The Connector - April 5, 2016

Strategies on choosing classes â–ş Page 4

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

April 5, 2016

SGA debate answers questions about candidates

In This Issue Rumba Latina preview

Taylor Carito

â–ş Page 3

‘Pokken Tournament’ review

â–ş Page 9 Baseball vs. Hartford

Michael Calamonici/Connector

Connector Staff

â–ş Page 11

Final River Hawk Scores Team

Score

Overall Record

Softball at UAlbany

L 8-0 5-26

Men’s Lacrosse vs. 9 UAlbany

L 16-9

Baseball vs. Hartford

L 6-0 10-13

Women’s Lacrosse at UMBC

L 16-5

2-9

1-10

British Debate discusses heated topic Mary Connell Connector Staff

The second annual British Debate was held at Moloney Hall, University Crossing this past Tuesday, March 29. Students debated over the following statement: Donald Trump is good for American politics.

There were eight debaters in total, with two UMass Lowell students and two Cambridge Union students on each side. The sides were randomly selected, and therefore did not reflect the debater’s opinions. This added a new challenge, however, they handled it gracefully.

Each debater was allotted roughly five minutes and the sides alternated. While they spoke, other members could stand up, politely interrupt them, and have 15 seconds to speak if given the okay by the debater.

The debate kicked off with UMass Lowell junior Thomas Wood. He stood up to the podium, introduced himself, and put on a red Trump hat, and said, “Make America great again!� This was clearly the proposition side.

Wood opened up his argument by stating that Trump’s candidacy has already increased America’s number of voters and would in the future if he won the nomination. Wood said this increased voter turnout has been seen on both sides, as Trump is “both inspiring some and terrifying others.�

With elections just two weeks away, the SGA presidential and trustee candidates gathered for a debate to discuss their platforms and ideas to the students.

The moderator, Dr. Frank Talty, read questions asked by students which all candidates had to answer in two minutes.

The debate was divided in a way that the presidential candidates went first, to debate on more internal and direct UMass Lowell affairs, and then the trustee candidates followed to discuss broader, more external affair such as tuition.

The SGA president candidates, James Christopher and Sim Dy, be-

Student trustee candidates Lindy Reed and Jesse Kruszka lay out their campaign ideas.

gan the debate with their opening statements, and then addressed the issue of affordability in concerns to tuition fees, textbooks and parking.

Dy assumed limits in the

involvement of the president in the determination of tuition and fees and spoke about the “value per how much you’re paying� which, according to him, includes large

events. He also addressed textbooks by talking about the idea of making them more open-sourced.

Christopher disagreed with Dy, mentioning â–ş See “Debate,â€? page 6

‘Daredevil’ returns with a punishing in season two Brendan Jacques Connector Editor

The first season of the Netflix/ Marvel superhero series “Daredevil� was in many ways a surprise hit for both fans and critics alike.

Considering the lukewarm reaction to Marvel’s previous attempts at translating its gigantic cinematic universe to television, and the studio’s previous failure to adapt the comic series in movie form back in 2003, it seemed as if Netflix’s take

on the character was primed to be the failure that would finally show that the entertainment titan Marvel has become had a weakness.

But thanks to an interesting cast of characters, a smattering of brutal yet expertly choreographed fight scenes, and Vincent D’Onofrio’s turn as the single most compelling villain in the Marvel universe thus far, “Daredevil: Season One� proved itself to be a worthy addition to the company’s now staggerCourtesy of Marvel Studios

â–ş See “British,â€? page 3

Sections Campus Life.................. 3 News.............................6 A&E.............................. 8 Sports..........................10 “Daredevil� is the first of five planned Marvel television shows on Netflix.

ing list of successes. Now a year later and just in time for the Easter season, the question becomes whether the show’s second season can keep up the same momentum or fall victim to the superhero fatigue that’s finally come to a head with the release of “Batman vs Superman� last week. For the answer to that question, read on.

The story picks up about one year after the conclusion of the previous season, with series protagonist Matthew Murdock (Charlie Cox) having finally gotten comfortable working as a lawyer for the innocent by day and a punisher of evil by night. However this careful balance is soon turned upside-down with the appearance of a new vigilante named Frank Castle (John Bernthal), a former special ops soldier who proves himself to be far more merciless than Daredevil ever was, brutally slaughtering many of the New York gangs that have grown in power and influence since the events of the last season. Murdock can’t abide that, so he embarks on a personal quest ► See �Daredevil,� page 8

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

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March 1, 2016

THE UMASS LOWELL

Serving the Student Body Since 1976

UMASS LOWELL CONNECTOR

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April 5, 2016

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CAMPUS LIFE

British Debate discusses heated topic UMass Lowell hosts event to discuss Donald Trump presidential campaign ►Continued from front page

personality is not suitable on an international stage.”

