Women’s softball looks forward to upcoming season   â–ş Page 7
THE UMASS LOWELL
Serving the Student Body Since 1976
February 13, 2018
Women’s basketball falls to Stoney Brook
In This Issue
Adds to losing streak with 63-60 loss
Chancellor’s Open Forum
Jason Ounspraseuth
â–ş Page 3
Connector Editor
Branding yourself as an artist
â–ş Page 6
Celtics’ future season looking bright
â–ş Page 8
Final River Hawk Scores Team
Score
Overall Record
Women’s Basketball vs Stoney Broo L 63-60
3-21
Men’s Basketball vs. Stoney Brook
L 81-68 9-14
Men’s Lacrosse at Quinnipiac
TBD
Men’s Hockey vs. UMass Amherst
L 3-0
0-0 16-14-0
GE2 program wins national award Jessica Kergo Connector Staff
The Manning School of Business was recently chosen to receive the 2018 Andrew Heiskell award for Innovation in International Education for its Global Entrepreneurship Exchange (GE2) program. The Institute of International Education has selected the faculty-led, exchange program for the award’s Study Abroad category. In 2014, senior lecturer Professor Ashwin Mehta pursued his desire to develop Entrepreneurial Education by hosting a pilot study abroad course. The pilot received such positive feedback that it continued for 12 more sessions, evolving into a multinational, bilateral exchange program with sites in Lowell, China and India. Students can earn three credits with this course, with the option to partake in an additional three-credit summer course offered at UMass Lowell for international students’ exchange experiences. GE2 consists of a two week intensive class session that familiarizes students with the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and innovation in addition to discussions with
The UMass Lowell women’s basketball team lost in a close game against the Stony Brook Seawolves 63-60 extending their 14-game losing streak to 15 games. The game came down to free throws from Stony Brook and a missed game-tying 3-point shot from UMass Lowell redshirt junior Brianna Rudolph. Senior forward Kayla Gibbs achieved a career milestone eclipsing 750 rebounds, adding to her recent milestone of being the 16th player in program history to score more than 1,000 points while also becoming the ninth-leading scorer in program history. “I really liked how we played defensively and of-
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
Women’s basketball currently has 15-game losing streak
fensively. Of course, there were things that I would have liked to have seen go different,� said UMass Lowell head coach Jenerrie Harris. “Even the last shot, I would have loved to have that mo-
ter. The second quarter was a back and forth affair with each team answering back with shot after shot. Gibbs did not miss â–ş See “Women’s Basketball,â€? page 7
The Cloverfield Paradox is a waste of time Brendan Jacques Connector Staff
“The Cloverfield� series may just be one of the most perplexing film franchises to ever hit the mainstream. Beginning back in 2008 with a found-footage spin on classic kaiju films such as “Godzilla,� the property has since then expanded into something of an anthology series, with each new film focusing on unrelated stories of vastly dif-
ferent genres all co-existing in the same shared universe. This is brought to the forefront more than ever in “The Cloverfield Paradox,� a film that focuses on what appears to be the enticing incident for the entire franchise. But despite the promise that such a premise should grant, and a wave of goodwill coming from both the quality of the previous films and the genius marketing move of releasing it the same day as its public Courtesy of Variety.com
â–ş See “Global,â€? page 2
Sections
News.............................2 Campus Life..................6 A&E.............................. 4 Sports........................... 8
ment back again. I totally mismanaged that.� The River Hawks found themselves trailing 13-6 early in the first quarter. Gibbs lead the offense to cut the deficit to 17-16 at the end of the first quar-
Netflix premiered “The Cloverfield Paradox� on Feb. 4, 2018.
