Campus Living Series: Leitch and Bourgeois â–ş Page 6
THE UMASS LOWELL
Serving the Student Body Since 1976
October 31, 2017
MTV’s ‘Scream’ is so funny it is scary
In This Issue I the Mighty album review
Owen Johnson Connector Editor
â–ş Page 5
DIY Halloween costumes â–ş Page 6
Field Hockey tournament
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Final River Hawk Scores Team
Score
Volleyball vs. UAlbany
L 3-0
Overall Record 7-13
Field Hockey at New Hampshire
L 3-4 8-10
Men’s Ice Hockey at Northeastern
L 5-4 3-5-0
Men’s Soccer vs. New Hampshire
W 1-0
8-6-1
Pre- Law and Order How to be a lawyer Isabella Cacioli Connector Contributor
“You want people with diverse backgrounds in a law classroom,� said a representative of New England Law to a room full of UMass Lowell students. On Wednesday, Oct. 18, Pulichino-Tong Room 130 held an audience with different backgrounds and experiences. The people in this room came together to attend UMass Lowell’s very first North Campus Pre-Law Informational. With representatives from UMass Law, New England Law and Suffolk Law, as well as UMass Lowell law faculty, UMass Lowell students were able to get a bird’s eye view into what it takes to become a lawyer. The representatives dove into the topics of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), LSAT-prep and all aspects of what it takes to pass this test and make it into, and through, law school. Freshman UMass Lowell student Fiona BruceBaiden, said she “attended the pre-law informational session because [she] wanted to gain more knowledge about the process of attending law school and the expectation of admissions personnel.� The representatives made it clear that law is a very inclusive field. While one definitely needs a bachelor’s degree to embark in law
The MTV “Scream� television series is a surprising high point in terms of so-bad-it-is-good entertainment. It is hard for movies to reach this entertainment stage because they risk running out of new gimmicks to keep the audience unintentionally laughing at it, and a television show that has a longer run time would have an even harder time of accomplishing this, but MTV’s “Scream� manages to do it. The town of Lakewood has a dark past involving the mass murders committed by a man named Brandon James. This dark past arises again when another string of murders breaks out in the small community,
with the central focus of it being on high schooler Emma Duval (Willa Fitzgerald) and her friend group. “Scream� is an anomaly when it comes to sobad-it-is-good for a few
reasons. One: it is a television series, which makes it seem like it would run out of so-bad-it-is-good material and end up becoming boring over doing the same thing repeatedly. Two: the show actu-
Courtesy of Pinterest
‘Scream’ season three premieres March 2018.
News.............................3 Campus Life..................6 A&E.............................. 4 Sports........................... 8
â–ş See “Scream,â€? page 4
River Hawks Topple No. 17 New Hampshire in 2OT Thriller UMass Lowell Athletics
LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell men’s soccer team (8-6-1, 4-2-0) avenged its only loss from
last season, with a 1-0 double overtime win to knock off No. 17 New Hampshire (11-2-3, 4-2-0), 1-0, Saturday night at Cushing Field on Senior Night.
â–ş See “Pre-Law,â€? page 3
Sections
ally has a decent budget, so they would be able to get whatever was actually needed for it. Three: since it is on a television network and is not something put together by people with no experience making television programs, there is actual competency in some aspects of the show. It is not just a hodgepodge of incompetency from people who do not know what they are doing. The usual rule for something to be so bad that it is good is that the piece of entertainment finds new ways of displaying hilarious ineptitude, but “Scream� manages to find a different path that still reaches the same goal: the show is so oblivious to its own problems
Christina Laderoute/Connector
Junior midfielder Jakov Basic advances the ball to the river hawks.
