I lost my frat-ginity last weekend. No, I didn’t wake up face down in a basement with vomit on myself and more shame than I know what to do
John Zawawi with; I’m just saying I went to a fraternity house for the first time. I was surprised it took me so long to actually attend a frat party. I never considered joining a fraternity, but I did expect to have visited one at some point during my first semester of school. Greek life and social life are not synonymous at the University of Massachusetts, but it’s worth noting that the fraternities and sororities here do have a strong presence on campus. That being said, we still can’t make up our mind about whether or not we like frats. Members of frats swear by the brotherhood and cite the community service-based activities they do as examples of the benefits of their organizations. Non-members of Greek life tend to view frats with a little more scrutiny. It’s easy to get sucked into the horror stories of fraternities from around the country. If you Google “hazing lawsuit” you
“...we’re all part of the grime.”
The uncomfortable truth about free speech
will find a different story with each hit. But do frats deserve the reputation that has been handed to them? Maybe. I can vouch for their community service. Greek life is frequently on campus raising money for causes and it is impressive what can be accomplished when people put their collective efforts toward bettering the world around them. I can also vouch, albeit from a small sample size, for the general disgusting nature of the particular house I was in. I can’t remember which one it was because I didn’t have enough energy or incentive to memorize which house is which or what the Greek letters hastily hammered to the side of the house said. I can remember, with great detail, the bathroom, which included a broken toilet that just was collecting a vat of urine that people were haphazardly adding to. I remember the living room looking more like the set of “Sons of Anarchy” than a living arrangement. I remember empty bottles of hard alcohol hanging on the walls the way a hunter may put up taxidermied deer. But then, toward the end of the night, as a brother politely asked me to stop using my elbows so much when dancing because it was “scaring the girls,” I realized that we’re all part of the grime. We go to frats to be the worst version of ourselves, which is fun in its own right. It is easy to pass them off as scummy, but however true that description is, it’s because that’s what we expect when we go. If everyone is going with the intent to be gross, grossness will occur. Frat houses are almost cathartic in this way, so I feel like they’re almost a necessary part of a campus. However, after going once I understand why it falls under the category of “try it once” instead of “do it every night” for most people. In keeping with the Greek theme, I’ve flown close enough to the sun for a while.
As we prepared to honor military this and, contrary to what has been veterans at Wesleyan University’s reported in the press, the student first home football game, I sought newspaper has not been defunded. Students are trying to figure out how Michael S. Roth to bring more perspectives to the public with digital platforms, and I out one of our engaged and thought- am confident they can do this withful student vets. Bryan Stascavage out undermining the Argus. had published an opinion piece in Commentators, perhaps weary of the Argus, the school newspaper, their impotence in the face of the perraising critical questions about the version of free expression in politics Black Lives Matter movement. The by means of wealth, have weighed reaction to his provocative piece was in on this so-called threat to free intense: some students were angry, speech on college campuses. “What’s some hurt and still others wondered the matter with kids today,” these what editors of the Argus were think- self-righteous critics ask, “don’t they ing when they published an essay realize that America depends on freethat questioned a civil rights move- dom of expression?” While economic ment that has claimed the hearts and freedom and political participation minds of so many of us on campus. are evaporating into the new normal I trust the editors thought that of radical inequality, while legislaBryan’s essay would spark real con- tors call for arming college students versations _ the kind that make news- to make them safer, puffed up punpapers a vital part of so many com- dits turn their negative attention munities’ cultural ecology. Sure, the to what they see as dangerous calls editors got more than they bargained to make campuses safer places for for. Some students argued that the students vulnerable to discriminaessay was racist (I don’t think it was), or at least that it participated in systems of racist domination (what doesn’t?). They made the important point that opinion pieces like these facilitate the ongoing marginalization of tion. But are these calls really where a sector of our student population; the biggest threat to free expression and they angrily accused the Argus lies? I fear that those who seize upon of contributing to that marginaliza- this so-called