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Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Back at it again
Northampton to host 51 refugees First families set to arrive in 2017 By Danny Cordova Collegian Staff
The city of Northampton is set to create a sanctuary for refugees from the Middle East starting as early as 2017. The resettlement effort is a joint collaboration between the city of Northampton and Catholic Charities of Springfield, an agency that was approached by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Migration and Refugee Services to task them with bringing refugees to Northampton. Both re presentatives of the city and Catholic Charities said Northampton is an ideal location for refugees because of overwhelming support from the community. “What we have experienced over the last month is an astonishing outpouring of people from all kinds of places who want this to happen, and are excited about this happening,” Susannah Crolius, coordinator of outreach and research development at Catholic Charities, said. Initial discussions of the resettlement project began in December when a resolution was passed unanimously that declared the city of Northampton open to the idea of providing sanctuary to refugees. About a month after the resolution was passed, Catholic Charities
approached the city and offered to bring refugees. The resettlement project was approved by the State Department in mid-August for 51 refugees to arrive at the city beginning in the federal fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1. Catholic Charities is aiming to send the first two families to Northampton in January. Northampton city council member Alisa Klein of ward seven is volunteering with Catholic Charities in order to prepare and educate the community of Northampton for the eventual arrival of the refugees. While writing the resolution, Klein researched the economic impacts of refugees in cities in the United States and Europe. Klein discovered that cities that accept refugees experience a positive economic impact. “When more refugees come, they fill jobs that other people might not be filling, they become consumers,” Klein said. “So all of that has the impact of improving a city’s economy.” A concern that Klein has received over the past months from her constituency is that the city has a big problem of its own to address: poverty. However, Klein does not believe that the two issues are mutually exclusive. “I think that we can welcome refugees and we can support them, and we can also be very committed to working on issues of homelessness and povsee
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Students enjoy food prepared by UMass Dining during the Welcome Week BBQ on Monday at the Hagis Mall after the Class of 2020’s photo was taken.
Amherst bans plastic bags in retail Bylaw passed 11030 on May 26th By Melisa Joseph Collegian Correspondent Starting on Jan. 1, single-use plastic bags will be prohibited from all retail facilities in the town of Amherst in accordance with a bylaw passed May 26th in the Amherst Town Meeting. The bylaw, supported by a vote of 110 to 30 in the Town Meeting, is known as Article 36:
Single Use Plastic Bag Ban Prohibition. The bylaw was written by University of Massachusetts sustainability science graduate student, Keven Hollerbach. What started out just as a graduate internship idea turned out to impact more people than Hollerbach first expected. “[Plastic bags are] just straight up unnecessary,” Hollerbach said. “Plastic bags? We can get rid of those now.”
Hollerbach added that one bag has an average lifespan of 12 minutes, but a lifetime impact on marine life, pollution and humans. “Incinerating plastic produces carcinogenic compounds that can cause significant adverse health effects for people living near these incineration plants,” Hollerbach said. Businesses will be putting up signs to inform consumers of the coming change in policy. In
addition, if a buisness is suffering due to the plastic bag ban, they will be able to request a one-year deferment from the Board of Health to meet their needs. If a buisness does not comply, they will be issued a warning first, and then a $50 fine for the first day, which will add up for each day of the offense. This bylaw is designed to encourage consumsee
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SGA conduct adviser program expands UMass to install to work as a support system for students 15,576 solar panels New training to change position By Stuart Foster Collegian Staff
As the fall semester of 2016 begins, the University of Massachusetts Student Government Association’s conduct adviser program will shift from solely providing students with advice to also functioning as a support network. Conduct advisers are students who, after applying to and being accepted for the position, have been typically tasked with one of two jobs. They may provide advice for students who receive a disciplinary sanction from UMass after violating the Student Code of Conduct or the Residential Life Community Standards, or for students who wish to file a sanction against someone in the University. “One thing about the conduct advisers is that there isn’t really a safety net for you, so many students find it difficult to continue at the University,” said Jiya Nair,
the incoming SGA Attorney General and a sophomore majoring in political science and business management. “The conduct process shouldn’t be something that discourages students from attending the University,” she said. While conduct advisers would previously limit their time with students seeking their help to a short block of advice, Nair said that conduct advisers will now be trained to redirect students to other campus services. The UMass Center for Women and Community will do training sessions with the incoming conduct advisers to inform them of how to best help students find the resources they need on campus. Nair also said that conduct advisers will now be better equipped to deal with the trauma of the people seeing them, and not just with the cases at hand. “If you feel like you have an issue that isn’t related to the conduct system but need advice, you can come in and they’ll redirect you,” she said.
Conduct review cases could be stressful on students academically, socially or financially, said Nair, and understanding these stresses would allow for conduct advisers to support UMass students’ mental health. “One of the reasons we decided to change the process is the Attorney General’s Office’s attempt to move towards a more restorative justice policy on campus,” Nair said. The SGA Attorney General’s Office will attempt to work more at rehabilitating students being sanctioned by helping them reconcile their actions, the impacts they have had on themselves and other people at UMass, according to Nair. She differentiated this system from mediation, where two parties accept the impacts their actions have had on each other, by focusing on how restorative justice is dependent on students accepting their own actions and learning about their impacts. Nair contrasted punitive justice, which she said focuses on making students
pay for their actions, with restorative justice, which she said could help turn sanctions of students into a more educational experience. Rebekah Kohls, a senior studying business management, is one of the students who will become a conduct adviser this fall. She said she was introduced to the position by her friend Evandro Tavares, the former SGA attorney general. Kohls said that she and other conduct advisers are learning about on-campus organizations such as the CWC and the Center for Counseling and Psychological Help, and that conduct advisers will be able to give students seeking help better assistance. “I think the end goal is to move UMass from a penal system to a holistic system,” she said. “I think having a system that’s more helpful to having them find a support system.” Stuart Foster can be reached at stuartfoster@umass.edu or followed on Twitter @Stuart_C_Foster.
Initiative aims to save energy costs By Tanaya M. Asnani Collegian Staff
A solar energy initiative by the University of Massachusetts will have 15,576 solar panels newly installed to provide electrical power by the end of 2016. This initiative aims to save electricity costs for the university by $6.2 million in a span of 20 years. There will be 8 solar panel installations. Six of them will be placed on rooftops and the other two will placed above parking lots. The rooftops are those of the Recreation Center, Champions Center, Fine Arts Center, bus maintenance garage as well as the Computer Science Department buildings. The two parking lots include those of the North Residential Area as well as the Mullins Center parking lots. The panels in the parking lots will occupy a space of 11.6 acres. The total amount of electricity generated by these panels
per year is roughly equal to the energy used by 900 Massachusetts homes per year. The total sum of $6.2 million that these panels will save the university in electricity costs can be broken down. The university is expecting to save $89,000 in electricity for the first year where on average the savings are also expected to grow to $310,000 per year. For now, these panels are expected to provide 22% of the total energy for the university’s needs and 78% will still come from the Combined Heat and Power plant on campus. The electrical power produced by the panels is expected to bring greater savings at the peak of electricity demand. At the peak, electricity rates rise and it discourages customers from using more electricity. Larry Rivais, associate editor of the News and Relations office said, “The cost of the solar power is constant, thus the savings is greater during hours of see
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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Isenberg School of Management to raise $38 million for new expansion Three stories will be added in 2019 By Thomas Hannigan Collegian Correspondent
When the Isenberg School of Management broke ground in early August to begin construction on a brand new 70,000-square-foot expansion, the University of Massachusetts gave the project a $62-million spending cap. Seeking to improve its funding externally, the business school plans to raise $38 million through private funding. The three-story addition is expected to be finished
in early 2019, and hopefully help with issues of congestion in the business school. Since the school’s latest renovations in 2002, it has almost doubled in size, growing from 2,000 to 3,500 students in 2015. Thomas Moliterno, associate dean of faculty and engagement, sees this expansion as an opportunity to bring Isenberg into the upper echelon of business schools. “The main point is to attract the best business students in Massachusetts we need to have facilities that facilitate top-tier educational and career preparation opportunities,” Moliterno said.
Moliterno said that each of the three floors will have different facilities that are designed to enhance Isenberg’s prestige and bring it into the modern business world. On the first floor, there will be a 5,000-square-foot atrium, with state-of-theart classrooms and a brand new café. Moving up to the second floor is where students will go for career and professional services, equipped with a 20-room interview suite and a large undergraduate advising office. Lastly, on the third floor, all of Isenberg’s faculty will be present under one roof. Currently, Isenberg
COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO
The Isenberg School of Management, is planned to expand through raising $38 million in private funding.
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has nine of the $38 million needed to complete the project and hopes to get the rest through philanthropy and online programming. Now that the concrete has been poured, Moliterno sees it as an opportunity to bring individuals to the construction site and show them the design plans in the hopes of receiving a large donation. The largest of donations will allow the names of the donor to be on classrooms and labs, with the largest donation securing the naming rights of the entire addition. Already ranked the 10th best public business school in the country and number one in the North East region by Businessweek, Moliterno sees this as a real effort by UMass as a whole to make world-class facilities an example of the University's commitment to attracting world-class students. “Students who apply to Isenberg are now comparing us to some of the very best business schools in the country,” Moliterno said. Moliterno believes this expansion will ensure Isenberg’s ability to help its alumni land promising and fulfilling careers. “We need to ensure that our facilities enable us to provide for these students the education and career preparation that they are seeking,” he said. Thomas Hannigan can be reached at thannigan@umass.edu.
ership of panel installation. Electricity from this $16 million project will be bought by the university from ConEdison Solutions for usage on campus. Divest UMass, an active organization that persuaded the UMass Public University System to successfully divest from fossil fuels in the spring, welcomed the initiative. Mica Reel, a spokesperson for Divest UMass said,
REFUGEES erty,” Klein said. Klein explained that the refugees will undergo an extensive and rigorous vetting process expected to take more than a year. “It’s not like the United States hasn’t been very, very cognizant of people’s concerns about safety and so called terrorism,” Klein said. “And it’s doing a really in-depth job in vetting any refugees coming in the United States.” Klein said safety net programs such as Aid to Familites with Dependent C h i l d re n (AFDC)/ Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNA) – formerly food stamps – will be available to refugees. The city is looking for landlords who could provide renting space at belowmarket rates for the first year of the refugees’ arrival, as well as employers in the community to provide jobs and internships and also for people to provide transportation and orient the refugees. Catholic Charities will work on having refugees take weeks of extensive English lessons in order for them to be acquainted with vocabulary in the work force. “[The resettlement process] takes people along the way, it takes educational processes,” Crolius said. “It really is that old saying ‘it takes a village,’ it really does.” Mokhtar M a l a s, a University of Massachuseets senior studying biology, and also the Secretary of the UMass Arab Club, grew up in Syria
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peak demand. Photo voltaic units on campus will significantly reduce peak charges, by as much as 50% per month.” The university has partnered with national energy company, Brightergy from Charlestown, Mass. to lead the construction and engineering of the panels. Another company, ConEdison Solutions is also arranging financing, maintenance and own-
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“We are happy that UMass is investing in more renewable and sustainable energy solutions - not just because they are cleaner for the environment, but this investment further weakens the fiscal support of the destructive and exploitative fossil fuel industry. Renewable energy is a small step in the right direction and we will continue to push UMass to invest in policies, systems, and proj-
ects that push for justice for the Commonwealth and beyond.” As part of UMass Amherst’s continual commitment to creating a green and sustainable campus environment relying on renewable energy, it hopes to be carbon neutral by 2050. Tanaya M. Asnani can be reached at tasnani@umass.edu.