Ivan Blaskic (Zagreb, Croatia) sent in the game-winning goal in the 107th minute as he was falling onto his back off a scramble in front of the Wildcat net, as the River Hawks extended their home unbeaten streak to 15 games and picked up the first win over a ranked opponent in the Division I era. “UNH has had a great year and they are a very tough team to play against,â€? commented Head Coach Christian Figueroa. “Our guys showed a lot of character tonight and they really wanted the result. They knew how much it meant to get out of here with three points and put ourselves in a good position going into the last game of the season. It was a hard fought game and they deserve it.â€? The game-clinching sequence started with a Jakov Basic (Zagreb, Croatia) corner that resulted in two â–ş See “Soccer,â€? Page 8
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October 31, 2017
OPINIONS & EDITORIALS Firearm control and misinformation around it Andrew Sciascia Connector Editor
On Oct. 1 in Las Vegas, a madman armed with an arsenal of firearms ranging from handguns to semiautomatic long-rifles, 33 of which were accumulated over the course of only a year, opens fire on an outdoor music festival taking place on the Vegas Strip. The attack took the lives of 58 innocent American citizens, and injured more than nine times as many. Before all of the bodies were turned and identified, before the true scale of the vile act could even truly be understood, Americans turned on one another. The political opportunists peddled their filth, and the proponents of firearm control jumped on the event as an opportunity to profane the name and value of the Second Amendment. Fiery debates and tear-filled monologues filled the airwaves and one of America’s most heated debates was rekindled. However, in light of such horrifying events of recent memory, the discourse on firearms in the U.S. is no longer a dialogue of reasonable parties with opposing views.
It is abundantly clear in the political response to the Las Vegas Massacre, and many such events in recent years, that the debate is being fought by two factions; the law-abiding American gun owner and proponent of Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and the mass of emotionally-charged, criminally misinformed control advocates. Ask most proponents of stricter firearm control codes their feelings on the Second Amendment and prepare to be met with the typical pandered response that they have no problem with reasonable Americans owning firearms for sport and hunting purposes, but that nobody has a right to “military style assault weapons.� The first problem is that this response comes from a fundamental misunderstanding, not only of the Second Amendment, but of the Bill of Rights itself. The Bill of Rights is not a set of 10 Amendments to the Constitution that grant Americans and states their rights. In fact, the Bill of Rights does not grant anything. It protects rights. This distinction is the bedrock of the
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Bill of Rights. The Founding Fathers established a Bill of Rights as a compromise with the American people to ordain on paper the ideal that the people of this nation are bestowed by the forces that brought them into this world with certain rights that could not be taken away. In understanding this, it is undeniable that like the right to assembly, free speech and expression, trial by jury and petition, the Second Amendment rights of the American populous are not granted by government but guaranteed by government. And the Second Amendment was not established for sport shooting or hunting. Any honest historical reading of the amendment makes clear that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms� and “a well-regulated militia,� being wholly separate clauses and rights, “shall not be infringed� as they are seen as being “necessary to the security of a free state.� Second Amendment was established not for hunting, but for the American people to be reassured that their right to self-preservation against threats foreign, domestic, local and tyrannical, would not be trodden upon. Stop comparing the purchase, possession and controls on firearms as though it is actually comparable to that of your right to drive. Cars are a privilege, a right granted you by the government and thereby regulated as such. The right to keep and bear arms is a natural right. The second problem with the American left’s response to firearm control is that it comes from constantly being spoon-fed buzzwords and falsehoods about firearms and how their purchase is regulated in the U.S. Review the laws brought to the table by firearm control proponents in
light of every firearm related tragedy and see most are in regards to policing semiautomatic long rifles, their purchase and accessories; despite the fact that Mother Jones reports that 111 of the 143 mass shootings between the years of 1982 and 2012 were committed with handguns, revolvers and shotguns. In fact, Pew Research states that the vast majority of gun violence in the U.S. is committed with handguns and the majority of it, approximately 60 percent, is suicides. Not to mention the fact that mass media like CNN and MSNBC are willing to push pundits on air that are so uninformed that they would imply a U.S. citizen could legally purchase as fully automatic weapon, the manufacturing and sale of which were banned in 1986, or that a person can walk into a store and purchase a firearm in the US without a background check. It is about time someone stated things for what they are. The American firearm debate is a fiasco fueled by firearm control proponents who could not have less of an idea of what they mean to discuss. I urge those control proponents reading this, who I would boldly assume have never attempted to purchase a firearm, to make an attempt to attain a license and firearm in the U.S., if only for the educational purpose of understanding how horribly you misunderstand the process. It is time that things were put plainly. The question can no longer be, “How many more mass shootings before we do something?� The question must become, “How many more discussions must we have on firearms before control proponents do their research?�
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October 31, 2017
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NEWS Pre-Law information session held for students ►Continued from front page
needs a bachelor’s degree to embark in law studies, honesty and experience with the field will take you a long way. For example, if a student has ever had run-ins with the law and/or struggled with academics, being blatantly honest about these aspects of their past will not hurt their chances of being accepted into law school. The representatives at the informational gave other helpful tips to prospective law students. They encouraged students to get a substantial letter of recommendation from both a faculty member and an employer. During this time in a student’s academic career, it was stressed that making contacts is very important. If this is a path a student is highly interested in, it is important that they verbalize that to the people they meet in their future. It was also recommended that students find a way to get in contact with practicing lawyers, law schools and even current law students. An internship could also give students the ability to get their feet wet in the world of law. However, it cannot hurt to have knowledge in fields other than law. “[The] traditional path is not the only path. Today, I believe that a [science, technology, engineering and math] and/or business background combined with a [juris doctor], or JD/MBA, would be a very powerful tool if a student is interested in international businesses, immigration/public policy, social responsibility, environmental or patent law,” said UMass Lowell visiting instructor Elissa Magnant. As the representatives stressed, having experience in other fields can give students an edge in front of an admissions panel. The representatives at the informational also mentioned that it is crucial for students to know for sure that they want to study law. While there is
ample employment in the field currently, it is a big commitment. It is smart for students to think about the debt they may be in as a result of being a law student. The representatives also said that if a student knows this is something that they want to do, they should start being proactive about law school scholarships. In terms of being proactive, there are many ways that students can start preparing for their future in law at UMass Lowell. Professor Walter Toomey offers an LSAT program in which students at UMass Lowell can intensively prepare for the exam. Magnant also said when asked what edge pre-law studies give to students hoping to pursue law that
“if a student is interested in criminal justice, prelaw, paralegal studies or the ever-increasing compliance careers, legal studies gives those students a chance to ‘lift the veil’ and see what the career they are considering might really entail, as well as the opportunity to study with instructors who are attorneys and have practiced in various disciplines.” If students are considering law as a career choice, there are plenty of faculty members at UMass Lowell that can assist them in making this decision. Professors Elissa Magnant, Frank Talty, Walter Toomey and Michelle Bazin are excellent people to get in contact with regarding this step. As was emphasized in the informational, it is never too early to take the first step towards the future. Courtesy of UMass Lowell
UMass Lowell’s pre-law program is partnered with the Massachusetts School of Law located in Dartmouth, Mass.
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October 31, 2017
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT with nothing but pop cultural references. Kieran (Amadeus that they become funnier ev- Serafini) is a bland and geery time they come up. neric love interest for Emma. For example, the show’s Brooke (Carlson Young) is cast of characters is one of petty. One would think that the most cliché ensembles of someone involved would recharacters out there. Emma alize that while these traits is a bland and generic hor- might work for a 90-minute ror movie main character, or slasher movie, a long runfinal girl, as the show would ning television show needs put it. Noah (John Karna) is better developed characters. a geek whose brain is filledCourtesy of The Weinstein Company That being
The third season of the show will be an anthology.
UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR
‘Suburbicon:’ Not worth visiting, not worth watch-
said, this actually works in the show’s favor because the showrunners’ mindboggling refusal to develop any of them beyond horror movie stereotypes makes them endearing in spite of themselves. Then there is the mystery aspect of the show. It is a whodone-it murder mystery and everyone is a suspect. And everyone is a suspect because everyone apparently has a screwed up secret that they are keeping from everyone Courtesy of The Weinstein Company else, whether it be blackmail, The iconic mask from the film franchise is set to appear in the third stalking or a student-teacher season. affair. One or two charac- that occurs. writing and ideas that the ters having a dark secret that Even the drama is ridic- showrunners seem to think they are keeping hidden from ulous. For example, in the are innovative and brilliant, everyone else works, but it second season, a character MTV’s “Scream” manages becomes unrealistic when reveals to another character to obtain a so-bad-it-is-good almost every character, both what their secret is. The se- ranking when it easily could main and supporting, has a cret is the most predictable have been a dull and unindark secret. It is especially and clichéd idea that has ever spired television show with a strange because while these been used on the show, and it premise that was shorter than dark secrets might be motiva- gets played off like it is sheer its seasons. tion for one character to kill brilliance on the showrunEntertainment grade: A another, it is not motivation ners’ part. Critical grade: D for the mass murder spree With cliché characters,
Jason Ounpraseuth Connector Staff