danger will succeed in tion. diverting attention from far more I’m very glad these important dangerous threats. issues were made public _ someStudents, faculty and administratimes quite forcefully. Those who tors want our campuses to be free think they favor free speech but call and safe, but we also acknowledge for civility in all discussions should that the imperatives of freedom remember that battles for freedom of and safety are sometimes in conexpression are seldom conducted in a flict. A campus free from violence privileged atmosphere of upper-class is an absolute necessity for a true decorum. education, but a campus free from Unfortunately, in addition to challenge and confrontation would sparking conversation, the op-ed also be anathema to it. We must not progenerated calls to punish the newspa- tect ourselves from disagreement; we per. Protests against newspapers, of must be open to being offended for course, are also part of free speech. the sake of learning, and we must But punishment, if successful, can be ready to give offense so as to crehave a chilling effect on future ate new opportunities for thinking. expression. Many students (I think Education worthy of the name is the great majority) quickly realized risky _ not safe. Education worthy
of the name does not hide behind a veneer of civility or political correctness but instead calls into question our beliefs. We learn most when we are ready to recognize how many of our ideas are just conventional, no matter how “radical” we think those ideas may be. We learn most when we are ready to consider challenges to our values from outside our comfort zones of political affiliation and personal ties. Historically marginalized groups have the most to lose when freedom of expression is undermined by calls for safety. Just look at Prime Minister David Cameron’s plans for silencing anything deemed “extremist” and in conflict with “British values,” or Donald Trump’s fascistic rhetoric about closing mosques as part of his effort to “make America great again.” My role as a university president includes giving students opportunities to make their views heard, and to learn from reactions that follow. As I wrote on my blog shortly after Bryan’s opinion piece was published, debates can raise intense emotions, but that doesn’t mean that we should demand ideological conformity because people are uncomfortable. As members of a university community, we always have the right to respond with our opinions, but there is no right not to be offended. Censorship diminishes true diversity of thinking; vigorous debate enlivens and instructs. Our campus communities, like the rest of society, will be more inclusive and free when we can tolerate strong disagreements. Through our differences we learn from one another. Our campus communities, like the rest of society, will be more inclusive and free when we can tolerate strong disagreements. Through our differences we learn from one another.
“A campus free from violence is an absolute necessity for a true education, but a campus free from challenge and confrontation would be anathema to it.”
John Zawawi is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at jzawawi@ umass.edu.
This column was originally published by the Hartford Courant and was distributed by the Tribune Content Agency.
T H E M A S S A C H U S E T T S DA I L Y C O L L E G I A N BUSINESS ROOM
EDITOR IN CHIEF - Mark Chiarelli MANAGING EDITOR - Anthony Chiusano MANAGING EDITOR/DAILYCOLLEGIAN.COM - Kristin LaFratta
Business Manager - Omer Sander Advertising Manager - Marina Qutab Distribution Manager - Nick Gorius Advertising Manager - Nick Damren
NEWS
GRAPHICS
Production Manager - Randy Crandon Special Issues Manager -Kelley Dillon
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Media Coordinator - Charlotte Hoff
OPINON/EDITORIAL
ARTS
SPORTS
PHOTOGRAPHY
COMICS
News Editor - Stuart Foster News Producer - Dan Mahoney
Op/Ed Editor - Maral Margossian Op/Ed Producer - Patrick Hurley
Arts Editor - Nathan Frontiero Arts Producer - Yelena Rasic
Sports Editor - Andrew Cyr Sports Producer - Philip Sanzo
Photo Editor - Robert Rigo
Comics Editor - Amy Daigle
NEWS ASSISTANTS
OP/ED ASSISTANTS
ARTS ASSISTANTS
SPORTS ASSISTANTS
PHOTO ASSISTANTS
GRAPHICS ASSISTANTS
Shelby Ashline Brendan Deady Patricia LaBoeuf Marie MacCune
Lucas Coughlin Steven Gillard Ian Hagerty Jess Primavera
Yelena Rasic Annamarie Wadiak
Adam Aucoin Ross Gienieczko Jason Kates Nicholas Souza
PRODUCTION CREW on staff for this issue
NIGHT EDITOR - Anthony Chiusano COPY EDITOR - Ross Gienieczko NEWS DESK EDITOR - Shelby Ashline OP/ED DESK EDITOR - Steven Gillard
Shannon Broderick Judith Gibson-Okunieff
Grace Benhamroun Caroline O’Connor Maxwell Zaleski
ARTS DESK EDITOR - Nate Frontiero SPORTS DESK EDITOR - Andrew Cyr COMICS DESK EDITOR - Amy Daigle GRAPHICS DESK EDITOR - Caroline O’Connor WEB PRODUCTION MANAGER - Patrick Hurley
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian is published Monday through Thursday during the University of Masachusetts 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 1994. For advertising rates and information, call 413-545-3500 or email thecollegian@gmail.com.
