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Tuesday, March 29, 2016
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Armed man attempts to enter Capitol Hill Suspect known to By Lisa Mascaro and Brian Bennett Tribune Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — An armed man who was shot Monday trying to enter the U.S. Capitol building was known to Capitol Police and had previously disrupted a session of Congress, according to local and federal law enforcement officials. Larry Dawson of Tennessee was stopped by Capitol Police after he set off a metal detector trying to enter the Capitol Visitor
Center around 2:40 p.m. Eastern time, officials said. After a dispute with officers, Dawson drew a weapon and at least one officer opened fire. He was taken to the hospital for treatment, according to Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa. A weapon was recovered at the scene, he added. A female bystander, age 35 to 45, also suffered minor injuries in the incident. Dawson’s motives were unclear. Verderosa did not identify Dawson by name during a press briefing outside the Capitol, but said that the suspect was known to Capitol Police.
“We believe this is an act of a single person, who has frequented the Capitol grounds before,” Verderosa said. “There is no reason to believe this is anything more than a criminal act.” Dawson’s identity was confirmed by a federal law enforcement official who was not authorized to speak on the investigation. In October, Dawson reportedly shouted from a House balcony that he was a “prophet of God.” Verderosa said the building’s security precautions appeared to have prevented the suspect from entering the building. “It appears the screening
process worked the way it’s supposed to,” he said. Police also located and seized the suspect’s car, he said. The shooting briefly shut down the Capitol as police told panicked visitors and staff to take immediate shelter and close, lock and stay away from doors. “Due to police activity, Capitol Police have issued a shelter in place for the Capitol complex. Please stay in your designated area,” the Senate sergeant at arms said in a tweet during the shutdown. Shortly before 4 p.m., the Capitol reopened. Though House and Senate lawmakers are away on
Food For the Future
recess, the Capitol remains a popular draw for tourists and school groups visiting during spring at the peak of cherry blossom season. The visitors center is a vast underground complex beneath the Capitol, where visitors line up for tours. The multi-level space includes a cafeteria, gift shops and official meeting rooms for lawmakers. Many news conferences are held there. Those visiting the Capitol must go through metaldetector screening as they enter the visitor center, but lines often form outside the complex. The visitor center was
built in part as a response to the 1998 shooting deaths of two U.S. Capitol police officers who were killed by a man with mental problems. Previously, tourists entered at the same doors used by lawmakers and staff. As a precaution, the Secret Service temporarily closed the north and south fence lines of the White House, a spokesman said. The White House itself was not on lockdown. The closures were quickly lifted, and pedestrians were again free to walk along the north and south perimeters of the White House grounds.
UM system closer to seeing millions in added funds Gov. Baker must By Brendan deady Collegian Staff
MIREI SEKI/COLLEGIAN
Gurdev S. Khush from the University of California spoke at the Integrated Sciences Building Monday about food security for growing world populations.
The Univeristy of Massachusetts system could potentially receive an additional $10.9 million in funding before the fiscal year 2016 concludes on June 30. The state Senate and House of Representatives both included the funds in their versions of a supplemental budget released last week. The chambers produced disparate versions of the budget, the House proposed $157.8 million while the Senate proposed $167.6 million, and are meeting Thursday to draft a consensus version that will be placed in front of Governor Charlie Baker to be signed into law, barring he makes no alterations.
The $10.9 million figure was requested by UMass President Martin Meehan leading up to the drafting of a separate supplementary budget in October 2015 to cover the costs of retroactive wages paid to unions throughout the UMass system. When President Meehan came into office, UMass was at a stalemate with over 5,000 union workers regarding unpaid wages that employees had been contractually promised but did not receive due to budget shortfalls. Meehan, stating an intent to start his term with a “clean slate,” approved the funds for the owed wages when he came into office. Meehan made the decision with the expectation that the state legislature would refund UMass during the next round of budgeting, according to see
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Lebovic discusses ‘Auschwitz Album’ Journalist critiques Brazilian Olympics By Lia Gips Collegian Staff Holocaust journalist and Combined Jewish Philanthropies outreach coordinator Matt Lebovic, spoke about Auschwitz photography and Holocaust media on Tuesday evening at the Hillel House at the University of Massachusetts. Lebovic, fascinated since childhood by the Holocaust and its ongoing relevance to Jewish identity, incorporated both historical and personal context in his talk, which focused on the Auschwitz Album. The album is a set of approximately 200 photographs taken in one day at the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in the summer of 1944, when 400,000 Hungarian Jews were killed over the course of six weeks. After years of research, Lebovic found his grandmother in one picture, the
only member of her family to survive the camp. “This work has involved a lot of personal growth for me,” said Lebovic. “Something that was a really big deal has been that my dad actually started doing some of his own research a few months ago, and says that he’s really proud of what I’m doing.” Lebovic’s main knowledge of his grandmother’s time in the concentration camps comes from taped interviews in Steven Spielberg’s Nazi Atrocities Film and Video Archive. “I remember at Passover it would always be my Zadie [grandfather] talking about his experiences of the Holocaust. He would talk, and my Bubbe [grandmother] would be cooking, bringing food out, cleaning, you know, working,” said Lebovic. “She would never talk about her own time doing forced labor.” Lebovic says that one goal of his work is to highlight the stories of Jewish women, whose narratives are often forgotten and
overlooked in Holocaust commemoration. In Lebovic’s family, they rarely discussed his grandparents’ experiences in the Holocaust, and that for a long time his interest in the Holocaust was something that he kept private, and even felt ashamed of. “At eight years old I was reading these grown-up books about the Holocaust, literally with a flashlight between my bed sheets at night … I think this is actu-
ally a common experience for Jewish children.” In a small discussion after the talk, Lebovic drew parallels between the lack of conversation about personal experiences with the Holocaust in his family, and the pressure to keep quiet about his own experience of being gay. “I certainly wasn’t out in college. It was 1996 to 2000 at Boston University see
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MARIA UMINSKI/COLLEGIAN
Matt Lebovic discusses his work with students at the Hillel House Monday.
UM lecture centers By Miranda donahue Collegian Correspondent
Associated Press correspondent Juliana Barbassa gave a presentation to a sizeable crowd in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Monday night pertaining to her award-winning book, “Dancing with the Devil in the City of God: Rio de Janeiro on the Brink.” The presentation raised concerns regarding the government of Brazil’s promises and preparations leading up to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Barbassa began with her background as a native of Brazil and moving to the U.S. when she was young. She went on to speak of the promise and hope former Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, viewed as an “everyday man,”
once cultivated in 2010. The citizens of Brazil “saw someone that looked like them,” Barbassa explained. However, over time it was discovered that Lula was involved with multiple corruption scandals with the oil industry and as a result, his popularity plummeted. The rise and fall of Lula seemed to be an embodiment of the general trend surrounding the preparation of the Summer 2016 Olympics. Barbassa focused on the security concerns present in Rio de Janeiro and highlighted controversy over the statistics of local law enforcement concerning the handling of the native population. “Rio state police [has] killed 1330 people [this year],” Barbassa said. During her stay in Brazil, working as a correspondent for the Associated Press, Barbassa said she helped uncover holes in the promsee
BRAZIL on page 2
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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
THE RU N D OW N ON THIS DAY... In 1973, two months after signing the Vietnam peace agreement, the last U.S. troops withdrew from the embattled country. 7000
Two men arrested for alleged OUIs Police Log: March 25 to March 27 By Brendan deady Collegian Staff
Friday, March 25:
to aid South Vietnam
NEWS IN BRIEF
Prosecutors say memebers of alleged ISIS recruit’s defense team preached jihad MINNEAPOLIS – Federal
DailyCollegian.com
2:49 p.m.: A man reported that he saw large caliber ammunition magazines in a Black Ford Fusion while driving by Crazy Noodle at 36 Main St. The caller also observed two white males wearing camouflage standing near the vehicle carrying what he believed was a rifle case. The described party was not on scene by the time officers arrived. 11:13 p.m.: An officer responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at Puffer’s Pond. The officer approached a vehicle with
fogged up windows and knocked on the window to speak with the party inside. The party of interest stated they were “just talking,” and the officer sent them on their way.
