The Connector - January 31, 2017

How to manage River Hawk dollars â–ş Page 6

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

January 31, 2017

Hockey falls to No. 1 Boston University

In This Issue

Brock Johnson

March for Life unites pro-life advocates

Connector Editor

â–ş Page 3

Trump “survival guide�

► Page 4 Men’s basketball grounds Fisher Falcons

â–ş Page 8

Final River Hawk Scores Team

Score

Hockey at 1 Boston University

L 4-2

Overall Record

Men’s Basketball vs. Fisher College W 97-73 Hockey vs. Northeastern

15-9-3 9-14

L 4-3 15-8-3

Men’s Basketball at New Hampshire L 80-71

8-14

Split on ‘Split’ Owen Johnson Connector Staff

In terms of what kind of movie it is, “Split� is one of a kind. There are a lot of times when a movie turns out unintentionally hilarious, but this is one of the first instances where a movie that seems to be aiming for “unintentional� hilarity ends up being kind of good. Looks like M. Night Shyamalan cannot even do a bad movie right.

Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), a man with twenty-three different personalities, ends up kidnapping three girls in preparation for the surfacing of his twenty-fourth personality.

Almost everything about this movie is screaming that it was intended as an “unintentionally� awful and hilarious movie that ended up accidentally being good. The execution of the trailer made it look silly, and some of the lines McAvoy says are unfittingly amusing to be in a serious horror movie, and the entire premise just sounds laughable.

Somehow, in an odd way, it all works.

Most of this should be credited to James McAvoy’s performance. A lesser actor would not have been able to pull off some of the dialogue (especially when trying to pull off the young child identity), but McAvoy ends up making the at times amusing dialogue fit for whichever personality he is performing.

There are essentially two separate stories

The UMass Lowell men’s hockey team fought hard and played well but were unable to best top-ranked Boston University 4-2 after a physical competition and some outstanding play by the Terriers’ freshman goaltender Jake Oettinger Saturday night at Agganis Arena.

The woes continue for UMass Lowell, as this is their fourth loss in a row after leading for at least some point in all four games. “I think they deserved better. We played well‌ Just couldn’t finish [the opportunities],â€? said UMass Lowell head coach Norm Bazin.

UMass Lowell outshot Boston University 35 to 26, with a flurry of 14 shots in the first period on

Matt Dwyer/Connector

Terriers netminder Jake Oettinger made 33 saves against to help beat the River Hawks.

27 attempted shots. Senior defenseman Dylan Zink ended the night with a game-high six shots on goal, while freshman forward Ryan Lohin and junior forward John Edwardh added five.

Freshman goaltender Tyler Wall stopped 22 shots in his 20th collegiate start, while Boston

University’s Oettinger stopped 33.

The River Hawks started the game off with a purpose, skating hard and getting a lot of time in the offensive zone.

At 7:35 of the first period, Charlie McAvoy of Boston University was called for tripping, and on their first power play

â–ş See “River Hawks,â€? page 8

Navigators combat campus food insecurity with improved pantry Jessica Kergo Connector Staff

In an effort to fight student hunger among the campus community, the UMass Lowell Navigators club has designed and facilitated a campus food pantry open to all members of the UMass Lowell community. What started

as a small food drive in a crowded closet space at the mailroom of Fox Hall has expanded into a university wide, yearlong collection of nonperishable food, hygiene products and toiletries serving around 200 students this past semester.

The pantry’s office, located in University Crossing room 104,

â–ş See “Split,â€? page 5

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

opportunity of the game, the River Hawks capitalized.

After some blue line D-to-D passing between senior defenseman Dylan Zink and junior defenseman Chris Forney, Forney delivered a crisp, tape to tape pass through the slot to freshman forward

Taylor Carito/Connector

The Navigators’ food pantry is open to all of the UMass Lowell community.

is open Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. for pickups or donations. Members of the Navigators club are even willing to meet with students by appointment should the hours of operation not fit their schedule.

Any member of the UMass Lowell community is welcome to join the Navigators’ effort by donating their non-perishable food items, utensils, toiletries and hygiene products to either the pantry or one of the food drive sites around campus.

The idea of the food pantry started three years ago, when the Navigators club, an organization of students and faculty members committed to developing resources and connections to provide support for less traditionally abled students, noticed that many of the students they were interacting with were struggling to buy both books and food. â–ş See “Navigators,â€? page 3

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January 31, 2017

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS What it means to be your student newspaper Marlon Pitter Connector Editor

In light of recent criticism of our news reporting and objectives, I would like to take the opportunity to address the matter of serving this campus as the official student newspaper at UMass Lowell.

