Massachusetts Daily Collegian: December 2, 2014

The Head and the Heart

BATON ROUGE

REBOUND

Indie band takes center stage at Calvin Theatre PAGE 8

PAGE 5

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DAILY COLLEGIAN

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

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UM students join in national ‘Walk Out’ Final meeting of semester for SGA Senators approve four appointments

By Catherine Ferris Collegian Staff

The final Student Government Association meeting of the semester took place Monday night, during which senators and officers discussed accomplishments and looked at goals for the spring.

“This semester has taught me what I need to do to become a better leader,” President Vinayak Rao said.

Speaker of the Senate Sïonan Barrett mentioned the Women’s Leadership Conference will be held Feb. 28, while the general leadership conference will take place shortly after.

Because of Thanksgiving break, the dif ferent committees did not meet last week.

However, there were still several motions on the floor.

The first motion involved appointing Meghan Tunno, sponsored by Barrett, to the Diversity and Student Engagement Committee.

The motion passed.

There was then a series of motions in which three people were appointed to become elections commissioners. Erik Herlitz, a biochemistry and molecular biology major, was one of the students appointed.

Although Herlitz hasn’t been involved in politics before, he said, “I wanted to take part in elections this year.”

“A lot of my friends are engineers,” he added.

“We’re not really involved in politics, but since I would be involved in it, I could spread the word.”

Emy Hardy, a sophomore history and music major, was another person appointed to the position.

Hardy said she believes she is able to reach certain parts of campus to urge students to vote in the next election.

CADE BELISLE/COLLEGIAN

Jasmine Bertrand-Halidy addresses protesters in front of the Student Union. Bertrand-Halidy helped organize the “Hands Up, Walk Out” rally.

Attendees protest grand jury decision

By Jason Kotoch Collegian Staff

A p p r o x i m a t e l y 800 University of Massachusetts students, faculty and staff participated in a national “Hands Up, Walk Out” protest Monday afternoon.

The protest was organized in response to the Missouri grand jury’s decision not to indict white police officer Darren Wilson in the Aug. 9 shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.

Participants, angered by the decision, assembled in front of the Student Union at 1:01 EST to coincide with the moment Brown was shot.

A four minute, 30 second moment of silence was held to remember the four hours and 30 minutes Brown lay dead on the sidewalk in the St. Louis suburb.

Following the moment of silence, event organizer Jasmine Bertrand-Halidy, a kinesiology major, read from a statement saying,

“This is a national call to action. I am walking out in solidarity with Mike Brown and all of the innocent people who have been murdered due to state sanctioned violence. If you believe black lives matter, join me.”

Attendees cheered as speakers addressed the myriad of problems facing communities of color around the nation.

UMass graduate student Rayoung Song held a small yellow sign with the name of Phillip Pannell, a black teenager who was shot by New Jersey police in 1990.

Song said that what happened in Ferguson is a national problem.

“There are so many reasons why I’m here,” Song said. “The issue of racism affects everyone.”

The event was organized by Bertrand-Halidy of Student Bridges and Maija Hall from the Center for Policy and Advocacy in coordination with a Missouri-based g roup called Ferguson Action, whose website reported that at least 83 schools and businesses participated in the national walk out pro-

test.

Ahead of the event, UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy communicated his support in an email to the campus community, saying, “It will assuredly raise awareness of what Ferguson reveals about the state of racial justice in our country and will provide an opportunity for our community to come together in solidarity.”

Subbaswamy urged faculty to accommodate students who wished to participate in the event.

Amherst resident Sovann-Malis Loeung came

to the University to join the protest with her daughter.

“What do I have to do to protect my children?”

Loeung said.

Loeung held a banner that read, “Justice for Carolyn,” in support of Carolyn Gardner, an Amherst High School teacher who was the target of racist threats last year.

“This issue of racism is very important and it really is a local issue,” Loeung said.

Jason Kotoch can be reached at jkotoch@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @jasonkotoch.

CADE BELISLE/COLLEGIAN

Protesters gather in front of the Student Union on Monday.

Divya Kirti was then appointed as the chancellor of elections. She is the only member of the Elections Commission who was present during last year’s heated elections, and is up-to-date with any changes made to the elections process.

Paul Flamburis, an English major, was the third person appointed as a commissioner. He said he believes it is important for students to take the opportunity to vote, saying, “We need to actively inform people (of the elections).”

Divya Kirti was then appointed as the chancellor of elections. She is the only member of the Elections Commission who was present during last year’s heated elections, and is up-to-date with any changes made to the elections process.

Kirti presented her range of leadership experience, including her role as a resident advisor and her work for the Juniper Institute.

“I believe strongly in the integrity of student voices,” Kirti said. “We are responsible for all the voices on campus, not just the ones who vote.”

The Haitian American Student Association requested funding for its service trip to Haiti, which will take place in May 2015.

Goals outlined during the group’s presentation included distributing school supplies and items that have been collected during the school year, assisting with the University of Massachusetts’ efforts to see

SGA on page 2

UMass Renaissance Center: campus’ hidden gem

By Shelby Ashline Collegian Staff

Near the northeast corner of the University of Massachusetts campus lies a faded brick building. Set off of East Pleasant Street by a tree-lined driveway, the only indication of its presence to passersby is a small white sign.

Although it is unknown to many students and townspeople alike, the Massachusetts Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies attracts scholars from around the world. With more than 40,000 books and six gardens filled with only Renaissanceera plants and a theater, according to Director of the Renaissance Center Arthur Kinney, the center has a lot

to offer to anyone who enjoys studying the Renaissance.

The 28 acres of land on which the center sits was willed to UMass in 1996

by Janet Wilder Dakin.

Her estate included the house – which was built in the style of a Renaissance cottage in Shakespeare’s Warwickshire, according to the center’s website – as well as a barn and shed.

Fo r m e r UMass Chancellor David Scott made the decision to transform the property into a center for Renaissance studies and it was officially opened in 1998. The barn was changed to house the Black Box Theatre, where the center holds plays.

According to Kinney, the

center “subsequently has served both the campus and the community” in a variety of ways.

For example, the gardens bring together the Five Colleges and the local community. Students from Hampshire College and Smith College influenced the creation of the six Renaissance-era gardens.

All plants within these gardens can be found in “Gerarde’s Herball,” a book which was published in 1698 and is essentially an encyclopedia of Renaissance-era plants. One of the six gardens is made up entirely of flowers that were mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays.

In addition, students from the Stockbridge School

of Agriculture planted an orchard on the property two years ago, according to the Renaissance Center’s librarian, Jeff Goodhind.

Townspeople are also allowed to plant flowers in honor of family members.

The 40,000-volume library in the basement of the Renaissance Center attracts scholarly attention for its quality. Of its vast collection – much of which was received by donation – 1,000 books were written before 1700. A bible from 1495 is its oldest book that is fully intact.

Among the dozen Renaissance centers throughout the world, the Massachusetts Center for Interdisciplinary

ANDY CASTILLO/COLLEGIAN

The Renassiance Center is located off of East Pleasant Street.

Renaissance Studies is set apart, according to Kinney.

ber of rare books we do,” Kinney said.

“(The other centers) cer-

tainly don’t have the num-

see

RENAISSANCE on page 2

2

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

THE RUNDOWN ON THIS DAY...

In 1859, militant abolitionist leader John Brown was hanged for his raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

AROUND THE WORLD

Iraq Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi dismissed 24 senior Interior Ministry officials Monday in an effort to “reform and rebuild” security institutions in the embattled country, the government leader announced via Twitter.

The dismissals, which al-Abadi described as retirements, followed his report Sunday that an investigation of the Iraqi armed forces’ payroll had turned up 50,000 names of “ghost soldiers,” fictitious troops drawing salaries that go to senior officers, Middle East media reported.

Corruption and incompetence in the armed forces have been blamed for massive security failures since a June onslaught by the Islamic State militant group met with little resistance and left at least a third of Iraq’s territory under the extremists’ control.

Since taking office in September, al-Abadi has attempted to clean up the police and army to improve their ability to combat the Islamic State push toward Baghdad.

An Islamic State attack Monday from across the border with Syria, targeting a checkpoint at Walid in restive Anbar province, killed at least 15 troops, The Associated Press reported.

Acts of violence and terrorism killed 1,232 Iraqis in November, the United Nations’ Assistance Mission for Iraq reported, slightly fewer than in October but still at a pace that reflects the country’s vulnerability to the extremists attempting to build a Muslim caliphate across the Iraqi and Syrian territory they occupy.

