February 21, 2013 - Issue 4 by MCLA Beacon

Student Newspaper of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

For more content, visit online at: beacon.mcla.edu

North Adams, Mass.

Volume 77 ◆ Issue 4

Th u r s d ay, F e b rua r y 2 1 , 2 0 1 3

Degen promoted to Vice President of Student Affairs Former dean of students concentrates on club, volunteer, and leadership programs

By Andrew Hodgson Staff Writer

Former Dean of Students Charlotte Degen is committed to fostering the best atmosphere she can for students. Changing her title to vice president of Student Affairs may not seem too different, but the change signals a new direction for further integrating student life at the college and the academic curriculum. “As the College organizes itself it needs to be organizationally to marshal resources to achieve those ends,” Degen explained. The shift shows the College administration concentrating on how involvement in clubs, volunteer and leadership programs can work parallel to a student’s coursework and enrich the learning experience. Another aspect of Student Affairs’ focus is programs to further peer-to-peer learning. “The change in status from dean of students to vice-president of student affairs signals the college-wide concern for the integration of student affairs and academic affairs,” Degen explained. Expanding programs which foster peer learning, such as the STEM and writing associates available for tutoring in the library, is a huge focus for the future of the student experience at MCLA. “The coaching minor is an example of that, the student has classroom work and experiences in intramurals, and now also has the opportunity to go into a coaching minor, allowing the intramural experience to provide an avenue to apply the things one is learning in the coaching minor [coursework],” Degen said. More and more academic programs are incorporating elements outside classroom walls that teach students how to apply their edu-

Photo by Jess Gamari/Beacon Staff

Charlotte Degen was recently promoted to Vice President of Student Affairs. cation in real-life situations. The initiative to continue student involvement stretches beyond Degen’s desk. This semester SGA sponsored “Wet Feet Week” to get students involved that transfer to the College halfway through the year. The goal is simple, to get students involved. “It’s hard to break into a club, some people can do that and some can’t,” Degen said. Degen also cited the exploding number of clubs on campus as one of the triggers for the administration to focus on student involvement beyond class. “That is an institutional strength that is something that is exceedingly important to the quality of life here,” Degen said of the diverse clubs on campus. “It’s an expression of students’ interests. We have an exceedingly robust campus life.”

Photo by Kacie Clark/Beacon Staff

Monica Joslin, dean of academic affairs, and Christopher Himes, STEM program manager, discuss the program.

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Photo by Jack Guerino/Beacon Staff

Peck Falls near the Greylock Glen.

MCLA to use STEM funds for upcoming academy

College receives $75,000 grant for @Scale STEM Pathways Project By Nick Arena

Managing Editor The College has recently received a $75,000 grant for its @ Scale STEM Pathways Project (SSPP). The grant issued by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education will go toward funding new science, technologies, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiatives, such as the supplemental instructor program. More importantly, the STEM Committee is looking into setting up a STEM Academy to take place Aug. 4 through 8 of this year, according to Dean of Academic Affairs Monica Joslin and STEM Program Manager Christopher Himes. “We are now in the process of building, for the first time, a STEM Academy for incoming students who are interested in the STEM fields,” Joslin said. “The first year we will accept up to 20 students that will come in, free of charge, and get them introduced to not only the science field, but also to faculty in the different science disciplines.”

According to Joslin, the academy will also help prospective STEM majors look further into the future at possible career choices. While the grant itself is geared towards supplemental instruction and tutoring initiatives, the money will allow the College the personnel needed for the academy, according to Himes. “It ties into the @Scale grant with the supplemental instructors in that we’re going to have, hopefully, five students who are science majors during the STEM Academy that will act as peer leaders,” he said. “They’ll get to know the freshmen and then, throughout that first year, interact with them either casually or formally as tutors.” The program was originally born out of the need for more students in various science and technological fields, according to Joslin and Himes. “If you look at the national level, there’s probably 50 percent or less of students who start in the STEM field that actually graduate,” Joslin said. Himes added that students that

College to host semifinals

“A Delightful Quarantine” to perform

Five Senator seats still open for nomination

Men’s Basketball to face Salem State College as number two seed

Fine and Performing Arts play to debut Feb. 27 at 8 p.m.

News, page 2

Sports, page 9

Arts & Entertainment, page 7

Three SGA nominations submitted

do not graduate with STEM degrees are not necessarily dropping out, but many switch majors. “What we want to do with the Berkshire STEM Pipeline Network is work with K-12 students and our undergrads and really just create that stream of interest throughout the school career into science,” he said. Both stressed the benefits of students joining the STEM program as associates or supplemental instructors. “If you go to them and say ‘What’s the answer to this problem?’ they’ll say, ‘Let’s try and figure this out as a group’,” Himes said. “One of the nice things about it is the supplemental instructor also gets trained in some teaching skills, like how to be an effective tutor.” Junior Andrew Martin, who is both a STEM associate and supplemental instructor, enjoys the experience working with other STEM majors and also learning along the way.

STEM, continued on page 3 News 2-5 Arts & Entertainment 6-7 Sports 8-9 Campus Comment 10 Fun & Games 11 Photo Essay 12

News

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Public Safety Logs Sunday, February 10 12:03 a.m. - Campus Police responded to an alcohol offense. Hoosac Hall resident was transported to hospital. 1:09 p.m.- Campus Police responded to a larceny and forgery incident in Berkshire Towers. A report was filed. Monday, February 11 5:47 p.m. - Campus Police responded to a medical call. Berkshire Towers resident transported to hospital. Tuesday, February 12 9:30 a.m. - Campus Police responded to a motor vehicle accident in the commuter section of the Taconic parking lot. 11:55 a.m. - Campus Police responded to a medical call at the Wellness Center. Patient was transported. Wednesday, February 13 4:11 a.m. - Campus Police responded to a medical call in Murdock Hall. A report was filed. Thursday, February 14 5:33 p.m. - Campus Police responded to a medical call from Venable Hall. A report was filed. 9:24 p.m. - Campus Police responded to a motor vehicle accident in the Berkshire Towers parking lot. Friday, February 15 2:04 a.m. - Campus Police responded to a fire emergency on campus. Fire was extinguished. Saturday, February 16 6:13 a.m. - Campus Police responded to a medical call from Ashland Street. Subject transported to hospital.

beacon.mcla.edu

Hemp shop opens on Eagle Street By Jack Guerino Staff Writer

Head Eaze is a new business on Eagle Street that sells hemp clothing and accessories as well as other organic products, aiming to attract students and help revitalize North Adams. Justin Bergeron and Nicole McCorkindale opened up the store last month. “I’ve always wanted a small retail business and when the two of us met it turned out we shared the same dream,” Bergeron said. “We believe in hemp and sustainable clothing so it was a natural fit and every little college town needs some kind of little hip shop.” Although the store looks to appeal to everybody, students are a main focus for them. Head Eaze plans to offer a student discount in their future. “We know that a lot of college kids are more conscience to things like organic clothing and the impact they are making on the planet,” said Bergeron. The store sells hemp organic clothes, hats, wallets, purses, as well as silver and glass jewelry, art, and mineral specimens. The store encourages the sale of fair trade and locally handmade items, and the owners actively pursue local venders. “We know people in these hill town areas who make things and we welcome anyone who makes products,” Bergeron said. The store looks to expand and sell educational material such as books and DVDs, and organic body products. “We hope to expand soon and bring in a lot of organic body products like lotions and balms,” McCorkindale said. Head Eaze wants to become part of the community and en-

Photo by Jack Guerino/ Beacon Staff

Shop owners, Nicole McCorkdinale and Justin Bergeron courage local musicians and ing on the Winsdor Lake Campbands. grounds. “I have an interest in music “I grew up camping on the promotion so eventually, once the campground up the road so I’ve store is doing well, I would like to been familiar with the area; I branch off with the store promot- love the area,” Bergeron said. “I ing some music events,” explained brought Nicole up to show her Bergeron. the store front and she fell in love The store also looks to become with the place.” a fixture in the North Adams “We just want to help bring community. some life and revenue into this “We are looking forward to town.” Bergeron said. the winter fest coming up next McCorkindale advocates the weekend and the beach party in beneficial uses of hemp in prodthe summer,” said McCorkindale. ucts such as food, building mateBergeron and McCorkindale rials, and clothing. share an admiration for the area “Hemp is mildew and mold and want to help rejuvenate the resident and it’s extremely ducity. rable,” explained Bergeron. “The “We knew about MASS MoCA longer you own it the softer it gets and we knew the town was trying without losing any strength, it just to get things going so we thought gets more and more comfortable.” we would try to slip in right at the This goes along with the enviright time,” said Bergeron. “We ronmental message of the store. want to expand with the town and “We are here to show and help revitalize it.” teach,” said McCorkindale. Originally from Holyoke, Bergeron expressed similar Bergeron is familiar with the area ideas. and has spent a lot of time camp“We think if every person

changes their life style and does one little thing differently than on a grand scale that will make a large enough impact and make a difference,” he said. “Everyone doesn’t have to switch to solar power to make a difference.” The aspect of low impact on the environment also follows into the foundation of their store. Bergeron, a carpenter, used mostly recycled shelving to create the displays and counter in the store. “It’s all recycled material and what we had around, we want to have as low of an impact as possible,” said McCorkindale. Bergeron and McCorkindale both work full time in addition to the store. “We have been slowly saving money and building inventory,” said McCorkindale. The store is located on 28 Eagle St. and is open Fridays 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information and updates on Hemp Eaze, visit their Facebook page.

