The Connector - October 24, 2017

Campus Living Series: Off-Campus â–ş Page 6

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

October 24, 2017

Another semester, not another headache

In This Issue

New advising system expected to be more efficient

Trump’s new travel

ban

Brigid Archibald

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Connector Contributor

‘Happy Death Day’ review â–ş Page 5

River Hawks beat the Saints 5-0

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Final River Hawk Scores Team

Score

Volleyball vs. UNH

L 3-0

Overall Record 5-15

Field Hockey vs. Maine

L 2-1 8-9

Men’s Ice Hockey vs. St. Lawrence

W 5-0 3-3-0

Men’s Soccer vs. Binghampton

W 2-0

7-5-1

The Front Bottoms are not ‘Going Grey’ Dorian Taylor Connector Contributor

The Front Bottoms, an up and coming indie rock and alternative band from Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, followed up their 2015 album “Back on Top� with a more energized and exquisitely produced album titled “Going Grey.�

In the past, most of the group’s songs consisted of minimal production and emphasized the raw sound of acoustic guitar, drums, bass and occasional trumpet.

The Front Bottoms’ change of tone in their latest album may come as a shock to those who are familiar with the band, but that is not to say that the band has changed for the worse. In fact, the band has evolved into something greater by expanding their arsenal of instruments with the addition of piano and synthesizer, adding effects to their vocals and increasing the quality of their production. “Going Grey� immediately introduces the band’s new sound with the heavily synthesized instrumental on the opening track “You Used to Say (Holy F*ck).� The Front Bottoms signed to the record label Fueled by Ramen in 2015, and since their induction there has been a noticeable change in the band’s overall sound, presumably from influence from the label.

The Front Bottoms have found their balance

During the 2015-2016 academic year, the Committee of Academic Affairs, led by Rob Callahan, put out surveys that found that first-year students as well as transfer students were confused by the current advising model. They found themselves in positions where they had changed majors, problems they did not know how to fix, or just simply did not know who their adviser was or how to get in contact with them.

This academic year, the Committee and the Office of Academic Administrators have worked together to try to find a solution to the problems in the advisory system.

This year’s incoming students will be the first to experience the solution: a new advising model called the Hybrid Model.

many to reform advising, and the office hopes that next year they will be able to expand the program to second year students.

Courtesy of UMass Lowell

Advisers help students create a path for success.

This is a model that has been successful in many universities, and the office has high hopes that it will help incoming students at UMass Lowell. This change will only affect first year students. The model is the first step of

Under the Hybrid Model, students will be given a professional adviser in addition to the preexisting the faculty advisers.

Professional advisers are full time advisers who will act as a point of contact for incoming

â–ş See “UMass Lowell,â€? page 3

Teach-in shows the importance of climate action Andre Ragel Connector Staff

Hundreds of students, faculty and environmental advocates gathered on Oct. 19 for the UMass Lowell Climate Change Initiative’s 2017 Teach-In Building Communities for Climate Action held at Cumnock Hall.

The Climate Change Teach-In is

an annual event sponsored by the Climate Change Initiative and the Office of Sustainability, in which experts from various agencies come in and share their knowledge about climate change with the university community.

This annual Teach-In is named after David Lustick, a former member of the Climate Change

â–ş See “Front Bottoms,â€? page 4

Sections

News.............................3 Campus Life..................6 A&E.............................. 4 Sports........................... 8

students. Freshmen will have a professional adviser within their college who will help with degree planning, mapping out schedules and defining goals.

Callahan, last year’s Academic Affairs Committee chair who worked on the reform, said, “If we focus heavily on advising freshmen, we get the roadmap set up for their entire stay here. The quicker that’s figured out ,the better.�

Transfer students’ professional advisers are through the university’s Centers for Learning.

They will handle all the same work in addition to handling other challenges that are often presented

Taylor Carito/Connector

Lower water levels as a result of warmer weather and less rain.

Initiative who lost his battle with cancer in 2016.

Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney opened the Teach-In by acknowledging UMass Lowell’s Climate Action Plan. Since the implementation of this plan in 2011, UMass Lowell has continued to inform the school community about climate change and has incorporated green initiatives throughout the university despite its rapid expansion, as well as net zero emissions of heat-trapping pollutants by 2050. According to Chancellor Moloney, 68 percent of prospective undergraduate students choose to attend UMass Lowell because of its green initiatives. “Addressing climate change is a shared responsibility, and UMass Lowell is committed to achieving climate neutrality,� said Moloney. “The future is green.�

This year’s featured speakers Carl Spector and Vanessa Gould engaged students through interactive polling and eye-opening â–ş See “Climate Change,â€? Page 7

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October 24, 2017

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS Tax Reform should help the needy, not the greedy Alex DePalma Connector Contributor

For the past 50 years, America has been suffering from an increase in economic inequality; the wealthiest individuals are accumulating a greater share of the national income and capital assets than at any time since the 1920s. The median wage has not increased relative to inflation since the 1970s despite substantial increases in worker productivity. In general, the rich are getting richer, the poor are

“The GOP claims that reducing taxes on the wealthy will enable more investment and growth in business� getting poorer and the middle class is shrinking.

