Massachusetts Daily Collegian: March 26, 2015

A NEW FACE FOR MONEY PAGE 4

“The Jinx” blends cocktail of tension and intrigue

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Juggling Club strives to keep the ball rolling Club combines art and socialization

By Eleanor Harte Collegian Correspondent In a secluded corner of the Campus Center basement, a group gathers every Tuesday. Some throw multicolored balls into the air: two, three, four in row.

Some throw clubs and some throw rings.

This is the University of Massachusetts Juggling Club and they meet every week to improve their skills in the art of juggling.

Fo r members

of Juggling Club, their meetings are social events and learning experiences rolled into one.

“We’re a very informal club,” said Michael Chapman, vice president of the club and a junior computer systems engineering major. Chapman has been juggling for about five years, joined the club two years ago and said his skills have grown enormously since then.

“Pretty much our practice is standing around like this, hanging out and juggling,” said Chapman as he tossed three balls in the air.

Hannah French, a senior environmental science major and the president of the club, learned to juggle at a circus camp, where she also learned other skills, like acrobatics and performance skills.

She also ran a circus camp in her backyard for multiple years, so she is

accustomed to teaching all skill levels. She taught a number of the current members how to juggle and said it is very rewarding to see how their skills grow.

Chapman said people are always willing to teach others.

“One of the great things is that there’s always more,” said Chapman. “It’s not like you run out of things to learn.”

While the club is diverse in the field of majors and skill levels, French is one of the only females in the club. She would love for more women to join the club, especially because she believes the juggling field is male dominated.

“Usually it’s me and a group of guys,” she said.

Juggling Club has anywhere from 10 to 15 consistent members, though the numbers change seasonally.

“There’s much more

CHRISTINA YACONO/COLLEGIAN

Juggling club members (from left to right) Eli Baer, Andrew Weglinski, Michael Chapman and Matthew Lee practice by throwing pins and juggling balls to each other near the Hatch on Wednesday.

UM to hold suicide So you think you got talent? awareness walk $7,027 already raised for Sunday event

By Rachel Ravelli Collegian Correspondent On Sunday, March 29 at 10 a.m. the University of Massachusetts will hold its first Walk to Prevent Suicide, an event established by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness campaign.

The walk, which begins at the UMass Track and Field Complex, is three miles around campus, and is expected to last about two hours.

Participants have the option to walk individually, join a team or create their own team. They do not need to donate money; they may simply attend the walk to show their support. If they would like to donate, but may have difficulty coming up with funds, students are able ask family and friends to contribute to their team.

As of Wednesday evening, the 153 registered participants had raised $7,027 out of the event’s goal of $20,000. All proceeds go toward allowing AFSP “to invest in new research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy and support survivors of suicide loss,” according to the event’s website.

Grace Quinn, a junior at UMass and one leaders of the event, has been advocating for mental illness awareness both around campus and in Brett Hall where she is a Resident Assistant.

“Out of the Darkness hosted an event in my hometown and I wondered why we didn’t have a walk like this on our college campus, where mental illness is very prevalent yet often goes unnoticed,” Quinn said.

Quinn and other event leaders of the walk hope

“I’ve never been to (a suicide prevention walk) but I’ve been passionate about mental illness for a long time. This is such a large campus and we need more opportunities to focus on suicide prevention.”

Grace Quinn, UMass junior and event leader to attract participants from other consortium schools as well.

Before the walk begins, speakers and health professionals will discuss their own experiences with depression and suicide. Participants will be asked to wear representative beads based on their own personal encounters with suicide, and will be encouraged to speak about why they’re wearing their beads. If participants do not wish to speak publicly, they also have the option of writing down their reasons for being at the event.

“I’ve never been to (a suicide prevention walk) but I’ve been passionate about mental illness for a long time,” Quinn said.

“This is such a large campus and we need more opportunities to focus on suicide prevention.”

Students and other participants may register for the walk online at afsp. d o n o r d r iv e. c o m / e v e n t / Amherst. There, they can sign up to volunteer, walk or even take a “virtual walk.” Registration closes on Friday, March 27 at noon.

Rachel Ravelli can be reached at rravelli@umass.edu.

JUDITH GIBSON-OKUNIEFF/COLLEGIAN

University of Massachusetts student performer Blood Orange performs at UMass Got Talent! in the Student Union Ballroom on Wednesday.

Iran-backed rebels loot US intel Iranian advisers may have been given files

By Brian Bennett and Zaid Al-Alayaa Tribune Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Secret intelligence files held by Yemeni security forces and containing details of American intelligence operations in the country have been looted by Iran-backed militia leaders, exposing names of informants and plans for U.S.backed counter-terrorism operations, U.S. officials say.

U.S. intelligence officials believe additional files were handed directly to Iranian advisers by Yemeni officials who have sided with the Houthi militias that seized control of the capital of Sanaa last September and later top-

pled the U.S.-backed president.

For American intelligence networks in Yemen, the damage has been severe. Until recently, U.S. forces deployed in Yemen had worked closely with President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government to track and kill al-Qaida operatives, and President Barack Obama hailed Yemen six months ago as a model for counter-terrorism operations.

But the identities of local agents were considered compromised after Houthi leaders in Sanaa took over the offices of Yemen’s National Security Bureau, which had worked closely with the CIA and other intelligence agencies, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations.

Yemeni intelligence officers still loyal to Hadi’s besieged government burned some secret files, one official said. But they couldn’t destroy all of them before the Houthi forces, whose leaders have received some weapons and training from Iran, took control.

The loss of the intelligence networks, in addition to the escalating conflict, contributed to the Obama administration’s decision to halt drone strikes in Yemen for two months, to vacate the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa last month and to evacuate U.S. special operations and intelligence teams from a Yemeni air base over the weekend.

The Houthis claimed and around the strategic seaWednesday that they had port of Aden, the country’s captured that base, Anad, as new fighting broke out in see IRAN on page 2

2

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, March 26, 2015

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

In 1945, the Battle of Iwo Jima officially ended as American forces secured the island. Over 25,000 American and Japanese soldiers were killed in the battle, which lasted just over a month.

AROUND THE WORLD

United States WASHINGTON — U.S. warplanes began conducting airstrikes in Tikrit on Wednesday after the Iraqi government requested assistance with a stalled offensive to retake the militantheld city, officials said.

“I can confirm that the government of Iraq has requested coalition support for operations in Tikrit,” Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said in a statement. “Operations are ongoing.”

Another defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss details of the campaign, said American planes were taking part in the strikes.

The United States had hesitated to be drawn into the Iraqi government’s drive to take back the Sunni Muslim-dominated city from the extremist group Islamic State because of the involvement of thousands of Shiite militias aided by Iranian advisers.

Concern has been raised about the possibility of reprisal attacks for Islamic State’s slayings of hundreds of Shiite soldiers and policemen last summer, when the group seized large parts of northern and western Iraq. Shiite militias have been seen demolishing and setting fire to the homes of Sunni civilians in other towns wrested from Islamic State control.

“These strikes are intended to destroy (Islamic State) strongholds with precision, thereby saving innocent Iraqi lives while minimizing collateral damage to infrastructure,” Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, who commands the coalition of countries conducting airstrikes against the militants.

“This will further enable Iraqi forces under Iraqi command to maneuver and defeat ISIL in the vicinity of Tikrit,” he said, using one of several acronyms for Islamic State.