Arts Living THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Thursday, January 28, 2016
“I love you, but I should have never married you.” - Mrs. Fox, ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’
Arts@DailyCollegian.com
LIFESTYLE
UMass Theatre Guild preps for eclectic spring season Auditions slated for this weekend, next By NathaN FroNtiero Collegian Staff
The University of Massachusetts Theatre Guild has begun preparations for what promises to be an eclectic and eventful 2016 spring season. This semester, the registered student organization will put on a two-act play, A.R. Gurney’s “The Wayside Motor Inn,” and a musical revue. Students from the Five Colleges and members of the greater Pioneer Valley community are all welcome to participate. Those interested in “The Wayside Motor Inn” may join a Facebook event for a reminder of the audition times. A corresponding Facebook event for the musical revue auditions is forthcoming. Additional information and announcements from the Theatre Guild can be found on its Tumblr and public Facebook group. “The Wayside Motor Inn” – which opened off Broadway in 1977 – features a 10-character ensemble and spans five separate subplots that only rarely intersect. The play’s action unfolds in a single Boston motel room that actually represents five distinct rooms simultaneously. “It’s a series of five different groups of people – like a father and son, or a young college couple,” said Natalie Slabczynski, UMass sophomore and publicity coordinator for the UMass Theatre Guild. “There are only two instances of actual interaction between (them).” Jack Duff, a UMass sophomore, and Hallie Waletzko,
JACK DUFF/UMASS THEATRE GUILD
‘The Wayside Motor Inn,’ a two-act play the UMass Theatre Guild plans to open on March 31, follows the stories of 10 tenants of a Boston motel in 1977. a Smith College sophomore, are co-directing “The Wayside Motor Inn.” Duff proposed the idea of producing the play at the Theatre Guild’s show voting meeting near the end of last semester. Slabczynski recalled how he described Gurney’s work to her in a private message: “(It) may take place in a vibrant, nostalgic 1977 – but in a Wes Anderson-meetsyour-favorite-old-song-thatmakes-you-cry sort of way, it still reveals heartfelt and raw emotion,” Duff wrote. Auditions for “The Wayside Motor Inn” will be held in Bartlett 65 on Friday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. and
Saturday, Jan. 30 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. Callbacks will be held in the same place Sunday, Jan. 31 at a time to be determined. “The Wayside Motor Inn” will open Thursday, March 31 at 7 p.m. in Bowker Auditorium, with additional performances on Friday, April 1 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 2 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The Theatre Guild’s musical revue is currently in development. The show is not a conventional musical, but rather an assorted collection of musical theatre and dance numbers tailored to a specific cast. Slabczynski said since the
group has never previously worked with this particular format, crafting the revue will be a more collaborative endeavor. “The actors and singers can all bring what they want to bring to the table,” Slabczynski said. “It’s not all just the producer and E-Board coming up with it. The director has ideas, everyone has (ideas). We’re taking all ideas because it’s such a new thing. There’s a lot still open and we welcome suggestions.” Auditions for the musical revue will be held in Bartlett 65 the following weekend – on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m., and Saturday,
Theatre Guild. Last spring, the organization altered its constitution to scale back its per-semester design from two complete shows to a “one and a half show model” consisting of a larger and smaller production. This shift still leaves plenty of responsibility on the shoulders of the Guild’s artistic team (A-Team), which oversees scenic design, lighting, costumes, makeup and props, among other major concerns. Slabczynski said, however, that the transition would allow for some “wiggle room” in the schedule, “a time to breathe” in between each creative process. Part of Slabczynski’s plan for the spring involves reaching out to other groups to round out the Guild’s semesterly Coffeehouse, a freeform open mic-esque event at which anyone can perform. “We’re an isolated club, we don’t have a lot of interaction with other clubs, so I’m making it my work, I’m making it my goal to get a branch out to other clubs,” she said. “It can be intimidating – theatre – so opening it up and being more transparent will probably help Guild membership.” This edition of the Coffeehouse is “murder mystery” themed and slated for late April. As the UMass Theatre Guild moves forward with its new vision, Slabczynski hopes to further extend the group’s outreach. One of the main missions for the Guild’s future, she says, is to “open ourselves up to the community.”
Feb. 6 at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. Callbacks are scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 7 at a time also to be decided. Amanda Urquhart – the UMass junior last seen belting to the back row of Bowker Auditorium as Vivienne in the Guild’s rendition of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” – is directing the revue. The uniquely constructed show will debut on Friday, April 15, with additional performances on April 16. Specific times and location have yet to be finalized. The revue’s flexible style fits in with a series Nathan Frontiero can be reached at of changes that have taken nfrontiero@umass.edu and followed place recently within the on Twitter @NathanFrontiero.