A statement from alAbadi’s office on Sunday disclosed the discovery of the fictitious troops on the payroll. It said the 50,000 positions had been eliminated, but unidentified officials were quoted by the Al-Jazeera news service as saying the 50,000 were a small proportion of a payroll-padding epidemic by top commanders who consider themselves entitled to the extra pay.

The fired Interior Ministry officials were not identified. Al-Abadi has already made several changes to the security hierarchy in a campaign to weed out the corruption and sectarian discord that flourished under his predecessor, Nouri alMaliki.

The United States invested billions of dollars in the training of Iraqi police and soldiers during the eight-year occupation of the country after the ouster of President Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Los Angeles Times

DailyCollegian.com

Local animals run free on Sunderland Road Police Log: Nov. 28 to Nov. 30, 2014

By Brendan Deady Collegian Staff

Friday, Nov. 28 7:42 p.m.: Police arrested Jason Fortin, 41, of Amherst, on North Prospect Street for five accounts of malicious destruction to a motor vehicle and disturbing the peace. Fortin also had two outstanding warrants out for his arrest for unrelated incidents. A resident of North Prospect Street saw a man running into the road and yelling obscenities at passing vehicles and reported hearing breaking glass.

Police encountered Fortin kicking parked vehicles and discovered a trail of vandalized vehicles on the street, some with broken windshields.

Saturday, Nov. 29 2:32 a.m.: An officer stopped at 224 Belchertown Road when he noticed a man cooking his clothes wrapped in tinfoil on a charcoal grill.

The man claimed he was in the middle of a ritual to burn the evil spirits from

his clothes. The officer ajar and notified police. issued a warning that the Nothing appeared to be fire violated town bylaws. missing but the door had been closed earlier in 7:37 a.m.: Llamas ran loose the day by the resident. at 500 Sunderland Road.

The owner of the prop- 2:48 p.m.: A Ms. Miller erty rounded up the herd reported a larceny in and returned them to Apartment 24 at the their pen without issue. Greenhouse Buildings. A laptop valued at $1,000 is 12:13 p.m.: There was a sus- missing from her parents’ picious vehicle in the back apartment. Ms. Miller parking lot of 69 South suspects an employee Pleasant St. A caller report- of a home-watch careed the vehicle appeared to be giver company based in abandoned and there was a Springfield to be the culprit. firearm in the back seat within plain view. Police opened 2:57 p.m.: A breaking and the vehicle and discovered a entering occurred on pellet gun with the orange Northampton Road where tip removed from the barrel. multiple electronics were They were unable to reach stolen. There was no sign the owner of the vehicle. of forced entry and police are still investigating.

1:34 p.m.: There was a breaking and entering 3:29 p.m.: Danielle Lesureat 219 East Pleasant St. A Cannon, 34, of Amherst, party performed a clean received a $250 fine and sumentry through a basement mons to court for receiving door and stole various stolen property. A reportelectronics from the rental ing party notified police apartment. The incident that a bicycle was missis under investigation. ing from Apartment 140 on Belchertown Road. The 2:10 p.m.: A resident at 47 party located the bicycle in South East St. investigat- front of Lesure-Cannon’s ed their basement when a residence and dialed 911. pipe burst. The party dis- Police confirmed the bicycovered the basement door cle belonged to the report-

RENAISSANCE Although all of the books are searchable through the W.E.B. DuBois Online Library, they cannot be checked out. Because of their age, they are very fragile and the staff of the center want to keep them in the best condition possible.

During the fall semester, the center hosted a variety of scholars, including a student from Harvard University and two students from the University of Tuebingen in Germany.

Each semester, the center holds at least two conferences involving guest speakers and three concerts, which Goodhind said are almost always free and open to the public.

An Italian Renaissance Harvest Banquet is held each fall, featuring only Renaissance-era food, jugglers, flute players and more.

Each spring brings the Renaissance Festival, which is the center’s most popular event. Kinney said that as many as 650 people attended the 2014 festival, a record number for the event.

continued from page 1

Despite rainy weather, students and community members came out to experience blacksmithing, falconry, basket weaving and theater, musical and dance performances.

“It’s one of those ‘something-for-everyone’ kind of events,” Goodhind said.

Kinney and Goodhind believe that so many UMass students enjoy studying the Renaissance due to the diversity and overwhelming importance of the period.

The Renaissance attracts English majors, comparative literature majors, history majors and foreign language majors, in particular. The Renaissance period is one of the three largest focuses of study in the English department.

“The Renaissance was art, it was history, literature (and) theater,” Goodhind said. “It encompasses everything so there’s something that interests everyone.”

Shelby Ashline can be reached at sashline@umass.edu.

SGA

ing party and returned it to its rightful owner. 9:05 a.m. : Goats and alpacas got loose on 5:52 p.m.: There was a their “daily jaunt” at structure fire in the sec- 500 Sunderland Road. ond floor bedroom of 81 Belchertown Road.

A 5:23 p.m.: A resident of 9 neighbor suspected a male Olympia Drive reported wearing all red pajamas that two “Hispanic males of starting the fire. No one were doing drugs” in front matching that description of his residence in a silver was found on the premise.

Lincoln. The man exchanged words with the two males 9:12 p.m.: An employee of before they departed.

Amherst Wine and Spirits at 300 College St. exited work to find nails embedded into 5:46 p.m.: A woman notitwo of his vehicle’s now fied police of a strange text deflated tires. The reporting message her friend received party said he has an idea from an unknown number. of the identity of the per- The text message claimed petrator but did not want that the recipient’s father to pursue charges. He just did “inappropriate things to wished to have the incident me over the Thanksgiving break.” Neither of the documented. females recognize the number and challenge the Sunday, Nov. 30 validity of the statement.

8:53 a.m.: A woman at 11 Main St. reported that Jerald Gortes is stalking her by infiltrating her computer and controlling the Bible.

The woman also accused the government of conspiring to seize her property and children. Police were skeptical and checked their records; the woman made 62 similar complaints in the past.

7:13p.m.: The second roommate of 47 South East St. returned to the residence and confirmed with police that property was in fact missing from the apartment.

Numerous electronics were missing.

Brendan Deady can be reached at bdeady@umass.edu.

continued from page 1

CHRISTINA YACONO/COLLEGIAN

Students get sworn in as SGA Elections Commissioners during Monday’s meeting. receive aid and continuing contact with University students abroad.

The organization managed to raise money through fundraising and contributions, but asked for $2,600

for transportation. In total, 12 students and two professors would be attending this trip. The motion passed.

Some motions were tabled however, including one that urged UMass

administration to consider building sidewalks in areas that currently lack them.

Catherine Ferris can be reached at caferris@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Ca_Ferris2.

Obama seeks funding for body cameras for police

By Christi Parsons Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is ordering up new rules for giving local police agencies access to surplus U.S. military equipment such as the armored vehicles, assault rifles and body armor that police in Ferguson, Mo., used in an unsuccessful attempt to quiet protests this summer.

Obama is also proposing a three-year, $263 million spending package to expand training and increase the use of bodyworn cameras for monitoring police interactions with the public. The proposal includes $75 million that would provide matching funds for purchasing as many as 50,000 cameras.

Such cameras might have provided more information in the deadly August shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old by a white Ferguson police officer.

The president’s directive comes along with the release of a new White House review that found

“What he’s asking his agencies to do is add a very specific layer of accountability. These layers of accountability aren’t currently in the program.”

A senior administration official the so-called “surplus” programs of the Department of Defense and other federal agencies to be a mishmash of rules and practices, with no clear sign that all police are properly trained and certified to use the military-grade equipment they receive.

The results of the review come a week after a grand jury in St. Louis County chose not to indict the Ferguson police officer, Darren Wilson, in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.

The shooting inflamed local tensions and led to unrest that brought attention to the use of militarygrade equipment by local law enforcement officials in their response. Protests around the country and in Ferguson began anew last week in the wake of the

grand jury’s decision.

With the report newly in hand, Obama is instructing his staff to come up with a list of military gear that has a legitimate civilian law enforcement purpose and thus can be sent to local police forces around the country, senior administration officials said Monday.

The new rules will also require that local officials review and authorize the acquisition of small arms and all other “controlled” equipment by their communities, and that police be specially trained in their civilian use.

The rules will come within the next four months in the form of an executive order governing the Pentagon and all other federal agencies that

run so-called “surplus” programs that distribute military-style equipment to police around the country.

“What he’s asking his agencies to do is add a very specific layer of accountability,” said one senior administration official familiar with the program.

