The Connector - February 20, 2018

MGMT comes roaring back with “Little Dark Ageâ€?   â–ş Page 3

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

February 20, 2018

River Hawks lose fourth straight game

In This Issue

Hannah Manning

Boston University professor talks CTE

Connector Editor

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Play about post-9/11 racism stirs Lowell

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River Hawk hockey in crisis?

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Final River Hawk Scores Team

Score

Overall Record

Baseball vs. Morehead State

W 2-1

2-1

Men’s Lacrosse at Harvard

L 9-10 1-1

WBB at Binghamton

L 52-38

Men’s Hockey vs. Providence

L 3-1

4-23 16-16-0

No kitten, ‘Black Panther’ is fantastic Owen Johnson Connector Editor

General consensus so far seems to be that “Black Panther� is one of, if not the best, movie in the Marvel cinematic universe. This consensus is entirely accurate. Not only is it one of the best Marvel films, but almost every aspect from characters to aesthetics is the best that has come from a Marvel film.

Following the death of his father in “Captain America: Civil War,� Prince T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is crowned king of Wakanda. As this is happening, an enemy (Andy Serkis) from the isolated nation’s past reappears alongside a figure with unknown intentions.

What is nice about “Black Panther� is that T’Challa was already introduced in “Captain America: Civil War,� so it gets to act as a Black Panther origin story without going through the overdone and traditional super hero origin story, and instead could focus on T’Challa as a character and his origin as the new ruler of the most advanced country on the planet. Throughout the movie he is faced with issues both political and personal that will help to build his character.

Alongside T’Challa, every character of any amount of importance has some amount of character depth to them. The main villain (Michael B. Jordan) has a well-developed

The third period was the best one for the UMass Lowell men’s hockey team. Rebounding from a slow first period and a more heated second one, they came in roaring for the final 20 minutes.

Fighting a 1-0 deficit, the River Hawks fought hard in their offensive zone, drilling in chance after chance. UMass Lowell had 14 shot attempts in the third period, and held Providence to only eight.

All they needed to do was get just one past Providence College’s talented junior goaltender Hayden Hawkey. Maybe then, after chipping away, the River Hawks could ride that momentum to a tie – or more preferably, a much-needed win. UMass Lowell came into the final game

Matt Dwyer/Connector

Sophomore goaltender Tyler Wall stopped 28 out of 31 shots on net on Saturday night.

of the Providence series licking its wounds from a three-game losing streak, all of these losses coming from road play. Perhaps a change to more familiar scenery would be the thing to jumpstart the fal-

tering River Hawks.

For a second, it seemed as though a win was in view for the River Hawks.

Senior defenseman Chris Forney was the man to drive past Hawkey, at 17:17 in the third peri-

â–ş See “Hockey,â€? page 7

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle at UMass Lowell Annika Ketchum Connector Contributor

The month-long winter break has ceased for students at UMass Lowell. Thousands have returned to Lowell’s campus for a fresh start. Along with the New Year comes New Year’s resolutions, the most common of which is to start maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But just how does one do that while

living on a college campus?

College is overwhelming, and students have far more to worry about than their physical health.

Balancing going to the gym, eating right and taking the time out of their day for self-care seems like an obstacle strenuous to overcome.

Students do not even realize that the necessities to take care of themselves lay right beneath their

â–ş See “Black Panther,â€? page 4

Sections

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

od. His shot ripped past Hawkey and the Tsongas Center erupted back into life, when seconds before they were captivated into tense attention. As the lights dimmed and

Courtesy of UMass Lowell

The Healthy H.A.W.K.S. are one of many clubs dedicated to student wellness.

noses.

Eating Healthy While on a Budget “My original goal was only to do a 30-day change in my diet,� says Sarah Conceicao, a sophomore at UMass Lowell. Since the New Year, she said she has been making changes to her diet. She said she cut out processed foods, along with most dairy. She focuses a lot on proteins. She also said she made it a goal to eat breakfast each day, kickstarting her metabolism. Conceicao says she is excited to continue about the new healthy changes she has been making: “But now I like the results so much that I’m just continuing with it. I thought it was going to be a lot harder than it really is, and it’s pretty easy to do,� she said.

For those intimidated by the prices of healthy-living, Conceicao said that it is not as drastic as one may think: “All the money that you spend on crappy food, like chips or snacks high in trans-fat, can now be used for fruits and vegetables, and â–ş See “Healthy Lifestyle,â€? page 6

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

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February 20, 2018

NEWS Exciting developments coming to the Campus Recreation Center New fields and bike shop among new additions Andre Ragel Connector Editor

From the opening of Aiken Fields to a new space for outdoor adventure and bike shop, the arrival of spring brings in many welcomed developments to the Campus Recreation Center (CRC).

First, the much-awaited opening of the Aiken Fields complex is scheduled to take place later this spring. The turf fields will serve as the new home for many intramural and club sports programs.

During the day, students will also have access to use the fields, while equipment will continue to be available to check-out inside the CRC. In addition to the turf fields, there will be two tennis courts that are convertible into street hockey rinks which will be available for reservation online.

Many students like freshman Zachary Belisle are excited about the opening of the complex. “Having these new facilities would provide another way for students to escape the stress of classes and enjoy their time on campus,� said Belisle.

According to Peter Murray Director of Campus Recreation, the project is under the “substantial completion� phase, with final work to be finished as soon as the snow melts and a targeted 100 percent completion before the end of April. Murray attributes the complex’s delayed opening due to regulatory issues that were raised, causing the project not THE UMASS LOWELL

to start on time.