After four of the eight debaters spoke, the floor was open to the audience. Members of the audience had a great deal to say both for and against Trump. Some agreed that Trump had allowed young people to care more about politics and that his “cultish personality,” coined by Katherine Dunbar, was a good thing because he is getting people involved like no other. Others argued that Trump is proof that the U.S. is still racist and is bad for democracy.

Nicquania Gamble, a UMass Lowell junior, opened up the second half.

She discussed Trump’s unconventional views compared to that of the G.O.P. Because he does not care what Mary Connell/Connector the public thinks, Trump can create a platform that suits him instead of sim- The seperate factions had time to prepare their arguments before debate. ply following the Republican Party’s expectations.

Clay used this to argue that Trump UMass Lowell student Chris Kelle- is re-engaging those who have largely her spoke of his own experience from been ignored “in epic levels.” attending the Jan. 4 Trump rally at Lastly was Robin Zhang Xu, a Camthe Tsongas Center. Kelleher said, bridge Union debater. He spoke of the “Grown men were yelling, saying, lack of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. ‘put the Muslims on stage and shoot and the millions suffering from the them.’”

D.C. political elite’s free trade deals.

Later, George Clay, a Cambridge Despite this suffering, Xu said, “I Union debater, argued in his closing don’t think this legitimizes racism statement that the average politician within our society, I don’t think this will not help the recurring tragedies absolves the degradation of political that the population has become numb discourse within our country, and to. this is ultimately harmful to the very He created a human side of the people that Trump claims that he supTrump proposition argument and ports.” spoke of the very man who jumped All eight debaters spoke with confioff a bridge in Baltimore in Septem- dence and argued their side convincber 2012 that “tipped the scale… the ingly. Following the debate, the audinumber of U.S. Army veterans that ence was told to vote by exiting either have killed themselves since the in- the door with the “yes” sign or the vasion of Afghanistan have exceeded “nay” sign. The final vote was 14 to 4 Mary Connell/Connector the number of people killed in those against the statement “Donald Trump Katherine Dunbar (middle) listened to rebuttal from Harry Stoven-Bradford (right). conflicts themselves.” is good for American politics.”

Harry Stoven-Bradford, a Cambridge Union student, argued further that Trump has created a platform for his supporters to vocalize their formerly unrepresented complaints of D.C. On the opposition side was Katherine Dunbar, a Cambridge Union student. She argued that Trump has been successful because of his media attention. Dunbar said, “Politics have become more about personality than open discourse on policy,” causing the media to pay attention to Trump’s Twitter battles and tiny hands. As a result, supporters pay attention to his strong personality rather than his expertise on policy.

UMass Lowell senior Nicholas Gates shot Trump down for his inconsistency, an important aspect of politics. He also said that “Trump’s

LASA students prepare for Rumba Latina Jessica Kergo Connector Contributor

For the 15th year in a row, the Latin American Student Association (LASA) eagerly prepares for their award-winning cultural festivity. The event, known as Rumba Latina, is a glamourous night of cultural food, music, dancing and performances.

For LASA and the 10 other student organizations involved, April 9 cannot come soon enough. At 7:00 p.m. in University Crossing, the activities will begin with singing, dancing and a DJ. There are also many other new exciting features coming to Rumba Latina. 15 years is an especially significant anniversary for the event, as a number of LASA alumni will be returning to experience the progression of their beloved organization.

There is no charge for students who wish to experience the allure of this

dynamic celebration. All it takes is a trip to University Crossing dressed in your best black and white semi-formal attire with a splash of color. Performances include singers, free verse, dance competitions and more. Want a break from the same old dining hall

“It’s just a care-free, fun event where you can learn more about someone else’s culture.” food? Well then “Rumba Latina” is the place for you.

There will be a variety of free Hispanic food, such as rice, beans, meats and salads. All of the food at the event

will be donated by a range of local restaurants from Lowell and Lawrence, including Rancho Tipico, Pollo Tipico, and many others. LASA president, Abimalec Martinez, explains that the dancing activity is what really sets it apart. “My favorite part is when people get up to dance” said Martinez, smiling with anticipation.

One of the main purposes of Rumba Latina is to establish connections with other groups on campus. Aside from LASA, there will be 10 other organizations co-sponsoring the event including OMA, Sigma Beta Rho, CVSA, Kappa Delta Phi Nas, ASAO, French Club, Spanish Language Club, ALPFA, HASA and SHPE. All these organizations have collaborated for the ultimate goal of showcasing the Latin culture in a fun and engaging way. While this event may be based on the Latin American culture, it is

an all-inclusive party that welcomes members from every background.

Freshman LASA member, Marcos Aguilar, raves about the opportunity that the event offers to UMass Lowell students. “It’s just a care-free, fun event where you can learn more about someone else’s culture.” said Aguilar.

“It’s just fun. The goal is to have fun.”

LASA is an undergraduate group that has weekly meetings and holds events throughout the year as well as attending conferences and participating in community service. The club seeks to talk to students about the Latin community and engage outsiders in the culture. They discuss relevant current events and topics and educate themselves and others on the history of Latin American culture. Rumba Latina is an event that invites the UMass Lowell community to come and enjoy it.