TELEVISION
‘Master of None’ an excellent mix of humor, empowerment New show hilarious, socially conscious By Nate taskiN Collegian Staff
Even if Andrew Sarris insisted otherwise, auteurism has always been a nebulous concept. Whether it’s the script, the direction, the edits or the actors, cinema is a collaborative medium. Television, whose extended length in many ways requires an even more dedicated team effort, makes for an even less welcoming environment for personal visions. There’s been exceptions, of course. Under the guise of “showrunner,” we’ve seen artists express wonderful
artistic statements through television like David Chase, Louis C.K., David Simon, Gene Roddenberry, Dan Harmon, David Milch, Matt Weiner, David Lynch and Lena Dunham. Talented as these names are, it’s a pretty white crowd – to say nothing of its complete absence of women of color. Enter Aziz Ansari. With help from “Parks and Recreation” co-writer Alan Yang, Ansari’s wonderful new Netflix show “Master of None” offers a unique, witty and warm look at the difficulty of finding balance between millennial malaise and second-generation immigrant anxiety. When I first heard the premise of the show, I
rolled my eyes. “Oh great,” I thought. “Another one of those shows.” To be fair to my past, more ignorant self, when you hear the plot synopsis, you might jump to same conclusion. A struggling 20-somethingyear-old with financial burdens and an abysmal love life in the Big Apple isn’t exactly a revolutionary setup – see nearly every popular sitcom of the past 20 years for further detail. Yet if the story itself seems stale, it’s the way that “Master of None” tells its story that makes its heart beat with vitality and freshness. If it had a feature length runtime, for example, the show’s penultimate episode, “Mornings,” may have
been the best romantic comedy of 2015. A jovial yet sad show, this beautifully directed series has exuberance and charm. Even when all seems hopeless, “Master of None” never once feels like a downer. Ansari plays Dev, an actor who mainly gets by on tacky Go-Gurt commercials. Although basically an analogue for Ansari’s own experiences, Dev possesses a charming everyman quality that recalls the show’s title. Dev has a type of wisdom anchored by both idealism and cynicism, and sometimes undercut by a childlike sense of enthusiasm. Aziz Ansari’s performance casts a character marked by indecision and doubt, and his inability to settle down marks him with a type of low-key arrested development. Dev often grimaces at the bad hand fortune deals him, yet his misfortune never grates. Ansari captures humor and sadness in his wide, expressive eyes and finds a lovely symbiosis in these two qualities. Although a comedy, the humor around “Master of None” often highlights subject matter that some more comfortable members of society would perhaps rather leave undisturbed. The second chapter, “Parents,” deals with blunt honesty the hardships that first-generation immigrants faced, and how their children can never really comprehend how much they suffered in order
to insure their comfort, as well as the luxury to ignore their awkwardly-worded texts to hang out. Furthermore, “Ladies and Gentlemen” examines misogyny at both its most active and at its most subtle. Written by two women (Sarah Peters and Zoe Jarman) and directed by another (“Humpday” director Lynn Shelton), an unsettling scene opens the episode – set to the “Halloween” theme – in which one of Dev’s co-workers is followed home by a classic “nice guy” troglodyte who can’t take no for an answer. Meanwhile, Dev and his friend Arnold (in a hilariously irreverent performance from Eric Wareheim) casually stroll through the park late at night, their main worry concerning whether or not they stepped in some dog crap. As this juxtaposition critiques, such is the reality of male privilege: men can walk through the streets after dark without a care in the world. When Dev learns what happened to his co-worker, he is appalled by this blatant sleaziness and impresses his friends with some feminist rhetoric. Yet he misses a far simpler example of sexism when his boss shakes the hands of his male friends, but casually stiffs his female ones. Dev makes poor excuses for his boss’s negligence, and seems unable to acknowledge this ugly display until put under pres-
sure. It’s easy to rail against blatant evil, less so when you yourself may be indirectly contributing to that culture of oppression. “Indians on TV,” one of the show’s best episodes, explores the dismal lack of diversity on television, and moreover, how any minority presence at all is often reduced to cheap tokenization and cringe-worthy stereotypes. One of the best dialogue sequences occurs between Dev and his friend Ravi (Ravi Patel), a fellow Indian actor. When Ravi says, “There can’t be two Indians on TV,” Dev replies, in exasperation, “But what if we just tried it?” Not only does “Master of None” explore social problems that plague our culture, it provides methods in which they can be combatted. Never pessimistic even when it displays society at its worst, this show finds positive, constructive solutions in order to fight everyday injustice, be it active malevolence or pernicious microaggressions. Social justice issues are not the show’s overt point, they merely underline the experiences of a voice we need to hear more often. All the while, its pervasive warmth and wit never falls by the wayside. Nate Taskin can be reached at ntaskin@umass.edu.
6
Thursday, January 28, 2016
THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Comics Why
DailyCollegian.com
WE WANT YOUR COMICS! Put your comics in front of thousands of readers. Questions? Comments? Email us: comics@dailycollegian.com
do We hate the mainstream
He’s Squidward, Your Squidward, I’m Squidward
You are Squidward
s Hark m alarkey
a s oFter w orlD
P oorly D rawn l ines
B y m egan n iCole D ong
B y e. H orne & J. C omeau
B y r eza F arazmanD
aquarius
HOROSCOPES Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
The price you pay for never being sick is being ungodly sick when it does hit you.
pisces
Feb. 19 - Mar. 20
leo
Jul. 23 - aug. 22
Never forget to pack snacks.
virgo
aug. 23 - Sept. 22
Your day will turn out better than expected if you let it.
