Tuition increase impacts students this year â–ş Page 3
THE UMASS LOWELL
Serving the Student Body Since 1976
September 6, 2016
Jacquie Moloney: ‘God knows we need your help’
In This Issue
Shane Foley
Frank Ocean releases ‘Blond’
Connector Editor
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Top five clubs to join
â–ş Page 6 Field hockey goes to double overtime
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Final River Hawk Scores Team
Score
Overall Record
Volleyball vs. Holy Cross
W 3-0 3-3
Volleyball vs. Fairfield
L 3-1
Men’s Soccer vs. Seton Hall
W 1-0 3-0
Field Hockey vs. Miami (OH)
L 4-3
2-3
1-1
Get full on ‘Sausage Party’ Benjamin St. Pierre and Henry St. Pierre Connector Staff
A rated-R animated film is something unheard of to most moviegoers, and to the film industry itself, especially in an animation style akin to Pixar movies. That’s exactly what Seth Rogen and company were aiming for: a Pixar-style film that is completely unlike any other animated film in every way imaginable. The premise of the innuendo-laden “Sausage Party� revolves around a group of anthropomorphic foodstuffs and grocery store items desiring to be “chosen,� or picked up by the human customers and taken out of the store to the “Great Beyond.� The food refers to the human shoppers as gods, and every morning in the store, the food sings praise to the gods, unknowingly wishing for their own demises. Everything changes when Honey Mustard returns from the Great Beyond and reveals that, in actuality, the Great Beyond is where the grocery store items go to die. The film’s protagonist, a hot dog named Frank (voiced by Rogen) comes to believe what Honey Mustard says, despite the rest of the store being reluctant in accepting it. Frank sets out on a journey to get proof of the Great Beyond being nonexistent, and in the process finds characters and plot
The day before classes began, the incoming freshman and transfer class filled the seats of the Tsongas Center for the university’s 11th inaugural convocation. This edition of the prestigious event, however, was the first in which Jacqueline Moloney welcomed the new students to River Hawk Nation as chancellor of UMass Lowell. The speech that Moloney delivered earned much aplomb from the attendees and fit perfectly in the company of many more poignant anecdotes from the podium. Associate Vice Chancellor Larry Siegel gave a lovely introduction to the new chancellor to begin
George DeLuca/Connector
Chancellor Jacquie Moloney addresses the class of new students at Convocation.
the morning. Moloney’s speech was followed by words from class president James Christopher, a thought/laughter provoking speech from keynote speaker Corey
Ciocchetti, the DifferenceMaker contest, and a message from athletics in that order. Moloney began her speech with a customary “good morning,� and
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River Hawks’ patience pays off with overtime win Hannah Manning Connector Editor
Though it took nearly ninety-eight minutes, the River Hawks held onto their spotless season record thanks to a clutch goal by senior mid Wulito Fernandes. With the 1-0 victory, goalkeeper Austin Kroll earned his fifteenth career shutout, which is fourth all time for
UMass Lowell men’s soccer. The game crept to a standstill after ninety minutes. Despite having handfuls of scoring chances, neither team could capitalize on any of them. After the end of the first half, UMass Lowell and Seton Hall were tied in shots at six apiece. Seton Hall had to fend off four River Hawk shots, but Kroll didn’t need
â–ş See “Sausage Party,â€? page 4
Sections News.............................3 Campus Life..................6 A&E.............................. 4 Sports........................... 8
then, as if she knew the audience was recovering from an earlier wake up time, repeated the “good morning� and garnered heavy applause. She had
Jessica Kergo/Connector Matt Dwyer/Connector
Shirtless Wuilito Fernandes celebrates his overtime game-winning goal.
to make a save for the entire game. In fact, Seton Hall’s most legitimate scoring chance came when a shot careened off of the River Hawks’ crossbar. The rebound of that shot went just wide, to the joy of the 600-some River Hawk fans in attendance. Frustration was apparent in Pirates and River Hawks alike; after one of several wide shots, a Seton Hall player raised his hands in the air in disbelief. Before his game-winning goal, Fernandes had a thrilling scoring chance when he intercepted a Seton Hall pass and made a shot that went just wide of the post. He also had a diving header that flew just past the right post. The rest of the squad had a few chances as well, the most notable two taking place within the final minute of regulation seconds after one another. It was a game filled with fouls, with Seton Hall committing the most sins at 14. UMass Lowell wasn’t out of the clear, however, as they had ten fouls themselves. Seton Hall did one-up them by getting ► See �Men’s soccer,� page 8
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September 6, 2016
OPINIONS & EDITORIALS Sit for what you believe in Alexander J. Salucco Connector Editor
Like Colin Kaepernick scrambling, staying away from political topics is something that I do best. In this case, the different layers led me to the multitude of problems that I have with the way he, and his decision, have been scrutinized. In a time where athletes speaking out on social issues is seldom seen, enough has clearly become enough.
