DailyCollegian.comTuesday, December 2, 2014

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CADE BELISLE/COLLEGIAN

Jasmine Bertrand-Halidy addresses protesters in front of the Student Union. Bertrand-Halidy helped organize the “Hands Up, Walk Out” rally.

By Catherine FerrisCollegian Staff

The final Student Government Association meeting of the semester took place Monday night, during which senators and officers discussed accomplishments and looked at goals for the spring. “This semester has taught me what I need to do to become a bet-ter leader,” President Vinayak Rao said. Speaker of the Senate Sïonan Barrett men-tioned the Women’s Leadership Conference will be held Feb. 28, while the general leadership conference will take place shortly after. B e c a u s e o f Thanksgiving break, the different committees did not meet last week. However, there were still several motions on the floor. The first motion involved appointing Meghan Tunno, spon-sored by Barrett, to the Diversity and Student Engagement Committee. The motion passed. There was then a series of motions in which three people were appointed to become elections commis-sioners. Erik Herlitz, a biochemistry and molecu-lar biology major, was one of the students appointed.Although Herlitz hasn’t been involved in politics before, he said, “I wanted to take part in elections this year.” “A lot of my friends are engineers,” he added. “We’re not really involved in politics, but since I would be involved in it, I could spread the word.” Emy Hardy, a sophomore history and music major, was another person appointed to the position. Hardy said she believes she is able to reach cer-tain parts of campus to urge students to vote in the next election.

Paul Flamburis, an English major, was the third person appointed as a commissioner. He said he believes it is important for students to take the opportunity to vote, say-ing, “We need to actively inform people (of the elec-tions).” Divya Kirti was then appointed as the chancel-lor of elections. She is the only member of the Elections Commission who was present during last year’s heated elec-tions, and is up-to-date with any changes made to the elections process. Kirti presented her range of leadership expe-rience, including her role as a resident advisor and her work for the Juniper Institute. “I believe strongly in the integrity of student voices,” Kirti said. “We are responsible for all the voices on campus, not just the ones who vote.” The Haitian American Student Association requested funding for its service trip to Haiti, which will take place in May 2015. Goals outlined dur-ing the group’s presenta-tion included distribut-ing school supplies and items that have been collected during the school year, assisting with the University of Massachusetts’ efforts to

Final meeting of semester for SGASenators approve four appointments

UMass Renaissance Center: campus’ hidden gem By shelBy ashline

Collegian Staff

Near the northeast cor-ner of the University of Massachusetts campus lies a faded brick building. Set off of East Pleasant Street by a tree-lined driveway, the only indication of its presence to passersby is a small white sign. Although it is unknown to many students and townspeo-ple alike, the Massachusetts Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies attracts scholars from around the world. With more than 40,000 books and six gardens filled with only Renaissance-era plants and a theater, according to Director of the Renaissance Center Arthur Kinney, the center has a lot

to offer to anyone who enjoys studying the Renaissance. The 28 acres of land on which the center sits was willed to UMass in 1996 by Janet Wilder Dakin. Her estate included the house – which was built in the style of a Renaissance cottage in Shakespeare’s Warwickshire, according to the center’s website – as well as a barn and shed. For mer UMass Chancellor David Scott made the decision to transform the property into a center for Renaissance studies and it was officially opened in 1998. The barn was changed to house the Black Box Theatre, where the center holds plays. According to Kinney, the

center “subsequently has served both the campus and the community” in a variety of ways. For example, the gar-dens bring together the Five Colleges and the local community. Students from Hampshire College and Smith College influenced the creation of the six Renaissance-era gardens. All plants within these gardens can be found in “Gerarde’s Herball,” a book which was published in 1698 and is essentially an ency-clopedia of Renaissance-era plants. One of the six gar-dens is made up entirely of flowers that were mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays. In addition, students from the Stockbridge School

of Agriculture planted an orchard on the property two years ago, according to the Renaissance Center’s librarian, Jeff Goodhind. Townspeople are also allowed to plant flowers in honor of family members. The 40,000-volume library in the basement of the Renaissance Center attracts scholarly attention for its quality. Of its vast collec-tion – much of which was received by donation – 1,000 books were written before 1700. A bible from 1495 is its oldest book that is fully intact. Among the dozen Renaissance centers throughout the world, the Massachusetts Center for Interdisciplinary

Renaissance Studies is set

apart, according to Kinney.

“(The other centers) cer-

tainly don’t have the num-

ber of rare books we do,” Kinney said.

Today: Mostly Cloudy, High: 35°F Low: 32°F

BATON ROUGEREBOUND

The Head and the HeartIndie band takes center stage at Calvin Theatre

PAGE 8 PAGE 5

By Jason KotoChCollegian Staff

A p p r o x i m a t e l y 800 University of Massachusetts students, faculty and staff partici-pated in a national “Hands Up, Walk Out” protest Monday afternoon. The protest was orga-nized in response to the Missouri grand jury’s deci-sion not to indict white police officer Darren Wilson in the Aug. 9 shoot-ing of unarmed black teen-ager Michael Brown. Participants, angered by the decision, assembled in front of the Student Union at 1:01 EST to coincide with the moment Brown was shot. A four minute, 30 second moment of silence was held to remember the four hours and 30 minutes Brown lay dead on the sidewalk in the St. Louis suburb. Following the moment of silence, event organizer Jasmine Bertrand-Halidy, a kinesiology major, read from a statement saying,

“This is a national call to action. I am walking out in solidarity with Mike Brown and all of the inno-cent people who have been murdered due to state sanctioned violence. If you believe black lives matter, join me.” Attendees cheered as speakers addressed the myriad of problems fac-ing communities of color around the nation. UMass graduate student Rayoung Song held a small yellow sign with the name of Phillip Pannell, a black teenager who was shot by New Jersey police in 1990. Song said that what hap-pened in Ferguson is a national problem. “There are so many rea-sons why I’m here,” Song said. “The issue of racism affects everyone.” The event was orga-nized by Bertrand-Halidy of Student Bridges and Maija Hall from the Center for Policy and Advocacy in coordination with a Missouri-based group called Ferguson Action, whose website reported that at least 83 schools and businesses participated in the national walk out pro-

test. Ahead of the event, UMass Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy communicat-ed his support in an email to the campus community, saying, “It will assuredly raise awareness of what Ferguson reveals about the state of racial justice in our country and will pro-vide an opportunity for our community to come togeth-er in solidarity.” Subbaswamy urged fac-ulty to accommodate stu-dents who wished to par-ticipate in the event. Amherst resident Sovann-Malis Loeung came

to the University to join the protest with her daughter. “What do I have to do to protect my children?” Loeung said. Loeung held a ban-ner that read, “Justice for Carolyn,” in sup-port of Carolyn Gardner, an Amherst High School teacher who was the target of racist threats last year. “This issue of racism is very important and it real-ly is a local issue,” Loeung said.

Jason Kotoch can be reached at jkotoch@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @jasonkotoch.

Attendees protest grand jury decision

CADE BELISLE/COLLEGIAN

Protesters gather in front of the Student Union on Monday.

ANDY CASTILLO/COLLEGIAN

The Renassiance Center is located off of East Pleasant Street.

see RENAISSANCE on page 2

Divya Kirti was then appointed as the chancellor of elections. She is the only member of the Elections

Commission who was present during last year’s heated elections, and is

up-to-date with any changes made to the

elections process.

see SGA on page 2

UM students join in national ‘Walk Out’

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN2 Tuesday, December 2, 2014 DailyCollegian.com

T H E R U N D O W N

ON THIS DAY...In 1859, militant aboli-tionist leader John Brown was hanged for his raid on Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Iraq Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi dis-missed 24 senior Interior Ministry officials Monday in an effort to “reform and rebuild” security institutions in the embat-tled country, the govern-ment leader announced via Twitter. The dismissals, which al-Abadi described as retirements, followed his report Sunday that an investigation of the Iraqi armed forces’ payroll had turned up 50,000 names of “ghost soldiers,” fictitious troops drawing salaries that go to senior officers, Middle East media report-ed. Corruption and incom-petence in the armed forc-es have been blamed for massive security failures since a June onslaught by the Islamic State mili-tant group met with little resistance and left at least a third of Iraq’s territory under the extremists’ con-trol. Since taking office in September, al-Abadi has attempted to clean up the police and army to improve their ability to combat the Islamic State push toward Baghdad. An Islamic State attack Monday from across the border with Syria, target-ing a checkpoint at Walid in restive Anbar province, killed at least 15 troops, The Associated Press reported. Acts of violence and terrorism killed 1,232 Iraqis in November, the United Nations’ Assistance Mission for Iraq reported, slightly fewer than in October but still at a pace that reflects the country’s vulner-ability to the extremists attempting to build a Muslim caliphate across the Iraqi and Syrian terri-tory they occupy. A statement from al-Abadi’s office on Sunday disclosed the discovery of the fictitious troops on the payroll. It said the 50,000 positions had been elimi-nated, but unidentified officials were quoted by the Al-Jazeera news ser-vice as saying the 50,000 were a small proportion of a payroll-padding epi-demic by top commanders who consider themselves entitled to the extra pay. The fired Interior Ministry officials were not identified. Al-Abadi has already made several changes to the security hierarchy in a campaign to weed out the corrup-tion and sectarian discord that flourished under his predecessor, Nouri al-Maliki. The United States invested billions of dol-lars in the training of Iraqi police and soldiers during the eight-year occupation of the coun-try after the ouster of President Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Los Angeles Times