In the midst of this trend, the Republican tax proposal seeks to give the

extremely wealthy the gift of lower corporate tax rates and lower marginal income tax rates while increasing the tax burden of the middle class and eliminating popular tax deductions for families. The GOP claims that reducing taxes on the wealthy will enable more investment and growth in business, leading to wage growth and more job creation. However, the economic data contradicts this prediction.

When corporate taxes have been cut in the past, the money is used for stock buybacks and dividends to investors, not increased wages. The Reagan tax cuts in 1986 reduced the corporate rate, and the trends of wage stagnation and concentrated wealth continued. When the U.K. lowered its corporate rates, wages fell consistently.

If Republicans were truly interested in benefiting the average worker, they could raise the minimum wage or provide cash infusions directly to families. Providing higher wages to the working class would enable families to purchase more goods and stimulate commerce without unfairly favoring

the wealthy.

Instead, Republicans assert that executives and owners will distribute their tax savings altruistically, even though all prior data predicts they will behave selfishly. These tax cuts are motivated directly by the lobbying of wealthy donors and industry groups, not by any sense of concern for the well-being of working constituents.

The men and women who work daily to provide for themselves and their families need help, not those wealthy enough to invest in stocks and real estate. We should be taxing the income that American corporations make

overseas and closing the loopholes in the tax code to make sure every company is paying their share.

America does need to reform its tax system, but in a way that redistributes the excess wealth from the sedentary assets of the rich to the workers struggling to survive. Tell your political representatives to oppose any tax legislation that gives handouts to corporations at the expense of working people and the national deficit. America should live up to the promise of equality of opportunity, not make it easier for the rich to hoard wealth.

THE UMASS LOWELL

Courtesy of kitces.com Serving the Student Body Since 1976

UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR

The proposed tax brackets for 2017.

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TAYLOR CARITO Editor-In-Chief

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PATRICK CONNELL SHANE FOLEY EMMA HARGRAVES ANDREW HAVERTY JESSICA KERGO ALISON MARC-AURELE JASON OUNSPRASEUTH

HANNAH MANNING Managing Editor

ANDREW SCIASCIA News Editor KATHRYN LEEBER Sports Editor

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Staff

ANDRE RAGEL CHRISTOPHER ROMANO ELEAZAR SAINTIUS KELLY SKELTON ERIC SMITH EMILY TOOMEY

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October 24, 2017

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NEWS UMass Lowell students face off against New England Blazers wheelchair basketball team Jason Ounpraseuth Connector Staff

On Friday, Oct. 20, in their annual partnership with the New England Blazers, the physical therapy club invited students to learn first-hand the challenges people in wheelchairs go through by playing wheelchair basketball.

The New England Blazers wheelchair basketball team is an affiliate of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. The Blazers are a notfor-profit organization that raises their own funds during the offseason to allow them new equipment and money to travel.

Paul Cowan has served as director of the Blazers basketball program since 1992. Cowan is not only the director, but he does so much more for the Blazers, serving as the coach, the equipment manager and many other

things that make him so vital for the Blazers.

“It’s really cool to be able to have [the New England Blazers] come in.

When you’re in the chair it puts you in a position like, ‘oh this is kind of how it is,’ but either way they’re still participating in the community,” said physical therapy club President Mike Chiauzzi. “It’s an awesome event, and we have it every year, so this isn’t the first time we’ve had it.

It was an eye-opening event for many who participated in the game.

“You kind of learn it as you go because obviously they have their plays down,” said Chiauzzi. “It kind of shows you it doesn’t matter if you’re on a wheelchair or not. They make it look so easy, and it definitely gives you a new perspective. It’s amazing, what they’re able to do.”

Friends and family watched on, seeing the fantastical moves of the Blaz-

Julia Malakie/Lowell Sun

Blazers’ Andrew Bateman guards UMass Lowell’s Nicole Hayner in last year’s game.

Julia Malakie/Lowell Sun

The New England Blazers played against the UMass Lowell women’s basketball team in April of last year.

ers as they passed and moved the ball with very few faults.

For the students, it was more trial and error for the rotating groups who got a chance to sit in the wheelchair and get their own experience of wheelchair basketball. Some were successful in moving in the chair and getting shots off while others fell and found trouble moving in the chair, but at the end of the day, everyone had fun as the physical therapy club raised money for the club and other organizations.

The partnership has not only benefited the physical therapy club and other students, but it serves as a chance to have some fun for the Blazers.

“The guys love it. They love doing this type of exhibition game. We get so intense in our own league and

everything. This is fun for us,” said Cowan.

Each group of five students got a chance to rotate every 15 minutes to get their shot at trying to see what they were capable of in wheelchair basketball. This kind of experience is a unique one, and Cowan said, “It gets the able-bodied people [a chance to] live in our world, especially in the sports world, not necessarily everyday life.”

It may have been just for 15 or 20 minutes, but the people who participated in the wheelchair basketball event will walk away with a small idea of what it is like for people like Cowan and his teammates from the Blazers thanks to the Physical Mobility Basketball event held by the physical therapy club.

Student involvement leads to advising system change ►Continued from front page

to transfer students.

