Connector 2/10

Scenes from Juno â–ş Page 2

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

February 10, 2015

In This Issue

Transportation problems pile with snow

Grammy winner coming to campus

UMass Lowell’s struggle to remain open after devastating snow storms hit the Northeast

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Dave Rudderham Connector Editor

Mock Trial recap

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Men’s Basketball River Hawks defeat UMBC to break five game losing streak

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Final River Hawk Scores Team

Score

Overall Record

M. Basketball vs. Albany

L 59-69

10-14

M. Ice Hockey vs. UMass Amherst L 2-5 W. Basketball vs. Albany

16-10-3

L 57-93

10-13

VSA rings in the Vietnamese New Year Marlon Pitter Connector Editor

The UMass Lowell Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) and the Lowell community came together to celebrate Tet in the Cumnock Hall auditorium Saturday afternoon.

The event kicked off the Vietnamese New Year with music and dance performances from both members of the student association and Lowell’s Vietnamese community.

VSA photographer John Tran called the displays “a mix of traditional Vietnamese songs and modern American culture.�

Tran himself was among the student performers.

His energy and seamless dance moves ignited the crowd during his dance solo performed to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.â€? â–şSee VSA, Page 6

Patriots Parade

â–ş See page 8

Sections Genaral ....................... 2 Campus Life.................. 6 News............................. 3 Sports........................... 7 A&E ..............................4

Since the beginning of the spring semester, UMass Lowell has been highly affected by several snowstorms that have forced the school to close down, sometimes several days at a time.

Students and faculty have been forced to cope with cancelled classes, a slew of parking bans imposed by both the school and the City of Lowell, significant traffic problems and poor road conditions.

Prior to this past week, there were more snow days then school days.

Classes were cancelled a couple of times on days where the roads had been clear enough for travel. Classes for Thursday, Jan. 29 and

Thursday, Feb. 3 were cancelled until 6 p.m. when the snow had already stopped and people had already resumed going to work.

Nick Piscitello, the senior associate director of Administrative Services, said, “There were actually multiple reasons why classes were cancelled.�

According to Piscitello, there are narrow roads in Lowell that were not clear enough for the buses to use. The snow had been pushed to the sides, making the road even narrower, and the snow ended up making large banks, which made the corners really tight. â–şSee Snow, Page 3

Jen Desrosiers/Connector The ICC after last week’s snow storm.

River Hawks squander three early goals, fall 5-2 to BU Shane Foley Connector Editor

After giving up three goals in the first ten minutes, the UMass Lowell River Hawks hockey team lost to Boston University by a score of 5-2. Evan Rodriguez scored a hat trick in the Terriers’ victory. “I thought it was a good game for Boston University, it was a good half a game for Lowell,� said Head Coach Norm Bazin.

Missed assignments were a common theme for the first ten minutes of play last Friday night at the Tsongas. Only 38 seconds had elapsed when Boston University put their first goal on the board. Ahti Oksanen was left free in front of the net, where he took a centering pass from Cason Hohman and scored off an easy slapshot. “We were plagued by a few missed assingments and got behind early,� said Bazin. “We chased it and when you give anybody a lead in Hockey East, it’s very difficult to come back from.�

That lead had grown with 3:01 minutes into the first period. Rodriguez

Christopher Tran/Connector Evan Rodriguez scored three goals in Friday night’s game.

scored his first goal of his hat trick on a well-placed assist by high-profile player Jack Eichel. Rodriguez got a free release to the net, and Eichel fired a pass that Rodriguez was able to put home.

Right before the ten-minute mark, Eichel and Rodriguez struck again.

Racing down the ice, Eichel had beat his defender. He then got goalie Kevin Boyle’s attention, which gave Rodriguez a clear look at the net. Eichel found him for his second goal of the game. ►See Page 7

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February 10, 2015

Christopher Tran/Connector

Christopher Tran/Connector

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR

EDITORIAL BOARD CHRISTOPHER TRAN Editor-In-Chief

Maddie Koufogazos/Connector

MADDIE KOUFOGAZOS Managing Editor SARAH PACHT KACI MCLAUGHLIN Copy Editors OPEN Web Manager JENNIFER VIVIER MICHAELA HYDE Social Media Managers LUCAS BROWN Distribution Manager KELLY FREITAS JENNA FREITAS Graphic Designers

DAVE RUDDERHAM Asst. SAM LINSTEAD-ATKINSON News Editors SHANE FOLEY NICHOLAS GIANNINO Sports Editors MARLON PITTER Campus Life Editor REGINA ALONGI JEN DESROSIERS Arts & Entertainment Editors GRYPHON LAYNE Comics Editor JONATHAN SILVERMAN Advisor

Staff BENJAMIN ST. PIERRE HENRY ST. PIERRE BRENDAN JACQUES PATRICK RAISTRICK JOSH BEVERAGE EMILY TOOMEY AYAH AWADALLAH AMANDA DYSART ANDREW HAVERTY

TYLER COTE JOE MCDONOUGH GREG ALEXANDROPOULOS LINDY REED NICHOLLES KLEVISHA MICHAEL CAIZZI AMARIS TORRES JACOB SOLOMON

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

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February 10, 2015

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NEWS Snow forces UMass Lowell to close multiple days ►Continued from front page

Christopher Tran / Connector

UMass students trek through a large pile of snow while walking to University Suites following the snow storm that forced UML to close for almost an entire week.

