‘Ghostbusters’ trailer fails to impress â–ş UMLConnector.com
THE UMASS LOWELL
Serving the Student Body Since 1976
March 8, 2016
Mothers of Rock XII takes over Durgin
In This Issue Exploring the North Campus tunnel system
Jen Desrosiers/Connector
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Ideas for spring break
â–ş Page 6 First program win
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Final River Hawk Scores Team
Score
Overall Record
Baseball at Delaware
W 5-3 4-3
Baseball at Delaware
L 4-2
Men’s Lacrosse vs. Jacksonville
W 12-9 1-4
Baseball at Delaware St.
W 3-0
3-3
3-2
Why ‘Spotlight’ deserved the win Owen Johnson Connector Staff
The 88th Academy Awards, which aired on Sunday, February 28th, had a number of pleasant surprises when it came to the winners. Mark Rylance won for best supporting actor. “Mad Max: Fury Roadâ€? took six awards. Leonardo DiCaprio finally got the award that many feel he was entitled to. The biggest surprise, to me, was that “Spotlightâ€? beat “The Revenantâ€? for best picture. Just for a recap, in the article I wrote about my Oscar wishes and predictions, I predicted “The Revenantâ€? would win and wished that “Spotlightâ€? would win. I was not alone on this. A number of people thought “The Revenantâ€? would win best picture, especially after DiCaprio and Iùårritu won for their outstanding work in the movie. Thankfully, “Spotlightâ€? won because, frankly, it is the better movie of the two. In all fairness, “The Revenantâ€? had a lot of good elements to it. As I already said, the acting and directing was superbly done. Also worth noting is the flawless cinematography and sound editing. By all accounts, it’s a technically good movie. “Spotlightâ€? is also a good movie by the same standards. The directing and cinematography were not as distinguishing as they
Fermata Nowhere were one of many performers in MEISA’s tribute show to women in music.
â–ş See “MEISA,â€? page 4
River Hawks pick up 12-9 win against Jacksonville UMass Lowell Athletics
LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell Men’s Lacrosse team earned its first win of the season with a 12-9 victory against Jacksonville University on Saturday afternoon at Cushing Field Complex. The River Hawks are now 1-4 overall on the season, while Jacksonville falls to 2-3 overall. The victory marked the program’s first
home win in the River Hawks’ Division I era. Jacksonville got on the scoreboard first with a goal by Shawn Ewert with 10:24 left in the first quarter. Junior midfielder Sam Klingsporn (Aloha, Ore.) got the River Hawks on the board less than a minute later to tie the game at 1-1 for his team-leading 10th goal of the season. Freshman Blaine McMahon (New Milford, Conn.) gave UMass Lowell a 2-1 lead with sevCourtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
► See �Spotlight,� page 5
Sections News.............................3 Campus Life.................. 6 A&E.............................. 4 Sports........................... 7 Freshman Blaine McMahon controls the ball against Jacksonville University.
en minutes left in the first quarter with his third goal of the season. The score was knotted at 3-3 at the end of the opening quarter after goals by JU’s Fernando Milanes (4:41) and UML’s Keenan Koswin (4:03). Freshman attackman Austin Lane (Aurora, Ont.) gave the River Hawks a 4-3 lead just 30 seconds into the second quarter with his second tally of the season and then added another goal just three minutes later to give the River Hawks a 5-3 advantage. Sophomore Sean Tyrrell (Calgary, Alta.) added his second goal of the year at 6:23, while Koswin added his second of the day just a minute later. Cody Ford capped the scoring in the second quarter with a goal at 3:06 for Jacksonville. UMass Lowell held a 7-4 lead at the half with a 18-16 lead in shots against the Dolphins. UMass Lowell’s Matthew Balter opened the scoring in the third quarter at 11:35 for his third of the season, while Jacksonville responded with a tally by Mitchell ► See �River Hawks,� page 8
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March 1, 2016
THE UMASS LOWELL
Serving the Student Body Since 1976
UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR
EDITORIAL BOARD MARLON PITTER Editor-In-Chief REGINA ALONGI Operations Manager KATRINA DESROSIERS Copy Editor NINA PETROPOULOS Web Manager MICHAELA HYDE ZACHARY ZUBER Social Media Managers EVANTHIA TULLY Photo Editor KELLY FREITAS JENNA FREITAS LISETTE PEĂ‘A Graphic Designers
DAVE RUDDERHAM SAM LINSTEAD-ATKINSON News Editors KYLE GAUDETTE HANNAH MANNING Sports Editors SHANE FOLEY Campus Life Editor JEN DESROSIERS BRENDAN JACQUES Arts & Entertainment Editors GRYPHON LAYNE Comics Editor
OPEN Advertising Manager
MICHAEL PAIGE Multimedia Director
OPEN Distribution Manager
JONATHAN SILVERMAN Advisor
General: The UMass Lowell Connector is a non-profit student public forum serving the University of Massachusetts Lowell community. The paper is published weekly and distributed to the university community every Tuesday. Business hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please be aware that members of the University community are entitled to free newspapers. Please take one! All UMass Lowell students, regardless of major, are invited to join the Connector staff. Interested students should contact an editor or manager listed above, or visit the Connector Office in University Crossing 241. Advertising: The UMass Lowell Connector advertisements reach an estimated 16,000 UMass Lowell students--their friends and families. To tap this group of
future high-income earners, contact our Advertising Manager at 934-5017. DEADLINE for ALL advertising (TO INCLUDE STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS and ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES OF THE UNIVERSITY) is Thursday, 12 p.m. for the following Tuesday’s publication. No exceptions will be made. Late submissions WILL NOT be accepted. Classified advertisements are free for students. The UMass Lowell Connector does not endorse, promote or encourage the purchase or sale of any product or service advertised in this publication. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser. The UMass Lowell Connector disclaims all liability for any damage suffered as the result of any advertisement in this newspaper. The UMass Lowell Connector reserves the right to refuse any advertising. Editorial: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words in length and may be
