Volume 86
T hu r s day , F e b rua ry 1, 2018
Issue 1
Townhouses
Burst Pipes and Relocated Students
Photo by Emma Monahan
The winter has hit North Adams hard and the resulting pipe breaks in the Flagg Townhouses are the direct results of the recent stretch of cold days. BY MAYA MCFADDEN STAFF WRITER The remaining two students of Townhouse 31 were able to move back into their residence area on Monday, Jan. 22 after being relocated, while Residential Programs & Services (RPS) and facilities repaired two broken pipes and replaced their bedroom ceiling that was damaged during the winter break. MCLA students Edward Boateng, Issa Jalloh, Romeo
Grey, and Augustin Ndayikeza occupy Townhouse 31 and were informed on Tuesday, Jan. 9, of the incidents that occurred in their residence area. RPS and facilities discovered one broken pipe in the outside wall of the lower level double bedroom, occupied by Ndayikeza and Boateng, with flooding on Monday, Jan. 8. The bedroom’s heat detector alarmed the officials when the hot water from the pipes caused steam in the room.
A second pipe break was discovered on the upper level of the townhouse in bedroom B on Jan. 9. Dianne Manning, Director of Residential Programs & Services, said there was water overflow from bedroom B into bedroom A, also located on the upper level of the townhouse. RPS worked with facilities and an outside contractor for two weeks to repair the damages that occurred from the cold weather which froze the two pipes and caused
them to burst. Manning said that the water was shut off immediately to prevent further leaking and the townhouse was checked for any electrical issues. Facilities removed students’ belongings as quickly as possible. “It’s nothing out of the ordinary,” said Manning. “It’s just something that happens when it’s very cold for a prolonged period of time.” An email from Manning was sent out to the townhouse students on Jan. 9,
TEDx North Adams
providing general details of the incident and the steps being taken to repair the damages. When students leave for break in all residence areas, Resident Advisors (RA) do the first inspection, which includes making sure that all windows and doors are locked. All students were to be off-campus by Dec. 18 for winter break. Manning said that facilities then did two to three inspections in the townhouses checking for heat and pipe issues.
Pipes page 3
Speakers emphasize future and revitalization
BY COREY MITCHELLLABRIE STAFF WRITER Inspiration and wonder, curiosity and understanding. These fruits of ideas were what drew the people of North Adams to gather, listen, and participate in the long-awaited TEDx North Adams event held at MASS MoCA on Saturday, Jan. 27. Keifer Gammell, along with Geeg Wiles, Ben Lamb, and Emily Schiavoni, co-organized the event. Planning began around midMay and within a month the group had received the “green light” for TEDx North Adams. “It was a very quick turn around,” said Gammell. “I think they saw what happens in this area, the potential North Adams has, and having a TEDx event was almost like a no-brainer.” The organizers quickly
sprang into action once the event was approved. TEDx limits 100 audience attendees for inaugural events but this was no reason for them to hold back on the public. Eleven speakers were chosen, among them were Magician David Feng, Olympic Gold Medalist Samantha Livingstone, and Massachusetts State Senator Adam Hinds. “It was online,” said Senator Hinds. “The word was spreading and I think someone said, ‘Hey, you should think about putting something together for this.’ So it seemed like a nice opportunity to think about what messages are important to make, and what platform to deliver them.” TED, Technology, Education, and Design is a non-profit organization centered around sharing the most infectious things known to man: ideas.
Beginning all the way back in 1984, it’s quickly grown into a worldwide phenomenon where dynamic speakers of all backgrounds gather to present to the public their own experiences, and
infectious ideas. “Before being a Senator I spent nearly 10 years with the United Nations working on negotiations and conflict analysis in the Middle East. So [in my talk] I tried
Photo from TEDx Facebook
to apply the principles of conflict analysis to how to navigate this vision we’re experiencing in this country right now,” said Senator Hinds. “This talk was very special,” said David Feng, a magician based in New York City. “I dedicated it to my mother. I got accepted to speak, it was a couple months ago, but very shortly after I found out that my mother had latestage lung cancer.” TEDx events are local and independently organized by location. These are done under TED licenses and adhere to normal TED formulas. Twenty-one volunteers and tech aides helped orchestrate the event, among them included Christa Collier, Executive Director of Northern Berkshire United Way. “Since I did my Masters Degree, like ten years ago,
TEDx page 2
CAMPUSNEWS
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Feb. 1, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 1
SGA approves $500 for NeXXus; Senator Sirois resigns
BY COREY MITCHELLLABRIE STAFF WRITER
This week, the MCLA’s Student Government Association approved for a $500 bonus toward NeXXus. The step group plans to utilize this money to host a special alumni event to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. The approved money was moved from SGA’s supplemental budget which, prior to passing, stood around $14,000. Feb. 2 marks the due date for clubs to submit their proposed
budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, FY19. SGA annually takes each submission into account and each is evaluated based on how a club utilized their pool for FY18 and the number of club members. The SGA passed legislation that would let Class Officers introduce future legislation unless they’re part of SGA’s EBoard as well as opening the floor for any undergraduate to act as sponsors. Senator Austin Sirois resigned his position after the conclusion of Monday’s meeting, leaving another empty seat on an already diminished
floor. The SGA is currently holding Special Elections for 18 open positions. Nomination papers are available in their office on the third floor of the Campus Center in Room 316 and are due Feb. 5. Primary elections will take place on Feb. 13 and final elections will be on Tuesday, Feb. 20 and Wednesday, Feb. 21. More information is available at their office and on their Facebook page. Additionally, the SGA acknowledged a request for specific chairs dedicated to the LGBTQIA+ and multicultural
communities. These seats would have allowed for their specific representations on the floor. However, SGA Parliamentarian Dean Allen Little brought forth that this proposal was illegal. The previous week’s SGA meeting saw Senate Secretary Shon Loftus resign his secretary position. The meeting then closed for a special election and reopened with Senator Celine Manigbas having been elected to the aforementioned position. The Student Government
Association meets in Murdock 218 on Mondays at 7 p.m. The meetings are open to all students.
TEDx from page 1 I’ve always been inspired by TED talks and every now and then I’m always watching one to try and get some ideas on different things in life to inspire me.” Collier was one of several to assist in directing attendees, setting up, and was a member of the Speaker Selection Committee for the event. “I really resonated with the sleep [talk],” she said. “Dr. Matt Carter, he’s a professor at Williams, he talked about how important sleep was. He talked about how everyone liked their devices and I can be a little guilty of that, looking at Netflix or binge-watching my next series, and maybe I need to stop doing that. For some, the event was more than
just a telling of what needs to be done, but a rare chance to express themselves in ways outside of the everyday norm. “Today, I was more dedicated to telling a story, telling my message,” said Feng. “And my tricks, they help you illustrate the talk. The trick is secondary, used to be the primary thing people are here for me.” One of the main focuses of the TEDx event was to attract attention to North Adam’s downtown. Attendants were given tote bags made locally at the Maker’s Mill. These bags contained maps and programs promoting various local businesses and restaurants. Following the talks, all were invited
to an after-party at The Green, a local shared space on Main St., much like a community lounge, with food from Grazie Italian Ristorante and drinks provided by DeMarsico’s Wine Cellar. “The feedback was great,” said Glen DeMarsico of DeMarsico’s Wine Cellar. “A lot of the people we talked to never had berry wines like ours…. They loved our berry wines, and it looks like they’re doing business out here. They’ve already said they’re going to be coming over to us once we open up.” “The original motivation was to bring more people downtown and it’s really been remarkable how they’ve pulled that off,” said Senator
Hines. “They’ve brought in people from across the country who are staying in town and are making a lively presence.” Everyone at the event has glowing things to say about it and that’s the main purpose of TED: to inspire and amaze, engage and expose, and let the people share their ideas with the world. Many eagerly await another TEDx event, hoping to make this an annual North Adams tradition. “Once you’ve done your first one if you didn’t mess it up, they basically give you the green light. I think after today I can confidently say that we’ll be doing another one,” said Gammell.
