The Connector - November 20, 2018

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Self Care Apps

What are the best selfcare apps for students? â–ş Page 6

For College Students

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

November 20, 2018

Oprah Winfrey at the Tsongas: A multi-million dollar conversation

In This Issue City stalls vote on rental amendment â–ş Page 2

Quoth the River QUOTH THE RIVERHAWKS Hawks

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Women’s basketball beats Fisher

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Final River Hawk Scores Team

Score

W. Basketball vs. Fisher College

L 83-75 2-1

M. Hockey at UConn

W 5-2

Overall Record

Brigid Archibald Connector Staff

Chancellor Jacqueline Moloney’s conversation with Oprah Winfrey did not feel like watching an interview, but instead like engaging in a conversation with an old friend. Due to Winfrey’s innate charm and ability to en-

gage a room, many left feeling as though they had sat in the chancellor’s chair and had spoken with the beloved matriarch of daytime television themselves. Last Thursday, November 16, Oprah visited UMass Lowell as the third guest of the Chan-

cellor’s Speaker series. Her visit was made possible by her friendship with author and English professor Andre Dubus III, which started after his book “House of Sand and Fog� was featured in Oprah’s Book Club in 2000. Winfrey said during her conversation

Matt Dwyer/Connector

5-5-1

M. Basketball vs. Army West Point

W 92-85 2-3

M. Hockey vs. UConn

W 3-0

6-5-1

Better off not finding ‘Fantastic Beasts’ sequel Owen Johnson Connector Editor

Magical spells and fantastic creatures might sound fun and interesting, but they are nowhere close to being enough to save “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald� from being a dull two hours of someone’s life. After escaping from prison, evil wizard Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), hides out in Paris as he builds up his army of followers. At the same time, the protagonist from the first “Fantastic Beasts� movie, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), also ends up in London as he tries to reunite with his love interest Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterson). If that plot description sounds extremely coincidental for the sake of plot convenience and getting all of the characters where they need to go, that is because it is. So many story and character arcs in this movie are set up by mere coincidence or through overly convoluted circumstances. This could have been avoided had the number of characters the movie was trying to juggle was cut down, but it was apparently important that the movie had every single character from the previous film return along-

Chancellor Jacquie Moloney and Oprah Winfrey enjoying ‘A Conversation.’

with Chancellor Moloney that Dubus had asked her to come for years but it had not been possible. However, when she found out the university wanted to use her visit to establish a scholarship, or what she called a “tool of service,â€? she joked that she knew it was worth firing up the jet and flying to Lowell. After the conversation, Winfrey was awarded by UMass President Marty Meehan and UMass Board of Trustees Chair Robert Manning an honorary doctor of humane letters. Chancellor Moloney also announced that the event had raised over $1.5 million for the Oprah Winfrey Scholarship. The first recipients Nicholas Abourizk, Coral Gonzalez Diana, Ashlie Grasa, Daphne Shakira Naut, Flore StĂŠcie â–ş See “Oprah,â€? page 3

River Hawks sweep UConn with 3-0 win

Junior goalie Tyler Wall makes 28 saves in fifth career shutout UMass Lowell Athletics

LOWELL, Mass. -- Junior goalie Tyler Wall (Leamington, Ont.) amassed 28 saves in his fifth career

â–ş See “Fantastic Beasts,â€? page 4

Sections News.............................3 Campus Life.................. 6 A&E.............................. 4 Sports........................... 7

Matt Dwyer/Connector

Wall is making a case for himself as UMass Lowell’s starter.

shutout to lead the UMass Lowell Hockey team to a 3-0 shutout of UConn on Saturday night in front of 4,602 fans at the Tsongas Center in Hockey East play. The River Hawks improve to 6-51 overall (3-3-1 HEA) with the victory, while the Huskies fell to 5-6-1 overall (2-5-1 HEA). “We didn’t exactly come out the right way, but good goalies will cover for you. It’s great getting points in Hockey East, because it’s so difficult,â€? said Head Coach Norm Bazin. “Sweeps are tough and we are pleased with the points.â€? Junior forward Colin O’Neill (Odenton, Md.) scored a shorthanded marker midway through the second period to seal the victory for the River Hawks. O’Neill, who finished with a game-high two â–ş See “Hockey,â€? page 7


November 20, 2018

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OPINIONS & EDITORIALS UMass Lowell Adjunct Faculty Union votes overwhelmingly to ratify new labor contract UMass Lowell Union of Adjunct Faculty