Twitter: @UMLConnector Instagram: @UMLConnector Facebook.com/UMLConnector www.UMLConnector.com The Connector meets every Monday at 6 p.m. in University Crossing room 241 in the Club Hub. All are welcome to join! submitted via campus mail, e-mail, or in person. All letters must bear the author’s name, relationship to the University and student body, and a phone number. The author may request to have any part of this information withheld, if published. Opinions expressed in individual columns, the Opinions Section, advertising, and/or features are those of the author, NOT of the Connector. The Opinions and Editorials section will not be edited in any way, to include spelling/grammar mistakes. Submission: The deadline for all submissions (to include Letters to the Editors and Opinions) is Friday at midnight for the following Tuesday’s publication. Submissions must be e-mailed to Marlon_Pitter@student.uml.edu, attached as a Word document (any version). Accompanying visuals must
be submitted separately; do NOT include graphics in Word file. All press releases, articles, advertisements, and photographs submitted become the property of The UMass Lowell Connector and will not be returned. The Connector reserves the right to edit or refuse all submissions for copy, content, and length. The Connector will make every effort to prevent inaccuracy, but assumes no responsibility for errors in advertisements or opinion letters. The Connector will reprint without charge any advertisement which is incorrect. Credit for errors are made only for first insertion.
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March 8, 2016
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NEWS Diving deep into North Campus tunnels Shayna Vigliotta Connector Staff
The pedestrian tunnel system beneath North Campus has long been a means of intercampus travel, as well as a defining feature of the architecture there. While the tunnels are older than 60 years, their purpose has not been antiquated. The underpass system, which primarily conveys steam heat, was developed during the 1940s. During this time, this part of campus was known as the Lowell Textile Institute. The tunnels were originally designed as part of the utility system, which serves primarily to convey steam. Peter Brigham, assistant director
of campus planning at UMass Lowell, said, “We have a North power plant that supplies steam heat to most of North Campus.” Students and faculty are able to pass through these tunnels to get them to different locations on North Campus. “The traditional practice when you build steam lines is to build tunnels so you can access the lines and fix them,” said Brigham. Vents run along the sides of the tunnels, indicating where the steam lines are. Because the tunnels serve multiple purposes, pedestrians tend to take the underground paths in order to avoid the harsh conditions winter
may bring. Aine Duffy, student, mostly uses the tunnels in the winter. Duffy said, “In the summer, I like to go outside.” Silverio Johnson, student, also uses the tunnels in the dry and cold season. “I just do it to avoid the cold,” he said. In January of 2014, a Starbucks was opened on North Campus, located un- d e r the Lydon Library. One tunnel, which leads there, is painted with coffee beans, directing pedestrians to the business. Leo Cruz, student, said, “Whenever I go to the library or Alumni Hall, I’ll hit up Starbucks beforehand.” South campus majors often aren’t familiar with the tun-
nel system, only to discover it later on. Duffy didn’t know about the tunnels until a year after attending UMass Lowell. “I was really late about finding out about the tunnels, and then I could never find them,” said Duffy. Many just happened to stumble upon them. “Freshman year, I remember I was walking around...and then I saw something...and was like Oh, there’s a Starbucks trail so I just followed it and ended up over here in Southwick,” said student Andrew Pothier. When walking through the tunnels, one may notice a slope that drops at certain points in the hallways. This slope was designed to accom-
modate the utilities that lie above the tunnels, including the water, sewage, electric and IT services underneath University Ave. “The low point is about 20 feet below the surface of University Ave. The roof of the tunnel is about 10 feet below the surface that the cars travel on,” said Brigham. As for the new construction on campus, Pulichino Tong, the business building scheduled to open in 2017, will be a first floor connection from Lydon Library. See the video of this story at umlconnector.com.
Writer Robert Pinsky to present a free program for campus, community UMass Lowell Media Relations
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky – who has promoted a love of poetry on “The Colbert Report” and as an animated version of himself on “The Simpsons” – will read his work and discuss his creative process during a free event that will be open to the UMass Lowell community and public. Appointed by the Library of Congress, Pinsky served as the nation’s official poet for three terms from 1997 to 2000. The distinction brings with it a duty to advance the reading and writing of poetry.
His program at UMass Lowell is part of the university’s Writers on Campus series, which is presented by the English Department. After the event, he will sign copies of his books for audience members. As poet laureate, Pinsky created the Favorite Poem Project, which asked people from across the country to submit their best-loved poem for inclusion in anthologies published by the initiative. The project also gave rise to a collection of videos that depict Americans reading and discussing their favorite poems.
Courtesy of Eric Antoniou
Robert Pinsky was United States Poet Laureate from 1997-2000.
A poet, essayist and translator, Pinsky has said his writing is influenced by his love of jazz music. He is the author of more than 18 books and his latest poetry collection, “At the Foundling Hospital,” will be published later this year. Acclaimed around the world, he is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the PEN American Center, a membership association of writers and editors. His other honors include the William Carlos Williams Prize, the Italian Premio Capri Award and the Korean Manhae Prize.