American and allied planes are also providing overhead video feeds of the fighting to the Iraqi government, and coalition advisers are in Iraqi military headquarters providing advice and assistance, officials said.

Tribune Washington Bureau

JUGGLING when it’s warmer,” said French.

“It’s pretty much doubled because people walk by and see us and they want to join in and learn.”

The club doesn’t do performances, but different members of the group have

IRAN

continued from page 1

performed at campus and town events, like parents’ weekend or talent shows.

One of the group’s most common tricks is known as ‘club passing:’ performers each hold three clubs and throw them back and forth to each other. It’s dizzying

continued from page 1

financial hub, where Hadi had taken refuge. Over the weekend, the Houthis seized the central city of Taiz.

A Houthi-controlled TV channel announced a $20-million bounty for Hadi’s capture and his Aden compound was hit by airstrikes.

Foreign Minister Riadh Yassin said Hadi was overseeing the city’s defense from an undisclosed safe location. The Associated Press reported that he had fled the country on a boat.

Jen Psaki, the State Department spokeswoman, said U.S. diplomats “were in touch” with Hadi early Wednesday and that he had “voluntarily” left his residence. She said she could not confirm if he was still in the country, calling conditions there “incredibly volatile.”

As the turmoil deepened, Yemen appeared to be descending into a civil war that could ignite a wider regional struggle. Saudi Arabia reportedly moved troops, armored vehicles and artillery to its border with Yemen, which sits alongside key shipping routes.

The conflict has taken on an increasingly sectarian nature. Last week nearly 140 people were killed in suicide bombing at two Shiite mosques in Sanaa.

After pitched battles north of Aden, the Houthis and their allies, backed by tanks and artillery, advanced Wednesday to within a few miles of Aden, officials and witnesses said. Much of the rebels’ heavy weaponry was provided by Yemeni military units that remained loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was toppled in 2012 and is a bitter opponent of Hadi.

The struggle for Aden comes in advance of an Arab League summit. Yemen is poised to seek a military intervention by fellow Sunni Muslim states, and the Houthis appeared to be trying to gain as much ground as possible before the gathering.

In the town of Houta, the capital of Lahej province, the fighting left bodies strewn in the streets, residents reported, and people cowered indoors as gunfire rang out. The Houthis appeared to be consolidating control of the town’s southern outskirts, closest to Aden.

But U.S. officials also worried Wednesday about the loss of the Yemeni intelligence files, including the names and locations of agents and informants with information on al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, considered the terrorist network’s most dangerous and resourceful branch.

There was no indication that the Houthis had gained direct control of U.S. intelligence files, so the loss doesn’t compare to more infamous cases, like the takeover by militants of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 or the U.S. retreat from Saigon in 1975.

But AQAP, as the group is known, has repeatedly sought to attack American interests and facilities. It designed a bomb that a Nigerian man sought to explode on a Detroitbound flight in 2009, and hid explosives aboard four cargo planes headed to the U.S. in 2010. Both times, the bombs were discovered before they exploded.

The U.S. still plans to fly armed drones over Yemen from bases in Saudi Arabia and Djibouti, but officials acknowledged that their ability to identify and locate terrorist suspects has been severely hampered by the loss

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of the intelligence files, and the collapse of Yemen’s security services.

Under Hadi, U.S.-trained Yemeni forces launched regular raids to capture or kill alQaida militants. CIA and military drone strikes targeted senior officials, most famously killing Anwar Awlaki, an American-born Muslim cleric and militant leader who was linked to several major plots, in 2011.

Experts warn that AQAP could use the growing chaos to reassert itself, and to link up with anxious Sunni Muslims to fend off the minority Houthis, who are Shiites, and were previously concentrated only in the country’s north.

“From a counter-terrorism perspective, AQAP has less pressure on them,” said a U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive assessments. For now, he said, the Houthis appear more intent on destroying Hadi than going after their rivals in AQAP. U.S. attempts to track alQaida operatives are “not impossible. It is just a lot more difficult,” he said.

Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, appeared to agree at a news briefing Wednesday. “The ability of the U.S. to put pressure on these extremists is not helped by the fact that US personnel had to leave,” he said.

“There’s no doubt that we’d like to see a functioning central government in Yemen. We don’t see that right now,” Earnest added. He said Washington is able to still able to work the “security infrastructure that remains.”

“We have the capability to take out extremists if they pose a threat to the United States,” he said.

Rep. Adam Schiff of California., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in an interview that the Houthis may have captured a “significant portion” of the $500 million in military equipment that the U.S. has given Hadi’s government since 2010.

The equipment approved included Huey II helicopters, Humvees, M-4 rifles, nightvision goggles, body armor, and hand-launched Raven drones.

“The news from Yemen is all bad,” Schiff said. “I have to think that given the magnitude of the support we have given and the rapidity with which large portions of Yemen fell to Houthis, that a significant portion of military support is now in the hands of people who are not our friends.”

The abrupt changes in Yemen has prompted criticism that the White House failed to adequately prepare for the collapse of a fragile ally, and that it relied to heavily on poorly trained local security forces.

“It was a train wreck that anyone who knows anything about Yemen could see happening. It seems we put our head in the sand, and the train wreck has happened and now we are saying, ‘How did this happen?’” Ali Soufan, a former senior FBI agent who worked on terrorism cases and now heads the Soufan Group, a security company in New York.

“We pulled out from any meaningful control of the situation in the country and now I think it is too late, because every decision is a bad decision,” he said.

to watch, with the constant movement of clubs flying in the air.

In warm weather, the group meets outside between the Student Union and the Campus Center on Tuesday evenings between 5 and 7 p.m. Otherwise they meet by the Hatch in the Student Union.

“Juggling Club is awesome and everyone should come,” said Coon.

“You don’t have to know how to juggle to join,” added French. “We welcome new people all the time.”

CHRISTINA YACONO/COLLEGIAN

Eleanor Harte can be reached at eharte@umass.edu.

Andrew Wglinski (left) and Eli Baer (right) warm up with basic juggling techniques.

NC State frat disbanded School to conduct Greek life review

By Mechelle Hankerson The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) RALEIGH, N.C. — The Tau chapter of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at North Carolina State University has been disbanded as a result of an investigation into a pledge book that contained sexually and racially offensive comments, the university and the national chapter of the fraternity said Wednesday.

“The quotes in the journal are reprehensible, unacceptable and perpetuate hateful stereotypes,” Pi Kappa Phi Chief Executive Officer Mark E. Timmes said in a statement. “The students recognize they violated our standards and have accepted responsibility.”

Television station WRAL first reported last week that a woman found the notebook at a restaurant near campus. The book was filled with quotations including, “if she’s hot enough, she doesn’t need a pulse” and “that tree is so perfect for lynching.”

Members of the fraternity did not dispute

the university’s decision, according to a statement from the national chapter.

“I hope today’s action makes it clear that there is no place for intolerance, sexism and racism at N.C. State,” Chancellor Randy Woodson said in a statement from the university.

The chapter will vacate its on-campus location and the university will reassign members to housing as needed, the university said. Pi Kappa Phi can return to NCSU as a campus organization in 2018.

There were 66 members of the Pi Kappa Phi chapter during the 2013-14 academic year, according to an annual report from NCSU’s Greek Life department.

Mike Mullen, NCSU’s vice chancellor and dean of academic and student affairs, will lead a thorough review of Greek Life on campus, according to the university.

“We set high standards for all of our students, including our Greek community, and we fully expect them to embrace this challenge, raise the behavioral bar and work proactively to create the best Greek system possible,” Mullen said.