reveal, “The Cloverfield Paradoxâ€? not only fails to add anything new to this universe, it utterly fails as a film in its own right. The film opens right before the events of the original film: the entire world is currently being gripped by a mass energy crisis that risks spiraling the world’s governments into all-out war over the remaining resources. To stop this, the crew of the Cloverfield space station attempt to activate a particle accelerator in order to create a source of infinite renewable energy. Unfortunately, something goes wrong with the reactor during the test, and the space station is suddenly whisked away into an alternate dimension. Now the crew needs to figure out how to make their way home whilst dealing with horrific anomalies their transportation has caused, completely unaware of the horrors they may have unleased back on Earth. One of the film’s biggest probâ–ş See “Cloverfield,â€? page 4
UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR
Page 2
February 13, 2018
NEWS Global Entrepreneurship Exchange wins national award â–ş Continued from front page
local entrepreneurs, visits to a variety of local companies and cultural site visits. The most significant aspect of the program is the team project that students work on as part of the coursework. Students are divided into groups of five multidisciplinary and multicultural students. Professors prompt the students to work with projects that require innovative, entrepreneurial solutions to specific issues. Students perform customer and market analysis, competition analysis and validations for the business idea. Topics and business ideas are provided through both UMass Lowell's faculty research projects and real company products. Students like freshman biomedical engineering major Jennifer Schultz highlights GE2 as a significant learning experience study with students from other backgrounds. “Being able to work with people from global cultures is an incredibly important skill," said Schultz. She adds that she knows the GE2 program will help her career aspirations in prosthetics. Schultz, who
participated in GE2’s most recent trip to India, brought her own innovative project to work on the course. She credits the groupwork aspect of GE2 as an avenue to develop her DifferenceMaker idea. Schultz's project “Handy Bandage� is a sock bandage that aims to prevent septicemia (blood poisoning) while a patient is awaiting treatment. The bandage won first place in the Engineering DifferenceMaker competition last fall, inspiring Schultz to continue developing their idea from the business perspective. William Hanna, a senior accounting and finance major also studied in India over winter break through the GE2 program. Hanna notes the cultural exchange aspect as his favorite part of the program. “I met a lot of cool people,� said Hanna. He says that the most important lesson he learned through the program is that “everyone is the same everywhere you go; people are people.� Hanna also values the leadership skills he was able to develop and says, “Everyone at Lowell should do a study abroad program because the greater context is important.�
THE UMASS LOWELL
Serving the Student Body Since 1976
UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR
UMass Lowell offers students a variety of study abroad programs including partner-led programs, faculty-led programs and exchange programs. GE2 is a combination of a faculty-led program and an exchange program. Director of the Office of Study Abroad, Fern MacKinnon, highlights the program’s unique approach to conducting an international class by combining UMass Lowell students with students from around the world, explaining that “it [the course] involves students from other countries, so you’re seeing the subject from a broader lens.� MacKinnon also notes the acknowledgement the award brings for UMass Lowell’s study abroad programs as a whole. She refers to it as “a great recognition for the university to highlight its focus on the international experience.� UMass Lowell senior lecturer and program founder Professor Ashwin Mehta is very optimistic about the future of GE2. Since 2014, the program now has over 670 students from 12 different countries participating in the course. “The global aspect of this program is so inspiring,� said Mehta. He notes the extensive list of oppor-
tunities offered to students through the program which includes networking, rĂŠsumĂŠ building and idea development. Mehta credited the program’s combination of entrepreneurship and cultural education. “We believe that entrepreneurship is becoming more internationalized. Students from other countries want to learn about what is happening here and students from America want to know what is happening in other parts of the world," said Mehta. Professor Mehta will receive the Andrew Heiskell Award on March 16th at the Institute of International Education’s annual Best Practices in Internationalization Conference in New York City. The Manning School of Business’ Global Entrepreneurship Exchange Program will be hosting two study abroad opportunities this summer: China from June 4 to June 15 and India from June 18 to June 29. Anyone interested in participating can email Professor Ashwin Mehta (ashwin_mehta@uml.edu) for more information or apply through UMass Lowell’s Office of Study Abroad website.
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Email | Connector@uml.edu Website | www.UMLConnector.com Phone | 978.934.5017 ext. 45017 Address | University Crossing, Room 241 220 Pawtucket St. Lowell, MA 01854 General: The UMass Lowell Connector is a non-profit student public forum serving the University of Massachusetts Lowell community. The paper is published weekly and distributed to the university community every Tuesday. Business hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please be aware that members of the University community are entitled to free newspapers. Please take one! All UMass Lowell students, regardless of major, are invited to join the Connector staff. Interested students should contact an editor or manager listed above, or visit the Connector Office in University Crossing 241. Advertising: The UMass Lowell Connector advertisements reach an estimated 16,000 UMass Lowell students--their friends and families. To tap this group of
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February 13, 2018
UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR
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NEWS
Chancellor provides construction updates at open forum Brigid Archibald Connector Staff
A new recreation field, marketplace and renovated academic buildings are just a taste of what students can expect in the next few years here at UMass Lowell. Last Monday, the Student Government Association (SGA) hosted the Chancellor’s Open Forum at University Crossing’s Moloney Hall to update students on the status of various campus projects. Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney opened the forum by explaining how the university listened to student feedback from various groups, including SGA. They responded by taking underutilized areas of the campus and making them more comfortable and efficient while putting emphasis on improving accessibility and creating a greener campus. Through this process, UMass Lowell has lowered its carbon emissions by square foot while doubling the size of the campus with the addition of 13 new buildings within the last 10 years.
The next announcement involves next month’s soft opening of the University Suites dining hall on East campus. Due to employment challenges resulting from the late opening, the dining hall will not be fully opened until the upcoming fall semester. Instead, the dining hall will host special events for select groups of students on East campus to show off its new offerings. During the open forum, students also had the chance to view the first draft plans of Cumnock Marketplace, which is dubbed as “The North Campus Living Room.” The space was inspired by the success of McGauvran Center on South Campus. Once opened, the new Cumnock Hall will include a marketplace, comfortable seating, plenty of outlets, TVs and bathrooms. The stage will be integrated into the design, creating a space for new types of events like workshops, poetry readings and more. The overall goal is to provide students with a place to relax, eat and socialize.
Courtesy of Larry Siegel
“The North Campus Living Room” will feature plenty of seating and outlets to provide students a place to hang out between classes.