Tell your cat it’s beautiful and you will be rewarded.
aries
Mar. 21 - apr. 19
libra
Sept. 23 - Oct. 22
taurus
apr. 20 - May. 20
scorpio
Oct. 23 - nOv. 21
gemini
May. 21 - Jun. 21
Build a snowman with the icy cold fragments of your heart.
If you had the chance to hit someone with a hotdog, who would it be?
But why is the movie industry against eyebrow bleaching?
Cute photo of dog paws? Time to open that adoption website.
sagittarius
nOv. 22 - Dec. 21
Baby come back, you can blame it all on institutionalized racism inherent in the post-colonial dystopia.
Why cry about the friendzone when you can eat a calzone?
cancer
capricorn
Jun. 22 - Jul. 22
Chicken casting is the new hot trend of 2016.
Dec. 22 - Jan. 19
Don’t do the bad thing you want to do.
THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
DailyCollegian.com
Thursday, January 28, 2016
7
SWIMMING AND DIVING
T R AC K A N D F I E L D
Fifteen seniors to be honored Sat.
Boston for John Thomas Invitatioal
UM hosts Fordham on Senior Day UMass heads to By Tyler Fiedler Collegian Staff
For a select group of members of the Massachusetts swimming and diving team, Saturday’s meet against Fordham carries a little more meaning than others. It will be the last time they’ll swim in the place they’ve called home for the past four years. Saturday marks Senior Day for both the UMass men’s and women’s swim and diving teams. The men’s side has six graduating seniors entering their final match while the Minutewomen have nine seniors that will be diving into the pool one last time during the regular season. “It is a nice thing that this is at home,” Minutewomen coach Bob Newcomb said. “It will be emotional for our seniors but they will be ready to swim.” Caroline Capece, Mary Kate Cohen, Mikhaila Eckhardt, Emily Lajoie, Jess Murphy, Katherine Orr, Rebecca Quirie, Cassie Sosnovich and Jocelyn Yuen make up the Minutewomen’s senior class. Senior Day is usually an emotional event, but once it’s time to dive in the pool, all of that is pushed aside and the competition ensues.
“We have some excellent competition in Fordham,” Newcomb said. “We are just looking for overall solid performances from everyone.” Sosnovich and Yuen have swam their best as of late as the Atlantic 10 championship quickly approaches. Sosnovich has the fastest times for UMass in the 50 and 100-yard freestyles along with the 100-yard butterfly. Yuen has the fastest time in the 100-yard individual medley and second fastest in the 200-yard individual medley. The Minutewomen face some tough losses for next season but Newcomb’s focus is on the present to end 2016 on a high note. “We are doing what we need to do right now,” Newcomb said. “Right now our focus is on Fordham and not after the season because after this weekend we have the Atlantic 10 tournament.” UMass will need the seniors to lead as the group faces one of the conference’s best in Fordham. The Rams are 7-2 this season with a fifth place finish at the Bucknell Invitational earlier in the season. Saturday’s meet will be only their third match away from Bronx, New York. Fordham junior Megan Polaha is coming off one of her best performances of the season, winning three events including the 100 and 200-yard butterfly and the 400-yard indi-
HOME SERIES going in.” Micheletto echoed these thoughts. “Like I say, confidence is an important part of the game. You get into a stretch where you’re not scoring as much as you were previously, you start wondering why, you start trying to be too fine with the plays that you’re making,” he said. “Having guys get back on the scoreboard and feel a little offensive swagger is very important for us.” Having gone through a five-game stretch against tough conference foes like the Eagles, Boston University and UMass Lowell, it is easy to think the Minutemen should be well prepared against a struggling team like Maine. But for Micheletto, there are no easy games, especially in Hockey East.
HAWKS
By Nick Souza Collegian Staff
SHANNON BRODERICK/COLLEGIAN
Fans watch UMass during their meet against Boston University Oct. 24. vidual medley. After coming off the Dartmouth Invitational Jan. 23 placing fourth out of four teams, the Minutewomen will look to improve as championship season approaches. “I am not expecting them to swim fast,” Newcomb said. “It is the nature of where we are this time of the year.”
who was named A-10 performer of the week for after three event wins over the weekend. In this weekend’s A-10 battle, stakes will be high along with the swimmers’ emotions. Although Newcomb is not frustrated with the Minutewomen’s recent performances, he said a win on Senior Day will mean a lot to his athletes. “It is all about where we are as a team when it comes to A-10s,” Newcomb said. “It will be nice to see strong, solid performances from everyone in preparation for those A-10s. We cannot overlook this weekend.”