In addition to the new complex, a new outdoor adventure office and bike shop is opening next to River Hawk Village at 5 Lawrence Drive in the beginning of April. The new space will include a new office for the assistant director of Outdoor and Bi-

Andre Ragel/Connector

The existing atrium at the Campus Recreation Center will be renovated into a small fitness facility.

cycle Programs, as well as a new bicycle area. The area will include a retail space where students may purchase and/or rent out-

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HANNAH MANNING Managing Editor

door equipment, as well as purchase bikes and bike parts. Students may come in for assisted stand time and learn how to keep their bikes working properly.

The current bike shop located in the second floor of the CRC will be converted to a space that will be used for athletic training.

Responding to increased demand for additional space, the underutilized atrium will be renovated into a small fitness facility. The project is currently in the planning phase as CRC staff work on a current timeline and finalize details. The new space is expected to contain a new strength racks, treadmills, exercise bikes, as well as additional equipment such as free weights, benches and pulley machines. Murray is expecting the project to create better spacing all around the CRC. In addition, the project will also refurbish the Aiken Street entrance of the facility to make it more welcoming.

There are also new additions to programming in the spring, such as regular and powderpuff 4v4 flag football, as well as old favorites like outdoor soccer and tennis tournaments in April. Winning teams will receive champion t-shirts, while high-scoring teams that have regularly competed throughout the year may get the chance to receive the coveted Intramural Champions Cup. “Our goal is to continue doing a better job meeting the students’ needs. If students have any ideas, please reach out and let us know,� said Murray.

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February 20, 2018

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NEWS

Professor sponsors lecture on CTE and concussions Jason Ounpraseuth Connector Staff

Dr. Robert A. Stern and his colleagues at Boston University (BU) have spent the last couple of years studying the brains of deceased athletes and researching long-term effects sports like football and boxing have had on the brain to understand Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

Associate Professor Jeffrey Gerson’s Introduction to Politics and Sports course sponsored a lecture in which Stern shared his latest research findings to students and researchers to help everyone better understand the effects of CTE and the work that is being done to help prevent the degenerative disease.

Stern, director of the Boston University CTE Center, is admittedly a football fan. The past few years of research have changed for the Patriots fan causing him to watch less and less football.

“I actually know very little about concussions,” said Stern. “I am a neurodegenerative disease expert. I’m an Alzheimer’s disease researcher.” The purpose for Stern’s research is to look at the long-term impacts on the brain.

Concussions play a part in the degenerative impacts on the brain, but the under-looked cause is the sub-con-

cussive hits that happen during every football play that do not get the same attention that concussions do.

Research on CTE has been done for decades, but the focus was on boxing.

Dr. Bennet Omalu’s discoveries of former Pittsburgh Steelers player Mike Webster was the impetus for CTE research on football players and has expanded to other sports like soccer and hockey as well as military veterans.

Dr. Ann McKee has studied a lot of brains at BU’s brain bank. So far, she has not found any symptoms of CTE in women. Stern believes that will change in the future as more brains are donated to their center and as athletes and military veterans age as Stern calls CTE “a disease of aging.”

Symptoms will not show to a group that was previously not given opportunities in sports and the military but that will most likely change in the coming years as research continues to develop.

Detecting the symptoms of CTE during life would be a huge boost in research. As of right now, research on CTE can only be done post-mortem.

The behavior of these individuals is based off conversations with the loved ones of the individual. The symptoms of those diagnosed with CTE are changes in personality, mood and behavior, apathy, a short fuse and loss of

Courtesy of Jacob Belcher / Boston Herald

Dr. Robert Stern shares his findings on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

cognitive function.

Stern highlighted these symptoms in real-life cases that BU has been involved with through McKee’s work studying the brains that have been donated to their center. Each former athlete mentioned all had similar symptoms, but most importantly these individuals had either zero or very little concussions during their playing days, which shows even more that the sub-concussive hits are the real factor in the degeneration of the brain instead of concussions themselves.

The research on CTE is so new that Stern described his team’s understanding of it as “in the toddlerhood of un-

derstanding.” Science does not move as fast as the media and culture have on the discussion of CTE. Stern said he hopes that the media will learn the distinction between concussions and CTE. Concussions are what get the media attention, but CTE is the real issue at hand and is a completely different area of research.

The focus on concussions takes away from the understanding of CTE providing a different message to the general public.

For more information on Stern and his team’s research efforts on CTE, visit diagnoseCTE.com.

With help from the Center for Program Evaluation, it has demonstrated improved behavior and achievement among its 150 day and evening students. “They provide us tangible suggestions for improvement,” Principal Megan O’Loughlin says of the center’s faculty and staff. “They’ve been very helpful in planning next steps.”

“They’re always interested in getting small grants to help us, too,” says Lauren Campion, who manages The

Career Academy’s community partnerships and programs.The Center for Program Evaluation involves faculty across campus who are experts in and conduct research on evaluation methods. They also offer help with planning, grant-writing and evaluation as well as workshops on evaluation methods – both internally to university faculty, staff and students and externally to businesses and public agencies, especially schools.“The primary focus for most of us is education, but we’re a very diverse, interdisciplinary group,” says Assoc. Prof. of Education Jill Lohmeier, the center’s director. “School districts often have a need for program evaluation and the College of Education has a relatively new Ph.D. in research and evaluation in education, so our students can get experience using different evaluation methods.”

