Massachusetts Daily Collegian: March 12, 2015

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Thursday, March 12, 2015

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P/VP debate addresses issues, despite attendance Tickets disucss fees, transparency, reform

SGA Speaker of the Senate Sïonan Barrett and Secretary of Public Relations and Recruitment Chantal Lima Barbosa, who are running

By Jaclyn Bryson for president and vice presiand Marie MacCune Collegian Staff dent, respectively, declined Mirroring the same low- to participate in the debates, turnout for the Student which are not mandatory, said Government Association stu- moderator and Chancellor of dent trustee debate Tuesday Elections Divya Kirti. night, about 10 students came According to their camto hear the more in-depth plat- paign Facebook page, the tickforms of this year’s presiden- et decided they would prefer to tial and vice presidential can- be out “knocking on doors and engaging with student and didates at last night’s debate Except this time, some can- sharing their platform face to didates were missing. face.”

Nevertheless, the two other tickets, Rocco Giordano/ Dhananjay Mirlay Srinivas and Charlotte Kelly/Sammi Gay met in the Hadley Room of the Campus Center Wednesday night to discuss the issues that motivated them to run for SGA office. Both tickets stressed the importance of reshaping the role of the top SGA positions and being transparent and honest with students.

“I think that the role is very much evolving and shaped by those who hold the position,” Kelly said, adding that

if elected, she and Gay would want to make the job one that encourages facilitation, coalition building and dialogue, and makes the SGA a safe place where students can feel free to open up to their elected officials.

“We really want to be more accessible to students. ...We want to have a community oriented role,” Gay said.

The Giordano/Mirlay Srinivas ticket mostly agreed, adding that it is necessary to find a strong team that will see

DEBATE on page 3

CHRISTINA YACONO/COLLEGIAN

Two of the three SGA president/vice president candidates participated in the debate in the Hadley Room of the Campus Center on Wednesday night.

Celebrating international women Humanizing the UMass campus Project puts faces, stories to students

By Aviva Luttrell Collegian Staff

AMANDA CREEGAN/COLLEGIAN

Elementary school dancers from Amherst perform traditional Cambodian dances as a part of International Women’s Day on March 10.

Int’l Relations Club Rao working to sparks interests improve dialogue Club captivates students via debate

By Catherine Ferris Collegian Staff

In high school, those involved in a club like Model United Nations may have been thought of as future politicians and diplomats of the world. But at the University of Massachusetts, the International Relations club is open to all students, regardless of what one may be studying.

Jessica Berger, a junior and the current president of the club, studies microbiology, but has always had an interest in debating. She participated in Model UN in high school, and joined the International Relations club upon arriving to UMass.

“I was really excited when I came to campus, I wanted to join right away,” said Berger.

Berger served as the vice president deputy her freshman year and vice president her sophomore year prior to her appointment as president.

Paige Smith-Hogan, a sophomore, is one of the head delegates of the club, and noted it isn’t necessary to have a specific major in order to join the club. Her area of study as a women, gender and sexuality and sociology double major has more of a focus on the United States, while the club itself expands to the international level.

Mohamed Mohamed, a sophomore studying electrical engineering, said he enjoyed debate throughout high school, and was a member of its Model UN. “You don’t have to enjoy politics to enjoy the club,” said Mohamed, adding he is not interested in politics, but likes to debate.

Besides holding meetings on Wednesdays, the see

CLUB on page 3

Vinayak Rao, president of the UMass Student Government Association and a senior double majoring in communications and investment psychology, is working on establishing a dialogue between students and town officials.

The SGA acts as a liaison between undergraduate students and the administration on campus, relaying issues and difficulties from students to administrators, and works to resolve problems quickly and efficiently. There is no line of communication between town officials and undergraduate students, however.

“Historically, no one in my position has ever helped facilitate a dialogue,” Rao said.

“There’s been a lot of disarray and strained relationships between town residents and UMass students in the past,” he continued.

The communication will allow “a formal way to hold each other accountable, to present issues and not just present them, but to

address them and to come to a solution as quickly as possible,” he added.

To facilitate this communication, he is working alongside SGA Vice President Jacob Schissel and the SGA Secretary of University Policy Stefan Herlitz to establish a advisory board for students in Amherst.

The project is in collaboration with Amherst College and Hampshire College, and has the full support of all schools involved as well as the town of Amherst. It should be in place by April.

Rao, who was born in India, moved to the United States when he was 8 years old and came to UMass in 2011, said he cares about what happens to the University both now and down the road. In particular he wants to allow students to be heard in more settings.

“Everyone needs a voice,” he said.

Andy Castillo

Behind every face there’s a story.

That’s what inspired University of Massachusetts junior Nick Vigneau to create Humans of UMass Amherst, a photo series featuring portraits and interviews with members of the campus community.

Since launching the project’s Instagram account just over a month ago, Vigneau has gained nearly 1,200 followers and expanded the project to Facebook and Twitter.

It all began, Vigneau said, when he discovered Humans of New York, a photoblog by photographer Brandon Stanton that features street portraits and interviews with people he meets in New York.

“I love the idea of Humans of New York and I think it shows so many unbelievably cool things about people in New York that you would never notice,” Vigneau said.

“I really just wanted to bring that here. We have so many cool people around here that I’m already finding.”

While there was already an existing Humans of UMass account when Vigneau started his project, he said he wanted to post more often and bring about the same essence and power as Stanton’s work – something he believes the

preexisting series didn’t quite capture.

“It really is a kind of an art piece,” he said. “It takes empathy and it takes that artistic kind of viewpoint to see the stories in what people say.”

Vigneau usually approaches people he sees sitting alone in public places, such as Blue Wall. The first question he asks is always the same: “If you had to give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?”

He explained he learned this technique from reading about Stanton’s approach.

All advice is biographical, he said, and stems from experiences people have had. Therefore, it’s a good way to get anecdotes, and drum up people’s emotions.

“I’m always looking for a story,” Vigneau said. “I meet so many people, it’s amazing.”

He recalled one interview he had with a student from Africa. When he asked about the happiest moment of her life, she recalled meeting her parents in an American airport after three years apart. When he asked her about the saddest moment of her life, she responded that it was that same moment, because she had to leave the rest of her family behind in Africa.

“That’s so powerful,” he said.

Vigneau added he gets his best responses by avoiding people who are sitting with others, as he said they will often shape their responses to what they see

HUMANS on page 3

COURTESY OF NICHOLAS VIGNEAU

Nick Vigneau launhced his Humans of UMass Amherst project just over a month ago.

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Thursday, March 12, 2015

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

Italy ROME — Former premier Silvio Berlusconi hailed Wednesday his acquittal in the so-called “bunga bunga” affair, expressed regret for the discredit it brought him, and pledged to reinvigorate Italy’s conservative opposition.

Late on Tuesday, a top appeals court issued a final non-guilty ruling, ending an embarrassing five-year case that saw Berlusconi accused of soliciting sex from a minor and abusing of his political position to cover up the affair.

“Finally the truth.

Today is a good day for politics, for justice, for the rule of law,” Berlusconi wrote in a message on his Facebook page. “Since I had nothing to blame myself for, I was sure of being proven right,” he added. dpa

Israel JERUSALEM — With less than a week remaining before Israel’s elections, the race appears tighter than it has at any time since the start of the campaign, throwing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the defensive.

Three public opinion polls published Tuesday and Wednesday show Netanyau’s conservative Likud party lagging by margins of three to four parliamentary seats behind the center-left Zionist Union alliance.

That gives Labor party leader Isaac Herzog, who formed the Zionist Union alliance with former justice minister Tzipi Livni, a fighting chance of unseating Netanyahu.

McClatchy Foreign Staff Distributed by MCT Information Services

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Ferguson Police Chief Obama approves Thomas Jackson resigns nonlethal aid to Decision comes in Ukrainian forces wake of DOJ report

In 1993, 13 bombs exploded in Bombay, India, killing 350 people and injuring 1,200. The coordinated attacks were

By Christine Byers the most destructive St. Louis Post-Dispatch bomb explosions in Indian FERGUSON, Mo. — history.