So even on a clear day like Thursday, Jan. 29, the buses couldn’t perform the large turns needed to get students to their classes, he said. However, according to Piscitello, this “wasn’t the only reason.”

Snowstorms have made it difficult for both the city and UMass Lowell to provide space for both local residents and commuters as campus residents. “There was a city parking ban that resulted in city residence using the Ayotte garage,” said Piscitello. This would be an issue for UMass Lowell commuters had classes not been cancelled because the garage was full, according to Piscitello.

UMass Lowell had a parking ban of their own but these bans were quickly lifted following a timely snow removal from parking lots. This parking issue is not unique to UMass Lowell as Middlesex Community College has also had trouble with parking availability during snowstorms, according to Piscitello.

Multiple snowdays have led to an unusual start to the spring semester. Vicky Belakhov, junior, said, “I haven’t really started some of my classes so it almost feels like an extended winter break.”

Some students are concerned about the possibility of an extended spring term to make up for the snow days. “Many students aren’t necessarily getting their money’s worth of a full semester now that we’ve missed so much class, but people have to plan their lives and activities around school breaks and vacations,” said Belakhov. “ Moving those dates around would make it difficult for students.”

Needless to say, it’s been difficult for all of us and all parties involved. “It’s been hard to adjust,” said Belakhov.

What the UML Weather Center says

Samuel-Linstead Atkinson

UMass Lowell staff holding shovels while snow piles on.

If you call the UML Weather Hotline, what you will hear is a pre-recorded voice message left by David Bagley, a student of meteorlogy. And at the time of writing this Bagley gives a grave warning that says “More snow is on the way.”

According to the UML Weather Center we’re stuck in a “very active weather pattern” which will cause a “series of disturbances” beween now and the begining of next week. These disturbances include and increase in clouds, freezing cold conditions for Sunday night, “heavier bands of snow” for Monday due to low pressure and snow showers on Tuesday morning.

The weather center predicted that the snow fall will reach 10 to 16 inches or more over a few days (Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday). By Tuesday morning the worst of it will be over but temperatures will be freezing.

We’ve already been hit with a snow storm during the weekend and the active weather patterns, and freezing temperatures will add more. In past recordings the hotline also warned about the record breaking snow storm that shut down campus for about four days during the second week of school.

If you wish to hear what is coming up next in the weather forecast, the hotline can be reached at (978) 934-3999.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Indie Spotlight Review: ‘Guacamelee!’ Title Fight ‘Hyperview’ review

Grammy winner to showcase songs from new album at benefit concert

Brendan Jacques Connector Staff

As weird as it may initially sound, it’s actually been a surprisingly long time since I’ve played a game solely for fun. As a gamer, I usually lean towards games that give me a sense of gratification at defeating its challenges, and as a result, most of the games I end up playing are more gratifying to complete then they are fun to play. I don’t consider this a bad thing since it’s my choice to play those types of games and I enjoy doing it, but it’s rare for me to find a game that is not only rewarding to complete, but also incredibly fun to play on a moment-to-moment basis. So I am incredibly happy to report that Drinkbox Studios’ most recent release, “Guacamelee!” fulfills that promise and then some, easily being one of the most energetic and fun games I’ve played in a while.

“Guacamelee!” is a 2D action-platformer that takes place in a small village in the heart of Mexico. The story follows Juan, a lowly agave farmer who is killed in an attempt to rescue El Presidente’s daughter from the evil Carlos Calaca, an undead bandito who plans to sacrifice her in a ritual that will grant him control over the lands of the living and the dead. However, upon arriving in the land of the dead, Juan is granted the power of an ancient luchador mask and is

abilities you’d expect from a powerful luchador.

Punches, kicks and combo attacks give way into powerful throws and super attacks capable of dealing massive damage to multiple enemies at a time, and the addition of a dodge mechanic give fights a level of finesse and style not normally seen in these types of games. Further increasing the complexity is Juan’s ability to swap between the lands of the living and the dead, leading to fights with enemies that can only be hurt on one plane or the other, and platforming challenges that involve constantly swapping sides in order to land on spiritual platforms.