1:28 a.m.: A man at 73 Main St. received a court summons for an unlawful noise violation.
2:06 a.m.: An intoxicated man attempted to start a fight in the parking lot at Saturday, March 26: 1190 North Pleasant St. He 12:25 a.m.: Police cleared fled before police arrived. out a small gathering at 19 Ball Ln. where a 2:14 a.m.: Officers assisted small fire in the backyard the AFD in extinguishhad to be extinguished ing a couch that’d been set aflame at the Townehouse Complex. 1:25 a.m.: Police arrested Apartment Jason Moriarty, 22, of Bourne for an OUI, opera- 3:24 a.m.: Officers arrested tion of a motor vehicle to Charles Allard, 20, of South endanger, and negligent Hadley for an OUI, operation speeding violation in a of a motor vehicle to endanspecial zone near 590 East ger, and a negligent marked Pleasant St. Moriarty was lanes violation. A UMPD offistopped for a speeding vio- cer witnessed Allard drive lation and showed signs over a curb and then up of impairment in the sub- onto the center circle of the sequent conversation. roundabout at that location.
11:59 p.m.: An intoxicated woman called police claiming someone had struck her in the head with a brick at the Cumberland Farms located at 35 Belchertown Rd. Upon arrival, police discovered no assault had taken place.
Sunday, March 27: 1:20 a.m.: A group of college aged males surrounded a man’s vehicle while he was stopped near 76 McClellan St. The group punched his car and blocked any exit ways before dispersing. 9:58 a.m.: A father called the police department to report an alleged liquor license violation at the Panda East restaurant. The caller said that his 17 yearold daughter was served
alcohol at the restaurant the night before. She drank to the point where she later passed out on a PVTA bus and had to be transported to Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Police are investigating.
6:59 p.m.: A group of white males who appeared to be homeless were asked to remain away from the Colonial Village apartments after police received reports of two men urinating on nearby apartments. 7:35 p.m.: A woman received assistance in searching for her blind Chihuahua pug that had gone missing from her backyard. The dog was located. Brendan Deady can be reached at bdeady@umass.edu or on Twitter @ bdeady26
prosecutors say they have evidence that a member of the defense team in one of the Twin Cities Islamic State terror cases was “apparently preaching about jihad and related topics.” They say one of accused
the
co-conspirators
in the ongoing prosecution referred to a member of another defendant’s defense team making the comments. U.S.
District
Judge
Michael Davis has ordered a hearing Friday to determine whether there are grounds to disqualify anyone representing Mohamed Farah, one of five co-defendants scheduled
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UMass Spokesperson Robert Connolly. However, when the legislature met in October, the state Senate Ways and Means Committee removed the additional funding which was not reestablished by Baker when he signed the final version of the budget. State Senate President Stanley Rosenberg, who represents the HampshireFranklin district, penned an open letter encouraging UMass to revisit lowering student fees and drew some criticism for his influence over the decision to rescind the additional funds. Rosenberg explained that UMass received an additional four percent in funding at the onset of FY2016, totaling $531 million, and
believed that UMass should explore avenues to reduce a “rather steep” increase in student fees, approximately $900, before any additional funding would be allocated. Rosenberg said in an interview that Meehan and the board of Trustees said the increase wasn’t sufficient to cover the back paid wages and the growing costs of maintaining the UMass system. He said that when it comes to funding, it is “all about the students” and mitigating further financial burden. Meehan, announced after the funding was excluded that the UMass system would have to cut $11 million dollars in response, $5 million alone at the Amherst campus. Connolly said that in the
period between the two supplemental budgets, UMass has had to do belt tightening across campuses. However, Meehan and Rosenberg have reached an agreement. UMass will receive the $10.9 million in exchange for a pledge from Meehan to make $7 million dollars for student scholarships available for the next academic year. Connolly said if the figure survives Governor Baker’s finalized bill, the $10.9 million would help UMass absorb some costs incurred when the initial funding was removed from October’s budget. Connolly said that Rosenberg, as a representative of Amherst and UMass, raised some legitimate concerns about affordability in
relation to the budget negotiations. He followed that affordability is always a concern to the president but following three years of tuition freezes, the Trustees felt another year was unsustainable, explaining this past year’s rise in fees. Looking fo rward, Connolly said it’s still unclear whether another increase will come this upcoming semester but mentioned that the UMass system has significant capital costs to attend to, such as widespread construction and long deferred structural maintenance. He referenced that the UMass system receives less than other public state systems and that the rising enrollment also brings additional financial burden.
to stand trial on charges of
Ultimately, Connolly said that the latest agreement showed a change of heart and was a victory for all of Massachusetts. Rosenberg also expressed optimism moving forward, calling the process “ancient history” now that the issue has been resolved. Rosenberg said that higher education is under serious pressure at the moment, especially public institutions that rely on public funding. He said that the legislature hasn’t been as generous as they need to be but that the University also has a responsibility to examine every day how they can spend their money more efficiently. Brendan Deady can be reach at bdeady@umass.edu or followed on Twitter @bdeady26
conspiring to murder abroad and plotting to provide material support to the Islamic
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State terrorist group. According to Davis’ order, filed Monday, the government informed Farah on Friday that it planned to introduce testimony and evidence at trial in which a member of Farah’s team, Sheikh Hassan Jami, is mentioned preaching about jihad. Davis ordered prosecutors to file a motion and supporting documents by Tuesday as to whether there are grounds to disqualify Jami, or Farah’s attorneys Murad M. Mohamud and P. Chinedu Nwaneri. All defendants in the case have until Thursday to file responses. They include Farah’s brother Adnan Farah, Hamza Ahmed, Abdirahman Daud and Guled Ali Omar. Davis denied a request earlier this month by Ahmed to use a new attorney over concerns about the attorney’s track record and intentions. The attorney, Mitchell Robinson, had previously been publicly reprimanded by the Minnesota Supreme Court over his handling of two cases. Robinson also told reporters that Ahmed’s family sought his representation because they weren’t eager to go to trial and hoped he would negotiate a deal. MCT
“I am not embarrassed to say this: Trump scares me. Having studied Hitler’s rise to power for years, Trump reminds me of him.” Matt Lebovic and there wasn’t the kind of acceptance you have here,” said Lebovic. “I never told my grandparents before they passed away. There was never much encouragement to talk to them about that kind of thing.” Sam Steitner, an UMass senior studying environmental science, said that he agrees that many Jewish families and communities have improved in their acceptance of gay and trans people. Steitner organizes a group “for queer Jews” that meets on weekends for social events. “There are so many support groups and like, we get it, everyone’s suffering. I wanted to do something where we can actually have fun,” said Steitner. On the subject of common comparisons between Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler, and the Syrian refugee crisis and the Holocaust, Lebovic said “I’m not embarrassed to say this: Trump scares me. Having studied Hitler’s rise to power for years, Trump reminds me of him.” Lebovic says that the two men share many tactics: fear mongering, threats to marginalized groups, capitalizing on economic downturn, and masterfully tapping into anger and rage to turn out voters.
goes to show you, you can’t just focus on your own minority.” A major theme of the talk’s historical focus was the planning and efforts of Hitler’s government to keep the millions of Jews and other victims secret. The Auschwitz Album is notable in that it is one of few photographic records of the infamous gas chambers and their chimneys, which were destroyed by German troops before the end of the war. “The first three million Jews were shot and buried, but about three years into the war, they realized that they didn’t want to leave evidence. Jews from work camps were sent to dig up the remains and burn them.” Lebovic says that top Nazi officials were “fastidious” in eliminating the workers as well. “When they were losing at Stalingrad, these men knew they couldn’t keep this up forever, they didn’t think there was a way to win against the United States and Russia, so they started to cover their tracks.” Lia Gips can be reached at lia.gips@gmail.com.