A R O U N D T H E WO R L D

Local animals run free on Sunderland Road

By Brendan deady Collegian Staff

Friday, Nov. 287:42 p.m.: Police arrested Jason Fortin, 41, of Amherst, on North Prospect Street for five accounts of mali-cious destruction to a motor vehicle and disturbing the peace. Fortin also had two outstanding warrants out for his arrest for unrelat-ed incidents. A resident of North Prospect Street saw a man running into the road and yelling obscenities at passing vehicles and report-ed hearing breaking glass. Police encountered Fortin kicking parked vehicles and discovered a trail of vandal-ized vehicles on the street, some with broken wind-shields.

Saturday, Nov. 29

2:32 a.m.: An officer stopped at 224 Belchertown Road when he noticed a man cooking his clothes wrapped in tinfoil on a charcoal grill. The man claimed he was in the middle of a ritual to burn the evil spirits from

his clothes. The officer issued a warning that the fire violated town bylaws. 7:37 a.m.: Llamas ran loose at 500 Sunderland Road. The owner of the prop-erty rounded up the herd and returned them to their pen without issue. 12:13 p.m.: There was a sus-picious vehicle in the back parking lot of 69 South Pleasant St. A caller report-ed the vehicle appeared to be abandoned and there was a firearm in the back seat with-in plain view. Police opened the vehicle and discovered a pellet gun with the orange tip removed from the barrel. They were unable to reach the owner of the vehicle. 1:34 p.m.: There was a breaking and entering at 219 East Pleasant St. A party performed a clean entry through a basement door and stole various electronics from the rental apartment. The incident is under investigation. 2:10 p.m.: A resident at 47 South East St. investigat-ed their basement when a pipe burst. The party dis-covered the basement door

ajar and notified police. Nothing appeared to be missing but the door had been closed earlier in the day by the resident. 2:48 p.m.: A Ms. Miller reported a larceny in Apartment 24 at the Greenhouse Buildings. A laptop valued at $1,000 is missing from her parents’ apartment. Ms. Miller suspects an employee of a home-watch care-giver company based in Springfield to be the culprit. 2:57 p.m.: A breaking and entering occurred on Northampton Road where multiple electronics were stolen. There was no sign of forced entry and police are still investigating. 3:29 p.m.: Danielle Lesure-Cannon, 34, of Amherst, received a $250 fine and sum-mons to court for receiving stolen property. A report-ing party notified police that a bicycle was miss-ing from Apartment 140 on Belchertown Road. The party located the bicycle in front of Lesure-Cannon’s residence and dialed 911. Police confirmed the bicy-cle belonged to the report-

ing party and returned it to its rightful owner. 5:52 p.m.: There was a structure fire in the sec-ond floor bedroom of 81 Belchertown Road. A neighbor suspected a male wearing all red pajamas of starting the fire. No one matching that description was found on the premise. 9:12 p.m.: An employee of Amherst Wine and Spirits at 300 College St. exited work to find nails embedded into two of his vehicle’s now deflated tires. The reporting party said he has an idea of the identity of the per-petrator but did not want to pursue charges. He just wished to have the incident documented.

Sunday, Nov. 30

8:53 a.m.: A woman at 11 Main St. reported that Jerald Gortes is stalking her by infiltrating her computer and controlling the Bible. The woman also accused the government of conspiring to seize her property and chil-dren. Police were skeptical and checked their records; the woman made 62 simi-lar complaints in the past.

9:05 a.m.: Goats and alpacas got loose on their “daily jaunt” at 500 Sunderland Road. 5:23 p.m.: A resident of 9 Olympia Drive reported that two “Hispanic males were doing drugs” in front of his residence in a silver Lincoln. The man exchanged words with the two males before they departed. 5:46 p.m.: A woman noti-fied police of a strange text message her friend received from an unknown number. The text message claimed that the recipient’s father did “inappropriate things to me over the Thanksgiving break.” Neither of the females recognize the number and challenge the validity of the statement. 7:13p.m.: The second room-mate of 47 South East St. returned to the residence and confirmed with police that property was in fact missing from the apartment. Numerous electronics were missing.

Brendan Deady can be reached at bdeady@umass.edu.

Police Log: Nov. 28 to Nov. 30, 2014

Although all of the books are searchable through the W.E.B. DuBois Online Library, they can-not be checked out. Because of their age, they are very fragile and the staff of the center want to keep them in the best condition possible. During the fall semester, the center hosted a vari-ety of scholars, including a student from Harvard University and two stu-dents from the University of Tuebingen in Germany. Each semester, the cen-ter holds at least two con-ferences involving guest speakers and three con-certs, which Goodhind said are almost always free and open to the public. An Italian Renaissance Harvest Banquet is held each fall, featuring only Renaissance-era food, jug-glers, flute players and more. Each spring brings the Renaissance Festival, which is the center’s most popular event. Kinney said that as many as 650 people attended the 2014 festival, a record number for the event.

Despite rainy weather, students and community members came out to expe-rience blacksmithing, fal-conry, basket weaving and theater, musical and dance performances. “It’s one of those ‘some-thing-for-everyone’ kind of events,” Goodhind said. Kinney and Goodhind believe that so many UMass students enjoy studying the Renaissance due to the diversity and overwhelm-ing importance of the peri-od. The Renaissance attracts English majors, compara-tive literature majors, his-tory majors and foreign language majors, in par-ticular. The Renaissance period is one of the three largest focuses of study in the English department. “The Renaissance was art, it was history, literature (and) theater,” Goodhind said. “It encompasses everything so there’s some-thing that interests every-one.”

Shelby Ashline can be reached at sashline@umass.edu.

RENAISSANCE continued from page 1

receive aid and continuing contact with University students abroad. The organization man-aged to raise money through fundraising and contribu-tions, but asked for $2,600

for transportation. In total, 12 students and two profes-sors would be attending this trip. The motion passed. Some motions were tabled however, includ-ing one that urged UMass

administration to consider building sidewalks in areas that currently lack them. Catherine Ferris can be reached at caferris@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Ca_Ferris2.

SGA continued from page 1

CHRISTINA YACONO/COLLEGIAN

Students get sworn in as SGA Elections Commissioners during Monday’s meeting.

Obama seeks funding for body cameras for policeBy Christi Parsons

Tribune Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is ordering up new rules for giving local police agencies access to surplus U.S. mili-tary equipment such as the armored vehicles, assault rifles and body armor that police in Ferguson, Mo., used in an unsuccessful attempt to quiet protests this summer. Obama is also propos-ing a three-year, $263 mil-lion spending package to expand training and increase the use of body-worn cameras for moni-toring police interactions with the public. The pro-posal includes $75 million that would provide match-ing funds for purchasing as many as 50,000 cameras. Such cameras might have provided more informa-tion in the deadly August shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old by a white Ferguson police officer. The president’s direc-tive comes along with the release of a new White House review that found

the so-called “surplus” pro-grams of the Department of Defense and other fed-eral agencies to be a mish-mash of rules and prac-tices, with no clear sign that all police are properly trained and certified to use the military-grade equip-ment they receive. The results of the review come a week after a grand jury in St. Louis County chose not to indict the Ferguson police officer, Darren Wilson, in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. The shooting inflamed local tensions and led to unrest that brought atten-tion to the use of military-grade equipment by local law enforcement officials in their response. Protests around the country and in Ferguson began anew last week in the wake of the

grand jury’s decision. With the report newly in hand, Obama is instructing his staff to come up with a list of military gear that has a legitimate civilian law enforcement purpose and thus can be sent to local police forces around the country, senior admin-istration officials said Monday. The new rules will also require that local officials review and authorize the acquisition of small arms and all other “controlled” equipment by their com-munities, and that police be specially trained in their civilian use. The rules will come within the next four months in the form of an executive order govern-ing the Pentagon and all other federal agencies that

run so-called “surplus” programs that distribute military-style equipment to police around the country. “What he’s asking his agencies to do is add a very specific layer of account-ability,” said one senior administration official familiar with the program. “These layers of account-ability aren’t currently present in the program.” In the case of Ferguson, the use of military equip-ment served only to esca-late the conflict between police and protesters angry about the shooting. As community leaders demanded to know why the police turned out at peace-ful protests with riot gear and equipment, Obama ordered a White House review of the rules that govern the distribution of that material. The new report identi-fies a “lack of consistency” in how the various feder-al programs are run and audited and raises ques-tions about whether police know how to use the mili-tary-grade equipment, the senior administration offi-

cial said. Obama is discussing the report’s findings, and his new directive, in a series of Monday meetings with his Cabinet, young civil rights leaders and community leaders from around the country. At the top of the agen-da is finding ways to build trust between police and communities, an aide to the president said. Obama directed his staff to draft an order that requires non-police officials to review and authorize the transfer of such equipment as small arms and armored vehicles before it can come to their communities. Police forces would have to take part in rig-orous training as well as follow-up reports for seri-ous incidents involving the federal equipment, under the order. In addition, Obama is setting up a task force to come up with recommen-dations for fighting crime while still building public trust.