The students identified needs in the community and spent the day helping out, whether painting the gym at the church next door or weeding and preparing the school’s gardens for spring planting. Leah Ferullo, who is earning her doctorate in leadership in schooling, also assisted with the PhotoVoice training. She says she was initially skeptical of the technique but ended up being deeply moved by the students’ presentation.“I wasn’t just on the sidelines with this grant,” she says.

“I felt like I was actually a part of it and learning that this is how you gain insight into people’s stories.”

Faculty, Grad Students Lend Expertise to Alternative High School Katherine Webster UMass Lowell University Relations

When an alternative program for Lowell High School students decided to seek a U.S. Department of Education (DOE) grant to expand, its leaders asked UMass Lowell for help.

The Career Academy’s leaders needed experts to evaluate their students’ progress. They chose UML’s Center for Program Evaluation, which offered a holistic “empowerment evalu-

ation” – not just data analysis, but also active collaboration to help the school improve programs and services.

The Career Academy won the grant – worth $500,000 per year for up to five years – and it is now a full-service community school that partners with community organizations to offer programs, internships and social support ranging from a food pantry to English language classes for students and their families.

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February 20, 2018

CAMPUS LIFE

How to maintain a healthy lifestyle at UMass Lowell Tips and tricks to achieve a healthy routine ► Continued from front page

there is truthfully little to no price difference between the two.” Eating at the dining hall, Conceicao says she “instead of getting a small portion of unhealthy food like a burger or fries, I get a large plate completely full of a salad or veggies. Here, I’m eating more, and there’s far less calorie intake, a win-win situation. I also add any protein the dining hall is serving that night, like chicken or fish.”

A negative about beginning a diet is the loss of energy due a cut in sugar intake. A way around this that Conceicao said is that she eats six meals throughout the day instead of the common three meals. This keeps her far more energized and going, she said.

“You can even have cheat days and give yourself that sugary snack, but persistence is key and you need to have enough trust in yourself to stay on track in the right direction. Not only did I do this to look better, but I

mentally feel a lot better now too. To anyone trying to lose some weight and get back in shape, I recommend making a change in your diet. It doesn’t even have to be as drastic as mine, I just found that this is what works for me,” she said.

Attending the Gym Regularly Corey Cormier, a senior student at UMass Lowell, said he goes to the gym for an average of three hours every day. “But that’s just because I want to get into powerlifting. The average person only needs one hour just two days of the week, and once you make these two days priority, you’re going to like it more and probably add the gym into your daily routine more frequently.” He said that he was not always this into fitness, though. “I really started when I was 19. I went to college at Fitchburg State, and I did it because I wanted to put on more muscle weight. I also found that it was a huge confidence booster, and my sort of escape.”

According to Francis Fraioli, one

of the many authors of “Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences,” “Physical exercise stimulates marked concomitant release of endorphins and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) into the blood of physically active men and women.” Endorphins are hormones that are beneficial in making us happy. ACTH is a hormone released that reduces stress, so there is some science behind why those who work out do feel happier.

Alternative Exercise There are tons of alternatives to the gym that the school may offer. UMass Lowell offers group fitness classes like Zumba, spin-classes and yoga.

“Your physical body reflects your emotional body, and we hold stress with in us constantly, whether we know it or not. Yoga is the one part of my day that is for me and just me” says Martha Robertson, a yoga instructor at UMass Lowell.

Like the gym is for Cormier, Robertson says that this form of exercise is an escape for her. Robertson also

had a nice tip on keeping oneself from getting distracted from health goals.

“I found that media control and the distraction of being on a phone or computer can be very distracting to a healthy lifestyle. The first thing we tend to do when we wake up in the morning is check our phones, and we sometimes don’t even notice ourselves doing so. Make sure to take the time to put your distractions away and clear your mind,” she said.

A negative aspect about yoga, however, is that classes outside of school are starting to get expensive. For those not at school who want to attend a cheaper yoga class, Sutra at Mill No. 5 in Lowell MA has a $40 package that is unlimited yoga for an entire month.

Robertson also said that yoga is both mentally and physically great.

“Take care of yourself, and your body will thank you.”

‘Unveiled:’ Dispelling religious prejudice Kelly Skelton Connector Editor

Students and members of the UMass Lowell community poured into the O’Leary Library on Feb. 16 to witness “Unveiled,” a one-woman show about racism and more specifically, the treatment of Muslims after 9/11. The sole performer, Rohina Malik, is no stranger to the stage. Malik has traveled across the U.S. and Canada performing her play, visiting universities and theaters alike. She spoke, and the room was immediately captivated, focusing on the powerful inflections of her heavy English accent.

Malik was born and raised in England.

Thought provoking stories would proceed, each featuring a blend of cultural knowledge, humor and sadness. Stories revolved around the harmful stereotype that all Muslims are terrorists. Malik provided perspective by illustrating a story of a woman who had “three strikes against her” due to the fact that Courtesy of The Huffington Post she was a woman, black and Muslim.

The harsh realities of the 9/11 backlash toward Malik has traveled across the United States and Canada performing. She now looks to expand to England.

In addition to live music, Malik broke out into a the many recipes referenced within the play. the Muslim community were never more evident Many audience members expressed their gratthan when Malik told the story of numerous mur- full hip-hop song during her act. Relating back to Isders. Several Muslims lost their lives due to the ig- lam and the detest of oppression, the song showed a itude for Malik’s efforts. “Islam is more than just norance of self-proclaimed “patriots.” Malik paused voice that would be otherwise silenced if it were not people from one area of the world. Thank you,” midway through her a scene and said, “We are all for the expression of music. “You’ll find hip hop in said one member. Several other members of the communities where people feel voiceless,” said Ma- audience thanked her for the intimate connection Americans and we have to protect each other.”

