The Massachusetts Daily Collegian: October 18th, 2016

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Sixty gather to rally in support of Labor Center Speakers criticize cuts to program

believes the fate of the Labor Center could determine the fate of other small, “radical” departments such as sociology,

By Hannah Depin Afro-American studies and Collegian Staff women, gender, and sexu Roughly 60 people gath- ality studies. He and others ered outside the Student emphasized that these proUnion Monday afternoon grams may be under threat to rally in support of the because they are not seen Labor Center, which has by the University as revbeen surrounded by con- enue generators. troversy amid claims O r g a n iz e r s c irc u that the University of lated bright-green flyMassachusetts is aiming to ers throughout the rally eliminate the program. that read “Education not Professors, students Revenue Generation!” and other activists criti- The controversy began cized the University’s cuts in September when a letto the program and empha- ter written by former sized its fight for the Labor Labor Center director Center is part of a larger Eve Weibaum was circubattle to protect the rights lated online. In the letter, of working class people Weibaum described graduand keep higher education al cuts to the program over affordable. time and claimed that the “Our people are under University was defunding attack because of the cuts it because it was not profto the Labor Center,” said itable. Weibaum’s account Satiago Vidales, co-chair conflicts with John Hird’s, of the Graduate Employee dean of the College of Organization, who led the Social and Behavioral JUDITH GIBSON OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN rally. “Let’s keep it on the Sciences. Hird said the lethorizon that this is part of ter was full of “misrepre- Dave Pelland (left), standing next to Santiago Vidales, speaks about his experience teaching at the Labor Center during a support rally on Monday. a larger attack on public sentations and errors.” institutions.”

Sociolog y professor labor rights and labor stud- a lot of fighting. We’re not state legislature of making purely profit-driven “This is a nationally recog Vidales added he Stellan Vinthagen said ies programs are being going to win today.” undermined across the Cohen added that the decisions, such as Labor nized program able to proUnited States at the rally. University was founded to Center student and GEO duce a host of leaders that He called for collective educate the working class union organizer Anais will lead an entire class in action in the face of the students of Massachusetts Surkin. Surkin believes the this country, and that class and cuts to the Labor University’s budget issues budget cuts. is the working class,” Valle “Education, we say, Center and other programs are a “manufactured fissaid, drawing applause is not for sale and not are pricing those same stu- cal crisis” and administrators do not value the Labor from the crowd. about making a profit,” dents out.

Jon Weissman, a repCenter as much as other Valle led the protesVinthagen said. tors in a series of chants, Monday’s rally coin- resentative from Western programs. cided with a scheduled Mass. Jobs with Justice, “We have a giant new including “they say cut meeting about the Labor said that the budget cuts business school over there back, we say fight back.”

Center between Chancellor must be restored within … to educate the ruling Vidales addressed the Kumble Subbaswamy and months in order for the class,” Surkin said, gestur- crowd before the event conLabor Center to survive. ing toward the Isenberg other stakeholders. cluded. “Contracts aren’t “This meeting is a victo- “Let me emphasize that School of Management. won by good arguments,” ry on our behalf,” said for- there’s a very small win- College of Education graduate student Fermin he said. “They’re won by mer Labor Center adjunct dow,” Weissman said. professor David Cohen, Many of the speakers Valle praised the Labor people power.”

JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN whose position was cut this lamented the rising cost Center’s work and emphaProfessors, students and other activists stood outside the Student year. “But this is a first of higher education and sized its need in the com- Hannah Depin can be reached at Union in support of the Labor Center on Monday afternoon. step and it’s going to take accused the University and munity. hdepin@umass.edu.

Professor talks of racism and humor

Chained in silence

Lory Janelle Dance gives CHC lecture

By Lauren Crociati Collegian Correspondent

CHRIS O’KEEFE/COLLEGIAN

Professor Talitha L. LeFlouria of the University of Virginia gave a lecture about the history of black women and convict labor at Goodell Hall on Monday.

Lory Janelle Dance, a sociology and ethnic studies professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, gave a presentation to students at the Commonwealth Honors College Monday, discussing her research and intent to further study the interaction of racism within comedy.

The presentation was Dance’s prototype for a proposal that will be used to apply for a grant in order to continue her research and work on the subject.

Dance led the lecture by informing the audience on her inspiration for questioning the relationship between racial stereotypes and comedy.

She explained that inspiration was gained through numerous individuals who went about their work with a comical outlook. These inspirations dated back to

high school class clowns and a geology professor at Georgetown University, her alma mater, who she said made even the most boring class bearable.

The lecture turned to be more of a discussion, as audience members were free to give opinion and comment throughout.

The event included a PowerPoint presentation on her research toward the subject, which guided audience members through her process. She provided a perspective on the effects of approaching racial stereotypes through comedic standards and rose awareness on the difference between intent and impact in comedy.

“Comedy may be used as a springboard to useful and socially conscious conversations,” Dance said. “To do that, you have to proceed with caution because comedy is so sensitive to context and who is watching or listening.”

Dance posed the quessee

COMEDY on page 2

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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

THE RU N D OW N

COMEDY

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ON THIS DAY...

In 1968, two black athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, were suspended by the U.S. Olympic Committee for giving a “black power” salute during a ceremony in Mexico City.

Hitler’s birth house will be razed, Austrian minister says

VIENNA — The house

where Adolf Hitler was born will be razed and a new building will be erected in its place, Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka said Monday, announcing a final decision on the problematic structure.

The minister told the

daily Die Presse that he was following the recommendation of an expert commission that includes the head of Vienna’s Jewish community as well as leading Austrian historians.

“The Hitler house will

be demolished,” he said.

For years, the govern-

ment has been mulling a solution for the empty house in the town of Braunau to stop neo-Nazis from visiting the early home of Germany’s former Nazi dictator.

The government took a

first step in July when it decided to seize the house from its private owner, since she had been unwilling to cooperate with

Plea of guilty entered in assault on Muslim woman

By Hannah Covington Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

AROUND THE WORLD JESSICA PICARD/COLLEGIAN

Lory Janelle Dance spoke at the Commonweath Honors College events hall on Monday as part of the Resistance Studies Initiative. tion of defining humor.

She then noted different minds have opposing definitions of humor and quoted such scholars as Sigmund Freud and Thomas Hobbes in their own interpretations.

Dance then added she was far more concerned with the phenomenology of humor and the idea it can be perceived with a perceptive eye focused on societal meanings behind it.

“Where does humor intersect with critical consciousness? I’m interested in how that can be used for different people and how it can be used for good,” she stated.

Audience interaction was the essence of the lecture as Dance frequently pursued recommendations for her grant presentation. Repeatedly she would ask if they felt different forms of humor were actually funny, such as a political cartoon or meme. She explained these forms of humor may reflect on racial stereotypes like looking at the physicality of a certain group in a negative light.

“We have to keep in mind that certain bodies have been ridiculed and stereotyped, such that the tendency to continue that might reflect a past misrepresentation,” Dance said.

Satirizing racism can be dangerous, she said, as it is difficult to determine whether or not audiences

are perceiving the satire or the general racism itself as comedy. This is why Dance feels strongly that in order to use comedic mediums to raise critical consciousness, one must balance intent and impact, and question whether the intention of the comedian going to reflect its impact in society.

Despite this negative aspect, Dance also frequently advocated for the idea that addressing racism in comedy can lead to a greater discussion.

“If I get students laughing, we can have serious discussions,” Dance said.

In her research, Dance is eager to understand the types of comedic circumstances that allow room for reflection on social injustices and overall consciousness.

“What mixture of best practices and crucial cautions should we keep in mind in using humor as a springboard?” Dance asked.

After her lecture, Dance was keen on hearing from her audience and their questions or recommendations for her grant proposal.

Onlookers commented mostly by providing their recommendations for specific examples in popular comedy they felt would be sufficient in assisting the validity of her presentation.