“These layers of accountability aren’t currently present in the program.”

In the case of Ferguson, the use of military equipment served only to escalate the conflict between police and protesters angry about the shooting.

As community leaders demanded to know why the police turned out at peaceful protests with riot gear and equipment, Obama ordered a White House review of the rules that govern the distribution of that material.

The new report identifies a “lack of consistency” in how the various federal programs are run and audited and raises questions about whether police know how to use the military-grade equipment, the senior administration offi-

cial said.

Obama is discussing the report’s findings, and his new directive, in a series of Monday meetings with his Cabinet, young civil rights leaders and community leaders from around the country.

At the top of the agenda is finding ways to build trust between police and communities, an aide to the president said.

Obama directed his staff to draft an order that requires non-police officials to review and authorize the transfer of such equipment as small arms and armored vehicles before it can come to their communities.

Police forces would have to take part in rigorous training as well as follow-up reports for serious incidents involving the federal equipment, under the order.

In addition, Obama is setting up a task force to come up with recommendations for fighting crime while still building public trust.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

DailyCollegian.com

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

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Dozens are feared dead in Cosby resigns from Temple Northern Nigerian attacks

By Susan Snyder The Philadelphia Inquirer

By Kristin Palitza dpa

Dozens of people are feared killed in two explosions in north-eastern Nigeria, hours after suspected members of Islamist group Boko Haram attacked the capital of Yobe State, local newspaper Premium Times reported Monday.

The bombs were set off mid-morning at a busy market in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, a week after more than 40 people were killed in a twin suicide blast in the same location.

“People are running for (their) dear lives, so one cannot confirm to you the extent of damage, but the two blasts we just heard were (very) loud,” witness Abba Ibrahim was quoted as saying.

Police and rescue workers had arrived at the scene to evacuate corpses and injured people.

“I can’t say how many were killed or injured, but I have seen very many victims dripping with blood, others with parts of their bodies dismembered by the

blasts,” said trader Dauda Bala.

Borno State police commander Gideon Jubrin said the number of casualties could not yet be confirmed.

Earlier on Monday, heavily armed insurgents surrounded Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, firing guns and setting off explosions, according to witnesses.

“It is as if they have surrounded us all here.

There is sound of explosion and serious shooting.

We are all lying down on the floor with our families,” Damaturu resident Yaya Haruna was quoted as saying.

The military responded by sending ground troops and air force jets to Damaturu.

“We are still under fire,” said Yobe State police commissioner Marcus Danladi.

The attack on Damaturu is the latest in a string of bombings in northern Nigeria. On Friday, dozens of people were killed after bomb blasts rocked the central mosque in the key city of Kano, in Kano State.

Kano State Rabiu Musa Kwankaso told local journalists at least 100 people were killed and 135 others injured. Police put the death toll at 36 people.

On Thursday, 35 people were killed by an explosion near a military checkpoint in the town of Mubi in Adamawa State by suspected Boko Haram members.

Three days earlier, insurgents, disguised as traders, took control of the town of Damasak in Borno State.

Boko Haram has killed more than 3,000 people in Nigeria’s north this year alone.

When Boko Haram first launched attacks in 2009, it mainly targeted Christians, under the pretext of wanting to establish an Islamic state.

Since mid-2013, Boko Haram focused its attacks on government security agents as well as on civilians of both Christian and Muslim faith in their homes, markets, hospitals and schools.

PHILADELPHIA — Under fire from at least 20 women who have accused him of sexual assault, Bill Cosby on Monday resigned from Temple University’s board of trustees, a seat he has held for 32 years.

The decision came amid mounting pressure from some corners for the Philadelphia university to cut ties with its beloved benefactor and longtime public face, including a change.org petition with more than 1,000 signatures.

“I have always been proud of my association with Temple University,” Cosby said in a statement, released by the university.

“I have always wanted to do what would be in the best interests of the university and its students. As a result, I have tendered my resignation from the Temple University Board of Trustees.”

The board of trustees said it has accepted the resignation and “thanks him for his service to the university.”

The decision followed

high-level discussion by university leaders over the last couple days. Over the last couple weeks, several members of the board of trustees had spoken in support of the 77-year-old comedian and actor, who graduated from Temple.

Temple’s decision follows that of several other universities, including the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, which have cut ties with Cosby in recent days, as more women go on the record about alleged sexual assault by Cosby.

War contractors ready for battle in the Middle East

By Jennifer Koons CQ Roll Call

President Barack Obama has stressed that the U.S.led coalition fight against the Islamic State can be won without “boots on the ground.” But it depends on who’s wearing the boots.

Thousands of private security contractors, who played critical, below-theradar and at times controversial roles in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are being asked to consider joining this latest battle against Islamic extremists in Iraq and Syria and possibly elsewhere in the Middle East. What specific jobs they will fill, and which departments or countries will be paying for their services, remains to be seen. But the demand for their considerable and varied expertise is expected to be high, and that’s welcome news for both the contracting companies and politicians, according to policy advisers and industry experts.

“I think Obama’s promise not to send ground troops to Iraq and Syria, combined with the threat there, incentivizes the administration to turn to contractors because there are such fewer political risks,” says George Washington University law professor Laura A. Dickinson, author of “Outsourcing War and Peace: Preserving Public Values in a World of Privatized Foreign Affairs.”

“Private security contractors can’t engage in combat, but they can oversee training and logistics and can provide security,” Dickinson says. “I recently saw a posting looking for companies interested in constructing a network of satellite stations. So there will be many opportunities to be involved.”

And that’s a good thing for a private industry that has watched with dismay over the last couple of years as the U.S. government has extricated itself from Iraq and, soon, Afghanistan.

“The private-sector indus-

different roles - from analysts to translators and security guards to training the Iraqi Air Force.”

Training and equipping foreign forces in Syria is a key component of the administration’s plan to defeat ISIS, and signs already point to a plan that involves at least a partial reliance on private security firms to assist - and Peter Singer, not just in Syria. a military strategist and senior fellow at the New America “We’re seeing the framework be put into place,” Foundation Singer says. “In August, the U.S. Army Contracting try views ISIS as a poten- During the height of the Command posted a notice for tial marketplace,” says Sean U.S. military “surge” in Iraq contractors willing to work McFate, a professor at the in 2007, more than 180,000 an initial 12-month contract National Defense University private contractors were stathat will focus on force-develand Georgetown University’s tioned throughout the region, opment operations. They School of Foreign Service according to Peter Singer, a posted one of these before the and author of “The Modern military strategist and senior 2003 invasion (of Iraq), and Mercenary: Private Armies fellow at the New America Halliburton expressed interand What They Mean for Foundation. est.”

World Order.” “My guess “It was greater than a 1:1 In its expansive announcewould be that private con- ratio to U.S. forces - a lot like ment for “Security Assistance tractors are eagerly wander- parallel troops,” Singer says. Mentors and Advisors” in ing the halls of K Street and “The number goes down as Iraq, the Army says it is lookPentagon City, offering their U.S. forces shrink, but the ing for contractors to help the services. There’s blood in the bottom line is they didn’t go Baghdad government, “cogwater.” away. They’ve just shifted to nizant of the goals of reduc-

“In August, the U.S. Army Contracting Command posted a notice for contractors willing to work an initial 12-month contract that will focus on force-development operations. They posted on of these before the 2003 invasion (of Iraq) and Halliburton expressed interest.”

ing tensions between Arabs and Kurds, and Sunni and Shias, with key focus on core process and systems which involve, but are not limited to administration, force development, procurement and acquisition, contracting, training management, public affairs, logistics, personnel management, professional development, communications, planning and operations, infrastructure management, intelligence and executive development.”

Those interested had until Aug. 25 to respond. A formal call for applicants has not yet gone out. But McFate, a former U.S. Army officer and later a program manager for powerhouse military contractor DynCorp International in Africa, says the turnaround could be quick.

“Many of these companies have been pre-vetted and can be deployed very quickly,” he says. “In fact, many are already doing work for either State or DOD in some capacity.”

ISIS possibly captured Israeli-Canadian Staffer insults First Militants reportedly Militants reportedly Family, resigns debated whether to trade the captive for claim responsibility

By Batsheva Sobelman Los Angeles Times

JERUSALEM — Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of an Israeli-Canadian woman who joined Kurdish forces battling the Islamic State in Syria, with unconfirmed reports saying she may have been captured by the terrorist group.

The governments of Canada and Israel were trying to obtain further information about the whereabouts of former Israeli soldier Gill Rosenberg, official statements from both said. According to the U.S.-based intelligence group SITE, a message on a known militant Internet forum claimed Islamic State had captured a “female Zionist soldier” in Kobani, Syria.