Disproving the common belief that ignorance lik. The actress and playwright later made a joke and relatable experiences that they had faced. Laststems from a lack of education, Malik used the in her Q&A session that she enjoyed portraying a ly, Malik informed the audience of her purpose for “Unveiled.” “[My plays] bring an audience [in] to Holocaust as evidence. “The men that built those young rapper as she is a mother of four.

The thoughts of being a role model and setting the homes of Islam,” said Malik. chambers were well educated,” said Malik. The Toward the end of “Unveiled,” a request was memory of how the Holocaust began was remind- examples was prevalent in the early going of her ed her the powerful words. “Today it is my rights, play. In a scene in which a mother is faced with a made by one of the many Muslim personas that racist, the mother thinks it best to remove herself are presented during the play. “Get to know me, tomorrow it could yours,” said Malik.

Much of Malik’s time was spent addressing and from the situation until she considers her children. get to know my community, we want peace,” said clearing up misconceptions about the religion of Is- “Everything [that] I do, my children will do too,” Malik. These words rang loud through the O’Leary lam. For example, many believe that Allah is a dif- said Malik. This is a major reason why the charac- Library as the underlying meaning that we are all ferent worship than the traditional Christian or Jew- ter in that scene chooses to face the adversity even together was cemented.

During her post-play interview, a heavy emphasis ish God. Malik explained that Allah is the Arabic though potential danger is lurking.

Following her performance, Malik took part in was placed on the importance of the arts. Whether word for God, and that this belief was created due to the fact that most Arabic speaking folks happen an interview with the audience and a signing of her it be theater, music or other forms of performances, to belong to the Islamic religion. In fact, even Ara- book, “Unveiled.” The book does not simply retell the need for expression was one that could not be bic Christians or Jewish worshippers refer to their her scenes from the play, but also includes addition- ignored, she said. “The arts remind us of our hual information on her research, the play’s music and manity. Support its vitality.”

God as Allah.

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February 20, 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Black Panther’ is a beast of a film ►Continued from front page

philosophy, engaging back story and he feels like a believable person, making him Marvel’s best villain so far.

All of the side characters have different personalities and ideas to differentiate them, and none of them seem superfluous.

To go along with the well written characters, all of the actors are great.

Boseman and Letitia Wright, who plays T’Challa’s sister, have wonderful chemistry and come off like they really are brother and sister. Lupita Nyong’o, Forest Whitaker and Daniel Kaaluya are all wonderful as well, and Andy Serkis is nothing short of entertaining in every scene he is in.

Due to how well written the characters are, it makes the action scenes stand out even more. The movie has a number of action set pieces that have a range of locations and it never feels like the audience is viewing the same fight twice, even when two of the fight scenes happen in the same location for similar reasons. What adds to these action scenes is that not only are the character developed to the point where the audience cares about their well-being, but, unlike other Marvel movies, there is an actual sense of dread that one or more of the characters will not survive an action se-

quence. There is also a brutal realism to it all. Not only does it feel like any character could die at any time, but the reasons for conflict in the movie are based on topical talking points and current issues.

the country’s politics, technology, its current standing with the rest of the world and its history without ever bogging the flow of the movie down.

Everything is worked in organically, and it ultimately results in believable

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

“Black Panther” is predicted to make at least $400 million domestically.

In terms of aesthetics, the movie is wonderful and unique. The main city of Wakanda is an original design, all of the costumes are colorful and pop on screen and other than scenes that take place in South Korea, the settings are all unique to the Marvel universe.

Another nice thing about “Black Panther” is that it takes every chance it gets to also develop the fictional country and culture of Wakanda.

The movie gives the audience a lot of details about Wakanda, showcasing

characters in a believable setting.

A potential issue that “Black Panther” deals with well is with Wakanda’s natural resource, Vibranium.

Vibranium has all sorts of different functions from medical purposes to weapons manufacturing that the movie could have fallen to using it as a product used for plot progression, but it manages to make the use of it logical so that it never feels like it is being used as a cheap way to make things happen in the movie.

“Black Panther” also manages to avoid traps that other Marvel movies have fallen into. The comedy in “Black Panther” is rather laid back, with the majority of it happening at times where it tonally fits and does not damage any of the tension that has been building up in a scene. There are only a few instances of humor being used to defuse tension, and in both cases they work due to the setting, what is happening in the scene and because of the character who is speaking.

The one area of the movie that falters is the story, and it only falters to a mild extent. In terms of story-telling, everything that is set up, whether obviously or subtly, has a satisfying payoff to it, the pacing is well done, and the storyline mostly manages to avoid predictability. That being said, there was one instance where a giant coincidence for the sake of plot progression happens, and it seems like there is some needed closure for a few characters who do not receive any.

Almost everything about “Black Panther” is at its apex, even the obligatory Stan Lee cameo which is one of the best and funniest ones yet. It is simply fantastic.

Final Grade: A

MGMT leaves their ‘Dark Age’ with new album Patrick Connell Connector Staff

For over a decade, the three singles off MGMT’s debut album— “Kids,” “Time to Pretend” and “Electric Feel”—have been entrenched in the common lexicon of popular culture, appearing in dozens of movies and television shows. But then their two follow-up albums have been mostly forgotten about due to an intentional aim to be unfriendly to the general audience; however, for their newest album, “Little Dark Age,” MGMT set themselves back on track for mainstream success with a return to catchy pop tunes, but this has only bolstered their sound.

