Zero Shades of Grey teaches students about sexual assault â–ş Page 6
THE UMASS LOWELL
Serving the Student Body Since 1976
September 19, 2017
Season 4 of ‘BoJack Horseman’ falls inferior
In This Issue
Owen Johnson
Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race preview
Connector Editor
â–ş Page 3
Pokemon Collesium review
► Page 4 Women’s Soccer recap
â–ş Page 7
Final River Hawk Scores Team
Score
Overall Record
Women’s Soccer vs. Seton Hall
W 3-1
3-1-3
Field Hockey vs. Fairfield
L 3-2
4-3
Men’s Soccer vs. Quinnipiac
T 1-1 3-1-1
Men’s Soccer vs. Monmouth
W 3-2
4-1-1
Queens of the Stone Age ‘Villains’ review Emily Toomey Connector Staff
Queens of The Stone Age just released their seventh studio album titled “Villains.� They have tried a different creation compared to their normal sound, including a much groovier vibe. Known for their hypnotic guitar riffs, this album plays more into the catchy side of alternative rock that is not normally seen from them. They have teamed with producer Mark Ronson (“Uptown Funk�) to help reboot their sound. The first single to be released, titled “The Way We Used to Do,� takes a melodramatic approach to their normal vocal style. Lead vocalist Josh Homme’s voice hits new low ranges, which created a more dark and grungy melody. The beginning of the track starts off with an upbeat melody with heavy riffs entering. The lyrics give the song a sense of ease, starting off the pre-chorus with: “We run ‘till no one could find us. Girl, we outrun everyone.� The darkness of the song allows it to stand out as a more defining track on the album. The ending pre-chorus provides the listener with a sense of defiance: “Let nobody dare confine us. I’ll bury anyone who does.� This track is considered a re-vamp of their 2002 album
When “Bojack Horseman� first started out, it sounded like a terrible idea. A ‘90s sitcom star going about his daily life as a depressed, cynical, alcoholic and washed up actor who has not done anything relevant in two decades, and he is an anthropomorphic horse. It sounded completely silly, but for three seasons the showrunners proved that initial assumption wrong. Season four carries on that tradition, though it is beginning to show cracks. One of the things that made “BoJack Horseman� such a unique show was its willingness to go where others shows would not. It was honest with its audience in a darkly satirical way. Whether it was handling drug addiction in a non-after school spe-
Courtesy of Metro.com
Season 4 of BoJack Horseman premiered July 22.
cial sort of way where it showed the drastic consequences of it like the season three episode “That’s Too Much, Man!� or its depiction of how rape allegations are handled by society in the dark, satirical and intelligent season two episode “Hank After Dark,� “BoJack Horseman� always showed its teeth.
Now those teeth have been retracted, and it has exchanged its uniqueness for the exact same tone and feeling as multiple other animated programs. The best example of this is in one of season four’s main story lines where Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins) runs for governor. There is no witty or honest commentary
â–ş See “BoJack,â€? page 4
Men’s soccer defeats Monmouth University, 3-2 Jason Ounspraseuth Connector Staff
The UMass Lowell men’s soccer team defeated the Monmouth Hawks, 3-2, thanks to midfielder Dario Jovanovski’s game-winning goal in the final minutes of the game on Saturday night at Cushing Field. “I thought it was great to see our guys fight back after going up 2-0 and having Monmouth equalize,�
said UMass head coach Christian Figueroa. “It was great to get that late goal.� UMass Lowell maintained strong possession to start the game. The backline was able to get past Monmouth’s press to connect with the midfield for upward play. Midfielder Gui Rodriguez was the first to test Monmouth goalkeeper Bobby Edwards with a shot that led to a corner kick.
â–ş See “Queens of the Stone Age,â€? page 5
Sections News.............................3 Campus Life..................6 A&E.............................. 4 Sports........................... 8
about politics or anything like that; it is just another spoof of the 2016 election that every comedy program from “The Simpsons� to “Saturday Night Live� has already done. Not to mention, “BoJack Horseman� is late to the game on this one by almost one year.
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
Midfielder Jakov Basic scored two goals leading the River Hawks to victory.