“What he’s asking his agencies to do is add a very specific layer of accountability. These layers of accountability aren’t currently in

the program.”A senior administration official

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN Tuesday, December 2, 2014 3DailyCollegian.com

Dozens are feared dead in Northern Nigerian attacks

By Kristin Palitzadpa

Dozens of people are feared killed in two explo-sions in north-eastern Nigeria, hours after sus-pected members of Islamist group Boko Haram attacked the capital of Yobe State, local newspaper Premium Times reported Monday. The bombs were set off mid-morning at a busy market in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, a week after more than 40 people were killed in a twin suicide blast in the same location. “People are running for (their) dear lives, so one cannot confirm to you the extent of damage, but the two blasts we just heard were (very) loud,” witness Abba Ibrahim was quoted as saying. Police and rescue work-ers had arrived at the scene to evacuate corpses and injured people. “I can’t say how many were killed or injured, but I have seen very many vic-tims dripping with blood, others with parts of their bodies dismembered by the

blasts,” said trader Dauda Bala. Borno State police com-mander Gideon Jubrin said the number of casualties could not yet be confirmed. Earlier on Monday, heavily armed insurgents surrounded Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, fir-ing guns and setting off explosions, according to witnesses. “It is as if they have surrounded us all here. There is sound of explo-sion and serious shooting. We are all lying down on the floor with our fami-lies,” Damaturu resident Yaya Haruna was quoted as saying. The military respond-ed by sending ground troops and air force jets to Damaturu. “We are still under fire,” said Yobe State police com-missioner Marcus Danladi. The attack on Damaturu is the latest in a string of bombings in northern Nigeria. On Friday, dozens of people were killed after bomb blasts rocked the central mosque in the key city of Kano, in Kano State.

Kano State Rabiu Musa Kwankaso told local jour-nalists at least 100 people were killed and 135 oth-ers injured. Police put the death toll at 36 people. On Thursday, 35 people were killed by an explosion near a military checkpoint in the town of Mubi in Adamawa State by suspect-ed Boko Haram members. Three days earlier, insurgents, disguised as traders, took control of the town of Damasak in Borno State. Boko Haram has killed more than 3,000 people in Nigeria’s north this year alone. When Boko Haram first launched attacks in 2009, it mainly targeted Christians, under the pretext of want-ing to establish an Islamic state. Since mid-2013, Boko Haram focused its attacks on government security agents as well as on civil-ians of both Christian and Muslim faith in their homes, markets, hospitals and schools.

Cosby resigns from TempleBy susan snyder

The Philadelphia Inquirer

PHILADELPHIA — Under fire from at least 20 women who have accused him of sexual assault, Bill Cosby on Monday resigned from Temple University’s board of trustees, a seat he has held for 32 years. The decision came amid mounting pressure from some corners for the Philadelphia university to cut ties with its beloved benefactor and longtime public face, including a change.org petition with more than 1,000 signatures.

“I have always been proud of my association with Temple University,” Cosby said in a statement, released by the university. “I have always wanted to do what would be in the best interests of the uni-versity and its students. As a result, I have tendered my resignation from the Temple University Board of Trustees.” The board of trustees said it has accepted the res-ignation and “thanks him for his service to the univer-sity.” The decision followed

high-level discussion by uni-versity leaders over the last couple days. Over the last couple weeks, several mem-bers of the board of trust-ees had spoken in support of the 77-year-old comedian and actor, who graduated from Temple. Temple’s decision fol-lows that of several other universities, including the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, which have cut ties with Cosby in recent days, as more women go on the record about alleged sexual assault by Cosby.

War contractors ready for battle in the Middle East By Jennifer Koons

CQ Roll Call

President Barack Obama has stressed that the U.S.-led coalition fight against the Islamic State can be won without “boots on the ground.” But it depends on who’s wearing the boots. Thousands of private security contractors, who played critical, below-the-radar and at times controver-sial roles in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, are being asked to consider joining this latest battle against Islamic extremists in Iraq and Syria and possibly elsewhere in the Middle East. What specific jobs they will fill, and which departments or countries will be paying for their ser-vices, remains to be seen. But the demand for their consid-erable and varied expertise is expected to be high, and that’s welcome news for both the contracting companies and politicians, according to policy advisers and industry experts.

“I think Obama’s prom-ise not to send ground troops to Iraq and Syria, combined with the threat there, incen-tivizes the administration to turn to contractors because there are such fewer politi-cal risks,” says George Washington University law professor Laura A. Dickinson, author of “Outsourcing War and Peace: Preserving Public Values in a World of Privatized Foreign Affairs.” “Private security contrac-tors can’t engage in combat, but they can oversee training and logistics and can provide security,” Dickinson says. “I recently saw a posting look-ing for companies interested in constructing a network of satellite stations. So there will be many opportunities to be involved.” And that’s a good thing for a private industry that has watched with dismay over the last couple of years as the U.S. government has extri-cated itself from Iraq and, soon, Afghanistan. “The private-sector indus-

try views ISIS as a poten-tial marketplace,” says Sean McFate, a professor at the National Defense University and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and author of “The Modern Mercenary: Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order.” “My guess would be that private con-tractors are eagerly wander-ing the halls of K Street and Pentagon City, offering their services. There’s blood in the water.”

During the height of the U.S. military “surge” in Iraq in 2007, more than 180,000 private contractors were sta-tioned throughout the region, according to Peter Singer, a military strategist and senior fellow at the New America Foundation. “It was greater than a 1:1 ratio to U.S. forces - a lot like parallel troops,” Singer says. “The number goes down as U.S. forces shrink, but the bottom line is they didn’t go away. They’ve just shifted to

different roles - from ana-lysts to translators and secu-rity guards to training the Iraqi Air Force.” Training and equipping foreign forces in Syria is a key component of the admin-istration’s plan to defeat ISIS, and signs already point to a plan that involves at least a partial reliance on private security firms to assist - and not just in Syria. “We’re seeing the frame-work be put into place,” Singer says. “In August, the U.S. Army Contracting Command posted a notice for contractors willing to work an initial 12-month contract that will focus on force-devel-opment operations. They posted one of these before the 2003 invasion (of Iraq), and Halliburton expressed inter-est.” In its expansive announce-ment for “Security Assistance Mentors and Advisors” in Iraq, the Army says it is look-ing for contractors to help the Baghdad government, “cog-nizant of the goals of reduc-

ing tensions between Arabs and Kurds, and Sunni and Shias, with key focus on core process and systems which involve, but are not limited to administration, force development, procurement and acquisition, contracting, training management, public affairs, logistics, personnel management, professional development, communica-tions, planning and opera-tions, infrastructure man-agement, intelligence and executive development.” Those interested had until Aug. 25 to respond. A formal call for applicants has not yet gone out. But McFate, a former U.S. Army officer and later a program manager for powerhouse military contrac-tor DynCorp International in Africa, says the turnaround could be quick. “Many of these companies have been pre-vetted and can be deployed very quickly,” he says. “In fact, many are already doing work for either State or DOD in some capac-ity.”

