The Connector 9/15/15

Ed Gorey exhibit Renowned artist’s work on display in Mahoney Hall art gallery

â–ş Page 4

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

September 15, 2015

Lafayette nips women’s soccer

In This Issue Parking: Is it that bad?

Head Coach Joel Bancroft touts team’s progress

â–ş Page 3

George DeLuca Connector Staff

“Yik Yak Attack�

â–ş Page 5 River Hawks win tournament finale

â–ş Page 8

Final River Hawk Scores Team

Score

Field Hockey at Brown

W 2-1

5-1

L 1-2

3-3-0

M. Soccer vs. Canisius

Overall Record

Volleyball vs. Quinnipiac

W 3-2

1-10

Volleyball vs. Holy Cross

L 0-3

0-10

The UMass Lowell women’s soccer team came “ready to play� against the Lafayette Leopards at Cushing Field on Friday. Both teams fought hard for the win, but Lafayette was able to hold off an onslaught of furious River Hawk attacks in the second half.

It was another heartbreaking loss for the home team, but there were many positives about this game

that will hopefully pay dividends as the season continues to unfold.

Lafayette controlled possession for much of the first half, before freshman midfielder, Katie Brannigan scored at 11:22 on a rebound off River Hawk freshman goalie Julia Schneider (3 saves).

Schneider had one of her best games of the season, looking poised and confident throughout the game. At 6:20 of the first half, Lafayette was awarded a free kick

Greek Week ends big with Open Skate Shane Foley Connector Editor

“A lot more people are coming to school looking to join Greek Life,� said Kristina Murray, president of the Greek Council at UMass Lowell and member of AO, a sorority on campus. “Now, it’s more that people are seeking us out, not us seeking them out.�

Friday’s Open Skate at the Tsongas Center provided a perfect example of people “seeking� Greek Life out. The line for skates went out the door as students were allowed to skate on the ice rink and speak with representatives from the various fraternities and sororities at UMass Lowell. “This is always a good event for us because people trickle in and out,� said Murray. “It’s just a good way to get our name out there.�

The Open Skate, which is an event Greek Life has put on for the past two years, is the final event of Greek Week. It began with Wet and Wild, which took place on the Campus Recreation Center lawn. “We had a pretty good turnout, ‘cause a lot of people came in; it was‌a four hour event,â€? said Murray.

Greek Life also sponsored a karaoke night earlier that week. â–ş See “Greek Week,â€? page 5

Sections News.............................3 Campus Life.................. 5 A&E.............................. 4 Sports........................... 7

George DeLuca/Connector

Freshman Maddie Walsh battles for a ball against a Lafayette defender.

which sailed towards the upper right corner. But Schneider timed her jump perfectly to corral the ball, energizing her teammates who responded by raising the level of their collective game. “I think we absorbed a lot of pressure in the first half,â€? said River Hawk Coach Joel Bancroft. “If you start to break down where they had the ball it was more out on the flanks‌We were figuring things out, and, we had a couple of effective counter attacks as well.â€?

As the second half began, the River Hawks wrestled control of the game from the Leopards, outperforming their adversaries with a heightened spirit. The River Hawks were able to control the play for much of the second half, and as a result, the Leopards made mental errors resulting in offside penalties and turnovers.

The River Hawks kept the ball in the Lafayette end, somewhat mirroring the success the Leopards had in the first half, by executing a series of coordinated drives with determination, focus and precision. â–ş See “Women’s soccer,â€? page 7

‘Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’ review Brendan Jacques Connector Staff

Oh, how the times change and the mighty fall to rest.

For more than 28 years, the “Metal Gear� franchise has stood as a benchmark for cinematic storytelling and stealth gameplay excellence. With its unforgettable characters, stunning set-piece moments, and an outrageous sense of humor to match its storytelling prowess, the series has unquestionably left an impact on the gaming industry that is not likely to be forgotten any time soon. Now, with the departure of series creator Hideo Kojima as well as the ongoing collapse of publisher Konami, it seems more than likely that “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain� will be the final chapter in the historic series. If this ends up being the case, it is hard to say the franchise has not ended on a high note.

Our story begins in a small hospital just outside Afghanistan with series protagonist Big Boss, or Snake if you are feeling old-school, awaking from a coma nine years after his entire life came crashing down around him. In events covered during “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes,� last year’s prologue to “The Phantom Pain,� Snake’s private mercenary force was

attacked by the shadowy organization known as Cipher, leading to the deaths of everyone involved in the incident and Snake being left for dead.

Photo courtesy of Konami Digital Entertainment

Kojima’s newest project is already in contention for Game of the Year. â–ş See “Metal Gear Solid,â€? page 4

September 15, 2015

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

Page 2

OPINIONS & EDITORIALS Why I’m vegan, and why you should care Chandler Camerato UML Student

College life is tricky - a minefield of obstacles and allusions that keep you distracted, busy and often stressed. It’s often hard to pull yourself from these illusions and take time to evaluate what matters. During my sophomore year, I began to research plant based ways of eating and discovered veganism.

