Connector 4/7

Men’s Lacrosse coverage ► Page 7 goriverhawks.com

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

April 7, 2015

State Representative speaks with WUML

In This Issue

Rady Mom is the first CambodianAmerican to be elected as State Representative for Massachusetts

Campus Police Log â–ş Page 3

Dr. Paul Watanabe Professor speaks about Asian-Americans in culture and history

Nick Crowley Connector Staff

â–ş Page 3 Hawkapella Review â–ş Page 6

Final River Hawk Scores Team

Score

Baseball vs. URI

L 1-8

L 10-18

M. Lacrosse vs. Binghamton W. Lacrosse vs. Albany Softball vs. UMBC

Overall Record

5-13 1-7

L 1-21

0-12

L 2-10

10-17

Walking into the WUML studio Friday with a warm smile on his face and box of donuts from Lowell’s own Donut Shack in his hands, State Representative Rady Mom made it clear that he is a big supporter of locality and community involvement.

The recently elected state representative from Lowell, who is the first Cambodi-

an-American to serve in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, came to the WUML studio this Friday to talk not only about his future plans for Lowell, but also what he has already accomplished in office and his motivation behind his decisions.

Coming from Cambodia as a refugee in the early 1980’s, Mom said that moving was

Photo courtesy of www.radymom.com

â–şSee State Rep., Page 3

Latin culture on display All Time Low returns to Tsongas Center for “Future Hearts Tour�

Low will be sharing the stage Jen Desrosiers with Australian pop-punk band with Rumba Latina Connector Editor

Shane Foley Connector Editor

Rumba Latina has traditionally been recognized as LASA’s signature event. It is also an event that has been growing in notoriety. A celebration of Latin culture, the organization has continuously made efforts to make each Rumba Latina better than the previous one, and this year’s might be the biggest one ever.

Jose Molina, vice president of LASA, detailed some of the many new and exciting activities that attendees will be able to partake in. “There’s going to be a band performing, there’s going to be spoken word, there’s going to be a dance performance, there’s going to be free food, Latin food, there’s going to be some chances to win prizes, and there’s going to be some chances to dance and learn about different Latin countries,â€? said Molina. â–şSee Rumba Latina, Page 4

Sections Opinion......................... 2 Calendar....................... 5 News............................. 3 A&E.............................. 6 Campus Life.................. 4 Sports........................... 8

This year has been a busy one for American pop-punk band All Time Low between the release of their newest single, “Something’s Gotta Give�, and the announcement of their sixth studio album, Feature Hearts (set to be released on Tuesday April 7th through Hopeless Records). In honor of the release of the new album, All Time Low will be hitting the road this April and May for their massive headliner “Future Hearts Tour� sponsored by Rockstar Energy.

For the duration of the two month long tour, which kicks off on April 15th at UMass Lowell’s Tsongas Center and concludes in the band’s hometown of Baltimore, All Time

Tonight Alive, the Albany based pop-punk band State Champs and Atlanta “metalcoreâ€? band, ISSUES. About the bands: Hailing from Baltimore Maryland and formed in 2003, All Time Low is consisted of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alex Gaskarth, bassist and backing vocalist Zack Merrick, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Jack Barakat, and drummer Rian Dawson. Since their start as a high school band, All Time Low gained popularity within the pop-punk scene with the release of their second studio album ,“So Wrong It’s Rightâ€? in 2007 and have continued to gain fans over the years. â–şSee All Time Low, Page 6

River Hawks open league play with losses against UMBC UMass Lowell Athletics LOWELL, Mass. – Freshman Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.) went 3-for-5 (.600) on the day to pace the UMass Lowell softball team (10-16) in a pair of losses against America East opponent UMBC (15-12) on Friday afternoon. “I thought that UMBC had the momentum from the first inning of the doubleheader to the last,� said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. “It just wasn’t something that we were able to get back. UMBC hit well today, and although we were able to get runners on, we didn’t capitalize. It was great to see Vanessa (Cooper) be able to put everything together today. She’s just a

freshman, so she’s going to continue to grow, but that’s the type of energy and attitude she has all the time.�

Senior Ariana Darcy (Kingston, N.Y.) added to the offense with three hits (.429) and two runs, and sophomore Tori Alcorn (Lowell, Mass.) went 2-for-5 with one run. Junior Marielle Handley (Durham, Conn.) and sophomore Lauren Ramirez (Dracut, Mass.) split time in the circle in game one, while sophomore Erica Armenti (Shrewsbury, Mass.) turned in a complete-game effort in game two.

