October 3, 2019 Vol. 90 Issue 3

TheOnlineBeacon.com

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Volume 90 • Issue 3

Vape Ban Pressures Local Business

BY NATHAN BIRON SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

SSI: Absence of Students at 1st Information Session

Governor Charlie Baker announced Tuesday, Sept. 24, the implementation of a four-month-long ban on all vaping products including dispensary sales that sell to medical patients as well.

This ban comes from recent reports of vape users are becoming very ill and even dying.

Baker has stated that the reason for the ban is for his team to look into the issue more and figure out what is making people sick.

According to the Centers For Disease Control, there have been a total of 10 cases statewide and eight of those sick have been admitted to hospitals.

Uniq Vape Owner Syed Jamal has been challenged with keeping his business afloat during the statewide ban on all vaping products throughout his three stores located in North Adams, Lanesborough, and Pittsfield.

MCLA hosted the first of two Information Sessions on the SSI Survey Results last Wednesday night, Sept. 25, in response to the challenges surfaced in a recent student satisfaction survey.

The event, ran by Catherine Holbrook, vice president of student affairs, was scarcely attended. The only ones in attendance included: this reporter; Julia Teixeira ‘20, Beacon Web News (BWN) executive producer; and Dianne Manning, director of residential programs and services.

In spite of the absence of student attendees, Holbrook continued with her presentation, explaining the survey itself, what the results were, and the College’s plans to rectify the challenges students found within the institution.

“I don’t think anyone was surprised with students not being satisfied for a lot of areas,” Holbrook said, adding that MCLA is on trend with other student satisfaction

Vape, Page 10

BY TESSA SESTITO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

PHOTO BY KENNY OLCHOWSKI

Matt Freeman, resident of Greenfield, Mass, who has been vaping for several years, is one of many consumers that will be affected by Governor Baker’s ban on electronic cigarettes.

SSI, Page 10

SVC Radiology Smoothly Transitions to MCLA

BY BRIAN RHODES STAFF WRITER

Southern Vermont College’s (SVC) Radiological Sciences major has seen a stable transition to MCLA, according to students and faculty in the program.

The Radiological Sciences program is made up of 28 students, consisting mostly of juniors and seniors, along with four faculty members, according to Linda Lippacher, director of the program.

Lippacher, who began the radiological technology program at SVC through a collaboration with Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in 2003, said that most of the major, including the curriculum and professors, is the same as it was at SVC. “In a sense, the only thing that changed was where the venue was happening,” Lippacher said.

Lippacher noted the incredible speed at which MCLA staff were able to transfer critical facilities of the major from SVC to North Adams.

This transfer included office equipment, file cabinets, and an entire X-ray room filled with devices crucial to the major, all of which the

program would have lost if it wasn’t taken in time.

“All of our parts and pieces, MCLA came, put it into trucks in the period of about two days, and took it here before graduation,” Lippacher said. “If we didn’t get it out by graduation, it would have been gone.”

The radiological equipment was relocated to a room at the Berkshire Health North BMC satellite campus in North Adams, site of the former North Adams Regional Hosptial.

Julie Walsh, clinical coordinator for the radiology program, said that the closure of SVC was a distressing experience for students.

“It was a traumatic ending to SVC; it was very sudden,” Walsh said. “[Students] were very happy and lucky that MCLA decided to do the teach-out.”

Lippacher agreed, adding that the difficulties for students are probably coming from outside of the classroom.

“For most of them, there is still this feeling of loss,” Lippacher said. “I think they are all grateful to be here.”

Lippacher added that student involvement at MCLA

PHOTO BY NATHAN BIRON

SVC’s Radiology rooms where students learn how to use X-ray equipment, located at Berkshire Medical Center North Campus. As previoudly reported by Maya McFadden, there will be a total of 21 students in the program who planned on coming to MCLA before the closure of SVC. can help fill in the void for things lost by leaving SVC. “They all [students] talk about how many more things are available here [MCLA] that we never had at SVC,” Lippacher said. “You guys do so many different things that involve students, and we didn’t do a lot of those.”

The suddenness of SVC’s closure was a surprise to students and faculty alike, according to Lippacher. Lip-

pacher said that in January, SVC’s administration had spent money repairing some of their equipment and had hired several new faculty members.

“If they [the administration] were thinking the College was in dire straights you wouldn’t have thought that they would have done all that.” Lippacher said.

While there are no concrete plans yet for the future of the

program at MCLA, Lippacher said continuing the program after current students graduate would be a huge opportunity for MCLA and the state.

Currently, there are only two Radiological Science bachelor programs in the state of Massachusetts.

“It’s a process that is being investigated,” Lippacher said.

“This was my creation and I don’t want to see it die.”

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Vacant Parliamentarian Position Filled SGA

BY NATHAN BIRON SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

On Monday, the SGA board swore in Joseph Medina ’22 as the new parliamentarian. He was the freshman class treasurer last spring and says he’s very excited to get started with his new role on the SGA Board this semester.

“I would like to make sure the students on campus are getting what they need and what they want,” said Medina. “I would really like to see this campus move forward as quick as possible.”

SGA President Dean Little ’21 had mentioned before the official swearing in that he was very confident with Medina taking on this role.

“There are lots of things that will be thrown right at him immediately which he was ready to take on these challenges head on,” said Little.

Medina was asked how he will fill the role of the previous parliamentarian and handle the pressure of this position. Medina quickly answered by showing

his level of care and effort he will be putting into this club.

“One of my main goals is to work side by side as closely as I can with students and SGA as possible,” said Medina. “I would also like to see the department become more sufficient within itself.”

The previous parliamentarian, Corey Powers ’19, had stepped down which prompted Little to take over the responsibilities last year included his job already on the SGA Board.

“Having no parliamentarian last year was defiantly much more work than I intended it would be,” said Little. “Now that these spots are filling up, the work load will be much lighter on the senators and everyone in general.”

There will be another voting session for SGA happening Friday deciding the Class 2023 President with the primary election on September 26. There are multiple positions that are trying to be filled with candidates.

The SGA Board candi-

dates are running for Senate At-Large which include Cameron Gasco ’19, Bradley Odell ’22, Jason Smith, and Jaalissa Douglas ’23. Athlete Seat is Jessica DuPont ’23.