When it comes to presentation, the game is something to behold for both the eyes and the ears. Every environment of the game pops thanks to vibrant art direction and excellent use of color while the soundtrack succeeds in keeping up a consistently energetic tone throughout the game’s runtime. Unfortunately, if there is one thing that holds “Guacamelee!” back is its runtime. I was able to complete the game in a little over four hours, and while completionists can extend that time by exploring the world map for secrets and replaying the game on harder difficulties, the short initial runtime for a $15 game may be a turnoff for some. Personally, the length doesn’t bother me too much considering I enjoyed almost every minute of those four hours,

Courtesy of DrinkBox Studios

granted the ability to travel to the land of the living to save his beloved and stop Calaca’s plan before it’s too late. The plot is about as basic as you can get, essentially boiling down to Super Mario Bros: The Mexican Years, but it’s held up by well-written and witty character dialogue that actively plays around with and makes fun of video game conventions, while often playing homage to the games that inspired it. While I do feel like the Easter eggs and references littered throughout the game are a little too plentiful (probably three or four in every area, including the final level), the plot is enjoyable regardless.

The old-school sensibilities of “Guacamelee!” don’t just end with the references, however. The gameplay is very much in keeping with the classic “Metroid-vania” style, complete with a vast overworld to explore, platforming challenges that put mind over matter and plenty of enemies to test your mettle against. Where the game differentiates itself is in its consistently inventive combat system, which equips Juan with all the

but it’s something to keep in mind.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing “Guacamelee!” Every facet of the game, from the beautiful presentation and witty character dialogue to the rewarding platforming and inventive combat system positively burst with creative energy in a way most modern games can only hope to match. While it doesn’t bring anything to its gameplay that hasn’t been done somewhere else before, it still manages to pull off every idea it attempts remarkably well. Even with an admittedly short runtime, the game makes every moment count, constantly redefining itself so that the experience never gets stale. But what’s most refreshing about “Guacamelee!” is that, unlike most games out on the market today, its only goal is to be about as fun as possible, and I couldn’t be happier with that. “Guacamelee!” is available for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 for $15, as well as the Xbox One and PS4 for $20.

Tyler Peyman Connector Contributor

At the steps of their studio, every well-established band one day faces the dilemma of either evolving on their own terms or appeasing their fans and sustaining the sound they are loved for. For Title Fight, the solution is simply to make their music, go with their gut, and hope that their listeners come along for the ride. With the single release of “Chlorine”, the band signaled a stylistic departure from their more aggressive, post-hardcore history and as expected, the rest of the accompanying album follows suit.

“Hyperview” is a culmination of Title Fight’s subtle ambitions to push the punk genre forward and, with it, the band’s (foreseeably complex) evolution is only building momentum. The record is not weighed down by influences, but it certainly embraces them, at times sounding like a brother of Sunny Day Real Estate and at others a descendant of The Gin Blossoms. Admittedly, the writing hind the album process bewelcomed impact from M o r r i s s e y, The Strokes and even The Beach Boys.

Coupled with Title Fight’s characteristic abrasiveness, though, the result leans much more toward ambient, reverb-drenched indie than it does powerhouse emopunk. Some of the songs do so much tonal Courtesy of ANTI records meandering, “Hyperview” was released in fact, that a “youthful through ANTI records Feb. 3. shoegaze” label would not be wildly inappropriate. Although the band’s distinct shift towards “lighter” music may be initially discouraging to long-time listeners, Title Fight’s raw charm is still clearly visible through the flanging haze of guitar tracks and backmixed vocal croons.

Despite the slightly underwhelming nature of the band’s new musical direction, “Hyperview” remains strong, dynamic and immersive. A particularly standout track in the listing is “Rose for Sharon,” in which bassist Ned Russin reclaims the microphone and repaints that beloved picture of Floral Green with his signature hoarse delivery, as if shaking listeners out of their daze in the middle of the record.

At the end of the day, it’s crucial to remember that just as we grow out of our favorite bands, they also tend to grow out of our expectations as they continue to pursue their art. The best thing we can do is join them for the ride.

New England Music Awards music conference to take place in Durgin Regina Alongi Connector Editor

The New England Music Awards (NEMA) artist conference will be taking place in Durgin Hall, home of the UML music department, on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

The past two years, the conference has taken place at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on the morning of the actual awards show. This year, the conference will take place just under two months before the awards ceremony, which will be taking place at Showcase Live at Patriot Place in Foxboro, M.A. in April.

The conference, also seen virally as #NEMAcon15, is hosted by NEMA in partnership with UMass Lowell and the university’s Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association (MEISA).

Panels this year will include topics such as artist management, venue management, music videos, college radio, music supervision/sync licensing, and festival production, among others. There will also be a songwriting workshop with Grammy winner and president of the CT Songwriters Association, Bill Pere.

There will be NEMA artist showcases happening throughout the weekend in downtown Lowell in conjunction with the conference. Howl Magazine and NEMA will host the #NEMAcon2015 Opening Reception at Cobblestones, featuring Female Performer of the Year nominee Marina Evans and The Grownup Noise, who are nominated for Best in State - Mass. Saturday night, there will be another showcase at The Last Safe and Deposit Co. featuring The Tymes, Melt and Lowell-based band blindspot.

Also happening in conjunction with the conference is Lowell’s fifteenth annual Winterfest, which takes place Friday, Feb. 20 and Saturday, Feb. 21 in downtown Lowell.

