Connector 9/16

“Destiny� game review ◄ Does it live up to the hype?

â–şPage 4

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

September 16, 2014

Controversy sparks on campus

In This Issue

Smokers disregard new tobacco policy, non-smokers voice their opinion

Harvest Festival Celebrating the end of harvest

â–şPage 8

NFL drug policy change

â–şPage 10

David Rudderham Connector Editor

NBA Preseason Preview

A campus-wide ban on smoking at UMass Lowell has officially started, effectively making the campus tobacco free. The ban has sparked confusion among many students, both for and against the ban.

Students have brought up a wide range of issues in response to the ban, namely enforcement. Although some change has been noticed amongst the smoking community, users of tobacco have been spotted ignoring the ban entirely.

Students arguing against the ban have supported the use of designated smoking areas. “They should have kept the ashtrays around,� said Timothy Pflanz, a 22-year-old UML student getting his master’s degree.

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Final River Hawk Scores Team

Score

Overall Record

M. Soccer vs. Northeastern

L 1-2

2-4

Field Hockey vs. UMASS

L 1-3

2-4

W. Soccer vs. LaFayette

L 0-1 2-5

Volleyball vs. Brown

L 0-3

1-10

River Hawks drop 3-1 decision in Kennedy Cup against UMass

Sam Linstead-Atkinson/Connector

Student in front of Fox Hall violates smoking policy.

UMass Lowell Athletics LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell field hockey team (2-4) dropped a 3-1 decision on Sunday afternoon, as the visiting University of Massachusetts (2-4) reclaimed the Kennedy Cup with the victory at Wicked Blue Field in Lowell. “I thought today’s game was really competitive,� said Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk. “We competed hard for 70 minutes and had some chances, so overall, I’m happy with the performance from the team. There were a couple opportunities that could have swayed the game a little bit, but I think that’s just a sign of a young team.

I know we’ll get there, we just have to be patient.

We’ll continue to work on the little things that are getting better with every game tomorrow in practice and hopefully be better on Tuesday.�

The Kennedy Cup, sponsored by a friend of both the UMass Lowell and UMass Amherst programs, John Kennedy, is awarded annually to the winner of the contest between the two squads. â–şSee Field Hockey, Page 10

Sections Op/Ed..................... 2 News...................... 3 A&E........................ 4

Campus Life............ 8 Calendar................. 9 Sports ...................10

Deputy chief speaks out on lower crime rates Al Gentile Connector Editor

Deputy Chief Ron Dickerson, head of the UMass Lowell Police Department, released to The Connector the crime analysis report for the year 2013, which shows all reported cases of crime against students.

Looking over the results compared to last year across the categories of motor vehicle theft, burglary, aggravated assault, robbery and sex offenses, there has been a 33 percent decrease in the number of reported occurrences from 2012.

Dickerson attributes this decrease to many factors.

“It’s never one thing that affects crime rates,� he said.

According to Dickerson, there have been many improvements in the past year with regards to security technology, staffing and initiatives, both unilaterally and in conjunction with the Lowell Municipal Police Department.

At a base level, Chancellor Marty Meehan has allocated increased funding for the staffing of the UMLPD to allow for four additional officers available for patrols. With the additional staffing, Dickerson has been able to commit two officers to community engagement full time. “It pays dividends,â€? he said. â–şSee Crime Report, Page 3

â–şSee Smoking, Page 3

Boston Calling reviews

“I honestly didn’t know what to expect at Boston Calling since I mainly went just for Neutral Milk Hotel. The first band to go on was Future Islands and they blew me away.

The lead singer’s performance on stage was very intense (he slapped himself across the face a lot), but I ended up really liking them. The next band to go on was Neutral Milk Hotel and, long story short, I cried at the end of their set. The last band to go on was The National. I didn’t really stick around for them, but, from what I heard, they were great too. I really recommend that people check out Boston Calling whenever it’s around, even if you only know one band - you might find some new bands you’ll end up liking.� - Molly Sheehan ►For more reviews and photos, see Boston Calling, Page 6 Christopher Tran/Connector

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

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September 16, 2014

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS

UMass Lowell killed South Campus Marlon Pitter UML Student

South Campus, once a hub of social interaction and everything great about college, whose beauty could put most college campuses’ aesthetics to shame, is dead. McGauvran Hall, the heart of South for student organizations, art majors and enthusiasts, and individual students alike, was cruelly put out of commission this fall at the hands of UMass Lowell. Therefore, I have written this piece to revel in the greatness that South once was, as it will never return the former glory it basked in last year and beyond.

I knew South Campus was a special place when I started school at UMass Lowell in the fall of 2013.

While I was a math major at the time, with three of my five classes on North Campus, I enjoyed every minute I spent on South. After changing my major to English prior to the following semester, I decided to move to Concordia Hall at the same time for the convenience of living on South Campus and the greatness that it was.

The differences between the two campuses are

as clear as day and night, and they go far beyond being on opposite sides of the Merrimack River.

Students on South are generally friendlier than those on North. South Campus is fun and aesthetically pleasing on any given day, while North is‌ not. I even got better grades in the classes I had on South during my first semester, and that can’t be a coincidence.

While McGauvran Hall might not have seemed like there was much that was special to it, arguments can be made for it being one of the most vital pieces of South, behind the dining hall and Starbucks, of course. The building adjacent and connected to O’Leary Library was an institution of learning, hard work, relaxing, gaming, and entertainment all in one, and it certainly played a role in boosting South’s atmosphere, morale and camaraderie.

With many club offices and meeting spaces formerly hosted by McGauvran, many clubs have come to find themselves homeless this year, including Pride Alliance and MEISA (Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association). UMass Lowell’s art classes have been exiled to the less-

than-stellar Mahoney Hall. On top of that, Subway and the student lounge area now occupy the space left by the non-existent South Campus bookstore.

If you thought the destruction of South ended with McGauvran, then you are sadly mistaken.