Veganism is defined as the act of sustaining from ingestingany animal products, byproducts and activities that contribute to such (i.e. cosmetics tested on animals, circuses, etc). As human beings, we are inherently compassionate- whether we believe so or not, it is in our nature. As I sit here writing this, I ask myself why it took me so long to make the connection

between my choices and the world around me. The answer to this is very simple, we only see what we chose to see. When people ask me if I’m vegan, I’m usually met with a judgmental snare followed by an “I’m so sorry.� I love you if you eat meat, grass or dirtwhat I want to convey to you is why this choice matters.

I’m going to present you with three huge reasons why I went vegan: health, compassion, and our planet.

The standard “American Diet� has been the mainstay in our country, but has also led to another common theme- obesity and disease. In a country where nearly 12 million children are obese before the age of 8, and cancer/diseases run rampant- there is no questioning that the ingestion of animal products based off highly

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR

EDITORIAL BOARD MARLON PITTER Editor-In-Chief REGINA ALONGI Operations Manager KATRINA DESROSIERS Copy Editor NINA PETROPOULOS Web Manager MICHAELA HYDE ZACHARY ZUBER Social Media Managers EVANTHIA TULLY Photo Editor

DAVE RUDDERHAM SAM LINSTEAD-ATKINSON News Editors KYLE GAUDETTE Sports Editors SHANE FOLEY Campus Life Editor JEN DESROSIERS BRENDAN JACQUES Arts & Entertainment Editors

KELLY FREITAS JENNA FREITAS Graphic Designers

GRYPHON LAYNE Comics Editor

ARI LAZARINE Advertising Manager

JONATHAN SILVERMAN Advisor

OPEN Distribution Manager

Staff

Email | Connector@uml.edu Website | www.UMLConnector.com Phone | 978.934.5017 ext. 45017 Address | University Crossing Club Hub Suite #241 220 Pawtucket St. Lowell, MA 01854

Advertising: The UMass Lowell Connector advertisements reach an estimated 16,000 UMass Lowell students--their friends and families. To tap this group of

one better than the other, just equal.

If you would like to read/watch more about Veganism I would suggest these documentaries: Cowspiracy Earthlings Forks Over Knives More about my life as a vegan college student and simple/affordable ways to cook healthy food on my blog: svlfood.tumblr.com

We’re hiring!

Work-study positions are now available with the Connector.

Apply for “Connector Newspaper Distribution Manager� on JobHawk!

Email Marlon_Pitter@student.uml.edu for more info.

Twitter: @UMLConnector

GEORGE DELUCA EMILY TOOMEY LINDY REED NICHOLLES KLEVISHA JACOB SOLOMON SARIFAH CHHOENG MELANIE CASE TYLER PEYMAN

General: The UMass Lowell Connector is a non-profit student public forum serving the University of Massachusetts Lowell community. The paper is published weekly and distributed to the university community every Tuesday.

Business hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Please be aware that members of the University community are entitled to free newspapers. Please take one!

All UMass Lowell students, regardless of major, are invited to join the Connector staff. Interested students should contact an editor or manager listed above, or visit the Connector Office in University Crossing 241.

saturated fats, growth hormones and chemical additives contribute to this.

Did you know that the meat industry is one of the greatest causes of environmental damage and destruction?

Furthermore, factory farming accounts for 37% of methane/c4 emissions, and 41 metric tons are produced as a result of burning fossil fuels for animal fertilizer.

So you love animals, but what differentiates eating a chicken or your dog? Both are living beings- the only real difference is that the chicken was raised to be killed and slaughtered.

Cows in the milk industry are forcibly artificially inseminated to give birth, then have their offspring ripped away from them. Male baby chicks; which are not useful to the egg industry, are thrown into a grinder and left to die.

There is no question that these animals feel and experience pain, sadness and fear- yet we live in a world that treats them this way. In summation, every choice we make matters. With each choice, we have the power to make the world a better place.

Veganism has helped me to see the world around me and all the beings within it. In reality, we are all one symbiotic being- coexisting as one, no

future high-income earners, contact our Advertising Manager at 934-5009.

DEADLINE for ALL advertising (TO INCLUDE STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS and ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES OF THE UNIVERSITY) is Tuesday, 12 p.m. for the following Tuesday’s publication.

No exceptions will be made. Late submissions WILL NOT be accepted.

Classified advertisements are free for students.

The UMass Lowell Connector does not endorse, promote or encourage the purchase or sale of any product or service advertised in this publication.

Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertiser.

The UMass Lowell Connector disclaims all liability for any damage suffered as the result of any advertisement in this newspaper.

The UMass Lowell Connector reserves the right to refuse any advertising.

