Massachusetts Daily Collegian: Nov. 24, 2015

DISABLED STUDENT MAKES UMASS

INSIDE LOOK AT CLUB BASEBALL

HISTORY

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THE MASSACHUSETTS

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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

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UMass Club Sports Council petitions lack of resources Document has garnered nearly 1,500 signatures

By Anthony Rentsch Collegian Staff

The Club Sports Council at the University of Massachusetts presented a petition at Monday’s Student Government Association meeting that has gone viral, requesting that UMass Athletics makes changes to its treatment of club sports.

The petition, a Google Doc that has been shared widely via email and social media, and has been signed by nearly 1,500 people, calls for the allocation of more resources to club sports, including the use of facilities and access to equipment, and better communication between the depart-

ment and the clubs. It cites a 22-page document that lists complaints, email communications and photographic evidence from over 25 clubs.

Signatories include the council’s executive board, members of club sports, varsity athletes, students, parents, alumni and others. The SGA overwhelmingly voted to support the petition.

Mariah Hladick, president of Club Sports Council and the women’s club volleyball team, as well as a senior journalism major with a sports concentration, said the situation came to a “boiling point” when the UMass Athletics began renovating what was formerly known as the Wrestling Room in Boyden Gymnasium into a lounge for varsity student-athletes earlier this semester.

Nicholas Duenas, a sophomore civil

engineering major who is a member of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club – one of roughly half a dozen clubs that used to practice in the Wrestling Room – said that people arrived for a practice on Oct. 1 to find the mats in the room being torn up. While club members were aware of talks of renovation, Duenas said they were given no prior notice that the renovation was moving forward. When he arrived, there was a sign on the door saying all groups that used the room would be notified by the athletic department when a new space was identified for them.

Recently hired senior associate director of athletics for internal operations Darrice Griffin said the clubs were offered time and space in Boyden’s upper gymnasium, a proposal that didn’t pan out because the space

wasn’t “conducive to the groups’ specific needs.” She said Athletics was still trying to identify spaces for the clubs that used the Wrestling Room, but that it was a difficult process because there are not many readily available options in Boyden.

Duenas said they’ve scrambled to find other practice space, which has led to a loss of practice time and a drop in numbers for a club that used to have 15 to 20 regular members. He said they have now settled on sharing the wrestling club’s space in a studio room on the first floor of the Recreation Center two days a week.

He said it was especially frustrating, however, because members of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club had recently cleaned the mats in the Wrestling Room, but they weren’t able to salvage them once the renovation began.

Getting crafty

“I know that they want to keep priority for their varsity sports, but they also are compromising our spaces, our time, and other (RSOs) too,” he said.

“Admittedly we could have done a better job communicating much further in advance regarding our plans,” Griffin said.

Larger issues The petition, which was created in the wake of the Wrestling Room’s renovation, seeks to broadly address a host of concerns raised by club sports. Hladick said there are currently 48 active club sports teams, a group of roughly 1,500 students.

“The point of the petition is not to see

PETITION on page 2

SGA votes down refugee statement

By Stuart Foster Devinne Zadravec

and

SHANNON BRODERICK/COLLEGIAN

Students work on art projects in the Studio Arts Building on Monday evening.

Collegian Staff

The University of Massachusetts Student Government Association voted against endorsing a statement that would have challenged Gov. Charlie Baker’s announcement that Massachusetts will not allow any Syrian refugees to settle in Massachusetts until the Obama administration provides the state with more information in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.

While members of the SGA senate said they were not necessarily opposed to challenging Baker’s statements, many felt that the language used in the statement was too unprofessional and confrontational, with 72 percent of present senators voting against endorsing the letter on Monday.

“We find that (language) overly dramatic, unnecessary, informal,” Orchard

Hill Governor Tristan Laliberte said. Orchard Hill government was present at the SGA meeting to express their opposition to the letter, and said they also represented the views of Southwest and Commonwealth Honors College residential areas.

While the undergraduate senate was originally reviewing the statement line by line in order to change the language used, SGA Senator Tyler O’Day, one of the motion’s sponsors, felt that the proposed motion would not be supported by the body regardless of which changes were made and suggested voting on the original letter instead of delaying the vote and changing the wording.

O’Day was the first to propose the statement of resolution to make clear that the UMass student body disagrees with, and see

RESOLUTION on page 2

Families host international Food banks in Pioneer Valley students for Thanksgiving aim to help locals fight hunger IPO office teams up with community

By Colby Sears Collegian Staff

For many University of Massachusetts students, going home for T hanksgiving means spending time with family and loved ones around a table of home-cooked food.

International students, however, don’t always have somewhere to go for the holiday, which is something Richard Yam of the International Programs Office has set out to change.

Yam, an international student adviser and founder of the Thanksgiving Host Program, has invited local families and community members of the Pioneer Valley to host international students for Thanksgiving since 2009.

While some families will bring students home for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on the holiday, others will volunteer to host students for the entire weekend.

While studying at Springfield College in the 1980s as an international student from Hong Kong, Yam spent Thanksgiving with his then-girlfriend, who is now his wife, at her family’s home. He said this inspired him to start a program that would allow other international students to have the same cultural experience.

“I have that experience knowing that it’s nice to have a taste of American life, because campus life is still different,” he said.

“It’s a good intercultural activity, for the host too.

All the hosts really enjoy it, so that’s why I promote it.

Yam sends out an e-mail

invitation every October to local families, UMass staff and faculty, neighboring church members and other community members asking if they are interested in hosting students, and if they are, how many. He tries to match similar hosts and students together to make the program as beneficial for both groups as possible.

“Sometimes the host asks for specific students from specific countries, so it just so happened that I just placed two students from Costa Rica with a host from Costa Rica. … It’s very nice.”

Yam also mentioned a local Jewish family that has been participating in the program for about four years. Each year they request Middle Eastern students and serve halal meat to accommodate relisee

HOSTS on page 2

Groups work to provide fresh food

By Danny Cordova Shelby Ashline

and

Collegian Staff

As Thanksgiving looms closer, food banks throughout the Pioneer Valley are working extensively throughout the month of November to provide local low-income residents with the appropriate amount of food supplies they need.

The Amherst Survival Center, which is located about two miles north of the University of Massachusetts, is an organization that provides Hampshire and Franklin county residents with clothing, healthcare and food – and it is currently experiencing its busiest month of the year.

“This time of the year

we see the most families come into our food pantry,” said executive director Mindy Domb.

The center’s Fresh Food Distribution prog ram allows residents to pick up fresh produce and baked goods, while also providing free hot lunch from noon to 1 p.m.

The Amherst Survival Center receives donations from local farms, supermarkets and bakeries, such as Atkins Farms, Glazed Doughnut Shop and Trader Joe’s. The

organization is also supported by food drives, like the drive conducted

by Pioneer Valley Transit Authority each fall, and by private food donations.

ASC has also utilized volunteers from the community to stock pantry shelves and assist participants.

Domb explained that when the holidays roll around, the Amherst community comes together to support those less fortusee

HUNGER on page 3

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THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

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

In 1950, the violent “Storm of the Century” snowstorm took shape before paralyzing the northeastern United States and the Appalachains the next day, resulting in 353 people killed and 57 inches of snow recorded in West Virginia.

AROUND THE WORLD

Pentagon has increased military operations in Africa WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has dramatically stepped up operations in Africa in recent years, insisting that a greater U.S. military presence is necessary to help counter threats from militants such as those who took hostages at a hotel in Mali.

But U.S. Africa Command, which oversees the operations, has only a handful of permanent bases in Africa.

Fewer than 5,000 U.S. troops are usually on the continent.

Most are sent on shortterm deployments to help train African military forces or to conduct targeted drone strikes against militants from mostly Islamist groups linked to al-Qaida or Islamic State.

Most U.S. forces that operate in Africa are based in Europe or back in the United States.

Only 26 U.S. military personnel were in Mali this week, for example, including 10 assigned to a United Nations peacekeeping force, officials said.

Pentagon officials said two of the Americans assisted during the raid to free the hostages at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, the capital.

One helped escort guests to safety at the hotel, while the other worked to pass along information to French forces from a nearby joint operations base.

U.S. forces did not participate in the raid itself, which was conducted by French and Malian forces.

Tribune Washington Bureau

Obama: No cigarettes at White House in 5 years

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has acknowledged enjoying cigarettes at the White House, but says he stopped lighting up there in 2010.