As a news organization for the campus community, we strive to bring you information pertinent to your life as a student, visitor, staff or faculty member that helps you understand your environment and make decisions based on it. We also make every effort to bring you the most objective and unbiased reporting, which results in presenting you with the most essential facts surrounding the campus.

Likewise, it would be remiss to not serve, arguably, our most important purpose at the university: to represent the voice of the university community on the issues that affect us, whether they are campus, local, national, or

world issues. We have been the megaphone for students to sound off on issues relating to politics, the bookstore, the city of Lowell, campus safety, the smoking policy, parking and more.

Therefore, we will continue to be a true representation of how this campus community lives and feels just as we have done in the past.

We listen to your concerns and will take every measure to address them as reporters. If there is a problem on campus, large or small, our purpose is to represent your interests and get the answers you need to the best of our ability. This is something we take great pride in and a responsibility that we will not shun as a news organization.

If there is anything we can do to improve the quality of life at UMass Lowell, then please let us know.

Thank you for being one of our readers. We look forward to hearing from you.

THE UMASS LOWELL

Students, this is your section!

We are looking for opinion articles or letters on anything you feel strongly about.

If you can write 500 words on a topic you care about, send your piece to connector@uml.edu.

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR

EDITORIAL BOARD OPEN Operations Manager

MARLON PITTER Editor-In-Chief

KATRINA DESROSIERS MICHAELA GOSS Copy Editors ELIZABETH WING Advertising Manager ALEXA HYDE DAN RAFFERTY Social Media Managers CHRISTINA LADEROUTE Web Manager MATT DWYER Photo Editor OPEN Graphic Designer

ALEX SALUCCO Managing Editor

TAYLOR CARITO News Editor HANNAH MANNING KATHRYN LEEBER ANDREW SCIASCIA Sports Editor BROCK JOHNSON MARILYN SAHA Campus Life Editor BRENDAN JACQUES Arts & Entertainment Editor OPEN Multimedia Director JONATHAN SILVERMAN DAVID MCGRAW Advisers

Staff NICK BRAMANTE MARY CONNELL ANDREW HAVERTY OWEN JOHNSON

BROOKE KEATING JESSICA KERGO CHRISTOPHER ROMANO

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January 31, 2017

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NEWS Annual March for Life takes place in Washington Christina Laderoute Connector Editor

With the theme “The Power of Love,” this year’s March for Life took to the streets of Washington D.C. The March for Life takes place every year around the anniversary of the legalization of abortion that was the result of the popular Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade. On Jan. 27, thousands of pro-life supporters gathered at the nation’s capital to encourage

“It is a time to lift your voices and lift your spirits.” a revision to current laws regarding abortion.

UMass Lowell student Tyler Farley attended the March, noting the turnout and the people that attended and spoke at the event. “It was interesting…there was a giant crowd,” said Farley, “I was near Capitol Hill. You could hear all these different chants like ‘We are the pro-life generation.’”

This year was different from past years, because two of the speakers were Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president of the United States, and Mike Pence, the vice president. Pence was the first sitting vice president to ever address the March for Life.

“This dismissive notion of ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is over. Science and medicine have joined religion and morality in causing many Americans to rethink just how fragile and how triumphant human life truly is,” said

Conway in her speech, “Every day certain unalienable rights and that viders. “This administration will work is a fight for life, yet today is also a among these are life, liberty and the with the Congress to end taxpayer celebration of life. It is a time to lift pursuit of happiness.” funding of abortion and of abortion your voices and lift your spirits. Steps Pence also addressed the Mexico providers, and we will devote those away from here in the White House, City Policy and the issue of taxpayer resources to healthcare services for a president and a vice president sit at money going towards abortion pro- women across America.” their desks and make decisions for a nation.”

Representative Mia Love stood at the National Mall and spoke about her journey.

“Every time we kill a child through abortion, we kill our potential. Every time we kill a child, we, all of us, suffer, we lose a little of ourselves and a whole lot of our future,” said Love.

“The life of those unborn have the potential and serve the chance because they will dream, they will create, they will add their colors to the fabric of our lives.”

Vice President Pence and his family took the podium as well on Friday. Karen Pence, Mike Pence’s wife, opened up by telling the audience that this is not their first March for Life.

“Our family has been to many Marches for Life over the past 16 years. My job today is to introduce my husband of 31 years. And just very short and sweet, I have never met anyone who has more compassion for women, for children and for the American people.”

Pence started by welcoming all of the marchers to D.C. He continued by saying that he is deeply humbled to be the first vice president to attend the march.