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and is optimistic toward the resettlement project. Since the summer of 2014, Malas has volunteered with Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan. He spent his 2016 spring break in Greece to help refugees arriving in Europe. Based on his experience and the humanitarian atrocities surrounding the Syrian civil war, Malas said that the United States should do more to aid refugees. In Lebanon, Malas worked with children, some of whom had lost their parents and were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. “They’re very innocent children who left the country to find a safer place to get a decent education,” Malas said. Malas believes that Middle Eastern countries neighboring Syria that accept refugees lack essential resources, like health care and education, to adequately satisfy the overwhelming numbers of refugees. Malas also said that Northampton is an appropriate location for refugees citing the city’s openness to diversify the community, as well as Arab communities in Springfield and Holyoke which could help make refugees feel welcomed. Even by walking the streets of Northampton and reading signs on stores saying “Refugees are welcome” and “Coexist,” Malas said he is certain that refugees will be able to call Northampton home. Danny Cordova can be reached at dcordova@umass.edu.
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ers to bring their own reusable bags in order to decrease the harm to the environment caused by plastic bags. According to a flyer in support for the bylaw, it is expensive to recycle and receive plastic bags from landfills. Plastic, which takes 1,000 years to biodegrade, may also cause adverse health impacts to humans. According to findings in Scientific Ameican, vari-
ous chemicals are added to plastic bags to make them more durable, but can have toxic impacts on human and animal reproduction cycles. “Our generation is inheriting this planet,” Hollerbach said. “Therefore, we must do our part to preserve as much of it as we can.” Melisa Joseph can be reached at mjoseph@umass.edu.
Three Americans kidnapped in Iraq tell their story By Hannah Allam McClatchy Washington Bureau WASHINGTON _ January 15 was a relatively quiet day for Baghdad, the bomb-battered capital where Waiel El-Maadawy, an Army veteran and former Florida sheriff’s deputy, had spent years as a contractor for the U.S.-led effort to train Iraqi security forces. El-Maadawy was feeling relieved. He had just hired an Iraqi he knew, a man nicknamed Abu Marina, as an interpreter to help with training Iraqi commandos to fight Islamic State jihadists. He and two fellow contractors _ his cousin, Amr Mohamed, of Bullhead City, Ariz., and Russell Frost, of Wichita, Kan. –– sealed the deal over tea at Abu Marina’s apartment in southeastern Baghdad. About half an hour into their visit, the commander of a Shiite Muslim militia showed up, demanding to know who the Americans were and ordering them to stay put. At first, the contractors scoffed at the intrusion _ they had pistols on their hips and Iraqi Special Forces authorization in their pockets. “We walk outside and he was right _ we can’t leave. There were 40 guys there with heavy weapons,” El-Maadawy said. “That’s when everything went downhill. We realized we were going to be taken.” That was the beginning of a 31-day ordeal the Obama administration has never explained, and
which is described in detail here for the first time, through a series of interviews with El-Maadawy, a phone interview with Frost, and with the cooperation of Mohamed, who is currently out of the country. After weeks of shackles and beatings, the Americans were released Feb. 16, only to find that Iraqi officials had stained their reputations by saying that they’d been detained from a brothel. There was more dismay when El-Maadawy and Mohamed, Egyptian-American cousins, learned that some U.S. officials initially suspected that they’d been radicalized and perhaps were complicit in the incident. Even the elation of their release was dampened when the U.S. forces that retrieved the men from Iraqi interlocutors draped an American flag over Frost, who is white, and told him, “Welcome home!” There was no such gesture for the two Arab-American veterans, who’d been singled out for extra torment by their captors because they were Muslims working for the U.S. government. “I’ve served my country as a soldier, a contractor and as a policeman and we’re still secondclass citizens,” said El-Maadawy, who grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and now lives in Boca Raton. “Regardless of what we do, we’re never going to be seen by the mainstream as Americans.” Frost said he wept with joy when presented with the flag. “I felt bad that Waiel and Amr did
not get to experience that same welcome,” he said. The three men, who work for a subcontractor of the defense company General Dynamics, were the first Americans kidnapped in Iraq since 2011. Their capture, far from Islamic State territory, was a reminder of the weakness of the Iraqi government when it comes to powerful Shiite Muslim militias backed by Iran. Known collectively as popular mobilization units, the militias have filled the void since the collapse of the Iraqi military two years ago, becoming de facto partners for the U.S.led campaign against the Islamic State. El-Maadawy and Frost say Iraqi officials spread the false story that they were grabbed while visiting a brothel to cloud the fact that it took a month for the Baghdad government to win the release of foreign allies from gunmen who are critical to the Iraqi government but operate outside of Prime Minister Haider Abadi’s control. The contractors say their captors belonged to the latest incarnation of the old Mahdi Army militia led by longtime U.S. enemy Muqtada al Sadr, a powerful Shiite cleric who protests Abadi’s policies but also has pledged to help government forces retake the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State. The former captives are incensed that the brothel narrative endures, allowing Iraqi authorities to avoid holding anyone accountable for the abduction.
“They were supporting the Iraqi government, augmenting the Iraqi forces,” El-Maadawy said of his captors. “In essence, we were kidnapped by the Iraqi government.” In the first confusing moments of their capture, El-Maadawy said, he and his colleagues assumed their abductors were Sunni Muslim extremists from Islamic State. Westerners seldom make it out of Islamic State custody alive, and three U.S. defense contractors wouldn’t stand a chance. Figuring they were going to die anyway, El-Maadawy said, the men exchanged silent looks that telegraphed a plan: shoot it out rather than be taken hostage for beheading later on camera. Just then the militia commander answered his cellphone, and the Americans noticed that the screen bore the photo of Sadr, unmistakable with his signature black turban and scruffy beard. A decade ago, when Sadr’s militiamen were killing dozens of American troops, that face might have meant a death sentence. In the complexities of today’s Iraq, however, with the Obama administration working in tandem with the reconstituted militias to defeat the Islamic State, Sadr looked like a godsend. “We knew we had a chance,” El-Maadawy said. The two Arabic-speaking Americans asked their captors whether they were part of the Iraqi government. They replied that the Iraqi government “paid
them to be in charge of this neighborhood,” El-Maadawy said. The Americans reluctantly surrendered their weapons and, along with Abu Marina, were taken by van to a villa where two new SUVs sitting outside bore Iraqi government insignia. The men were reassured, thinking government forces would clear up the matter and send them on their way. “Didn’t happen,” Frost said. The next three weeks brought round-the-clock horror: excruciating pain and utter darkness. They were kept blindfolded and shackled in stress positions, didn’t get much food and learned to urinate into empty water bottles to avoid the beatings that accompanied bathroom visits, the men said. One captor patted El-Maadawy’s muscular build and told him it was a shame that “all that was about to be worm food.” Just before their release, the Americans were cleaned up, forced into military uniforms and compelled to make a video thanking Sadr. They were flanked by gunmen in balaclavas and positioned in front of a portrait of Sadr. Shortly after making the video, the men were released to Iraqi middlemen who took them to the Green Zone, the government complex where the U.S. Embassy is housed. That day, Feb. 16, was the last the Americans saw of Abu Marina, the Iraqi held captive with them. Attempts to reach him via his Facebook account failed; his whereabouts are unknown.
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THE RU N D OW N ON THIS DAY...
In 1620, pilgrims left on the Mayflower from Plymouth, England to settle in the New World.
AROUND THE WORLD
President Obama cancels meeting with Philippine President VIENTIANE, Laos — President Barack Obama canceled a meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who had publicly warned him not to raise questions about alleged death squad operations in his country against suspected drug dealers. Earlier in the day, Duterte said that if Obama were to raise the issue during their scheduled meeting during an international gathering in Laos, “I will swear at you.” Duterte spoke at a news conference before leaving the Philippines for a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders. He is a leader of a sovereign country and is answerable only to the Filipino people, Duterte said, and Obama must be respectful. More than 2,000 alleged drug dealers and users have been killed since Duterte launched a war on drugs upon taking office June 30. Asked about Duterte’s remarks, Obama said he had told his staff to investigate whether a meeting with the Philippine president would still be “productive.” A few hours later, as Obama reached Laos, National Security Council spokesman Ned Price announced that the meeting with Duterte had been canceled. Obama will, instead, meet with the president of South Korea, Price said. Obama said he had not heard Duterte’s remarks, but that aides had briefed him and that clearly the Philippines leader is a “colorful guy.” At a news conference in China, where he attended an international economic meeting before heading to Laos, Obama said he had asked U.S. officials to determine if the meeting of Southeast Asian leaders “is in fact a time when we can have some constructive, productive conversations” with Duterte. The Philippines is a U.S. ally and strategic partner in U.S. policy in Asia. The U.S. has given the Philippines strong backing in that country’s dispute with China over maritime boundaries. But even when meeting with the leader of an allied country, Obama said, “I always want to make sure that if I have a meeting, it’s productive.” Fighting drug trafficking is “tough,” Obama said, but the U.S. will always assert the need to have due process “and to engage in that fight against drugs in a way that’s consistent with basic international norms.” “If and when we have a meeting, this is something that’s going to be brought up,” Obama said. MCT
QUOTE OF T H E D AY
“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.” Rabindranath Tagore
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Prosecution of high-ranking military officers remains muddled by lack of examples By Curtis Tate McClatchy Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — The Air Force investigation of sexual assault allegations against a retired four-star general renews a debate about how the military handles such cases and whether commanders should even have the responsibility of prosecuting one of their own. Retired Gen. Arthur Lichte, a former commander of the U.S. Air Mobility Command, has been accused by a colonel once under his command of coercing her to have sex with him. According to military justice experts, there's very little guidance on how to prosecute such high-ranking officers, and there are significant barriers to doing so. Generals are rarely brought to trial within the military justice system, much less convicted, and punishment is often just a demotion in rank. Many members of Congress would prefer that independent military prosecutors handle the cases rather than commanders. Don Christensen, the president of Protect Our Defenders, an advocacy group for military sexual assault victims, based in Washington, said no Air Force general had ever been prosecuted in the nearly 70-year history of the service branch. "This case is a perfect illustration of why you should have independent prosecution making these decisions," said Christensen, the former chief prosecutor for the Air Force. "It would be a huge bureaucratic nightmare for them to figure out how to prosecute a four-star general." Lichte, 67, led the Air Mobility Command, at Scott Air Force Base in southern Illinois, from 2007 until he retired in 2010. The alleged sexual assault took place while he was there. Linda Card, a spokeswoman for the Air
Force's Office of Special Investigations, confirmed the investigation of the allegations against Lichte but would not comment further or provide additional details about the case. Victims of sexual assault in the military have two options to report it. They can file a "restricted" report, in which the victim does not identify the attacker and seeks counseling but does not require a criminal investigation. In an "unrestricted" report, as is the case with Lichte's accuser, the matter is referred to the accuser's unit commander and triggers a criminal investigation. The Defense Department's most recent (BELLEVILLE NEWS-DEMOCRAT/TNS annual report on sexual assault in the military Former commander of the U.S. Air Mobility Command, retired Gen. Arthur Lichte, has been accused by a counted more than 4,500 colonel once under his command of coercing her to have sex with him. unrestricted reports and nearly 1,500 restricted resources at her disposal used to giving other gen- when Democrats held a than someone lower in the erals greater deference," Senate majority, and 10 reports in 2015. VanLandingham said. But the cases are like- chain. votes short in 2015. This ly underreported. The "When I talk to higher- It rarely happens any- year, it didn't even get a Pentagon estimated that ranked people," Darehshori way: In 1999, retired Army vote. nearly 19,000 service mem- said, "the one thing that I Maj. Gen. David Hale admit- Many U.S. allies, includbers were sexually assault- hear often, they feel like ted to lying to his superiors ing Great Britain, Canada, ed in 2014. More than half they know how to work the about having affairs with the wives of four of his sub- Australia, Israel, Germany of those involved men system." and Norway, have removed That can happen only ordinates. assaulting other men. Another reason? Service if charges are brought and Hale, a former NATO reporting of sexual assault members fear retaliation the case goes to trial. The commander, was court- from their chains of comfrom their superiors. A 2014 sexual assault allegations martialed, fined $22,000 and mand. RAND Corp. survey found against Lichte go back to demoted to a one-star gen- However, Gillibrand's that 62 percent of active ser- the time he led the Air eral. He was only the sec- effort still faces significant vice members who reported Mobility Command, beyond ond Army general to face opposition in Congress, sexual assault experienced the military's five-year stat- court-martial since 1951. from Sens. ute of limitations. For rape, The demotion meant including retaliation. John McCain, an Arizona there is no statute of limitaa $9,000 reduction in his Only 5 percent of reportRepublican who chairs the annual pension of $75,000. ed sexual assault cases in tions. commanders General officers are sel- Armed Services Committee, the military led to convic- Retired are subject to the Uniform dom held truly account- and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. tions in 2013. for misconduct, "They keep just enough Many service members Code of Military Justice, able may think that reporting and they would have to be Christensen said. of the Senate on their side," sexual assault could ruin placed back on active duty "They get a reprimand, Christensen said of the their careers, said Sara to go to trial, requiring the and the military makes it a Pentagon. big deal that these generals Darehshori, senior counsel Pentagon's approval. A high-profile case for U.S. programs at Human "Once it starts," said are retiring with one rank involving a colonel accusRights Watch, which has Rachel VanLandingham, less," he said. "We can't have studied sexual assault in an associate professor at this upper class of military ing a four-star general Southwestern Law School leadership that's not held would almost guarantee a the military. renewed focus from law "I've heard so many in Los Angeles, "he's just as accountable." times from people they saw liable to be found as guilty Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, makers on the issue. D-N.Y., has been leading a "It should be a game how people were treated as anyone else." when they reported it," she But just getting a case so-far-unsuccessful push changer," Christensen said, said. "They didn't want it to to trial is a major obstacle. in Congress to remove the "but the problem is that That decision is largely in responsibility of prosecuthappen to them." those who oppose reform However, Darehshori the hands of officers who ing sexual assault cases are too willing to listen to said it might make a dif- have little experience pros- from commanders. Her bill, the Military the Pentagon when they say ference if the accuser were ecuting one of their own. a colonel. A high-ranking "Generals who have Justice Improvement Act, they've got this under conofficer may have more to decide disposition are fell five votes short in 2014, trol."