UMass Lowell mock trial team moves on to national qualifiers Jacob Boucher Connector Staff
Two weekends past at Boston College, the UMass Lowell mock trial team won by advancing from regional to national competition. With an impressive 5-3 record, the best score a UMass Lowell team has gotten at the Boston College Regional Tournament, UMass Lowell advanced to national qualifiers in Delaware, the Opening Round of the Championship Series (ORCS), for the first time. Of the twenty teams who competed only seven moved on to the national level, the seventh spot going to UMass Lowell. Other advancing teams from the region include esteemed institutions like Boston College, Boston University, Dartmouth, Brandeis and Harvard. The team was able to compete thanks to funding from the Student Government Association via their grant process.
Dr. Francis Talty, assistant dean of the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, advises the mock trial team at UMass Lowell. In 2006 he organized the Pre-Law Society, and the next year the group began competing in mock trials. Talty believes the hard-working members of this group do not just walk away with a preview of what a career in law will look and feel like. “An enhanced ability to think critically, the ability to think on your feet and handle adversity, the capacity to present a case cogently…are all skills that students acquire in this activity,” said Talty. In past years the group has scored as low as 0-8, but recently the group has been reinvigorated with new energy and drive that has led to this underdog victory. “Working with these students is among the most satisfying part of my efforts here at UMass Lowell,” said Talty.
The team’s current captain, Amanda Robinson, has been a part of the mock trials for all eight semesters of her UMass Lowell experience. Amanda’s teammate Malinda Reed said, “If it weren’t for Amanda…then we wouldn’t have moved on. Without her support and her leadership, then this wouldn’t be possible.” The team did not only walk away from the regional competition with a spot in the ORCS, but also member Thomas Wood was given an Outstanding Witness Award for his roles as two expert witnesses, a forensic scientist and retired FBI agent respectively. Out of twenty available points, he scored nineteen. Wood is a transfer student who came to UMass Lowell for its criminal justice program. “There’s a visceral rush that you get from competing in mock trial that you don’t get anywhere else,” said Wood. “People are going to start talking about the Mock
Trial team as well.” The B-team last semester won a Spirit of AMTA Award as well, a distinction described as “Awarded to the team that best exemplifies the ideals of honesty, civil” by the regional tournament’s official tabulation sheet. The team will have three weeks to prepare for the national qualifiers after the new case materials are released later this month. Then it’s on to Delaware, where the team will compete against colleges and universities from across the nation. “I take great pride in their accomplishments and I know everyone here at UMass Lowell will be proud of these students as they succeed in their careers and, I am sure, in their continued support for this great university,” Talty said.
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March 8, 2016
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ‘This Unruly Mess I’ve Made’ takes on race and fame Alexa Hyde Connector Staff
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis dropped their self-released sophomore album, “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made,” on February 26, four years after their platinum certified debut album, “The Heist.” The album follows the progression of Macklemore’s life since his success from “The Heist,” including his four Grammy awards in 2014 and his subsequent personal downfall. Drug use, comments on race and racial movements, and the detriments of fame are common themes throughout the album. The first track, “Light Tunnels,” sets the tone of much of the album’s contents, as it depicts the sudden fame that Macklemore experienced in 2012. The song also touches on Macklemore’s relapse into drug use, which is further explored in “Kevin.” Accompanied by Leon Bridges, “Kevin” comments on drug use in America and Macklemore’s personal experiences with drugs. The track calls out all aspects of the drug industry, from doctors who overprescribe, politicians who allow the issue to continue, and the continued funding of the War on Drugs. “Need to Know,” featuring Chance the Rapper, echoes a similar sentiment about fame and further reflects on the capitalist values that correlate to Macklemore’s, and Chance the Rapper’s, successes. Again, the prevalence of drug use of the famous is referenced and the dangers that correspond to the lifestyle of famous, especially of those who were rapidly thrust into the spotlight, are revealed as well.
While his role was much more of the support system of the album, Ryan Lewis’s talents are displayed on a few tracks, including “Need to Know,” but most notably on “Growing Up,” which also features Ed Sheeran. The fifth track on the album,
bum, “White Privilege II” has been met with mixed reviews from critics. While commended by some about the honesty of the song and the acknowledgement of the white community on the “Black Lives Matter” movement and concept of political correctness, others call out the irony of Macklemore’s insecurities surrounding his own white privilege all while he is gaining success from rap, an art that originated from the black community that has historically served as their political tool. The track mirrors Macklemore’s struggles with his own place in the rap community and his favorable outlook from the politically correct white community. An overall inconclusive song to end the album, “White Privilege II” is best interpreted and critiqued by individual listeners. Overall, “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made” is slated to be successful, but not as successful as “The Heist,” although that seems to almost be Macklemore’s goal after his initial struggles with rapid success. The album pays homage to the initial success of “The Heist” with the first single “Downtown,” and continues to call out the issues of American soCourtesy of Macklemore LLC This is Macklemore’s third album since his debut in 2005. ciety with a commentary on eating disorders and body image issues in “Let’s Eat.” While no major “Growing Up” steps away from the commentary on hits like “Same Love” or “Thrift Shop,” both off of race and drug use and focuses rather on the birth “The Heist,” are found on this album, “This Unruly of Macklemore’s daughter and the worries and con- Mess I’ve Made” is a commendable album that adcerns of parenthood, another momentous and re- equately addresses the messes of American society cent step in Macklemore’s personal life. and the messes Macklemore found himself in after The final track, and the second single off the al- his initially launch into fame.
‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’ combines humor and war Michaela Hyde and Alexa Hyde Connector Staff
“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” hit theaters on Thursday to a generally warm response from critics. The Glenn Ficarra and John Requa directed film is based on the 2011 memoir “The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan” by wartime journalist Kim Barker. Produced by Lorne Michaels, known predominantly as the creator of the popular television sketch comedy, Saturday Night Live (SNL), and starring Tina Fey, an SNL alumni, “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” mirrors similar humor found in the popular comedy show. Kim Baker (Fey), a middle aged New York new program producer finds herself frustrated with her pre-
dictable life and on a whim, takes a job as a war reporter to cover the diminishing war efforts in Afghanistan in 2003. Upon arrival, Baker begins to learn that the life of Americans and the lifestyle of wartime journalists is far from what she thought it would be. With no glory and little funding to be found, Baker finds herself trapped in a figurative bubble in Kabul with her fellow reporters. The vulgar comedy, which is overused at times throughout the film, depicts how the overlooked reporters covering the war and conditions in Afghanistan cope with living in a war torn country where danger is always subtly present and they become increasingly desensitized to the ongoing conflict. Laced between comedic scenes is
another issue for the struggling journalists. Few stories from Afghanistan are being aired so competition for stories is high and the reporters covering them are willing to go to great lengths to garner a good headline. Baker’s first friend in Afghanistan, Tanya Vanderpool (Margot Robbie), began negotiations with Baker’s television program in order to receive more funding. As a result, Baker saw less airtime and ultimately left her position in Afghanistan although not before striking up a relationship with Scottish freelance photographer, Iain MacKelpie (Martin Freeman). Ultimately, Baker and MacKelpie both leave Afghanistan after concerns that what has become normal in their lives, including a kidnapping, is a far cry from the outside world.
Fey’s performance throughout carried much of the film’s comedy. The premise of the film followed much of a typical comedy’s plot and often utilized crude humor as a quick joke. However, the film’s unique setting during conflict in Afghanistan provides the audience with a different perspective on the lives of reporters in the midst of war. “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” is able to enter the conversation on war and the disallusion that surrounds it. The movie’s use of humor and the perspective from reporters allows viewers to gain insight about the fantasy of glory that seemingly comes with combat reporting. “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” opens up a different component of commentary on war that future films will be able to further.
March 8, 2016
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Classic Game Review: ‘Metal Gear Solid’ Shane Foley Connector Editor
It is often said that “the devil is in the details.” In terms of gaming, this cliché is well known, since attention to detail can make or break the success of a game. What is to be said, then, about a game developer that pours most of his efforts into the smallest of details? Someone with ideas like placing the codec number of a vital character on the back of the game case? Someone who dumps hidden references into every area of unused code? Someone who places large attention on things like controller ports and sequences that lead to multiple endings? I’d imagine such a game developer would recive much praise for his efforts, especially seeing as developer Hideo Kojima poured all of this and more into the seminal Metal Gear Solid, and he indirectly invented a game genre. Of course, to say that a game was the first of its kind it a bolsterous claim, seeing as though many games deemed innovative actually take inspiration from other games. Certainly, there are other games with similar elements to Metal Gear Solid. The game, however, was the first overhead view action-adventure game where the player was prompted to avoid combat, instead of provoking it. To be technical, Metal Gear Solid was the first 3d stealth shooter. In the game, you control the titular character, Solid Snake, in completing a series of intense missions that not only involve tactically eliminating any threats in your way, but also avoiding the dection of your presence by others. The player makes use of various weapons in the game to achieve this. Several modern franchises use these mechanics, such as the Batman: Arkham series and Assasin’s Creed. Among the innovative mechanics, Metal Gear Solid also expertely weaves in a very intricate and compelling plot into the video game. Solid Snake is charged by his Colonel to inflitrate members of his old unit: Fox Hound. They are posted in Shadow
Moses Island, a nuclear disarmament facility in Alaska, and they threaten to launch a nuke if their demands are not met. As Snake, you storm the facility to find/stop the nuke, but you quickly realize that the orders you were given were not the full story, but rather a short, skewed account of a larger narrative that you uncover more of as you progress. Metal Gear Solid provides the player with an enormous amount of freedom. While the game is linear in format, you only sense of navigation is the orders from your Colonel or other aids which you contact by codec, who tell you where to travel next and what to do there. It is left to the imagination of the player to develop a strategy to reach the next checkpoint. The subtitle of the game is Tactical Espionage Action, and it stayes very true to that label. Traveling to your next area is one thing. It is another thing entirely to develop the strategy to avoid detection and the littany of traps that are set for you. Often in the game, the player has the option of taking out the enemies looking for him, or simply hide from their gaze. In playing this game, you will also be tested. The aids that you can contact, on a consistant basis, will only tell you of the place you need to go. There are rare occasions where they will give you hints during boss fights, but beyond that they really are there to move the plot along. There also isn’t a map of the entire area, only the radar for the area around you that gets jammed for half of the game. The lack of aid, in eliminating obstructions on levels and in the boss fights, end up being very refreshing for the player. You are given a myriad of weapons, and you can choose which one you think will work best in a given situation. For instance, one boss fight prompts you to use a remote controlled missle launcher called the Nikita to win, but the player could incorporate C4 as well for a much more efficient strategy. One interesting aspect of the game that Kojima incorporated was, while it wasn’t 2d or side-scrolling, Metal
Courtesy of Konami
The number of enemies in “Metal Gear Solid” forces the player to think strategically.