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April 5, 2016

CAMPUS LIFE

Advising 101: How students choose classes Emily Bergman Connector Contributor

In preparation for the fall 2016 semester, students consider how to build their schedule to adhere to their own priorities, such as work schedule, professors and time of day. Starting April 12, students will be able to register for classes for the fall 2016 semester. .The undeclared advising office receives frequent visits from students who need assistance with selecting classes. Christa Hodapp, a professor in the Philosophy Department, guides students towards the appropriate and necessary classes. .Hodapp explained that many of the students she sees need to build their class schedules around their work schedules. “Our students here are kind of amazing. They work. They work a lot,” said Hodapp.

Hodapp also said that conflicting . work and school schedules seem to be the primary reason students withdraw from their classes mid-way into a semester. She said, “I just had someone tell me the other day that they’re going to get fired if they can’t show up to work. Conflicts happen, and college is not cheap. Students have to go to work.”

Sophomore Alex Morales, a me. chanical engineering major, said that he prioritizes selecting classes at times

that do not interfere with his work schedule. “Without work, I don’t have money,” said Morales.

In the undeclared advising office, . many students come in unsure of what they would like to major in.

In that situation, Hodapp said, “We generally push them towards general education or core curriculum requirements. That’s designed to give people exposure to different fields and areas.

Students may take a class and realize they like something they’d never really thought of.” .Hodapp explained that she also encounters many students who select classes that they do not need to take.

“I know that students are capable of reading the requirements off the Internet, but the advising centers know how to maximize your time,” said Hodapp. “I’m always skeptical when students tell me, ‘I know how to do this.’ You do…but I know more!” .Sophomore Dylan Beeber, a biology major, explained that a student selecting the wrong classes is not as detrimental to their education as it may feel, as long as that student is motivated to correct the mistake. “If you mess up a little bit, it’s not the end of the world. If you keep trying, you will get the classes you want to get. There are always opportunities in the beginning of the next semester for you to

get the classes that you need to be in,” he said. .“The worst thing a student can do is wait until the last minute, either from having holds or procrastinating, then not taking opportunities to get into the classes they need to later.” .Morales also indicated that meeting with an academic advisor should be a part of every student’s routine when selecting classes. “Some people actually don’t go to advising, it’s amazing.

I don’t know how you can get away with that,” he said. .Time of day is an important factor when students select their classes for the next semester. Junior Blair Leavitt, a music major, recommended that students avoid classes at 8 a.m. “8 a.m. classes are really hard. Your inclination is to just skip the class. College students stay up late and don’t really want to get up in the morning. You’re more likely to miss an 8 a.m. than a 1 p.m. class,” said Leavitt. .Morales made a similar comment.

“I can predict that there will be nights I’ll be staying up until 3 a.m., so no 8 a.m. classes,” he said. .Many students use the website Ratemyprofessor.com when picking classes. This website hosts a large database of professors from hundreds of colleges and universities. Here, students can write reviews of professors and

rank them on a numerical scale of 0-5 on helpfulness, clarity, and easiness. .Freshman Danielle Gilroy, a criminal justice major, advised, “Use ratemyprofessor!

It’s a mistake not looking into the professor, the professor can have a huge impact.” .Morales made a similar recommendation. He said, “Ratemyprofessor is usually pretty accurate and it has a large database of professors. You can have the exact same class with one professor that hammers you with homework, and another professor that doesn’t assign homework. It could be the difference between an A and a B, so it’s important.” .Leavitt explained that her priority is spreading out her general education and major requirements throughout the different semesters. “I don’t want to end up taking one semester of gen eds and one semester of music,” she said. .Some students prefer large gaps between classes in one day, while others do not. Beeber, a commuter student, said, “I don’t want a class at 8 a.m. and then one at 4 p.m. I don’t want to be on campus for that long. I like to get them all done close to each other.”

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April 5, 2016

NEWS

the possibilities

SGA debate answers questions about candidates ► Continued from front page

that as president this current year, he travelled to the State House to speak with legislators in order to secure funding for the university. If the school can obtain more state funding, then the student trustee has more security to vote to freeze tuition. Christopher’s platform coincides with Dy’s about the expansion of open-source textbooks.

Another big concern addressed in the presidential candidates’ debate was the student stipend that the SGA e-board receives. Most other clubs and their e-boards are voluntary, and the SGA e-board makes a collective $10,000 annually that goes directly to its members. The president alone makes $3,000 of that money every year.

Dy made a promise to eliminate his and his vice president’s stipend which would total $5,000; he feels that money should go back to the clubs.

“It’s something…we feel we do not deserve to put in our own pocket...

Even though we are one of the biggest organizations on campus, there are other organizations…that don’t have an e-board or anything like that. And we feel it is our voluntary decision

to be running for this office, so why not?” Dy said.