ISIS possibly captured Israeli-Canadian

By Batsheva soBelmanLos Angeles Times

JERUSALEM — Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of an Israeli-Canadian woman who joined Kurdish forces bat-tling the Islamic State in Syria, with unconfirmed reports say-ing she may have been cap-tured by the terrorist group. The governments of Canada and Israel were try-ing to obtain further informa-tion about the whereabouts of former Israeli soldier Gill Rosenberg, official statements from both said. According to the U.S.-based intelligence group SITE, a message on a known militant Internet forum claimed Islamic State had captured a “female Zionist soldier” in Kobani, Syria. Militants reportedly debat-ed online whether to trade the captive for female Muslim prisoners or execute her, but Kurdish sources dismissed the report as spurious propagan-da. Speculation swirled through Israeli media that Rosenberg was the woman being discussed. However, according to a post on her Facebook page

Monday, she is safe some 185 miles from Kobani and without Internet access. Two weeks ago, Rosenberg thanked friends for birthday wishes and wrote that someone else would be managing her page for several weeks. She is believed to be in training. Besides her friends, few Israelis had heard about Gill Rosenberg until a month ago, when surprising media reports introduced her as the first Israeli and foreign woman to join Kurdish pesh-merga fighters. According to various reports, Rosenberg, 31, is a Canadian-born Jew who moved to Israel in the last decade after a short career as a civil aviator, reportedly with hopes of becoming an army pilot. Rosenberg enlisted in Israel’s military, where she ended up serving in a rescue and recovery unit. Her new life was disrupted when she was arrested for allegedly par-ticipating in an international

phone scam run by a dozen Israelis who swindled senior citizens, mostly in the United States, of about $25 million, according to a 2009 FBI release that named her as Gillian Rosenberg. Extradited to the United States, she reportedly entered a plea bargain that included a prison term. After serv-ing several months, she was released and, according to her Facebook page, recently returned to Israel. Foreigners heading for the Syrian battle zone are often discreet about their plans and identities. American journal-ist Steven Sotloff attempted to conceal his Jewish identity during his work in the region, and friends and colleagues scrubbed the Internet of ref-erences to his Israeli citizen-ship after he was captured by militants, revealing it only after he was beheaded by Islamic State in September. Israeli aid workers involved in humanitarian efforts in Syria use aliases in media

interviews, their faces blacked out in published photographs. Despite the dangers, how-ever, Rosenberg has shared her information freely. Her Facebook page lists her as a resident of Tel Aviv and boasts a cover picture from the airport of Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region of Iraq. Posts in early November detail her unusual journey from Israel through Jordan and Iraq to join the Kurdish fighters. Her move drew apprecia-tion and camaraderie from Kurdish supporters and a mixture of admiration and concern from her Israeli friends. Those concerns grew deeper with the latest claims of Islamic State capturing an Israeli. “My heart sank to my stomach,” a friend of Rosenberg’s, Charlie Vardi, told the Hebrew news site Ynet, adding that he hoped the claims were false. For Islamic State to land a cap-tive who is North American, Jewish and Israeli would be “like winning a prize, a gold medal,” he said.

Militants reportedly claim responsibility

Staffer insults First Family, resigns

“In August, the U.S. Army Contracting Command posted a notice for contractors

willing to work an initial 12-month contract that will focus on

force-development operations. They posted on of these before the 2003 invasion (of Iraq)

and Halliburton expressed interest.”

Peter Singer, a military strategist and senior fellow at the New America

Foundation

Militants reportedly debated whether to trade the captive for

female Muslim prisoners or execute her, but Kurdish sources dismissed the report as

spurious propaganda.

By hannah hessCQ Roll Call

There will be no pardon for Elizabeth Lauten. The communications director for Rep. Stephen Fincher, R–Tenn., has resigned amid backlash over a Facebook post criticizing Sasha and Malia Obama for their behavior and appear-ance during last week’s tur-key pardoning event at the White House, according to multiple media reports. “Dear Sasha and Malia, I get your both in those awful teen years but you’re a part of the First Family. Try showing a little class. At least respect the part you play. Then again, your moth-er and father don’t respect their positions very much, or the nation for that mat-ter, so I’m guessing you’re coming up a little short in the ‘good role model’ depart-ment,” Lauten wrote on Friday. The comments from Lauten, who used to man-age new media for the Republican National Committee and also worked for ex-Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., quickly went viral and inspired an adverse reac-

tion. Her name became a hashtag on Twitter, and the online community vented about her scrutiny of the girls’ facial expressions, body language and demean-or. One of Lauten’s critiques of the Sasha, 13, and Malia, 16, drew particular outrage: “Dress like you deserve respect, not a spot at a bar,” she wrote. Hours after the original post, Lauten deleted it. She also followed up with an apology for her rant, and set her Facebook profile to private. “When I first posted on Facebook I reacted to an article and I quickly judged the two young ladies in a way that I would never have wanted to be judged myself as a teenager,” Lauten wrote later Friday. “After many hours of prayer, talking to my parents, and re-reading my words online I can see more clearly just how hurt-ful my words were.” Lauten’s resignation was first reported Monday morn-ing by NBC News. Fincher’s office declined to comment on personnel matters over the phone.

Opinion EditorialEditorial@DailyCollegiancomTuesday, December 2, 2014

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

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More often than not, col-lege writing is viewed as a tedious general education requirement needed in order

to graduate. Even though the classes are small, the students – the vast majority of whom are freshmen – are not excited to write or even attempt to be creative in a literary way. The class is viewed as just another obligatory prerequisite and not an intuitive and fun learn-ing experience. As someone who is currently taking this class, I think such precon-ceived opinions are profoundly untrue. English 112 is divided into four different units along with a final essay. There are no exams or quizzes, Socratic applica-tions or presenta-tions. The instruc-tor – who is often a graduate student in pursuit of a doc-torate – does the teaching while we, the stu-dents, do the listening. With that being said, the dynamic of the class is much more student-oriented, where class-facilitated discussions play a prominent role. Unlike some courses in which the pro-fessor has a tendency to be really into him or herself and not focused on the educational and academic aspirations of his or her students, the teach-ers of English 112 are laid back while at the same time persis-tent in their teaching. As a current student of this class, I can only speak about one teacher: Courtney Gustafson, a graduate student who has taught this class for the past five semesters. Perhaps I just got lucky, but Gustafson is a great teacher who is able to bring an immense amount of both comfort and intelligence to the class. This is not easy to do, especially when it comes to dealing with students who, for the most part, are still in the process of acclimating to col-lege. “Courtney did a great job,” said Tristan Sahagian, a freshman finance major.

“All around, there was a solid group dynamic.” With college writing comes the splendidly small size of the class. This is a matter that very much affects the amount of learning and academic facilitation that takes place. According to Gustafson, devel-oping relationships with stu-dents is key. “All the classes I teach are really fun in part because they’re so small,” Gustafson told me. “I get to know all of you guys, you get to know each other and you get to know me.” At the end of the day, English 112 is also fun. This class has communicated to me how exciting learning can be more than any others I’ve taken this semester. While acknowledging my love for col-

lege writing, I also understand that fun cannot be forced upon other students. “All classes have the poten-tial to be fun,” Gustafson con-tinued. “I think it has a lot to do with dynamic. But I don’t think that’s something you can force. You can do exercises and make people get to know each other and you can force people to work in groups. But you can’t control their take-aways from activities.” If someone were to tell me from the get-go that college writing would come to be my favorite class of the semester, I would have told him or her to get their head examined. I too initially thought the class was just another gen-ed. But for me, it quickly became much more than that. College writing became a class I not only looked forward to, but yearned for. This is so much the case that when going through the regular col-lege grind, I would often think about this course during my other classes. For me, the course acted as a lens for understanding how to organize my free time and

process the duration of the semester. In fact, when expe-riencing totally unrelated inci-dents during the day – occur-rences that more often than not were funny – I made a point of mentioning them dur-ing college writing in a further effort to jazz up the mood and have a good time. Despite the environment, this is not to say that learning did not go on and assignments went uncompleted. Going into the class, I had somewhat of a passion for writing. As the class progressed, that passion strengthened and continued to grow thanks to both Gustafson and my 15 classmates. Although this comes off as cheesy at first glance, English 112 became a community where 16 students brought 16 different viewpoints to the

table, allowing for a pool of academic and creative ideas to flourish. It is a class that embodies the best elements of high school in a college environ-

ment. As a second semester freshman experiencing college in the fall for the first time, it became a class that was instrumental to my happiness. Initially, I felt surrounded by 15 strangers with names I didn’t know and whose stories had yet to be revealed. What emerged were 15 friends that I hung out with during week-ends and studied with after class. “There’s a great dynamic here,” Gustafson said. “You guys are able to laugh with each other and at each other and I think there is a level of respect there too where people are able to listen to one anoth-er, and I think that’s really important.” As the semester draws to a close and with finals now upon us, this will be a class that I wish never ended. “This is a class I have always wanted to teach,” Gustafson said. And for me, it was a plea-sure to take. Isaac Simon is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at isimon@umass.edu.

Matching the drinking age to morals

We hear it again and again from poli-ticians and public officials: the United States is a land of law. No matter how we feel about certain situations, it is perpetually pressed upon us that the rules and regulations set by the govern-ment simply must be followed.