This program will stream line the freshmen year advising experience, insuring that all freshmen are getting the same information. Dr. Julie Nash, vice provost for student success, says, “One of the things it does is it allows consistency which is especially important for our new students, because their first experience on campus really sets the tone for how they are going to do. If we have good messaging and good outreach, then we can hopefully catch students with a safety net before something bad happens.”

While the professional adviser takes care of the more clerical items, the faculty advisers provide students with discipline specifics.

Dr. Justin Gerstienfield, director of college based professional advising, a new position created just for this program, says, “They are going to tell students what it means to study a topic, how to become a content expert and show them all the ways they can use their degree in the real world.”

The goal is that as students move through school, they will be better connected to their department and will develop a better understanding of the system. By the end of their second year, they will no longer need their professional adviser, and communicate mostly with their faculty adviser who will help determine which courses to take, help them find opportunities like co-op research or internships, and figure out the student’s trajectory for after graduation.

Kerry Donohoe, the dean of academic services stressed that both advisers serve an important role,by saying “It’s not either-or. Both are critical to the student’s success.”

Professional advisers are only the first part of a much broader advisory reform. The next big change is an advising page soon to go live on the university’s website. The page is a centrally coordinated space that will act as a one stop shop for all things advising, pulling together all the information that is already available for advising and adding more tools for both advisers and students. It will provide

links to find students advisers, a step by step tutorial with links to explain how find an advisory report, a FAQ page, numerous how-to guides for things like course selection and each college within the school will have its own page.

The site will also integrate the scheduling tool for advising that some colleges, like the Manning School of Business, are already using, and the school will be working on expanding the program to other colleges like the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

These changes are a result of the student’s involvement in the university’s programs. Vice President of Student Government Association Brian Madigan says, “The advising reform on campus has truly been a grassroot movement that has shown how the administration listens to the students.”

Donohoe encourages students to continue to be part of the discussion by providing feedback on the new advising system, and how they can continue to improve the new advising website.

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October 24, 2017

October 24, 2017

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ‘Going Grey’ is absolutely fantastic

line,” which is a notable highlight of the album. The ►Continued from front page between punk and pop through the process of mak- song opens with an unfamiliar synthesizer melody ing this album. Over the span of 11 tracks, the band that would not be found in any of their previous manages to include the kind of acoustic rock songs albums. The band took a risk releasing a song that that first album fans will appreciate, while also pro- has more of a dance and funk feel than anything Courtesy of Bar None Records viding tasteful alternative tracks that will help the band acquire a more diverse audience.

The singles of “Going Grey” scream, “We’re back!” as the band seeks to regain the love from fans that may have lost interest in the group after the release of their previous album, which was generally considered to sound too much like pop.

The simplistic track “Raining” is pretty mellow as it starts with just an acoustic guitar, but has waves of satisfying excitement that come in when lead singer Brian Sella yells, “‘Cause I feel absolute fantastic!”

The second single, “Vacation Town,” is more “Going Grey” is The Front Bottom’s fourth studio album. stimulating and features a beautiful trumpet line they have released before, but this experimentation and a reminiscing story that anyone can relate to was successful. This track proves that the band can with lines like, “I miss the way things used to be.” create catchy songs with a variety of instruments, The song has an incredible energy that makes lis- covering the span of several genres.

With such a strong track list, the only song on the teners feel like they are in a crowd of bouncing fans album that falls short is “Everyone but You.” The at a Front Bottoms concert.

The band ventures from their original sound and song feels thrown together with a basic rock backgets experimental with the track titled “Trampo- ing track and an underwhelming humming melody. Most of The Front Bottoms’ songs that fall flat

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ‘Lotta Sea Lice’ is fine but forgettable

musically are redeemed by Sella’s lyrics and unique storytelling, but lyrics like “Can’t get happy, can’t get sad,” cannot save this forgettable track.

The Front Bottoms’ core members Sella and Mathew Uychich have both grown as musicians since their previous album. With the band originating as an excuse for these childhood friends to get together and have some fun, The Front Bottoms may have suffered from lack of professional music training in creating their first handful of extended plays and full length albums. Sella’s vocals sound more melodic and controlled in “Going Grey” than in any of their previous albums, and Uychich has only become more skilled in his drumming.

In the past, The Front Bottoms may have been a quirky band that could only capture a cult fan base, but today the band has evolved their style into music that can be enjoyed by a broader audience. Their singing and instrumentation is sharpened, their songwriting is more cohesive and their style is more solidified. “Going Grey” is the groups best album to date, and with the band members having found their sound, even better albums can be expected in the future.

Final grade: A-

‘Mindhunter’ is Netflix’s best to date Owen Johnson Connector Editor

It has been noted numerous times that the television industry is in a golden age of programing when it comes to original content created by streaming services. “Mindhunter,” a Netflix original series, is more than qualified to be added to the ever-expanding list.

Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), a young member of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, teams up with veteran agent Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) in order to study how criminals think. To do so, they travel around the country, speaking to different incarcerated criminals to collect data for their study, which they hope to use to catch dangerous behavior in people before it goes too far.