Editorial: Letters to the editor must be less than 500 words in length and may be

Instagram: @UMLConnector Facebook.com/UMLConnector www.UMLConnector.com The Connector meets every Monday at 6 p.m. in University Crossing room 241 in the Club Hub. All are welcome to join! submitted via campus mail, e-mail, or in person. All letters must bear the author’s name, relationship to the University and student body, and a phone number. The author may request to have any part of this information withheld, if published.

Opinions expressed in individual columns, the Opinions Section, advertising, and/or features are those of the author, NOT of the Connector.

The Opinions and Editorials section will not be edited in any way, to include spelling/grammar mistakes.

Submission: The deadline for all submissions (to include Letters to the Editors and Opinions) is Friday at midnight for the following Tuesday’s publication.

Submissions must be e-mailed to Marlon_Pitter@student.uml.edu, attached as a Word document (any version). Accompanying visuals must

be submitted separately; do NOT include graphics in Word file.

All press releases, articles, advertisements, and photographs submitted become the property of The UMass Lowell Connector and will not be returned. The Connector reserves the right to edit or refuse all submissions for copy, content, and length.

The Connector will make every effort to prevent inaccuracy, but assumes no responsibility for errors in advertisements or opinion letters. The Connector will reprint without charge any advertisement which is incorrect. Credit for errors are made only for first insertion.

September 15, 2015

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

Page 3

NEWS UMass Lowell’s presumed parking problems And why they aren’t as bad as you think David Rudderham Connector Editor

School is back in session and many students have already gotten back into the traffic routine in Lowell. Now that students have finally made it to school, many are forced to confront the harsh reality of limited parking that has grown expensive. But just how limited is parking, and is it actually that expensive?

Jon Victorine is the director of UCAPS (UCard Access and Parking Services) and was once a student of UMass Lowell. Before becoming staffed at the school, he was earning his bachelor’s and eventually his master’s degree and he remembers the darker times of parking. Back then, what he refers to as “price protection”

“Any increase to the population places a strain on limited inventory.” didn’t exist and he “would have loved to have something like price protection back then,” says Victorine.

Price protection is a policy that protects students from random price increases in parking.

“It was an agreement we made with the SGA years ago,” says Victorine.

“What that means is that, in any given year, we promise that your rate won’t increase more than five percent.”

This is actually how parking ended up in a tiered system with freshman paying more.

“First years don’t have a rate in mind,” says Victorine. “But after their price is established they’re grandfathered in.”

He emphasized that once you’re a student with a quoted price for parking passes you will not have that price rise by more than five percent a year.

“We don’t want to increase everyone’s parking by $50 or $100 a year.”

The money garnered through parking fees, as it turns out, makes no profit. In a study, UCAPS found that, in order to cover the debt surface, everyone’s parking would have to be raised to $500 a year. The cost of owning and maintaining parking spots isn’t fully covered by students’ fees.

According to Victorine, there is always the possibility that more spots will be needed, but the decision to buy more property or lease space will be determined by looking at data at the end of the year.

“I’m not aware of any more parking [expansions], but we’ll look at projections at the end of the year and take a look at those numbers,” says Victorine.

The cost of these new spaces would be pricey, but given the fact that there were 4300 new freshmen accepted

in the school, Victorine says, “Any increase to the population places a strain on limited inventory.”

Such a strain could cause a parking crisis like the one that happened five years ago. Currently, every student is guaranteed parking - the only real problem of being overcrowded is on the North parking lot between the hours of 11 a.m. and 12 or 12:30 p.m.

“...in any given year, we promise that your rate won’t increase more than five percent.” on Monday and Wednesday. It’s all a game of statistics and logistics that Victorine is forced to play throughout the year.

“We do keep track of these things throughout the year and make any small changes, but at the end of the year we take a look at all the projections, as well as look at last years projections, to see how close we were to them for that year,” says Victorine.

Even something as seemingly simple as snow removal has proven to be quite costly in these harsh New England winters. And again, the school is forced to look at the data. “[There are] two ways to [remove

INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFERING SCHOLARSHIPS

Students who wish to apply for the Independent University Alumni Association Scholarships (formerly known as the University of Massachusetts Lowell Alumni Association) should stop by the Alumni Association Office in the Alumni Memorial Library, North Campus, Financial Aid Office, or Dean’s Office to pick up an application.

Scholarships will be awarded in January for the second semester.

Applications must be returned to the Alumni Association Office in the Alumni Memorial Library building second floor, by the DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING..

If you need more information, please contact the Alumni Office at 978 454-6335.

snow],” says Victorine. Snow farming, which is basically pushing all of the snow to the side and hope for the best and hope it melts - and we saw how well that worked last year. The other way is hauling it away.”

The second method is much more costly and is only done if snow becomes too much of an issue. Last year it was, and the school had to respond in kind. “We did a great job of getting rid of that snow last year,” says Victorine.