Christopher elaborated on the exact numbers each member of the e-board receives, including his own, which alone totals $3,000 per year, although, unlike Dy, he does not feel the SGA President position should be voluntary. He directly addressed Dy: “I can tell you, Sim, as Student President I put in 15-20 hours per week working in student government-related affairs. So if I weren’t to receive this stipend…I probably couldn’t be Student Government President.” He addressed that everyone comes from different financial backgrounds, so the stipend may feel as an option for some, but a necessity for others.

The student presidential candidates also debated topics such as LGBTQ inclusivity and the inclusivity of the SGA as a whole, as well as many other noteworthy issues.

The student trustee candidates took to the stage after to discuss their issues.

Candidate Lindy Reed came with an entourage of fans and friends wearing t-shirts supporting her campaign.

Reed and fellow candidate Jesse Kruszka began their debates with a similar set up to the presidential debates prior,

EXPLORE

at UMass Boston this summer

Michael Calamonici/Connector

Registration opens April 4

SGA presidential candidates, James Christopher and Sim Dy, debate issues ranging from LGBTQ inclusivity to tuition and student stipends.

beginning with questions about what a trustee does and concerns about tuition.

Each UMass school has one student trustee, which means there are five total in the system. The student trustees accompany the board of trustees to the State House to vote on different issues that affect all UMass schools.

Each year, two student trustees are chosen to participate in a vote to raise or freeze tuition for the school.

On Reed’s website, she explains that “affordability is [her] number one priority.” Kruszka also acknowledged that affordability is very important. Dr. Talty, the moderator and a former student trustee, asked a personal question in regards to the difficult decisions a student

trustee must make. On this, the candidates differed. Reed vouched that she would choose to keep costs low no matter what. Kruszka countered, explaining that if a problem arose that involved increasing costs but would benefit students in the long run, he would vote for what was in the best interest of the students.

All candidates expressed very strong priorities and issues they will want to address if they are elected. Most have information on Facebook or a website that explains further their plans if they are elected for their desired positions. Voting will take place April 12 to April 13.

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70 percent of participants, in a poll on which candidate they will vote for, expressed their support in Christopher and Reed over Dy and and Kruszka.

Session I begins: 5/31

Session II begins: 7/18

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April 5, 2016

April 5, 2016

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

to stop Castle before innocent lives can get caught in the crossfire, only to slowly realize that Castle’s appearance is only the prologue to an even more dangerous threat rising in the alleyways of Hell’s Kitchen.

Let’s start by addressing the absolute best feature of the new season, which is unquestionably Jon Bernthal’s performance as the unstoppable killing machine that is Frank Castle. It would’ve been very easy for the show’s creators to have written Castle as a carbon copy of the everyman, oneman army badass best exemplified by Liam Neeson in the “Taken” films, especially considering the very similar backstories behind both characters.

What elevates Castle above this archetype though is a conscious decision by the writers to make him deliberately unheroic. While his targets may very well deserve what’s coming to them, there is never any doubt that Castle is a psychotic murderer, with the fight scenes he’s involved in demonstrating a level of brutality the series hasn’t seen by this point. What really sells it completely is Jon Bernthal himself, who finds the perfect balance between portraying the deranged psychopath Frank Castle has become and contrasting that with tragic glimpses of the man he used to be. While his character arc wasn’t as well-handled

as I would’ve liked and his ultimate ending felt a bit rushed considering the buildup, it doesn’t take away from a truly memorable performance, and I have no doubt Netflix is currently scrambling to find some way to get the character his own show.

While Bernthal unquestionably steals the show, the rest of the cast does an admirable job as well. Both Elden Henson and Deborah Woll turn in good performances as Murdock’s best friends Foggy and Karen, with Woll in particular succeeding in finally developing her character beyond the damsel in distress archetype she so often felt stuck with in the first season. Charlie Cox also turns in a good performance as Daredevil himself, even if it’s becoming increasingly clear that Cox doesn’t have that great of a range as an actor and Daredevil is probably the least interesting character in his own show. Thankfully, that fact doesn’t end up detracting from the fight scenes whatsoever, with the vast majority of them easily topping the famous hallway scene from season one.

Unfortunately, if there has to be a weak link in this season, it has to be with the appearance of Murdock’s former lover and casual sidekick Electra Natchios. To be clear, Elodie Yung does a fine job adding personality to the character she was given, but considering her character’s arc this season is so obviously meant for

Owen Johnson Connector Staff

A couple of months ago, I wrote an article that detailed my displeasure with the Marvel cinematic universe. Let me just say that I owe Marvel a huge apology for that. My opinion on them has not changed, but I have to admit they are at least doing a cinematic universe in the best way possible.

The DC Comics cinematic universe is only two movies in and it’s already a disaster. “Man of Steel” left people feeling uneasy about the future of the franchise and Murder Man v Captain Hypocrite—I mean “Batman v Superman”—was one of the worst superhero movies ever made. Yes, it was worse than both “Batman & Robin” and “Catwoman.”