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ises made by the Brazilian government. In the city of Rio de Janeiro, more than 20,000 families had been displaced in 2014 due to the proposed Housing Program. This program was endorsed and beloved by Rio Mayor Eduardo da Costa Paes. While investigating the problems Brazil faced during the preparations for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Barbassa focused on the level of pollution in the rivers of Brazil. “Rio had an Olympic promise to clean up 80 percent of the pollution by 2016,” she said. The Brazilian government later announced that it had failed to meet that deadline and goal. Attendees of the lecture
were given a chance to ask Barbassa some questions following her presentation. “What do you think about crime’s effect in Rio during the Olympics?” Tess Smichenko, a sophomore sports management major asked. “[For] the Olympics, Rio city and state are going to have 80,000 or more law enforcement members. It will probably be the safest place on the planet,” Barbassa responded. The rest of the presentation divulged into a series of discussions regarding the allegations of corruption against leading Brazilian politicians. The current Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff, is facing multiple corruption charges. Barbassa
spoke of how the preparation for the Olympic Games has brought to the surface many of the scandals that have remained hidden for decades. Approximately 3.6 million people have participated in protests in the wake of the allegations against Rousseff according to Barbassa. “The Olympics is being used as an urban renewal tool,” she said. According to Barbassa, the highest number of people affected by the lack of reform and change in Brazil are the children. Many are not given the chance to attend school due to the relocation of their families. Miranda Donahue can be reached at mrdonohue@umass.edu
THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
DailyCollegian.com
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
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Georgia Governor vetoes ‘religious liberty’ bill Legislation viewed as homophobic By GreG Bluestein The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ATLANTA — Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal on Monday vetoed the “religious liberty” bill that triggered a wave of criticism from gay rights groups and business leaders and presented him with one of the most consequential challenges he’s faced since his election to Georgia’s top office. In a news conference at the state Capitol, Deal said House Bill 757 doesn’t reflect Georgia’s welcoming image as a state full of “warm, friendly and loving people” – and warned critics that he doesn’t respond well to threats of payback for rejecting the measure. “Our people work side by side without regard to the color of our skin, or the religion we adhere to,” he said. “We are working to make life better for our families and our communities. That is the character of Georgia. I
intend to do my part to keep it that way,” he said. “For that reason, I will veto HB 757.” The two-term Republican has been besieged by all sides over the controversial measure, and his office has received thousands of emails and hundreds of calls on the debate. The tension was amplified by a steady stream of corporate titans who urged him to veto the bill – and threatened to pull investments from Georgia if it became law. The governor’s veto will likely infuriate religious conservatives who considered the measure their top priority. This is the third legislative session they’ve sought to strengthen legal protections for opponents of gay marriage, but last year’s Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage galvanized their efforts. It is also likely to herald a more acrimonious relationship between Deal, who campaigned on a pro-business platform, and the evangelical wing of the Georgia
Republican Party. Already, prominent conservatives have vowed to revive the measure next year. The governor, though, had ample cover from the measure’s critics. Executives from dozens of big-name companies – including Disney, Apple, Time Warner, Intel and Salesforce – called on the governor to veto the bill. The NFL warned it could jeopardize Atlanta’s bid for the Super Bowl, and the NCAA hinted it could influence the state’s ability to host championship games. And Deal’s office said two economic development prospects have already abandoned Georgia because of the legislation. They joined with gay rights groups who warned that the measure amounts to legalized discrimination and pointed to the corporate outrage that rocked Indiana after a similar measure was signed into law there. The legislation, which first surfaced on March 16 and passed both Republicancontrolled chambers in
hours, would allow faithbased organizations to deny services to those who violate their “sincerely held religious belief” and preserve their right to fire employees who aren’t in accord with those beliefs. It also mirrors language found in the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was signed by President Bill Clinton and adopted by dozens of states, requiring government to prove a “compelling governmental interest” before it interferes with a person’s exercise of religion. And it includes a clause saying it could not be used to allow discrimination banned by state or federal law. Seen by supporters as a “compromise” effort, the measure was swiftly condemned by the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the state’s most influential business group, and by leaders of major international tech corporations. The Human Rights Campaign called on Hollywood film companies
to abandon Georgia if Deal were to sign the measure, and many issued threats that they would. Each of Atlanta’s pro sports franchises criticized the measure, as did the owner of the Atlanta Falcons. It was far from a one-sided fight, however. The conservative Faith and Freedom Coalition launched robocalls backing the measure, and the Georgia Baptist Mission Board marshaled its 1.3 million members to rally around the bill. State Sen. Josh McKoon and other prominent supporters cast it as a way to protect faithbased beliefs. “I’m extremely disappointed,” McKoon, R-Columbus, told WBUR Boston shortly after the veto. “This bill had been significantly watered down. It did not apply to businesses. I’m just very, very disappointed the governor would veto this modest protection for people of faith.” Still, Deal’s decision to veto the measure did not come as a surprise.
In stark terms, the governor said earlier this year that he would reject any measure that “allows discrimination in our state in order to protect people of faith.” Rooting his critique in biblical language, he urged fellow Republicans to take a deep breath and “recognize that the world is changing around us.” He is also the rare statewide politician who can afford to infuriate a wide swath of his party’s base. As a term-limited governor with no further political ambitions, he never has to face the voters again. Yet his decision will likely influence the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2019. The “religious liberty” debate resonates like few others among the activists that make up the Georgia Republican base – a group that gave the legislation a ringing endorsement at the state party’s 2015 convention.
Brussels suspect released Obama addresses opiates Lack of evidence led to man’s freeing By Helen MaGuire dpa
BRUSSELS — A man charged with terrorist murder in relation to last week’s triple bombing attack in Brussels has been released for lack of evidence, federal prosecutors said Monday, while the death toll was raised to 35. The attacks took place on the morning of March 22 at the Belgian capital’s international airport and at the Maelbeek metro station, near the Brussels seat of the European Union’s main institutions. Three suicide bombers died in the explosions, while a fourth suspect – filmed by an airport surveillance camera – has since been on the run. Belgian media had reported that he was Faycal Cheffou, who was taken into custody on Thursday. On Saturday, federal prosecutors said a man named Faycal C had been charged with terrorist murder, attempted terrorist murder and participation in the activities of a terrorist group. But the prosecution issued a statement Monday announcing that the suspect had been released. “The clues that had led to the arrest of (the person) named Faycal C were not backed up by the progres-
sion of the ongoing investigation,” the statement said. Earlier Monday, police had released video footage of the fugitive suspect, following an earlier appeal for the public to help identify him. They had initially issued pictures showing him wearing a white jacket and black hat, pushing an airport trolley with a black duffel bag. Last week’s twin explosions at the airport and a third one in the subway station initially killed 31 victims, of whom 28 have so far been identified. Since the attacks, four more people have died in hospital, the Health Ministry announced Monday. “Four patients deceased in hospital. Medical teams did all possible. Total victims: 35. Courage to all the families,” Health Minister Maggie De Block wrote on Twitter. There has been confusion over the number of victims, with officials announcing over the weekend that the initial 31 dead included the three suicide bombers, then later retracting that claim. The Health Ministry said Monday that 96 people are still in hospital, including two being looked after in a French clinic that specializes in burns, and a third person being repatriated to the United States. Fifty-five people remain in intensive care. The Islamic State extrem-
ist group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, accusing Belgium of “attacking Islam and its people.” Belgium is part of a U.S.-led coalition that has carried out airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile, Belgian authorities issued arrest warrants on Monday for three people detained in anti-terrorist raids the previous day, charging them with participation in the activities of a terrorist group, according to a prosecution statement. The three were identified as Yassine A, Mohamed B and Aboubaker O. A fourth person detained Sunday was released without charge. Belgian police had conducted 13 raids on Sunday in connection with a “terrorism file,” the prosecution said, without specifying the case. Nine people were detained in total, of whom five were released later that day. It remained unclear Monday when the Brussels airport would be able to reopen, with temporary construction and additional security measures being installed. On Tuesday, these temporary arrangements are due to be inspected for fire safety and tested by 800 airport staff to simulate passenger flows, the airport announced in a statement issued Sunday.