Green Living Seminar picks up BY FABIENNE BOGARDUSSTREET STAFF WRITER The MCLA Green Living Seminar’s theme is, “Sustainability and the Role of Technology.” This is an 11-part series beginning with the first presentation on “Making Technological Innovation Work for Sustainable Development.” The first Green Living Seminar presentation of the year took place on Jan. 25 with the title “Making Technological Innovation Work for Sustainable Development.” The Green Living Seminar series takes place over 11 weeks with the over-arching theme “Sustainability and the Role of Technology.” Alicia Harley gave the first presentation of the semester and is a doctoral candidate in Public Policy and a Doctoral Research Fellow in the Sustainability Science Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge. The presentation was focused on the ways technology can improve the ways we
Green Living Schedule for the semester February 1
“Treatment Technologies for Small Water Systems: Innovation at the Water-Energy Nexus”
February 8
“The Future of Smart Grid Technologies”
February 15
“How a network of Real-Time Sensors is Being Used to Understand and Manage the Hudson River” “Innovative Strategies for Facilitating and Monitoring Fish Movement and Migration” “Using Forest Models to Guide Sustainable Forestry Practices”
February 22 March 1 March 8 March 22 March 29 April 5 April 12
“Innovating Open Source Technology for Small Scale Sustainable Agriculture” “Challenges of Offshore Wind Development” “Landscape Modeling to Provide Guidance for Strategic Habitat Conservation” “Understanding Potential Large Wind Farm Impacts on Local Meteorology Using Satellite Data” “Studying Whales Using Drones: The Ocean Alliance’s Snotbot.”
manage our food, energy and water systems, and how we conserve natural resources. The presentation focused on a few key elements in the sustainability and technology world. The current innovation systems face many challenges such as neglected diseases and crops, coal-fired power plants, and not well
adapted and/or affordable technology. Harley discussed the innovation systems for technology. Those include socially negotiated goals, technologies that can fulfill goals, institutions with rules, policies and incentives and actors with the agency to shape goals, technologies and insti-
tutions. She also discussed the inclusiveness of benefits between generations and how it all fits in with sustainability in today’s age. Innovation activities don’t follow a set sequence: iterative, feedback loops and parallel activity and competition. The change in innovation systems is non-
linear with path development tipping points and lock-ins. There are also many stocks involved in the process of technology. Those include a knowledge, invention, feasible technology, and production/use stocks. “Technology is the expansion of the realm of human possibility,” Harvey Brooks, one of the many professors mentioned during the presentation, said. This tied in with Harley’s main component to the presentation which was the case study. The three main points were the complex adaptive, sociotechnical and institutions can be reshaped by actor’s systems. All presentations for the seminars will be at 5:30 p.m. in the Science Center, Room 121. This series is free and open to the public. The Green Living Seminars will continue from Jan. 25 until April 12. “Everyone is welcome to come to the series and see how technology and sustainability works,” Elena Traister, an environmental science professor at MCLA, said.
NATIONALNEWS
Feb. 1, 2017 Vol. 86 Issue 1
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Conservatives worry economy won’t be enough in 2018 for midterm elections BY KATIE GLUECK McCL ATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU INDIAN WELLS, Calif. _ The economy is growing, the GOP-passed tax cuts are increasingly popular and take-home pay is set to spike for many workers. Conservatives are confident they have a good story to tell as the 2018 midterms cycle intensifies. Their only question: Is anybody listening? That tension was on vivid display at a gathering of the billionaire Koch brothers’ political and policy network, held over the weekend at a palm-studded resort surrounded by mountains. Here, donors toasted the recently enacted tax reform bill while network officials and Republican lawmakers touted regulation rollbacks and tax cut-tied bonuses. And as the crowd assembled on Saturday, a New York Times headline blared, “Every one of the world’s big economies is now growing.” But there was an undercurrent of unease when talk turned to the midterms, a reflection of the ominous historical trends, low presidential approval ratings and ultra-energized progressive base all confronting Republicans this year. “Part of it’s just the historical nature of the off year for the side that’s more in power _ we know that, we see the numbers out there,” said Tim
photo from MCT Campus
President Donald Trump delivers his first State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS) Phillips, the president of Americans the congressional level, the Demofor Prosperity, the network’s main crats do have a fair amount of mograss roots-focused group that plays mentum as of right now.” heavily in politics. The Koch network and the broader “Americans _ and this is not a bad Republican Party are racing to halt thing, by the way _ they’re more that momentum, testing the theory skeptical than they used to be about that the concrete benefits of a strong government, about Washington, economy can smooth over the chalD.C.,” he told reporters. “It means lenges that often confront the presiwe have to do a really good job ex- dent’s party in the midterms. plaining that there are some good “Since the passage of tax reform, things happening that actually help both public and private polling show improve folks’ lives across the coun- signs of an improving environment try. That does make it harder to ex- _ but Republicans still face a chalplain those benefits, have it break lenging environment and history through, when there is kind of a suggests we should lose the House,” healthy skepticism.” warned the Congressional LeaderFor many Americans, that skep- ship Fund, a super PAC aligned with ticism is, specifically, of President House GOP leadership, in a memo Donald Trump and his party _ as ev- last week. “There is no positive outidenced by his underwater approval come in November if we do not show ratings and recent Democratic victo- that we cut taxes for the middle class ries across the country, from the Vir- and are working to make their lives ginia governor’s race to a Wisconsin better. Period.” state Senate seat. To that end, Koch network officials “Speaking as an individual, I do said that they plan to spend “on the think the 2018 election is going to be high end of $300 (million) to $400 very challenging for Republicans,” million” on politics and policy in said Art Pope, a major North Caroli- this election cycle, the largest inna-based GOP donor who is influen- vestment they have ever made in the tial within the network, pointing to midterms. the races in Virginia and Wisconsin As part of that, the network, which in a conversation ahead of the gath- spent around $20 million pushing ering. “At the legislative level and for passage of tax reform last year,
now intends to spend another $20 million to sell the measure, with potential tactics ranging from town halls and phone banking to TV advertising and door-to-door grassroots pushes. “We’re all in,” Phillips said. “We know the challenges out there at the state and federal level. But we’ve seen the results these policies are having on Americans, improving their lives, and we’re all in to try to protect those in what we know is going to be a challenging year.” Compounding that challenge: In past elections, improving economic news alone has not been enough to counter other strong environmental factors in midterm elections. For example, in 2006, voter opinions of the economy improved ahead of Election Day _ but the contests were still considered a referendum on the unpopular president, George W. Bush, and the war in Iraq, and the Republicans took a drubbing. “The strongest predictor of midterm elections is presidential approval, not economic growth. This isn’t to say that the economy is irrelevant, of course, simply that the referendum seems to be mostly on the president,” said John Sides, a professor of political science at The George Washington University who has studied this issue. “Obviously, the president’s approval rating is relatively low and the economy is doing relatively well. If Trump’s approval rating does not improve, it’s unlikely that economic growth is going to insulate Republicans from potential losses in November.” Here at the conference, network speakers were complimentary of Trump’s economic agenda and stressed their positive experiences working with the administration, despite some differences on trade and immigration issues. But back in Washington, Republican strategists and lawmakers have long expressed frustration that efforts to tell a positive story about conservative achievements on Capitol Hill are often complicated by controversies surrounding Trump and his Twitter account.
