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Eco-reps audit the trash stream from residential halls to separate trash and recyclables during the annual Eco-Rep Trash Sort on the Goodell Lawn Tuesday.

Sorting through the rubbiSh A guide to EbolaBy Jaclyn Bryson

Collegian Staff

So far, approximately 4,546 people have died from Ebola, and with one sick person recently falling through gaps in the United States public health system, the future remains unknown. Without a cure, the World Health Organization recently pre-dicted that there could be as many as 10,000 new diag-nosed cases of the virus per week by the end of 2014. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added the possible worst-case scenario of 1.4 million new cases by Jan. 20 in Liberia and Sierra Leone alone. But there is good news in the midst of this frenzy. On Oct. 17, Senegal was officially declared Ebola-free, and just three days later the WHO reported the same news for Nigeria. In the United States, after a three week quarantine period, 43 patients who had been in contact with Thomas Eric Duncan, who recently died from the virus, are con-sidered Ebola free, while another 120 remain under

monitoring.

Question: How did the virus originate?

Answer: According to the CDC, Ebola first appeared in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976, near the Ebola River. The disease quickly spread due to use of contami-nated needles in hospitals and personal, close contact with infected people. During that outbreak, 318 people were diagnosed and 280 died – a survival rate of only 12 percent. The current out-break that began in March of this year has already affected 8,900 people. There are five species of the virus, four of which can cause illness in humans. The natural host of this virus is still unknown, but is believed to probably originate from animals, most likely bats.

Q: How is it spread?

A: Ebola is not spread through air, food or water. The CDC says you can only

Permaculture Initiative to add three new programs

By Brendan deadyCollegian Staff

T h e U n ive r s i t y o f M a s s a ch u s e t t s Permaculture Initiative collaborated with local organizations to add three new programs to the edible gardens on campus this semester. The innovations are the initiative’s latest contributions to improve UMass’ status as a vanguard of campus sustainability. The new programs, located in Franklin Garden, include a new Edible Mushroom Cultivation Program, the instillation of pollinator hotels to pro-vide a nesting area for pol-linator insects and a solar charging station which pro-vides a renewable energy source for cell phones and USB-powered electronics, according to Sustainability Coordinator of Campus Gardening Lilly Israel, a graduate from UMass. UMass Permaculture, a student-staff run col-laborative, began in 2010 with the conversion of a patch of grass in front of Franklin Dining Commons with half-a-million pounds of compost material to an edible and educational growing space. Since its inception, the initiative now contributes more than 3,000 pounds of produce directly to the dining com-mons annually, accord-ing to a press release. The mushroom cultiva-tion program will expand to contribute organic food to UMass Dining Services. Working with Fungi Ally, a cultivation group based in the area that consists of recent graduates from

the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, a mush-room lawn was installed in the Franklin Garden. The lawn consists of 50 logs inoculated with spawns of shiitake and oyster mushrooms that will be available for use by The University Club this spring. Holes are drilled into the logs and then filled with mush-room spawns, which will then spread their roots and pores, according to Israel. Along with providing organic produce, the mush-room program also assists in sustaining a healthy eco-system, according to Israel. “Fungi are essential to an ecosystem, they recycle nutrients and some can form symbiotic relation-ships with plants called mycorrhizal networks that allow other plants to absorb more nutrients from the soil than they nor-mally would,” Israel said. The pollinator hotels are being installed to aid the effort of sustain-ing a healthy ecosystem. Constructed in collabo-ration with UMass’ gradu-ate entomology organiza-tion, The Fernald Club,

pollinator hotels will pro-vide nesting and hiberna-tion habitats for benefi-cial insects and local bees, according to the release. Accommodation for polli-nators has become increas-ingly important due to the declining population num-bers of all pollinators glob-ally, according to Israel. A study published by the Society for Conservation Biology said the last five years of losses of honeybee colonies in North America leave us with fewer man-aged pollinators than at any time in the last 50 years, and that the man-agement and protection of wild pollinators is an issue of paramount importance to our food supply system. “The expansion of urban environments has infringed on pollinators’ natural habitats. Without them, crop growth and veg-etation would crumble,” Israel said. “A safe guess for their decline would be destruction of habitat and pesticide use.” Israel also noted the possibility of allow-ing a repopulation.

Repopulation and energy will be focus

Gov. Deval Patrick visits town of Amherst Tuesday

By Jason KotochCollegian Staff

Gov. Deval Patrick announced Amherst will receive a $1.5 million MassWorks infrastruc-ture grant for downtown improvements in a speech at Kendrick Park Tuesday. The funds will be used for the North Downtown Improvement Project, which will allow Amherst to reconfigure East Pleasant and Triangle Street by bury-ing wires and utility lines in an effort to create space for economic development. The award is part of a statewide $66 million grant that will go toward funding development projects across the state. In total, the grant is expected to help fund 31 new infrastructure projects across Massachusetts. Speaking under a tent to about 100 people, Patrick said, “This improvement will serve as a catalyst for local investment that sup-ports existing business along this very busy cor-ridor and fosters new retail and housing growth in the district.” Following the announce-ment, Patrick toured the Kendrick Place construc-tion site, which is located across the street from the park. Once completed, that site will be home to 36 mar-ket rate living units and provide 4,800 square feet of commercial space. Also in attendance was Amherst Town Manager John Musante, who said the award was “huge” for Amherst. Musante referenced the creation of an innova-tion district, as laid out in

a recent report produced by U3 Advisors that was funded by the University of Massachusetts in coopera-tion with the town. The report suggested creating mixed use spaces like Kendrick Place for business, learning, making and living. The funds that will help bury the utilities will make development easier and save space in town, preserv-ing the small town charac-ter of Amherst while pro-viding more housing. According to the findings in a recent report funded by UMass and Amherst, hous-ing is in very short supply. “Housing in Amherst is expensive relative to sur-rounding towns and getting more exclusive as housing supply does not keep pace with local demand,” cited a report by the Philadelphia-

based U3 Advisors. Both UMass and town officials hired the advisors to complete a town analy-sis that addressed growing concerns over affordable housing. According to Patrick, this award is the first of its kind given to Amherst. “Some of the grantees (in the state) have won other grants in the past, this is the first one that Amherst has won,” Patrick said. According to Patrick, these grants are meant to stimulate growth, not sim-ply fund individual proj-ects. “The whole point of these MassWorks grants is to catalyze private sector development and growth so they’re not just one off proj-ects,” he said.

Jason Kotoch can be reached at jkotoch@umass.edu.

$1.5 million grant to fund projects

CHRISTINA YACONO/COLLEGIAN

The new programs will include an Edible Mushroom Cultivation Program.

Hannah Friedstein tells us what’s behind the curtains on Birthright trips

PAGE 6

Freshmen fuel Minutemen in weekend games

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see INITIATIVE on page 3

“This improvement will serve as a catalyst for local investment that supports existing business along this very busy corridor and

fosters new retail and housing growth in the district.”

Gov. Deval Patrick

JASON KOTOCH/COLLEGIAN

Gov. Deval Patrick speaks about upcoming plans for development in Amherst.

see EBOLA on page 2

become infected with the dis-ease after making direct con-tact with either an infected animal or infected human. The disease is transmit-ted from human to human through blood or bodily flu-ids, including urine, sweat, saliva, vomit or syringes that have been in contact with an infected individual. As of now, only mammals have spread the Ebola virus.

Q: So then how did this virus spread to

America?

