The Massachusetts Daily Collegian: September 29th, 2016

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Israeli journalist discusses reform NYT best-selling author shares take B y L ily Abrahams Collegian Correspondent

SAM ANDERSON/COLLEGIAN

Harold Hodge and Zack Manyak play basketball at the bike-a-thon to raise money for The Ability Experience on Wednesday, Sept. 28.

Author, poet and ex-convict gives lecture on criminal justice reform Speaks about the flaws in the system

By Olivia Jones Collegian Correspondent Author, poet and exconvict Reginald Dwayne Betts came to the Cape Cod Lounge at the University of Massachusetts on Wednesday evening to speak about reforming the criminal justice system and to sign copies of his memoir and poetry collections.

Betts visited UMass as part of the Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series, which will host lectures, exhibits and panels that focus on mass incarceration in America for the remainder of the academic year.

“I think [my conviction] motivated me to know that I was set up to fail and I was woefully unequipped to survive prison,” said Betts.

At 16 years old, Betts plead guilty to six felony charges after he carjacked a man

while holding him at gunpoint, and served over eight years in prison.

Betts said, “It is easy to talk about innocence, it’s not easy to talk about guilt.” He said he wants to be an example for other ex-convicts who want to make a life for themselves.

Since his release, Betts has received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, a master of fine arts from Warren Wilson College and a law degree from Yale Law School.

Betts is best known for his two books of poetry, his memoir and for being appointed as a member of the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention by President Obama.

His memoir is titled “A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival, and Coming of Age in Prison” and his books of poetry are “Shahid Reads His Own Palm” and “Bastards of the Reagan Era.” Director of the Holyoke

Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (HSSYI) Jacqueline Lozada said, “I saw the people I work with in [Betts], it is so important to show someone who still succeeded.”

The HSSYI attended the lecture, titled “Youth, Race and the Failures of the American Justice System” along with UMass students, members of the Pa’Lante restorative justice group at Holyoke High School, Holyoke residents and members from Gateway to College, a program dedicated to guiding high school dropouts into college.

“The fact that he went to prison when he was 16, and then went to Yale, how many people can say that?” said Hectsy Robles, a student with Gateway to College. “[It was] riveting and motivating, it makes me want to go to law school even more now,” said Rusheika Gordon, a junior sociology and political science major at UMass with aspirations to be a public defender.

Jessica Johnson, the out-

reach director for the history department said that a combination of professors from across the Five College (who specialize in the history of mass incarceration in America) as well as community members came together to choose Betts as a speaker.

Christopher Tinson, an associate professor of Africana studies and history at Hampshire College, said that he is currently using Betts’ memoir in his class Warfare in the American Homeland.

The class aims to educate students about incarceration and policing in the U.S. Nat Herold, a co-owner of Amherst Books downtown, was selling copies of Betts’ books at the lecture.

There are ten more events scheduled this fall for the Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series that are free and open to the public.

Olivia Jones can be reached at oliviajones@umass.edu.

Senate passes stopgap spending bill

By Lisa Mascaro Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — Congress was poised to avert a government shutdown after the Senate approved a stopgap spending bill Wednesday, following a tentative deal on emergency funds for victims of the water crisis in Flint, Mich.

Final votes are expected in the House before funds for the government expire Friday.

“Is it perfect? No. Is it acceptable? Yes. Is it necessary? Absolutely,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee. “I look forward to keeping our government open.”

The funding bill is among the last items of business before Congress recesses for

the November election.

The temporary measure, which includes more than $1 billion to fight the Zika virus, would extend government funding until Dec. 9. It pushes the next spending battle to the lame-duck session of Congress after the presidential election.

Overall funding levels already had been agreed to under previous budget deals, but the hold-up had been money for Flint, where lead contamination has made water undrinkable.

Democrats wanted to include the Flint aid, especially after Republicans tucked in money for flooding victims in Louisiana. But Republicans balked and wanted Flint to be handled separately.

Late Tuesday, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis.,

and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., struck a deal to include $170 million in emergency Flint funds in a separate water-resources bill. It was poised to pass the House on Wednesday.

“We have a path forward to getting our work done,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Wednesday.

The Senate had already approved Flint money, including $100 million for infrastructure repairs and other funds, in its own water bill. The two versions will need to be reconciled after the November election during the lame-duck session.

“I’m convinced there’s going to be help for Flint in the lame duck,” said Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Senate minority leader.

Congress has routinely pushed its funding deadlines to the brink amid partisan disputes over money matters, but few lawmakers wanted a repeat of the 2013 government shutdown so close to the fall election.

Lawmakers edged toward a stalemate at the start of the week, and an earlier effort to pass the funding bill failed amid partisan disagreements over the emergency aid.

Other provisions also complicated passage, but were ultimately sidelined as congressional leaders pushed for resolution.

A longstanding “dark money” provision backed by McConnell that keeps publicly traded companies from having to disclose their donations to campaign-related groups remained intact.

“to facilitate a somewhat better conversation about Israel than what you’re used to.” His focus was on honest and fearless conversation.

Shavit claimed “I’m no pessimist,” but he warned that if no changes in action were made, in 10 years the hope for a peaceful two-state solution will be lost and “Israel will be tyrannical.”

The necessary change he outlined was threefold. According to Shavit, Israel needs a new concept of peace, a more unified national identity, and a stronger relationship between Israeli Jews and Jews of the diaspora.

His last point was the most stressed and the reason for his tour to American universities.

He said he sees the difference in the orthodox and reform, the Israeli and the diaspora, and the young and the old as incredible and dangerous.

“I’ve become obsessed with millennials,” he admitted, and recognized the large gap in thought between the older generation of Jews and the younger. He said the weight of the future of Israel rests on the young generation.

Shavit ended on a positive note, describing Israel as full of “warmth, sensuality, and invigorating culture.” He called for the flowing of Israel’s positivity into the broken political system and left the audience with hope.

Ari Shavit, a senior editorial correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, visited the University of Massachusetts on Wednesday evening to discuss the movements that have shaped Israel and consider Israel’s survival today and in the future.

Shavit was born in Israel, served as a paratrooper in the IDF and studied philosophy at the Hebrew University in Jersualem. He began his career as a journalist in the 1980s. In 2013 he published a book titled, “My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel” which became a New York Times bestseller.

UMass Hillel set up the “accidental ambassador for a different Israel,” as Shavit described himself, to speak to a room in the Integrative Learning Center predominately filled with Jewish adults and students.

“I make a point of making everybody angry, not just right, but people on the left” Shavit said before he began his speech, setting up the room for his ideas that he classified as universal.

Shavit spoke about how many talks on Israel become “so polarized, so aggressive and so uncivi- Lily Abrahams can be reached at lized” and that he strived labrahams@umass.edu.

Tropical Storm turned hurricane

By Jenny Staletovich Miami Herald

MIAMI — Tropical Storm Matthew will likely become a hurricane by Friday as it pushes across the Caribbean Sea, posing a serious threat to vulnerable islands in a region prone to deadly flooding and mudslides.

At 8 p.m. Wednesday, National Hurricane Center forecasters said Matthew was located about 90 miles west of St. Lucia and had slowed to about 15 mph as it continued moving west.

Sustained winds increased to 65 mph.

The storm was expected to move away from the Windward Islands Wednesday night and keep slowing down. Tropical storm force winds, which extend about 205 miles from the center of Matthew, should continue pummeling the islands as well as the southern end of the Leeward chain. The islands could also see between 4 and 8 inches of rain.

The storm’s worst winds were blowing on its northeast side, which could spell trouble for Haiti as the storm rolls west, where rains are

expected to begin Saturday.

The country has been hit with devastating floods this year after an unusually wet winter. In February, flooding killed at least one person and damaged 10,000 homes.

Computer models keep Matthew rolling west for the next two to three days, then begin to turn as the storm nears the edge of a steering ridge. Where that turn happens depends on how intense the storm becomes.

Forecasters warned that most models can be off by as much as 240 miles five days out.

Over the day Wednesday, the storm became better defined, forecasters said. But a hurricane hunter plane reported finding no drop in pressure, leading forecasters to project little strengthening as the storm lingers over the Windward Islands.

The plane was scheduled to return Wednesday evening.

Forecasters have issued a tropical storm warning for Guadeloupe and Martinique, St. Lucia, Dominica, Barbados, St. Vincent, and the Grenadine Islands. A watch is in effect for Bonaire, Curacao, and Aruba.

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Thursday, September 29, 2016

THE RU N D OW N ON THIS DAY...

The space shuttle Discovery took off from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

It was the first manned space flight since the Challenger disaster

AROUND THE WORLD

Senators want to know if EpiPen maker violated law WASHINGTON — Several U.S. Senators have asked the Justice Department to determine whether Mylan Pharmaceuticals broke the law in classifying its brand name EpiPen as a generic device in order to lower rebates the company paid to Medicaid.

“Pharmaceutical companies are responsible for determining whether their products are innovator (i.e. brand name) or (non-innovator multiple source, i.e. generic) drugs,” Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Ct., wrote to Attorney General Loretta Lynch in a letter Wednesday.