LOWELL, MA – Members of the UMass Lowell Union of Adjunct Faculty voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday and Wednesday to ratify a new labor contract that will bring key improvements to working conditions for faculty and learning conditions for students at the Lowell campus of the University of Massachusetts. The new contract includes limited access to health care benefits for a small group of faculty who teach a qualifying number of courses; salary increases; and the right to develop their own syllabus and choose their own textbooks. Adjunct faculty members, who teach an increasing percentage of courses at UMass campuses and at schools across the country, have made national headlines in recent years for unionizing in the face of substandard wages and a lack of benefits. They voted to join the United Auto Workers in 2010. The contract ratified yesterday is the result of over three years of intense negotiations between the union and the University. “We stand tall with our members, who fought for justice and who voted overwhelmingly to ratify this contract, which finally awards the faculty and students at UMass Lowell a pathway to the justice and equity they deserve,� said Ellen Wallace, Massachusetts Sub-Regional Director of the UAW. “Not only will this contract improve working conditions for our members, it will also improve learning

conditions for UML students, which is always our members’ top priority.� Approximately 500 adjunct faculty and thousands of students will benefit from the new and long overdue investments the contract will secure for the UMass Lowell campus, all on the heels of a controversial move by UMass President Meehan earlier this year to spend millions purchasing the failing Mt. Ida College. The new deal makes significant progress towards equitable working conditions for the adjunct professors at UMass Lowell, who in recent months waged a vigorous public campaign proving that students and adjunct professors in Lowell were subject to inequitable treatment under the administration of UMass President and former U.S. Congressman Marty Meehan. That campaign culminated in a protest at the UMass Board of Trustees meeting where Meehan was presented with a failing “report card� by adjunct professors for his failure to provide comparable benefits and pay to their peers at other campuses. Adjunct professors had announced plans to host a “Justice for Lowell� rally outside Oprah Winfrey’s appearance today at the Tsongas Arena, but no protest is planned now that the contract has been ratified. Earlier in the year, the professors won another key victory when they filed a Charge of Prohibited

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Other contract highlights include: Under the new contract, faculty will be able to achieve senior status more quickly. The union also fought back against attempts by the university to strip away rights and benefits from senior faculty. A small percentage of adjunct faculty, for the first time, will be eligible for state employee retirement benefits. The Union has maintained that all halftime faculty should be eligible and sees this as good first step towards that goal. Also for the first time, adjunct faculty, who often make a living by teaching at multiple campuses and universities, will receive a 10% cancellation fee when courses are cancelled by UMass Lowell. For more information visit JusticeForLowell.org.

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EDITORIAL BOARD TAYLOR CARITO Editor-In-Chief

Practice with the Department of Labor Relations around efforts by the administration to artificially cap the number of courses a professor was allowed to teach, even when teaching additional courses would benefit students. The union maintained that the cap had been installed to prevent professors from qualifying for benefits. The Charge led to an agreement that included a requirement that the Provost provide written notice that there is no cap. After going years without raises, UMass Lowell adjunct professors will make significant progress on a pathway to equity with other campuses including through raises that will total between 18.14% and 19.32% over three years.

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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

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November 20, 2018

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NEWS

Oprah fires up jet and lands in Lowell, raising $3 million in scholarships ► Continued from front page

Norcéide and Jamie Waldro were chosen for overcoming personal challenges while maintaining a strong commitment to academic achievement. As they came onto the stage, Winfrey congratulated each of the students and explained how inspired she was by their stories and announced, surprising even Chancellor Moloney, that she would be donating an additional $1.5 million to the scholarship. During the conversation, Winfrey provided everyone her keen insight on the importance of education and on what all people have in common. Winfrey recalled talking to Nelson Mandela, the former president of

Matt Dwyer/ Connector

Oprah encouraged everyone to find their “greatest, purest, truest expression of themselves.”

South Africa, over breakfast. Mandela had finished reading an upsetting article about poverty and had asked her, “How will it ever change?” “Education is the only way,” said Winfrey. Winfrey explained she believes taking people out of the situation through money alone does not facilitate longterm change. “The only way to change lives is to change the way somebody thinks about their lives,” said Winfrey. “You do that through education.” It is this same belief that drove Winfrey to create her boarding school in South Africa. “We had to shift the paradigm so that they could see, feel and breathe the possibility of breaking the cycle of poverty and creating a new trajectory for themselves,” said Winfrey. Winfrey credits her true inspiration as her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Duncan. Winfrey said it was the first time she had encountered an adult who saw her. “She opened this thing inside myself that made me see that learning is valuable, and that I wasn’t apologizing for being smart, she told me I was perfect the way I was, and that’s what keeps your students,” said Winfrey. “I have to work at it. I know beneath the surface of your politics, of your anger, of your disgruntle-ness you still want the same thing I do. We all want the same thing,” said Winfrey on how she has learned to deal with

Matt Dwyer/ Connector

Oprah Winfrey inspired a crowd of over 6000 people during her conversation with Chancellor Moloney at the Tsongas Center last Thursday.