Tom Pennington/ Getty Images
Colin Kaepernick
While waiting for a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers to start, instead of standing during the playing of the national anthem, he sat in protest. He cited the ongoing struggle with police brutality and the oppression of African-Americans as his reasoning. ‘He is not even black’ If you look at a family photo of the Kaepernicks, you will see his parents, Rick and Teresa Kaepernick, and his siblings, Kyle and Devon – this is the family that adopted him. That took me 15 seconds to research, but I guess those who use this ignorant argument do not have that kind of time. It turns out Colin’s birth father is African-American, left the side of his mother before his birth and his identity is unknown to Kaepernick.
It is sad that I am not surprised that instead of acknowledging the problem at hand, these people are attacking him. ‘I fought for the anthem’ You also fought for free speech, and now you are criticizing him for using it? Sure, it is your first amendment right to not agree with him, but it is just as much his first amendment right to take a stand (seat) and express his feelings on the situation. For all of the tweets calling out Kap for being “Un-American,� there are just as many using the hashtag #VeteransForKaepernick – women and men, black and white, all defending Kaepernick’s decision. ‘He is sending the wrong message’
Just because he is not a role model for what you stand for, it does not make his beliefs any less important than yours. Thinking differently scares people – but that is just one of the many reasons this country is so great. Donald Trump has built his campaign on making “America great again,� and his followers are eating it up. Colin Kaepernick is showing how America has flaws and things need to change. He is being crucified. What is so wrong about the message that Kaepernick is sending? Did he break any laws? Did he incite any riots? Maybe all he did was show people that it is okay to disagree in this country. ‘I sacrificed so people like him do not have to’ Of course you did – and it is a shame that Kaepernick felt
Dear UMass Lowell, Serving the Student Body Since 1976
UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR
EDITORIAL BOARD MARLON PITTER Editor-In-Chief
KATRINA DESROSIERS Copy Editor OPEN Web Manager
Alexander J. Salucco is The Connector’s multimedia director.
Welcome to a new year!
THE UMASS LOWELL
COLE FITZGERALD Managing Editor
that he had to this. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League baseball in 1947 and endured years of torment just so the players after him would not have to. Rosa Parks decided to sit in 1955 to create change so the oppression of future African-Americans would come to an end. Robinson, Parks and Kaepernick were all fighting for what they believe in – just like the men and women who serve our country. What makes me sick to my stomach is the possible reality of this issue never being solved. Kaepernick should not have had to do what he did and I should not have had to write this, but it is 2016 and we are still here.
OPEN Operations Manager
TAYLOR CARITO News Editor HANNAH MANNING Sports Editor
GEORGE DELUCA Photo Editor
SHANE FOLEY Campus Life Editor
ALEXA HYDE DAN RAFFERTY Social Media Managers
JEN DESROSIERS BRENDAN JACQUES Arts & Entertainment Editors
On behalf of The Connector, I am proud to welcome you back to another year of news coverage from your student newspaper. I return to the helm as editor-in-chief dedicated to serving the student body with objective and interesting coverage of the issues facing UMass Lowell and the surrouding area. That said, I look forward to another exciting year at the university. Now that opening week has concluded and we’re settling back into classes,
we can all look forward to executive academic leadership from new provost Michael Vayda, the final year of the River Hawks’ Division I transition, excellent programming and activities from our various clubs and student organizations, and more. We look forward to covering this campus every step of the way, and we look forward to having you as readers. Sincerely, Marlon Pitter Editor-in-Chief
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Email | Connector@uml.edu Website | www.UMLConnector.com Phone | 978.934.5017 ext. 45017 Address | University Crossing, Room 241 220 Pawtucket St. Lowell, MA 01854
General: The UMass Lowell Connector is a non-profit student public forum serving the University of Massachusetts Lowell community. The paper is published weekly and distributed to the university community every Tuesday. Business hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please be aware that members of the University community are entitled to free newspapers. Please take one! All UMass Lowell students, regardless of major, are invited to join the Connector staff. Interested students should contact an editor or manager listed above, or visit the Connector Office in University Crossing 241. Advertising: The UMass Lowell Connector advertisements reach an estimated 16,000 UMass Lowell students--their friends and families. To tap this group of
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www.UMLConnector.com The Connector meets every Monday at 6 p.m. in University Crossing 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
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September 6, 2016
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NEWS UMass schools’ tuition increase for 2016-2017 year Taylor Carito Connector Editor
The UMass board of trustees meeting in July marked a pivotal moment for all UMass students. After two consecutive years of having the tuition remain stagnant, the board of trustees voted to increase the tuition and fees for all UMass schools. The meeting, which took place at the UMass medical school in Worcester, consisted of the 17 board members and the five student trustees. The way the student trustee system works, however, only allows two of the five students to vote per meeting. UMass Lowell’s student trustee, Lindy Reed, was fortunate enough to attend the meeting and have a vote to raise or freeze tuition. Voting to increase or freeze tuition takes place on a year-to-year basis, and due to the current political climate in Massachusetts and less funding from the state, the UMass system now faces a deficit. Having a deficit essentially means the UMass system received less money from the state. How much money and funding the schools acquire is deter-
mined on a year-to-year basis as well, which is why the trustees have to vote to freeze or raise tuition. As a result, the vast majority of the trustees voted in favor to raise tuition and fees in order to relieve the deficit and have hopes of the decision helping the students in the future. Reed stood firmly with what she has always promised even before she became Student Trustee: that she would vote to freeze tuition. “Unfortunately eleven of the members of the board voted for the increase, and myself and one other member voted against it. So…that’s not even close to the majority vote. And I got the feeling that most trustees already had their minds made up [beforehand],” Reed said in regards to the results, “It’s hard to fight a battle when it’s you versus an entire board that most likely won’t vote the same way.” The tuition and fees for UMass Lowell was increased by $780 for in-state students, now totaling $14,307. For out-of-state students, tuition and fees was increased exponentially higher by $1,650 making the total cost $30,875 for them.