With two mega stars in Matt Damon and Julianne Moore, two of the most well-respected writers in Hollywood in Joel and Ethan Coen (“Fargo,” “No Country for Old Men”), and a well-established name in George Clooney directing, one would think this would be the perfect movie to end the month of October. However, a story with zero focus, unlikeable characters and poor social commentary derail “Suburbicon” from even being a half-decent picture. There are two present stories in “Suburbicon.” One story follows Gardner (Damon) and his family dealing with the aftermath of a home invasion that results in the death of his wife, Rose (Moore). Then there is another story of the Mayers family moving into Suburbicon, and the backlash of that from the community who does not like the idea of having an African-American family in the neighborhood. These two stories are not connected whatsoever. The only connection these two families share is the friendship their sons Nicky (Noah Jupe) and Andy (Tony Espinosa) share through baseball. Nicky is the main foil for the movie, as the events of the
‘The Florida Project’ is well worth a watch Eric Smith Connector Staff
Everyone remembers their childhoods and how easy they were. It was easy to run around with friends, create all kinds of mischief and not have to worry about paying the bills or making sure ends are met. Director Sean Baker makes audiences relive some of their childhood memories through “The Florida Project,” a film about the innocence of childhood and how one’s environment and family life have such an enormous impact on it. Taking place in Florida just outside of Disney World, Hailey (Bria Vinaite) and her young daughter Moonee (Brooklyn Pierce) live in a motel. Hailey struggles to pay for rent without a steady job while Moonee finds the joys in life by being mischievous with her friends. Meanwhile, the hotel’s manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe) does his best to keep the peace by making
sure Hailey pays her rent and Moonee is kept out of harm’s way while also letting her be the kid she needs to be. The film is actually much more complex than it appears. From the beginning, a heavy emphasis is placed on how people tend to generalize others based on their income, primarily through Hailey. She struggles to deal with poverty and seems to do the best she can, but her attitude towards taking care of Moonie is too carefree for her own good. She does not see any issues with her daughter spitting on cars or breaking into the electrical room of the motel. It is difficult not to get infuriated over Hailey’s decisions, but at the same time, the film clearly shows that there is more to her than what meets the eye. She is brilliantly played by Vinaite. With this being her first acting role, she is sure to become a wellknown actress in the future.
Courtesy of A24
“The Florida Project” premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Viewers will scream with laughter at ‘Scream’ ►Continued from front page
October 31, 2017
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Josh Brolin’s role was cut from the film’s final edit.
movie and the reactions to those events are played through his perspective. This is fortunate as his father, Gardner, is a detestable human being as the twists and turns of the movie play out. Without spoiling too much of what the home invasion means for the family, Gardner takes a very passive approach to his assailants and thrusts himself into a relationship with his sister-inlaw Margaret (Moore). To his credit, Damon plays the role very well, and Moore’s ability to portray two different characters is a moderately done effort, but it was painfully obvious when a stand-in was placed in scenes where Rose and Margaret are present. Each individual story is written well by the Coen brothers, but the endings of those stories were muddled and not very subtle. What is most frustrating is the passive role the Mayers’ play in their story. “Suburbicon” is meant to play up a ‘60s type of setting where the nuclear family was strongest and racial ties were put on the edge. The Mayers are confronted with many acts of racism placed in front of them, but they strive on and stay on their feet. But this is all we get from their story. There is no end in sight for how the Mayers will continue to live in a racist community, and there is no catharsis for the angry mob getting any punishment for their inhumane actions. This is the problem with the movie’s dark humor. In today’s landscape, casual racism is largely looked down upon, but in “Suburbicon,” the racist jabs are meant to be funny. A present line in the movie is, “Things weren’t always like this until the Mayers moved in.” This is oddly meant to be a funny joke about the community being closeted racists, but there is no punchline at the end for the community to be wrong about their viewpoints and see that the Mayers are just a family trying to make it through
Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Joel and Ethan Coen originally wrote the script for “Suburbicon” in 1986.
life like everyone else. This lack of focus falls on Clooney’s shoulders. There is no direction in where the story is going. He tries to mix in social commentary on suburban neighborhoods and the flaws of the nuclear family model, but it all falls flat as there is no real message at the end. Perhaps an innocence of youth angle is what Clooney was looking for with Nicky and Andy’s scenes being the most well-lit and drowned out of any angry noise. If Clooney did anything right in this movie, it is his visual eye for scenes. He blocks scenes very well for tension and drama. He sharpens out colors in a classic Coen brothers type of way. He even has an Alfred Hitchcock influence in the third act of the movie as well. “Suburbicon” may have great visuals and cinematography, but it lacks a clear and focused story, and its attempt at social commentary just falls flat. Final Grade: D-
I the Mighty’s new album is quite mighty Emily Toomey Connector Staff
Courtesy of A24
Director Sean Baker filmed the movie’s final scene in Disney World guerilla style without the park’s knowledge.