And there are other issues as well.

Reducing the school’s carbon footprint has also become a priority, not just for the school, but also for students. According to Victorine the carpool parking program is up by 20 percent and recently an estimated 100 to 120 cars have been saved from coming to campus. That doesn’t just equate to a smaller carbon footprint, it also equates to more money in students pockets.

“At the end of the year we even give the students that carpool a little extra UCash as a reward,” says Victorine.

And that’s in addition to receiving what he refers to as “preferred parking,” which is reserved parking for carpooling students. This parking is located closer to campus and often right next to handicap spaces.

The carpool parking program also helps with having a finite number of spaces. However, according to Victorine, the way they’ve mitigated a repeat of the last parking crisis, despite an increase of students, is the expansion of parking that started back in 2009.

The decisions to build the garages and increase parking was looked at by a parking committee and studied extensively. Now, even with parking lots on North becoming busy on Mondays and Wednesdays, the director of UCAPS and former UMass student of nine years observes these better times.

Victorine says, “I challenge anyone when they say, ‘Oh, we’re paying for parking - why isn’t it guaranteed?’ It is guaranteed - you might just have to park farther away. You get into the flow of things.”

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

Page 4

September 15, 2015

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ‘E is for Elephant: The Etchings of Edward Gorey’ Jacob Boucher

Photo courtesy of Jacob Boucher

Connector Contributor

On South Campus this month, there is an amazing opportunity for students and teachers alike in Mahoney Hall’s University Gallery. The work of Edward Gorey, an artist renowned for his Victorian-esque, darkly humorous pen and paper style of art, is on display in the exhibit “E is for Elephant: The Etchings of Edward Gorey.” Free to enter, the gallery boasts work from the last decade of Gorey’s life. Gorey passed away in 2000, but his work lives on in this expertly arranged display of some of his finest work.

The display was put together by UMass Dartmouth’s James Edwards, the Curator of this gallery, alongside UMass Lowell’s gallery coordinator and put on by the Department of Art & Design.

When asked “What makes Edward Gorey special and his work significant?” Gallery Coordinator Deborah Santoro replied that his book illustrations were especially fascinating and described his work as having a “Victorian style” with a “creepy edge.”

Gorey worked almost exclusively in black and white, with occasional bursts of color and he focused mostly on animals and children in his art, though he occasionally deviated. Gorey’s early work is often found in book form, in a sort of parody of children’s books. In what is likely his most famous book, “The Gashlycrumb Tinies” (1963), Gorey explores the alphabet, as many children’s books do, but does so with toddlers who meet a premature demise. For example, the letter “I” stands for Ida, a child who drowned: and who could forget the shocking image accompanying the sentence “K

Edward Gorey’s exhibit will remain in Mahoney Hall until Oct. 16

is for Kate who was struck with an axe.” This same art style was applied to the intro sequence for “PBS Mystery!” some years ago, which wildly popular with its dark themes, but charm and poise as well.

Most of the work featured in the exhibit was not created in his characteristic pen-and-paper style, but were made with etchings and prints he was fond of using toward the end of his career As the name of the exhibit may suggest, many of the prints are different interpretations of or take inspiration from the elephant. Edward Gorey was an animal lover, especially of elephants and cats which he would incorporate into his work. Gorey championed animal rights movements and donated to a number through

his will, including an elephant sanctuary. The majority of the exhibit displays his etch-and-print style elephants, in various poses and with different art styles applied.

The gallery itself contains a number of his works, all of which are worth a look. Around the room there are a number of mediums to show his body of work. In the main room there are prints on every wall, as well as a life-size cut-out of the character Gorey based on himself. In the center of the room lies the etchings used to print, as well as concepts and thumbnails Gorey used to get his finished products. On the back-left wall is a television showing pictures of Gorey’s house, now turned into a living memorial to the man and his art.

To the right of that is a small reading area, where attendees can read some of his most popular books.

In the next rooms are more prints, including his graceful Figbash character and an elephant-human hybrid known as Elephantômas. In this room is also a computer, running on a loop the spectacularly designed and amazingly popular introduction and exit scenes for “PBS Mystery!”

To accompany the exhibit there will be a talk given by the collection’s curator, Edwards. He will be talking about Gorey and his work in O’Leary Library room 222 on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 5:30 p.m.

After the discussion there will be a reception in the University Gallery in Mahoney Hall from 6:30 p.m.

– 8 p.m. If you have not yet visited this beautiful collection, you have not missed your chance yet! The exhibit will remain open until Oct. 16.

‘Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’ review

►Continued from front page

Now, nine years wiser and with revenge on the mind, the Boss is ready to rebuild his private army one more time and fight Cipher. Without giving anything away, the story this time around is noticeably weaker compared to previous installments, with pacing issues galore and far too much important information relegated to optional audio diaries rather than brought to light through character interaction. The game still has its fair share of standout sequences, including an opening which ranks among the best video game openings of all time, but it is nonetheless disappointing to find a series that prides itself so much on storytelling to fall flat here.