the frustration that arises as people continue to move further away from harmony and peace with one another. She elaborated on what she called the common denominator of the human experience, saying, “I don’t care if you’re a red state or a blue state. If you have Ph.D. or no D, we all want the same thing. That is to have the highest, the truest and most pure expression of our self.” Winfrey claimed that she discovered this after three years on the air when she realized that all her guests, including Professor Dubus, would ask a similar question after their interviews: “How did I do?” What she discovered was they weren’t looking for reassurance. What they were truly asking she said was, “Did you hear me? Did what I say

mean anything? Did I connect? Did it matter?” Winfrey said what we all want is to be seen and to be heard. It is what children want from parents, what spouses want from each other. Every argument ever had was merely a result of not listening, or someone feeling misunderstood. She claimed it was this realization that changed how she approached interviews; she found herself listening with intent. Winfrey carries this mindset in how she sits: turned to the crowd and speaking to the room as she answered the chancellor’s questions about her spirituality, her career and her legacy. Through these mannerisms, she ensured everyone in the arena of feelings seen by Oprah Winfrey herself.

Lowell City Council delays vote on proposed student housing amendment Conor Dawson and Hannah Manning Connector Editors

Lowell City Hall held a meeting regarding a possible amendment to current rental agreements on Tuesday, Nov. 13. The hot-button issue has several students worrying about their ability to rent units off-campus in the future. This comes from a proposed change which would impose restrictions on student renters. If the amendment is passed, the owner of the student’s rented property would need to register the address with the city’s Division of Development Services. In addition, there would be a one student per bedroom limit, and the students would not be permitted to receive parking permits for city parking. While the proposed changes are being decried by students and landlords as unfair and discriminatory, the Pawtucketville Citizens Council (PCC) says that action must be taken against what they perceive to be a lack of enforcement of rules. “They’re not suggestions, they’re the law. The City of Lowell is responsible to enforce the approved zoning codes,” said Deb Forgione of the PCC. The PCC maintains that the amendment is not meant to target student renters. “This has nothing to do with tar-

geting students. We don’t target 5% of our population. This is a city-wide concern,” said John Gamly, the cochair of the PCC. At the meeting, Gamly stated that the PCC’s primary concern is combatting what he perceived to be misinformation about the amendment. “I’ve heard, and this is a quote: ‘Students will be targeted, and restricted to only two bedroom units, and if you don’t oppose these regulations, there will be no off-campus housing,’’ he said. “Students only make up 10% of our population, and they may make up 5% or less of all households in Lowell.” The amendment was proposed by the PCC with the purpose of curtailing the number of noise complaints and parking violations that were allegedly incurred by students in off-campus housing. “[Are] there any numbers or data that proves that five unrelated people or even three unrelated people is more likely to cause a safety issue than three related people?” asked Will Sprague. Sprague is a sophomore mechanical engineering major at UMass Lowell and attended Tuesday night’s meeting to represent the student side of the issue. Sprague was skeptical of the effect that the amendment would have on the current problem of noise and

parking violations. “I personally grew up in a three-bedroom apartment with a five-person family,” Sprague said. “Is there any more likelihood that if I had lived with five people who were unrelated that there would be a fire versus living with my family of five?” “I was wondering if anyone here tonight has any sort of numbers or data that states that three unrelated individuals cause more incidents than three related individuals,” asked Sprague. Police Chief Raymond Richardson, who was in attendance, responded, “I think that would be a great study for

the UMass Lowell kids, but I don’t have any data on that.” The city is working on setting up a date for another meeting, but it has not been finalized. The vote has been postponed until the city can hear more from both sides and decide upon fair language for the amendment. “Right now everyone has opinions,” said Forgione. “But we need the professionals to tell us what are the challenges how to solve the challenges and what they propose to do to solve the problem.”

Rick Sobey / Lowell Sun

Community members packed November 13th’s City Council meeting, where the student housing amendment was discussed.


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November 20, 2018

November 20, 2018

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ is criminally dull

‘Civilization 6:’ From sticks and stones to nuclear apocalypse

►Continued from front page -side a whole new group of characters. As such, character arcs feel spaced out and underdeveloped, and the characters end up being blank slates. In terms of character arcs being spaced out, the best example of this is the returning character of Queenie (Allison Studol), who essentially has a five-minute scene, disappears from the movie, has another five-minute scene and disappears from the movie again. Rinse and repeat. In terms of blank slates, the two leads of Newt and Tina are essentially flawless and any character drama that either one might have with each other or anyone else makes little sense or exists for a dumb and contrived reason. Only two characters, Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Seraphina (Carmen Ejogo), have any sort of interesting backstory. The problem with that is Dumbledore is not that important of a character in this story and Seraphina’s backstory comes out of nowhere and is wasted on a character that the audience had little reason to care about beforehand.