Jovanovski’s corner led to a shot from midfielder Jannick Baumer that connected with the crossbar. The high press did lead to a miscue from UMass Lowell goalkeeper Austin Kroll where his attempted clearance led to a corner kick for Monmouth. The corner opportunity helped the Hawks settle down and maintain a bit of possession. Midfielder Jakov Basic provided another scoring opportunity for UMass Lowell when his longdistance shot sailed past the upper left corner of the goal. The River Hawks’ attack centered around getting the ball to Jovanovski, hoping he could provide dangerous passes against the Monmouth defense. That pass arrived and eventually went to midfielder Joe Kellett whose shot was saved by Edwards. Basic broke the deadlock with a long-distance strike which put the River Hawks up 1-0. Kellett and Rodriguez assisted on the goal. â–ş See “Men’s Soccer,â€? page 7
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September 19, 2017
OPINIONS & EDITORIALS The beginning of the end: My first week of senior year Alison Marc-Aurele Connector Staff
As I walked through campus on the first day of my senior year, I caught myself thinking back to my first day as a senior in high school. I remember walking into the building like I was royalty and feeling absolutely invincible. In college, however, there is no ‘king of the world’ feeling that comes with being a senior. Instead I have found myself met with a mixture of endless anxiety, exhaustion and impatience. Between rushing from one class to another and going to meeting after meeting, it’s amazing that I find time to eat let alone think about my future. But that’s not to say that this year hasn’t already been the best year of my college experience thus far. While just the phrase ‘senior year’ is usually met with a feeling of impending doom, I have found myself enjoying more of what school has to offer. Before this year I tended to stay within the foundation I had set myself in towards the beginning of school; I hung out with the same friends, worked in the same place and did the same ac-
tivities. This year I decided to change that up. I made the conscious decision to put myself out there and from this I have already learned so much more about myself and what I can accomplish. In just the first two weeks I have attended more diverse club meetings, sought out new experiences and explored more of what Lowell has to offer. One of the more interesting aspects of this year is my living situation. While senior year is usually when students find apartments of their own instead of returning to the dorms, this year I have found myself sharing a dorm floor with almost all freshmen. At first I was absolutely terrified at the thought of being surrounded by 18 year olds who are on their own for the first time, but living here has reminded me of how much fun college can be. Although it’s easy to get wrapped up in all of the assignments and projects, I am never going to get this genuine of a college experience again. After graduation my friends will no longer live right down the street and I won’t have a dining hall to eat at every night. Don’t get me wrong, living with
THE UMASS LOWELL
freshmen still makes me want to rip my hair out from time to time, but it has also reminded me to enjoy my experience and appreciate what is right in front of me. There are a lot of expectations that come with being a senior in college. Every time I meet someone new and they find out I’m graduating in May, their go-to question seems to be “What are you doing after graduation?� Anyone who is graduating soon knows how impossible this question is to answer; am I supposed to lie and say I have some offers on the table? Or maybe that I’m taking a year off to ‘find myself.’ Either sounds better than the truth: I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. I have been panicking about my post-grad life since I enrolled in this school and it has taken me until this year to realize that it’s okay to not know. Whether I use my business degree to become a CEO or simply decide to forget about it completely and become a professional mermaid (it’s actually a thing), there’s something comforting about not knowing what life will be like after graduation. As a wise woman once said, “Life’s what you make it, so let’s make it rock.�
Students! This section is for you to share your opinions. We want to know what you care about.
Serving the Student Body Since 1976
UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR
EDITORIAL BOARD OPEN Operations Manager
TAYLOR CARITO Editor-In-Chief
KATRINA DESROSIERS MICHAELA GOSS Copy Editors OPEN Advertising Manager ALEXA HYDE Social Media Manager CHRISTINA LADEROUTE Web Manager MATT DWYER Photo Editor OPEN Graphic Designer
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ANDREW SCIASCIA News Editor KATHRYN LEEBER Sports Editor BROCK JOHNSON Campus Life Editor BRENDAN JACQUES Arts & Entertainment Editor OWEN JOHNSON Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor JONATHAN SILVERMAN DAVID MCGRAW Advisers
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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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September 19, 2017
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NEWS Kinetic Sculpture Race turning STEM into STEAM Taylor Carito Connector Editor
The once ingenious idea out in California to alter bicycles into something unique, kinetic sculpture races have managed to make their way across the nation. Thousands of miles away, Lowell has adapted their own race with nearly 16 teams expected to attend. A combination of engineering and art, the second annual Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race (LKSR) is getting ready to take place on Saturday, Sept. 23.
“It gets a little more stressful everyday until the race happens, and once the race happens it’s a blast.”
Founded in 1969 by Hobart Brown, a metal sculptor, the concept of kinetic sculpture races has been adapted and expanded for nearly 50 years. To bring art into a seemingly Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) exclusive event, kinetic sculpture races add color and creativity to their machine designs and the race. “Aside from the science and tech-
nology and engineering aspects of it all and trying to make sure that they can, you know, actually make their way over cobblestone and go through a mud pit, and navigate the water, or float on the water, everybody is expected to wear costumes,” says co-director of the LKSR Michael Roundy. “Everybody is expected to wear costumes, you’ll see all of LKSR personnel will be in costumes. Costumes or a fancy dress in some ways or something just snazzy,” he says. In addition to costumes, he says all machines have an artistic element or theme and are required to have a stuffed animal on them. Roundy and Bianca Mouro, the other co-director, have been working tirelessly to create an event that celebrates science, technology, engineering, art and math in a fun and clever way. Participants are allowed to bribe the judges and marshals to potentially help them win. There are awards such as “Biggest Splash” and “Second to Last” that are given out at the end, and there is even a “People’s Choice” award where spectators vote for the winner. Teams who are participating in the race include Rogers STEM school in Lowell, where fifth and sixth graders attended a summer school to build their machine, and UMass Lowell has a team who is creating their own kinetic sculpture this year with the help of engineering alumni. This will be the first time the team is participating with their own creation. The team name is the Rowdy River Rovers with a River Hawk themed kinetic sculpture. As the race approaches, the team is eager to reveal their creation and has been working tirelessly. “Being part of the race is easily the best part after everything we put into it. It all basically builds up until race day. It gets a little more stressful everyday until the race happens, and once the race happens it’s a blast,” says
Courtesy of Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race
The Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race will get under way at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23. Festivities will start at 8 a.m.