Initiative will act on national crisis By tony PuGH McclatcHy
Washington Bureau
WA S H I N G T O N — President Barack Obama will announce a series of new public and private sector initiatives Tuesday designed to expand treatment, funding and education to combat the nation’s prescription opioid and heroin abuse problem. Opioids are a class of narcotic pain medications that include prescription drugs like OxyContin, Percocet and morphine, along with the illegal drug heroin. From 2000 to 2014, the rate of opioid overdose deaths has increased 200 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And in 2014, 61 percent of U.S. drug overdose deaths involved opioids. The epidemic has led to a similar increase in heroin usage and overdoses since prescription opioids are often a gateway to heroin abuse. Speaking at the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta on Tuesday, the president will discuss the problem with medical experts, community leaders and people struggling to overcome their addiction. “They will talk about the challenges we face with prescription drug abuse and heroin use, and they will also talk about the actions we are taking and need to take to pre-
vent more people from developing opioid use disorders and making sure those who want treatment can get it,” said Michael Botticelli, director of National Drug Control Policy at the White House. During his appearance, Obama will announce plans to require Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program to provide mental health and substance abuse services for clients on par with both programs’ medical and surgical benefits. If the Department of Health and Human Services adopts the proposal, it would improve access to counseling and drug services for more than 23 million people enrolled in Medicaid, the national health plan for lowincome Americans, and CHIP, which covers children from working-poor families. Obama also will announce a new interagency task force, chaired by the Domestic Policy Council, that will be charged with ensuring implementation of the parity protections by Oct. 31. Obama’s 2017 budget proposal calls for $1.1 billion in new federal money to combat the growing abuse of heroin and prescription painkillers in the United States. The president will also announce an HHS plan to double – from 100 to 200 – the number of patients to whom a qualified individual physician can prescribe buprenorphine, a medication that helps curb the addiction to heroin and other opiate-based pain relievers as part of a medica-
tion-assisted drug treatment program. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will also provide $11 million for up to 11 states to expand the availability of medication-assisted treatment, which treats addiction through drug and behavioral therapies along with counseling. More than 60 medical schools also will announce that they’re adding to their graduation requirements courses to improve physician education about prescriptions. The move follows the recent release of new CDC guidelines that call for doctors to try less addictive painkillers, like aspirin and ibuprofen, before prescribing opioids to patients. The CDC guidelines are not mandatory, but they recommend that opioids be prescribed mainly for short-term pain episodes of three to seven days. Private sector companies like Walgreens and CVS also have been enlisted to curb opioid abuse. By the end of March, CVS pharmacies in 23 states will be able to provide naloxone to patients without a prescription. Naloxone is an emergency drug that blocks or reverses the effects of opioid overdose. CVS stores in 35 states will provide the same access by the end of 2016. Walgreens will do the same at stores in 35 states and Washington, D.C., throughout the year.
Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
“The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” Flannery O’Connor
Drawing parallels between Syrian and Irish refugee crises I was traveling on my way ine, which lasted from 1844 to New York City to see the until 1852, it is estimated St. Patrick’s Day Parade last that as many as one million Irish people starved to death. Nicholas Kinsman By comparison, the Syrian Crisis has claimed the lives Thursday when the radio of over 250,000 so far, accordannounced the fifth anni- ing to the United Nations in versary of the start of the 2015. Syrian war. The war has left Over a million Irish peo4.6 million Syrians as refu- ple died, but many more gees, begging for safety from immigrated to have a betany country that will take ter life. From 1820 to 1860 them. It was in that moment almost two million Irish that I was reminded of the immigrants arrived in the Irish famine and how over 2 United States, where they million were forced to leave eventually became a huge the country of their origin to part of the population. Many find a better life. According came to America wearing to the U.S. Census Bureau, outdated clothing, speaking 33.3 million Americans, only in strong Irish accents about 10 percent of the popu- or Gaelic, and having little to lation, reported having Irish no money. ancestry. Personally, I was Because of their financial struck by the eerie parallels circumstances, they often between the Syrian refugee could not move out west crisis and the results of the and had to stay on the east Irish famine nearly 200 years coast in cities that the ships brought them to. They took ago. There are certain tradi- the worst jobs, which paid tions ascribed to the celebra- very little and were extremetion of Saint Patrick’s Day ly dangerous. Many found in America, like drinking that military service was the green beer, wearing green only way to get steady money apparel and listening to the that they could send back Dropkick Murphys. Two to their families as well as hundred years ago, however, acceptance from the native the Irish were not celebrat- community. Much like we ing but rather fighting off Islamophobia starvation. The primary have Americans had crop that many Irish farm- today, ers and tenants subsisted on, Hibernophobia then, a simithe potato, was plagued by a lar sentiment for the Irish. fungus that made it inedible. The Irish were often depictOver the course of the fam- ed as drunken monkeys who
Editorial@DailyCollegiancom
People over buildings: GEO’s second meeting with Chancellor
were inferior to the AngloSaxons. The disclaimer NINA (No Irish Need Apply) could be seen in some advertisements. In fact, many groups viewed the Irish as a class below slaves, because they believed slaves provided value while the Irish did not. The Irish were targets of racism, persecution, bigotry and oppression, much like many Muslims face today with Quran book burnings and extreme violence. The Irish have come a long way in this country to the point that they have become a large part of the American story and culture. However as a country we still let hatred and fear build walls around us to many other groups seeking asylum. We are letting our ignorance condemn thousands of impoverished people to death because of the actions of a few. Some might see certain Syrians as potential terrorists bent on the total destruction of the U.S., when in actuality they are simply ordinary people who want to find peace and a better life for their children, much like the Irish did not too long ago. When will there be an equivalent of a St. Patrick’s Day for the Syrians?