A: There have been eight cases of Ebola treated in the United States, most are patients who were diagnosed with the virus in Africa and were then sent home. However, on Sept. 30, 2014, the first case of Ebola was confirmed in the United States. The New York Times writes that the patient, Duncan, traveled to Texas from Liberia on Sept. 19, and thus showed symptoms on Sept. 24, days after his arriv-al in the United States. The patient later died on Oct. 8. Two nurses who were tend-ing to the patient, Nina Pham and Amber Joy Vinson, both would later develop symp-toms of Ebola. Pham tested positive for the virus on Oct. 11, a day after Vinson boarded a plane bound for Cleveland. She would later be diagnosed with Ebola, and was only allowed to travel back and forth from Dallas because she did not show any risk at the time for spreading the virus. However, the CDC believes that there is little risk to pas-sengers who were on board the flight with those who test-ed positive for Ebola. Ebola is not contagious until symp-toms show in a patient.

Q: What are the symptoms?

A: From anywhere between two and 21 days after being infected with the virus, symptoms will begin to appear. These include fever, muscles aches and pains, severe headaches, weakness or fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and unex-plainable bleeding or bruis-ing. Recovery depends on proper clinical care and the patient’s own immune sys-tem.

Q: What is the potential for a wide-

scale outbreak in the United States?

A: According to the CDC, very low. The center, along with other organizations, are now working on isolat-ing the infected, contacting anyone who has come in contact with the infected and providing further monitoring of patients when the symp-toms progress. The CDC also added that in the past, the U.S. has dealt head on with viruses of a similar makeup to that of Ebola. Five cases of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, similar to Ebola, have been imported to the US in the past decade and no outbreak occurred.

Q: Is there a cure?

A: As of right now, there is no FDA-approved vaccine or treatment to cure Ebola. However, there are some practices that, if used early enough, can save a patient’s life, including treating other infections if they occur and providing fluids intravenous-ly.

Q: What is being done to stop this from

spreading?

A: The CDC is implement-ing a screening system at five airports that receive 94 percent of the travelers from African countries such as Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Travelers are checked for a fever and asked ques-tions about their travels and health. CDC site managers will also be deployed to any hospital with patients who have been diagnosed with Ebola, as to protect the pub-lic and any health workers. The CDC also recently updated their protocol regarding the way health care workers treat Ebola patients. After two nurses who worked at Texas Health Presbyterian were diag-nosed with the virus, the CDC emphasized the impor-tance of healthcare workers being thoroughly trained with their personal protec-tive equipment.

Q: How does this affect UMass?

A: University of Massachusetts Health Services recently sent out an email to the student body saying UHS, “continues to collaborate with key depart-ments at UMass Amherst, health representatives from the Five Colleges, hospitals, area health officials and emergency response agencies to prepare for the unlikely possibility of an Ebola expo-sure in our community.” According to the email, no faculty member, staff or student has returned from any of the areas that have been affected by Ebola. Anyone who has traveled

from Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea or thinks they have been exposed to the virus is advised to call UHS at (413) 577-5000 before going to their healthcare facility. Currently, UHS is moni-toring the latest regional, national and global news and is following the guide-lines of many organizations devoted to controlling the potential Ebola outbreak. This includes, according to the email, using the CDC

checklist for Ebola symptoms as a screening tool, conduc-ing person-to-person train-ing of necessary emergency equipment and conducting reviews of current plans and procedures at UMass. A fact sheet about Ebola has also been posted to the UHS, International Programs Office and Parent Services website to inform students about the basics of the virus.

Jaclyn Bryson can be reached at jbryson@umass.edu.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN2 Wednesday, October 22, 2014 DailyCollegian.com

T H E R U N D O W N

ON THIS DAY...In 1954, the first Burger King was opened in Miami, Fla. The company originally began as Insta-Burger in 1953 before running into financial difficulties, being bought out and renamed.

Hong Kong HONG KONG — Student protest leaders on Tuesday debated Hong Kong officials on the future of democ-racy in this former British colony, the first time the two sides have confronted one another since street dem-onstrations erupted in late September. The meeting was broad-cast live on Hong Kong television, giving residents a chance to hear the students make their case against the system. It was a reminder of how different Hong Kong remains from the rest of tightly controlled China and of the freedoms many fear could disappear if they don’t stand up to Beijing.

North Korea WASHINGTON — Jeffrey Fowle, one of three Americans held by North Korea, was released and headed home after six months in captivity, the White House announced Tuesday. Fowle, 56, an Ohio munic-ipal worker who visited on a tourist visa, was arrested after he left a Bible in a club in the reclusive country. “We remain focused on the continued detention of (the other two men),” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. “We will continue to work actively on their cases.”

Canada An attack Monday that killed one Canadian soldier and injured another was a “deliberate act,” according to police officials in Quebec, as speculation swirled that the incident might have been a terrorist act. The soldiers were run down by a car as they were walking in a parking lot near a military academy in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada. In a statement released Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the suspect, who has not been identified, “had become radicalized,” according to national secu-rity services.

Los Angeles Times

France France’s national debate about overt displays of religion in public – specifi-cally full veils worn by some Muslim women – has resur-faced after an incident at the Paris Opera. A female spectator was asked to remove her veil or leave an Oct. 3 performance of Verdi’s “La Traviata” at the company’s Opera Bastille venue, according to reports from Le Monde and Agence France-Presse. The woman, reportedly a tourist from the Middle East, was seated just behind the conductor and was wearing a veil that covered her mouth and nose. Certain members of the opera cho-rus threatened to stop the performance if the woman didn’t leave.

Los Angeles Times

Distributed by MCT Information Services

A RO U N D T H E W O R L D

EBOLA continued from page 1

STOCKHOLM — Swedish navy vessels, as well as helicopters, other aircraft and army units, continued searching on Tuesday for a suspected foreign submarine among islands off the capital, Stockholm. Sweden’s Supreme Commander Sverker Goransson said on Tuesday the alleged intrusion into Swedish waters was “very serious.” Russia has already denied that a Russian sub-marine was involved. Swedish authorities have not accused any particular country. “It is awful that someone

or something is on Swedish territory in such a manner,” Goransson told reporters. “The indications and reports we have are very credible,” he said after briefing parliament’s com-mittees for defence and for-eign affairs. The military have described the search as “an intelligence operation.” Civilian boats and planes have been banned from approaching the military vessels or airspace above the operational zone. Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist, said: “It is impor-tant that we show that we want to protect our national integrity.”

Search by Swedish military continues

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN Wednesday, October 22, 2014 3DailyCollegian.com

Oscar Pistorius to serve 5-year prison sentence

By RoByn DixonLos Angeles Times

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — South African double amputee Olympian, Oscar Pistorius, went from global sporting icon to pris-oner, Tuesday, when he began a five year jail sentence for the negli-gent killing of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year. Judge Thokozile Masipa sen-tenced Pistorius to five years after convicting him of culpable homi-cide – negligent killing without intent to murder – in September. She had acquitted him of mur-der. She also gave him three years prison for recklessly firing a gun in a restaurant in the upscale neigh-borhood of Melrose Arch north of Johannesburg, but entirely sus-pended the sentence. Pistorius, looking distressed after the sentence, was taken down-stairs by police to holding cells under the court, briefly touching the hands of shocked members of his family as he passed. Pistorius’ uncle, Arnold Pistorius, with whom the athlete has been living, looked grim. Shortly afterwards, a police van left the court with Pistorius, head-ed towards Kgosi Mampuru prison in Pretoria.