“More than 240 years ago our founders wrote words that have echoed through the age. They declared these Courtesy of Tyler Farley truths to be self-evident. That we are all of us endowed by our creator, with Thousands gather at Capitol Hill for the March for Life.

UMass Lowell food pantry open for all students ►Continued from front page

The club faced many limitations in the early stages of its development including space, budgeting and restrictive hours, but they managed to create a food pantry that serves as vital resource for many homeless and food insecure students on campus.

Since its recent expansion, the Navigators club’s parent organization, The Office of Student Affairs, has taken the responsibility of the pantry. They have been creating more consistent hours of operation, a better supply of products and better visibility on campus.

“Food insecurity and homelessness is a growing epidemic that affects around 35 percent of college students in the United States and upwards of 4,900 students right here at UMass Lowell,” said Annie Ciaraldi of the Office of Student Affairs, who was able to have the pantry moved to a more practical and convenient space in University Crossing.

According to former Navigators club president and UMass Lowell grad student Erika Nadile, the pantry is “showing students of all different backgrounds that we really are here for them and that their needs are supported.”

As an organization, the Navigators club supports students who have been or are in foster care, are members of the LGBTQ community, transfer students, international students and first generation college students.

“We really do have a lot of unique students and I think it’s important to serve them and their families” said Nadile.

Taylor Carito/Connector

The food pantry is located at University Crossing.

In order to help keep the pantry stocked with necessary items, the UMass Lowell Neighborhood Food Project was created by UMass Lowell’s Office of Human Resources. Under this food project, the campus was divided into neighborhoods to separately collect specific resources from all areas of campus. “The donations have been phenomenal since Human Resources created the Neighborhood Food Project,” said Ciaraldi.

Fifteen campus buildings including the Lydon Library, O’Leary Library, the Tsongas Center and Riverview Suites currently have food drive locations from which donations are picked up and transported to the pantry. This allows the pantry to request certain items from each neighborhood and provide a consistent variety of items for the pantry.

The members of Navigators Club and the Office of Student Affairs are already noticing the effects of the pantry’s presence.

“You see a lot of students giving back to the pantry once they’re back on their feet,” said Nadile, explaining how many volunteers and donors are individuals who have been helped either by this or another food pantry. Ciaraldi explained the importance of the pantry by saying: “No student is going to be successful if they’re hungry.”

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January 31, 2017

January 31, 2017

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Connector Staff

From President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration to the representative marches of every cause imaginable, the closing weeks of January have been the most eventful and controversial in recent memory.

The current political climate has countless liberal progressives taking a pessimistic outlook on the coming years in the U.S.; they lack hope and purpose. But maybe they are in luck. New York Times bestselling author Gene Stone has provided them with “The Trump Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know about Living through What You Hoped would Never Happen.”

A mouthful, a “history lesson” and all-in-all a misguided attempt to slander conservatism in the progressive echo chamber. tt is more of the sentiment that created Trump.

Concessions should be made. This guidebook was not written for the conservative audience. Stone says it at the outset, “Most of this book’s readers probably didn’t vote for him. In fact, for a great many Americans, his election was an unthinkable, unimaginable event.”

This may be part of the problem.

Further praise - the content is structured in a manageable way. It is well cited and rhetorically strong.

The book is divided up into a dozen chapters centered around key political issues. Each chapter contains a brief history of the issue, how former President Barack Obama dealt with it, what Stone believes Trump will do about it, and how the reader can take up the progressive mantle on the issue.

To be fair, the history lessons are not bad. Each chapter could have probably been summed up in a 10 minute YouTube video by any progressive political analyst. However, despite the strength of the historical segments, they are riddled with parenthetical sidebars slandering every conservative leader and ideal possible. For a right-leaning reader, it is equivalent to a crash-course lecture from your leftist middle school history teacher. It is factually accurate, with a lot of underlying bias and shade being thrown at the Republican Party.

Stone does his best work at the tail end of each chapter. He lays out what progressives can do to get involved and help the cause. He provides web links that liberals can follow to connect with groups that advocate for their causes. Essential reading lists are provided for the uninformed left-leaning voter to grow their rhetorical knowledge and political expertise.

Courtesy of Dey Street Books

“The Trump Survival Guide” has been a #1 bestseller on Amazon since it’s release on January 17th.

Yet rather than leaving it at a call to arms for the left, Stone expends nearly 100 pages bashing Republican congressional leadership and virtue signaling to his peers. The problems of this guidebook show through in hypocritical analysis of executive leadership on both sides, and a very weak, divisive conclusion.