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and University Events Larry Siegel walked students through the changes they can expect to see around campus within the next few years. The goal of these projects is to take spaces that were not being fully utilized and find creative solutions to problems that have arisen as the university has continued to grow. Siegel’s first announcement is the much anticipated opening of Aiken Fields this semester The $6 million project will include various fields and tennis courts for student recreation and club sport use. Siegel also reported that the Campus Recreation Center is slated to receive a facelift. The plan is to take advantage of the empty atrium and effectively expand the available space by 20 percent to better accommodate the current demands of students without extensive construction. Some new equipment is also expected to be installed.
Adam Baacke, director of Campus Planning and Development was present to explain the upcoming changes to the academic buildings. The common goal for these buildings is to provide students with useful spaces to study and classrooms that accommodate new styles of teaching. Perry Hall, scheduled to be reopened in the spring of 2019, is being completely redone as an engineering and science lab building. Perry will be given a brand-new entrance by transforming two-thirds of the current parking lot into a green space. This provides a more appealing campus with increased open spaces for students to study outside. Baacke provided a peek into the plans for the renovation of Coburn Hall. When completed, Coburn’s top floors will become the home for the offices of the psychology department and the College of Education, while the classrooms will be located
Courtesy of Larry Siegel
This artist’s rendering shows the first draft of what Cumnock Marketplace might look like.
on the lower two floors. A new wing will be added to the back of the building to accommodate new elevators, bathrooms and a bridge between the existing wings. The first floor will house two classrooms that will offer complete light control for classes that depend heavily on audio and visual presentations. Additionally, there will be group work and quiet study rooms located in the building. Olsen Hall will begin a phase renovation when the computer science labs move into Pasture Hall, which opens the third floor for more classrooms. In addition, Baacke mentioned that the floor will include two classrooms that will accommodate newer active-learning teaching methods that involve both group work and technology. “We have not had the spaces for teachers to teach that way. We’re trying to accommodate it because we know students who have had that type of class really enjoyed it,” said Baacke. Similar to Coburn Hall, Olsen Hall will feature group study and informal lounges for students to study and work on group projects. There will be new elevator lobbies on every floor of Olsen Hall. The hope is that these renovated spaces will increase seating, providing students with a place to study or hang out between classes so students no longer have to sit on the floor in the hallways. After the presentation, the floor was opened to students to ask questions. A student voiced concern about how the added green spaces might encourage people to violate the smoke-free campus regulations. The administration responded that when it comes to the enforcement of the smoke-free campus, there is not much that can be done unless they are given a name or picture of the person, then they can work with Human Resources to handle the problem. Officials noted that the smokefree campus regulation is a result of student advocating against the problem, and for it to work students themselves must be active in their support. Another student voiced concern about the possibility of rising meal plan costs with the addition of the
new dining locations. Siegel assured students that meal plan costs will not increase, and that the only reason they had gone up was due to the contract with Aramark that required a 4 percent increase. He further commended the chancellor saying, “She did not want for students to pay for more than 2.5 percent, she said we will find the money somewhere else.” Siegel also hinted at a coming announcement about changes in the silver meal plan that will ensure students to get more out of the plan. Other students asked about the likelihood of other projects such as the addition of classrooms for art classes as well as a swimming pool to be part of the Campus Recreation Center. “Yes, but not in your lifetime,” said Siegel, responding honestly to various comments. Finally, both Siegel and Baacke assured students that if there is a need then it will be in the queue. “This is one of the downsides of being part of such a transformative period of the school’s history. There are projects that will start during the time here that some students will graduate before they are fully realized,” said Baacke.
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February 13, 2018
February 13, 2018
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ‘The Cloverfield Paradox’ is a confusing mess ►Continued from front page problems is its insistence on tying the events of its story retroactively into the plot of 2008’s “Cloverfield” without any regard for how such a connection would even make sense. The dramatic tension of the film is all about the crew of the Cloverfield’s attempts to get back to Earth and save it from an energy crisis that has Germany and Russia on the brink of a resource war. This is the driving force of the narrative and the plotline that is brought to prominence during the film’s climax. However, while the main cast of the film is never made aware of this, it is made explicitly clear to the audience that the monster invasion from the original film is occurring at the same time, meaning that even in the context of the film’s own universe, the events of the story amount to nothing of importance. This would not necessarily be a problem if the story being told was interesting in its own right, but it fails spectacularly on that front as well. The film’s goal was absolutely to create a riff on the claustrophobic space thriller template made famous by films like “Alien” or “Event Horizon,” but its main method of creating tension is by telling the audience as little as possible about even the film’s basic premise. None of the characters beside the lead
are given the barest hint of character depth, major elements of the plot are brought up without the slightest hint of importance leading up to their reveal and the film is littered with major plot points that are never given any satisfactory explanation.
how they can be stopped or even what they even do. Furthermore, no rhyme or reason is ever given as to what they are even capable of: one minute they are causing the gravity in a room to shift, the next they are pulling crew members into walls like quicksand
Courtesy of Netflix
“The Cloverfield Paradox” was originally titled “God Particle.”