Pipes from page 1 The pipe repairs for bedrooms B and C were completed prior to the spring semester’s start by MCLA’s facilities staff. “This is a part of life,” said Manning. “Off-campus or at home doesn’t prevent the experience of these kinds of things.” Manning said that RPS laundered the students’ clothing and bedding that were reported to have water damage from the leaking pipes. Jalloh and Grey, who occupied the upper level bedrooms were able to move back into the Townhouse at the end of break on their scheduled return date. Ndayikeza and Boateng, however, were relocated by RPS to another Townhouse for the first week of the semester while the ceiling replacement in bedroom C was completed. Manning said that the cost of the ceiling replacement will be paid by the Massachusetts State College Building Authority while the pipe repairs and clean-up will be paid for by the RPS department budget.
ally listening to the student body,” said Samantha Schwanter, whose roommate left for an emergency situation that was out of her control last semester, and was given a 2-day notice by RPS to find a new roommate, pay an approx. $400 fee, or be removed from the townhouse. Within Schwanter’s townhouse, her housemates told that reports were filed last semester with issues of their townhouses hot water and stove tops not working, and their request to RPS and faculties weren’t taken seriously. “Our hot water just got fixed in the beginning of this semester. We put in request and talked to our photo from MCT Campus RA, RD, Dianne Manning, and maintenance, all An image of the Townhouses during their construction. last semester and they’ve always had to reschedule or claimed it was fixed,” said Sebastian Phillips. Pipe breaks are not out of the ordinary during Manning said that RPS will continue to improve cold winters, but many townhouse students have its efforts to meet the needs of all MCLA students told that while these issues may be common in any this semester. They also hope students will be on place of living, RPS often does not help as the stutop of reporting issues in residence areas as they dents expect. occur, so they can be taken care of efficiently. “It’s really frustrating. It feels like RPS isn’t re-
NATIONALNEWS
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Feb. 1, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 1
A week in history: Pompeii to Cuba February 1st
1942 – Voice of America, the official external radio and television service of the United States government, begins broadcasting with programs aimed at areas controlled by the Axis powers. 1968 – Vietnam War: The execution of Viet Cong officer by a South Vietnamese National Police Chief is recorded on motion picture film, as well as in an iconic still photograph taken by Eddie Adams.
1917 – World War I: The United States breaks off diplomatic relations with Germany a day after the latter announced a new policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
Conference between the “Big Three” (Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin) opens at the Livadia Palace in the Crimea. 1968 – Neal Cassady, American novelist and poet, dies.
February 5th
AD 62 – The earthquake that will lead to the destruction of the Roman city Pompeii occurs. 1939 – Generalísimo Francisco Franco becomes the 68th “Caudillo de EsFebruary 2nd paña”, or Leader of Spain. 1882 – James Joyce, Irish novelist, 1945 – World War II: General Dougshort story writer, and poet is born. Photos from WikimediaCommons las MacArthur returns to Manila. 1922 – Ulysses by James Joyce is A scene of no man’s land during the First 2017 – The New England Patriots published. World War. win Super Bowl LI after coming back down 25 to win 34-28 in overtime. February 3rd 1959 – The Day the Music Died- The 1690 – The colony of Massachusetts issues the first paper money in the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie February 6th Valens all die in a plane crash. Americas. 1978 – The Blizzard of 1978, one of 1783 – American Revolutionary War: the worst Nor’easters in New England Spain recognizes United States indehistory, hit the region, with sustained February 4th pendence. 1861 – American Civil War: In Mont- winds of 65 mph and snowfall of four 1913 – The Sixteenth Amendment to inches an hour. the United States Constitution is rati- gomery, Ala., delegates from six break1982 – Alice Eve, English actress, is fied, authorizing the Federal govern- away U.S. states meet and form the born. ment to impose and collect an income Confederate States of America. 1988 – Michael Jordan makes his 1945 – In World War II, the Yalta tax. signature slam dunk from the free
Weekend Weather
Thursday, February 1
Cloudy High: 41° Low: 18° Precip. Chance: 60%
throw line inspiring Air Jordan and the Jumpman logo.
February 7th
1497 – The Bonfire of the Vanities occurs, during which supporters of Girolamo Savonarola burn cosmetics, art, and books in Florence, Italy. 1962 – The United States bans all Cuban imports and exports.
A map showing Cuba in relation to the United States. 1991 – The Troubles: The Provisional IRA launched a mortar attack on 10 Downing Street in London, the headquarters of the British government.
Son Lux ballast
Friday, February 2
Mostly cloudy; some snow High: 24° Low: 5° Precip. Chance: 50%
LIVE MUSIC
RAFIQ BHATIA
Saturday, February 3 Sunday, February 4
Saturday, February 10, 8pm CLUB B10 | $10 STUDENTS | $14 ADVANCE $20 DAY OF | $26 PREFERRED
Partly cloudy High: 23° Low: 16° Precip. Chance: 35%
Cloudy and snow High: 32° Low: 21° Precip. Chance: 60%
TICKETS: massmoca.org or 413.MoCA.111 | North Adams, Mass.
Are you an SGA Club?