Austin Wells, the Grand Pooba. According to Roundy, the race is le mans-style, meaning that the pilots have to run to their machines when the race starts. “All the pilots start across the street and they have to run across the street to their machine, get Courtesy of Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race
Courtesy of Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race
Jay Hungate and the Iconic Flying Fish take part in last year’s first annual Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race.
into their machine and then race from there,” says Roundy. The Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race begins at 10:30 a.m. with opening ceremonies featuring The Party Band and a cosplay group. The official race start time is at 11 a.m. and the mayor of Lowell is the official starter. Spectators are invited to come any time after 8 a.m. to view the sculptures prior to the race.
“Everybody is expected to wear costumes... or something just snazzy.”
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September 19, 2017
September 19, 2017
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT few times that it seems like the show is going to take a stab at some touchy topics, like racism, dementia and gun control, but these are either underdeveloped or just used for funny but not very clever punchlines. Not only has the quality of the satire deteriorated, but the overall writing the show so proudly and superbly flaunted is also going downhill. The well written episodes that were told with a dark sincerCourtesey of Netflix
Kristen Schaal was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for her role as Sarah Lynn on ‘Bojack Horseman.’
ity are now gone, replaced by episodes where bad thing after bad thing befalls the characters to garner sympathy for them or to influence their progression. That is not good writing; that is lazy and manipulative writing. Even in a show where humans and anthropomorphic animals live side by side, there still managed to be a strange sense of realism and brutal honesty in the show. That is gone now, too. The once restrained humor and mostly restrained storylines are now off the walls. In its place are supercharged wacky antics, obvious jokes, rushed and unoriginal storylines, and even a character played by Matthew Broderick who is just overly cruel and borderline evil. It is important to mention that these aforementioned aspects are not necessarily badly written or poorly executed, but it does display a lack of creativity. The first three seasons were something different whereas season four feels generic. The show gave its audience something new, and now it is giving them something they already had multiples of. To be fair, season four does include a number of things that show promise. The character of Todd (Aaron Paul) gets some development, which is one of the few storylines in the season that meets the writing standards of the first three seasons, and it
Connector Staff
In comparison to its two predecessors, “Pokemon Colosseum” was a large departure for the line of main console “Pokemon” games. Although the “Pokemon Stadium” entries were popular, The Pokemon Company elected to stray away from the multiplayer experience to a more single player focus. They hired Genius Sonority, later known for their work on the Dragon Quest series, to create a 3-D action adventure role-playing game (RPG) with all the trimmings of a “Zelda” or “Skyrim” game with the good old mechanics “Pokemon” fans have grown to love. As appealing as that may sound on paper, however, the result was more akin to the typical “Pokemon” experience with a lot more walking around. In “Pokemon Colosseum,” the player assumes the persona of Wes, a name that has no relevance to “Pokemon” or Nintendo. Wes is a former member of Team Snagem, a cohort that has gained recent notoriety for stealing Pokemon. Wes has left the team, realizing the error of his ways, but as he does mysterious shadow Pokemon appear over the region of Orre. Wes and his companion, Rui, embark on a journey to uncover what is going on with shadow Pokemon and to what end forces of evil are using them for. While maintaining much of the typical aspects of an enjoyable “Pokemon” game, there is one blaring mechanic that can prove to be quite irritating, and that is Pokemon capture. There are no wild Pokemon in this game, nor are there wild areas, like
grass. The only means of acquiring new Pokemon is through using Poke Balls on shadow Pokemon, which are basically Pokemon on other trainers’ teams that can be caught. In essence, the player does “steal” the Pokemon, which is a departure from a common theme in the games. What makes this mechanic irritating is what happens after they are captured. Shadow Pokemon do not belong to the player after they are caught like
Connector Contributor
Season 5 of ‘Bojack Horseman’ has yet to be announced.
finally feels like the character of BoJack (Will Arnett) is finally making some amount of progression. There are still a lot of good jokes, with the humor based around the animal characteristics of the anthropomorphic characters being some of the most memorable in the show’s four year run. Season four of “BoJack Horseman” is not bad, but it is showing warning signs of becoming what people originally feared it would be. There are still a number of promising details, but the season overall was not up to par. Final Grade: B-
glow, in which case selecting “call back” will let its shadow meter decrease or using the attack will result in a critical hit. There are also items that lower the shadow meter as well. Unfortunately, all of these methods are very slow, which is why this is irritating. There are special items in the game that instantly purify the Pokemon. Unfortunately, only about three exist in the entire game though. They have
Courtesey of The Pokemon Company
‘Pokemon Colosseum’ was the best-selling RPG released on the GameCube.