Masipa’s judgment was a firm rejection of Pistorius’ plea to avoid jail time and instead do three years of house arrest with community service. She placed significant weight on the fact Pistorius delib-erately fired four shots into a small toilet cubicle, knowing there was someone inside and nowhere to escape to. “Using a lethal weapon, a loaded firearm, the accused shot not one by four bullets through the door,” Masipa said. It would have been different had he believed there may have been a stray animal behind the door, not a person. “In the present case the aim was to shoot the intruder,” Judge Masipa said. “The toilet was a small cubicle. An intruder would have had no room to maneuver or to escape and what is more, the accused knew this fact,” Judge Masipa. She said these facts were “very aggravating.” She said he had significant train-ing in the use of firearms and knew what the impact would be. “In my view a high degree of responsibil-ity would be required from such a person.” “I’m of the view that a non-custodial sentence would not be appropriate,” Masipa said. Gerrie Nel, the prosecutor, had sought 10 years prison but Masipa added that a long sentence also would be inappropriate since it wouldn’t show mercy. She said the court’s job was to balance the severity

of the crime, interests of society and personal circumstances of the accused. “Society cannot always get what they want as courts do not accept to win popularity contests but sole-ly to dispense justice,” she said. “The general public may not even know the difference between ven-geance and justice.” “An appropriate sentence should be neither too light nor too severe,” Masipa said. She said the public would lose confidence in the courts if the sentences was too lenient. But a sentence that showed no mercy could break a convicted person, rather than rehabilitating them. “At the time the deceased met her death she was young, vivacious and full of life. The loss of life can-not be reversed. Nothing I say or do today can reverse what happened on Feb 14, 2013 to the deceased and her family,” Masipa said. But she hoped the sentence would bring some closure to the family. Masipa said she was disturbed by the fact witness after witness called by defense on sentencing placed great emphasis on Pistorius’ disability and his vulnerability. She said despite this, he had cop-ing mechanisms. She rejected the evidence of a probation officer, Annette Vergeer, called by Pistorius, who recom-mended three years house arrest. Vergeer’s testimony was slapdash, disappointing, outdated and biased

against prisons, according to the Judge. But she accepted the testi-mony of the acting commission-er of correctional services, Zach Modise, who said the prison system had facilities suitable for disabled people. Modise told the court last week that Pistorius would serve his term in a hospital wing at the nearby jail, and could use his own doctor and therapist. However Pistorius may serve less than a year in jail. Within a year, Pistorius could apply to the Department of Correctional Service to serve the remainder of his term under house arrest. Steenkamp’s mother, June, looked relieved as the court adjourned. Her father, Barry Steenkamp, told journalists he was very glad the trial was over. A law-yer for the Steenkamp family, Dup de Bruyn, told journalists outside the court that the Steenkamps felt justice has been done. “They feel it’s right,” he said. Kim Martin, Steenkamp’s cousin, the only representative of the victim’s family to address the court, last week testified that she felt three years house arrest would not fit the crime. “We just feel that to take some-one’s life to shoot someone that’s behind a door (who) is unarmed, (who) is harmless, needs sufficient punishment,” Martin said. “Our family are not people who are after revenge. Mr. Pistorius needs to

pay for what he’s done, for taking Reeva’s life.” “We need a message to society that you cannot get away with this and do this.” Were Pistorius to appeal against the sentence, he risks a higher court increasing the penalty. Arnold Pistorius indicated to jour-nalists that there was no plan to appeal the sentence. However there was legal specu-lation in South Africa that the state might appeal the case, because of doubts on whether Judge Masipa erred in her legal reasoning, acquitting Pistorius of murder. Law professor at Witwatersrand University, Professor James Grant, said in a television interview Tuesday that one aspect of South African murder law was in “utter chaos” and needed to be clarified by the Supreme Court of Appeal. Under South African law, a person who foresees the risk of killing someone, but does it anyway, is guilty of intent to murder. Some analysts suggest that, as an expert trained in the use of firearms and ammunition, Pistorius must have foreseen shooting into the bath-room would kill. Had Pistorius been convicted of murder, he would have faced a minimum 15 year jail term. Any appeal would have to be lodged within two weeks.

Olympian to begin time for culpable homicide

By MaRleigh FelsensteinCollegian Staff

With flu season just around the corner, the University of Massachusetts Health Services is running flu vac-cination clinics to try to keep students, families and faculty safe and healthy. The flu, otherwise known as Influenza, is a contagious virus. Symptoms often include a fever, cough, sore throat, congested nose, chills, an achy body, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. “The flu affects everyone, even healthy, young people,” said Ann Becker, UHS’ public health nurse. Becker said college stu-dents are especially suscep-tible to the flu because of the close quarters they live in. “(The flu) is a terrible virus that can knock you off your feet for a couple of weeks,” she said, and stressed the impor-tance of students getting a

vaccine to protect themselves, as well as their friends and families. Becker said the flu vac-cine is recommended by doc-tors, nurses and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaccine is available to all UMass students, faculty, staff and students’ dependents whose primary care provider is at UHS, according to the UHS website. Becker noted UHS expects more people to come in for vaccinations this year, as com-pared to last. “We have had a great turn-out so far and we hope to con-tinue. There has been a very nice interest and we have a good amount of flu vaccines,” Becker said. The vaccine is available through both injection and inhalation. A full list of clinics can be viewed on the UHS website. UHS will be holding mobile clinics, such as the ones in the dining commons, to make vac-cinations more convenient for students, according to Becker.

“It does not take that long

(to get the flu vaccination). It

should be on everyone’s health

checklist every year,” she said.

Marleigh Felsenstein can be reached at mfelsenstein@umass.edu.

UHS to offer more flu vaccines this fallClinics have seen a higher turnout

Manhunt continues for suspect in trooper slaying

By eMily BaBayThe Philadelphia Inquirer

Some schools in the Poconos are closed today after several recent poten-tial sightings of the man suspected of shooting two troopers last month. The Pocono Mountain School District said this morning that all schools would be closed today. Monsignor McHugh School, a Catholic school in Cresco, Pa., also said classes wouldn’t be held today. The school closures co me after two recent pos-sible sightings of Eric Frein, who authorities say shot two Pennsylvania State Police troopers in an ambush attack in north-eastern Pennsylvania on Sept. 12, killing 38-year-old Cpl. Bryon Dickson. The two reported spot-tings, one on Friday and

another Monday, have prompted police to shift their search area. An inten-sive manhunt for Frein has been underway in the Poconos for more than a month. Police reported Monday night that a law enforce-ment official spotted Frein, 31, near the Swiftwater Post Office, which is near Pocono Mountain East High School. On Friday night, a woman walking near the school said she saw a man with a rifle matching Frein’s description, and police believe she spotted the gunman. The manhunt has large-ly focused on the wooded area around his parents’ home in Canandensis but officials have moved their search area in light of the recent reported sightings. Other leads in the search for Frien haven’t panned out: Residents in two homes near Cresco in Monroe County report-ed finding blood on their

porches last week, but law enforcement officials said Monday that DNA tests showes that the droplets didn’t belong to Frein. Schools were also shut down at the beginning of the manhunt, but reopened after several days. Classes were in session at the high school, which Frein attend-ed, and other schools in the district on Monday, with extra officers stationed nearby after Friday’s sight-ing. Frein, described as a “survivalist” is charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and other offens-es in the shooting outside the state police barracks in Blooming Grove in Pike County. The wounded trooper, 31-year-old Alex Douglass, was seriously injured but released from the hospital last week.