Police Chief Thomas

AROUND THE WORLD

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Jackson has resigned from the Ferguson Police De par tment ef fective March 19, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has learned.

Sources say Lt. Col. Al Eickhoff will be appointed as the department’s interim chief until a national search for a permanent chief can be conducted.

Jackson, 57, is the sixth city employee to leave in the wake of a scathing federal Department of Justice report that alleged racist police and court practices that aim only to raise the city’s revenue instead of protecting its citizens.

In an exclusive interview, Jackson said he felt it was time for the city to move on.

“I believe this is the appropriate thing to do at this time,” Jackson said.

“This city needs to move forward without any distractions.”

In his emailed resignation letter sent to Mayor James Knowles III at about 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jackson wrote: “It is with profound sadness that I am announcing I am stepping down from my position as chief of police for the city of Ferguson Missouri. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve this great city and to serve with all of you,” his letter continued.

“I will continue to assist

the city in anyway I can in my capacity as private citizen.”

A press conference was called for City Hall later Wednesday.

Rumors also swirled Wednesday that Knowles was to resign, but he said he did not have plans to do so.

Jackson initially told the city his resignation would be effective March 19. City officials then contacted him Wednesday afternoon and said it should take effect immediately. After discussion about the need for a transition team, both sides settled on March 19 as his official departure date.

Last week, the Justice Department also concluded there was no evidence with which to charge former Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, 18.

But in a separate report, the department report revealed racist emails that were sent by court and police officials, and portrayed a police department and court that discriminated against AfricanAmericans from the initial traffic stop to how they were treated in court.

Since then, the city fired Court Clerk Mary Ann Twitty. Police Capt. Rick Henke and Sgt. William Mudd resigned after they were tied to the emails.

Both police commanders had more than 30 years on the force. Mudd had won the Medal of Valor for his actions in taking down a killer in bloody courthouse shooting in Clayton in

ABC and Hangar planning to merge New owner to cater to town residents The popular Amherst eateries, Amherst Brewing Company and The Hangar Pub and Grill have plans to merge under one owner later this year.

John Korpita, the current owner of Amherst Brewing Company, is selling the restaurant to Harold Tramazzo, who owns The Hangar across the street, as well as the successful restaurant chain Wings Over, which has 37 locations across the United States.

Right now, the business is waiting on permits and changes in licenses and zoning before anything can move forward.

“The process is tedious,” Korpita said. “It’s going to take months.”

Tramazzo has plans to make the restaurant “a bit more friendly for the people who actually live here.”

He said that although there is a huge student population just down the road, ABC mainly caters to an older crowd. “My goal is to be more welcoming,” he said.

The menu will change to pub-style and the more unpopular and expensive dishes will

be removed. Other changes will include a revamped beer list that will offer classic brews like the White Dog IPA and the Honey Pilsner, while also exploring newer styles.

“Our goal on the beer side is fresher beer,” he said, “We’re changing up the style.”

Korpita, who has been home brewing craft beer since 1972 and opened up ABC in 1997, will remain in the company, but will take a step back from the business aspect and rededicate himself to experimenting with new brews, a passion that he hasn’t indulged in too much in the past decade.

“It’s all good,” Korpita said, “We’re pretty much going to be doing the same thing, just a little bit different.”

Tramazzo also said that there would be no changes to The Hangar, which is running smoother then ever.

ABC opened its doors at the present-day space located on the corner of University Drive and Amity Street in 2011, and has been providing a more mature dining atmosphere to the community ever since.

Andy Castillo

ANDY CASTILLO/COLLEGIAN

Amherst Brewing Company has plans to merge with The Hangar later this year.

1992. He was most recently Wilson’s supervisor.

Municipal Judge Ronald J. Brockmeyer resigned Monday, and City Manager John Shaw resigned during Tuesday’s council meeting.

Shaw was criticized in the Justice Department report for praising Brockmeyer as a money maker and revenue generator for the city.

The report also heavily criticized Jackson for his role in using the city’s police force to generate revenue, quoting emails in which he lobbied to switch to 12-hour shifts that would put more officers on the streets and increase traffic enforcement. The report said such schedules are shown to diminish community policing efforts.

The report also quoted unnamed Ferguson police officers who expressed concerns about the department’s emphasis on ticket writing.

In addition, the report criticized the police department for not having adequate accountability systems in place for documenting use-of-force incidents and pedestrian checks.

The report also takes the department and Jackson to task for holding people in jail for more than 72 hours at a time as well as using canines only on AfricanAmerican suspects.

The federal investigation also found that city police officers stop AfricanAmericans at higher rates than the city’s AfricanAmerican population.

Equipment to arrive in 6 to 9 months

By W.J. Hennigan Tribune Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — The United States will provide Ukrainian forces fighting Russia-backed separatists $75 million in nonlethal equipment, including small reconnaissance drones, radios and military ambulances, a senior administration official said.

President Barack Obama has also approved the transfer of 30 armored Humvees and up to 200 unarmored Humvees under a separate authority, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter and requested anonymity.

“We have said from the outset of the crisis in Ukraine that the United States supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the official said. “We have been working together with our European and other international partners to achieve a diplomatic solution to this crisis.”

The aid comes amid an ongoing debate inside the administration and Congress over whether the U.S. should start providing defensive weapons to the Ukrainian forces to try to force Moscow to withdraw its support for the separatist insurgency.

Despite a cease-fire negotiated by leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine on Feb. 12, fighting has continued in parts of Ukraine. An estimated 6,000 people have died since fighting broke out 11 months ago after Russia’s seizure and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea territory.

“While we continue to believe that there is no military resolution to this

crisis, Ukraine has the right to defend itself,” the official said.

Many in the U.S. gover nment, including lawmakers, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and James Clapper, director of national intelligence, have publicly advocated providing lethal arms to Ukraine.

Thus far, the U.S. has given only nonlethal aid to Ukraine’s military, including medicine, night-vision goggles and armored vests since the conflict erupted. As many as 300 American troops are also to be sent to the Lviv region on Ukraine’s western border, far from the conflict zone, to train Ukrainian soldiers.

The White House approved the new allocation of $75 million through the Pentagon’s European Reassurance Initiative funds.

The Pentagon expects the equipment to arrive in six to nine months.

The package includes counter-mortar radars for warning and protection against mortar and artillery fire and night-vision devices. It also includes small remote-controlled Raven drones, made by AeroVironment Inc. in Simi Valley, Calif., that are thrown into the air by soldiers and provide a bird’s-eye view of what’s happening over a ridge or around a bend.

Also Wednesday, the Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting eight Ukrainian separatists, a Russian pro-separatist organization and a bank that has become the largest in Crimea since Russia seized the area from Ukraine.

The sanctions freeze all assets held on U.S. property and prohibit Americans from doing business with them.

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DEBATE

tion to keep the organization on campus.

The other two questions however, aroused some disagreement between the candidates.

Question Two deals with raising the Student Activities Trust Fund fee by $6, and Question Three involves another fee raise, a $7 increase to the student health fee to fund the Center for Counseling and Psychological Health.

Kelly said that some students already struggle to afford to come to UMass as is, and that improving resources on campus shouldn’t fall on their backs. She added that regarding the fee for CCPH, she agrees the center needs more funds and staff, but that she has already heard reports that the center still needs more work, work that the administration should take into their hands.

“If the University is going to be propping up this institution, (it) really also needs to be funding it,” she said.

Giordano added that his ticket agrees with the student activities fee increase, since it is the “most clear fee that students pay into and get the most out of.” In regards to the CCPH fee increase however, Giordano believes that while the center deserves more funding, he doesn’t believe the funding should come directly from students’ pockets.

“That is a basic health service, and that is something that is needed to create a healthy and safe space on our campus,” he said. “That’s not something that students deserve to have to shell out for. That’s something the state and the institution should be paying for.”

A member of the audience asked about the candidates’ stance on the privatization of the University.

Kelly responded “that fact that students pay to go to this university is privatization in

CHRISTINA YACONO/COLLEGIAN

President/vice president ticket Charlotte Kelly, left, and Sammy Gay, right, are shown at Wednesday’s debate.