Obama struggles to make Photographs show a deal with Russia on Syria orbiter on comet By Christi Parsons Tribune Washington Bureau
HANGZHAO, China — President Barack Obama's emissaries spent much of Sunday talking with Russian officials here about how to quell the violence in Syria, but the president all but shrugged his shoulders when asked about the prospects of a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Given the previous failures of cessations of hostilities to hold, we approach it with some skepticism, but it is worth trying," Obama said. Hours later, Obama engaged in delicate talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose military has recently clashed with U.S.-backed fighters in Syria, complicating the American strategy there and in Iraq. "We discussed ways in which we can further cooperate in that regard," Obama said after his meeting with the unpredictable-yet-crucial NATO ally, whose country is still feeling the effects of a failed military coup and a wide domestic crackdown on suspected instigators. Despite strained relationships, Obama is obligated by a long list of
world problems to engage with leaders like Erdogan and Putin, with whom White House officials say he is planning to meet in the next day or so. It is a signature feature of the foreign policy approach Obama promised when he ran for president _ that he would talk even with the worst of the worst. "You don't negotiate deals with your friends, you negotiate them with your enemies," he has said. Much of the difficulty Obama is encountering in China was anticipated. The Turks, for example, repeatedly have tried to blame the U.S. in the weeks since the failed militaryled coup against Erdogan. Erdogan's government has complained about the U.S. refusal thus far to extradite Fethullah Gulen, the Turkish cleric and former ally of Erdogan's who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. Erdogan blames him for plotting the coup and a host of other problems in his country. In public, Turkish officials have been saying all the things Americans want to hear, particularly when they are talking to U.S. officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, who visited the country recent-
ly. Throughout his presidency, Obama has sought one-on-one and smallgroup meetings with leaders like Putin, Erdogan and China’s Xi Jinping, to try to form a sense of what motivates them and how they act. As he closes his final year in office, that experience has largely been disappointing. Despite seemingly endless talks, for instance, efforts to get Russian cooperation in ending the Syrian civil war have gotten nowhere. With Xi, Obama and his staff have concluded that the only breakthrough they will achieve is the climate deal they worked out over the last year and ratified Saturday. Xi wants to clear the air in his smog-choked cities, and by signing onto the Paris climate accord he can get U.S. technical assistance in reaching that goal as well as a figurative global Good Citizen medal. The White House believes that on all the other important items on the Chinese-U.S. agenda –– trade, cooperation on cybersecurity, human rights –– Xi has determined it is not in his interest to work with Obama.
By Deborah Netburn Los Angeles Times
Cameras aboard the European Space Agency’s Rosetta orbiter have spotted the Philae lander in a dark crack on the jagged surface of a comet. “We were beginning to think that Philae would remain lost forever,” Patrick Martin, ESA’s Rosetta mission manager, said in a statement. “It is incredible we have captured this at the final hour.” The ESA plans to send the Rosetta orbiter to the comet’s surface in a controlled descent to end its 12-year journey through space. The Philae lander appeared in images taken Friday, when the Rosetta orbiter came within 1.7 miles of Comet 67-P/ChuryumovGerasimenko’s surface. For the first time, scientists were able to clearly see the main body of the lander and two of its three legs. Researchers said knowing the precise location of Philae is not just good for comet science, it’s also an emotional relief. “It’s a huge psychological bonus to finally know where it is,” said Matt Taylor, ESA’s Rosetta project scientist. “And now we can redo some of the analysis from the lander and improve on
it.” The Rosetta orbiter was launched March 2, 2004, and spent the next 10 years traveling a convoluted path through 4 billion miles of space to rendezvous with the speeding comet. Fastened to Rosetta’s side throughout its long journey was the small Philae lander, designed to be the first manmade instrument to land on the surface of a comet and survive. The orbiter released Philae on Nov. 2, 2014, just a few weeks after it arrived at the comet. But the landing did not go as planned. Two harpoons designed to tether the lander to the comet did not deploy properly, causing it to bounce. The lander flew for two hours before eventually settling in what was, until now, an unknown location. Using radio signals sent between Rosetta and Philae, scientists were able to determine that the lander’s location was in a small area just a few hundred feet across on the smaller of the comet’s two lobes. However, the precise location continued to remain a mystery. The Philae lander is 3 three feet wide, making it very difficult to spot on a comet with many features of a similar size.
THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
DailyCollegian.com
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Colin Kaepernick’s right to protest backed by Obama
By Christi Parsons Tribune Washington Bureau
HANGZHOU, China — President Barack Obama Monday acknowledged that for some people it is a "tough thing" to see Colin Kaepernick kneel instead of stand for the American flag and national anthem, but defended the NFL quarterback, saying he was "exercising his constitutional right to make a statement." The flag and anthem have so much meaning for many men and women in uniform and others who have defended the country that the style of Kaepernick's protest may make it difficult for them to "hear what his deeper concerns are," Obama said. But he said he would rather see people engaged in the argument than "just sitting on
the sidelines." Obama spoke after a Group of 20 summit in Hangzhou, part of a weeklong trip to Asia. Obama initially said that he hadn't been paying close attention to the Kaepernick controversy, but then delivered a carefully nuanced response, saying that he doesn't doubt the sincerity of the San Francisco 49ers quarterback and that Kaepernick "cares about some real legitimate issues that have to be talked about." If nothing else, Obama said, Kaepernick has people talking about race, equality and discrimination. Kaepernick's protest has been a lightning rod for criticism and praise for the past week. He hasn't stood for the anthem at any of the preseason games, at first choosing to sit and then, last
Thursday, kneeling with teammate Eric Reid. Kaepernick has said police brutality and racial injustice are among the reasons for his protest and indicated that he will keep it up during the regular season that begins Sept. 12 with a game against the Los Angeles Rams. The reactions to Kaepernick’s protest have been dramatic. Supportive fans have clamored for autographs and sales of his jersey have skyrocketed. Team officials say they stand behind the quarterback and his right not to participate. But other fans have heckled and booed Kaepernick, and the Santa Clara police union has threatened to boycott their usual security duties at the 49ers games.
Teen survives brain-eating amoeba 9/11 families seek approval of JASTA By Abe Aboraya and Michael Tomsic WMFE and WFAE
Doctors describe 16-yearold Sebastian DeLeon as a walking miracle - he is only the fourth person in the U.S. to survive an infection from the so-called brain-eating amoeba. Infection from Naegleria fowleri is extremely rare but almost always fatal. Between 1962 and 2015, there were only 138 known infections due to the organism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just three people survived. This summer, two young people, one
when the pharmacy reached out to a small Orlando drug company called Profounda, which has a drug called Impavido that was originally developed as a cancer treatment and approved by the FDA in 2016 to treat the tropical parasitic disease leishmaniasis. It has been used in several cases to treat amoeba infections as well. Profounda CEO Todd MacLaughlin got the call from the pharmacy, but he was out of town so his son drove the drug to Florida Hospital. "Within 12 minutes he had picked up the product and was on the way to the hospital," MacLaughlin
COURTESY OF THE DELEON FAMILY
Sebastian DeLeaon, 16, is now the fourth known U.S. survivor of the socalled brain-eating amoeba. in Florida and one in North Carolina, became infected after water recreation. Only one had a happy ending. `DeLeon is a 16-yearold camp counselor. The Florida Department of Health thinks he got the infection while swimming in unsanitary water on private property in South Florida before his family came to visit Orlando's theme parks. So many things had to go right for DeLeon to survive. On a Friday, he had a bad headache. The next day, his parents decided this was way more than just a migraine and took him to the emergency room at Florida Hospital for Children. Doctors persuaded the family to do a spinal tap to rule out meningitis, even though he didn't have a stiff neck, the telltale symptom. Sheila Black, the lab coordinator, looked at the sample and assumed she saw white blood cells. But then she took a second, longer look. "We are all detectives," Black said. "We literally had to look at this and study it for a while and watch for the movement because the amoeba can look like a white cell. So unless you're actually visually looking for this and looking for the movement, you're going to miss it." That movement triggered the alarm: This was an amoeba case. And that's
said. "Everybody was in the right place at the right time." DeLeon was given the drug along with others. Doctors put him into a coma and lowered his body temperature to give the drugs time to work and slow the infection. Dr. Humberto Liriano was emotional talking about the experience. They knew the odds were not in DeLeon's favor when he was placed into a coma. "The family when they came to me, immediately within four hours, I had to tell them to say their goodbyes," Liriano said. "I had to tell them, 'Tell him everything you want to tell your child, because I don't know from the time I put him to sleep to the time I take the tube out, (if he will) wake up.'" DeLeon's mother, Brunilda Gonzalez, thanked doctors at a news conference. "We are so thankful that God has given us the miracle through this medical team and this hospital for having our son back and having him full of life," Gonzalez said. "He's a very energetic, adventurous, wonderful teen. We're so thankful for the gift of life." Central Florida has coped with amoeba infections before, including the death of Jordan Smelski,
who died at the same hospital where DeLeon was saved. Smelski's parents started a foundation to raise awareness of the disease in the medical community and to advocate for hospitals to stock the drug in case of an infection. Profounda says seven hospitals have taken it up on stocking the drug at no cost, charging them only when the drug is used. The drug costs $48,000 for a full round of treatment. MacLaughlin said the company will provide the drug free if someone doesn't have insurance. DeLeon will soon head to South Florida for rehab, and doctors are optimistic he'll make a full recovery. But in North Carolina, an 18-year-old Ohio woman died from the amoeba in mid-June, stoking fear in the community. She had been rafting at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, which is among a handful of facilities in the country that have man-made rapids coursing through concrete channels. Its CEO, Jeff Wise, pointed out the lower part of the channel in mid-July. "This is the bottom pond," he said, "where all of the water in our essentially 12 million-gallon system rests while it's ready to be pumped back up into the top pond, where it'll float back down through the channels." But there was no whitewater between late June and Aug. 10, because CDC tests found the amoeba after the woman died. Mecklenburg County Health Director Dr. Marcus Plescia encouraged people to keep perspective. "T his org anism, Naegleria fowleri, is actually quite a prevalent or commonly occurring organism in open bodies of water," he said. "We find it in lakes. We find it in ponds. It's very common for people to come into contact with, but it's very uncommon for people to develop this kind of infection with it." It's harmless if swallowed, because stomach acid kills it. But if it's in water forced up the nose, it can cause the brain infection, which is difficult to diagnose and treat. The Whitewater Center uses city water that it treats with UV radiation, a filtration system and some chlorine. Still, it's a large, open body of water, and exists in a regulatory no-man's land because it's neither swimming pool nor local river or lake. North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory said the state should re-examine whether the center should be treated like a swimming pool. But
testing for the amoeba is not part of swimming pool regulations, because chlorine used in pools is effective at killing it. And the county and the state don't have the ability to test for it. It's usually up to the CDC. As part of its lease agreement with the county, the center does weekly tests for common contaminants such as fecal coliform bacteria. County health leaders point out that people are much more likely to die from drowning or boating accidents in area lakes and rivers than they are from Naegleria fowleri. In fact, there have already been at least eight of those deaths in the greater Charlotte area this summer. But people just don't get as worked up about those. David Ropeik, a risk management consultant in Concord, Mass., explains why. "We worry about things not only based on the likelihood of them happening but the nature of the experience itself," Ropeik said. "The odds may be low of braineating amoeba eating your brain, but the nature of a brain-eating amoeba eating your brain sounds pretty scary, doesn't it?" Ropeik is the author of "How Risky Is It, Really?" He says the media coverage of rare risks is part of the problem. "Anything that makes a risk feel scarier like, 'This is the zombie amoeba!' is going to subconsciously interest journalists as something that will get people's attention," he said. "Because the viewer, reader, listener is likely to pay attention to a story that could portend their death." Dr. Jennifer Cope, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the CDC, said 11 out of 11 tests for the amoeba were positive at the rafting center, which does sound alarming. She called that significant but noted this is the first time the CDC has encountered the amoeba in this type of setting. Whitewater Center CEO Wise says roughly 1.5 million people have rafted there over the past decade, and this is the first health issue it has had tied to what's in the water. The CDC says there are ways to make the water less conducive to the amoeba's growth, including bulking up the amount of chlorine. The Whitewater Center worked with consultants to figure out a more effective way of doing that, and it reopened this month with a revamped chlorination system. So far, county health leaders say it is working the way it is supposed to.