The admission came during a wide-ranging interview with GQ magazine conducted by former ESPN personality and writer Bill Simmons, who asked the president to reveal the number of smokes he’s had at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. “Zero in the last five years,” Obama said.

So why did the leader of the free world decide to kick the habit – at least at the White House, that is?

“I made a promise that once health care passed, I would never have a cigarette again,” Obama said, referring to the Affordable Care Act, the massive health care overhaul he pushed through Congress in early 2010. “And I have not.”

CQ-Roll Call Distributed by MCT Information Services

HOSTS

PETITION

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gious preferences.

When the program began in 2009, Yam placed 39 students with 15 local families for the holiday. It has since expanded and is continuing to grow, with 90 students being placed among 23 families in 2014, including 40 students that Katherine Newman, the provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, hosted for dinner.

In testimonials provided by Yam, past students called the program COLLEGIAN FILE PHOTO “one of the greatest times The International Programs Office has been reaching out to local families in my life”, “totally awe- to host international students for the Thanksgiving holiday since 2009. some” and “an excellent opportunity to get to and then on Thursday is cook a traditional Chinese know local people and a my traditional family’s dinner for her and her bit of local culture.”

Thanksgiving dinner.” daughter during the Jennifer Ryan, a Ryan said she, her Thanksgiving weekend as Westhampton resident daughter and their intera way of returning the who hosts students in national guest will cele- favor for being welcomed the program, connectbrate Thanksgiving with as guests in their home. ed with Yam two years whomever in her family is Though she is not sure ago through the Pioneer hosting dinner that year, what she and her daughValley Chinese Immersion such as at her sister’s ter will be doing with their Charter School in Hadley. house. guests this year, Ryan said She has hosted one stu She also tries to get the dent each year – one from K.C. is hoping to visit New foreign students involved Beijing and another from York City again. in American culture durShanghai.

In her work as an inter She had requested to ing their stay with her, national privacy officer, host Chinese students whether by taking them to Ryan often travels around because her nine-year-old the Radio City Christmas the world for business. daughter K.C. is a student Spectacular in New York She said hosting these two at PVCICS, which aims to City or decorating a students has provided her teach its students rigor- Christmas tree at home, with contacts and famious study integrated with both things they have lies in towns in China, done in the past.

Chinese language and and that she is looking

“We try to do something culture. Ryan said K.C. speaks Mandarin fluently. that is sort of Americana. forward to a trip to Asia “Because I’m local, The whole event has in the spring. She is hopwe’ve opened our allowed my daughter and ing to bring K.C. with her house from Wednesday I to create our own tradi- and to possibly reach out to Sunday,” she said. tion by hosting these stu- to the students they have “Typically I’ll pick dents. … I just think it’s hosted if the opportunity them up after classes on a great way to make con- arises.

Wednesday and we’ll stop nections,” she said. at a grocery store and Ryan also said that both Colby Sears can be reached at pick up a few items that of the students she hosted csears@umass.edu and followed on they would prefer to eat, in the past have offered to Twitter @colbysears.

Elderly Amherst residents get fake phone calls from ‘the IRS’ APD Police Log: Nov. 20 to Nov. 22

By Patricia LeBoeuf Collegian Correspondent

Friday, Nov. 20

St. North, Forest Lake, Minnesota, was arrested for operating under the influence of liquor, operating a motor vehicle to endanger, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and lights violation in response to a stop for headlight violation.

Souza, 20, of 78 Cherryvale St., Chicopee, was arrested for possession of alcohol under the age of 21. Three residents, Vraj N. Patel, 21, of 1431 Pawtucket Blvd., Apt. #49, Lowell, Parth Hemant Parikh, 21, of 219 East Pleasant St., Amherst, and Raghid N. Bahnam, 26, of 6 1:59 a.m.: An individual Water St. Apt. #1/2, Spencer, reported two males and one female had been banging on were arrested for unlawful the glass and yelling at an noise and nuisance house employee through the win- violations. dow at Amherst Market. The parties were gone on arrival.

Sunday, Nov. 22

11:08 a.m.: A man reported he was walking his pit bull in front of 260 Belchertown Rd. when the dog residing there, a golden retriever, came out into the road and grabbed his dog around the neck. The dog did not need medical attention. The owner of the other 2:01 a.m.: Residents of 316 dog denied that the animal Pine St. reported a tall white ever left his property. male wearing a light-colored shirt or jacket, dark pants 2:14 p.m.: A individual report- and a headlamp walking ed an unattended black and through their backyard carred backpack by the bus stop rying a mailbox and talking in the vicinity of 715 North on a cellular phone. They Pleasant St. The area check assumed the mailbox was was negative. their missing one. The mailbox was found in their back3:03 p.m.: Nine approximate- yard. ly high school-age males were reported fighting with 8:54 a.m.: The resident of one other male, then possibly 671 North East St. reported separating and walking into a shattered window in the the cemetery at 204 Triangle house. A large bird of prey, St. The parties were gone on hawk or falcon, was found arrival. deceased, covered in broken

DailyCollegian.com

1:27 a.m.: Two horses were reported in the roadway in front of 104 Potwine Lane.

1:54 a.m.: An individual reported a hit and run on North Pleasant St. in the area of Presidential Apartments.

He reported being rear-ended by a black Crown Victoria when he stopped for pedestrians in a crosswalk. The other operator allegedly left after looking at the damage without providing information.

2:25 a.m.: Two males were issued summons for unlawglass, outside of the window. ful noise violations follow4:34 p.m.: Three elderly town Nothing appeared suspi- ing a noise complaint for 59 residents notified APD that cious.

South East St. they had received phony phone calls from “the IRS” 4:12 p.m.: Police were called 3:12 a.m.: A 911 cell phone requesting their information. to a minor rear end collicaller reported two males Residents were advised to sion at 800 Main St. Kaitlyn refusing to leave a party at hang up and not provide any L. Vahey, 19, of 379 Stearns 197 College St. and attemptof their information.

Rd., Marlborough, was found ing to fight males and responsible for the collision 5:53 p.m.: The APD were and placed under arrest for females. The men fled and called to 223 Snell St. to divert operating under the influ- were apprehended. Richard traffic in response to a resi- ence of liquor, operating a M. Green, 24, of 34 Groton dential fire. The resident’s motor vehicle to endanger, St., Lowell, was arrested on a bathtub curtain caught fire negligent operation of a warrant initiated by another from a candle. The Amherst motor vehicle and unsafe agency. Gino Alan Monsini, Fire Department treated operation of a motor vehicle. 23, of 38 Caroline Rd. South the residence for smoke and Easton, was arrested for assisted in treating the resi- 10:59 p.m.: Officers were defacing property, disorderly dent’s minor burn. called to a loud gathering of conduct, assault and battery approximately 100 people at on a police officer, and resist219 East Pleasant St. One per- ing arrest.

Saturday, Nov. 21 son was given a summons for 1:32 a.m.: Patrick Daniel possession of alcohol under Patricia LeBoeuf can be reached at Homyak, 26, of 5811 216th the age of 21. Edson Galdino patricialebo@umass.edu.

continued from page 1

point fingers and say ‘this is what you’ve done wrong,’ but to say these are the issues that we’ve had and we need to find a way to move forward and create a better relationship between all the teams in the club sports council and the relevant groups we work with on campus,” she said.

Specifically, it suggests creating better processes for scheduling, freeing up space in Boyden Gymnasium by moving events such as intramural games to the weekend, establishing a 24-hour request cancellation notice, and sharing resources, including the mats at the Curry Hicks Cage, among groups with similar needs.

“We’re aware of the issues raised by the Club Sport Council,” UMass spokesperson Ed Blaguszewski said in a statement. “The athletic department and Student Affairs share the concerns of students to have access to facilities to support the wide range of activities and sports programs available to UMass Amherst students.

Campus officials have been taking steps to address some of the concerns raised by the Club Sports Council and will continue to work with undergraduates through the council and the (SGA) on these issues.”

A number of complaints regarding denied requests for field or gym time for practices and games cited a lack of communication from the athletic department, specifically from Daniel Markowski, associate athletic director for facilities and operations.

The petition states that out of 203 requests for athletic space made by any campus group since 2013, 91 were denied – 42 without reason and 14 completely ignored.

Not all of these requests were made by club sports.