Photo by Jack Guerino/ Beacon Staff

Head Eaze sells products from local artists, educators, and craft makers.

Three nomination papers submitted By Chris Goodell

Staff Writer Of the eight open positions for the Student Government Association (SGA) special elections, candidates only took out nomination papers for three. According to SGA Office Manager Diane Collins, Sophomore Evan Pirnie, who currently serves as a senator at large on SGA, ran for Class of 2015 Treasurer. Sophomore Taylor Krowitz appeared on the ballot for a Senator at Large seat, and Sophomore Danielle Bloh ran for the Class of 2015 Senate seat. Krowitz served as a senator in the spring of 2012 and enjoyed being a part of the college governance process. “I have always been interested in politics

and SGA is a perfect opportunity to learn what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to government and politics,” Krowitz said. “As a student senator, I will be able to bring whatever the students need. I will always be willing to talk to students if they have any concerns regarding SGA matters and I will never hesitate to bring up any pressing issues that I feel SGA needs to address.” Bloh has always had an interest in government and was looking for a way to step out of her comfort zone. “I am a very good listener and I am very observant so I believe that I would be able to be the voice of my class when needed,” Bloh said. “I am also a very quick learner and would be able to adapt to whatever situation I

am put in.” The eight open positions included one Senator at Large seat, two Class of 2013 senate seats, one Class of 2014 senate seat, one Class of 2015 senate seat, one Commuter senate seat, and Class of 2015 Treasurer and Secretary. According to SGA President Jason Brown, senators at large represent the entire student body while individual class senate seats represent a particular class. Both have equal voting power in the SGA, however. For the second straight semester no one ran for the Commuter Seat, open to all fulltime commuter students. Check beacon.mcla.edu for results.

Weekend Weather 2/21 - 2/24 Thursday, February 21

Friday, February 22

Saturday, February 23

Sunday, February 24

Snow Showers High: 33° Low: 13° Precip. Chance: 40%

Partly Cloudy High: 35° Low: 23° Precip. Chance: 0%

Rain / Snow High: 37° Low: 27° Precip. Chance: 40%

Rain/Snow High: 38° Low: 22° Precip. Chance: 40%

local.msn.com/weather

News

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Beacon.mcla.edu

Rubles from heaven: meteorites for sale Associated Press

MOSCOW -- It shattered windows and injured thousands, but to plenty of people in the central Russian region of Chelyabinsk, the powerful meteorite explosion that rocked the area last week was more than a disaster. It was a cash cow. As service workers and volunteers continue to work around the clock to fix thousands of windows shattered by the shock waves from the explosion, many of their friends and neighbors are taking time off from work and school to look for parts of the meteorite that are believed to be scattered all over the region. Some are doing it out of curiosity but many more have a mercantile motive, which explains the appearance of hundreds of offers to sell Chelyabinsk meteorites on the Internet since Friday. They’re calling it the meteorite rush. Prices asked for purported pieces of the alien visitor range from $20 to $30,000. Russia’s Ural Mountains “For sale: a piece of meteorite. Cures cancer, AIDS and prostate. Improves academic performance at school, “ reads one ad, which was posted under the name Yevgeny and is perhaps overreaching a bit. He is asking $10,000 for his space rock, without specifying its size. “Improves male potency,

reduces weight. Price by agreement. Exchange for a car or real estate a possibility,” says another ad. A black porous stone as big as a man’s palm was put up for sale on EBay, with bidding going up to $4,100 by Tuesday morning, when 84 bids had been made. Maxim, a University student from the town of Yemanzhelinsk, 30 miles south of Chelyabinsk, who for privacy reasons didn’t want his last name used, claims to have collected several dozen pieces of what he believes to be meteorite particles. He said he decided to keep the biggest, weighing 18 grams, and gave a dozen of the smallest ones to a visiting scientist. Now he is selling about seven pieces, at roughly six grams each, via the Internet. “When the explosion happened [Friday] morning I was driving outside my town through a snow-covered field and had to stop my car and get out, scared as hell, because it looked for a moment as if the sun fell down on the Earth,” he said in a phone interview. “And then I heard several loud explosions and felt a gust of very strong wind that nearly pushed me off my feet as my parked car rattled.” Then, he said, “I heard hissing sounds all around me in the field and noticed tiny white tongues of steam rising from the snow all over the field. Not far from where I stood, I found several

pieces of black rock in the snow that looked like porous coal. They were still hot.” Maxim said he figured out it was a meteorite and gathered as many pieces as he could. He sold the first one Monday. A piece that weighted three grams went for the equivalent of $150. After he posted the ad he got dozens of calls, including queries from a potential buyer in Germany and one from a U.S. museum. They were ready to buy the smallest pieces of his collection for $100 each, he said. Maxim said all the pieces had magnetic qualities and turned to be very hard when he tried to file one of them. He was willing to sell the six-gram meteorites for the equivalent of $200 apiece. On Tuesday afternoon he was going out to the “treasure field” again to look for new finds, he said. Some Chelyabinsk residents have begun to collect pieces of crushed glass to give to friends and relatives in the rest of the country as souvenirs, according to Oksana Mikhayleva, editor in chief of the radio station Echo of Chelyabinsk. “One enterprising man is now offering what he calls the ‘Apocalypse tour’ around Chebarkul Lake for $170,” Mikhayleva said in a phone interview. “The tour, of course, ends at a place where the biggest chunk of the meteor is believed

to have crashed through the ice of the lake after the blast.” Chelyabinsk police take a somewhat dim view of the craze. “Some people can be easily confused and compelled to buy something they later will be sorry for, as some other people are taking advantage of the situation,” police spokeswoman Anzhelika Chirkova said in a phone interview. She suggested the shocking possibility that some of the entrepreneurs might be “ready to make money selling something which has nothing to with the real meteorite.” “But even if they are selling the real stuff,” she added, “no one knows whether it can pose a health hazard until examined by experts.” Police already visited one of the Internet meteorite sellers and confiscated a dozen pieces of black substance they will present to experts for study, Chirkova said. Most of the meteorites offered for sale in the Chelyabinsk region will probably be fakes, said Viktor Gorokhvsky, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences meteorite committee. “They can be selling anything now from bricks to stones, but we haven’t officially certified a single Chelyabinsk meteorite yet,” Gorokhvsky, a professor at Yekaterinburg Federal Urals University, said in a phone interview.

Commander to Retire

STEM receives grant

WASHINGTON _ Gen. John Allen, who was top commander in Afghanistan until last month, announced Tuesday that he is retiring from the Marine Corps due to his wife's chronic illness, turning down a White House offer to nominate him to be the supreme allied commander at NATO. Allen, who was cleared last month by the Pentagon inspector general of misconduct in connection with hundreds of emails he exchanged with a Florida socialite, said he was retiring after 38 years in uniform for personal reasons that included the need to care for his wife, Kathy Allen, who has an autoimmune disorder. "The reasons for my decision are personal," he said in a statement. "While I won't go into the details, my primary concern is for the health of my wife, who has sacrificed so much for so long." President Barack Obama met with Allen on Tuesday "and accepted his request to retire from the military so that he can address health issues within his family," the White House said in a statement that praised Allen's 19 months in command in Afghanistan. The White House had planned late last year to promote Allen to the top U.S. commander in Europe, and Allen had accepted the offer. But the nomination was put on hold after he became ensnared in the scandal that forced retired Gen. David Petraeus to resign as CIA director in November. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered an inspector general investigation into hundreds of emails between Allen and Jill Kelley, a Tampa, Fla., resident who knew Allen when he served as the deputy commander officer at Central Command, the U.S. military headquarters for the Middle East based in Tampa.

“Maybe some biology major is taking botany, or another upper-level science class and I can help them,” Martin said. “If I haven’t taken the class and someone’s asking for help, I can point them in the direction of someone who may know better than me, or I can try and work it out with them even if I don’t know exactly what they’re talking about.” Other benefits of the STEM associate and supplemental instructor positions are that they appear on an academic transcript and are paid positions, according to Joslin. “Not only is it a paid position, but you get to share your expertise with other students,” Joslin said. The STEM program and its associates and instructors will also be working with middle schools and high schools in the region on upcoming science fairs hosted at the College March 8 and April 27.

McClatchy Trubune

The FBI uncovered the Kelley-Allen emails while investigating anonymous, harassing emails sent to Kelley about Petraeus. The FBI traced the emails to Petraeus biographer Paula Broadwell, whose extramarital affair with Petraeus led him to resign from the CIA. After Allen was cleared last month of misconduct by the Pentagon inspector general, the White House had planned to send his nomination forward, but last week Allen informed Panetta that he was thinking of retiring. An officer familiar with Allen's thinking said the investigation had nothing to do with Allen's decision. He had agreed to take the job in Europe initially because he hoped his wife's health would improve after he left Afghanistan, but it has become clear in recent weeks that she has not gotten better. "He and his wife have been approaching this decision for a long time. Their hope was that her condition would improve upon his return home from Afghanistan. It hasn't. It is for this reason, and this reason alone, that he made the decision," said the officer, who agreed to speak anonymously to discuss Allen's decision. "For more than 35 years, my beloved Kathy has devotedly stood beside me and enabled me to serve my country,' Allen said. "It is profoundly sobering to consider how much of that time I have spent away from her and our two precious daughters. It is now my turn to stand beside them, to be there for them when they need me most." Panetta, who is stepping down shortly as defense secretary, said in a statement: "I will be forever thankful that the international effort in Afghanistan was in General Allen's capable hands during much of my tenure as secretary of defense. His leadership over the last 19 months will long be remembered as pivotal to this campaign."