Gear Solid feels like a Metroidvania game. The Metroidvania subgenere was made popular by titles like Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, where instead of traveling to a new area each time, players were required to revisit old areas after they have powered up to uncover new passages that were unaccessible before. An example would be in Metroid games, where Samus can open different doors when she gets different beams/missiles. In Metal Gear Solid, Snake gets different card keys that are leveled one through six. The level of card he has determines which doors the player can open, as players cannot access rooms with a level door higher than the card they currently hold. This being said, this form of backtracking is very tastefully done. Metroidvania games at times are under attack because players don’t like to revisit areas. In Metal Gear Solid though, the player is usually promted through the story to go back to certain places anyways, so it doesn’t feel like work. You will also desire to backtrack at times because that way you can receive more health/ ammo for weapons. It is Metroidvania done right. The gameplay in Metal Gear Solid is also interrupted by long cutscenes at
MEISA benefit concert shows ranges of talent
‘Spotlight’ wins Best Picture
►Continued from front page The twelfth anniversary of Mothers of Rock went out with a bang. This benefit concert put on by UMass Lowell’s Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association, MEISA, was a smash hit with amazing performances and music, with all proceeds going to Girls Incorporated of Lowell. Girls Inc. is an afterschool organization that offers many programs for young girls ages 5 to 18. It has been around since 1917, inspiring young girls to be “strong, smart, and bold.” Girls from Girls Inc. provided background about the “mother of rock” that was about to be covered in the next song. With varying genres, all 14 performances were covers of songs by women in the music industry including Beyoncé, Adele, Whitney Houston, and many others. In addition, several bands with lead
►Continued from front page were in “The Revenant,” but those aspects were still handled competently in “Spotlight.” By the technical standards of the movie, “The Revenant” should have won, but “Spotlight” had something that “The Revenant” couldn’t compete with even with all of its other features. A movie has a lot of things it needs to accomplish, the most important of which is to strike an emotional chord with the audience. Get them invested in the story. Get them to relate to the characters. Get them to feel a certain way about something. Leave them with some kind of impression. “Spotlight” does this while “The Revenant” does not. My experience watching “Spotlight” was filled with different emotional reactions. I felt anger, sad-
female vocalists were covered including Evanescence, PVRIS, The Fugees and No Doubt. Each arrangement brought a unique twist to the original, whether it was a change in instrumentation, style, tempo, and everything else. UMass Lowell’s all-girl A Cappella group Fermata Nowhere performed a great “all voices” arrangement of Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” with soloist Jillian Perry. Other adaptations included instruments such as a saxophones, trombones, upright bass, trumpets, and a marimba. Each performer got to play one song of their choosing written by a woman in the music industry, Except for one particular act which featured multiple songs from one artist. In Jimmy Keeley’s “Katy Perry Medley”, at least three songs written by Katy Perry were performed with a little twist. This jazzy
act included a saxophone, trumpet, and trombone in addition to the guitar, bass, and drums. The vocalist scatted between transitions which made each song flow seamlessly. The last act of the night brought several performers to the stage, closing with RESPECT by Aretha Franklin covered by HurriTurri. The performance filled the auditorium with sound and good vibes as the concert ended. The UMass Lowell Chapter of MEISA hosts this concert every year to “celebrate the amazing women who have shaped music throughout the years” and they did rightfully so. The concert is always free with suggested donations for Girls Inc.
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ness, shock, and relief among other things. My experience watching “The Revenant” was, at best ambivalent, at worst indifferent, with indifferent being the usual feeling. “The Revenant” simply fails at getting the audience to care. Throughout the movie, the protagonist, Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio), wants revenge on John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy); a member of his fur trading party that killed his son and left him for dead. The problem is that, while you can understand Glass’s motivation, you also equally understand Fitzgerald’s motivation, so when it comes to the ultimate outcome of the revenge story, it doesn’t really matter what happens. Glass can get his revenge or Fitzgerald can escape unscathed. In the end, it all comes down to one simple thing.
times, even so that people often call it Metal Gear Solid: the Movie. Kojima made the game so that the cutscenes would enhance the game, though, as supposed to being side material. For it’s time, the game actually has some pretty impressive voice acting, and it does incorporate a story that could be a movie script one day. It can be heavy on a new player, though. If you’re trying to just play the game for the mechanics and ignore the general story, you will find these cutscenes frustrating. If you become interested, though, it is very rewarding. Small things in the game will become monumental, and it connects to every other game in the series. Metal Gear Solid invites you to immerse yourself into the lore, and it serves as a bonus benefit for those who play the game. As much praise as this game deserves, the difficulty must be mentioned. There are a lot of shenanigans in this game, like trap doors, time bombs randomly stuck on you, multiple enemies in elevators, and things of the like. This game compels many gamers to their knees yelling “Kojima” at the top of their lungs due to their ineptitue to determine why the died for the 25th time. If you approach this game with the spirit of challenge, though, you will be rewarded for it.
Despite all the sights that “The Revenant” provides the audience to marvel at, it failed to captivate the audience on a deeper level. By failing to do that, it paved the way for “Spotlight” to swoop in and snag the award. If there’s no emotional connection, there’s no reason to care, and if there’s no reason to care, then everything else is just a pretty façade with no substance of interest.