Markowski referred the Daily Collegian to Griffin.

Abby Purdy, a senior communication disorders major and president of club field hockey, said there is a disconnect between the process because Markowski, who approves or denies requests, oversees all athletic facilities, but is not necessarily aware of the needs of club sports.

Purdy added that requests for the club field hockey team to use Gladchuk Field, the newly built varsity field hockey turf facility, were

denied, often without reason.

This occurred until the last few weeks, even when the varsity field hockey team wasn’t practicing or playing on the field. The denial of these requests has been detrimental to the club, she said.

The majority of their games are played on turf and many opponents refuse to play at UMass because they do not want to play on a grass field.

Purdy said she talked with the varsity field hockey coach at the beginning of the season regarding the club’s use of Gladchuk.

“She said she had no problem with us using it as long as we went through the proper channels,” Purdy said. “But going through the proper channels we have had no progress.”

Nichole Ring, a senior club field hockey captain and operations and information management major, said when the club has been given a reason for why they can’t use the field, they have been told that the field is under construction. Griffin confirmed that the field was under construction this semester.

Despite this, the varsity team has played on Gladchuk all season.

Griffin added that there is currently no process for club sports to use varsity facilities.

However, she said the athletic department was working on that, as well as assessing its physical plant and looking to reserve athletic spaces for those who do not play varsity sports, whether they participate in club sports or intramural sports.

She said that, in addition to the space available in Boyden, the department also has control of the grass fields behind McGuirk Stadium and four of the grass fields across the street from Boyden.

The petition calls for a response to the requests by Dec. 1, that a plan to address access issues be drafted no later than Jan. 15, and that student representatives be included in the decisionmaking processes. Griffin attended Monday’s SGA meeting to listen to student concerns.

Anthony Rentsch can be reached at arentsch@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Anthony_Rentsch.

RESOLUTION will not support, Baker’s stance. Had the resolution been passed, the SGA would have sent the statement along with a letter detailing the position of the UMass student body directly to the governor.

“At a time in the United States where we’re having issues with inclusion, especially on college campuses, we see the governor’s remarks as being tone deaf,” O’Day said before the senate voted on the statement.

O’Day and other supporters of the resolution wished to communicate that while they understand the Baker’s caution, especially in the wake of a devastating attack on a Western nation, it should not be used as grounds to deny refuge to families fleeing from the same types of terror and destruction in their home country.

Baker is one of dozens of state governors who publicly opposed admitting Syrian refugees to the United States in the aftermath of the Paris attacks.

He clarified Monday, though, that Massachusetts would still be admitting refugees, but that he continues to have questions about the vetting process.

The authority to admit refugees to the United

continued from page 1

States, however, is a power that rests with the federal government. States cannot refuse refugees, but they can make the resettlement process much more difficult should they oppose the admission of refugees.

Many students across campus expressed their disagreement with Baker’s statements.

“It isn’t just to refuse refugees safety here in Massachusetts,” Emily Bartone, a freshman environmental science major ,said.

“I definitely believe that we should allow refugees into our state, because we need to do what we can to help,” Nick Quinlivan, a freshman public health and health sciences major, said. “They are people, they deserve safety from their country and from what’s happening there with the war.”

The issue of Syrian refugees entering the United States has become prominent after a charred Syrian passport was found outside of the Stade de France, one of the sites of attacks during the events in Paris on Nov. 13.

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

Devinne Zadravec can be reached at dzadrave@umass.edu.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

DailyCollegian.com

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

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Obama moves forward in fight against Islamic State President responds to Russian actions

By Hannah Allam and Anita Kumar

McClatchy Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Under pressure from politicians at home and Russian maneuvering abroad, the Obama administration is moving this week to reassert leadership of the international fight against the Islamic State.

President Barack Obama will meet French President Francois Hollande in Washington on Tuesday for the first in-person talks since Islamic State operatives attacked Paris on Nov. 13 in a rampage that killed 130 people.

That will follow two other high-profile meetings on Monday with allies. Vice President Joe Biden presided over a closed-door gathering of ambassadors representing the 65-nation coalition against the Islamic State Monday afternoon. And Secretary of State John Kerry met with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two major backers of the Syrian opposition.

Russia’s role came up in both Monday meetings, as participants discussed how to broaden the fight against the

Islamic State without sacrificing the goal of eventually toppling Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Analysts said the Obama administration is responding to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s deeper military involvement in Syria as he tries to force creation of a so-called “grand coalition,” presumably with Russia in a leading role.

Putin’s goal “is very much to demonstrate that Russia is essential and influential and critical to resolving Syria,” said Olga Oliker, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

“Russia was actually pretty important to resolving Syria even before it started bombing, but now that they’re militarily in the game, they’ve made it clear that it’s impossible to think of any solution that doesn’t include them,” Oliker said.

Republicans have long complained that Obama hasn’t been forceful enough in leading the fight against the Islamic State, criticism that’s only grown since the Paris attacks. Even some prominent Democrats have chimed in. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence

Committee, told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday that she didn’t think “the approach is sufficient to the job.”

Administration officials said plans for a more robust response have been in the works since before Russia’s escalation, but that sensitive intelligence concerns demand that moves be rolled out in a deliberate and calibrated manner.

In recent weeks, the Obama administration has deployed

blocs diverge on a fundamental point: the future of Assad.

The United States and allies still seek his removal, though the priority now is the Islamic State. Russia, working with Iran and the Syrian regime, insists Assad will remain in power.

“They’ve focused on another goal,” Earnest told reporters, referring to the Russians.

“And it is not one that has allowed them to build a coalition on nearly the scale of

“Recently we’ve seen them start to take some trikes towards ISIL, which we welcome... but it’s still out - I”m not sure what their intentions are, and we’re trying to determine that.”

An anonymous State Department official, speaking about Russia about 50 U.S. special forces as advisers and has increased aid to Arab and Kurdish militias who’ve joined the fight against the Islamic State, which is also known as ISIS or Daash. The White House hasn’t ruled out more such actions.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday that there’s “zero” evidence that Russia’s moves are eroding support for the U.S.-led coalition, noting that the rival

what the United States has built.”

Despite a common enemy in the Islamic State, the U.S. and Russian coalitions have waged separate campaigns save for coordination over airspace.

Only recently has Russia stepped up its targeting of extremists after weeks of pummeling other opposition groups, including those with U.S. backing.

Student in viral mac and cheese case applies for accelerated rehabilitation Gatti was arrested after Oct. 4 incident

By David Owens The Hartford Courant VERNON, Conn.

— The former University of Connecticut student who was charged with breach of peace after an alleged tirade over bacon jalapeno macaroni and cheese at the university’s student union has applied for accelerated rehabilitation.

Luke Gatti, 19, of Bayville, N.Y., was scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Rockville, Conn., on Monday to face the charges that also included first-degree criminal trespass. He was arrested Oct. 4.

The incident at UConn was caught on camera and went viral on YouTube.

Gatti subsequently released a video apologizing for his

STEPHEN DUNN/HARTFORD COURANT/TNS

Luke “Mac & Cheese” Gatti leaves Rockville Superior Court with his parents Monday morning after applying for accelerated rehabilitation. actions.

When a defendant applies for accelerated rehabilitation, the court file is sealed.

Gatti will have certain conditions to meet if his application into the program for first-time offenders is accepted. They can include community service or getting coun-

seling, according to state law.

Gatti must notify his alleged victims by certified mail so that they can, if they choose, comment on or oppose his application for accelerated rehabilitation.

The Department of Adult Probation will also conduct a background investigation to

see if Gatti qualifies for AR. If a judge grants him AR and he successfully completes a period of probation, the charges against him would be dismissed. He is scheduled to be back in court Dec. 21 to find out whether he qualifies for accelerated rehabilitation and whether anyone opposes his admission to the program.

It is unclear how previous arrests in Massachusetts might affect his request for AR. Gatti was previously a student at the University of Massachusetts and was twice arrested last year on disorderly conduct charges, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Mass. During one of those arrests, he was accused of using a racial slur against a police officer, court filings show.

His lawyer, David Kritzman, said Gatti would not comment.

Suicide belt found in rubbish bin in France as Brussels alert continues Belgian capital stays at high threat level dpa

BRUSSELS — An explosive suicide belt was discovered in a rubbish bin south of Paris, French authorities confirmed to dpa, while the Belgian government ordered the highest security alert for a week.