With all of these character stories happening simultaneously, the movie feels disjointed and the progression feels off. An example of this is towards the end, where two characters explain their roles and motivation in the movie back to back. The second story negates aspects of the first story, so the first story should have come earlier in the movie so that the audience’s understanding of what was happening could be flipped. Instead, by being told back to back, the stories lose all impact and just serve as two bits of uninteresting exposition. Not only does the movie feel disjointed, but it can be utterly confusing at times. Since the characters either know about Grindelwald and his scheme or seemingly do not care about it until the plot calls for every storyline to meet up, certain things go unexplained for large portions of the movie because the characters do not need to discuss it to inform others of what is happening. Due to that, important pieces of information that should have been revealed earlier get revealed at later points of the film, resulting in previous scenes and stakes being difficult to com-

prehend. How does a disjointed, confusing and contrived movie like this end? In a disjointed, confusing and contrived way of course. The climax of the movie is an embodiment of every flaw the movie has. It is disjointed in that so much happens and barely any of it has any weight to it, and confusing in that characters’ locations are lost and it can become unclear what happened to them at certain points. It is contrived as things happen for the sake of the plot, not because they make sense. One thing that the movie excels in are the visuals. The effects of the creatures look good and their designs are interesting and fun. Alongside this, the cinematography and some of the visuals are surprisingly beautiful. With very little to look to in terms of the characters and a story that is poorly explained and overflowing with subplots, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is a dull experience, and a poorly constructed one at that. Final Grade: D

Little Mix spread their wings on experimental “LM5” Troy Lafond Connector Staff

Little Mix is one of the last English-speaking girl groups left standing. With Fifth Harmony recently split and extremely little competition in this regard, it stood to question

whether or not they still had a place left in the industry. With “LM5,” the British sensations proved that they are not going anywhere. Little Mix was formed during the eight season of “The X Factor” in the United Kingdom. They were the first

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group to ever win the competition, and signed shortly after with Simon Cowell’s label Syco Music. Their win on “The X Factor,” combined with the massive promotional resources of Simon Cowell, launched them to near instant fame in the United Kingdom, where they have scored four number one hits and 13 top 10’s throughout their seven-year career. Despite this massive success in the United Kingdom, as well as opportunities opening for Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande’s United States tours in 2014 and 2017 respectively, Little Mix never really got their chance to shine in the states. With their music only getting more experimental, this is unlikely to change going forward. Little Mix’s best-known songs are mostly extremely anthemic and catchy pop glitter. They are vaguely empowering, often without much to say. However, this tune changes significantly on “LM5.” Beyond merely escaping their pure pop sound to enter into a more experimental side that blends their pop side with rap, R&B, acoustics and piano backdrops, they also dig much harder into their vaguely feminist themes that appeared throughout their earlier music. Perhaps the most prominent examples of this shift appear on the set’s two singles so far, “Woman Like Me” featuring Nicki Minaj and “Strip” featuring Sharaya J. The former was released as the lead from the album, which features a more tropical, laidback, trap-like beat as opposed to their prior bombastic leads. It is stylistically similar to “Side to Side” by Ariana Grande, another song featuring Minaj. “Woman Like Me” features Little Mix portraying themselves as untraditional women and hoping they will be accepted for it, which, while perhaps a somewhat vague statement, is the closest they had come to making a statement in their career up to that

point. The follow-up single “Strip,” released alongside the album drop, is much more experimental. The song itself is blatantly about body acceptance and blocking out criticism for body size. On first listen, the song was almost off-putting for its experimental delivery and production. The intro was entirely acapella, and then transitioned into a verse with a very subdued beat, then going into a more tap-driven song accompanying a poprap lyrical delivery. While it was off putting the first listen for this style, it quickly proved itself as a highlight for these same reasons. The driving force of this album is the clear vocal talents of the four girls. They effortlessly weave between poprap, R&B, acoustic songs, ballads and even the entirely acapella stripped version of “The Cure” without missing a beat. Their voices mesh extremely well together and have a knack for harmonizing their voices to incredible power. It is unlike any other recent girl group album in this regard. At a time where Little Mix could have very easily decided to deliver a safe, trendy album to massive success, they decided to subvert expectations and deliver a weird, experimental, empowering album that is bound to garner much more acclaim. Not every moment works perfectly, with the occasional miss due to the clashing styles present on the album, but it is impossible to say that it is a forgettable listen. Every song just grabs the listener in some unique way, whether it is the ridiculous chorus of “Wasabi,” the wacky hooks of “Joan of Arc,” the insightfulness of “Woman’s World,” the climax of power ballad “The Cure” or the group harmonies present across the album. There is something here for just about anyone, and it is worth a listen if not just for the experience. Final Grade: A-