With plans to take down Concordia Hall, another landmark of South Campus and the university as a whole, and construction on Riverview Suites to “add 300 beds,� according to sources, that side of campus is soon to become nothing more than somewhere to eat, go to class and sleep.

South Campus was fine just the way it was last year, but the university and its agenda clearly didn’t think so. It’s unclear why they have to turn McGauvran into a shiny new dining hall with our tuition dollars when we already have one on South that works (on weekdays). It won’t make the food any better, but do as you must, UMass Lowell.

South Campus, I hardly knew you, but you will be missed.

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR

EDITORIAL BOARD

MADDIE KOUFOGAZOS Managing Editor

CHRISTOPHER TRAN Editor-In-Chief

SARAH PACHT KACI MCLAUGHLIN Copy Editor MARIE PIERCE Advertising Manager MELISSA ALMONOR Web Manager JENNIFER VIVIER MICHAELA HYDE Social Media Manager LUCAS BROWN Distribution Manager

POSITION AVAILABLE Operations Manager AL GENTILE DAVE RUDDERHAM News Editors SHANE FOLEY NICHOLAS GIANNINO Sports Editor MARLON PITTER Campus Life Editor REGINA ALONGI JEN DESROSIERS Arts & Entertainment Editor KELLY FREITAS JENNA FREITAS Graphic Designers

JONATHAN SILVERMAN Advisor SAM LINSTEAD-ATKINSON KARLA GARCIA BENJAMIN ST. PIERRE AMANDA DYSART HENRY ST. PIERRE JULIA BELLEFONTAINE GREG ALEXANDROPOULOS Writers

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UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

September 16, 2014

NEWS Crime Report comments on student safety Deputy chief speaks out on lower crime rates ►Continued from Crime Rates, Front Page

A major factor, says Dickerson, is the increase in funding for security technology. This comes in the form of more surveillance cameras and the number of emergency “blue phones” that students can use to quickly call in suspicious activity or direct threats to their safety.

Technology improvements prove invaluable, according to Dickerson, when actually deterring crime.

“I think it does deter crime to have these cameras visible,” he said.

“We know what our commitment is.”

Along with their own independent measures, the UMLPD has teamed up with the Lowell Police Department to put two extra officers on patrol Thursday through Saturday nights - a time when students are typically out walking the streets either between campus facilities or on their way downtown.

“This is an extra patrol that we’re doing,” Dickerson said.

These officers patrol the different neighborhoods around campus, focusing on the areas around University Crossing, East Campus and North Campus.

Dickerson has also committed himself to attending the bi-weekly CompStat meetings held by the Lowell Police Department. “I think knowing the crime patterns in the city help us put more attention to those areas.”

Dickerson sees the trend for the 2014 crime analysis results positively. As of Wednesday Sept. 10, there has been only one reported robbery for the year 2014, thus far, according to Dickerson.

Looking at the results more closely, burglaries have taken the deepest plunge, from 28 reported cases in 2012 to only six in 2013. Dickerson considers getting the message out to students as a major factor in that decrease.

A common misconception among students is regarding the credentials of the UMass Lowell Police Force, for which Dickerson had much to say.

Much of the force, Dickerson says, has over twenty years of experience, and all officers go through the exact same training as regular municipal officers.

Much of that experience includes working in municipal districts, and every officer is sworn in by the Middlesex County Police Department With increased funding, community initiatives and the increased use of security technology, the UMass Lowell Police Department is showing the results of their efforts in numbers. With the year coming to a close in the next three months, the outlook is positive for an even further decrease in reported cases on campus.

Dickerson says many are to thank for this. “From the chancellor down they show a commitment to continue that [trend],” he said.

On top of it all, Dickerson sees transparency as a hallmark of good crime control. “All our guys are very approachable,” he said. “We know what our commitment is.”

Contact the author for questions or comments at alexander_gentile@student.uml.edu.

Offense Sex Offenses – Forcible

Location On-­‐Campus Residence Hall Non-­‐Campus Public Property

2011 5 5 0 1

2012 2 1 0 0

2013 2 2 0 0

Sex Offenses – Non-­‐Forcible

On-­‐Campus Residence Hall Non-­‐Campus Public Property

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

Robbery

On-­‐Campus

0

0

1

Residence Hall 0

0

0

Non-­‐Campus

0

0

0

Public Property 3

4

10

Aggravated Assault

On-­‐Campus Residence Hall Non-­‐Campus Public Property

3 0 0 7

1 0 0 6

Burglary

On-­‐Campus 27 Residence Hall 17

28 15

6 3

Non-­‐Campus

0

0

2

Public Property 0

0

0

On-­‐Campus

3

1

4

Residence Hall 0

0

0

Non-­‐Campus

0

0

0

Public Property 1

9

10

Motor Vehicle Theft

Annual Totals

6 5 0 10

89

70

47

Crime Analysis Report: occurences of violence against students is down 33 percent.

Smoking ban controversy ►Continued from Controversy sparks on campus, Front Page

Students have noticed an increase in littering since the removal of the ashtrays from campus.

“They should still keep the ashtrays around campus so people don’t throw butts on the ground,” sophomore Anthony Leo-Mayes said.

While the subject of littering is a huge issue with the ban, campus safety is another cause for concern with the ban on smoking. “It worries me for people that do smoke that have to go off campus at night to smoke,” said junior Andrew Gauvin.

Freshman Eric Leach says, “I support the ban, but it does need to be modified so that smokers aren’t putting themselves in an unsafe situation.”

While the ban has been argued to force smokers into such unsafe situations, most have agreed, both supporters and non-supporters, that the ban hasn’t forced smokers off-campus much at all.

For Christina Galluccio this has become a large issue. Galluccio, a freshman at UML, is originally from southern California where smoking culture has been largely fought against by many institutions. “Smoking bans are enforced there,” she said.

“When I came to the school it was advertised as a smoke-free campus. I was excited,” said Galluccio. Unfortunately because the ban on smoking has had significant issues with enforceability, she feels as if the ban does not exist and that the school falsely adveritsed.