Moonee, played by the adorable Pierce, is just as good. Despite only being six years old, she demonstrates an impressive amount of range, with the film showing Moonee’s inability to be afraid of anything when she is having fun with her friends as well as her abject terror when her mother brings a strange man into their room. Little Brooklyn is one of the reasons for the film’s success and she shines in showing us the true innocence of childhood. Bobby is superbly played by Dafoe in one of the most moving performances of his career. He makes it his mission to make sure Hailey pays her rent and when she does not, he does not let it slide. At the same time, he truly cares for her and wants her and Moonee to have a safe place to stay. Dafoe’s performance shows us Bobby’s true colors and makes him one
of the more relatable characters in the film. While “The Florida Project” in very minimal in plot, it makes up for it with emotion. It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, successfully keeping up this balance for its entire two-hour runtime. But what really helps this film stand out is its realism not just in the actions of its leads, but in the world they live in. In no way does this feel like a traditional Hollywood movie, and the film is better for it. This is not one to miss. Grade: A
I the Mighty have just released their third studio album titled “Where the Mind Wants to Go/ Where You Let It Go.” This album closely resembles their first album, “Satori,” with its progressive style riffs and clean vocals. This album has experimented with their traditional sound by trying to slow things down a bit. Their new and improved sound has certainly worked in their favor. The fast-paced instrumentals with the soft but beautiful vocals allow the album to stand out in a unique way. One of the first singles to be released, “Silver Tongues,” features Dance Gavin Dance’s clean vocalist Tilian Pearson. This track includes one of the longest features for a song, which is why it is one of the better tracks on the album. Pearson dives right into the song, singing, “They say don’t bother with another, they try to pull me under.” The chorus is where the magic really begins. The track picks up instrumentally while vocalist Brent Walsh sings, “I’m not falling off, I’m not getting old. They say I’ll come back with something bitter, but I’ll make it so much better.” The chorus of the track
is certainly the catchiest part as the instrumentals become more upbeat, and Walsh’s voice begins to take control of the track. The balance between Pearson’s soft voice and Walsh’s powerful
and join the living.” The chorus is where the song picks up the tempo, but the lyrics become louder and more pronounced. His voice becomes more powerful as he
Courtesy of Equal Vision Records
The name and release date of “Where the Mind Wants to Go/Were You Let It Go” was announced on Aug. 22.
voice create a unique recipe for the track to succeed as a stand-out on the album. The opening track “Degenerates” starts the album off at a slower pace to showcase Walsh’s lyrical talent. The second verse has a sense of sadness to it as he softly sings, “And I breathe in the scent of coffee from the kitchen. I hear the laughter spilling from the other room, and so I drag my body up
sings, “And if you’re honest with yourself, I bet it’s painful. You and I are far less different than they say. So where do you fit in?” The ending bridge keeps with the upbeat to help keep the powerfulness to the track. The tempo is remaining fast and his vocals keep control over the tempo while still remaining in unison together. The single “Where the Mind Wants to Go” stands out as one of the more
fast-paced songs on the record. The lyrics provide an emotional connection for the listener as he sings, “I’m just being honest, I need time to think. You said let’s take a week so we can figure out what we should be.” Lyrically, the track is very emotional, and by the chorus he is singing, “I’d like to see how it feels with both my eyes closed and one foot over the edge. I don’t wanna feel this anymore.” The end of the song transitions to a sense of relief for the singer. He powerfully sings, “Well I just want to be happy regardless. I will love you even if we’re just energy.” His voice toward the end is almost like an echoing scream in an empty room to assert the emotion he is feeling. Overall, this record succeeds as one of their more diverse records. The use of fast and slow tempos throughout certainly worked in their favor. This track has a unique blend of fast and slow-paced songs that can appeal to a wide range of listeners. This record may be different from their other releases, but still provides a sense of familiarity for the listener. I the Mighty will be stopping in Boston for their tour with Hail The Sun to promote this album on Nov. 4.