Vernon Gibbs Connector Staff

There are countless genres of video games in today’s market, yet one of the least represented is the 4X strategy game: explore, expand, exploit and exterminate. “Sid Meier’s Civilization” series has a long running history as the genre’s poster boy, and this holds true in “Sid Meier’s Civilization 6,” referred to as “Civ 6.” First released on Steam on Oct. 20, 2016, “Civ 6” received a port to the Nintendo Switch on Nov. 16 2018. The premise is right there in the title, with the player taking control of a real-world civilization throughout humanity’s history. There is a lot to unpack for 4X games, and “Civ 6” is no different. The player is presented with a randomly generated map, with their actions going off a turn-based system. No matter what they do in their turn, they always generate resources: food and production are the bare-bones requirements to one’s growing empire. With them, cities grow larger and the player can make things faster. Faith and gold serve as an on-demand resource and can be spent by instantly converting into production or in the purchase of specific units. Lastly, science and culture act as a long-term generation of ideas that can lead one to discover new tools, enact new policies and propel their cradle of civili-

zation on toward the stars. Managing one’s turn-by-turn income of these resources and forming plans around said resources is at the heart of every game. The player is not alone in this journey through history, though. Other civilizations can appear as neighbors, and they are equally capable of being

playing the 4X genre. A city without its infrastructure will sooner or later fall behind, and to keep up one will need to construct districts. Each one occupies a space on the map, and careful city planning can result in higher yields for each district. Once one is constructed, the player can build specialized structures that complement

Courtesy of 2K Games

The first major expansion for “Civilization 6” was released in Feb. 2018.

a rival or as an ally. Each civilization possesses unique bonuses that fit certain playstyles, so one must choose wisely and consider what their neighbors are capable of. One is certain to make enemies, so remember the importance of a military. Grand cities and huge investments will mean nothing if they fall into the enemy’s hands! “Civ 6” also introduces new ways to

its district. For example, a campus can improve one’s sciences. Thinking of long-term goals can get in the way of the present, and “Civ 6” encourages an active playstyle through the introduction of Eurekas. Through exploring the game’s mechanics, and keeping up with new gameplay elements, players are rewarded with accelerating the research of a specific

technology or civic. This new feature greatly improves on the series’ poor history of a boring mid-game and can make even the most mundane of micromanagement be a rewarding experience. If nothing else, it encourages a new player to learn how to play “Civ 6.” If there is one truly bad thing to say of “Civ 6,” it is how it was marketed. Much of “Civ 6’s” spotlight has been plagued with its poor handling of downloadable content, offering one or two new leaders for prices comparable to whole expansions. This may come off as a good thing to someone who does not want to play as all the leaders, but it is an offense to a fan of the series. Thankfully, this problem is answered in the Switch port, with several packs automatically unlocked: but, there are still day-one downloaded content packs. Overall, “Sid Meier’s Civilization 6’s” new port to the Switch proves to be a notable addition to the console’s library. Its port proves to be a serviceable recreation to the original, with no noticeable drops in controls or in quality. Each standard game of “Civ 6” can be expected to take five to eight hours, but with near indefinite playability, it can easily last through all of one’s spare time with the promise of just one more turn. Final Grade: A+

Taylor Swift dove “Fearless” into fame 10 years ago Troy Lafond Connector Staff

On Nov. 11, 2008, a little over 10 years ago, nowworld renowned country and pop superstar Taylor Swift released her sophomore studio album “Fearless.” At the time, Taylor Swift was fairly well known in the country industry, but not necessarily an icon. However, “Fearless” changed everything. It was critically lauded upon release, winning album of the year recognitions at not only the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards, but also the cross-genre American Music Awards and Grammy Awards. These recognitions have made it the most awarded album in the history of country music and made Swift the youngest Album of the Year winner. This wide critical approval was met with equal commercial success. It has attained a diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, indicating sales in the US of over 10 million units, and is recognized as the fourth biggest album of all time and the second biggest album by a female artist, per Billboard. The album also spawned the two genre-crossing smash hits that put Taylor Swift on the map: “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me,” both of which attained their own critical and commercial success separate from the album. Regardless of this massive success, does “Fearless” stand the test of time? To answer the question bluntly: yes. “Fearless” is a masterful blending of country and a pop that manages to keep the musical integrity of each genre, without necessarily being off-putting to fans of either, which is certainly a tall task. Each song is

layered with wonderfully story-like lyrics, which is even more impressive when considering that Swift wrote over half the album by herself, with only one song sporting more than one other writer besides herself. It is a testament to not just her own performing power, but songwriting as well. The album’s most iconic songs are inarguably its duo of hits: “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me.” “Love Story” is a flip on the traditional “Romeo and Juliet” story that has a happy ending this time around. It is not just a very well-written and executed song, but just a pure jolt of happiness from start to finish. “You Belong with Me” has a similar jolt of happiness, this time paired with incredibly nostalgic childhood imagery that is bound to make even the most cynical person think back to their middle school days. While these two are far and away the most widely recognized songs on the album, they are far from the only good songs here. In fact, there is hardly a bad song to be found. “Fifteen” employs a similar nostalgic lyrical twinge as “You Belong with Me,” but in a sadder context. “Change” is an inspirational anthem for looking beyond the bad into the future’s potential better times. “The Best Day” is dedicated to Swift’s mom and the wonderful childhood Swift had with her. The rest of the album runs around similar themes of love, loss and going forward, to consistently high results. The lyrics are vividly detailed, deep and just overall wonderful. Lyrics are wonderful and all, but they are far from the only important thing on an album. A poor delivery of wonderful lyrics can ruin a potentially amazing song. Thankfully, that is not the case here. Swift switches effortlessly between fully coun-