Galluccio is irritated by smoke and grew up in a place where she never really had to deal with it that much. “It’s not fair to the rest of the population to have to breathe that in,” said Galluccio. She agreed with many students saying, “People don’t really feel the need to hide it here.”

The punishment for smoking on campus or simply not hiding it well enough seems to be non-existent. Students, both smokers and nonsmokers, have not noticed any punishments for students smoking on campus.

“No one tells them to stop,” freshman Mary Silva said. Silva didn’t show any support for designated smoking areas.

Baylaigh Young, freshman, showed full support for the ban but had noticed that it wasn’t only students who were ignoring the new rule. “When my grandparents visit, they smoke. Even the bus drivers here smoke when they’re on their break,” says Young.

Some nonsmoking students have expressed apathy for UML’s new rule against cigarette smokers. “I don’t care. I don’t smoke so it doesn’t really affect my life that much,” sophomore Debbie Karapatsos said. “I think it’s good that people are trying to be healthy though.”

Karapatsos had made the argument for designated smoking Photo areas Courtesy by comparing UML to of David Ouellette

Disney World in Florida. “They have areas at Disney World for parents to step aside and smoke a cigarette and the kids would be fine,” she said.

Karapatsos has also noticed that smokers are hiding more.

Warren Johnson, 20, junior, had also noticed this. “It’s kind of stupid because people are hiding behind dumpsters to smoke,” he said.

Some smoking students have not cut back on smoking at all. Kelli Plath a 22-year-old senior had made the argument for campus safety and designated smoking areas. “It’s legal. We’re not doing anything wrong,” she says. “I think they went about it the wrong way. Smokers are now required to go off-campus and they don’t have time between classes,” says Plath.

Students like freshman James Walmsley, have offered up general wisdom that could apply to almost any rule. “I see people abuse the rules all the time,” he said.

The Connector would like to hear your thoughts on the new smoking ban. Contact the author at david_rudderham@student.uml.edu Sam Linstead-Atkinson contributed to this article.

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

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September 16, 2014

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

September 16, 2014

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Not ‘Destined’ to be game of the year

Highly-anticipated ‘Destiny’ falls short of expectations

Zombie movie invades Lowell Karla Garcia Connector Contributor

“Zombie Party Massacre” is the first full-length feature film being written and directed by Lowell resident Jessica Houlihan. The idea for this project was developed from a short film she produced in college called “Life of the Party.”

She took the script from the short and decided to expand the story; the story developed and transformed into what is now “Zombie Party Massacre.”

The film follows two roommates, Jeff and Jason, who throw a Halloween party. One by one, their guests become infected and turn into zombies. Houlihan describes the story as a “gory splatter comedy.”

Since she was a child, Houlihan has been interested in working in the film industry. “I’ve been a writer my whole life and [have looked] at movies differently than most people,” she recalls. She attended Fitchburg State University for film and video. This is where she met Jason Moore, her right hand man and the producer of her film. He wasn’t an official student at Fitchburg, but he attended classes and learned what he needed to from Houlihan.

While she was at Fitchburg, she developed four short films with help from Moore. From there they went to New York City, where Houlihan worked for Troma Entertainment, and then moved to Los Angeles to complete an internship with Full Moon Features.

One of their main priorities was building a cast and crew. Last week, they officially finalized their cast. Houlihan and Moore submitted the casting call to

a few different websites and received a better turnout than they had expected.

“We had people to choose from - it was fun,” said Houlihan. They still need help recruiting the rest of their team –everything from a film crew to set designers.

One of the biggest challenges they have faced is finding financial support for the film. In August, they created an Indiegogo campaign, an online platform in which the public can donate to their project. “We are trying to raise a good chunk of money,” said Moore. “We want to try to do it as professionally as we can.”

Houlihan and Moore have also toured New England Studios, where they are hoping to film the entire movie. “It all comes down to money,” noted Houlihan. They are planning on building a set for the film because they want to make the film very bloody – this will be an easier cleanup than using an actual house as a location for filming.

The anticipated release date is Halloween 2015. They hope to release the film digitally and on DVD, along with having midnight showings at local theaters and submitting it to smaller film festivals.

If you wish to support their project, head over to Indiegogo.com and search “Official Zombie Party Massacre Campaign.” The campaign ends on Oct. 12.

Courtesy of Bungie Studios

Greg Alexandropoulos Connector Contributor

The season of gaming has begun. If you’re a video game fan, you know that autumn is loaded with dozens of major releases… and your wallet is going to become significantly lighter as a result. However, I’m sorry to say, don’t waste your money on this opening act.

“Destiny,” the latest release from developer Bungie and publisher Activision, kicks off the 2014 gaming season with a whimper. It’s an overhyped, well-marketed attempt at creating a Halo MMORPG. It’s a great effort, but it never grows beyond the initial sparkle. It sunk its hooks into me quickly, but, after a few hours, you really start to feel the monotony settle in. It’s neither deep enough of an RPG, nor satisfying enough of a narrative, to keep you interested in its shallow attempt at a sci-fi world.

Let’s get this out of the way now: “Destiny’s” gunplay is flawless. The shooting is very smooth, very responsive and every gun feels great. Each weapon is quite weighty and each bullet fired feels just right. However, after the first few hours, nothing changes. You see every gun type, every enemy type and every trick the game has to offer.

You get to travel to a few different planets, but they all play out the same way. There is a central hub, “The Tower,” where you can talk to a few merchants and NPCs, but they have no story, no background. The world is just so shallow and it kills the immersion. It does not feel like a huge intergalactic adventure; it feels like “Guild Wars” in space, and that’s not a good thing.

I applaud this game for trying to take aspects of “Halo,” “Borderlands” and recent MMORPGs for PC and putting them together, but it’s just not as fully realized as any of the above-mentioned games. It’s just Halo with numbers.

It’s a less stupid Borderlands. It plays great, but just has no personality. It feels like a disconnected series of tasks rather than one fluid narrative structure.