The review will involve

The book was filled with quotations including, “if she’s hot enough, she doesn’t need a pulse” and “that tree is so perfect for lynching.” the university’s four Greek councils and examine issues like sexual misconduct, substance abuse and diversity.

Several NCSU fraternities are currently suspended.

Phi Beta Sigma, which was suspended for a hazing incident, can return to campus in 2018.

Alpha Tau Omega was suspended earlier this month after police found drug paraphernalia, white powder and an orange liquid during a search. Police searched the fraternity house after a woman said she was sexually assaulted there.

Phi Gamma Delta is on probation and subject to alcohol restrictions. Theta Chi is suspended pending the investigation into a 2014 allegation of sexual assault.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

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Thursday, March 26, 2015

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Mileage on Aaron Schock’s car adds to legal woes World-traveling rep. draws DOJ attention

By Katherine Skiba, Angela Caputo and Todd Lighty Chicago Tribune

CHICAGO — Rep. Aaron Schock’s world travels have been well-chronicled by him on Instagram, and to his dismay, more recently by news reporters.

There are photos of Schock dancing the tango with a long-legged woman in Buenos Aires, parasailing in the Andes and surfing the waves off Hawaii.

But what is less known about Schock, and less publicly chronicled, is the number of miles supposedly racked up in the mundane task of driving his Chevrolet Tahoe, much of it presumably around his central Illinois district.

An analysis of government documents and Schock campaign finance records shows that from Jan. 1, 2010, through June 30, 2014, Schock was reimbursed by taxpayers and his political funds roughly $90,000 for putting about 171,000 miles on his personal vehicle.

The news outlet Politico first reported on Schock’s mileage peculiarities. It found that when Schock sold his Tahoe in July 2014, it actually had a total of about 81,000 miles on it, far less than the miles for which Schock was reimbursed.

Illinois secretary of state records show that the Tahoe was the only vehicle regis-

tered to Schock at the time.

His driving habits, global travels and business dealings have now drawn the attention of the Justice Department. Prosecutors are moving to subpoena potential witnesses as an FBI investigation gets underway in Springfield and Washington, according to sources.

Schock, 33, once a rising star seen as a fresh face for the Republican Party, abruptly announced last week he was resigning from Congress effective March 31.

A spokesman said Schock has “reimbursed all the monies received for official mileage since his election to Congress.” Schock earlier repaid $40,000 for controversial redecorating work he had done on his Capitol Hill office. He admitted no wrongdoing in his resignation statement, saying only that the constant questions were a “great distraction.”

Schock was in his fourth term in the House.

Those who follow such matters told the Chicago Tribune that one of the biggest problems Schock faces is explaining to federal authorities why there is a discrepancy in the miles driven and miles paid.

Erroneous billing for mileage is easily proved, hard to refute and a wrong that a jury can easily understand, said Paul Rothstein, a Georgetown University law professor who specializes in public corruption cases.

“There aren’t a lot of legal or factual ambiguities about it,” Rothstein said.

“It’s not susceptible to saying it was an unintentional, accidental mistake.”

Charles Tiefer, former acting general counsel for the U.S. House, praised Schock for repaying the money. “It’s not an admission of guilt, but it shows a desire to obey the law as much as you can,” Tiefer said. “Always a good idea.”

Over the years, automobiles and mileage reimbursement have been ripe for abuse by lawmakers, in part, because the records are seldom scrutinized.

The late Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, a Democratic power broker from Chicago, was indicted in 1994 for multiple crimes, some based on personal use of autos paid for by taxpayers and by his campaign. Rostenkowski ultimately pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud for misuse of public funds to buy gifts and to pay employees who did little or no official work.

The Federal Election Commission in 2008 found that Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., improperly used $9,812 in campaign funds for vehicle lease payments and repairs that were personal expenses.

Meeks admitted violating federal elections laws, paid a $63,000 penalty and refunded to his campaign committee money used for personal expenses, which also included $6,230 for a personal trainer.

––– Dr. Richard Schock told the Tribune on Thursday that the news media have

Bergdahl charged as deserter Sgt. released for five terrorists last May

By James Rosen and Adam Ashton McClatchy Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl dodged a legal bullet Wednesday when the Army charged him with desertion but avoided accusing him of a crime that carries the death penalty.

The Army also charged Bergdahl with endangering the safety of other soldiers and improper conduct with the Taliban, which captured him shortly after he left his eastern Afghanistan post on June 30, 2009, and then held him for almost five years.

The charges came almost 10 months after one of the most controversial decisions of President Barack Obama’s White House tenure.

Obama approved a deal that freed Bergdahl on May 31, 2014, in exchange for the release of five senior Taliban militants from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is weighing a presidential run, said Wednesday he has “nothing but disgust” for the exchange.

Graham, a military lawyer who has served on active duty in Afghanistan, said he’s “very proud of the military justice system” and urged Americans not to prejudge Bergdahl.

If convicted, the maximum sentence Bergdahl, now 29, could receive is life in prison.

That sentence is tied not to the desertion charge but to the charge that he put his unit at risk by abandoning his post in Afghanistan’s Paktika province near the Pakistan border.

Former platoon mates of Bergdahl, the only American captive during the nearly 13{-year Afghanistan war, have claimed that as many as six solders died during the extensive search for the Idaho native following his disappearance.

Eugene Fidell, a Yale

University military law professor who is representing Bergdahl, said the desertion charge did not surprise him, but he acknowledged that he had not expected the charge of having misbehaved while in Taliban captivity.

Next up for Bergdahl will be a preliminary hearing under Article 32 of the military legal code, which is often compared to a grand jury hearing of evidence supporting civilian criminal charges.

“We are just heading into an Article 32 investigation,” Fidell told McClatchy. “The convening authority would still have to make a decision what to do based on the Article 32 report. So this is still a very preliminary juncture.”

Retired Army Brig. Gen. Jack Nevin, a former military lawyer who served as chief judge of the Army Court of Criminal Appeals, said the Army has not executed a soldier since 1961 and that the men on death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., were convicted of having committed violent crimes.

“This is not a violent crime,” Nevin said of Bergdahl’s alleged desertion.

“Perhaps the investigation revealed that while he walked away and even had an intent to stay away, he (later) changed his mind and wanted to return but was prevented (by the Taliban) from doing so,” Nevin told McClatchy.

Nevin maintains contact with military lawyers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Wash. Gen. Kenneth Dahl, who is based there, led the Army’s probe of Bergdahl with as many as 20 soldiers helping him.

“I don’t know anything about the specifics, but I understand it was incredibly thorough,” Nevin said.

In Hailey, Idaho, Bergdahl’s hometown, reaction to the charges was muted.

“When he was released, we acknowledged that he might have to face military charges,” Mayor Fritz Haemmerle told McClatchy. “We trust that those charges will be fairly evaluated.”

Town leaders had planned a celebratory rally soon after Bergdahl’s release, but they canceled it in the wake of fierce criticism of the deal that freed him from mainly Republican lawmakers, some military veterans and a few members of his former platoon.

“There are no yellow ribbons up and down our main street,” Haemmerle said Wednesday.

House Speaker John Boehner said the deal that secured Bergdahl’s freedom has made the United States less safe.

“Every American is innocent until proven guilty, and we all wanted to bring Sergeant Bergdahl home,” said Boehner. “But my chief concern remains President Obama’s decision to release five hardened terrorists, with no guarantees that they won’t return to the battlefield.”