try and acoustic deeper cuts and the more pop-driven singles, with a constantly enticing delivery. “Fearless” was the launchpad into the rest of Taylor Swift’s major music career. She followed it up with the entirely self-written “Speak Now,” her first foray into pop “Red,” the award winning and record smashing “1989” and the more experimental and edgy “Reputation.” While all of those albums and eras succeeded on their own merits, none of it would have been likely to happen if not for the massive success she experienced with “Fearless.” It made her career into what it is today and did so while being one of her strongest works. Grade: A+ Courtesy of Big Machine

“Fearless” was Swift’s second studio album.


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November 20, 2018

CAMPUS LIFE

This issue courtesy of: Alecia Connolly

ON-THE-GO TECH “APP”T TO HELP STUDENTS ENGAGE IN SELF CARE MENTAL HEALTH Strides

Calm

Happify

Headspace

Sworkit

My Fitness Pal

MyPlate

My Diet Coach

Finish

Focus Booster

2Do

Evernote

NUTRITION

ORGANIZATION

Northern Essex

Community College

QUOTH THE

NECC WINTER RIVERHAWKS INTERSESSION Catch up on your credits from last semester or get ahead for next semester with an NECC Winter Intersession course. Transfer the credits to your college or university, and save money on tuition. ONLINE COURSES run January 2 – January 25

HES201

Healthcare Law & Ethics

HIS102

U.S. History II

ANT101

Cultural Anthropology

MAT020 Foundations of Math

BIO103

Human Nutrition & Health

MAT022 Foundations of Algebra

BIO104

Human Nutrition & Health Lab

MAT125 Statistics

BUS105

Managerial Business Communications

MAT130 Precalculus for Business Social Life Science

CHM111 College Chemistry I

MKT210 Principles of Marketing

CIS112

MUS101 Intro to Music

Integrated Computer Applications

COM112 Interpersonal Communications

PSY101

Intro to Psychology

ECO201

Micro Economics

PSY110

Lifespan Psychology

ECO202

Macro Economics

HES102

Learning Strategies for Success in Healthcare

HES103 HES130

RICCS: Preparing for Success in a Healthcare Career Intro to Patient Care

ON CAMPUS COURSE runs January 2 – January 11 on the Haverhill Campus.

Student 1: I touch you way more than you realize. Student 2: I don’t know that means, but I’m uncomfortable

- Campus Rec Center

- Fox Hall

Chancellor Maloney was fan-girling the entire time the entire time. - T’songas Center

I need me some crack after that exam!

The most important meal of the day is the one you actually eat

- Ball Hall

- The POD

There was a man in the elevator wearing a horse mask! I was so uncomfortable I got off two floors early. - Fox Hall Common Room

Thanks for ruining my hopes and dreams! - McGauvarn Hall

COM111 Public Speaking Progressively aggressive socialism.

Register today! For more information, visit www.necc.mass.edu/winter-2019 or contact Enrollment Services at 978-965-3900 or admissions@necc.mass.edu.

Skipping is too much work Tiffany.

- Fox Dining Hall

My mom wouldn’t let me watch anime as a kid, so now I watch henti to get back at her. - Ucrossing

Hear something entertaining on campus? Email Brigid_Archibald@student.uml.edu


November 20, 2018

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

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SPORTS

Op-Ed: Melo could help the Celtics Jason Ounpraseuth Connector Editor

It pains me to say this as a Boston Celtics fan, but they should sign Carmelo Anthony once he becomes available. I think he has just enough left in the tank to help the Celtics offensively and could help players like Jaylen Brown and Gordan Hayward. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported a few days ago that the Houston Rockets will part ways with Anthony, but the Rockets have not made clear how or when they will do so. The Rockets cannot trade Anthony until after the Dec. 15 trade restriction because Anthony signed with the Rockets this past summer.