As argued by President Abraham Lincoln, ever a fierce advocate for legal rigidity, all citizens should learn a “rev-erence for the laws…breathed by every American mother, to the lisping babe, that prattles on her lap.” This rever-ence, it seems, would stem from a sys-tematic indoctrination of the American citizenry. But, as even Lincoln admit-ted, there do exist certain “bad laws,” and in many cases Americans demon-strate their disapproval by blatantly ignoring them. Perhaps the most obvious example of this on college campuses nation-wide is widespread underage drinking. While police and administrators try to discourage minors from consumption, there can be no denying that alcohol, for better or for worse, is a major aspect of university culture among students of all ages. So how do we examine a case like this where, in a “land of laws,” a large segment of the population shamelessly ignores rules that they have deemed not worth following? For me, the root of the problem lies in the discrepancies

between the “institutional morality” demanded by the government and indi-viduals’ personal feelings about what is right and wrong. By insisting, as Lincoln did, that citizens “religiously observe” even bad laws, the government is asking indi-viduals to bequeath their own sense of morality to the authorities. The question for the individual is meant to change from “Is it right?” to “Is it legal?” But as countless historical examples demonstrate, people often decide that their own sense of righ-teousness is capable of overriding what the government tells us to think. And why shouldn’t they? As the con-troversial American historian Howard Zinn noted, many human atrocities, perhaps most notably the Holocaust, have stemmed from people following rather than ignoring the authorities. Furthermore, the U.S. has a long his-tory of the type of “civil disobedience” championed by Henry David Thoreau. American dissidents, from those who partook in the Boston Tea Party to the sympathetic homeowners who facilitat-ed the Underground Railroad, had been breaking “bad laws” for decades before the famed transcendentalist developed his moral philosophy. All of these historical actors refused to give up their own agency in determin-ing the righteousness of their actions. They believed in a transcendent moral code developed from a natural under-standing of how our behavior can help or harm other individuals. They real-ized that laws developed for the sup-

posed benefit of society are not always worth following, and that in the realm of human existence, adherence to the laws of the land does not equate to what humans have long understood to be “right” in a spiritual or religious sense. Perhaps less profoundly, the University of Massachusetts’ underage drinkers understand the same thing. Every time a 20-year-old has a beer, that person is displaying a rejection of the institutional morality that Americans are supposed to have developed. Every time a 21-year-old buys a 12-pack for his or her underage buddy, that individual is deciding that buying the beer to help out a friend outweighs the illegality of their actions. There can be no denying that laws often serve an extremely useful pur-pose. If individuals were allowed to make their own judgments on all issues, they would sometimes err to the detri-ment of society. In cases like underage drinking, however, where such a large portion of society has decided to act according to their own sensibilities, the laws should be adjusted to more accu-rately reflect the will of the people. A society that aims at justice ought to seek a legal code in which the institu-tional morality demanded of its citi-zens matches as closely as possible the “natural” sense of morality developed by individuals reflecting on the harm-fulness or helpfulness of their actions. In the case of underage drinking, a simple solution seems obvious. If

Americans are to be expected to “reli-giously” follow the laws of the land, then drinking regulations need to match the norms that have developed in American society. While 39 percent of high school students have reported drinking on a monthly basis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority still has not. High school life is not meant to revolve around going out and social-izing in an adult-like setting. For high-school graduates however, there is a dif-ferent story. Drinking has become an established centerpiece of adult social activity. Whether it be a lavish wedding or a night out with friends, it seems there is always plenty of booze around, with about two-thirds of Americans having on average four drinks a week. After leaving high school, young men and women enter into this adult world and understandably feel that there is no valid reason that they should not be allowed to fully participate. It’s my opinion that at the very least, consumption of beer and wine should be legal at age 19. This would keep legal booze out of high school lock-ers, but allow young adults the place they deserve in society. In any case, one essential truth remains clear: the government cannot demand a rigid respect for the law while simultane-ously enforcing rules that contradict the sound moral sentiments of the American people.

Benjamin Clabault can be reached at bclabaul@umass.edu.

The beauty of college writing

“For me, the class acted as a lens for understanding how to organize my free time, and process the duration of the semester.”

“If Americans are to be expected to ‘religiously’ follow the laws of the land, then drinking regulations need to match the

norms that have developed in American society.”

Isaac Simon

Benjamin Clabault

“When I eat, it is the food that is scared.” - Ron Swanson

Arts LivingArts@DailyCollegian.comTuesday, December 2, 2014

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

The Head and the Heart to stop by the Calvin Theatre

By Ruthann BaRRyCollegian Correspondent

Alternative folk group The Head and the Heart will play at Northampton’s Calvin Theatre Sunday as part of its winter tour. The six-part Seattle band, fresh off a two-month break, is rearing to get back on the road. The group is touring in support of its sophomore album, “Let’s Be Still,” released under the Sub Pop label. The album builds upon The Head and the Heart’s self-titled debut, which was released in 2011 and introduces a myriad of vibrant alternative rock and pop elements that shat-ter the generalized notions of the indie folk genre. The band’s collaboration began at the Conor Byrne Pub, a Seattle-based estab-lishment home to the open mic nights that brought the six members together. The band, initially founded upon the songwriting talents of Jonathan Russell and Josiah Johnson, became complete with acquaintanc-es met there. Drummer Tyler Williams, bassist Chris Zasche, vocalist and violin-ist Charity Rose Thielen and keyboardist Kenny Hensley are each integral aspects to the band’s music and songwriting. This multi-faceted sound has

helped make the group one of Sub Pop Records’ best-selling artists. Considering the fact that Sub Pop is also home to legendary bands like Fleet Foxes and The Afghan Whigs, this is no small feat. The authentic sound of “The Head and the Heart” can be attributed to the group’s eloquent vocal harmonizing. Songs such as “Rivers and Roads” and

“Down in the Valley” rely heavily on falsetto harmo-nies and a wide variety of instrumentation. This swift and smooth combination makes for a seamless blend of folk perfection. As portrayed in the group’s music videos, con-nections of time and place were a major influence on its debut album. The videos accompanying “Rivers and Roads” and “Down in the

Valley” evoke the group’s strong sense of down-to-earth togetherness. The recently released music vid-eos for “Shake” and “Let’s Be Still” have been gaining popularity on YouTube, as well, and serve as examples of the band’s affable nature. Released in October 2013, “Let’s Be Still” finds space to grow and build while still keeping true to the band’s original sound. The album

manages to incorporate more upbeat tracks that evoke an energetic pop-rock sound. As the band’s sopho-more album, “Let’s Be Still” centers on its rise to notori-ety and the ups and downs of discovering and fulfilling a musical dream. The group’s debut release however, focuses on the beginnings of the band itself. The mobility that one discovers while on the road

to fulfilling the aforemen-tioned musical dream is explored and fleshed out in the most genuine of ways. The set lists on the band’s winter tour will be compiled of tracks off both of the band’s albums, and fans will be delighted to wit-ness the shift in the group’s sound from 2011 to 2013. Most notably on “Let’s Be Still,” The Head and the Heart turned to record pro-ducer Peter Katis to help mix the album. Known for his work with Interpol, The National and Tokyo Police Club, Katis worked with the band in his home stu-dio, Tarquin Records, in Connecticut. With the expertise of Katis, the band’s sound comes to life with tracks that are fully rounded with echo-ing vocals and pounding beats. Tracks like the uplift-ing rock-inspired “Shake” and the airy essence of “Springtime” make “Let’s Be Still” an intimate record that captures the full range of the group’s talent. The band’s irresistible balance of strings, angelic vocals, rock and indie folk will surely bring a unique mix of genre to the Calvin Theatre. The Head and the Heart will grace the stage Sunday at 8 p.m. 7 with openers PHOX. Tickets are $33.50.

Ruthann Barry can be reached at rbbarry@umass.edu.

Indie folk group takes tour to NoHo

C O N C E R T P R E V I E W

KEVIN N. MURPHY/FLICKR

The Head and the Heart is on the road in promotion of its 2013 album, “Let’s Be Still.”