The genre of police dramas has been played out so much and for so long on television, but “Mindhunter” finds a way to come at the genre from a new angle. There are no outlandish crimes nor a killer of the week, and when killings are brought into the show it is a question of why instead of who.

The show also manages to stay fresh by not doing the same thing over and over again. For example, in most police drama shows, the cops would find a victim, interview some suspects, collect

evidence, pick out the bad guy in the lineup of suspects and finish everything up nicely before their next assignment the following week.

look like the 1970s. Even the usage of product placement worked, as the look of the labels set the time period and the way they were worked

All of the characters are well written and developed, and the performances by the actors are superb. The only person this is not the case

Courtesy of Netflix

The series was based on the true crime book “Mind Hunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit” by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker.

In “Mindhunter,” a lot of the show focuses on the interviews with the incarcerated killers, but it also takes what the characters know and has them apply it to different circumstances, whether those be cold cases in towns they are visiting or when Ford begins investigating an elementary school principal for improper conduct with the students.

The realism of the series is easily the most outstanding detail in every aspect of the show’s creation. The attention to detail was meticulous in order to make the setting

in was done so to make the world feel lived in and real as opposed to just being in there because the companies gave the studio money.

All of the killers that Ford and Tench meet with are well developed and differentiated in speech, mannerisms and insanity. There is not a single repeat. There are no outlandish crimes or over the top dramatic occurrences that the characters have to deal with.

All of the dramatic events in the show are grounded, and at certain points they can even seem mundane.

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with is Hannah Gross, who plays Ford’s girlfriend. Gross is monotone and not very expressive in any of her scenes, and it is hard to tell if this is part of her character or just bad acting on Gross’ part.

Either way, Gross and Groff have remarkable chemistry with one another, which helps to negate her lackluster performance.

Something that speaks volumes to the production and quality of the show are the directors that were used. Of the four directors, three of them are well acclaimed with the

most prominent being “Fight Club” and “Zodiac” director David Fincher, while the fourth one still does an exceptional job on his episodes and stands his ground when compared with the others.

Just like the meticulous attention to details that were visible with the aesthetics of the show, the same attention to detail was shown through the directing and editing.

Everything from the camera work to the sound editing is done superbly. The way the scenes are shot and the cameras are set up conveys a lot of information about the characters while the sound editing helps set the mood. For example, when Ford meets his first inmate, a 200 plus pound killer named Edmund Kepper (Cameron Britton), his footsteps sound like they shake the entire prison.

With a fantastic cast, intelligent and talented directors, and a wonderful script and premise, “Mindhunters” is easily one of the best television shows out there, and it might be the best original content that Netflix has created thus far.

Final Grade: A+

Patrick Connell Connector Staff

Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile have recently teamed up to create a collaborative album called “Lotta Sea Lice.” If someone has listened to either artist, then there might be an assumption as to what this album might sound like.

Barnett comes from Melbourne, Australia, which can clearly be heard in her voice. In the past, she has been prone to composing songs with guitar melodies, having many varying parts and adding in the vocals with witty, pun-filled lyrics. Vile is a Philadelphia-based musician, formerly part of The War on Drugs as lead guitarist, with his own distinctive voice, especially noticeable with his odd inflections on words that have seemingly straightforward pronunciations.

The reason why this album was created in the first place is because Vile wrote the lead single and opening track “Over Everything” with Barnett’s voice in mind, and then after having a jam session together, they decided to go on a tour and write an album as well. With just listening to this track, the sense of the rest of album is given: a mellow, folksy, blues rock album layered with winding guitar lines with a conversation between the two artists sung over them.

For instance, “Over Everything” just has the two of them talking about how they write music. It has a nice set of jazzy chords taking the listener through the verses, and then goes through an extended outro laden with guitar solos.

The next song, “Let It Go,” might have the catch-

iest melody to it. There are two guitars to it: the one playing the elongated, higher notes in the foreground, and the one playing the bass-like notes to complement in the background. However, part of why this may be so catchy is that it is played for two

Courtesy of Matador Records

The artists will give $1 from every ticket sale for their tour to the American Civil Liberties Union.

and a half minutes straight, which brings to light an issue this album has: many of the songs do not have great variance to their structure, so they become somewhat repetitive.

“Fear is Like a Forest” and “Outta the Woodwork” are both the heaviest songs on the album in terms of sound. Either song could be sung by Neil Young & Crazy Horse during their time of hard blues rock,

and it would not seem out of place. These are also the best structured songs on the album. After listening to them enough, the chorus parts are nigh impossible to not sing along with, especially in “Outta the Woodwork.”

“Continental Breakfast” is an odd song in its subject matter. Vile and Barnett just sing about how they are from different continents and, during the making of this album, they would sit and eat breakfast together. The guitar here is a mix of acoustic (softly, quickly finger picked) to establish where the melody is going, and then a twangy electric to finish off where it is headed. Despite being one of the more lackluster songs here, the bridge section is where the sentimentality really picks up, but it ends too quickly and just repeats a previous verse.