UMBC took an early, 1-0 advantage in game one on a two-out solo home run by Taylor Hall in the top of the first. In the River Hawks first chance of the day, Alcorn got on with a bunt

single, but was stranded there.

A diving grab by Cooper helped hold the Retrievers scoreless in the second.

The River Hawks’ defense continued to impress, as Darcy made a leaping grab off the fence in the third, although the lead runner for the visitors was able to tag up and score on the play to extend their lead. Later in the inning, Kaelin Jackson sent a RBI single up the middle to make the score, 3-0.

UMass Lowell threatened in the bottom of the third when junior Brianna Martin (Metheun, Mass.) reached second on an error and advanced to third on a groundout, but UMBC was able to extinguish the opportunity. â–şSee Softball, Page 7

April 7, 2015

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

Page 2

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS Twitter: @UML_Connector

Amanda Robinson is the Real Deal Phil Geoffroy

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!

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

Student Trustee

For the last three years, I have had the honor of serving as UMass Lowell’s Student Trustee. In those years, I have watched Amanda Robinson develop into our University’s most prominent student leader, and someone who is ideally suited to serve in the critically important role of Student Trustee.

To say that Amanda Robinson loves representing students would be imprecise; she lives and breathes it. For the last three years, she has stood on the front lines and defended the interests of students when we’ve needed her most.

Whether she’s been at the State House fighting to

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it to its most productive year in recent memory.

Her success as President is reflective of her professionalism, resourcefulness, and strong work ethic, all of which will serve her well as a Student Trustee.

Through her endeavors, she has earned the respect of high level administrators and student leaders alike. She is a compelling speaker, a natural leader, and a proven advocate who will not waver when the interest of students on the line. She is the real deal.

On April 14-15, I will cast my vote with tremendous confidence for Amanda Robinson for Student Trustee.

Fears for the 2016 election

UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR

EDITORIAL BOARD

freeze student fees, or on campus arguing against unjust polices, she has had our backs, and has selflessly given up her time to serve the student body at UMass Lowell.

Amanda is the only candidate in this race with a record of involvement in the issues that a Student Trustee should care about.

She has been a relentless advocate for adequate state funding to avoid fee increases, and was my closest ally in the legislative fight to get more student votes on the Board of Trustees.

As the President of the Student Government, Amanda took the organization to new heights. She increased its membership several times over and led

Dave Rudderham Connector Editor

Senator Ted Cruz is the first person to officially announce his bid for the presidency of the United States for 2016. Hillary Clinton and a long list of other politicians, both democrat and republican, have been rumored in media to be planning a run for the highest office as well.

The mid-term elections saw a small turnout, especially amongst younger voters, and although the presidential election will absolutely have a larger turnout, the younger demographic is still likely to struggle to make it to the polls in 2016.

There are many reasons for this. Cynicism is one of them and the media could be the other reason. The media has been speculating on who is running for president for over a year now, and the election isn’t until November 8, 2016. Anyone who reads or watches the news has or will be experiencing election fatigue.

But small voter turnout amongst my age group is not the only thing I fear for this election. Ultimately, the politicians who are running will define the conversation and will try to focus on the issues that will make their campaign stronger.

A very big subject of debate will be foreign policy. News coverage of the middle east, the Ukrainian crisis, and terrorism has forced American politicians to address the issue of foreign policy. And recently politicians have also been forced to deal with immigration law and domestic law issues such as what happened in Indiana with their religious freedom law.

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However, I have always felt the most important subject of debate is economics.

Currently the economy seems to be doing well. The DOW Jones Industrial average and the Nasdaq have been performing exceptionally and the unemployment rate has fallen under six percent.

So why worry about the economy? Well first of all the wealth distribution problem hasn’t gone away. The good news is if Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders decides to run, they could bring up fixing this issue and force Hillary Clinton to address the issue head on as well.

But a big reason to worry about the economy is that it is doing well. I know that that sounds weird, but an economy will perform well when the people are caring about it. Putting the subject on the back burner will destine the U.S. to another catastrophe similar to what happened in the housing crisis back in 2008.