A guide to comedy podcasts

By CoRy J. WilleyCollegian Staff

Podcasts offer one of the most unique experiences of all entertainment mediums. With more than 250,000 differ-ent podcasts available for free from the iTunes store, there is no shortage of content. Everyone from major news networks to people in their garage are able to record and upload their own original con-tent. All of this variation and openness means you can find a podcast on almost anything that peaks your interest. While NPR and the WNYC-produced shows dominate the top 15 spots of the “Top Podcasts” chart on iTunes, lurking just behind them is a thriving world of comedy podcasts. Comedy enthusiasts can benefit most from the varia-tion and niche-quality of pod-casts. Whether you just want to hear comedians interview-ing one another and gain some insight into the current com-edy scene or find your favor-ite comedian’s podcast just to keep up with what they are working on, you can do so with a free subscription. Everyone from professional comedians to YouTubers are creating podcasts to gather larger audiences. With so much content listed under “comedy” and with each epi-sode generally running about an hour long, it can be intimi-dating to tell which shows are really worth your time. A good show to start with is “The Nerdist,” an inter-view-based podcast hosted by Chris Hardwick as well as his friends and fellow comedians Matt Mira and Jonah Ray. The show posts three days a week

and usually features a celeb-rity guest interviewee. Hardwick, Mira and Ray have known each other for a long time and have terrif-ic chemistry, making nearly every episode interesting, even if you aren’t familiar the celeb-rity guest of the episode. By far the best episodes are what Hardwick and company have dubbed “Hostfuls,” in which there is no celebrity guest and the three friends and co-hosts just talk with one another, sharing personal stories and discussing current events and pop culture. These are a good starting point for new listen-ers. If you are looking for some-thing based more in improv, then “Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast” is your best bet. Scott Aukerman hosts one of the most delightfully chaotic and hilarious podcasts avail-able. The show plays on the usual celebrity-guest inter-view format, but adds the twist of character-based improvisa-tion to the show. Typically, Aukerman will interview the guest for 20 to 30 minutes when inevitably an “unexpected guest” arrives. This is usually another come-dian playing a character they have created for the program. Fan-favorites include Bobby Moynihan’s murderous orphan Fourvel, Jessica St. Clair’s boisterous teen per-sona Marissa Wompler and really anyone played by the incredible Paul F. Thompkins. Aukerman and the guest spend the rest of the episode interviewing and interacting with the unexpected guest character, discussing their lives and discovering why they have dropped by the podcast. “Comedy Bang Bang” cel-ebrates the end of each year with a number of “Best Of…” episodes, offering a good intro-duction for any newcomers.

You’ll get a taste of what the show is all about and have the benefit of hearing only the higher quality episodes. Buried deep within the top charts of iTunes’ ever grow-ing list of comedy podcasts is “Harmontown.” Writer and creator of shows such as “Community” and “Rick and Morty,” Dan Harmon hosts his podcast in front of a live audience at the Nerdmelt Showroom in Los Angeles, California with friend and comptroller Jeff B. Davis. Harmon discusses everything from comedy and pop culture to current events and poli-tics with his girlfriend, Erin McGathy. More than anything, Harmon talks about himself, extending the semi-infamous reputation that he is a nar-cissist. With recurring guests such as Kumail Nanjiani and Bobcat Goldthwait, as well as the constant inclusion of fans at the theater, Dungeons and Dragons with resident dungeon master Spencer Crittenden and Harmon’s signature freestyle raps, the show has a consistent sense of surprise and familiarity each episode. Harmon allows full insight into his life and cre-ative process, which is won-derful to hear, especially if you are a fan of him and his work. Comedy podcasting is an ever-growing medium, filled to the brim with quality content for any and all tastes. These podcasts are an excellent reflection of the quality in the genre, but to really find the comedy podcast to suit your taste, find a comedian you rec-ognize and listen to their pod-cast, as they almost definitely have one.

Cory J. Willey can be reached at cjwilley@umass.edu.

From the Nerdist to Comedy Bang Bang

P O D C A S T S

O.A.R. and Andy Grammer team up for dynamic concert

By JaCk niCholsCollegian Staff

The masses at the Calvin Theatre rushed to gather in the standing area in front of the stage last Sunday night with the hopes of getting up close and personal with O.A.R. and Andy Grammer. Both acts performed an ener-getic and full three-hour show that catered to both hardcore followers and new fans. The show opened with an incredible performance by Grammer. At first, when Grammer announced that he would be performing alone, most fans assumed he would simply sing over prerecorded instrumen-tal tracks. But Grammer surprised everyone in the Calvin Theatre when he showed the full extent of his musical abilities. Before each of his new tracks, Grammer spent a considerable amount of time building layers before adding his own vocals. Proving that no instru-ment is beyond his level of skill, he recorded and then looped sounds from snare drums, bass drums, key-tars and crash cymbals. In this way, Grammer formed a cohesive sound similar to the one he achieved in his sophomore album, “Magazines or Novels.” After Grammer took his leave, there was a dis-tinctly awkward transition period. With two markedly different artists, members of the crowd seemed to

have only come for one of the musicians. An exodus of Grammer fans from the Calvin left the theater feeling empty for a short amount of time. When O.A.R. finally took the stage 45 minutes later, the audience that remained could not have been more ready. The band opened with “One Shot,” from its 2005 album “Stories of a Stranger.” With a very positive reac-tion from the crowd, the band continued to bring out gems from its back cat-alog at the beginning of its set. As the crowd began to lose its vigor, O.A.R. quick-ly regained its energy with a take on “Two Hands Up,” the first track of the night from the band’s newest album, “The Rockville LP.” The group added a power-ful twist to the song in its live performance. With pounding bass and drum lines accompanied by loud vocals, the crowd was inspired to get on their feet and throw their hands in the air. But despite the success of this particular song, O.A.R. tended to stick to its older tracks for the remainder of the concert. Of the 18 songs the band played, only three came from “The Rockville LP.” Newer fans of the group were disappointed by the lack of big hits in the set list, but veteran fans were excited to hear deeper cuts such as “Sail Away,” a song that the band had not played in concert since 2007. While O.A.R. played

with the high energy that originally established them as a noted live band, the latter half of the con-cert seemed to be miss-ing the passion necessary to keep the crowd ener-gized. The songs slowly began to blend together, as each track had a fairly similar sound. This small downside was quickly alle-viated by an outstanding encore that was worth the price of admission alone. At the concert’s end, O.A.R. reminded the audience why they are the professionals of live per-formance, as it powered through three of its most famous tracks. “Peace” and “Patiently” were performed excel-lently and with a renewed sense of energy that super-seded anything the crowd saw that night. Sunday night’s highlight came when the band introduced Grammer on “That Was A Crazy Game of Poker.” This proved to be an audi-ence favorite, as the Calvin Theatre was rocked with the noise of a joyful crowd. It was a beautiful salute to the finale of what was, overall, a well-performed concert. The strange mash-up of Andy Grammer and O.A.R. at the Calvin Theatre proved to be a remarkable success, as the two acts combined to perform a great show. Grammer used his talent to shock the crowd, while O.A.R. ful-filled its hype as an excel-lent live band.

Jack Nichols can be reached at jrnichols@umass.edu.

Both acts deliver a night to remember

C O N C E R T R E V I E W

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN6 Tuesday, December 2, 2014 DailyCollegian.com

WE WANT YOUR COMICS!Put your comics in front of thousands of readers.

Questions? Comments? Email us: comics@dailycollegian.comComics

If you eat an onion does it become an un–ion?

College teaches you the important things, like how to speed research and how to write just about nothing in 12 pages.

H O R O S C O P E S aquarius Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

Oh man, it’s been ages since we’ve all been home! Winter break couldn’t come fast enough!

pisces Feb. 19 - Mar. 20

If hot tea makes you colder after you drink it, then I guess everyone’s just going to have to drink it constantly forever.

aries Mar. 21 - apr. 19

In order to find good fortune, you must shout “rosebud ;!;!;!” into the infinite abyss.

taurus apr. 20 - May. 20

Is a lump of ice cream in a cup with icing on top an “ice–cream–cupcake?”

gemini May. 21 - Jun. 21

When raw onion becomes too much to palate, a simple fix of chewing on a garlic-bread roll does just the trick!

cancer Jun. 22 - Jul. 22

Early in the morning, you can see empty bikes rolling through campus looking for food for the long hibernation ahead.

leo Jul. 23 - aug. 22

Tumblr is just for little kids and teenagers. A more mature website for adults would be called stomachlr.

virgo aug. 23 - Sept. 22

What does it mean when the yolo dies out?libra Sept. 23 - Oct. 22

scorpio Oct. 23 - nOv. 21

The new fragrance: Out of season tomato.sagittarius nOv. 22 - Dec. 21

Looking for an emergency holiday gift? Those squishy pumpkins aren’t doing anything just sitting in the garbage!

capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

Winter break’s coming up! You better arrange your ride home now or begin to set up camp in the dining hall.

I’m losing my edge

XKCD By RanDall MunRoe

PooRly DRawn lines By Reza FaRazManD

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN Tuesday, December 2, 2014 7DailyCollegian.com

“I hate missing free throws,” Gordon said. “That’s something I prac-tice every day. It’s a habit. It’s something that I do every day. I’m going to the charity stripe and I’m going 1-for-2, that’s some-thing that shouldn’t be happening.” Kellogg said that strong free throw shooting makes the difference in close, competitive games on the road. “The reality of it is we have to make them,” Kellogg said. “On the road, you can’t give up 10 free points in a tight game.”