I can understand Bungie wanting to try a little bit of the “Monster Hunter” mantra: maybe the campaign isn’t important; maybe it’s just about getting your friends together to kill big monsters. But they haven’t created a “Monster Hunter” – they have created a very boring and monotonous first-person shooter.

After completing the campaign, half of your character’s skill tree is left empty, and you haven’t unlocked any high level armor, gear or skills. But who cares? The game’s RPG elements are initially very inviting, but it turns out to be very shallow. There just isn’t enough armor or weapon variation to want to continue playing. There is no sense of reward - only more level grinding.

The loot system isn’t expansive enough to appeal to the RPG crowd or the “Borderlands” fans. The narrative is very poor, and there are so few NPCs and story-related characters that the campaign just feels dead. That’s one of the biggest problems with the game: it just never comes alive. The story, the characters, the gunplay, the leveling systems, the looting – it’s all very drab.

I appreciate Bungie trying to incorporate the single player into the multiplayer, but that’s not very good either. Players take their weapons and skills from the single player game and use them against other players in competitive play, but what you get is a wildly unbalanced game with very stereotypical FPS game modes. I’m surprised that the creators of “Halo,” a series known for its competitive play, did such a ham-fisted job with the multiplayer. It’s so unimaginative and boring.

You earn gear and experience from multiplayer and use it in your single player adventure, but it all comes around to the same fact: this game is an unsatisfying grind through repetitive missions surrounded by a terrible, clichéd sci-fi narrative.

At the end of the day, this game just isn’t very fun. The initial sparkle of the game is never built upon. Don’t believe the hype. Buyer beware.

“It feels like ‘Guild Wars’ in space, and that’s not a good thing.”

‘Frail’ Communion?

Spotlight on Opeth’s newest album Benjamin St. Pierre Connector Contributor

Courtesy of Bungie Studios

Final Grade: C-

On Aug. 25, 2014, Swedish progressive metal titan Opeth released their 11th studio album, “Pale Communion.”

Opeth is globally renowned among metal fans for their cerebral lyrics, haunting yet beautiful melodies and the ability to seamlessly blend clean (regular singing) and growled vocals (both done by Mikael Akerfeldt, the only constant presence within the band since it formed in 1990) into songs that typically end up around six to ten minutes each. They are also famous (or infamous for, depending on who you’re asking) for their avoidance of reproducing the same kind of music, per se, on each album.

Opeth continues to live up to their “progressive” title by never quite making the next album similar to the album prior. And, as one might expect, deviation from the norm, and deciding to abandon what made Opeth special in the past, has not always sat well with hardcore fans.

Many college students are not familiar with metal, let alone Opeth, but I see this as an opportunity to bring the whole culture to the surface and to, perhaps, bring about new fans. “Pale Communion” is an album in which the band

abandons its prior what-could-be-dubbed heaviness and darkness in favor of a lighter, freer and continually “progressive” sound. The album, eight songs in length in its standard version, runs rampant with guitar solos, extended periods of time without vocals, fully-instrumental songs and only growled vocals.

Overall, the album is softer in comparison to the band’s previous works. I don’t intend for that to have a negative or positive connotation, but for a band that has showcased such aptitude, finesse and ease in making dark melodies sound beautiful, like on their magnum opus “Blackwater Park” (2001), this album is most markedly an outlier in terms of overall sound. Certainly the band has collectively aged and “matured” since 2001, and consequentially, their music has lost some of its violence.

If anyone is interested in expanding their musical horizons, and maybe heading down a metal path, this album is definitely a solid starting point. It’s light and airy, but the death/doom metal influence is apparent, and Opeth has a large and varied enough discography in which you can find at least a song or two you would enjoy.

“Pale Communion” is definitely not their best work, but it’s an accessible album for everybody who enjoys guitars in their music. So while it may indeed be a weaker, more “frail” album in comparison to their earlier ones, this may be in the band’s benefit, as perhaps its audience can grow.

Opeth is a music titan, whether you’ve heard of them or not, and “Pale Communion” is just the next installment of an ever-progressing Opeth sound that will surely continue to change in their next release.

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September 16, 2014

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT As someone who had never been to a music festival before, Boston Calling was the perfect start. Despite the hot/stormy weather, all of the acts brought their best; my personal favorites were Spoon, The National, The War on Drugs and Nas and The Roots. My favorite moment was when, at the end of their set, The National played an acoustic number as the crowd belted the words out. You can bet I’ll be there next year! - Nick Canovas

Courtesy of Nick Canovas

This was definitely one of the best festivals I’ve seen in a while.

Getting to see the Replacements, one of my all-time favorite bands, was a dream come true for me. If next May’s lineup is as half of good as this one’s, I’ll be the first to get tickets. - Adam O’Donnell

Spoon preps the stage for The Replacements

UML students not hanging up on Boston Calling

Recollections and photographs from students who attended the festival from Sept. 5-7.

Courtesy of Nick Canovas

September 16, 2014

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT What’s everybody Yakkin’ about?

Social media app takes college campuses by storm Henry St. Pierre Connector Contributor

The app “Yik Yak” has quickly become a cultural phenomenon. College campuses across the nation are being impacted by the free-to-download app, which is very simply an anonymous user’s playground. Of course, our very own UMass Lowell is not estranged to the App Store, so plenty of River Hawks have been posting. Everything posted is without a username, so everything posted is sure to be fun. If a “yak” is entertaining in any way, it will likely receive an “upvote,” similar in nature to a “favorite” on Twitter or a “like” on Facebook.

If it’s a weird “Yak” that makes you want to leave the app for a while, chances are it’ll receive a few “downvotes.” In my opinion, every post on “Yik Yak” is entertaining, and reading through all of them makes it seem like everybody’s part of one big, sometimes creepy, family.

The app is chaotic, it’s fast, it’s inappropriate, and it’s extremely inappropriate. I have had the amusing duty of amassing a number of “Yaks” and laying out some good ones for the Connector-reading populace to enjoy. Here’s the list. (As a side note, extremely inappropriate posts can be hilarious, but cannot exactly be published - censorship is used when needed. Also, spelling and grammatical errors in the posts are included.)