Continued from page 1

MassINC Forum

Please join MassINC and Transportation for Massachusetts at a public forum and panel discussion on regional transportation investments in Massachusetts Gateway Cities. As part of the event, MassINC will present a new research report which provides a roadmap for how new public resources in regional transit can be invested with a focus on improving the economic performance of Gateway Cities like Pittsfield.

When: Feb. 25, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Where: Pittsfield, Mass. Berkshire Community College

Black History Month Schedule February 22: Allegrettos Gospel Concert

Church St. Center, 7:00 p.m.

Old School to New School Party Sponsered by BSU

Venable Gym, 11 p.m- 2 a.m.

February 23: Allegrettos Gospel Concert

Church St. Center, 5:00 p.m.

February 26: BSU General Meeting & Movie night Sullivan Lounge, 8 p.m.

February 28: Rev. Irene Monroe: Debunking the Notion of a Hierarchy of Oppression Murdock 218, 7:30 p.m.

Green Living Seminars Press Release This spring’s “Green Living” seminars at the College will continue today at 5:30 p.m. in Murdock Hall room 218, with a lecture titled, “The Original Green.” This seminar, which is free and open to the public, will be presented by Steve Mouzon, a principal of the New Urban Guild in Miami Beach, Fla. New Urban Guild is a group of architects, designers and other New Urbanists who are dedicated to the study and the design of true traditional buildings and places native to and inspired by the regions in which they are built. The public is invited to attend this free Green Living series, “PlaceBased Prosperity.” The aim of the series is to inform both students and community members about creative ways that reducing our environmental impact which can be linked to enhancing local financial resilience and improving the vitality of cities and towns in our region The 2013 Green Living Seminar series received assistance from Imagining North Adams and is a presentation of MCLA’s Berkshire Environmental Resource Center and the MCLA Environmental Studies Department. The series will continue on Thursdays through April 25. For more information, contact Dr. Elena Traister at (413) 6625303, or visit www.mcla.edu/ greenliving.

News 4 MoCA to host Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal Thursday, February 21, 2013

Press Release

Jacob’s Pillow Dance and MASS MoCA co-present world-renowned contemporary ballet ensemble [ http://www.bjmdanse. ca/index.php ]Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal March 2-3 at MASS MoCA’s Hunter Center for the Performing Arts. The Montréal-based dance company blends a variety of dance styles, influences, and music in three diverse works by prominent, international choreographers: [ http://wenweidance.ca/ ]Wen Wei Wang of Canada, Spain’s [ http:// www.sotocayetano.com/page10/ page10.html ]Cayetano Soto, and Israeli-American dancemaker [http://www.barakmarshall.com/ Barak_Marshall_Dance_Theatre/ Home.html]Barak Marshall. This co-presentation coincides with the final month of MASS MoCA’s Oh, Canada exhibit, the largest survey of Canadian contemporary art ever produced outside of Canada. Under the artistic direction of [ http://www.bjmdanse.ca/directeurArtistique.php ]Louis Robitaille, the dancers of Ballets Jazz successfully bridge contemporary innovation with classical training and technique. With sleek, highly-skilled performers and a wideranging repertory, the company is known for its distinctive, theatrical style that engages a broad au-

Beacon.mcla.edu

dience. Founded in 1973, Ballets Jazz is celebrating its 40th anniversary season. This engagement marks the company’s first return visit to western Massachusetts since its appearance at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 2010. Jacob’s Pillow Executive and Artistic Director Ella Baff comments, “It’s a perfect match for the Pillow and MASS MoCA to bring a major dance company, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, to complement an unprecedented exhibit, Oh, Canada. I think audiences will be very excited to see dance and visual art from our neighbor to the north. And did I mention that the dancers are sensational?” The program includes three diverse works by acclaimed international choreographers. Choreographer Wen Wei Wang was born in China and now resides and works in Canada. His highvoltage, provocative work, Night Box, combines contemporary ballet with street dance to express the love, loss, sensuality, and joy of urban nightlife. Michael Crabb of The National Post calls the work a “fascinating imaginary world of burgeoning manhood and confused desire… It’s all brilliantly theatrical, in turns witty, poignant.” Set to a score by composer Philip Glass, Spanish choreographer Cayetano Soto’s powerful duet Zero In On creates a fresh take on the traditional pas de deux form

and ”subverts beauty to convey something else” (Rebecca Ritzel of The Washington Post). Harry, a work by Israeli-born, Los Angeles-based choreographer Barak Marshall, concludes the program. This theatrical, energetic take on the complexities of human dynamics and conflict features an eclectic score ranging from Israeli folk songs to Balkan Beatbox to The Andrews Sisters. Marshall served as house choreographer for Batsheva Dance Ensemble in Israel from 1999 to 2001. His company made its U.S. debut at Jacob’s Pillow with his full-evening MONGER at the 2010 Festival. The event is on Saturday, March 2 at 8 p.m. and Sunday March 3 at 3pm; Hunter Center at MASS MoCA. Galleries are open until 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 2. On Sunday, March 3, the galleries are open from 11a.m. - 5 p.m. Ticket prices: $39 premium / $29 orchestra / $25 mezzanine / $10 children under 16 To order tickets: 413.662.2111 or [ http://www.massmoca.org ] www.massmoca.org. MASS MoCA is located at 87 Marshall Street, North Adams, MA 01247. For additional information on Jacob’s Pillow and its 81st season, visit www.jacobspillow.org.

Photo courtesy of jacobspillow.org

Publishers Weekly Best-Sellers McCartney, Mumford top eclectic Bonnaroo lineup

1. “Until the End of Time’’ by Danielle Steel (Delacorte)

2. “Private Berlin’’ by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan (Little, Brown) 3. “Touch & Go’’ by Lisa Gardner (Dutton) 4. “Gone Girl’’ by Gillian Flynn (Crown) 5. “A Memory of Light’’ by Robert Jordan (Tor) 6. “Tenth of December: Stories’’ by George Saunders (Random House) 7. “Suspect’’ by Robert Crais (Crown) 8. “The Fifth Assasin’’ by Brad Meltzer (Grand Central Publishing) 9. “A Deeper Love Inside’’ by Sister Souljah (Atria)

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) There will be a British invasion of the main stage at Bonnaroo this year. Paul McCartney and Mumford & Sons are among the headliners for the 2013 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester,

Tenn. The four-day festival, held on a rural 700-acre (283-hectare) farm, always features an eclectic roster, but this year’s event, to be held June 13-16, is even more varied than usual. Returnees Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers also hold down a headliner spot. R. Kelly, Bjork,

Wu-Tang Clan, Wilco, Pretty Lights, The Lumineers, The National, Kendrick Lamar, Nas and ZZ Top also top the list announced Tuesday by ``Weird’’ Al Yankovic via Bonnaroo’s YouTube channel. Tickets will go on sale at noon Eastern Standard Time (1700GMT) on Saturday.

The top 10 songs and albums on the iTunes Store 1. “Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz),’’ Ryan Lewis, Macklemore 2. “Stay (feat. Mikky Ekko),’’ Rihanna 3. “Harlem Shake,’’ Baauer 4. “When I Was Your Man,’’ Bruno Mars 5. “Suit & Tie (feat. JAY Z),’’ Justin Timberlake

6. “Ho Hey,’’ The Lumineers 7. “I Will Wait,’’ Mumford & Sons 8. “Started from the Bottom,’’ Drake 9. “Mirrors,’’ Justin Timberlake 10. “Scream & Shout (feat. Britney Spears),’’ will.i.am (Associated Press)

(Associated Press)

Gen. John Allen turns down NATO post, says he will retire Associated Press WASHINGTON - Gen. John Allen, who was top commander in Afghanistan until last month, announced Tuesday that he is retiring from the Marine Corps due to his wife’s chronic illness, turning down a White House offer to nominate him to be the supreme allied commander at NATO. Allen, who was cleared last month by the Pentagon inspector general of misconduct in connection with hundreds of emails he exchanged with a Florida socialite, said he was retiring after 38 years in uniform for personal reasons that included the need to care for his wife, Kathy Allen, who has an autoimmune disorder. “The reasons for my decision are personal,” he said in a statement. “While I won’t go into the details, my primary concern is for the health of my wife, who

has sacrificed so much for so long.” President Barack Obama met with Allen on Tuesday “and accepted his request to retire from the military so that he can address health issues within his family,” the White House said in a statement that praised Allen’s 19 months in command in Afghanistan. The White House had planned late last year to promote Allen to the top U.S. commander in Europe, and Allen had accepted the offer. But the nomination was put on hold after he became ensnared in the scandal that forced retired Gen. David Petraeus to resign as CIA director in November. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered an inspector general investigation into hundreds of emails between Allen and Jill Kelley, a Tampa, Fla., resident who knew Allen when he served as the deputy commander officer at Central Command, the U.S. military headquarters for the Middle East based in Tampa.

was that her condition would improve upon his return home from Afghanistan. It hasn’t. It is for this reason, and this reason alone, that he made the decision,” said the officer, who agreed to speak anonymously to discuss Allen’s decision. “For more than 35 years, my beloved Kathy has devotedly stood beside me and enabled me to serve my country,’ Allen said. “It is profoundly sobering to consider how much of that time I have spent away from her and our two precious daughters. It is now my turn to stand beside them, to be there for them when they need me most.” Panetta, who is stepping down shortly as defense secretary, said in a statement: “I will be forever thankful that the international effort in Afghanistan was in General Allen’s capable hands during much of my tenure as secretary of defense. His leadership over the last 19 months will long be remembered as pivotal to this campaign.”