DailyCollegian.com

MINNEAPOLIS — For seven months, Asma Jama avoided leaving her house.

Any reluctant trip outside meant never going alone.

Since the moment last October when she said a Ramsey, Minn., woman slammed a beer mug into her face at a Coon Rapids Applebee’s and demanded that she speak English, she has also avoided Anoka County altogether.

But on Monday, holding onto three of her closest friends, Jama stepped into an Anoka County courtroom to hear her attacker plead guilty to assault, scarring both her face and her sense of safety.

Jodie Burchard-Risch, who pummeled Jama with a glass mug, pleaded guilty to third-degree assault in an attack that has spurred debate about anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiments in the Twin Cities.

At the plea hearing, Burchard-Risch’s voice was crisp and bright, her answers almost cheery.

When asked if she assaulted Jama based on her national origin, race or religion, the 44-year-old Ramsey resident answered, “Yep.” Several of Jama’s friends said they found the defendant’s tone unnerving.

“The only thing that makes me more mad was that (Burchard-Risch) was so smiley about it,” said Asha Khuriye, who attended the hearing with Jama.

“You should feel shame for doing something like that.”

The plea means that Burchard-Risch has agreed to serve 180 days in jail and also faces five years of probation. If she violates any of the probation terms to be set at her sentencing hearing Dec. 20, Burchard-

Risch could spend up to 37 months in prison. The plea came on what was scheduled to be the first day of her trial in Anoka County District Court. “(The plea) means she admits that what she did was wrong,” Jama said in a news conference after the hearing. “I’m grateful, and I’m glad.”

Jama, who lives in Minneapolis, was eating at the Coon Rapids family restaurant last fall and chatting with her friends in Swahili when BurchardRisch and her husband accosted the group with verbal jabs like “In America, we speak English” and “Go home!”

“We hadn’t even gotten our drinks yet,” recalled Khadija Webi, who was with Jama the night of the attack.

Jama confronted the pair, and it was then that Burchard-Risch heaved her mug with “a roundhouse punch-like motion” into Jama’s face, according to police. The blow left her with a bloodied nose, cuts above her eyebrow and a lower lip gash deep enough to need 17 stitches.

Despite BurchardRisch’s admission, her attorney, Rodd Tschida, said in an email that the idea that his client punched Jama with a mug “for speaking a foreign language is fantasy” perpetuated in the media.

“The very few eyewitness accounts we had in this case of the fracas are typical of eyewitness testimony, in that they did not lend themselves well to the truth-finding process,” Tschida said. “While the narrative that is being told in many circles is false in many respects, we would rather move on without attempting to convince the

media of a boring story about an alcohol-induced fracas between two tables having nothing to do with religion.”

Prosecutors showed photos of Jama’s injuries to Burchard-Risch during the hearing. From the seats behind them, Jama leaned against her friends and cried softly into a tissue.

Anoka County Attorney Tony Palumbo described the attack during the news conference as a “horrible crime” that stemmed from “bigotry.”

Prosecutors said the plea heralded a welcome resolution in the case.

“Knowing that you and the victim are on the same page makes it a best-case scenario,” said Assistant County Attorney Laura Schwartz, who handled the case.

For Jama, relief about the plea mingled with her anxiety over seeing Burchard-Risch again, she said.

“At least she admitted to being biased,” Jama said.

“She agreed that what she did was based on how different I am from her.”

For the last year, Jama has spoken openly with the media about the attack, a conscious decision on her part, she said.

“To me, this was a personal fight,” she said. “This was a hate crime.”

Living in Minnesota for 16 years has shown Jama firsthand the sharp, reverse edge of “Minnesota nice,” she said - from fielding dirty looks and middle fingers to having her face split open without provocation.

“I finally feel comfortable when I go out now - as long as I’m not by myself,” Jama said. “And I wouldn’t walk into an Applebee’s by myself now - trust me.”

Lauren Crociati can be reached at lcrociati@umass.edu.

authorities to put it to a new use that would have been in line with its historical significance.

The building’s founda-

tion will remain intact, and the new house will be used by a charity or by a public authority, Sobotka said.

However, there have

been vocal critics against razing the unassuming three-story building.

The non-governmental

International Council on Monuments and Sites has said it should remain standing as an authentic memorial that can help demystify Nazi ideology.

Austria’s federal monu-

ments authority has also voiced doubts about destroying the building that is part of Braunau’s protected historical city center.

The Hitler family had

rented an apartment in the building for the first year after Adolf Hitler’s birth in 1889. dpa Distributed by MCT Information Services

‘Guantanamo Diary’ author freed to Mauritania after more than a decade

By Carol Rosenberg Miami Herald

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba — The prisoner who wrote "Guantanamo Diary," a memoir of fear and forgiveness in the war on terror, was sent home Monday to his native Mauritania in West Africa.

Mohamedou Ould Slahi, 45, got to Guantanamo in August 2002. He was subjected to some of the worst Pentagon-approved interrogation techniques at Guantanamo - beatings, sleep deprivation, being packed in ice and threatened with arrest of his mother. He spent more than a decade in segregation in a special detention site called Camp Echo, apart from nearly all of the other captives at the Navy base's sprawling prison complex.

Monday, the downsizing detention center had 60 captives, the Pentagon said.

Of them, 19 are approved for release, like Slahi, with security arrangements that satisfy Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. No more prisoner releases are expected before the Thanksgiving holiday.

Slahi's case garnered some of the most far-reach-

ing international sympathy, in no small measure because of the multilingual publication of his memoirs _ a 2005 account of his early years of detention drawn from 466 handwritten pages he gave to his lawyers. They were initially classified, but his attorneys doggedly worked for the release of those accounts.

Some, including a poem he wrote at Guantanamo prison, remain hidden under black redactions.

In the United States, the American Civil Liberties Union championed his cause and publication of the booked fueled an international, online petition campaign for his release that got more than 100,000 signatures, including Hollywood actors Maggie Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo.

The ACLU quoted a free Slahi as saying the following: "I feel grateful and indebted to the people who have stood by me. I have come to learn that goodness is transnational, trans-cultural, and trans-ethnic. I'm thrilled to reunite with my family."

Slahi became a war-onterror person of interest to the United States soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

In the early 1990s, when

the United States supported the cause, he had fought against Soviet-backed Afghan communists and then lived and worked in Germany prior to 9/11, causing U.S. intelligence to wonder if he could shed light on the attack, sleeper cells or the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden.

He was back home in Mauritania during the 9/11 terror attacks but, his lawyers say, was taken into custody at the behest of the United States and interrogated first in Jordan, then at the Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan until his transfer to Guantanamo. He was at one point targeted for possible war crimes prosecution but never charged in part because a military prosecutor became aware of harsh interrogation treatment that lead to involuntary, since retracted confessions.

"We are thrilled that our client's nightmare is finally ending," his longest serving attorney, Nancy Hollander, said in a statement issued Monday. "After all these years, he wants nothing more than to be with his family and rebuild his life.

We're so grateful to everyone who helped make this day a reality."

The interagency parole board _ with representatives of the U.S. intelligence community, Pentagon and Department of Justice, among others _ approved Slahi's release this summer after he went before the board with, among other things, a letter of support from a U.S. soldier who at one time guarded him at Guantanamo.

"Based on my interactions with Mr. Slahi while in, I would be pleased to welcome him into my home," the guard said. "Based on my interactions, I do not have safety concerns if I were to do so. I would like the opportunity to eventually see him again."

The board that cleared the captive to go home this summer specifically mentioned his good behavior in custody, strong family ties and an "extensive support network" that awaited him in his native Mauritania.

In a statement disclosing the transfer Monday afternoon the Department of Defense said the United States "is grateful to the Government of Mauritania for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing U.S. efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility."