in other games. Instead, the Pokemon must go through a process of purification. Before that process is completed, the Pokemon still retains its shadow form, which means it can only use the move Shadow Rush, though it learns more moves as it purifies. In order to purify shadow Pokemon, the player has several methods to select from. Using a shadow Pokemon in battle decreases its shadow meter. In battle, when using the move Shadow Rush, the Pokemon may start to
a large rarity assigned to them, like Max Revives in the main Pokemon series. Walking around also decreases the shadow meter, albeit very slowly. A common strategy is to walk to many places when purifying the players Pokemon. Not only is purifying shadow Pokemon a long and arduous task, but the Pokemon that have to be purified are not exactly appealing. The player can select a starter and are given a free Espeon and Umbreon. From
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Patrick Connell
Courtesey of Netflix
‘Pokemon Colosseum:’ Or walk in a desert for 40 hours Shane Foley
Page 5
‘American Dream’ is not LCD Soundsystem’s best
BoJack Horseman Season 4 review ►Continued from front page
UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR
there, the shadow Pokemon available are Pokemon like Makuhita, Hitmontop, Yanma and Pokemon of the like for about two-thirds of the game. Towards the later half, players begin to see Metagross and Tyranitar. The Legendary Dogs are also available (Entei, Raikou and Suicune), but they are very difficult to catch. Level design is also an issue here. The map is somewhat small, and the player spends the majority of their time in three areas (Phenac City, Pyrite Town and Agate Village). There also is not much to do in these areas, and because of purification, one might end up walking these streets quite often. Pyrite Town has some secret areas, but other places have a couple non-player characters (NPCs) and not many houses to enter. The region of Orre is also based on a desert, so do not expect amazing 3-D landscapes or anything. That being said, some areas in the endgame are quite impressive. Overall, this title falls into the rating of a D. This might be a low score to give a game that was quite popular on release. Back in 2004 though, watching Pokemon in full 3-D was quite a big deal, more so than in 2017. Plus, after dealing with the shadow Pokemon, playing this game might leave some wishing they had Pokemon Ruby or Sapphire instead. This game is a staple of its time though, so the nostalgia factor is real.
James Murphy, front-man of rock band LCD Soundsystem, said he has been obsessed with making grand statements and being lauded since as late as 2002 when he and his band released the dancepunk single “Losing My Edge.” This is about him not being ahead of the curve for DJ-ing with hip music. This debut single for the band also showcases LCD Soundsystem’s penchant for referencing other bands and their works of music, and both traits can be found throughout LCD Soundsystem’s newest album, “American Dream.” The album opens with the track “Oh Baby” churning on a high-pitched note hammered at a constant tempo, and shortly accompanied by some synthesized bass. With the song’s progression, lyrics and harmony, it alludes to an older song by the avant-garde band Suicide— “Dream Baby Dream.” Toward the opener’s conclusion, Murphy even calls back to one of his older songs, “Someone Great,” with a similar melody and lyric. Regarding sound quality, it is great; however, the rest of its words lack any good substance to push it into the echelon LCD Soundsystem’s greatest works. Another track that stands out is the nine-minute centerpiece “How Do You Sleep?” For the first half of it, the synth leads and bass are the only things put at the forefront while the wailing of Murphy’s words can only be made out in the background. There is excellent build-up to the onslaught of their signature wavy synth sound, which starts halfway through the song. Thematically, the lyrics tie into
the production as he sings about an old producer friend of his and their falling out. Another example of homage to older music would be when he repeats the lines, “One step forward and six steps back,” in this song, akin to Gang of Four’s post-punk jam “At Home He’s a Tourist.” Courtesy of DFA Studios
‘American Dream’s’ final track ‘Black Screen’ is meant to be a homage to David Bowie.
Typically, LCD Soundsystem will try throwing at least a few heart-wrenching crowd pleasers onto to their albums, and for “American Dream” it is the lead single “Call The Police.” It starts with synth chords listeners would not be surprised to find in a pseudo-nationalistic ‘80s tune, and then it brings in the chugging rhythm guitar that holds listeners’ attention well—that is, until the nearly-greatest lead
‘Villains’ is pretty good ►Continued from front page “Songs for the Deaf.” “Fortress,” one of the slower tracks on the album, operates as a more psychedelic track. The first 45 seconds of the song create a new world of sound, with its use of electronic reverb as a way to transfer the listener to space. This song has an eerie tone to it overall. Homme is lightly singing, “You wander through the darkness of wilderness behind your eyes. I know you’re afraid but you gotta move on,” without any instrument in the background at first. The simplicity of the song mixed with its darker roots create something totally new from them. “The Evil Has Landed” is their second single, and stands out from the rest of their record. This track has a more disco vibe in the beginning, and the later riffs pick up to a heavier sound with metal influences. The darkness of the riffs contrasts the ease and warmth of the lyrics and
overall tone of the track. The beginning lyrics, “Close, come close,” nearly echo off of his mouth, creating the sound of an empty room. The second time around, those lyrics create a new effect with the heavy riffs played over the echo of his voice. A combination of psychedelic rock and breakdowns throughout the track leave the listener craving more from them. Overall, this record is unlike anything Queens of the Stone Age have ever released before. They took on a more psychedelic approach to their sound in hopes of reaching new levels, and it paid off. The sound is unique in its own way, but still provides a sense of familiarity with its new wave and grunge influences. Though only nine songs complete the album, it still holds it ground as each song provides a different flavor than the last. For fans of “We Are Scientists” and “Bloc Party,” this album would certainly be appealing.