Militants reportedly debated online whether to trade the captive for female Muslim prisoners or execute her, but Kurdish sources dismissed the report as spurious propaganda.

Speculation swirled through Israeli media that Rosenberg was the woman being discussed.

However, according to a post on her Facebook page

female Muslim prisoners or execute her, but Kurdish sources dismissed the report as spurious propaganda.

Monday, she is safe some 185 miles from Kobani and without Internet access. Two weeks ago, Rosenberg thanked friends for birthday wishes and wrote that someone else would be managing her page for several weeks. She is believed to be in training.

Besides her friends, few Israelis had heard about Gill Rosenberg until a month ago, when surprising media reports introduced her as the first Israeli and foreign woman to join Kurdish peshmerga fighters.

According to various reports, Rosenberg, 31, is a Canadian-born Jew who moved to Israel in the last decade after a short career as a civil aviator, reportedly with hopes of becoming an army pilot.

Rosenberg enlisted in Israel’s military, where she ended up serving in a rescue and recovery unit. Her new life was disrupted when she was arrested for allegedly participating in an international

phone scam run by a dozen Israelis who swindled senior citizens, mostly in the United States, of about $25 million, according to a 2009 FBI release that named her as Gillian Rosenberg.

Extradited to the United States, she reportedly entered a plea bargain that included a prison term. After serving several months, she was released and, according to her Facebook page, recently returned to Israel.

Foreigners heading for the Syrian battle zone are often discreet about their plans and identities. American journalist Steven Sotloff attempted to conceal his Jewish identity during his work in the region, and friends and colleagues scrubbed the Internet of references to his Israeli citizenship after he was captured by militants, revealing it only after he was beheaded by Islamic State in September.

Israeli aid workers involved in humanitarian efforts in Syria use aliases in media

interviews, their faces blacked out in published photographs.

Despite the dangers, however, Rosenberg has shared her information freely.

Her Facebook page lists her as a resident of Tel Aviv and boasts a cover picture from the airport of Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region of Iraq. Posts in early November detail her unusual journey from Israel through Jordan and Iraq to join the Kurdish fighters.

Her move drew appreciation and camaraderie from Kurdish supporters and a mixture of admiration and concern from her Israeli friends.

Those concerns grew deeper with the latest claims of Islamic State capturing an Israeli.

“My heart sank to my stomach,” a friend of Rosenberg’s, Charlie Vardi, told the Hebrew news site Ynet, adding that he hoped the claims were false. For Islamic State to land a captive who is North American, Jewish and Israeli would be “like winning a prize, a gold medal,” he said.

By Hannah Hess CQ Roll Call

There will be no pardon for Elizabeth Lauten.

The communications director for Rep. Stephen Fincher, R–Tenn., has resigned amid backlash over a Facebook post criticizing Sasha and Malia Obama for their behavior and appearance during last week’s turkey pardoning event at the White House, according to multiple media reports.

“Dear Sasha and Malia, I get your both in those awful teen years but you’re a part of the First Family.

Try showing a little class.

At least respect the part you play. Then again, your mother and father don’t respect their positions very much, or the nation for that matter, so I’m guessing you’re coming up a little short in the ‘good role model’ department,” Lauten wrote on Friday.

The comments from Lauten, who used to manage new media for the Republican National Committee and also worked for ex-Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., quickly went viral and inspired an adverse reac-

tion. Her name became a hashtag on Twitter, and the online community vented about her scrutiny of the girls’ facial expressions, body language and demeanor. One of Lauten’s critiques of the Sasha, 13, and Malia, 16, drew particular outrage: “Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar,” she wrote.

Hours after the original post, Lauten deleted it. She also followed up with an apology for her rant, and set her Facebook profile to private.

“When I first posted on Facebook I reacted to an article and I quickly judged the two young ladies in a way that I would never have wanted to be judged myself as a teenager,” Lauten wrote later Friday. “After many hours of prayer, talking to my parents, and re-reading my words online I can see more clearly just how hurtful my words were.”

Lauten’s resignation was first reported Monday morning by NBC News. Fincher’s office declined to comment on personnel matters over the phone.

Opinion Editorial THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” - Winston Churchill

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Editorial@DailyCollegiancom

Matching the drinking age to morals We hear it again and again from politicians and public officials: the United States is a land of law. No matter how we feel about certain situations, it is perpetually pressed upon us that the rules and regulations set by the government simply must be followed.

Benjamin Clabault

As argued by President Abraham Lincoln, ever a fierce advocate for legal rigidity, all citizens should learn a “reverence for the laws…breathed by every American mother, to the lisping babe, that prattles on her lap.” This reverence, it seems, would stem from a systematic indoctrination of the American citizenry. But, as even Lincoln admitted, there do exist certain “bad laws,” and in many cases Americans demonstrate their disapproval by blatantly ignoring them.

Perhaps the most obvious example of this on college campuses nationwide is widespread underage drinking.

While police and administrators try to discourage minors from consumption, there can be no denying that alcohol, for better or for worse, is a major aspect of university culture among students of all ages.

So how do we examine a case like this where, in a “land of laws,” a large segment of the population shamelessly ignores rules that they have deemed not worth following? For me, the root of the problem lies in the discrepancies

posed benefit of society are not always worth following, and that in the realm of human existence, adherence to the laws of the land does not equate to what humans have long understood to be “right” in a spiritual or religious sense.

Perhaps less profoundly, the University of Massachusetts’ underage drinkers understand the same thing.

Every time a 20-year-old has a beer, that person is displaying a rejection of the institutional morality that Americans are supposed to have developed. Every time a 21-year-old buys a 12-pack for his or her underage buddy, that individual is deciding that buying the beer to help out a friend outweighs the illegality of their actions.

There can be no denying that laws often serve an extremely useful purpose. If individuals were allowed to make their own judgments on all issues, they would sometimes err to the detriment of society. In cases like underage drinking, however, where such a large portion of society has decided to act according to their own sensibilities, the laws should be adjusted to more accurately reflect the will of the people. A society that aims at justice ought to seek a legal code in which the institutional morality demanded of its citizens matches as closely as possible the “natural” sense of morality developed by individuals reflecting on the harmfulness or helpfulness of their actions.

In the case of underage drinking, a simple solution seems obvious. If

“If Americans are to be expected to ‘religiously’ follow the laws of the land, then drinking regulations need to match the norms that have developed in American society.” between the “institutional morality” demanded by the government and individuals’ personal feelings about what is right and wrong.

By insisting, as Lincoln did, that citizens “religiously observe” even bad laws, the government is asking individuals to bequeath their own sense of morality to the authorities. The question for the individual is meant to change from “Is it right?” to “Is it legal?” But as countless historical examples demonstrate, people often decide that their own sense of righteousness is capable of overriding what the government tells us to think.

And why shouldn’t they? As the controversial American historian Howard Zinn noted, many human atrocities, perhaps most notably the Holocaust, have stemmed from people following rather than ignoring the authorities.

Furthermore, the U.S. has a long history of the type of “civil disobedience” championed by Henry David Thoreau.

American dissidents, from those who partook in the Boston Tea Party to the sympathetic homeowners who facilitated the Underground Railroad, had been breaking “bad laws” for decades before the famed transcendentalist developed his moral philosophy.

All of these historical actors refused to give up their own agency in determining the righteousness of their actions.

They believed in a transcendent moral code developed from a natural understanding of how our behavior can help or harm other individuals. They realized that laws developed for the sup-

Americans are to be expected to “religiously” follow the laws of the land, then drinking regulations need to match the norms that have developed in American society. While 39 percent of high school students have reported drinking on a monthly basis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority still has not.

High school life is not meant to revolve around going out and socializing in an adult-like setting. For highschool graduates however, there is a different story. Drinking has become an established centerpiece of adult social activity. Whether it be a lavish wedding or a night out with friends, it seems there is always plenty of booze around, with about two-thirds of Americans having on average four drinks a week.

After leaving high school, young men and women enter into this adult world and understandably feel that there is no valid reason that they should not be allowed to fully participate.

It’s my opinion that at the very least, consumption of beer and wine should be legal at age 19. This would keep legal booze out of high school lockers, but allow young adults the place they deserve in society. In any case, one essential truth remains clear: the government cannot demand a rigid respect for the law while simultaneously enforcing rules that contradict the sound moral sentiments of the American people.

Benjamin Clabault can be reached at bclabaul@umass.edu.