Graham said flatly that the five freed Taliban, who under an agreement with the government of Afghanistan must remain in Qatar for one year following their release, “are going to go back to the fight.”

Col. Daniel J.W. King, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Forces Command, did not take questions from reporters after announcing the charges in a short statement at Fort Bragg, N.C. “Sergeant Bergdahl is charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice with one count of Article 85, desertion with intent to shirk important or hazardous duty, and one count of Article 99, misbehavior before the enemy by endangering the safety of a command, unit or place,” King said.

Bergdahl’s hearing will take place at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where Bergdahl received medical treatment and underwent a reintegration program last year after his return to the United States.

Bergdahl, who is now posted at the San Antonio base in a desk job, could eventually face a court-martial.

been “like cockroaches” and have unfairly attacked his son, whom he called brilliant, conservative and moral.

Asked about the apparent overcharging for mileage, Dr. Schock replied, “I have no idea what that’s about. I didn’t keep the books. He’ll have to explain that to whoever he has to explain it to.”

According to House rules, representatives who use a privately owned vehicle for “official and representational business” can be reimbursed for transportation costs. They are reimbursed on a rate-per-mile basis.

During the time Aaron Schock owned the Tahoe the maximum rates ranged from 50 to 56.5 cents per mile.

Schock was first elect-

ed to Congress in 2008 to represent the Peoria and Springfield areas. The following year, in November 2009, he bought a black 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe from Green Chevrolet in Peoria, according to Illinois secretary of state records.

The vehicle apparently served him well.

On July 19, 2014, Schock was back at Green Chevrolet.

He got a new 2015 Tahoe, black, just like the old one, which he traded in. In what experts called an uncommon move, his campaign paid for the vehicle, according to records. Records show Schock’s campaign paid $74,000 for the SUV. Federal and state law require the owner report the mileage when transfer-

ring ownership. Failing to disclose the true mileage can result in fines or criminal charges. Schock’s 2010 Tahoe, according to records, had 81,860 miles on it.

A week later, Schock’s father bought the used Tahoe from the dealership.

Dr. Schock said he paid “28,000 something” for it.

Dr. Schock said he did not buy the used Tahoe directly from his son because he was unaware his son was getting rid of it. Dr. Schock said that when his son picked him up for church, that’s when he learned that his son bought a new car.

Why didn’t the congressman keep the old Tahoe?

“He said it had too many miles on it,” Dr. Schock recalled.

Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation” - Herman Melville

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Hillel fails to represent all Jewish students In a recent article in Tikkun, voked fierce opposition from Hillel Michael Kaplan and Jack Ross International, which has resulted lay out the history of the Jewish in Hillel chapters refusing to sponsor the speakers. UMass Hillel Joshua Strassman claimed that because the event coincided with Israeli Apartheid Newsletter, a now-defunct Jewish Week, they could not support it. publication, which was a hotbed None of this is meant to be for dissenting, left wing Jewish an attack on individual Hillel voices. It rose to prominence in the chapters, at UMass or elsewhere.

1940s and 50s as Zionist fervor was Campus Hillel directors have their spreading and becoming the domi- hands tied by Hillel International, nant ideology in the Jewish world. which enforces their Standards Its contributors were forceful in of Partnership on Israel-related their opposition to this new trend. speakers. These standards, in Significantly, Hillel chapters at effect, end up silencing progrescolleges all over the country dis- sive and left wing Jews. tributed this magazine to students.

It seems there was a time where vibrant, open debate was strongly encouraged at Hillel.

Not anymore.

A few weeks ago, as part of a national speaking tour sponsored

by Open Hillel, three Jewish civil The provocations from Hillel rights veterans came to speak at International have gone too far.

UMass. All three of them worked In a recent Times of Israel piece, with the Student Nonviolent Hillel International chief adminisCoordinating Committee in the trative officer David Eden attacked 60s. They were part of the large the speakers, claiming that they Jewish presence in the movement are being “manipulated by this for black civil rights. The lessons small band of student activists.” they learned from the struggle in Quite offensively, Eden seems to the South are extremely relevant think these three lifelong activtoday, especially in light of the ists are simply ignorant and don’t Black Lives Matter movement. know what they’re getting themI recall my skin turning cold as selves into. He certainly is not many of their stories of police vio- listening to what they’re actually lence mirrored almost precisely saying; all three have made strong some of the tragedies of the past comments in support of Open Hillel. year.

It would seem UMass Hillel Swarthmore College’s Hillel is would welcome these speakers, even facing legal action from Hillel and that they would be excited International for choosing to host to host such inspiring leaders. these speakers. In a direct attack Here’s the problem: all three against open discourse, Hillel speakers are fierce advocates for demanded that Swarthmore’s Palestinian rights, and harsh Jewish students not use the Hillel critics of the Israeli Occupation. brand to promote their event.

They made connections from their Bravely, Swarthmore Hillel’s work in the Jim Crow South to board stood up to this attack, and the movement for Palestinian voted to disaffiliate with Hillel human rights today. This has pro- International.

“These standards in effect end up silencing progressive and left-wing Jews.”

A new face for money

J Street, a moderate Zionist organization which pushes for a two-state solution, has also faced bullying and attacks from Hillel. Last week, J Street had their annual national conference, which around 1,000 Jewish students attended. Incredibly, Hillel International Director Eric Fingerhut pulled out of the conference because of the presence of Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat – a slap in the face to the dedicated students in attendance.

It is becoming increasingly clear the Standards of Partnership need to go. They restrict free speech and contribute to an often toxic culture and discourse among Jewish students surrounding Israel/ Palestine. They force individual Hillel directors – who typically strive to include all students – to kowtow to an official line that is exclusionary and divisive. Luckily, the tide is turning quickly – the recent provocations from Hillel International have led to an explosion of resistance on campuses across the country.

Ironically, as these events have been unfolding, I have found myself increasingly drawn to the writings of Hillel the Elder, after whom the Jewish organization is named. Hillel famously asked, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” I had never internalized the importance of this question until now. I’m now realizing that if I stay silent, there are a myriad of reactionaries who will claim to be speaking for me. Jewish students from all over the country are taking Hillel’s teaching to heart – we will not be silent anymore.

Joshua Strassman is a Collegian contributer and can be reached at jstrassman@umass. edu.

Law and order, UMass style The trial of Emmanuel T. Bile Jr., who was allegedly involved in gang rape of a University of

tics despite regularly updating 50 cameras each year.

The biggest problem, though, is there is still rape culture on camClaire Anderson pus. UMass is not the only one at fault – rape culture is predominant Massachusetts student with three around the U.S. Yet the solution other in 2012 in her Pierpont most people see involves victim Hall dorm room, began earlier blaming and stressing that girls this week. After that grotesque need to be more vigilant of their night, which ruined her college friends and surroundings to fix the experience, the usual points were brought up: what UMass could have done to prevent the rape and what can be done to prevent rapes from happening again.

UMass has done little to revamp security measures for dorms except outsourcing to Business Protection Specialists to compile a report filled with suggestions to upgrade security, such as correcting door deficiencies, creating electronic sign in sheets and increas- problem. ing the police cadet presence. Most Last year, North Carolina State of the suggestions are common students created a nail polish that sense, yet the University has done when exposed to certain datelittle to effectively change the secu- rape drugs such as GHB in drinks rity since the report came out over will change color. In Nevada, a year ago. One of the most basic Assemblywomen Michele Fiore’s suggestions was to update all of solution to rape was to have women the security cameras, but UMass carry guns on campus and to parreplied they don’t have the logis- ties because “if these young, hot

“Rape culture is a difficult problem to solve, which will take some time. UMass safety, on the other hand, is a lot simpler to change.”