The 34-year-old veteran has been linked with many teams including the Celtics due to Kyrie Irving’s postgame comment calling for the Celtics to sign a “15-year veteran”. It’s most likely that Irving is referring to Anthony in this comment which I completely disregarded as silly. However, I thought about the deficiencies that the Celtics have through the early part of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and I realized that there is a case for Anthony on the Celtics. The Celtics are ranked near the bottom in offensive efficiency but lead the league in defensive efficiency. Players like Brown and Hayward are struggling so far but could easily turn it around by January. Something that could ease the pressure off

Courtesy of Mary Altaffer/Associated Press

Anthony can still contribute to a contending team only if he can accept a lesser role

Irving, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford, players who are leading the Celtics offense, is signing Anthony. Anthony is a bad defender. The Rockets have tried to hide him on defense by having him guard the other team’s worse offensive player, but NBA teams are too smart now. Teams are able to exploit Anthony off switches and pick and rolls, and they are able to get easy buckets off of him. This was the case as well when Anthony was on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Like the Rockets, the idea of signing Anthony seemed like a terrific idea. Also like the Rockets, the Thunder soon realized that their expectations were not met. However, what has been consistent through Anthony’s time with the Thunder and the Rockets is that Anthony can still be a contributor on the offensive side of the floor. He is an efficient post-up scorer and is able to thrive in the pick-and-pop game. The problem is that Anthony does not seem to have any interest in being a role player. Every time we see Anthony score from a spot-up three, there are times where we also see him take too many dribbles for a long two-point shot. This could be a problem for the Celtics who have a clear hierarchy with Irving at the top and Hayward, Tatum and Horford behind him. Interesting enough, Tatum is the ideal version of Anthony. Their games are similar, but Tatum has adapted well in the modern game. If Anthony can do the same, I would be curious to see how Brad Stevens tinkers around with the multitude of versatile players. Anthony’s offensive skill set could help give a boost to the Celtics offense, and Boston has enough average and above-average defenders to hide Anthony better than the Rockets and Thunder could. There is a scenario where Anthony could be a key contributor for a Boston team with high ambitions, but this is predicated on the idea of Anthony accepting the responsibility as a role player. If he cannot do that, then he should take Tracy McGrady’s advice and just retire.

River Hawks Drop First Road Wall has solid performence in win Contest at Cornell, 63-54 UMass Lowell Athletics

ITHACA, N.Y. – In a back-and-forth contest, the UMass Lowell women’s basketball team ran out of steam in the final quarter as Cornell was able to earn the 63-54 victory on Saturday afternoon. The Big Red (2-1) held a 45-43 lead heading into the fourth and used stifling defense and 12-2 run in the first five minutes to hold off the River Hawks (2-2). “Both teams played a hard-fought game that was full of passion and energy. but it’s tough to win on the road with so many turnovers,” remarked Head Coach Tom Garrick. “We had too many miscues and that allowed Cornell to force us into a different game than we’re used to. We didn’t make enough basketball plays to come out with the victory but that’s something we can work on and get better at.” Brianna Rudolph (Lynn, Mass.) led the visitors with 14 points, and Ren’Cia Rolling (Lansing, Ill.) grabbed 10 rebounds while adding five assists. Cornell’s Samantha Widmann led all scorers with 16 points and Danielle Jorgensen chipped in with 12. UMass Lowell jumped out to a 7-4 lead, but Cornell took its first lead with a 5-0 run with under five to play in the first quarter. Following a four straight for the visitors a fast-paced final two minutes of the quarter saw the River Hawks go on a 6-2 run and take a 17-13 lead into the second quarter. Bri Stiers (Denver, Colo.) put up six points in the

opening period, and the UMass Lowell defense ► continued from front page forced six turnovers to help spark the offense. points (1g,1a), scored his fourth career shorthandThe Bid Red turned up the defense en route ed goal at the Tsongas Center. to a 10-2 run to start the second period, a spurt The team skated to a scoreless second period with that lasted until Rolling’s free throw with 4:38 on UMass Lowell holding a 12-9 advantage in shots on the clock. The junior’s visit to the charity stripe goal. sparked five straight points that pushed the River Junior forward Kenny Hausinger (Anchorage, Hawks back in front, 24-23, with just over three Alaska) opened the scoring in the game with his fifth minutes to play. of the season for the River Hawks just 1:46 into the Cornell ended a 5:19 stretch of empty possescontest. Freshman forward Reid Stefanson (Winnisions with a three-pointer to regain the lead with peg, Man.) added his second goal of the year just 30 2:14 remaining, but Linda Svenne (Riga, Latvia) seconds later to give UMass Lowell a 2-0 lead at the answered with a triple of her own. The Big Red end of the opening period. ended the half on a 6-2 run, hitting two more Wall recorded 11 saves in the third period and nine threes, to take a 32-29 lead into the second half. stops in the second stanza, while UConn’s Tomas The teams went back and forth in the third, but Vomacka started the game making seven saves in the most of the scoring came from the free throw line first 28:46 and Adam Huska made 13 stops in the as the squads combined to shoot 13-of-15. Cornell final 27:32 in relief. tried to run away from UMass Lowell, but two Freshman forward Lucas Condotta (Georgetown, buckets in 24 seconds from Rudolph and Rolling Ont.) totaled a game-high five shots on goal for the swung the momentum and knotted the score at River Hawks. Condotta and sophomore Charlie 37-37 with under five on the clock. Levesque (Russell, Ont.) each posted a team-high Rudolph added an and-one in the period, and nine face-off wins. both lineups traded baskets down the stretch with The River Hawks were a perfect 6-for-6 on the Cornell holding onto a one-possession lead headpenalty kill, but could not capitalize on five power ing into the final quarter. play chances. The River Hawks continue their road swing UMass Lowell returns to action on Friday, Nowith a matchup at Butler in historic Hinkle Fieldvember 23 against Rensselaer. Game time from the house on November 20. Tsongas Center on Pucks and Paws Day is 4 p.m.