Class 2022 Senator is An-

Retired MCLA Professor to Speak on Education Lawyer

BY NATALIA GIACOMOZZI STAFF WRITER Retired Sociology Professor Leonard Paolillo will talk about the career highlights of National Education Association (NEA) General Counsel Robert Chanin at a luncheon Friday, Oct. 4 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The luncheon is hosted by the MCLA Alumni Association as a part of Homecoming Weekend from Oct. 4 to Oct. 6.

According to Paolillo, the title of the event, “The Fight for Public Education, Collective Bargaining, and Social Justice,” is deceiving because his lecture is “not about the [topics] as a whole, it is just about Bob Chanin.”

Paolillo said that Chanin argued “5 or 6 cases in front of the Supreme Court.”

Chanin also wrote multiple amicus brief statements in his career. An amicus brief is a statement written in appellant court that asks the court for a certain outcome.

According to Paolillo, Chanin fought for affirmative action and stood by gay and African American teachers who were discriminated against during his tenure at the NEA. Chanin, according to the NEA website, retired in 2009 after 41 years of service. Affirmative action is a policy set in place to improve opportunities for minority groups in education and the workforce.

“The idea [of affirmative action] was that instead of just saying ‘we are not discriminating,’ we should be taking a more pro-active approach to make sure that people from historically marginalized groups to get equal opportunities,” said Kerri Nicoll, associate professor of social work.

Nicoll added that in terms of higher

PHOTO BY NATHAN BIRON

Joseph Medina being sworn in as the new parliamentarian.

education, the rationale is that a diverse student population benefits all students.

“We should consider not just race and ethnicity, but gender and all forms of identity in building our student bodies to make sure everybody is exposed to lots of different views and people,” she said.

She also explained how it is illegal for someone to get admitted to a school or hired for a job solely based on their race.

“I think that’s where a lot of debate and tension [about affirmative action] comes in, because then you hear people say that you got hired because of your race,” Nicoll said.

She attributes MCLA being a state college as to how the school is adhering to the standards of affirmative action.

“Public higher education is more accessible to a lot of people than private colleges that are more expensive and have different admissions standards,” she said.

Among the state colleges, Nicoll believes MCLA has an ‘access mission’ statement, meaning it is part of MCA’s mission to make higher education accessible for those who might not be able to get it otherwise. “This is a step in the right direction,” she said.

In a telephone interview, Paolillo said that faculty emiriti host public discussions like this twice a year. “I learned from the ones I went to, and I want to talk about what is relevant,” he said.

His biggest concern was that his lecture might be cut short.

“The problem is to narrow it down, I can only talk for 50 minutes,” Paolillo said.

toinette Webster, Class 2023 Senator is Sophie Smith, Class 2023 Vice President is Khyahjah Alexander. The Class 2023 Treasurer will be trying to won by Jacob Wedge.

Little also mentioned the resignation of Executive Vice President, Giovanni Arana. “We will miss Gio with the help he would’ve

SGA, Page 10

Freel Library Sparks Climate Change Discussion

BY TAYLOR SCARVER STAFF WRITER The Freel Library hosted a panel and conversation on climate change with panelists Rosemary Wessel, co-founder of No Fracked Gas in Mass, and Caroline Massa, senior planner of Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Tuesday, Sept. 24.

The conversation revealed the effects of climate change on the community, environment, and infrastructure as a whole, and how community members and organizations in North Adams are responding. Freel faculty were most in attendance at the meeting.

Wessel’s presentation focused on how different organizations and programs are contributing to cleaning up the air in North Adams, while also saving energy.

Wessel announced the upcoming renovation of the Old Stone Mill into an upcycling waste system. This system will use the heat generated from putting compost into machines to heat the building, mainly the offices. The compost produces heat up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The project is said to be installed this Fall.

Concurrently, Massa’s presentation focused on ways in which our planet

Climate, Page 10

PHOTO BY TAYLOR SCARVER

Rosemary Wessel (left) and Caroline Massa (right) discuss climate chnage with staff.

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Library Upgrades Create More Social Spaces for Students

BY MAYA MCFADDEN FEATURES EDITOR Additional reporting from CoreyMitchell-Labrie, Managing Editor

A new and improved Freel Library was introduced this semester to offer a diverse and welcoming learning atmosphere to the campus community.

The entrance floor of the library was renovated to offer students more open space and three enclosed study rooms that can be booked for small-group work or study sessions.

The renovation project known as the library commons space is funded by a Title III grant of $30,000.

According to Emily Alling, associate dean for library services, when the library applied for the grant last year, a goal they listed for renovating the space was to support the developing College curriculum that is more group work based.

However, due to numerous budget cuts of nearly 15 percent to almost all departments across the College, according to Alling, the library had to make cuts to the largest contributor to the budget, its subscrip-

tions to research data bases for students. The library now offers 81 different data base subscriptions.

“The staff decided on what subscriptions to cut by looking at the amount of use each got through the tracked number of clicks and document downloads,” Alling said.

The library also got rid of many of its outdated reference books that were once shelved on the entrance floor. The bookshelves previously there have been moved to greatly open up the room and giving it some much appreciated breathing room.

“We really want the library to be a place where people feel comfortable coming in to study or work, or just hang out. We’ve been really glad there’s been a positive response,” Alling said.

As part of the library’s initiative to change into a campus-wide social space, the librarians have been working with departments to host movie nights and off-campus speakers and said the library plans to do this more often this year.

During the summer, the

PHOTO BY MAYA MCFADDEN

The library has also added a “Little Free Pantry” stocked with canned foods and toiletries for all to access.

library participated in a student overnight stay by hosting a game night for students to get familiar with the library space.

Alling said more academic eBooks have been made accessible to students along with content from the library’s streaming video collection.

“We really see it as the campus’ living room,” said Kate Flowers, the research and instruction librarian.

The three new study

rooms are close knit, constructed with collaboration in mind. They include central tables, chairs, and even a TV. Many other colleges have similar set-ups in their libraries to create more intimate study spaces.

“I’ve worked at a few different libraries and this is something libraries are trying to offer more and more,” Alling said.

“So students need access to group study space, especially students who aren’t in a major yet maybe or who are working on projects across disciplines.”

“They’ve been hugely popular every place I’ve been,” she continued. “And we really want to protect it for students, so the policy is ‘only students can reserve the rooms.’ We won’t let faculty or staff schedule them for any reason.”