It is a good thing that gameplay is more than prepared to pick up the slack. “Metal Gear” has never felt more fun to play thanks to a newly revamped control scheme, smart level design and a retooled set of abilities that give the player more options than ever before. For the first time in the series, every mission takes place within an open world environment that leaves the player to come at their objective in any way they see fit, whether that be sneaking by the enemy unnoticed, killing everything in sight with reckless abandon, or anything in between.

This renewed freedom in the level design allows for a whole suite of crazy water-cooler moments that you would normally expect from the latest “Far Cry” games, but enhanced with the signature over the top insanity of “Metal Gear” and an excellent attention to detail.

Enhancing this “do it however you want to” mentality is the brand new base management mechanics. During missions, the player is given a limited supply of Fulton Extraction balloons, which they can use to kidnap soldiers off of the battlefield and recruit them into your personal private army, The Diamond Dogs. Once they have been convinced to

join your army (through methods which are, hilari- times, the game can be played in an offline mode ously, never actually explained), you can then assign which alleviates these issues. them to various departments depending on their It speaks to just how excellent “Metal Gear Solid personal skills, with each of these departments as- V: The Phantom Pain” is that, even though it fails sisting you on missions, from developing new weap- to deliver the compelling story that most people ons and equipment to providing on-site assistance would expect from the final game in a franchise that via supply drops and bombing runs. Not only does built itself on its narrative, it is still without a doubt this mechanic consistently keep gameplay fresh one of the best games to be released this year. This with new options given to the player every step of game is an obvious labor of love from start to finish, the way, it also preserves the series’ reputation as a with a slavish attention to detail, an uncompromisstealth franchise by incentivizing the player to kill as ing amount of content to experience, and gameplay few enemies as possible, since each soldier you kill that serves as the benchmark for all stealth games is one less you can forcibly recruit. It also helps that to come. While it probably won’t be the fan favorite attaching a balloon to an unconscious guard’s back of the series, it is unquestionably the best. You are and watching as they shoot into the sky screaming pretty good, Kojima. You are pretty good. bloody murder never stops being hilarious.

What is doubly impressive about “The Phantom Pain” is the extensive amount of quality content available, which far eclipses the offerings of previous games in the series. As of this review, I have put about 30 to 35 hours into the game, which includes completing the main story, engaging in multiple side quests, and building the Diamond Dogs into a staff of 400 soldiers, and even now my total completion percentage (which is displayed for all to see on the game’s main menu) has yet to crack 40% of the content on offer. Further increasing the activities on offer are the ability to replay completed missions with optional objectives, a massive epilogue that concludes the stories of the game’s main cast, an optional multiplayer mode involving the invasion of other player’s military bases to steal their resources, and a full-fledged competitive multiplayer mode set to be released to all owners of the game this October. While, unfortunately, the online portion of Photo courtesy of Konami Digital Entertainment the game has, as of this review, been fairly unstable “MGSV” is the first game in the series to feature openand has caused multiple glitches and longer loading world environments.

September 15, 2015

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

Page 5

CAMPUS LIFE

Greek week ends big with open skate at Tsongas ►Continued from front page

“It was a good event. It was a different event. We’ve never done it before, but it went well.

We just kind of went with it,” said Murray.

While the Open Skate signaled the end of Greek Week, that doesn’t mean the organizations will not be busy in the future. “Next week, we’re doing an informational where people can come and learn,” said Murray.

“We’ll start it off with information about Greek Life at UMass Lowell now, and then we’re going to break off into groups so the girls can go to the sororities and they can learn about each organization, and the same for the guys.”

The informational is not only a place to learn about the or-

ganization for you, but also to meet others from other organizations. “Just because you’re in one organization doesn’t mean you can’t have friends in another, and we want to make sure that we’re showing people that right off the bat,” said Murray.

Murray was pleased to see the increase in attendance at these events. “I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we do a lot of on campus events. Last year, we did the Up Till Dawn event which we got a lot of publicity for.” Up Till Dawn is a charity event sponsored by St. Jude’s Hospital. Greek Life will be participating in this event this year as well.

“I’ve heard a lot of people say that their view of Greek Life has changed,” said Murray.

The line for skates was long as many students brought their friends to skate.

“Just because you’re in one organization doesn’t mean you can’t have friends in another.”

All photos by Evanthia Tully/Connector

Much swag was unleashed at the Tsongas Center.

Thankfully, there weren’t many wipeouts during this year’s Open Skate.

Return of the ‘Yik Yak Attack’ Henry St. Pierre Connector Staff

Yik Yak is an app dedicated to letting college students post whatever they want (okay, mostly everything they want.) College students tend to conjure up funny, sometimes disturbing, always entertaining thoughts, mainly a reflection of the college experience. UMass Lowell Yik Yak users find strange commonalities through using anonymity as a stepping stone and shield. Whether to use the anonymity for good or evil is a decision up to the user.