“Companies can reap huge profits, at the expense of the states and taxpayers, by misclassifying innovator drugs. ... In the past, the Department has secured settlements against drug companies under the False Claims Act for such practices _ including against Mylan Pharmaceuticals.”

EpiPens, which are epinephrine-filled injectors, treat severe, sometimes life-threatening allergic reactions. Many children carry them. While experts said epinephrine is cheap and the auto-injector system is not costly to produce, Mylan has raised the cost of a two-pack of EpiPens from $100 in 2008 to $500 to $600 in 2016.

The company is obliged to pay rebates back to state administrators of the federal Medicaid program, which provides health coverage for low-income Americans. Those rebates vary based on the classification of a drug.

In the case of innovator drugs, which are in essence brand names, the rebate amount is at least 23.1 percent of what the company received in Medicaid payments. In the case of noninnovator multiple source drugs, which are in essence generic, the rebate amount is 13 percent. That means a company can keep 10 percent more of its Medicaid payments if it classifies its drug as non-innovator or generic.

Klobuchar has charged that Mylan’s incorrect non-innovator classification of EpiPens allowed the company to underpay Minnesota Medicaid by $4.3 million in 2016.

The company has said it followed all federal regulations in obtaining noninnovator status and will do so again when the drug comes up for review by April 1, 2017.

Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Distributed by MTC information services

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Sunset Grill and Pizza tries Penn. Gov. calls to make a mark in Amherst for opioid action Will host Sunday Fearing St Festival

By Stuart Foster Collegian Staff

Almost five months after its opening, the Sunset Grill and Pizza on Fearing Street is trying to embed itself in the Amherst community, especially in the Southwest Residential Area.

Owner Rebec c a Casagrande, who bought and began renovating the site after the former tenant, College Pizza, had their food establishment license removed, said she wanted to establish her new restaurant as a good neighbor to both University of Massachusetts students and community members in the town.

“The hardest thing for me has just been coming forward from the place it was before to a really reputable place,” Casagrande said.

The Sunset Grill and Pizza has been working hard to get the word out about the restaurant, distributing 3,000 menus in dormitories the past few weeks and handing out smoothie samples on Fearing Street, according to Casagrande.

Casagrande said that their main customer base over the summer was workers at UMass, so with school back in session they are trying to expand to the students.

Casagrande added that they planned on offering a curbside program soon which would feature employees delivering pickup orders to customers in their cars outside of the restaurant.

“We’re going to offer that Monday to Friday,” Casagrande said, adding the intention was for UMass workers to be able to pick up their orders quickly after their shifts ended.

The Sunset Grill and Pizza is currently not open on Mondays and Tuesdays, and offers service from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Casagrande said that while making new customers aware of new restaurants is always the most difficult part of opening, Sunset Grill and Pizza has attracted faithful customers from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture fraternity house Alpha Tau Gamma, the UMass hockey players in the area and some offcampus students living on Fearing Street.

“We just want to have a nice, safe place for people to hang out,” Casagrande said.

Casagrande is also trying to host more events in the restaurant, such as the Fearing Street Festival this Saturday. The event will have officers from the Amherst Police Department and UMass Police Department providing a set amount of food, along with UMass Dining and Baby Berk.

The festival, which will take place during the upcoming New England Patriots game, will feature a broadcast of the game along with an inflatable jousting event and bungee run.

“What we are aiming to do in this event is to create an event that is friendly and fun in an untraditional way,” said APD Officer William Laramee.

Laramee said he thought the event could help the Sunset Grill and Pizza as a new business, in addition to providing a better environment for students and community members to interact with police officers.

Casagrande was also excited for the Saturday UMass football game at

McGuirk Stadium, and offered a special deal.

“If UMass wins Saturday, we’re doing buy a slice, get a slice free.”

The menu of the Sunset Grill and Pizza mixes favorite items for pizza places such as slices, grinders and french fries with more unfamiliar meals, like taquitos and fried dough.

Casagrande said they will also begin serving wings this Sunday.

The Sunset Grill and Pizza currently offers a set of deals for its customers, such as giving $5 off a meal on a customer’s birthday and a 10 percent discount for students. Casagrande said they also offer very quick delivery times.

“We are really trying to keep deliver times under half an hour.”

Casagrande is also working with UMass Dining on ways to best offer food to students on meal plans, whether off campus or YCMP. While the store still sells tobacco, Casagrande said they no longer sell pipes and water pipes as College Pizza used to. Casagrande emphasized that she wanted her restaurant to be a respected part of the community and helpful to students, and said she had helped take care of a few people visiting Amherst late at night.

Casagrande also said that the process of running the restaurant was exhausting, and she was often tired as a result of working after having back surgery done over the summer.

“I’m here because I need to be here,” she said.

Stuart Foster can be reached at stuartfoster@umass.edu or followed on Twitter @Stuart_C_Foster.

Kerry: US cooperation with Russia in Syria may end

By Tracy Wilkinson Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Wednesday threatened to suspend U.S. cooperation with Russia concerning the conflict in Syria, following heavy Russian and Syrian airstrikes on civilian neighborhoods in the divided city of Aleppo.

The warning signaled growing frustration and anger in the Obama administration at what it sees as a widening Russian effort to prop up Syrian President Bashar Assad, rather than focus on defeating the Islamic State and other extremist groups in the country’s multi-sided civil war.

In a telephone conversation with Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, Kerry “expressed grave concern” over the “drastic escalation” of air attacks since the breakdown of a cease-fire last week, State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

In recent days, airstrikes with bunker-buster and incendiary bombs have killed hundreds of civilians in Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and targeted hospitals, water supplies and air raid shelters, U.S. officials say.

In addition to the devastation, desperately needed convoys of food, medicine and other supplies have been blocked from many besieged enclaves because conditions are deemed too dangerous. At least one aid

convoy was attacked.

Kerry told Lavrov that “the United States is making preparations to suspend U.S.-Russia bilateral engagement on Syria” unless Russia “takes immediate steps to end the assault on Aleppo and restore the cessation of hostilities,” Kirby said in a statement.

Kerry “stressed that the burden remains on Russia to stop this assault and allow humanitarian access to Aleppo and other areas in need,” Kirby said.

Asked later if Kerry had set a deadline for action, Kirby said the secretary had “made clear ... the sense of urgency” that was expected in a response from the Russians.

Kirby said Russia’s failure to heed the warning would lead to greater chaos in Syria. Extremists will fill the void, he said, and Russia will have to “send its troops home in body bags.”

An estimated 250,000 people live in eastern Aleppo, an area that is controlled by rebel forces and has been the chief target of the onslaught by Syrian and government forces and their Russian allies.

Russia and the United States lead an international task force aimed at ending the civil war, and diplomats from Moscow and Washington helped broker a partial cease-fire early this year and again this month.

Both efforts soon collapsed.

Kirby said the suspension of cooperation would

include the so-called joint implementation center, which was supposed to function as a hub for greater U.S. and Russian cooperation in the war, including shared targeting and intelligence gathering.

The Pentagon privately opposed creation of the joint center.

Moscow has repeatedly ignored Washington’s entreaties to stop bombing civilian areas in Syria.

Russia says it is targeting terrorists, a claim dismissed by the U.S. government, humanitarian agencies and the Syrian opposition.

Russia strongly supports Assad’s government in Damascus and entered the war on his side a year ago, saving it from likely defeat. The Obama administration has called on Assad to step down and is supporting Syrian rebel groups that oppose the Islamic State.

During a visit to Cartagena, Colombia, on Monday, Kerry bristled when asked if Russia had “taken the U.S. for a ride” in Syria, as the reporter put it.

“If we hadn’t had the conversations we had, there would have been absolutely continued violence and many more people dead,” Kerry said, defending the diplomacy.

By Rich Lord and Karen Langley Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HARRISBURG, Pa. — In a sometimes personal speech, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf urged legislators Wednesday to help him enact a half-dozen measures that he hopes would slow the opioid epidemic that last year took nearly 3,500 lives across the state.

“We’ve all held parents’ hands as they’ve cried,” Wolf, a Democrat, told a packed House chamber in a rare joint session of the Assembly. “We’ve hugged those in recovery who’ve risen above this disease _ and we’ve heard their stories. Parents and those suffering from the disease of addiction have broken down telling us about the difficulty of finding treatment options.”

After the speech, Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Lycoming, who, with the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, has led nearly a dozen hearings on the opioid crisis, said he gave the governor credit for understanding the nature of the epidemic. But he cautioned that any attempt to improve the situation would take time.

“I will feel very fortunate if we can make a difference in this problem in 10 years,” Yaw said.

Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, noted that members of the opposing party usually highlight their differences after a governor delivers an address.

“Obviously, today is a completely different issue that I think we all are united in,” he said.

Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, described the proposals the governor touted as “low-hanging fruit” that did not seem to be controversial. He said the Legislature should hold a special session in January on opioids legislation.

“I do see that this issue is going to continue to be a major part of our conversations in January, February, March, April and May,” he said.

Wolf called the addiction crisis “an invisible problem” with concrete ramifications. He told lawmakers about a close friend who lost a child to addiction and was so heartbroken that he shared the news not by speaking, but in a handdelivered letter to the governor.