I guess a good metaphor for economics is don’t wait to get sick before you go to the doctor. Also this issue is particularly important to us, as college students. We’re going to be entering into a competitive job market and we’re going to have a dog in this fight. We should be staying proactive with the economy so that political policies are carried out in our favor.

Is this recent economic boom just another bubble waiting to burst? It doesn’t have to be. Just make sure the politicians don’t ignore it.

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UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

April 7, 2015

Page 3

NEWS Professor on Asian-Americans in history and culture Lindy Reed

Lindy Reed/Connector Staff

Connector Staff

“In 1853, in California, there was a guy named George Hall and two other white men who were tried for murdering a Chinese person,” begins Dr. Paul Watanabe in his talk Asian-Americans and the Changing Face of America: Demographics, Race, and Politics. This talk explored themes of race and its relationship to politics, and Dr. Watanabe continuously enforced his idea that Asian-Americans remain “invisible” to society, especially when it comes to the ballot box.

Dr. Watanabe continued to summarize the People v. Hall case, in which the convicted criminal Hall appealed the court’s decision to hang him on the grounds that Chinese people fell under the 1949 California restriction. “The restriction stated that no black or mulatto person or Indian shall be allowed to give evidence for or against a white man,” Dr. Watanabe said.

“In 1854 the California Supreme Court reversed George Hall’s conviction. They set him free,” he said. “If you were not white, you were considered black, mulatto, or Indian. Dr. Watanabe explains that the reasoning behind Chief Justice Murray’s decision was that he didn’t want Chinese people to think they could hold legal power- Murray was afraid that Chinese people would think they could access equal citizenship rights, such as the right to vote, or sit on juries, or even hold office.

Another example of racism Dr. Watanabe provides is the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, in which female figure skaters Michella Kwan and Tara Lipinski, both Americans, were announced

Dr. Paul Watanabe speaks to a crowd of students

as opponents from different countries by NBC in a television runner that read “American Beats Kwan.”

“The conception was that [Michelle Kwan] was not an American, Michelle Kwan was an outsider,” Dr. Watanabe said.

He also talked about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, in which President Arthur authorized the prohibition of the immigration of Chinese laborers.

This is ironic, Dr. Watanabe claims, since Chinese railroad workers constituted a significant bulk of men who helped build the First Transcontinental

State Rep. Rady Mom

Railroad.

“The Chinese provided 80 percent of the people that built the railroad,” Dr. Watanabe said. His message of American racism towards Asian-Americans relates closely with the struggles of African-American prejudice and discrimination.

The event was in collaboration with the Voting Rights Act series, coordinated by Sue Kim, the co-director of the UMass Lowell Center for Asian-American Studies. Kim helped organize the ongoing event series commemorating the 40 years since the wars in Southeast Asia and celebrating the resilience and successes of Southeast Asian Americans.

“As this year is also the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, we invited Dr. Watanabe to talk about issues of civil rights and responsibilities particular to Asian Americans,” Kim said.

Other events in her series included the film screening of “Bombies: The Secret War” and the play “The Kingdom of Kambuja,” as well as upcoming events such as the film screenings of “Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock & Roll” and “Can.” “Asian-American history needs to be understood more fully and complexly by the population at large, including Asian-Americans. There’s a lot of important information that’s not in the history books. Two good places to start are Ronald Takaki’s Strangers from a Different Shore, which Dr. Watanabe mentioned in his talk, and Sucheng Chan’s Asian-American: An Interpretive History,” Kim said.

Campus Police Log

►Continued from front page

his biggest opportunity for a better life, quoting his father: “‘If I didn’t have any of my children, I would [have] rather bur[ied] my bones in Cambodia. But because I wanted to have my children have a brighter future than I will ever have, that’s why I decided to run away [and come to] America.’”

Since moving to Lowell, Mom has been involved with the community for over 25 years. He said that being given more opportunity in America has been the driving force behind his involvement, wanting to share this opportunity with others.

Recently being elected into the House of Representatives, Mom described the opportunities he’s been given as humbling and giving him more motivation to make a difference in the Lowell community.

“235 years of American history and democracy, and here is an immigrant who didn’t speak a word of English, and now I am sitting inside the House [of Representatives],” said Mom. “I am now a part of history.”

In the three months since Mom was elected to the House of Representatives, he has co-sponsored close to 40 bills and sponsored two of his own, one of which includes punishment for those using firearms with intent to shoot at a dwelling of any kind.