McClatchy Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Marge Mathers, 75, is a 9/11 widow from New Jersey who "fled to Texas" in 2002 after her husband was killed in the World Trade Center. When a neighbor called her that day in 2001, screaming to turn on the television, Mathers said she was counting the floors of Tower 1, the North Tower, because she knew her husband, Charles W. Mathers, was on the 99th floor. "It looked bad," she said. The building soon collapsed and all Mathers could think was, "What am I going to tell the kids?" The 15th anniversary this year has a special meaning for her: She wants accountability. Mathers and a group of victims' families and survivors are pushing the House to approve a bill, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or JASTA. It would enable victims' families to sue countries that funded terrorism that killed Americans on U.S. soil. The Senate, led by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the majority whip. and Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., approved the bill unanimously in May and victims' families want the House to act this week _ in time for the anniversary. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has taken a deliberative approach to the bill and wants it to go through the traditional legislative process, according to his spokesman Brendan Buck, and be considered and voted on by the House Judiciary Committee, which held a hearing on the bill in July. The victims' families are asking for a shortcut to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, although the House leadership did not approve their wish for a vote Tuesday, when Congress returns. The White House has threatened to veto the bill over concerns about sovereignty and that other countries would retaliate against U.S. citizens. In addition, the Saudi Arabia, before the Senate vote, threatened to sell $750 billion in assets _ a threat that Cornyn and Schumer dismissed as "hollow." The 9/11 families are adamant. "I hope JASTA brings another chapter of accountability to those who sponsored and
financed that act," Mathers said in an interview. Mathers, who now lives in Galveston, Texas, travels to New Jersey to see a daughter, Marjory Kane, and often to Washington to lobby for the legislation. "I personally would like to know who was responsible for giving money to the hijackers," she said. Since she began working on the issue, Mathers said she's been to Washington four times, visiting members' offices with Terry Strada, a widow from New Jersey and the national chairwoman of 9/11 Families and Survivors United for Justice Against Terrorism. The bill is known informally as the "Saudi bill" because 15 of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. The Saudi connection re-entered the news recently with the release of "the 28 pages," the portion of the first U.S. report on the 9/11 attacks that was classified when it was released in 2003. Former Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., led the effort to release the 28 pages, which include connections between Saudi officials and hijackers, and he is now pushing the House to approve JASTA. "I hope that it will act during this session, ideally before the 15th anniversary of 9/11," Graham said at a National Press Club appearance last week. He described the information in the declassified report as "removing the cork from the bottle" and that "there is a significant amount of information which, like the 28 pages, has been withheld." In a statement, the Saudi Arabian Embassy said: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses once again its strong disappointment at Senator Bob Graham's continued advocacy of the idea that the government of Saudi Arabia bore responsibility for the attacks of September 11, 2001." Mathers does not plan a any lawsuit, although she has spent years calling and visiting lawmakers, even overcoming her shyness about identifying herself to her Texas friends and neighbors as “a 9/11 widow.” “I just want justice,” she said. “I don’t need to be part of a lawsuit.”
Opinion Editorial
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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
DailyCollegian.com
“All people are born alike - except Republicans and Democrats.” - Groucho Marx
Brexit does not doom the UK To the surprise of even to refrain likewise from pre those most strongly in favor suming to hold an opinion of Brexit, the citizens of based only on the flimsiest of hearsay on any individuals Stefan Golas or groups in British politics before ample research is con the United Kingdom voted ducted. by referendum to leave the The most contentious European Union this past issue surrounding Brexit is summer. The decision was that of immigration policy strongly criticized by poli and border control, and ticians and media outlets whether Britons have a right across the world, and almost to impose controls beyond immediately resulted in eco those set out by the EU. The nomic fallout affecting not European Court of Justice, only the U.K. itself, but also the highest court of the EU, a number of other European has declared that “Union nations. Citizenship is destined to Compounding the finan be the fundamental status cial damage which arose in of nationals of the Member the wake of Brexit were myr States,” superseding citizen iad allegations of racism and ship of any particular nation, xenophobia directed at those and that an EU citizen has an in favor of the “leave” vote, seemingly vindicated by an upsurge of anti immigrant hate crimes occurring the day after the referendum. The decision to leave the European Union seemed to be becoming less defensible by the day. In spite of the political and financial turmoil wrought by automatic right to residence the referendum result, Brexit in any EU member nation, nevertheless represents a regardless of financial stabil clear victory for democracy ity or even knowledge of the and national sovereignty, home country’s language. and I believe the passage of In addition, EU citizens time will be the greatest fac may vote in local elections tor in demonstrating the wis and receive social services dom of the “leave” decision. from a host country regard I should here note that I less of their nation of ori am not writing in support gin. It is illegal for a host of any particular individual nation to discriminate in the or organization that cam distribution of welfare ben paigned for Brexit, as my efits with regard to national knowledge of British poli origin, and under EU law, born citizen is as tics is woefully insufficient a natural to pass any such judgments. entitled to social services I advise my fellow students as a migrant who does not
speak the native language or has contributed minimally, if at all, in taxes. Not only are the EU criteria under which a migrant may receive social services fairly lax and ambiguous, member nations are forbidden from enacting any additional criteria. The European Court of Justice actually prosecut ed the United Kingdom for requiring an additional non EU test for those looking to receive unemployment bene fits, demonstrating that laws imposed nondemocratically by their foreign court carry more legal weight than those set out by locally elected offi cials. To those who opposed Brexit: is this a system you would personally prefer to
“In spite of the political and financial turmoil wrought by the referendum result, Brexit nevertheless represents a clear victory for democracy and national sovereignty.”
a communist dictatorship might not have a full under standing of liberty or legal equality. Therefore, it is in the selfinterest of people in the U.K. to ensure that all immigrants have the same respect for these values, which have taken centuries to develop and for which many thousands of people have sacrificed their lives to preserve, as any nativeborn would. Presently, any regulation which attempts to instill or test for these values in incom ing migrants is illegal under EU law. Even the United States, which accepts more immigrants per year than any other country and is a very diverse country, admin isters a basic 10question citi zenship test to all prospective immigrants. As stated previ ously, such a test would be illegal under EU law. I ask those who opposed Brexit: would the US be better off without such a test? Would the US be better off if such a test were to be made illegal, along with any other rudi mentary immigration con trols? You do not have to be a xenophobic racist to be in favor of Brexit. You do not even have to oppose immi gration in the slightest, as I personally do not. You must simply recognize that a nation’s laws lay solely in the hands of its people rather than those of foreign bureau crats.
live under? Although many studies have shown that immigrants do not cost more in social services than native born citizens, there are a num ber of other reasons why a U.K. citizen might be in favor of stronger border con trols than what is currently allowed under EU law. For example, it is very likely that an immigrant from a highly religious theocracy might not appreciate the dearly paidfor separation of church Stefan Golas is a Collegian and state that we now enjoy, contributor and can be reached at or that an immigrant from sgolas@umass.edu.
Cybersecurity issues and the election This past summer, the rel ing national security, he has atively ignored issue of cyber called on tech industry lead security has made big waves ers like Bill Gates to think about “closing the internet” to Edridge D’Souza prevent the spread of terror ism. At a 2015 rally in South in the United States presiden Carolina, he said, “Somebody tial election. The Democratic will say, ‘Oh freedom of National Convention has been speech, freedom of speech.’ shaken up by the WikiLeaks These are foolish people.” scandal, which drew evidence Liberals should rightfully be towards the party establish alarmed at Trump’s over-thement’s bias against Bernie top rejection of ideals like pri Sanders and forced DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign. Donald Trump has also come under fire for his com ments encouraging Russian hackers to break into Hillary Clinton’s vacy and the free and open email server. Julian Assange exchange of ideas. himself has promised to leak However, Clinton doesn’t “significant” information seem much better in this about Clinton prior to the regard. Described by many election. In an election that’s as a more hawkish Barack so fraught with cybersecurity Obama, her vision for the scandals, it’s a wonder that country involves a morethe candidates are largely or-less continuation of the ignoring this issue in their existing National Security Agency domestic surveil platforms. This might have something lance infrastructure. In 2001 to do with the fact that the and 2006, she voted for the two major-party candidates USA PATRIOT Act, a law that hold positions on cyberse the American Civil Liberties curity that the public finds Union has criticized for dras unpalatable. In the after tically increasing the govern math of the San Bernadino ment’s domestic surveillance shooting, Trump publicly powers in the aftermath of rebuked Apple for refusing 9/11. Most recently, she to help the Federal Bureau agreed with Trump and made of Investigation compromise comments about a possible their customers’ privacy. “Manhattan-like project” that Coming from a position favor would allow the US govern
ment to crack into encrypted communications, an idea that Apple CEO Tim Cook has publicly criticized, saying that such an idea could make people’s private information vulnerable to hackers. It’s safe to say that, no mat ter who wins this election, the real losers will be the Fourth Amendment and government transparency. In one of these rare cases, both parties find a way to reach across the aisle and strip rights from the average American. Barack Obama ran his 2008 campaign on the idea of cre ating a transparent administration; in return, he has created what is arguably the least transpar ent presidential administra tion in recent memory. In con trast, it seems that the current mainstream candidates aren’t even interested in pretend ing to care. Both major thirdparty candidates, Libertarian Gov. Gary Johnson and Green Dr. Jill Stein, hold pro-privacy positions on encryption and domestic surveillance, but they’re both a far cry from realistically influencing pub lic policy. It’s somewhat ironic that both Trump and Clinton, who are generally not interested in protecting these types of civil liberties, both insist on exercising these rights for things that they wish to keep private. Trump has notorious
“It’s safe to say that, no matter who wins this election, the real losers will be the Fourth Amendment and government transparency.”
ly refused to release his tax returns, while Clinton has on several occasions refused to release her Wall Street speech transcripts. If political class isn’t going to stick up for the common person’s rights, then who will? Interestingly enough, it seems that the strongest pushback against increased government intrusion into the tech industry has come from the tech industry itself. Companies like Google and Facebook have been heavily criticized for collecting user data and giving it to adver tisers and governments, but other leaders in the tech industry are starting to push back. In an industry that relies on secure and exclu sive access to information as part of its business model, any governmental effort to weaken this security is met with hostility. While Apple is the biggest company showing outright resistance to the idea of more governmental con trol, companies like Google and Microsoft have also chal lenged the idea of a surveil lance state. There’s not much the ordinary citizen can do to change this trajectory in November, but with any luck, the tech industry will soon realize what it must do to pro tect its customers’ privacy.