“People have buried their childhood friends,” Wolf said.

The governor said he wants to limit _ with some exceptions _ prescriptions of opioids to one week’s worth of pills for minors and patients seen in the emergency room.

“We’ve all heard too many stories _ too many horror stories _ about high school athletes whose futures are robbed by addiction that begins with prescription painkillers,” he said. “Of course, those suffering from crippling pain need relief, and we must be careful to protect the ability of sufferers of long-term pain or victims of trauma to receive appropriate medication.”

A bill by Yaw, which passed the Senate Wednesday, would generally bar medical providers from prescribing more than a seven-day supply of any opioid to a minor, or face potential discipline against their licenses. If more than a week’s worth of opioids was needed, the prescriber would first

assess whether the young person had a mental health or substance abuse disorder, and discuss the risks with a parent or guardian.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society, which represents doctors, has helped to write prescribing guidelines, but has generally opposed legislation setting prescribing rules. A spokesman said Wednesday in an email that the society was reviewing the proposals, and looks “forward to working with elected leaders in finding solutions that work.”

Wolf also wants to compel doctors to check the new patient drug history database every time they prescribe a controlled substance.

“Our current law is not strong enough,” he said.

“It only requires doctors to check the system the first time they prescribe to a patient, or if they believe a patient is suffering from the disease of addiction.”

He also proposed that legislators tell insurers to cover abuse-resistant formulations of painkillers, mandate opioid education in schools, and create a system under which patients can formally declare that they do not want to be prescribed opioids. Wolf wants medical schools, as a condition of state funding, to teach good painkiller-prescribing practices, and doctors, as a condition of licensing, to take regular refresher courses.

“The opioid epidemic did not start overnight and we will not fix it overnight, or even in this session,” he said. “But by acting on these bills _ and by putting other ideas on the table _ we can continue to stem the tide of opioid abuse in Pennsylvania. We can make progress for the families we have met _ the parents who have cried on our shoulders.”

A Pittsburgh PostGazette investigation published in May showed that the state lagged many of its neighbors in efforts to monitor patient drug histories, teach doctors the dangers of opioids, promulgate guidelines for the use of painkillers, and discipline physicians who prescribed them wantonly.

The investigation found that over five years, 608 doctors were disciplined for narcoticsprescribing practices in the states that include most of Appalachia _ but just 53 of those were in Pennsylvania.

Wider distribution of the medicine naloxone, encouraged by Wolf ’s administration, has resulted in 1,502 “saves” in potentially fatal overdoses since November 2014.

The Board of Medicine approved opioid-prescribing guidelines for several medical specialties.

Last month, the state became the 49th in the nation to operate a prescription drug monitoring program, through which doctors must check a patient’s medication history before adding a controlled substance. The budget includes $20 million in new funding for treatment, including 45 Centers of Excellence meant to treat 10,000 people annually.

Wolf said the crisis “calls on us to cast aside partisanship once again.

It calls on us to reject cynicism once again. It calls on us to take action once again. ... Let’s get this done.”

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Congress overrides Obama’s veto

By Lisa Mascaro and Michael A. Memoli

Tribune Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — The GOP-led Congress has been angling for this moment: the chance to finally deliver President Barack Obama a stinging rebuke with the first veto override since he took office.

It may not be exactly the political score many Republicans had envisioned.

The timing comes near the end of Obama’s presidency and on a bill _ which would let 9/11 families sue the Saudi Arabian government _ that some lawmakers concede is problematic.

But on Wednesday, the Senate voted 97-1 to override Obama’s veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act. The House swiftly followed with an override vote of 348-77.

The override was the first time Congress has successfully challenged the president on a piece of legislation, despite Obama’s 12 other vetoes, including 10 when Republicans were the majority of both houses. In most instances, Congress didn’t even attempt an override.

The White House, which made modest gestures to prevent this week’s outcome with tough warnings from its national security team, blasted the vote as “embarrassing,” warning that lawmakers would have to answer to their constituents.

A cadre of blue-chip lobby shops was being paid top dollar by the Saudi government to try to derail the action.

But the opposition was a long-shot effort that has little chance against the compelling stories of the 9/11 victims’ families and friends who have pressured Congress for almost a decade to pass the legislation.

“This rare moment of bipartisanship is a testament to the strength of the 9/11 families,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., one of the bill’s lead authors.

“Overriding a presidential veto is something we don’t take lightly, but it was important in this case.”

After a personal appeal from Obama, Sen. Harry Reid

of Nevada, the Democratic leader, was the lone vote against the override. Two other senators did not vote because they were on the presidential campaign trail in support of Hillary Clinton _ Tim Kaine of Virginia, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

The legislation would amend existing law to allow U.S. courts to hear terrorism cases against foreign states, narrowing the scope of immunity now granted to sovereign foreign actors.

Supporters say it will allow victims of terrorism their day in court. But opponents, including the administration, warn that it could complicate U.S. relationships abroad, impede national security investigations and open the floodgates to similar suits by foreigners against the U.S. government.

The CIA director warned the bill could have “grave implications” for national security, and Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said it could be “devastating” to the department and “undermine” counterterrorism efforts abroad.

The legislation has bounced around Washington for years, but it was never expected to advance.

Schumer, the brash New Yorker who is poised to become the Senate Democratic leader next year, succeeded in passing it through the Senate in spring on a voice vote, without a formal roll call.

The House seized the opportunity to corner Obama, and just before the 15th anniversary of the Sept.

11, 2001, attacks, approved the measure on a swift voice vote.

In the weeks since, the White House and opponents _ and even some reluctant lawmakers _ have scrambled to play catch-up. Top lobbying firms employing former congressional leaders, including Trent Lott, John Breaux and others, were hired quickly by the Saudi government, some on $100,000-a-month retainers, to fight the override vote.

Several key lawmakers have expressed concerns

about the legislation, saying they are having second thoughts about supporting the bill. But not enough were ultimately willing to stop it.

“The president feels strongly about this. He’s also aware of how challenging the politics are,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday.

The override vote not only is a public slap at the president, but a reminder of his often tenuous relationship with Congress.

Obama has been criticized for having little experience with Capitol Hill, and even less engagement.

He outsourced too much of his legislating to staff, critics said, without investing in the personal relationships needed to bargain with lawmakers.

When Republicans became the majority in both houses in 2015, they envisioned turning Obama into a vetoer-in-chief, eager to force the president into the uncomfortable position of rejecting bill after bill from the new Congress.

The strategy was seen by former House Speaker John A. Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as a way to fire up their partisan GOP base and show the two parties’ different approaches to legislating.

But that never really happened.

Faced with their own party infighting, the Republican House and Senate often struggled to find common ground and muster their own votes to send bills to the White House.

When they did, Obama easily swatted the bills back with a veto message.

On the few occasions when Republicans mounted an override attempt, Democrats sustained the vetoes.

The closest Republicans came to a victory was on a bill to expedite construction of the Keystone XL pipeline that many Democrats also supported. But the override fell a few votes short of the 67 needed.

Obama even appeared to lament that he didn’t always have true sparring partners in the gridlocked Congress.

“I don’t generally even have to veto anything because they can’t get organized enough even to present the cockamamie legislation that they’re interested in passing,” Obama said at a recent New York fundraiser.

Officials at the White House are downplaying the significance of this week’s votes, seeing the action as an outlier after nearly two years in which a Republican congressional majority failed to produce much landmark legislation for the president to sign, let alone veto.

While adamant that the 9/11 legislation could have far-reaching consequences and potentially hurt U.S. alliances, not only with Saudi Arabia but with other allies, the administration does not appear to have made a fullcourt effort to stop it.

Obama’s Democratic allies on Capitol Hill suggested the override vote was not an affront to the president but rather a difference of opinion based on the roles Obama and Congress play in governing.

“It isn’t anti-the president,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said.

Obama’s thin veto record is similar to that of his predecessor, President George W. Bush, and a fraction of the 37 that President Bill Clinton dashed off with his veto pen.

It’s nowhere near the 250 under President Truman or 635 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Overrides also are rare.

During the last administration, Congress was able to override Bush four times, all during his final years when Democrats had control of both chambers. Clinton was overridden twice. Truman and President Gerald Ford experienced the most overrides in the modern era, 12.

“That the president hasn’t vetoed that many bills I think is a pretty damning indictment of the effectiveness of Republicans in Congress,” Earnest said.

“We haven’t seen Speaker Boehner or Speaker (Paul) Ryan work effectively with Leader McConnell to pass legislation that advances the conservative agenda.”

Was NAFTA as bad as Trump says?

By Kevin G. Hall McClatchy declined, but the decrease was “A good way of measur- Missouri, Iowa and elsewhere Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Contrary to Donald Trump’s characterization of the North American Free Trade Agreement as “the worst trade deal maybe ever,” the trade pact with Canada and Mexico has been a success when measured by increased commerce across the three nations.

Trump savaged NAFTA during Monday night’s debate, and Hillary Clinton didn’t defend the deal. It was negotiated by Republican President George H.W. Bush, passed with Republicans’ support and signed by Clinton’s husband, President Bill Clinton, after side deals on labor and the environment were added.