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March 8, 2016
CAMPUS LIFE
ACE, AST bring Vegas to University Crossing Casino-style event contributes to charity as well Shane Foley Connector Editor
In a charity effort to benefit Habitat for Humanity, the Association for Campus Events (ACE) partnered with Sorority Alpha Sigma Tau (AST) to transform University Crossing into a Vegas-esque casino. Casino Night for a Cause provided an opportunity for students to try their luck and benefit those less fortunate as well. Casino Night for a Cause is the second installment of a succesful event that occurred last year. Billy Overstreet, ACE member who helped oversee the event for both years, said last year’s experience was so positive, he wanted to repeat the effort. “Initially, they came to us with that idea, just kind of an idea for a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity,” said Overstreet. “We decided to run with it last year and we had so much fun, we decided to keep it going.” For the donation of ten dollars, attendees of the event were alloted a certain amount of chips to use at the various games set up in University Crossing.
Games included three card poker, blackjack, texas hold em’, casino war, and many other activites one would find at a typical Vegas casino. The dealers for the majority of these games were AST sorority sisters who volunteered their efforts for the night. Food and drink were also provided. The sorority sisters who manned each table knew the basics of each game they provided and ran their activity like an actual dealer in Vegas would. “They
“It felt very nice to see so many people turn up for this event.”
covered the tables very well,” said Overstreet. “The tables were pretty packed all night. There were a lot of volunteers that AST provided, so it was pretty awesome.” There was also a raffle at the evening’s end. Around five or six people got the opportunity to win prizes. In the future, Overstreet hopes to incorporate a larger marketing campaign for the event. “I know last year we had months more to market, and this was not as much time,” said Overstreet. “I think definitely more marketing [would be good], but otherwise, this event, I would say, was a huge success.” Overstreet was immensley pleased at the attendence he received. “It’s a Friday night at a college. I think to have this many students be here at the event in the name of charity, in the name of Habitat for Humanity, I think that was so huge,” said Overstreet. “We had a bunch of different organizations, it felt very nice to see so many people turn up for this event.”
Things to do over spring break On- and off-campus ideas Taylor Carito Connector Staff
Spring break is just around the corner, and no one wants their vacation to turn into a “staycation”. If it is too late to plan a week-long trip far away, there are still lots of options relatively close to the area. Due to the warmer weather, many options such as skiing are out of the question, but students still plan to go up north to New Hampshire, Vermont, or even Canada. The weather opens up so many other opportunities such as hiking, bar crawling, walking around Boston, and potentially the beach. In addition, the zoos are also open every day and are a perfect option for a day trip. However, if you are planning on a “staycation,” there’s still a ton of things to do locally as well. The campus will be open the entire week, including the dining halls and the CRC. Although there will not be a lot of on-campus activities, there are plenty of things to do around Lowell. Mill No. 5 will have shops open every day including several movies scheduled at Luna Theater. Other exciting things to do around downtown Lowell include a new coffee shop/bookstore. It is called Hypertext books and café and is described as “A general bookstore with a deep and carefully curated literary and speculative fiction sections. Free WiFi in the cafe as well as Raos coffee.” There are many other cool and unique cafés and restaurants all around downtown for basically any kind of food. An event to consider that is happening Saturday, March 12 in downtown Lowell is the 2016 Jack Kerouac Birthday Celebration. This is a daylong event with things such as tours of Lowell, open mic, and live performances. Although these events won’t necessarily fill the entirety of Spring Break, everything that is going on around Lowell will provide anyone with fun activities to enjoy. Everyone has a different plan for Spring Break. Whether you are going away or staying home, there are plenty of things to do to make the whole week a good time.
Evanthia Tully/Connector
Residence halls and University Dining Commons in Fox Hall will remain open for spring break.
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SPORTS Grumpy greats just don’t get it Kyle Gaudette Connector Editor
There is absolutely nothing more annoying than ignorance. Raise your hand if you have ever been told by a parent, grandparent or just an older relative in generally of how much better things were back in their heyday? If your hand is not up I would be as shocked as I was when I found out Leo DiCaprio won an Oscar for a three-hour long movie where all he did was grunt and walk around. DiCaprio’s “acting” aside, a lot has been made recently about the current NBA – the incredible play of Stephen Curry to be more precise. Curry is the league’s reigning MVP, has led
his Warriors to the best start a team has ever had to a season currently at 54-5 and his Player Efficiency Rating of 32.93 is on pace to shatter Wilt Chamberlain’s single-season record. Curry already broke the single-season three-point record that he set last year in under sixty games this season and has the Warriors positioned to win back-to-back NBA championships. Yet out came all-time greats like Isiah Thomas and Oscar Robertson telling us about how they walked five miles uphill both ways in a snowstorm to get to school every day, and how they loved it because it built character – whatever that means. Okay so maybe they didn’t say that exactly, but they might as well have.
Courtesy of The Canadian Press
Curry has heared what some legends said about him, and he flat out does not care.