Courtesy of Matador Records
‘Villains’ is Queens of the Stone Age’s seventh studio album.
guitar part they have ever written comes in to help finish off the verse. The switches from verse and chorus hold the song over well, but when it finally reaches the coda, it is too underwhelming. And that stems from what is the album’s biggest faltering point: lyrical content. James Murphy seems to see himself as the signaler of virtue. “Call The Police” is a song all about the modern political climate, how our country is divided and love being the means that will help us grow as a society. But then he finishes by shouting “Call the police” several times in a manner that really is not within context of the song. In “Other Voices,” he seems to be talking down to his listeners, calling them babies and pushovers for people who espouse politics with conviction. “Emotional Haircut” is about how people with zany hair do so to stand out and thus are more capable of allowing themselves to feel good. In the past, LCD Soundsystem has produced amazing songs with lyrics that seem universal, yet feel so personal at the same time. However, now they are singing more about contemporary social dichotomies. Their gripes are not inherently bad; they just do nor do it in a sophisticated manner, making it come off somewhat arrogant. People who were fans of LCD Soundsystem in the past and liked them for their musical stylings, overall they will like this album. But people who really crave the band for their emotional intuition and their ability to hone in on the deepest of feelings will mostly be left disappointed.
Swift’s new single is not good Vrinda Punj Connector Contributor
When Taylor Swift’s entire Instagram account was mysteriously wiped clean late last August, fans completely lost their minds. At that point, it became clear that the sweet country girl singing songs about summer love was gone entirely and replaced with a pop star whose only goal in life is to profit off the next catchy tune. “Look What You Made Me Do” is the single for Swift’s new album coming out this November. Unfortunately for Swift, if this song is any indication of what to expect from the rest of the album, her longtime fans are not going to like this new direction. Despite having a reputation for making catchy pop music, this song indicates that she can easily fail at doing just that. The chorus is endlessly repetitive, but instead of being catchy it is annoying and tiring to listen to. In the pre-chorus she claims that she “rose up from the dead” like she always does. But bear in mind, Swift is no phoenix. Her new Instagram features a series of deadly looking snakes, and the new single certainly lives up to that image as it is merely a series of incorrigible hisses. But with every cloud come a silver lining, and the silver lining of this song happens to be the music video. The truth is that for everything that everything the song lacks, it is made up for in the music video, which is an iconic masterpiece with a plethora of sym-
bolism that represent significant events that took place in Swift’s life. For example, the music video starts off in a graveyard, and Swift is the zombie. In the background there is a gravestone which has Nils Sjoberg written on it, a pseudonym Swift used when she helped her ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris write the hit single “This Is What You Came For.” Furthermore, later in the music video it is shown that Swift is bathing in a tub full of jewels as well as a single one-dollar bill. This is a reference to the single dollar she won in the sexual assault case against David Mueller, a DJ from Colorado who had groped her. It goes to show how much that victory in the court case meant to her. Other things that are featured in the music video include Taylor Swift wearing a dress she wore in the music video for “Out of the Woods,” and different Swifts from all her past music videos appearing in the video as well. The ending scene even has Swift holding a VMA trophy, which references the 2009 VMAs in which Kanye West declared that Beyoncé deserved the award more than Swift. These references really make the music video entertaining. It is just too bad that what makes the video so interesting is the references to a version of Swift that no longer exists. With that in mind, fans of the pop star will get plenty out of the video, just make sure to play it on mute.
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ng happeni What’s us on camp th?! this mon
CAMPUS CALENDAR
SEPTEMBER
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
18
19
UML Mindfulness Project 1:00p.m.-2:00p.m. UCrossing Room 382
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25
Let’s Taco ‘Bout Sex 12:00p.m.-1:00p.m. McGauvran Student Center (Room 311)
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Study Abroad Info 9:30a.m.-11:30a.m. O’Leary Lobby
1
September 19, 2017
2
WEDNESDAY
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Study Abroad Info Table 12:00p.m.-1:30p.m. Fox Hall Lobby
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27
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Bites -N- Bingo 8:30p.m.-10:00p.m. Fox Hall Common Free food, bingo, prizes
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Career Cafe & Internship Search 2:30p.m.-3:30p.m. University Crossing (Room 255)
FRIDAY
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Dining Info Table McGauvran Student Center
Let’s Taco ‘Bout Sex 12:00p.m.-1:00p.m. McGauvran Student Center (Room 311)
3
THURSDAY
SATURDAY
23
MASSPIRG Kickoff Table 4:00p.m.-6:00p.m. Campus Rec Center
Kinetic: A Sculpture Race 8:00a.m.-4:00p.m. Teams will race sculptures across Lowell, and into the Merrimack River
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30 Mid-Autumn Festival 5:00p.m.-8:00p.m. Cumnock Hall Chinese Students and Scholars Association
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6