The terrorism threat level for Belgium’s capital will be maintained at the maximum level of 4, though schools and the Brussels subway system will start reopening Wednesday, Prime Minister Charles Michel said Monday.

The announcement came shortly after Belgian prosecutors said that a fourth person had been placed under arrest on terrorism charges in connection with the shootings and bombings in which 130 people were killed Nov. 13 in Paris.

French prosecutors said the discarded suicide belt was found Monday in the municipality of Montrouge, about 3 miles from central Paris.

The site is near the

Chatillon area, where a mobile telephone belonging to now most-wanted fugitive Salah Abdeslam, 26, whose brother was among the slain Paris attackers, was tracked on the night of the attacks. A French resident of Brussels, he is believed to have taken part in the Paris attacks.

French broadcaster BFMTV reports that the belt contained both explosives and metal pieces designed as shrapnel, similar to devices used in the attacks.

Many of the Paris attackers had ties to Brussels.

The country’s coordinating unit for threat analysis, an independent organization known as OCAM, has received information from security services suggesting “a serious and imminent threat for Brussels, possible and likely for the rest of the country,” Michel said.

“We have serious indications that ... attacks on different locations at the same time can take place,” he said.

Michel said that high-traffic areas such as shopping dis-

tricts and public transportation facilities remain potential targets, but called on the population to “stay calm.”

The government is determined to restore life in Brussels to normal, he said. While the next security review is scheduled for Nov. 30, schools will reopen Wednesday with unspecified extra security measures.

The newspaper Le Soir reported that Education Minister Joelle Milquet had recommended surveillance of school entrances, limiting gatherings in front of schools and considering the creation so-called safe rooms where teachers and pupils could take refuge in case of emergency.

The Brussels underground, which has been at a standstill since Saturday, will gradually reopen starting Wednesday, Michel said.

Police carried out a major sweep Sunday night in the capital and the southern city of Charleroi, detaining 16 people.

One suspect, who was not identified, was placed under arrest Monday for having

played a role in the Paris attacks and participating in the activities of a terrorist group, prosecutors said.

The 15 other individuals were released after questioning.

“It is not uncommon during large-scale search operations like the one last night to bring in several people merely for thorough questioning or to clarify why they were found on the searched premises,” the statement said.

Another five people were taken into custody Monday morning during police searches in the regions of Brussels and the eastern city of Liege.

Two were released within hours, while a magistrate will decide Tuesday whether the other three should remain in detention.

Four people have now been placed under arrest in Belgium on terrorism charges since the Paris attacks, including two men who reportedly brought Abdeslam to the Brussels area.

The expansion of targets comes after Moscow admitted that a bomb brought down a Russian passenger jet in Egypt last month, killing 224 people.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility.

Putin’s strategy is to blame Obama’s “mishandling” of Syria for the expansion of Islamic State attacks while simultaneously urging more international cooperation to defeat the group, Oliker said.

“These narratives don’t necessarily mesh, but they’re both there and the Russians are cheerfully pushing both forward,” Oliker said. “They’re saying to the United States, ‘It’s all your fault, but we must stand together anyway – and we’ll occasionally point out that it’s all your fault.’“ While the United States cautiously welcomes Russia’s help as long as the Islamic State is the main target, officials have kept cooperation to a minimum and remain nervous about allies drifting closer to Moscow as a result of perceived American inaction.

Since the Paris massacre, Putin has been on a charm offensive with the French.

He’s ordered his navy to treat French forces in the eastern Mediterranean as allies, released Russian Defense Ministry images of ground crews writing “For Paris” on

HUNGER

bombs to be dropped on Syrian targets, and even offered to send a puppy to France to honor a police dog that was killed in a counterterrorism raid in Paris.

After meeting Tuesday with Obama, Hollande is scheduled for talks with Putin later in the week.

U.S. officials are betting that their shared long-term goal with the French for the removal of Assad will outweigh Hollande’s frustration with his American allies for not playing as muscular a role as Russia in Syria. And they haven’t discounted the possibility that Moscow will continue playing nice, which could lead to at least a loose version of the “grand coalition” the Russians seek.

“Recently we’ve seen them start to take some strikes toward ISIL, which we welcome, and they’ve been playing a positive role on the diplomatic front,” said a State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to freely discuss sensitive diplomacy. “But it’s still out – I’m not sure what their intentions are, and we’re trying to determine that.”

continued from page 1

nate.

“In Amherst, we’re pretty lucky because the town and the community is very concerned with giving,” she said. “The society is sort of plugged in to sharing.”

Domb said that although the holidays are the busiest time for the Amherst Survival Center, it also receives the most support.

“This is the time of the year when people who have are really focused on paying attention to those who don’t have and making sure they get what they need,” she said.

However, she emphasized that the center needs contributions year round, and it is necessary to keep up the giving spirit no matter the time of year.

The Nor thampton Survival Center also aims to provide fresh food for residents in Hampshire County. The Center is currently feeding over 4,700 residents in 18 communities throughout Hampshire by distributing about 2,500 pounds of food every weekday, executive director Heidi Nortonsmith said.

Through its locations in Northampton and Goshen, the NSC food pantry distributes approximately 650,000 pounds of food every year. “(It’s) a matter of making sure that kids go to school with breakfast in their bellies, and that seniors don’t go without food in order to afford their medications,” Nortonsmith said.

Every time a client picks up some groceries, they work one-on-one with a volunteer to put together a package that meets with their needs in their household, she said.

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has been committing to fight hunger in the Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties since 1982. The organization addresses the issue of the ongoing lack of food availability for lower income families.

“Currently, there are more than 235,000 people in Western Massachusetts that rely on the services of The Food Bank and our

member agencies,” Chris Wojcik, marketing and communications manager, said. “There are many factors that contribute to this growing social problem, including stagnant wages, lack of highpaying jobs, and lack of access to healthy food.”

The group receives the food they distribute through a number of sources, including state government programs like the Massachusetts Emergency Fo o d Assistance Prog ram, the federal government through the Emergency Food Assistance Program, local farms, retail and wholesale food businesses, local organizations and donations from individuals.

The Food Bank also provides fresh foods to families that may have been unable to obtain it themselves.

“When families do not live near a source of fresh and nutritious food, like a grocery store or farmers market, they are left to shop at corner stores that sell unhealthy, heavily processed food. Fast food chains become a replacement for a healthy homecooked meal,” Wojcik said.

“As a result, lowincome families experience significantly higher rates of obesity, diabetes and other nutrition-based diseases,” he said.

The organization also makes use of the volunteer assistance to meet their goal combating hunger.

“They sort and pack incoming food donations, which can then be distributed to our agencies, or through our own feeding programs,” Wojcik said.

He added that volunteers also assist staff at fundraising events held by the Food Bank throughout the year and help pack emergency food items, which they distribute at the organization’s different programs.

Shelby Ashline can be reached at sashline@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @shelby_ashline.

Danny Cordova can be reached at dcordova@umass.edu.

Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“May the Force be with you.” - Star Wars

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Editorial@DailyCollegian.com

The benefits of meditation

Letters to the edItor

Editorial@DailyCollegian.com

You should take time out of your daily life to meditate. We all should.

To the editor:

Gabby Vacarelo

In an op-ed published last week, “Uncomfortable on my own campus,” Nov. 18, Carly Korman wrote of her dismay that Students for Justice in Palestine was included in last week’s powerful Million Student March. We feel the need to correct some glaring inaccuracies in her piece that misrepresent and slander our group.

This is a bold suggestion, especially coming from someone who doesn’t even take her own advice. But the truth is the art of meditation has scientifically proven benefits that we can all appreciate.

With the holiday season approaching, stress levels tend to escalate immensely.

Uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinners with family members you haven’t spoken to in months, stressful Black Friday shopping sprees, and cringe-worthy times at household Christmas parties can all lead to serious anxiety. Far too often, we find ourselves unleashing our stress by fighting with our relatives or sneaking too much wine from our grandfather’s liquor

She stated that, “the overall goal of (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) is to eliminate Israel as the state of the Jewish people.” This is incorrect. In 2005, Palestinian civil society – including over 170 Palestinian organizations – issued a global call to people of conscience to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel for its myriad human rights abuses. The call for BDS outlines three specific demands of Israel: 1. End its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands occupied in June 1967 and dismantle the Apartheid Wall.