CLUB

CHRISTINA YACONO/COLLEGIAN

Rocco Giordano, left, and Dhanajay Mirlay Srinivas, right, are running for president and vice president, respectively. itself.”

She and Gay named corporations that already hold contracts and sponsorships with the University, including Monsanto, Pfizer and CocaCola.

Kelly said, “they have more power than we do” and that she wants to “push them of campus.”

Giordano said there will always be these kinds of contracts because “it’s too big of a university for there not to be.”

A second question from the audience concerned the high salaries of UMass administrators and employees, such as Ken Toong, director of UMass Dining, and Derek Kellogg, UMass’ basketball coach who is also the highest paid employee in the Commonwealth.

Both tickets agreed athletic personnel should not be the highest paid employees in the state. However, their hopes in changing the system differed.

Kelly cited the significant income gap between officials and their employees. She used the example of Toong, saying that while he makes a sixfigure salary, dining staff is not unionized and without benefits.

Gay mentioned that the “focus of fees and salaries leaves out marginalized groups of people.” She suggested moving money from these salaries to push for grants to support students – typically students of color – who can’t afford to come here.

Mirlay Srinivas said this trend of highly paid officials, especially within athletics, is “something society needs to change.”

Giordano said that while he disagrees with Kellogg’s current salary he recognizes “there is a necessity for keeping talented athletic personnel on our campus.”

In reference to Kelly’s sentiments, he added, “I’m not quite as radical. I don’t think it is a massive injustice.”

Candidates were then

asked to discuss the most pressing issues that campus faces.

Giordano and Mirlay Srinivas discussed their dissatisfaction with the current code of student conduct.

Giordano said, “Our conduct system is increasingly punitive. It’s almost barbaric.”

Mirlay Srinivas talked about the discrepancy between court and University decisions. He used the example of a student having their case dismissed by a local court but then being suspended by the University for the same offense.

Kelly said her biggest priority was safety on campus.

She focused on sexual assault, sexual harassment and gender violence, as well as safety for students of color in particular.

She said she would like to see the University “actively working to prevent” sexual assault and gender violence.

She plans to achieve this through more comprehensive training and education.

In terms of students of color, she called their retention rate “abysmal” and wants to create safe spaces and resources for them to turn to.

Gay said, “these are more than just platform points” in terms of having to pick one as the most pressing issue.

“These are real things and real people’s lives.”

The final question of the night, asked by current SGA President Vinayak Rao, was whether or not the candidates would continue to fight for these issues even if they were not elected. All four candidates affirmed.

Jaclyn Bryson can be reached at jbryson@umass.edu. Marie MacCune can be reached at mmaccune@ umass.edu and followed on Twitter @ MarieMacCune.

continued from page 1

International Relations club also hosts a conference for high school students to come to the UMass campus and debate. This conference, known as UMass MUN, is approaching its 14th conference this weekend.

Berger said about 300 to 350 high school students come to the UMass campus from high schools around New England and the extended northeast area. She also said there are about 60 staffers who work at the conference.

This year’s theme is Latin America, which will have 16 committees related to a variety of topics, such as Haiti and the Dominican Republic peace talks.

Members of the International Relations club facilitate the conference, and acts as the chairs, vice chairs, crisis directors and crisis staff who come up with content for the high school students to debate. After the parliamentary procedures are run there is trivia, a movie and a dance for the attendees.

While Berger said the club receives some funding from the Student Government Association, UMass MUN is a major source of the club’s money.

This semester, the

International Relations club has also hosted a meeting concerning the ban on Iranian students from certain academic programs, a decision that was later revised.

Berger said the idea came after running into a former teaching assistant, who is from Iran.

“I was talking to him, and he brought up the new policy, and because we had already talked beforehand, he knew I was the president of the International Relations club, so he suggested my club have a meeting,” she said.

With the help of the TA and the father of one of the residents in Berger’s dorm, a former professor at the University of Tehran in Iran, the graduate Iranian Student Club and the Persian Student Association were contacted.

The meeting itself was bigger than expected, and more people began to show an interest in the club.

The club’s Campus Pulse page shows that it has over 200 members, but Berger and other members said that general body meetings have about 20 to 30 people in attendance.

Smith-Hogan said members are given the opportunity to attend different con-

3

UM police chief reportedly offered job in Rockport

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work alongside you. Mirlay Srinivas said that when looking for team members, “your cabinet isn’t just people who are compatible with you, its people who questions your ideas and work with your ideas so you can come together and get something done.”

Both tickets also talked about diversity and transparency in the SGA. Kelly described the senate and judiciary branches as “very straight, very white, very privileged,” and added that other students from different backgrounds need to be included.

Giordano added the senate is a “large misrepresentation of the student body” and would like to see more “diversity of thought and background” incorporated into it.

With only a yearlong term, both tickets discussed how they hope to implement lasting change at UMass.

“I think it’s really important that during our time here we really build institutional knowledge of the way that students have been neglected here on this campus,” Kelly said, adding that they hope they can make concrete policies that will last past students’ graduation.

“We see the position being one where our biggest challenge is going to be getting more students involved in the SGA,” Giordano said, adding that expanding the SGA’s base is the key to getting students empowered across campus.

Regarding this year’s ballot questions, both candidates strongly agreed with the first question, to support the continuation of MASSPIRG on campus. Kelly cited the advocacy work and facilitation of learning that MASSPIRG achieves at UMass as an essential tool, while Giordano added that even though he does “not agree politically” with all the chapter’s work, he still supports the ballot ques-

Thursday, March 12, 2015

ALEX LINDSAY/COLLEGIAN

Jessica Berger speaks at a meeting concerning the ban on Iranian students from certain academic programs on February 17. ferences at different colleges and university.

“We probably go to about six conferences per year and on each conference, we take anywhere between eight and 16 people,” she said.

Members seem to agree the club’s worth doesn’t simply stem from debating.

“It gives you motivation to learn about other countries and learn about what’s happening in the world because it’s not what an average person would know,” said Mohamed. He also said the public speaking skills strengthen as a result of participating, and sparks conver-

sation with friends.

Ben O’Brien, a senior economics major who joined out of curiosity, said he was introduced to the club from a friend.

O’Brien mentioned that the club isn’t just about debate but also about the topics discussed and the people involved.

“The UMass environment is kind of like a bubble. Through IRC and other conferences, it opens up your world in so many ways,” he said.

Catherine Ferris can be reached at caferris@umass.edu and followed on

The University of Massachusetts Chief of Police John Horvath is the Rockport Board of Selectmen’s choice for the town’s next police chief, reports The Gloucester Times.

According to the Times, the Board voted 3-2 to offer Horvath the job Tuesday. If Horvath accepts the offer, which is “still conditional on a background check and physical exam,” he would replace interim Chief James Mulligan, who had been filling in for former Chief John McCarthy, who stepped down last fall after 15 years, according to the Times.

The article stated that

Horvath was one of two finalists for the position along with Merrimack, New Hampshire Police Chief Mark Doyle.

In a statement to MassLive, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life Enku Gelaye thanked Horvath “for his service as our police chief and wish him success in his new position in Rockport.”

Horvath took over as the UMass police chief in the fall of 2012, replacing John Whitehead, who left in February 2012.

Anthony Rentsch

Polls show Israeli PM Netanyahu’s party trails in race Isaac Herzog has a ‘fighting chance’

By Joel Greenberg McClatchy Foreign Staff JERUSALEM — With less than a week remaining before Israel’s elections, the race appears tighter than it has at any time since the start of the campaign, throwing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the defensive.

Three public opinion polls published Tuesday and Wednesday show Netanyau’s conservative Likud party lagging by margins of three to four parliamentary seats behind the center-left Zionist Union alliance.

That gives Labor party leader Isaac Herzog, who formed the Zionist Union alliance with former justice minister Tzipi Livni, a fighting chance of unseating Netanyahu, who is seeking an unprecedented fourth term in office.

Analysts caution, however, that the key to Herzog’s success will be his ability to cobble together a parliamentary coalition from an unwieldy collection of smaller parties, some of which have openly rejected partnerships with one another.