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October 31, 2017
CAMPUS LIFE
Campus Living Series: The twin dormitories Andre Ragel Connector Staff
Standing outside the steps of Fox Hall, it is easy to notice the similarities between the two buildings across the street. Almost like mirror images, Leitch and Bourgeois Halls provide students with traditional accommodations that foster a friendly and studious community among its residents. Each room in both Leitch and Bourgeois Halls come with a standard set of furniture which include a bed, mattress, chair, wardrobe and dresser. There are bathrooms and showers in each wing that are shared by the floor residents. In the middle of each floor, there is a large common area where many students hang out at night to watch TV or do homework. A laundry room and vending machine are located in the basement of each hall. Residents have easy access to University Dining Commons in Fox Hall, located across the street. Leitch Hall houses just over 300 freshmen co-ed students who belong in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) Living Learning Communities (LLC) of DLE (Developing Leaders in Engineering), WISE (Women in Science and Engineering), LEAF (Leaders in Environmental Advocacy of the Future) and Pre-Med. On the other side, Bourgeois Hall houses around 300 upperclassmen co-ed students including those who live in World Passport, an LLC sponsored by the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences that is dedicated to exploring study abroad experiences. Many students are attracted to living in LLCs in Leitch and Bourgeois Halls because students can meet others who either take the same classes or share the same interests as them. “It’s a building with really friendly, kind residents who are social but also very devoted to their majors. People are always studying and are helping each other out,” said PJ DeGiovanni, a resident advisor
in the Pre-Med LLC. Both Leitch and Bourgeois Halls are very accessible thanks to their prime location on East Campus. Leitch is right next to the University Avenue bridge, cutting down the distance residents have to walk in order to get to North Campus. Leitch is also a short walk away from the East Campus bus stop, which connects students to South Campus, University Crossing and the Inn and Conference Center. Bourgeois Hall is next to the East Campus Garage where students can either park their cars or utilize Zipcars to get around. The biggest concern residents in Leitch and Bourgeois Halls seem to have is temperature control. Some students complained how although there is a thermostat in the room, it does not seem to be responsive.
“It gets really hot in here a lot of the times, and most of the time opening the small window in our room does nothing,” said freshman Utodommony Muth. Living in Leitch and Bourgeois Halls can save students money compared to living in most residence halls on campus because they cost the same rates as living in Fox Hall, ranging from $8,254 to $8,849 per year. “I really liked living in Leitch. Everyone was out of their room and hanging out in the common area. It’s where I made most of my friends on campus right now,” said Andrew Carlson, a student who lived in Leitch Hall last year. For students seeking to live the “traditional college experience,” then they cannot go wrong with living in either Leitch or Bourgeois Hall. Courtesy of YouVisit
Leitch Hall, which houses over 300 freshmen residents, had renovations finished in 2014 that renewed the space.
DIY last-minute Halloween costume ideas Christina Laderoute Connector Editor
It is that time of the semester to dress up and have some fun. Forgetting to acquire a costume can be stressful, but not the end of the world with this do-it-yourself (DIY) guide to last-minute costumes. One option is to dress as a potato. This effortless look only requires a brown t-shirt. To make it more detailed, dots can be added to the shirt to portray the texture of a potato. Using make up to contour and bronze exposed skin can help achieve a more potato-like appearance. To channel one’s inner Eleven from “Stranger Things,” the only items needed are a pink dress and a box of Eggo’s. Makeup-wise, a bit of darker eyeshadow around the face and a drip of red liquid lipstick under the nose will really bring this outfit to life. For a more eccentric look, there is the alien. This look consists of a holographic or shiny shirt, dress, pants or skirt. Silver accents on the face can add to this look and really give off an otherworldly feeling. To go above and beyond, there are alien headbands available online. A costume that has recently been
on the rise is the pineapple-strawberry duo. This one includes a little bit of crafting. The pieces needed for these are a yellow and pink, or red, shirt, a sharpie, tape and green construction paper. The black sharpie is to draw the spiky texture on the pineapple and the tape is to create simple seeds on the strawberry. The green construction paper is to make the stem headpieces. Sophomore mechanical engineering major Brianna Goerke has other ideas for her costume. She said, “I have a mermaid shirt and I’m getting mermaid scale leggings at Wal-Mart.” Courtesy of The Fandom
Goerke also said that she saw a post online about how to make a DIY mermaid crown from dollar store items. To go with a mermaid costume, a simple but beautiful makeup look can be created with fish net tights and eyeshadow. For people who want to do costumes together, a funny costume option is Bob Ross and a painting. This requires a bit more effort than others but could potentially be impressive. Things needed for this costume include an afro wig, painting tools and a painted shirt.