The album’s opener, “She Works Out Too Much,” immediately draws the listener in with a cascade of synthesizers playing a bouncy, descending melody accompanied by the voice of a woman giving instructions. It sounds as though it could be on the soundtrack to some infomercial fitness training video with the backing bass synth keeping the rhythm pumping, and combined with several constant tones lowering in pitch with the harmony, the track melds all its components well.

Second on the list is the title track, “Little Dark Age,” and as the title suggests, the tone shifts into a darker mood here. The instrumentals and vocals both have a chilling effect with the echo that they employ—most notably during the intro, verse and bridge sections of the song. For the choruses, they still have their overdriven, extended chords as opposed to melody for their instruments, as per the pop standard. But it works fine here and flows well into the next song.

The best song on the album is “When You Die.” To begin the song, the rumbling undertones of the bass complement the sharp tinges of the lead key-

board and guitar, both of which quickly build up with a faint drumming until the tension is cut by the short pause when the singing comes in a shout.

While the song’s sections change, so does the overall timbre and the way it happens so seamlessly alCourtesy of Columbia Records

MGMT formed in 2002.

lows the freshness of the song to last. For lasting questions to think about, the lyrics also hint at deep, existential thoughts that one might come across in their life. Despite all those good qualities, the main draw of the song is the part where they sing expletives and one cannot help but to chant along.

Because no ’80s teen drama movie is complete without a ballad of synthesizers played during school dance in the gymnasium, MGMT provides a track just for that in their dark, ‘80s-reminiscent album: “Me and Michael.” The song is littered with

horns and ‘whoas’ that work to fill out melodies while an arpeggiated synth add steadily plucked bass hop in to hold the feeling of the song together.

Much like someone who experienced adolescence in the ‘80s as well, MGMT also has a song addressing the addiction that many people have to their cellular devices in “TSLAMP,” an acronym meaning ‘Time Spent Looking At My Phone.’ While still cohesive with the theme of the album, “TSLAMP” is rather underwhelming of a track when compared to those that have come before it.

Similar to “Me and Michael” is another song, “One Thing Left to Try,” but this one is much more triumphant in both musical style and lyricism. The leading melody is a high-pitched, twinkly synth with an ascending line. The lyrics that a woman (and then the rest of the band during the coda), sings along with the song implore the listener attempts to live their life in a manner that will give those they care about a positive impression about themselves, especially when life seems hardest.

MGMT have revitalized themselves with “Little Dark Age,” so much so that they have come to produce their best work so far. For fans of Ariel Pink, who worked extensively on this album, and other contemporary psychedelic pop artists, this album is a must. Even if one does not necessarily consider themselves a fan of those specific things, it is definitely worth listening to if they like pop music in general, and especially so if they like keyboard synths.

Final Grade: A-

February 20, 2018

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Fire Emblem Fates’ burns brightly Shane Foley Connector Staff

Of all the Nintendo franchises in existence, none has embodied the Cinderella story as “Fire Emblem” did. Since no titles were released in America prior to “Super Smash Bros. Melee,” it seems the franchise started from the bottom, and now they are here. This recent return to prominence has turned heads of many gamers who have never played any “Fire Emblem” game before, so as someone who certainly falls into this category, here is a cold review of “Fire Emblem Fates” from someone with no expectations.

The game mechanics of “Fire Emblem” are similar to tactical strategy games, for example: “Final Fantasy Tactics.” It is played on a field of tiles and each character has certain ranges that they can traverse the terrain in. Each character also has a special set of abilities and attacks that they use when engaged with an enemy to determine a victor.

Two rather unique aspects of “Fire Emblem: Fates” and “Fire Emblem” games as a whole are setting and plot. The world of “Fire Emblem” draws inspiration from the medieval and the gothic. Much of the plot is delivered through text box conversations that can be compelling to read as the language has a bit of Shakespearean flare.

Specifically with “Fire Emblem Fates,” the gamer plays as the main character Corrin. Corrin has ties to the two opposing factions in conflict throughout the game: The Hoshido and the Nohr. Corrin is related to one of them, but the details surrounding his birth are unclear and are revealed more as the player advances. The plot is not essential for gameplay, but it is worth the watch.

Depending on which version is purchased, the

player must choose to fight for the Hoshido or Nohr (Birthright and Conquest respectively). Conquest was also made for more experienced players, while Birthright is more tailored to new players.

Perhaps the greatest attribute “Fire Emblem” games have to them is the amount of creativity it yields from the player. Moving a player’s forces Courtesy of Nintendo

“Fire Emblem Fates” is the 12th game in the series.

around even one or two tiles require large amounts of strategic forethought.

This feature can at times make losing an enjoyable experience. If something does not work, the player has the opportunity to try something else.

The amount of approaches a player could take to any mission is virtually endless, and it is up to them

to develop their own strategies for dealing with difficult enemies.

On the topic of difficult enemies, “Fire Emblem Fates” is littered with them. As the player is allowed to move their forces, the enemy can move too. The enemy can also at times carry unexpected abilities that make the quit button look really tempting. This is why moving in this game can take long, since moving an ally into an opponent’s range is often asking for that unit to be slaughtered.