Trump argued that NAFTA, which took effect in 1994, cost Rust Belt states like Ohio and Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs. He vows to bring back these sorts of low-skill jobs.

“That’s a highly misleading metric because the evidence shows that trade agreements, over a period of time, make little or no difference to the total number of jobs,” said Gary C. Hufbauer, a leading researcher for the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a nonpartisan but pro-trade think tank. “Trump doesn’t get this. A lot of people don’t get this. What trade agreements do is change the composition of jobs, the kind of industries they’re in.”

In other words, U.S. manufacturing jobs might have

offset by warehousing jobs, trucking jobs, banking jobs in trade finance and in other areas that feed into international commerce.

Exact numbers are in dispute. The more liberal Economic Policy Institute says NAFTA led to the loss of 700,000 U.S. jobs over its first two decades. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in a 20-year report on NAFTA that it helped create 5 million jobs through trade and increased competitiveness.

When trade is measured more broadly, it has led to numerous changes in the U.S. economy, such as expansion in the Washington state seaports of Seattle and Tacoma, the creation of a rail and truck hub in California for trade with China, Miami’s evolution into a hub city for all things Latin America and even a Europe-focused container port in Charleston, S.C. All are significant changes that corresponded with the surge in global trade.

Trade agreements generally expand market access for finance and other services and reduce the tariff, a tax on traded goods, to zero for most sectors and products over an agreed-upon time so that sectors can prepare and adjust.

Sensitive protected sectors such as agriculture historically have had the longest phasein periods and sometimes retain volume quotas. By its very nature, trade has winners and losers.

ing an agreement is did it increase two-way trade more than it would have otherwise,” said Hufbauer. “Texas and California benefit a lot because two-way trade with Mexico is much, much higher than it otherwise would have been if we didn’t have NAFTA.” A McClatchy analysis of trade data shows that twoway trade between the United States and Mexico rose by 391 percent from 1995 _ the second full year of NAFTA _ to the end of 2015. Trade with NAFTA partner Canada grew by 112.4 percent in the same period, a slower rate which reflects that a U.S.-Canada free trade agreement had been in effect since 1987. U.S. trade with the world grew by 182.4 percent from 1995 through 2015, to almost $3.751 trillion.

Two-way trade has grown sharply because of agriculture. Mexican tomato growers benefited greatly, at the expense of Florida growers.

But U.S. corn farmers have been among the biggest winners. U.S. exports of yellow corn have grown from 66 million bushels in the 1993-94 growing season to 444 million bushels _ 24.9 million pounds of corn kernels _ in the 2014-15 season _ a 572 percent increase.

“An overwhelming win,” said Paul Bertels, vice president of production for the National Corn Growers Association, based in Chesterfield, Mo. Corn used to feed farm animals moves from Illinois,

by barge and rail to Mexico, and the increases have allowed Mexico to boost its livestock.

“Over the last few years, they’ve really become a growing market for U.S. pork products,” he said.

During the 1992 presidential campaign, third-party candidate Ross Perot warned of a giant sucking sound of jobs going to Mexico. In fact, the majority of manufacturing jobs in the following decade went to China, which joined the World Trade Organization and sought to attract foreign investors.

Perot and his son Ross Perot Jr. benefited handsomely from NAFTA as their Hillwood Development Co. helped build the Fort Worth Alliance Airport, an industrial airport opened in 1989 that’s now a hub for air cargo into Mexico, complete with railroad connections for freight and a FedEx state-of-the-art facility. Alliance Air Services, a Hillwood subsidiary, manages the airport.

“The easiest way for HRC (Hillary Rodham Clinton) to respond to Trump’s attacks on NAFTA is to state that NAFTA came into force in 1994 and over the next six years the US economy enjoyed one of strongest sustained periods of economic growth in the postWWII era,” Neil Dutta, head of U.S. economics for forecaster Renaissance Macro Research, wrote Tuesday in a note to investors. “So, how bad could it have been?”

Thursday, September 29, 2016

3

600 troops sent to retake Mosul

By W.J. Hennigan Tribune Washington Bureau ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Pentagon plans to send about 600 additional troops to Iraq to help launch a longawaited offensive to retake Mosul in coming weeks, the most ambitious operation yet in the two-year military campaign against Islamic State.

The escalation, which has been approved by the White House, suggests the challenges U.S.-backed Iraqi ground forces will face in assaulting a heavily defended major urban center that is Islamic State’s self-declared capital in Iraq and the largest city under its control anywhere.

An Iraqi victory in Mosul would effectively end Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate in Iraq. President Barack Obama would like to see the militants ejected or defeated in Iraq before he leaves office in January.

The Pentagon has about 6,000 troops, mostly operating as advisers and trainers, in Iraq. U.S.-led coalition warplanes based outside Iraq have carried out thousands of airstrikes since mid-2014.

Most of the new U.S. troops will be deployed to Qayyarah, an Iraqi airbase known as Q-West about 40 miles south of Mosul that has become a key staging base for the planned assault.

Some also will be deployed to the Al Asad base, which is further west in Anbar province, to help with logistics.

A small component of special-operations forces also be dispatched to help Iraqi commanders gather and analyze intelligence from the battlefield.

Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, must give his approval for the advisers to accompany Iraqi troops at the battalion level, meaning they could operate closer to the front line. U.S. advisers thus far have been largely confined to Iraqi division headquarters.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told reporters traveling with him in Albuquerque on Wednesday that the Pentagon plans to send “approximately 600 troops.” A senior defense official said 615 troops will be deployed.

Carter said they will help Iraqi security forces and Kurdish fighters to “isolate and collapse” Islamic State’s control over Mosul and “to protect and expand Iraqi security forces gains elsewhere.”

“The Iraqi security forces have the combat role and we’re in the support role, but I need to make clear: American forces combating ISIL are in harm’s way,” he said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

Carter said the Pentagon does not know if the militants plan to fight street by street for Mosul, as many have feared, or will abandon the city before the assault force, as has happened in several battles recently.

“Nor do we know whether they will be able to carry out whatever plans they have,” he added. It’s unclear “whether their fighters will stick with them, whether they will have the morale to do that, (and) whether the populace of Mosul will tolerate their continued presence in the city.”

Surveillance drones and spy satellites have seen fighters building defensive positions inside Mosul although the militants have sought to hide their activity with smoke from burning oil and tires. U.S. planes have also sought to undermine support for the militants, and warn of the coming assault,

by dropping millions of propaganda leaflets on the city.

The offensive, first promised in early 2015, has been repeatedly postponed as Iraqi security forces focused on retraining and on pushing the militants from other cities and towns closer to Baghdad, the capital.

Iraqi President Haider Abadi said in a statement Wednesday that he had requested more U.S. troops after “consultation” with President Obama. The two leaders met on Sept. 19 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Abadi said “the role of the trainers and advisers is not combat, but for training and consultation only.

“It is our troops who will liberate the land,” he said.

Kurdish troops will coordinate with Iraqi and coalition forces in the attack. The autonomous Kurdish government in northern Iraq has agreed to receive refugees of all ethnic and religious groups. An estimated 1 million civilians are in the city.

In recent weeks, advancing Iraqi and Kurdish ground forces have retaken towns and cities around Mosul and have cut off major supply routes on nearly all sides of the city.

Iraqi ground forces, backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, pushed the militants from Sharqat last week, raising the Iraqi flag over a government compound. The town lies on the west bank of the Tigris River, about 50 miles south of Mosul.

Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week that the Iraqis being trained by the U.S.-led coalition for the Mosul offensive will be ready in early October.

The U.S. combat role in Iraq has increased steadily since Obama first authorized troops and air strikes in mid-2014. Special operations forces have accompanied Iraqi and Kurdish troops on raids and combat operations. Hundreds of additional troops are sent every few months to bolster support to Iraqi forces.

The Pentagon began extensive retraining of Iraqi troops in 2014 after Islamic State guerrillas first stormed in from Syria and seized large parts of western and northern Iraq.

The training has focused on nine Iraqi army brigades and three brigades of Kurdish fighters, known as peshmerga.

Officially, the Pentagon has deployed 5,262 troops in Iraq. But special operations forces and temporary deployments boost the total to more than 6,000. Three U.S. service members have died thus far fighting against Islamic State in Iraq.

“The president regularly asks: ‘Could we make more progress if we devote additional resources to that effort?’” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Tuesday. “And when the answer to that question is yes, the president has worked very closely with his team to find those resources and to devote them to that effort in a timely fashion.”

Islamic State has held Mosul since June 2014 when Iraqi forces dropped their U.S.-supplied weapons and fled.

Although the Islamic State has steadily lost ground in Iraq and Syria, the Sunni militants have carried out daily suicide bombings in Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad to stoke sectarian strife as well as destabilize the central government.

Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“I don’t want to earn my living; I want to live.” - Oscar Wilde

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Editorial@DailyCollegian.com

Hyper-stress on college campuses: a culture of high achievement leads to increased rates of mental illnesses Rates of mental illnesses, especially anxi- adjusted for inflation, was $16,213 a year and ety and depression, have spiked drastically $7,833 per year at a public institution. In among young people, especially college stu- 2015, the average cost at a private institution rose to $43,921 a year and public college also Christin Howard increased to $19,548 a year. This means that for college-aged students who are not upperdents, in the last couple of years. According middle class or higher, paying for college to a study published in 2013 by the American is a huge, often insurmountable, struggle.