For the Minutemen, the same mentality is in effect. Alessandro Bomprezzi, one of the most decorated swimmers in UMass history will take his final swim while other seniors include Wiktor Karpinski, Evan Sholudko, Brian Stiles, Kyle Vieira and Joe Woodman. But the focus is on Fordham and finishing the season Tyler Fiedler can be reached at strong. The Rams pose a deep tfiedler@umass.edu and followed on roster, led by Steven Sholdra, Twitter @Tyler_Fiedler.
continued from page 8
“I think our league is so tough top to bottom, it doesn’t matter where you are at the schedule,” Micheletto said. “Every game reveals something different to you and how you apply those lessons moving forward and continue to be battle tested while keeping your confidence is really an important thing. “I know that our guys are eager to get back out there and strap it up. I thought we had a good effort on Saturday without the reward, and hopefully we can marry those two things up this Friday,” he added. Puck drop on both nights is set for 7 p.m. Jason Kates can be reached at jkates@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Jason_Kates.
MIKEY YABUSAKI/COLLEGIAN
Callum Fryer carries the puck along the boards in UMass’ 8-0 loss to BC.
continued from page 8
The Minutemen came within five points of the Hawks with 45 seconds remaining in the game when Hinds (13 points) made a layup – his 1,000th career point between his time at West Virginia and UMass – to make it 75-70. But Isaiah Miles made three of his nine free throws in the final minute to secure the win for the Hawks. “We made some strides, we’re playing hard and making plays, but we’re not happy with the result,” Berger said. “We have work to do. We’re not going to be satisfied until we win.” Miles led St. Joe’s with 27 points (8-of-14 field goal shooting) and 12 rebounds
whiles DeAndre’ Bembry added 13 points and nine rebounds despite shooting a dismal 3-of-13 from the field, including two missed 3-pointers. After scoring 36 and 30 points in his past two games, UMass guard Trey Davis finished with 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting. Davis, who entered Wednesday leading the Minutemen with 33.4 minutes played per game, was restricted to just 25 minutes after picking up two fouls in the first half. UMass cut its deficit to as low as four after Hinds drilled a 3-pointer with 8:07 remaining in the game, but it failed to score over the next 2:40 as Saint
“We made some strides, we’re playing hard and making plays, but we’re not happy with the results. We have work to do. We aren’t going to be satisfied until we win.” Seth Berger, UMass forward Joe’s lead extended its lead to 12 with 3:49 to go. After dealing with a knee injury that has forced him to miss significant playing time over the past month, Zach Coleman scored 10 points in 26 minutes played. “You have to create your own fortune and destiny our there. We’re trying. We’re going to keep at it and keep getting better,” Kellogg said.
“This is something we can build off of. Let’s move forward and try to get some wins now,” he added. The Minutemen will look to snap their losing steak this Saturday when they host Fordham. Tipoff from Mullins Center is set for noon. Andrew Cyr can be reached at arcyr@umass.edu and can be followed on Twitter @Andrew_Cyr.
The indoor season is in full swing, as the Massachusetts men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete in the John Thomas Terrier Invitational at Boston University, which attracts top competition from across the country. It will include teams like Florida State, Syracuse and even some professionals from New Balance. A meet of this caliber provides a special opportunity for both teams to measure themselves, and at this point in the season the focus begins to narrow for each athlete as championship season lurks right around the corner. “I recognize that the athletes aren’t quite at a championship level at this point in the season, but I want them to start taking the steps towards it,” UMass men’s coach Ken O’Brien said. The Minutemen have had meets that showed promise for the team earlier in the season. O’Brien himself admits he began to get excited after a first place finish at the Beantown Challenge on Jan. 16. However, in the previous meet in Roxbury at the Joe Donahue indoor games, UMass experienced a bit of a hiccup on the scorecards, finishing seventh out of 15 teams. “I think those who have been improving over the first couple of meet’s will continue to gain momentum in this meet, and those who haven’t as much will see that they are still capable of building it up,” O’Brien said. The Minutemen will need one of their best performances if they want to compete with some of the nation’s top programs and professional athletes at the meet. O’Brien stressed that he doesn’t concern himself with what the professionals do when it comes to the development of his runners. UMass will need most but not all athletes to take the next step toward championship caliber performances at BU. The coaching staff will be looking to build a balanced team across all events going into this meet. “I expect the veteran athletes to start to move up in their events this weekend,
RAMS
but some of our freshman performers might need to take a little more time,” O’Brien said.