Any student can book one of the rooms for a specific time slot by going up to the front desk or by booking through their online website. So far, the library has been very happy with the traction the rooms have been garnering.

For Alling and Flowers, the library renovations are meant to provide a social academic place for students outside of the class. The library has also extended librarian help until midnight. every night for students.

“We want to cater to ev-

ery student,” said Flowers.

She recognized that a college library to some is their first experience with a library. This means, as the library staff, they must open the space up to accommodate students’ various definitions of a library, from a social hub to a quiet study zone.

In an effort to assess the new library changes, the library staff have been leaving short surveys on tables for students to take.

According to the most recent survey results received back from students about the new space, 73% of the surveyed students said they felt the space contributed to their ability to learn something new.

Every hour a staff member walks around building to take note of what spaces students are using and how they are being used. Alling said this process continues to help for assessment of the renovations, but also for the top floor which she said she hopes to also renovate in the future for the benefit of students.

For the upper level Alling said she intends to do a student focus group area and to largely base this proposed change off of student input.

“We recognize that students need that third comLibrary, Page 10

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Blast from the past

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MCLA’s Quasquicentennial

Early History PHOTO PROVIDED BY FREEL LIBRARY

Murdock Hall (pictured above) is the oldest building on the MCLA campus, and when it was built in 1897, it was the only building here. Originally, it was named College Hall until 1967 when the name was changed in honor of former principal Murdock.

It wasn’t until 1903 that Taconic Hall was built and remained until it was torn down during the 1979-1980 academic year.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY FREEL LIBRARY

In 1896, Frank Fuller Murdock, first row: second from the right, became the first principal for the Normal School. Murdock is pictured here with the institution’s original group of faculty members. The institution’s first class arrived six months later, consisting of four teachers and 32 students (29 of which were women). Mark Hopkins Training School opened shortly after arrangements were made with the city of North Adams for the use of a public school.

Name Changes Throughout MCLA’s History 1997

1960 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

1932 North Adams State College

1894 State Teachers College of North Adams

North Adams Normal School

Oct. 3, 2019

Blast from the past

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Remembering the Past The Beacon’s 1 Issue st

Coach Joseph Zavattaro (1993-2019)

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEFF PULERI

As reported in the first issue of The Beacon this semester, Coach Joseph Zavattaro passed away this past July at the age of 86. Early on, Zavattaro knew the sport of baseball inside and out. He played professionally for the Pittsburgh Pirates. His coaching talent, however, surpassed his ability to play—Zavattaro was the ultimate coach. He has taught and coached baseball in countries such as Zimbabwe, Italy, Canada, and Japan.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY FREEL LIBRARY

Although the institution had a publication for a long time, students decided it was time to remain the publication in 1933. By issue two, the students decided on The Beacon.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEFF PULERI

Coach Joseph Zavattaro, left, pictured with a member of his baseball team Wayne Soares ‘89, right. During his time at MCLA, his teams won 11 Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference titles and made seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including one regional final. Zav’s final season at NASC was capped with the MASCAC title and an invitation to the NCAA tournament, ending his career with 493 wins.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JEFF PULERI

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY FREEL LIBRARY

Campus circa early 1900’s. Murdock Hall is located in the center with Smith House located to the right.

The academic quad, Bowman Hall, Eldridge Hall, and Venable Hall were to be built years later to the left of Murdock, which replaced that part of the neighborhood. The Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation was built to the left of that in 2014.

Pictured left to right: President James Birge, Wayne Soares ‘89, Coach Joseph Zavattaro, and Athletic Director Laura Mooney at Zavatarro’s induction ceremony into the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) Hall of Fame’s Inaugural Class in 2017.

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Writer-in-Residence Hilary Plum to Visit MCLA Campus on Oct. 7 and 8

BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER A&E EDITOR MCLA’s English and Communications Departments will be hosting the annual fall creative writing visit with author Hilary Plum during the second week of October. Plum is set to give a reading at Gallery 51 Monday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. and will also be visiting various classrooms around campus Tuesday, Oct. 8.

Plum’s most well-known work includes her novels: “Watchfires,” “They Dragged Them Through the Streets,” and more recently “Strawberry Fields.” For years, she has worked as an editor of international literature, history, and politics. Plum currently teaches creative writing at Cleveland State University (CSU) as well as in the Northeast Ohio Master Fine Arts (NEOMFA) program. She is also associate director of the CSU Poetry Center.

Assistant professor of English and Communications, Caren Beilin, has been the main organizer of Plum’s visit to MCLA and is very excited for

PHOTO BY TIM FITZWATER

Author, creative writer, and CSU professor Hilary Plum to give reading at Gallery 51 on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. her arrival. “[Every year] we have two visitors – one in the fall and one in the spring,” Beilin said in a phone interview. “They really kind of hang out on campus, interacting with students

on an intimate level and in this case Hilary Plum is getting involved in a big way.”

Along with giving a reading at Gallery 51 and visiting classes, Plum will also be judging the English and Communica-

tions departments’ first ever Senior Writing Contest. This is an opportunity for senior students majoring or minoring in creative writing at MCLA to submit a piece of their work with the chance to be selected as a winner and give a reading alongside a writer-in-residence in the spring. “[That’s] pretty cool,” Beilin emphasized. “Not only will Hilary be visiting with people but she will also become familiar with a lot of people’s work [and their writing].”

Writer-in-residence visits take quite the time to plan, but it was a group of students that Beilin taught last semester who asked about bringing Plum to campus.

“I was assigning one of [Hilary’s] books to a class last semester and my students brought up [an idea],” Beilin said.

“They said, ‘Is there any way Hilary Plum can be our visitor?

We really love this book!’”

Through department funding, Beilin was able to have Plum fly out and visit campus this fall.

“I like how formally innovative she is,” Beilin said. “She’s

thinking about really hard things, that are pretty stark and perilous. She [also] uses very interesting forms to talk about really hard stuff. For me, that kind of moving the writing around or experimenting how you can even express [something] seems really important.”

When asked why someone should come to see Plum give her reading at Gallery 51, Beilin said, “Because it’s cool to go to a reading! I know some students stick a little bit more to the dorms, [but] it’s an opportunity to be out and about, down on Main Street, in a gallery, and that just feels different than the normal things we do. Going to a reading can turn your mind on and get you going [while] socializing with other writers.”