"The United States coordinated with the Government of Mauritania to ensure this transfer took place consistent with appropriate security and humane treatment measures," the Pentagon statement also said.

Slahi was subjected to the so-called "special interrogation plans" approved by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in August 2003. Abuse investigations show that he was tortured so grievously that a Marine colonel assigned to prosecute his case quit.

A U.S. intelligence community profile prepared for Slahi's Periodic Review Board hearing predicted that, if he were repatriated to Mauritania, Slahi "probably would reunite with his family, take care of his sisters, and start a business."

If allowed to leave his homeland, "he probably would travel internationally to promote his book, 'Guantanamo Diary,' which was released in January 2015," it added. The book describes both warm and terrifying encounters with U.S. troops and interrogators.

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Tuesday, October 18, 2016

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Man dressed as Cookie Monster charged with extortion of Girl Scouts

By Brittny Mejia Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — The man who would be the Cookie Monster circled the parking lot in a beat-up, maroon van.

Inside, a pair of red and black boxers hung from the grab handle. A toothbrush and tube of toothpaste were stashed in the glove box.

But his prized possession was stuffed in a large plastic bag: the furry blue costume of the iconic Sesame Street character.

Adam Sandler - his legal name, but no relation to the comic actor - slipped the outfit over a sweat-drenched blue T-shirt before putting on the head with the famously googly eyes.

Then he got to work, playing Pied Piper for children going in and out of the Los Angeles Zoo and, hopefully, persuading their parents to slip a few dollars his way.

In a city where people dress as characters - from Spider-Man to Chewbacca - for tips, Sandler's Cookie Monster is far from singular. Nor is it unusual when they make waves for dubious reasons - like full-on brawls on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (We're looking at you, Mr. Incredible and Batgirl.)

But none of the other costumed characters is likely to carry a weight greater than Sandler. The 52-year-old has been dubbed a serial troublemaker from New York to San Francisco, and now L.A. He has been caught on video making anti-Semitic rants, got caught up in an extortion case involving the Girl Scouts and was accused of threatening to beat up another Cookie Monster.

All of this has made him one notorious faux Muppet.

"Just here in the last six months, we've had quite a few problems with him," said L.A. police Detective Jeana Franco. "This guy is like a national nuisance."

Sandler - born Danny Mark Sandler in Ashland, Ore. - denied threatening the other Cookie Monster and said businesses along Hillhurst Avenue were lying about his behavior and that Los Feliz residents provoked incidents. He added that the kids at the zoo love him.

"I tamed my behavior down since I've been at the zoo, since New York,"

owns them, according to some complaints.

Because Sandler stands in a designated free speech area, he has the legal right to be there, said April Spurlock, a spokeswoman for the zoo.

"If you want to follow the law, his speech is constitutionally protected," said Eugene Volokh, a UCLA First Amendment law professor. "If he threatens another person or if he does anything else illegal, he can certainly be prosecuted for that. But he needs to be prosecuted for the constitutionally unprotected material, not anything that's constitutionally protected."

Zoo staff monitors Sandler's behavior and makes security officers aware if he is out of the free speech area or if his behavior is harassing or inappropriate, Spurlock said. The zoo has received a total of 67 formal complaints, in person and over social media, about Sandler since last year, she said.

"The general thought was that Adam Sandler was scary, disruptive, made people feel unsafe, and was a poor reflection on the zoo," Spurlock said in an email.

On July 13, another Cookie Monster alleges, Sandler threatened to beat him up for stealing his business.

Out of costume, Sandler has also drawn the ire of Los Feliz residents and businesses who accuse him of making anti-Semitic remarks and of being aggressive toward passers-by.

On Nextdoor, an online social network for neighborhoods, an April post called about Sandler _ the "Threatening man living in red van on Finley" _ garnered more than 300 comments.

"Spotted this guy on Sunday yelling anti-Semitic stuff at random people and yelling at diners on the porch at Alcove not to eat there because the restaurant had poisoned a small child and bribed congressmen to cover it up," one user commented.

A manager at a business on Hillhurst said that Sandler has screamed at customers, made anti-Semitic comments, threatened him and spit in his face.

"I'm scared," said Frankie Tirado, who said he has filed

IRFAN KHAN/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS

Danny Sandler, dressed up in a Cookie Monster costume, poses for photographs outside of the Los Angeles Zoo on September 22, 2016.

Sandler said. "This is a good place for me to be, because I'm only impacting one business. If I go to Santa Monica or something, it impacts 50 businesses. So it's better that I'm here. And it's calmer, no one is harassing me."

The Los Angeles Police Department has gotten complaints from residents, businesses and from the fellow Cookie Monster. Because Sandler has not committed a felony, he has not been arrested, police said.

For the zoo, Sandler presents a conundrum. Outside, Sandler has told attendees not to shop at zoo stores because a Muslim group

a battery report. "I would like to see him get some kind of help. I don't think he belongs out on the street ... no one wants to hear the Cookie Monster say he's going to kill their family."

The L.A. city attorney's office filed one count of battery against Sandler last week for the alleged incident involving Tirado, according to a representative.

On a recent afternoon, Sandler posed for photos outside the zoo. The following day, he refused to confirm that he was Sandler, but addressed questions related to his criminal history and said the press does not like

him.

Department of Motor Vehicle records show the van that he drives is registered to an Adam Sandler.

He repeatedly walked away after answering questions, only to return a few minutes later to continue speaking, answering questions through the Cookie Monster head.

"I'm very fragile, I need my income right now," he said pleadingly. "Please don't take this from me. ... I have nowhere to go from here."

Sandler added that he is Jewish and is not anti-Semitic.

In 2012, Sandler - who previously dressed as Elmo - was caught by more than one video camera shouting anti-Semitic and xenophobic remarks in New York City.

When he spoke to The New York Times that year, he said he had previously traveled to Cambodia and started a pornographic website called "Welcome to the Rape Camp."

A 1999 Associated Press article named Sandler and referred to him as the website's creator. He told The New York Times that he had been deported from Cambodia.

Sandler was arrested in September of 2012 for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, according to the NYPD, after screaming and yelling in a public place, "causing annoyance and alarm."

He was indicted in 2013 for allegedly attempting to extort money from the Girl Scouts of the USA and stalking an employee.

According to court documents, in June 2007 the Girl Scouts hired Sandler through a temporary employment agency to work on a short-term computer programming project, according to a New York County district attorney's office news release. His work on the project ended in November 2008.

Beginning in July 2012, he reportedly began sending harassing emails to his former supervisor at the Girl Scouts, according to the district attorney's office.

He later demanded a $2 million cash settlement or yearly lifetime income from the Girl Scouts and threatened to publicize false allegations about the organization if it did not comply, according to New York prosecutors.

On Oct. 9, 2013, Sandler pleaded guilty to attempted grand larceny in the second degree and stalking in the third degree. He was sentenced to a year in jail and a protective order against him was filed.

In San Francisco in 2014, Sandler was charged with threatening a business owner. On the same complaint he was charged with three public nuisance counts, according to Karen Catalona, a deputy district attorney who was working as a neighborhood prosecutor at the time.

Ultimately, Sandler pleaded guilty to being a public nuisance and was placed on probation for five years, Catalona said. A related order prohibits him from being in Fisherman's Wharf, Union Square and the Embarcadero - including all the piers along the Embarcadero - for five years.

Kansas men accused in terror plot to remain in jail

By Amy Renee Leiker The Wichita Eagle

WICHITA, Kan. — The three men charged in connection with a foiled terrorist plot targeting Somali immigrants living in Garden City will remain in jail for now.

Prosecutors asked federal court Judge Gwynne Birzer on Monday to order Curtis Allen, Patrick Stein and Gavin Wright to remain in jail for the duration of their cases, saying their freedom would pose a risk to the community.