News and notes

LSU will have sopho-more forward Jordan Mickey for Tuesday’s game. The 6-foot-8 forward didn’t play in the Tigers’ 83-72 victory over McNeese State due to an ankle inju-ry, but he’s expected to be back in the lineup against the Minutemen. Mickey is averaging 17.8 points and 10 rebounds in 37 minutes per game. He scored 14 points and tallied 10 rebounds against UMass last season. The Minutemen’s game against LSU is the second

of four critical road games for UMass. The Minutemen also face Providence and Brigham Young University on the road on Dec. 20 and Dec. 23 respectively. Historically, these games are important for teams vying for entry into the NCAA tournament via an at-large selection. “The reality of it is, playing those four roads games that we have against this level of competition should get us ready for our league play,” Kellogg said.

Mark Chiarelli can be reached at mchiarel@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @Mark_Chiarelli.

DeFazio and his friends to play on. DeFazio remembers once during an important New England Patriots football game, his father ran a tele-vision cable down to the ice and set up lights so every-one could watch the game at night while they continued to play hockey on the pond. “It’s like nothing else, it’s where everyone starts play-ing,” DeFazio said. “There’s just something different about throwing on a ran-dom NHL jersey and skat-ing around. My favorite was when the lake was all glass and there was no snow, you could just skate for hours around the whole lake, you could just get lost out there.” According to DeFazio, the driving force behind his hockey career was his par-ents.“Whenever you play hockey, you always have to thank your parents.” DeFazio said. His parents sustained his hockey career both emotion-ally and financially, wak-ing up early to drive him to games and practices as a child and attending almost every game he’s played for the Minutemen. They also had some help. While most young kids learn how to skate by tak-ing lessons at the local rink, DeFazio had a differ-ent coach – his aunt, who coached figure skating. “I would leave preschool early every day and go to hockey lessons,” DeFazio said. “She taught me how to skate. Then after my skating lessons I would practice my hockey skills.” DeFazio said the best thing his parents did was not forcing him to play hockey.

By allowing him to play as he pleased and not pressuring him to create unreachable goals that he didn’t set for himself, his parents allowed his love for the game to grow rather than diminish after all these years. “I always wanted to have hockey be fun, I didn’t want it to be a job.” DeFazio said.

 

Endeavors off the ice

When his skates aren’t laced up, DeFazio never strays far from the game. “Honestly, hockey’s been my life, my job revolves around hockey. In my spare time I watch the Bruins, I base my sleep schedule around hockey and I have since I was four years old,” DeFazio said. “It’s impacted my entire life.” When he’s at home, DeFazio plays in a men’s

league, plays street hockey and has coached the U-20 Team USA Ball Hockey team for the past three years. This past June, he traveled with the team to Bratislava, Slovakia where his team beat the Canadian national team in the bronze medal game. In addition to all of his responsibilities both at home and at UMass, DeFazio has also had a job for the past two years with a hockey and sports equipment company called Mylec Sports, Inc. He will be working there after he graduates this spring doing sales, marketing and product development. However, long-term, DeFazio’s dream is to coach. “I’ve always wanted to coach,” DeFazio said. “When I found out in the sixth grade I wasn’t going to the NHL I was like, ‘Well maybe I can coach.’ My goal is to coach

somewhere down the road so maybe it starts with coach-ing club hockey here and leads somewhere else.”While his future is bright, DeFazio said he considers club hockey to be one of the greatest experiences he has had. The friendships, cama-raderie and dedication have made his time at UMass truly special. “I don’t know what I would have done with all my extra time at college if I wasn’t playing hockey and I had a normal sleep sched-ule and didn’t have games,” DeFazio said. “What would I be doing? I have no idea.” “I always want to keep playing,” he said. “Until my body doesn’t let me I’ll keep playing.”

Ariel Kallenbach can be reached at akallenbach@umass.edu.

DEFAZIO continued from page 8

final cross country race of his collegiate career. According to O’Brien, McGowan’s impact extends further past his personal success on the course. “When you have a young team, you sometimes won-der where the leadership is going to come from, and Patrick McGowan really stepped up to be that lead-er,” O’Brien said. O’Brien described McGowan as someone who led by example and showed dedication that rubbed off on younger teammates. McGowan entered the year injured and got off to a slow start. The team strug-gled to diagnose his injury, but the senior re-gained his form as the season pro-gressed, allowing him to fin-ish on a high note.

Other standouts and turning points

While McGowan saw a positive end to his ten-ure with the Minutemen, younger performers such as freshman Tyler Hagen and sophomore John Burns pro-vided an optimistic outlook for UMass’ future. Hagen finished 37th overall (27:02.7) at IC4As while Burns came in at 43rd (27:12.3). O’Brien said he was encouraged with the overall group performance of his team. “Sometime between the New England meet and the Atlantic 10 Conference meet I noticed a turnaround in the team’s sense of camara-derie,” O’Brien said. “They raced better because they were racing for each other.” O’Brien said he is hope-ful that this development

will continue. “When they are putting out a better individual effort because they feel closer to the guy next to them, it real-ly shows in the races and it becomes more fun,” he said. The Minutemen now have six months of indoor and outdoor track seasons to build on their late-sea-son progress. However, the young team is faced with the question of leadership with the loss of experienced runners like McGowan. O’Brien was hesitant to single anyone out as the next fixed leader for UMass, as he said it is too early to tell. He said that he is not too worried about the ques-tion, however. “It’s not crucial to the team’s success, it’s more the icing on the cake,” he said. Instead, O’Brien said he is focusing on how the Minutemen’s overall speed will improve with the short-distance races coming up. O’Brien explained that the runners must become com-fortable with faster paces for each mile in the longer races by pushing for even faster times in these shorter events. Due to UMass’ Northeast location, training through-out the winter is more dif-ficult than for other pro-grams located in the South. Stronger sprinters generally race in the warmer climate, leaving schools like UMass to develop stronger long-dis-tance runners, something O’Brien will focus on this winter. And he’ll do so with a string of encouraging per-formances fresh in his mind.

Nicholas Souza can be reached at nsouza@umass.edu.

O’BRIEN continued from page 8

JESSICA CHAIKEN/COLLEGIAN

Mike DeFazio (9) jostles for position in a game against Keene State on Oct. 25.

LSU continued from page 8

GMU shocks Manhattan in improbable fashion

By Chris MartinezCollegian Correspondent

With a second left on the clock and the game seem-ingly over, George Mason’s Jalen Jenkins grabbed a rebound on Manhattan’s Shane Richard’s free throw miss, turned around and fired a 75-foot shot. It hit nothing but net. The improbable result gave the Patriots a 64-63 vic-tory and capped off a remark-able comeback Saturday. George Mason trailed by eight points with one min-ute, 14 seconds remaining, but went on an 11-4 run within the final 21 seconds to narrow the gap. Patrick Holloway kept the game within reach for the Patriots, hitting a pair of 3-pointers during that stretch. Trailing 59-53 with under a minute to play, Holloway hit two free throws, followed by his two clutch 3-pointers, cutting the Jaspers’ lead to 62-61 with about three sec-onds left to play. Following a quick foul, Richards made his first free throw to put Manhattan up 63-61 but missed his sec-

ond attempt, which allowed Jenkins to heave his prayer down court. Jenkins finished with a career-high 24 points while Richards led the Jaspers with 18 points. Manhattan broke open multiple leads within the contest only to see the Patriots narrow the deficits. The Jaspers led by 10 points in the first half, but Jenkins led a 13-0 George Mason run to tie the game at 28-28 at halftime. The Patriots moved to 2-4 while Manhattan fell to 1-4 on the season.

Dayton dominates UIC

Dayton continued its strong start to the season Saturday against Illinois Chicago (2-5) with a 75-41 vic-tory. The story of the game was the Flyers’ efficiency, both on the offensive and the defensive ends. Dayton (4-1) limited the Flames to a 27.8 shooting percentage on the day (15-for-54 from the field), wreak-ing havoc on defense. In contrast, the Flyers managed to connect on over 27 of its 52 shots Saturday for a 52 shooting percentage in addition to finishing 8-for-16

on 3-point attempts. Jordan Siebert shined for Dayton, notching 22 points. Devon Scott added his first double-double of the sea-son with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Closing the first half up 27-16, the Flyers opened the second half on a 24-4 run, effectively ending UIC’s comeback chances. The lone bright spot for the Flames was Jake Wiegand, who chipped in 11 points against Dayton’s stiff defense.

VCU falls out of the AP Top 25

For the first time this season, the Atlantic 10 Conference doesn’t have a single team ranked in the AP Top 25. Virginia Commonwealth, which entered the season ranked No. 14, dropped out of the rankings after a 73-67 loss to Old Dominion on Saturday. The Rams also fell to then-No.12 Villanova 77-53 on Nov. 24. VCU, who still garnered 52 votes in the updated ranking, returns to action Tuesday night against Illinois State.