7
Fresh Check Day 10:30a.m.-2:30p.m. South Campus Quad Activites, mental health education
Zero Shades of Gray event sheds light on sexual violence Jason Ounpraseuth Connector Staff
Sexual assault on campus is a pervasive issue that can make students uncomfortable to talk about and address. Zero Shades of Gray aims to alleviate that problem while also facing the issue head on to educate students on the vital details revolving related to sexual assault on campus. Zero Shades of Gray was an interactive occasion encouraging audience participation and discussion. The audience played a game of word association amongst groups of four with simple words like “ice cream” building to the focus of the lecture with the word “sexual assault” to end the quick group discussion. The goal for this kind of interaction was to make everyone feel comfortable and willing to talk about the significant issue that is sexual assault. Jacquie Keeves, assistant director of violence prevention at UMass Lowell, put this event together with that goal in mind. “It’s [discussions about sexual violence are] absolutely vital,” Keeves said. “These [events like Zero Shades of Gray] are the fun ways to get people talking about scary topics that people shy away from. This is a great segue to start those conversations.” The conversations that were addressed revolved around community responsibility, and discussed how rape is the most underreported crime in the United States. Zero Shades of Gray encourages everyone to be an upstander rather than a bystander. “I think it’s important that we all feel like we’re in it together and that nobody’s being blamed,” said senior economics major Danielle Pollack. The lecture had one present message throughout: that sexual assault is a black and white issue. A change in our culture was stressed from a culture
that blames victims and tells them “don’t get raped” to a culture that is more supportive and tells everyone “DON’T RAPE.” “We need to not only address rape culture, but there needs to be serious consequences, and we need to hold people accountable for their actions,” said junior English major Ely Saintius. What was most staggering for many students in attendance was the statistics involving sexual violence. One out of every five women are sexually assaulted in college, and one out of every 16 men are sexually assaulted in college. One half of assaults involve alcohol. The most critical point of these statistics and to give vital action to preventing sexual assault is seeing what consent looks like. An exaggerated video of a young couple calling their lawyers to determine what is suitable for their time together was shown
to much response and laughter from the audience. What was important about this comedic skit was to show how important consent is and how crucial it is to get consent from both parties. Zero Shades of Gray not only wants to focus on the statistics of sexual assault on campus, but they also aim to start a discussion on an important social issue and demonstrate the actions that a community needs to take to help survivors and prevent anyone else from becoming a victim. “We know sexual violence happens on a college campus. We know it happens in a larger world,” said Keeves. “We also know it’s something people shy away from talking about, so bringing people in a larger crowd is easier to give them a resource to talk about these things.”
Courtesy of Collegiate Empowerment
Zero Shades of Gray educates students about what consent sounds like.
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September 19, 2017
SPORTS
River Hawks moves to a 4-1-1 overall record ► Continued from front page
Midfielder Colin Stripling provided the first shot for Monmouth in the closing minutes of the first half. The Hawks got a takeaway from UMass Lowell forcing the River Hawks to foul outside of the box for a dangerous free kick opportunity for Monmouth. Midfielder Jake Areman’s free kick went high and wide. Monmouth started out the second half with possession advantage. The Hawks built their attack off of passing errors from UMass Lowell. Midfielder George Akampeke’s header went wide as Monmouth tried to look for an equalizer. Basic’s free kick goal would deny the Hawks that chance, however, as his kick curved around the Monmouth wall and sped past the keeper to give UMass Lowell a 2-0 lead. Areman scored on his own free kick opportunity as his shot went to the upper left-hand side outside of the reach of Kroll, moving the score to 2-1. The pace of the game increased with pressing from both sides. The physicality of the game also went up with some hard fouls delivered in attempts to slow down each side’s attack.
Forward Anes Mrkulic equalized off an assist from midfielder Santo Arena at the halfway point of the second half. Mrkulic found an opening in the UMass Lowell defense leaving a one-on-one battle with the goalkeeper. The freshman slotted the ball past the goalkeeper to put the Hawks back in the game. Most the second half was a back and forth affair. Both sides had near chances at goal, while the score remained tied at two. Jovanovski scored the game-winning goal for the River Hawks off a pass from forward Ivan Abramovic. Jovanovski’s initial shot was blocked by Edwards, but the ball bounced back to him and rolled into the net. UMass Lowell beat Monmouth 3-2, moving them to 4-1-1 in the season. “It was hard,” said Jovanovski on the gamewinning goal. “The keeper was close, and I had a player behind me, so I had to react really fast, so I took a touch then [the ball] came next to me then I took [another] shot then it went in.” The River Hawks will travel to New Hampshire to play Dartmouth on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. to start a three-game road stand. The team will return home Oct. 7 to play Stony Brook.
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
Dario Jovanovski scored the game winning goal against Monmouth.