Just think about that. A movie that got a lot of bad press should have been a learning opportunity for the creative team behind the movie. What do they do? Poorly address the issues and make a mov-

‘Pokemon’ and ‘Tekken’ combine for a unique experience Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Shane Foley Connector Editor

Jon Bernthal is best known for playing Shane Walsh on the show “The Walking Dead”.

buildup towards the eventual crossover series “The Defenders”, it’s hard to really care about anything going on with her character. And this becomes even more of a problem when you realize that not only does she not have a character beyond her constantly shifting feelings for Murdock, but that her character arc literally boils down to which of the three men in her life should be allowed to control how she lives it. It makes the handling of her character and her ultimate fate feel disappointingly misogynistic, which is a shame considering how well the show has written female characters in the past.

DC: Destined to Collapse

ie that is even worse.

Now, in all fairness, I don’t know how the rest of the movies are going to turn out. Maybe they’ll be great, but I’m not holding my breath, and here’s why: the layout of their movies alone is a poorly thought out mess. The next movie they are doing is “Suicide Squad,” which should have been later in the cinematic timeline after most of these villains had been established in other movies. Coming next is “Wonder Woman,” and then “Justice League Part One” which will feature at least six heroes.

“Batman v Superman” could barely establish Batman when the main focus was on two heroes, but now there’s going to be a movie that has at least three new heroes to establish while also maintaining interest on the three pre-established ones.

Even if, by some miracle, the team at DC cracks down and actually works to make a good movie, they have still dug themselves into a rut that is alCourtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

“Batman v Superman” will be followed next year by the “Justice League” film and solo films for each member.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Daredevil: Season 2’ is electrifying ►Continued from front page

UM ASS L OWELL C ONNECTOR

Despite the issues with Elektra and the story losing a bit of its steam by the end, “Daredevil: Season 2” otherwise succeeds in living up to the first season’s quality and in some ways even surpasses it. While it won’t change the minds of anyone who wasn’t already onboard with the series and it probably won’t be remembered as fondly as the first season, it still manages to beat the sophomore slump and is easily worth the watch.

Seasons 1 and 2 of “Daredevil” can be streamed exclusively on netflix. com.

most impossible to escape. DC’s three biggest heroes, Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, all have little to no personality and or are completely unlikable characters who just mope around for two and a half hours when they star in a movie. So, it doesn’t really matter what they do for the stories of the movies at this point. No matter how exciting and interesting they make it there will be disconnect because there is no reason to care about these characters.

It is possible that the next round of established characters would be more interesting. However, the issue would still stand that the three most popular ones who draw in big audiences are still boring flat lines. If those three fail at bringing in audiences now that it’s obvious how miscalculated those characters have been, is there any real hope of getting people to see the lesser heroes of Aquaman or Cyborg? My guess is no.

The even bigger problem is that DC has put out two critically panned and very much hated movies that people were looking forward to. If DC can’t even manage to impress people with movies they’ve actually been asking for, how are they expected to churn in a profit when movies like “Aquaman” and “Cyborg” come out that don’t have as much interest towards them.

I also have a retraction to make from my review of “Batman v Superman” from last week. I originally praised one aspect of the movie, but have come to realize that I only liked the idea of that aspect and not how it was handled. Because of that, I must rescind that praise and instead declare that there wasn’t a single redeemable aspect of the movie except Ben Affleck, Jeremy Irons, and Laurence Fishburne.

2016 marks the year when the “Pokken Tournament” hype train comes to a close. A year ago, all we had was a picture of a Lucario fighting a Machamp; now, we have a full-fledged game. Being a collaboration between The Pokemon Company, Bandai Namco Entertainment and Soulcalibur producer Masaaki Hoshino, nobody knew what to expect from this game. Many “Pokemon” fans were eagerly anticipating the release date to see their beloved characters in their new-found HD glory. Now that it’s out, the question is: How does it actually stack up as a fighting game?

Well, that’s a tough question to answer, since we have never seen anything like “Pokken Tournament.”

Some of the mechanics in this game are of a kind we haven’t seen before.

Perhaps the most glaring innovation is the introduction of a two-phase game. In every match, the players begin in what is known as the field phase.

This form of the game is depicted through an overhead camera on the oval shaped arena, and the characters can move in all directions. Being a two player game, one player must operate using the Wii U Gamepad while the other uses a pro controller. The reason for this is because the TV will show the perspective of the player using the pro controller, while the other player’s perspective is shown on the gamepad.

This is only true for the field phase, however. Once one player lands a strong hit, the players transition into the dual phase. The perspectives matter less in this phase, since the orientation switches to a more 2D style, similar to “Street Fighter” or “Mortal Kombat.” Pokemon have different attacks in each phase: in field phase,

more projectiles are available, but in dual phase, the emphasis is on combos and heavy-hitting attacks. A strong attack must also be landed to transition from dual phase back to field phase.