Minutewomen look to keep rolling The Minutewomen are coming off a third place showing at the Joe Donahue Indoor Games. While that meet did have a lot of strong competition, it doesn’t quite match what is waiting for them at BU. “This is a different type of meet with a lot of high end competition,” UMass women’s coach Julie LaFreniere said. “We’ll use this meet to revamp the athletes in different events.” UMass has been stockpiling Eastern College Athletic Conference qualifiers each week, as well as gaining strong positions in multiple events for the A-10 championship that is now only three weeks away. With the championship season in mind, it is imperative to LaFreniere that the team stays healthy in that time. “This meet will just gauge where we are heading into the championship season, and most of our athletes will only be competing in one event,” LaFreniere said. One performance to watch for this weekend will be the first section of the mile, when junior Heather MacLean will be competing against some of the best professional talent that will be in attendance. The Minutewomen have had exciting performances from the entire team, and the freshmen class in particular has been impressive. Freshman Emilie Cowan has earned two out of the last three A-10 StudentAthlete of the week awards. The combination of the freshman class, along with veteran athletes like MacLean, Carly Zinner and throwers Margaret Riseborough and Kelsey Crawford, has lifted the morale of the Minutewomen. “I love the group’s competitiveness and determination, and they’ve been a happy team having a lot of fun competing and being successful,” LaFreniere said. Nick Souza can be reached at njsouza@umass.edu.
continued from page 8
Dillard. She claimed that her success was a result of being the open woman thanks to good ball movement from her teammates. “I just feel that my teammates did a great job of seeing me and getting the open spot, we had a lot of threats where the defense has to pay attention too, so any time they see me and get a great pass for me I felt like I had the easiest job to just shoot the 3,” Dillard said. The Minutewomen’s defense forced 14 turnovers including nine steals. “I think what hurt us the most (Wednesday) was our
help. The helper (defense) wasn’t in there, which led to 18 points, that hurt.” Dawley said. The Minutewomen next travel to George Mason this Saturday to take on the Patriots in search of their first conference win of the season. “All we need is one game and I feel like we can go off that. So just keep going and keep attacking and just keep our heads up,” Dillard said. Philip Sanzo can be reached at psanzo@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Philip_Sanzo.
THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Weekend
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Sports@DailyCollegian.com
@MDC_SPORTS
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Minutemen lose sixth straight, fall to St. Joe’s Berger scores 17 points off bench
a five-game losing streak. Seth Berger received the message, but the rest of the Minutemen (8-11, 1-6 Atlantic 10) didn’t as they By Andrew Cyr dropped their sixth straight, Collegian Staff falling to the Hawks 78-70 at Prior to the start of the Hagan Arena. Massachusetts men’s basBerger scored a careerketball team’s high 17 points, 13 game against of which came St. Joe’s 78 in the second Saint Joseph’s Wednesday, UMass half, in addition UMass 70 to grabbing six coach Derek Kellogg made some rebounds, with a adjustments to pair of steals and the starting lineup to shake an assist. “I thought our squad things up and potentially end
fought and battled today and looked like a UMass team that’s trying to get out of a rough patch,” Minutemen coach Derek Kellogg told the Daily Hampshire Gazette after the game. “The guys battled to the end. A few plays here or there and I thought we could have turned the tide and come out with a victory,” Kellogg added. Kellogg removed Berger, who started the past seven games for UMass, and guard Jabarie Hinds – who started at point guard every game
up until Wednesday – from the starting rotation in favor of Antwan Space and C.J. Anderson. Anderson finished with two points and grabbed team-leading seven rebounds while Spaced finished with five points and six rebounds. After UMass led 30-29 at halftime thanks to a lastsecond layup from walk-on Rayshawn Miller, Saint Joe’s (17-3, 6-1 A-10) went on a 17-5 run and saw its lead extend to as many as 11 just 5:05 into the second half. see
HAWKS on page 7
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
INCHES SHORT
SHANNON BRODERICK/COLLEGIAN
Seth Berger (middle) goes for a rebound in UMass’ 86-75 loss against SLU.
UM defeated by URI on Field Trip Day Wednesday By PhiliP SAnzo Collegian Staff
SHANNON BRODERICK/COLLEGIAN
A child participates in one of the activities during a timeout of the Minutewomen’s annual Field Trip Day. UMass fell to Rhode Island 80-79 Wednesday.