“Assert your dominance over your roommates by referring to them only by their student ID numbers”

“If you look at the shoe of the guy s***ting next to you then you can find them later and call them your poo buddy”

“Yo freshman, is the chocolate milk at the Fox dining hall still bomb as f***? S**t used to make me j*** myself last year #Chronic”

“I’m sitting in the library. A beautiful girl comes right up to me and asks if anyone is sitting in the chair next to me. I said no. She took the chair and walked away. Not my day I guess”

“The only thing keeping me from gaining weight from Taco Bell is the stairs in fox hall #everydayisalegday” “That awkward moment when you’re telling a story and realize no one is listening, so you slowly fade away and pretend you never said anything” “#UnitedInBlue we will bring Heelys back and make them popular” “Haven’t had a solid poop since I moved in… four years ago” “Getting into bed is like training for the high jump” “instead of the riverhawks our mascot should be the construction workers”

‘ The Sims 4’ review Karla Garcia

Courtesy of Nick Canovas Nas and The Roots close out the festival Sunday night.

After arriving late and having time to only catch the end of The Hold Steady, get a drink, take an Oktoberfest picture with the Sam Adams crew and find some fun freebies, the clouds rolled in and concert organizers announced that everyone had to vacate City Hall Plaza and find shelter. Masses of people made their way to the exits around and fled towards restaurants and bars, running inside just before the rain started pouring.

For almost three hours, everyone sat around anxiously checking Twitter and waiting for the word that we could re-enter. Finally, around 8:30 p.m., we were allowed to file back to the concert grounds. To the dismay of many, Volcano Choir and Girl Talk would not be performing and the show would pick back up with Lorde, followed by Childish Gambino. Both artists were grateful that everyone stuck around and it showed through their performances.

Lorde put on a flawless show, captivating the crowd with her strangeness and charm. Childish Gambino, otherwise known as Donald Glover or Troy from the hit television show “Community,” was nothing short of excellent as well. His energy was unbeatable and his catchy, clever songs brought the night back to life and had everybody singing along. We managed to meet his bass player at the end of the night, so that was a nice way to end it all. - Allison Turcotte

“Tell me I’m not the only one who has a mini heart attack every time I lean back in one of these rocking desk chairs” “Hey eduroam I know my password so go f*** yourself ” “girls wear yoga pants and don’t even do yoga so why do they get mad at me when i touch their butt and i’m not even their boyfriend?”

Alas, there were plenty of other worthy candidates but the world of the press is a harsh one, and only so many make the cut. Some worthy candidates weren’t exactly fit for the school newspaper. If you see your post in the list, congratulations! If you wish you had seen yours in the list, better luck next time.

“Why is my professor wearing socks with sandals?”

Connector Contributor

Jack Antonoff of fun. performs with his side project, Bleachers.

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Over the past week and a half, I have grown to love Charlotte. She is a tiny brunette with big blue eyes. She loves music and art and is always inspired when watching the cooking channel. Most of the time she is happy, but she did get sad when she thought I forgot her birthday. Since she passed away I have felt a deep sense of loss, as I do with most of my Sims.

I have played every “Sims” game that has ever been made, and this one was not going to be any different. When I first launched “The Sims 4” I knew I was going to love most of the updates, but I was sad to see some of the main features go. In the all-new Create-a-Sim (CAS), you are able to customize your Sim to a whole new level. While many of the same CAS options are there, you can now customize every aspect of your Sim down to how they walk. The game has been rebuilt to include better graphics, animations and lots of new features.

We have all thought that our Sims were complex and emotional creatures, but they never were until recently. Your Sims can now feel emotions that can change the play of the game. When Sims are inspired, they tend to want to do something with their creative side; if they are sad, they want to “cry it out” in their bed. Multi-tasking is also an option now.

Since the start, our Sims did one thing at a time and one thing only. You would always dread having to eat then watch TV so you wouldn’t suffer at school or work. Not anymore! Now Sims can eat and watch TV at the same time. Sometimes I find that a Sim on the computer is casually chatting with another Sim watching TV at the other end of the room. The days of one-track Sims are gone!

Although some of the features and styles we have grown to love are missing, such as pool or toddlers, this game brings many new and exciting things to the table.

The build mode received a makeover and combined with the buy mode, making navigation much easier. You can create your own room from scratch or used predesigned rooms similar to the “blueprints” we had in “The Sims 3.”

You can also click and drag a wall to make a room larger or smaller without having to delete the wall and start all over again like in prior games.

The Create-a-Style feature from the last game has since been removed, which is disappointing, to say the least. We are stuck with premade sofas and bad bed linens; but, even with the disappearance of some of the features we had known and loved, the new features make up for it and it is still as addicting and entertaining as its predecessors.

The game is available exclusively for PC.

Courtesy of Electronic Arts (EA)

Final Grade: B-

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September 16, 2014

CAMPUS LIFE Mill City Grows to present third annual Harvest Festival Marlon Pitter Connector Editor

For the third year in a row, Mill City Grows invites the Lowell community to take part in their annual Harvest Festival. With free food, fun and games to abound Saturday afternoon, the local non-profit organization dedicated to “food justice in Lowell” aims to have their biggest turnout to date.

Harvest Festival will feature some of the organization’s farmers’ markets, local vendors and apple cider pressing, as well as information about sustainability, healthy lifestyles and more. The event will be friendly to attendees of all ages, including games and crafts for kids and raffle prizes for children and adults alike.

Mill City Grows co-founder Lydia Sisson says that Harvest Festival was designed to expose people to the work the organization does regularly, from increasing food access in Lowell to educating city residents about organic food.

“Harvest Festival is a lot of people coming together to celebrate the hard work we do producing local food,” says Sisson.

Since its inception in late 2011, Sisson says, the city of Lowell has embraced Mill City Grows with open arms. “The city has been great to work with,” she said. “All of our community gardens are on city-owned property, and even private land owners have allowed us to use some of their space.”