College Health Association, a whopping 57 As a result, students or their families, and percent of collegiate women and 40 per- sometimes both, are often forced into debt in cent of collegiate men reported feeling over- order to pay for college. whelmingly anxious. Likewise, 33 percent This often means that there is a great of women and 27 percent of men reported need to legitimize such an exorbitant expenfeeling seriously depressed. diture. Students feel as though they need to This has serious ramifications, as the maximize their time in college in order to National Alliance on Mental Illness esti- excuse such mates that one quarter of college students a financial have thought about suicide. In fact, the sui- burden. This cide rate among young adults aged 15-24 has means that tripled since the 1950s. It’s estimated that 1.5 on top of percent of college students have attempted a c h i e v i n g suicide and over 1,000 suicides occur on col- highly in the lege campuses per year. academic I am no psychologist, but some of the realm, you reasons behind these increasing rates of also must anxiety, depression and suicide are pain- work at fully obvious to most people attending a internships, university or college in the United States. manage leadBoth the drive to be successful in college and ership roles in extracurricular activities, the daunting fear of searching for a job or apply for scholarships and, more often than graduate school afterward have driven stu- not, also work to support yourself finandents to overwork themselves to the point of cially. All of this can contribute to feelings mental and emotional degradation. Today, of constant stress and anxiety. in order to be a “serious” student and build If a student is graduating with significant a competitive resume, you have to achieve debt, the need to create a stacked resume in academics, extracurricular activities and is even more acute due to the fact that you internships at a breakneck speed. may need to graduate with a well-paying job One of the main reasons for this high- in order to keep yourself afloat financialintensity academic regime is the ever- ly. Unfortunately, entering the job market increasing cost of tuition in colleges, both today is a terrifying prospect. Even without private and public, across the United States. debt, it is daunting to find a job that pays a In 1975, the average total cost of tuition, fees livable wage in your field of study. and room and board at a private institution, Furthermore, if you are planning on

going to graduate school you must be just as high-achieving in order to get the grants and scholarships needed to attend it without amassing more debt.

Even for students not burdened by financial stress, the need to out-perform and out-achieve in order to find a job is still just as oppressive. The system is set up in such a way that students constantly feel at odds with each other. There is relentless competition for the best internships, the best grades, the best relationships with professors and the best positions in your extracurriculars.

Additionally, there is the stress surrounding the prospect of failure. One failed test, one absence from an important class or one sub-par paper and your carefully designed future comes crumbling down at your feet.

This feeling of needing to be the best, and of not allowing yourself a moment to be sick or tired or sad, lends itself to a constantly stressed mindset.

Mental and emotional stability is something that is cultivated through a healthy lifestyle, and it takes both work and time to cultivate healthy living habits that positively contribute to your emotional well-being.

Unfortunately, in this high-stress environment there is often not enough time to take care of your physical and mental health and things such as eating right, exercising and sleeping enough are frequently the first things to be sacrificed when you are highly stressed.

“College should not just be about cramming information into your head, nor should it be about creating a paper version of yourself to present to the world, but it should be about how to live in a physically, intellectually and emotionally healthy way.”

Students are often too busy to take personal time or to work on projects or hobbies that are not directly related to benefitting their “future.” We are so obsessed with school that we forget we are also supposed to be learning about who we are and how to function and cope as adults.

College should not just be about cramming information into your head, nor should it be about creating a paper version of yourself to present to the world, but it should be about how to live in a physically, intellectually and emotionally healthy way.

People wonder why drugs such as Xanax and Adderall are making such a dangerous comeback on college campuses, but I believe the answer is very straightforward. Xanax is an anti-anxiety drug, and who among us does not suffer from anxiety and stress throughout the week? Likewise, who among us has not found themselves with more work than they physically could do without the aid of Adderall or Concerta or some other stimulant?

All of this comes together to form a generation of people who are over-stressed, over-worked, over-medicated (either by themselves or by doctors) and physically unhealthy. The college institution is creating a legion of people who have no idea how to take care of themselves and whose only skill is to work themselves to the bone.

There are no easy solutions to these issues, as they are systematic problems.

Still, we as college students should all realize that we have the opportunity of a fouryear trial run at adulthood in which we can take advantage of not only intellectual, but also emotional and physical teachings.

Christin Howard is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at christinhowa@umass.edu.

Race of candidates should not affect voter turnout Whether you are for Hillary Clinton, percent in the case of the 1996 Clinton-Dole Donald Trump, Gary Johnson or even if election. So what is the connection between you just want to vote for the stir-fry chef at the Third Wave of immigration and voter turnout?

Anthony Ferranti A majority of immigrants at this time were Asians and Southern Europeans and, as it turns out, the ethnicities of presidential Berk, don’t bother talking to me about your candidates has a huge impact on the voter political opinions if you aren’t registered turnout for to vote. Compared to other developed coun- other races. tries, America currently trails significantly In fact, in voter turnout even when excluding coun- Asians and tries with compulsory voting. However, this H i s p a n i c s was not always the case. are more The United States voter turnout was con- likely to not sistently strong from 1840 to 1896, before vote than women’s suffrage and back when many to vote, African-Americans were still restricted a l t h o u g h from voting, with voter turnout fluctuat- this is not ing between about 70 and 80 percent of the the case eligible voter population. During the Third for whites Wave of immigration to the United States or Africanfrom around 1890 to 1920, voter turnout Americans as African-Americans were the percentage dropped significantly over time most likely race to vote in the 2008 and 2012 to about 50 percent of the population. Then, elections, and whites were the most likely after women finally won the right to vote in race to vote in every other election dating 1920, the voter turnout percentage slowly back as far as 1986. Obama’s campaign and rebounded over the subsequent decades, presidency significantly affected the voter increasing to about 60 percent of the eligible turnout percentage for African-Americans, voter population. However, since the end of but unfortunately this change was seen only the Third Wave of immigration, voter turn- in African-American populations and not in out has not risen above 65 percent of the other minority groups. population and has even dipped as low as 49 There is a clear reason why Hispanics,

Asians and other minority groups are less likely to fill out a ballot: politicians in America have historically been white males.

Although I personally believe that every citizen should register to vote and show up on election day, many citizens are reluctant to vote for candidates of other races because they feel underrepresented in politics. This year, the Re p u b l i c a n Party primary voter t u r n o u t percentage increased by a whopping 62 percent (from 19,214,513 voters in 2012 to 31,108,968 voters in 2016), which should come as no surprise considering the diversity of candidates such as Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Ben Carson.

Meanwhile, with white candidates on the Democratic primary stage the voter turnout percentage dropped by 21 percent in the 2016 primary compared to the 2008 primary when Obama was nominated.

It is bothersome to know that many Americans are not willing to vote for races other than their own, but it is equally as

“America is a melting pot of different races and ethnicities and people who have immigrated from all over the world, and we must continue to elect government officials of other races in order to ensure that the voices of minorities are being represented in politics.”

unsettling to watch the presidential race be dominated by whites nearly every election. America is a melting pot of different races and ethnicities and people who have immigrated from all over the world, and we must continue to elect government officials of other races in order to ensure that the voices of minorities are being represented in politics.

In reality, presidents are not elected to represent a singular race, but they are elected to represent our country as a whole.

Americans must realize that we should show up on election day no matter the presidential candidates.

I realize that it is too late to nominate a candidate of color for the 2016 election, but that should not drive away non-whites from voting. Even if you feel underrepresented

by Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, voting in this election is about much more than who holds the Oval Office. Many Americans fail to realize that there are ballot questions that have nothing to do with politicians you see on TV and in the news. Unlike the citizens of many other countries in the world, Americans have the privilege of democracy.

Even if you hate every name you see on the ballot, get off the couch and vote this fall because you might be surprised to find more than just names on the ballot.

Anthony Ferranti is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at aferranti@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 THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“I never read that article by the way.” - Anonymous

Thursday, September 29, 2016

H E A LT H

FITNESS

People share what makes them joyful

Register soon for these autumn runs

Arts@DailyCollegian.com

Student happiness in the fall Upcoming nearby 5K races

By Lucy Matzilevich

By Kinda Badlissi

Collegian Correspondent

Collegian Correspondent

As the fall semester at the University of Massachusetts begins, students prepare for a year full of new memories and fun activities. Whether it is a freshman about to take on their first college semester, or a senior who has rightfully earned their place as a campus leader, everyone has something here that makes them happy.

With the transition back to school comes the changing of the seasons, welcoming the fall weather. While each and every student at UMass has their own unique experiences here, many students agree that the fall season at school is the most heartwarming and memorable time of the year. Some students shared their favorite parts of fall and what keeps them cheerful as the weather gets colder.

VANESSA HERNANDEZ/COLLEGIAN

KINDA BADLISSI/COLLEGIAN

Manny Rose, hospitality and management major, freshman.

Vanessa Hernandez, chemistry major, freshman.