Take the “anomalies in space-time” as an example: over the course of the film, the main threat the crew of the Cloverfield needs to deal with are a series of bizarre events where the laws of physics appear to break as a result of the accelerator’s malfunction. However, despite the fact that these anomalies are the source of nearly all of the film’s conflict, no explanation is ever given as to how these anomalies work, what is triggering them,
and re-animating dead limbs. And to top it all off, despite their ubiquity throughout the film’s runtime, they have absolutely no bearing on the story’s climax and are left entirely unresolved, leaving them as nothing more than an annoyance. This is not to say the movie is entirely devoid of merit; all told, the film’s actual production is top-notch. The Cloverfield space station, while lacking a bit of personality, is a well-craft-
ed setting that is interesting to explore. While the script never gives the cast any room to shine, the cast itself does an admirable job with what they were given. Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s portrayal of main character Hamilton carries the film through its more emotional turns, Daniel Bruhl successfully makes disgruntled German engineer Schmidt memorable entirely because of his performance, and Chris O’Dowd works well enough in a comic-relief role. All told, “The Cloverfield Paradox” ends up feeling like a paradox in its own right; it is a well put-together film with plenty of talent behind it that seems to genuinely want to tell a hard science fiction story, but it fails to do so because it cannot make up its mind about what that story should be. There are the bones of a compelling film buried in here desperately trying to get out, but an insistence on tying itself into a franchise it seemingly has no interest in adding to ultimately ruins any charm it may have held. All told, this movie was better off trapped in an alternate dimension. Final Grade: D-
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Dangerous Summer stays true to their roots Emily Toomey Connector Staff
The Dangerous Summer have finally released their fourth studio album after being broken up for nearly four years. The album, self-titled “The Dangerous Summer,” is one of their most creative works to date. The album has a perfect blend of upbeat songs mixed with darker and heavier tracks to take the listener on a roller coaster ride. Even after being away for four years, the band still stuck true to their alternative roots that their listeners loved. The shortest but also darkest track and single, “Valium,” is a track with an emotional rollercoaster of its own. The tempo and instrumentals start off very subdued as A.J. Perdomo sings softly, “See through holes in your eyes. You wanted to die.” Afterwards, a sense of comfort is released when he says, “I get high and talk to myself, the songs tend to help.” The tone here is rather melancholic, as his voice carries a somber tone. By the chorus, the track has drastically picked up instrumentally. The beat becomes more pronounced as he lightly says, “Steal my heart again.” His raspy voice carries the song to new heights and allows the tone of the chorus to change the track’s demeanor. The chorus carries out the end of the track with a dark echo. The darkness of the track was carried to the end. “Luna,” a track about Perdomo’s daughter, holds a much deeper meaning. The track starts off with a soft and peaceful instrumental. He is faintly singing, “I just want to be there, don’t want to miss it, no it’s all because of you.” The meaning holds sincerity as
Eric Smith Connector Staff
In Daniel Day-Lewis’s final film of his career, he plays Reynolds Woodcock, an artistic dressmaker in 1950s London. His passion for the art of dressmaking consumes him to the point where he cannot be interrupted once without throwing off his entire day’s work. His obsession with his career is profound and it touches every inch of his life, most prominently his romantic life with Alma (Vicky Krieps). In the beginning of the film, he meets Alma and develops a romantic relationship with her, while continuing his career in dressmaking. She gets involved in the process, and ultimately pursues it as her career as she attempts to accommodate her life to Reynold’s. The film shows the audience the struggles with accommodating to one’s loved ones, especially when passions can disrupt them. Reynold’s constant obsession with his art form gets in the way of him Courtesy of Focus Features
“Phantom Thread” is nominated for six Oscars.
showing Alma how much he cares for her. His obsession is so strong that the audience starts to doubt his capability for feelings. Alma molds herself to the whims of her beloved Reynolds in order to save their somewhat unhealthy, yet loving, relationship. Writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson, the genius behind “Boogie Nights,” “There Will Be Blood” and “The Master,” gives the audience a similar taste of his past films with “Phantom Thread.” “Phantom Thread” is just as fascinating and beautiful as his other films. Anderson’s sense of camerawork and visual style have always popped out to audiences, and the same goes for his latest masterpiece. In addition to “Phantom Thread” being an Anderson film, it also stars Daniel Day-Lewis, so that should be enough right off the bat. Day-Lewis’ performance in this film is just as riveting as his others, as he completely morphs himself into the character as he always does, making the audience believe that he is truly that character. Given Day-Lewis’ genius acting, there is not much more that needs to be said about him, but rather about his co-star, Krieps. She is a fairly new actress, and this performance will surely send her skyrocketing further into Hollywood. Her scenes with Reynolds are either romantic, tense or bitter, and her performance along with Day-Lewis’ make that a reality. The two together often act with their eye movements. Even when there is no dialogue between them, audiences can feel their intensity surrounding the scene. These are two performances of the year that will not be forgotten. Along with the performances, there is the incredible musical score. The film acts almost like a musical piece itself, and Johnny Greenwood’s com-
Courtesy of Focus Features
“Phantom Thread” grossed $18 million at the box office.