Sisson says the community’s response to Harvest Festival and Mill City Grows is part of the reason why they continue to operate and put on events.

“We had about 500 people attend Harvest Festival last year and about 250 the year before that, our first year,” said Sisson.

As well as great local food, fun and games, other local organizations and businesses will make their presence felt at Harvest Festival, including Girls Inc., the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell, United Teen Equality Center (UTEC), Lowell Parks & Recreation, Brew’d Awakening, Sweet Lydia’s and more.

Mill City Grows employee Alexander Desrosiers says UMass Lowell students should attend Harvest Festival for a multitude of reasons, and it’s more than just free stuff.

“Students should come out to meet other people in the community, celebrate the end of harvest and definitely to try some new foods,” says Desrosiers.

Preparation for Harvest Festival is so extensive, according to Desrosiers, that the entire organization turns its undivided attention to it in the days leading up to the event.

“We stop everything to get ready for Harvest Festival,” said Desrosiers. “We totally change gears.”

Additionally, there are numerous ways for students to get involved with both Harvest Festival and Mill City Grows, according to Sisson, including service learning, co-ops, internships and research opportunities. “[Working with Mill City Grows] is just a tangible way to be connected to the city you live in,” she says.

Harvest Festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Rotary Club Park, located at 10 Chase St. in Lowell, Massachusetts.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information on Harvest Festival or Mill City Grows, visit millcitygrows.org.

Marlon Pitter/Connector

Mill City Grows employee Alexander Desrosiers at a mobile market on Market Street in downtown Lowell.

Photo Courtesy of Mill City Grows

September 16, 2014

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UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

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

CAMPUS CALENDAR

SEPT./OCT. MONDAY

15

14

TUESDAY

16 Grand Opening of UCrossing 2:30 p.m.

Christian Student Fellowship Weekly Worship 7:35p.m.

Univ. Suites 106

22

21 CPR Community Class 12p.m.-4p.m.

CRC

Red Cross Blood Drive 11a.m.-4p.m.

Cumnock Hall

23

WEDNESDAY

17

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

18

19

20

25

26

27

3

4

Senior Class Tye Dye 8p.m.-10p.m.

Fox Hall Common

24

Fat Chicken Eating Contest 9p.m.-11p.m.

Fox Hall Common

OAP Sunset Kayaking @ Merrimack River Lowell, MA

Christian Student Fellowship Weekly Worship 7:35p.m.

Univ. Suites 106

28

29

30 Christian Student Fellowship Weekly Worship 7:35p.m.

Univ. Suites 106

1

2

UMass Lowell Open House 9:30a.m.-1p.m.

Tsongas Center

Calendar listings are FREE when space is available. To better ensure your listings placement, get your information in two weeks in advance by e-mailing Christopher_Tran@student.uml.edu

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

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September 16, 2014

September 16, 2014

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

SPORTS

SPORTS

Field hockey falls 3-1 in Kennedy Cup against UMass With seven minutes to go in the first half, the River Hawks threatened with back-to-back shots on goal by senior Bianca Jones (Watertown, Mass.) and

the period and cut the difference to just two heading into the break when Villare collected and finished a loose ball that had bounced off of the keeper’s pads following a cross by Chronopoulos.

The Minutewomen attacked their Photo courtesy of goriverhawks.com offensive zone coming out of halftime with three shots on goal and three corners in the first eight minutes. Although Federico stopped the first three attempts, Massachusetts continued to pressure and made the score 3-1 on a hard shot by Sarah Hawkshaw.

Freshman Christa Doiron (Worcester, Mass.) and Chronopoulos both recorded chances that sailed wide before the clock expired and the visitors sealed the 3-1 decision.

Sunday’s contest marked just the second meeting between UMafreshman Katie Luchino (Freehold, N.J.), however, ss Lowell and Massachusetts in the sport of field the opposing keeper kicked both away. hockey. The Minutewomen now lead the all-time Massachusetts extended its margin to 2-0 with series, 2-0. The River Hawks will return to action less than five minutes to go when Sabia found the on Tuesday, Sept. 16 when the squad travels to Quinnipiac Unviersity for a 3:30 p.m. tilt. back of the cage on a direct corner.

The River Hawks battled in the final minutes of

Rice controversy leaves commissioner’s future in jeopardy Nick Giannino Assistant Editor

Roger Goodell has been under serious fire lately.

Just a day after the Baltimore Ravens’ season opener, a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in which running back Ray Rice sat out, serving the first game of his two game suspension, TMZ released a video where Rice can be seen punching his then-fiancée in the face and knocking her out.

The video stems from an altercation On Feb. 15, 2014, between Rice and his now-wife Janay Palmer. At the time of the incident, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell chose to suspend Rice for the first two games of the 2014 regular season, a seemingly lenient punishment for a serious violent act.

While the short suspension was criticized for quite some time, it was nothing compared to what was to follow.

Fast forward almost seven months and Rice seemed to be off the hook, abiding by his suspension and going about things quietly. The issue seemed to be dying down.

But when TMZ chose to release the video, it took the dwindling issue to a new level.

The disturbing video was caught on surveillance camera in the hotel elevator and was allegedly released to Goodell back in April. Thus began the biggest off-field controversy the league has seen in years.

The video, which, once released, could be seen on ESPN and news channels everywhere you looked, forced the Ravens to cut their starting running back. On top of that, Goodell suspended Rice indefinitely from the NFL. While the NFL originally denied seeing the video before the TMZ release, the Associated Press reported two days later that the NFL was sent the full tape back in April.

Although nobody yet knows the truth behind this video controversy, Goodell’s future with the league remains unsure, as well as Rice’s playing career.