Editorial@DailyCollegian.com
Take some time to explore
At first, the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus can seem over
vastly preferable to strug gling through rain, snow or cold weather. No matter how many Jessica Primavera great locations I find, my absolute favorite place on the UMass campus has to whelming and huge. I be Durfee Conservatory. know it seemed that way Dating back to 1867, it’s for me. But if you take an oasis of serenity for some time to explore the busy students. It’s a place campus, you’ll soon dis to escape from all of your cover some amazing plac stress, where it’s always es. warm and slightly humid, One day during my no matter how bleak the freshman year, I was weather outside is. There wandering through the are five sections of the maze-like halls of Morrill conservatory, each featur Science Center. The signs ing a different category of on the walls saying “Don’t plant. The largest of these worry; it’s not supposed
“It’s an oasis of serenity for busy students.” to make sense” were reas suring, but not very help ful. I stumbled across a room called the Rausch Mineral Gallery. It show cases former UMass pro fessor Marvin Rausch’s collection of rare miner als from all over the world. Rows of dazzling gems are displayed, packing a muse um’s worth of wonder into a space that is slightly larger than an average dorm room. When I found the tun nel connecting Herter and Bartlett halls, the cir cumstances were just as coincidental. Before that day, I had no idea that it existed. But then, I heard someone mention the tun nel in conversation. I was intrigued by the descrip tion and decided to find it for myself, heading down to the basement of Herter as soon as I had some free time. After I discovered it, I used it frequently. The underground route was
is the Tropical House, which features a fish pond and many exotic trees. Some other great plac es to check out are the Orchard Hill observatory, the greenhouses connect ed to Morill and the many art galleries on campus. There is the University Museum of Contemporary Art, the Augusta Savage Gallery, the Herter Art Gallery and the Hampden Gallery. You can find whatever type of art you like on display somewhere at UMass. I encourage everyone, whether you’ve been at UMass for three days or three years, to take some time to explore the world around you. Wander around without any spe cific destination in mind. You might find your new favorite place. Jessica Primavera is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at jprimavera@umass.edu.
Edridge D’Souza is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at edsouza@umass.edu.
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ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOOTBALL
Quarterback Andrew Ford looks to find a home in Amherst after transferring for a second time
By Adam Aucoin Collegian Staff
It’s the dog days of summer at Massachusetts football training camp and Andrew Ford drops back to pass, scanning the field for an open receiver. The 6-foot3 lefty rolls out to his left and locks eyes with tight end Adam Breneman, a guy he’s had a long history with on the football field. With defenders flanking him, he releases the ball and hits the big target in stride. For the third straight season, Ford finds a different logo on the side of his helmet. Many players would crumble under the weight of the journey he has taken in college football, but Ford is persistent. His next stop here in Amherst represents another opportunity to show what he can do on the field, while playing the game he has loved since he was young.
Friday night lights
Growing up in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, deep in the heart of lower-central portion of the state, football was king. With a population of less than 8,000 people, the youth of Camp Hill need to find some type of outlet with sports being what a lot of kids turn to in their community. Football was in Ford’s life from a young age. “Ever since I can remember I was going to football games with my family, and growing up in central Pennsylvania, it’s a big deal to a lot of people,” Ford said. “We’re in an interesting spot in Pennsylvania that we’re close enough to go to
JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN
Andrew Ford talks to the media during UMass football media day in August. Ford threw 23 touchdowns last season at Lackawanna Junior College. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., so there’s a lot of teams people cheer for and you kind of get thrown into rooting for those teams.” “Everybody always dreamed about playing under the Friday night lights. Growing up, that was always the goal, starting from youth football all the way up,” he added. When Ford got to Cedar Cliff High School, his talent really started to shine. After taking over as quarterback his sophomore year, he never looked back – becoming one
of the most prolific passers in the school’s history. Ford set records for passing yards (7,103), touchdown passes (82) and completion percentage (66.9) during his tenure with the Colts. He led the team to a MidPennsylvania Conference title his senior year and his work was recognized on a grand stage as he was named 2013 Gatorade Player of the Year and Mr. Pennsylvania, along with being selected as an Elite 11 quarterback. For the longest time, Ford wasn’t thinking about the next level of football, but
when the recruiting process began for his Cedar Cliff teammate, Breneman, he started to realize that there might be something past the glory of Friday night lights. “I got exposed to some coaches and got to work out for them,” Ford said. “I heard a lot of positive feedback. It was something that setting that goal and realizing you’re pretty close to achieving it was when I started taking playing at the next level more serious.” Ford’s many years of hard work on the football field would pay off in a big way, as
FOOTBALL
MEN’S SOCCER
HC pulls Williams to prevent injury
UMass still winless after three games
By Andrew Cyr
By Philip Sanzo
Despite falling to No. 25 Florida Saturday night 24-7, Massachusetts football coach Mark Whipple said he was pleased with UMass’ effort in all three phases of the game Monday morning on his weekly conference call. The Minutemen (0-1) trailed the Gators 10-7 into the fourth quarter, but Florida’s Eddy Pineiro made a pair of field goals (48 and 49 yards, respectively) and quarterback Luke Del Rio’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Powell led the Gators to a 14-0 outbreak in the games final 11 minutes, 14 seconds. “We had a chance. There were 10 minutes, 11 minutes to go in the game and we’re only down three,” Whipple said. “We certainly would have taken that. I would have been pleased with that.” “I like the way they were in the locker room afterward. They weren’t happy,
It has been nearly 10 months since the Massachusetts men’s soccer team fell to Fordham 1-0 in the first round of the Atlantic-10 tournament. With the 2016 season already underway, UMass hopes to repeat, if not improve on, its fourth place A-10 finish from a year ago. The Minutemen (0-2-1) turned what appeared to be a doomed 2015 season into one of the best conference finishes in the program’s recent history. Now the question is, was it just luck? The Minutemen will tell you absolutely not. Fran O’Leary, in his second season as UMass head coach, has high expectations for this year’s squad. “I think that we finished the year, we finished the spring with a terrific camaraderie and work ethic,” O’Leary said. “All indications are that we will maintain that coming into the fall.”
he was offered a spot on the 2014 Virginia Tech football team, playing under legendary coach Frank Beamer – who ranks 15th all time in wins by a college football coach.
The next level Ford has always been a player looking for an opportunity to shine, but in his first year in Blacksburg, the opportunities weren’t there on the field. Competing with four other quarterbacks on the roster, three of which
already had at least one year of college football under their belt, Ford was facing an uphill battle to just make it on the field. Redshirt junior Michael Brewer got the call to be the signal caller for the Hokies that year as he led the team to a 7-6 season. With Brewer playing in all thirteen games for Virginia Tech, Ford had to be content just watching and getting his reps in during practice. “It was tough,” Ford said. “Playing three years as a starter in high school then going to a role where you weren’t seeing the field was frustrating.” Despite the setback of not getting playing time his freshman year, Ford found the season to be very helpful for his development. “It really helped me develop as a quarterback,” he said. “Seeing the play from the sideline really slowed down the game for me, and coach (Scott) Loeffler (offensive coordinator) did a great job of bringing me along. Even though I wasn’t out there on the field, I was getting reps in practice and doing the film studies and really handling what I need to do as if I was the starter.” Ford thinks the experience with the Hokies really integrated him into how the college game was played. But after the 2014 season, Ford decided it was time for another change of scenery. The next stop of his football journey would take him back home, as he joined the Lackawanna College football team, a junior college located in Scranton, Pennsylvania. see
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Coach Whipple reflects on UM looks to shock A-10 after Florida, looks ahead to BC strong end to last season Collegian Staff
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ROBERT RIGO/COLLEGIAN
Mark Whipple addresses the media after UM’s 17-13 loss to Akron last season. Prior to the season, not that I expected them to Whipple said Isabella be,” Whipple added. would be featured more in Isabella, Comis stand the offense. The five-footout nine receiver appeared in 10 games last season. The first player Whipple “On offense, Andy talked about after watching Isabella had a couple big the film against the Gators plays. The moment wasn’t was sophomore wide too big for him so that was receiver Andy Isabella. good to see,” Whipple said. Isabella led the Minutemen Additionally, Whipple in receptions (three) and also thought that Comis receiving yards (95), includplayed better than expecting a big 51-yard reception ed as the redshirt sophoin the second quarter, and more finished 9-of-17 for another 30-yard catch on 141 yards with no touchthird-and-five midway see WHIPPLE on page B3 through the third.
“Everyone has the right mentality. Where we have rebounded to fourth coming off a poor start to last season, if we start strong this year I think we’ll keep carrying that and keep getting better every day.” Ty Goncalves, UMass midfielder T he Minutemen redeemed a seemingly lost 2015 campaign by going 4-3-1 in conference play to close out the regular season. In the eight conference games, UMass scored nine goals. It scored only five in the previous 10 non-conference games to start the season. The fourth place finish came as a shock to most in the conference after the Minutemen were picked to finish 12th in the coach’s preseason poll. UMass is once again in a similar situation. A preseason poll ranked them 10th in the conference, a mark too low according to the players. “That came out I believe [Aug. 24],” senior midfielder Ty Goncalves said, “and everybody on the team once they saw it was like, ‘we
think that’s way too low for us.’” Goncalves is no stranger to success at the collegiate level. As a member of the Holy Cross Crusaders in 2013, he made it to the Patriot League Championship game where they lost to Navy 2-0. Goncalves said he believes that the 2016 Minutemen have that same potential. “I do see that potential in our team right now, absolutely,” Goncalves said. “Everyone has the right mentality. Where we have rebounded to fourth coming off a poor start to last season, if we start strong this year I think we’ll keep carrying that and keep getting better every day.” The senior envisions his team finishing no worse see
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Ford still had dreams of making it back to a Football Bowl Subdivision program, so the transfer to Lackawanna was the perfect way to save his eligibility while also showcasing his talents to other programs. If he had decided to transfer to another FBS school, he would have to sit out a year and lose a year of service. “It was never really something I thought about, going the junior college way,” Ford said. “It was a really good fit and it was a really smart decision. It was another good opportunity to get back on the field and get more tape out there for coaches and go back through the recruiting process.” When Ford arrived at Lackawanna in early August, he needed to win over the locker room of guys who had already been there, a situation eerily similar to the one he currently faces at UMass. “I had to come in and really win the team over and learn a whole new offense in a month.” Ford said. “A lot of those things have helped me in my short time here at UMass, where a lot of these guys have
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been together for a long time.” Ford would play nine games, throwing for 1,764 yards and 23 touchdowns with the Falcons.