“I am fearful of letting my own children out of my home, in America, and there’s something wrong with that,” said Mom about the recent violence in Lowell. “Our homes have to be safe, our businesses have to be safe, and our children have to be safe so that we can live productive lives.”

Besides efforts to curb violence in Lowell, Mom has a strong stance on education reform and agrees that something should be done about the current high school, whether that entails renovating the current high school or relocating and building a new one. About the importance of changing the school, Mom said, “We have to invest in the future in order to move forward.”

Between education and decreasing local violence, the representative-elect made it clear that community involvement from everybody is vital to the growth of a community. When talking about facing the negative aspects of the Lowell community and what can be done about them as a whole, Mom said “We, as the masses, have the ability to overshadow that.”

For Date: 03/28/2015 - Saturday Suspicious Activity - Report Taken Location: RIVERVIEW SUITES Narrative: CP stated a Motor Vehicle followed them until they got on the shuttle, yelling threatening comments out the window and honking the horn.

CP stated they just left a party where there was an argument and they believe it could be related. Motor Vehicle left after they got on the shuttle bus. CP is waiting by the Bridge walk entrance for an officer.

For Date: 03/30/2015 - Monday Fire, Structure - Report Taken Location: ICC Narrative: Fire alarm. LFD is already enroute. Units checking the 9th FL middle elevator for the issue. All units clear at 18:01. Transporting 1 male party from ICC to UMLPD for witness statement.

Disturbance - Report Taken 1 Location: RIVERVIEW SUITES Narrative: RA on duty reports dispute between suite mates. One suite mate made a threat and left the building. RA standing by with the other party. Both parties have been separated.

For Date: 04/02/2015 - Thursday Malicious Destruction - Report Taken Location/Address: ICC 5TH FLOOR Narrative: RA reported that a resident stated his laptop was damaged by another party. Transporting 1 male back to the crossing for voluntary questioning. Transporting male back to the ICC.

Page 4

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

April 7, 2015

CAMPUS LIFE

Rumba Latina celebrates Latin culture ► Continued from front page

As a returning member, Molina can attest to how this year’s Rumba Latina will compare to last year’s. “Last year was something new for Rumba Latina,” said Molina. “It was bigger and better, but there wasn’t as much food, there wasn’t as much attendance, it wasn’t as ‘official’. I don’t think we’ve ever performed.”

In the continuous effort to improve Rumba Latina, LASA has also branched out to more organizations than ever before. Other Spanish organizations have lent their assistance to LASA, including ALPHA, SHIP, and the Spanish Club.

SOCA has helped LASA with the program as well, and even Greek Life has backed this effort, with Kappa Delta Phi NAS KY chapter aiding LASA too.

“I don’t think we’ve ever collaborated, which helped us a lot because we could combine budgets,” said Molina.

In preparation for this event, LASA has also been engaged in a more elaborate marketing campaign. Other than being vice president, Molina also heads LASA’s marketing committee along with Lindsay Barrios, who as a pair used Snapchat as a method to get additional advertisement for Rumba Latina.

“We tried different promotional things, so hopefully there will be more people there,” said Molina. “LASA created a Snapchat this year, and hopefully people see it and be like, ‘Oh, I know Jose, I’ll go to this program.’”

One mainstay that will continue to be featured in Rumba Latina is the food.

LASA will provide many Latin related delicacies, including chicken, a homemade Dominican juice, an array of different rices, cultural soda, and even pizza.

While being a Latin related event, the members of LASA highly encourage people of non-Latin decent to attend. Molina

claims that Rumba Latina is one of the best ways to learn about the culture.

“It’s an opportunity for (non-Latinos) to learn about the culture, but in a more interactive and fun way that leads to more interaction that isn’t pushed on them,” said Molina. “They’re not trying to pass a class, they will want to learn, like I want to learn to dance Bachata or I want to eat this food.”

The event will be held in University Suites, on the first floor in room 106, on Friday, April 10 from 7 to 10 p.m.

New report shows alternative textbook model could save students a billion dollars Alan Zohdi MassPIRG

Lowell (April 2, 2015) – Alan Zohdi, of the MASSPIRG chapter at University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Campus, will release a new report documenting the problem of high textbook prices and analyzing current market alternatives as a means to reduce costs for students.

The report compares data from currently enacted pilot programs exploring the use of open textbooks - an online, open-licensed alternative to the traditional textbook – and extrapolates to determine potential cost-savings of wider open textbook adoption.