In the introduction, Stone explains that he will be

analyzing Obama’s actions, how they affected the nation and how he assumes Trump’s will, which initially claims that often times one cannot judge a president’s impact on the nation until decades later. He proceeds just pages later, however, to imply that Obama’s legacy will live on as spectacular and Trump’s will either be inconsequential or horrid.

The hypocrisy crescendos as Stone praises nearly every one of Obama’s executive orders and bills before announcing how he feels Trump will set the nation back countless years. One should not judge a president’s legacy too early. Unless it is Trump.

Then proclaim his legacy in print the week he takes office.

There are more backhanded comments and slander in this book than one can shake a stick at.

Not to mention the fact that one would expect the conclusion for a book like this to be a strong, and final call to action, that all five pages of it would be spent rallying the progressive force into re-entering the political discourse, reshaping the dialogue and fighting for what they believe in. This gets one page.

The rest is spent doing exactly what was expected: tearing down the one conservative Stone had yet to attack. Stone explains that the left should do everything in their power to create political gridlock against Trump, yet should not hope for impeachment. Should Trump be impeached Vice President Mike Pence would become the president, which of course means the only logical thing to proceed this statement is an in-depth vilification of Pence.

All-in-all, it is not a rag. It holds up to scrutiny.

But do not pick it up expecting something fresh and new. In fact, it is the same slandering of conservatives as racist and careless that created Trump.

Gridlock on Capitol Hill, political correctness, echo chambers and an inability to work together towards a common American goal of exceptionalism in all fields is what gave Trump a foothold. Taking him as a joke and being shocked he stood a chance of winning is a large part of why he won. Apparently, Gene Stone did not get the message; America will not come together under more of the same.

M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Split’ fails to be bad ►Continued from front page going on in “Split.” The first story is based around Kevin and the three teenage girls he kidnapped, and the second focuses on Kevin and his psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley).

The story with Kevin and the girls is the lesser of the two, mostly because the three girls never act like they are scared and only one of the actresses (Haley Lu Richardson) seems to be trying to give a convincing performance.

The story revolving around Kevin and Dr. Fletcher is much better, as both actors do a good job playing their characters. It subtly sets up some details that will reappear later, and it doles out information in a creative and interesting way that does not feel like an exposition drop. Had the entire movie been based more around Kevin and Dr. Fletcher, as opposed to having to share the screen with the plot involving the three girls, the movie would have been a lot better.

The story with the girls is mostly

weighed down by the poor performances of the three young actresses, but another source of problems with it are the constant flashbacks that the main girl (Anya Taylor-Joy) has. The flashbacks give backstory and into her character and how she knows how to do certain things, but most of them seem unneeded in the grand scheme of what is happening.

On a technical level, the movie is very good. There is good utilization of lighting and sound editing. The only technical aspect that has problems with it is the cinematography, and in that case it is a fluctuation of quality.

There are a lot of good and competent shots in the movie, while others feel like try hard attempts at having visually interesting shots, while other times it all feels off.

“Split” is a very hard movie to judge.

On one hand, the movie is technically good, but on the other hand it seems to have been aiming for a bad and “unintentionally” hilarious outcome, and it failed at that.

Final Grade: C+

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Vilify and divide: ‘The Trump Survival Guide’ Andrew Sciascia

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Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Keaton steals the show in ‘The Founder’ Eric Smith Connector Contributor

“The Founder” is a true story about greed, money and deceit starring Michael Keaton as Ray Krock, the man who franchised the famous fast food company we all know as McDonalds.

Dick McDonald (Nick Offerman) and Mac McDonald (John Carroll Lynch) started the original McDonalds in San Bernardino, Calif. with the goal of making a classic, wholesome family restaurant with no gimmicks, all natural beef and milkshakes.

However, when Ray Krock, a persistent ice cream mixer salesman, shows his interest in their restaurant, he franchises it and takes it to a whole new level, often going beyond the brothers’ wishes. We see how he steals ideas from the original founders and how he gains from the success of McDonald’s. This affects Dick and Mac McDonald’s lives, as well as Krock’s marriage to Ethel Krock (Laura Dern).

Keaton performed exceptionally as he does in almost anything he is in, and does a stellar job of making the audience despise Krock as the film goes on. From the start, screenwiter Robert Siegel and director John Lee Hancock

make viewers almost feel bad for him as his job as a salesman is continually going nowhere, only to then see how he manipulates the original founders

Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

“The Founder” was directed by John Lee Hancock and written by Robert Siegel.

to gain for himself. However, the film is unbiased and does not necessarily attempt to make the audience dislike him, nor does it praise him either. Siegel allows us to develop our own per-

After Kroc makes McDonald’s his own and starts cutting the founders out of the deal, the restaurant slowly becomes more and more unhealthy.