Women’s soccer beats Seton Hall, 3-1, in first meeting Kathryn Leeber Connector Editor
In the first ever game against Seton Hall, the UMass Lowell women’s soccer team defeated the Pirates, 3-1, Thursday night at Cushing Field. Midfielder Rachel Morrier scored two goals to give the River Hawks the advantage. Her first goal came in the second minute of the game and her other goal came with two minutes to play. “It wasn’t exactly the prettiest at times, but there was a game plan that they put together and they executed that really well,” said UMass Lowell head coach Frankie D’Agostino. “Locking it down defensively, we’re very tough. We know that by now. I’m just happy that we were able to get a couple goals and relieve some pressure.” River Hawks (3-1-3) scored right away at the 1:06 mark. Morrier gathered the ball from a goal kick and dribbled up the field past defenders. The ball hit off the goal post and flew into the net. Three minutes later, UMass Lowell looked to score again as forward Shannon Groffie ran with the ball towards the net, but Seton Hall goalkeeper Anna MacLean came off her line to grab the ball. The Pirates maintained most of the possession early on in the first half, but were unable to score.
The River Hawks’ defensive line remained steadfast and continued to poke the ball away from Seton Hall’s forwards. The Pirates had three shot attempts on goal in five minutes, but were not able to score, due in part to saves from UMass Lowell goalkeeper Julia Schneider. She ended the half with six saves as compared to MacLean’s one. Morrier looked to add another goal in the 17th minute, going one-on-one with MacLean, but with pressure from defenders on both sides of her, the shot went wide of the net. The River Hawks struggled to get the ball past midfield, but utilized some corner kick opportunities to get the ball close to the net. Midfielder Veronica Morrier had a shot after grabbing the rebound of a corner kick, but the ball was saved in the 26th minute. The remaining half featured a back and forth game. Various steals from both sides prevented scoring chances, while numerous fouls interrupted the flow of the game. This was the seventh game this season that the River Hawks did not allow a goal in the first half. The second half started with Seton Hall finding their momentum. Two minutes into the final half, the Pirates had a corner kick that resulted in a shot
Rachel Morrier scored two goals against Seton Hall and leads the team in scoring.
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
that deflected off the foot of a River Hawk defender. The loose ball gave Schneider a challenge, but she was able to get a hold of it. UMass Lowell did not see another opportunity to score until the 62nd minute. Forward Kristin Birgisdottir found Groffie who got a shot off, but the ball went above the net. Five minutes later, midfielder Andrea Morrow passed to an open Rachel Morrier who was able to get into the box uncontested, but the ball was eventually picked away by a Seton Hall defender. With 20 minutes remaining, the River Hawks had a close chance as Rachel Morrier sent a corner kick right into the goal, but MacLean was able to stop it. Defender Abigail Drezek found the rebound, but MacLean made the save again. Seton Hall took a corner kick with 12 minutes to play, and forward Julia Stirpe was able to score, which tied the game. The River Hawks were unphased by the shot, scoring another goal to retake the lead two minutes later. Morrow was able to get a shot off from outside the box, moving the score to 2-1. With two minutes remaining, Groffie sent the ball to Rachel Morrier who crossed the ball in front of the lone defender to get a wide-open shot in front of the net. She sent a low shot to the right-hand corner of the goal to further the River Hawks’ lead and end the game at 3-1. “We created a lot in the final third. I thought we had a couple other opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of, but [I’m] just happy that we finally got off the mark and scored a few,” said D’Agostino. The River Hawks return home Sunday, Sept. 24 to play Hartford University at 4 p.m.
September 19, 2017
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SPORTS
Men’s soccer ties Quinnipiac, 1-1 Brock Johnson Connector Editor
The UMass Lowell men’s soccer team found themselves in overtime against Quinnipiac University for the second game in a row, this time ending in a 1-1 draw after two scoreless overtime periods at Cushing Field on Wednesday night. At 5:12 in the first half, junior Jakov Basic opened the scoring by dribbling across the top of Quinnipiac’s box before ripping a shot in the top left corner to put the River Hawks up 1-0. Red shirt sophomore Chase Reichenberg assisted on Basic’s tally. “I thought it was a good effort by the guys. I thought we could’ve done a few things better throughout the game. It was good to get that early goal, but it would’ve been nice to see us just continue to push forward and create more opportunities at that point,” said UMass Lowell head coach Christian Figueroa. “I thought Quinnipiac did well. I loved their energy tonight and give them credit for being able to crawl back and get the result.” In a physical, contentious match, Basic was the cornerstone that UMass Lowell needed in the midfield. Quinnipiac tallied 19 fouls to UMass Lowell’s 12. Basic’s physical play on both ends of the field controlled the play for the River Hawks. UMass Lowell took the momentum along with their 1-0 lead into the second half of play. In the second half, the referee attempted to take control of the physical game. Senior Shaquille Huggins of Quinnipiac, a source of a noticeable amount of fouls during the first half, received a yellow card just a few minutes into the second half. At the 53-minute mark, UMass Lowell sophomore Ivan Blaskic also received a yellow card. Following the two yellow cards, the play did shift away from the aggressiveness that was previously shown.