“Peepin’ Tom” was a song Vile originally performed as part his solo work (titled “Peeping Tomboy”), but here it has been reworked to just Barnett and her acoustic guitar. She sings about diametrically opposed desires that people often find themselves with, and combined with the bittersweet theme the guitar presents and the stripped-down production, “Peepin’ Tom” is a quite moving song.

Overall, “Lotta Sea Lice” is a pleasant album to listen to. It is probably best heard in a setting of relaxation, such as being around a campfire or watching a sunset on a porch. Nevertheless, it does not have as great critical value, which is noticeable on repeated listens. They will be performing at the Orpheum Theater in Boston on Saturday, Nov. 4.

Final Grade: B-

Not a happy day if one sees ‘Happy Death Day’ Owen Johnson Connector Editor

“Happy Death Day” is a horror movie that was released by Blumhouse Productions. Among Blumhouse’s other horror works includes the “Paranormal Activity” movies, the “Ouija” movies and “The Purge” movies. If that is enough information to help figure out the quality of “Happy Death Day,” feel free to stop reading here.

On her birthday, sorority sister Theresa “Tree” Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) is attacked and murdered. After she is murdered, Tree awakens in the same spot she had awoken that exact morning. As she lives through the same day over and over again, Tree sets out to figure out who her killer is so that the day will stop repeating.

Many movies have copied the repeating day plotline of the Bill Murray film “Groundhog Day,” but “Happy Death Day” takes it to a new extreme.

The day is not just repeating, but the main character has a similar character and similar character arc, the romance in it has similar traits to it, the repeating day is a non-holiday holiday and the inability to decide on tone is characteristic of both films.

“Happy Death Day” has all of the problems of a repeating day-premised story and all of the problems of a horror movie.

There is absolutely no reason that the day should be repeating itself, and seeing the exact same imagery again

and again becomes tedious and annoying once the audience has been forced to sit through it enough times.

Tree is a typical horror movie character: she makes dumb decisions that ultimately keep getting her killed, which is even more annoying to watch than in a normal horror movie because

comedy.

For example, once it is established that Tree has infinite lives to figure out who her killer is, a comical montage starts. In one of the montage clips, she goes stalking after a suspect with dyed hot pink hair, a camouflage painted face and camouflage attire. The fluc-

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Tony Gardner, the man who designed the Ghostface mask for the “Scream” series, designed the mask for “Happy Death Day.”

her multiple lives gives her ample opportunity to think of a plan that is not idiotic. It also relies heavily on jump scares and the killer doing impossible things to make the film scary.

The tone fluctuation is the most jarring aspect about the whole movie.

The premise of a killer going after a girl and her continuously waking up after she has been murdered sounds like it should be scary and suspenseful. Some scenes are played like that, but other parts are written as if for a

tuation of tones is not annoying, but they are never melded together and ultimately make a movie that is confused about what it is trying to be.

The biggest problem is easily the killer, and not just because they have horror movie villain powers where they seem able to be wherever they are needed or do whatever they need to for a kill or a scare, but because their plan makes no sense. The plan makes so little sense that once the killer is stopped, a side character actually

has an entire speech dedicated to how illogical the plan was.

To the movie’s credit, there were some praiseworthy aspects. Even if it is a rip off of Bill Murray’s character in “Groundhog Day,” Tree does have a good character arc. Even with a repeating day, the writer did work in a way for there to be stakes to the situation. While Rothe’s acting was not always the best in the horror scenes, she was able to pull off a genuinely emotional performance in what is arguably the movie’s most important scene.

There are a number of other good ideas that the movie has, but unfortunately does not deliver on. Or, even worse, it seems to ignore the potential it has set up for itself. For example, using the “Groundhog Day” premise in a murder mystery is an interesting idea. However, the only investigative parts of the movie are glossed over in a comical montage. Then there are the stakes that actually make the story have tension to it, but the stakes are all ignored in the final confrontation with the killer.

There is a saying out there that something is better than it has any right to be. Well, “Happy Death Day” is worse than it has any right to be. At worst it should have been a generic horror movie version of “Groundhog Day,” and it was much worse.

Final Grade: D-

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October 24, 2017

CAMPUS LIFE

UMass Lowell student publishes book about self-help Kelly Skelton Connector Staff

Jack Travis is an undergraduate business student, author and entrepreneur in the Manning School of Business. To many peers, he may seem upbeat, professional and kind. Though, his life was not always this positive.

Travis found himself in and out of mental hospitals frequently before he was able to conquer his demons of addiction and depression. Originally from Boston, Travis had his fair share of setbacks growing up. Abusive relationships and alcohol nearly derailed his life. Remarkably, he found the light and is now ready to influence others.

After developing a method of self-help and eliminating his negative influences, Travis is focused on helping others achieve the same goals. The culmination of his experience is discussed in his new book, “Starting Point: Your Journey to a Better Life Starts Here,” which was released on October 1.

Within this piece of literature, Travis uses self-reflection to fight back. He quickly came to the realization that in order to heal, he had to eliminate the negative aspects of his life. These negative influences came in the forms of alcoholism, anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder and individuals. Using advice from his professors and mentors, Travis was able to rid himself of these weights and surround himself with positive influences.