Schools in Poconos closed during search

“These habitats made of hollow flower stocks and bamboo housed in wooden boxes mimic their natural environ-ments and provide a place for them to rest and repopulate. By providing habitats for these insects, it contributes to a self-sustaining vegetation system,” she continued. The Permaculture Initiative goes beyond sustainable planting and harvesting. The Solar Charging Station is intended to support an overall culture of renew-able energy on campus. The charging station located on a picnic table in Franklin Garden was built by the Belchertown com-pany HackerFarm01007. Israel said the com-pany contacted UMass Permaculture and offered to build the charging sta-tion using low-cost and recycled materials. Small solar panels are situated on top of the water tanks in Franklin Garden. The panels con-

vert sunlight into elec-tricity that is then stored in a small battery cell. The panels operate year-round and are able to capture sunlight regard-less of temperature. The excess energy stored in the battery cell allows the station to be utilized by the public 24 hours a day, according to Israel. Permaculture’s inno-vations have not gone unnoticed. The program received global recogni-tion and has become the most widely recognized campus permaculture program in the country. In 2012, it was honored by President Barack Obama as first place winner of the White House Campus Champions of Change Challenge.

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

INITIATIVE continued from page 1

Despite petition, Toys ‘R’ Us won’t pull action figures

By Joan VeRDonThe Record (Hackensack, N.J.)

The “Breaking Bad” action figures in the aisles at Toys “R” Us stores are mak-ing some parents mad, includ-ing a Florida mother who launched an online petition to get the retailer to pull the products. Toys “R” Us, however, has heard this kind of com-plaint about action figures before, and it isn’t alarmed. The figures, which feature drug lord Walter White and his sidekick, Jesse Pinkman, from the award-winning tele-vision show “Breaking Bad,” are carried in the adult action figure section of the store in limited quantities “for our collector customers,” and the company has no plans to stop selling them, according to Toys spokeswoman Kathleen Waugh. The Florida mother who started the Change.org peti-tion was reacting to a Walter

White figure sold online at the Toys “R” Us website that comes with accessories including a small bag of the illegal drug crystal metham-phetamine. The White char-acter on the show is a chemis-try teacher who believes he is dying and starts making and selling crystal meth to pay his medical bills. As of Tuesday morning, the petition against the retailer had more than 7,000 supporters. Six-inch action figures, which became hot properties with the first Star Wars mov-ies, have attracted controversy whenever the molded plastic toys have been used to depict material considered too adult for Toys “R” Us kids. One of the first action figures to raise a ruckus was that of Star Wars heroine Princess Leia. Chris Byrne, content direc-tor of TTPM.com, a leading toy review website, and the author of “Toy Time,” a histo-ry of America’s most beloved toys, said action figures such as the “Breaking Bad” dolls are commonly carried by toy stores, and they are not tar-

geted to children. “Not all toys are intended for children,” Byrne said. “The toy market is very broad. These are collector dolls for people who are fans of the series. And if your child is a fan of the series, there’s something wrong with how you’re editing what they’re watching on TV.” The collector market “is a fairly hefty percentage of the action figure market,” Byrne said. A similar parental protest arose in 2011 when Mattel produced a collector’s edition Barbie called the “Tokidoki Barbie,” after the artist who designed it. The doll was cov-ered with artistic tattoos and had pink hair, and mothers protested that Mattel was using Barbie to encourage girls to get tattoos. Byrne said he has found that young children don’t even look at the collector action figures unless they are familiar with the television show or characters depicted by the figures.

Breaking Bad toys to stay on shelves

Opinion EditorialEditorial@DailyCollegiancomWednesday, October 22, 2014

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

“You got a question, you ask the eight ball.” - David Puddy

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian is published Monday through Thursday during the University of Massachusetts calendar semester. The Collegian is independently funded, operating on advertising revenue. Founded in 1890, the paper began as Aggie Life, became the College Signal in 1901, the Weekly Collegian in 1914 and the Tri–Weekly Collegian in 1956. Published daily from 1967 to 2013, The Collegian has been broadsheet since January 1994. For advertising rates and information, call 413-545-3500.

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t h e m a s s a c h u s e t t s D a i ly C o l l e g i a n

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Caroline O’Connor

In a speech at the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C. last Thursday, James Comey,

the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, painted a picture of a “very dark” future of unchecked crime and cyber villainy. Built-in data encryp-tion, he warns, will lead to a disastrous and perilous dysto-pia in which United States gov-ernment organizations and law enforcement agencies will be powerless to act in a digital Wild West, where the transgressions of outlaws and criminals will be safeguarded behind impen-etrable walls of “privacy.” In the wake of Edward Snowden’s momentous rev-elations about the National Security Agency’s widespread illegal surveillance of both American citizens and of other countries, this binary good-versus-evil rhetoric is laugh-able, shortsighted and igno-rant. Characterizing user data encryption as an obstacle to law enforcement is both coun-terproductive and violates the spirit of the First Amendment. The developments in data encryption that Comey so fer-vently demonizes take the form of announcements by both Apple and Google that each company’s new suite of devices and software will feature user data encryption “baked in” upon release. Data encryption is in high demand, especially

following the “Celebgate” and “Snappening” scandals, in both of which user data, most commonly taking the form of explicit photos and videos, was forcibly accessed from suppos-edly secure servers. Now is as good a time as any to be fighting for better encryption. Why then, does the possibility of protect-ing the privacy of the average consumer intimidate Comey so much? Comey argues that encrypt-ing user data means that the FBI would be “going dark,” allowing cybercriminals and terrorists to act with abandon on the internet, stripping law enforcement of its ability to pro-tect American citizens. He goes so far as to imply that Apple and Google’s actions drive the U.S. to become “a country no longer governed by the rule of law,” and that the only way to prevent the impending cyber-Armaged-don is for tech companies to create “front door access” in all of their products and software, allowing the FBI unmitigated access to private user data at any point. All of this comes from an agency whose compan-ion security agencies have such sterling track records with the responsible and ethical use of metadata and digital surveil-lance. Comey cites an “obligation”

for companies in the American private sector to build such means of government access into their devices, undercut-ting both an ignorance about the way such technology works and of the global market for American technology. The whole point of such encryption is to ensure that the only people with access to user data are the users themselves. Apple and Google’s forthcoming encryp-tion software both are designed such that the “encryption keys” needed to parse and dissemi-nate user data are stored locally on said user’s device—not even Apple or Google has the means to decrypt user information on its own servers. From a software security standpoint, this is objectively a more effective means of protect-ing private data than any prein-stalled or built-in access door, back or front; the FBI won’t need to access cybercriminal’s private information if cyber-criminals cannot access the pri-vate information of their would-be victims. In short, Comey’s proposition is completely coun-terintuitive, since a backdoor would merely serve as prospec-tive entry point for the dreaded and insidious “hacker.” Furthermore, Comey fails to grasp the notion that American tech manufacturers have a con-sumer base outside of their own country. Apple’s iPhone 6, after breaking sales records in the U.S., was just released at the end of last week in China, one of the

largest growing tech markets in the world and also one of the strictest countries in the world concerning the protection of its own data. It seems unlikely, after the Snowden leaks impli-cated the NSA in surveilling not only U.S. citizens but also chief officials in several European governments, that European and Asian consumers would readily adopt products with built-in access for the United States government. The idea that stronger and stricter data encryption could do anything other than pro-tect the rights and privacy of U.S. citizens is completely ridiculous. Comey’s castigation of data encryption is utterly unfounded, and stems more from Cold War-style paranoia than any actual understanding of technology or data encryp-tion. Comey wonders if “we are no longer a country … where no one is above or beyond the law.” There is ample evidence to prove that we are such a coun-try – but protecting private data from our own government is defined in the First Amendment to the Constitution. The ques-tion remains, then: who is really breaking the law?

Johnny McCabe is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at rjmccabe@umass.edu.

Johnny McCabe

“Characterizing user data encryption as an obstacle to law enforcement is both counterpro-

ductive and violates the spirit of the First Amendment.”