That test will come after the March 17 balloting.

Herzog on Tuesday said he was up to the challenge.

“I’ve proven that I know how to bring distant people together, that I know how to make connections, and that I have the required political skills,” he said.

With both Likud and the Zionist Union projected to win no more than 25 seats each in Israel’s 120-member Parliament, Netanyahu and Herzog will compete to enlist enough smaller parties to form a majority in the legislature. In Israel’s political

HUMANS

system, the leader with the greatest chance of putting together a viable coalition traditionally gets the nod from the president to form a government.

While Netanyahu is seen to have a numerical edge in forming a coalition with rightist, center-right and ultra-Orthodox parties who are his natural allies, a stronger showing by the Zionist Union may give Herzog a first crack at forming a government, drawing smaller parties to him.

Recent polls suggest that momentum has shifted toward the Zionist Union, reflecting what analysts say is a desire for change among many voters, even as polls show that more Israelis consider Netanyahu more qualified than Herzog to be prime minister.

Rafi Smith, a prominent pollster, said that Likud has been losing voters to other rightist and right-of-center parties, while the Zionist Union has maintained its strength throughout the campaign.

“The Zionist Union is drawing votes while the Likud is leaking votes,” Smith said. Still, he added, negative feelings toward Netanyahu had not been translated into “positive enthusiasm” for Herzog, which would catapult him into a commanding lead.

The release of the latest poll numbers have set off alarms in the Likud.

Yisrael Katz, a party leader and a minister in Netanyahu’s outgoing Cabinet, acknowledged Wednesday in an interview on Army Radio that “there is definitely a real concern, to be frank,” about the slide in support. A text message to Likud supporters warned that the party was in real danger of losing the election.

continued from page 1

think their friends will want to hear.

“Some people clam up, but surprisingly, most people are OK with (being interviewed),” he said.

“There’s something about the fact that you’re a random person and not a friend that they’ll just say everything very objectively to how they feel rather than shaping it to what they know about you,” he continued.

“I know how to give off

the right energy and make people feel comfortable and connect with really anybody.”

Although several other students contribute, Vigneau runs the series mostly on his own.

The Humans of UMass Amherst Instagram account currently has 33 posts.

Aviva Luttrell can be reached at aluttrel@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @AvivaLuttrell.

Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“Be realistic, demand the impossible.” - Herbert Marcuse

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Letters

Iran, Israel exploit divided politics

tothe edItor

Editorial@DailyCollegian.com

To the editor:

Many media outlets, particularly in the Middle East, and members of Congress

“Racist and homophobic vandalism will not be tolerated in our union” A Graduate Employee Organization staff member was horrified to find this racist and homophobic vandalism on our office door in the Student Union this past Saturday in the afternoon.

As a union with a long history of standing against all forms of oppression and violence in the University of Massachusetts community, we are deeply saddened and outraged by this violent act, which twists a message of support and solidarity into a message of hate.

Our office serves as a refuge from an often painful and oppressive institution, and this language violates and disrespects the work we do to build a strong, united, community of student-workers and postdoctoral researchers who stand together against discrimination in all of its forms.

Julian del Prado

It also violates and disrespects the hundreds of student employees and postdoctoral students who are LGBTQAI and/or people of color, and seek out this office as a supportive and protective space.

This is part of a larger pattern of racist violence on our campus, such as the hateful threatening slur student-activists of color found scrawled on their

dorm doors this past fall.

These incidents cannot be treated as separate from one another.

Therefore, we call once again on the UMass administration, workforce and student body to stand with us against all forms of bigotry, devaluation and disrespect, especially those aimed at people of marginalized and oppressed identities who live, work, study

and organize on this campus.

An attack on one of us is an attack on us all.

We are contacted the administration about this Wednesday and expect a response soon.

Santiago Vidales Anais Surkin Enku Ide Jocelyn Silverlight Anna Waltman

Scott Walker chips away at union power with eyes on Oval Office Sam Fountain hopeful, signed the freedomto-work legislation, becoming the third state in the past three years to do so, joining Indiana and Michigan. The legislation makes Wisconsin the 26th state in the country to have a so-called “Right to Work” law. The law is the last in a pattern of anti-union action by Gov. Walker, beginning with a 2011 law limiting the collective bargaining rights of public employees.

What exactly does this law do? The legislation passed in Wisconsin is based on the idea that while every citizen has the right to unionize, they also have the right to not join unions or pay dues to unions. In certain trade professions, workers are required to pay union dues out of their checks every month in order to retain union membership.

Even non-unionized workers are often forced to pay dues, based on the idea that they still are benefiting from the wage increases and perks bargained for by the unions.

What the “Right to Work” calls for is to prohibit unions from requiring membership or payment of dues by non-members Dues can cost around $20-$50 per month, depending on hourly wage.

This money goes toward costs associated with collec-

tive bargaining such as lawyer fees, administrative and organizing costs.

By making dues and membership optional, the freedom-to-work legislation acts to reduce the power of unions and reduce their collective bargaining ability.

On the surface, the “Right to Work” movement makes logical sense. If American workers have a right to unionize, it follows that they

pension plans. 79 percent of unionized employees have employer-provided health insurance, compared to 49 percent for nonunion employees.

Ever since the industrial revolution, unions have formed a cornerstone of the American labor sector.

Organizations, such as the American Federation of Labor, proved to be major political forces during the

“By shrinking the unions, companies can pay workers less wages, provide less benefits and therefore make more profit. Business wins, the worker loses.” should also have the right to not unionize. However, to truly understand why Scott Walker and other Tea Party and conservative Republicans want to limit the power of unions, one must look beyond the constitutional logic and think about the political reasoning.

The fundamental idea behind unions is that allowing workers to act as a cohesive body, ensuring the businesses act in the best interest of their laborers. According to the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest union organization, union workers’ wages are 30 percent better than their nonunion counterparts.

Unionized employees are also 60 percent more likely to have employer-provided

early 1900s. Strengthened

by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, Unions gained more prominence after World War II, with membership peaking at 35 percent of workers in the mid-1950s.

Their large member-base and organizational network make unions extremely important players in national elections. Either through lobbying, campaigning to members or organizational efforts, unions often represent major endorsements for candidates. Usually these unions favor the candidates that have their best interests in mind, which usually,but not always, are Democrats or pro-union politicians.

Since the 1950s when union membership peaked, it

have described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress last week as a call to war. I believe this is a bad reading of the speech, and that sort of claim on this speech alone is bad journalism. The United States is currently crippled by extreme partisanship, which Iran and Israel are exploiting through rhetoric, which is meant to force lawmakers to choose a side.

Netanyahu’s speech, along with rhetoric from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif, proves the existence of that exploitation.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress took advantage of the extreme

Even though the sanctions were considered

by Zarif to be “the most destructive ... sanctions that the United States has ever imposed on any other country,” Iran continued to fund a hundred-fold increase in nuclear capability.

Even though Zarif complained in his interview that the sanctions were “depriving Iranians of even the possibility to buy medicine (sic),” Iran still placed these centrifuges at the top of its priorities.

Zarif lied when he said sanctions caused the centrifuges, a conclusion I am forced to make because I do not think he is ignorant of lawmaking processes in his own country. He goes on to falsely say, “Iran is known for keeping its word. We have always kept our word. ... The Iranian people are very forgiving.”

This is a blatant attempt to change history, as it

“Another tweet by Khamenei asks ‘why should & how can #Israel be eliminated?’”

Letters to the editor should be no longer than 550 words and can be submitted to either to Editorial@DailyCollegian.com or to DailyCollegian.com. We regret that, due to space constraints, not all letters will be printed but can be found online.

On March 9, Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin and Republican presidential

Editorial@DailyCollegiancom

has been on a steady decline.

Major blows to unions came under President Regan in the 1980s, and today the membership rate stands at around 11 percent nationwide. These unions, much smaller years past, do not carry the same political clout they once did. Republicans, with pro-business initiatives in mind, try as much as they can to diminish their ability to bargain with businesses, which then do not have to provide expensive benefits such as health insurance and pension plans.