“I had to come in and really win the team over and learn a whole new offense in a month. A lot of those things helped me in my short time here at UMass, where a lot of these guys have been together for a long time.”
Finding a home in Amherst The connection in Amherst was clear right off the bat. Ford had a relationship with former Minutemen offensive line coach Shane Waldron, who had recruited him out of college. Waldron got to talking with Ford about UMass and it didn’t take long for him to be sold on making the transfer to play in Amherst. Head coach Mark Whipple was on board with the move to bring in Ford, as he was looking for more depth at the quarterback position after losing former quarterback Blake Frohnapfel to graduation. “We were drawn to his experience,” Whipple said. “He had gone to a real good division I program at Virginia Tech and was a really good player in high school. He was a guy that had been under center and played at a higher level. We didn’t want to be in a situa-
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Andrew Ford walks off the field during his freshman season at Virginia Tech, where he redshirted. He then transferred to Lackawanna Junior College after the season.
Andrew Ford, UMass quarterback tion where if Ross (Comis) gets hurt, we’re going with a freshman.” Ford was excited for the opportunity to play under Whipple. “He’s had success wherever he’s been with his style of offense,” Ford said. “He brought me in and showed me what I could do with my skill set in this offense.” Whipple has been happy with the progression he has seen from Ford over his short time with the Minutemen. “He’s getting to the next step. I’m getting to know him and how he plays,” Whipple said. “We met with him over the summer, but didn’t get to see him play. Now we’re getting the chance to coach him on the finer things and he’s getting it.” Scott Woodward, who enters his first season as the team’s quarterbacks coach, has been impressed with how Ford has integrated himself within the offense. “Andrew’s the type of kid who’s always in the office, always asking questions, always watching tape,” Woodward said. “He knows he’s just a little behind everyone else because he just got here, but he picks up everything well. Every day you can see him becoming more comfortable within this offense.” Woodward believes the fact that Ford has already experienced what it’s like to play for a major division I program will help him greatly as he continues to find his place with UMass. “You can tell that he has really been coached up in his past about different things and coming from another division I program, you learn a lot,” he said. “A quarterback learns the most during his first year of college. He’s one of the smarter guys out there, so we have no doubt that he will continue to progress every day.” In the early days of camp, there was battle brewing between Ford and
MEN’S SOCCER
Minutemen drop game to Florida Da’Sean Downey notches six tackles By Kyle DaLuz Collegian Staff
redshirt sophomore Ross Comis for the starting quarterback spot. Comis has since been named the starter by Whipple, but the coach believes there is an advantage to having both on the roster. “I have confidence that if Ross got nicked, Andrew would go in and be fine and I think the team feels that way too,” Whipple said. “He’s been getting better each day in practice and in the scrimmage we had, so we would have total confidence in him if he was placed in a position where needed to go in for us.” Ford hasn’t focused too much on the competition with Comis and instead is just focusing on getting better every day. “Every position has competition this time of year, so we haven’t really talked about it too much,” Ford said. “We just go out there every day trying to be the best we can be. Personally, I’m going to do whatever coach Whipple and his staff asks me to do and help this team win in any way I can.” UMass has struggled for any form of consistent success since their jump up to FBS play in 2012, going 8-40 over that span and opening the 2016 season with a loss against No. 25 Florida. Expectations are up in the air for the newly-independent Minutemen, but Ford isn’t worried about what the team has done in the past. All he knows is what he sees every day. “I’ve been really impressed with how the guys have come together as a team and it’s a really good culture,” Ford said. “We have a group of guys that are hungry to win and hungry to put in the extra hours, so we’re just looking for the opportunity and we’re going to take it one day at a time.”
their own on the following drive. Ross Comis settled in the pocket only to be flushed with pressure, proceeding to avoid a defender and run his way into the end zone on a five-yard scamper. Comis connected twice on deep balls to Andy Isabella, the first for 53-yards in the second quarter. Comis completed 9-of-17 passes in his first collegiate start for 141 yards. It would be remise not to note that penalties and dropped passes were a major equalizer for much of the first three quarters. At one point in the second quarter, UMass had gained 35 yards and been gifted 36 in penalty yardage by Florida miscues. The Gators added a field goal before the end of the second quarter to take a 10-7 halftime lead – a score that would remain intact for the next 15 minutes, which gave the Minutemen confidence and hope that they could be another team to knock off a favorite on what was a whacky day in college football. Until the fourth quarter came around, where the on-field talent mismatch seemed to finally catch up to UMass, as Florida scored 11 consecutive points in a 3:10 span. Eddy Pineiro added a 49-yard field goal, and Del Rio tossed his second touchdown of the game, this time to Brandon Powell for the 26-yard score. Pineiro netted another field goal to close out the scoring and hand the Minutemen their first loss of the season.
Editor’s Note: This story previously ran online on September 3, 2016 On the night when former coach Steve Spurrier was honored on the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium prior to Saturday night’s kickoff of the college football season for No. 25 Florida and the Massachusetts football team, the Gators made Spurrier wait a little while before heading for the exits with his team’s victory secure. After being given $1.25 million to be handed a loss, UMass fought to the bitter end before bowing out of now Steve Spurrier-Florida Field after giving the Gators everything they seemingly had in a 24-7 defeat – a margin of victory many would think was improbable. The Minutemen effort cannot be understated, as the defense was fast, explosive and at the point of attack in playing opportunistic football for the majority of the 60-minute affair. Edge UMass linebacker Da’Sean Downey looked like an All-American on the field Saturday night, recording a forced fumble and a huge 4th-and-1 stop at the Minutemen five-yard line to turn the ball back over to the UMass offense. The Gators opened the scoring in the first quarter on a 12-yard strike from Luke Del Rio to Antonio Callaway to cap a 71-yard, 11-play scoring drive. Kyle DaLuz can be reached at The Minutemen respond- kdaluz@umass.edu and followed on ed with a touchdown of Twitter @Kyle_DaLuz.
Adam Aucoin can be reached at aaucoin@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @aaucoin34.
FIELD HOCKEY
Scoring output will be vital to success in 2016
Minutewomen seek return trip to NCAA tournament
UMass scored only 14 goals in 2015
UM looks to build off 2-2 start in ‘16
By Jamie Cushman
By Zander Manning
It might sound obvious, but in the low-scoring game of soccer, one still needs goals in order to win games, and the Massachusetts men’s soccer discovered that the hard way last season. Tallying just 14 goals on 202 shot attempts in 2015, UMass finished their first season under new head coach Fran O’Leary with a record of 5-13-1. This year’s iteration of the Minutemen (0-2-1) has not done much to buck that trend just yet, scoring just once during the opening three games of the season, but O’Leary remains confident the team will have success as the season continues. “I think we’ll score goals as we go. We were very unfortunate (against Saint Peter’s) we came up against
After the Massachusetts field hockey team finished the 2015 regular season 11-8 overall and 7-1 in Atlantic 10 conference play, the Minutewomen seemed pretty excited for playoffs. After winning its play-in game against Kent State 1-0 in Amherst, UMass moved on to the first round of the NCAA tournament where it played No. 2 Syracuse and lost 4-2. The Minutewomen were however able to more than one goal past Syracuse goalkeeper Jess Jecko, a struggle for most teams in the tournament. Despite the disappointing loss, UMass is thinking positively about the 2016 season and looks to make another run at the NCAA tournament this year. “We want to win A-10s
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Midfielder Alex DeSantis (7) dribbles the ball against St. Peters on Sept. 3. a very hot goalkeeper. I think over the season we’ll score our share of goals,” O’Leary said. One player who will be key to that goal production will be senior midfielder Ty Goncalves. As a captain and one of only three seniors on the squad, Goncalves will be a key part of the team as both
a leader and someone who can spark the offense, scoring twice and tallying three assists last season, tied for the team-high in both points and assists. “Over the course of the season, (Goncalves) is going to have a big role to play,” O’Leary said. “He was one of the catalysts for our run in see
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first and then we want to make it to NCAAs without a play-in game,” senior defender Hannah Farrell said. “We want to play good in conference play and make it to the final four this year … We want to be in a situation where we’re not drawn against the team that could be the national champ.” Coming into the season, UMass (2-2) was ranked second in the A-10 coach’s poll behind only Richmond, despite beating the Spiders 3-0 in last season’s A-10 championship. While every team strives to be the best, the Minutewomen have not even begun to think about that. Instead, they are just focusing on how they think of themselves. “I don’t think we had it on our thoughts,” senior forward Izzie Delario said. “This team has evolved to be a team that’s philosophy isn’t focused on what teams think of us and more about
what we think of us.” Interim head coach Amy Robertson is glad UMass is not ranked first. “I think we’ll be first,” Robertson said. “I’m glad we’re not, I don’t mind being in an underdog position.” The early stages of the 2016 season have already been up and down of the Minutewomen. After getting swept in its first two games at the Wildcat Classic in Durham, New Hampshire courtesy of UNH and No.16 Northwestern by a combined score of 7-1, UMass bounced back by defeating its next two opponents in UMass Lowell (8-0) and Columbia (3-2) over Labor Day weekend. Despite the mixed results early in the season, Delario believes the team chemistry is the best it’s been in the four years she has played for the Minutewomen. “We appreciate each see
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ATLANTIC 10 than fourth and believes that first place is definitely a realistic possibility. “I think we are really looking to actually make a run in the tournament and not go out first round this year,” Goncalves said. However, in order for a winning season to become a reality, the Minutemen need to overcome the beginningof-the-season slump that has plagued them in recent years. The first half of the season, like many collegiate sports, primarily consists of opponents out of conference. Occasionally, these opponents are nationally ranked such as No. 6 Syracuse, a squad UMass lost to earlier this season. Despite the increased difficulty of the opponents, O’Leary does not believe that out-of-conference teams are any more talented than teams in the A-10. “I don’t think [non-conference teams] are better competition,” O’Leary said. “I think the A-10 is a terrific conference. I think what happened was we were getting to know the guys, they were getting to know us and I think that if you look at the lineup at the start of the season compared to 10 games in, it was a different lineup, guys were in different positions. Guys have to understand where they’re playing.” The same could be said this year as the Minutemen are still working out their starting 11 players. Though the Minutemen
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UMass midfielder Ty Goncalves looks to strike the ball against St. Peters. still remain winless in 2016, the team is not even close to panic mode. If nothing else, last season UMass proved its resilience and poise when faced with its 1-10 start crisis. “I think tremendous credit goes to last season’s squad,” O’Leary said. “When you have a tough start, teams have a tendency to just fracture, our group stayed together. So it is a pretty special group.” After graduating only five seniors, much of the team stood the same, giving the Minutemen a leg up in 2016. Goncalves believes that the nine returning starters add good experience to the overall young team. The Minutemen have 11 underclassmen and only three seniors. UMass’ hope of making a run in the A-10 tournament is not simply a pipe dream, and that was made
evident to Goncalves when players returned from summer vacation. “The thing that impressed me the most is that every returner came in fit,” Goncalves said. “That was a huge thing, like coach told us, ‘everyone come in fit, everyone come in strong,’ and I feel like all of the returners did their work over the summer and improved.” Instead of focusing on specific wins and UMass is focusing on getting better every day. “Everyone comes in everyday and works hard,” Goncalves said of his teammates. “No one slacks off at all and the work rate is high and the mentality of the team is great.”
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downs nor interceptions. His lone touchdown of the day came in the second quarter when he escaped a Florida blitz on a miscommunication from the offensive linemen. “We really emphasized taking care of the football, and he did a good job of that … We had only one pre-snap penalty and we’re playing in front of 90,000 people, so I thought that was pretty good. (Ross) was a really good leader on the sidelines.”