FBI director off the mark on

data encryption

To the editor:

My name is Hannah Friedstein and I am a past Taglit Birthright participant. I am writing this primer on Birthright to demys-tify its themes and binaries that exist in the understanding of the Birthright and its objectives. My goal is that you will ultimately gain a new and critical perspec-tive and examine your role as a Birthright participant in Israel, for it is anything but neutral.Israeli vs. Jewish As you consider being a Birthright participant, I want you to ask yourself, what is your con-nection to Israel? Birthright tells you that coming to a Jewish nation-state will strengthen your Jewish identity. They are saying that your relationship to a “Jewish” nation-state will strengthen your rela-tionship with your spiritual tradi-tions. Is this really true? There are Jewish people all over the world who do not have the means or desire to travel to Israel. Are they any less Jewish? Do you feel a spiritual connection to this piece of land, and if so, why? One of Birthright’s main objectives is to maintain solidarity with Israel to “ensure continuity of the Jewish people by strengthening Jewish identity.” Can a blind support of a nation that has disobeyed interna-tional law ensure and strengthen your Jewish identity? Not neces-sarily. Does being an Israeli mean to be Jewish? Not necessarily. In the state of Israel, 20 percent of its inhabitants are not Jewish.Zionism vs. Judaism The Jew’s right to create and maintain a Jewish state is a politi-cal movement, not a religious movement. Modern Zionism is a political movement that calls for a “Jewish” state, not a nation for all its citizens. It traces back to the 1800s, and its earliest believ-ers were quite secular. Many Jews opposed Zionism for they believed only God could give them a Jewish state. If we take a closer look at Zionism’s goal, it is a movement of ethnic cleansing of an indigenous people. The slogan for this move-ment shows that the Palestinian people are not even a thought, “a land without a people for a people without a land.” Zionism creates an illusion that there is no issue of displacement of the Palestinian people.

Anti-Semitism vs. anti-Zionism Supporters of Israel tend to equate anti-Semitism with anti-Zionism to silence resistance and opposition to Israeli policies. This is a notion shared by the great lin-guist and political commentator, Noam Chomsky. These false accu-sations of anti-Semitism against anyone who does not support Israeli policies are made in effort to distract individuals and groups from the problems of illegal occu-pation. Opposition to the creation of a Jewish state does not mean denying human rights to Jews in that territory. It means opposition to a state that denies the rights to certain racial groups over others.My testimonial I was offered a free trip to Israel because of my privilege construct-ed by Zionist ideals. I am not a Zionist. I have no connection to Israel as a Jew and did not find my long lost Judaism in the land for-merly known as historic Palestine. What I did find was a hotbed of racial discrimination and skewed view of Palestine. While riding our tour bus from northern Israel to Jerusalem, we drove through the Occupied Territories. It was easy for us to get in and out of occupied territory because we were a clearly labeled Israeli Birthright tour bus. All of a sudden, my Israeli tour guide turns on his microphone and announces to the bus to close the curtains on the windows so that Jerusalem, our destination, will be a surprise. I was skeptical of this motive and peaked outside the cur-tain to find us passing the separa-tion barrier and through a military checkpoint. Why would our tour guide want to hide certain aspects of Israel from us? Why are we not getting the whole story when we’re on Birthright? It is simply not convenient for Birthright to show its participants that Israel is a place worth dropping everything and moving to while such racial discrimination is taking place. I acknowledge that this “birth-right” is a false construction cre-ated by those who wish to per-petuate racial exclusivity and ethnic cleansing of an indigenous people. My hope in going on this trip was to engage in a dialogue on serious issues that would not otherwise be touched upon in my 10 days in Israel. My main objec-tive of Birthright was to extend my stay and travel to West Bank,

Palestinian land currently under Israeli control and authority. Birthright became aware of my plans and almost took me off the trip. But why were they so con-cerned about me going to Israeli-occupied territory? My journey as a Palestine Solidarity activist was not an easy one, but at the end of the day my eth-nic identity allowed me into Israel without an issue. Palestinians who were forced from their homes are not allowed to return because they are not Jewish. The binaries that I attempted to clear up above are strategically used by Birthright to shut out anyone who is for equality of all peoples, not just Jews. Israel claims to be the only democracy in the Middle East, yet free speech is not something that is encouraged. I was called a racist and an anti-Semite, among other things by Birthright representatives. These types of accusations belittle the actual issues of racial discrimi-nation that do exist against the Jewish people today. According to Birthright, I have a right to a piece of land given to me from my birth as a Jew. But I can identify as Jewish without ever stepping foot in historic Palestine. I am a Jew that stands in soli-darity with the Palestinians’ right to self-determination. I am a Jew who believes in human rights and equality for all. I am a Jew who sees the opportunity to voice a call for human rights by Palestinian Civil Society. I almost had my “right” to Israel taken from me by the orga-nization because I am an active member of Students for Justice in Palestine, but there are millions of Palestinian refugees who have been denied their right to return to their homes since 1948. If you take anything away from this letter, it is that you should not feel pressured by your religious identity to iden-tify with a geographic plot of land or to discriminate against others. It is important to emphasize that to be Jewish does not mean to be Israeli. That to be Jewish does not mean to be Zionist. That to be pro-Palestinian does not mean to be an anti-Semite.

Thanks for reading,

Hannah Ruth Friedstein ‘14Former Vice President, Students for Justice in Palestine

theLetters edItortoEditorial@DailyCollegian.com

Letters to the editor should be no longer than 550 words and can be submitted to eitherto Editorial@DailyCollegian.com or to DailyCollegian.com

Social Media Coordinator - Ariel KallenbachSOCIAL MEDIA

“You can never be wise and be in love at the same time.” - Bob DylanArts Living

Arts@DailyCollegian.comWednesday, October 22, 2014

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

A comic collector’s guide to stores in the Pioneer Valley

By Jack NicholsCollegian Correspondent

Comic collecting can be a confusing and expensive hobby, especially for a col-lege student. Fortunately, Northampton offers col-lectors the opportunity to visit three unique comic shops within a short bus ride from UMass. Each of these shops provides comic lovers and prospective col-lectors with a different approach and experience to comic purchasing with their respective pros and cons. I started my Northampton comic jour-ney by swinging into Newbury Comics located on 38 Pleasant St. The store was already sold out of most of the new releases by mid-afternoon. In addi-tion to this unpleasantry, Newbury Comics appears to stock mainly “big-title” comics. While the staff at Newbury Comics is always friendly and welcoming, due to the overarching pop-ular culture of the store, it is difficult to get accurate recommendations from employees. However, what Newbury Comics lacks in knowledge and inventory

is quickly redeemed by its affordability and ease of purchase. Newbury offers customers the ability to subscribe to certain titles with the perks of a 20 per-cent price cut on comics, boards, bags and boxes. Subscribed customers can simply walk in every Wednesday to the luxury of all of their reduced price comics stocked at the front desk. Newbury Comics is a store for collectors of sole-ly modern issues who have an exact idea of what they are looking for. Even then, Newbury Comics is only a valid choice for collec-tors if they take advantage of the subscription system promising affordability and assuredness that your issues will be in stock. After my purchases at Newbury, I travelled down to Bob’s II Comics N’ More on 62 King St. The lack of a sign out front should have warned me that this was not your typical comic pur-chasing experience. The store had a very disorga-nized feel created by issues littering the floor along with graphic novels and disheveled comic boxes. After searching the back-issue boxes for an hour, I could not make heads or tails of the layout of the store. The owner’s knowledge and the store’s

current stock redeemed the disorganization. With a whole wall dedicated to up-to-date issues, Bob’s stocked comics from Marvel to the lesser-known Blue Juice Comics. Even by late afternoon, Bob’s did not appear to be sold out of any modern issues. The owner offered reli-able comic suggestions as well. However, Bob’s proved to be the least affordable of the three shop choices. With no clear subscription process, Bob’s offered no

discounts and no promises that your issues would be in stock. Bob’s offers col-lectors with the best oppor-tunity to find old issues, even with the confusing layout of the store. It’s a good choice for collectors who have ample time to search for vintage issues and series. If you are just looking for modern comics, the other two stores supply a more affordable option. The last stop on my Northampton comic trip took me to Modern Myths