position is moving, romantic and deeply touching. The wildly enjoyable music accompanies the visual and emotional tones of the film perfectly, just as Greenwood’s composition for both “There Will Be Blood” and “The Master.” Anderson’s “Phantom Thread” should not be missed, although not everyone will love it. The film does take some risks towards the end in terms of storytelling. This risk will work for some and not others, but the film is still pleasing in every way a film should be. Final grade: A
the soft melody carries the track to new heights. The second verse acts as the ballad to the track. He sings, “Someday, I won’t be around to guide you home… you fill my heart to the edge.” The innocence of this track is prevalent, and the softness it carries only Courtesy of Hopeless Records
The Dangerous Summer band formed in 2006.
pleases the listener further. The listener connects to the track as the meaning is incredibly relatable. Never lose sight of the ones you love, and always keep them close to you. “When I Get Home” is definitely the happiest track on the record. The beginning instrumentals are incredibly upbeat and makes the listener want to
get up and dance. The song has a sense of freedom about it. The first verse starts off with, “Remember where I was at seventeen? I miss the ordinary love.” The chorus becomes a sense of satisfaction for Perdomo. “I feel so lucky I could die. I feel so lucky I could have this in my life. It’s what keeps me true.” The song has an incredible sense of gratitude and sincerity. The instrumentals remain upbeat, but his vocal range is elevated to the next level. His words become more pronounced for the listener to hear. The lyrics create a sense of youthfulness to the track that the listener does not really see on the rest of the album, which ultimately allow the track to stand out the most. Overall, this album delivers a new spin to their traditional sound, but still keeps the familiarity the listener knows. This album is most similar to their previous record, “Golden Record.” The album as a whole has an immense variety in tempo and melodies that are not as prevalent on their previous records. The record almost feels like a collection of short stories where Perdomo recounts different parts of his life and what they meant to him. This album is a perfect introduction for what is to come from The Dangerous Summer’s future for other new music. Rating: B+
Alter viewing plans away from ‘Altered Carbon’ Owen Johnson
‘Phantom Thread’: P.T. Anderson’s latest masterpiece
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Connector Editor
A stereotyping of the science fiction genre would have it be described as slow, boring and dull. If that is the case, then “Altered Carbon” is the quintessential example of that stereotype. In a time where a person’s consciousness can be transferred from body to body via storage devices imbedded in the neck, a terrorist from the past (Joel Kinnaman) is awakened in a new body to help solve the murder of Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), the richest man in the world. The first episode is really good. It sets up some neat science fiction ideas to explore, it introduces a number of potentially interesting characters in a potentially interesting world, and the aesthetics are incredible. As the series progresses, it becomes apparent that the show peaked at its first episode. It is very troubling when the pilot is the best episode, and then the only episodes that are good after that are the last two because things are actually happening in them. The one aspect that is transferred from the pilot episode to the rest of the series is the aesthetics. The futuristic look is very similar to the cityscape of “Blade Runner 2049;” there are a number of gorgeous shots that utilize a blue, orange and black color palette. Besides the look, though, every positive attribute that the pilot episode introduced does not get delivered on.
The science fiction ideas that the show brings up are indeed neat, and when a new idea is brought up based on the initial idea of transferable consciousness it can easily be the best part of any episode. The problem is that these moments are very sparse, and most of the ideas that are brought
the show, but those mostly lackluster ideas are the best part. The only other constant through line are the characters, who get decent establishment in the pilot, and then get next to nothing. There are a few instances of character development, but it seems to come out of nowhere. The one time there is
Courtesy of Netflix
“Altered Carbon” is based on the novel of the same name by Richard K. Morgan.
up just make the world unbelievable or confusing. For example, how does one’s conscious get initially transferred from the person to their storage device? In a world where no one can die, how is there no overpopulation? These questions seem like minor points, but it can derail the entire premise if the audience does not believe in the world that is being presented to them. The poorly explained science fiction ideas could be forgiven if there was anything else offered of interest in
actual development of a character is in the seventh episode, “Nora Inu,” when Kinnaman’s character’s entire past is shown in full. At this point, though, Kinnaman has proven to be uninteresting and unfollowable in the series, so his backstory is just boring. Then there is the story, which is a hodgepodge of story lines that seem random, but then they all conveniently and coincidentally work together in the end. It is not necessarily that the story lines shown are done poorly, but the fact is that since the connection
between them seems almost nonexistent, that it is hard to care because there is no way for the audience to know why it matters and because the story lines all seem randomly selected. The showrunners seem to have realized how random and confusing it all was, because the end of the season is literally having all of the characters stand around to explain how the story lines connected to one another. Having an overly complicated story line that requires it to be fully explained to the audience so that all of the story lines make sense is a bad thing. “Altered Carbon” manages to do this in the worst possible way. Here is how the story basically breaks down: smart villain wants something, so the villain hatches an overly complicated plot to get what they want when they have the power to get what they want anyways, so why even bother with a complicated plan which requires multiple coincidences to make it work? “Altered Carbon” seems like it has the potential of being one of those movies or television shows where it would be better upon a second viewing, but it gives no reason for why anyone should bother re-watch it and see if that is true. Final grade: C
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February 13, 2018
CAMPUS LIFE
Young Artist: Claim The Throne Nisa Holley Connector Contributor
What was once a brisk, empty lecture hall immediately emerged into a warm, welcoming environment. Esther Robinson brought a sprightful joy to the room. Robinson immediately took an interest in the audience; she was intrigued by what motivated the crowd to be present that night and by what drove them to create art. She joked in a lighthearted way that made it hard to lose interest. However, she was serious and impregnated with knowledge. Robinson is a dedicated member of the art, philanthropy and business communities. After receiving a degree in film and television from New York University, she has worked for a variety of magazines, film companies and nonprofits. In 2006, Robinson founded ArtHome, which creates new resources and activates pre-existing asset-building programs to assist individual artists to create personal solvency. Most recently, Robinson has been serving as the co executive director of ArtBuilt, a nonprofit that provide long term, affordable workspace for artists and art-based businesses as well as asset-building strategies and financial literacy training for artists and creative business people.