Speakers from UMass Lowell will discuss the use of open educational resources already being used on campus and plans to expand the use of open textbooks in the coming years.

WHERE: University of Massachusetts Lowell University Crossing, Room 490 220 Pawtucket Street, Lowell, MA GREAT VISUALS: Bring your cameras.

WHO: MASSPIRG Representative, Alan Zohdi Professor Kenneth Levasseur, Mathematics Department Margaret Manion, Director of Libraries Jesse Kruszka, Student Government WHEN: Wednesday, April 8th, 2015 Press conference at 10:00 AM

MASSPIRG Students is an independent statewide student organization that works on issues like environmental protection, consumer protection, and hunger and homelessness. For nearly 40 years students working with their campus PIRG chapters have been making a real difference in people’s lives and winning concrete changes to build a better world.

Dive into summer courses Undergraduate or Graduate – Online or On Campus • • • •

Accelerate your path to graduation Explore an interesting subject Focus on courses for your career path All of the above

umassd.edu/extension For a list of courses, and to register umassd.edu/extension 508.999.9202 | extension@umassd.edu Session Dates Maymester: May 26–June 12 Session I : June 16–July 15 Session II: June 22–August 6 Session III: July 21–August 19

April 7, 2015

ng happeni What’s us on camp th?! this mon

SUNDAY

5

Page 5

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

MONDAY

6

CAMPUS CALENDAR

APRIL

TUESDAY

7

WEDNESDAY

8

THURSDAY

9 Women’s Speaker Series with Janet Dellea 4:00p.m.

Pasteur Hall 301

Softball vs. BU 4:00p.m.-6:00p.m.

South Campus Riverview Field

FRIDAY

10

SATURDAY

11

LASA: Rumba Latina 5:30p.m.-11:00p.m.

USuites 106

UMass Lowell Gospel Choir Spring Concert 4:00p.m.-6:00p.m.

ICC

Professional Co-Op Information Session Business, Science, Engineering majors 5:00p.m.-6:00p.m.

Kitson Hall 309

12

19

13

14

15

16

17

18

“Taking Down Rape Culture on Campus” with Laci Green 6:00p.m.-7:30p.m.

University Crossing Moloney Hall

SGA Rock the Vote 8:00p.m.-10:00p.m.

University Crossing Club Hub

Spring Invisible Identity Series 5:00p.m.-6:30p.m.

University Crossing Room 155

Theatre Arts Program Performance, Lady WIndermere’s Fan 7:30p.m.-10:00p.m.

Mahoney Hall Comley Lane Theater

CAPA movie showing: Guardians of the Galaxy 7:00p.m.-9:15p.m.

University Crossing Moloney Hall

Hawkapella 5th Annual Concert 7:00p.m.-9:00p.m.

University Crossing Moloney Hall

20

21

22

23

24

Baseball vs. Brown 7:00p.m.-10:00p.m.

East Campus LeLacheur Park

The Hunting Ground: Movie and Discussion 7:00p.m.-10:00p.m.

University Crossing Moloney Hall

GRE Prep Workshop 7:00p.m.-10:00p.m.

Olsen Hall 406 Registration info contact Suzanne_ Gamache@uml.edu

ASAO: Culture Shock 6:00p.m.-11:00p.m.

University Crossing Moloney Hall

For more information, please visit www.uml.edu/calendar

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Page 6

April 7, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

All Time Low set to play at Tsongas on 4/15/15 ► Continued from front page

Their success has earned them numerous awards such as Kerrang! Magazine’s “Best Live Band” and “Best Intenational Band” in 2013.

Five-piece pop-punk band Tonight Alive traces their roots back to Sydney Australia where they were formed in 2008. Made up of lead vocalist Jenna McDougall, lead guitarist Whakaio Taahi , rhythm guitarist Jake Hardy, bassist Cam Adler and drummer Matt Best, Tonight Alive has been signed with Fearless

records since 201, after the release of their debut album “What Are You So Scared Of ?”. Their most recent success includes being listed as one of the top 10 Australian bands in 2010 and their song “The Edge” being featured on the soundtrack of the Hollywood blockbuster, The Amazing-Spiderman 2.