Comics & Games on 34 Bridge St. The shop has a well-designed layout, placing all new releases in an easy to find alpha-betical order. Stocking an even wider variety of issues than Bob’s, you are almost certain to find the series you are looking for. Striking a similar path to Newbury, Modern Myths also offers a subscription plan. The deal provides a 20 percent discount on com-ics and all comic supplies

in addition to ensuring that you will always be able to get your comics. The employees at Modern Myths were welcoming and helpful. The owner had a lengthy conversation with me regarding the best cur-rent series. His insight was incredibly helpful and his recommendations were entirely accurate. Modern Myths offers an inviting atmosphere that is perfect for novice and experienced collectors alike looking to purchase new issues at a reasonable cost from pas-sionate employees. The three comic stores in Northampton provide collectors with an oppor-tunity to expand their col-lections. However, after my search, two shops stand out. For the experi-enced collector looking to stock up on older issues and series, Bob’s II Comics N’More grants this oppor-tunity. Collectors looking to catch up on relatively recent issues or continue reading a current series should turn to the afford-able and knowledgeable staff of Modern Myths. Good luck to all my fel-low collectors out there, and keep reading.

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

A review of three NoHo comic shops

C O M I C S

ANDY IHNATKO/FLICKR

A comic book store filled with collector’s on the hunt for the perfect items.

By EvaN halpErTribune Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Climate change threatens to under-mine not only how much food can be grown but also the quality of that food as altered weather patterns lead to a less desirable har-vest, according to a new study. Crops grown by many of the nation’s farmers have a lower nutritional content than they once did, according to the report by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Research indicates that higher carbon dioxide lev-els in the atmosphere have reduced the protein con-tent in wheat, for example. And the International Rice Research Institute has warned that the quality of rice available to consumers will decrease as tempera-tures rise, the report noted. The U.S. should embrace research into animal biology and plant management with the kind of enthusiasm it did space exploration in the 1960s, the council said, warn-ing that the consequences of inaction could be severe. The council has been examining the effects of climate change on food for several months as part of a project chaired by former Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman and former Rep. Doug Bereuter, R-Neb. Scientists already have been investigating breeds of chicken and cattle that can thrive in triple-digit tem-peratures, grapes that are resilient to heat fungi and crops that won’t whither as temperatures rise. “Adaptation must begin now,” the report said. “Developing the necessary scientific breakthroughs and broadly disseminating them will require years, even

decades of lead time.” Climate change initially will produce both winners and losers when it comes to food production. Some agri-cultural industries are shift-ing north in search of cooler temperatures, for example, which can bolster the econ-omies of northern growing regions. But, the report noted, cli-mate research has indicated that growing regions every-where will eventually suffer as a result of global warm-ing. The report suggests that the U.S. meet the challenge with a renewed focus on agricultural innovation and collaboration. “Plants and animal breeds will need to be developed to better withstand climate stresses such as higher tem-peratures and weather vari-ability,” it said. “Crops that can use water more efficiently, grow in marginal conditions ... have enhanced nutritional value and have higher yields will need to be developed. Plant and animal germplasm pres-ervation for domesticated and wild species needs to be a priority,” it said. There also needs to be a massive outreach effort, according to the report, with farmers around the world - including those working in industrial-scale operations as well as those tending tiny community plots - being trained in how to most pro-ductively use their land amid the changing weather condi-tions. “As temperatures rise, rainfall patterns change and variability increases, farmers will need to figure out what their new normal might become, and, in fact, whether change is the new normal,” the report said.

How the climate is affecting your diet

F O O D

Some clarity on the gluten-free diet

By sarah GamardCollegian Correspondent

Gluten. What is it exactly? Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live, recently interviewed strangers who were strictly gluten-free on the street for his famous, and hilarious, “Pedestrian Question” series. He found that even though these people avoided gluten like a plague they could not identify what it actually was. Local grocery stores are teeming with gluten-free products. Gluten-free labels can be seen on end-less packaging, even bags of rice and jars of peanut butter, which in no way can contain gluten in the first place. College cam-puses like the University of Massachusetts have gluten-free options for those with celiac disease or other gluten-based dietary restrictions. The word “gluten” is everywhere. But how much of the gluten-free move-ment is actually catered to bettering people’s health, and how much is just a fad nurtured by health nuts and clever marketers? First for the facts, gluten is “a substance present in cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elas-tic texture of dough,” according to the National Library of Medicine. It’s found naturally in barley, rye, oats, wheat, and spelt. This means that many of America’s favorite foods, like bread, pasta, pastries, cereals, crackers, granola and beer, a truly endless list, contain gluten. Not all grains contain the protein though, some

naturally gluten-free grains include rice, pota-toes, corn and quinoa. Celiac disease is the most severe gluten-relat-ed dietary condition that causes intestinal damage after consuming gluten. It affects one in 100 people worldwide and, according to Celiac.org, 2.5 million Americans are currently undiagnosed. Something to note is that a wheat allergy is not synonymous with celiac; it is only an allergy to wheat alone. Gluten intolerance and sensitivity is more obscure and much less severe. It constitutes a reaction similar to celiac disease when gluten is consumed. This includes fatigue, nausea, irritable bowel syndrome and joint pains, but it is rare for long-term intestinal dam-age to occur. Curiously, it is still unclear whether gluten intolerance actu-ally exists. Peter Gibson, a profes-sor of gastroenterology in Australia, conducted a famous experiment that showed GI distress caused by gluten consumption in non-celiac patients. This study initiated gluten intolerance and sensitiv-ity diagnoses to become common practice. Many doctors now recommend cutting gluten out of the diet even to non-celiac patients because of this study and others like it. However, gluten intoler-ance causing lasting dam-ages to the body has never actually been proven. In fact, Gibson later theorized that the test sub-jects’ distress may have been caused not by gluten but by another element in many foods including but not limited to gluten called FODMAPs. Skeptics argue that gluten intoler-ance is not real but rather

a placebo effect. Many “health-con-scious” individuals in the past few years have diag-nosed themselves as glu-ten intolerant. This, like all dietary fads, is what has fueled the insidious pop culture movement. Many falsely believe that cutting out gluten will reduce carbohydrate intake, but quite a few gluten-free products still contain the same amount of carbohydrates as those containing gluten. I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance last February when I had a blood test. Supposedly, the foods I was eating were a source of my many unex-plainable physical ail-ments. I, like most people, had no idea what gluten was. I was told to elimi-nate it altogether, which would end up changing my relationship with food for the next six months. Everything, it seemed, contained gluten. I am also originally from Louisiana where glu-ten-free options are hard-er to find outside of Whole Foods. Many of the local Creole foods contain glu-ten. After avoiding it for a few weeks, all of my symp-toms disappeared. I had

clearer skin, less fatigue and an increased appe-tite. There was a huge drawback though. I couldn’t eat a majority of my favorite foods, food prepared by loved ones or even my own birthday cake that year, which was pretty scarring. I started eating gluten regularly again once I came to college. It has been over a month and thank-fully none of my symp-toms have reappeared. It makes me wonder if my symptoms were simply caused by an unhealthy amount of stress. I pray for the latter because I never want to stress over restaurant menus again. If you are vacillating on whether or not to go gluten-free, the decision is completely up to you, but be warned. When your friends want to order a pizza, you have to pay for a pricey salad or eat noth-ing at all. Is it worth it? My opinion is if you don’t have celiac disease, don’t bother.