The Graduate Employee Organization Studies department’s classes are housed (GEO) had yet another disappointing meet- in Hills. Qadir believes that this enduring ing with the Chancellor of the univer- neglect by both the State and the University reflects their lack of prioritization of the Avery Fürst humanities and social sciences. When we got to the subjects of white sity. GEO’s elected leadership met with supremacy and racism, issues that Chancellor Subbaswamy on Thursday, our members face in and out of work, March 3rd, to discuss affordable housing Chancellor Subbaswamy said in an aggresfor graduate students and workers, access sive tone that “white supremacy is not a to the University Childcare Center, white Labor Management issue.” When GEO’s supremacy and racism on campus and to Grievance Coordinator Manuel Matos express our solidarity with other campus countered that racism impacts every aspect activist groups. of people of color’s lives, including the When GEO Co-Chair Avery Fürst asked workplace, the Chancellor remained steadwhat the Chancellor’s budget priorities are fast that this meeting was the wrong place (within the strict budgetary constraints he to address white supremacy. He continued is operating) he replied “buildings.” The to say that he spends 10 hours a week Chancellor agreed with GEO Mobilization addressing incidents of racism and bias Coordinator, Damola Oduwale, that afford- and that if we want to discuss racism we able housing in the Valley, in general, is should attend his meetings. Matos had, and responded a major issue that racism is and that he intersectional would be and ought to amenable to be addressed helping out in multiple in individual forums. cases but G E O ’ s that he does Co-Chair not have the funds to intervene in a systematic manner. Santiago Vidales continued on to our More specifically, Chancellor final agenda point of solidarity with Subbaswamy’s budget priorities include other campus groups. Vidales shared with replacing Bartlett and the William S. the Chancellor that we as GEO back the Clark International Center (better known Coalition to End Rape Culture and their as “Hills”). These buildings top the list Survivor’s Bill of Rights and would like to of “unhealthy buildings” that need to be see it fully included in University policies. replaced. Subbaswamy says it is “unforgiv- The Chancellor seemed as uneasy with this able” that the State did not pay to replace agenda item as with racism on campus and these buildings when their time had come. said something along the lines of “we will “Unforgivable” is exactly how we at GEO take that into consideration.” When asked would describe the state’s lack of funding if he would like to ask us any questions or talk about anything else, the Chancellor for our University. But more disgraceful are the implica- said he had nothing else to discuss. We as GEO hope to see the Chancellor tions for the people that inhabit, work, and study within those buildings. As GEO’s and the University shift both their attitudes Steering Committee member Muhammad and their budget priorities to champion the Ashraf noted, it is not buildings that make needs of people, specifically people of color, up the University, but us, the students, people of the African Diaspora, people who grad workers, the faculty and other staff. are disproportionately sexually harassed Neelofer Qadir, also a member of the and assaulted, the people who need mental Steering Committee, commented that “it health services, poor and working class is also interesting which academic depart- students who have a hard if not impossible ments and people are housed in the sickest time accessing the university, and all of the workers – grad and otherwise – that live buildings.” For example, Women, Gender, and in poverty to keep the university, and its Sexuality Studies and English are among buildings, running. the departments housed in Bartlett Hall, and Education, the Center for Psychological Avery Furst is a Collegian contributor and the co chair of Health, and many of Afro-American the GEO and can be reached at avery@geouaw.org
“As GEO’s Steering Committee member Muhammad Ashraf noted, the University is not its buildings but us, the students, grad workers, the faculty and other staff.”
Nicholas Kinsman is a Collegian contributor and can be reached at nkinsman@umass.edu
Overcoming my anxiety I’ve been apprehensive to write an article The feelings of unease would come and go, discussing my personal struggle with anxi- disappearing just as abruptly as they came. I’d go weeks feeling completely fine, and ety. It’s not something that I talk about very would tell myself that I was growing out of it. Katrina Kervin Fast forward to the end of my freshman year of college, and things were starting to often, and definitely not something I share unwind. A series of unfortunate events trigwith people I don’t know. However, it’s that gered symptoms in me that finally led to my apprehension that made me decide to share breaking point, where my anxiety was too my experience, in the hopes that it will help strong for me to fight the stigmatization of mental health to ignore any disorders. I’ve heard people throw around longer. the term often, to the point where it has I had become trivialized, often synonymous with entered into mild stress, but I hadn’t really recognized what felt like anxiety as an actual disorder. a week long, never ending panic attack. All Throughout high school, I noticed that of my anxiety hit me at once, overwhelming I was always a little more on edge than my my mind and my body. I felt like I’d slipped friends. Little things that went wrong would into some sort of parallel universe, where throw me off easily, and there would be times everything looked the same on the outside, where for no particular reason I’d feel an but something on the inside had drastically underlying sense of unease I couldn’t shake. shifted. I couldn’t eat without throwing up, Some things bubbled under the surface, too and my body shook violently. I felt exhausted, stifled for me to actually understand or pro- but my mind was experiencing so many irracess. I recognized that it was probably some- tional and intrusive thoughts that I couldn’t thing bad, so I ignored it. Healthy, I know. sleep. I felt like I was the only person in the
world who had ever felt this way before, a thought that fueled my anxiety even more. I didn’t have the ability to identify any of my feelings or thoughts rationally, and felt like I was trapped inside of my own mind. I went and saw a doctor, who did nothing but prescribe me a few pills I never took, and told me to eat some peanut butter for energy. Suffice it to say, the peanut butter didn’t help much. It took me a long time to finally feel like I had regained control of my mind and my life again. I’m extremely lucky to have supportive people in my life who I knew I could lean on, and still lean on today. I started seeing a therapist fairly regularly, who helped me to identify what I was feeling. One of the most important things he taught me was that I could channel my anxiety into positive things. I’m gaining the ability to own my anxiety, and use it to my benefit, channeling those feelings into something positive. That’s not to say that I don’t still have bad days. My anxiety will be with me for the rest
“I didn’t have the ability to identify any of my feelings or thoughts rationally, and felt like I was trapped inside of my own
of my life, but I’m finally becoming ok with that. Although I never thought I’d be grateful for it, my anxiety has made me more self aware, more confident, and has given me the knowledge that I can get through the worst of the pain and come out of it stronger than I was before. One of the hardest parts about going through this was the feeling of isolation, the feeling that this was a burden I had to carry on my own. I feared that if I told others what I was going through, they would write me off as crazy or unstable. The ways in which we talk about mental illness in our everyday lives have a deeper effect than we tend to realize, and the stigmas we attach to those struggles add unnecessary shame to those who suffer. I hope that by sharing my own story, I can help in the fight to end the stigma attached to mental illness, and assure anybody who is reading this and fighting their own battle that you are not alone. Katrina Kervin is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at kkervin@umass.edu
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Arts Living THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
“I never let a statue tell me how nice I am.” - Phife Dawg from “Award Tour”
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RETROSPECTIVE
Forever ‘kicking it’: Influential rapper Phife Dawg dead at 45 Rapper succumbs to diabetes complications B y Steven t urner -Parker Collegian Correspondent
Created by rap group A Tribe Called Quest, one of the most legendary choruses in hip-hop is, “Can I kick it? Yes, you can.” It is with a heavy heart we report that on March 22, Tribe member Phife Dawg passed away at the age of 45 after a long battle with diabetes. The rapper’s health problems and self-proclaimed sugar addiction led to a type 2 diabetes diagnosis in 1990 and a kidney transplant in 2008. Born Malik Isaac Taylor in Jamaica, Queens, the artist met his future group member and lifelong friend Q-tip in a church when Taylor was just two years old. Eventually, the pair formed A Tribe Called Quest with the additions of Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi White. Tribe went on to drop five albums, three of which were regarded as classics. Those included, “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm,” “The Low End Theory” and “Midnight Marauders.” All three are masterpieces in their own right and have splendid, soulful vibes. These albums shaped the next generation of artists who entered mainstream
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A Tribe Called Quest rapper Phife Dawg, born Malik Taylor, is credited for inspiring the mainstream hip-hop artists and helping to shape the genre today. hip-hop. The group had a far reach and touched many around the world with their contemporary, cutting-edge style. As to be expected, the entire hip-hop community felt the loss of Taylor. Many artists paid their respects publicly to mourn his death. QuestLove (member of The Roots) posted a heartfelt response on Instagram about Taylor in which he shares how Tribe’s music inspired the devel-
opment of his own style. Then, Kendrick Lamar paid tribute to Taylor by having the audience at a show in Sydney, Australia chant “Phife Dawg,” the sound of his name filling the arena. The love shown for Taylor is seemingly endless. Everyone is showing their respect--Nas, JayZ, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, to name a few. One can truly see how much Taylor meant to the hip-hop genre and community,
giving the listener a flow that was out of ordinary, yet amazing in sound. Just like the rest of the Tribe members, Taylor gave other aspiring artists the stamp to be different and true to their art-without worrying about being labeled “weirdos.” Taylor and Tribe experimented with their flows more than just the regular gangster 808 beats and regular types of samples, expanding to pop music and jazz to create their own unique music. One of the main things Taylor will be remembered for are his great verses that gave the group a flavor of originality. Lines like “Now here’s a funky introduction of how nice I am / Tell your mother, tell your father, send a telegram” or “I like ‘em brown, yellow, Puerto Rican or Haitian / Name is Phife Dawg from the Zulu Nation” are just two of the many great opening lines Taylor has contributed to hip-hop. As long as A Tribe Called Quest’s music is still being played and honored by the hiphop community Phife Dawg’s memory will be eternal. So from now on, if someone ever asks you “Can I kick it?” always respond with, “Yes, you can.”