News

Thursday, February 21, 2013

beacon.mcla.edu

Lively orphaned bears keep Mill City to perform Roald Dahl’s “Peach” NH rehabilitator busy Associated Press LYME, NH (AP) -- When a bad year for feeding followed a good one for breeding, New Hampshire’s only licensed bear rehabilitator ended up with 27 orphaned cubs instead of the usual three or four. Ben Kilham isn’t losing any sleep over it, but the bears sure are. “They’ve managed to keep themselves awake,’’ he said. “There’s always somebody who stirs up somebody else, and pretty soon, everybody’s up.’’ Kilham keeps the cubs in an 8-acre enclosed forest behind his house until spring, when he works with the state Fish and Game Department to release them in remote locations. Normally, the bears sleep all winter, but not this bunch. For a while, Kilham tried withholding food in hopes that the bears would sleep, but that didn’t work. “They just roto-tilled the pen,’’ he said. “It was obvious that they were seeking food, so we just gave up and started going back once a day feeding them.’’ Staying awake all winter won’t hurt the bears any, he said, and if anything, they are better off having spent the winter in a large group. With just a few cubs, it was common for one to pace back and forth near the fence, Kilham said. But none of the current cubs are showing that kind of anxiety. “They’re just one big happy family, they roam around, play with each other,’’ he said. “They are very, very happy as a big social unit.’’ Andy Timmins, the bear project leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, said officials were expecting more

orphaned cubs than usual but were surprised at just how many turned up. “It was like nothing we’ve ever seen. A high year in the past was maybe, seven or eight bears,’’ he said. `Ìt was a very challenging year, for sure, and we’re not done yet. I’m absolutely positive there will be more showing up this spring as a result of these conditions last year.’’ The increase in orphaned cubs can be traced to a two-year swing in the bears’ food supply. Younger female bears often don’t give birth during leaner years, but with an abundance of beechnuts, berries and other food in 2011, there was a baby boom. In 2012, however, dry conditions meant food was scarce, and bears were forced to venture into backyards for food. Sows that foraged for food in chicken coops and beehives ended up getting shot by property owners, leaving the cubs behind. That’s how 16 of the 27 cubs ended up with Kilham. “The big wave of them came in June and July as a direct result of females getting shot in chicken pens,’’ Timmins said. `Ìt was just bang, bang, bang, with calls coming in from people saying, Ì just shot a bear, come and pick it up.’’’ The state has a program to help landowners install electric fencing to protect their coops, he said, but many are unwilling to use it. And the law is on the side of property owners. “We bend over backwards to help people with that problem, and we’d like to see a little more tolerance out there among the public towards wildlife that might be attracted to the chicken pen,’’ he said. `Ìt’s an easy fix.’’ Kilham agreed. “Once the bear’s in your chicken coop, the damage is

done so there’s nothing gained by shooting the bear,’’ he said. Kilham, who has been studying bears for more than 20 years, has produced and appeared in numerous documentaries and written two books about bear social behavior. The second, titled ``Out on a Limb,’’ is due out this summer, and he’s also working on a doctoral degree in environmental conservation that builds on his work in China helping wildlife experts who are reintroducing pandas to the wild. Back in Lyme, much of the day-to-day care of bears falls to Kilham’s sister, Phoebe, who said despite the added workload this year _ which includes four sets of triplets _ it’s not hard for her to keep track of so many bears. Some of them are named for the towns where they were found _ there’s ``Moultonborough One’’ and ``Moultonborough Two’’ _ while others have more whimsical such monikers as Clarkie, Big Girl and Slothy. Clarkie is the group lookout and runs up to be fed first, she said. Others hang back and don’t eat until the Kilhams leave. And thanks to an outpouring of donations after a local television station publicized the situation, they have plenty of dog food to keep everyone well-fed until spring. “You get to recognize them by behavior as well as by sight,’’ she said. ``We do pretty well. Some of those last triplets were hard to tell apart, but otherwise we do pretty well.’’

Press Release Mill City Productions is pleased to announce audition dates for its upcoming production of the classic children’s story, James and the Giant Peach from the book by Roald Dahl and dramatized by Richard R. George. The production will be directed by Liz Urban. Auditions will be held tomorrow at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Mill City Theatre in Building 4N (next to the Visitor’s Center) of the Western Gateway

Heritage State Park. Adults of all ages and experience levels are invited to audition. Auditioners will be asked to read scenes from the play; no prepared monologues are necessary. Rehearsals will begin during the last week of February, and performances are currently scheduled for April 19–21 and 26–28. For more information, please visit www.millcityproductions. org or contact via email at contactmillcity@gmail.com

Farm, forest advocates lobby for more state money Associated Press MONTPELIER, VT. (AP) -- Groups ranging from the Vermont Farm Bureau to the Vermont Natural Resources Council are pushing for a big boost in state funding for a program launched last year to promote Vermont’s agricultural and forestry sectors. Those groups and other members of the Working Lands Coalition were at this Statehouse this past week to promote their 5-by-3 campaign, in which

they’re looking for $5 million in state funding for each of the next three years. The budget Gov. Peter Shumlin proposed last month calls for $1.5 million for the Working Lands Enterprise Fund in fiscal 2014. The group says Vermont needs to step up its efforts to promote value-added agriculture and forestry industries. But prospects of more than tripling the funding sought by Shumlin are uncertain given competing budget pressures.

Bowles, Simpson unveil plan to cut debt $2.4 trillion over 10 years Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, who have been pushing for a major deficit reduction plan since cochairing a bipartisan commission on fiscal reform, released a new proposal Tuesday to cut the nation’s debt by $2.4 trillion over the next decade. Called “A Bipartisan Path Forward to Securing America’s Future,” the plan attempts to avoid the large automatic spending cuts set to hit March 1 while also dealing with long-term debt drivers such as Medicare. “The problem is real, the solutions are painful, and there is no easy way out,” the two said in a summary of their plan. “What we are calling for is by no means perfect, but it could serve as a mark for real bipartisan negotiations on a plan to reduce the deficit and grow the economy. “It is time for our country to put this ultrapartisanship aside and pull together, not apart,” they said. Bowles, a Democrat and former White

House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton, and Simpson, a former Republican senator from Wyoming, headed the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. Bowles and Simpson proposed a wideranging deficit reduction plan, but the commission did not agree to adopt it in 2011. The two have continued to urge Washington politicians to compromise and agree to a broad package that includes additional tax revenue and spending cuts. They now chair the Moment of Truth project, a bipartisan group pushing a comprehensive solution to the nation’s debt problem. Policymakers instead have taken a piecemeal approach, which Bowles and Simpson said their new plan tries to expand. The first two steps of their four-step approach have already taken place. First there were spending cuts enacted as part of the 2011 deal to increase the debt limit. And then there was increased revenue

from an agreement enacted Jan. 2 to allow a temporary payroll tax cut to expire and to increase tax rates on annual household income of more than $450,000. Bowles and Simpson said the next step is to enact serious entitlement and tax reform to produce about $2.4 trillion in deficit reduction and replace the $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts. The plan calls for reducing Medicare and Medicaid spending by about $600 billion by, among other things, raising premiums on high earners. Bowles and Simpson also want to overhaul the tax code by eliminating or scaling back most deductions, using some of the savings, about $600 billion, to reduce the deficit and some to lower tax rates. On top of that, the plan would reduce spending by another $1.2 trillion over the next decade through a combination of mandatory spending cuts and other changes, such as altering the way annual Social Security cost-of-living increases are calculated The fourth step is to take action to make

Social Security and highway funding solvent and Medicare sustainable. “We’re going to have to push the White House on entitlement cuts. We’re going to have to push the Republicans on revenue,” Bowles told CNBC. He called the looming federal budget cuts, known as sequestration, “stupid, stupid, stupid” because the cuts are indiscriminate. Bowles and Simpson predicted the public backlash from those cuts would lead to public pressure on Washington to replace them with a comprehensive deficitreduction plan that does not endanger the economic recovery. They’re touting their proposal as the way to do that. “Although additional deficit reduction need not be enacted all at once in a single package, it should be enacted promptly,” Bowles and Simpson said. “The longer we wait the fewer options we will have and the less time we will be able to give individuals and businesses to prepare and adjust.”