Some see this latest action by Walker as politically calculated, and something he will capitalize on during his inevitable run for president in 2016. The purpose of this article is not say whether or not this is right or wrong but rather to contextualize why dismantling consolidated labor power might benefit conservatives, especially those running on a pro-business, anti-big government platform. The bottom line is that unions are inconvenient for businesses, conservatives work to make business more convenient.

By shrinking the unions, companies can pay workers less wages, provide less benefits and therefore make more profit. Business wins, the worker loses.

Sam Fountain is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at sfountain@umass.edu.

partisanship that has gripped the U.S. government in order to voice Israeli concerns with the current nuclear negotiations between the major world powers and Iran.

These negotiations, as Netanyahu claimed, do not pay credence to the many calls for the destruction of Israel by Iran, and presuppose sanctions will not stop Iran from creating centrifuges that can eventually be used to make nuclear weapons. He also pointed out Iran is a proven sponsor of terrorism, and therefore untrustworthy.

His recommendation for the United States was that the world powers push for a better deal as sanctions create more leverage against Iran. Such a speech, made during an Israeli election cycle, is unorthodox.

References to the Torah and comparisons drawn between Iran and Nazi Germany made it clear that Netanyahu was aiming more for an emotional response among generally pro-Israel Republicans than for a real policy change.

President Obama dismissed his speech as not offering any “viable” alternatives, which leads me to believe the president does not believe in sanctions as a tool for change in foreign governments. Based on the threatening rhetoric coming out of Iran, this is not a surprising response.

Zarif stated quite clearly in an NBC interview that Iran will respond to sanctions with additional centrifuges. When he said, “I think President Obama was right in saying that the sanctions caused Iran to go from less than 200 centrifuges to over 20,000 centrifuges,” he was ignoring some key features of policy-making in Iran.

ignores the very foundations upon which the current regime in Iran was founded.

Forgiveness did not found the Islamic Republic, and such a claim is especially hard to believe in light of rhetoric from Khamenei.

Khamenei’s tweet, which Netanyahu referenced in his speech to Congress, said, “Israel must be destroyed.”

Another tweet by Khamenei asks “why should & how can #Israel be eliminated?” along with 9 helpful paragraphs on removing the “fake zionist regime.”

Iran’s current regime is opposed to the existence of Israel. The idea that “pride” in Iran must manifest itself, according to Zarif, as additional centrifuges is ludicrous, and masks a serious disregard for human lives effected by sanctions.

Similarly, the idea that, “standing with Israel,” means an end to negotiations with Iran is ridiculous.

The U.S. and the other world powers are sovereign nations, and they alone make the choices, which effect nuclear negotiations.

The fact that Iranian and Israeli officials and heads of government use our media outlets as a rallying cry for their cause indicates that we are so gripped in bipartisanship as to ignore the obvious discrepancies in their logic.

Now, as ever, the Obama administration and Congress are willing to compromise national security in the name of being right.

As Americans, and as voters in a country that has enormous sway over foreign countries, it is our responsibility to remove politicians from power who have no history of compromise or coherent political rhetoric.

Julian del Prado is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at jdelprad@ 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

Thursday, March 12, 2015

“Slappa da bass!” - Peter Klaven

Arts@DailyCollegian.com

TRIBUTE

Harris Wittels, a rising young comedian, passes away Strong presence in the I was devastated by the loss, in the days following his podcast, comedy world death. He had an infectious personality, always seemed so happy to be alive. It’s painful to know that we won’t be hearing his voice ever again, outside of replaying his old podcast appearances.

B y Eli F ine

Collegian Staff

Thousands of strangers came together on the Internet on Feb. 19 to mourn the passing of the brilliantly silly comedian, writer, TV producer and podcaster, Harris Wittels.

In addition to being a co-executive producer and writer on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” Wittels was a regular guest on many of the great alternativecomedy podcasts including “Comedy Bang Bang,” “Who Charted,” “You Made it Weird” and “U Talkin’ U2 To Me?” He also hosted “Analyze Phish,” a terrific music/comedy podcast with Earwolf network co-founder and “Comedy Bang Bang” host Scott Aukerman. Of all the figures in the comedy podcasting community, it’s possible that the one person who the audience felt closest to was Harris Wittels.

Wittels appeared twice on Pete Holmes’s “You Made it Weird” and discussed his struggles with addiction. These frank, honest conversations undoubtedly had much to do with his fans’ sense of being close to him. However, he began establishing this connection to his fans years before the public was aware of his addictions.

Since the show’s early days, Wittels had a beloved, somewhat revered feature on “Comedy Bang Bang” called “Harris’s Foam

Corner.” Originally “Harris’s Phone Corner,” this was a segment where Harris would read jokes to the listeners he had written in his phone over the previous weeks. These were not what he considered great jokes – they were the jokes he had deemed unworthy even to tweet.

Sometimes the jokes were hilariously dismal: “Where there’s a will, there’s a Wayans. That’s something.” Another clunker: “Wifi? Because Fi.” Other times, they were magnificent gems like, “Did you guys hear about that new deal where if you go in on it with a cast member from ‘That ‘70s Show,’ you get a discount on mustard and/ or salad toppings? It’s a Laura Prepon Grey Poupon Crouton Groupon.” Another one of his classics was: “I want to open a Jamaican-Irish-Spanish-smallplate-breakfast-restaurant, and call it Tappas the Mornin’ to Jah.” He told these jokes to the faux-chagrin of the other podcast guests, including Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Silverman and Annie Clark, a musician known as St. Vincent. Clark even let out multiple visceral groans at some of Wittels’s worse jokes.

Wittels was one third of a

great musical comedy band called “Don’t Stop or We’ll Die.” “Don’t Stop” was on “Comedy Bang Bang” a few times over the years, and episodes were a real treat. In them, we got to hear Wittels laughing and palling around with his best friends and bandmates. The band has a few great music videos online, but their best video might just be their most recent, “Lisa,” which was released online days after Wittels passed away.

I was still devastated by the loss, in the days following his death, but watching him so joyful in the “Lisa” video was a happy five-minute respite.

He had an infectious personality, always seemed so happy to be alive. It’s painful to know that we won’t be hearing his voice ever again, outside of replaying his old podcast appearances.

After his death, virtually every important figure in the alt-comedy community shared their grief online. Over the subsequent week, many podcasts offered Harris Wittels tribute episodes, and mourning podcast fans cried with the podcast hosts over their shared loss of a great person and entertainer.

Scott Aukerman, the eternally silly host of “Comedy Bang

DANIELA/FLICKR

Harris Wittels, known for his prolific presence in podcasts, died on Feb. 19.

Bang,” came very close to tears in his intro to that week’s show.

Aukerman said that Wittels’s death had made him think about ending “Comedy Bang Bang” entirely, and that he had considered not releasing the last episode of “CBB” Harris had done.

Aukerman then recalled to the audience something that Wittels had once said to him. He told Wittels about a personal tragedy his family was going through and that his family had gathered together to watch a dumb sitcom.

Soon they were all laughing, and the tragedy was forgotten for the length of the episode.

Wittels responded, “A lot of people want to do serious stuff with their comedy, but I just think, motherf ***ers want to laugh.” Therefore, Aukerman

said, he would continue to do his show and would release Wittels’s last episode, “because Harris would be furious if any of his friends were serious for even one second. And I can’t go that far, but I can play you this tape of us acting really, really stupid.”

So much more can be said about Wittels, his comedy should be searched online. Watch the three or four available “Don’t Stop or We’ll Die” videos. And I’ll leave you with one last joke from “Harris’s Foam Corner:” “I hate smoking sections, unless we’re talking about the movie “The Mask” with Jim Carrey – then the smoking section is my favorite part.”

Eli Fine can be reached at elazarfine@ umass.edu.

TELEVISION REVIEW

Plenty of charm makes Kimmy Schmidt ‘Unbreakable’ Kemper’s energy is endearing and fresh

By Alexander Frail Collegian Staff

Another comedy about New York, eh? You might wonder how anything new can be done about the Big Apple. Between “Seinfeld,” “30 Rock,” “Broad City” and innumerable others, you’d think it’s all been said and done.