Their court-appointed defense attorneys, meanwhile, called for hearings to determine whether the men should be released from jail. Birzer set Allen's detention hearing for Oct. 24. Stein and Wright will be back in court at 1:30 p.m. Friday for theirs.

Currently, they sit in the Sedgwick County Jail.

None had a bond amount listed early Monday morn-

ing.

The men each are charged with one count of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Their attorneys declined to comment on the allegations immediately after Monday's hearing.

If convicted as charged, Allen, Stein and Wright may face life prison sentences.

Officials said Friday that Allen, Stein and Wright hoped to create a "bloodbath" by detonating vehicles laden with bombs around the parking lot of Garden City's Garden Spot apartments, the day after the Nov. 8 election. They spent months considering sites for the attack before finally settling on the complex, conducted surveillance and gathered bombmaking materials, officials have said.

Authorities, however, thwarted the terror plan last week with the help of a confidential informant

and Allen's girlfriend, according to information released Friday after the trio's capture. Their arrests were the culmination of an eight-month FBI investigation.

The men, who are in their late 40s, were a part of what the FBI is calling an isolated militia group known as The Crusaders.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson has said they had the means and drive to execute the plot and were committed to doing so.

Had that happened, the death toll easily could have been in the dozens.

Officials said Friday about 120 people live and several worship in the apartment complex, which has at least one room that functions as a mosque.

Many are Somalians who work at meat-packing company Tyson Foods.

About 50 are children, residents told The Wichita Eagle over the weekend.

State TV: Iraqi forces liberate 12 villages south of Mosul

By Resala Al-Sharkany and Shabtai Gold dpa

ERBIL, Iraq — Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led air cover, liberated 12 villages south of Mosul as part of an offensive to free Iraq's second-largest city from Islamic State, Iraqi state TV reported, citing the military media office.

Earlier in the day, Iraqi forces engaged in armed clashes with Islamic State militants near villages bordering Mosul from the south, Shaker Jawdat, the commander of the local Federal Police Forces, told dpa.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced early Monday that the longawaited operation to free Mosul from the Islamic State extremist organization has begun.

Mosul, which is located in Nineveh province, is the largest city controlled by the Sunni extremist group.

It had a population of more than 2 million before the conflict.

The battle is expected to be a decisive moment in Iraq's fight against Islamic State, which al-Abadi has vowed will be driven out of the country this year.

"The liberation of Mosul and all Iraqi lands from the control of Daesh

has become close and its defeat is imminent," Iraqi President Fuad Masum said in a statement Monday, referring to Islamic State by its Arabic acronym.

Masum added that the offensive is a joint effort by the Iraqi military, federal police forces, Kurdish Peshmerga troops, Shiite militias and Nineveh tribes.

Also Monday, Kurdish Peshmerga forces liberated seven villages bordering Mosul from the east after launching an attack on three fronts, Peshmerga spokesman Brigadier Halgurd Hikmat said.

The villages include Kurdish, Arab and Christian ones, Hikmat said, adding that fierce fighting between the two sides was ongoing.

Peshmerga forces also took control of the main roads near al-Hamdaniya district and advanced about 4 kilometers towards the Assyrian town of Bartella.

Peshmerga spokesman Jabar al-Yawar told dpa that the operation started at 5 a.m. (0200 GMT) "Our forces are constantly advancing ... I can tell you now that we are advancing to reach our goals," he said.

Dubai-based al-Arabiya al-Hadath news broadcaster reported attempts by Islamic State militants to flee the villages to western Mosul.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that his country will take part in the operation to fight Islamic State in Mosul, even as the Iraqi government rejected this offer and insisted on using its local forces.

"We will be in this operation. We will be on that table. It's not possible that we stay out of this," Erdogan said in a televised address, noting that Turkey has a 350-kilometre border with the neighbouring state.

Government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus told reporters that Turkey had trained some 3,000 fighters who are taking part in the operation, referring to Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Sunnis militias. He repeated the charge that Ankara has "plan B and C" if it is kept out of Mosul.

Turkey insisted it will not remove its troops from the Bashiqa base north-east of Mosul, despite continued opposition to its presence from the government in Baghdad.

Islamic State overran Mosul in mid-2014 at the beginning of a lightning offensive that saw it seize swathes of Sunni Arab northern and western Iraq as Iraqi army and police units collapsed in the face of its onslaught.

Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“I just can’t stand the sound of the human voice.” - Larry David

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Editorial@DailyCollegiancom

Expanding the charter gap Vote for humane is gambling our tax dollars treatment of farm animals Imagine if the University of Massachusetts decides

James Mazarakis to construct a new and obscenely expensive dormitory on campus. Tuition rates skyrocket but the school assures students that the new dormitory halls will utilize the best architecture and design complete with air conditioning, central heating and a kitchen on every floor. All students have a chance to get into this dormitory, no matter their year.

Here’s the catch: The project is ambitious, both architecturally and financially.

UMass administration is privately unsure that the budget will allow for all things promised and rumors begin to circulate that they may never open the dormitory. Regardless, there is still an obvious rise in tuition, even for students who remain in other dorms.

This situation is sure to raise doubt about how the University is deciding to appropriate money and rightly so. Why did the school embark on this ambitious project that may or may not result in a better UMass experience?

Charter schools explore the same question. How can we feel good about forcing public schools to bend over backward to fund charters if we are not positive they will achieve their goal of exploring new techniques to educate students while also providing a decent education? Charter schools are a high-risk, high-cost gamble with the taxpayer’s money.

The success of charter schools is uncertain, but its funding is far from it.

My home town has seen the consequences of the poor funding firsthand: The Malden public school system, which is $2 million in debt, have been cutting costs to the bone, recently losing bus service to over 100 students across the city.

Meanwhile, the regional charter school, Mystic Valley, enjoyed a $10 million surplus in the budget as of 2009 and recently invested in a $4.4 million purchase

of real estate to build an athletic center, adding to its real estate empire of two buildings, three houses and a fire station which they “lease to the city,” according to Boston.com.

This juxtaposition is incredible, but how can it happen? Massachusetts state law ordains that the school district will be reimbursed for paying the facility aids rate, which is the per-student price of school attendance, to the charter schools. But this is loose-

mutualistic development.

But there is no way to verify that charters have the best interests of students in mind. The district school committee has absolutely no oversight of the school’s happenings and there is no system in place for charters to recommend what works to the public schools. In fact, results of the charter school experiment can be a secret if it so chooses.

Charter schools are expected to outperform public schools too and in theory, failure to do so would force them to close. The reality is disappointing even to a capitalist: a vast majority of charters close due to financial problems and administrative mismanagement, according to Contexts Magazine. Common reasons for closures include “low funding levels, low enrollment” and “operating costs higher than were sustainable.”

Even for those that successfully stay open, performance banks on two coin flips. The Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that only 25 percent of charter schools outperformed “traditional” public schools.

In other words, many of these charter schools are as uncertain as the analogous new UMass dormitory. Taxpayers’ money can lay waste for a swath of wrong reasons, including poor planning, money grabbing and even naiveté.

I do not want to demonize charter schools.

Innovation is important and school policies are certainly limited in a way that demands room for nuance.

But expanding a system that is severely flawed is not the way to go. Fixing our school budgeting system, particularly Chapter 70, should be our real mission. With more resources toward struggling schools like Malden and Boston, all schools can over perform the status quo.

Let’s get a new school funding system on the ballot for 2020 and make public education work for everyone. Say “No” on Question 2.

“How can we feel good about forcing public schools to bend over backward to fund charters if we are not positive they will achieve their goal of exploring new techniques to educate students while also providing a decent education?”

ly enforced; charters do not have to reimburse the district for as long as six years, and even then the money may not be there.

This budget formula forces public schools to “cut costs” first even though the net change of students going to charter schools is not enough to justify cutting classes of making real changes in spending.