In every match, the player can also choose from a set of Pokemon pairs to serve as supports. Many of these Pokemon do damage to the other player, while others heal you or do something else to benefit you. You cannot use these abilities until their meter is filled, however, and only one can be used per round (one match consits of best two out of three rounds).

There is another meter in the game that is alloted to your Synergy Boost.

When activated, Synergy Boost will change the Pokemon’s appearance (even allowing the Pokemon to mega-evolve, if available), make their moves deal more damage and heal the Pokemon over time. Each character also has a Synergy Boost move that opperates like a fatality in “Mortal Kombat.” These moves tend to deal large amounts of damage and, in some cases, can defeat the opponent when their life is around half.

All of these innovations can be a lot to take in. Since there is so much, “Pokken Tournament” ends up being a platform for new fans to learn fighting game basics not just for “Pokken,” but for “Street Fighter,” “Mortal Kombat,”,“Marvel V Capcom,” “Super Smash Bros,” or any other fighting game.

First of all, there is a mode called Action Dojo, which teaches the player how to perform basic combos for each character. This is preferable over “Smash,” for example, where you have to go into training mode and experiment to learn combos.

There are other helpful elements in the game that teach you fundamen-

‘Fuller House’ review Jennifer Wall Connector Staff

After a long hiatus from 1995 to 2016, our favorite San Francisco family comes back for more.

DJ Fuller, played by Candace Cameron, previously known as DJ Tanner, stars in the show and has three sons that her best friend, Kimmie, and her sister, Stephanie, come to help raise in the same house the beloved Tanner family lived in. The show is based off DJ’s life as a new widow and her fear of raising her three sons alone.

Although season one has its cheesy parts, (what else would we expect from a “Full House” reunion?), it does bring back many memories from the original show. This show was clearly made for the diehard Tanner family fans.

Many references are made in season one that viewers may not pick up on if they did not watch the original series. Danny Tanner (Bob Saget), Jesse Katsopolis (John Stamos) and Joey

Gladstone (Dave Coulier) make few appearances with the same personalities we left them with in 1995. There are moments where Michelle Tanner (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) is referenced, giving mention to her “fashion empire” in New York. It has been announced that in season two, Michelle will come back for at least an appearance, however the Olsen twins will not be the actresses portraying her.

Personally, I loved the show, but that could be fueled by my desire to be back in 1995. This Netflix original series realized season one all at once, and I watched it all…within 48 hours.

I can’t promise that people will think this show is original and phenomenal, but it was an emotional stroll down memory lane that, quite frankly, I enjoyed very much.

tals, like the fighting triangle (attacks beat grabs, grabs beat shields, shields beat attacks). One could argue that the phases themselves teach fighting game basics. The emphasis on getting the first hit in field phase could be comparable to the neutral game in other fighting games, where players use their quick, long-range moves to either bait a bad move or find an opportunity to launch an attack; dual phase emphasizes combos and punish game, where you recognize a mistake by the opponent and capitalize with a large attack.

On top of being technically sound, this game is amaizingly animated.

The creators did a lot to bring the Pokemon to life. Many features on these characters make the Pokemon appear as if they could actually exist in the real world - for example, the lifelike fur on Weavile, or the detail Machamp’s muscles. The animations for the Synergy Burst moves are quite the treats, as well. Like in “Mortal Kombat,” once the hit is confirmed, these moves transition into cut scenes that look very, very nice.

While this game has benefits for players who are new to fighting games, others might not be so impressed.

There is a major lack of single-player content, so fans looking to play a large, in depth campaign will be disappointed. There is also a relatively small roster; the player begins the game with 14 characters, and they can unlock two others by playing the campaign. Some of these characters feel old as well, since Pikachu, Charizard and Lucario all appear in “Super Smash Bros.” as well. The game almost makes up for this by having a long list of pairs of Pokemon supports, though I personally would have liked to see some of the support characters as playable characters, such as Dragonite and Reshiram.

At the end of the day, it is hard to compare “Pokken Tournament” to anything since it’s so unlike anything that came before it. It’s certainly not perfected yet; being the first of it’s kind, the developers should be applauded for their innovation. At it’s roots, “Pokken Tournament” is a fun experience. It might not stack up with “Street Fighter V” or “Marvel V Capcom 3” yet, but hopefully this game is the first in a series that will continue to improve. Either way, if you’re looking for a good time, “Pokken Tournament” is worth picking up.

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April 5, 2016

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NCAA basketball: Don’t mistake maturity for lack of talent Kyle Gaudette Connector Editor

It’s wise to be a fan of something before you decide to critique it. That’s just part of being a good critic.

When Kentucky steamrolled its way to a 38-0 record and a top seed in the NCAA tournament last season, it was a completely valid to critique that team among the best college basketball had ever seen. But outside of the Big Blue Nation out there in Lexington, was it really fun for anyone watching that team dominate?