“My favorite part of the fall is watching the Patriots demolish every other opponent, especially while watching it with friends. Fall is also enjoyable because many awesome TV shows come back, including ‘The Walking Dead.’”

“I love being able to wear cute and comfortable sweaters. Also, I love the feeling of stepping on leaves and hearing them crunch under my feet.

The best part, though, is that there’s this smell that always lingers in the air that is just so distinctly fall that it warms you.”

VANESSA HERNANDEZ/COLLEGIAN

VANESSA HERNANDEZ/COLLEGIAN

Samantha Gonda, communication major, freshman.

“Fall is my favorite season.

It was also my grandmother’s favorite season; we would always enjoy the bright fall colors and seeing the pumpkins. Purely aesthetic.”

John Forbes, mechanical engineering major, freshman.

VANESSA HERNANDEZ/COLLEGIAN

Rachel Darsinos, undeclared, “I like that I can drink a freshman. lot of hot chocolate and not sweat. Also, I get to wear “I really love being able to higher socks. Thirdly, baswear different scarves in ketball season is back on the fall. I love the change which is pretty cool.” of the leaves, it never gets old. Also, I love the holidays celebrated in the fall, especially my birthday!”

VANESSA HERNANDEZ/COLLEGIAN

Mariah Girouard, English major, senior.

Saul Bez, environmental science VANESSA HERNANDEZ/COLLEGIAN “I get very nostalgic major, freshman. because I have had great Aakanksha Gupta, communication fall memories. Fall is the major, senior.

“I enjoy the leaves and season that has the happithe foliage in the fall. I also est memories of my childreally love when it gets cold“I really love Halloween hood. My birthday is also er outside because I get to and watching scary movies in the fall!” wear fall jackets. In addition, with friends. Surprisingly

with fall comes awesome holithough, I am not a fan days such as Halloween and of pumpkin spice everyThanksgiving.” thing.”

Here at UMass Amherst, there is a wide variety of students with diverse interests when it comes to the fall. This season is a time when students celebrate their favorite traditions with friends and family, from scarves to scary movies. What makes you happy during the fall?

VANESSA HERNANDEZ/COLLEGIAN

VANESSA HERNANDEZ/COLLEGIAN

VANESSA HERNANDEZ/COLLEGIAN

Melina Garro-Duplisea, communication disorders major, senior.

Courtney Hiraoka, business major, freshman.

“Since I’m from Hawaii, I’ve never experienced the fall before. But, I am “I really like the colors and very excited to experience the foliage. The sun feels very the leaves changing color, warm in the fall. It’s also the pumpkin spice lattes and start of sweater weather, and hot apple cider.”

I really love fall outfits.”

Kinda Badlissi can be reached at kbadlissi@umass.edu.

As the temperature cools down, now is a great time to get out of the Recreation Center and hit the trails for a 5K, five-miler or half marathon. There are several exciting races taking place locally this season that allow you to enjoy a scenic day out with friends while also contributing to a charitable cause. In addition, many of the events include extra perks such as free food, tee-shirts and live music, so be sure to register early to guarantee a spot.

Revolution Run Homecoming 5K

refreshments from the Harvest Run cook-off featuring a variety of international dishes. The first 150 registrants will receive long sleeve T-shirts and cash prizes will be awarded to the male and female overall winners.

8th Annual 5K for Farmland and Farmers’ Market Festival The 5K for Farmland takes place on the West Street Common in Hadley and allows participants to enjoy a scenic, flat run through the farmlands of the Great Meadow.

The race will take place on Sunday, Oct. 16. Proceeds will benefit Kestrel Land Trust, which works to conserve riverways, forests and farms in the Pioneer Valley.

After the race, runners are invited to join in for festivities featuring produce from the farmers’ market, locally brewed beer, an animal exhibit and live music. Runners who pre-register will receive a pint glass, and a discount is available for college students who present their student ID.

There’s still time to sign up for the Revolution Run. The annual Homecoming 5K has been a UMass Amherst tradition for years and benefits Campus Recreation activities. The race will take place on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 10 a.m.

Runners will begin at the Old Chapel and make their way Happy Valley Half through campus. Discounts Marathon and 5K are available for UMass stu The Happy Valley Half dents.

Marathon and 5K will comBerkshire Healthcare mence on Sunday, Oct. 23 at Harvest Run 9 a.m. at 300 N Main Street in The Harvest Run 5K takes Florence. Both the half maraplace on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 10 thon and 5K begin in Look a.m. at Paterson Field House Park amidst beautiful fall foliin Pittsfield. The race ben- age. Plus, both the top male efits Berkshire Community and female runners both College’s nursing program. receive a $100 cash prize.

After the race, enjoy free Post-race celebrations will

take place in the Dow Pavilion and include free tacos and beer, a DJ and a tag sale. The races benefit FitKids, an organization that works to prevent childhood obesity.

FC Stars of MA Zombie Dash The FC Stars 5K will take place on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 11:00 a.m. in Springfield. This year, the event will include a “Mini Zombie Dash” 1K for children under the age of eight years old. Costumes are encouraged for all and T-shirts will be given to registrants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Proceeds will benefit soccer players of the FC Stars club with financial need, as well as field maintenance and other needs of the organization.

2016 Hatfield Lions Club Dan Barry Memorial Road Race The Hatfield Lions Club Dan Barry Memorial road race will take place on Sunday, Nov. 6 in Hatfield. Walkers start at 11 a.m., followed by runners at noon.. The event is dedicated to the memory of Dan Barry, a competitive road racer who founded the race over twenty years ago. Proceeds will go to the Hatfield Lions Club charity to benefit people around the community. After the race, participants will be given a free meal and a bag of locally grown potatoes to take home.

Lucy Matzilevich can be reached at lmatzilevich@umass.edu.

DRINK

New Harvest coffee review Not as good as the replaced cold brew

By Fitzgerald Pucci Collegian Staff

A recent change in Harvest Market’s cold brew coffee selection has taken one of the most beloved and potent coffee drinks from the store.

Chameleon Cold Brew, a drink listed on caffieneinformer.com as having “dangerous” levels of caffeine, used to be sold at Harvest, run by UMass Dining.

It came in ready-to-drink, 10 fluid ounce bottles boasting 270 milligrams of rocket-fuel caffeine brewed over the course of 16 hours. It’s been replaced

by Commonwealth Cold Brew, an eight fluid ounce, 24-hour brew with very big shoes to fill.

For those not acquainted with Chameleon Cold Brew, it was the perfect blend of pleasant, vibrant taste and catastrophic caffeine content. It came with roughly three times the caffeine potency as a Red Bull, and an array of light-tasting, delicious flavors. Vanilla, Mocha, and Original were my main squeezes for many an allnighter, and pleasantly so. The designs, brightly colored and textured with a nonintrusive chameleon on top, let most of their hook come from the taste and viciously enjoyable buzz.

The impression I got from Chameleon is that they let the product speak for itself, and boy, could it walk the walk.

In comparison, the bottles of

Commonwealth Cold Brew in their three flavors all come riddled with shoddy puns and distracting little pictures of mason jars, moustaches, vintage cameras and other millennial stereotypes. While the product is sourced from small, family-operated farms and has quite an ethical looking “origin story,” I could not help but feel turned away.

Seeing a flavor of the brew on the shelf called “Hoperation Cold Brew” and an adjacent product description containing doodles, I felt insulted on behalf of my generation and even more irate at the loss of Chameleon. Between the choices of Hoperation Cold Brew, a straight coffee CCB original blend, and “Buzzed,” a coffee infused with honey, I chose the hippest of the three and walked out with the hops.

Ringing the potion-like bottle up, I saw the same $4.99 price as its larger Chameleon counterpart, and was additionally displeased.

My desire to put to the test the most outlandish flavor started with a negative bias, but the taste of the hopsinfused beverage was far from the calamity I had been expecting. Apart from a dull-tasting coffee flavor, Hoperation Cold Brew was exceedingly easy to drink. The notes of citrus and pine that the hops brought confused me at points; I was unsure whether the hops brought a crisp and vibrant highlight to the taste, or if they meshed into a messy-tasting cross between coffee and “hip-

ster beer.”

The caffeine content of the drink, while not on the same dangerous, exhilarating par of Chameleon, began to give me a noticeable buzz relatively soon. Because Commonwealth Cold Brew’s caffeine content is undisclosed, I was forced to go by feeling more than accurate comparison. When I would be frothing from the mouth after half a bottle of Chameleon, I felt not much more than a moderate jitter halfway into a Commonwealth Cold Brew bottle. Instead of having my eyes bursting at the lids, they were still halfway slumped over, somewhere between content and underwhelmed.

All in all, the cold brew does a decent job of being a cold brew. With a rotating slew of seasonal flavors, such as a maple syrup-infused variant for the wintertime, I may just find a flavor that suits me.

Until then, the fondest memory I will have of the coffee will be finding creative ways to use their entertaining bottles.

For those who love hops but hate hangovers, Commonwealth Cold Brew might just be the perfect alternative to your daytime IPA. For those outside of that niche, you may still find refreshment in these medicine-bottle brews.