That’s why Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” which was co-created by “30 Rock” genius Tina Fey, stuck out so much to me.

Starring Ellie Kemper (“The Office”), “Kimmy” feels surprisingly fresh. It’s an innocent, endearing novelty in a television era built by shock factor, in a world of heroes bent on breaking bad.

Kimmy Schmidt begins the series in an underground apocalyptic cult run by Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne (Jon Hamm), who holds her and three other woman hostages for fifteen years. When rescued, she becomes something of a celebrity around rural Indiana. To escape infamy as one of the “Mole Women,” she stays behind in New York after an interview on NBC’s “Today Show.”

The show is a double-shot of espresso from the get-go.

We cut from the underground bunker to a viral auto tune of reactionary news clips to Ellie on a talk show. The script, co-written by Fey and other creator Robert Carlock, never lets Ellie find her footing.

Her baptism by fire to the big city slings laugh after laugh, while her genuine excitement at riding the subway practically draws the smile on your face. Kemper is perfect for the starring role.

Only her saccharine yellow and pink outshine her per-

NETFLIX

Tituss Burgess (left) and Ellie Kemper headline the energetic, endearing cast of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” sonality, leaping off the screen like her ear-to-ear grin.

“Kimmy” avoids the cavity-inducing sweetness far better than other quirky shows, like “New Girl,” which tends to polarize audiences with its overdoses of cutesy dialogue and behavior. “Kimmy,” on the other hand, delivers its helpings of quirkiness so they’re more nostalgic than nauseating. Kimmy’s expressions come from innocence and wonder rather than cutesiness. It often reminded me of childhood rather than of juvenile silliness. Watching her, I could feel only nostalgic for those younger, adventurous days of youth.

Most of her lines are so quick you’ll miss them the first viewing. She exclaims,

“Urethra!” instead of “Eureka!” and elicits more giggles than other more serious comedies. It’s not precisely quotable, the way “Arrested Development” is.

“Kimmy,” subtler than outright comedy, belongs more in the halls of “30 Rock” and “Better Off Ted.” I can’t think of anyone more perfect for the leading role than Kemper. She’s already proven her charming comedic chops on “The Office” as Erin Hannon. Given the leading role this time, she sets the bar for the rest of the cast. Every line, no matter how innocent or silly, lands the punch line with Kemper’s unbridled enthusiasm.

In fact, one of “Kimmy’s” most appealing qualities is

its agelessness. I thought at times that it could’ve easily been targeted at a far younger audience than other Netflix originals. Barring the occasional absurd jokes, which often slide by without notice (“I’ve gotten botulism a bunch of times from spoiled canned goods, so I know lots of ways to make people throw up”), the dialogue remains largely PG. Jane Krakowski is great as Jacqueline Voorhees, a reincarnation of Jenna Maroney from “30 Rock,” who suffers from the gentrification syndrome striking New York. She laments her afternoon bedtime as if it’s a great affliction soon after hiring Kimmy as a babysitter. As “30 Rock” proved, no

Carlock throw her way.

Tituss Burgess, who had a gem of a bit part in “30 Rock” as D’Fwan, rounds out the main cast as Titus Andromedon, a failed actor who struggles to pay the rent.

Often the focus of a complimentary plot to Kimmy’s, Titus keeps the episodes steaming along. Ostensibly Kimmy’s experienced and disillusioned counterpoint, Titus maintains a similarly endearing sense of innocence and playfulness.

One thing I noticed while viewing “Kimmy” was that it’s Netflix first original that’s not exactly binge-worthy. Its contemporaries, “House of Cards,” “Orange is the New Black” and “Peaky Blinders” manage to end each episode with a punch that begs you to bow down to the “next episode” button. “Kimmy,” on the other hand, lacks the compulsive draw of Netflix’s other entertainment.

Then again, I can’t think of many comedies that I’d classify as binge-worthy. Whereas dramas demand deep emotional investment, comedies like “Kimmy” ask for only a twenty-minute respite from daily life. Taken in that context, “Kimmy” fulfills its purpose well.

At the end of each episode, it’s Kemper who shines brightest in the show. She bounds through her New York odyssey with such gusto you can’t help but tag along.

The energetic supporting cast and hilarious scripts compliment her performance.

“Kimmy” won’t tie you to the blue light on your computer as much as other shows, but it’ll take you back to a day when comedies gazed at the world with a little wonder in their eyes.

one can play a benign megalomaniac as Krakowski can.

Whereas Jenna was a fading starlet staring down the loss of autonomy on “The Girlie Show,” Jacqueline is a rich housewife struggling to maintain relevance in the lives of her traveling husband, antagonistic stepdaughter and kleptomaniac son.

The role would be bland if not for Krakowski’s portrayal. Her expression says it all when Kimmy excitedly tells Jacqueline that she looks like a million bucks. Clutching her heart, Jacqueline sighs, “Wow. I know you didn’t mean for that to be hurtful, but…” before leaving the frame in a wistful sulk. Like her cast Alexander Frail can be reached at mate Kemper, Krakowski afrail@umass.edu and followed on nails every joke that Fey and Twitter @AlexanderFrail.

6

Thursday, March 12, 2015

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Slip–slops

A S ofter W orld

aquarius

By

HOROSCOPES Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

Spring make or break, am I right?

pisces

e horne and j comeau

Feb. 19 - Mar. 20

leo

Jul. 23 - Aug. 22

Though it seems like a harmless decoration, finding a small pig or cow in the bottom of your coffee mug should be more terrifying.

virgo

Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

Given that tater tots are the small, fried potato nibs, a hashbrown is definitely a “tater adult.”

Wouldn’t you say celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with any form of a potato is a little bit of a conundrum?

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

I guess the Floridian university got out of a possible acronym conundrum by throwing a “state” in there.

Show your Irish pride this year by utterly detesting, but begrudgingly relying on someone English.

Yesterday was a great day. Everyone was happy and everyone smiled. What a great day.

Never be satisfied. That’s right, you might not want to eat any more ice cream, but eat the whole pint. Do a whole gallon next time.

sagittarius

Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

The only cure for senioritis is having a large helping of ice cream every single night, but even then it’s a 0.01 percent chance.

There’s been less people in the dining hall recently because photosynthesis of the sun is the the new alternative to UMass Dining.

cancer

capricorn

Jun. 22 - Jul. 22

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

It’s healthiest to go into spring break with Now Cards Against Humanity gives you the option of ruining your iPad with clumsy friends the motto, “I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to win.” and Bud Light rather than pieces of paper.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

DailyCollegian.com

TOURNAMENT tant the Minutemen contain La Salle’s frontcourt headed by Jerrell Wright and Steve Zack, two players that match up well against Lalanne and forward Maxie Esho.

Wright is averaging 12.0 ppg and 6.6 rebounds per game while Zack entered the A-10 tournament player with 8.0ppg and 8.9 rpg to his name. Kellogg said a key focus against the Explorers is defensive rebounding and keeping big men like Wright and Zack off the glass.

Kellogg also said reserves Tyler Bergantino and Zach Coleman will have to play crucial minutes down the stretch when Lalanne and Esho need breaks to make sure they keep the game in control.

“Any opportunity I can get to come on the court and doing something to help my teammates out is always an opportunity I look forward too,” Bergantino said.

La Salle will be looking to build its momentum after defeating No. 2 seed Dayton on Saturday in its regular season finale 55-53. Prior to the win, the Explorers lost four straight. UMass enters Thursday’s game losers of back-to-back games, hav-

continued from page 8

“There’s probably as much parity (in the A-10) as there is across any league in the country this year” Derek Kellogg, UMass coach ing dropped five of its last six games.

Despite sitting at the eighth seed, Kellogg believes the Minutemen still have one run left in them and noted that this year, the A-10 is as wideopen as its ever been.

“There’s probably as much parity as there is across any league in the country this year when you look at who played who well,” Kellogg said.

“Anyone can win this thing, or at least put a scare into some people. That’s what we are looking at. I think we can beat anybody if we are playing well.”

Tip off from the Barclay’s Center is at noon on Thursday and can be seen nationally on NBC Sports.