The book is divided into two aspects of self-reflection: “The Way We Are and Why” and “What We Can Do To Make A Positive Change.”

Travis explained the goal of his book as wanting “people to understand themselves and identify the good and bad influences of their life.” The starting point is focused around long-term, sustainable solutions to mental health problems.

While some of the content references short-term fixes such as therapy, detox and rehab, the real message outlines personal growth as the ultimate way to make a lasting change. Furthermore, the concept of cause-and-effect is fully explained, “everything is cause and effect, in order to make significant changes, you must eliminate the cause to eliminate the effect,” said Travis.

The big idea of this book connects struggling individuals with resources along with the knowledge of how to utilize them. This supports the theory that healing is possible, and that preventions of this healing must be eliminated in order to be freed.

Jack Travis aspires to be the person there for others that he did not have. Now branding himself as a mental health advocate and businessman, he hopes to become a motivational speaker. Within his speaking engagements, Travis wishes to incorporate the ideas of his book in an effort to make the world a better place. Seeking to grow his career, further aspirations include acquiring sponsorships and advertisers in order to develop his platform.

To purchase Travis’ self-help guide, readers may visit iamjacktravis.com or by visiting Amazon.com in the “books” section. Travis encourages his fol- Jack Travis overcame hardships from addiction to lowers to connector with him via Twitter @JackTs- depression, and brings the lessons he learned to paperback.

Journey.

Campus Living Series: Off-campus tradeoffs Veronica Cashman Connector Contributor

Despite the variety of different-styled residence halls UMass Lowell has to offer, residing in an off-campus apartment is a leading alternative to on-campus options. .Completely disassociated with university ownership, apartments are becoming a popular option for many students, mainly upperclassman, looking to save money and gain independence by moving off campus. Students residing off campus are no longer required to pay for neither a meal plan nor a parking pass, which many students have found to be beneficial, like Gabriella Pucciarelli. A senior at UMass Lowell, Pucciarelli says she has saved over $10,000 since moving into her apartment off of South Campus.

Pucciarelli and her roommate . signed a yearlong lease at the beginning of July guaranteeing them a two-bedroom unit in an apartment complex furnished with a full kitchen and bathroom that also includes a common laundry unit for all residents. .“At first, buying all the furniture can rack up a little bit of money, but no matter what, it is still cheaper than the prices of the dorms at UMass Lowell,” says Pucciarelli. “Between that and not having to pay for a meal plan that I rarely used, it is much easier because I can get up and walk across the street without having to save an extra 30 to 40 minutes for a bus ride.”

The cost of living in one of the . university’s residence halls can average to an overwhelming $12,000 per year, however they do provide several security sources, such as nighttime security guards in each dormitory and sporadic blue light emergency phones throughout campus that some believe are worth the price in exchange for their safety. .Despite living near the university’s police station for two years, senior Nicole Carroll says her sense of security has definitely changed since moving off campus. Carroll said, “I loved the safety I was provided with living on campus… Last year both my car and apartment got broken into, something I never really had to worry about living on campus, but this year, I moved into a building with 11 different units and have experienced no problems.”

Depending on where students . choose to live, many apartments even offer multiple units within them, which can help assist students to feel more comfortable as they adapt to living off campus with their friends. .Senior Calvin Karski says he always takes precaution, especially at night, by always keeping his doors and windows locked. He also feels a lot safer due to his apartment being located on the second floor of his building. However, Karski says that these obstacles have also contributed to his adaptation of responsibility, which comes with the independence of living in your own apartment.

“It’s nice to have your own space

away from everyone else whereas you would have to share a room with someone in the dorms,” Karski says.

“You have more freedom with how you want to set up your living space and it is not always dictated by others.”

Both Karski and Carroll agree that their sense of freedom is one of the most beneficial parts about being able to live conveniently in an apartment,

and of course the absence of resident advisors.

Carroll says she has gained much more freedom and responsibility by living off campus. “I have gotten to live with some of my best friends in the whole world and dance to music with the volume real loud without any complaints,” she says. “It has been both a fun and rewarding experience to live in an off campus apartment.”

Matt Johnson/Connector

October 24, 2017

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CAMPUS LIFE

DifferenceMaker program opens its annual competitions Kelly Skelton Connector Staff

The fifth year of the DifferenceMaker program is underway, with the beginning of the annual competition’s registration, open to all UMass Lowell students. Registration closes on Oct. 31 with a variety of contests inciting a renewed sense of excitement from last year’s successes.

Recent DifferenceMaker projects include Nonspec (2013), InvisaWear (2016), Biobubbler (2014) and Support-Our-Students (2014). These innovative groups have used DifferenceMaker resources to serve the Lowell community and beyond.

For those unfamiliar with the DifferenceMaker program, these events are being provided for one fundamental purpose. DifferenceMaker envisions a world where UMass Lowell graduates are equipped with a set of entrepreneurial skills and experiences that support them in developing sustainable solutions to problems encountered in their community, workplace or around the world.

The competitions this year include the Francis College Engineering Prototype Competition, the FAHSS Creative Venture Competition and the

DCU/MSB Innovation Contest.