NEMA has nominees Ashley Jordan and Dan and the Wildfire performing at the Micro and Craft Brews Showcase tent on Arcand Drive.

The conference is completely free and open to the public.

Visit www.nemusicawards.com/NEMAcon15 or contact the author for more information on the conference and events: Regina_Alongi@student.uml.edu

UML Media Relations LOWELL, Mass. – She’s studied songwriting with Paul Simon, was discovered by Barry Manilow and has written many of pop music’s enduring hits. Next month, consummate musician Melissa Manchester will bring her talents to UMass Lowell for a one-of-a-kind concert for the public and campus community.

“You Gotta Love the Life – An Evening with Melissa Manchester” will celebrate the Grammy winner’s 40 years in show business while raising scholarship funds and featuring young performers enrolled in UMass Lowell’s music-education programs.

Manchester will take the stage at Durgin Concert Hall on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.

The venue is located at 35 Wilder St., Lowell. This is the only New England show currently scheduled on her national tour.

Best known as a singer-songwriter and vocalist, Manchester is also an accomplished keyboardist. TV audiences may recognize her from her role as the mother on the ’90s sitcom “Blossom,” among other acting credits.

Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, Jan. 16 at noon and are $35 for the public and $15 for UMass Lowell students with valid student ID. Tickets for the concert and a VIP champagne reception with Manchester after the show – where she will be available to autograph “You Gotta Love the Life,” her 20th and first full-length album in nine years – are available for $125. Tickets for the public will be sold at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell box office, www.tsongascenter.com and 866-722-8780. UMass Lowell student tickets must be purchased in person at the box office. Prices do not include applicable fees.

A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Joyce Pang String Scholarship Fund for the UMass Lowell String Project. Pang was an outstanding violinist and assistant teacher with the String Project, a nationally acclaimed initiative that provides public schoolchildren throughout the Merrimack Valley with instruction in stringed instruments such as the violin and viola, as well as music classes and opportunities to perform for the campus and the public. Pang, who died last year, earned a bachelor’s degree in music performance and a master’s degree in music education at UMass Lowell.

A Lowell resident, she also taught in the Lowell and Goffstown, N.H., school districts.

Members of the UMass Lowell String Project through its performance ensemble, the UMass Lowell Youth Orchestra, along with the University Choir and Lowell public-school choral groups will join Manchester on stage during the show for a rendition of her song “Plant A Seed” in tribute to Pang and a life committed to the performing arts.

With “You Gotta Love the Life,” Manchester pays homage to show business and her craft as a singer-songwriter. Mining a variety of musical styles, the album includes contributions from Stevie Wonder, Keb’ Mo,’ Dionne Warwick, Al Jarreau, Dave Koz, Joe Sample and actor Paul Reiser, with whom Manchester co-wrote the track “No There There.” Four cover songs, including Manchester’s emotional take on the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” a Latin-influenced mashup “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” and “From This Moment On,” highlight her love of pop standards and show tunes. The new album is due out Feb. 10.

The Feb. 28 concert will cap Manchester’s three-day stay at UMass Lowell as an artist-in-residence. Her visit will include teaching classes and mentoring students in the university’s renowned music education, performance, business and sound recording technology programs.

“I’m really looking forward to my time there,” Manchester said about working with UMass Lowell students. “We can talk about performing, songwriting, the life. I will teach them about the music industry. They’re barely out of the starting gate and I can remember getting out of the starting gate. There’s so much ahead of them.”

Manchester’s residency has been made possible by UMass Lowell Prof. Gena Greher, coordinator of music education and the 2014 Nancy Donahue Endowed Professor of the Arts. The professorship was established in 2009 by Lowell philanthropists Nancy

and Richard Donahue to promote music, art and theater education at the university.

“As a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, performer, music businesswoman and teacher, Melissa Manchester is a living embodiment of the musical entrepreneurship we advocate for all our music students at UMass Lowell,” Greher said. “During her residency and benefit concert, many of our students will not only be learning from her, they will be working side-by-side with her as they assist, plan and perform with Melissa and her creative team.”

The concert offers local schoolchildren with a unique chance to interact with a master.

Courtesy of Melissa Manchester

Manchester’s new album includes contributions from Stevie Wonder, Al Jarreau and Dionne Warwick, among others.

“Events like this are the special moments when music performance is made very real to students of the UMass Lowell String Project and Youth Orchestra. When they have the opportunity to perform with world-class artists, their music has a deeper meaning for their audience and for themselves,” said John-Morgan Bush, the programs’ executive director and a faculty member in the Music Department.

Born in the Bronx, Manchester signed her first publishing deal as a teenager with Chappell Music, advancing the rich songwriting tradition of the New York scene that thrives to this day. She began writing advertising jingles and later was one of a handful of students selected to study with Simon. Early in her performing career, she became one of Bette Midler’s backup singers, the Harlettes, after catching the eye of Manilow, a frequent Midler accompanist.