“When you look at other state schools, we are on the lower end of the price range. Which is kinda disappointing to me, that this is the new norm,” Reed said. This increase is part of a plan to relieve the deficit for all UMass campuses in hopes to provide funds as the school year advances. Many budgets have been cut thus far, but with the increase it has the intention of rebuilding lost funds and ultimately benefiting students in the long run. UMass Lowell has decided to make tuition higher and fees lower on students’ bills in order to allocate the money more accordingly that will benefit everyone on campus. Unfortunately, tuition and fees will never be expected to decrease. As the fiscal year progresses, the student body can only hope that by the Board of Trustees meeting in July 2017, the UMass campuses have adequate funding and means to vote to freeze the already high tuition and fees for students.
New students welcomed to “River Hawk Nation” ► Continued from front page
also mentioned to the crowd that she was not funny, saying that her father used to tell her, “if you’re telling a joke, wave your hands so we know.” This was followed by a moment of irony when she got the crowd to laugh with much of her next remarks. The chancellor certainly knew how to engage an audience. Moloney also encouraged the incoming scholars to be involved in their communities. She stressed the importance of “doing good while doing well.” In adherence to
this initiative, she announced the granting of one million dollars to start up the Donahue Center for Business Ethics. “God knows we need your help,” said Moloney. After the chancellor’s speech, Student Government Association President James Christopher then took the stage. He stressed the importance of the event that followed Convocation, namely Club Fair. Christopher related that he would not be at the place he was now if he didn’t not pursue his interest and got involved in SGA.
Christopher was followed by keynote speaker, Corey Ciocchetti, the author of “Real Rabbits: Chasing an Authentic Life.” It seemed like he only had the audience in one of two emotions; laughter or deep thought. Through his hilarious and sobering account of his first year working for a materialistic law firm, Ciocchetti called the attendees to consider what it means to be really happy. He argued that material objects could not substitute authentic happiness. He also encouraged the au-
dience to embark on a career that they were invested in, as opposed to one only for monetary purposes. “Thinkers run the world, and memorizers work for thinkers,” said Ciocchetti. On the tails of Ciocchetti’s popular speech came the DifferenceMaker contest. Here, three teams were asked to develop a new device or idea that would benefit the greater community in some fashion. The audience then got the opportunity to vote for which idea would be awarded a monetary grant. The voting
resulted in a landslide victory for Peter Larsen and eNable Lowell to make low cost prosthetics for children with limb differences. The festivities ended with a message from Dana Skinner and the athletics department. He treated the crowd to a video about the hockey program which even included a Star Wars inspired opening crawl. The program then ended with a singing of “River Hawk Pride.”
George DeLuca/Connector
University of Denver Professor Corey Ciocchetti gives noteworthy advice to the incoming class of new students at Convocation.