Not only are decisions in game difficult to make, but those made outside of battle can be just as important. Units level up like traditional turn based role-playing games, which means that the more a unit sees action, the more rapidly it levels up. Therefore, like Pokemon, players have to think about who is gaining experience. Also, just like it is tempting to have Charizard finesse every gym leader, there are certain units a player might be tempted to rely on.

Weaker units who do not get kills, however, have their growth stunted, which adds another layer of deciding which unit goes where.

The “Fire Emblem” community has been in heated debate over whether or not “Fire Emblem: Fates” is a good title for beginners. Especially for players of Conquest, gamers complain that the difficulty might be too steep, especially since “Fire Emblem Awakening” was heralded as the prime beginner game years ago. “Fire Emblem Fates” is certainly enticing, though. Playing with all of the new features inspires the gamer to wonder how challenging the previous games were. In that respect, “Fire Emblem Fates” is a great way to begin one’s “Fire Emblem” journey.

Do not take ‘The 15:17 to Paris’ Owen Johnson Connector Editor

If one is a fan of historical dramas where the historical aspect of it is a three-minute-long event that happens at the end of the movie with nothing of interest happening for the rest of the running time, then “The 15:17 to Paris” is the right movie to watch.

Based around the true events of the Thalys train attack in August of 2015, “The 15:17 to Paris” chronicles the lives of three American friends, two of which are soldiers, who stopped the attacker.

When it comes to historical drama stories, there is essentially one of two things to do to make it work fundamentally. The story either has to focus on an interesting figure from history, such as “Schindler’s List,” or an interesting event in history, such as “Apollo 13.” “The 15:17 to Paris” fails in both fields. Since the backstory of the characters is underdeveloped and the events right before the train attack are them on a European vacation, the character aspect is uninteresting.

Since the actual historical event that the movie is based around only lasts for about five minutes, the historical event focus is lacking.

It is important to note that the movie is directed by Academy Award winner Clint Eastwood, who has continued to make movies into his 80s. East-

wood has a lot of experience under his belt, which is why “The 15:17 to Paris” does not feel like a Clint Eastwood movie, save for the train attack scene. Almost every idea, every line of dialogue and every actor chosen

young adults speak. For example, one of the three friends (Anthony Sadler) seems to bring up taking selfies in every other line of dialogue.

The only thing worse than bad dialogue is when it is delivered by bad ac-

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Eastwood originally considered actors Kyle Gallner, Jeremie Harris and Alexander Ludwig for the roles of Skalatos, Sadler and Stone.

seems to have been a bad choice that someone as talented and acclaimed as Clint Eastwood should have realized to avoid.

The awfully written script becomes apparent with the first line of dialogue, which is groan-worthy. It then hard cuts to the three friends in their middle school days, where the screenplay fluctuates between bad and cringeworthy dialogue for the kids or on-thenose and cringeworthy dialogue from the parents. Then, when the characters are out of middle school and are young adults, it becomes apparent that no one on the crew understands how

tors. The three friends (Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos and Sadler) are all played by themselves. This is kind of a neat gimmick, but none of them are good actors to the point where these literal life-long friends do not have any on screen chemistry with each other.

Another issue with the screenplay is a lack of focus. The first lines of the movie are from Sadler, telling the audience about the story they are about to witness. When it cuts to their middle school days, the focus is on Stone and Skarlatos’ friendship while Sadler seems like a secondary character in all of this. Then, the movie mainly

focuses on Stone’s story while Skarlatos gets a couple of scenes to himself every now and then and Sadler gets dropped all together unless he is with Stone.

While Stone is the member of the trio that gets the most focus, he is just as underdeveloped as the rest of them.

The other characters are never given a chance to be developed, but Stone does have enough focus from the movie to do that. However, any development seems to just happen, so it never feels like he is actually growing as a character. For example, it is said that Stone has a problem committing to things, but in the very next scene he is completely committed to joining the military.

There are a few standout aspects of the movie, though. There is a step up in the sound and the dialogue is clearer than it was in Eastwood’s last couple of movies, “Sully” and “American Sniper,” and the actual train attack sequence actually feels like something Clint Eastwood made. It is well shot and executed, and it has a realistic feeling to it.

Considering Eastwood’s track record as a filmmaker, “The 15:17 to Paris” is one of the most surprising let downs in recent memory.

Final Grade: D-

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February 20, 2018

SPORTS “Tom vs Time” documentary attempts to show a different side to Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady Punit Motiwala Connector Staff

In the history of the National Football League (NFL), no quarterback has amounted to that of Tom Brady.

Brady has been widely known as one of the best, if not the greatest, quarterbacks to play the game. His mental prowess is unlike that of any other football player. His ability to read opponents’ defenses and adapt to any situation allows his athleticism to shine. Many renowned athletes, such as Ray Lewis and Darrelle Revis, have stated that Brady is a “warrior” and “the greatest.”

Although Brady is known for his stellar moves, the Facebook miniseries “Tom vs Time” gives viewers an in depth look at the life of New England’s Golden Boy. The series is

Courtesy of Seth Wenig

Brady and the Patriots fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 52.

broken up into five 15-minute long episodes, each tackling a different area of Brady’s work on and off the field.

The miniseries primarily focuses on Brady’s home life, as most of America knows about his legacy on the field.