The UMass Lowell Yik Yak game has built a reputation of being strong. Last year, UMass Lowell was even mentioned in a USA Today article as one campus at which Yik Yak was building steam and blowing up. That’s all thanks to you, fellow students.

Posts on Yik Yak can make you shake your head in disgust, scratch your head in confusion, have a short chuckle, or make you want to put your phone down, go to sleep and try life again tomorrow. I had the not-so-difficult duty of scrolling through

the UMass Lowell Yik Yak feed and picking out especially-entertaining posts to show just how cool UMass Lowell students are. Here they are, in no particular order. If your post is on the list, relish your anonymous fame because once it’s on the Internet it’s never disappearing. This is week one of Yik Yak Attack, 2015-2016.

Also, I copy the posts word-for-word, grammatical error-for-grammatical error. You have been warned.

“There was no worse feeling today then watching a biker hit a kid knocking his phone out of his hands and off the bridge walking to north campus…”

“Girl just replied to my text from a week ago with ‘sorry I was sleeping’ #wellplayed” “I brushed hands with a hot guy on the shuttle today.. I guess my question now is where do we stand??”

“Just did the impossible, took the elevator from floor 18 to 1 without stopping” “‘Every kiss begins with k’ I whisper to myself as I read the one letter reply from my crush” “8 AMs and funerals are similar in the sense that both make me wonder when I’m going to die.”

“Professors forcing students to buy a textbook that they wrote is the college equivalent of ‘check out my mixtape fam’” “When it rains Friday it’s gonna be like the movie Holes on campus” “The mill girls didn’t die for us to have iffy campus transportation”

September 15, 2015

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

Page 7

SPORTS The future of Fenway’s fresh young faces looks bright Benjamin St. Pierre Connector Staff

The 2015 Boston Red Sox are not going to make the playoffs. They have not yet been mathematically eliminated, but with there being less than a month’s worth of games remaining and the team being seven games back from the second Wild Card spot, it would take nothing short of a miracle for the Sox to be playing October baseball.

But from the way they have been playing recently, with contributions from every player, position and pitcher, you would not be able to tell.

On Aug. 14, manager John Farrell announced that he would be leaving the team to treat his stage I lymphoma and bench coach Torey Lovullo would be stepping in as interim manager. Since then, the Sox have played to a 16-9 record. That is not a mark that jumps off the page as spectacular, but a winning percentage of .640 far surpasses, and even almost makes up for, the losses that were piling up previously.

Perhaps the boys possess a flair that was not seen prior to Farrell’s departure - they seem to be playing for their

leader and friend. Or perhaps they are just playing the winning baseball many expected from them before the season had begun.

It feels like a different season now, as anybody who continues to watch the games can attest to. The kids are not just alright, they are smashing.

Jackie Bradley, Jr., once an enigmatic player known for his magnificent

adjustments and a lot of hard work have resulted in his recent run of explosiveness.

Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts have continued to hit at the pace they have demonstrated all season, and Blake Swihart and Rusney Castillo are swinging the bat similarly well. Travis Shaw’s Fenway annihilation continually leaves fans in awe. David Ortiz

Photo courtesy of Ron Fortier, Airship 27

Xander Bogaerts will play a huge role for the Red Sox moving forward.

glove and minor league hitting success, had struggled in his first few big league seasons. However, offseason

is hitting like his timeless self, finally joining the 500 home run club. Even Joe Kelly and Rick Porcello, both

having vastly underperformed lofty expectations, have turned around to show better control, poise and overall winning demeanors.

This team is currently at the bottom of the A.L. East, vying for fourth place alongside the Baltimore Orioles.

It would take a lot more wins to get to even third place, never mind the postseason. But what the Red Sox are showing right now is that this will be a very good team, not only in 2016, but for years beyond.

General manager Ben Cherington, who was replaced by incomer Dave Dombrowksi, set up a lot of the pieces of this team; it will be Dombrowski’s job in the offseason to bolster it, both by prudent acquisitions like free agents, frontline pitching and via addition by subtraction – whatever it takes to keep the Betts, Bradley, Castillo outfield, to restructure the bullpen, and to solidify the rotation.

Winning is not impossible; it has been happening. This is an oft-stated cliché for young teams, but you can watch the Sox any game and know that the future is now, and a bright one at that.

River Hawks fall to Lafayette 1-0 ►Continued from front page

Although Lafayette was able to make the adjustments they needed to get back in the game, both teams played tenaciously for the rest of the way. UMass Lowell won a moral victory by showing that they can play effectively with teams sporting winning records. Lafayette is now 4-1.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway for the coaching staff was that the River Hawks recovered after a somewhat tumultuous first half, while sustaining their intensity level for the entire game.

key moments in previous games.