Editorial@DailyCollegiancom

little girls on campus have a firearm, I wonder how many men will want to assaults them. The sexual assaults that are occurring would go down once these sexual predators get a bullet in their head.”

Because guns are exactly what frat parties need mixed with beer pong and tequila.

Rape culture is a difficult problem to solve, which will take some time. UMass safety, on the other

President Andrew Jackson may But the fact that no women’s not be the face of the $20 bill, as faces appear on paper currency there is a campaign that is trying shows how underrepresented women really are. So while this Brianna Zimmerman victory may be purely symbolic, to replace him with an accom- it at least calls attention to the accomplishments of some amazplished woman.

Many Americans, includ- ing American women. ing President Barack Obama, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, expressed support for this push – I Susan B. Anthony and Eleanor mean, why not support removing Roosevelt are among the 15 women a president with genocidal ten- who may appear on the currency, dencies, clear disregard for the and I wish I learned more about Constitution and hatred for paper these women in history classes. money?

As a United States history buff, But maybe featuring a woman I acknowledge there are some pret- on the $20 bill will encourage us to ty cool, unprecedented things that consider women’s history as a subAndrew Jackson did to suggest stantial part of American history. he was a strong president. He was I found that it is extremely difthe first president who used the ficult to pick a favorite woman for campaign tactic of appearing as the new face of the bill. Though relatable, painting his opponents there were a few women I had as out of touch and elitist. never heard of, the website has

“But the fact that no women’s faces appear on paper currency shows how underrepresented women really are.”

Jackson also preserved the union when he took a strong position against John C. Calhoun’s crusade for states’ rights, which was dangerously straddling the line of support for southern states’ secessions from the country.

Ironically, though, Jackson was probably the most vocally opposed president to paper currency.

Jackson thought paper money was not real currency, which was legitimate because it was depreciating in value since banks distributed paper currency most.

Even for all that Jackson did well, forcing the removal of Cherokee Native Americans from their Georgia homes is not something that should be excused.

The Supreme Court declared this removal unconstitutional, but he responded by going through with the plan regardless. The result was the displacement and death of thousands of Cherokees.

After learning about Jackson in high school history classes, I thought it was a joke that he was on the $20 bill. He would never want to be on paper currency in the first place, and the Trail of Tears is not exactly a proud moment in America’s past.

So this campaign to put a woman on the $20 bill has me pretty excited.

I acknowledge this is a small, symbolic victory. Would I be more excited if Congress passed a law mandating that female workers be paid equally to male workers? Of course I would be. Would I be more excited if in 2016 a female candidate won the presidency? You can guess my answer to the question.

a brief description of what each woman has accomplished, making the task a bit easier.

There are the women who ignited the movement for women’s suffrage, including Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. There’s Betty Friedan, a feminist icon who publicized the disillusionment of American housewives in the sixties in her book, “The Feminine Mystique.”

Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman to be elected to Congress and first black candidate in a majority political party is also a contender. The list is complete with abolitionists, suffragists, challengers of normative views of sexuality, and women who played roles in war and politics.

I will be content with whoever is chosen from this list of extremely distinguished American women.

There is really no wrong choice.

Someday (hopefully in 2020 as the campaign aims for), young girls will see the face of a national female leader on the face of the $20 bill. I hope our daughters ask questions about her and learn to regard her as a positive role model – that is something that we should all be encouraged by.

You can read about these influential women and vote for your favorites on womenon20s.org.

Brianna Zimmerman is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at bzimmerman@umass. edu.

hand, is a lot simpler to change.

At New York University, all students have to punch their student ID number into a keypad to get entrance to their dorm. The guard also takes the ID or license of all guests, so they can track who comes in and leaves. Those are two pretty obvious solutions and you didn’t even have to pay me a $40,000 consulting fee for them.

Claire Anderson is the Opinion and Editorial Senior Producer, and can be reached at clairea@umass.edu.

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Thursday, March 26, 2015

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TELEVISION REVIEW

Dark, twisty doc on Durst proves biggest ‘Jinx’ is hubris Billionaire heir left long trail of blood

By Alexander Frail Collegian Staff

Hubris, hubris, hubris.

From Ozymandias to Robert Durst, excessive pride has knelt the most untouchable humans.

The excellent HBO documentary, “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” culminated in what three decades of law enforcement failed to achieve – the incrimination of Durst, a self-indictment accidentally uttered during the interviews he initiated. Throughout the twisty, tense six-episode run, Durst sat down with director Andrew Jarecki to tell his side of the story. A conspicuously smooth criminal, Durst made headlines for the program when he was arrested just before the finale aired.

Episode one kicks off with a stylized breakdown of the three murder cases closely associated with Durst, heir to one of New York’s wealthiest real estate organizations.

Interviews focus on the law enforcement officers who failed to indict or convict him and close friends and families of the victims who relive their anguish. It’s a bleak peek into the past of a madman.

Then you meet the madman. Durst plays it cooler than the other side of the pillow, whether he’s staring down conviction for the murder and dismemberment of his neighbor, Morris Black, or speaking with Jarecki for this documentary. Sure, his gravelly voice lacks a shred of empathy. He also con-

fronts his suspicious activity in a highly cerebral manner – often cutting Jarecki’s questions short, he states the obvious answer, that his activity suggested his guilt. And yet, he never truly comes across as the serial killer the media labels him as.

That’s one of “The Jinx’s” more interesting points.

Though a documentary, the program unfurls the 33-yearold mystery of his vanished wife, Kathie, in a cultivated, subjective presentation.

Statements from the detectives dismiss Durst’s involvement reasonably – the marriage went sour and Kathie walked away. There’s no crime scene, no body, no witnesses. Meanwhile, Kathie’s friends sound slightly paranoid, stretching for conclusions where none may exist.

Soon, you begin to wonder, what if this man is innocent?

Does a jinx hover over him, inexplicably placing him in proximity to disappearances and grisly crimes? Even Jarecki admits a strong personal connection with Durst.

Then the plot thickens.

Durst’s friend Susan Berman is found gunned down, while Durst’s neighbor’s body parts appear in Galveston, Texas, a crime that goes to trial. Early on in the trial, Durst has the jury laughing in admiration of his frank, unapologetic, apathetic statements. Just as he plays Jarecki and coaxes sympathy from the audience, he spins a cut-and-dry murder case into an improbable story of self-defense. The slippery Durst slithers away once again.

Watching “The Jinx,” incredulous at Durst’s evasion of justice, I wondered

why the heir would agree to an investigative documentary. Indeed, Jarecki questions Durst’s desires during his first queries. For over 30 years, the man had been the thunderhead of celebrity trials and media speculation.

Why step back into the spotlight?

The answer must invariably be that the man thought he could slip away from justice. Perhaps he believed an HBO program featuring him could silence any future questions. From Durst’s expressions, responses and actions, you can surmise that within his mind, he transcended penalty.

Hubris practically simmers off of Durst. He never displays a hint of panic or fear, even when the evidence against him is incontrovertible. The man complacently mumbles on his mic at several points, flirting with self-incrimination throughout “The Jinx.” By agreeing to more interviews with Jarecki, he inevitably heads toward justice.