I know for certain that I will continue to miss my Chameleon Cold Brew.

Fitzgerald Pucci can be reached at fpucci@umass.edu.

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Thursday, September 29, 2016

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Kicking It Up A Notch

Q uote

of the

D ay

“I get knocked down, but I get up again, you’re never going to keep me down.”

Chumbawumba

D inosaur C omics

B y R yan N orth

F rostbitten

B y J ack B rady

Tray Tables Up, Seat in the Full Upright Position

XKCD

B y R andall M unroe W ondermark

aquarius

B y D avid M alki

HOROSCOPES Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

leo

Jul. 23 - Aug. 22

Remember to phrase all test answers in the Is your roommate actually a large tarantula in form of a question. It’ll psych out the graders. disguise? The answer may surprise you.

pisces

Feb. 19 - Mar. 20

virgo

Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

Lobsters: The really creepy bugs of the sea that people are okay with putting in their mouths for some reason.

Your day will be more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and probably smell just as good.

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

Fun fact: If you gathered the entire population of Rhode Island, they would take up an area roughly the size of Rhode Island.

This goes out to all the people who read the horoscopes: Hi.

If you put at least one leaf of spinach on it, you can count it as a salad. Enjoy your new healthy lifestyle!

It could be worse, you could be watching golf.

sagittarius

Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

‘Impossible’ is just a word. Then again, so is ‘diphthong’, and it’s a lot more fun to say.

Mutton chops were a fashion trend among colonial generals, but they really should have died in the Civil War.

cancer

capricorn

Jun. 22 - Jul. 22

All Mexican food is just tortillas and filling folded in different ways. Wake up America.

Taco Bell is lying to you.

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Absinthe makes the liver grow stronger.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

DailyCollegian.com

HOMECOMING tions, 87 yards, one touchdown) amongst others are some of the weapons that Ford has in his arsenal.

“We have a lot of great players all over the field,” Ford said. “It’s my job to spread it around and make everybody happy. They always do a great job like they always do of making plays and making me look good. Each day we’re out there the guys get more confidence in me. As the quarterback, your guys

FIELD HOCKEY

continued from page 8

have to have trust in you and I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

Now, per his coach, he wants him to go out and get another win.

“Just to get a win,” Whipple said about what he hopes Ford can accomplish this week. “He’s cleaner now. He plays a position where a lot of things are happening. I’m learning him a lot more.

He’s learning me and the things that we’re doing and

we’re flipping some things.

There’s a lot of things that we’ve practiced that we’re going to apply on Saturday that he feels good about.”

UMass will host the Green Wave (2-2, 0-1 American Athletic Conference) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. for the Minutemen’s annual homecoming game.

Kyle DaLuz can be reached at kdaluz@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Kyle_DaLuz.

ALEC ZABRECKY/COLLEGIAN

Andy Isabella (23) and Jalen Williams (80) celebrate after Williams’ touchown against Mississippi State Sept. 24.

DESANTIS much more playing time.

“Now with the work he’s done with his intrinsic motivation, he’s just so important,” O’Leary said.

“He’s one of the first guys on the team sheet every game.”

DeSantis’ value exceeds far beyond his ability to score goals. His four assists lead the Minutemen and place him near the top of the Atlantic 10 rankings.

In each of UMass’ previous three matches, where it is 2-1 and averaging 2.3 goals per game, DeSantis has either recorded an assist or scored a goal in each contest.

Though listed as a forward on the team roster, DeSantis has proven that he can play well on both sides of the ball.

“He has a goal in him obviously and the stats tell

continued from page 8

you he can score a goal and he can create a goal, so they are all really good things to have,” O’Leary said. “And on top of that, given his energy and fitness levels, he is able to hold his own on the defensive end.”

DeSantis’ ability to be a good all-around player allows O’Leary to confidently use him in multiple in-game situations.

“Yeah, we trust him implicitly because he’s done it,” O’Leary said.

“You earn trust and just his performance level every day at practice, everyday at games, you just grow that trust a lot.”

Being a junior and one of the few upper classmen on the UMass roster, DeSantis has embraced the roll of being a leader.

Though he has decided to lead more by example.

“I’m not really a loud guy, I don’t yell that much, I just do the work I’m supposed to do and I think people really follow from that,” DeSantis said.

For O’Leary, DeSantis has been an example to younger players of the value of hard work.

“The world is full of talkers. He is a doer. He just does,” O’Leary said. “For the amount of young guys, I’ve used him as a reference point. Maybe you’re not on the team right now, you’re not in the picture, and you’re young and developing. Well, so was Alex not too long ago. He just quietly gets on and does his thing game in and game out. I’ve always preferred a doer to a talker.”

Philip Sanzo can be reached at psanzo@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Philip_Sanzo.

MLB

Red Sox clinch AL East despite loss to Yankees

By Erik Boland Newsday

NEW YORK — Mark Teixeira flipped his bat after a dramatic home run in Toronto over the weekend, saying “it might be my final home run.”

The soon-to-be retiring first baseman was wrong.

Teixeira hit a walk-off grand slam Wednesday night off Joe Kelly to send the Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Red Sox in front of a wet and cold crowd of 35,520 at the Stadium.

Many of them were Boston fans who nonetheless got to celebrate an AL East title, clinched when the Orioles rallied to beat the Blue Jays.

The Yankees (82-76) kept their very slim playoff hopes alive.

The ninth was as dramatic an inning as the Yankees have had all season.

Trailing 3-0, Brett Gardner led off against closer Craig Kimbrel with a single, the fourth time the left fielder reached base (two singles, two walks).

Kimbrel, erratic much of the season, walked Jacoby Ellsbury and, with Gary

Sanchez at the plate, threw a wild pitch to move the runners. The rookie catcher, 0-for-3 to that point, walked to load the bases for designated hitter Brian McCann.

McCann battled 10 pitches, drawing a bases-loaded walk that made it 3-1 and ended Kimbrel’s night in favor of right-hander Joe Kelly, brought in to face Starlin Castro.

The second baseman struck out on three pitches.

Then Didi Gregorius fell behind 0-and-2 before fouling out. Teixeira, playing in his final games before retirement, fell behind 0-and-1, then sent a laser into the Yankees’ bullpen in rightcenter to win it.

A significant reason the Yankees are still likely to miss the playoffs for the third time in four years is their offense, which failed to perform consistently all season and which did nothing until the ninth, held to one hit until then.

Bryan Mitchell, who missed most of the season with a left big toe fracture before being reinstated from the DL Aug. 24, was terrific. He allowed two hits and walked five in seven shut-

Thursday, September 29, 2016

out innings. The 25-year-old right-hander struck out two.

Clay Buchholz, who came in 8-10 with a 5.00 ERA – but 4-0 with a 3.09 ERA in his previous six starts – allowed one hit and two walks in six shutout innings. He struck out six.

Adam Warren entered in a scoreless tie in the eighth.

Sandy Leon led off with a routine grounder to second that Castro booted for an error. Dustin Pedroia, robbed twice on hard-hit balls earlier in the game, lined one to right-center for a ground-rule double to put runners at second and third.

Xander Bogaerts lined out to third and the Yankees intentionally walked David Ortiz, 0-for-8 to that point in the series, to load the bases for Mookie Betts. The right fielder swung at a first-pitch slider and chopped one over Chase Headley’s head at third _ it barely landed fair _ for a two-run double that made it 2-0. After Hanley Ramirez was intentionally walked, Joe Girardi brought in lefty Tommy Layne to face Jackie Bradley Jr. A passed ball charged to Sanchez soon followed, allowing Ortiz to score to make it 3-0.

net,” Robertson said. “All our forwards do their job …

They’ve all been reliable.”

The Minutewomen came into Wednesday’s matchup with the Huskies with momentum after defeating No. 9 Boston College 3-2 in overtime on the road Sunday afternoon.

UMass, however, could not take the momentum and use it to their advantage. Part of this was due to the play UConn junior forward Charlotte Veitner, who ranks second all-time in program history for points.

Veitner was quick to sneak through the Minutewomen defense, scoring four times to give her 16 on the season. Her goals came in the 15th, 26th, 40th and 56th minute, while also adding an assist, giving her a total of five points Wednesday.

“She has had an unbelievable season,” Robertson said of Veitner. “She’s gotten better each game and we knew that coming in …

She was just in the zone, it was something I’ve never seen before.”

UConn got started early scoring three goals in the

A-10

7

continued from page 8

“We weren’t ourselves, we got frustrated and didn’t find solutions. I think it was the shock of the quick early goals.”

Amy Robertson, UMass coach first 15 minutes and didn’t look back from there. After Delario scored to cut the Huskies lead to two, Veitner scored 10 minutes before halftime to make it a threescore game.

In the second half, the Huskies poured on the scoring with four unanswered goals without much push back from the UMass defense.

“We weren’t ourselves, we got frustrated and didn’t find solutions,” Robertson said. “I think it was the shock of the quick early goals … Today we saw vulnerability and know we can’t allow that, we have to be a better team.”

After a crushing defeat such as this, Robertson said she is sympathetic to the frustration, but knows in order to move forward the team must stay positive.