Unfortunately, the McDonald’s one

knows today is not the same McDonalds in San Bernardino back in 1937.

“The Founder” gives a glimpse into how this started and an explanation of why it has become the go-to fast food chain it is today.

There is plenty of comic relief in the film to divert away from making the viewer too angry. “The Founder” is mainly a drama, but the comedic aspects lighten the mood and lets viewers get in a laugh once in a while.

Nick Offerman was a perfect pick to play Dick McDonald, as he is mainly a comedic actor and is known mostly for his humor.

The film has a couple messages for its viewers. Siegel points out that persistence is an excellent method for success, especially when it comes to franchising a company. However, money can make people do unspeakable things like steal a multi-million-dollar fast food restaurant concept in order to gain for your own profit.

While it is no Oscar-winning masterpiece, “The Founder” is entertaining enough to grab one’s attention and interest. If the story of how McDonald’s came to be the most famous fast food chain in the country is of interest, this film is a must-see.

Indie game spotlight: ‘Furi’ Connor Kennedy Connector Contributor

“The jailor is the key; kill him and you are free.” These are the words that start off The Game Bakers’ newest title “Furi”.

The player assumes the role of the Stranger, a voiceless man who is fighting his way out of an orbital prison specially designed to contain him.

The game is made up solely of a series of boss fights, with the player tasked with defeating each of the prison’s immortal jailors using a combination of speedy, twin-stick shooter gunplay and close-range sword combat. The player needs to be capable of dodging a barrage of projectiles while firing back and then quickly transition into close quarters swordplay without missing a beat.

The game’s mechanics are quite simple at their core; there are charged versions of all the standard maneuvers the player has access to, but there is little else aside from that. There are a few elements of the combat system hidden in a “how to play” section of the pause menu that would be nice if the game made more clear, but none of these are necessary to progress.

The controls are smooth and responsive and the combat has a satisfying flow to it.

It is one of those games where at some point the player is expected to pull off rapid fire strings of dodges, parries and attacks based purely off of muscle memory. The game is definitely not for the faint of heart; its difficulty is punishing and asks for some quick reflexes from the player. It may Courtesy of The Game Bakers

“Split” is the twelfth movie directed by M. Night Shyamalan since his debut in 1992.

sonal ideas of Krock. It is easy to find him absolutely infuriating by the time the credits roll, but that does not take away from the film’s quality at all.

“Furi” is the first PC title created by the Game Bakers since their formation in 2010.

not be a game with a vast amount of strategic depth, but “Furi” is one of the best in the business at providing fast combat requiring tight timing and tighter reactions.

The story, while minimalistic, still manages to strike some depth.

Throughout the game the players are followed by The Voice, a strange figure who freed the Stranger from the cell so that he could have a chance at freedom too. He provides some exposition on each of the jailors but never gives too many details. He spends much of his time trying to rile the Stranger up, talking about the injustices that they inflicted on him and how they deserve what is coming to them. The jailors themselves lack dialogue, but despite this, each of them is able to have a surprising amount of personality. The first jailor is a bully who wants nothing more than to torture the Stranger but the later jailors gradually grow in complexity with each fight. Granted the story is not very complex and the jailors are somewhat archetypal, but it still presents something more interesting than one might expect at first.

The game is also aesthetically gorgeous. It strikes an interesting sci-fi fantasy feel in its visuals. While it has a clear futuristic design with glowing neon technology, laser weapons and robotic architecture, it also has an intriguing mythological element to it.

The area for the third boss has floating rocket powered platforms moving about, but most of the ground is made

to look like a sand garden. The bosses also often fight with swords and abilities that appear to be magic in stark contrast to the futuristic world they inhabit. It creates an interesting anachronistic flavor for the setting with a visual design somewhat reminiscent of 2010’s “Asura’s Wrath.” The game also makes excellent use of bold contrasting colors to make its characters and environments pop.

The game’s soundtrack also adds to its strong sense of style. It is not a very long game but it boasts a 22 song soundtrack with some of the best electronic music around. From the low thumping of “Unraveled” to the haunting synthesized vocals of “Make This Right,” the game’s music really fleshes out the world and characters.

Each boss has two songs associated with him or her. The soundtrack is worth a purchase on its own.

Overall, “Furi” is an excellent albeit somewhat niche game. It seems primarily aimed at those who enjoy “bullet hell” style games but are looking for something with a few twists on the formula. “Furi” is a combination of bold elements with simple grounding.