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September 6, 2016
September 6, 2016
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
‘Deus Ex: Mankind Divided:’ We asked for this Brendan Jacques Connector Editor
For those unaware, the “Deus Ex” saga is a series of first-person stealth role-playing games set in a near-future world designed to evoke the classic sci-fi film “Blade Runner” with an added black and gold aesthetic (ironic for a series that lets the player “have it their way”). In this world, robotics technology has advanced far enough to allow those who can afford it to “augment” themselves with powerful robotic enhancements, such as robotic arms that can punch through concrete or brain enhancements that improve intelligence and reaction time. The possibilities from a gameplay perspective basically write themselves, but the story is more concerned with showing how society would be affected by this kind of technology, or rather how society is likely to change when this technology comes to exist. “Deus Ex: Mankind Divided”, the newest game in the series and direct sequel to 2012’s “Deus Ex: Human Revolution”, stars series protagonist Adam Jensen, an augmented super-soldier working as a double agent in Task Force 29, a UN task force created to track down a pro-augmentation terrorist group called A.R.C. At the same time however, Jensen is working on his own to try and expose the members of the Illuminati, who have been orchestrating a series of recent terrorist attacks to their advantage. Without giving too much away, the story of the game is well done for the most part. The “Deus Ex” series has always done better with creating a believable world than writing a gripping story, and that mostly holds true with this entry as well. Despite its prominence and the world-altering implications behind it, the main story is mostly used as an excuse for guiding the player through steadily more inter-
esting hubs filled with infinitely more developed side quests. Which is a perfectly fine approach to take, but it does lead to a main story that feels weirdly have baked. Thankfully the story still manages to be compelling thanks to an excellent attention to detail and some truly wonderful world-building. The majority of the game is centered around the hub city of Prague, which despite its more compact size is absolutely bursting with side quests and secrets to uncover. And in a stroke of genius, the game is able to keep this area consistently fresh by changing the activities available based on what’s going on in the main story as well as the time of day itself, making the city feel far more alive than you’d initially expect. It also helps that Prague is the perfect backdrop for the first-person stealth action that the “Deus Ex” series is known for. After a brief introduction, the game gives the player total control over which augmentations Jensen has access to and how they evolve, allowing the player to build him to fit whatever playstyle suits them best or for whatever the situation calls for. While stealth is still the game’s genre of choice and there’s plenty of options for building the ultimate cybernetic ninja (temporary invisibility, the ability to see guards through walls, etc.), it’s entirely possible to play the game as a more tactical first-person shooter. And the game doesn’t discourage or punish the player for choosing either playstyle; in fact, the game’s systems are flexible enough to allow for a good amount of improvisation and mixing playstyles together. For example, it’s entirely possible to break into the center of a heavily-guarded bank by slipping past the guards unnoticed, escape from the building by leaving a trail of blood and bullets in your wake, then vanish into an alleyway before the cops can catch up.
Connector Staff
Photo courtesy of Square Enix
“Deus Ex: Mankind Divided” is the fourth entry in the series, which began back in 2000.
tion are admirable, and it does lead to some interesting moral quandaries regarding how society tends to treat minorities in real life, but unfortunately the attempt falls mostly flat. Besides the fact that the world of “Deus Ex” isn’t really designed to accommodate an allegory on racism, the game also attempts to link the plight of augmented people in the story to 1960s segregation laws and the recent Black Lives Matter movement, which ends up feeling strangely insensitive and wrong-headed for a game that gets so much else with its world right. Even with that oversight, as well as some smaller issues that derail the experience at times, “Deus Ex: Mankind Divided” is a great sequel that gets far more right than it gets wrong. If you’re at all interested, the game is available on PC, Xbox One and PS4 for $60. If you’re new to the “Deus Ex” series though, it’s highly recommended you play the previous game, “Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director’s Cut” first. While it isn’t required to understand the plot of this game, it’s still best to play it if you want to get the most out of the main story. That game is available on Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii U for $30 and on PC for $20.
‘Sausage Party’ grills the competition ►Continued from front page intricacies that are both hilarious and wildly entertaining. Rogen brings his typical favorite cast members to this film, with actors like Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Kristen Wiig, Edward Norton and Jonah Hill being featured. The film makes philosophical statements far beyond the scope of what a viewer would expect from talking food, and the film’s ensemble cast brings life and energy to animated characters in a way never before seen, in terms of explicit language and obscene scenes involving animated food. Moviegoers are accustomed to animated films being primarily for children, with family fun and innocent humor. The humor of “Sausage Party” is anything but innocent, and this is what makes the film so captivating. A lot of the humor of the film is rooted in the fact that there is no shortage of F bombs, sexual situations, and other adult content that one would not expect from an animated movie that is in the same developmental vein as a “Toy Story” or “Finding
‘Don’t Breathe’ runs out of fresh air Owen Johnson
And what’s more, the environment is absolutely packed with alternate ways of completing a single goal. Using the bank as an example again, there are five different and equally plausible ways to break into the building depending on the augmentations you have available, from the secret sewer passageway in the bar next door to the air vent hidden behind a dumpster on the right of the building. And it’s not just the individual levels that are designed like that. Prague itself is a playground of secret passageways, rooftop entrances and apartment buildings with hackable security. There’s enough variety in each zone to accommodate any playstyle brought to the table, which is mightily impressive. If there’s one major fault the game runs into, besides some slightly glitch climbing mechanics and pretty exploitable guard AI, it’s the game’s core theme. While each game of the series has been concerned with different aspects of how augmentation could change the world, “Deus Ex: Mankind Divided” is most interested in exploring themes of racism and class warfare, with augmented indivisuals being looked down upon as inferior to natural humans. The intentions behind this choice in direc-
Nemo.” It’s one thing when there’s an F bomb in a movie, but it’s a completely different thing when a hot dog says it. Not to suggest that it’s comedic gold Photo Courtesy of Colombia Pictures
Sausage Party has been in development since 2008.