As a solo artist, she struck gold in the 1970s with hits such as “Midnight Blue” and “Don’t Cry Out Loud.” In 1978, she co-wrote “Whenever I Call You Friend” with Kenny Loggins, whose duet of the song with Stevie Nicks reached No. 5 on the Billboard chart. Manchester reached No. 5 on the chart herself with “You Should Hear How She Talks About You,” which earned her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1983.

Along with writing and performing, Manchester teaches music to college and university students in southern California. In 1997, the National Academy of Arts and Sciences honored her with a Governor’s Award for her contributions to music and the recording arts. Throughout her career, her songs have been covered by artists from Barbra Streisand and Dusty Springfield to Indigo Girls and Alison Krauss. Along with Loggins, Manchester’s songwriting partners include Carole Bayer Sager and the incomparable Hal David, with whom she wrote “Other End of the Phone,” a new track for “You Gotta Love the Life.”

Pierce the Veil, Sleeping with Sirens at the Tsongas this Friday Jen Desrosiers Connector Editor

Sponsored by Rockstar Energy, the two biggest names in the post-hardcore music scene are currently on the U.S. leg of their world tour, which kicked off on January 23 in San Diego. For the first time since the “Collide with the Sky” tour in 2012, Pierce the Veil will be sharing the stage with Sleeping with Sirens over the span of five months. This tour will take the bands across the United States and Europe. Serving as the opening acts, special guests PVRIS and Mallory Knox will be joining the tour for its second leg.

With the main demographic of their combined fanbases being made up of 16-year-old girls, it’s no doubt that the Tsongas Center will be a scene of pubescent chaos this Friday, where Pierce the Veil and Sleeping with Sirens will be playing for their Massachusetts date.

Over the last three years, I have pretty such stopped listening to these bands and my overall taste in music has changed, but, nonetheless, whether I want to admit it or not, my inner high school fan girl is excited to see these bands in concert on Friday.

Every time I had seen Pierce the Veil and Sleeping with Sirens, I had never been disappointed (but then again I was 16 when I was a super fan of both bands). From what I remember, during their sets, both bands had high energy performances, gave mini speeches to the fans, had a high level of fan interaction and came back out for encores at the end of their sets. I’m hoping and expecting to get the same engaging experience this Friday.

About the bands: Based out of San Diego, Calif. and founded in 2007 by brothers Vic and Mike Fuentes, Pierce the Veil has released three full-length albums so far. Only one of these albums, “Collide with the Sky,” had been released through alternative-rock label, Fearless Records, and landed at number 12 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart. The band continued on to win numerous awards through the Alternative Press Readers Poll, including Cover Art of the Year, Live Band of the Year and Artist of the Year.

On top of all of this success, Pierce the Veil is preparing to release their fourth album later on this year.

Hailing from Orlando, Fla. and formed in 2009, Sleep-

ing with Sirens has released three full-length albums and an EP through Epitaph records. Two years ago, they made their way up to No. 3 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart with the release of their latest album, “Feel.” On top of touring with numerous other bands in the post-hardcore scene, Sleeping with Sirens has also played on the main stage of Vans Warped Tour for the past few years.

British alternative-rock band Mallory Knox, currently signed with Search and Destroy Records, released their sophomore album, “Asymmetry,” last year which reached 16 on the U.K. Album Chart.

PVRIS, the three-piece outfit from our very own Lowell, Mass. recently signed to Rise Records, with whom they released their debut full-length album, “White Noise,” in November of last year.

Tickets can be purchased for the World Tour for $27.50 through the Tsongas Center’s website and box office. The show starts at 7 p.m.

February 10, 2015

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CAMPUS LIFE VSA, Lowell celebrate Tet ►Continued from front page

Performers brought their own creative talents to the forefront as well. Moutwei Chap and Vickie Vo teamed up to sing an original acoustic song titled “Numb.”

Other modern twists included a performance by the hip-hop dance group Rice Paddy Heroes and the Inspirits’ dance performance to “Not About Angels” by indie-pop singer Birdy.

While engaging with a demographic of college students and families with children, the celebration retained a traditional foundation throughout, as most of the songs were sung in Vietnamese. The MCs, too, rarely spoke English during the festivities of Tet. The Múa Lân (lion dance) started the merrymaking after the opening ceremony, with two pairs of

individuals joined together in lion costumes roaming the floor, while the rest of the performances remained onstage.

The event took place two weeks after it was postponed due to snowy conditions on Jan. 24, and it nearly missed another snowstorm.

Viet Le, president of the association, said he was frustrated at first when Tet was originally postponed but also said that it did help in preparation for the event.

Le said he was pleased how well Tet went. He said he was nervous, but “everything went according to plan.”

“Every one of the performances went better than I expected, and it seemed like everyone else was having fun,” said Le.

Le said Tet is one of the largest events in Vietnamese culture: “Vietnamese people have always been celebrating the new year according to the lunar calendar, so it’s a big part of our tradition and culture,” he said.