The River Hawks looked to be holding a commanding lead until Quinnipiac junior Derek Parker tied the game 16 minutes into the second half. The goal came on an awkward, sky-high shot from the right corner to the left side of the net. UMass Lowell’s goalkeeper senior Austin Kroll, who collected three saves on the night, was not able to stop the strange shot. With the game at a tied score of 1-1, Quinnipiac continued with the momentum from the equalizing goal. UMass Lowell defended several corner
LOWELL, Mass. – Three early goals gave the visitors the advantage they would need, as the UMass Lowell field hockey team (4-3) was handed a 3-2 loss against Fairfield (2-4) on Friday afternoon at Wicked Blue Field. Both teams traded 19 shots apiece with the River Hawks taking slight, 7-5 edge in penalty corners. Senior Christa Doiron(Worcester, Mass.) registered her first goal of the season, while sophomore Anouk Lalande (Brussels, Belgium) added her team-best seventh. Sophomore goalkeeper Eva Berkhout (Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands) and senior Kelsey Federico(Windham, N.H.) split time in the cage, totaling four and six saves, respectively. “Fairfield was strong in the first half, but we played a bad first 20 minutes,” said Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk. “At halftime, we talked about pride and the fact that the game was still within our reach. It wasn’t anything structurally that we needed to change on the field, it was mostly our energy and communication, all non-athletic things that cost us three goals.” The Stags controlled the pace of play in the opening minutes, tallying the first goal in the eighth minute when a 2-on-1 breakaway allowed Kaley McMullen to sneak past Berkhout. Fairfield then extended their margin with a pair of goals just three minutes apart to lead 3-0 in the 19th minute. The River Hawks put the pressure on with two corners, converting on the second to cut into the difference. On that play, a scrum in front of the cage ensued before sophomore Emily Flood (Port Moody, British Columbia) collected a loose ball and lifted it towards the goal for a final tip from Lalande, making the score 3-1 at the break.
River Hawk Games Wednesday, Sept. 20
7 p.m.
MSOC at Dartmouth
Thursday, Sept. 21
3 p.m.
FH vs. Stanford
Friday, Sept. 22
7 p.m.S
Saturday, Sept. 23
6 p.m.
WVB vs Coppin
Sunday, Sept. 24
1 p.m.
FH vs Siena
Sunday, Sept. 24
4 p.m.
WSOC vs Hartford
WVB vs UNH
For more sports information and full game schedules visit goriverhawks.com
Matt Dwyer/Connector
Joe Kellet passes the ball as he is defended by Quinnipiac’s Rashawn Dally.
River Hawks Handed 3-2 Loss against Fairfield on Friday UMass Lowell Athletics
U P C OM I N G
In the second half, Fairfield threatened once again in the 52nd minute on a corner opportunity, but Federico held strong with three consecutive kick saves. However, it was UMass Lowell that would strike last, as Doiron dribbled into the circle all alone, beating the last defender and sending a shot through the opposing keeper’s pads. Friday’s contest marked the 12th meeting between UMass Lowell and Fairfield, as the Stags now hold a 9-3 edge all-time. The River Hawks will hit the road next to travel to in-state foe Massachusetts for the annual Kennedy Cup game on Sunday, September 17 at 3 p.m.
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
Christa Doiron scored her first goal of the season against Fairfield.
kicks and other Quinnipiac scoring chances before reaching the overtime periods. In the first overtime period, UMass Lowell senior forward Richard Mulo directed a shot on target with his head, but Quinnipiac’s goalkeeper, sophomore Chysostomos Iakovidis, was up to the task. Iakovidis fully extended his arms, reaching the shot just under the crossbar. Despite other scoring chances for the River Hawks in overtime, the game ended in a draw after Quinnipiac played the overtime periods with 11 men behind the ball. “We just got to take care of the bodies right now, just make sure we get a good recovery the next couple of days, prepare and get a game plan,” said Figueroa regarding the upcoming game against Monmouth University.
River Hawks fall at Harvard, 3-0 UMass Lowell Athletics
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The UMass Lowell Volleyball team fell in straight sets at Harvard on Saturday afternoon at Malkin Athletic Center in the opening match of the New England Challenge. The set scores were 20-25, 21-25 and 19-25. With the loss, the River Hawks drop to 3-7 overall on the season, while the Crimson improves to 5-4 overall. “The team played hard and gave great effort, but unfortunately we were not able to convert big points and get the momentum on our side,” said Head Coach Resa Provanzano. “We will keep working on chemistry and execution down the stretch. We look forward to being able to put in all in action against a good team at Northeastern tomorrow.” Sophomore outside hitter Katherine Claybaugh (Danville, Calif.) paced the River Hawks offense with a match-high 15 kills to go along with a .333 hitting percentage and seven digs. Sophomore outside hitter Madi Bell (Port St. Lucie, Fla.) chipped in 10 kills, while junior setter Delaney Mendez (Phoenix, Ariz.) managed 29 assists running the UMass Lowell offense. On the defensive side for the River Hawks, junior co-captain Lindsey Visvardis (Homer Glen, Ill.) notched a match-high 13 digs in the losing effort. Senior defensive specialist Malorie McIver (Austin, Texas) amassed nine digs. The River Hawks hit at an impressive .303 clip with 16 kills in the second set. UMass Lowell returns to action in the final match of the New England Challenge on Sunday, September 17th at Northeastern. Match time from the Cabot Center in Boston, Mass. is 1 p.m. The River Hawks host New Hampshire in the home and conference opener on Friday, September 22nd at Costello Athletic Center (7 p.m.).