Sarah Gamard can be reached at sgamard@umass.edu.

Are there any facts behind this craze?

F O O D

ELANA’S PANTRY/FLICKR

Gluten-free nut bread.

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN6 Wednesday, October 22, 2014 DailyCollegian.com

Today sounds like the right kind of day to take the bus from Lederle to the Integrated Learning Center.

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

A dog makes a better flotation device than a parachute, but not by much.

pisces Feb. 19 - Mar. 20

Sometimes, you just need a large butterfly just painted on the side of your face in order to indicate you had fun at the fair.

aries Mar. 21 - apr. 19

I admire your enthusiasm, but you jack o‘ lemons were not as frightening.

taurus apr. 20 - May. 20

While many people looking to pump iron might slurp down several egg yolks, it‘s not acceptable to drink a fresh egg in class.

gemini May. 21 - Jun. 21

There ain’t nothing like a good frost to kill any desire you have of leaving the perfect warmth of your double bed.

cancer Jun. 22 - Jul. 22

Some days, there‘s an extra chicken nugget in your order of ten, and you know what, that’s better than an extra french fry, for sure.

leo Jul. 23 - aug. 22

Start preparing your halloween feast today! Start with experimenting on things like Candy Corn hummus or Ghost–Pepper Pie!

virgo aug. 23 - Sept. 22

To make Candy Corn hummus, add a whole bag to a food processor with a half cup of tahini. Pulse until smooth. Garnish with love.

libra Sept. 23 - Oct. 22

scorpio Oct. 23 - nOv. 21

In case you were planning on getting it, Reese‘s pumpkins contain no real pumpkin or spice. The world can‘t take such miracles.

sagittarius nOv. 22 - Dec. 21

A festive snack I would never recommend is roasting a hallowed out jack o‘ lantern in the oven. That‘s just gross.

capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan. 19

To make Ghost–Pepper Pie, prepare normal orange jello, but add four whole sliced ghost–peppers. Use normal graham cracker crust.

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

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

This frost is really too much for me man.

XKCD By RanDall MunRoe

Chicken Rash

DinosauR CoMiCs By Ryan noRth

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN Wednesday, October 22, 2014 7DailyCollegian.com

By Tyler FiedlerCollegian Staff

On a team of 29 swim-mers, only four on the Massachusetts men’s swim-ming and diving team are in their final season in the col-legiate pool. And with only six juniors on the team this year, the door is open for 19 underclassmen to lead UMass. “We expect them to com-pete now,” diving coach Mandy Hixon said. “They have to be ready to go now.” In UMass’ first meet of the season last Saturday, the underclassmen showed what they are capa-

ble of doing in the pool. Though taking an over-all loss against Army, the Minutemen proved there is something to look forward to this season from their young swimmers. The dive team consists of strictly underclassmen, and gave UMass a strong per-formance in its first meet. Freshman Trent Kindvall claimed a gold and silver in the first appearance of his collegiate career. Sophomore Robert Berry received gold in the low board, just beating Kindvall 244.20 to 243.37. The trio of Kindvall, Berry and fresh-man James Albanese all had strong performances to lead the dive team. “It doesn’t matter what

year they are,” Hixon said. “They seem to step up real-ly nicely and assume the role.”Later in the day, Kindvall earned his gold in the 3-meter board. He blew away the competition with a 44-point win, receiving a score of 271.81. Albanese took third in the event while Berry finished fourth. But it’s the upperclass-men that set the tone for the young swimmers. “You get a self-perpetuat-

ing culture developed by the kids who have been in the program for a while,” men’s swim coach Russ Yarworth said. “So each time a fresh-man comes in, they are exposed to that right away and I think that’s what we are seeing develop and will continue to see develop.” Yarworth believes the younger swimmers will only keep developing as the season progresses. New Zealand native Oliver Wyeth, a freshman,

had a strong day in his first collegiate event. He won his first college race in the 100-meter backstroke, finishing with a final time of 50.75. He defeated school record holder in the event, senior Hao Luong. Another freshman, Owen Wright, had a solid meet as well. Wright finished as the runner up in the 100 free, and placed third in the 50 free. “The underclassmen performed really well,” Yarworth said. “I was really happy with the outcome in our first performance (of the season).” Yarworth went on to say that he expects hard work and good attitude the rest of the way for the Minutemen

and thinks this team can only get better. To cap off the weekend, Kindvall recently received the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors for his perfor-mance Saturday against the Black Knights. The men’s swim team will travel to Boston University on Saturday, Oct 25, where the underclassmen look to continue their hot start. “We are looking forward to them growing through-out the season,” Hixon said. “For them it is important to continue performing the way they did (in the first meet).”

Tyler can be reached by email tfiedler@umass.edu and on Twitter @Tyler_Fiedler

In loss, freshmen, sophomores excel

Underclassmen shine in first meet for UMassM E N ’ S S W I M M I N G

“You get a self-perpetuating culture developed by the kids who have been in the program for a while. So each time a freshman comes in,

they are exposed to that right away.”Russ Yarworth, UMass coach

@MDC_SPORTS Sports@DailyCollegian.comWednesday, October 22, 2014

THE MASSACHUSETTS DAILY COLLEGIAN

By Ross GienieczkoCollegian Staff

In any college sport, it’s rare for freshmen to step in and contribute right away. Usually, the larger size and faster speed of college oppo-nents results in new players struggling to adjust early in the season, and generally it takes a few weeks for fresh-men to get their feet wet. For the Massachusetts hockey team, three players are bucking that trend. Freshmen Patrick Lee, Jake Horton and Keith Burchett have all contribut-ed early for the Minutemen. Burchett and Horton have scored two goals each, and Lee has also added one tally on the year. Together, they account for five of the team’s eight goals on the through two weekends of play. Before the season, UMass coach John Micheletto said the nine freshmen joining the Minutemen would have to contribute right away. It’s doubtful, however, that he expected over half of the team’s scoring to come from the class of 2018. But that’s exactly what has happened. The fresh-men have been put in scor-

ing situations, and so far, they have produced. Lee, a forward from Calgary, Alberta, has settled into a spot on the second line for UMass early in the year. Playing with sopho-mores Steven Iacobellis and Ray Pigozzi, Lee has added two assists to go along with his goal and has generated multiple scoring chances through three games. “Patrick has ridiculous hands to go along with his hockey sense,” Micheletto said. “Playing with those two guys is really good for him in the early going to learn how to approach work every day.”Lee’s goal came in a cru-cial spot for the Minutemen over the weekend. Tied 3-3 with Michigan State in the closing seconds of regula-tion, Lee received the puck in a shooting position near the left faceoff dot. He fired a shot towards the top left corner of the net, and it beat Spartans goaltender Jake Hildebrand to give UMass a 4-3 lead with only nine seconds left to play. The Minutemen would hold on for their first win of the sea-son. Horton also notched a highlight reel goal in the win against Michigan State. Jumping into the rush from

his normal defenseman position, Horton finished a sweet sequence of pass-ing between Iacobellis and Pigozzi that ended with him scoring from close range on the right wing. The defenseman from North Plymouth, Minnesota has shown a scoring touch early in the season. Along with another goal in the sea-son opener against Boston University, Horton has put 11 shots on net, and is quick-ly evolving into a much-needed scoring threat from the blue line. Burchett has also provid-ed a scoring punch early in the year. Thanks to a two-goal effort in UMass’ Friday night loss to the Spartans, the Oak Brook, Illinois native is tied with Horton and Iacobellis for the team lead in goals with two. He’s played bottom-six minutes for the Minutemen, but has still found a way to be a productive offensive player, something that Micheletto attributed partially to his hockey sense. “He’s got good skills, but his sense is able to elevate his game to a higher level,” Micheletto said. “He’s very good in tight, he sees plays develop before other a lot of other guys, and he’s got a good enough stick to make those plays happen.”