The all boss fight structure and mesh of shooting with hack-and-slash is tempered by a very simple set of basic combat mechanics. The vibrant and striking visual design is reined in by a very small yet capable cast. “Furi” is a game made with great discipline that pushes to do all that it can within the boundaries that it set for itself.

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January 31, 2016

CAMPUS LIFE

River Hawk dollars: Spend wisely Alex Salucco Connector Editor

Being a college student and living on a budget is not an easy thing to do, and college students are already spending a lot of their earnings just to obtain a degree. With on campus food distributors having high prices, some students have even had to budget their “fake money” known as River Hawk dollars.

River Hawk dollars represent real dollars that are acceptable at UMass Lowell dining locations. The “points,” as they are often called, are loaded on to a student’s ID to be swiped when purchasing food and drink items.

The University offers three different meal plans to students. Platinum and Gold feature unlimited meal swipes, and the Platinum plan is equipped with 350 River Hawk dollars while Gold only gives you 200. There is an alternative option that features 100 meal swipes and 350 River Hawk dollars.

The idea of having a budget dedicated solely to food on campus is a new concept to incoming freshmen, and even upperclassmen have trouble budgeting. But freshman Hang Cao has not had a problem with maintaining her points.

“I thought I would not have enough,” said Cao, who has 350

points each semester. “Most people spend their money at Starbucks and that’s where I think people go wrong,” she said.

“I try to stay away from Freshii because of how expensive it is,” said

Amaris Torres, a senior English major said she would advise students to get the Platinum plan over the Gold plan. “It is only about $80 more and you get 150 more points,” Torres says.

It is a little easier to make things last

Courtesy of UMass Lowell

Starbucks and Crossroads Cafe, which opened in 2014 in University Crossing.

sophomore Patrick O’Connell. Lower prices and more options are a couple of things that he would like to see changed.

“I would like to see a late night café or pizza shop on South Campus,” said O’Connell. Although Grill Out is located in the McGauvran Center, it closes at 10 p.m.

with 350 River Hawk dollars and unlimited meal swipes, but what about the students who tried to save some cash and only have 100 meal swipes to accompany their 350 points? Senior Aaron King said to make most of one’s meal swipes.

“Living in Riverview Suites this year, I figured I would not be going to

the dining hall that much,” said King, “but when I do I make sure get the most bang for my buck.”

Having a hard time managing River Hawk dollars in the past, he said living in Riverview has helped him maintain a solid balance. “After last semester I still had over 100 left because being in my dorm puts me far away from the Merrimack Market and things like that,” said King.

But with all of the temptations on campus and the ability for students to buy impulsively, what is someone to do when they are running low on points?

Cao said, “Ask yourself, do you really need this? Are you going to need the points later? What if you run out of deodorant? Do you really want to go to Target for that?”

Junior Rob Callahan says he likes to be aware of how many points he has left. “Whenever I get something I always ask for my remaining balance,” he said. “If you do that, you will have a better idea of what you should or should not buy.”

Although the prices can be high, the University has done a remarkable job offering students a bevy of choices across campus. Not only does the River Hawk dollar system give students a full belly, but it helps them maintain a budget.

Luna Theater movies for UMass Lowell students Marilyn Saha Connector Staff

Having a boring Monday night? Need a break from studying? Or even just something to do? Never fear, the UMass Lowell Philosophy Department has come to the rescue. .On the last Monday of every month, the UMass Lowell Philosophy Department will be hosting a film series at Luna Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Some of these films are classics, while others should definitely be on people’s watch list. The films are as follows: 1. “The Matrix” with Jose Mendoza who will present the issue of External World Skepticism (Jan. 30) 2. “Don Jon” with Carol Hay who will present Ethical Issues on Pornography (Feb. 27) 3. “Pulp Fiction” with Christa Hodapp who will present on Masculinity and Race (March 27) 4. “Being John Malkovich” as Luis Oliveria will present on the Philosophy of Mind (April 24) .For those who are a little unfamiliar with these movies, here is a short, quick synopsis of what to expect.

“The Matrix” circles around a man named .

Thomas A. Anderson. He is an average computer programmer by day, but a hacker named Neo by night. Neo has always questioned his sense of reality but the truth is far too complex to understand.

Neo finds himself targeted by the police when he is contacted by Morpheus, a distinguished computer hacker, who awakens him into the “real world.” .The real world consists of machines that have captured humans, and use human body heat and electrochemical energy to survive. These machines have imprisoned the human mind with an artificial reality known as “The Matrix.” It is up to Neo to confront the agents (super computers) and save the entire human race.

“Don Jon” stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jon .