2. Recognize the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality.

3. Respect, protect and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.

As can be seen, neither BDS nor SJP call for the destruction of Israel.

She also claimed that BDS targets her as a pro-Israel individual. Again, this is not the case. BDS targets institutions that perpetuate the occupation and oppression of Palestinians, not individuals. For example, we are currently campaigning for the removal of Sabra products from campus retail stores. Sabra is a company that invests in and supports the Golani Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, whose human rights abuses have been extensively documented and include arbitrary murders, evictions and arrests of children.

Our enthusiastic participation in the Million Student March is a result of our long-standing solidarity with all struggles for justice. We look forward to continuing our work for human rights and equality for all.

Signed, UMass Amherst Students for Justice in Palestine

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.

“I practiced my mindfulness every night before I went to sleep, and in the process found myself becoming a more emotionally stable and less stressed individual.”

In wake of Paris attacks, US must not ditch compassion The recent terrorist attacks in debate after such an atrocious attack.

Paris have understandably shaken the But several prominent politicians Western world to its core. The death toll crossed an important line. They did not only call for increased military action Benjamin Clabault against ISIS or safer security measures on the home front. They also demanded is harrowing and the potential for more a suspension of moral values, an accepviolence is terrifying. tance that this fight must be won at any The West has been attacked, and it cost, no matter the suffering inflicted on wants to strike back. The terrorists ended members of the non-Western world. over 100 precious lives and sent a strong How do we defeat ISIS in the Middle message filled with fiery hate. It is only East? “I would bomb … them,” presidennatural that we want to send an equally tial candidate Donald Trump declared at strong message back, an insistence that an Iowa rally. Senator Ted Cruz agreed, we will not stand idly by as our people are slaughtered and our values attacked.

But why then does much of the Western response make me feel sick? Why do I fear that the attacks have succeeded in bringing out the worst of us? I think it is because I am noticing a worrying trend. We are adding that we need a bombing camflirting with the dangerous idea that to paign with a “tolerance for civilian casuprotect ourselves and exact revenge, we alties.” He defended this stance by pointmust necessarily abandon any notion of ing out that, “the terrorists have such utter disregard for innocent human life.” compassion.

The conservative response to the How strange to hear a member of the attacks here in the United States was Congress assert that we should base our swift and predictable. It echoed the tradi- own sense of morality on that of ISIS. tional mantra of being “tough on terror,” On protecting the home front, the and while I might not agree with certain general conservative consensus has been measures like putting American boots to deny Syrian refugees entry into the on the ground, I understand the need for United States. Again, I understand the

taking just 20 minutes out of your day can help.

Many scientific studies have been performed regarding the topic of meditation and they generally support the fact that this altered state of consciousness can be effective in treating anxiety disorders, reducing stress and decreasing depression.

It’s incredible to me that all of this can be accomplished without the use of medication or other types of therapy.

The reason behind this is primarily because meditation “requires focusing one’s attention on experiencing the present moment.”

Oftentimes, you may develop depressed or anxious feelings by looking back on the past or peering into the future.

But with meditation, the goal is to reduce these feelings by focusing on other aspects.

There are many different types of medita-

reaction. We saw what happened in Paris and we know something similar could happen here. But the policy is nonetheless cruel, and the undue harshness of the rhetoric has me truly worried.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, for example, said that we should not allow “orphans under the age of five” into the country. While these children pose no security threat, Christie´s remarks pander to a worryingly large portion of the American electorate that sees compassion in the face of terror as a weakness.

I already know that plenty of readers will contemptuously call me a ¨bleeding heart liberal¨ for my opinions, but that is a label I will gladly accept. I want to be proud of the country I live in, not just for its economic and military might but also for its commitment to taking the moral high ground.

In 1983, Irish political scientist Benedict Anderson famously argued that nations are in fact simply “imagined communities.” The United States of America is a community I would like to continue imagining myself a part of, but not if its members care so little about other people´s lives.

“I want to be proud of the country I live in, not just for its economic and military might but also for its commitment to taking the moral high ground.”

Benjamin Clabault is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at bclabaul@umass.edu.

cabinet. These tactics never end up being particularly healthy, but one option is: meditation.

I started meditating on and off several years ago during a period of peak stress. I taught myself through YouTube videos, Buddhist literature and a virtual eightweek program entitled “Mindfulness Practice.”

I practiced my mindfulness every night before I went to sleep, and in the process found myself becoming a more emotionally stable and less stressed individual.

Though my discipline waned as time went on, I still find myself turning to meditation when I’m in need of guidance and wishing that I continued to do it on a regular basis.

Meditation isn’t something that has just helped me – its beneficial results are astounding. If you’re seeking a better release for your holiday stress this year, I strongly recommend that you consider meditation. Even

tion, and they are all important in their own ways. Do research. Try out however many you want. Find out what works and what doesn’t work for you. You can try focusing your attention on one object or on all your perceptions.

There’s not a correct or incorrect way – just what you enjoy and what relaxes you.

You might think you don’t have time to begin the journey to mindfulness, but there’s really no excuse besides a little bit of laziness. Meditation can make you feel mentally and physically better, and learning to focus your mind can also result in better concentration skills with classes and homework (and let’s face it, most of us need help with that).

Take a few minutes out of your day to explore your mind. What do you have to lose?

Gabby Vacarelo is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at gvacarelo@umass.edu.

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Arts Living THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“I have lived my entire life looking at the things I can do.” - Ali Stroker

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Arts@DailyCollegian.com

ARTS

Student makes UM history, performs musical in wheelchair

Meredith Wells, an artistic powerhouse

By Sarah Gamard

M

Collegian Staff

eredith Wells’ room is neat and organized, with not a pillow or book on the shelf out of place.

A Van Gogh poster hangs on the wall (matching the “Starry Night” pattern on the back of her custom-made wheelchair), framed pictures sit at her bedside of her and her friends, and a tapestry drapes over a cozy bed.

Wells, a junior pursuing a bachelor’s degree with individual concentration in musical theater, is the kind of person with an inherently commanding and endearing presence that makes a good performer: she holds herself well, speaks clearly and calmly, and laughs the entire time we talk.

Wells is also the first-ever student to perform in a UMass mainstage production, the sexually charged “Donny Johns,” in a wheelchair.

What the FAC? Wells made a big statement when she published a letter to the Chancellor in the Daily Collegian over a year ago that circulated like wildfire around campus and raised awareness for the “What the FAC?” campaign. It highlighted the lack of resources for UMass fine arts students from the perspective of her daily struggles as a disabled student forced to struggle through the noninclusively designed Fine Arts Center building.

However, Wells thinks, the most effective catalyst they made was the “virtual tour” YouTube video of the FAC, published around the same time.

In this video, Wells shows her routine journey to get to class, which includes pushing through doors, piggy-backing a friend up several flights of stairs, sitting as she waits for her wheelchair to follow her in a second trip on the dirty, concrete floor, scooting down an entire flight of stairs by herself on her backside, powering up a ramp, simultaneously opening another door, and maneuvering her chair over the bumpy entrance while making sure she does not roll back down the ramp.

While Wells, a pink bow in her hair, is smiling and calm through the entire video, it’s obvious that she is frustrated with these conditions. But, really, who wouldn’t be? The FAC, according to UMass’ Disabilities Services Campus Accessibility Map, is only partially accessible.

A year later, Wells sees humor in the video.

“If (someone is) trying to look up a virtual tour of the FAC, because some schools have stuff like that … they find this God-awful video of me,” Wells said, laughing. “I think what was so successful about it was we weren’t trying to tell a sob story … it was just straight to the point, real, there was no fluff on that … and you just kind of got to see what I have to do every day to get around and just how ridiculous it was.”

She said a lot of changes have been made since the video.

“There was a really terrible ramp to get into the Theatre Department,” Wells said.

“And that was a really big struggle for me because I had to get into there every single day. And they renovated that completely.”

Other changes include new floors in the Theater Department’s Cabaret 204

space, new floors and a new ceiling to reduce the echoing in the Upper Rand Studio, a new dance studio in Totman Gym, and a new handicap door button to get into that glass lobby in the whole Fine Arts Center, according to Wells.

The campaign is not over, though.

“There’s a whole list of things that are still a really big issue and I’d really love to tackle, at least get started, get going before I graduate,” Wells said.