When asked for his thoughts about the reason for this surge in productivity, Coach Bancroft said, “I think that it’s the chemistry of the personnel that’s playing. We made some changes late in the Holy Cross game, putting in younger players who hadn’t really been given a shot, and we allowed them to play a little more today. They played with a little more bite, with a little more sense of urgency.”

Sophomore forward Shannon Groffie (3 shots) showed leadership; rais-

players on the injured list. River Hawk Captain and senior back Colleen Corliss went down with an injury five minutes into the game.

Freshman midfielder Maddie Walsh (3 shots) helped compensate as she caught fire, playing with grit and abandon while sparking her teammates. As a result, the River Hawks began to band together, keeping the ball in the Lafayette end for much of the second half.

When asked about the impact of the loss of key players, Coach Bancroft responded, “You don’t replace a player like Rachel Shannon, so we had to adjust. We overcame a lot of adversity, but not enough to get a result.”

“...I think that the schedule we put together being so strong is going to prepare us well for what looks to be a very strong America East schedule.”

George DeLuca/Connector Freshman midfielder Isabelle Marquez dribbles past a Lafayette defender.

The team’s drop in energy level and lack of a sense of urgency has been a troubling factor in previous defeats, as they seemed to have trouble with stamina, running out of steam during

ing the level of her game as injuries took two key players for Lowell. Unfortunately, starting sophomore midfielder Rachel Morrier, who has three goals so far this year, was one of those

UMass Lowell now goes on the road for four games, facing Wagner, Bryant, Central Connecticut and Dartmouth before returning to Cushing Field to face Quinnipiac on Monday, Sept. 28.

After the road trip, the River Hawks

will then end their season with eight consecutive games against conference opponents. The squad will attempt to improve their 2-5-1 record that they posted against America East rivals in the 2014 campaign. The River Hawks will hopefully use this road trip to get some momentum heading into their conference play.

Bancroft said, “Those are the games that if you weigh one versus the other, every team has to do well in their conference because that’s how you gain entrance into the NCAA tournament…I think that the schedule we put together being so strong is going to prepare us well for what looks to be a very strong America East schedule.”

Bancroft was pleased with his team’s performance, and he was hopeful that the team’s progress and momentum will carry forward. “I thought we worked really hard, and if we continue to work at that level, things are going to change in the wins and loss column.”

Page 8

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

September 15, 2015

SPORTS

River Hawks win tournament finale vs. Quinnipiac in five sets UMass Lowell Athletics

LOWELL, Mass. -- Junior middle blocker Lauren Bennett (Wilmington, Mass.) registered a career-high 18 kills to lead the River Hawk Volleyball team to a 3-2 win against Quinnipiac in the finale of the UMass Lowell Invitational on Saturday night at the Costello Athletic Center.

The set scores were 25-20, 1125, 25-19, 17-25 and 15-5.

The River Hawks improved to a 1-10 overall record on the season, while Quinnipiac fell to 1-9 on the season. UMass Lowell lost the first match of the day to Holy Cross (3-0) with set scores of 16-25, 21-25 and 12-25.

Bennett finished the match vs. the Bobcats with a .424 hitting percentage and two blocks. Bennett was named to the UMass Lowell Invitational All-Tournament Team in helping UMass Lowell to its first win of the season. Freshman middle blocker Lade Adeniyi (Springfield, Ill.) amassed a career-high 12 kills with a .348 hitting percentage,

while freshman outside hitter Haley Shimon (Des Moines, Iowa) also made it into double figures with 11 kills.

Mass Lowell scored nine straight points in the deciding set off strong serving from freshman outside hitter Erica Cappellino (Penfield, N.Y) who posted three service aces in that stretch. Co-Captain Rachel Arnason (Kelowna, B.C.) closed out the match with a service ace of her own to help seal the win

for the River Hawks, while posting a career and match-high 16 digs.

In the early match vs. the Crusaders, Arnason, Bennett and Masha Yelsukova (Santa Clara, Calif.) each notched six kills apiece.

The River Hawks return to action on Friday, September 18th for a 10 a.m. tilt against Mississippi Valley State in their opening match of the UAB Invitational.

AMHERST, Mass. – The UMass Lowell field hockey team (4-1) battled from behind to tie the score twice before conceding a goal in the final five minutes to Massachusetts (3-2) in a hard-fought, 4-3 setback on Friday afternoon.

“Overall, this was a competitive game from start to finish,” said Head Coach Shannon Hlebichuk. “We finished on most of our opportunities, but we had a couple of silver platters handed to us that we didn’t take care of early on that I think would have changed the result of the game. UMass had a little bit of a break to put two goals in late, but we came back and fought really hard to tie it up. If we had five more minutes in the game, I think maybe we could have taken it to overtime.”