Whether you suspect him from the start or follow “The Jinx’s” narrative of gradual realization, the program is undeniably unique and enthralling. Jarecki’s direction evokes a sort of reverse“Gone Girl” scenario, in which everyone suspects that the wife left her abusive husband with no notice and lets him slip away. Even the score evokes a B-sides version of Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor’s dark ambient masterpiece from “Gone Girl.”

Similarly, “The Jinx” resembles HBO’s “True Detective.” The hard light-

HBO

Director Andrew Jarecki (left) hunts for the truth behind Robert Durst (right) in his captivating, stylized documentary. ing, slow-mo reenactments and grim statements spark instant memories of Rust Cohle’s (Matthew McConaughey) nihilistic monologues rambling over shots of a 17-year-old case.

This connection extends to every facet of the documentary, especially the haunting intro set to Eels’ “Fresh Blood.”

Perhaps this subjectivity strengthens the documentary, but it also represents some issues with its integrity. The final act, which topped national headlines last Sunday, finally hinted at justice for Berman’s murder, but the hours leading up to it are frustratingly ambiguous.

At first, I thought that Jarecki might’ve suspected Durst’s innocence. The director leaves questionable recol-

lections, like Durst’s explanation of his mother’s death and a detective’s assumptions about a suspicious note, unattended. I wanted him to dig deeper, to point out the obvious holes in these statements. Beyond the last hour, the director retreats from hard journalism and opts to soak in the stories instead.

Furthermore, Durst’s eleventh-hour confession appears terribly convenient.

His offhand ruminations foreshadow his guiltiness.

Then, in a somewhat scripted soliloquy while still wired in the bathroom, Durst reveals his complicity in all of the murders.

The moment of the forgotten mic concludes “The Jinx” in perfect cinematic fashion.

As a documentary, however, it strays far too close to sub-

jectivity, striving for thrills and intrigue rather than excellence in journalism or investigation.

Nonetheless, “The Jinx” captivated me. Packed with chilling indictments, spooky reenactments and tortuous trails, it unspools unsolvable cold cases with a flair for theatrics. It left me with a conflicted sense of manipulation, as if the filmmakers toyed with my perspective or Durst lied straight to my face – but the mystery’s largerthan-life facts mitigate any misgivings I have. Rather than merely revisiting murder files, “The Jinx” treats the truth as if it really is stranger than fiction.

Alexander Frail can be reached at afrail@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @AlexanderFrail.

TELEVISION REVIEW

‘Last Man on Earth’ devolves into worst show on Earth A fresh pilot can’t save the stale sitcom

By Eli Fine Collegian Staff Will Forte’s “The Last Man on Earth” was hotly anticipated prior to its premiere on Fox. It’s a unique premise for a TV show – a comedy, at that – premiering on a broadcast network. Pretty unheard of.

With the reliably funny and entertaining Forte as creator and star, could anything go wrong?

And for the first couple of episodes, nothing could. “The Last Man on Earth” sees Phil Miller (Forte) living alone on the desolate landscape that is America in 2020, five years after a virus wiped out the entire human race aside from him – or so he believes. After driving through the country searching for other survivors, he is convinced that he is indeed the last man on earth.

He gives up and settles down in Tucson.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller, of “21 Jump Street” and “The Lego Movie” fame, directed the pilot episode of “TLMOE.” The directing duo also executive produces the series. As a result, the first hour of the show is tremendous, especially in its visual aspects. Not only is it more cinematic than almost any other show on network TV, the camera is directed in such a way to punctuate each joke, mining laughs from watching one person simply destroy things with abandon.

For that is what Phil Miller does as the last man on earth.

The pilot is largely filled with scenes of Phil entertaining

FOX BROADCASTING CO.

Initially a promising, novel comedy set in post-apocalyptic America, “The Last Man on Earth,” starring Will Forte, has been plagued by poor writing. himself by destroying things – blowing up cars, bowling (using aquariums as pins) and letting himself into grocery stores by shooting glass storefronts. There’s a lot to be said for the pilot. In fact, it may very well be the single best comedy pilot in years. Forte’s solitary antics are laugh-outloud funny and the tragic loneliness really does come through at the same time.

At the end of the pilot, however, the game is changed; Phil meets another person

when Kristen Schaal’s character, Carol, turns up, ostensibly the last woman on earth.

The dynamic between Carol and Phil is a familiar one: Carol is a shrewish, nagging woman bringing down the carefree, fun-loving Phil. As a result of Schaal and Forte’s incredible comic timing, however, the material is elevated beyond its shabby, simplistic writing.

They manage to keep the show in a solid comedic place for the following couple of

episodes. My favorite joke of the series so far comes at a moment when Carol is particularly annoyed with Phil. She looks at him and says, “You were a real scrub today. And you know how I feel about scrubs.” His response: “You don’t want no?”

And then January Jones shows up as Melissa, another survivor, a beautiful blonde who is very happy to discover she isn’t the last person in the world. It all goes downhill from there, and quickly. At

fool out of himself and he can barely conceal his lust for her. He acts so much like a stalker, the show should really have been called “The Creepiest Man on Earth.” He is also unnecessarily awful to Carol while he pines after Melissa. The first three episodes of this show are spent getting us to know and like Phil Miller; the subsequent three are spent getting us to hate him with every fiber of our being.

Almost every ounce of goodwill the show built up in its impressive first few episodes is doused in gasoline and dropped into a volcano by the following three. I’ve never seen anything like it, a show that starts out so excellently but becomes so terrible so quickly into its first season.

As the show adds more and more characters the distinct tragicomedy that “TLMOE” seemed to be in its first couple episodes becomes something entirely conventional, something that is just as badly written as any number of CBS multi-cam sitcoms. It’s a crushingly disappointing piece of work.

I like, respect and trust everyone involved in this show just barely enough to keep on watching, at least for the rest of this first season, but I don’t expect anything from it anymore. The bottom line – the fact that I really have to come to terms with – is that “The Last Man on Earth” just isn’t a very good TV show.

this point, the show devolves into something that is barely even worth watching. When the premise is taken away, when Forte is no longer goofing off alone but interacting with multiple characters like a character would do on any other sitcom, “The Last Man on Earth” is only slightly better than, say, “Two and a Half Men.” The introduction of Melissa brings three episodes Eli Fine can be reached at elazarfine@ wherein Phil grotesquely gmail.com and followed on Twitter at pines after her, he makes a @ElazarFine.

6

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Comics Nickelback

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HOROSCOPES Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

“Nickelback” and “disco” are two concepts that never should meet, but they have. Your life will never be the same again.

pisces

Feb. 19 - Mar. 20

leo

Jul. 23 - Aug. 22

Maybe sometimes you go to a place where everybody knows your name and it sucks because you don’t know any of theirs.

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Nickelback is a very popular band. They have thousands of fans all around the world. You will never meet one of them.

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Mar. 21 - Apr. 19

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WO M E N ’ S L AC RO S S E

UMass eyes 39th straight A-10 victory

Last conference loss was five years ago

By Jesse Korzen Collegian Correspondent While the Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team’s quest for an undefeated regular season might have ended March 19 against Albany, it still has the ability to accomplish another one of its goals: be perfect in conference play.

The Minutewomen have not lost a game in conference in four years, and have been the winners of 38-straight in Atlantic 10 play.

If UMass wants to make it number 39-in-a-row, it will have to take down Duquesne in the conference opener Friday night.