despite the fact that he wasn’t the most mainstream household name. A Tribe Called Quest, and its members Phife Dawg, Q-tip, Muhammad and White are often called the pioneers of alternative hip-hop. Musically, what Taylor brought to the sound were his techniques, such as word-play and unique rhymes. When Taylor Steven Turner-Parker can be reached at had the mic, his lyrics rolled off sturnerparke@umass.edu and followed on in a smooth, jazz-like pattern, Twitter @Trureligionman.
ALBUM REVIEW
Polyphia’s record ‘Renaissance’ is a postmodern triumph Progressive rock group does pop-inspired album B y F itzgerald Pucci Collegian Correspondent
The guitar wizards of progressive-rock group Polyphia blurred the lines between high art and pop culture by blending gorgeous orchestrations with the band’s technical brilliance in their second studio album, “Renaissance.” “Renaissance” is a rare example of an album without a blemish. Every song fills your head with a lush wall of sound and tells a story that is spoken without words. It pulls no instrumental punches and never gets tired. As a result, a myriad of intense and memorable moments are scattered throughout the album and highlight the best of what Polyphia has to offer. Parts of every song have something unique, so there is no feeling of repetition when listening to the record. Elements including a harp playing the opening notes of “Paradise,” a swooping bass line that erupts in “Storm,” or the signature buzz of guitarist Tim Henson’s floating tremolo make for an album studded with great moments that constantly excite the listener. The two-guitar lineup made
majority of the album, and the influence is apparent on songs like “Light” and “Amour.” The mashup Polyphia made between “Nightmare” and The Weeknd’s “The Hills” is utterly epic and perfectly put together, and puts the hipster’s distaste of pop music to shame. As well-rounded and wholly enjoyable listening to “Renaissance” is, there were a few moments were I was left wanting more. A six-note moving bass line in “Storm” gave me a stronger post-hardcore feeling than many of the most popular bands do in an entire song, and the way it never got a response left me feeling like more could have been done. Additionally, the introduction to “Light” felt a little overwhelming, and the KYLE GADDO/FLICKR Interlude, “Symmetry,” didn’t Polyphia’s record “Renaissance,” which was released on March 11, offers depth in its songs and only gets better with each listen. feel like it was completely explored. “Renaissance” was the best up of Henson and Scott LePage vas. funky, outspoken bass lines on first listen of an album I’ve ever makes for a tremendously diverse As much as the guitar lines the turn of a dime. Gober really had. It’s an extraordinary record, exchange of some really great bring to “Renaissance,” bassist shines in songs like “Amour” guitar moments. Soul-spilling Clay Gober adds tight, techni- and “Crush,” in which his con- in that the listener learns somesolos, explosive walls of sound cal rhythms and mind-blowing tributions are arguably the best thing new with every experience. The tremendous depth of each and loads of tones and distor- standalone moments where the moments of the tracks. tions at their disposal all con- low register dominates songs The inspiration behind song makes for an album with tribute in making songs and lines like “Nightmare,” “Crush” and Polyphia’s songs comes from serious replay-ability that conthat are larger than life. Songs “Storm.” The “not a slap, not a a surprising genre – pop. tinues to feel fresh and exciting like “Euphoria,” “Paradise” and pick” type of style Gober plays According to a recent Q&A that after three weeks of extensive “Florence” have guitar moments with gives him a versatility that the band held on Reddit, Top 40 listening. that fill the high register with allows him to hold the incred- artists like The Game and Ariana bright, complex melodies that ibly precise rhythm of the band Grande were among the stron- Fitzgerald Pucci can be reached at sound the way oil looks on can- together and produce some gest sources of inspiration for a fpucci@umass.edu.
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ANGEH
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Peter Angeh (far right) rests during the Minutemen’s 15-10 loss against Kent State on Oct. 17 at McGuirk Stadium in Amherst. couple of years, Angeh is now the most experienced player on the defensive front and will be forced to take on more of a leadership role on defense. “I’m definitely looking forward to it. I feel like naturally as the time has passed, it’s definitely a role I’ve stepped into,” Angeh said. “I feel like one of the biggest parts here is just showing everyone the right thing to do and not necessarily being the guy that’s yelling at everyone, but trying to show everyone the step in the right direction and having the right attitude.” UMass defensive coordinator Tom Masella agreed with Angeh’s self-assessment. “(Angeh) has been a really good football player for us
and he’s not a vocal guy or a loud guy, but he plays harder than anybody. He plays the hardest, if you look at our film week in and week out, he plays harder than anybody, and he’s a good player.” Masella added: “He has to lead, I’m hoping he’s a little bit more vocal, but he leads by what he does and it’s more about what he does than what he says.” Last season, the Minutemen ranked 12th out of 13 teams in the MidAmerican Conference in sacks with only 15 on the year, and also ranked 11th in run defense where they allowed an average of 192.9 rushing yards per game. UMass’ two worst games in 2016 came against Colorado where it allowed 390 rushing
yards and five touchdowns on 59 carries, and Notre Dame where the Irish ran for 457 yards and six touchdowns on 51 carries. For the Minutemen stopping the run will be one of biggest challenges they face entering 2016. And while UMass’ opener against Florida on Sept. 3 is still a long way away, Angeh said that both he and the rest of the Minutemen have put in the necessary legwork during the offseason and spring practices with new coaches Matt Dawson (defensive line) and Joe Connolly (strength and conditioning) to put themselves in a position to succeed in 2016. “I feel a lot faster and a lot stronger, definitely bigger. I definitely gained a lot of weight, but at the same
time I don’t feel like it’s slowing me down that much because it was good weight that I put on,” Angeh said. After failing to reach internal expectations of making a bowl game in 2015, reaching the postseason is the only thing that Angeh cares about and has set aside his own personal goals to focus on that. “My personal goal is to go to a bowl. I’ve been here for three years and we haven’t been to a bowl game. I don’t really care about any personal accolades or personal things, I just want to have that experience and be able to look back on my career and see that.” Andrew Cyr can be reached at arcyr@umass.edu, and followed on Twitter @Andrew_Cyr.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Villanova vindicates Big East By BoB Ford The Philadelphia Inquirer Entering this NCAA Tournament, the overriding question was not only whether Villanova could still succeed at the time of year when the games are the toughest, but whether the Big East Conference itself was constructed of more than just history and pompoms. In the first two seasons after losing some of its mainstay schools and reforming as a basketball-first conference, the Big East was able to place several teams in the tournament but was unable to do well once it got there. What the league didn’t need was for the tournament selection committee to get the notion that the only thing major about the conference was its level of disappointment in March. Well, turn that page. Villanova cer tainly answered its own questions Saturday night with a grinding 64-59 win over topranked Kansas to reach the Final Four in Houston. The
Wildcats became the first Big East team (that is still in the Big East) to advance to the last weekend since ... Villanova in 2009. The Wildcats emerged from a different league then, however, and no one questioned whether the rankings and seedings were deserved after a regular season matching up against the likes of Syracuse, Connecticut, Pitt, Notre Dame and Louisville. This time around, though, after Villanova flamed out early as a high seed in the previous two tournaments, the pressure to come through was palpable. “We’re really proud we did this for our league,” coach Jay Wright said. “We have to prove ourselves, but we only have to because we’re new, not because we’re not good. We’re just new and we’ve only had a few years to do this. We screwed up the first two years when we were a top team and didn’t do it. You hope people are patient and say, ‘OK. Let’s give them a few years and
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