All photos by Joe McDonough/Connector

The Múa Lân entertains the Tet crowd from the auditiorium at Cumnock Hall.

Kimberly Truong (center) sings “The Star-Spangled Banner” as part of the opening ceremony at Tet.

Integrating the Lowell community is paramount to the annual ceremony, according to Le. He said the organization made admission to the event free this year to “get more members of the community coming in and enjoying Tet.” “Without them, we wouldn’t be celebrating Tet,” he said.

The future of Tet at UMass Lowell is bright after this event, according to Le, a senior civil engineering major.

“I expect it to be even greater because the new leaders coming up, I see great potential in them, and I’m sure that they can do an even better job than what we did this year,” said Le.

Mock Trial Team goes 4-4 at St. Anselm’s, best performance in school history Lindy Reed Connector Staff

UMass Lowell’s Mock Trial Team is nothing to mock. The team recently competed in the Mock Trial Regionals at Saint Anselm’s College in Manchester, N.H., and came home with a 4-4 record and an Outstanding Witness Award. This concluded their competitive year with the university’s best record yet.

The Mock Trial Team, established in 2007 and run by the university’s pre-law adviser, Frank Talty, consists of nine active members. Members are given case materials at the beginning of the year, and prepare a plaintiff and a defense argument. The plaintiff is the party which presses charges against a defense, initiating a lawsuit. The mock team presented against rival college teams. Two judges scored each individual’s performance on a scale of one to 10, and the team with the highest total score won.

For their first trial, UMass Lowell presented a defense case against Tufts University, one of the best mock trial teams in New England. After three hours, the results were in: on the ballot of one judge, Tufts edged out UMass Lowell by one point, and on the ballot of the second judge, UMass Lowell scored 13 fewer points than Tufts.

The team remained positive about this outcome.

“This shows how strong our team has the potential of being, coming within one point of a nationally competitive team,” said James Christopher, a sophomore and co-captain of the team. “We lost by only one point to Tufts on one ballot, a top team at this tournament,” he said.

The tables turned when UMass Lowell presented charges against their opposing team, Bowdoin College. UMass Lowell swept the two ballots easily, garnering wins from both judges.

The third trial took place against Amherst College. UMass Lowell’s defense offered a strong case that seemingly defeated Amherst. However, when the ballots were in, Amherst barely squeezed out UMass Lowell by two points on one ballot. UMass Lowell won the other ballot.

In their fourth and final trial, UMass Lowell competed against Wesleyan University. Again, they ended up splitting the ballots 1-1. UMass Lowell won one ballot but lost the other, cementing their final record of 4-4.

Despite disappointment, Christopher was proud of the team’s performance. “We came within three points of being 6-2, as we lost to Amherst by two points in one ballot. I am proud of what we did and I look forward to us taking the next step next year,” he said.

Christopher wasn’t the only one who was pleased.

“I was very impressed and pleased with how everyone on our team conducted themselves professionally, worked hard and came so close to going to the next round,” said Talty, who has advised the team since its inception eight years ago.

For his convincing and skillful testimony, Paul Murphy, a freshman political science major, was awarded the prestigious Outstanding Witness Award. Recipients of this honor have demonstrated excellent skill at truly embracing their character, acting it out persuasively while contributing credibility to their team’s case.

“I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome, and was happy to help my team. I had a lot of fun last weekend, and I’m looking forward to next year,” said Murphy.

Outstanding Witness Awards are not new to UMass Lowell. Just last October, at the University of New Hampshire Invitational, Robert Callahan, a freshman criminal justice major, brought one home after his very first UMass Lowell competition.

Talty, cognizant of the promising talent on the team, shared his pride. “This team, as well as it did, has no graduating seniors. The future looks bright for next year. I am hoping that everyone returns, as well as looking forward to seeing some fresh new faces. Everyone on the team feels that they are on a position to go much further next year. We expect great things.”

Although the Mock Trial team is done for this year, the Pre-Law Society has some exciting upcoming events. There will be a Law School Information Session Friday, Feb. 20 in Room 342 of the Health and Social Sciences Building, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Admissions representatives from Suffolk University Law School, Northeastern University Law School, and the University of Massachusetts Law School at Dartmouth will discuss the law school application process and will field questions from students.

“This is a good opportunity to hear from those that actually make the decisions, what type of student and background each of these schools is looking for,” Talty said. “This session is open to all UMass Lowell students.”

February 10, 2015

> Continued from front page

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

Page 7

SPORTS

“There is no question in my mind, they’re a good hockey team, but we certainly spotted them quite a few goals to start the game,” said Bazin.

Bazin had called a timeout after the third goal. From that point on, the River Hawks played a more typical style of hockey. They resumed chasing pucks, being physical on the forecheck, and playing their aggressive defense.

The River Hawks kept the Terriers from scoring throughout the rest of the first and most of the second period. With 1:51 left in the second, Rodriguez completed his hat trick. Danny O’Regan chased a puck deep in the River Hawk zone, and fed the puck to Rodriguez who had a wide open shot.