Plum’s visit to MCLA begins with a reading Monday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. at Gallery 51 and she will also be on campus meeting with various classes throughout the day Tuesday, Oct. 8.

In the spring, students will have the opportunity to meet and hear from poet Phillip Williams, as well as author Chavisa Woods.

64th Annual Fall Foliage Parade Happening Sunday

BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER A&E EDITOR With additional reporting from Brian Rhodes, Staff Writer North Adams will culminate its 64th annual Fall Foliage Festival with a parade Sunday, Oct. 6, starting at 1 p.m. This year’s theme is “There’s No Place like Home in the Berkshires.”

With the classic film, “The Wizard of Oz” celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, residents of the community voted it as their number one choice for the theme of the Festival and parade.

“We have a lot of people who come back every year [for the Festival] and are excited to do so,” said Danielle Bellerin, Fall Foliage Parade director, in a phone interview. “There are a lot [of] events that surround the parade and I think it’s really just the community and newer generations that come on [that] keep [the parade] really fresh.”

Since 1955, North Adams has

put on the Festival and parade to showcase the beauty of autumn in the Berkshires for members of the community and tourists from out of town.

The Festival and parade have gone through many changes throughout the years, however the original intention has remained consistent: a celebration of the fall foliage season.

“We do [see an increase in tourists],” Bellerin said. “They realize that if they come for the foliage they can also experience this community-involved fall festival. People do plan their travel around being able to attend the parade.”

When the parade first began it started out small, but over the years more floats, school bands, banners from sponsorships, and participants have joined the lineup.

“This year alone we have 13 floats which is huge for our parade,” Bellerin said. “So we’ve just seen in the past couple of years an increase in participation

from the community.”

A parade as such takes an entire year to plan and lots of work goes into making sure everything runs smoothly.

“This is my eighth parade and [our] participation has been increasing immensely,” Bellerin said. “We’re excited to see that the parade has now become such an interesting and participated event again.”

When asked how someone could get involved in the parade, Bellerin said, “There are a ton of different jobs and we really like to put people in places that they are interested in.”

Other festivities taking place during the Fall Foliage Festival in North Adams include: the children’s parade Friday, Oct. 4 on Main Street at 5:30 p.m.; a farmers market in the St. Anthony Municipal Parking Lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5; as well as the ninth annual dog parade also Saturday, Oct. 5, in Veteran’s Memorial Park from 10 to 11:30 a.m.; and much more. * THURSDAY, OCT. 3

-THE HOOK UP CHURCH STREET CENTER AT 12 P.M.

* FRIDAY, OCT. 4

- LATE NIGHT KARAOKE & SNACKS CENTENNIAL ROOM AT 9 P.M.

* SATURDAY, OCT.5

- WJJW’S LIVE RADIO SHOW SULLIVAN LOUNGE AT 3:30 P.M.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER

North Adams’ 63rd annual Fall Foliage parade had a theme of “Year of the Dog.” The Fall Foliage parade will start at 1 p.m. this Sunday, Oct. 6 taking off on a two-mile - FOOD TRUCK PICNIC & LIVE MUSIC MURDOCK LAWN FROM 4 TO 7 P.M. - WEST END BLEND WITH ROOT SHOCK HI LO NORTH ADAMS AT 7:30 P.M.

* SUNDAY, OCT.6

- FALL FOLIAGE PARADE DOWNTOWN NORTH ADAMS AT 1 P.M.

route from Ocean State Job Lot, through downtown North Adams, and to Ashland Street. *MONDAY, OCT. 7

- READING WITH AUTHOR HILARY PLUM GALLERY 51 AT 7 P.M.

*WEDNESDAY, OCT. 9

- REGISTER TO VOTE WITH WOMEN’S CENTER CAMPUS CENTER MARKETPLACE FROM 11 A.M. TO 2 P.M.

Oct. 3, 2019

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Time-traveling Through WJJW’s Past and Present on Alumni Homecoming Weekend

BY SABRINA DAMMS A&E WRITER WJJW will be hosting a live radio show event Saturday, Oct. 5, during MCLA’s Alumni Homecoming Weekend at 3:30 p.m in the Sullivan Lounge to celebrate the College’s 125th anniversary.

During this event, the past and present will collide. Current and former students can relax and reminisce about the College’s former years as North Adams State College The show will demonstrate to the alumni what the community is like now, while also giving current students a sense of what college was like for the graduates. Currently, the confirmed graduates who are able to attend the event go as far back as the 1970’s.

Sam Olson, WJJW’s secretary and co-host of the event, believes this event will help former students share their wisdom and experiences with current students.

“I think students should listen in because the alumni are often pretty funny and they can relate to some of our col-

lege experiences as well as give us some perspective on what the old MCLA was like,” Olson said in an email.

This event will give former WJJW crew members, who were around when the radio station was formed in 1973, a chance to express what WJJW meant and still means to them today.WJJW Alums will be able to experience the changes made to the station, while also being able to look back on what it was like for them when the program first started.

To help demonstrate what WJJW was like in the past, the event will have old radio equipment on display. For the alumni who are unable to attend, the radio station hopes they will want to call in and chat about WJJW. “We’re really excited to cover this event as it will feature the voices of alumni and current DJ’s talking about what WJJW means to them,” Olson said. “We want to show the alumni what WJJW is like now and hear about what it was like for them.”

Students will have the opportunity to interact and do

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JIM DIGENNARO

WJJW throwback to 1986, Jim Digennaro (Jimmy Dee) and Gerald Odstrchel (Gerry O) working in the station some networking with alumni while enjoying throwback music—curated by WJJW’s E-Board members—while having a glass of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages that will be available for purchase.

Students and alumni will also have the opportunity to make song requests.

Although this event is an opportunity for students to learn

about MCLA’s former culture, it also gives WJJW a chance to leave the confines of their walls and interact with their audience which is something they are not able to do very often.

“Taking the show on the road gives us a chance for us to interact with our audience, which I am excited about,” said Jake Vitali, president and station manager of WJJW.

Following the event, he college will be hosting a Food Truck Picnic with live music out on the lawn in front of Murdock Hall.

To listen in, students can go to WJJW’s website at mcla. edu/wjjw or tune into 91.1 FM. Registration for this event is free and those interested can register online or by calling (413) 662-5224.