Arts & Entertainment

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Beacon.mcla.edu

Students find insight at arts exhibition By Michael Feloni A&E Writer

Artsy vs. crafty: can creativity be taught? By Shannen Adamites

A&E Editor I remember back in middle school, when I began taking art seriously, how out of place I felt when my teacher went over basic artistic principles. The concept of perspective, color theory, and utilizing materials whether I knew what they were or not seemed to flow seamlessly from my mind on to the paper. It was always difficult for me, however, to be taught a specific way to draw, paint, or sculpt. Teachers scolded me for not being able to follow directions, or I would take the directions as guidelines and create something loosely based on the provided criteria. It wasn’t the kind of art they were looking for, and my sense of aestheticism differed greatly from theirs. Learning music was also a struggle. I learned how to stay on pitch from constantly listening to music, but when I was asked how to sight-read, I squinted at the notes as if I couldn’t see them. I’m by no means an expert on art, music, or anything relating to creativity. I’d much rather write about art than actually create it. Theatre is a bit different; however, because of the close bond between the actor and the director. The collaboration between the two, as well as the relationships with other actors, enables for a simulation of real life, incorporating the artistic vision of the director, and the choices made by the actor. As to whether artistic disciplines can be formally taught: to an extent, yes. Anatomy and proportion can be taught: how to physically play an instrument, or working extensively with the text of a script. Everything else, however, is up to the artist. Perhaps they learn better by ear than on paper, or they understand the text better during the blocking process, or they can achieve similar results in a drawing or painting by taking a different creative approach. Following directions and formulas are one thing, but the ability to think independently of provided material is an entity of its own. Art classes, rehearsals, and practices are by no means a waste of time. Without them, a foundation to build creativity upon, and the final product would cease to exist. But to make a long-winded speech short: creativity cannot be taught.

Students of the college’s Fine and Performing Arts (FPA) department traveled to New York City this past winter break to experience the largest performing arts exhibition of new talent and networking opportunities in the world: the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP). The event took place over five days, starting on Jan. 11 and ending Jan. 15. With over 1,000 performances, hundreds of exhibitors, and literally thousands of colleagues, this event is massive and right in the center of one of the world’s most famous and most dreamt about cities. “APAP for us as students meant 16 hour days, filled with coffee and subway travels,” Jordan Cohen, a senior, said. “We would attend all the APAP events, speakers, and showcases throughout the day, and by night we would see some of the most popular contemporary performances in the world.” Exhibitors and performers were present from all corners of the world. Companies such as the local Moscow Ballet in Pittsfield and Karesh Dance Company

from Philadelphia, to as far away as Domino Theatre International in Vilnius, Lithuania, and MSP Entertainment, hailing from Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia displayed their talent at one of the conferences hundreds of performances. “APAP changes things by getting you so engrained in the milieu of presenting, producing, and performance, that you question whether or not it’s right for you,” Cohen said. “The majority of students attending the trip are studying to work in the arts, which makes this question very important to answer.” Cohen said APAP provided a large expo hall where industry leaders and booking agents could sit in on performances and talks.

Photo courtesy of APAPnyc.com

Performing arts enthusiasts pose for the camera at APAP. He said that this allowed for presenters, producers, theaters and bands to meet and discuss potential business that would not be possible without the experience. “For someone like me it is a great opportunity to touch bases with all that is happening in the field, and those that are doing it,” Jonathan Secor, trip coordinator and director of MCLA Presents!, said. Secor said that going as a group with professors and students was a strong point to the trip. “The APAP trip was an incredible experience,” Mary Marcil, a senior, said. “I found that I really

loved playing the role of an arts presenter: talking to all kinds of agents and talent, seeing a wealth of amazing performances, learning about all new kinds of art. I’m so thankful I was able to be a part of this experience.” Students and exposition attendees stayed at the New York Hilton and Sheraton during their stay, which are directly adjacent to Broadway and central New York. “Being able to attend the APAP conference was one of the best experiences of my college career,” Jonathan Kinney, a senior, said. “It was definitely an incredibly eye opening one as well.”

CONGRATULATIONS to The Allegrettos 2nd place win at ICCA

Good luck at the semi-finals!

Be sure to check out their gospel concert Tomorrow at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m. Church Street Center Auditorium

Review: Mangum’s return wows MoCA By Shannen Adamites A&E Editor After several years of avoiding the public eye, the legendary king of low-fi folk music, Jeff Mangum, embarked on a tour including Mass MoCA as one of the soldout destinations. Despite lack-luster opening acts, Mangum did not fail to blow away the audience with a storm of nostalgic songs that got everyone singing and swaying. Mangum, the burly, bearded front man of the infamous 90s folk act, Neutral Milk Hotel (NMH), abandoned his project after the band gained commercial success. Since then, he has toured rather infrequently, but his music is still loved and adored by many. He played a variety of songs from both NMH albums, “On Avery Island” and “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,” including “Song Against Sex,” “Naomi,” “TwoHeaded Boy,” “King of Carrot Flowers,” and “Oh Comely”. The audience cheered and shouted as he shyly tuned his gui-

Courtesy of thetriangle.org

Mangum, of Neutral Milk Hotel

tar between songs. Mangum isn’t one for small talk or stories, but he expressed his appreciation for the excellent turnout. “I didn’t know what to expect when I started touring again,” he said. “But I really appreciate you guys coming out here, and thank you for being such a great audience.” After concluding with “Ghost,” which got the audience stomping, clapping, and enthusiastically singing along with its clever lyrics, Mangum went off stage for a few minutes. The crowd cheered and begged for an encore.

Mangum returned to the stage with Julian Koster, former member of Neutral Milk Hotel and the singer of The Music Tapes, the second opening act. The two played “Engine, ”and concluded with “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,” featuring Koster on the singing saw. The encore made the audience nostalgic, and the chorus of voices echoed throughout the venue with Mangum as the conductor. Though Mangum’s set was truly surreal and magical, the two opening acts were not nearly as captivating. The first opening band, Tall Firs, was melancholy, monotone, and relatively uninteresting. The front man lacked charisma and stage presence, mumbled his song introductions, and proceeded to drown out the audience in a lullaby of distorted guitars and incoherent vocals. The Music Tapes were significantly better in terms of their overall sound. A seven-foot tall metronome stood behind the band and served as the focal point

for one of their songs. A variety of brass instruments, bells, a synthesizer, the saw, and a bow and electric banjo gave their songs a unique, fuzzy and orchestral sound. Koster’s vocals were pleasantly nasally and reminiscent of Mangum’s, and he sang delightfully absurd lyrics about southern cities and talking televisions. However, his pseudo-artistic tangents and anecdotes took away from the band’s overall performance. Koster seemed to enjoy hearing himself talk, and provided more personal self-gratification than actual entertainment for the audience. Overall, the show proved to be quite successful. The fact that Mangum, a celebrated figure in the realm of independent music rarely tours made the experience truly fantastic and one-of-a-kind. “It was really surreal, hearing someone I’ve listened to only on CD for so long in real life,” Tess Favini, a junior at the College, said. “It was one of the best concerts I’ve ever experienced.”

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Arts & Entertainment

Beacon.mcla.edu

Chris Hantman: perfect under pressure By Haley Costen A&E Writer

As the Public Relations chair for Spires, the College’s literary magazine; Secretary of Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), President of the Inter-Greek Council (IGC), Philanthropist for Pi Upilson Pi (Pines), coordinator of the Write Stuff community service program, a Peer Advisor, and a Lead Academy Leader; he’s always been involved in activities on campus. Hantman described his involvement in afterschool activities to be “minimal” back in high school in his hometown of Franklin, Mass. However, his involvement in the Lead Academy program during his freshman year made him decide on another path. “When I came here I realized the more I do, the more I’m going to get out of the college experience, so I try to fill my time as productively as possible” he said. One of his biggest accomplishments was the selfpublication of his book “Ruffled Feathers and Sharpened Claws” which was released on Amazon in November. The book, which contains 55 poems, four collaborative poems, and five short stories, was a project he

Photo by Shauna Dacus/Beacon Staff

Hantman sells his new poetry collection in the Marketplace started back in his freshman year. A former student of the College, Carly Samach, did the artwork for “Ruffled Feathers and Sharpened Claws,” the cover photo of a yellow bird in a cage, and another copy of it in black and white. The book was his third attempt at publication, after a try at a book about five years ago with his sister, and a test draft last year that allowed him to see his mistakes. “It was a learning experience, because when you self publish you have to be your own editor— your own everything, essentially.

That was the part that was the hardest to come to terms with,” he said. “I just wanted to write before, but then I realized there’s a whole other side to it.” Hantman used the website lulu.com to publish “Ruffled Feathers and Sharpened Claws.” The site guides you through the process of formatting, design, and publication through Amazon. He also took the extra step to publish it for the Kindle. “Start in small steps,” he advises other aspiring writers who might look to self-publication. “If you try to go right from A to Z,

you’re going to get frustrated, and it’s not going to be very fun.” “Chris is not only an A1 sort of person but a very serious student and a fine writer,” said Jeff McRae, English professor and Spires advisor in an email interview. McRae recalled having him in class a few years ago and a Spoken Word event last year that was sponsored by Spires and largely organized by Hantman. Though he has not yet read “Ruffled Feathers and Sharpened Claws,” McRae was not surprised by Hantman’s success. “Knowing what an industrious sort he is, I'm not surprised he's followed through with it. Chris seems to have figured out that there's much more to poetry than simply emoting into one's diary. I'm proud of him!” Hantman is also planning on publishing another book, this time primarily of short stories about people with mental disabilities, inspired by his work with the non-profit organization Horace Mann Educational Associates. He’s worked with children and adults with behavioral disabilities such as different types of autism, for about 5 years, and works with the program during every school break. “I spend so much time with them, and they show me more

about myself than most people do,” he said. According to Hantman, his writing is inspired by human nature and his experiences with people. His relationships with family, friends, and girlfriends all contribute to his work. He still goes through writer’s block, but uses a book of writing prompts to force him to power through it. “Writing keeps me sane,” he said. “It helps that I love my major, because when I have to do my homework, it’s writing most of the time.” He also enjoys open mic nights, and playing music and video games with friends. “Typical college stuff,” he said with a laugh. Hantman was originally an education major with plans to be a high school English teacher. However, his love for creative writing and his involvement with Sprires inspired him to change his major to writing. After graduating, he plans to get his master’s degree in poetry. He would like to be a college poetry professor and work in publishing, as well as continue to work on his own writing.