to have food say random swears, but overall, Rogen and his cast of talented actors make it work nicely. People usually know what to expect from a Rogen
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film when going in, and that pretty much holds true for “Sausage Party” too. The humor centers around drug references and being uproariously explicit, but the film’s whole plot is also laid on the foundation of tradition versus knowledge, and religion versus science. Frank embodies, or em-sausages, seeking the truth and not being complacent with what he’s been told, and his bun girlfriend Brenda and ignorant friends represent those who blindly follow tradition. One complaint though is that these messages seem a bit over-the-top in some spots, and even though that does seem intentional, it did get a little monotonous and even cringe-worthy for these messages to be so up-front. But the film definitely made up for that with the ending. Without spoiling what happens, it’s amazing that Colombia Pictures allowed Rogen and company to get away with nearly as much as they did with that ending. Overall, I’d recommend Sausage Party. It definitely has its issues, but the novelty of an R-rated animated film spoofing Pixar counts for a lot.
I found “Don’t Breathe” to be a very appropriate way to end a lackluster summer movie season that started out looking a little promising. What I mean by that is that “Don’t Breathe” starts out promising, then falls apart by the end. In a desperate attempt to get out of Detroit and move to California, three friends decide to rob a blind man (Stephen Lang), who got a large cash settlement after the accidental death of his daughter. The blind man, a veteran of the Gulf War, traps the thieves in his home, resulting in them having to try and escape. As I said, the movie does start out promising. The premise of several people trapped inside a house with a hostile blind man is interesting and was well-handled at first. The thieves are given mild enough characterization and decent-enough motivations to the point that you can root for them. Once the movie is half-way done, however, all of this collapses. Once the movie reaches the halfway point, it just starts getting repeti-
tive. There are multiple times throughout the last half of the movie (maybe it was less, but it sure feels like half of the movie) that it makes you think the movie is coming to an end, and then something new happens. It does this so much, I think it broke the record previously held by “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” for the most ‘The End… Wait!’ moments. Then, when the movie finally does end, its ending is the least satisfying of all of the potential endings that were offered. It’s not just the story that does this. Several characters seemingly meet their end, only to come back later on. The movie feels like it is trying to be an unconventional horror movie, with its different antagonist and the characters’ actions being mostly believable. Once the end (the real end) is reached, all of this goes away. The characters begin acting like morons, and the antagonist becomes a generic crazy man. Even the simple charm of these thieves trying to avoid a certifiable blind man by trying to remain as silent as possible is ruined when a big reveal happens two-thirds of the way through.
Courtesy of Stage 6 Films
“Don’t Breathe” was created by the same staff that made 2013’s “Evil Dead” reboot.
The only constant praiseworthy quality of the movie is the sound editing. As the protagonists have to be quiet in order to survive, every sound they make from their quiet breathing to them stepping on a squeaky floorboard is amplified to build the atmosphere and tension. While there were definitely worse movies released this year, especial-
ly this summer, “Don’t Breathe” is easily one of the more annoying and anger-inducing ones. It continuously gets your hopes up, just to let you down, and with the entire second half of the movie comprising of false endings, the movie easily feels double its length.
‘Blond’ is pure gold Henry St.Pierre Connector Staff
Frank Ocean rose to prominence as a member of the Los Angeles-based alternative hip-hop collective, “Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All”, more commonly referred to as “Odd Future.” Ocean made a name for himself with his breakout mixtape, “Nostalgia, Ultra” in 2011, and his debut studio album “Channel Orange” propelled Christopher Edwin Breaux (Ocean’s birth name) to superstardom in 2012. “Channel Orange” set a bar as high as the stars for Frank Ocean, as fans and critics alike both anticipated something even greater for his next album. The buildup (quite literally, as I’ll explain later) - to his sophomore album was extensive, and Ocean’s secretive nature only added more suspense as the years went by without another album being released. It was rumored for two years that Ocean’s sophomore album was nearly finished, only to have it not actually be released. Frank Ocean became a resented figure in music as fans did not know what he was doing. He became an Internet meme as a symbol of disappearance. Finally, in July 2016, the rumors of the long-awaited second album came to fruition when Frank Ocean’s brother posted what appeared to be the title of the new album, “Boys Don’t Cry.” As it turned out, “Boys Don’t Cry” was actually the name of Ocean’s magazine, which he went on to sell at various pop-up shops. On August 1, 2016, a live-stream of what was to become Ocean’s “Endless” visual album began, which shows Ocean building stairs, a possible metaphor to his building up to something great. And finally, and mercifully, on August 20, 2016, after four years of peaked and valleyed emotions of music-listeners, Ocean released his album, “Blonde.” The album’s title adds one more piece of confusion as the album cover reads “blond” while music publications and Apple itself calls the album “Blonde.” The Apple version of the album is 17
tracks – a very strange 17 tracks. The album seems very experimental, yet very calculated and purposeful. Most of the tracks have extremely sparse instrumentation, giving Ocean’s vocals the spotlight, and the power of his lyrics and voice are practically shouting “I spent four years on this!”