Features

Club Feature

BY MAYA MCFADDEN FEATURES EDITOR

BY LISE MANSARAY FEATURES WRITER

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Street Law Series

From Slavery to Mass Incarceration Today For its third day of the Street Law Series, MCLA welcomed Rahsaan Hall, Director of the Racial Justice Program for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts.

Hall’s lecture topics were criminal justice reform and voting rights for the Tuesday, Sept. 24, lecture in Murdock 218. He primarily focused on how to reform what he called the criminal legal system. “When you look at racial disparities like this it’s hard to call it a system of justice,” he said.

During the lecture, Hall mostly referenced Massachusetts incarceration rates and numbers for regions of the state to demonstrate the overwhelming reality that the majority of people incarcerated are people of color.

A connection between America’s history of slavery and racism and mass incarceration today was made

by Hall. “It’s hard not to think about this root cause from slavery to postreconstruction and convict leasing to current day,” he said.

Hall said that though slavery was outlawed there still remains a racial caste system in place. Both structural racism and white supremacy uphold a system that is unjust he said.

The wording of the 13th Amendment was looked at closely particularly at its mention of those convicted of a crime.

“According to the 13th Amendment if

you’re a criminal it’s okay to be a slave,” he said.

During the post-reconstruction era, Black Code Laws were passed which Hall said criminalized all blackconduct. “Jim Crow was the law of the land,” he said.

Hall, a Massachusetts advocate, discussed that although Massachusetts has the lowest incarceration rate in the country according to the Vera Institute of Justice’s “People in Prison” report, it does not excuse the state from the need for criminal justice reform.

“People say slavery was so long along, but oppression has been here all along,” Hall said.“We suffer from liberal exceptionalism.”

The present is reflective of the past, and Hall also discussed things like racial profiling by police officers and the Louisiana State Penitentiary known for its existence on the former Angola family plantation.

“What does it say about us as a society where we stand against violence but yet we perpetuate violence and execute violence against people all the time,” he said. “We can live in a world that does not require putting people in cages.”

Hall concluded his talk with some advice for students to educate themselves on the impact of elected officials and county candidates like district attorneys.

“I think there is a lot of work still to be done but hope and reform are the things that are possible,” he said.

Rahsaan Hall, Nia Little ‘20, Andrew Clarke ‘20.

PHOTO BY MAYA MCFADDEN

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Allegrettos Kick Off Upbeat Semester MCLA’s musical group, Allegrettos, has been functioning and growing since 2009. The group, originally named the Hoosings, started with nine people who wanted to form a small caroling group for the holiday season. Since then, the group has grown greatly, now carrying 25 members.

In the past, Allegrettos performed at a number of different events on and off campus. Last year, it performed at various churches in the neighborhood and have also performed at an event in Pittsfield called Festival of Trees.

The Allegrettos are still developing upcoming shows for this year with one already in the works, according to co-director Koree Woodley-Adjei ’20.

“We are putting together a winter holiday concert this upcoming December,” Woodley-Adjei said. “We’re all really excited for it.”

Woodley-Adjei has been a member of Allegrettos since fall 2016, and took the leadership role of co-director in fall 2017.

“I was in a vocal group all four years of high school and I wanted to continue to pursue singing,” Woodley-Adjei said.

Allegrettos opens up opportunities for both those who have experience singing and those who have no experience at all.

It allows people to try new positions and practice and new skills, according to Woodley-Adjei.

“I like being a director mainly because most of my life I’ve been just an artist and this is my first time being a director,” Woodley-Adjei said. “It gives me the chance to tap into my composting side of music that I didn’t get to use in high school.”

Allegrettos is split up into two sections: the a capella group and the gospel group. Members have the option to choose between either section when auditioning.

PHOTO FROM ALLEGRETTOS FACEBOOK

Last year’s group of Allegrettos.

Auditions are held at the start of every semester, however this semester’s auditions concluded Sunday, Sept. 22.

Co-director Hannah Soucy ’21 explained how they got their start in co-directing and joining the gospel section of Allegrettos.

“I fell in love with the club in my first year, and wanted to bring what I could to the table in contributing to it,” Soucy said.

“I enjoy singing, and I love gospel music, and being co-director last year and this year has been a delight.”

Soucy described the relationship they and the other Allegretto members share as being close, providing them with cherished connections.

“I love the sense of community and friendship in the group!”

Soucy said. “We all spend so much time together in rehearsals, and we’re all very close with one another. Being able to create music and spend time with the other members always brightens my week.”

The E-board highly encourages newcomers to audition for Allegrettos if they are interested in music, especially for the beginning of the spring semester.

However, if one is not interested in singing, there is also an option to be a general member.

“We really do enjoy different sounds,” Woodley-Adjei said.

“We individually have different sounds so even if you don’t think that your singing isn’t acceptable to other people, as long as you can be apart of a group then your good. Everyone is always welcome.”

Street Law Series

Berkshire District Attorney, Andrea Harrington, spoke about her recent launch of a new Juvenile Jusice Initiative and more.

Photos by Maya McFadden

Sports

TheOnlineBeacon.com

Women’s Soccer

Richardson Sets Record with 500 Career Saves

SCORE BOARD Women’s Volleyball MCLA (3), Mass Maritime (2) Sept. 27 MCLA (1), Amherst (3) Sept. 28

BY JOHN MORRISSEY SPORTS WRITER

MCLA — Fitchburg State (Wed.) Oct. 2

The women’s soccer team was shut out 2-0

by New England College Tuesday, Oct. 1, at Shewcraft Field.

The Trailblazers were only able to make six shots, only three of which were on goal, in the game. However, the game was kept close, with New England College recording their second goal with just 13 minutes left in the half.

The visiting Pilgrims were led by standout performances from Molly Bieksha ’20, who scored both goals and set the tone of the match by finding the back of the net just eight minutes into the game, and by goalie Allie Stoddart ’22, who recorded the shutout victory with three saves.

MCLA goalie Megan Richardson ’20 added six blocked shots, adding to the milestone of 500 career saves she made Saturday, Sept. 28, against the Fitchburg State Falcons where she recorded eight saves.

The Trailblazers fell in defeat to the Falcons in Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Confer-

Next:

@ Utica Oct. 5, 3:00 p.m. vs. King’s (Pa.) @ Utica Oct. 5, 5:30 p.m. vs. Sage Oct. 8, 6:00 p.m.