Chris Martinez can be reached at cmart0@umass.edu.

VCU drops out of AP Top 25 poll

AT L A N T I C 1 0 BA S K E T BA L L

@MDC_SPORTS Sports@DailyCollegian.comTuesday, December 2, 2014

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

By Mark ChiarelliCollegian Staff

The Massachusetts men’s basketball team’s first true road game of the season ended in agony at Harvard Saturday with Minutemen guard Trey Davis missing a last-second 3-pointer in a 75-73 loss. Now, UMass reboots for its second road game – and its first true away game outside of Massachusetts – only three days later against a team that hasn’t lost at home this year. The Minutemen (5-2) will face Louisiana State University Tuesday night in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the second meeting between the two programs. UMass hosted LSU last season and won 92-90 in a game that tipped off at 11 a.m. at the Mullins Center. According to Minutemen coach Derek Kellogg, his team has little time to worry about the Harvard misstep. “We have to pick our-selves up and get ready for another tough road game at LSU,” Kellogg said Saturday. The Tigers’ (4-2) roster awaiting Kellogg is signifi-cantly different from the last time the Minutemen faced the Tigers. Gone is Johnny O’Bryant III, who scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against UMass in 28 min-

utes last season. O’Bryant III was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft. LSU also no longer has point guard Anthony Hickey, who scored 16 points and tallied seven assists against the Minutemen. He was dis-missed from the program in May. Guard Andre Stringer, who added 21 points against UMass, graduated last year. Six-foot-10 sophomore forward Jarrell Martin is now the Tigers’ top offen-sive threat, a role that’s awaited him since he arrived at LSU last year. Martin was one of the most heralded college basketball recruits out of high school and was expected to make an impact against UMass

last season, but he suffered an ankle injury in the first minute of the game and did not return. Now healthy, Martin’s averaging 16.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. It’s a daunting task for the Minutemen, who must quickly shake off a devas-tating outcome against the Crimson. “LSU is a much better team than Harvard,” UMass guard Derrick Gordon said. “We’ve got to mentally pre-pare ourselves for that and just get ready for Tuesday.” The Minutemen specifi-cally stumbled at the free throw line against the Crimson, shooting 19-of-29 (65.5 percent). UMass missed multiple opportuni-ties in the final stretch to hit

free throws at the line and squandered chances to tie the game. Gordon was no exception, as he went 2-of-4 at the free throw line. He lamented the

missed opportunities – and the need for improvement against the Tigers – follow-ing the game, saying it was the reason UMass lost.

Minutemen travel to Baton Rouge

Daunting road challenge awaits UMassM E N ’ S BA S K E T BA L L

CADE BELISLE/COLLEGIAN

UMass will face LSU for the second time in program history on Tuesday.

‘Hockey’s been my life’

JESSICA CHAIKEN/COLLEGIAN

Mike DeFazio (above) is the captain of the Massachusetts club hockey team and has played both forward and defense this season for the Minutemen.

DeFazio thrives as captain, president

By ariel kallenBaChCollegian Staff

It’s Oct. 24 and the Massachusetts club hockey team has just coughed up a three-goal lead

against Marist College. Two defensemen left the game due to injury by the early stages of the third period, as a comfortable 4-1 lead became a 4-4 draw with the Minutemen on their heels. UMass needed a spark and assurance on its blue line. Enter Mike DeFazio. DeFazio – who normally plays forward and prepared throughout the week as a forward – made the sudden switch to defense and had an immediate impact. “You like to get your mind set before the game on what you need to do and what the coaches expect from you,” DeFazio said. “In the middle of the game when I’m asked to play defense after preparing as a forward all week at practice, it has to be a quick adjustment or it could cost the team.” “I have done this before though, so even though it’s not ideal it wasn’t something new.” DeFazio quickly breaks up a Red Foxes’ rush and fires a beautiful

outlet pass to his teammate Scott Campbell, who receives the pass in the neutral zone, skates the puck into Marist’s offensive zone and takes a shot from the top of the circle for the go-ahead goal. The Minutemen win the game 6-4.   It’s the type of situation DeFazio envisioned himself playing in when he was younger – albeit in a slightly different setting. In sixth grade, DeFazio believed that one day he was going to be lac-ing up his skates and putting on a jersey in an NHL locker room, play-ing in front of tens of thousands of fans at a sold-out arena. DeFazio and his best friend, Greg “Boobie” Berube would often hone their skills in the basement of DeFazio’s Lunenburg home. And while the trip down the flight of stairs wasn’t quite the same as heading down the tunnel at the TD Garden to take the ice for his favorite team, the Boston Bruins, the basement fit the role just fine. The best friends often played knee hockey for hours. On one occa-sion, Berube looked over at DeFazio to say he wanted to become a stock-broker when he got older, catching DeFazio off guard. “A stockbroker?” DeFazio said. “Why do you want to be a stockbro-ker?” Incredulously, DeFazio contin-

ued. “I want to play in the NHL,” he told Berube. “Dude, you know you’re not going to play in the NHL,” Berube responded as the two took turns passing a puck back-and-forth in the basement.

From Lunenburg to Amherst

DeFazio took a year off between graduating from Lunenburg High School and enrolling at the University of Massachusetts. He took commuter classes at Fitchburg State and devoted a majority of his time to hockey, playing for the Junior Bruins in Marlborough. DeFazio said his junior hockey experience helped ease his transi-tion into college and improved his game. It was his Junior Bruins coaches that helped him connect with the UMass club hockey team and when he attended a practice, he fell in love. “People always say high school and (junior hockey) are like the best experiences, but I think club hockey has been by far the best,” DeFazio said. DeFazio is both the team’s cap-tain and club president. A student in the Isenberg School of Business, he manages the team’s finances and schedules the ice time. DeFazio is a

dependable leader and has earned himself the title and nickname of “Dad” among his fellow teammates. “There are really no nega-tives about (DeFazio), he is a very straight-forward person on and off the ice, and makes everyone feel welcome and helps them out in any way,” teammate Nicholas Carter said. “Hence why everyone calls him ‘Dad.’” “The guys know that he has their back. It’s helpful to have a guy like that as the captain because I can go to him to get a sense of how the guys are feeling,” associate head coach Joe Smith said. “He’s also that little bit older than most guys on the team, so they respect him and know that he will hold them accountable if they slip up or are late. He’s a great fit as captain because of that, kind of an extension of the coach-ing staff.”

On the pond

Before high school, the Junior Bruins and his arrival at UMass, DeFazio was a kid from Central Massachusetts who loved to play ice hockey outside during the harsh, cold New England winters. After every snowstorm, DeFazio’s father would go out, clear the snow off the lake, and build a rink for

Hockey a constant for senior UMass forward

C L U B H O C K E Y

UM ends 2014 on high note

By niCk SouzaCollegian Correspondent

The Massachusetts cross country team concluded its fall season with an eighth place fin-ish out of 16 teams at the IC4A Championship Nov. 22, showing coach Ken O’Brien encouraging signs. The race, held at Fordham, was open to all college programs in the Northeast. O’Brien said he used the opportunity to offer experi-ence to a young and improving roster. “We wanted to use the IC4As to let some of the younger runners who didn’t get a chance to race in the championship races get their feet wet,” O’Brien said. According to O’Brien, it has been the performances in the final few weeks that leaves him hope-ful as the team prepares for the indoor and outdoor track seasons. Before IC4As, the Minutemen competed in the NCAA Regional Championship on Nov. 14, plac-ing 16th out of 39 teams. UMass appeared in the Atlantic 10 Championship the prior week, finishing seventh out of 14 teams. With only two seniors on the roster, these races served as an opportunity for the Minutemen’s younger runners, according to O’Brien. “It’s a nice way for those run-ners to end the season and gain some highly valuable mental growth,” O’Brien said. UMass displayed quality depth in the NCAAs, as the five runners it entered finished within one min-ute of each other. Junior Ben Groleau led the Minutemen with a time of 31:39.97 in the 10k race and finished 63rd out of 389 run-ners. According to O’Brien, UMass possesses the necessary depth to compete, but he’s still searching for a runner who can separate himself from the pack. “Having one really good front-runner that can finish in the top 10 to 15 of every meet is a luxury everyone would like to have, but I still see our core group of guys as a major strength going forward,” O’Brien said.

Patrick McGowan finishes strong

One of the standouts from IC4As was senior Patrick McGowan, who finished second out of 148 runners with a time of 25:51.4 in a five-mile race in his

O’Brien is encouraged by roster development

C R O S S C O U N T RY

see LSU on page 7

see O’BRIEN on page 7see DEFAZIO on page 7