Williams missing second half was Whipple’s decision After missing the entire 2015 season due to injury, on top of suffering an ankle injury in camp, wide receiver Jalen Williams missed the second half of the Florida game after the coaches noticed Williams limping into the locker room after a series of plays in the first half. Williams’ lone reception was good for 24 yards, but came on a critical fourthand-14 that continued UMass’ drive that ended in Comis’ touchdown. “I just shut him down. He did a good job, I think he had six plays or something,” Whipple said. “We went into halftime and we told him just get ready for
“We really emphasized taking care of the football and he did a good job of that ... We had only one pre-snap penalty and we’re playing in front of 90,000 people, so I thought that was pretty good. (Ross) was a really good leader on the sidelines.” Mark Whipple UMass coach next week and get through a week of practice.” “That was my decision, he wanted to go. We saw when he was walking into halftime that he had a little bit of a limp, so we wanted to give him another week and he was much better last night.”
Minutemen shift focus to BostonCollege Whipple’s scouting of the Eagles (0-1) oddly enough began before the Minutemen even entered the swamp. Whipple admitted that he casually watched a portion of the Boston College-Georgia Tech game Saturday morning on TV prior to the 7:30 kickoff against Florida. The Eagles opened their season with a 17-14 loss to the Yellow Jackets in a game played in Dublin, Ireland. “Their guys are similar to Florida up front. They
have a bunch of really good leaders, they play hard, they make plays,” Whipple said. “They’re not really as deep as Florida, I don’t know if they’ll play 10 or 11 guys up front, but they’re really talented – big and strong. We going to have to try to create some short fields for the offense.” Boston College finished with the No. 1 defense last year, allowing only 3,052 yards on the season despite finishing with a 3-9 (0-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) record. Defensive coordinator Don Brown has since transferred to Michigan to join Jim Harbough’s staff. “They’re very physical and they are good. They have tremendous confidence in their own ability. They really play well as a team,” Whipple said. Andrew Cyr can be reached at arcyr@umass.edu, and followed on Twitter @Andrew_Cyr.
Philip Sanzo can be reached at psanzo@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Philip_Sanzo.
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UMass coach Fran O’Leary enters his second season with the Minutemen. the conference last season and we expect a lot from Ty.” “He’s extremely important,” junior forward Alex DeSantis said of Goncalves. “Even if not on the field, and he is important on the field, but just keeping our team together and loving each other, he’s really great.” Goncalves recognizes the need for him to help lead the team offensively, but he also knows soccer is a team sport and the Minutemen will need everyone to contribute in order for them to be successful. “I think it’s obviously important, but everyone contributes,” Goncalves said. “Me and everyone coming off the bench con-
tribute, everyone starting contributes, just everyone needs to come in and play their part. It’s not a one man thing.” UMass will also be looking for some younger players to find an increased role in the offense this season. One player who has gotten the chance to do that early in the season is freshman forward Andrew Barrowman. Barrowman has started all of the Minutemen’s first three games, tallying five shots over 242 minutes. Goncalves has been impressed with what he has seen from the freshman so far. “He’s been good, he’s great on the ball. I think he’ll definitely help on
the offense. He moves the ball well, keeps the ball well, doesn’t lose it, so that’s always good up top,” Goncalves said. O’Leary understands that as a freshman, Barrowman will have both good days and bad days, but he thinks the young forward help an offense that ranked 184 out of 202 Division I teams in goals scored last year. “He’s young, he’s talented, he’s going to help us,” O’Leary added. “He’s a freshman so some days he’s going to help us a lot, and some days he’s going to look like a freshman, but he’s a talented player and I’m delighted to have him.”Barrowman has the confidence that he will play an important role in giving the UMass offense a muchneeded boost. “What I can bring to the table is I can score goals, get in spots, as well as set other guys up to score,” Barrowman said. If the Minutemen hope to achieve their goals this season, they will need players like Goncalves and Barrowman to improve the Minutemen’s scoring output and develop a more dangerous offensive attack. Jamie Cushman can be reached at jrcushman@umass.edu.
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Jalen Williams (80) did not play in the second half of Saturday’s game against Florida for precautionary reasons.
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other on and off the field,” Delario said. “We have trust and respect for each other … We work hard for each other and we do it with a smile on our faces.” The schedule for UMass looks to be a challenging one. The next game is against undefeated Connecticut (3-0) at home Friday afternoon. After, the Minutewomen play their first conference game against St. Louis, then finish up their nonconference play against Harvard, Stanford, Boston College and finally the Huskies for a second time. Out of all the non-conference games, the team seemed to be split on which
“I went to UMass, and UMass and Connecticut always had a pretty big rivalry ...We get to play them twice so that’ll be fun.” Amy Robertson UMass intirim head coach play would be the most exciting. “Boston Colle ge, that will be a big one,” Robertson said. “I went to UMass, and UMass and Connecticut always had a pretty big rivalry … We get to play them twice so that’ll be fun.” The non-conference games are not what Robertson wants to focus
MLB
Padres down Red Sox 2-1 By Jeff Sanders The San Diego Union-Tribune SAN DIEGO — The Padres’ summer sell-off already underway when they signed Edwin Jackson, the 32-year-old right-hander was upping his pitch count at Triple-A El Paso when he learned General Manager A.J. Preller had opened up another spot in San Diego’s makeshift rotation. On Monday, Jackson one-upped the man he ultimately replaced in a 2-1 win over the Red Sox. Adam Rosales provided all of the Padres’ runs on a two-run homer off former
Padres left-hander Drew Pomeranz, Jackson struck out 11 batters — more than any other Padre this season — over seven shutout innings and Brandon Maurer got pinch-hitter David Ortz to fly out to center with a runner on first for the final out. One of two Padres selected to the All-Star Game, Pomeranz won eight of his 17 starts with the Padres, posted a 2.47 ERA over that stretch and emerged as one of baseball’s most-coveted starting pitchers heading into trade season. That led the Red Sox to offer their top pitch-
ing prospect _ Anderson Espinoza _ straight up for Pomeranz after he turned in a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game at Petco Park. Boston’s prize has won just twice since the trade, his latest effort becoming yet another tough-luck loss when Rosales touched him for a two-run shot in the fourth inning. Pomeranz pitched into the sixth but exited with Boston trailing 2-0 following Alex Dickerson’s twoout double to right
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Izzie Delario is one of five seniors on the Minutewomen’s roster.
on however. While they are a good challenge, she likes to focus on the conference games. “The goal is to win every A-10 game,” Robertson said. “Every game is just as important as the other. The team is focused on getting better every game.” The start to the season appears to be rough for any team as they try to work themselves back into flow of the game, but the Minutewomen are ready to face it head on. “Maintaining the season is tough, but we just need to take care of conference games and nothing not looking forward to anything specific,” Farrell said. “There’s no one we’re scared of … We just have to execute all 70 minutes (of each game) this season.” Zander Manning can be reached at alexanderman@umass.edu.
Arts Living THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
“I have a lot of questions about all the things you just said.” - Manny, ‘Swiss Army Man’
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Arts@DailyCollegian.com
PREVIEW
Stacked slate of performances to grace UMass campus FAC readies itself for a great season By Jackson Maxwell Collegian Staff
Given the copious amount of venues and p e r fo r m a n c e spaces throughout the Pioneer Valley, University of Massachusetts students can be forgiven for sometimes forgetting that there is an abundance of concerts, in a dizzying variety of genres, in their own backyard. This season, the Fine Arts Center is offering a typically eclectic selection of concerts. The FAC will begin its fall season with a visit from Alan Cumming. Cumming, of “The Good Wife” fame, will be performing his stage show “Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs” alongside two musicians on Saturday, Sept. 24. On Tuesday, Sept. 27, the FAC will play host to critically acclaimed jazz legends Wadada Leo Smith and Vijay Iyer, who will be performing as a duo, and on Wednesday, Oct. 5, Japanese artist and dancer Takao Kawaguchi will perform some of the most celebrated works of Butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno. The season will take on a different tone on Thursday, Oct. 6, when Los Angeles dance company ContraTiempo performs its show “Agua Furiosa.” Inspired by Shakespeare’s “The
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The University of Massachusetts will play host to an enormous variety of acts this fall semester, encompassing theater, dance, classical music and jazz. Tempest,” “Agua Furiosa” is a show designed to highlight the issue of race relations in America through dance. “Othello in the Seraglio: The Tragedy of Sümbül the Black Eunuch,” an opera set in the Ottoman Court in the 17th century, will be performed on Friday, Oct. 14 in Bowker Auditorium in Stockbridge Hall. World music star Mariza will take the stage at the FAC on Thursday, Oct. 20.
Classical fans may note the upcoming performance of the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra on Sunday, Oct. 30, while jazz fans will likely be interested in the Marcus Roberts Trio performance on Thursday, Nov. 3. This is just a portion of the performances occurring at the Fine Arts Center over the course of this semester, and tickets for each of them are available at heavily discounted
prices for both UMass and Five College students. The Fine Arts Center, alongside these performances in its concert and recital halls, will show visual art exhibits like “Human Animals: The Art of Cobra and Its Legacy,” an exhibition – curated by UMass Art History Assistant Professor Karen Kurczynski – examines the trans-national, avantgarde CoBrA movement in post-World War II Europe.
struck Kathmandu, Nepal, in April 2015. Returning to the stage, the UMass department of theater is also gearing up for a fascinating season. The department will be performing an adaptation of Moliére’s “The Misanthrope” at the Rand Theater from mid to lateOctober and “Refugee,” a musical written by Milan Dragicevich, at the Curtain Theater from late-November to early-December. Though the Mullins Center may be known to most UMass students as the place to mercilessly taunt visiting hockey teams, it does play host to the occasional concert. On the docket at Mullins this semester is another visit from MANIA Circus. This event, which used to be known as Fantazia, is a multimedia extravaganza featuring electronic music, acrobatics and intense choreography. It will be arriving at the Mullins Center on Saturday, Sep. 24. The one thing tying all of these vastly different performances and displays together is that each and every one of them will be directly on campus. Though many of them may not jump out at first glance, each one has heavily discounted tickets for students, so your curiosity won’t come at a steep cost.
The FAC is also sponsoring a series of visual art exhibitions throughout the semester at the Augusta Savage Gallery in the New Africa House on campus. These include “About Face,” a gallery of portraits on display between Sept. 12 and Sept. 28, and “The Lotus in the Mud,” an Erika Radich exhibit featuring works inspired by Jackson Maxwell can be reached at the destruction of the dev- jlmaxwell@umass.edu, and followed astating earthquake that on Twitter at @JMaxwell82.
H E A LT H & F I T N E S S
Cupping: the origins of this Olympian-embraced therapy Phelps and others use technique in Rio By Jessica Chaiken Collegian Staff
Which was more exciting during the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio: Watching Michael Phelps’ win recordbreaking amounts of medals or his abundance of mysterious dark circles? Amidst the excitement of watching Phelps win gold after gold and break new records during the Rio Olympics, people couldn’t help but notice the big dark circles scattered all over his arms and back. Phelps was not alone in this, as many other Olympians were “spotted” covered in these marks as well. The mystery behind these circles is much simpler than an alleged attack by golf balls or any other absurd explanation. Rather, these marks are the result of an alternative form of medicine called cupping. Cupping is a form of acupuncture therapy by which a vacuum is created in a cup and then placed upside down on an area of your skin. This process causes your blood vessels to expand, and the skin under the cup to rise and form a sort of dome.