Martello, a bartender from New Jersey. Jon knows what is important to him. Friends, family, car, church, sex—and porn. Jon is a porn addict and a ladies’ man. He is known for pulling “10s” every weekend, yet not even these flings result in the type of bliss that he feels when he is at home, alone, watching porn. Dissatisfied, Jon begins his journey in achieving an optimal sex life while learning some life lessons along the way.

“Pulp Fiction” surrounds Jules Winnfield and .

Vincent Vega, who are two hit men out to retrieve a suitcase stolen from their employer, mob boss Marsellus Wallace. Wallace has also asked Vincent to take his wife Mia out a couple of days later when Wallace will be out of town. Butch Coolidge is an aging boxer who is paid by Wallace to lose his fight.

The lives of these seemingly unrelated people are

intertwined together resulting in a series of hilarious and bizarre incidents. .In “Being John Malkovich,” Craig Schwartz does not seem to have much luck as a street entertainer.

He eventually gets a job as a file clerk for a company located in an office tower on Floor 7 1/2, where the ceilings are only 5 1/2 feet high. No one questions this arrangement and Craig gets on with his work. Things change quickly when Craig moves a filing cabinet, exposing a tunnel that leads him to see through the eyes of actor John Malkovich. For Craig, it represents both risks and opportunities. .If any of these movies sound interesting, get over to the Luna Theatre located downtown in Mill No.5, just a short walk from the ICC. Best of all, admission is free.

Courtesy of the Luna Theater

Luna Theater, located in Mill No. 5, where the philosophy film series will be shown.

SPORTS

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

January 31, 2017

Page 8

SPORTS

Men’s hockey extends losing streak to four, lose 4-2 at BU ► Continued from front page

Ryan Lohin. Without hesitation, Lohin found the top left corner on a rapid wrist shot from behind the faceoff dot.

Just under a minute later in the period, the Terriers answered the

Christina Laderoute/Connector

Senior defenseman Dylan tallied an assist.

Lohin goal with one of their own. After an unfortunate UMass Lowell turnover at center ice, Boston University had a 2-on-1 opportunity. Boston University forward Gabriel Chabot elected not to pass, and snuck a wrist shot low stick side on freshman goaltender Tyler Wall.

The River Hawks sustained possession in the offensive zone during the second period, something the Terriers do not allow often.

Lowell’s forecheck was particularly successful and bothersome for the Terriers. Coupled with the forecheck was Lowell’s exceptional faceoff play as they cleanly won many of them.

Oettinger proved he was up to the task and stopped some high quality shots from the River Hawks. On a 3-on-1 opportunity, Oettinger faced junior forward C.J.

Smith on the crease’s doorstep and succeeded in stopping his shot.

“That kid [Jake Oettinger] was excellent; he was the best player on the ice tonight. At some point you need to finish; you get breakaways, 3-on-1s, you have to finish. Sometimes it’s not meant to be,” said coach Bazin.

Boston University maintained possession in the offensive zone, which resulted in tired River Hawks on the ice and the game winning goal for the Terriers’ Bobo Carpenter. The River Hawks were almost able to change lines, but an opportune re-entry halted them. After the goal, momentum was clearly on Boston’s side as they continued to mount the pressure on Lowell.

The pressure proved to be too much as Clayton Keller of Boston Uni-

versity scored a backhand shot on a 2-on-1 breakaway at 12:47 of the third period. This put the Terriers up by two with only seven minutes to play.

Smith attempted to bring the River Hawks back to life with a flashy display of skill, deking a defender and then scoring on a backhand shot. Smith made it look easy as he drew a penalty while scoring the goal. The score came at 16:57 of the third period, bringing the River Hawks within one point with three minutes to play.

Unfortunately, the River Hawks could not capitalize on the penalty with Wall pulled out of the net, and a subsequent empty netter sealed it for the Terriers.

The loss brought the River Hawks’ overall record to 15-9-3.

Northeastern Huskies deal River Hawks a devastating 4-3 loss in closing minutes Andrew Sciascia Connector Editor

The defeat at the hands of Northeastern University Friday night came in a short, electric burst from the Huskies, who rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to win by one with just under 17 seconds left in regulation.

The loss brought the River Hawks to a 15-8-3 regular season record with a 7-6-1 in Hockey East conference play.

The game began with a steady pace. Several solid scoring chances found their way to the back board on both sides of the ice.

Senior defenseman Dylan Zink found himself on the scoresheet twice, with assists in the first and second periods.

The first came by way of freshman forward Ryan Lohin who put the River Hawks on the board for his fifth goal of the season, with help from Zink and junior defenseman Chris Forney on the power play. Despite countless scoring chances Lohin’s shot was the only one to find the back of the net in the opening period of play.