The beauty of college writing More often than not, college writing is viewed as a tedious general education requirement needed in order

Isaac Simon

to graduate. Even though the classes are small, the students – the vast majority of whom are freshmen – are not excited to write or even attempt to be creative in a literary way. The class is viewed as just another obligatory prerequisite and not an intuitive and fun learning experience. As someone who is currently taking this class, I think such preconceived opinions are profoundly untrue.

English 112 is divided into four different units along with a final essay. There are no exams or quizzes, Socratic applications or presentations. The instructor – who is often a graduate student in pursuit of a doctorate – does the teaching while we, the students, do the listening.

With that being said, the dynamic of the class is much more student-oriented, where class-facilitated discussions play a prominent role. Unlike some courses in which the professor has a tendency to be really into him or herself and not focused on the educational and academic aspirations of his or her students, the teachers of English 112 are laid back while at the same time persistent in their teaching.

As a current student of this class, I can only speak about one teacher: Courtney Gustafson, a graduate student who has taught this class for the past five semesters. Perhaps I just got lucky, but Gustafson is a great teacher who is able to bring an immense amount of both comfort and intelligence to the class. This is not easy to do, especially when it comes to dealing with students who, for the most part, are still in the process of acclimating to college.

“Courtney did a great job,” said Tristan Sahagian, a freshman finance major.

“All around, there was a solid group dynamic.”

With college writing comes the splendidly small size of the class. This is a matter that very much affects the amount of learning and academic facilitation that takes place.

According to Gustafson, developing relationships with students is key.

“All the classes I teach are really fun in part because they’re so small,” Gustafson told me. “I get to know all of you guys, you get to know each other and you get to know me.”

At the end of the day, English 112 is also fun. This class has communicated to me how exciting learning can be more than any others I’ve taken this semester. While acknowledging my love for col-

process the duration of the semester. In fact, when experiencing totally unrelated incidents during the day – occurrences that more often than not were funny – I made a point of mentioning them during college writing in a further effort to jazz up the mood and have a good time.

Despite the environment, this is not to say that learning did not go on and assignments went uncompleted. Going into the class, I had somewhat of a passion for writing. As the class progressed, that passion strengthened and continued to grow thanks to both Gustafson and my 15 classmates.

Although this comes off as cheesy at first glance, English 112 became a community where 16 students brought 16 different viewpoints to the table, allowing for a pool of academic and creative ideas to flourish. It is a class that embodies the best elements of high school in a college environment. As a second semester freshman experiencing college in the fall for the first time, it became a class that was instrumental to my happiness.

Initially, I felt surrounded by 15 strangers with names I didn’t know and whose stories had yet to be revealed. What emerged were 15 friends that I hung out with during weekends and studied with after class.

“There’s a great dynamic here,” Gustafson said. “You guys are able to laugh with each other and at each other and I think there is a level of respect there too where people are able to listen to one another, and I think that’s really important.”

As the semester draws to a close and with finals now upon us, this will be a class that I wish never ended.

“This is a class I have always wanted to teach,” Gustafson said.

And for me, it was a pleasure to take.

“For me, the class acted as a lens for understanding how to organize my free time, and process the duration of the semester.”

lege writing, I also understand that fun cannot be forced upon other students.

“All classes have the potential to be fun,” Gustafson continued. “I think it has a lot to do with dynamic. But I don’t think that’s something you can force. You can do exercises and make people get to know each other and you can force people to work in groups. But you can’t control their takeaways from activities.”

If someone were to tell me from the get-go that college writing would come to be my favorite class of the semester, I would have told him or her to get their head examined. I too initially thought the class was just another gen-ed. But for me, it quickly became much more than that.

College writing became a class I not only looked forward to, but yearned for. This is so much the case that when going through the regular college grind, I would often think about this course during my other classes.

For me, the course acted as Isaac Simon is a Collegian a lens for understanding how columnist and can be reached at to organize my free time and isimon@umass.edu.

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

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Arts Living THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

“When I eat, it is the food that is scared.” - Ron Swanson

Arts@DailyCollegian.com

CONCERT PREVIEW

The Head and the Heart to stop by the Calvin Theatre Indie folk group takes tour to NoHo

By Ruthann Barry Collegian Correspondent Alternative folk group The Head and the Heart will play at Northampton’s Calvin Theatre Sunday as part of its winter tour. The six-part Seattle band, fresh off a two-month break, is rearing to get back on the road.

The group is touring in support of its sophomore album, “Let’s Be Still,” released under the Sub Pop label. The album builds upon The Head and the Heart’s self-titled debut, which was released in 2011 and introduces a myriad of vibrant alternative rock and pop elements that shatter the generalized notions of the indie folk genre.

The band’s collaboration began at the Conor Byrne Pub, a Seattle-based establishment home to the open mic nights that brought the six members together. The band, initially founded upon the songwriting talents of Jonathan Russell and Josiah Johnson, became complete with acquaintances met there.

Drummer T yl e r Williams, bassist Chris Zasche, vocalist and violinist Charity Rose Thielen and keyboardist Kenny Hensley are each integral aspects to the band’s music and songwriting.

This multi-faceted sound has

KEVIN N. MURPHY/FLICKR

The Head and the Heart is on the road in promotion of its 2013 album, “Let’s Be Still.” helped make the group one of Sub Pop Records’ bestselling artists. Considering the fact that Sub Pop is also home to legendary bands like Fleet Foxes and The Afghan Whigs, this is no small feat.

The authentic sound of “The Head and the Heart” can be attributed to the group’s eloquent vocal harmonizing. Songs such as “Rivers and Roads” and

“Down in the Valley” rely heavily on falsetto harmonies and a wide variety of instrumentation. This swift and smooth combination makes for a seamless blend of folk perfection.

As portrayed in the group’s music videos, connections of time and place were a major influence on its debut album. The videos accompanying “Rivers and Roads” and “Down in the

PODCASTS

Valley” evoke the group’s strong sense of down-toearth togetherness.

The recently released music videos for “Shake” and “Let’s Be Still” have been gaining popularity on YouTube, as well, and serve as examples of the band’s affable nature.

Released in October 2013, “Let’s Be Still” finds space to grow and build while still keeping true to the band’s original sound. The album

to fulfilling the aforementioned musical dream is explored and fleshed out in the most genuine of ways.

The set lists on the band’s winter tour will be compiled of tracks off both of the band’s albums, and fans will be delighted to witness the shift in the group’s sound from 2011 to 2013.

Most notably on “Let’s Be Still,” The Head and the Heart turned to record producer Peter Katis to help mix the album. Known for his work with Interpol, The National and Tokyo Police Club, Katis worked with the band in his home studio, Tarquin Records, in Connecticut.

With the expertise of Katis, the band’s sound comes to life with tracks that are fully rounded with echoing vocals and pounding beats. Tracks like the uplifting rock-inspired “Shake” and the airy essence of “Springtime” make “Let’s Be Still” an intimate record that captures the full range of the group’s talent.

The band’s irresistible balance of strings, angelic vocals, rock and indie folk will surely bring a unique mix of genre to the Calvin Theatre. The Head and the Heart will grace the stage Sunday at 8 p.m. 7 with openers PHOX. Tickets are $33.50.

manages to incorporate more upbeat tracks that evoke an energetic pop-rock sound. As the band’s sophomore album, “Let’s Be Still” centers on its rise to notoriety and the ups and downs of discovering and fulfilling a musical dream.

The group’s debut release however, focuses on the beginnings of the band itself. The mobility that one Ruthann Barry can be reached at discovers while on the road rbbarry@umass.edu.

CONCERT REVIEW

A guide to comedy podcasts O.A.R. and Andy Grammer From the Nerdist to team up for dynamic concert Comedy Bang Bang

By Cory J. Willey Collegian Staff

Podcasts offer one of the most unique experiences of all entertainment mediums.

With more than 250,000 different podcasts available for free from the iTunes store, there is no shortage of content.

Everyone from major news networks to people in their garage are able to record and upload their own original content.

All of this variation and openness means you can find a podcast on almost anything that peaks your interest. While NPR and the WNYC-produced shows dominate the top 15 spots of the “Top Podcasts” chart on iTunes, lurking just behind them is a thriving world of comedy podcasts.

Comedy enthusiasts can benefit most from the variation and niche-quality of podcasts. Whether you just want to hear comedians interviewing one another and gain some insight into the current comedy scene or find your favorite comedian’s podcast just to keep up with what they are working on, you can do so with a free subscription.