The cups are generally left on the skin for no more than three minutes before being removed. People resort to this therapy to help with pain, relaxation or as a type of massage. The side effects of this therapy are fairly mild, generally leaving perfectly round bruises caused by popped blood vessels beneath the skin. There are two different types of cupping: dry and wet. Dry cupping is more popular among Western societies, and is what Michael Phelps and other Olympic athletes utilized. Wet cupping – which is not as readily accepted in Western nations – is on the other hand a more invasive procedure, most commonly found in China and in certain predominantly Islamic parts of the world. It is virtually the same as dry cupping, except for an added step whereby a professional makes a small incision in the skin underneath where the cup will be placed, and the suction from the cup draws a small amount of blood from the open wound, as a kind of “detox.” Many Olympians have turned to this technique to help with recovery and aches from the physical stresses of practicing and
competing. Despite its high-profile users, research on cupping, for the most part, has been inconclusive. While some organizations can list multiple medical issues that cupping can heal, others have stated that the therapy itself has not proven effective. The British Cupping Society (BCS) is a pro-cupping organization aimed at advocating the “cupping profession” and educating the public to promote understanding and acceptance of the practice. The BCS claims that cupping can be used to treat certain blood disorders, skin rashes, anxiety, depression and a wide array of other issues, although they have little concrete evidence to support these claims. Yet many athletes swear by this therapy. Along with Phelps, members of the men’s United States men’s gymnastics team, such as Alex Naddour, as well as many other Olympians worldwide have used this therapy, as was visible during the Olympic competitions. Even popular celebrities have tried cupping. To name a few, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Bieber and Victoria Beckham have been photographed with cupping marks over the years.
MARK REIS/COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE/TNS
Although the dark, round bruises it leaves behind may seem alarming, cupping has immensely beneficial effects. But while cupping seems to be the new trend, this practice dates back to ancient Chinese and Middle Eastern cultures almost 3,000 years ago. Back then the cups used for cupping were made out of bamboo, and the suction was generated by igniting a fire within the cup before placing it on the skin. One common concern is whether or not cupping therapy is painful. The British
Acupuncture Council states that the therapy is not painful, although Phelps was seen flinching while having the therapy done. Other athletes have also confirmed this pain. Some have recorded the experience to feel uncomfortable rather than painful, as the cups produce a feeling of tight suction on the skin. Even though there is no evidence to prove the effectiveness of cupping, there
is also no evidence to show that it is harmful. You should not attempt cupping on your own. For safety reasons, cupping should only be done by a professional. But there’s no harm in finding a local acupuncture clinic to test it out. If it helped Michael Phelps win a record 23 gold medals, who knows what it could do for you. Jessica Chaiken can be reached at jchaiken@umass.edu.
B5
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
DailyCollegian.com
TELEVISION
1980s nostalgia and not much else in ‘Stranger Things’ Retro series too in love with influences By Nate Taskin Collegian Staff
Collective nostalgia’s ability to invoke affinity toward an era the majority of audiences never experienced always amazes me. The less you know about the origins of “Stranger Things,” an extravaganza of 1980s pop culture references, the easier it is to enjoy. It’s an unfortunate paradox – the viewer cannot fully appreciate the scope and ambition of “Stranger Things” unless they recognize the references, yet if the viewer recognizes all of the shot-for-shot homages, character archetypes and genre conventions, there’s less of an incentive to watch the show when one can rewatch its much better influences. The show inspires the same feelings in me as those I feel toward yearend mashups made by DJ Earworm where he jumbles together the beats and hooks of the biggest pop hits of the year. It’s well made, and it’s crafted with the utmost care, yet the biggest feeling it conjures within me is a desire to go back to the works that inspired the mashup. Why couldn’t you have just composed your own song? In place of an actual story, “Stranger Things” has seven or so different subplots mashed together into one narrative. In rural Indiana, after an intense Dungeons & Dragons session, a young boy leaves his friend’s house on his bike and mysteriously vanishes. Meanwhile, a strange girl with psychic powers
and an interdimensional monster escape a shady research facility, and the sister of one of the boys is trapped in a tedious love triangle between a creepy stalker and a creepy jock. What we’ve got here is a high dosage of Amblin Entertainment – ¬“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Poltergeist” are the big ones – alongside a peppering of genre flicks inspired by John Carpenter and Stephen King. Even if series creators, the Duffer brothers (Matt and Ross), fail to shake the impression they’re recreating earlier visionaries’ work rather than crafting their own, I won’t dare question their technical ability to bring about that recreation. Filled with haunting imagery, from the shadowy outlines of the children on their bikes in the moonlit woods to the shot of the already memed to death alphabet Christmas lights, “Stranger Things” at its highpoints is a genre throwback filled with genuine intrigue and allure. Plus, that John Carpenterinspired synth score absolutely kills. Except I’ve seen all of this stuff before. “Stranger Things” is part of the larger reboot/ remix culture that currently dominates media, where past pop-culture relics are chopped up and thrown into a modern context melting pot. If movies like “Mad Max: Fury Road” or “Creed” are any indication, there’s nothing inherently wrong with this trend, though “Fuller House” and “Kung Fury” prove that it’s not an inherent good either. T hough “Strang er Things” has infinitely
OFFICIAL ‘STRANGER THINGS’ FACEBOOK PAGE/NETFLIX
Series creators the Duffer brothers clearly love the pulpy pop culture hits of yesteryear, but ‘Stranger Things’ fails to feel greater than the sum of its parts. obscure references to science fiction and fantasy novels, comic books, and other assorted staples of geek culture. On the other hand, one of my least favorites, “Ready Player One,” does this exact same thing. (My sympathies to the University of Massachusetts Class of 2016 for being forced to drudge through that dreck.) The difference between “Oscar Wao,” “Creed,” and “Mad Max: Fury Road” “Ready Player Again, there’s nothing versus wrong with homage and One,” “Fuller House” and references. One of my yes, “Stranger Things,” is favorite novels, “The Brief that the former examples Wondrous Life of Oscar demonstrate an intimate Wao,” is jam-packed with knowledge of the past in more passion than the plastic nostalgia of “Fuller House” and the obsession with surface-level iconography in “Kung Fury,” it still fails to elevate these old tropes in any meaningful way. Even if the acting performances are fine, all of the characters behave like archetypes rather than real human beings. The closest detail that comes to subversion is a well-coiffed bully who turns out to only be somewhat of a jerk.
order to enrich the mythology of the present, whereas the latter just want to dwell in the surface details of the past. The Duffer brothers, who were barely out of kindergarten when the ‘80s ended, just do not demonstrate an understanding of the era that “Stranger Things” pays tribute toward. It’s a show made by people who learned what childhood in the ‘80s was like from Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter and Stephen King, who all grew up in the ‘50s. It’s an imitation of an imitation, yet at least that original approximation was not beholden to its own
inspirations. At times, it seems as if the Duffers’ aim is to cram in as much “80s stuff ” as possible for the sake of it, authenticity be damned. “Stranger Things” epitomizes the best and worst aspects of nostalgia. A sprinkle of it here and there can evoke pleasant memories, yet, to quote a cultural staple from my own generation, “it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” A multitude of signifiers just does not make up for a lack of substance. Nate Taskin can be reached at ntaskin@umass.edu.
FILM REVIEW
‘Swiss Army Man’ a life-affirming story of love and farts Bleak and comedic film inspires hope
human body that also doubles as a hilarious grossout black comedy. We first meet Hank (Paul Dano) stranded on a deserted island, the noose already tight around his neck. He expects to see his life flash before his eyes, but he sees nothing. He never had much of a life in the first place. He policed his behavior and his inhibitions because people might think he is weird. Then, just as he’s about to step off the ledge and hang himself, a miracle
occurs. A corpse (Daniel Radcliffe) washes up on the beach, but not just any corpse. As a result of decomposition, high-pressure farts have built up inside the body and Hank figures out how to ride the cadaver off the island like a flatulence-powered jet ski. Soon enough we discover that there’s even more to this tooting carcass than meets the eye. His name is Manny, and he can speak, though, as a result of post-death amnesia, his knowledge of the
outside world is limited – Hank has to explain poop to him, and how everyone does it. Now trapped on what seems like another By Nate Taskin area far removed from civiCollegian Staff lization, Hank and Manny The best movie of the slowly form a friendship as year is the one where they roast popcorn, roleHarry Potter plays a fartplay date, pretend to ride ing corpse. Hear me out. the bus, talk about girls and Few movies out right examine the commonality now can match the wit, and secrecy of humanity. insight and craft of “Swiss After all, if Hank hides Army Man.” It’s a thematihis farts from his best cally rich, deeply layered friend – something that we film about the relationship all do – what else might he between loneliness and the be hiding? Even though it might have the greatest premise ever conceived, “Swiss Army Man” would still fall flat if not for the excellent performances from the two leads. Paul Dano, one of the most undervalued character actors in Hollywood, toes a perfect line between cute and creepy. We can feel the depths of his sadness. There’s something fundamentally broken inside Hank, and his wonderful chemistry with Daniel Radcliffe – much of it involves Hank teaching Manny the basics of universe (like how erections work) – allows the viewer to gradually understand Hank’s fatal flaw: his inability to be honest with himself. In a perfect world, Radcliffe would nab an Oscar for this role. (Well, in a perfect world, awards wouldn’t matter. You get the idea.) His character, which may or may not exist entirely in Hank’s head, acts like a toddler who has just experienced OFFICIAL ‘SWISS ARMY MAN’ FACEBOOK PAGE/A24 the world for the first Paul Dano (left) and Daniel Radcliffe (right) discover the power of friendship and flatulence in this exceptional film. time, and Radcliffe, with
a droopy-eyed physicality that recalls Buster Keaton, nails it. Since Manny has the mind of a naive child, he expresses all of his emotions at a heightened intensity. His joy and his despair are felt at a deeper, gut level, and it’s completely infectious. It’s hard to name a recent character that feels more alive than Manny, which says a lot since he’s technically dead. Writer-director duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who rose to prominence as the helmsmen behind music videos like “Turn Down for What,” display a keen filmmaking craftsmanship. This movie could have so easily become some twee Sundance schlock, yet the Daniels (their preferred title) have created something that asks profoundly difficult questions about how we build our own little islands that we occupy away from everyone else, and the world may feel a little more connected if we shared our universal bodily functions. The result is a master-
ful, bizarre mesh of misanthropy and idealism that recalls the work of Kurt Vonnegut. It’s a film that is earnestly profound and profane in equal measure. Perhaps the reason the film connected with me so deeply is that its unapologetic weirdness is not tangential, but rather acts as the central Aesop of the film: take pride in your inner weirdo. If you have nobody, then you are nobody. This statement is a simple truism. All that we have can be measured in the connections we make, and if we cannot be honest with the people closest to us about our basic bodily functions, then we can never be honest with ourselves. The human body is a miracle, so there’s no reason to feel ashamed about what it does. Open yourself up to the people you love. Farts and all. Nate Taskin can be reached at ntaskin@umass.edu.
B6
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN
Comics
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B y R andall M onroe
To Solve The Numbers, You Must Become The Numbers
L ife H ack #26 When navigating to your classes, try taking a shortcut through the campus pond. As long as you can swim, you’ll be fine, the pirannhas can’t catch most people.You will get wet, but it saves at least three minutes in travel time. P oorly D rawn L ines
aquarius
HOROSCOPES Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
Why is the library the tallest building on campus? Because it has so many stories! (Tell this joke to make friends).
pisces
B y R eza F arazmand
Feb. 19 - Mar. 20
leo
Jul. 23 - Aug. 22
Don’t worry about time. You have a whole semester to waste as you see fit.
virgo
Aug. 23 - Sept. 22
Do not bite the hand that feeds you. You’ll get kicked out of the dining commons.
You will meet your soul mate today, but also your worst enemy. Be careful, they may be the same person.
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
If the campus is big and confusing now, just wait! Soon you’ll be a senior, but equally lost.
Never let the library printers know you’re in a hurry. They can smell fear.
Passive-agressive post-it notes are the ideal way to communicate. Not just with roommates, but friends, professors, parents, etc.
Make necessary sacrifices today. I recommend goat or lamb.
sagittarius
Nov. 22 - Dec. 21
Today: Classes start! In other news, student morale at all-time low.
Life hack: Aim for the groin. In any situation. Fight, interview, anatomy test.
cancer
capricorn
Jun. 22 - Jul. 22
The presence of your roommate is the only thing preventing you from being a complete slob.
Dec. 22 - Jan. 19
You will struggle to find your classes, only to realize you’re not looking at your schedule, but at the dinner menu.