ISSUES is a “metalcore” band from Atlanta Georgia that was founded in the summer of 2012 by former Woe, Is Me members Tyler Carter, Michael Bohn, Corry Ferris

and Ben Ferris (both of the Ferris brothers later parted ways with the band). Their first EP, Black Diamond was released on November 13th, 2012 and soon afterwards, the band was signed onto Rise Records. Two years later in 2014, their debut self-titled album “ISSUES” was released on February 18th 2014 where it earned the No. 9 spot on the Billboard 200. Since then, ISSUES has gone on to play on the Vans Warped Tour and has toured with numerous other bands such as

Attila, Bring Me the Horizon, Of Mice & Men, Letlive and Beartooth.

Formed in 2010 by original members Tyler Szalkowski (lead guitarist) and Derek Discanio (lead vocalist), State Champs is a pop-punk band from Albany NY. In 2012, they were signed to Pure Noise Records and their debut EP “Overslept” was released on September 11th, 2012. More recently, State Champs released their first studio album, “The Finer Things” on October 8th, 2013

through Pure Noise Records and last month, the band announced that they have completed their second album although the exact tracklist and song titles are not definite.

Tickets for the “Future Hearts Tour” can be purchased for $29.50 through the Tsongas Center’s website and box office. The show starts at 6 p.m.

‘Bloodborne’ Review Brendan Jacques Connector Staff

“Bloodborne”, the newest creation by the mad geniuses at From Software, is the rare breed of game that demands your full attention at all times. At no point did I ever feel safe, with every corner of the desolate city of Yharnam potentially being home to new monstrosities and traps, each one capable of killing my character with only a moment’s notice. Quietly beautiful yet unendingly cruel, it’s a game that demands to be treated with respect, and is more than willing to bring down its wrath on anyone who does otherwise. But thanks to a smart combat system, an absolutely breath-taking world, and an almost undying sense of mystery and dread, it’s an experience that gives just as much as it demands, and is all the greater for it.

Of course, if you’re a fan of From’s previous work on the infamous “Dark Souls” series, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as much of the gameplay from those titles carries over into this one. For those who aren’t familiar, “Bloodborne” is a fantasy role-playing game that tasks the player in exploring the cursed city of Yharnam, which will involve fighting enemies, killing bosses, and reaping as many blood echoes as possible from them in order to progress. Blood echoes function as both experience points for leveling up your character and currency for buying equipment at vendors, making the collection of them rather important.

The catch is that if you end up falling to one of the monstrous creatures lurking in your vicinity, you drop every last echo you have collected, putting them at risk of disappearing forever if you can’t pick them up again before your next death. This dynamic gives every encounter an intense feeling of dread, as you’re forced to weigh the risks of moving forward to explore the next area with running away and spending your echoes while you have the chance, with the fore knowledge that all the enemies you just fought will respawn as soon as you return.

Adding to that dynamic even further is a combat system that succeeds in being as empowering as it is constraining.

Every dodge, parry, attack, and block

in the game drains energy from your slowly recharging stamina meter, requiring you to carefully consider every extra movement you make for fear of being caught with your guard down.

This leads to a much slower and methodical combat system than you would normally expect from a game like this, as it’s just as important to exploit the movements and openings of your enemies as it is to actually defeat them.

Running counter to this idea is the new health re-gain system, which allows the player to take back health lost in battle by damaging enemies immediately after taking damage, at the risk of taking even more damage in the process.

These clashing gameplay concepts create a constant tug-of-war between pushing the offensive to seek retribution for damage done, and backing off in order to heal and strategize, adding a level of ferocity to the combat that even the previous “Souls” games don’t quite match. That’s not to say that the combat in “Bloodborne” is better than in those games, just that it felt different enough to keep me on my toes while still carrying the same amount of depth, which is exactly what it accomplishes.

What I loved about this game beyond just the combat system was just how multi-layered and rich the city of Yharnam feels no matter where you are in it. Every area of the map feels alive, with crazed Hunters prowling the night for monsters, witches cackle incessantly behind think veils of fog, and creatures beyond understanding hiding just out of sight at all times. This is further bolstered by incredible level design that twists environments in a way that makes it consistently rewarding, from a story and a gameplay standpoint, to wander off of the beaten path. I lost count of the number of times I just got lost going down every alleyway or secret path I could find in the hopes of finding secrets, whether they be fantastic new treasures or completely new areas I otherwise never would’ve found.