Your first ad in the paper is on the house! Contact Business Manager Mitchell Chapman at mc7368@mcla.edu for details
FEATURES
5
SPOTLIGHT
A Professor’s Passion for Traveling the World
BY MEGHAN COOK FEATURES EDITOR
With a goal of seeing 40 countries by the time he is 40 years old, Professor Cupery is well on his way with 29 countries visited. Over the winter break he spent three weeks in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Having visited Malaysia and Thailand back in 2015 this was not his first adventure to Asia. “It was a great experience, it’s naturally beautiful, such friendly people, great food, and mostly inexpensive in most of the countries, which are all big draws for me,” explains Cupery. “There is such a rich culture both historically and religiously over there, there were some beautiful Buddhist temples and monasteries throughout the countries,” says Cupery. “Like the historical Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia.” Besides just historical interest, the natural landscape of the countries was of importance to him as well. “My favorite place was Luang Prabang a historic city in Laos which sits at the confluence of two major river,” says Cupery. “These two rivers come together, with rolling hills and some jungle terrain and in the midst is this city filled with temples and monasteries.” He notes that there is a lot of planning for these trips, not simply where to stay and how to get there, but research on the regions and their history. “I often visit a lot of museums on trips, for example in Cambodia I visited a museum about the genocide that happened in the 1970’s,” explains Cupery. “Part of my goal with my traveling is to learn all I can about different histories, politics, and cultures, which all leads to a broader approach to my teaching.” While he does not teach classes on Southeast Asia, all the research, planning, and experiencing of the countries and cultures allows for a wider global knowledge. This fits into his teaching of Comparative Government where he uses examples from all over the world. On campus Professor Cupery is known for his love of travel and interests in different cultures, particularly Latin America. In spring of 2017, he executed a travel course for students to visit Peru, sharing his passion for travel with the
Photo from David Cupery
Professor Cupery visiting Machu Picchu in the Machu Picchu Archaeological Park, Peru (above). A group of students and Professor Cupery on the 2017 Peru Travel Course (right). students of MCLA. “I’ve gone on travel courses before, but my trip to Peru with Professor Cupery was the best,” says Samantha Giffen, class of 2018. “He ensured we experienced and learned as much as we could, while still providing time for us to relax
or explore independently.” This spring, Professor Cupery is taking students down to Cuba, an exciting opportunity since the restoration of the U.S. and Cuba’s relationship. Some destinations dur-
ing the trip will be Havana, the country’s capital, Trinidad, and the Bay of Pigs. “I’m very excited for this somewhat exclusive opportunity,” says Samuel Payne, class of 2018. “And Professor
Cupery arranged for us to stay with host-families so we can experience the culture more in depth.” Having studied and taught in Guayaquil, Ecuador for about three years, he has developed a particular passion for Latin America. This semester he even teaches a course, Latin American Politics and Society. “There is a certain energy in those countries, and that is the region I have been to most,” explains Cupery. “I love the colors, the music, and that vibrant energy, it’s close to my heart.” Having visited many Latin American countries in his life, choosing a favorite might seem difficult, but he had answer right away. “Mexico is my favorite country, I traveled abroad and studied there in college,” explains Cupery. “Everyone was so welcoming and there was such a new and different energy.” According to Cupery, he travels for the fun and adventures, but also for the educational elements. “Our lives are short, we should try and see the world,” says Cupery. “I find great joy in seeing from different points of comparison and learning from adventures.” In terms of reaching that goal of 40 by 40, he plans on hitting a few more countries this summer. “A dream destination for me has been South Africa and I’m actually going on a trip there this summer,” says Cupery. With an entire globe brimming with possibilities, he can always find a new place to indulge in his love for traveling. “I would also love to visit India,” said Cupery. “It has great global importance, it’s so diverse and there’s all the noises and colors, that’s the draw, although it can seem a little overwhelming.”
Photos from David Cupery/the MCLA Political Science Page
Professor Cupery standing in front of some ornate temple doors in Luang Prabang, Laos (left). A floating market in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam (top).
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Arts & Entertainment
My Black is Beautiful Celebrates Black History Month BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER Art has a powerful voice in the community, created and expressed by those passionate about their work and the inspiration behind it. My Black is Beautiful, an upcoming event sponsored by the Multicultural Education Resource Center (MERC) will showcase pieces by various artists and performers celebrating Black History Month. Miesha Adams, a senior at MCLA, is working on organizing and promoting the event. “This is a project I’ve always wanted to do, to get artists into one room, promoting all different volumes of art. It’s a way to get new art out there and reflect on black history and everything African Americans and people of color have gone
through,” said Adams. Some pieces and performances will include spoken word, dancers and sculptures. Every day the event is open will offer something new and unique. There will be people performing or displaying their piece, and after they perform, it will go up on the wall and will be showcased throughout the days of the event. “I really want this to be a platform for students and local community members to get their art and themselves noticed,” Adams said. “We are definitely willing to let people promote themselves, and even bring business cards.” Adams is currently reaching out and looking to add to the list of artists and performers for the event. Any visual, interactive, and performance pieces are welcome. Submissions can range from
photography to singing, or any form of art that best expresses the individual, whether it is a painted self-portrait, a compelling poem, a picture of something on campus or anything in between. If interested in performing or displaying a piece of art, all submissions should be sent to Miesha Adams at ma4159@ mcla.edu no later than Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. My Black is Beautiful will take place in the Design Lab in downtown North Adams, rather than Gallery 51. On opening night, performers and artists will have a chance to showcase and talk about their pieces. After, the public audience will have a chance to pose questions for the artists and have discussions on the pieces they viewed. “This really increases the interactive aspect from the
photo courtesy of Miesha Adams
My Black is Beautiful will take place on Feb. 26-28 at the MCLA Design Lab. audience to artist. I want this to beginning at 7:15 p.m. The Lab be a chance for the community will also be open Feb. 27 and to express themselves and 28 from 12 p.m to 8 p.m. to reflect on Black History For more and updated Month,” Adams said. information, visit the The event will open in the My Black is Beautiful Design Lab on Feb. 26 at Facebook event page. 7 p.m., with performances
A timely musical: “The Greatest Showman” BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR
photo from Wikipedia
“The Greatest Showman” is now in theaters.
With over $231 million at the box office, director Michael Gracey’s “The Greatest Showman” has captivated audience members since its release in early December. Starring Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya, “Showman” shows that the craziest of dreams can become a reality. “The Greatest Showman” tells the story of P.T. Barnum (Jackman) and his life growing up in poverty before finally finding his true passion for show business. Barnum’s small show of “freaks” soon turns into one of the most popular shows in New York City, despite protesters. Jackman, known for his roles in the “X-Men” films as Wolverine, is also known for his ability to pull viewers in with his singing. Kind of like a hidden talent of his, Jackman’s voice was whimsical and refreshing to hear, with his last musical performances being, “Pan” in 2015 and “Les Misérables” in 2012. Another refreshing moment? Seeing Efron back in his “High
School Musical” element. Playing Barnum’s partner, playwright Phillip Carlyle, his connection with fellow Disney Channel star Zendaya, who plays acrobat and trapeze artist Anne Wheeler, magnified off of the screen. Their duet of “Rewrite The Stars” let the tears fall in a beautiful moment of unlawful love. If you weren’t crying during the beginning of the movie, you were then. Ferguson brought to life Swedish singer Jenny Lind, but the vocal performance in the film, “Never Enough,” was performed by Loren Allred. This was a heart-wrenching performance that moved audience members to the core. But if that didn’t do it for you, it was Keala Settle as Lettie Lutz, the Bearded Lady, performing the uplifting “This Is Me.” It could be argued that Settle’s voice overpowers everyone else’s in the film. The energy she radiated off of the screen was noticeable - she was the empowering women that she played. Although this movie/musical is about a dream that becomes a reality for a tailor’s son, it also showcases the late 19th century’s topic of discrimination. The members of Barnum’s show are
constantly being mocked, despite becoming stars within the city. Zendaya’s character and her brother, also a trapeze artist, are discriminated against because of their race, but Barnum and Carlyle look past that. One scene shows Carlyle telling everyone that they’ve been invited to England to meet Queen Victoria and Anne asks if they’re all invited. Carlyle simply answers that either they all go, or none of them go. The movie isn’t sad. There are moments when your heart skips a beat because something terrible happens, as it does in all movies. With the love between Barnum and his wife, Carlyle and Anne, and the love you develop for the members of the circus, you can’t help but feel a connection to all of them. Even if you’re not a fan of musicals, this one’s different. It doesn’t contain cheesy show tunes, but catchy melodies, rhythms, and lyrics that make you believe in yourself and in love. Also, who knew Michelle Williams could sing! “The Greatest Showman” is the perfect movie for a date, to see with friends and family, or even to watch by yourself. Tissues are a must, though.