In Malden’s case, the state has promised to pay back the school $8.4 million, but as of now only $1.4 million of that has been paid.

The deficit is being put on the Malden community to make up for the losses.

It would be incorrect, however, to attribute the entire deficit on charters. If our schools were funded more organically, Malden’s schools may not be on the brink, but no doubt would the allowance of more charters create greater risk and disparity.

Proponents of the charter argue that by remaining a tuition-free and independent entity, these schools could create an environment of innovation to explore new policies and learning strategies. This is a well-intentioned experiment; change happens very slowly in public schools and even well-known flaws in public education are systematically ingrained in the public institution.

Ideally, charters would James Mazarakis is a Collegian be there to advise pub- columnist and can be reached at lic schools and engage in jmazarakis@umass.edu.

With all the craziness States, the American of the 2016 election, it is Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ariane Komyati and the Franklin Park Zoo, among many others. hard to remember that Some opponents are the we are voting for more United Egg Producers, than just a president. At Massachusetts Far m the state level, the ballot Bureau and National also includes four ques- Pork Producers Council. tions, one of which would end the cruel confinement of farm animals. Question 3 would make Massachusetts have minimum size requirements for The arguments in favor farm animal containment. cite a need for humane If this question passes, the living spaces for anilaw would prohibit breed- mals, while opponents ing pigs, calves raised for argue about the cost. veal and egg-laying hens Many hens throughout from being held in confined Massachusetts and the spaces. ‘Confined’ in this country sit in cages no context is defined as any- bigger than an iPad, and thing that “prevents the are only given human animal from lying down, interaction when it is time standing up, fully extend- to collect the eggs. Other ing its limbs or turning animals, such as pigs and around freely.” There calves, cannot sit and/or are many arguments in stand in their cages, and favor of this ballot ques- also knee-high in their own tion, but there still are feces. Question 3 would few arguments against it. enable them to spread Advocates for this ques- their limbs and wings, tion include The Humane turn around and lie down Society of the United without touching the cage

sides or another animal. It is a small step, but this bill would drastically improve the lives of farm animals.

But what about the cost?

Despite what opponents say, this would raise the cost of just eggs about $70 per year to the average Massachusetts household, which is a family of five.

So why care about the lives of farm animals?

Well, if you care about the quality of the foods you and your family are eating, it is important to know that the animals need quality living space in order to be healthy. Because, when the animals are healthy, consumers receive higher quality meat and there is less risk for e-coli and other diseases in your food.

When chickens are happier, they tend to lay more eggs, which means more revenue for farmers. In my opinion, this is definitely worth the extra $70 per year.

“Many hens throughout Massachusetts and the country sit in cages no bigger than an iPad.”

Ariane Komyati is a Collegian contributor and can be reached at akomyati@umass.edu.

Thank you, Red Sox, for an enjoyable summer Despite the Boston Red does not diminish the realSo x efforts last week to try ization that baseball was enjoyable again. Baseball Joe Frank is different from the other to keep their playoff chanc- major American sports es alive, they saw their sea- because the baseball season son, and the career of designated hitter David Ortiz, end at the hands of the Cleveland Indians in game three of the American League Division Series. While the finish was is not only long, but also unsatisfactory, the 2016 sea- quite dense. son was far from a failure. The National Basketball The enjoyment of a season’s Association season, for worth of baseball was not instance, stretches from nullified by a playoff loss. October to June, but the Baseball was still the enter- teams play usually every taining diversion it was two to three days. Baseball supposed to be. Compared teams, on the other hand, to the last place finishes play 162 games from April of the previous two years, until October, often at a where the Sox finished 25 rate of six or seven games games and 15 games out of per week. This means that first place in 2014 and 2015, America’s pastime is a respectively; this year was a nightly companion, a rourefreshing change. In 2016, tine. You can come home fans witnessed the potential from work or school each of another championship, day and turn on the game, as this team already has a check the highlights or look core that could take them at the box score. The inherfar in the coming seasons. ent purpose of baseball, However, before we look and of sports in general, to next year, we should is to provide a distraction, appreciate this year. The and baseball is beauti2016 season was not for ful in its ability to do so. naught. Once again the This summer was full Boston club took Red Sox of tragedy and contenNation along for a joy ride. tion, from the shooting in While the season did not Orlando to the shootings of finish with a trophy that black men by and the mur-

der of police in Dallas and Baton Rouge. Surrounding this was a presidential race between two candidates that have angered much of the population. Sometimes the country needs a distraction for when current events get too depressing, and for sport fans, baseball can be an outlet. In sports, the world’s problems are replaced by the game. The biggest complaints are losing streaks and low batting averages. Happiness can come from a routine win.

Even though Boston did not win in the playoffs, its division-winning run in 2016 was worthwhile because it served as enthralling entertainment and distraction.

The obstacles facing the country and the world still need to be solved. We still need to solve issues like gun violence, racism and homophobia. We still need to pick a president.

But sometimes we need to escape for a bit. I say “thank you” to the Red Sox for helping us out of tragedy and difficult times yet again. It was fun and I look forward to the spring.

“The inherent purpose of baseball, and of sports in general, is to provide a distraction, and baseball is beautiful in its ability to do so.”

Joe Frank is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at jrfrank@umass.edu.

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The Massachusetts Daily Collegian is published Monday through Thursday during the University of Massachusetts calendar semester. The Collegian is independently funded, operating on advertising revenue. Founded in 1890, the paper began as Aggie Life, became the College Signal in 1901, the Weekly Collegian in 1914 and the Tri–Weekly Collegian in 1956. Published daily from 1967 to 2014, The Collegian has been broadsheet since January 1994. For advertising rates and information, call 413-545-3500.

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Arts Living

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” - Dr. Seuss

Arts@DailyCollegian.com

FA S H I O N

The negative affects of ‘fast fashion’ from a consumer The truth behind fashion industry

By Gina Lopez Collegian Staff

I challenge you to think about the last time you resisted the lure of bargain prices at a large chain store like Forever 21, H&M or ASOS over a more expensive and sustainable brand or product.

Never? Me neither.

I get it, I do. Living on a budgeted lifestyle of ramen noodles and public transportation doesn’t allow a lot of flexibility for luxurious shopping trips at high-end, ethically-sourced, fair-trade boutiques.

But consider the alternative: In big chain stores like the aforementioned Forever 21, ASOS or ZARA, the clothing produced is made quickly and cheaply to keep up with buyers growing demands to stay current and trendy – this is the ‘fast fashion’ model of business.

Pieces like this season’s popular velvet choker, satin bomber jacket or purposefully-destroyed boyfriend jeans were created almost instantaneously to mirror the trends of high profile celebrities, runway designs or street-style bloggers that people were trying to emulate. And, the reason they’re able to sell the clothing for what feels like an amazing bargain, is because their utilization of sweatshops and clothing mills that employ children as young as 12 and have little to no work place regulations.

Despite how easy it is to separate the blissful shopping experience of finding something you’ve been pining over without it costing way too much and the terrible conditions of sweat shop workers, they’re inseparable. Those bargains exist because companies like Forever 21 source unethical labor in third world countries where they pay their workers as little as one U.S. cent per hour for up to 100

hours per week, according to The World Counts.

The Garment Worker Center has been a useful source for employees suffering under these conditions,

So, who cares if that $10 shirt doesn’t make it into your next season’s wardrobe? The average person considers $10 to be pretty expendable. In fact, accord-

damage the ozone layer, but the apparel industry plays its own dirty part in climate change.

According to Eco Watch, “it can take more than 5,000

optimized glamour, luxury and ease is built off of some of the world’s seediest, most evasive business models – producing none other than “waste couture.”

love for crochet – a craze if you will. Years of college education and miles traveled around teaching the craft of crochet later, a group of friends started a nonprofit clothing company with ethical values and a desire for change.