Fantasy Advising Center: Week 3 Shane Foley Connector Editor

►Continued from front page

Sophomore Annie Villare (Chelmsford, Mass.) recorded the River Hawks’ lone goal in the decision, while senior captain Chelsea Chronopoulos (Tyngsborough, Mass.) paced the squad with two shots. Freshman goalkeeper Kelsey Federico (Windham, N.H.) anchored the River Hawks’ backfield with a career-high 11 saves in the outing.

The teams played evenly matched in the early minutes of the contest, trading possession and forcing one corner apiece in the first five minutes.

During the River Hawks’ opportunity, sophomore Georgia Cowderoy (Ashmore, Queensland, Australia) fired just wide of the left post for the team’s first chance of the day.

The Minutewomen broke the game open on their next penalty corner with 23 minutes remaining in the first half, as Lauren Allymohamed deflected Brooke Sabia’s initial shot up over a diving Federico and into the cage to give the visitors a 1-0 edge.

UMass Lowell retaliated with three consecutive corners, but the home squad was unable to convert.

Page 11

Along with the new marijuana rule, the NFLPA also voted in favor of testing for human growth hormone (HGH) in the 2014 season. This means that players such as Wes Welker, who was suspended for amphetamine use in the offseason, will no longer be penalized, unless a violation occurs during the season.

The Broncos receiver will no longer be suspended for his amphetamine use because his punishment is being switched from the performance enhancers policy to the substance abuse program. Welker, who sat out in his team’s season opener a week ago, is eligible to play in week two.

The NFL still has a lot of things to figure out in terms of the new drug policy, but this is certainly a big step in creating a more successful system.

Fantasy football week three can best be de- hawk. Look for Baldwin to be open and score.

Sit: scribed as awkward. You may not know if you like Stephen Jackson: We were all amazed at Matt Giovanni Bernard: I love me some Bernard, but your team; if players don’t perform you want to Ryan’s 448 yards against the Saints in a thrill. My he is going up against a defense that shut down Jacut them, and if players do perform, you wonder if guess, though, is that he won’t need to do that maal Charles. If Cincinnati wins, they’re doing it they can be consistent throughout the season. Main against Tampa Bay. Jackson should get a lot of through the air. thing to remember here is to relax. Breathe! If you touches, and he is looking to re-enter the elite of Eric Decker: Chicago’s defense will not want to finish the season 11-2, nobody is going to remem- running backs in the NFL. have Geno Smith running all over the place on Monber you were 0-2 to start the season. Move around Phillip Rivers: San Diego vs Buffalo has all the day Night. What does this have to do with Deckthese guys to get that W in week three. trappings of a good shootout. EJ Manuel wants to er? The Bears have a very physical linebacker core, Start: prove he is a starting quarterback and Rivers wants which will most likely be rushing the quarterback to Larry Fitzgerald: Arizona plays San Francisco to prove he is one of the best starting quarterbacks. ensure that Smith doesn’t get to know life past the on Sunday, which puts Carson Palmer in line of scrimmage. Look for Chithe un-enviable situation of trying to score cago to stick corner Charles TillPhoto courtesy of Andrew Harnick against the 49er defense. While San Franman on Decker, and some safety cisco’s defense is formidable, it is not really help on third down situations. The known for a shut-down corner, but instead point being that Smith has to look for amazing schemes, pass rush and the for other options while avoiding smartest linebackers in the world. That bepressure. ing said, Palmer may be looking to FitzgerTom Brady: Writing down this ald in pressure situations, and he is going to man’s name hurt me inside. Howbe in a lot of pressure situations. ever, I have been convinced that Desean Jackson: This one is kind of perthe Patriots’ offensive line cannot sonal. Former Eagle, now Redskin, Jackson protect Brady after the Miami demay be gritting his teeth at the possibility of bacle, and they have to block Juslighting up his former team. Also, Robert tin Tuck and LaMarr Woodly.

Griffin III has heard nothing all offseason Peyton Manning: I know, about how the Eagles will win the division shocking. However, Seattle’s dewith ease. I’m sure he would like to put a fense had Manning’s number ton of balls in the air, and those balls will in the Superbowl last year, and probably be landing in Jackson’s hands, now they don’t have to cover Eric since Allen Hurns burned that defense for Decker or Wes Welker.

New Redskin Desean Jackson looks to light up former team in week 3.

110 yards and two touchdowns recently.

Torrey Smith: I know I said to Doug Baldwin: Not the name you may start him last week. I didn’t realize hear tossed around a lot. However, Denver spent a Both teams also have good pass-catching running he was only going to get the ball once. However, lot of money to get Aqib Talib on the squad, who backs. The Chargers may win this one in a close he is being covered by Joe Haden next week, and will be sure to be watching Percy Harvin like a one, so Rivers will be good to start.

Flacco has other options now.

Men’s soccer falls to Northeastern 2-1 in OT UMass Lowell Athletics

Photo Courtesy of Keith Allison

The Baltimore Ravens cut ties with Ray Rice on Sept. 8.

New NFL drug policy leads to reduced suspensions Nick Giannino Connector Editor

The National Football League’s Player Association (NFLPA) recently agreed to significantly increase the threshold for positive marijuana tests.

Players, including Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, have complained that the threshold is so low that it causes false positives during drug tests.

The new law means that the threshold will be set at 35 nanograms per milliliter instead of the previous 15 ng/ml.

With that law being passed, the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell have decided to reduce Gordon’s season-long suspension to 10 games.

Having already served one game for his league violation, Gordon will be eligible to play in week 11 when the Browns travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons.

The now 10-game suspension of Gordon is still a huge blow to the Browns offense. Gordon led the league with 1,646 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last season, despite playing only 14 of the 16 games.

Photo Courtesy of AP Images

Josh Gordon (above) led the Cleveland Browns with 1,646 receiving yards last season. Wes Welker (below) was eligible to return to the Broncos as of Sunday Sept.

14, when they hosted the Kansas City Chiefs.

BROOKLINE, Mass. – The UMass Lowell men’s soccer team lost 2-1 in overtime to the Northeastern Huskies, in a rain-soaked contest.

Just over a minute into the first period a shot from the right wing was deflected

by Ackim Mpofu in front, and found its way into the net.