Goalkee per Rachel Vallarelli knew where the Minutewomen stood in conference play, and was well aware of its success in the A10. Being as superstitious as she is, she even stopped midway through an interview to find wood to knock on before continuing.

“Teams want to beat us obviously, it’s been five years since we lost a con-

SOFTBALL

ference game,” Valarelli said. “Anyone can come in and play great, but we just want to look at ourselves and know that everyone on this team is what matters and not who we are playing.”

As Friday’s matchup against the Dukes approaches, head coach Angela McMahon is looking at the long-term affects for the Minutewomen, rather than getting caught up in the moment.

“We have an amazing opportunity that we still have nine games to be able to improve,” McMahon said. “They are all conference games and at the end of the day, our goal is to win our conference and our first conference game is this Friday”.

The Minutewomen are ready to put the loss against the Great Danes behind them and continue the strong season they have had so far. McMahon believed that the loss was a good indicator of where they stood, and feels confident they will be able to shake the loss off.

“I think we’re pretty energized and focused for this weekend, we take everything game by game.

We really are just focused

CHRISTINA YACONO/COLLEGIAN

The Minutewomen have won 38 consecutive games in conference play. on our upcoming opponent,” McMahon said.

Duquesne (3-5) has multiple players that are offensive threats, as it has three players that have scored double-digit goals this season. Clare Hurley leads the Dukes with 13 goals, while Kaelin Shaw and Tess Drotar follow closely behind with 11 apiece.

“I feel really confident about our defense. They are a tight knit group, they are focused and they work really hard. Every single game this season, even against Albany, the defense has been executing their game plan each game.

Against Duquesne, we are

continued from page 8

ROBERT RIGO/COLLEGIAN

Quianna Diaz-Patterson (4) leads UMass in batting average (.481), hits (25) and homeruns (4). is good for fifth in the conference. On top of that, she has hit four homeruns. The Minutewomen will need her to stay hot at the plate if they want any chance of coming out victorious this weekend.

Additionally, Stefanoni pointed out the leadership of seniors Bridget Lemire and Anna Kelley, as really helping the team this year.

“The three of them are seniors, so for that to come out of my mouth, they must be doing their job,” Stefanoni said with laughter.

Cutting Loose

Stefanoni knows it’s been

TIGERS

a tough start to the season for UMass and she attributes that to one major fact: her team has yet to cut loose.

“I could sit here all day and talk about facilities and weather, but in the end everyone is having the same problems,” Stefanoni said.

“We prepare like everyone else does. We’re given the same 24 hours in a day, so it all just comes down to playing how you know how.”

According to coach, her team is the best-kept secret on campus and in the conference. If her team were to “cut loose,” everyone would see what Stafanoni has seen all along.

“A lot of our mishaps recently have come from us putting too much pressure on ourselves,” Stefanoni said. “There’s really not a lot we can do anymore.

It’s just you going out there and trusting in yourself and your preparation that you’ll be okay.”

The Minutewomen play the first two of the three game set Saturday starting at noon. The third game is Sunday at noon. All three games will be played at the SJU Softball Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Adam Aucoin can be reached at aaucoin@umass.edu.

continued from page 8

er you win or you lose, because you learn something within each game,” Cannella said. “The fact that we lost the first five games, I think you give our guys credit for not pointing the finger and going through this together as a group.”

Heading into this weekend, Cannella believes it

is too soon to tell whether or not his team is hitting their stride at the right time, but acknowledged the efforts they have put into becoming better.

“I guess that’s probably to be determined,” he said. “Again, this group has hung together, stuck together and enjoy the process of working togeth-

er every day and going out and playing as a team.”

Opening faceoff will take place at noon on Saturday at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Maryland.

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

really going to have to limit their offensive opportunities,” McMahon said.

Duquesne goalkeeper Jenna Bishop has struggled this season. Despite starting in all eight games, she posts a 2-5 record and has allowed 73 goals on the season. Bishop has a 10.9 goals against average and has a save percentage of .425.

Friday’s game will be played at McGuirk Stadium, with the opening draw coming at 4 p.m.

Jesse Korzen can be reached at jkorzen@umass.edu.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

TENNIS

continued from page 8

more matches to break all time record and we would like her to do that before senior day,” Dixon said, Glasper, who has held down the number 6 singles spot for most of the season, will most likely be up against Chassidy King who is 5-5 for Albany.

“Our mental toughness has to be strong. We are looking at these next five,” Dixon said.

The Minutewomen have a history of finishing seasons strong. In each of the last two seasons, they won four of their last five games.

It is also important that UMass takes advantage of these next two games they have at home. The games against Albany and Fairleigh Dickinson will mark the last two

VCU

7

games UMass plays at Hampshire Colle ge’s indoor facility located a few miles from campus.

The Minutewomen have called it home since the start of the season, and excel there, posting a perfect 5-0 record.

The last loss UMass suffered in the Pioneer Valley came last February against nationally ranked Boston Colle ge on February 17, 2014.

Coach Dixon expressed how much easier it is to play in indoor courts when the conditions are much more controlled. “(Playing outside) is never our favorite time of the year,” Dixon said.

Philip Sanzo can be reached at psanzo@umass.edu.

continued from page 8

offensively prior to an 18-0 win over Virginia Military Institute. In the four games previous to the shutout, the Rams scored a mere 10 runs.

The Rams also come into the game having a strong bullpen. Closer Daniel Concepcion has pitched to a 0.79 ERA with four saves on the year. He has also struck out 25 batters in 22.2 innings. Reliever Matt Lees has yet to give up and earned run in his 18 innings of work.

VCU pitchers have combined to strikeout 192 batters in 188.2 innings. In comparison the Minutemen have only struck-out 49 batters in 66 innings.

Stone is looking for improvement from his team each time out and expects them to get better the more they play.

“We have to continue to get better, continue to play well,” Stone said. “There has to be improvement week to week but the guys are just excited to finally be playing and are having fun with it.”

Conor LeBlanc gets the ball first on Friday March 27. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at VCU’s The Diamond.

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

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Thursday, March 26, 2015

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M E N ’ S L AC RO S S E

Minutemen streaking at the right time

No. 18 Towson visits Garber

By Jason Kates Collegian Staff

The start of the season for the Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team was a forgettable one.

UMass started the season losers of its first five, but since then, the Minutemen have looked like an entirely different team, having won their last three contests all by multiple goals.

Win number four will be no easy task for UMass when it travels to 18th ranked Towson this Saturday with an opportunity to gain leverage in the always tough Colonial Athletic Association conference.

Coming off a 9-7 victory this past weekend versus Hofstra, the Minutemen (3-5, 1-0 CAA) have scored 39 goals in their last three games, 18 of which came during UMass’ victory over Quinnipiac on March 10.

This time, however, the Minutemen will be tasked with facing a stingy Tigers (6-3) defense that ranks fourth in the nation in goals allowed per game (7.33) Led by senior goalkeeper Tyler White, who has the ninth-best save percentage (.568) in the country, the Towson defense holds its opponents to an average of only 31 shots per game.

Head coach Greg Cannella knows it will be crucial that his team cashes in when the opportunities present themselves.

“They’re very wellcoached on defense,” Cannella said. “Their coach, Shawn Nadelen, was a world team player as a defenseman, and was a real tough guy when he played in college and for the world team.

“That’s what makes it so hard, they are so fundamentally sound defensively and have a great stopper.”