“Create an alternative system. Fight the system. Don’t let the system destroy you.”
As an artist, Robinson acknowl. edged that it is easy to self-isolate and to think that one’s individual prob-
Courtesy of Zimbio
Robinson has a keen eye for nonfiction film making.
lems are only their problems, which is a natural problem for any individual. However, she advises upcoming artists to recognize their place and role in society and to take a stance against that feeling of disconnectedness. Even though creators of art are not immune to the pressures of society, they are also not alone in that feeling of oppression and hopelessness. She challenges artists to channel that oppressive feeling into work, to use art as “liberation of dehumanization.” It was this kind of positive encouragement that made the lecture enjoyable; she seemed to take a genuine interest in the way young artist begin to find their craft and place in the world. .Robinson acknowledged that as an artist it can be ghastly to claim your place in the industry, but that is no reason to walk away from your passion; rather it all starts with validation. It is the moment where one believes in themselves and their own craft that others will begin to see that individual’s potential. She warns against seeking validation in others, because soci-
Courtesy of Film Maker Magazine
Esther Robinson teaches independent filmmakers how to monetize their work.
ety is a cruel and unforgiving place. Rather, she advises garnering a group of trusted individuals that will provide honest feedback to help the artist continue to develop. Robinson says that once an artist begins to seek validation
Robinson advises upcoming artists to recognize their role in society and take a stance. in others, they become “exceptionally exploitable.” When someone fails to see their own greatness, others will recognize them as a shiny penny and drain them of all their worth. This was powerful because it is easy to look to experts in the field for counsel under the impression that they want to pass on the breadth of knowledge, or that they want to see the next generation do well. However, it is not judicious to always assume the best in people. .“Create an alternate system. Fight the system. Don’t let the system destroy you,” said Robinson. This was meaningful advice for students hoping to tackle a career in the art industry
because it is facile to believe there is no way around tradition or to think that no one will listen to the inexperienced. Robinson said that the chips are naturally stacked against anyone who is not a white man, thus we have to find ways around that. It is not enough to let the system tear a novice down and end their career before they have gotten the chance to prove themselves. Rather, it is necessary to create a system that works for you .In addition to all of the purposeful advice Robinson breathed into the room, she spoke of love. This was the most potent advice because it makes the artist question their entire drive for creating. She challenges artists to ask what it is they love. Knowing what one loves gives them a reason to wake up in the morning; it gives an individual something to strive for. Sequentially, she encourages artists to question how they know what it is they love. By knowing how they are positive they love something, it gives them a reason to fight for it and creates that fear of losing it. And once they know how to protect what they love, they will be unstoppable; it prevents the misfortune of ever losing it. Lastly, Robinson encourages artists to build their world around what they love. This teaches them how to generate a life that enables them to live in financial stability, emotional stability and still have the space to create innovative work.
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February 13, 2018
SPORTS River Hawks’ softball looking to build upon last year’s success entering spring season Kathryn Leeber Connector Editor
Following a “historic” 2017 season, the UMass Lowell softball team is gearing up for their strongest season yet. With seven new freshmen set to take the field, the team has found their chemistry and is prepared to enter their first pre-season tournament on Friday, Feb. 16 against the University of Tennessee. After losing a group of graduating seniors last spring, head coach Danielle Henderson added several players to the roster. As the team played a few games in the fall season, Henderson and the players were able to work through some of the initial nerves and problems that arise with the newcomers’ transition to college play. “We have a whole new team, a lot of freshmen,” said Henderson. “The fall was just kind of everybody getting used to each other, because when you have new people, you don’t really know what it’s like playing with them. We’ve spent all year [building] that trust when you play and [knowing] who that person is. The team works harder than anybody, so that’s never a question; everything they do, they work hard, so it’s just been trying to mesh as a team.” The River Hawks ended last season with a 21-19 record overall and the group is looking to do even better this spring. Henderson said that last season, there were games that were close, but the opposing team would take off near the end, costing UMass Lowell the victory. This year, the team
is looking to finishing more games. “Last season was pretty much historic for us, we had an awesome season,” said junior outfielder Sydney Barker. “We were the best women’s team here, we had the best record, so that was awesome. I think we went from being the underdog to now being the team to beat and I think it’s exciting because now we can
sense of confidence and prepares them for America East play. She said that playing within the conference has a sense of familiarity, but it is a different pace when playing against some of the best teams in the country. For UMass Lowell, they have found that being challenged by some of the top pitchers better prepares them for conference play and, hope-
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
UMass Lowell’s softball team held a 21-19 record last season.