Andrew Cyr can be reached at arcyr@ umass.edu, and followed on Twitter @Andrew_Cyr.

ANSWERS as you. I’ve never been a part of the team where everybody had the exact same goal and it didn’t matter who did what on what day, everybody is happy for one and other. I think that’s the key to our success right now.”

According to Lalanne, those types of conversations traditionally take place in person. But he thinks the platform of the message allowed more players to voice their feelings.

“It’s something different because most often we meet in person and guys wouldn’t really speak out as much, because some people don’t really like confrontation,” he said.

“Some people feel better doing it through the group message. When the message came out, guys spoke about their feelings a little bit. It seemed like it cleared out the situation and everybody said they were ready to be 10 toes in.”

Lalanne said these types of interactions are an effort in adaptive leadership.

“It’s 2015 now, you can’t just approach a guy and try to be a big tough guy on them,” Lalanne said.

“Everybody’s different.

You have to approach it in different ways. Some peo-

continued from page 8

ple you can yell at them and they’ll accept it, some people you have to pull them aside and just talk to them.”

UMass faces La Salle – a team that has already beaten twice this year – Thursday at noon in the first round of the Atlantic 10 tournament. With the goal of winning the championship in mind, the Minutemen hope it’s the first of four straight games.

The most important characteristic when playing in a tournament situation? According to Lalanne, it’s energy. And energy comes easier when the team works as a collective unit.

“I mean, it’s challenging but the way we’ve been conditioning and working out, I think the amount of guys we play and substitute for each other, we have enough energy to win four games in four days,” Lalanne said.

“I think that’s the advantage we have over other teams – we have a 10-guy rotation. So it’s fresh bodies in and out.”

Mark Chiarelli can be reached at mchiarel@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Mark_Chiarelli.

M E N ’ S L AC RO S S E

Win vs QU builds confidence

Thursday, March 12, 2015

FUTURE

continued from page 8

Frank Vatrano and Steven Iacobellis will take the Mullins Center ice for the next two or three years.

Oh, and don’t forget about Brandon Montour.

The Anaheim Ducks prospect took Hockey East by storm when he arrived for the second half of the season, registering 20 points in 21 games. I can only imagine what the Ontario native will achieve next year in his first full year with the Minutemen.

Besides Montour, freshman Jake Horton and sophomore Marc Hetnik are returning to the blue line, as well as junior Ben Gallacher. As a group, the defensemen will be counted on the fill the minutes played by graduating seniors Oleg Yevenko and Mike Busillo and improve a defense that allowed an abysmal 4.2 goals per game.

Goaltending is the big question mark Micheletto will have to deal with heading into next year.

Steve Mastalerz, who is another senior, split time with freshman Henry Dill, although Mastalerz was the preferred choice in net as the season progressed. Dill showed flashes of being a No. 1 goaltender, but struggled throughout the year.

But there are reinforcements on the way for the Minutemen, in goal and on defense.

Nic Renyard (a goaltender who plays in the Alberta Junior Hockey League for the Okotoks Oilers and will sign in the spring signing period) was recently honored as the league’s Most Valuable Player and Top Goalie. Renyard finished with a 30-7-3 record, earning a .925 save percentage.

While Dill has the edge in experience, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see Renyard grab the starting

BASEBALL

ROBERT RIGO/COLLEGIAN

Ryan Izzo carries the ball upfield in a win for the Minutemen against Quinnipiac Tuesday afternoon at McGuirk Stadium.

First win of the year for UMass

By Nick Casale Collegian Staff

So often in sports, talented teams get off to a slow start and fail to hit the heights that were planned in the offseason. For the Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team, a win was exactly what was needed to realize that it could turn its potential into something tangible.

The Minutemen defeated Quinnipiac Tuesday afternoon to break its fivegame losing streak in an 18-5 thrashing for their first victory of the season.

In contrast to the inconsistency displayed to start the season, Tuesday’s win was a smooth, complete performance from the Minutemen.

UMass was able to put the game to bed early and went into the halftime break, leading 7-2. From that point on, the Minutemen were set on cruise control, scoring at will with the help of its entire roster. Over the course of the game, the

Minutemen had 42 shots with 11 different players finding the net, which is something that should be a confidence booster for the entire squad.

However, it wasn’t just the attack that flourished as the team dominated face-offs winning 18 of 27, and won the battle for groundballs 36 to 25. Both aspects of the game were areas coach Greg Cannella felt needed improvement.

Senior attacker Grant Whiteway was another confidence boost for the Minutemen, looking fully healthy and ready to contribute offensively.

Whiteway was injured the first three games of the season and has scored four goals in his last two games.

Another player who’s looked equally dangerous is freshmen attacker Peter Lindley.

Lindley played a large part in Tuesday’s rout, scoring three goals and adding two assists.

Lindley spoke to the Daily Collegian after the game, and felt the win gives UMass some much-needed confidence going forward.

“We’ve got the win, which was huge after losing the first five, and we need to build off it this coming Saturday.”

Greg Cannella, UMass coach “We’ve got the win, which was huge after losing the first five and we need to build off of it this coming Saturday,” he said.

Cannella recognized the importance of spreading the wealth around on offense.

“It’s good to see the scoring spread out, I think we’ve had that all year. The more you do that, we’re a little bit harder to defend,” he said.

Nick Mariano and Lindley are tied for the team lead with 12 goals apiece, but the rest of the scoring has been spread out like Cannella hoped it would be. Five other players have scored at least five goals this season for the Minutemen.

Cannella also talked about the early lead the team acquired and how it helped them later in the game.

“Going up early 3-0 was great for us,” Cannella said. “Any time you can jump out to a lead in any game… it gives you the confidence that you can continue to push forward, and the more possessions you have on offense, the more rest your defense is going to get.”

While the Minutemen may not have the record they would have hoped for early in the season, they have yet to enter conference play, which will be the key to winning a playoff birth. Until then, UMass will continue to figure out what works and what doesn’t. If Tuesday is any indicator, it’s safe to say the Minutemen are starting to realize their identity.

Nicholas Casale can be reached at ncasale@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @NicholasLCasale.

7

the team with a .375 batting average, two home runs and 16 runs batted in already, while Jon Rosoff is hitting .350 and leads the team with four doubles. Senior Alex Robinett has been lights out on the mound, posting a record of 2-1 over three appearances. His ERA is a miniscule 0.43, as he has surrendered just one earned run in 21 innings pitched.

The Minutemen are coming off back to back seasons of 30 or more losses, but this year seem to have the pieces in place to return to respectabil-

job next season.

A prized recruit on defense is William Lagesson. A Swedish defenseman who was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the fourth round and will also sign in the spring, the sixfoot-two Lagesson brings physicality and commitment in his own zone to the defensive corps. It’s easy for me to envision a defensive pairing with the Swede and Montour. Montour’s quickness matched with Lagesson’s defense would surely make for a dynamic duo, and Lagesson could replace some of Yevenko’s physicality on the top pairing.

At forward, UMass has received two National Letters of Intent from Kurt Keats and Austin Plevy.

Plevy has dominated for the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL, recording an astonishing 92 points in 56 regular season games. His production will surely be welcomed, and will give Micheletto another offensive weapon to build on. In the past three years, Keats has also produced some impressive numbers, putting up 120 points combined in his last two seasons with the Powell River Kings in the BCHL. With 16 underclassmen returning next year and a strong group of recruits entering the system, I’m going to go out on a limb and make a bold prediction: The Minutemen will finish next season in the top six of Hockey East, and high quality hockey will return to the Mullins Center.

Jason Kates can be reached at jkates@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Jason_Kates.

continued from page 8

ity. LeBlanc and Grant spearhead an experienced rotation, while Geannelis leads a lineup that returns five of its top seven players in RBI and batting average.

They’ll take the first step in that process Saturday at noon in the first game of a doubleheader against Army.

The weekend series will take place at Jesuit High School in Tampa Bay. Ross Gienieczko can be reached at rgieniec@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @RossGien.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Sports@DailyCollegian.com

@MDC_SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

HOCKEY

DO OR DIE

The future is bright for UMass

By Jason Kates Collegian Staff

JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN

Trey Davis takes the ball to the hoop in a game against Richmond March 4th. The Minutmen will take on the La Salle Explorers Thursday for the third time this year.