Robertson spent an entire segment on a radio show dismissing Curry’s accomplishments, arguing that coaches today are “stupid and don’t know how to coach defense,” while confidently predicting that “he (Curry) would be shut down” in his era. The ignorance is maddening. How can anyone not see the way Curry is revolutionizing the game of basketball? If you could only use one stat to define Curry’s season, it would be his ridiculous 67 percent shooting… FROM BEYOND 28 FEET! And it’s not like that is a two-for-three 67 percent, Curry has over fifty attempts from beyond that range. Robertson was the LeBron James of his generation. He obviously was not the size of LeBron, but he came into the league with an impressive physique and an all-around game to match. Robertson took home a ring over his career and is one of the greatest players to ever step on a basketball court skill-wise. In the 1961-62 season, Robertson ensured his name would be remembered forever by posting a record that will never be broken. That season, Robertson averaged a triple-double, posting 30.8 points per game, 11.4 assists and 12.5 rebounds. In todays NBA, guys are considered in the upper-echelon of talent if they can manage ten or more triple-doubles in a season.
Also don’t forget that the Robertson vs. National Basketball Ass’n lawsuit in 1976 paved the way for players to have more rights when it comes to switching teams. Every time a high-end player cashes in on free agency, they have Robertson to thank. It’s not like Curry is this big, LeBron-esque type guy who just overpowers defenses driving to the lane. He leaves that to his jump shot. The scrawny kid from Davidson, whose nickname for a while in the NBA was “middle schooler” because of his boyish looks, is not physically making the game his like Robertson did. Is the NBA different now than it was when Robertson played? Of course it is. But why does a guy get less credit for changing the game now than a guy like Robertson did forty years ago? Coaches are not to blame for electing to pass on double or even triple teaming Curry a what-is-now-necessary thirty feet from the hoop. Of course Robertson is right when he says coaches don’t know how to defend Curry – because no one has been able to. The game of basketball when you played was beautiful, Oscar. It was arguably more beautiful than the game today, and nobody will ever forget what you were able to accomplish. But what’s the matter Big-0? Is Chef Curry cooking up some jealousy?
River Hawks split day one of Bob Hannah Invitational UMass Lowell Athletics
NEWARK, Del. – The UMass Lowell (3-3) baseball team split the first day of the Bob Hannan Invitational. Sophomore Andrew Ryan (Rochester, Mass.) struck out 10 batters and only allowed one hit in seven innings, in the 3-2 win against Delaware State Hornets (0-10) in game one. The River Hawks fell in game two, 4-2, to the hosts Delaware Blue Hens (5-3). The 10 strikeouts were the most for any River Hawk pitcher in one game in the Division I era, passing Shane Beauchemin’s nine strikeouts in the program’s first contest in DI against Temple on February 28, 2014. Ryan improved to 2-0 on the season and boats a 0.64 ERA. “In game one Andrew Ryan came out and pitched a great game, followed up by Timmy Fallo for the combined one-hitter,” said Head Coach Ken Harring. “We didn’t swing the bats the way we normally do, but it was great to grind out a win like that. Their freshman pitched well, but Passatempo continues to show why we brought him in here with that big hit to get us going, and Andy Savard had a big double to give us some comfort. In game two, we just didn’t make plays in the first inning and it cost us a chance in extra innings, but that what happens with a young team. We’ve got young players and we’re going to have days like this, but you have to tip your cap to Delaware’s starter, he made it hard on us all day and was the difference.” Steve Passatempo (Medford, Mass.) connected on his fourth career home run in the second to give UMass Lowell a 1-0 advantage, which would be all Ryan needed. The River Hawks extended the
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
Sophomore Andrew Ryan set a new UMass Lowell Division I record with his ten strikeouts against Delaware St.
lead to 3-0 in the fifth, following an Andy Savard (Tyngsboro, Mass.) RBI double and a sacrifice fly from Ben Prada (Laurel, Md.). Savard came to the plate with two men on and no outs, and split the gap in right center with a ball that was just over the fielder’s head and one-hopped the wall. Zach Tower came around to score from second, Tyler Noe (Lynnfield, Mass.) advanced to third and scored on Prada’s sac fly. Tim Fallon (Huntingtown, Md.) replaced Ryan to begin the eighth and recorded the save, recording three strikeouts. The shutout was the first Division I non-conference blank sheet for UMass Lowell since a 1-0 win against Cincinnati on Feb. 28, 2014. In the second game, the River Hawks were down 4-0 in the ninth, but Sharpe connected on a two-out
double to score Oscar Marchena (Miami, Fla.) and Joe Consolmagno (Worcester, Mass.). Delaware scored two runs in the first after an error extended in inning, and added single runs in the fourth and seventh behind a home run and sac fly. Steve Xirinachs (San Diego, Calif.) allowed one earned run in just over four innings . Kevin Veilleux (Machester, N.H.) stuck out two in 3 2/3 innings of relief.
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SPORTS Women’s lacrosse earns first program win Alexa Hyde Connector Staff
The UMass Lowell women’s lacrosse team earned its first win in program history with a 12-8 victory over the Siena Saints Wednesday afternoon at Wicked Blue Field. The contest featured five points from freshman midfielder Kristina Keith and a hat trick from freshman midfielder Kelly Moran. Sophomore goalie Courtney Barrett earned 11 saves throughout the match to secure the River Hawk victory. “A very long time coming,” Head
Coach Carissa Medeiros said. “Our girls took the game at the very beginning and we dominated. We played exactly how we talked about at practice.” Siena scored just two minutes into the game, but the River Hawks answered with a goal by the game’s leading scorer, Keith, to tie it up. The River Hawks added another goal just minutes later and kept the lead for the rest of the game. The first half saw eight goals by the River Hawks and ten shots on goal. Siena struggled to contain UMass Lowell’s dynamic offense, which featured
Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics
River Hawk teammates celebrate their historic first Division I program win.