A majority of “Tom vs Time” was filmed in the 2017 off-season after New England’s historic win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51, and a sprinkle of the first four weeks of the 2018 season. Aside from the filming, director Gautam Chopra stated Brady was not willing to do the documentary at first as it would distract him from his career. As his 40th birthday rolled around, the quarterback finally agreed. When Brady and Chopra met to discuss the show, Brady insisted that he would play for five more years, and Courtesy of USA Today that the show would not be a “legacy Brady shares a moment with his daughter Vivian. thing.” Chopra’s vision was not only Amendola to a retreat in Montana season starts up, Brady keeps his fato film Brady’s training and home life, where they further intensify their syn- therly roles along with his quarterback but also focus on his mental durability ergy. Brady’s motto for the retreat was responsibilities. In the fourth episode simply work hard and play hard. In of the series, Brady and his son travel and determination.

Brady explains to the audience that the morning, the trio would practice to China to bond. Brady works on his football is more than his first love: it plays and intense drills in the desert brand and company TB12 on the trip is his life, and players should be will- heat. After winding down from prac- while exploring the Chinese culture.

When New Englanders tune in for a ing to give up their life when play- tice, the group would venture on to intense outdoor activities.

In one scene Sunday afternoon Patriots game, they ing against him because he gives his. the teammates were seen riding ATVs cannot help but feel true happiness.

Chopra beautifully captures the esdown a muddy desert road.

When The Patriots have brought an aura of sence of Brady’s work ethic. As he sits he returns home, Brady begins to reepic-ness to their fans, but many do at home with his son and reviews film tape, viewers are shown how much watch old football tapes and plan the not know the amount of work that is put in by each person associated with time Brady puts in off the field and rest of his week.

According to Brady’s wife, Gisele the team. Tom Brady gives viewer a how his football knowledge is evBündchen, her husband’s life is di- glimpse of his MVP and hardworking er-growing. vided into two throughout the year. lifestyle while defining all NFL stanChopra follows Brady and wide reDuring the off-season, Brady is more dards and being one of the best quarceivers Julian Edelman and Danny involved with the family. When the terbacks in the NFL at age 40.

River Hawks swept by Providence as they lose edge in series finale 3-1 ► Continued from front page

the goal horn blew, momentum was in the River Hawks’ favor, with a deliriously happy crowd bolstering their every move.

It was not to last. Providence forward Erik Foley ripped a goal past sophomore goaltender Tyler Wall’s shoulder 42 seconds later, just as the Tsongas’ PA announcer wrapped up announcing the Forney goal. From there, the game fell out of UMass Lowell’s hands as Providence scored an empty net goal with 51 seconds left to play and handed the River Hawks their fourth consecutive loss.

“Unfortunately, we keep giving away momentum. It takes a long time to get it back… we gave it away too quickly,” said UMass Lowell head coach Norm Bazin.

Wall did well in net, working his way back to Matt Dwyer/Connector what could be a starting position after shakiness Senior defenseman Chris Forney scored the lone goal. earlier this season. The sophomore made 28 saves, and although he was saved himself by the post on a done by Hawkey.

“We found a way [to win],” said Providence head few occasions, he radiated that sense of calm conficoach Nate Leaman. “It was a big shift after a [Lowdence which he made himself known for last year. ell] goal, Foley doing what Foley does of finishing a “He had a tough start, and that’s tough on anygreat play there.” body. But to put statistics aside, since Christmas The tense second and third periods paid off for he’s been a very, very good goalie. He’s coming what Bazin called a “playoffs atmosphere,” with back into form and I thought both goalies were exlots of back-and-forth play with very few stoppages cellent tonight,” said Bazin.

Wall’s counterpart, Hawkey, made 26 saves and in play. Both teams were down a man three times stood on his head in the third period when the River for the whole game, and neither could find a way to Hawks raised their offensive intensity. Providence capitalize, though not for lack of trying.

On a power play coming during Lowell’s second got their win partly off of the spectacular work

period upswing, freshman forward Cole Paskus led a powerful offensive charge that led to three close chances, but the only goal UMass Lowell scored on Saturday night was Forney’s.

“I thought we could score another one,” said Bazin.

Bazin was quick to praise the efforts of the River Hawks in the second and third periods as they fought back hard against the Friars. “In defense of [the team], they’re pushing for the game winner. It stings, for them. They’ve been through this lull and they want to snap out of it. That dressing room was full of character.”

Despite the result of Saturday night’s game, the team did look as though they had a spark to them for forty minutes. They skated hard, did the most of what they could with offensive chances and kept up very well with Providence. However, the final two minutes of the game were not on their side.

“It was a game of inches all night long. Both teams played well defensively, both goalies stood tall,” said Bazin.

The River Hawks will wrap up the last weekend of regular season play with a series against Merrimack College. UMass Lowell touches down in North Andover on Friday, Feb. 23 for a 7 p.m. contest against the Warriors. They will return home for Senior Night festivities on Saturday, Feb. 24. Puck drops at the Tsongas Center at 7 p.m. again, though the team encourages fans to arrive early to celebrate the efforts of the senior class.

February 20, 2018

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

Page 8

SPORTS Paul Pierce’s jersey retired with the Boston Celtics Matt Kaiser Connector Staff

On Sunday, Feb. 11, Boston legend forward Paul Pierce, known as “The Truth,” had his jersey retired and raised to the rafters of the TD Garden. One of the instrumental members of the “Big Three” and captain of the 2008 NBA championship team, Pierce’s legacy and devotion to the city of Boston will be remembered for a long time to come.

Back in 1998, Pierce was drafted by the Celtics as the 10th overall pick coming from the University of Kansas. In his first few seasons he quickly rose to prominence and took the Celtics to the playoffs in 2001 for the first time in seven years. Pierce was nominated to the NBA All-Star team every year from 2002-2006 and also led the league in scoring with 2,144 points.