Courtesy of Boys Don’t Cry
“Blond” delivers after four years of anticipation.
The album opens with the track “Nikes,” and it is quite the way to begin an album. It is a standout track; the instrumental is hypnotizing, and the vocals (with a chipmunk, high-pitched effect being used) could bring the toughest person to tears (ironic, considering the magazine name). The lyrics are incredibly powerful, a trend that continues for most of the songs to come. One line that really stands out is “R.I.P Trayvon, a n***a look just like me,” as Ocean sings in a voice that sounds like it is on the verge of tears.
Another track that pops out of the tracklist is “Self Control.” Ocean’s smooth vocals glide over an easy guitar rhythm while again singing lyrics which one can tell were the subject of tedious tinkering and perfectionism over the span of four years. “Solo” is a track that is extraordinarily somber with its organ instrumentation, with an ominous whistling sound being heard every few seconds. On “Solo (Reprise),” Andre 3000 delivers an amazingly-flowed verse in a track just over a minute. A major trend in the music of this album is its mixture of sounds, samples and track lengths. “Pink + White” is a more classic R&B track featuring backing vocals from Beyonce, while there are five songs that hover around the minute mark. “Futura Free” is the album’s concluding track and it is nine minutes, 24 seconds of sparse instrumentation, samples of Ocean’s friends talking about life, and a blank space in the middle of the song that makes it seem like the song is over when in actuality another four minutes remain. It is a mixed bag of musical expression, and it is a mixed bag of artistry. Judging only from a first listen through the album, it may seem boring. There are not many catchy instrumentals. The genius in this album lies in its nuances and intricacies which only reveal themselves through multiple listens and undivided focus. Listen to this album with eyes shut and absorb everything this album has to offer and it is easy to hear why it took four years to craft this art. Art, it seems, can never be rushed. This album is not something to bump in the car or at a party. It is something to listen to, not to simply just hear. It is something to make time for, not to pass time with. Frank Ocean spent four years creating this album. He can now rest, for the time being, knowing that people will be listening to “Blonde” or “Blond” (whatever it’s called) for a lot longer than four years.
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September 6, 2016
CAMPUS LIFE Top five clubs to join at UMass Lowell Shane Foley Connector Editor
A phrase commonly uttered to students at UMass Lowell is that joining an on campus club or organization is one of the best things they could do with their time here. Even James Christopher, student president, admitted in his prestigious speech at Convocation that were it not for his envolvement in his club (SGA), he would not be in the position he is in now. Selecting a club to join, however, can be a challenging task to some. By now, most of you may have attended our Club Fair, but may have found none of the clubs particularly grasp your fancy. Therefore, here is a list of the 5 best clubs that look great on a resume. 5.MEISA: A club for music lovers, members in the Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association walk away with valuable experience in the world of music business. In the process of getting that experience, they also connect with the great local Lowell music scene. Upperclassmen might have at least heard of some of their events. MEISA often sponsers large happenings on campus, including the highly popular Mothers of Rock. They also have concerts every other Thursday in Fox Commons, so you will certainly get to see many live bands if you join. 4.LASA: Over the years, LASA has proven to be one of the most visible organizations on campus. The mission of this club is to educate and celebrate Latin culture, though while many students of latino origin are on the club’s e-board, students of all ethnic makeups are welcome to join. LASA mem-
bers are often seen at large on campus events such as Gambling After Dark. They also hold large festivities of their own on occasion, such as the annual
considered a STEM+ club (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Potential members could be anyone with majors in these four Courtesy Photo
WUML has earned enough memebers over the years to garner a spot on this list.
Rumba Latina and the popular Café Con Leche. Members of LASA are promised exposure to good food, perhaps some new dance foods, and insight to an immersive culture. 3.eNable Lowell: Winners of the 2016 Difference Maker Contest at Convocation, eNable Lowell continues to grow in popularity and prestige. eNable Lowell is a club that dedicates their time to making low cost prosthetics for children with limb differences who cannot afford traditional prosthetic devices. Although the construction of prosthetics sounds like something only a mechanical engineer would benefit from, eNable Lowell is
fields, students looking for communications experience, or anyone else who wants to help. Not only does this club fufill a great need, but it also is a great opportunity for creative minds. Some fantastic designs for prosthetics have come from eNable products, including Iron Man gauntlets and Darth Vader themed devices! 2.WUML: The voice of UMass Lowell. The littany of interns at WUML enjoy the privelage of having their voice hear around campus. Topics of talk shows run by WUML range from anything between jokes with garden tools to analysis on different types of snacks (both real examplex).