Everlane Everlane is another U.S.based company who prides itself on its ethical-production process and radical transparency. Its clothing can be described as modern and elegant basics from favorite trusted designers.

Everlane sends representatives around the world numerous times a year to investigate its apparel factories to ensure integrity.

People Tree

GRAPHIC BY ANNA ARSCOTTI

Shops such as Zara, Forever 21, H&M and Gap all support the corrput business model of fast fashion by selling trendy pieces that are quickly abandoned. but stores like Forever 21 and H&M continue to prosper because of uninformed and heedless consumers.

Still unfazed by this concept?

According to the Clean Clothes Campaign, The Rana Plaza incident in Bangladesh in 2013 was “the worst ever industrial accident to hit the garment industry.”

In the collapse of Rana Plaza, 1,134 factory workers were killed or brutally injured, bringing worldwide attention to the hellish workplaces within the garment industry that big name companies like Forever 21 and H&M are using to create their clothing for such cheap prices.

ing to New England Public Radio, in 2014 “the average household spent an average $1,786 on apparel and related services.” That’s a lot of wasted t-shirts.

And where do you think those t-shirts go? Some will be donated to second-hand stores like Savers and the Salvation Army, but many will simply be thrown away, assuming their depressing future as distressed rags in landfill.

If making morally sound purchases isn’t your thing, maybe examine what the fast fashion business model does to the environment.

Often times, negative environmental impacts are thought of as littering or using aerosol cans that

gallons of water to manufacture a t-shirt and a pair of jeans ” despite the fact that they’re made of organic materials, which doesn’t even include the dying process that is chemically intensive – which undoubtedly harms the environment.

In fact, according to the same article published by Eco Watch, cotton is one of the world’s thirstiest plants, taking up “more than its fair share of water,” and as we all know, much of our clothes are made of at least some percentage of cotton – a fabric the apparel industry has made seem like the most wholesome and longstanding option.

An industry that has long

People Tree is a fair trade certified company out of the United Kingdom, which works exclusively with organic cotton and biodegradable materials. People Tree prides itself on giving an alternative to the fast fashion industry – by changing people’s definitions of ‘fair trade’ to fashionable and necessary.

Ash & Rose

Ash & Rose is a fair labor practices company based out of the U.S. that focuses much of its energy outside apparel on empowering women. Ash & Rose is a mother-daughter founded company with a special interest in working with designers who employ atrisk women in areas of little opportunity. Its clothing can be described as whimsical and romantic.

After all is said and done, the effects of fast fashion are impossible to ignore. So put down those $25 jeans Krochet Kids and invest in something that will be good for you and Krochet Kids is a U.S.- your planet. based company with artisan-made clothing that Gina Lopez can be reached at started amidst a brotherly gmlopez@umas.edu.

Convinced that leaving your bargain-bin items in the dust will leave your trend-setting self along with it? Think again. The main lesson here is quality over quantity.

There are so many underrated, sustainable brands out there that could both eliminate your buyer’s guilt and teach you some more practicable purchasing habits.

Some of these fair trade, on-the-fringe brands include:

FA S H I O N

Rihanna lauches bold new Fenty x Puma line in Paris

By Emily Johnson Collegian Correspondent Last Tuesday, Vogue ran a headline that read: “Only Rihanna could make a gray sweatshirt look this fabulous.”

You don’t have to spend hours scanning her Instagram, media presence or legendary street style to know that Rihanna is a contemporary fashion force.

But recently she has upped her own anti and joined runway fashion with her new 2017 Fenty x Puma collection.

In two runway shows at Paris Fashion Week, Rihanna debuted the spring 2017 Fenty x Puma collection, a line of apparel, footwear and accessories she designed.

Her line, which she described as what “Marie Antoinette would wear if she was going to the gym,” was lace, corset and pastel-heavy.

Rihanna presented the line at the Hotel Salomon de Rothschild, a 19th century mansion, which reflected the collection’s regal tone. This met its simultaneous casual nature, captured perfectly

by Rihanna herself, who was wearing a pale pink, lace gown/jumpsuit.

RIHANNA OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

Rihanna enjoyed a blissful celebration of her new line at Paris Fashion Week.

According to New York Times fashion and style writer Mathew Schneier, Rihanna commented on the evening saying, “I would never expect that I would be allowed in Paris to show a collection this early as a designer,” she said. “That wasn’t a thing that I expected at all. I couldn’t believe — I still right now can’t believe it happened.”

The line follows Rihanna’s first full collection, Fenty x Puma Fall/Winter 2016, which she presented at New York Fashion Week in February.

Citing Japanese street culture

as her inspiration, her collection is made up of almost entirely white, black and grey footwear.

Footwear, like creepers and sneaker boots – a series of shoes with elevated soles or platforms -- dominated the collection.

“I kind of imagined if the Addams Family was working out, this is what they would be wearing,” Rihanna said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Rihanna’s fashion lines similarly embody her eighth album “ANTI,” which was released in February of this

year. Like her album, her fashion lines have a bold presence and are unprecedented, a daring challenge to her past projects. They seem to be a sliver of Rihanna herself.

“I enjoy creating and expressing the crazy things going on in my mind through something that people can see and that is tangible,” Rihanna said in the same interview with the AP. “That is the best part, being able to express yourself.”

In addition to the wellreceived new pieces of the pop star gone designer’s new line, Rihanna’s presence at Paris Fashion Week also challenged the traditions of the male dominated high-fashion industry. As a female singer and relatively inexperienced designer, Rihanna is a true demonstration of the changing tide of the business.

Rihanna maintained an innovative and modern approach to her show, even providing fans with an intimate invitation to view Fashion Week from their own homes.

She livestreamed her two shows on Tidal – a streaming service owned by famous rapper and businessman Jay

RILEY JONES/CENTRAL BLOG/PUMA

Hightops are a big focus in Rihanna’s new Fenty X Puma line released last month.

Z – that included exclusive interviews and behind-thescenes content.

Rihanna also consistently uploaded pictures of herself and her models on her Instagram account, exposing her infamous pastel pink jumpsuit (as well as other jumpsuits), lace headdresses and pearl chokers that fanned the flames of excitement for her new line.

In the midst of all the excitement, Rihanna stayed true to herself and her loyal fans by expressing her gratitude for the experience and everyone’s support in a post

on Instagram saying, “Paris is a long way from Barbados, and I feel so proud to have made it here!”

With a busy and successful year underway, Rihanna doesn’t seem to plan to take a break from her artistic career endeavors.

In an interview with the AP she said, “Fashion to me was just one of those things that came naturally. I enjoy discovering it – all the different styles, finishes, fabrics, silhouettes. It’s not easy, but it doesn’t feel like work.”

Emily Johnson can be reached at emilyjohnson@umass.edu.

6

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

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AWARDS

BIG 12

continued from page 8

UMass coach Mike Stone gathers the infield at the pitcher’s mound during the Minutemen’s 11-5 loss to BC March 30. for the upcoming season, was given the coaches award for most improved player of 2016 in recognition of his breakout season for the Minutemen.

Hart played in all but two games, ending the season with a team-best .313 batting average with 14 RBIs. The Lowell, Massachusetts native scored 25 runs and hit three home runs and seven doubles. In his first season as a full-time starter, Hart proved worthy of

the decision.

Hart and Morris will take their leadership into the 2017 season that features a veteran squad.

Losing Jennings in the middle of the order will hurt, but the team is returning six starters with three players ready to step in for the graduated seniors. 2016 was a disappointing season for the Minutemen, who finished 18-27 (11-13 A-10), but with a team poised to make a

HOCKEY EAST After running into some trouble and killing off Clarkson’s 5-on-3 power play early in the third, the Wildcat’s offense took control. Kelleher’s gamewinner came with just 1:39 left in the period and gave UNH the 4-3 lead they wouldn’t allow themselves to lose.