play in the postseason. I think we’re just trying to build upon where we finished last year, and our goal is to be America East champions.” The squad will start their year off with four non-conference tournaments, followed by several away games in and around New England. They will not play their first home game until April 7. By playing in tournaments against teams they typically would not otherwise face, Henderson said it gives the team a
fully, for the postseason. “In the pre-season tournaments, we’re playing a lot of SEC teams and teams that are just higher Division I and higher competition, so I think it will be cool to see how we do against them,” said Barker. “Once we get into America East play, we know we’re not going to face the Tennessees, the Missouris, stuff like that, so I think it will definitely help prepare us for America East play.” With this year being the first for
NCAA Division I eligibility, the team is certainly optimistic about their chances, but it is not something on the forefront of their minds. Indeed, the team is just looking to get better and better and if that takes them to postseason, so be it. “I think if [we] focus on that, we’ll have a lot of what-ifs at the end of the year and a lot of regret,” said Henderson. “Our focus is just to now get better every single game and try to improve. I think we’re going to have a lot of ups and downs; we’re facing some tough competition, so we’re going to have to learn a lot.” Henderson also said that the team had a similar mindset last season, but there is a new sense of urgency this time around. With the experience in the fall, the freshmen players were given the chance to acclimate to the new environment and understand their role in the team, but are now where they need to be, according to Barker. She said the team is ready to get out and play after having practiced inside for so long. “You kind of go stir-crazy because there’s only so much you can do inside, but I think we’re just really excited to [take] what we’ve been doing in practice and see how it goes on the field against big SEC teams and stuff like that.” The River Hawks’ first tournament will be the Pediatric Cancer Invitational in Clearwater, Florida. The team will take on the University of Hartford on April 7 in their first home match at River View Field.
Women’s basketball narrowly defeated by Stony Brook ► Continued from front page
a shot in the first half, going 8-8 from the field finding creative ways to score points. Her 16 points tied the game 35-35 at the half. The second half came down to defense. Freshman guard Linda Svenne was given the assignment to guard Stony Brook’s leading scorer and stepped up to the challenge with high praise from Coach Harris. “Linda had to defend her [in] the previous game, and we were able to hold her below her average in the first game to 11, and I think Linda did an even better job this time around,” said Harris. “She’s getting really great experience right now as a freshman and everybody has a job they need to do and we spoke about that with the team. I thought she did the job we asked her to do.” Rudolph had a slow start in the first half, only scoring three points. She
exploded with 13 second half points, scoring key baskets in the final minutes of the game. Rudolph led the offense along with sophomore guard Megan Hendrick who played more of a leading ball handler role. “[For] Megan to play 34 minutes at point and only have one turnover it says a lot about her composure. I thought we were organized in the things we were trying to execute,” said Harris. “Between her efforts and being able to have Paula [Lopez] on the wing a little bit more as more of a scoring threat, it was good for us. [Reducing turnovers] was a focus and it was definitely intentional.” The game came down to free throw shooting, and Stony Brook hit their free throws and enough chances to come away with the victory. Rudolph finished the game with a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Gibbs tallied 21 points along with nine rebounds.
“If anything, with us coming down the pipeline of conference [games] and seeing our team play that hard at this point in the season, it’s really encouraging,” said Harris. “Even in the locker room, they’re still looking ahead to the next game and the next game and the next game, so I’m just enthused about this group and how hard working and how invested they are.” Harris also had praise for the Seawolves and the response her team had this time around. “Credit to Stony Brook. I believe that they’re hands down the hardest working team in the league regardless of their talent [or] who’s on their team. Year by year they give you the same consistent work ethic. Last year they did that, and we didn’t step up to the challenge, and they ran us off the court. This year we just have a group that has bought in and wants to work hard.”
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
Freshman guard Paula Lopez added four points for UMass Lowell.
February 13, 2018
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SPORTS Boston Celtics’ future looking brighter every day Matt Kaiser Connector Staff
With the National Basketball Association (NBA) trade deadline closed as of Thursday, Feb. 8, and lots of teams making deals and signing contracts, the Boston Celtics are in a great position. Last week, the Celtics used some of their leftover money to buy out the Phoenix Sun’s free agent, center Greg Monroe.
Courtesy of the Boston Celtics
Greg Monroe prviously played for the Phoenix Suns.