Aside from pursuing an interest, and internship at WUML would provide great experience for anybody entering the fields of communications and/or broadcast. Most large events are also covered at WUML, including hockey games at the Tsongas. WUML is a great addition to anybody’s resume. 1.Disable the Label: This group is almost as recognizable on campus as the Starbucks mermaid. It seems as though posters advertising for their events can be seen on every wall in every building on any given day. The hard working members of Disable the Label work tirelessly to raise awareness of identities that are often overlooked. Populations such as the deaf, the blind, the crippled and the mentally challenged are but few of the demographics that the group has advocated for and made the student body more understanding of. Many of the biggest events on campus are sponsored by Disable the Label, including Sign Language Bingo and Playing for Inclusion. The experience gained from working on these events can open big doors later on as well. Members of the club have gone on to work in offices such as Student Activities (John Romano), been the recipient of major awards (Zachary Zuber), and earned venerable titles such as Assistant Resident Director (Jeremy Daigneau). Disable the Label may be the most prominent opportunity to gain experience on campus and help others while doing so. Honorable Mentions: ASCE, Pride Alliance, MALES, all Greek Life associations, ASAO, Anime Club, Smash Club
UMass Lowell students attend Spinners game Benjamin St. Pierre Connector Staff
The Lowell Spinners’ College Night was a success not only in terms of the Mill City victory (Spinners 9, Hudson Valley Renegades 2), but also, with the attendance and atmosphere created by the UMass Lowell students. The Spinners combined solid pitching performances from starter Dakota Smith (5 innings, 1 earned run) and reliever Matthew Gorst (4 innings, 1 earned run) with timely and consistent hitting throughout the evening. 2016 college draft picks CJ Chatham (shortstop) and Bobby Dalbec (third baseman) each went 2-5 with two hard-hit singles. Catcher Ryan Hanigan, on a rehab assignment from the Red Sox, also contributed nicely, going
2-4 in the box with 3 RBI, as well as gunning out the Renegades’ second baseman Miles Mastrobuoni at second on a steal attempt. The Spinners’ 14 hits were spread throughout the game, but their biggest inning was the fifth, when they tacked on five runs. It was smooth sailing from then on for the hometown team. This night proved to be enjoyable for more than just the great play by the team, though, as it being College Night meant free entry to any UMass Lowell student upon showing their student ID. The student body packed the sections of the park farthest down the first base line, and there was an overall joy and excitement to the atmosphere. Stadium employees constantly kept students involved
in the action, whether through between-innings contests on the field, throwing shirts or softballs into the stands, or even launching items via slingshot onto the field. Rowdy the River Hawk was also in on the fun, parading through the stands, interacting with students, and being involved in the on-field antics as well. The crowd’s numbers stayed relatively steady throughout the course of the game, however, and the sheer number of students who came to the game became apparent when the game ended, and it was time for the Helicopter Money Drop. Students clamored up the stadium stairs, employees hustled to make sure everybody formed lines (or as close to them as possible), and once order seemed to exist, every-
body was let onto the field. Led to the outfield via the directions of staff and by their desires of collecting cash, hundreds of students stood together in center field, waiting for the helicopter that would fly over and drop $2500 worth of green onto the green of LeLacheur. The helicopter appeared in the distance, a glimmer of light above the East parking garage, and it circled a couple times before getting low enough. It made its final turn, and positioned itself a few hundred feet above the crowd, then began releasing the bills. A few lonely ones fell at first, like leaking water before the dam bursts, and then the air became full of dollars. The wind from the helicopter scattered the cash everywhere, and students ran all over to
collect what they could. Onlookers stood watching and laughing as students scooped up what they could, and in a couple minutes, everything was clear, and students were directed to where they could leave in left field. The Spinners’ College Night resulted in victory for the baseball team itself, but also, for UMass Lowell students, as even if everybody could not collect a decent wad of cash, it made for a memorable experience on a beautiful late-summer night early in the school year.
UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR
September 6, 2016
Page 8
SPORTS Men’s soccer stays perfect ► Continued from front page
a yellow card mere minutes into the game. By the end of the ninety minutes, the mood was tense as the board still showed a scoreless game and the fouls kept racking up. “It was a tough one. I don’t think we played particularly well today,” Head Coach Christian Figueroa said after the game. It was clear that Figueroa was disappointed with
the general gameplay, but his mind was on the River Hawks’ next match. “I don’t think it was a particularly great game for us, but we just gotta make sure that we build on that now and take care of the bodies for Sunday.” The River Hawks’ triumph came as a result of the River Hawks maintaining what Figueroa attributes as a “great mentality,” being patient and building off of each other. Keeping their composure even with continued pressure from the opposition. “We’re young, we gotta grow, we gotta make sure we’re not falling into something that’s not part of our game... Anything after the whistle is not what we do. We’re mature enough to stay out of it,” Figueroa elaborated. Their willingness to play the game their way paid off in Fernandes’s goal, which was his third on the season. It came just over seven and a half minutes into overtime, after which the bench emptied and swarmed Fernandes in celebration. It was a gratifying end for a sometimes slow-boiling match. Matt Dwyer/Connector
Ivan Blaskic tries to head an inbound cross during Friday’s game.
U P C OM I N G
River Hawk Games Tuesday, Sept. 6
7 pm
WVB at Quinnipiac
Thursday, Sept. 8
7 pm
WSOC vs. CCSU,
Friday. Sept. 9
5 pm
FH at Holy Cross
Friday, Sept. 9
7 pm WVB vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
Saturday, Sept. 10
11 am MXCTF at Dartmouth
Saturday, Sept. 10
2 pm
MSOC at Quinnipiac
For more sports information and full game schedules visit goriverhawks.com
Matt Dwyer/Connector
Stanley Alves controls the ball under pressure.
Field hockey falls to Miami (OH) 4-3 in double overtime George DeLuca Connector Editor
The UMass Lowell field hockey team lost to Miami (Ohio) 4-3 in a double overtime thriller on Friday. After falling behind 3-0 on the strength of Redhawk forward Geagy Prichard’s hat trick, the River Hawks mounted a furious comeback to tie the game at the end of regulation play. Miami (Ohio) dominated play in the first half and led 1-0 at intermission, but the momentum shifted after Prichard scored back to back goals within two minutes of each other early in the second stanza. River Hawk Coach Shannon Hlebichuk decided to call a time out to
rally her team, “I called the time out to refocus our team’s energy and attitude. We turned it on from there and clawed our way to the end.” The River Hawks scored three goals in the final ten minutes of regulation. First freshman forward Anouk Lalande put a rebound off Redhawk goalie Alysa Xavier into the net. Then, forward Christa Doiron collected a loose ball on a penalty corner play and finished off her own rebound. Less than three minutes later at the end of regulation, forward Georgia Cowderoy fired a shot from 7 yards out tying the score at 3-3. Midfielder Katie Luchino scored an assist on the play. George DeLuca/Connector
River Hawks celebrate Georgia Cowderoy’s goal, which sent the game into overtime.
“Certainly putting the ball in the cage with no time left to tie the game was nothing short of an amazing effort on the part of the entire team,” Hlebichuk said. “We’ve talked about composure and staying composed through the whole game,” said River Hawk goalie Kelsey Federico. “But it really comes down to our Lowell pride. We’re no longer transitioning into Division 1. We’re trying to embody that and hold ourselves to that standard.” The River Hawks raised their intensity a notch and Federico rose to the occasion in the goal by compiling a total of 16 saves, six in the second period. Federico repeatedly stymied the visitors attack while boosting the confidence of her teammates who were then able to gain the offensive momentum. Coach Hlebichuk was pleased with the effort of her goalie. “A goalkeeper keeps you in big games and Kelsey certainly showed that today. Miami (Ohio) is a well coached an organized team. You rarely see 16 saves in a field hockey game and I was really proud of her effort,” Federico added, “Making a save is a great feeling, but an even better feeling is hearing the excitement from my teammates when I make a save and hearing how pumped up they get. That fills me with excitement and fulfillment and pride for what I do and what my job is on the field. My teammates inspire me.” River Hawk forward Georgia
Cowderoy scored her second goal of the season when it counted most, at the end of regulation with no time showing on the clock. Cowderoy showed leadership on the field throughout the game by calling out plays and directing traffic. “Georgia’s been starting since she was a freshman, and now a senior, is certainly taking her game to a new level this year. She’s an experienced player and she’s leading by example all over the field. We needed that from her today, and she stepped up to the challenge. Her play is going to make a difference as the season goes on.” For most of the game, the River Hawks were able to stop Miami (Ohio) star forward Paula Portugal offensively (seven shots on goal) until she scored the winning goal with 9:09 remaining in the second overtime. Midfielder Mariona Heras scored an assist on the play with a nifty behind the back pass which Portugal put in the goal. Portugal leads the Redhawks in scoring with 6 goals. Hlebichuk praised the sophomore, “Portugal’s the reigning Mid-American Conference ‘Freshman of the Year’ and has a lot of field hockey experience. We knew that if anyone was going to put the ball in the net for our opponent it would be her. But I’m pleased with our effort and ability to compete and stay in the game until the end.”