Wuilito Fernandes (Praia, Cape Verde) gave the River Hawks (2-4) the 1-0 lead in the 64th minute off a Homero Morais (Somerville, Mass.) assist. Fernandes gathered the ball at the 18-yard box and sent a bending shot past the keeper and into the right corner.

As the clock was winding down, Northeastern (2-3) applied the pressure and in the 88th minute Brad Fountain tied the score on a rocket from 24 yards out.

Despite the result Head Coach Christian Figueroa was proud of the effort the team put forth with some of the players getting some much needed rest.

“The boys played well, in the second half they came out and played a lot better. We had some new faces out there for us, and they did well for us. It shows that we’re deeper and makes things more competitive for us. The older guys were inspired seeing the younger guys performing.”

Throughout the night Austin Kroll (Baltimore, Md.) was in the right place and making key saves to keep the game in favor of the River Hawks. He ended the game with nine saves, including a leaping save in the 18th minute to knock the ball over the crossbar and a diving save on a ball that would have given the Huskies the lead in the 50th.

Northeastern outshot UMass Lowell 22-11, with 14 in the second half and the only shot in the extra period. Fernandes had a team-high four shots, and Morais added three.

The River Hawks return to action on September 16 as they host Central Connecticut State University at 7 p.m. for the home opener.

Photo courtesy of goriverhawks.com

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September16, 5, 2014 September

SPORTS NBA preseason preview 2014 Shane Foley

These upcoming NBA playoffs are almost incapable of being glorious. Perhaps because the face of the league, LeBron James, moved teams and assembled a new “big three.” We have two new rookie coaches in the league, Steve Kerr and Derek Fisher, with no prior coaching experience. Also, Pau Gasol, Lance Stevenson, Chandler Parsons and Paul Pierce are just some of the all-stars in different jerseys this year. That being said, it’s nearly impossible to predict the outcome of these upcoming playoffs with any degree of accuracy, but here is my best shot.

East seeds Hard not to say Cleveland gets the first seed.

They just gave LeBron a younger, more accurate “big three.” I see the other division winners being Brooklyn and Washington. Brooklyn, because if Lopez stays healthy, they are one of the best defensive teams in the league, and they can spread the floor with straight shooters like Johnson, Teletovich and Kirilenko.

The other team, with home court advantage, I believe will be Chicago. This is all contingent on Derrick Rose being healthy, of course. However, he now has Pau Gasol, Jimmy Butler and Matt Dunleavy to spread the floor with their deep shooting, leaving lanes open for D-Rose to drive in the paint like he usually does.

I am liking Toronto at the 5. They still might have the best backcourt in the league, and Patrick Patterson is no joke. I also like Charlotte at the 6.

This might not be a popular pick, but with Lance Stevenson, Charlotte can now spread the floor, and they have good inside offense with Jefferson and a new Cody Zeller. I think Indiana will drop to the 7.

Paul George almost has to do it all now, since Stevenson is gone, George Hill got shown up by Evan Turner, and Roy Hibbert may or may not show up. They’re still intimidating on defense, but they might not be able to score enough.

The last pick was tough to decide, but I ended up with Miami. Luol Deng rounds out their defensive core well, and Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh will get more looks. Boston or New York will likely be first out. New York is seemingly only Carmelo Anthony, unless Iman Shumpert doesn’t mind shooting over tight defense for this entire season.

Boston has the potential to win in a couple years, but right now they are too young.

West seeds I think San Antonio will win the West. It’s a tad bit obvious, since they are defending champs, but they didn’t get rid of anybody, including mastermind Gregg Popovich, so I say they win again.

I like Golden State and Oklahoma City wining both their divisions. It was tough picking between Golden State and the Clippers, but with a healthy Andrew Bogut, Golden State will have the bigs to complement their jump shooters. They also have younger legs than the Clippers, who I have at the 4.

It was tough, but I have Dallas at 5. They have an all-star lineup, with the Chandler brothers (Tyson Chandler/Chandler Parsons). To not a lot of surprise, I have Portland at 6. Oh, by the way, Lamarcus Aldrige is looking like a young Kareem Abdul-Jabar, and Lillard may be the smartest player in the league. Look for Memphis to be the 7, because now they have shooters like Quincy Pondexter, Courtney Lee and Vince Carter to spread the floor for their bigs.

U P C OM I N G

Courtesy Photo

Connector editor

River Hawk Games Tuesday, Sept. 16

330 pm F. Hockey at Quinnipiac

Tuesday, Sept. 16

7 pm

Tuesday, Sept. 16

All day M en’s Golf at Newport

Men’s Soccer vs. CCSU

Wednesday, Sept. 17 7 pm

W. Soccer vs. Holy Cross

Friday, Sept. 19

3 pm

F. Hockey vs. Hofstra

Friday, Sept. 19

730 pm M. Soccer at Dartmouth

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

LaMarcus Aldridge is looking to match his 40 point outings from last year’s playoffs.

Courtesy Photo

LeBron James chose to take back his talents from South Beach this past offseason.

The last team in the dance, like always, took forever to decide. A lot of people are saying this is the year Phoenix makes it. I have to disagree though.

All they have are guards. I think Sacramento makes it over Phoenix. Demarcus Cousins is becoming a solid scorer. If they build around him, they have the defense to keep games close, with Rudy Gay and Darren Collison. They also can spread the floor a bit, with Jason Terry, and McLemore is learning his game.

It’s hard not to see Cleveland taking it all. However, if Rose stays healthy, I like the Bulls beating the Warriors in 6. They have more of an offensive scheme, as opposed to everything being run by LeBron. The Bulls also can play defense, which may be a slight weakness for Cleveland. I like them playing Golden State, even with their rookie coach, because they have the capability to score a lot in not a lot of time. If Rose gets injured again, LeBron may have his third ring. The NBA Finals have never been easily predictable though.

Courtesy Photo

Derrick Rose is looking to avoid a third season aborted due to injury.