While initially daunting in its complexity, “Bloodborne” succeeds in making its world feel like a sprawling video game dungeon and an environment that’s been thoroughly lived in at the same time, which I am incredibly impressed

by.

When it comes to the graphics and sound for this game, From Software absolutely hit it out of the park. The city of Yharnam looks consistently gorgeous and dreary, with each environment oozing with more artistic flourish than most entire games. Character models and enemy designs burst with detail and originality, with special mention going to the boss fights for consistently being some of the most horrifying demons I’ve seen outside of a traditional horror game. Same goes for the sweeping orchestral score that punctuates every moment of victory and defeat, as well as the top-notch sound design that exists throughout. The only considerable downside I found technically is with the load times, which can last up to thirty or forty seconds at a time, which can get annoying since it occurs every time you die or teleport to a different area. Thankfully, in the time I played with the game, I never ran into anything game-breaking and, as of this review, there is a patch in development that should improve the load times considerably, though to what

extent is still unknown.

“Bloodborne”, like the “Souls” games that precede it, is not a game for the casual player or the faint of heart. The challenges that you’ll face in your time with this game are among the hardest you’ll find this generation, even passing the original “Dark Souls” in multiple ways. But what makes the game truly great is that, no matter how impossible an encounter or boss may seem, every challenge is surmountable, and the feeling of satisfaction you get for overcoming the game’s toughest moments is unmatched in gaming. Breathtaking in its scope, brilliant in its execution, and devious to its very core, “Bloodborne” is the first truly great current gen game and comes highly recommended to anyone strong enough to take it. If you can help it, this is not a game you want to miss. At the time of this review, “Bloodborne” is available exclusively on PS4 for $60.

April 7, 2015

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

Page 7

SPORTS

River Hawks Men’s Lacrosse bested by Binghamton, 14-6, at Cushing Field Complex UMass Lowell Athletics

LOWELL, Mass. – The River Hawks fell to the Binghamton University Bearcats in America East action, 14-6, on Saturday afternoon at the Cushing Field Complex.

“Possessions were hard to come by, they’ve been a challenging force off the faceoff this year,” said Head Coach Ed Stephenson. “It’s tough for offense to get going when you don’t have the ball that much, but I thought the guys really fought hard and played 60 minutes. The second quarter really stung us, we gave up some easy goals,

but I thought we played strong in the fourth quarter.”

UMass Lowell kept it a close game in the first quarter, with freshman midfielder Zack Schwartz (Huntington, N.Y.) scoring an answering goal shortly after Binghamton went up 1-0 in the opening minutes. The Bearcats led the River Hawks 3-1 heading into the second quarter, before going on a 6-1 scoring run that would have Binghamton leading 9-2 at the half.

Sophomore midfielder Sam Klingsporn (Aloha, Ore.) notched the lone goal for UMass Lowell in the second quarter.

The River Hawks made a stronger defensive showing in the second half, and allowed just five goals in the final 30 minutes. The River Hawks had goals from freshman attacker Jon Phillips (Delta, B.C.) and sophomore attacker Nicholas Pino (North Andover, Mass.), as well as another goal from each Schwartz and Klingsporn in the second half.

Schwartz (2g,1a), Phillips (1g,1a) and Klingsporn (2g) finished the game with multiple points for the River Hawks. Some of the top performers for Binghamton included J.T. Hauck (3g,3a),Paul O’Donnell(4g) and Sean

Gilroy (1g,3a).

Binghamton led UMass Lowell in shots (38-29) and ground balls (3826) in the game. The Bearcats also claimed 18 of 21 faceoffs in the contest.

Sophomore goalkeeper Giles Ober (Southborough, Mass.) led the River Hawks with 8 saves. Tanner Cosens also made 8 saves in net for the Bearcats.

The River Hawks will be back in action on Friday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. as they host Stony Brook University at Cushing Field.

River Hawks Open League Play with Losses against UMBC UMass Lowell Athletics

The Retrievers added three runs on three hits in the fourth before reliever Lauren Ramierez came on to close out the inning.

The River Hawks got on the board in the home half of the fourth. Darcy started things off with a one-out single up the middle before stealing second, advancing on an errant throw, and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Cooper to make the score 6-1.

In the top of the fifth, UMBC took an 8-1 edge with a two-run single by Carly

Lesko. The visitors then scored once in the sixth, but after junior Alyssa Zinkiewicz (Massapequa, N.Y.) and Darcy logged hits in their next trip to the dish, the River Hawks were able to plate two runs on a UMBC miscue and a RBI single by sophomore Alisha Welch (Langley, British Columbia).