Every game last year for the Wildcats brought about the same narratives. Everyone wanted to speculate whether they would go undefeated, and everyone wanted to slap the “greatest college team of all time” logo.

It was excruciatingly boring.

So, when the 2015-16 season began with current NIT participant George Washington beating highly ranked Virginia and the preseason No. 1 North Carolina losing to little Northern Iowa, it was a welcoming sign indeed.

The only certainty about this season was that there was uncertainty all around. It was awesome.

It was glorious. It was led by a fantastic senior class.

College basketball did not have the one or two dominant “super teams” this year that the sport has grown accustomed to seeing in recent memory.

Rather, there were just a bunch of really, really good teams led by senior-driven talent. As the only noteworthy freshman stud, Ben Simmons put up great

numbers at LSU, but failed to lead the Tigers even remotely close to the big dance.

When describing this season of college basketball, it starts and ends with the seniors. Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield is going to win the Wooden Award for National Player of the Year and is putting up 25 points per game in what has been the Sooners best season since the Blake Griffin era. Brice Johnson has been a double-double machine for North Carolina, and conference foe Malcolm Brogdon has a Player Efficiency Rating of over 30. Don’t forget about the three most dynamic point-guards this season in Denzel Valentine, Melo Tremble and Kris Dunn – all seniors. And Kansas, the team with the best record in college hoops, was led by Perry Ellis – a man whose hair line makes him look 35 years old, but he’s still in college. The list could go on.

The NCAA and ESPN especially love to brand the freshmen “superstars” that come into the college game every year: it’s a hobby of theirs. Unfortunately, while some, as ESPN likes to call them, “green-room guys,” have panned out, ie. Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, many have proven to be too young to have that label thrown on them. They are placing the idea of these kids playing for your favorite team in the NBA before they even step onto a college court.

Look, we all know that the NCAA has flaws, and the fact they make mountains of money off of unpaid athletes is absurd. But the fact of the matter is that they have coveted the one-and-done guys to be more important than the ones who had stayed in school to complete their degree.

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Everyone should be forced to spend a minimum of two years in college before declaring pro, plain and simple.

Now, I don’t fault a guy leaving early if he has the talent and actually wants to go somewhere he can get paid. But I also don’t fault the guys who stayed in school all four years, are really good at basketball and now have a degree to fall back on. In fact, there is a strong argument to suggest that athlete may be smarter than his one-and-done counterpart.

Take a guy like Jahlil Okafor for example. As the third pick in the 2015 NBA draft and a former one-and-done freshman phenom at Duke, the most press Okafor has received this season is when he got into an alley fight in Boston. He was suspended for his actions, the Sixers tried to trade him at the deadline and a couple more incidents like that may leave him jobless.

I get it, incidents happen at both the collegiate and professional level. But raise your hand if you’ve ever met anyone who was genuinely depressed that they stayed in school and got a degree. Plus, as mentioned before, this season of college basketball was the best and most unpredictable year the game has seen in a long time.

You can criticize players, coaches and this article all you want, but I implore you to put away the critics’ glasses and look at your beloved game as nothing more than a fan. College basketball is more entertaining when the kids stay in school, and maybe the kids are better off too.

Adam Chapie signs contract with New York Rangers UMass Lowell Athletics

NEW YORK -- Senior forward Adam Chapie (Oxford, Mich.) of the UMass Lowell Men’s Hockey team signed a contract with the NHL’s New York Rangers on Friday afternoon, as announced by the Rangers’ General Manager Jeff Gorton.

Chapie totaled a career-high 35 points (16g,19a) in his senior season in 39 contests with a +11 plus/minus rating, helping the team to an appearance in the East Regional Final. His 16 goals ranked second on the team and his 35 points were third best on the River Hawks’ roster.

“Adam Chapie has signed an NHL contract with the NY Rangers. He had a tremendous career at UMass Lowell and developed into a dangerous offensive threat in Hockey East.

I’m very excited for Adam to continue his hockey career with an original six franchise. He developed consistently over his college career and

there’s no question the best is yet to come. We wish him the best as he begins his professional hockey career.”

The 6-1, 185-pounder skated in 148 collegiate games over four seasons with UMass Lowell, registering 46 goals and 49 assists for 95 points, along with a +16 rating and 105 penalty minutes. Chapie averaged 0.88 points per game over his final two seasons with the River Hawks, registering 66 points (28g,38a) in 75 games. Chapie recorded 12 or more goals in each of his final three seasons of collegiate hockey. In addition, he helped UMass Lowell advance to the Frozen Four during his freshman year in 2012-13, as the River Hawks were Hockey East Regular Season Champions and won the Hockey East Tournament Championship. Chapie also helped the River Hawks to a Hockey East Tournament Championship in 2014.

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George DeLuca/Connector

Adam Chapie lines up a shot for a goal against Boston University goalie Sean Maguire on Feb. 13, 2016 at the Tsongas Center.