“I got a lot of, ‘‘Is What the FAC?’ still a thing?’” she said.

“Of course it’s still a thing.

Have you not noticed all the changes?”

She added: “The hardest part about having a campaign for arts facilities is that all the people that would be interested in it are all artists and artists are always busy creating art.”

Unsurprisingly, implementing large renovations for one of UMass’ largest buildings on campus has not been easy.

The Fine Arts Center, she said, is not on the list of buildings that need to be renovated or reconstructed, as opposed to South College, which is currently under construction and is scheduled to open for the Spring 2017 semester.

“Basically, the biggest problem is that we are the School of Humanities and Fine Arts,” Wells said. South College, which is also part of the HFA Program, is “what’s really on the docket,” she said, even though a lot of fine arts spaces need work.

From a budding to flourishing artist “All throughout high school, I was acting,” she said.

“As long as I can remember, I’ve always been an artist in one way, shape, or form. And it’s only as of recently that I’ve made that realization. As a kid, I always sung around the house and made up dances and made my parents watch them. And they were like, ‘Alright, we’re going to put you into dance classes.’ And my favorite subjects were always music and art.”

In her first show in seventh grade, she was cast as Annie in “Annie,” and loved it.

“Donny Johns” is her first performance in a mainstage production at UMass. She is in the ensemble.

“It’s a lot of work. For me, it doesn’t matter what I’m playing, there’s still just as much work put into it,” said Wells.

Life and art with POTS “I didn’t come to college in a wheelchair,” Wells said.

Wells’ condition is called autonomic dysfunction, or dysautonomia, which refers to the dysfunction of one’s autonomic nervous system.

Dysautonomia is an umbrella term for all autonomic disorders, according to Wells. She personally has two branches of dysautonomia: postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and neurocardiogenic synchope.

Basically, Wells said, blood does not flow correctly when she stands. Instead of flowing down to her feet and back up to her brain, the blood remains at her feet. As a result, her brain does not get enough blood flow, her heart starts working really hard and then, after awhile, her heart rate and blood pressure drop, causing her to pass out.

Wells can stand – her legs work, for the most part, unless she gets a cold or exerciseinduced temporary paralysis attacks.

Wells has to consider all sorts of inconveniences rang-

JON CRISPIN/COURTESY OF ANNA-MARIA GOOSSENS

Meredith Wells (right) is a BDIC musical theater major and the first student to ever perform a mainstage production in this week’s debut of “Donny Johns.” ing from hindered academic performance due to decreased blood flow to her brain to digestive issues. Another issue, she said, is orthostatic intolerance, which is not being able to stand up for long periods of time. Heat can induce that as well.

Wells’ symptoms began her first semester at UMass.

She would get dizzy and nearly pass out during marching band practices, forcing her to sit down. Confused, she went to University Health Services, who assured her she was probably just dehydrated.

“They kind of just like sent me on my way,” Wells said. “I was like, ‘Okay, it’s not a big deal, just got to drink some more water.’ And then, every so often, it would happen again.”

On Christmas Eve her freshman year, she almost passed out at the gym. Unresponsive, she was immediately taken to the hospital where they ran a complete set of cardiovascular tests. Nothing was found to be wrong with her heart.

Nothing happened for a while, until she had another episode during a production of “Rent” that same year.

She was taken this time to the Holyoke Medical Center, where specialists ran her first electroencephalogram test, used to detect abnormal brain activity.

Despite three EEG tests, Wells was misdiagnosed with epilepsy due to her “seizurelike episodes.” These, as the name suggests, misleadingly look like seizures.

She began seeing an epileptologist in Boston, who concluded she did not have epilepsy but POTS. “I think I’m finally getting to a place where I’m learning how to manage it. Like, I know that if I don’t get enough sleep, the next day’s not going to be good. I’m not going to be able to perform at my best,” she said.

She has to consider drinking enough water, eating frequent small meals, getting enough sleep, and avoiding and handling overwhelming stress, academic or otherwise.

When she knows she has a big show coming up, she tries to rest during the day.

The weekend preceding “Donny Johns” included two twelve-hour rehearsals.

“I think that, when all of this started happening, I kind of had this moment like, ‘Is this possible? Like, can I do this? Can I make this a career with this disorder?’ And I’m still not sure if it’s possible – but we’re going to try,” she said.

Right now, she does not have a specific career path in mind, besides making art.

“I want to perform. I know

that,” she said. “I only know a few things to be true. I just want to be making art, in some way, shape or form, with people who are passionate about working with disabled artists.

That’s the dream.”

Weight on the shoulders Wells said she is part of a very small demographic of performers in wheelchairs.

“It’s a very small world, but a big stride has definitely been made.”

She mentioned Broadway actor Ali Stroker. Stroker is also in a wheelchair, though not for dysautonomia.

Wells has yet to find someone just like her.

“I Google and I Google and I Google and I try to find someone who has autonomic dysfunction and is doing theatre or movies or something artistic,” she said. “And there’s really not any – that are openly advocating for it, at least. So that’s one of the things where you look at it and you’re like, ‘Is this possible?’ But I guess we’re just going to find out, you know? That’s all you really can do.

“It’s nerve-racking but exciting at the same time, because you could be on the brink of something really special.”

To use the arts as a platform to spread awareness for autonomic dysfunction, she said, is the most exciting possibility.

The cause is not more important to her than performing in itself, but Wells said knowing that her art could potentially serve as a medium to advocate for a cause is “added motivation.”

Along with constantly having to educate others on her condition, which affects approximately 500,000 individuals in the United States alone, Wells said adapting to dancing while in a wheelchair has been a lot of work.

“Basically, a lot of what I did was looking at the people who were in wheelchairs and dancing and doing theater and saying, ‘Okay, so they can do a wheelie, and then they can spin around two times.

Alright. I gotta be there. I need to be able to do that.’ Or, ‘They can pop off a curb. I need to be able to do that.’ And (I) just slowly learned all these little skills until I can do all these things now, I can do them in time with music, with a cast.”

A world of good There have been advantages to being in a wheelchair, Wells said.

“When I go into an audition, I know how to use my chair to my benefit. Like, during my audition for ‘Donny

Johns,’ there’s one point in my song where I rhythmically slam down the chair. And the director was saying, ‘Once you did that, I knew that you knew how to use your chair and we had something to work with.’”

Wells said a lot of performing in a wheelchair – and a lot of success in life in general – is focusing on what you can do instead of what you can’t.

“Having a disability – and I always call it having a different ability – is not as big of a deal. Because it’s just that: it’s different. It’s not less.”

The advantages for her do not stop there.

“I think, for as much as it’s taken away from me, I’ve gained so much,” Wells said.

“I’ve really gained a lot of gratitude for the little things in life.

When I can get out of bed and turn off my alarm clock, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m not too dizzy, I don’t fall on the floor halfway there. It’s going to be a good day.’ Just the little things like that.”

She attributes a lot of opportunities she has recently had outside theater as well to being in a wheelchair, like being a writer for the Dysautonomia Information Network’s website.

She is also a spokesperson for American Medical ID, a brand of custom medical art jewelry that she wears herself that is a stylish leather bracelet with a small metal tag where her name and “neurocardiogenic synchope” are engraved.

What’s next

globally: the marching band, the Theater Department, the “What the FAC?” campaign, the companies and websites she speaks and writes for, performers in wheelchairs, those affected by dysautonomia, and the LGBT community.

Does she think about the weight of her efforts? She smiled and said softly, “A little bit.”

Showtime Before leaving to catch the bus for rehearsal. , she pulls a full tub of prescription bottles off her desk. She takes medication to help blood flow to her brain and increases blood pressure.

“I take two of these three times a day, and one of each of these three times a day. So that’s … 12 pills a day, a fish oil and a vitamin,” Wells said as she tapped each bottle over the palm of her hand.

By the time she’s at the bus stop, Wells is already distracted with the pre-show responsibilities waiting for her at the FAC. She said she is excited for the show, saying it has a very important message about hookup culture.

“My character doesn’t say much, I just think the presence of having a differentlyabled actor in this show says so much in itself, so I’m really excited. I’m really excited to show a side of a differentlyabled person that I don’t think a lot of people think about.”

Wells is fearless, even when it comes to accepting criticism for her performance art.

“I’m excited to hear what the people have to say about it,” she said, speaking like a true artist.