With 32 seconds remain-

jump, it will be imperative for Morris and Hart to lead this team.

Along with Hart and Morris entering their senior season, the 2017 season will be UMass coach Mike Stone’s last with the program. The longtime coach announced his impending retirement after the 2016 season.

Tyler Fiedler can be reached at tfiedler@umass.edu, and followed on Twitter @Tyler_Fiedler.

continued from page 8

ing, Kelleher made sure of it and added on with an empty netter, securing the win 5-3.

Kelleher’s four points against Clarkson provides the type of leadership the Wildcats will need from their seniors in order to make a run in the alwaystight Hockey East conference. After a week of

practice, they hit the road again to take on Colorado College at 7 p.m. Saturday night.

Clarkson looks to bounce back this Friday when they travel to Rhode Island and face off against Providence College.

Liam Flaherty can be reached at lpflaherty@umass.edu.

MLB

Under Armour to become MLB’s uniform provider Deal set to begin during 2020 season

By Jeff Barker and Lorraine Mirabella The Baltimore Sun

Under Armour will outfit all Major League Baseball players beginning in 2020 under an agreement reached with the league _ the Baltimore brand’s first such partnership with a major American professional league.

The owners have approved the switch from Majestic Athletic to Under Armour, according to two sources with knowledge of the agreement.

The agreement hasn’t been announced. Under Armour representatives did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Under Armour had been looking to make inroads with MLB, which partners with many sporting goods and apparel companies.

Rawlings makes the baseballs used in games, Majestic Athletic makes the uniforms, New Era Cap Co. makes the caps and Schutt Sports makes the bases.

Nike is MLB’s supplier of the baseball undershirts known as base layers.

Under Armour produces some of the cleats, compression sleeves and batting gloves used by players.

The company also makes a share of the catchers’ gear, an important marketing tool because catchers and their equipment brands appear so often on camera when games are televised.

“This is a major signal from Under Armour that

they’re ready to play with the big boys,” said T.J. Brightman, president of Bel Air-based A. Bright Idea Advertising and Public Relations.

Majestic extended its MLB partnership last year through 2019. It could not immediately be determined if Majestic sought to continue the agreement or which other companies might have competed against Under Armour.

Majestic officials couldn’t be reached Monday night at the company’s offices in North Carolina.

Major League Baseball divides its exclusive and shared licenses and supplier agreements among many corporate players.

Marketing professionals say that doing so leads to more product choices and maximizes profits.

To date, Under Armour has gained attention in the sport by signing individual players to use and market its products.

The company signed Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, one of the sport’s marquee players, to an endorsement deal in 2011, when he was still in the minor leagues.

It has also signed Clayton Kershaw, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ star pitcher.

“Team sports are a pillar of our business, and baseball is an important player,” Peter Murray, vice president of global brand and sports marketing at Under Armour, said as the current baseball season began.

“We are always looking to explore a deeper relationship with the league and new rights opportuni-

ties.”

Howe Burch, president of TBC Advertising in Baltimore, said the MLB deal “represents a very big opportunity for Under Armour. Their origins are in team sports, and this gets them on the uniforms of one of the few professional sports leagues in the U.S.” Burch noted that the brand already has many MLB players under contract who wear Under Armour cleats and catchers’ gear.

“This only enhances that presence,” Burch said. “It makes a lot of sense. It’s right in their wheelhouse.”

Majestic, meanwhile, “really has very little brand awareness and brand presence,” he said.

Brightman, a former vice president of corporate sales and sponsorship for the Baltimore Orioles, said the deal could help lure additional star players in the league to Under Armour endorsement deals.

Major League Baseball stands to benefit, too, by affiliating with a brand with strong recognition and customer loyalty, Brightman said.

The league is “always looking to get younger, to grow their fan base,” he said. “Under Armour is certainly cool with that millennial generation, whereas a company like Majestic has less brand recognition.”

While it’s too early to tell how or if uniform designs might change, he said, it’s possible that some teams, especially small-market teams, might be more open to new looks the brand might propose.

7

continued from page 8

“That process has been very thorough and very fair,” he added. “... as I’ve learned while this might not be the right time now to expand and we all came to the unanimous feeling that this was not the right time, all the information generated is not wasted effort.

They certainly presented themselves in a very fine light and we appreciate them.”

“Since I arrived at UCF, I have been saying that we can be a nationally competitive, Top 25 athletics program. I still believe that today,” said UCF athletics director Danny White.

“Our future success does not depend on our conference affiliation, it is based JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

on our unlimited potential.

The American Athletic Conference is a great league and we’re very confident about our future in The American.”

USF president Dr. Judy Genshaft thanked the Big 12 for its interest in the school.

“This process has been extremely positive, giving us the opportunity to showcase our excellence on a national scale,” she said in a statement. “We are a top 25 public research university; our nearly 50,000 students have never been more accomplished. Our athletic program is on a strong trajectory, not only have we led our conference in Learfield Cup standings,

but also posting a studentathlete graduation success rate of 86 percent. We have a great story to tell, and this is only the beginning.”

A clause in the conference’s current television contracts with ESPN and Fox guarantee the Big 12 an additional $20 to $25 million in revenue per new school it adds. Sports Illustrated reported last week that sources close to the discussions believe the TV networks could pay the league not to expand in order to ultimately save itself some money.

The Big 12’s current television agreement and grant of rights deal is set to expire in 2024-25.

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Tuesday, October 18, 2016

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WOMEN’S SOCCER

BASEBALL

Jackie Miller scores first collegiate goal

out team awards

UMass plays to draw against Rams Minutemen give Jennings named UM’s 2016 MVP

B y C hristopher Marino Collegian Staff

With razor-thin losses plaguing the Massachusetts women’s soccer team in its previous three overtime matches, the Minutewomen earned a crucial point on the road against Rhode Island Sunday, playing the Rams to a 1-1 draw. .

In two of its last three matches, UMass (2-9-2, 0-5-1 Atlantic 10) fell in overtime to A-10 opponents George Mason and Davidson. In each match, the Minutewomen did not surrender the losing goal until the 100th minute or later of play.

“We have had six A-10 games and four of them have gone into overtime. In three of those we have lost with mere minutes left to play if not seconds,” UMass coach Ed Matz said in a phone interview Monday morning. “We haven’t always had the outcome we have wanted and the sudden-death losses are never good, so I think yesterday was a hard fought point but mentally and psychologically it was a point that we really needed to get.”

All the additional minutes that UMass has played in extra periods have equated to nearly a game and a half of play. Gameplay that has frequently lead to crushing defeats in the concluding moments of competition.

Matz thought team showed resilient character on Sunday.

“I was so happy for the team to get that point,” Matz said. “We wanted to get the win but I’m sure in the back of some of their minds, and they would never admit this, but I’m sure some of them thought you know, ‘here we go again.’”

“I know they were disappointed that they didn’t get

By Tyler Fiedler Collegian Staff

JESSICA PICARD/COLLEGIAN

Jackie Miller (10) redshirted her freshman season after suffering a knee injury prior to joining the Minutewomen.

“I know they were disappointed that they didn’t get three (points) and I admire that in them. They’re still fighting, they still have a lot of hear and we’re still doing everything that we can to get into the A-10 playoffs.”

Ed Matz UMass coach three (points) and I admire that in them,” Matz added about the previous overtime losses. “They’re still fighting, they still have a lot of heart and we’re still doing everything that we can to get into the A-10 playoffs,” .

Just as the result was indicative of the uphill battle this season has been for the Minutewomen, for one athlete, yesterday’s result was even more significant.

Yesterday’s lone UMass goal was netted by redshirt junior Jackie Miller, the first goal of her collegiate career. After committing play with the Minutewomen back in high school, Miller tore her ACL prior to landing on campus and suffered a subsequent tear a year and a half later. As a result, now in her fourth

margin between winning and losing is so, so small, that we’re in every single game and we feel like we could have won every single game,” Matz said.