“I understand the frustration, but we have to look

forward and have to find a way to reflect on what we did well and how we can be better,” Robertson said.

“We have to stay positive.”

The Minutewomen return home after their brief two-game road trip and continue conference play, looking to build off their first conference win against Saint Louis on Sept.

16.

UMass next plays Sunday when it takes on Saint Francis (6-4, 0-1 A-10) at Gladchuk Field Hockey Complex at 1 p.m.

“We’ll get focused on us and we’ll really be focused on our press, how we are at attacking and what we think will be the most threatening to opponents,” Robertson said. “We’re excited to be home Sunday and excited to be playing in conference.”

Zander Manning can be reached at alexanderman@umass.edu.

continued from page 8

working on their throughballs and staying connected when around the goal. The forward believes that as soon as the team starts taking chances that the goals will follow.

“We’re restarting, all those games are in the past, they don’t count,” Kenyon

said. “We just have to put that behind us and focus on the A-10s now.”

Matz acknowledged the fact that there are only 10 games left for the seniors on the Minutewomen, meaning the sentimental aspect of the next few matchups mean more than just the win or

loss.

“I think we got our energy back up,” Matz said. “As I told the team, everybody is 0-0 tomorrow.”

Mollie Walker can be reached at molliewalker@umass.edu or followed on Twitter @MWalker2019.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Weekend

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Sports@DailyCollegian.com

@MDC_SPORTS

FOOTBALL

Minutemen host Tulane on homecoming weekend Green Wave enter Sat. 2-2 on season

By Kyle DaLuz Collegian Staff

It appears as if the Massachusetts football team will be riding the arm of redshirt-sophomore quarterback Andrew Ford, barring injury, for the rest of the season.

Ford has led the Minutemen (1-3) to their only victory of the season – a 21-13 triumph over Florida International Sept.

17 – and has posted numbers far superior to that of his teammate and fellow quarterback Ross Comis.

Through two games, Comis completed just 44 percent of his passes (20-

for-45) for 286 yards, threw a touchdown and an interception as UMass fell to then No. 25 ranked Florida on the road and Boston College at Gillette Stadium.

Ford’s numbers have been impressive on their own. He’s completed just over 63 percent of his passes (52-for-82), thrown for nearly double the yards (551) of Comis and tossed seven touchdowns to four interceptions. His ability to make big plays and put points on the board is something that has been evident and on display in his two collegiate starts.

The Minutemen have scored 56 points combined in their last two games against FIU and Southeastern Conference power Mississippi State, to

just 14 in Comis’ starts.

The then-starter Comis has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury and does not appear to be taking the field anytime soon. Comis has dressed for warmups each of the past two weeks but has not suited up come game time. The extent of his injury has not been made public.

Regardless, UMass coach Mark Whipple is impressed with the play of his current starter through his first two games.

“It’s getting better,” Whipple said. “He’s had two weeks now of getting more reps, more with the first team guys. He was still getting a lot of reps with the second team but the timing was a little bit better. It was good today. We thought that

against a really good team (MSU) he performed well.

We just have to clean up a couple more things and give him some more reps and some of the concepts we’re trying to apply on Saturday.”

Ford has adjusted quite well to his new complement of weapons. Wide receiver Jalen Williams was a huge factor against the Bulldogs – snagging two touchdown passes in his five receptions while compiling 114 receiving yards. His health and production are key if the Minutemen hope to win their second game of the season at McGuirk Stadium this Saturday against Tulane. “(Williams) seemed to get a little better as the game went on,” Whipple

FIELD HOCKEY

New place, same result

CAROLINE O’CONNOR/COLLEGIAN

UMass defeated FIU 21-13 on Sept. 17 in its first game at McGuirk in 2016. said. “He’s got experience.

Obviously he makes a difference in what we try and do.”

Andy Isabella (18 receptions, 265 yards, one touchdown), high school team-

mate

of

Ford’s,

Adam

Breneman (21 receptions, 231 yards, two touchdowns), and Bernard Davis (10 recepsee

HOMECOMING on page 7

Minutewomen fall to No. 1 Huskies

By Zander Manning

form.”

UMass’s lone goal came Top-ranked Connecticut 18 minutes, 20 seconds kept the Massachusetts into the first half courtefield hockey team on sy of senior forward Izzie its toes throughout Delario, her fifth of the seaWednesday’s matchup as son. The goal gives Delario the Minutewomen fell 8-1 16 points this season, three ahead of Nicole Miller who on the road.

In the New England had the lone assist on the goal giving her 13 points on rivals’ second matchthe year. up of the season, the The goal also ties Delario Minutewomen were seekwith Sarah Hawkshaw and ing revenge after falling 2-1 Melanie Kreusch, whom to the Huskies on Sept. 9. all now lead the team with UConn (10-0, 2-0 Big five. With the assist, Miller East), however, made quick now only trails the aforework of UMass (5-5, 1-0 mentioned Delario (six) for Atlantic-10) scoring four team lead, as her season goals in each total rose to five. half to hand the Robertson, UConn 8 Minutewomen however, didn’t a much larger pinpoint Delario defeat the second UMass 1 as the only one time around. doing her job.

“The score is She instead talked about hurtful, we didn’t play our the team as a whole. best hockey,” UMass coach “Everyone does their job, Amy Robertson said in whether it’s a defender and phone interview after the when you’re a forward it’s game. “At times we were your job to put it in the very individual and we got frustrated a little bit. This is not indicative of our typical see FIELD HOCKEY on page 7 Collegian Staff

CHRIS O’KEEFE/COLLEGIAN

After losing to UConn 2-1 at Gladchuk on Sept. 9, UMass dropped its second game against its New England rival Wednesday afternoon in Storrs, Connecticut.

MEN’S SOCCER

WOMEN’S SOCCER

DeSantis emerging as UM’s UMass looks for fresh top offensive player in 2016 start in Atlantic 10 play

By Philip Sanzo

UM travels to La Salle Thurs. night

Collegian Staff

Alex DeSantis does not bring much attention to himself. His 5-foot-11, 150-pound frame will not outsize many opposing players, and his soft-spoken manner leaves him as one of the quieter ones on the pitch.

However, in nine games he has become arguably the Massachusetts men’s soccer team’s best player this season.

DeSantis has tallied two goals–tied with Ty Goncalves for most on the team–and four assists earning him a team-leading eight points.

He has started in all nine games this season and has played a total of 572 minutes.

It has not always been this way though. DeSantis totaled only one goal in his previous two seasons in which he started in only 11 games.

UMass coach Fran O’Leary never doubted DeSantis’ ability.

“He always was a player

By Mollie Walker Collegian Staff

JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN

Alex DeSantis has two goals, four assists and a team-leading eight points for UM. with ability, but he maybe lacked the stamina and the strength to compete consistently at the collegiate level,” O’Leary said.

As a senior at Belchertown High School, DeSantis was named the Daily Hampshire Gazette’s boy’s player of the year.

The now-college junior entered the 2016 season in better shape and with more confidence.

“I was running a lot and working out,” DeSantis said.

“The main focus for me last spring was to get more composed on the ball and be more dangerous with it, I really focused on that over the summer.”

The improvement in his fitness and overall confidence has yielded success, which has therefore yielded see

DESANTIS on page 7

Coming off a 3-0 loss to Providence last Sunday, the Massachusetts women’s soccer team is seeking to improve its offensive performance after a weekplus break heading into its Atlantic 10 opener Thursday night against La Salle.

UMass (2-4-1) has struggled on the offensive end this season, netting a total of only four goals in the last seven games. The Minutewomen average 11.3 shots on goal per game, but have struggled to capitalize on their opportunities.

“I just think that players tend to get really down when they lose and they tend to put too much pressure on themselves,” UMass coach Ed Matz said. “We took a couple of days off, which I think we needed.”

The frustrations with the Minutewomen’s lack of offensive production have shown with their aggression on the field. In their last two games, UMass accumulated 17 fouls as opposed to Brown and Providence’s combined 13.

Thursday’s game is the perfect opportunity for the Minutewomen to gather themselves, as the Explorers’ (2-6) defensive play this season has not turned any heads.

La Salle is riding a fourgame losing streak and has given up 10 goals in its last five games as opposed to the Minutewomen’s nine. On the season, the Explorers have allowed 19 goals compared to the 13 UMass has surrendered.

Matz, however, isn’t using statistics to prepare the Minutewomen and their game plan heading into Thursday.

“I look at La Salle as a good program and how they’re going to be home,”

Matz said. “I don’t look at what they’ve done in the last two or three games, only their style of play.”

Matz discussed his familiarity with the soccer program at La Salle, mentioning his friendship with head coach Paul Royal.

But the most notable trait of the program is the Explorers’ matted-down turf field, which causes the pace of play to increase.

Though goal scoring has been a central critique of the Minutewomen, Matz looks at the last couple of opponents as top defensive teams. With lock-down defensive teams comes a lack of offensive chances, which is what has UMass feeling optimistic.

La Salle is 1-2 at home this season, challenging UMass, which is 1-3-1 on the road in five contests.

Junior forward Gabriela Kenyon discussed the team’s efforts in practice, see

A-10 on page 7