“Donny Johns,” which made its debut on Thursday in the small and intimate black box Curtain Theatre, was sold out all weekend.

Wells said her parents came to see the show, but her grandparents did not because of the play’s vulgarity. This was understandable; while being beautifully executed, the musical was frank and hilariously contentious. The opening number alone was full to the brim with swears, and the second included a make-out scene between a professor and her female student.

Though the performance was the first draft of the lessthan-a-year-old workshop version of the musical, it did not disappoint. And neither did Wells.

“Donny Johns” runs through Dec. 5.

Wells pulls out a yellow composition notebook on her shelf to display the rough draft of her current project, a onewoman musical show called “Dysfunctioning Just Fine,” based on her life and her experience of being diagnosed with dysautonomia.

“I’m hoping it will be done by next semester. I think a lot of work will be done over winter break,” she said.

The musical is based on the past couple of years of her life, and the message that there is no reason to feel sorry for her.

“I get a lot of, ‘Why are you in a wheelchair?’ and I tell them why and they’re like ‘Oh, I’m so sorry” and I’m like, ‘There’s nothing to be sorry for. I live a wonderful life,’” she said.

The work is collaboration with her friend, Jordan Reed. Wells’ girlfriend, Kate Robarge, is composing the music.

On her sexualitym Wekksm saudm “I’m in love. So what does it matter?’” Being in a wheelchair, she said, further solidified that stance.

The complete story can be found at Wells inadvertently rep- DailyCollegian.com. resents a lot of specific com- Sarah Gamard can be reached at munities, both on campus and sgamard@umass.edu.

6

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

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But what is this beeping noise in Frank, and why won’t it stop?

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BASEBALL

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

continued from page 7

COURTESY COLEMAN BARNES

COURTESY UMASS CLUB BASEBALL

The Minutemen play their home games off campus at Amherst-Pelham Regional High School.

The 2015 UMass club baseball team poses for a group picture.

the players are allowed to use the University’s athletic facilities, but they often have to generate funds for traveling and other expenses on their own.

“As a player, we have a user fee that ranges from $300 to $400 depending on the year and the number of kids on the team,” Barnes said. “That pays for uniforms and part of the trips, but the UMass campus itself – well, we put together a financial record of what we spend on the year and the school gives us a gas card for our trips, but they don’t just throw us a couple (thousand dollars) and say, ‘Here you go.’ They have to know what it’s for.”

Porter also explained how a GoFundMe account was created by the team last year for friends, family and the public to donate

before transferring to UMass, said he joined the team to make new friends.

He noted it also reduced the pressure he felt from always competing at such a high level.

“I like to mess around and have fun which is something I can do here but couldn’t at my old school,” he said.

Despite that eternal love for the game, the players maintain they are students first and play the majority of their games on the weekends. However, things can get a little hectic still, according to some players.

Barnes, an architecture major, said the balance between school and baseball isn’t always easy, but he and his teammates find a way.

“It’s tough. It’s not as tough as any of the varsity programs. … With us, we

COLORADO

in order to help compensate for some of the costs.

Last year, the team raised slightly over $3,000, but this year, the goal is $5,000.

Matthew MacLean, the club’s vice president, said the Minutemen are looking to meet their financial goal by early spring.

“Last year we had a lot of success with the GoFundMe page and that was able to help the team go to James Madison,” he said. “This year, we’re hoping for a little more help because the trip to Florida will be more expensive.”

UMass is also trying to get more involved in the local community and is currently thinking of ideas for the beginning of its spring season.

“In years past, we haven’t done much, but this is a different group of guys who wants to give

back, so we hope we can find a good cause to do that,” MacLean said.

A time commitment Unlike the Division I team at UMass, players on the club team do not receive athletic scholarships. Yet, club members continue to play without the benefits of being a scholarship athlete for one reason – the love of the game. Every player on the 22-man roster is a former high school player.

Barnes was recruited by Fitchburg State, a Division III program, but he chose UMass despite not being able to play at the varsity level.

Barnes said the next best option for him was the club team because he couldn’t give up baseball.

Carroll, who once played Division II baseball at Babson University

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continued from page 7

SHANNON BRODERICK/COLLEGIAN

UMass forward/center Kymber Hill (31) fights for a rebound in the Minutewomen’s loss to Buffalo Saturday. season.

Colorado has three players averaging double digits in scoring coming into the game.

Freshman guard Kennedy Leonard leads the team with 13.7 points per game. Senior forward Jamee Swan is close behind with 13 per game, while junior forward Zoe Beard-Fails averages 11 per game.

Dawley feels her team will be prepared for the challenge Friday.

“I think it just comes down to us continuing work on defense, both man and zone,” Dawley said. “The beauty of this game is they run the same offense we do, so this week we get to just work on our own stuff, while simultaneously working on defending it.”

If UMass wants any chance to have success this weekend it will need to see a bigger scoring output out of sophomore guard Cierra Dillard.

Dillard, the Minutewomen’s leading returning scorer, was expected to be the offensive leader this year but has struggled since her 21-point

7

opening night performance against the Crusaders. In the two games since she has scored eight and five points respectively.

Dillard is aware of her struggles but doesn’t feel like it will slow her or the team down moving forward.

“I think every good player gets in a slump,” Dillard said.

“We haven’t (been) playing well as a team. There are definitely some kinks that need to be worked out, but these are fixable things, so in the long run we should be good.”

Despite the fact that the Minutewomen have seen great offensive performances out of freshman guard Bria Stallworth, who is averaging 17 points per game through three contests, they will need more help on the offensive side of the ball.

Dillard believes it will be important to get everyone going offensively to be success this season.

“When a team has multiple scoring threats it just opens up the whole court for everyone,” Dillard said. “I know I trust in all my teammates to

make the shot and make the next play, so it comes down to us having confidence in each other to come through.”

Only Stallworth and Dillard are averaging more than 10 points per game thus far.

A major issue in Saturday’s game against the Bulls was turnovers, as UMass committed 23 on the day. The team has averaged 17.3 a game so far this season.

To quell these issues, the Minutewomen are working on practicing offensively in the half court with pressure defense, and Dawley is hoping this will help the players make better decision-making and in turn cut down on their turnovers.

Tip off for Friday’s game against Colorado is set for 9:30 p.m. The winner of that game moves on to the championship matchup against the winner of the Ball State/Florida game Saturday, while the losers play in the consolation game.

Adam Aucoin can be reached at aaucoin@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @aaucoin34.

get it. We’re students first and everyone understands that,” he said.

“I do my best to get all my stuff done, but there are always those nights where you have to skip practice because of school or end up pulling an allnighter because you go to practice.”

Many players also believe playing on the club team is a good way to build toward the future, forging relationships and connections that can make for an easier transition after their time at UMass.

“It’s like one big network,” Barnes said.

Carroll added: “You make great connections and great friends. …

You’ll always have someone doing something and you can always find a connection through what you played.”

The road home As the players switched off driving the bus home that day in October, uniforms untucked, the knob on the old Bose radio in the van was turned up a little higher as the song changed.

The team was coming back from Chestnut Hill in Boston after a doubleheader with Boston College that they split one game apiece.

Carroll, in control of the music in the passenger seat, told everyone to quiet down. He selected the next song – Justin Bieber’s new hit “Sorry” – and the speakers vibrated.

“It’s never a bad day to be on the club baseball team,” Barnes said.

Ryan Donovan can be reached at rpdonovan@umass.edu.

continued from page 7

Robeson and Diamond finished with times of 2:06.74 and 2:07.17 in the event, respectively.

However, they couldn’t match their strong preliminary round in the finale. Robeson finished seventh while Diamond came away with a 10th place finish in the finals.

“It is one of the things we work on, the sixth session of the meet is tough but I think we are right on track,” Newcomb said.

The Minutewomen did not record any top five finishes on the final day of the event. Kate Orr came away with a seventh place finish in the 1,650-yard freestyle while Cassie Sosnovich placed seventh in the 100-yard freestyle race.

Meriza Werenski had a

strong first day on Friday, placing third in the 400-medley relay and fourth in the 200-yard individual medley.

UMass has historic day two Saturday Day two of the Terrier Invitational saw nine times that ranked in the top 10 in both the UMass men’s and women’s swimming program records.

The Minutemen had four competitors that finished in the top 10 while the Minutewomen produced five top 10 times.