Men’s Soccer MCLA (0), Fitchburg State (3) Sam Edge (MCLA) 4 Saves

Alexander Loyd (Fitchburg State) 2 Goals, 5 SOG PHOTO FROM MCLA ATHLETICS

Jackie Murphy competes for the ball with a New England College Falcon during Tuesday’s game. ence (MASCAC) play as well 2-0 at Elliot Field.

MCLA fell behind early, allowing the Falcons to strike just over within the first five minutes of the game when Elizabeth Read ’23 shot the ball past Richardson.

In an eerily similar precursor to Tuesday’s loss, Saturday’s game also saw the Trailblazers hang

tough until Fitchburg State’s Micalea Goldenberg ’20 doubled the score to 2 with under 12 minutes to play.

The losses drop the Trailblazers record to 1-8-1 on the season and mark the fourth and fifth games in a row they have come away winless.

MCLA is now 0-2 in conference play and

with 2 conferences game scheduled at home for the coming week they find themselves in a position to start turning around their season.

The Trailblazers will host Salem State University Saturday, Oct. 5, at 5 p.m. and SUNY Cobleskill Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m.. Both games will be at Shewcraft Field.

NL Wild-Card Game pits Nationals Ace Max Scherzer Against Brewers’ No-Names

BY MIKE DIGIOVANA LOS ANGELES TIMES WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers will take distinctly different pitching paths in Tuesday night’s National League wild-card game with the same destination in mind: a trip to Los Angeles to open the NL Division Series against the Dodgers on Thursday night.

The Nationals will lean heavily on a rotation that ranked second in the major leagues in ERA (3.53) and strikeouts (1,010) and — they hope — as little as possible on a bullpen that has the worst ERA (5.66) of any playoff team ever.

Max Scherzer, the three-time Cy Young Award winner who went 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA and 243 strikeouts, will start the one-game playoff, with an expectation he will go at least six or seven innings.

The first man out of the bullpen in Nationals Park could very well be Stephen Strasburg, the right-hander who went 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA and 251 strikeouts

in 33 starts and has not pitched in relief in 10 big league seasons. The next man up could be left-hander Patrick Corbin, the team’s No. 3 starter.

“I brought Stephen into my office and asked him if he’d be willing to come out of the bullpen and his response was, ‘I’ve closed before in college. I’m ready to do whatever you ask me to do,’ ” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We’ll also have Corbin available. We have to win this game, so everybody will be ready when called upon.”

The Brewers, meanwhile, will lean on a deep and versatile bullpen that ranked second in baseball in saves (50), fourth in strikeouts (761) and seventh in batting average against (.235).

Brandon Woodruff will start, but the right-hander returned from a leftoblique strain Sept. 17 and is expected to throw only two innings. Ace lefthander Jordan Lyles, who will be on five days’ rest, could replace Woodruff and pitch several innings.

But after that, Milwaukee will turn to its relief aces — left-hander Brent Sut-

er, who is 4-0 with an 0.49 ERA in nine September games after returning from Tommy John surgery; left-hander Drew Pomeranz (2.39 ERA in 25 games), right-hander Junior Guerra (9-5, 3.55 ERA in 72 games) and Josh Hader (2.62 ERA, 37 saves and 138 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings, a major league record for left-hander relievers).

“Yeah, we’re different, and I think playoff teams should be different,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “I think that’s cool. Teams have to play to their strengths, take advantage of their personnel. They’re starting a guy who is probably going to the Hall of Fame. He’s really good. I think our depth and our numbers are what makes our pitching good.”

Both teams are on a roll. The Brewers, 7½ games back in the NL Central and five games out of a wild-card spot after a Sept. 5 loss to the Chicago Cubs, won 18 of their next 20 games and went 20-7 in September despite losing NL most valuable player candidate Christian Yelich to a broken right kneecap Sept. 10.

9

Next:

@ Salem State Oct. 5, 1:00 p.m. vs. Northern Vermont-Lyndon Oct. 8, 6:00 p.m.

Women’s Soccer MCLA (0), Fitchburg State (2) Sept. 28 MCLA (0), New England College (2) Oct. 1 Next:

vs. Salem State Oct. 5, 5:00 p.m. vs. SUNY Cobleskill Oct. 9, 6:00 p.m.

Women’s Cross Country William’s College Invitational Incomplete Sept. 28 Next:

@ Keene State Oct. 5

Men’s Cross Country William’s College Invitational Incomplete Sept. 28 Next:

@ Keene State Oct. 5

Men’s Golf Next:

MASCAC Championships @ Wachusett Country Club Oct. 5-6

News

SSI

From Page 1

levels nationwide.

Despite this, Holbrook was rather disappointed with the results, considering several of the challenges uncovered involved the students’ experiences, which falls under her domain.

According to Holbrook, the results were given in early May and included 197 open-ended comments from students.

“I read every single one of them at least three times,” Holbrook said.

“There were three of us that did that.”

After reading through the comments, Holbrook helped to code and theme the responses to help pinpoint strengths and weaknesses, as well as help decide the College’s next steps to change.

She acknowledged that the survey indicated that students were very positive with specific categories (i.e. counseling services, advising, etc.), but were unsatisfied with the institution as a whole. Simply, the general student experience was not positive.

In her presentation, Holbrook identified the 10 strengths and nine challenges that were brought to the College’s attention.

Of the 10 strengths, a majority were

VAPE

From Page 1 “I have been creating and owning businesses for a while and this by far will be the hardest challenge that I will have to deal with as an owner,” Jamal said. “This ban is affecting basically my entire business.”

Vapes are a fast growing commodity among adults which help them quit smoking a healthier way. Vaping products include tobacco and nicotine vapes, plus medicinal marijuana cartridges will also be banned since this is considered a vaping product.

“Not only have I lost so much business, but this ban also puts me in debt,” Jamal said. “I know have to make up for it in other inventory which now I will

Library

From Page 3 fort place that not the classroom and not their dorm room,” Alling said.

Another way the library has kept track of students needs is with a “No” log, which, according to Alling, is a log where librarians track what student request they had to say “no” to because the resources simply weren’t offered by the library.

This log has helped the library to get a photocopier and MacBook computer chargers to lend to students while working at the library.

CLIMATE

From Page 2 has been affected by climate change, specifically North Adams and Massachusetts as a whole. Massa referenced rising sea levels, the rise in temperature and the increase in precipitation in North Adams and Massachusetts.