His legacy truly began, however, when the Celtics won the championship in 2008, when guard Ray Allen, forward Kevin Garnett and Pierce became known as the Big Three. Pierce was selected as Finals MVP and averaged 22 points per game during the six game series against the Lakers.

The next year the Celtics lost to the Lakers in a repeat finals scenario, and the following year they lost to Miami in the second round. Despite coming up short, Pierce still hit many milestones in the Celtics’ history and to this day he has the most 3-pointers, steals and free throws in Celtics’ history.

Following a disappointing loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, Pierce had his tribute video played and he gave his speech. In attendance were some former teammates Garnett and point guard Rajon Rondo, as well as former Celtics’ coach Doc Rivers. Allen, however, did not attend because he felt that his controversial return to Boston would take away from Pierce’s well deserved moment.

He did take to Instagram to post a long paragraph congratulating his former teammate and showing his love.

During his speech, Pierce teared up when talking passionately about his family and children, as well as his team and coach. Rivers also spoke and complimented Pierce on his ability to adapt and listen to his coaching advice. Despite the two butting heads a few times during his career, Rivers said, “When a star player will allow a coach to coach him, that’s why you win.”

Among many great quotes, Pierce praised the city of Boston by saying, “When guys go to play in other cities, there’s no fans like Boston. This is a first class organization; these people right here set a standard for the NBA. There’s only certain franchises in any sport that you just put at that level, and this is definitely one of them.”

His poignant tribute video featured quotes about Pierce from people such as Celtics’ general manager Danny Ainge, former Los Angeles Lakers’ guard Kobe Bryant and even Donnie Wahlberg. In the

U P C OM I N G

River Hawk Games Wednesday, Feb. 21

3 p.m.

WLAX vs BU

Wednesday, Feb. 21

7 p.m.

MBB vs Maine

Thursday, Feb. 22

7 p.m.

WBB vs UNH

Friday, Feb. 23

9 a.m. SB vs. Missouri State

Saturday, Feb. 24

7 p.m.

MHOC vs. Merrimack

12 p.m.

WLAX vs California

Sunday, Feb. 25

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

video, NBA legend point guard Oscar Robertson said, “He didn’t do a lot of complaining about situations, he adapted to the situation. He should look back on the great career he had with the Boston Celtics and really glory in it.”

With the number 34 forever retired onto the banner at the TD garden, Paul Pierce will be remembered by the city of Boston for the toughness, grit and passion that he gave to the city. His legacy is one of Boston’s greatest, with all of the amazing things that he accomplished in his long career. Long live The Truth.

Op-Ed: River Hawk hockey in crisis Daniel McDermott Connector Staff

Let’s face it, UMass Lowell hockey has had it made for the last five years. Norm Bazin has taken us to the Hockey East tournament final the last five straight years, winning three of them. The only time we didn’t make the tournament final was in Bazin’s first year, where we still went to the NCAA tournament. Not too shabby for a team that finished with five wins in 2010-2011. Bazin has mastered the Hockey East in ways that are only third to Jack Parker and Jerry York.

But this year is different: we all felt that things did not seem right that first weekend. After losing the home opener to the University of New Hampshire (UNH) on a last-second goal in regulation, the team then went to Durham and lost again to be outclassed by a team sitting in 10th in the Hockey East. But we’ve been here before.

On opening night in 2013, coming off of our first Hockey East tournament championship, we lost to Sacred Heart 2-1 and went on to win that Hockey East tournament again. But that does not seem to be the storyline this season.

Since the UNH series, we’ve been wildly inconsistent. For every Boston College and Boston University win, we lose to the University of Vermont and Bentley University. At times it looked like we only play hockey on Fridays and are not aware we play on Saturdays, too. On Friday, Feb. 9, the

team had an overtime loss to Boston College which was followed up with a bitter 3-0 loss to our rivals from the western part of the state on Saturday.

It’s time to admit it. This year just isn’t our year.

There are hundreds of excuses for our lack of elite play this year: goaltending, coaching, top goal-scorer, loss of top players. It is none of those.

time here. It’s our lack of a strong defensive unit.

Another staple of Bazin hockey is that defense wins championships. Bazin loves winning games by one or two goals, shutting out teams and holding on to leads going into the third period. In our first two Hockey East final championship wins, we shutout both Boston University and UNH. We’ve

Matt Dwyer/Connector

The River Hawks currently have a 16-16 overall record this season.

Relying on a stud scorer to carry the team out of mediocrity is the complete opposite of Bazin hockey, which thrives off several players consistently scoring goals. We don’t lack leaders.

Edwardh, Mueller, Forney and others have played in big games during their

even managed to be undefeated this season while leading after two periods until the recent BC loss. But our defensive unit has consistently turned over the puck in their own zone from game one.

Additionally, exposing both Wall

and Hernberg while they struggle to transition the puck from defense to offense limits the number of chances our goal scorers have. Our lack of experience is not a valid excuse. Panico, Mueller and Forney are all seniors with over 350 combined games played. The defensive unit appears to be simply underperforming, which can be a mixture of coaching and lack of leadership. With all three also graduating, our defensive problems will not be solved next year without adjustments.

Although it is time to admit we are not one of the best teams in Hockey East this year, and our only path to the NCAA tournament is a Hockey East final win, it’s still possible. The River Hawks have shown they can lose to the worst and beat the best. Anything can happen in March and Norm has never steered us wrong.

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