My Robot Friend: Synthy “Quarantine” debuts Wednesday cyborgs take over MoCA By Aya Lanzoni

By Kaylie Warner A&E Writer

Howard Robot is coming to MASS MoCA and he wants people to know that robots are sexy, too. The NYC electronic/ rock live art project My Robot Friend will be at MASS MoCA Saturday at 8 p.m. According to My Robot Friend’s Facebook page, their first album “Hot Action,” debuted in 2004. The album spent several months on the College Music Journal’s charts and also hit the top 20 electronic albums on iTunes. Their website states, “My Robot Friend's live show is a unique experience. Robot performs in an elaborate, personally-designed light-up suit while interacting with illuminated objects, wireless video cameras, pyrotechnics, and other odd home-made props.” My Robot Friend is a project Robot began as he was experiencing the world of electronic music for the first time, according to the website. Robot was originally in a band called Princess in the late 90’s and just when the band was about to sign to a label, the members went their separate ways. This did not stop Robot from continuing his music and exploring a new world of electronic sound. “The more time that he spent in the studio with his computer and other electronic equipment, the more he personified the gear

that he worked with. After a while, all of the machines began to feel like friends,” the website states. MASS MoCA is thrilled that Howard Robot will be coming to perform for them. However, no one could quite put it in to words what exactly Robot’s performance will be like. “My Robot Friend is quite possibly the hardest performance to try to explain to someone who has not seen it,” Jonathan Del Sordo, MASS MoCA box office assistant, said. “It is interestingly weird.” On the museum’s website, there is a short two-minute video to give people a glimpse of what My Robot Friend is all about. The video shows a dark room and the only source of illumination is coming from his robotic suit. Robot’s fingers glow blue and the room blooms into a glow of fluorescent lights. According to the My Robot Friend website, the general concept is human beings are advanced machines. The fusion of evolution, the environment, and genetics have all programmed human beings on how to live. Howard Robot wants audience members to know that in a way human beings are just like robots. “In a very real way Howard, is your robot friend,” reads the website. Tickets are $12 in advance, $16 at the door, $10 for students, or $10 with a member discount.

Editor-in-Chief

For the past month or so, the Fine and Performing Arts (FPA) Department and students have been working hard during rehearsals for the upcoming performance of “A Delightful Quarantine” next week. “A Delightful Quarantine,” written by Mark Dunn and directed by FPA Professor Doug Jenkins, is a comedy about aliens coming to Earth, leaving six homes in quarantine for three days. “[The show] is about instant relationships. It’s about individuals who are thrown together who may or may not know one another, and who are forced to live together,” Jenkins said. “No one is normal within the houses themselves.” Seniors Boston Livingstone, who plays a robber, and Elizabeth Mullen, who plays one of the two old women in the show, shared what they thought of “A Delightful Quarantine.” “[The play is about] people trapped in their homes with people they don’t really know too well,” Livingstone said. “And aliens,” Mullen added with a smile. Each of the characters bring their own unique backstory to the play, such as a woman who is looking for her birth mother, two nerds on a date, and two old women tasked with deciding what to do about a robber entering

their home right before the quarantine. According to Jenkins, there are also two different families with daughters who run off and break into a woman’s house, because she has a lot of costumes they want to try on. One of the nerds is a crazy cat lady who has invisible cats. “Or does she?” he said. “All of this takes place during a college lecture, and the professor is narrating and talking about the quarantine. He also lives in this small town and he’s written a book. And what he’s doing is reminiscing to a class – the audience – about what happened during the days of the quarantine.” Jenkins believes “A Delightful Quarantine” is something that college students will be able to relate to. “It’s just what would happen if you were actually in somebody’s house,” he explained, “and all of a sudden the federal government said that you’re quarantined for the next three days and you can’t go anywhere.” One of the themes for the play is building friendships, as well as destroying friendships, and marriages. “It’s a show about relationships – is basically what it boils down to,” he said. “A Delightful Quarantine” was written in 2006 and was chosen by Jenkins “for the actors.” “I think about the audience, but what’s really important is how it is for the actors and for the

backstage people and how it is for the painters,” he said. “The way that we have it set up was a design challenge for our design people.” Mullen, who has been painting the set as well as helping out with makeup for the show, expressed her thoughts on working on “A Delightful Quarantine.” It’s been a really enjoyable process so far,” Mullen said. “Everyone’s really coming together as a team.” Livingstone, who has been working with other actors in stage combat, agreed. “We all connected with our characters really well,” he said. According to Jenkins, the audience will enjoy not only the stories, but also the characters’ portrayals onstage, and get a “sense of community.” “[The audience] should expect a lot of character play and all the different dynamics,” Livingstone said. “It’s a really huge character-driven show, so expect the characters to be full and developed.” “Expect it to be delightful!” Mullen added. “A Delightful Quarantine” will run from Feb. 27 through March 2, showings at 8 p.m., and a matinee March 2 at 2 p.m. in Venable Theatre. Tickets are free for students, $5 for faculty, and $10 for general admission. To reserve, call the box office at 413-662-5123.

Sports

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Beacon.mcla.edu

Women’s Basketball cannot prevail over Bears By Nick Swanson

by Ariana Tourangeau Sports Editor

Jordan’s 50th outshines All-Stars

As most of you know, this past weekend was All Star Weekend for the NBA. The Western Conference All-Stars triumphed over the Eastern Conference Allstars 143-138 in Houston, TX. For those of you who don’t know, All-star weekend is a weekend held every February by the National Basketball Association, where NBA All-Stars from East and West compete in a variety of basketball competitions all leading up to a game between the two. According to ESPN, the top performers for the game were, from the West, Chris Paul point guard for Los Angeles Clippers with 20 points, 15 assists, and four steals. For the East, Carmello Anthony, small forward for the New York Knicks, with 26 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. Chris Paul received MVP for the night and helped lead the west to their third straight AllStar win. Not only was this a big competition between East and West but it was also a celebration for Michael Jordan’s 50th birthday. Even though the weekend was an “all fun and games” sort of event, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James proved that to them, it is still serious. Kobe blocked a Lebron attempt to help the East come back and in return, brought the West to the win. Although these all-stars came from different teams to play together, they still represented their teams on their warm-up jackets in the pre game show. This weekend doesn’t effect either of the players records or seasons; it is just a chance for each player to strut their stuff with fashion and talent. Michael Jordan hasn’t played an NBA All Star game in a decade, but USA Today believes he stole the show and won the game this year. “..he won the 2013 NBA AllStar weekend by a large margin. Jordan’s name was everywhere, and his brand status skyrocketed.” Sure, the publicity was good for Jordan, but many feel it was well-deserved considering he is, “the greatest basketball player ever,” according to Adi Joseph, USA Today sports writer. I agree with that statement and will end with saying, that I am sure it was a good thing having Michael Jordan celebrate his 50th at All-Star weekend, just so these current “all-stars” can only hope they’ll be good enough to celebrate their 50ts like that someday.

Sports Writer

Saturday afternoon, the Women’s Basketball team lost to the Bridgewater State Bears with an ending score of 91-53. This loss capped the Trailblazers’ season at a 13-game losing streak, knocking them out of contention in the post-season tournament. The Bears led the entirety of a one-sided game. The team dominated the second half, and with seven minutes to go they were 40 points ahead. This deficit would be hard for any team to come back from. “On all of our open shots they converted perfectly, and we were one person down so it made it very difficult to contain them,” guard Alyson Stolz said. Right before the first half ended 43-27, Kait Chenevert was injured and did not return. Then the Bears started their attack again, and when the last half started they quickly gained a 20-point lead. Both teams battled for the ball. The Trailblazers had 18 personal fouls during the game, while Bridgewater had 17. The main difference is that Bridgewater made 35 of the73 shots taken, and

the Trailblazers only made 17 of 57. Missing attempts led to the loss of valuable points. Lucy Tremblay scored more than any player, netting 21 points. This could not hold up against Bridgewater’s Michaela Cosby and Megan Boutilette who both scored 16 points. Two other teammates were close behind in totals. Cosby gathered 16 rebounds, the most in the game. “I could tell that they worked hard all the way through from beginning to end, Bridgewater is just a very skilled team that has a lot of energy. They can shoot great 3-pointers, and can rely on rebounds in post play,” Coach Holly McGovern said. The Bears played on offensively, leading with 29 assists, nine of which were from reserves. This was the last game for seniors Tremblay and Johanna Miner. Both players were noticed for their 4 years of dedication to the team in respect of Senior Day. Their final season ended with an overall record of 8-17. “Next season will be different, we will work on getting better with communication and there is going to be a lot of incoming freshmen so hopefully we only

Photo by Kalay Degnan/Beacon Staff

Junior Kaitlyn Chenevert makes a two-point shot. improve from here,” guard Danielle Beauchamp said.