Everyone from professional comedians to YouTubers are creating podcasts to gather larger audiences. With so much content listed under “comedy” and with each episode generally running about an hour long, it can be intimidating to tell which shows are really worth your time.

A good show to start with is “The Nerdist,” an interview-based podcast hosted by Chris Hardwick as well as his friends and fellow comedians Matt Mira and Jonah Ray. The show posts three days a week

and usually features a celebrity guest interviewee.

Hardwick, Mira and Ray have known each other for a long time and have terrific chemistry, making nearly every episode interesting, even if you aren’t familiar the celebrity guest of the episode. By far the best episodes are what Hardwick and company have dubbed “Hostfuls,” in which there is no celebrity guest and the three friends and co-hosts just talk with one another, sharing personal stories and discussing current events and pop culture. These are a good starting point for new listeners.

If you are looking for something based more in improv, then “Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast” is your best bet.

Scott Aukerman hosts one of the most delightfully chaotic and hilarious podcasts available. The show plays on the usual celebrity-guest interview format, but adds the twist of character-based improvisation to the show.

Typically, Aukerman will interview the guest for 20 to 30 minutes when inevitably an “unexpected guest” arrives.

This is usually another comedian playing a character they have created for the program.

Fan-favorites include Bobby Moynihan’s murderous orphan Fourvel, Jessica St. Clair’s boisterous teen persona Marissa Wompler and really anyone played by the incredible Paul F. Thompkins.

Aukerman and the guest spend the rest of the episode interviewing and interacting with the unexpected guest character, discussing their lives and discovering why they have dropped by the podcast.

“Comedy Bang Bang” celebrates the end of each year with a number of “Best Of…” episodes, offering a good introduction for any newcomers.

You’ll get a taste of what the show is all about and have the benefit of hearing only the higher quality episodes.

Buried deep within the top charts of iTunes’ ever growing list of comedy podcasts is “Harmontown.” Writer and creator of shows such as “Community” and “Rick and Morty,” Dan Harmon hosts his podcast in front of a live audience at the Nerdmelt Showroom in Los Angeles, California with friend and comptroller Jeff B. Davis.

Harmon discusses everything from comedy and pop culture to current events and politics with his girlfriend, Erin McGathy.

More than anything, Harmon talks about himself, extending the semi-infamous reputation that he is a narcissist. With recurring guests such as Kumail Nanjiani and Bobcat Goldthwait, as well as the constant inclusion of fans at the theater, Dungeons and Dragons with resident dungeon master Spencer Crittenden and Harmon’s signature freestyle raps, the show has a consistent sense of surprise and familiarity each episode. Harmon allows full insight into his life and creative process, which is wonderful to hear, especially if you are a fan of him and his work.

Comedy podcasting is an ever-growing medium, filled to the brim with quality content for any and all tastes. These podcasts are an excellent reflection of the quality in the genre, but to really find the comedy podcast to suit your taste, find a comedian you recognize and listen to their podcast, as they almost definitely have one.

Cory J. Willey can be reached at cjwilley@umass.edu.

Both acts deliver a night to remember

By Jack Nichols Collegian Staff

The masses at the Calvin Theatre rushed to gather in the standing area in front of the stage last Sunday night with the hopes of getting up close and personal with O.A.R. and Andy Grammer. Both acts performed an energetic and full three-hour show that catered to both hardcore followers and new fans.

The show opened with an incredible performance

by Grammer. At first, when Grammer announced that he would be performing alone, most fans assumed he would simply sing over prerecorded instrumental tracks. But Grammer surprised everyone in the Calvin Theatre when he showed the full extent of his musical abilities.

Before each of his new tracks, Grammer spent a considerable amount of time building layers before adding his own vocals.

Proving that no instrument is beyond his level of skill, he recorded and then looped sounds from snare drums, bass drums, keytars and crash cymbals. In this way, Grammer formed a cohesive sound similar to the one he achieved in his sophomore album, “Magazines or Novels.”

After Grammer took his leave, there was a distinctly awkward transition period. With two markedly different artists, members of the crowd seemed to

have only come for one of the musicians. An exodus of Grammer fans from the Calvin left the theater feeling empty for a short amount of time.

When O.A.R. finally took the stage 45 minutes later, the audience that remained could not have been more ready. The band opened with “One Shot,” from its 2005 album “Stories of a Stranger.”

With a very positive reaction from the crowd, the band continued to bring out gems from its back catalog at the beginning of its set.

As the crowd began to lose its vigor, O.A.R. quickly regained its energy with a take on “Two Hands Up,” the first track of the night from the band’s newest album, “The Rockville LP.” The group added a powerful twist to the song in its live performance. With pounding bass and drum lines accompanied by loud vocals, the crowd was inspired to get on their feet and throw their hands in the air.

But despite the success of this particular song, O.A.R. tended to stick to its older tracks for the remainder of the concert.

Of the 18 songs the band played, only three came from “The Rockville LP.” Newer fans of the group were disappointed by the lack of big hits in the set list, but veteran fans were excited to hear deeper cuts such as “Sail Away,” a song that the band had not played in concert since 2007.

While O.A.R. played

with the high energy that originally established them as a noted live band, the latter half of the concert seemed to be missing the passion necessary to keep the crowd energized. The songs slowly began to blend together, as each track had a fairly similar sound. This small downside was quickly alleviated by an outstanding encore that was worth the price of admission alone. At the concert’s end, O.A.R. reminded the audience why they are the professionals of live performance, as it powered through three of its most famous tracks.

“Peace” and “Patiently” were performed excellently and with a renewed sense of energy that superseded anything the crowd saw that night. Sunday night’s highlight came when the band introduced Grammer on “That Was A Crazy Game of Poker.”

This proved to be an audience favorite, as the Calvin Theatre was rocked with the noise of a joyful crowd.

It was a beautiful salute to the finale of what was, overall, a well-performed concert.

The strange mash-up of Andy Grammer and O.A.R. at the Calvin Theatre proved to be a remarkable success, as the two acts combined to perform a great show. Grammer used his talent to shock the crowd, while O.A.R. fulfilled its hype as an excellent live band.

Jack Nichols can be reached at jrnichols@umass.edu.

6

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Comics

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WE WANT YOUR COMICS! Put your comics in front of thousands of readers.

Questions? Comments? Email us: comics@dailycollegian.com

If you eat an onion does it become an un–ion?

P oorly D rawn L ines

XKCD

B y R eza F arazmand

aquarius

B y R andall M unroe

HOROSCOPES Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

College teaches you the important things, like how to speed research and how to write just about nothing in 12 pages.

I’m losing my edge

pisces

Feb. 19 - Mar. 20

leo

Jul. 23 - Aug. 22

Early in the morning, you can see empty bikes rolling through campus looking for food for the long hibernation ahead.

virgo

Aug. 23 - Sept. 22

Oh man, it’s been ages since we’ve all been home! Winter break couldn’t come fast enough!

Tumblr is just for little kids and teenagers.

A more mature website for adults would be called stomachlr.

aries

Mar. 21 - Apr. 19

libra

Sept. 23 - Oct. 22

taurus

Apr. 20 - May. 20

scorpio

Oct. 23 - Nov. 21

gemini

May. 21 - Jun. 21

If hot tea makes you colder after you drink it, then I guess everyone’s just going to have to drink it constantly forever.

What does it mean when the yolo dies out?

In order to find good fortune, you must shout Winter break’s coming up! You better arrange “rosebud ;!;!;!” into the infinite abyss. your ride home now or begin to set up camp in the dining hall.

sagittarius

Nov. 22 - Dec. 21

Is a lump of ice cream in a cup with icing on top an “ice–cream–cupcake?”

The new fragrance: Out of season tomato.

cancer

capricorn

Jun. 22 - Jul. 22

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

When raw onion becomes too much to palate, Looking for an emergency holiday gift? Those a simple fix of chewing on a garlic-bread roll squishy pumpkins aren’t doing anything just does just the trick! sitting in the garbage!

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

DailyCollegian.com

DEFAZIO

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

O’BRIEN

continued from page 8

DeFazio and his friends to play on.

DeFazio remembers once during an important New England Patriots football game, his father ran a television cable down to the ice and set up lights so everyone could watch the game at night while they continued to play hockey on the pond.

“It’s like nothing else, it’s where everyone starts playing,” DeFazio said. “There’s just something different about throwing on a random NHL jersey and skating around. My favorite was when the lake was all glass and there was no snow, you could just skate for hours around the whole lake, you could just get lost out there.”

According to DeFazio, the driving force behind his hockey career was his parents.