UMass vs La Salle in Lalanne gets the Atlantic 10 tournament answers he needed

By Andrew Cyr Collegian Staff

It’s certainly an old sports cliché, but one that is true at the core – it’s hard to beat the same team three times in the same season.

The Massachusetts men’s basketball team will have to overcome the odds and try to do just that, as it plays No. 9 seed La Salle in the second round of the Atlantic 10 tournament on Thursday after defeating the Explorers in two previous matchups this year.

“From what I’ve learned from basketball, it’s always tough to beat a team three times in one year,” Cady Lalanne said. “We’re going to have to key in a little bit more of what we did the last game (against La Salle) and see what hurt us and try and correct that.”

UMass faced a similar scenario last season when it beat Rhode Island 66-61 in the second round of the tournament in a come from behind victory after beating the Rams twice earlier that season.

In the first matchup against the Explorers in Philadelphia, the Minutemen escaped with a 71-65 victory on Jan. 7, and beat them again one month later 66-59 at Mullins Center on Feb. 8.

“La Salle is the game we have

in front of us,” head coach Derek Kellogg said when asked about the A 10 tournament.

He added, “We’ve beaten them twice. Everyone always says it’s tough to beat a team three times in a row, but we’ve been competitive both games. It’s two teams that are kind of going at it that are in similar positions.”

But there’s no avoiding Jordan Price when looking at La Salle’s roster. The 6-foot-5 do-it-all guard leads the Explorers with 17.3 points per game and torched UMass for 30 points in their last meeting. His ability to score on the perimeter or inside against smaller guards makes him a matchup nightmare for anyone trying to defend him.

Derrick Gordon said he’s ready for the challenge.

“I’m not expecting him to do anything that I don’t know about,” he said. “He’s an aggressive player that loves to score and shoot the ball.

“It all starts on defense and these past few games that’s where I’ve felt we’ve been lacking. We all need to start focusing more on defense and that starts with me.”

While Price will be getting most of the attention, it’s imporsee

TOURNAMENTon page 7

By Mark Chiarelli Collegian Staff

Following the Massachusetts men’s basketball team’s 87-65 loss on the road to George Washington Saturday, Cady Lalanne said he’d need to check in on the mental wherewithal of his teammates upon arriving back in Amherst.

Lalanne spoke more like someone searching for answers.

He said he hoped his teammates still want to make something happen in the Atlantic 10 tournament, and questioned whether every player on the team cares enough to make a run. It wasn’t convincing.

Now, after a return to practice and a team-wide group text message, Lalanne feels he has his answers.

“As soon as we came back to practice yesterday guys went hard,” Lalanne said Tuesday.

“We were competing, working on half-court defense. It brought a new energy that we haven’t had since the first week of practice. It brought confidence, I feel pretty confident.”

Fellow center Tyler Bergantino compared it to the rekindling of a fading flame. The quintessential energy player on UMass’ bench, Bergantino said he feels

the team’s energy level was where it needed to be.

“You live or die depending on the energy you have,” he said. “I think we’re fresh. Of course we’ve had tough losses and nobody wants those, but at the same time I think that fueled the already burning fire inside of us.”

The first indication the Minutemen were still buying in to the season was shortly after they arrived back from Washington, D.C. and a group message with every member of the team began to circulate.

Bergantino said it started with one big message, which subsequently resulted in follow up messages. Soon, a number of players were involved. And while Bergantino and Lalanne were reluctant to trace the exact origins of the message, both acknowledged it was a step in the right direction.

“Everybody replied that their head was all into it and they’ll give their all when we get down to Brooklyn,” Lalanne said. “To me, that was a positive, it was encouraging.”

“That’s always a good thing to see,” Bergantino said.

“Everybody’s on the same page see

ANSWERS on page 7

It may have been because I had just finished up a game recap of the Massachusetts hockey team’s five overtime win over Notre Dame in the Hockey East tournament, but I went to bed early Saturday morning with a thought in mind: These Minutemen have a real chance to pull off an upset and advance to the next round.

But they didn’t.

Instead, UMass finished the season how it started, getJason ting blown out 7-0 by the Irish in the Kates rubber match of the series.

But the mere thought the Minutemen could advance showed how much the team had improved over the course of the season.

While UMass fans may be bitterly disappointed with the team’s 2014-2015 campaign (which included one of the worst losses in program history, an 11-1 home loss to Vermont on Nov. 24), there is genuine reason to be excited for next season.

And no, I don’t think I’m losing my mind.

When you take a look at the roster assembled by coach John Micheletto, something sticks out immediately. Only six seniors are graduating this year, and just two players will be leaving the program next season.

Micheletto is trying to create a foundation, and that begins on offense.

Take a look at the individual statistics and the ages of the players who recorded the most points this season. It goes freshman, redshirt sophomore, sophomore, junior, freshman, freshman and sophomore.

The total point breakdown by class finished like this: 111 points from freshmen, 84 from sophomores, 32 courtesy of the juniors and 39 from seniors. This means that underclassmen accounted for roughly 73 percent of the team’s points, with freshman Dennis Kravchenko leading the way with 33.

In other seasons, Kravchenko might have drawn consideration for Hockey East Rookie of the Year, but this year the award has all but been handed to Boston University freshman and top NHL prospect Jack Eichel.

Another advantage to the youth is the staying power they possess. This isn’t college basketball – very few players are bolting to the NHL after their freshman or sophomore years to play professionally. So that means core pieces like Kravchenko, see

FUTURE on page 7

BASEBALL

Minutemen to finally open season against Army

Four-game series in Tampa, Florida

By Ross Gienieczko Collegian Staff

Even with a trip scheduled to Kentucky to open the season in a four-game series, the Massachusetts baseball team could not escape the snow and cold.

Their flight (and series) was cancelled due to a winter storm in Kentucky, meaning the Minutemen will have to wait until this weekend for their 2015 season to begin in

Tampa Bay, Florida as they face off against Army in a four game series.

Senior captain and lefthanded starting pitcher Conor LeBlanc is expected to start game one of the year, and he looks improve off a junior season that saw him entrench a spot as the number one starter for the Minutemen. He led the team with 13 starts and 83.2 innings pitched, while his 3.98 earned run average was a career low.

LeBlanc and fellow senior captain, Andrew Grant, give the Minutemen

a skilled and experienced one-two punch at the top of the rotation. Grant led the team with 43 strikeouts, and his ERA of 4.79 was also a career low. Together, the duo will show two very different pitching styles to teams – Grant is more of a power pitcher that relies on his fastball and off speed pitches to make hitters miss, while LeBlanc struck out just 21 batters last year and pitches to contact.

“Conor is a guy who is fearless,” UMass coach Mike Stone said. “He throws strikes, he pitches quickly.

When you’re playing your first game, you want to have somebody like that.”

On the other side of the plate, UMass hopes to have one of its more dynamic combinations in recent years to boost the team in the middle of the lineup – reigning Atlantic 10 rookie of the year Mike Geannelis and redshirt senior Rob McLam, who returns after missing all of 2014 with a knee injury.

Geannelis led the Minutemen with a .347/.398/.463 line last season (batting average/on-

base percentage/slugging percentage), and also led the team with four wins on the mound. Stone has already penciled in the sophomore into the cleanup spot, and said he would be used in a closer/short relief role late in games.

“He’s going to hit,” Stone said. “You can just tell he’s one of those guys that’s going to hit. He is somebody you can count on to come through in the clutch.”

McLam led the team in batting average in 2012 and 2013, and Stone is optimistic he will return to form.

“Rob is a little rusty because he hasn’t played for a year, but he led the team in hitting for two years.

Hopefully, he’ll be able to pick it up soon,” Stone said.

UMass has a tough challenge in Army (6-4), who will have a one month head start on the Minutemen by the time the series starts Saturday. The Black Knights have won three of their last four games and are led by a pair of hitters off to hot starts at the plate. Mark McCants leads see

BASEBALL on page 7