For something even simpler, there is the salt and pepper costume. One person wears a black shirt while the other wears a white shirt. Cut out an ‘S’ and ‘P’ from black and white paper, tape it to the shirts and this completes the duo ensemble. Lastly, for those people that are not big on effort, there is one of the world’s easiest costumes: the cat. Black shirt, black pants, face paint to make whiskers and a nose, and cat ears. Costumes complete the Halloween experience, but do not always have to be complicated or expensive.
Courtesy of Biography.com
Eleven from “Stranger Things” (left) and Bob Ross from “The Joy of Painting” (right) are easy costumes for a time pinch.
UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR
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October 31, 2017
SPORTS
No. 17 River Hawk Hockey Downed at No. 20 Northeastern, 5-4 in Overtime UMass Lowell Athletics
BOSTON – The No. 17 ranked UMass Lowell Hockey team fell at No. 20 Northeastern, 5-4 in overtime in Hockey East play on Saturday night at Matthews Arena. UMass Lowell falls to 3-5-0 (04-0 HEA) with the loss, while Northeastern improves to 4-2-1 overall (2-0-0) with the victory. Northeastern’s Patrick Schule scored the game-winner just 2:10 into the extra frame. Nolan Stevens scored his second goal of the year to give Northeastern a 4-3 lead with 4:19 left in the game, but junior forward Ryan Dmowski (East Lyme, Conn.) scored on a pretty backhand to knot the game at 4-4 less than three minutes later on an extra attacker power-play tally. Bobby Hampton broke the 2-2 for the Huskies with 15:44 left in the third on his first collegiate marker to give Northeastern a 3-2 advantage. Ryan Lohin (Chadds Ford, Pa.) tied the game at 3-3 at 6:27 in the third. Junior defenseman Avni Berisha
Matt Dwyer/Connector
Freshman forward Connor Sodegren scored in his second consecutive game.
(Lake Ariel, Pa.) evened the game at 1-1 with his first career goal at 6:43 of the second, then freshman forward Connor Sodegren (Tewskbury, Mass.) scored for the second consecutive game to give the River Hawks a 2-1 lead at 8:02 of the middle stanza. Adam Gaudette notched his fifth goal of the season for the Huskies with a shorthanded tally at 13:37 of the second to even the game at 2-2. Grant Jozefek opened the scoring in the game for Northeastern at 18:14 of the first period for his fifth tally of the season. Sophomore goaltender Tyler Wall (Leamington, Ont.) made 33 stops in his 38th career start for the River Hawks. Ryan Ruck recorded 23 saves in the win for Northeastern. UMass Lowell was a perfect 8-for8 on the penalty kill, which included four 5x3 advantages for Northeastern. The River Hawks return to action on Friday, November 4th vs. Maine on Veterans Appreciation Night. Game time from the Tsongas Center is 7:15 p.m.
October 31, 2017
UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR
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SPORTS
UMass Lowell field hockey team ready to host America East tournament Kathryn Leeber Connector Editor
After outbidding the State University of New York at Albany (UAlbany) and the University of Maine, the UMass Lowell field hockey team is set to host the 2017 America East conference championship starting Nov. 2. With possible home field advantage at stake, the River Hawks are looking to ensure a spot in postseason play this year. With this in mind, UMass Lowell head coach Shannon Hlebichuk and the team say they are feeling the pressure to succeed. However, they are just as confident in their abilities as a Division I program after some setbacks in the transition from Division II to Division I. The River Hawks were fast-tracked to become a Division I team and were eligible for postseason play last year. They made it to the conference playoffs, but lost in the quarterfinals. “I think for the first four years it was trying to find victories in the small pieces, and now everything is coming together and we’re able to win big games,” said Hlebichuk. “We’re really happy with where we’re at right now. We really try to build a schedule in August and September that will prepare us for October and November, but also give us an opportunity to evaluate each individual player and try new structures.” Hlebichuk said she thinks the UMass Lowell’s “world-class facilities” including parking, numerous locker rooms in Costello Athletic Center,
watering system on the field and press box capacity contributed to the selection for UMass Lowell to host the eight-team tournament. Conference playoffs at Cushing Field are slated to begin on Thursday, Nov. 2 and run until the championship game on Sunday, Nov. 5. In the America East conference, field hockey is comprised of a West Coast division made up of four teams and an East Coast division consisting of five. The four teams from the West Coast automatically make the playoffs, while the top four from the East will secure spots, meaning one team will not qualify. By the time the event rolls around, the River Hawks are aiming to be in a high-seeded spot to guarantee they can actually play in the games they are hosting. The No. 2 and No. 3 seeded teams from both divisions have an arguably harder weekend as they play Thursday, Friday and, if they move on, possibly Saturday and Sunday without a day off. The winner of the No. 1 and No. 4 seeded games will get a break on Friday and return to play on Saturday and perhaps Sunday. Even with a relatively small number of teams to compete against, Hlebichuk and the squad are well aware of the challenges ahead. Hlebichuk said from top to bottom every team has a chance to win the conference title. Citing the River Hawks’ victory over the UAlbany, a nationally ranked team that was expected to win, as an example, she said to not underestimate any team.