West beats East in NBA All-Star Game Associated Press (AP) HOUSTON - The dueling dynamics of nostalgia and novelty permeated this entire All-Star weekend. On the one hand, there were tributes to Michael Jordan, who turned 50 on Sunday. There was appreciation for David Stern, who presided over his 30th and final All-Star Game as commissioner. Fifteen-time All-Star Kevin Garnett even acknowledged the twilight of his career by stating this would "definitely" be his final appearance. On the other, seven first-time All-Stars strutted their stuff, including host city hero James Harden. Perhaps fittingly, then, both veterans and relative novices impacted the Western Conference's 143-138 victory over the Eastern Conference at a packed Toyota Center. The West has won three straight times, tying the longest streak from the 62 games staged. Chris Paul captured his first most valuable player award of his six appearances, finishing with 20 points, 15 assists and four steals. "Pretty special," Paul said. The West led by 10 with less than nine minutes remaining before first-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, who finished with 15

points off the bench, sank backto-back 3-pointers during a run that pulled the East within one. But Kevin Durant, who, after a game-high 30 points has scored more points than anyone in history in their first four All-Star games, sank a jumper. Paul later added five straight points and kept feeding teammates for dunks. "With all that firepower, why wouldn't you want to pass?" Paul said. "You've got KD filling one lane, you've got Blake (Griffin) and Kobe (Bryant) on the wing. There's nothing like it." Crunch time is also when Bryant went to work. First, he took Chris Bosh off the dribble for an eight-point lead with three minutes to play. Then he double-teamed LeBron James with Durant, blocking James' shot from behind for a Durant breakaway dunk. The Clippers' Griffin placed the exclamation point on proceedings by throwing an alley-oop off the backboard to himself for a rimrattling dunk in the final minute. Like most of these affairs, the first half devolved into an exhibition of alley-oops, style points and no-sweat, ahem, defense. Dwight Howard, playing for the Western Conference for the first time of his seven appearances, even attempted a

Phto Courtasy of LATimes.com

Chris Paul, of the LA Clippers, won the MVP trophy during the All-Star Game. 3-pointer. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 19. Last year's contest in Orlando Bryant found himself at the center perked up when Dwyane Wade of a debate Jordan created when broke Bryant's nose in the third Jordan said Bryant topped James quarter. This time, no touchstone as the game's best player because moment arrived. Pride merely Bryant owns five championship asserted itself. rings to James' one. Bryant, who surpassed Jordan "The message is winning takes as this game's all-time leading precedence over everything," scorer last year and tied Jordan Bryant said. for most steals in All-Star history That mindset even extends to at 37 with two on Sunday, joined All-Star games, at least when the Paul as backcourt facilitators. contest moves toward the later They had 16 assists by halftime stages. and 23 overall. "It's pretty simple," Durant Bryant and Garnett were said. "Nobody wants to lose." making their 15th All-Star appearances, second only to

Sports

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Beacon.mcla.edu

Ray Viches: Leadership bringing Men’s Basketball Success By Justine Cozza Sports Writer

Ramon “Ray” Viches, the 6’5” forward from Boston, Mass. is not only a member of the Men’s Basketball team, but also a cocaptain alongside senior forward Vernon Cross. Playing basketball since he was young, the game has evolved over the years for Viches. “One of the most important things for me as a captain personally is to lead by example,” Viches said. “We only go as far as we work, which means we all need to work equally as hard as one another, no matter how many minutes we individually play.” Viches came to MCLA after meeting with Men’s Basketball coach Jamie Morrison and the team. Viches has been an active team member since then. “A good captain lets their actions do the talking and expects everyone else to work just as hard,” Morrison explained. “A captain also needs to have the type of personality that isn’t worried about everyone else liking them all the time.” According the College’s Men’s Basketball webpage, Viches has 161 points overall, 79 in conference games. Viches also has 18 turnovers and 10 overall

assists. This is not Viches first time being in a leadership role on a sports team. During his senior year at Malden High School, he was a captain along with four other seniors. But in any leadership role, there are personal struggles. “I’m not really much of a yeller,” Viches said. “I’m pretty soft spoken but I’m heard when need be.”

The support within that can be seen throughout the team can also be seen in the stands from MCLA fans. Not only does the encouragement among the players help the team, but it also brings out of the fans’ excitement. “The encouragement on

Scores Women’s Basketball 2/16 Bridgewater St. @ MCLA L, 91-54 Men’s Basketball 2/16 Bridgewater St. @ MCLA W, 67-64

Schedule

Men’s Basketball 2/21 Salem St. @ MCLA 7:00p.m. MASCAC Semi-Finals

“One of the most important things for me as a captain personally is to lead by example.” -Ray Viches

Standings

Photo by Kayla Degnan/Beacon Staff

Junior Ramon “Ray”Viches is a co-captain of the Men’s Basketball team. the court really gets the crowd going,” SAAC volunteer Danielle Sylvester explained. “The high encouragement on and off the court really brings the team to be the best that they can be.” The men’s team is now 9-3 in MASCAC play after their Senior Day win against Bridgewater State Saturday, Feb. 16. With

this win the men still hold onto their second place spot in the standings. This game marked the end of the regular season, The MASCAC tournament will be starts next week. For more information on the games or stats on the individual players, go to http://athletics. mcla.edu/sports/mbkb/index

Men’s Basketball

CONF OVERALL

Westfield St. 10-2 21-4 MCLA 9-3 13-12 Salem St. 7-5 16-10 Bridgewater St. 5-7 11-14 Fitchburg St. 5-7 14-10 Worcester St. 5-7 12-14 Framingham St.1-11 8-17

Trailblazers go hunting for Bears

Trailblazers finish season the strong, and host the semi-finals against Salem State tonight By Chris Oxholm Sports Writer

The Men’s Basketball team had a swift comeback in Saturdays game against MASCAC team the Bridgewater Bears, winning 6764. The first half wasn‘t easy for the Trailblazers, the Bears had good ball control and led at halftime 29-25. It wasn’t looking good for the Trailblazers in the beginning of the second half either. At the 16 minute mark the Bears had the lead 41-29, but after the next five minutes the Trailblazers had made their deficit a tie at 47-47.

“We’re excited about the success that we’ve been having lately, but our ultimate goal is to win a MASCAC Championship.” -Bilal Shabazz At that point, center Kenny Snuggs scored 11 consecutive

points for the Trailblazers. Snuggs scored the only baskets during the 11-point run. Paul Maurice contributed 13 points, netting 15 points for his game total. He also led the team in 3-pointers going 3-6 from the outside. John Jones got 6 points and 11 rebounds and senior Bilal Shabazz scored 17 points with 4 assists for the Trailblazers win. “We’re excited about the success that we’ve been having lately, but our ultimate goal is to win a MASCAC Championship,” said Shabazz. “Were taking it one game at a time and we have to continue to get better each and every day. We understand that it’s not going to be easy but we’re ready for any challenge that lies ahead.” This victory was especially important for the Trailblazers, earning the team the second seed in the MASCAC tournament along with a home court advantage. “We host our semi-final playoff game this Thursday against the winner of Salem and Worcester,” said Shabazz. “Whatever team we face it’ll be an exciting game and I’m sure we’ll have a great crowd here to support us... I can’t wait. “ Tonight the Trailblazers will have to use that home court

Photos by Dennise Caranza / Beacon Staff

Junior center Kenny Suggs goes for the jumper in the last season home game aginst Bridgewater. advantage against Salem State. The game begins at 7 p.m. Salem’s Hanell Velez and Tyvone Wynder will be on the court against the Trailblazers.

They scored 16 and 15 points respectively in the MASAC semifinals game against Worcester. Wynder was 100 percent from downtown making all three of his

attempts. This year the Trailblazers have beaten Salem both times they met. The game begins tonight at 7 p.m.

Opinion

Thursday, February 21, 2013

beacon.mcla.edu

The Beacon

What did you do for the long weekend? “I went to a Matisyahu concert on Sunday. It was the best concert of my life. And I love MCLA”

“During the long weekend I watched a drag show called ‘Rupaul drag show.’ It was crazy fun, after I went to the movies and watched ‘Identity Theft.’ ”

-Jared Kahn, 2016

“I went camping with the Outdoors Club. I also went snowmobiling, it was fun.”

-Dary Burgos, 2013

JuanLuis Andujar, 2015

“I stayed on campus planning an upcoming event call, “All around the World,” which is on March 22 in Veneable Gym. Come and join us.”