If UMass hopes to build off its first win of the sea-son and continue its suc-cess this weekend against Northeastern and Boston College, the trio of freshmen are going to have to contin-ue scoring. The Minutemen have a lot of production to replace after losing their top three scorers from a year ago to graduation, and Micheletto said he is count-ing on the freshmen to help replace that production. “We’re anticipating that all of those guys are going to have to be productive for us,” he said. Despite how good they’ve been, though, it may not be realistic for the trio to con-tinue scoring at their cur-rent rate. Defensemen like Horton rarely lead their team in goal scoring in hock-ey anymore, and Burchett is sporting an unsustainable shooting percentage, as he’s scored on half of his shots this season. However, the freshmen have proven they have the capability to contribute offensively. If they can chip in here and there, it will go a long way at the end of the year in terms of UMass’s overall success.

Ross Gienieczko can be reached at rgieniec@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @RossGien

Trio of freshmen stepping up early

Freshmen fuel MinutemenH O C K E Y

ALEC ZABRECKY/COLLEGIAN

Keith Burchett skates with the puck against Boston University in the season opener on Oct. 10. Burchett is tied for the team lead with two goals.

UMass controls its own destiny

By ARthuR hAydenCollegian Staff

Through 14 matches, the Massachusetts women’s soc-cer team’s record isn’t pretty. The Minutewomen are 3-7-4 overall, but more impor-tantly just 1-2-1 in conference play. After a 1-0 loss to Rhode Island on Saturday, UMass is on the outside of the Atlantic 10 playoff picture. Only the top eight teams in the conference qualify for the A-10 tournament, so the Minutewomen have some work to do over the final four matches of the regular sea-son. That being said, they are only a win out of eighth place, so UMass still controls its own destiny. It’s a fact that coach Ed Matz is well aware of. “We don’t have to worry about other teams winning and other teams losing,” Matz said. “Would we like to be 4-0 at the top of the table? Sure ... But all we need to do is take care of business ourselves and we’ll make the A-10 playoffs.” For the Minutewomen, taking care of business involves navigating a rela-tively tame schedule to end their season. Of the last four opponents UMass faces, only Richmond has a winning record. The Minutewomen will face St. Bonaventure and Duquesne at home, fol-lowed by a two-game road trip against the Spiders and Davidson to end the season. “I think the fact that we have two [matches] at home and two away is appealing to us,” Matz said. “It’s basically in our own hands.” The numbers indicate opportunity is knocking on UMass’s door. The Bonnies have not won a road match all season, and St. Bonaventure - along with Duquesne and Davidson - averages less than a goal scored per game. However, the Minutewomen also score at a clip of under one goal per game. UMass’ strong defense has kept it in matches all season long. If the Minutewomen can find an offensive spark, they face three opponents who are very beatable. Finding that elusive game-winning goal, however, has been easier said than done. An increasingly

healthy Jackie Bruno and the rest of the UMass offense will continue to try and translate what they have done in prac-tice to results in crunch time. “Our defense has played solid all year long,” Matz said. “They give us a chance to win every single game. When you’re giving up a goal a game, you can’t ask for much more than that...We’re able to finish in practice, it’s just a matter of when the game comes, when you have that one second to score, we’re not getting the job done.” That level of defensive consistency is impressive, considering true freshman Cassidy Babin has assumed goalkeeping duties since red-shirt sophomore Danielle Kriscenski suffered an injury earlier in the season. “She’s certainly doing well,” Matz said of Babin. “She’s progressing. There are some things that we’d like to see her do better. We’d like to see her be a little bit more vocal, but that’s something that’s difficult for a fresh-man.” This week, Matz says Kriscenski will be return-ing to action, possibly to play against St. Bonaventure on Friday, but he did not specify who would get the start in net. “We have Dani back healthy this week,” Matz said. “(Kriscenski and Babin) are both very talented goalkeep-ers and I think they make each other better by battling in practice.” The one bump in the road for the Minutemen could be Richmond. An offensive powerhouse, the Spiders are tied for the A-10 lead in goals scored with thirty on the season, and the bulk of their production has come from two players. Meaghan Carrigan has 11 goals and Ashley Riefner is second on the team with eight. If UMass can keep those two off of the scoreboard, its chances of escaping Richmond, Virginia with at least a point increase significantly. The Minutewomen begin their quest to reach the other side of the A-10 bubble on Friday at Rudd Field against St. Bonaventure. The match begins at 3 p.m.

Arthur Hayden can be reached at ahayden@umass.edu.

Four conference games left in 2014

W O M E N ’ S S O C C E R

Using Jess and Keys, UM changes shape

By nicholAs cAsAleCollegian Correspondent

A tweak in the lineup, a change of personnel or a well-rehearsed set play can change the tide of any game. Indeed, the correct use of space and intelligent deploy-ment of players within a cohesive formation can be the difference between win-ning and losing. For the Massachusetts men’s soccer team (1-11-1, 0-3-1 Atlantic 10 Conference), finding a system that gets results has been a challenge. All that really can be done at this point is to try and shuffle around the deck until the pieces start to fall into

place. In the past few games, such a tactical change was made when interim coach Devin O’Neill deployed senior defender Matt Keys into the center forward posi-tion. It’s not rare for Keys to maraud forward and attack, as he is a regular threat on set pieces, but the altera-tion gives the Minutemen a 6-foot-4 target to consistently aim at up the field. The move also allows UMass to drop a player into the midfield to win possession, as Keys can play as the lone forward and hold the ball up for his team. “Matt is a great player, he can really play any position on the field,” O’Neill said. “In practice during shoot-ing drills he is usually one of the best guys and more importantly he has scored

a couple goals this year. I think that he really gives us something different offen-sively.” The key to making this maneuver work is the player who has moved into Keys’ role. Strong in the air and never one to shy away from a tackle, versa-tile sophomore Josh Jess gives the Minutemen valu-able minutes at the back. While Jess played most of the season as a center mid-fielder, he was able to move seamlessly into the role of center-half. Having been a defender for his high school and premier team, his new role felt natural. When asked about the change, Jess praised his teammates for his speedy development. “I had played every posi-

tion over the years, but playing alongside someone like Matt Keys has been hugely beneficial,” Jess said. “He’s a leader, and whenever you are doing something wrong he’ll take you under his wing and help you sort out those mis-takes. Playing against him and everyone else in prac-tice really makes you better as a player, and it’s fun to get the better of them too.” “Josh played center back back home for his club, but we didn’t know if he would be rusty and ready to go. To his credit, he slotted in really nicely and has done a really great job for us,” O’Neill said. The change in shape is one that could help the Minutemen find goals, but cannot account for some of

the other issues UMass has faced this season. The team is incredibly young. It has been unlucky to lose in the dying minutes of several games, and at times have been simply outclassed by better competition. But going into the home

stretch of the season, Keys should start to score more goals for the Minutemen, and Jess will be a capable replacement in his absence on the back line.

Nicholas Casale can be reached at ncasale@umass.edu.

Minutemen switch attacking formation

M E N ’ S S O C C E R

NICOLE EVANGELISTA/COLLEGIAN

Matt Keys recently moved from defense to forward for the Minutemen.