see what they do.’ Us getting here was good. We’re happy for our league, because we’re basketball guys and we take pride in it.” Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman was sitting courtside in Louisville for the game that would put the league back in the Final Four. Beforehand, she was wished good luck by Dan Gavitt, the son of Big East founder Dave Gavitt, who is now the vice president of men’s basketball for the NCAA and runs the Final Four. The echoes of the old league were everywhere, particularly on the court. “We’re proving the naysayers wrong that a basketball league couldn’t succeed in a football world,” Ackerman said. “We’re thrilled for Jay and his program and this is a great day for the league. We’ve worked very hard to prove that the Big East never went away. The vision that the presidents had was to be a basketball power and that only comes from winning. The guys showed tonight that
the Big East is here and here to stay.” New or not, it was time for someone in the league to do that, and it isn’t surprising that Villanova got it done. In the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Tournaments, the Big East compiled a pretty lackluster 6-10 record and didn’t advance a team to the Sweet 16 or beat an opponent with higher than an 11th seed. Seven of the 10 losses came against teams seeded the same or lower than the Big East teams. “At some point, it’s the way the basketball cookie crumbles. That’s what you get with one-and-done,” Ackerman said. “It’s an amazing format, but it does help favor some of the smaller conferences because anything can happen in one game. But this is now the furthest we’ve gone in three years, and I think our time will come. Over the long haul, I like our chances. And if it doesn’t happen overnight, so be it. But I think we’re poised to keep up the Big East tradition.”
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Taking a glance at UMass’ schedule, it’s easy to get caught up in two things. One, the losses to then-No. 14 Harvard and 15th ranked Albany, and two, the wins against Ohio State, the Tar Heels and the Nittany Lions. With the exception of the loss to the Crimson in which the Minutemen squandered a three-goal lead and a 16-4 blowout to the Great Danes, UMass has proven it can compete with some of the top teams in the nation with its latest two victories. Looking ahead, the Minutemen have five games remaining, all conference matchups while three of the five are away from friendly confines. Starting Saturday at Delaware, UMass will alternate between home and away contests, culminating its regular season in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania against conference rival Drexel on April 29. Because of lucky scheduling for the Minutemen, they will be on their own turf when they face No. 8 Towson on April 9 and
Hofstra, which is receiving votes, on April 23. The Minutemen hold a 3-2 record at home this year, showing what it is capable of when playing in front of their own fans. With a week off between games, Cannella said a midseason break was needed after the game in Chapel Hill. “We practiced hard last week and challenged our guys to be really good mentally and to focus on us and on what’s important,” he said. “We took the time to do that and hopefully it works out.” As conference play gets set to begin and the Minutemen look to remain in the rankings, Cannella acknowledged the selfawareness needed by the team to keep their momentum going. “You know the second you start thinking you’re good someone is going to knock you down,” he said. Jason Kates can be reached at jkates@umass.edu and followed @JKates1216.
SOCCER
United States could miss WC Klinsmann on the hot seat as coach By Kevin Baxter Los Angeles Times
Juergen Klinsmann’s job may not be on the line Tuesday when the U.S. men’s soccer team resumes World Cup qualifying against Guatemala. But that line probably isn’t far away because Klinsmann’s team has achieved a number of firsts for the program over the last nine months. And none of them were good. Last summer, Jamaica beat the U.S. at home for the first time. Panama did the same on penalty kicks, its second victory in 16 games against the U.S. Then in October, Mexico beat the U.S. for the first time in seven tries since Klinsmann took over in 2011, part of a string of four consecutive winless games at home for the U.S. against CONCACAF teams. That hadn’t happened in 50 years. So after an embarrassing 2-0 loss in Guatemala last week, Klinsmann’s team is eyeball to eyeball with another unpleasant first: anything short of a victory Tuesday in a qualifying rematch in Columbus, Ohio, would likely keep the U.S. out of the World Cup for the first time since 1986. “It’s about as close as you can come to all or nothing,” midfielder Michael Bradley said. “There’s a real sense of understanding that now, given the way things have gone and the results, it’s a game where we have to win.” The U.S. is third in its four-team qualifying group
after three games. Only the top two advance to the next round and those spots are held by Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala. A victory in Columbus would lift the U.S. into second, but a loss or tie would leave it trailing Guatemala, ranked 95th in the world by FIFA, on points and the tiebreaking goal differential with two qualifying games remaining in September. Much of the blame for how the U.S. got here can be traced to Klinsmann’s penchant for experimenting with lineups, frequently mixing and matching pieces that don’t fit together. That experiment blew up in his face last week when Klinsmann started a lineup against Guatemala with so many players out of position it looked as if he had put on a blindfold and drawn the names out of a hat. Klinsmann used a back line of Michael Orozco, who hasn’t played a league game for his Mexican club this year; Edgar Castillo, who hadn’t been called up to the national team in two years; and former Los Angeles Galaxy center back Omar Gonzalez, who played himself off the U.S. roster last summer. The results were not surprising. Orozco, starting at center back, played poorly before coming out midway through the second half. Castillo made a poor back pass to goalkeeper Tim Howard that helped set up Guatemala’s first goal, in the seventh minute. And Gonzalez lost track of his man on the second goal, which came off a goal kick eight minutes later.
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Tuesday, March 29, 2016
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BASEBALL
Minutemen back in state vs NU
UMass heads to Boston to face Northeastern By Kyle Daluz Collegian Staff
After losing two out of three in a series against Davidson in the opening weekend of Atlantic 10 play, the Massachusetts baseball team returns to its home state to play a one-game set with Northeastern today at 3 p.m. at Parsons Field in Boston, Mass. It’s the only scheduled meeting this year between the Huskies (1011, 1-2) and Minutemen (4-10, 1-2), who each dropped two of three games this weekend in their conference opening series. It continues a stretch of games against regional opponents for UMass, who fell to Holy Cross last week in their home opener 6-3. The Minutemen have Boston College and a home-andhome series with the University of Rhode Island looming on the docket in the coming week. “We felt we made some good progress this weekend, we kind of let one get away from us,” said coach Mike Stone, whose Minutemen let a 4-2 lead in the 11th inning Saturday afternoon slip away in a 5-4 loss. “I thought we could have had two wins instead of just one. It was a much improved effort over our Friday game (10-1 defeat). I didn’t feel like we did enough (to win).” He added, “Every game is important. We want to get a little bit better every game (that) we go out. The more we play, the more atbats we get, the more opportunities defensively and the more innings we get under our belts is just going to make us better in the long run.” Northeastern has talent aplenty, with infielder Keith Kelly (.302 average, 15 runs, two home runs, seven runs batted in, .442 slugging percentage), outfielder Pat Madigan (.321, six doubles, 11 RBI, .438 slg), infielder Max Burt (11
FOOTBALL
Angeh making his mark Senior DL has last year to make impact By anDrew Cyr Collegian Staff
JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN
Minuteman Ryan Lever scored one run in the team’s 6-3 loss against the Holy Cross Crusaders on March 22 at Earl Lorden Field. RBI), starter Aaron Civale (2.35 earned run average, 3-1 record, 50 strikeouts) and reliever Mike Fitzgerald (1.72 ERA, three saves, 14 strikeouts) playing key roles for the Colonial Athletic Association member. Freshman pitcher Casey Aubin will be tasked with slowing down the Huskies at bat. Aubin toed the rubber in UMass’ home opener last Tuesday – surrendering four earned runs on six hits in 4.2 innings, falling to 0-2 on the season. The Durham, New Hampshire native has the highest ERA amongst Minutemen starters this season (7.36), allowing nine earned runs in 11 innings along with three home runs – half of the squad’s total.