four goals from Keith U P C OM I N G in the half and gave River Hawk Games the River Hawks an 8-3 lead at the break. On the defensive side Friday, Mar. 11 2:15 p.m. SB vs. IPFW of the game, UMass Lowell kept the Saints Friday, Mar. 11 6:45 p.m. SB vs. Detroit to just six shots on goal and only three goals Friday Mar. 11 7 p.m. Hockey vs. B.U. during the first half. 9 p.m. .BB at Santa Clara Friday, Mar. 11 Barrett notched several key saves in the half to Saturday, Mar. 12 1 p.m. WLAX vs. Quinnipiac allow UMass Lowell to keep the lead. The 1 p.m. MLAX vs. Manhattan Saturday, Mar. 12 River Hawks were also dominant against SiFor more sports information and full game schedules visit goriverhawks.com Bradel ena’s free position attempts, blocking two shots in the first half. limit Siena’s movement on the ball UMass Lowell controlled the draw and was once again able to block sevthroughout the first half as well, earneral shots. Siena had 16 shots in the ing possession on nine out of twelve half, but the River Hawks allowed draws to start the game. only five goals in the half. Barrett saw The second half began with Siena another strong half in net, refusing the coming out strong, quickly earning allow Siena to score in the final mintwo early goals in the half. However, utes. UMass Lowell kept momentum up With the win, the River Hawks imoffensively and was able to answer Siprove to 1-3, while the Saints fall to ena within the first few minutes. The 2-1. River Hawks took 11 shots in the periUMass Lowell returns to action at od and scored four goals to maintain Wicked Blue Field on Sunday at 3 their lead. p.m. to face Sacred Heart. The Saints controlled the draw and ground balls in the second half, but UMass Lowell’s defense was able to
River Hawks to host Boston University in Hockey East Quarterfinals UMass Lowell Athletics
LOWELL, Mass. -- The No. 4 seeded UMass Lowell Hockey team (21-8-5 overall) will face No. 5 Boston University (21-10-5 overall) beginning Friday, March 11th in the best-of-three Hockey East
Quarterfinal Round at the Tsongas Center (7:15 pm). Game 2 will be Saturday, March 12th (7pm) and a Game 3 (if necessary) will be played on Sunday, March 13th at 4pm. The first 3,000 fans into the building for the Friday night contest will re-
George DeLuca/Connector
UMass Lowell faces a tough weekend with NCAA tournament looming.
ceive a free souvenir cup. The teams split the Hockey East regular-season series with UMass Lowell winning the most recent meeting by a 6-3 score on February 13th at the Tsongas Center. The Terriers advanced to the quarterfinal round with a 2-0 firstround series sweep of Massachusetts by scores of 2-1 (OT) and 5-4 at Agganis Arena. UMass Lowell and Boston University are meeting in the Hockey East playoffs for the 10th time and for only the second time in the quarterfinals and the first time ever at the Tsongas Center. The Terriers hold a 9-2-0 edge including a two-games-to-one victory in the 2008 quarterfinals played at the Agganis Arena. Boston University has defeated
UMass Lowell twice in the semifinals and three times in the Hockey East Championship Game, including last year's Hockey East Championship Game by a 5-3 score. The River Hawks first Hockey East Tournament Championship came in a 1-0 win against Boston University in 2013. BU has also beaten UMass Lowell twice in the Hockey East Tournament Third Place Game. This will be the River Hawks 28th appearance in the Hockey East Tournament and the 10th time in 27 quarterfinal appearances that UMass Lowell has been the host. The River Hawks have won eight of the previous nine quarterfinal series played in Lowell, which includes the last three
in a row. UMass Lowell has advanced to the Hockey East semifinals 16 times, 15 by winning a quarterfinal series. A year ago UMass Lowell knocked Notre Dame out of the tournament winning the decisive third game, 6-4 at the Tsongas Center. The River Hawks are 28-27-2 in quarterfinal games. UMass Lowell owns a 12-5 record in the Hockey East Tournament the last four years under Head Coach Norm Bazin. The winner of the series will advance to play in the Hockey East semifinals at the TD Garden on Friday, March 18th. Game times are 5 and 8 p.m. from Boston.
River Hawks earn first win of the season with 12-9 victory over Jacksonville ► Continued from front page
Parker (11:35) to make it 8-5. Eric Robbins extended the River Hawks lead to 9-5 with 8:51 left in the third for his first career goal. Parker scored his third goal of the game for the Dolphins to cut UMass Lowell’s lead to 9-6 (8:44). The River Hawks struck back quickly with Lane’s third goal of the day less than a minute later to extend the UMass Lowell lead to 10-6. Parker scored his fourth goal of the day for JU at the 6:35 mark. Balter scored his second of the game at 5:09 and the Jacksonville struck back with 2:50 left on a goal by Cody Ford. Robbins added his second of the day for the River Hawks with just 20 seconds left. Parker capped the scoring for his fifth
of the game. UML’s Klingsporn and JU’s Parker each notched a game-high nine shots. UMass Lowell outshot Jacksonville, 46-30 for the game, including a 18-2 advantage in the third quarter. Freshman goalkeeper Grant Lardieri (Ada, Mich.) made nine saves for the River Hawks in his first career victory, while Jacksonville’s Ben Gleichenhaus stopped 14 shots in the losing effort. The River Hawks return to action on Saturday, March 12th hosting Manhattan College. Game time from Cushing Field Complex is 1 p.m.