Senior Jessica Walsh (North Easton, Mass.) paced the River Hawks with one goal and one assist for a career-high three points in the outing. Junior Georgia Cowderoy (Ashmore, Queensland, Australia) and freshman Torrie Huk (Milford, Del.) added one goal each, while sophomore Christa Doiron (Worcester, Mass.) tallied a personal-best two assists.

Sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Federico (Windham, N.H.) recorded seven stops in the perfor-

River Hawk Games Thursday, Sept. 17

3 pm

WSOC at. Bryant

Friday, Sept. 18

3 pm

Field Hockey at. Hofstra

Friday, Sept. 18

10 am WVB at. Miss. Valley St.

Friday, Sept 18

2 pm

WVB at. UAB

Friday, Sept. 18

7 pm

MSOC vs. Hartwick

Saturday, Sept. 19

12 am

WVB at. Jacksonville St.

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

Men’s soccer takes down Buffalo 2-0 Hannah Manning Connector Contributer

George DeLuca/Connector

Lauren Bennett played a key role in the River Hawks victory.

River Hawks battle back, but fall in final minutes at UMass 4-3 UMass Lowell Athletics

U P C OM I N G

mance, as well. trol of the momentum and The Minutewomen took an threatened with two consecuearly, 1-0 lead just over five min- tive chances before Cowderoy utes into play when Izzy Delar- was able to fire home a slap shot io gained control of the ball on on a corner with assists from a breakaway and sent a reverse senior Annie Villare (Chelmschip high into the cage. The Riv- ford, Mass.) and Doiron. UMaer Hawks were quick to retali- ss Lowell’s offense continued to ate, however, converting on their attack and was able to tie the first corner opportunity of the game once again, this time at day less than three minutes later, 3-3 on a deflection by Huk with as Doiron inserted the ball to se- 9:50 remaining. nior Sophie Watt (Sawtell, AusSarah Hawkshaw registered tralia) for the stick stop at the the go-ahead goal and what top of the circle to set up Walsh would become the eventual for the hard shot on target. game-winner for the MinuteFederico was tested by the women on a shot that found the home squad over the next sever- far right corner with just 4:13 al minutes, but the keeper made left to play. four consecutive stops, includFriday’s contest marked the ing a pair of great kick saves third meeting between UMass to preserve the 1-1 stalemate. Lowell and UMass Amherst, UMass Lowell would force a who have squared off annually corner in the waning seconds of for the Kennedy Cup since 2013. the half, but could not get a shot The Minutewomen now lead the off, keeping the tied score intact all-time series, 3-0. The River at the break.

Hawks continue their four-game UMass Amherst scored twice road swing on Sunday, Sept. 13 on corners in the first seven min- with a 1 p.m. tilt at Brown. utes of the second half to pull ahead, 3-1. Melanie Kreusch struck first for the home team, while Shauna Rankin-Byrne followed with a goal of her own.

The River Photo courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics Hawks took con- Senior Jessica Walsh makes a pass.

The River Hawks held up a red towel that the Bulls could not keep up with.

UMass Lowell’s men’s soccer team extended its season record to 3-2 with a hard-fought win over Buffalo on Friday night at Cushing Field.

The River Hawks homegrown talent, freshman midfielder Edward Venta-Yepes of Lowell, Mass. opened scoring in the nineteenth minute with an unassisted goal. Venta-Yepes gathered the ball off of a blocked shot, and it propelled past goalkeeper Cameron Hogg with a devastating strike.

It was not only a relief for UMass Lowell, but also a personal milestone for Venta-Yepes.

The goal was the first of hopefully many in his career as a River Hawk.

The win, however, did not come without conflict. Tensions heightened between the two teams, which culminated in a few scuffles and words being exchanged in the first half. A total of twelve fouls were committed in the opening half; seven of those were by UMass Lowell.

“The guys just have to mature and stay calm with the game plan,” said head coach Christian Figueroa.

Figueroa said that it was the team’s goal to elude Buffalo’s offense and to be more aggres-

sive in spots where that would be needed. This showed in the second half, where play was more focused around each team’s offensive zone rather than center field.

Augusto Trento of Leominster, Mass. extended the lead for UMass Lowell fifty minutes into the game with his first goal of the year.

A shot by Buffalo’s Dylan Cope eighty minutes in nearly shrunk UMass Lowell’s lead to one. Fortunately for the River Hawks, the ball rocketed off the crossbar.

Austin Kroll of Baltimore, Md. definitively saved his shutout by making a sprawling save across the goal with six minutes left in the second half. It was Kroll’s third shutout of the young season, and it was a sign of the goalies’ growing confidence in net.

The River Hawks were definitely pleased to record their second consecutive victory. The squad opened their four game home stand with the best possible outcome they could have hoped for.

The team now faces Canisus on Sunday Sept. 13 and prepares for two home games against Hartwick and Bryant this week.