“Temperatures in Massachusetts have risen by 2.9 degrees Fahrenheit and the sea level has risen 11 inches,” Massa said.

TheOnlineBeacon.com

10

focused on faculty, advising, and course content. Other strengths included security staff response time, helpfulness of registration personnel, and how much counseling staff care for students.

The nine challenges, on the other hand, pointed to topics such as: availability of adequate financial aid; fair and unbiased treatment of students by faculty; investment ability of tuition; institution’s concern for students; living conditions on campus; maintenance of campus; the accurate portrayal of the College by admission counselors; whether students enjoy being at MCLA; and whether students feel safe and secure in regards to their identity.

In her presentation, Holbrook announced various changes that have occurred, and some that are set to occur in the near future, including changes to dining services, residential areas, safety and security on campus, and the responsiveness and access to administrators.

By the following morning, Thursday, Sept. 26, Holbrook sent out an email to each of the survey participants.

“You are receiving this message as someone who completed the SSI administered last spring,” Holbrook stated in the email. “I wanted to invite you to hear more about the results and to

share your thoughts about steps we have and plan to take to address areas students told us need to be improved.

Hope you can join this, or a future session!”

The session was purposefully held at night, with the hopes of students wanting to attend when they didn’t have

classes. The next session is planned for Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. in Murdock 218 to reach people who have time during the day to attend the event.

The session will go over the topics mentioned before in more detail, with an opportunity to ask Holbrook more questions and provide more feedback.

have to pay more out of pocket for.”

Jamal added that this ban is affecting 80% of his business as a whole.

“The inventory that I had on the shelf will now have to be removed off the premises and stored away in a certain environment,” Jamal said.

“The cost of that inventory is between $250,000 – $300,000,” Jamal explained. “All the handwork over the last four years seems like it went towards nothing, and also leaving me in debt.”

Jamal has fifteen total employees across his three stores, twelve of whom are local and full-time.

With the ban, Jamal has had to cut working hours for most of his employees who have families dependent on a full-time work schedule.

“I worry about my guys who work for me and have been so loyal to me over the years it’s just really tough on all of us,” Jamal said. “It’s pretty sad that I am the one to suffer of this ban even though I have been doing everything by the book since I have been open.”

Long time employee Adrian Bescancon of North Adams now has the struggle of finding another job to support his family.

“I have a five year old son and another child on the way, plus a new apartment I just started living in,” Bescancon said. “I had all this planned out with the hours I was getting from here but with this ban, this is not good for my income.”

Bescancon wished there was some

sort of vote on this ban considering all the people who work in vape shops not just in state but nationwide.

“It’s just crazy that one day you wake up, and everything is different, and now you have to change future plans,” Bescancon said.

Despite the impact on his business, Jamal is still optimistic during this ban.

“I have changed up my inventory a bit more with adding more products,” Jamal said. “I’m confident enough that my customer base is large enough to maintain my business to be open.”

“This ultimately will affect all of us in a big way, but we are prepared to face this head on and make it through this for moth period okay,” Jamal continued. “We have no intentions on closing or shortening store hours.”

PHOTO BY TESSA SESTITO

No-one other than the speakers and student media came to the SSI Survey Info Session

The library has also recently introduced a graphic novel section upon request by many students.

According to the collected student surveys, 100% of students said they will likely use the space again.

Included in the library changes is a supervisor to overlook the new learning commons space, Danielle Christensen. For Christensen’s title, “we took the opportunity to rethink the position and align its description and job functions with the needs of the new Commons,” Alling said in an email.

The previous position of the title before Christensen joined the library

staff was known as the Library Assistant II/Access, Outreach, and Public Services Assistant.

In the future, there are hopes to centralize services in library by offering partnering with more offices like the writing studio, the math dropin center, and CSSE. Alling said she hopes for the library to be a hub of sorts where students can access a variety of campus services beyond regular business hours.

“It makes sense if they already feel comfortable coming to the library, then we can make it a one-stop kind of place for students to succeed,” Flowers said.

She added that changes in temperature have many disadvantages such as health problems. For example, the increase in natural occurrences such as droughts or snow melting could cause a release of carbon and methane from permafrost. The national temperature rise was 1 degree.

A rise in sea levels causes more flooding. In order to account for cleanup of flooded areas, ruined ecosystems, and affected climate refugees, taxes are increasing.

As a preventative measure, Massa

announced the Campus Rain Works Challenge, which mainly focuses on stormwater management and how to keep a college campus safe from an increase in storm water by controlling where the excess water goes, for example bioswales. This challenge was created to manage storm water runoff from ruining dirt roads and paved roads throughout the Berkshires.

“Massachusetts currently floods many times during northeasters so the runoff must be controlled,” Massa said.

SGA

From Page 2 have provided,” Little said. “He will be able to help on a smaller scale than his position would have had him doing but we understand his departure and still look to work with him this semester.”

Little added that there will be four more clubs looking for recognition this semester to become official student organizations.

Little also shared that the All-College Committee is going to be hosting a meeting in the near future which, according to Little, will be a great opportunity for a voice for campus.

Chief of Police Daniel Colonno emailed all students and faculty about the recent parking changes that will be taken into effect in the upcoming weeks.

Little intends to bring this problem up at the All-College Meeting to further fix this problem with Student Affairs.

“In the past, working with Student Affairs has helped things get done quicker,” Little said. “Hopefully this parking situation can also be dealt with in a timely manner as well.”

SGA meets every Monday at 7 p.m. in Mark Hopkins room 218. All meetings are free and open to the public.

Opinion

Oct. 3, 2019

TheOnlineBeacon.com

11

Editorial

Impeachment for the Truth New information regarding the actions of President Trump could lead to a damaging impeachment. The now-famous “Whistleblower” documents outline a malicious plan set by Trump to have Ukrainian officials investigate into his U.S. 2020 Presidential opponent Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

The released documents claim actions set by the White House to record and snuff any outside knowledge of a call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to set up these investigations.

They also claim communication between the U.S. and Ukrainian officials occurred around mid to late summer when Zelenskyy was supposed to arrive at the White House for a face-to-face meeting.

This poses a serious threat to our Executive Office.