It was close, but not close enough. Despite a 27-point fourth quarter for the Massachusetts women’s basketball team, it suffered another disappointURI ing conference loss Wednesday UMass afternoon, marking its seventh straight defeat. Rhode Island fought off the late Minutewomen (6-13, 0-7 Atlantic 10) comeback just long enough to secure the 80-79 win in front of a hundreds of screaming children on their annual Field Trip Day at Mullins Center. After a tight start in which UMass finished the first half down 37-33, the Minutewomen started to fall apart in the third and saw its deficit extended to 15 when Symone Bullard converted a layup with three minutes, 17 seconds remaining in the quarter. UMass responded with an 8-0 run late in the final quarter to retake a onepoint advantage with 6:06 remaining on the clock, but URI retook the lead and survived in the final minutes of regulation. Despite allowing 80 points, Minutewomen coach Sharon Dawley said she was happy with the team’s offensive production, whose 79 points were the highest since they scored 84 in a win against UMass Lowell Dec. 30. “I thought it was a great
effort, I thought we played really well, I thought that if a couple of our shots had fallen we’d be in a different situation,” Dawley said. UMass shot 30-of-59 from the field and made 7-of-22 from 3-point range. The Minutemen’s numbers were very com80 parable to URI (10-9, 4-3 A-10), who fin29-of-55 from 79 ished the floor and 8-of23 from beyond the arc. Both teams also finished with an identical 29 rebounds, 12 offensive and 17 on defensive. While the stats may be similar, the biggest difference in the game was the key shots that URI made down the stretch. “Of those seven (3-point shots), we were 7-of-22, I think if one or two of those had fallen we’d be having a different conversation right now,” Dawley said. The Rams led for more than 36 minutes in the game due in large part to their ability to match the Minutewomen’s runs. Sophomore guard Cierra Dillard (19 points) agreed. “They had some key moments in the game that kind of swung their way and gave them a little boost,” Dillard said. URI came into Wednesday’s matchup with a hot 3-point attack. Last Saturday the Rams set a school record with 13 3-point makes in a 78-62 victory over Davidson. While the Minutewomen allowed eight, UMass kept pace with four coming from see
RAMS on page 7
HOCKEY
UMass hosts Maine in weekend series at Mullins Center Black Bears sit in last place in HEA By JASon KAteS Collegian Staff
After a weekend that resulted in two different types of losses for the Massachusetts hockey team, the Minutemen will be presented with an opportunity to move up in the Hockey East standings this weekend when they host Maine in a pair of games at Mullins Center. UMass (7-14-4, 2-9-4 HEA) suffered an 8-0 setback to No. 3 Boston College last Friday followed by a 6-4 defeat to Vermont in which
the Minutemen couldn’t hold a 4-2 advantage heading into the final period. But for freshman Austin Plevy and the rest of UMass, the past is already in the rearview mirror. “Friday night was one we tried to forget about, as soon as we left the rink it was gone,” Plevy said before Monday’s practice. “Saturday we had a really good start, it’s unfortunate we couldn’t hang on to the lead, but they say you just have to move on.” Two wins this weekend would be more than optimal for UMass, considering how tight the conference standings are. The Minutemen
currently sit in 10th place and hold a two-point advantage over the Black Bears (5-15-6, 2-8-2 HEA), while sitting just four points back of the Catamounts for sixth place. One positive note heading into the crucial two games is the fact that UMass already beat Maine this year in a 5-4 overtime thriller in the Capital City Classic on Oct. 30 in which Ray Pigozzi scored the game winner. Minutemen coach John Micheletto acknowledged the Black Bears’ stress on firing pucks on goal from all over the ice and the need to limit their second chance opportunities.
“If you look at their box scores, it’s clearly a point of emphasis for them to get shots going to the net from anywhere,” Micheletto said. “I think the thought being obviously them getting to the inside and trying to get second and third shots off of that initial one, so we’ll have to defend at the point of attack.” Micheletto added: “We’ll also have to make sure our goalie is leaving the puck in a good spot and then our players down low are going to be the first to touch and then get us going in the other direction, rather than letting them get any sort of momentum of three or four shot
flurries.” Despite last Saturday’s defeat, the Minutemen saw some familiar faces return to the scoreboard. Both Dennis Kravchenko and Plevy found the back of the net, with Kravchenko coincidentally scoring his first two goals since the last meeting against Maine. Plevy, who hadn’t scored in over two months, said it was good to see UMass record four goals for the first time since UMass’ 5-3 victory over Connecticut Nov 7. “Personally it’s always great to score, I know I was on a bit of a cold streak so that one felt especially good,” Plevy said. “With
Dennis (Kravchenko) back in the lineup, to see him get a couple goals was great.” The freshman also a ck n ow l e d g e d the Minutemen’s improvement as a whole and as a potential springboard offensively for the future. “I think the whole team has been cold, so to pop in more than one or two was great and hopefully we can keep that going,” Plevy said. “We know we can do it, we’ve proved to ourselves before that we’re capable of scoring five, six a night so we just have make sure we keep getting pucks to the night and they’re going to keep see
HOME SERIES on page 7