However, the Retrievers posted two final runs in the seventh en route to the 13-3 decision.

Game two started with a leadoff homerun by Tori Alexander for UMBC. Similarly to game one, UMass Lowell’s

defense came alive in the second when senior Abby Jamieson (Billerica, Mass.) picked off UMBC’s Emily Neal after she took a wide turn around first. In the same at-bat, Alcorn showed range to her right and threw to Cooper, who recorded the putout with a full stretch off the bag at first. Cooper carried the momentum into the bottom of the inning, driving a two-bagger to right field.

Armenti and her defense retired the UMBC side in order in the third, but the Retrievers did pull away, 5-0, in the fourth thanks to an error and a three-

run home run by Alexander. In the River Hawks’ next at-bat, Davies kept the inning alive with a two-out double and Cooper followed with a bloop single, although neither runner would go on to score.

Alcorn and Darcy strung together back-to-back singles in sixth, allowing Cooper to send a RBI single through the right side, but it was not enough to overcome the 5-1 outcome.

The River Hawks and Retrievers will square off in the series finale tomorrow, April 4, beginning at 12 p.m.

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Page 8

April 7, 2015

SPORTS

River Hawks drop 10-2 decision in series finale against UMBC UMass Lowell Athletics

The UMass Lowell softball team (10-17, 0-3) closed its first America East Conference series of the year with a 10-2 loss against UMBC (1612, 6-0) on Saturday afternoon.

“We came out better than we did yesterday,” said Head Coach Danielle Henderson. “There was just one inning that got out of control, but I thought the girls showed a lot of heart and were in it right until the end. We were getting people on and putting balls in play. That’s the stuff that matters and the things that will help us be a good ball team.”

Senior Ally Greene (Tewksbury, Mass.) and freshman Vanessa Cooper (Pleasant Gap, Pa.) led the River Hawks with one hit and one RBI apiece. Greene and classmate Abby Jamieson (Billerica, Mass.) each scored a run in the outing. Senior Courtney Lanfranchi (Massapequa, N.Y.) got the start in the circle, throwing 3.2 innings with three strikeouts.

Sophomore Erica Armenti (Shrews-

bury, Mass.) came on in relief to finish the last 1.1 innings.

Lanfranchi and the River Hawk defense made quick work of UMBC in top of the first before taking advantage of their first trip to the plate.

Greene started off the day for the home squad with a bunt single. She then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a RBI single

“There was just one inning that got out of control, but I thought the girls showed a lot of heart and were in it right until the end.” to short center field by Cooper to give UMass Lowell a 1-0 lead.

The margin was short-lived, though, as UMBC’s Kelly Lane doubled down the right field line and scored on a

U P C OM I N G

River Hawk Games

wild pitch, knotting the 4 pm Softball vs. BU score at 1-1 in the sec- Tuesday, Apr 7 ond.

3 pm Baseball vs Brown Sophomore Alisha Wednesday, Apr 8 Welch (Langley, Brit4 pm Softball vs BC ish Columbia) extended Thursday, Apr. 9 UMass Lowell’s at-bat 6:30 pm Men’s Lax vs SBrook in the bottom of the in- Friday, Apr. 10 ning with a two-out line Saturday, Apr. 11 12 pm Baseball vs Maine drive through the left side, but she was left on Saturday, Apr. 11 1&3 pm Softball vs Maine(DH) base.

The Retrievers pulled For more sports information and full game schedules visit goriverhawks.com ahead, 3-1, in the third thanks to a pair of hits drew a walk before Greene put a ball and an error. They would then use six in play that scored the lead runner. hits, including two-baggers by Kaelin The team was unable to come any Jackson and Bridget O’Malley, to closer, however, as the Retrievers held rally for six more runs in the fourth, on to secure the 10-2, mercy-rule demaking the score 9-1. cision.

Junior Emilia Davies (Parker, Colo.)

The River Hawks will return to acsent a leadoff single up the middle in tion on Tuesday, April 7 when they the bottom of the fourth, but UMBC welcome Boston University to River turned a double play to end the op- View Field for a 4 p.m. tilt. portunity and followed with a RBI walk in the fifth. In the River Hawks’ final chance on offense, Jamieson singled through the right side and Welch

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