The Francis College of Engineering Prototype Competition is open to all students. Each team must have one engineering member. The Prototyping Competition seeks ideas that can be turned into real products. This competition assists students in thinking about an idea and actually building it into a reality.

The FAHSS Creative Venture Competition is open to all students. Each team must have one student in fine arts, humanities or social sciences.

The competition looks to bring the spotlight to the entrepreneurial prowess of students here at UMass Lowell, specifically within FAHSS. DCU/MSB Innovation Contest is open to all students. This contest is looking for students of UMass Lowell that possess innovative ideas pertaining to the banking/financial industries that will foster success within the banking industry.

While the competitions differ in focus, all will highlight student’s capabilities to solve problems by creating real solutions. Involvement in the contests serve as great resume builders. Within these events, students will have the opportunity to work with ex-

perts in each field, such as the CEO of DCU Jim Regan ’88 and entrepreneur Glenn Morgan ’86. In addition, $10,000 in cash prizes and funding will be awarded. Each team will also receive an automatic entry into the DifferenceMaker Preliminary PitchOff in spring 2018.

To register for a competition, visit https://www.uml.edu/Innovation-Entrepreneurship/DifferenceMaker/College-Competitions/. For more information regarding these events or more opportunities with DifferenceMaker, contact differencemaker@uml.edu.

Courtesy of UMass Lowell DifferenceMaker

Registration for the DifferenceMaker compeititons is on Oct. 31.

An effort to raise climate change awareness on campus ►Continued from front page

stories to show the real effects of climate change around us. Spector, the commissioner of the environment for the city of Boston, oversees various projects on sustainability, climate mitigation and adaptation and environmental protection for the city.

Throughout his presentation, Spector advocated for the city of Boston’s climate change campaign: “A Carbon Free, Climate Ready Boston.” Students were presented engaging facts about how lack of action within the Boston area would have lasting effects in the long run, including rising sea levels and a dramatic increase in the number of days over 90 degrees Fahrenheit by 2070.

“Whatever we do now, climate change will con-

tinue for the next 30 years, but what we do between now and for the next 30 years is crucial... [as our actions] will affect what we see at the end of the century,” said Spector.

Gould is the co-founder of the grassroots non-profit Mothers Out Front, a group formed ensuring decision-makers represent all children’s interests in the face of the climate crisis. Gould also led Somerville Climate Action and various projects involving climate change in the municipal and business sectors.

Gould recalled her experience as a 10-year-old girl living in Paris in 1980 when a bomb exploded at a Jewish synagogue. Gould reflected on how as people came together, the fear she felt turned into hope, and how this same mentality could be applied when talking about climate change.

“We need to be all in this together if we’re looking to create the future we want,” said Gould. “We can do anything when people come together for what is right.”

Associate Professor Matthew Barlow of the College of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Science wrapped everything up and brought the concept of climate change even closer to home.

“Whatever happens across the globe affects you, too. Even if the flood is in Bangladesh, it affects you living in Lowell,” said Barlow.

At the end of the Teach-In, students walked out of Cumnock Hall optimistic to challenge the status quo and take action against climate change.

“Act now, all in. We can’t afford to wait and see.

We need dramatic change now,” said Barlow.

Courtesy of The Odyssey

Students living off-campus can rent houses or apartment buildings units.

According to the World Wildlife Foundation, polar bears are vulernable to extinction partially due to the rapidly increasing temperatures of the Earth’s climate.

October 24, 2017

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SPORTS Women’s soccer ties Binghamton 1-1 Kathryn Leeber Connector Editor

In their final home game of the 2017 regular season, the women’s soccer team tied Binghamton University 1-1 on Sunday afternoon, moving to a 5-5-5 record overall. A successful penalty kick taken by the River Hawk’s leading scorer, midfielder Rachel Morrier, gave the River Hawks the lead, but a late-game goal from the Bearcats sent the game into UMass Lowell’s sixth overtime match of the season.

The contest was also the team’s Senior Day, and the eight members of the squad who will be graduating were honored in a ceremony before the start of the match.

“That’s a good team. They have nine wins, and they’ve done well, so they’re tough to play against,” said head coach Frankie D’Agostino. “They have

Matt Dwyer/Connector

Midfielder Thalia Petsis goes in for the slide tackle.

some really good players. You still feel like you’re on the wrong end of a tie, but that’s a good thing that we can play against a team that well.”

UMass Lowell goalkeeper Julia Schneider had her first save of the night just 45 seconds into the match when Binghamton forward Kayla Saager sent a shot right to her gloves.

The River Hawks saw their first attempt minutes later after Morrier was fouled just outside of the box.

She took the free kick, but Binghamton’s goalkeeper Mackenzie Hanna made the save. Morrier soon followed with another free kick for the River Hawks, but Binghamton midfielder Dora Hayes cleared the ball. She attempted to take the ball all the way down the field, but the UMass Lowell defenders stopped her.

Forward Shannon Groffie almost had an opportunity to put the River Hawks on the board in the 23rd minute, but she was double-teamed at the top of the box and the Bearcat defenders poked the ball away.