Upcoming Events: Feb. 3: Feb. 8: Feb. 9: Bruins Game w. SAC 2:30 p.m. Meeting location TBD.
“Show Me Democracy” movie 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. Church Street Center
“Fruitvale Station” movie 7-8 p.m. Sullivan Lounge
Feb. 13: Feb. 14: Feb. 16: Student Cookoff 4:30 - 6 p.m. C.C. Marketplace
“Love and Basketball” movie 7-8 p.m. Sullivan Lounge
GAYme Night 7-8 p.m. Sullivan Lounge
Arts & Entertainment
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“Rhinoceros” and “Into the Woods” set the stage for FPA’s spring shows
BY JACOB VITALI A&E WRITER
The MCLA FPA Theatre department will be returning to the stage this spring with “Rhinoceros” directed by David Lane and “Into the Woods” directed by Jeremy Winchester.
“Rhinoceros” is a politically-charged drama by playwright Eugene Ionesco with an important message, a theme echoed by senior Joseph Sabin. “I think Rhino in and of itself is about the rise of fascism. [Ionesco] wrote about his experience having
lived through it,” said Sabin. Ionesco grew up in Romania in the 1930s as Nazis rose to power in Germany and took over parts of Europe. The play is set in a small town where the apathetic main character Berenger notices an influx
photo from FPA Facebook event
“Rhinoceros” will run the weekends of Feb. 23 and March 4, and “Into The Woods” will run the weekends of April 20 and 29.
This Is: Poor Eliza BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER
Jane Park is the creator behind the indie folkrock musical project, Poor Eliza. While Park writes and sings all of the group’s songs, other musicians are frequently featured, adding different musical elements to the pieces. Born in Knoxville, TN, Park began performing as a violinist in Boston, playing with other folkrock groups. During this time, she began writing her own music and performing
at local venues. According to Poor Eliza’s Facebook page, after one member of Raleigh Tavern – a group Park performed with – decided to leave for a while, it was proposed that the remaining members form a band. This became the beginnings of “Poor Eliza.” Under a previous name, the three-piece band headlined all over Cambridge and Somerville. They released a studio album in 2010 entitled “The Wrong Thing”, with Park’s inspiration
photo courtesy of pooreliza.com
Poor Eliza will be performing in the Design Lab on Feb. 22.
coming from Damien Rice, Kathleen Edwards and Sarah McLachlan. The album features a variety of acoustic and string arrangements, as well as layered vocal harmonies, with guest appearances by other Boston artists. Under the name Poor Eliza, Jane Park has since embarked on other musical endeavors, including two live albums in 2016 and 2017, and the singles “Ghost Town” and “Freak Show”, all of which are available to listen to and purchase on Poor Eliza’s website and Bandcamp site. Park crafts her lyrics to challenge her sense of self and how she is perceived, with many of her songs containing themes of identity. Sounds & Tones Presents will be featuring Poor Eliza in their 6 p.m. show on Feb. 22 in the Design Lab in downtown North Adams. The musical event will also feature performances by Lady Jane and House Sparrow. Visit the event’s Facebook page for more information.
of rhinos. Slowly, the town is overwhelmed by rhinos and Berenger comes to the realization that they are actually the townsfolk. “At the end, Berenger has to decide, do I become one of them or say ‘screw it, I’m going to be human,’” Sabin said. Despite its strong political undertones, there will be no characters represented as political figures. Instead, the messaging will be more subtle, as sophomore Sebastian Phillips explained. “It’s not a musical. It’s not a popcorn play where you can entertain yourself and turn your mind off. You need to focus on the ideas. Yes, it is funny but you’ll find yourself laughing more and learning more if you’re paying attention,” said Phillips. “Rhinoceros” draws on the themes of conformity, responsibility, logic, and mob mentality. Sabin hopes audience members will be able to draw parallels with what is happening in today’s society. “I hope that when the audience members go home they stop and say ‘I just watched this,” he said. “Into the Woods” is a Tony Award-winning musical
that follows characters from the Brothers Grimm fairy tales such as “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Rapunzel,” “Cinderella” and “Jack and the Beanstalk.” The gang of characters must work together and find compromises to save themselves and their kingdom from a giant’s wrath. “Into the Woods” deals with how fairytale wishes can have significant consequences when they are granted in the real world. It also deals with the human elements of lust, ambition, ego, fear and spite. “It’s an interesting take on fairy tales, but it’s about the after story. The prince has already married Cinderella and this is supposed to be the forever, ever after but he wants more,” explained Phillips. Both plays fall under the “We the People” theme that was chosen by a committee of faculty and students this past fall, in response to our country’s current political climate. “Rhinoceros” will run the weekends of Feb. 23 and March 4. “Into the Woods” will run the weekends of April 20 and 29.
Women’s Center Spreads Positivity with Post-It Notes
photo Wyatt Mineau
Students post their positive notes on a bulletin board in the Campus Center Marketplace BY WYATT MINEAU A&E WRITER With the start of the semester comes the start of on-campus activities, and the Women’s Center felt the campus could use a little positivity to start it off right, which led to another semester of a wall adorned with post-it positivity. A Post-It-Positivity event was held Jan. 22 and 23, where students and community members could come to the Campus Center, write a positive message on a postit note and stick it to the wall. That wall is now adorned with dozens of colorful sticky messages promoting positive thoughts and outlooks for anybody that needs a kick-start
to their day or could just use a bit more positivity. The hosts of the event (who wished to remain anonymous) felt that the turnout was pretty good for the beginning of the semester, with thirty people coming on the first day. If you are interested in other events the Women’s Center puts on or would just like to see what the group is about, they meet every Wednesday at 3 p.m. with discussions on diverse topics pertaining to the community and the people within it, including feminism in society. If you would like to participate in the next Postit Positivity event, look for fliers and a table at the beginning of next semester.