On the men’s side, Gray’s time of 48.90 seconds in the 100-yard backstroke was the second fastest time in school history. The Minutemen also saw the seventh and eighth fastest marks in the 100-yard butterfly by the duo of Tommy Brennan and Patterson.

Kyle Stefanides also had a top time in the 100-yard backstroke for eighth best in the program’s history.

For the Minutewomen, Werenski and Diamond both finished No. 1 and 2 in the 400-yard individual medley Saturday, giving them the fastest and second fastest times in program history. Sosnovich and Rachel Grant clocked in with the second and third fastest times in UMass history in the 100-yard butterfly.

The Terrier Invitational concluded the fall season for both teams. They will resume competition in January, starting with matchups against Bryant University on Jan. 16.

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

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Sports@DailyCollegian.com

@MDC_SPORTS

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

CLUB BASEBALL

‘NEVER A BAD DAY’

The UMass club baseball team has provided invaluable memories and lasting bonds for players since being established in 2003

By Ryan Donovan

A

Junior Patrick Carroll has high hopes for the team’s potential trip. The rough draft itinerary features some of southwest Florida’s beaches and visiting the Boston Red Sox’s Spring Training camp.

“It should definitely be wild and I think it’s something we are all looking forward to,” Carroll said.

Barnes added: “The atmosphere of all the other college kids and seeing the Sox should be unreal. That’s why we are stoked for this trip so much.”

Collegian Staff

large white van filled with black duffel bags barreled down the Massachusetts Turnpike on a late Sunday afternoon in October. Music blared out the windows while the members of the Massachusetts club baseball team sang along in unison to their favorite song after a win – Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.”

Established in 2003 by Andrew Wilson, the UMass club baseball team is a Registered Student Organization that provides students the “opportunity to play competitive intercollegiate baseball,” according to the team’s website.

The team was developed out of passion for the sport, giving students an opportunity who would’ve been unable to play otherwise, sophomore finance major Nicholas Porter said.

“Andrew (Wilson) had a lot of passion about baseball,” Porter said. “He was just a kid who had the dream of playing varsity, but that never came to fruition, so he was disappointed to find out that UMass didn’t have a club team.”

Porter said Wilson did some research, found out there was an opportunity to have a schoolsponsored club, and took it upon himself to create the team.

As part of the North Atlantic regional conference that features teams like Connecticut, Albany, Northeastern, Boston College and Boston University, the division inspires competitive play with a laid back atmosphere, something team members say is the perfect mix.

Sophomore Coleman Barnes said the competition is ideal, as there is talent across the board

Lasting bonds

COURTESY COLEMAN BARNES

The UMass club baseball team begins its spring season in early April and hopes to raise enough money to fund a trip to take part in a tournament in Florida. on opposing teams.

“What’s really cool about club is that we play with and against kids from every level from (Division III) to (Division I),” Barnes said.

“On our team we have kids who have played on the varsity team here, and every kid that plays on our team has the potential to play at least (Division III) … When we branch out to other schools, especially on the east coast, they have kids that are pretty much the same as us. So, the talent is really good.”

Planning their itinerary Because their home field is located off campus at AmherstPelham Regional High, the Minutemen aren’t supported by a large fan base.

However, club baseball provides its players the opportunity to travel and visit other schools, mainly around New England, typically playing anywhere from 15 to 20 games at other universities.

“Traveling is the best part,” Barnes said. “When you think about college baseball, you have

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

all this commitment and practice, which we do to a point … but we travel to wherever.

“We were just in Boston. Last year we drove down to James Madison University. The car ride was a blast obviously, but you’re just hanging out with some of the closest friends you have and playing the sport you love.”

Following the successful trip last year to Virginia, UMass is looking to visit Fort Myers, Florida this year. The Minutemen plan to play a tournament there and use their free time for spring break activities.

Although the games are competitive and the team trips provide unforgettable memories, for most players on the team, it’s more about building relationships with teammates.

Porter said his teammates are some of the closest friendships he’s ever had.

“From the jump, I knew that my incoming class of rookies on the club baseball team were going to be my best friends at school. That sort of like formulated from the beginning,” Porter said.

“It’s something that has carried throughout my three semesters here at UMass and something that’s going to continue after we graduate. I find that’s common with kids on the team.”

Carroll also felt the friendships he’s made with teammates are unforgettable.

“This is without a doubt the most fun with baseball that I’ve had since Little League,” he said.

Since the club joined the athletic department’s club sport program in the fall semester of 2004, see

BASEBALL on page 7

SWIMMING

UM heads to Colorado in Minutemen close fall season search of second victory with win in Terrier Invitational Kellen Gray wins 200-yd. backstroke

By Tyler Fiedler Collegian Staff

SHANNON BRODERICK/COLLEGIAN

Sophomore guard Cierra Dillard (15) is averaging 11.3 points per game through three games for UMass.

Dillard hopes to break out of slump

By Adam Aucoin Collegian Staff

After starting its season off on a positive note with a 74-60 win over Holy Cross, the Massachusetts women’s basketball team has dropped two straight games.

With a last second loss to Harvard last Wednesday and a defeat to Buffalo Saturday in its home opener, UMass (1-2) now finds itself in need of a crucial win to get its season back on track early on.

But for the Minutewomen, getting back to the .500 mark will not be an easy task as they take on Colorado (2-1) out of the Pacific-12 Conference in the first round of the Omni Hotels Classic held in Boulder, Colorado.

According to UMass coach Sharon Dawley, the Minutewomen welcome the tournament as an effective preparation tool for later season games in Atlantic 10 play.

“I always like playing up because there are many teams in our conference that are dangerous,” Dawley said about taking on Power

5 conference teams like the Buffaloes.

“Taking on teams like Colorado raises the level of our game and will allow us to prepare for what A-10 competitiveness may look like.”

The Buffaloes are coming off an 86-61 loss to No. 13 Kentucky, but in their previous three games, they won by an average of 16.5 points per game.

The Pac-12 conference team is a led by a very strong offensive attack that has averaged 72 points per game this see

COLORADO on page 7

Kellen Gray’s strong weekend in the pool led the Massachusetts men’s swimming team to a win in the three-day Terrier Invitational at Boston University this past weekend.

In a group of seven teams, UMass beat the rest of the field with a team score of 948.5. Army and Boston College finished not far behind with scores of 852 and 832.5, to earn second and third place respectively.

In Sunday’s championship finale, Gray’s time of 1:47.61 in the 200-yard backstroke earned the freshman first place. The time gave him the sixth fastest in UMass men’s program history. The win was Gray’s second of the weekend as he captured first in the 100-yard backstroke in Saturday’s competition. “(Gray) is a freshman who brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm with him,” UMass men’s coach Russ Yarworth said. “I didn’t expect him to have a time that fast this early in the season, but I’m not complaining and neither

“I try to build a championship team and that relies on guys one through 20.

We have good positive competition amongst our swimmers.”

Russ Yarworth, UMass coach is he.”

Heath Maginn and Ian Wilson followed suit in the 200-yard backstroke championship finale Sunday with third and sixth place finishes, respectively.

Maginn also had a top four finish in the 200-yard butterfly on the final day of competition. Connar Patterson finished second in the race with a time of 1:50.85, the fifth fastest in school history.

Kyle Vieira and Austen Sholudko both finished in the top five for the Minutemen in the 1,650yard freestyle. Alessandro Bomprezzi added a seventh place finish to give the trio a combined 42 points in the freestyle event.

“I try to build a championship team and that relies on guys one through 20,” Yarworth said. “We have good positive competition amongst our swimmers.”

Bomprezzi added a win on day one in the 500-yard freestyle that gave the Minutemen an early lead on the competition. Owen Wright added a second

place finish in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 20.54 seconds. Wright’s time tied him for seventh on the Minutemen’s alltime record.

Minutewomen fall flat in Invitational The Minutewomen finished fourth at the weekend invitational with a score of 469. Army won the women’s group with a final score of 896.5 and was followed by the hosting Terriers (876.5). UMass could not come back from an early deficit established on day one.

“I think we performed very, very well,” Minutewomen coach Bob Newcomb said. “Every single swim was the best of the season for the girls.”

Unable to garner many top finishes on the final day, UMass saw two standout finishes as Jenn Robeson and Jenna Diamond recorded the fifth and sixth fastest times in school history in the 200-yard butterfly. see

TERRIER on page 7