Jafreisi Pena Baez,2016

Senior News Editor As a journalism major, I’ve always been really interested when it comes to political bias. Throughout my explorations, I’ve come to one conclusion: Several people are now watching news that simply re-enforces opinions that they’ve already developed. Don’t get me wrong, I get it: you’re entitled to your opinion. Still, you can’t bash what’s said on Fox News if you never watch Fox News and you can’t bash MSNBC if you’ve never watched MSNBC. If you’re going to bash someone’s political ideals, make sure you’re well informed on why they may carry those beliefs. It’s like Marlon Brando said in “The Godfather,” “Keep your friends close, your enemies closer.” Essentially, keep well informed on both sides so you can formulate a valid opinion, don’t just mindlessly babble about the criminals on Wall Street or the Liberal government. In some way, I try to stay as bi-partisan as possible when it comes to choosing the kind of news I read. Obviously this is very hard to do, and I struggle with it myself, but I think it’s important to make conscious effort. Also when it comes to digesting the news, it seems that sometimes will get all of their information from political commentators such as Rachel Maddow and

Rush Limbaugh. It’s not that it hurts to listen to them, they certainly each have something to say, but they’re not journalists. The fact is, they’re not telling you the news necessarily, they’re giving you their own opinion on it. Limbaugh himself has said that he’s an advocate and not a journalist, so it’s important to take that into account. I might sound like a pessimist here, but I’m simply just pointing out what I think is at least a small problem with news consumption. Still don’t get me wrong, I have faith in journalism and there are a lot of great major media outlets out there. To be honest, most of them certainly do have at least some sort of political bias, but it’s important to read into both sides. Read the New York Times, but maybe read the Wall Street Journal as well. Watch MSNBC, but maybe watch Fox News too (trust me I know how much some hate to hear that). It’s been rumored for quite some time that all political journalists are corrupt. Sure some are, but there are a lot great journalists out there that really do want to provide their readers with an unbiased piece of news that will keep them updated. So read up, and try to keep somewhat of an open mind. Realize that there are two sides to every story, and it’s important to look into both before falling into a blackout rage.

Letters must be signed by the writer and include a phone number. Letters may be dropped off at the office or e-mailed to Beacon@mcla.edu. Contributions Policy The Beacon accepts stories, photos, and opinion pieces for publication. Submissions should be dropped off at the office by Monday at noon or e-mailed to Beacon@mcla.edu. Advertising Policy The Beacon reserves the right not to publish any advertisement it deems to be libelous, false. or in bad taste.

Editor-in-Chief Aya Lanzoni

Letter to the Editor

Arming Public Safety In spite of the fact that at least two-thirds of the College’s faculty, students, and neighbors opposed the move, the College's Public Safety director admits he went directly to Item 10 on the list of ARM campus safety recommendations, and proceeded to plan training and purchase guns for his cadre of officers. While this situation seems antithetical to a small, liberal arts college in a small Berkshire County town, the director points out in a front page (above the fold) article (featuring a photo of the preferred lethal weapon) how inclusive and collegial the decision process was to arm his public safety force. Interestingly, all bogus hearings, the pre-ordained decision, and arms training took place before the sad Sandy Hook primary school massacre, but before the NRA's Wayne LaPierre's proposed personal safety dictum that we all "arm up.” I guess this shows that Joseph Charon, LaPierre, & the NRA are pretty like-minded, and see guns as the solution rather than a problem. So now that his officers are well protected, should they have to respond to an assault, invasion, or other attack, before North Adams police can travel the two and a half blocks to the campus, what is the director doing to

Letters Policy The Beacon welcomes Letters to the Editor. Deadline is noon on Mondays for that week’s newspaper.

Editorial Board

Compiled by Dennise Carranza/Beacon staff

By Ryan Flynn

Editorials Policy Unsigned editorials that appear on these pages reflect the views of The Beacon’s editorial board.

Letters should be kept to 500 words or less and are subject to editing for grammar and content. The Beacon will not publish anonymous or libelous letters.

-Ciara Gerena, 2015

Reading the News: Are we consuming what we should be?

Mission Statement The Beacon strives to provide timely and accurate news of campus and local events.

Signed columns and commentaries that appear on these pages reflect the views of the writers.

-Timothy Eve- Cowles, 2016

Contact information: News desk number: 413-662-5535 Business number: 413-662-5404 E-mail: Beacon@mcla.edu Web site: beacon.mcla.edu Office: Mark Hopkins Hall, room 111

“ I went home for the long weekend; I spent time with my mother. She fed me some good Dominican food. I also went to the Natick mall for the first time.”

“I stayed on campus and worked. I attended the basketball game and showed support to the Trailblazers. And on Saturday night I went to the Gala. Overall it was a great weekend.”

The Beacon is published Thursdays during the academic year and is distributed free to the College community. The Beacon is funded by the Student Government Association, the English/Communications department and from ad revenues.

reveal and implement the other 26 ARM report preventive or selfprotection recommendations? Do tell. Fortunately, our state representative is sponsoring a bill to make it easier for law-abiding citizens, who might prefer to arm themselves with a non-lethal protection device, to purchase mace. As it now stands, it is just as easy to purchase a gun as to acquire mace. Does that make sense? Meanwhile, I am baffled as to how the Public Safety Director could assert "the process spoke well of our community, how we approach things and work together,” when a majority of the campus community and neighbors spoke out against the decision to arm the officers. I do wish the Beacon reporter had asked Mr. Charon's definition of "working together" when the prevailing point of view was totally ignored. Only trustee Richard Lamb amended the vote of the board to allow a review of the policy after six months implementation. It is my hope that members of the College’s campus community are feeling safer and more secure, knowing their officers carry glocks. DM Parsons

Sports Editor Ariana Tourangeau

Business Manager Lauren Coffey* Web Editor Ken Rodriguez

A&E Editor Shannen Adamites Copy Chief Marc Latour Photography Editor Dennise Carranza

Senior News Editor Ryan Flynn Managing Editor Nick Arena Design Editor Nalaja Caesar

Staff Staff Writers

Chris Goodell Andrew Hodgson* Jack Guerino* Haley Costen* Michael Feloni* Kaylie Warner Chris Oxholm Justine Cozza Nick Swanson Copy Editors

Photographers

Kayla Degnan Kacie Clark Jess Gamari* Jack Guerino Shauna Dacus Design Team

Jess Gamari* Michael Feloni* Jennifer Nault Videographers

Lauren Coffey* Takeya Lee Haley Costen*

Michael Dahlroth Adam Larson

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Fun & Games

Beacon.mcla.edu

“Come to Class - A True Story”

Cartoon by Jackie Coughlin

Winter Week!

Weekly Horoscopes Aries: March 21-April 19 Your emotions are all up in the air today -- but there’s nothing wrong with that! It’s a good time for you to ask yourself what you really want and to see if you can plot a path to that point. Taurus: April 20-May 20 Try to talk things over with your friends -- they may or may not know what’s really going on, but your ability to communicate is heightened, and that is something. Things should be clearer tonight. Gemini: May 21-June 21 Your finances are still in need of attention -- so it’s a good thing that your energy today is just right for handling such matters. Things can get better, but only if you push yourself a little. Cancer: June 22-July22 You’ve got twice as much energy as usual -- so make the most of it and see if you can get twice as much done or have twice as much fun! You may have to deal with a new person, but it should be a good time. Leo: July 23-Aug. 22 You need to make sure that you’re in charge of your emotions today -- it’s hard to handle life otherwise! People may just have to wait for you to collect yourself before you can proceed with them. Virgo: Aug. 23-Sept. 22 Try to organize your thoughts a little better -- and yes, that is possible! Your mental energy is perfect for putting things and ideas in the right boxes, then remembering where to find them later. Libra: Sept. 23-Oct. 22 You need to chill out a little about your routines and schedules -they are certainly important, but they are just as certainly flexible. Deal with little interruptions with grace and style. Scorpio: Oct. 23-Nov. 21 Push for your own agenda today -- you’re sure to get a little closer to what you really want. Your personal energy is strong enough that you can influence others from a distance.

Across 2. Catch one on your tongue 3. You are as cold as __. 7. Lets have a ___ fight! 9. My hands are cold! 10. First month of cold weather 12. Bring out the plows! Down 1. This beverage will keep you warm. 4. I am snowed in! Time to grab the ___. 5. If you have your hat don't forget your __. 6. This creates a mess during winter. 7. Lay on the ground and make one with me! 8. Brrr it is so __ outside! 11. We should go skating at the ___.

Sagittarius: Nov. 22-Dec. 21 You feel somewhat at odds with your people today -- things are getting weird for you, but that just means that you’re in need of some alone time. Think things through and you should feel better really soon! Capricorn: Dec. 22-Jan. 19 You’ve got issues -- who doesn’t? You just need to focus on whatever is closest and feels most important, or you are sure to find yourself mired in the muck in the near future. Tap your practical nature! Aquarius: Jan. 20-Feb. 18 You can’t treat today’s problems with logic -- or at least not exclusively! Tap into your emotional side and see if you can unleash some of that power. It can’t hurt, and it’s likely to help quite a bit! Pisces: Feb. 19-March 20 Listen to your heart now -- it’s pushing you in the right direction, especially when it comes to romance! That could mean you’re breaking off something that’s not working or pushing for something even sweeter! Horoscopes courtesy of Yahoo.com

Thursday, February 21, 2013

An overturned boat rests near a red lifeguard chair at Windsor Lake, North Adams, Mass.

Photo Essay

Beacon.mcla.edu

An uprooted tree rots near Windsor Lake, weathering the cold mornings of February.

Winter in the Berkshires

Photos by Jack Guerino

The view from the from the hairpin turn on Route 2, North Adams, Mass.

Water rushes past ice and snow at the Greylock Glen, Adams, Mass.

Icicle formations at Peck Falls at the Greylock Glen, Adams, Mass.