The second goal came on the

power play, with UMass Lowell up a man after Huskies’ senior forward Tanner Pond got the gate for hooking. The result was another strong odd-man situation that lead to River Hawk Jake Kamrass scoring on the rebound, assisted by Zink and sophomore forward Connor Wilson.

Northeastern answered late in the period when UMass Lowell alternate captain Joe Gambardella took two-minute minor for holding. Grant Jozefek netted the loose puck out front, scoring his first goal of the season, assisted by forwards Matt Filipe and Ryan Shea.

The remainder of the period seemed to be in the River Hawks’ control, but they were unable to put another past sophomore Ryan Ruck who stopped six key shots on the period, aided in part by the crossbar, which robbed the River Hawks of another opportunity to increase the lead. The second period ended with UMass Lowell up 2-1.

The bulk of the scoring, however, came in the final period.

Midway through the third period junior forward John Edwardh added to the River Hawk lead

with yet another power play goal.

Assisted by freshman defenseman Mattias Goransson and senior forward Joe Gambardella, Edwardh followed up on his rebound, sneaking the third shot past Ruck, making the game 3-1.

The lead did not last.

The remainder of the third period of play found one name hogging the scoresheet: junior forward Dylan Sikura. Sikura tied up the game with two goals in two minutes. Both were assisted by junior defenseman Garret Cockerill. Sophomore forward Adam Gaudette would also receive the helper on the second goal, which brought River Hawks’ head coach Norm Bazin to pull freshman goaltender Garrett Metcalf in favor of fellow freshman Tyler Wall.

Gaudette and Sikura did not quit upon tying the game at three. Their next shift Gaudette’s effort to wave an icing lead to Sikura scoring the third goal, the game winner and the third goal in a natural hat-trick, on a wrap around with mere seconds to go in regulation.

U P C OM I N G

River Hawk Games Wednesday, Feb. 1

7 p.m.

WBB vs. UAlbany

Wednesday, Feb. 1

6 p.m.

MBB vs. UAlbany

Friday, Feb. 3

7 p.m.S

Saturday, Feb. 4

12 p.m. MLAX vs. Saint Anselm

Saturday, Feb. 4

7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 23

4 p.m.

MHOC at Northeastern

MBB vs. Binghamton MHOC vs. UNH

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

Men’s basketball sails past Fisher College, 97-73 Kathryn Leeber Connector Editor

Freshman guard Rinardo Perry scored a careerhigh 16 points to lead UMass Lowell to their 9773 victory over the Fisher College Falcons. Senior forward Tyler Livingston also scored 13 points for the River Hawks.

UMass Lowell is now 9-14, while the Falcons fall to 14-8. This was a non-conference game and the first meeting between these two teams. The win for the River Hawks snapped their four game losing streak and nearly tied their highest scoring game of the season.

“It’s always great to be able to play all 11 or 12 guys,” said UMass Lowell head coach Pat Duquette.

“Everybody got in the scoring column. To win by 25 or 30 points is always good.”

Fisher College tried to rally back in the second half and, despite unsuccessfully cutting the River Hawks’ lead, senior guard Kyle Holmes had an outstanding game with 36 points. He outscored the next leading scorer for the Falcons by nearly 20 points.

Although Fisher won the opening tip-off, the game was largely dominated by UMass Lowell. Six River Hawks scored at least two 3-pointers during the game, leading to a large margin in the score. Even so, the team only made half of their attempts, going 15-30 from behind the arc.

The Falcons were forced to make longer shots and ultimately went 8-27 in 3-pointers. The team tried to rally at the end and were successfully making shots, but the lead was too great.

UMass Lowell also excelled in rebounds, ending the game with 31 defensive rebounds as compared to Fisher’s 22. Redshirt junior guard/forward Jahad Thomas led the team with six.

It was a relatively clean game and both teams were equally consistent at the free-throw line. The Falcons went 11-13 while the River Hawks went 10-13.

Three additional players joined Perry and Livingston in reaching double digits in scoring, including Ryan Jones and Thomas.

Livingston spoke about his leadership role on the team and how he works to keep the team focused.

“It’s all about us. We’re not really worried about what they’re doing; we’re just trying to get better at what we’re supposed to be good at,” Livingston said.

As for the Falcons, Malik Wilson added 17 points, but he and Holmes were the only major contributors to Fisher’s score. Fisher struggled with their shooting, as they only made 38.6 percent of their shots.

The River Hawks will travel to Albany, N.Y. for an America East conference game on Wed., Feb. 1.