With a 4-0 deficit going into the third, the River Hawks never quit. Boston University had committed two tripping penalties, giving UMass Lowell a twoman advantage. Freshman C.J. Smith continued his proficient offensive play, taking an Adam Chapie assist in the lower right corner and putting the River Hawks on the board.

With 5:41 gone in the third period, Evan Campbell cut the Boston University lead in half. A.J. White had attempted a shot up close on the net, and

Boston goalie Matt O’Connor gave up a rebound that Campbell fit in the net to make the game 4-2 with plenty of time in regulation left.

What little chance the River Hawks had at tying the game ended when Matt Lane took yet another Eichel pass and found the net with it. Bazin had then decided to switch Boyle out for freshman Olli Kalkaja. Bazin, however, assigns none of the blame over this loss on his starting goalie.

“Today I took (Boyle) out frankly, to be honest with you, just to give him a rest,” said Bazin. I didn’t need to see him there anymore. I didn’t fault him for any of the goals today. There were missed assignments by all of our players.”

This recent result leaves the River Hawks with two wins in their previous six games. Next weekend, the River Hawks will play their second and third games against rival UMass Amherst to try and get things turned around.

“The good thing about this team, guys, is we’re very good when we all contribute and work hard and we’re very bad when there are several players missing assignments, and it’s almost the dragon with two heads,” said Bazin.

Christopher Tran/Connector

Evan Rodriguez scored three goals in Friday’s win over the River Hawks

No. 11 River Hawk Hockey Falls at Massachusetts, 5-2 UMass Lowell Athletics

AMHERST, Mass. -- The No. 11 UMass Lowell hockey team was defeated at Massachusetts, 5-2, on Saturday night at the Mullins Center in Hockey East play.

With the loss, UMass Lowell drops to 16-10-3 (9-7-2 HEA), while the Minutemen improve to 9-18-1 and 4-13-1 in league play.

UMass’ Dennis Kravchenko got the Minutemen on the scoreboard first with his 10th goal of the season at 6:59 in the middle frame off a rebound from a shot by Shane Walsh from the top of the right circle that beat UMass Lowell junior goalie Kevin Boyle (Manalapan, N.J.) blocker side as he sprawled across the crease to try and make the save. Dominic

Trento made it a 2-0 game late in the second period with a wrist shot from the mid slot, beating Boyle high glove side. Frank Vatrano gave the Minutemen a 3-0 lead just 37 seconds later with a blast from the left faceoff circle with 1:42 left in the second on the power play for his 15th tally of the season.

Vatrano added another goal just 2:32 into the third period for his 16th of the season. The River Hawks got on the scoreboard with a 5x3 goal just 4:42 into the third period off a wrist shot from sophomore blueliner Michael Kapla (Eau Claire, Wis.) that beat Steve Mastalerz high glove side. Sophomore defenseman Dylan Zink (Madison, Wis.) scored just 19 seconds later on a nearly identical

play that beat Mastalerz this time on his blocker side. Walsh made it a 5-2 game at the 6:09 mark to cap off the scoring in the game.

Sophomore forward Joe Gambardella (Staten Island, N.Y.) failed to score on penalty shot on the backhand against UMass goaltender Steve Mastalerz with 5:37 left in the opening period off of a take down of Gambardella on a break away by Marc Hetnik. The teams went into the locker room scoreless at the end of the first period with UMass holding a 15-12 shot advantage in the River Hawks.

Sophomore defenseman Chris Forney (Thief River Falls, Minn.) totaled a team-high two shots on goal in the first period.

Freshman Tommy Panico (Wall,

N.J.) dressed at forward for the first time in his River Hawk career, after playing the first 10 games of his career on the blueline.

UMass outshot the River Hawks, 34-30 for the game, but UMass Lowell owned a 11-6 shot advantage in the final period. Mastalerz recorded 28 saves in his second win of the season, while Boyle stopped 29 shots in his 22nd start of the season. Junior forward Michael Fallon (Glenview, Ill.) went 10-for-13 (77%) in the losing effort. Both teams finished the night 1-for-2 on the power play.

UMass Lowell returns to action on Friday, February 13 for non-league action at Massachusetts. Game time from the Mullins Center in Amherst is 7 p.m.

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

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February 10, 2015

SPORTS River Hawks threaten for upset, but fall at Albany, 69-59 UMass Lowell Athletics

LOWELL, Mass. – Freshmen Matt Harris (Erie, Pa.) and Lance Crawford (Davie, Fla.) posted career highs of 21 and 18 points, respectively to lead the UMass Lowell men’s basketball team (10-13, 4-6) to a 67-51 victory against UMBC (3-19, 1-8) on Thursday evening.

With the win, the River Hawks snap a five-game skid, in addition to matching their total number of wins from last season.

“We’re really happy to break our losing streak and get a win here at home tonight,” said Head Coach Pat Duquette. “I don’t think we played well in the first several minutes, but after that we settled down and did a good job at both ends of the floor.