“We saw him pitch well in Florida,” Stone said regarding Tuesday’s starter. “He had a couple pretty good outings. He’s the next best guy after our weekend guys (Ryan Moloney, Tim Cassidy, and Justin Lasko). We’re not ready to make any changes as far as that’s concerned, so he (Aubin) will start tomorrow. “He’s got some good young talent. He’s going to be a good pitcher for us. We need to give him some more opportunities at this point.” The Minutemen have been producing more as of late – scoring 36 runs in their last seven games and winning three of those contests. Dylan Morris (.375 batting average), Mike Hart (.362), Hunter Carey (.326) and John Jennings (.309) all have averages over .300 for
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UMass. Morris leads the team in runs scored (11), hits (21) and RBI (11), while Jennings’ .564 slugging percentage and Hart’s .474 on base percentage pace the team. Jennings, a senior captain, is coming off a two home run game in the Minutemen’s 7-1 victory over the Wildcats Saturday night in the back end of a double header. “I think we’re swinging the bats well – it’s getting contagious too,” Stone said of his team’s offensive play. “We have tougher outs. We’re battling, taking good swings, having good at bats. I think, as our guys get more and more (at bats), we’re gaining confidence.” Kyle DaLuz can be reached at kdaluz@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Kyle_DaLuz.
For the past few seasons, the Massachusetts football team’s defensive line has been a young and inexperienced group. Highlighted by up and coming underclassmen for the better parts of 2013-15, UMass now has an experienced group of returning veterans poised to make a big impact in the upcoming season. But for Peter Angeh, who’s entering his senior season with the Minutemen this upcoming fall, time is against him. The opportunity to make an impact comes down to this year. “It’s hard to think about, but I’ve slowly come into that realization more and more every day,” Angeh said after last Wednesday’s spring practice. Angeh has played in all 36 career appearances during his time at UMass dating back to his freshman year in 2013, where he appeared in 12 games as a reserve. Since then, the 6-foot1, 263-pound, Silver Spring, Maryland native started every game during his sophomore and junior season. Last year, switching between defensive end and defensive tackle as the season went along, Angeh finished with 33 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and recovered a fumble. After playing alongside former Minutemen defensive linemen Robert Kitching III and Daniel Maynes and even 3-4 outside linebackers Trey Seals and Kassan Messiah over the past see
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TENNIS
UM hits No. 19 ranking Minutewomen regroup after two week break
Dixon says team needed the rest By Christopher Marino Collegian Staff
ROBERT RIGO/COLLEGIAN
Ben Spencer carries the ball past an Albany defender in a game on March 8 at Garber Field.
By Jason Kates Collegian Staff
Being ranked in any collegiate sport is a major milestone. It’s an accomplishment that only 20 to 25 teams in the country can say they have achieved. This accomplishment should motivate the Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team as it heads into its first conference game this weekend against Colonial Athletic Association foe Delaware. Coming off wins against ranked opponents like North Carolina (then-No. 10) and Penn State (No. 20), the Minutemen (4-4) found themselves ranked 18th in
Inside Lacrosse’s Top 20 poll. After a week off, UMass still remains in the top 20, checking in at No. 19 in the nation. In an article on March 23, however, Minutemen coach Greg Cannella was quick to dismiss his team’s latest feat. “I think people who are doing that have no idea who you are or who the team is,” Cannella said. “I think it is more important to focus on yourself and not get caught up in that stuff.” While Cannella makes a number of valid points, on the flip side of the coin his team is getting recognized as one of the premier teams in Division I lacrosse. It’s also good for the entire
athletics department here at UMass. With the exception of the women’s lacrosse team and the men’s basketball team back in 2013, there has not been much success in Amherst, which is why this ranking should be embraced by the entire athletic community. The Minutemen’s success is bringing fans back to Garber Field in a big way. At the March 12 game against UNC, attendance was 1,563, the highest total at a home game since 2013, when 1,623 flocked to Garber to watch UMass defeat the Blue Hens 16-8. see
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After a strong March that saw the Massachusetts tennis team win four straight matches, largely due to an undefeated road trip to South Carolina over spring break, the 9-6 Minutewomen are now in the midst of a two week break before match play resumes this Saturday versus Fairleigh Dickinson. “We want to let their bodies recover,” coach Judy Dixon said “It was hard on their bodies going down south because we were practicing twice a day and the matches were long, a lot of them three set matches. So this was a good break to let their bodies recover and then we make our last push between now and A-10’s.” This portion of the season represents a transition between indoor and outdoor play with the next three matches for the Minutewomen alternating between inside and outside. The lull in competition represents an opportunity for the athletes to build on their versatility between the two, Dixon said. “I wanted them to get used to the transition (from indoor to outdoor) and not knowing where we are going to be, he explained “I want
them to be able to transition easily.” Following a time period that saw three victories in one week, the Minutewomen were riding a fair bit of momentum that they are now tasked with picking up two weeks later. Now, the team finds themselves in a role they did not occupy previously in the season. “Now that we have these six matches in front of us, the Monkeys on our back now because we’re the favorites for the last six and we have to learn to play like that,” Dixon stated. “We’re not used to that. We went through a stretch of being the underdog and we’re going to be the favorite for the last six and we have to learn how to play like that. Now I have to keep them match tough between now and April 24th.” To accomplish that goal, Dixon and her staff have been working on an individualized approach to their athletes, focusing on optimizing each and every one of their games rather than putting the whole team through the same approach. “This time of year is not a matter of working on major things, it’s a matter tweaking some things here and there, so what we’ve done is taken the kids individually the last 10 days or so of practice instead of working on them as a group and tweak-
ing what goes for their individual game,” Dixon said. In order to see similar results of the success of the Minutewomen’s undefeated March, Dixon believes the Minutewomen simply need to show the same competitiveness they did over the spring break road trip. “When things get tough they have to be able to go out and compete and they showed they could do that in spring break. Now I think it’s just a matter of belief and just go out and do it,” she said. With that, the focus at this point in the season is squarely on the team’s ultimate goal. Since the start of the season, an A-10 championship has been in the back of the mind of the entire organization, and now that goal is on the horizon with the tournament just over three weeks away. “It (A-10’s) has been in the back of our minds since last April when we had such a horrendous ending. This years A-10’s have been in their mind right from then, there hasn’t been any other focus: not a match, not a practice, not anything. This has been the focus because they want so much to get back into that division again,” Dixon said. Christopher Marino can be reached at cmarino@umass.edu.