“Whenever you play hockey, you always have to thank your parents.” DeFazio said.

His parents sustained his hockey career both emotionally and financially, waking up early to drive him to games and practices as a child and attending almost every game he’s played for the Minutemen.

They also had some help.

While most young kids learn how to skate by taking lessons at the local rink, DeFazio had a different coach – his aunt, who coached figure skating.

“I would leave preschool early every day and go to hockey lessons,” DeFazio said. “She taught me how to skate. Then after my skating lessons I would practice my hockey skills.”

DeFazio said the best thing his parents did was not forcing him to play hockey.

JESSICA CHAIKEN/COLLEGIAN

Mike DeFazio (9) jostles for position in a game against Keene State on Oct. 25.

By allowing him to play as he pleased and not pressuring him to create unreachable goals that he didn’t set for himself, his parents allowed his love for the game to grow rather than diminish after all these years.

“I always wanted to have hockey be fun, I didn’t want it to be a job.” DeFazio said.

Endeavors off the ice When his skates aren’t laced up, DeFazio never strays far from the game.

“Honestly, hockey’s been my life, my job revolves around hockey. In my spare time I watch the Bruins, I base my sleep schedule around hockey and I have since I was four years old,” DeFazio said. “It’s impacted my entire life.”

When he’s at home, DeFazio plays in a men’s

league, plays street hockey and has coached the U-20 Team USA Ball Hockey team for the past three years.

This past June, he traveled with the team to Bratislava, Slovakia where his team beat the Canadian national team in the bronze medal game.

In addition to all of his responsibilities both at home and at UMass, DeFazio has also had a job for the past two years with a hockey and sports equipment company called Mylec Sports, Inc. He will be working there after he graduates this spring doing sales, marketing and product development.

However, long-term, DeFazio’s dream is to coach.

“I’ve always wanted to coach,” DeFazio said. “When I found out in the sixth grade I wasn’t going to the NHL I was like, ‘Well maybe I can coach.’ My goal is to coach

ATLANTIC 10 BASKETBALL

GMU shocks Manhattan in improbable fashion VCU drops out of AP Top 25 poll

ond attempt, which allowed Jenkins to heave his prayer down court.

Jenkins finished with a career-high 24 points while

By Chris Martinez Richards led the Jaspers Collegian Correspondent with 18 points.

With a second left on the Manhattan broke open clock and the game seem- multiple leads within the ingly over, George Mason’s contest only to see the Jalen Jenkins grabbed a Patriots narrow the deficits. rebound on Manhattan’s The Jaspers led by 10 points Shane Richard’s free throw in the first half, but Jenkins miss, turned around and led a 13-0 George Mason run fired a 75-foot shot. to tie the game at 28-28 at It hit nothing but net. halftime.

The improbable result The Patriots moved to 2-4 gave the Patriots a 64-63 vic- while Manhattan fell to 1-4 tory and capped off a remark- on the season. able comeback Saturday.

George Mason trailed by Dayton dominates UIC eight points with one minute, 14 seconds remaining, Dayton continued its but went on an 11-4 run strong start to the season within the final 21 seconds Saturday against Illinois to narrow the gap. Patrick Chicago (2-5) with a 75-41 vicHolloway kept the game tory. within reach for the Patriots, The story of the game hitting a pair of 3-pointers was the Flyers’ efficiency, during that stretch. both on the offensive and the Trailing 59-53 with under defensive ends. a minute to play, Holloway Dayton (4-1) limited the hit two free throws, followed Flames to a 27.8 shooting by his two clutch 3-pointers, percentage on the day (15cutting the Jaspers’ lead to for-54 from the field), wreak62-61 with about three sec- ing havoc on defense. onds left to play.

In contrast, the Flyers Following a quick foul, managed to connect on over Richards made his first free 27 of its 52 shots Saturday for throw to put Manhattan up a 52 shooting percentage in 63-61 but missed his sec- addition to finishing 8-for-16

on 3-point attempts.

Jordan Siebert shined for Dayton, notching 22 points.

Devon Scott added his first double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Closing the first half up 27-16, the Flyers opened the second half on a 24-4 run, effectively ending UIC’s comeback chances.

The lone bright spot for the Flames was Jake Wiegand, who chipped in 11 points against Dayton’s stiff defense.

VCU falls out of the AP Top 25 For the first time this season, the Atlantic 10 Conference doesn’t have a single team ranked in the AP Top 25.

Virginia Commonwealth, which entered the season ranked No. 14, dropped out of the rankings after a 73-67 loss to Old Dominion on Saturday. The Rams also fell to then-No.12 Villanova 77-53 on Nov. 24.

VCU, who still garnered 52 votes in the updated ranking, returns to action Tuesday night against Illinois State.

Chris Martinez can be reached at cmart0@umass.edu.

somewhere down the road so maybe it starts with coaching club hockey here and leads somewhere else.”

While his future is bright, DeFazio said he considers club hockey to be one of the greatest experiences he has had. The friendships, camaraderie and dedication have made his time at UMass truly special.

“I don’t know what I would have done with all my extra time at college if I wasn’t playing hockey and I had a normal sleep schedule and didn’t have games,” DeFazio said. “What would I be doing? I have no idea.”

“I always want to keep playing,” he said. “Until my body doesn’t let me I’ll keep playing.”

Ariel Kallenbach can be reached at akallenbach@umass.edu.

LSU

7

continued from page 8

final cross country race of his collegiate career.

According to O’Brien, McGowan’s impact extends further past his personal success on the course.

“When you have a young team, you sometimes wonder where the leadership is going to come from, and Patrick McGowan really stepped up to be that leader,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien described McGowan as someone who led by example and showed dedication that rubbed off on younger teammates.

McGowan entered the year injured and got off to a slow start. The team struggled to diagnose his injury, but the senior re-gained his form as the season progressed, allowing him to finish on a high note.

Other standouts and turning points While McGowan saw a positive end to his tenure with the Minutemen, younger performers such as freshman Tyler Hagen and sophomore John Burns provided an optimistic outlook for UMass’ future.

Hagen finished 37th overall (27:02.7) at IC4As while Burns came in at 43rd (27:12.3).

O’Brien said he was encouraged with the overall group performance of his team.

“Sometime between the New England meet and the Atlantic 10 Conference meet I noticed a turnaround in the team’s sense of camaraderie,” O’Brien said. “They raced better because they were racing for each other.”

O’Brien said he is hopeful that this development

will continue.

“When they are putting out a better individual effort because they feel closer to the guy next to them, it really shows in the races and it becomes more fun,” he said.

The Minutemen now have six months of indoor and outdoor track seasons to build on their late-season progress. However, the young team is faced with the question of leadership with the loss of experienced runners like McGowan.

O’Brien was hesitant to single anyone out as the next fixed leader for UMass, as he said it is too early to tell. He said that he is not too worried about the question, however.

“It’s not crucial to the team’s success, it’s more the icing on the cake,” he said.

Instead, O’Brien said he is focusing on how the Minutemen’s overall speed will improve with the shortdistance races coming up.

O’Brien explained that the runners must become comfortable with faster paces for each mile in the longer races by pushing for even faster times in these shorter events.

Due to UMass’ Northeast location, training throughout the winter is more difficult than for other programs located in the South.

Stronger sprinters generally race in the warmer climate, leaving schools like UMass to develop stronger long-distance runners, something O’Brien will focus on this winter.

And he’ll do so with a string of encouraging performances fresh in his mind.

Nicholas Souza can be reached at nsouza@umass.edu.

continued from page 8

“I hate missing free throws,” Gordon said.

“That’s something I practice every day. It’s a habit.

It’s something that I do every day. I’m going to the charity stripe and I’m going 1-for-2, that’s something that shouldn’t be happening.”

Kellogg said that strong free throw shooting makes the difference in close, competitive games on the road.

“The reality of it is we have to make them,” Kellogg said. “On the road, you can’t give up 10 free points in a tight game.”

News and notes LSU will have sophomore forward Jordan Mickey for Tuesday’s game.

The 6-foot-8 forward didn’t play in the Tigers’ 83-72 victory over McNeese State due to an ankle injury, but he’s expected to be back in the lineup against the Minutemen. Mickey is averaging 17.8 points and 10 rebounds in 37 minutes per game.

He scored 14 points and tallied 10 rebounds against UMass last season.

The Minutemen’s game against LSU is the second

of four critical road games for UMass. The Minutemen also face Providence and Brigham Young University on the road on Dec. 20 and Dec. 23 respectively.