Up to this point in the season, those results have fallen short. However, with the grind the Minutewomen has endured, they are still confident they can pull it off.

“The positive aspect of it is hey, we feel like we can beat anybody … I think as a whole the kids are upbeat and positive,” Matz said. “We still believe that we can get into the A-10s, we still believe there is chances and points out there.”

UMass will look to capitalize on that opportunity beginning with the first of three straight home matches when it welcomes Duquesne to Amherst this Thursday at 4 p.m.

year at UMass, the midfielder out of Woodstock, Georgia finally has gotten the opportunity for significant playing time.

“It is really gratifying for me as a coach and I’m happy for Jackie to finally see Jackie playing to the level I know she can play because nobody works harder than Jackie,” Matz said.

This positive sentiment that Sunday’s result provided both Miller and UMass is something it hopes to ride into competition the rest of the way.

With just four regular season games remaining, it would likely take all wins to extend its season into the A-10 tournament.

“What I’m stressing to my team is that if we look Christopher Marino can be reached at every single game the at cmarino@umass.edu

HOCKEY EAST NOTEBOOK

The Massachusetts baseball team announced its 2016 recipients of its annual baseball awards last Wednesday as John Jennings, Dylan Morris and Mike Hart received the three awards at the team’s annual golf outing earlier this month.

Jennings was honored as the team’s most valuable player of 2016. The catcher had a standout final season for the Minutemen as the co-captain hit .298 with a team-high nine home runs, which no UMass player has accomplished since Peter Copa in 2011.

After an injury-plagued 2015 season, Jennings rebounded nicely as he was one of two players to start in every game for the Minutemen, including 40 games at catcher. In addition to earning UMass honors, Jennings was also named to the Atlantic 10 all-conference second team. He was fourth in the conference in slugging percentage, hitting10 doubles and two triples, and also led the Minutemen in

multiple categories including runs batted (32) and runs scored (30). Jennings also had a team-high nine multi-RBI games.

Newly announced captain for the 2017 season Dylan Morris earned the Dennis DellaPiana Memorial Award for exemplifying courage, determination and sportsmanship. The award was first instituted in May 1966 and honors the memory of Dennis DellaPiana, a student-athlete at UMass who tragically died in April of 1966 during his senior year after a long battle with Hodgkin’s disease.

Morris was the only other player to start in all 45 games in 2016 along with Jennings. He ranked second behind Jennings in RBIs and runs scored with 30 and 28, respectively. The outfielder hit .253 finishing the season with 47 hits, two home runs and eight doubles. Morris also had the team’s longest hitting streak of the season with hits in 14 straight games.

He will be looked upon for leadership and a strong presence at the top of the lineup in his final season for the Minutemen.

Hart, the other captain see

AWARDS on page 7

JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN

Dylan Morris and Mike Hart celebrate a homerun during UMass’ 11-5 loss to BC on March 30. The duo was named the Minutemen’s 2017 captains.

C O N F E R E N C E E X PA N S I O N

Maine drops OT game to QU Big 12 vetoes expansion Wildcats pick up first win of season

By Liam Flaherty

Collegian Correspondent

After falling short in Friday night’s overtime contest against Maine, the Quinnipiac hockey team responded Saturday with an overtime win of its own.

A sellout crowd at home wouldn’t be enough to will the Black Bears (3-1-0, 0-0-0 Hockey East) to their fourth win of the season, as they dropped the second of back-to-back games against Quinnipiac 3-2.

The Bobcats (3-1-1, 0-0-0 ECAC) opened the scoring with three minutes remaining in the first period on a goal from senior Tommy Schutt. Just over a minute later after a roughing penalty called on Maine, Tim Clifton netted a power-play goal and increased the Quinnipiac lead to 2-0 heading into the first intermission.

At 4:40 into the second period after the Bobcats were whistled for a tripping call, the Black Bears got on the board with a power play goal of their

own coming off the stick of senior forward Blaine Byron.

Maine goaltender, Rob McGovern, kept the game close at 2-1 throughout the rest of the second, stopping an impressive 12 shots from the offensive attack of the Bobcats in the period.

McGovern’s shutdown play in net would prove to be crucial for the Black Bears, who tied the game at 2-2 on a goal from Nolan Vesey with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.

In overtime, Quinnipiac was able to get off two shots against McGovern.

At 1:15, an odd-man rush allowed Craig Martin to put the game-winner into the back of the net. Kevin McKernan and Clifton got the assists on the final goal.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Maine. They had beaten Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Qunnipiac in their previous three games.

The Bobcats return to action Wednesday when they host the Connecticut at 7 p.m. The Black Bears look to bounce back Friday night when they take on Miami University for a weekend series in Ohio.

UNH secures first win of the year The New Hampshire hockey team traveled to New York Saturday night and defeated Clarkson in a high-scoring contest, 5-3.

Two goals from senior Tyler Kelleher – including the eventually game-winner – led the Wildcats (1-20, 0-0-0 HEA) to their first win of the 2016 season.

Within the first ten minutes of action, the Golden Knights (2-2-0, 0-0-0 ECAC) found themselves up 2-0.

A goal 94 seconds in from senior Troy Josephs and another from sophomore Juho Jokiharju at 9:52 gave Clarkson its early lead, but a hot start for the offense wouldn’t intimidate the UNH attack as the Wildcats tied up the game on a pair of goals, the first by Patrick Grasso and the second by Dylan Maller. Maller’s goal was the first of his collegiate career.

Jokiharju put the Golden Knights back in the lead midway through the second period, but from that point on the game was all Wildcats. see

HOCKEY EAST on page 7

Conference’s TV deal expires in 2025

By Matt Murschel Orlando Sentinel

Big 12 has stood at the edge of conference expansion for months, but league officials have decided not to add any new members.

“We decided after very thorough discussion that we would remain at 10 members,” said Oklahoma president David Boren, who is the chair of the league’s board of directors. “We committed ourselves to that proposition and to each other.

“I would describe it as very thoughtful and candid meeting and showed a great deal of unity and strength in the conference.”

Boren said the decision was unanimous.

The league’s board of directors met Monday for more than five hours to consider candidates that included UCF and USF but in the end, officials chose to stand pat. The move was first reported by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and numerous other media outlets.

It’s a disappointing end for many of the schools mentioned as possible

expansion targets, with the Knights and Bulls hoping for a boost in revenue and national profile by joining a league that features college football powerhouses Texas and Oklahoma.

Boren said Monday’s meeting didn’t involve discussions on any specific expansion candidates and there wasn’t a vote involved with each school.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said he did make a recommendation to the group.

“That we should bring this process to closure one way or another and we shouldn’t kick the can down the road,” he said.

The push for expansion began in 2014 after the Big 12 found itself left out of the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinals despite having one-loss teams in Baylor and TCU available.

The league’s lack of conference championship game was seen as detrimental to the Big 12’s chances.

Oklahoma president David Boren took it one step further when in July of 2015 he called the league “psychologically disadvantaged” compared to other autonomous conferences, which featured 14 members

and hosted conference title games.

The championship game problem was removed from the table when the NCAA approved a waiver allowing leagues with fewer than 12 members to host a conference title game, providing an additional avenue of revenue and a perceived 13th data point for playoff selection committee members to consider.

The Big 12 announced the creation of a title game starting in 2017-18 back in June.

Talk of expansion dipped a bit, but eventually Big 12 officials grew concerned over the growing financial disparity between itself and the Big Ten and SEC. Back in mid-July, Big 12 presidents told Bowlsby to begin the process of vetting schools that may be interested in joining the league as new members. As many as 20 schools were among the initial applicants, with that group getting whittled down to less than a dozen.

Some schools that made the cut included UCF, USF and Houston.

Boren said he was impressed by the group of candidates. see

BIG 12 on page 7