Two minutes later, UMass Lowell was awarded a corner kick. Morrier was fouled inside the penalty box, resulting in her taking the shot that gave the lead to UMass Lowell. Her low kick went into the left corner of the net, while Hanna went to the right. With 11 goals this season, Morrier extended her number of goals scored this year and continues to lead the team.

“I’ve said this before, Rachel is a pro,” said D’Agostino. “She’s something that we’re lucky to have. Getting a little bit more around her, eventually, will help her… but she’s the quality that we need and 11 goals kind of speaks for itself.”

Following the goal, the Bearcats looked for revenge and had several goal attempts to control the remainder of the half. Hayes and Saager led the team in shots in the first half with two and four respectively.

Morrier looked to add another goal for the River Hawks with 1:20 to play before halftime when she got a shot off right in front of Hanna, but the ball went high. With five shots, Morrier was the only player for UMass Lowell to have any shot attempts in the first half.

UMass Lowell led 1-0 at the half which marked the 12th time this season that the River Hawks have kept an opponent from scoring in the first 45 minutes.

The Bearcats kept pressuring the River Hawks and dominated the start of the final 45 minutes, but were unable to get many shots off. After defender Barbara Badeer sent a wide shot into the box in the 49th minute, UMass Lowell gathered the rebound and advanced down the field with the ball. Forward Kristin Birgisdottir got a shot off, but Hanna was there to make the save.

Binghamton continued to control the field, but were not able to score until the 79th minute off a free kick taken by Saager. The ball bounced off the top of the post, even as Schneider attempted to jump up and poke it out, and the Bearcats tied the game.

Even with an aggressive ending riddled with fouls against both teams, neither team could convert to score a goal and the match went into overtime.

The game continued in a back and forth fashion.

Midfielder Laura Gagnon had the first shot for the River Hawks in the first period of overtime. Hanna was able to punch the ball out of the net right beside the goalpost. Again, neither team scored and the game went into the second and final 10 minutes of overtime.

U P C OM I N G

River Hawk Games Tuesday, Oct. 24

7 p.m.

MSOC at Brown

Friday, Oct. 27

7 p.m.

WVB vs UAlbany

Friday, Oct. 27

7:15 p.m.S MICE vs Northeastern

Saturday, Oct. 28

7 p.m.

MSOC vs UNH

Saturday, Oct. 28

5 p.m.

WVB vs Binghamton

Sunday, Oct. 29

1 p.m.

FH vs Vermont

For more sports information and full game schedules visit goriverhawks.com

UMass Lowell had an opportunity as they sent the ball forward with a long-range pass. Morrier tried to pass to Birgisdottir, but Binghamton defenders cleared the ball.

Scheider came up with two big saves in the final six minutes of the match to ensure the tie. She ended the game with eight saves and, like Morrier, leads the team from the net with 95 saves this season. “[The seniors] are great kids and everyone got to play. They showed well and they worked hard,” D’Agostino said regarding senior day. “When you get everyone on the field on senior night, it’s an important thing.”

Matt Dwyer/Connector

UMass Lowell midfielder Rachel Morrier surveys the field as she carries the ball.

No. 19 River Hawks Pickup Road Shutout at St. Lawrence, 5-0 UMass Lowell Athletics

CANTON, N.Y. – Junior goaltender Christoffer Hernberg (Espoo, Finland) posted 27 saves for his first career shutout to help the No. 19 UMass Lowell Hockey team complete a weekend sweep in the North Country with a 5-0 victory at St. Lawrence on Saturday night in non-conference play at Appleton Arena.

The River Hawks improve to 3-3 overall with the win, while the Saints drop to 0-6-0 with the after the loss.

“It’s so important on the road to get off to a good start, it increases your chances to be successful,” said Head Coach Norm Bazin. “I thought Chris Hernberg was solid last night and he played even

better tonight under a lot of pressure.”

Senior forward Jake Kamrass (Atlanta, Ga.) opened the scoring in the game with a back door goal just 1:43 into the contest.

UMass Lowell exploded with a four-goal second period, which included a pair of power play goals

by Chris Forney (Thief River Falls, Minn.), a onetimer from the point and Kamrass’ second goal of the night, which was a wrister from the top of the left circle. Ryan Collins and Kenny Hausinger (Anchorage, Alaska) also added goals in the middle stanza for the River Hawks. Hausinger finished the night with 3 points (1g,2a).

Hernberg earned his third consecutive start and made 11 saves in the final period. St. Lawrence’s Arthur Brey recorded eight saves in the loss playing the first 29:31, while Daniel Mannella came in relief

for the Saints, playing the final 30:16 and making four saves.

UMass Lowell finished the night 2-for-5 on the power play. Sophomore forward Ryan Lohin (Chadds Ford, Pa.) amassed three assists in the victory.

Redshirt junior Keith Burchett (Chicago, Ill.) and freshman defenseman Jonathan Waring (Farmington Hills, Mich.) made their debuts for the River Hawks in the game. Burchett led the team with nine faceoff wins to go along with a 75% percentage.

UMass Lowell returns to action on Friday, October 27th vs. Northeastern in Hockey East play.

Game time from the Tsongas Center is 7:15 p.m.

The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a UMass Lowell winter hat courtesy of Circle Health.