Past actions and reactions on official and unofficial platforms have proven to us that Trump can’t take criticism, false or otherwise. When approached with challenges, he’s quick to respond with weapons in the form of tariffs and Twitter.

In addition to his current cries of “Hoax” on his Twitter feed, Trump has notably tweeted out a quote from Pastor Robert Jeffress, the final portion of which reads: “If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War-like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal.”

Many have taken this as Trump making an unofficial call for war if his position would be threatened.

A common misconception is that impeachment means automatic removal from office. Impeachment, in reality, solely refers to the trial that takes place of

the individual in office. The subsequent question of whether they should be kicked out is a separate matter, although completely related.

If the trial happens, this will not be the first time a president looks down the barrel. In 1868, President Andrew Johnson became the first president to be impeached for juggling the position of Secretary of War for non-official reasons. President Bill Clinton was impeached for lying under oath and obstruction of justice following the sexual harassment of Paula Jones. And who could forget the double peace signs of President Richard Nixon resigning after Watergate and the subsequent belief that impeachment was approaching?

Trump has been accused of using foreign powers to aid his own political career before, as in the 2016 elections, but before it was all hearsay. These “Whistleblower” documents layout the stages for a full paper trail that physically grounds the fears of the American people, that their own president is willing to go beyond legal lines for his own personal gain.

The issue goes beyond party lines. Regardless of political affiliation, it’s illegal and immoral to use outside foreign powers to spy on American citizens. This should be especially true of our president. Every four years we spend countless hours talking and debating to find the most virtuous of us, the most trustworthy, to represent the people as the face of this country.

When that figurehead is shown to be corrupt and maliciously insecure, what does that say about us?

A full impeachment to find out the truth is absolutely necessary to get to the bottom of what is going on.

And if Trump is found guilty, then he should positively be taken out of the White House.

‘Heartache Medication’ Among the Cures for Country Music

JAKE VITALI A SLICE OF AMERICANA “When did old fashioned become so out of fashion? When did we go out with the old, in with the new? And you can bet your ass there’s a lot of us ol’ cats, Wearin’ old boots and old hats, That ain’t ready to give old hat the boot” sings Jon Pardi on “Old Hat,” the opening track to his new album “Heartache Medication.”

“Heartache Medication,” which was released this past Friday, is a shining example of country music that has a modern sound to it while sticking true to its roots in the genre.

Prominent in all of the track mixings are fiddles, steel guitars, and man-powered percussion. These elements come together with guitars that range from pure rock n’ roll to soft and acoustic, while “Tequila Little Time” introduces Latin-rhythms with vibrant horn sections.

“Heartache Medication” features some nice callbacks to the music which clearly influenced Pardi’s music. “Ain’t Always the Cowboy” is seemingly a response to George Strait’s “The Cowboy Rides Away,” saying that women are also powerful enough to walk away

from their man and that it’s okay for men to feel the hurt when she does.

Many of the songs on the record are about drinking, but not in the same way that bro-country has done (not that there’s anything wrong with singing about good times and cracking open a cold one with the boys.) However, the prominence of alcohol in this record feels as if it’s telling a bigger picture story.

The album’s title-track “Heartache Medication” features Pardi drinking and doing a little dancing to get over a girl at the bar. “Me and Jack” tells the true story of Pardi’s backstage drinking, while giving us an incredible train-like beat and a perfect storm of instruments coming together in an epic instrumental during the final 90 seconds.

Even the album’s one, good-time drinking song, “Tequila Little Time,” has a memorable and upbeat charm to it.

The biggest critique of this album may be its length. At 50 minutes, it feels as if it drones on a little too near the middle.

In spite of its length, Pardi’s new record proves that there is an appetite for the Nashville sound of old. Not only that, but Nashville is capable of producing a country classic when they want to.

While these sounds are not necessarily new to Pardi’s catalog, the investment in him as an artist appears to have paid off. The album is currently the most popular country album on iTunes and has received overwhelmingly positive support from critics and fans.

And while Pardi’s album is a shining example of modern country. which is both getting back to its roots and evolving. It’s certainly not the only one, let alone the only one from this past Friday, Sept. 27.

Riley Green’s debut record “Different

‘Round Here” was released, featuring many of the same old school elements.

The two lead singles from the record are reminiscent of Tim McGraw and other heroes of 90’s country.

“I Wish Grandpas Never Died” features one of the best country music choruses of 2019 thus far and it sticks in your mind with vivid imagery, while steel guitar sets the mood. Even the chorus’ opening line, “I wish even cars had truck beds and every road was named copperhead,” is an homage to Steve Earle, an outlaw often forgotten in modern times.

With the track “Get That Man a Beer,” Green finds a clever way to spin the classic-tale of the girl that got away, into an ode celebrating the man she ends up with. While songs about the one that got away are as old as the genre itself, it’s refreshing to hear an interpretation that leaves everyone in a good place.

This week we also received some new music from Midland with their new record “Let It Roll” the followup to their Grammy-nominated debut “On the Rocks”. While Riley Green got back in touch with the ’90s, Jon Pardi found himself influenced by the ’80s, Midland’s clearly been revisiting some of the Eagles’ records from the ’70s.

With these artists emerging into country music’s mainstream and bringing their sound with them, it has led many to deem these artists and their compatriots as part of the neo-traditionalist movement. While the genre still has a lot of pop influence, it bodes well for the genre which felt as if it was selling the entirety of its soul to sound like pop. It certainly bodes well for those of us who believe country music should have a distinct sound and those of us who don’t want our friends to hate our taste in music.

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Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Tessa Sestito

Managing Editor Corey Mitchell-Labrie

Senior News Editor Nathan Biron

A & E Editor Jennifer VanBramer

Features Editor Maya McFadden

Editor-at-Large Jake Vitali

BWN Executive Producer Julia Teixeira

Staff Staff Writers Natalia Giacomozzi Taylor Scarver

Brian Rhodes Hans Resignac

Features Writer

A&E Writer

Lise Mansaray

Sabrina Damms

Sports Writer John Morrisey

BWN Reporters Symantha Kehr Jabari Shakir

Robert Wehry Rosedolphe Ambroise

Advisers Shawn McIntosh Jim Niedbalski

Fall Community Day of Service

PHOTOS BY KRISTY YAGHY

On Saturday, MCLA students volunteered throughout the greater North Adams community as part of the Fall Community Day of Service, coordinated through the MCLA Volunteer Center.