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November 20, 2018

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SPORTS

Women’s basketball wins 79-45 Jason Ounpraseuth Connector Editor

The UMass Lowell women’s basketball team (2-1) won their second straight game 79-45 against the Fisher College Falcons (5-1) in their last home game before heading into a fivegame road trip. The back-to-back wins marked the first back-to-back wins since the 2015-16 season. “It was an underwhelming performance by us. We outscored Fisher by a good number of points but with the discrepancy in size and [with] the talent level that we think we have on our team it should have been a more commanding victory. I don’t think we worked hard enough. I didn’t think we were disciplined in our execution [and] in our effort, but we’re gonna continue to work on that. It’s gonna be a season long process. I’m glad we won obviously,” said head coach Tom Garrick. “A win is always better than a loss but just like I said after the first game, there are no moral victories here and there are no symbolic wins. We’re looking to do better. We’re looking to have a higher expectation of ourselves throughout the course of a 40-minute game, and we’re gonna continue to work towards that. [I don’t want to take] away [anything] from Fisher

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College who came in here and played really hard. It was difficult to guard for our kids at some points and that’s something we didn’t make an adjustment to very well.” Junior guard Ren’Cia Rolling was one rebound away from a triple double. Her potential tenth rebound was called off in the final minute of the game. She finished the game with 10 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Her 10 assists are the first time a UMass Lowell player notched 10 or more assists since 2012. Freshman guard Kharis Idom and sophomore guard Katie McKie set new personal bests with 13 points each. The game started off with a lay-up from senior guard Brianna Rudolph assisted by senior forward Katherine Smith. That began a 4-0 run for the River Hawks. Smith helped anchor the defense giving the River Hawks the lead through the entirety of the game. Sophomore guard Linda Svenne’s two three pointers helped UMass Lowell jump up to a 12-5 lead. The team’s pressing and trapping defense put them up 18-7 after the first quarter. Rudolph started the scoring for UMass Lowell just as she did in the first half. This time she scored off a pull-up three pointer. The River

Hawks were 5-10 from the three-point line in U P C OM I N G the first half. River Hawk Games Their efficient scoring combined with their 2 pm MBB vs. UMass Boston continued use of their Friday, Nov. 23 pressing and trapping 4 pm Hockey vs. Rensselaer defense helped the Riv- Friday, Nov. 23 er Hawks go on a 13-5 7 pm MBB at UConn run through the major- Tuesday, Nov. 27 ity of the second quar7 pm WBB at Seton Hall Tuesday, Nov. 27 ter. Senior forward Oda Shackelford and McKie Saturday, Dec. 1 2 pm MBB vs. NJIT combined for 20 points to put UMass Lowell up Sunday, Dec. 2 2 pm WBB at Holy Cross 41-20 at the half. The River Hawks held Bradel For more sports information and full game schedules visit goriverhawks.com onto their commanding lead for the rest of the today prepared us for anything other game preventing any chance for Fisher than we need to get better. The Bryant College to amount a comeback oppor- game was a hard-fought game against tunity. The team finished the finished a tough and scrappy team. Saint Pethe fourth quarter by going on an 18-6 ter’s came in here with a higher levrun. UMass Lowell finished the game el of athleticism so that got us ready shooting .500 from the field and .429 a little bit, but our practices to date from three. hopefully will show that we’re a little “The effort level has been pretty further along than we were last year.” consistent up until today. I thought After their five-game road trip, the our effort waned. We had spurts, but UMass Lowell River Hawks will rewe didn’t play a big chunk of time turn home to play Colgate at the with a high intensity level,” said Gar- Costello Athletic Center on Wednesrick. “I think our practices have pre- day, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. pared us for the road trip. I don’t think

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During the break between fall and spring semesters, Middlesex offers a selection of Wintersession BED F O courses. January 2 - 18, 2019 RD • L OWE

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Wintersession classes … • Cover the same content • Maintain the same standards • Contain the same number of instructional hours … as courses scheduled during the regular 15-week semester.

BED

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Take a Class & Earn Credits Over Winter Break Condensed, three-week format

www.middlesex.mass.edu/wintersession BEDFORD • LOWELL


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