With such a great team defensively, it doesn’t take many goals to win games

“Last year it was a 6-5 game at our place, when they us a couple years ago it was 2-1 at halftime and they would up beating us 9-5. They’re a very talented group so it won’t be easy.”

Greg Cannella, UMass coach for the Tigers. Scoring an average of 8.44 goals per game, Towson is dependent upon the foursome of Joe Seider, Ryan Drenner, Spencer Parks and Andrew Hodgson, who have combined for 84 of the team’s 113 points. It has reached double-digits in goals just twice, while the Minutemen have reached this feat four times. “(Towson) puts six guys out there and they’re all excellent, so it’s going to be a challenge for our defense and goalie,” Cannella said.

“They’re a fast starting team, they’ve scored 28 goals in the first quarter, which is 10 more than any other quarter. It’s a style of play, when they get up they’ll try and slow down the tempo of the game a little bit.”

BASEBALL

UMass looking to stay hot in Atlantic 10 play

Cannella recalled two matchups between the teams last season and two years ago, which both ended with Towson coming out on top.

“Last year it was a 6-5 game at our place when they beat us, a couple years ago it was 2-1 at halftime and they wound up beating us 9-5,” he said.

“They’re a very talented group, so it won’t be easy.”

With the winning streak the UMass is currently on, it could be said having the toughest schedule in all of Division I lacrosse has helped the team develop, especially since its first win didn’t come until the sixth game of the season.

“I think every game helps you grow, whethsee

TIGERS on page 7

UM building momentum Minutewomen to face Hawks Collegian Staff

Connor LeBlanc (17) is 1-1 on the season with a 2.77 ERA. Opponents are hitting a team-best .156 against LeBlanc.

By Tyler Fiedler Collegian Staff

A sweep over Dayton last weekend has the University of Massachusetts baseball team riding high as it goes into its weekend series against Virginia Commonwealth.

The Minutemen will try to stay perfect in the Atlantic 10 against a Ram’s team that has struggled to find their offensive groove.

After going 0-5 to start off the season, the Minutemen (3-5, 3-0 Atlantic 10) have been red hot from the batters box, scoring 26 runs its three game sweep over the Flyers on March 20-22. The offense has finally came alive thanks in big part to the health of second baseman Rob McLam and the outbreak of sophomore catcher Matt Bare.

McLam, after missing the entire 2014 season, has not missed a beat so far hitting .381 with four RBIs. Bare on the other hand, has been given the opportunity to start with the injuries to John Jennings and Brandon Walsh. Bare has hit .304 with two doubles and had the game-winning hit in Sunday’s 10-8 win.

“(LeBlanc, Moloneym and Grant) have all pitched really well putting in great efforts. We know when they pitch we have a great opportunity to win.”

Mike Stone, UMass coach Head coach Mike Stone has been pleased with the resurgence of his offense lately saying it has taken a little while for them to get going but is happy with their recent outburst.

“We have started to adjust offensively,” Stone said. “It takes a lot to get our feet on the ground but I’ve been impressed with the amount of people we have gotten on base lately.”

The pitching has been up to par with the recently hot offense. Starters Conor LeBlanc, Andrew Grant and Ryan Moloney have put in strong efforts in each of their starts this season. Grant and LeBlanc are pitching with a sub-three earned run average, while Moloney is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA. LeBlanc pitched eight shutout innings, allowing

just two hits Friday against Dayton, lowering his ERA to 2.77 and has held opponents to a .156 batting average. “(LeBlanc, Moloney and Grant) have all pitched really well putting in great efforts in each start,” Stone said.

“We know when they pitch we have a great opportunity to win.”

Stone reiterated UMass will continue to improve as the season goes on, and that he always likes his chances if they pitch well, no matter the opponent.

“We’re having a lot of fun playing right now,” Stone said. “Our guys have worked very hard and we need to continue to execute in order to win.’

The Minutemen’s opponent had been struggling see

VCU on page 7

Midfielder Dan Muller (18) looks upfield in a 18-5 win against Quinnipiac on March 10. UMass has won its last three games after starting the season 0-5.

SOFTBALL

By Adam Aucoin

COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO

ROBERT RIGO/COLLEGIAN

It’s been a rocky start to the season for the Massachusetts softball team. After starting with a respectable 4-4 record, it went on an eight game losing streak.

Sitting at 4-12 after last Saturday’s pair of losses in a double-header against George Mason, something had to change.

Luckily, one day can make all the difference as UMass looked like completely different team in their 9-2 win against the Patriots in the third game of the series..

Head coach Kristi Stefanoni believes that game could be a turning point for the team.

“When you can come off the weekend on a good note, it gives you so much more momentum as you try to move to the next game,” Stefanoni said. “Winning does wonderful things to

“When you can come off the weekend on a good note, it gives you so much more momentum as you try to move on to the next game.”

Kristi Stefanoni, UMass coach you. It allows you to pick out the positives and build on them, so we plan on trying to build on those things going forward.”

If the Minutewomen (5-12, 1-2 A-10) want to continue this success, they will have to beat one of the top teams in the Atlantic-10, Saint Joseph’s.

The Hawks (15-6, 2-0 A-10) are coming off a weekend where they handily beat Rhode Island by scores of 14-6 and 9-3, respectively.

Saint Joseph’s is led offensively by senior first baseman Ashley Alden who is batting .385 on the season with eight homeruns and junior middle infielder Sarah Yoos, who is batting .426 on the season.

On the pitching side, freshman Madison Clarke has impressed with an 11-2 record and a 1.85 ERA.

“(Alden) is a phenomenal player and she is always a big home run threat, so shutting her down will be pretty key for us,” Stefanoni said. “I’ve known that program and that coach for a long time and they always put together a great team, so I think they all could be tough outs.

According to Stafanoni, the key to a successful weekend will be timely pitching.

She highlighted preventing walks and inducing ground balls as important for the games. Offensively, she is looking for her team to get the job done driving in runners in scoring position.

Throughout the season, UMass has been led offensively by shortstop Quianna Diaz-Patterson.

The Amherst native is batting .481 on the season, which see

SOFTBALL on page 7

TENNIS

Albany provides next test

By Philip Sanzo Collegian Staff

It’s finally getting to the home stretch of the spring season, and the Massachusetts tennis team is ready to face the challenge.

UMass (9-4, 3-0 Atlantic 10) has five regular season matches remaining before the A 10 championships with the first coming matchup coming at home against Albany on Saturday.

The Minutewomen have been successful in conference play with victories over Fordham, Saint Louis and Davidson, and have poised themselves for a

top three seed heading into the championships if they can keep up the play.

While head coach Judy Dixon never allows her team to take any game for granted, she said UMass expects to win its next five games that begin with the Great Danes and ends with Sacred Heart.

Albany (7-6) enters the weekend matchup on a hot streak riding a threegame winning streak with its most recent win on Tuesday in a 6-1 win over A 10 foe Rhode Island.

UMass and Albany have some history. The two teams have played each other almost every year, and the Minutewomen have not lost to the Great

Danes since 2008.

Although it doesn’t take much to get pumped up for matches in crunch time of the regular season, UMass doesn’t have to look very far for inspiration. Chanel Glasper is on the verge of being the most successful player in from history, as she sits three wins shy of former teammate Jessica Podlofsky, who set the record last season with 74 wins.

So far this season, Glasper is 14-6. Her play at the end of the singles rotation has been clutch, and she helped contribute to the team’s immense depth.

“She has to win three see

TENNIS on page 7