SPORTS
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Feb. 1, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 1
Impressive Trailblazers Defense comes out on top in Low Scoring Affair
BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS WRITER The men’s basketball team got the big WIN in a low-scoring defensive game against the Framingham State Rams on the road. The final score was 58-40. MCLA’s Keiland Cross and Adam Conquest led the team with 10 points, following with Quran Davis with nine points. Framingham State was led by Manny Payton with 13 points, five rebounds and also Cameren McCloudThomas with 12 points and seven rebounds. The Trailblazers came out and displayed an impressive defense holding the Rams in a 29.3 shooting percentage and 1-12 from three-point range throughout the game, while the Trailblazers dominated on offense shooting 44.9 percent from the field, earning 49 rebounds and scoring 40 points in the paint. The first half of the game was slow but saw an amazing defensive start, as MCLA held the Rams to 6-0 on the scoreboard for the first five minutes of the first
photo by MCLA Athletics
MCLA senior Adam Conquest taking a free throw in a game earlier this season. Conquest finished the teams win over Framingham with 10 points, seven rebounds, and one assist. Conquest is averaging 11.3 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game in his first year with the team. half. Rebounds and field goal percentages were the two astonishing stats for this game. The Trailblazers clamped down on the Rams to an incredible 25.8 field goal percentage and topped it off with their own shooting percentage of 40 from the
field in the first half. The Trailblazers demolished the Rams in the rebound game, as well. MCLA had 25 rebounds at the end of the half to Framingham’s 13 rebounds. With the final possession before halftime and only 12 seconds on the
clock, Noah Yearsley made an extraordinary no-look pass to Tanner Owens for the easy lay-up to put the Blazers at a 10 point lead at the half at 28-18. There was no one on either team that reached double-digit points in the first half, but Noah Yearsley
had seven points for MCLA and Manny Payton had nine points for the Rams. In the second half, Framingham State was playing catchup, while trying to close the 10 point lead the Blazers set in the previous half. Both teams had great defensive plays during the drought of no scoring in the first three minutes of the second half. With the two teams combined between the spectacular no scoring drought, there was one block, seven rebounds, five turnovers, and two steals when the score was 32-22. The Trailblazers increased their lead to 16 points leaving the Rams in the dust and with Tanner Owens again closing the game with another no-look pass from Reydel Santana to seal the deal with a final score of 58-40. The Trailblazers move to 6-11 overall and 3-3 in their conference while the Framingham State Rams drop to 5-14 and 1-5 in the MASCAC conference. MCLA’s next game will be at Worcester State on Saturday, Feb. 3.
Trailblazers women’s MCLA falls to Westfield St. 78-57; Pingelski nets double double in loss basketball endure heartbreaking loss in OT
BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The Westfield State Owls defeated the MCLA Trailblazers women’s basketball team 7857 in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) women’s basketball game at the Woodward Center last Saturday. The ‘Blazers only ever led one time in the contest when they scored the first two points of the game. From that point on the Owls used small run after small run to slowly extend their lead over the entirety of the game. The Owls were also able to keep the ‘Blazers at bay on defense as well, never letting the ‘Blazers score more than four points without the Owls getting a bucket on the other end of the floor, making it almost impossible for the ‘Blazers to get back in the game. The Owls used a team effort behind junior guard Kierra McCarthy’s efficient 18 point night, where she went 7-9 from the floor while adding three rebounds and steals to her stat-line. McCarthy was also lights out from beyond the arc hitting 4-5 from deep. The ‘Blazers were led by junior Courtney Pingelski who
photo by MCLA Athletics
MCLA junior Courtney Pingelski driving to the basket in a game earlier this year. Pingelski recorded a double-double with 17 points 13 rebounds and 2 assists and steals in the loss to Westfield State. netted a team-high 17 points as well as recording the doubledouble with 13 rebounds. Pingelski also recorded two assists, two steals, and a block in her 30 minutes of play. Only two players on the Owls’ roster didn’t record a point in the win, while the ‘Blazers only had two of their reserve players see any significant minutes in the game. Four of the five starters for the Trailblazers played at least 30 or more minutes in the game, while only one player from the Owls saw 20 minutes on the floor.
The Owls were able to get much more involved as a team in the contest. They recorded 20 assists to the Blazers’ 14, as well as having 44 of their points coming from their bench as opposed to MCLA’s 16 points off the bench. The Owls will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 3, where they will face off with MASCAC opponent Bridgewater State. The ‘Blazers next contest will be on Saturday as well when they will travel to Worcester State for another MASCAC game in search of their seventh win.
BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS WRITER The Trailblazers women’s basketball team suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss against the Framingham State Rams on Jan. 25, the final score was 87-77. Courtney Pingelski led the team with 15 points in the loss. Pingelski received help from teammate Emily Moulton who recorded 14 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. L’Rae Brundige scored 12 points with Mckenzie Robinson and Samantha Gawron both adding 11 points. In the first quarter, the Blazers came out strong and aggressive putting up 19 points to Framingham State’s 15 points. MCLA shot 5-11 (45 percent) from the field, 1-2 (50 percent) three-point range and 8-9 (88.9 percent) free throw line which was an astonishing start compared to the Rams shot 6-20 (30 percent) from the field, 1-5 (20 percent) from the arc, and 2-3 (66.7 percent) from the free throw line. During the second quarter, the ‘Blazers’ fatigue started to creep on them while they only scored seven points in the
second quarter to the Rams’ 18 points. They shot 0-5 from the arc, 16.7 percent from the floor. In the third quarter, the ‘Blazers were playing catchup and scored 18 points and closed the nine-point deficient to a four-point deficient at the end of the third quarter. The score was 44-48. After trailing in the second and third quarters, the ‘Blazers hit a threepointer from downtown with 39 seconds left on the clock, thanks to Samantha Gawron. This tied the game at 69 points and sent them into overtime. Unfortunately, the ‘Blazers only scored eight points in overtime, while the Rams scored 18 points. Framingham’s Raegan Mulherin led her team with 26 points, Mary Kate O’Day added 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Emily Velozo and Lauren Donahue added 13 points a piece. The Trailblazers’ record is currently 6-12, MASCAC 2-4, while Framingham State is 11-7, MASCAC 5-1. The Trailblazers will play against Worcester State on Saturday, February 3 at 5:30 p.m.