U P C OM I N G
River Hawk Games Even with the obvious pressure of hosting the tournament and Wednesday, Nov. 1 7 p.m. MSOC at Hartford making sure the team qualifies, Hlebichuk Thursday, Nov. 2 TBD FH vs TBD and her players feel confident based on the Friday, Nov. 3 6:30 p.m.S WVB at Stony Brook team’s progress thus 7:15 p.m. MICE vs Maine Friday, Nov. 3 far. She said that she thinks they match up Saturday, Nov. 4 4 p.m. MICE vs Maine with their conference the best they ever have 1 p.m. WVB at Iona Sunday, Nov. 5 at this moment. “It’s really competFor more sports information and full game schedules visit goriverhawks.com itive. Not only us as a team, but the people in our conference,” said senior forward beyond the upperclassmen. This Christa Doiron. “Everyone says, ‘Oh, allows the team to not have to rely on just don’t come in last,’ but it’s really their more experienced players, but difficult when you’re playing against can try different formations and plays teams that really just want to win.” based on each individual’s strengths. The seniors on the team are looking Hlebichuk said she understands that to end their season on a high note. the team will make mistakes, but said Having gone through the division they have the ability and knowledge to change, they said they are looking learn and recover from them through forward to the team coming together watching game footage, which leaves to hopefully be a real contender in the the coach feeling optimistic about the tournament. group’s progress. “It’s been a really fun journey. Each No matter where the River Hawks year we’ve gotten better and better. I place — if they place — the team is think all of us are more on the same eager for the opportunity to showcase page now,” said senior midfielder their talents on their home field. Katie Luchino. “There’s just a young “It’s just exciting because this is energy—a lot of our underclassmen a big deal for our school,” Luchino are getting a lot of time. We’re all here said. “A lot of people [are] going to for the same reason, because we want be looking at us [and] there’s a lot of to win.” pressure on us, but I think we’re ready With a slew of young players in the for it. We’re preparing for post-season starting lineup, the River Hawks have play and we’re really looking forward a depth to their squad that extends to it.”
Men’s Soccer extends home unbeaten streak to 15 ► Continued from front page
blocked shots and a ball off the crossbar, before Blaskic was able to send the Lowell crowd into a frenzy. UMass Lowell’s victory moved the River Hawks into a tie for second place in the America East standings, as the league heads into the final week of the regular season. The hosts came out of the first half with a 5-4 shot advantage, but the Wildcats had the only two shots on target, but none tested Austin Kroll (Baltimore, Md.), as the senior was able to stop both attempts. New Hampshire was able to outshoot the hosts 10-1 in the second 45 minutes, and had four of their six corners, but the UMass Lowell defense held strong and Kroll made the only save of the half. The Wildcats finished the game with a 16-10 advantage in shots, as the River Hawks had five in extra time. Neither team could generate much offense in the first overtime, and the Wildcats came within inches of picking up the win in the opening minutes of the second extra period but Robin Schmidt’s shot just went wide. The River Hawks finish the regular-season with a 6-0-1 record at home, and will head to Hartford for the finale on November 1 at 7 p.m.
Christina Laderoute/Connector
The men’s soccer team celebrates after their late-game goal to beat UNH.