Prada’s walk off pushes River Hawks to twin bill split UMass Lowell Athletics

LOWELL, Mass. – Ben Prada (Laurel, Md.) delivered a walk off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to capture game two, 6-5, as the UMass Lowell (10-12, 1-4) split a conference doubleheader with the Hartford Hawks (17-6, 4-2), on Friday night.

“Game one was a tough way to lose, just came up a bit short in the end and couldn’t finish the task,” said Head Coach Ken Harring. “To find ourselves down 5-0 in game two and pull out the comeback showed a lot of heart from our guys. That’s the beauty of baseball, there’s no clock and the game isn’t over until the final out. This is a process, we have a lot of young guys playing and to lose game one, we could have just folded the tents in game two, and I give the guys all the credit in the world to stick with it and battle back.

With two on and one out in the ninth, Prada shot a single to right to score Zack Tower (Auburn, Mass.) from second and send the dugout into a celebration at second base, as the River Hawks completed the fiverun comeback.

The River Hawks entered the seventh inning trailing 5-0 and down to their last three outs, before a five-run rally forced the game to extras. With one out in the frame, Chris Sharpe (Burlington, Mass.) singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. Russ Olive (Chelmsford, Mass.) walked and Zack Tower (Auburn, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Nick Barry (Grafton, Mass.) broke up the shutout with a bloop single to right, and Prada singled to plate Olive. Tower trimmed the deficit to 5-3 coming to score on a wild pitch, and Joe Consolmagno (Worcester, Mass.) brought the River Hawks all the way back with a two-run single.

The Hawks broke up a scoreless contest with a solo shot off the bat of Aaron Wilson in the sixth, and added four runs in the top of seventh for the 5-0 buffer.

Kendall Pomeroy (Shrewsbury, Mass.) improved to 3-0 on the season, and Barry provided a team-high three hits. Consolmagno and Prada each had two RBI, with Tower crossing the plate twice.

In game one, the Hawks scored three runs in the ninth to escape 4-3, the game-tying and winning runs coming with two outs. With one out, Evan Ostberg reached on a fielder’s choice to score Dalton Ruch, and David MacKinnon crossed the plate after an error.

The River Hawks started off the game strong with two quick runs in the bottom of the first off a sacrifice fly to the second baseman from Steve Passatempo (Medford, Mass.).

Standing on third, Joe Consolmagno (Worcester, Mass.) tagged up immediately and as the throw home went into the visitor dugout, Oscar Marchena (Miami, Fla.) scored from second.

Andy Savard (Tyngsboro, Mass.) led off the second with a double and came around to score when Marchena beat out a double play to push the lead the 3-0.

Before the decisive ninth inning, Hartford scored one unearned run in the sixth to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Andrew Ryan (Rochester, Mass.) pitched seven innings, allowing one unearned run and striking out five.

Sam McKay picked up the win for the guests, with Collin Ferguson recording the save.

River Hawks stumble in rubber game, 6-0, to Hartford UMass Lowell Athletics

UP CO MI N G

River Hawk Games

LOWELL, Mass. – Less than 24 hours after an exciting walk off win, the UMass Lowell Wednesday, Apr. 6 4 p.m.

Softball vs BC (10-13, 1-5) baseball team fell in the rubber game of its three-game series, 6-0, with the Wednesday, Apr. 6 7 p.m.

Baseball vs Brown Hartford Hawks (18-6, 4-2), Saturday afternoon at LeLacheur Park.

Saturday Apr. 9 5 p.m. WLAX vs Stony Brook “I tip my cap to Brian Murphy, he’s a senior veteran and didn’t allow himself to get Saturday, Apr. 9 12/3 p.m. BB vs Binghamton (DH) in trouble,” said Head Coach Ken Harring.

“I thought Kuzia pitched well, but their guys Saturday, Apr. 9 1/3 p.m.

SB at Maine (DH) were able to take advantage of the little things.

1 p.m.

MLAX at Binghamton Once we get back to the simple things we’ll get Saturday, Apr. 9 clicking again and put some more wins on the For more sports information and full game schedules visit goriverhawks.com board, we have a lot of fight in us and these experiences will help us down the road.”

The Hawks’ Eric Ostberg drove in one run in the first and third innings, scoring Aaron Wilson each time, to build a 2-0 lead for the guests after three innings. Hartford added a pair of runs in the seventh and eighth innings to wrap up the scoring at 6-0.

The River Hawks had two runners on in the third and eighth innings, but could not do any damage to trim into the deficit. Nick Barry (Grafton, Mass.) led the team with two hits, including a double in the ninth inning.

Nick Kuzia (Seymour, Conn.) struck out four batters in seven innings, and allowed two earned runs on six hits. Brian Murphy picked up his second win of the season, pitching 6.1 shutout innings with four strikeouts.

George DeLuca/Connector

Chelmsford native Russ Olive swings at a pitch on Friday at home against Hartford.

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