SPORTS Owls terrorize Trailblazers; Westfield State defeats MCLA 97-75 Feb. 1, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 1
BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR Behind their duo of junior forward Marcus Collins and senior guard Austin Joseph the Westfield State Owls defeated the MCLA Trailblazers men’s basketball team 97-75 in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) game last Saturday in the Woodward Center in Westfield, Mass. Joseph and Collins both recorded a career-high in points while being the two leading weapons for the Owls over the course of the game. Joseph netted 22 points to go along with six assists and three rebounds, while Collins scored 28 points and recorded six assists and eight rebounds. The Owls took charge of the game early on, as they only fell behind twice very early in the game. Once they gained control of the game, they kept it. The ‘Blazers tied the game at 16 with 10:51 left to play
in the first half, but the Owls took charge and went on a 13-1 run over the next three minutes to put the game at 29-17 with about seven minutes left in the first half. The Owls coasted into the second half keeping the ‘Blazers at bay and entering the half with a comfortable 49-37 lead with 20 minutes of basketball left to play. The second half was more of the same, as the ‘Blazers were only ever able to get the lead down to 10 points before the Owls would pull away again. The Owls made one last run a few minutes into the second half to ensure that a ‘Blazer comeback wasn’t in the picture. With just over 17 minutes to play, while up 5443, the Owls went on a 12-2 run over the following three minutes to put the score at 66-45. Collins led the way for the final run, scoring eight of the 12 points scored over the three minute span. From that point on the ‘Blazers were never within striking distance as the Owls
points off turnovers, but outrebounded the Owls 35-34. Joseph and Collins were leaned on heavily by the Owls as the two accounted for just over 51 percent of the team’s points. They were also only two of four players on the Owls roster who recorded double-digit point totals. Junior Peter Mafo and sophomore Anthony Reynolds both recorded 14 points in helping Joseph and Collins on the offensive photo by MCLA Athletics end. Reynolds added seven boards to his stat-line, while MCLA freshman Mike Mafo added five assists and Demartinis taking a free one board to his totals. throw in the 97-75 loss. The Trailblazers were led Demartinis finished with 16 in scoring by freshman Mike points and three rebounds in Demartinis who recorded 16 the loss. points in the loss, and senior Keiland Cross who scored 11 kept them at least 20 points points. behind for the remainder of The ‘Blazers are back play. in action on Saturday, The ‘Blazers defense Feb. 3 when they travel struggled to keep the Owl’s to Worcester State for a in check, allowing them to MASCAC match-up. The shoot 54 percent from the Owls are back in action on field (38-71) and 40 percent Saturday as well as they face from beyond the arc (8-20). off with Bridgewater State in The ‘Blazers also allowed 25 another MASCAC contest.
Super Bowl 52: Previewing the NFL’s biggest game on its biggest stage The day teams around the NFL a matchup against a team that spend their entire seasons, allowed Leonard Fournette to and in some cases entire run wild against them, at least lives, preparing for is just in the first half. It would do around the corner: Super Philadelphia very well to make Bowl LII. big use out of both of these Both the Philadelphia men. A conservative start to Eagles and New England the game would make the most Patriots have battled Andrew sense for the Eagles. However, tremendous amounts of Baillargeon quarterback Nick Foles will adversity, had many tough need to get involved in a big way The Call games, and have held for the Eagles to pull the upset through to be the last teams win. Thankfully, Philadelphia’s standing. With the big game receiving personnel present coming up this weekend, let’s have a matchup problems for the Patriots: look at what each of these teams will Alshon Jeffery and Zach Ertz will be need to do to win the game. counted on to exploit this advantage. For the Eagles to win this For the Patriots to win this game: game: The most important thing is Simple mistake-free football will to recognize that the Patriots are guide this team to victory. Tom dealing with a number of injuries, Brady is and has always been one a number of which have come to of the best in the business. While their offensive line. Jacksonville was the Eagles will likely be able to get able to exploit this during the AFC consistent pressure against Brady, his Championship Game to the tune of world-class quick release will allow sacking Tom Brady four times and Brady to mitigate this problem. For hitting him a total of nine times. While this to work smoothly, Brady will Philadelphia’s pass rush isn’t quite need the services of longtime target on par with that of “Sacksonville,” Rob Gronkowski, and Brady will the unit consistently got to Vikings need Gronk at full health following a quarterback Case Keenum in their concussion he suffered in the team’s throttling of Minnesota, and the victory over Jacksonville in the AFC Vikings boast a much sturdier Championship. Look for New England offensive line than New England does. to open up the game offensively Expect very aggressive play calling with a number of quick dink n’ dunk on the defensive side of things for the plays: screens, pitches, and runs up Eagles this weekend. the middle to open up Philadelphia’s The Eagles sport two power defense a bit for bigger plays down the runningbacks in Jay Ajayi and road. LeGarrette Blount. Ajayi, a former For New England to win the battle Miami Dolphin, and Blount, a former defensively, they will need productive Patriot himself, know this Patriots days out of top cornerbacks Stephon team very well. They also generate Gilmore and Malcolm Butler. They’ve
got their work lined up for them, too. Gilmore will likely be tasked to cover either Zach Ertz or Alshon Jeffery, while Butler will handle the deep threat in Torrey Smith. Philadelphia has a number of dangerous weapons, but the one area they lack is the man behind center. Nick Foles has performed admirably since taking over for the injured Carson Wentz, but he’s not a top-rated quarterback by any means. Foles has a history of accuracy issues, and both Gilmore and Butler are absolute ball hawks. The Patriots don’t need to pick him off every drive, but they need to limit the impact that the Eagles’ receiving core has on this game. With Foles under center, even with New England slightly outmatched by the tools around him, they need to get some pressure on him, and Butler has to keep Jeffery off the box score. Final prediction: Patriots 27, Eagles 10 Simply put, Tom Brady has been here before and Nick Foles hasn’t. The NFL’s biggest stage is a lot bigger than the average regular or even postseason game. New England will likely start off slow as they have been this season, but with Philadelphia unable to find a consistent answer against Matt Patricia’s defensive scheme, it’s only a matter of time until TB12 and Co. take the game over, riding that to yet another Super Bowl Championship. Andrew Baillargeon is the host of The Call, a weekly program broadcasted by WJJW. Tune in on Sundays from 7-10 PM. Listeners can also tune in via 91.1 WJJW or our website, http:// www.mcla.edu/Student_Life/studentmedia/ wjjw/.
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SCORE BOARD MCLA Men’s Basketball MCLA (75), Westfield St. (97) Mike Demartinis (MCLA) 16 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 stl Pts, 7 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk
Marcus Collins (Westfield)
28 Pts, 8 Reb, 6 Ast, 3 BlkReb, 4 Ast, 2 Blk
MCLA Women’s Basketball MCLA (57), Westfield St. (78) Courtney Pingelski (MCLA)
16 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl
17 Pts, 13 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 StlReb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk
Kierra McCarthy (Westfield)
18 Pts, 3 Reb, 3 Stl3 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Blk
NBA
Houston Rockets (114), Orlando Magic (107)
James Harden (Rockets) 60 Pts, 10 REB, 11 AST 10-12. 100 yds, 0 TD
Shelvin Mack (Magic)
15 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST
NBA
Detroit Pistons (125), Cleveland Cavaliers (114)
Andre Drummond (Pistons) 21 PTS, 22 REB, 7 AST 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl,
LeBron James (Cavaliers)
21 PTS, 6 REB, 7 AST
NHL
Anaheim Ducks (3), Boston Bruins (1)
Adam Henrique (Ducks)
Stl, 2 Blk
2 Goals, 2 SOG
Ryan Spooner (Bruins) 1 Goal, 3 SOG 3 Reb, 2
NHL St. Louis Blues (3), Montreal Canadiens (1) Patrik Berglund (Blues) 1 Goal, 4 SOGs, 8 Ast, 2 Stl
Charles Hudon (Canadiens) 1 Goal, 3 SOGts, 22 Reb, 3 Ast
OPINION
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Feb. 1, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 1
Who Took it Best? Left: Emma Monahan’s rainbow over campus. Or Right: Jacob Vitali’s rainbow over a train.
Vote now on our Facebook page! Are you a student with a passion for photography? If you would like to see your photo featured in a future issue of the Beacon, please email your submissions, along with a brief description, to our Editor-in-Chief Joseph Carew at jc2824@mcla.edu.