It is far too early to say whether Monroe will stay in Boston past this season, but he will provide some low-post scoring as well as underrated passing skills as the team heads towards playoffs. Monroe has a good track record: in his eight NBA seasons, he has
averaged 14 points and nine rebounds per game. Recent injuries have left the Celtics digging into their bench squad, with guard Marcus Smart out for two weeks with a hand injury, point guard Kyrie Irving with a quad injury, and various other small injuries. Thankfully the Celtics are a resilient bunch, and the young bench players were more than ready to step up and have the spotlight. On Wednesday, Feb. 1, in a blowout victory over the New York Knicks, guard Terry Rozier was in the starting lineup for the first time in his career, and he also recorded his first triple-double. He put together 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to become the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his first start. Immediately after the game, Rozier said to a reporter, “It just worked out perfectly for me, I got to knock down some shots in the beginning of the game, [and] hit the open man. I’m always going to get in there and rebound. [It was] just a great night.” But Rozier was just getting started. In the very next game, a 119-110 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, he recorded a new career high in points and lead the team with 31. Not far behind, Celtics rookie guard Jason Tatum scored 27 points that night, which was also a career high for him. With their star players unable to play, the Celtics bench made up for their inexperience by showing their skills and eagerness to achieve. After the game against Atlanta, Tatum said, “You just have to be more aggressive and score. So many guys were injured, a lot of points were missing, so guys had to do more.”
U P C OM I N G
River Hawk Games Wednesday, Feb. 14
7 p.m.
WBB at Maine
Thursday, Feb. 15
7 p.m.
MBB at UAlbany
Friday, Feb. 16
12 p.m.
Baseball vs. Ball State
Friday, Feb. 16
1:30 p.m.
SB vs. Tennessee
Friday, Feb. 16
7:15 p.m.
MHOC at Providence
Saturday, Feb. 17
3 p.m.
SB vs. Florida Atlantic
For more sports information and full game schedules visit goriverhawks.com
Celtics superstar point guard Kyrie Irving has shown this season that he is a great mentor, and wants to lead the young team to success. He puts time and effort into providing advice and counsel to the young guys, and Terry Rozier said, “Kyrie’s probably one of my biggest supporters outside of my family through this little process.” Besides acquiring Monroe, there were rumors that the Celtics were going to trade guard Marcus Smart. But as the trade deadline approached and passed, the Celtics front office stayed quiet. So, as the rest of the NBA scrambles to make last minute trades, Boston sits content with a treasure trove of draft picks and trade assets, as well as a young motivated team with unlimited potential.
Vladimir Popusoi wins the pole vault; Equals school record UMass Lowell Athletics
BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Vladimir Popusoi (Greenfield, Mass.) matched the UMass Lowell record in the pole vault in winning the event, Saturday, to highlight a strong day for the men’s track and field team at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational hosted by Boston University, at the Track and Tennis Center, in Boston, Mass. Popusoi cleared the bar at 16-feet, 8 3/4-inches matching a record he set nearly a year ago at the New England Championships held at Harvard. The successful vault came on his first attempt at the height and that was key. Yale’s Austin Laut also made it over the bar at 18’ 8 3/4”, but it came on his third attempt. Popusoi finished first based on attempts. “That’s two good meets in a row,” according to UMass Lowell Head Coach Gary Gardner. “The little pieces are all falling into place.” Popusoi tops the America East Performance List in the pole vault, bettering all other conference vaulters by some eight-inches. “He struggled a little bit at the beginning of the season, but now he has his confidence back,” said Gardner. “You can see it in the way he attacks the event.”
It was a strong field as the top four finished all cleared 16-feet. Popusoi made three attempts at 17-feet nearly succeeding on his final attempt before his day was done. Senior distance runner Paul Hogan (Burlington, Mass.) turned in strong performance in the 5,000-meters. Hogan clocked in at 14-minutes, 06.47-seconds finishing fourth in a field of 112 runners. “That was a good experience for Paul,” according to Gardner. “He hasn’t run a high level 5k before. That was good competition for him. He’s right there mentally and physically and he can run faster.” The time was a personal best in the event and is the fastest posted by an America East runner this season. Hogan has now posted personal records in the mile (4:09.67), 3,000-meters (8:06.45) and the 5,000 (14:06.47) this season. Junior Hamza Naveed (Andover, Mass.) turned in two strong runs. He set a personal best in the 200-meters with a time of 21.95-seconds and also ran the 400-meters in a time of 48.78. “He is right on the edge of putting it all together,” said Gardner. “It’s a piece here and a piece there and it’s coming together.” Naveed already had the top time in the conference in the 400-meters and
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Atlhetics
Senior pole vaulter Vladimir Popusoi tied UMass Lowell’s school record.
is now ranked fifth in the 200. “He’s got his confidence and he’s matured,” according to Gardner. “He’s a lot more fit and he’s figured out how to work hard and how to race.” River Hawk jumpers turned in solid performances. Senior Rino Tonelli (Shrewsbury, Mass.) was one of two competitors to clear six-feet,
9 3/4-inches. Tonelli placed second based on attempts. Freshman Fernando Lamin (Burlington, Mass.) finished third. He cleared the bar at 6’ 8 1/4”. Next week the River Hawks will compete at the Brown Invitational in Providence, R.I.