Historically, these games are important for teams vying for entry into the NCAA tournament via an at-large selection.

“The reality of it is, playing those four roads games that we have against this level of competition should get us ready for our league play,” Kellogg said.

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

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Sports@DailyCollegian.com

@MDC_SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Daunting road challenge awaits UMass

Minutemen travel to Baton Rouge

By Mark Chiarelli Collegian Staff

The Massachusetts men’s basketball team’s first true road game of the season ended in agony at Harvard Saturday with Minutemen guard Trey Davis missing a last-second 3-pointer in a 75-73 loss.

Now, UMass reboots for its second road game – and its first true away game outside of Massachusetts – only three days later against a team that hasn’t lost at home this year.

The Minutemen (5-2) will face Louisiana State University Tuesday night in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the second meeting between the two programs. UMass hosted LSU last season and won 92-90 in a game that tipped off at 11 a.m. at the Mullins Center.

According to Minutemen coach Derek Kellogg, his team has little time to worry about the Harvard misstep.

“We have to pick ourselves up and get ready for another tough road game at LSU,” Kellogg said Saturday.

The Tigers’ (4-2) roster awaiting Kellogg is significantly different from the last time the Minutemen faced the Tigers.

Gone is Johnny O’Bryant III, who scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against UMass in 28 min-

utes last season. O’Bryant III was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft.

LSU also no longer has point guard Anthony Hickey, who scored 16 points and tallied seven assists against the Minutemen. He was dismissed from the program in May. Guard Andre Stringer, who added 21 points against UMass, graduated last year.

Six-foot-10 sophomore forward Jarrell Martin is now the Tigers’ top offensive threat, a role that’s awaited him since he arrived at LSU last year.

Martin was one of the most heralded college basketball recruits out of high school and was expected to make an impact against UMass

last season, but he suffered an ankle injury in the first minute of the game and did not return.

Now healthy, Martin’s averaging 16.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

It’s a daunting task for the Minutemen, who must quickly shake off a devastating outcome against the Crimson.

“LSU is a much better team than Harvard,” UMass guard Derrick Gordon said.

“We’ve got to mentally prepare ourselves for that and just get ready for Tuesday.”

The Minutemen specifically stumbled at the free throw line against the Crimson, shooting 19-of29 (65.5 percent). UMass missed multiple opportunities in the final stretch to hit

CADE BELISLE/COLLEGIAN

UMass will face LSU for the second time in program history on Tuesday. free throws at the line and squandered chances to tie the game.

Gordon was no exception, as he went 2-of-4 at the free throw line. He lamented the

‘Hockey’s been my life’

missed opportunities – and the need for improvement against the Tigers – following the game, saying it was the reason UMass lost.

see

LSU on page 7

C RO S S C O U N T RY

UM ends 2014 on high note O’Brien is encouraged by roster development

By Nick Souza Collegian Correspondent

JESSICA CHAIKEN/COLLEGIAN

Mike DeFazio (above) is the captain of the Massachusetts club hockey team and has played both forward and defense this season for the Minutemen.

CLUB HOCKEY

DeFazio thrives as captain, president Hockey a constant for senior UMass forward

By Ariel Kallenbach

I

Collegian Staff

t’s Oct. 24 and the Massachusetts club hockey team has just coughed up a three-goal lead against Marist College.

Two defensemen left the game due to injury by the early stages of the third period, as a comfortable 4-1 lead became a 4-4 draw with the Minutemen on their heels. UMass needed a spark and assurance on its blue line.

Enter Mike DeFazio.

DeFazio – who normally plays forward and prepared throughout the week as a forward – made the sudden switch to defense and had an immediate impact.

“You like to get your mind set before the game on what you need to do and what the coaches expect from you,” DeFazio said. “In the middle of the game when I’m asked to play defense after preparing as a forward all week at practice, it has to be a quick adjustment or it could cost the team.”

“I have done this before though, so even though it’s not ideal it wasn’t something new.”

DeFazio quickly breaks up a Red Foxes’ rush and fires a beautiful

outlet pass to his teammate Scott Campbell, who receives the pass in the neutral zone, skates the puck into Marist’s offensive zone and takes a shot from the top of the circle for the go-ahead goal.

The Minutemen win the game 6-4.

It’s the type of situation DeFazio envisioned himself playing in when he was younger – albeit in a slightly different setting.

In sixth grade, DeFazio believed that one day he was going to be lacing up his skates and putting on a jersey in an NHL locker room, playing in front of tens of thousands of fans at a sold-out arena.

DeFazio and his best friend, Greg “Boobie” Berube would often hone their skills in the basement of DeFazio’s Lunenburg home.

And while the trip down the flight of stairs wasn’t quite the same as heading down the tunnel at the TD Garden to take the ice for his favorite team, the Boston Bruins, the basement fit the role just fine.

The best friends often played knee hockey for hours. On one occasion, Berube looked over at DeFazio to say he wanted to become a stockbroker when he got older, catching DeFazio off guard.

“A stockbroker?” DeFazio said.

“Why do you want to be a stockbroker?”

Incredulously, DeFazio contin-

ued.

“I want to play in the NHL,” he told Berube.

“Dude, you know you’re not going to play in the NHL,” Berube responded as the two took turns passing a puck back-and-forth in the basement.

From Lunenburg to Amherst DeFazio took a year off between graduating from Lunenburg High School and enrolling at the University of Massachusetts. He took commuter classes at Fitchburg State and devoted a majority of his time to hockey, playing for the Junior Bruins in Marlborough.

DeFazio said his junior hockey experience helped ease his transition into college and improved his game.

It was his Junior Bruins coaches that helped him connect with the UMass club hockey team and when he attended a practice, he fell in love.

“People always say high school and (junior hockey) are like the best experiences, but I think club hockey has been by far the best,” DeFazio said.

DeFazio is both the team’s captain and club president. A student in the Isenberg School of Business, he manages the team’s finances and schedules the ice time. DeFazio is a

dependable leader and has earned himself the title and nickname of “Dad” among his fellow teammates.

“There are really no negatives about (DeFazio), he is a very straight-forward person on and off the ice, and makes everyone feel welcome and helps them out in any way,” teammate Nicholas Carter said. “Hence why everyone calls him ‘Dad.’” “The guys know that he has their back. It’s helpful to have a guy like that as the captain because I can go to him to get a sense of how the guys are feeling,” associate head coach Joe Smith said. “He’s also that little bit older than most guys on the team, so they respect him and know that he will hold them accountable if they slip up or are late. He’s a great fit as captain because of that, kind of an extension of the coaching staff.”

On the pond

Before high school, the Junior Bruins and his arrival at UMass, DeFazio was a kid from Central Massachusetts who loved to play ice hockey outside during the harsh, cold New England winters.

After every snowstorm, DeFazio’s father would go out, clear the snow off the lake, and build a rink for see

DEFAZIO on page 7

The Massachusetts cross country team concluded its fall season with an eighth place finish out of 16 teams at the IC4A Championship Nov. 22, showing coach Ken O’Brien encouraging signs.

The race, held at Fordham, was open to all college programs in the Northeast. O’Brien said he used the opportunity to offer experience to a young and improving roster.

“We wanted to use the IC4As to let some of the younger runners who didn’t get a chance to race in the championship races get their feet wet,” O’Brien said.

According to O’Brien, it has been the performances in the final few weeks that leaves him hopeful as the team prepares for the indoor and outdoor track seasons.

Before IC4As, the Minutemen competed in the NCAA Regional Championship on Nov. 14, placing 16th out of 39 teams. UMass appeared in the Atlantic 10 Championship the prior week, finishing seventh out of 14 teams.

With only two seniors on the roster, these races served as an opportunity for the Minutemen’s younger runners, according to O’Brien.

“It’s a nice way for those runners to end the season and gain some highly valuable mental growth,” O’Brien said. UMass displayed quality depth in the NCAAs, as the five runners it entered finished within one minute of each other. Junior Ben Groleau led the Minutemen with a time of 31:39.97 in the 10k race and finished 63rd out of 389 runners.

According to O’Brien, UMass possesses the necessary depth to compete, but he’s still searching for a runner who can separate himself from the pack.

“Having one really good frontrunner that can finish in the top 10 to 15 of every meet is a luxury everyone would like to have, but I still see our core group of guys as a major strength going forward,” O’Brien said.

Patrick McGowan finishes strong One of the standouts from IC4As was senior Patrick McGowan, who finished second out of 148 runners with a time of 25:51.4 in a five-mile race in his see

O’BRIEN on page 7