It’s no secret how small we are, so we really have to guard the post collectively as a team, and we did a much better job in the last 30 minutes. Offensively, we had some great ball movement in the second half. We kept the floor spaced and our guys knew exactly what we were trying to execute. They drove the lane, they shared the basketball and were able to get some good looks so we could open the game up.”

Harris, who also helped pace the team on the glass with five rebounds, tallied a personal-best eight field goals in his first 20-point outing. He led a bench that outscored that of the Retrievers, 34-4.

UMass Lowell was quick to log the first points of the game on a three by senior Chad Holley

(New York, N.Y.), but UMBC answered with nine straight points to take an early advantage. Harris responded for the River Hawks with five consecutive points to make it a one-possession game at 11-8.

The Retrievers led by as many as six twice more before junior DJ Mlachnik (Muskego, Wis.) drained a three from the top of the key and Harris followed with a jumper to cut the difference to one at 20-19 with 10:56 remaining in the first half.

Crawford then knocked down a long ball to knot the score for the first time, 22-22, at 9:03.

The home team took its first lead since the opening minute of play at 30-26 thanks to a layup by sophomore Tyler Livingston (Hudson, N.H.) and a three-pointer by Harris with 3:34 to play in the period. UMBC would put together an 8-3 spurt in the waning minutes, but Harris hit the last shot of the half to take a slight, 35-34 edge into the break.

Although the Retrievers scored first coming out of halftime, freshman Brad Schaub (Marlette, Mich.) banked in a field goal and graduate student Marco Banegas-Flores (Boston, Mass.) converted from long range to help the River Hawks pull ahead, 41-36. UMBC closed the gap to one before UMass Lowell used 18-2 run during a nine-minute span to take a 59-42 advantage with 5:07 left to play.

U P C OM I N G

River Hawk Games Wednesday, Feb 11

7 pm

Wednesday, Feb 11

7 pm

W Basketball vs Maine

Friday, Feb 13

7 pm

Hockey at UMass

Saturday, Feb. 14

2 pm

M. Bball vs. Hartford

Saturday, Feb. 14

7 pm Hockey vs. UMass

M. Bball at Vermont

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

In the final minutes of play, the River Hawks extended their margin to as many as 20 before sealing the 67-51 decision.

UMass Lowell shot 46.2% (24-52) from the floor, including 40.9% (9-22) from three-point territory. Malcolm Brent and Cody Joyce led the Retrievers with 15 and 14 points, respectively.

Thursday’s contest marked the fourth meeting ever between UMass Lowell and UMBC in the sport of men’s basketball. The River Hawks now lead the alltime series, 3-0. UMass Lowell has a quick turnaround, as the team travels to UAlbany for a 7 p.m. tilt on Saturday, February 7.

Patriots celebrate fourth Super Bowl title Marlon Pitter

Like Edelman, Gronkowski performed his own antics, including chugging a beer and taking selfies with a fan’s cell phone.

Led by owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft, the Patriots, Miller said the best part of the celebration was seeing Belichick wave at him hoisting their four Lombardi trophies, coasted on duck boats through Boston as his duck boat made its way down Tremont Street. In order to gain a good to celebrate their victory 28-24 over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. vantage point, he said, Wide receiver Julian EdelMiller climbed up a pole Marlon Pitter/Connector man, in addition to being a near the street to view the star in the game, was a star ceremony. of the celebration while the “He had the trophy team made its way from the in his hand. I was about Prudential Tower to City ten feet above the crowd.

Hall Plaza.

Just me and him. It was Edelman displayed a fangreat,” said Miller. made sign with an image of Massive snow banks Seattle Seahawks cornerback and frigid temperatures Richard Sherman holding were not enough to stop up four fingers which read, fans from lining the “How many rings does streets of Boston to celeBrady have?” on Tremont brate the Patriots’ chamStreet, near the parade’s end. pionship season.

The normally-stoic head While there was concoach Bill Belichick had an troversy surrounding Bosexuberant smile on his face, ton Mayor Marty Walsh’s and unsung hero cornerback decision to have the paMalcolm Bulter received rade on Wednesday, Millnearly limitless praise for his er said he thought there game-winning interception. was no better time for Edelman, cornerback Boston to host the procesDarrelle Revis, tight end Rob sion despite the outdoor Gronkowski and quarterback conditions.

Tom Brady were among the Miller said the parade best-received players, accordroute was “so crowded” ing to sophomore Connor and that if it were postMiller.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft hoists the Lombardi trophy in celebration of the teams fourth title. poned to Saturday, there Among other team stars, would be “a billion people there.”

Miller said he was most excited to see three-time Super Bowl MVP Brady and His only challenge of the day, he said, was wet socks. “The rest was a great the All-Pro Gronkowski. day,” said Miller.

“When I saw Brady, he was with his kid, so he looked over for a little bit, made a little bit of eye contact,” Miller said. “It was great.”

Connector Editor