How you drive v. What you drive The British show Top Gear have to accelerate nearly as once did a short film in which hard, doesn’t have to brake a BMW M3 and a Toyota Pri- as much, and is barely even us raced around their track pushing the car towards its for a few laps. On the surface limits. it seems like a dull idea but Now it would be ridiculous the twist was that the Prius to suggest that the M3 is an would set the pace economical choice, and all the BMW but it shouldn’t be ighad to do was keep nored that your foot up. At the end of it plays a role in how all they measured much fuel you use. It the amount of fuel may seem obvious to both cars consome but the rate at sumed. The BMW which you accelerate, Joseph defeated the Prius how easily you mainCarew by about two miles tain your speeds, how WheelSpin per gallon. well you can anticiA battle between pate traffic, and how a sports car and the often you coast all facruler of all the hybrids saw tor in dramatically to your the former defeat the latter, fuel economy. but how is that possible? It Nrcan.gc.ca, a website for all comes down to driving the Canadian government, style. The Prius must be on adds, “Be consistent. Uninthe edge at all points during tentional dips in speed and this experiment. It must be sudden bursts of accelerausing close to 100 percent of tion to keep pace take a toll its capacity throughout the on your tank—and your walten laps they did. Meanwhile let. In fact, tests have shown the large and heavy BMW that varying your speed up doesn’t have to try nearly as and down between 75 km/h hard to maintain the same and 85 km/h every 18 secpace. The driver doesn’t onds can increase your fuel
use by 20 percent.” And it isn’t your speedometer you should be staring at for managing fuel economy. Speed does play a factor but your tachometer (measures revolutions per minute or rpm of the engine’s crankshaft) can be a more important tool. Please note that all engines are different and there is no magical rpm where all cars are the most efficient, but as a general rule the higher the amount of revolutions, the harder the engine is working. So if it sounds like your engine is roaring as you are driving then chances are it is sucking down its fuel as though it hasn’t had a sip in weeks. The point is that, even if you are driving a vehicle that destroys rainforests as you wait for a light to turn green, there are things you can do to help your wallet and the planet. And, even if you are driving in a hybrid that makes you feel morally superior to the rest of us, there are things you can do that will destroy rainforests.
Comic
Comic from MCT Campus
Forever searching for Main Street
For a business, location can be for example, do not have the privieverything, though in Berklege of having a county bus shire County there are many route, yet both have successnotable exceptions. A spot in ful attractions that people a town’s Main Street (though come to see; for Windsor, it’s worth noting that a town’s there is Notchview, known equivalent of “Main Street” is for its skiing and snowshoeoften called different things, Mitchell ing, and Becket has a variety i.e. Pittsfield’s North Street and Chapman of attractions, from Jacob’s None Adams’ Park Street) does not Pillow to the Dream Away guarantee success in the Berk- of your Lodge. shires. Additionally, a hard-to- business Point being, there is a large get-to location isn’t necessarily driving population in Berka death sentence in the county. shire County. Unless you work and Berkshire County is filled with live in an area like Pittsfield or North towns often sparsely populated, Adams, where the grocery store and often connected by limited pub- nearest Wal-Mart are either a walk lic transportation, and others not. or a bus ride away, vehicular indeTowns such as Becket and Windsor, pendence is necessary to live suc-
cessfully in this county. Does this mean that prominent Main Street locations are obsolete? They certainty help, as it allows businesses to find customers more easily and more naturally than they otherwise would have. I think if you’re running a business that caters to convenience, like a barbershop or a restaurant, a Main Street location can have the power to make or break you. However, I do believe that the merits and quality of what you’re selling can easily trump that. Word-of-mouth and a sterling reputation can spur the large driving population to come to you, rather than force yourself to try to come to them, which is what Main Streets
try to do; offer businesses hot locations in the busiest parts of town. A Main Street location, especially in this county, is no magic formula to having a successful business, and they can be often sidestepped, though few things are. If there is such a magic formula in this county, I think it is closer to good management and the uniqueness of what you’re doing; to have something that makes your business your business, and makes it stand out from the competition; to give the many residents of Berkshire County a reason to drive out to see you, even if you’re in the heart of Windsor.
OPINION
Feb. 1, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 1
Letter from the Editor: State of the Paper Hello all, Whelp. I’m back for my second semester as Editor-in-Chief. I decided to steal the editorial of the paper this week to let everyone know what will be going on this semester. We’re going to be having twelve issues stretching the whole of the semester ending on April 26. Once again, we are a bit short-staffed, but we will strive to keep as many of these pages filled with student content as possible. In this issue we have a bit of national news as well as a weekend forecast and the week in history. As much as I like all three, if I have to chose between them and a student-written article than I must side with the latter.
Design
There will not be any significant design changes this semester despite a different Design Editor coming on board and there will not be any dramatic page changes. Pages 1-4 will be news, page 5 will be features and so on and so forth. The Beacon does not have a photography editor this semester so page 12 will be different than in the past. We have had to adapt so
pages 10, 11, and 12 may be different than you were expecting. Without a dedicated Web Editor, the online version of the Beacon may not appear as we hope but there will be a new Audio page.
Beyond the Paper
Our friends and compatriots at Beacon Web News (BWN) will be on a similar schedule to that of last semester, with the everamazing Samantha Kniskern at the helm once more. For those unacquainted with BWN it is a wonderful video news program that is uploaded on Wednesdays. Some of you may know it from the Centennial Room projector and television. This semester, we look to continue the audio reporting done by some of our staff members last semester. The Beacon’s website (theonlinebeacon.com) as well as our SoundCloud should have the weekly podcasts and stories done by our audio reporters.
Myself and the Beacon
I will do everything in my power to keep this paper as honest and creative as possible. We have a good group of people again this
semester and I think we can provide the strong content you all come to expect from this paper. If you ever have any questions about the Beacon or comments, I will try to be as responsive as possible. This will be my sixth semester on staff for the paper having started as a staff writer, moved to Features Editor, then Managing Editor and now Editor-in-Chief again so I can talk about any aspect of the paper you want to discuss or the responsibilities of every position. There will always be room for improvement and feedback as well as students who want to contribute. As a newspaper, a club, and a class, the Beacon is a very strange thing. We have to keep things a little close to the chest as to not infringe on our honor as the first, we have to be as open as possible to all who read us because of the first and second, and we are to be held accountable because of all three. This makes being on a paper like this incredibly rewarding so please consider joining. Sincerely Your Editor-in-Chief, Joseph Carew
Oscars: Who Will Come Out on Top? Welcome back to your was way after their run at weekly dose of every- the Oscars. It’s one thing thing arts and enI definitely want to tertainment, and change. to jump back in, But I highly reI think it’s approspect the actors priate to talk all and actresses, the things Oscars. The directors, etc. that highly acclaimed seem to put their Emma award show is back Monahan blood, sweat and on March 4 for tears into these Arts & Emma films. They all obits 90th year, and with that comes a viously deserve pool of highly ditheir nominations. verse nominations. After the Golden Globes The one thing that I a few weeks ago, “Lady hate myself for is that I Bird” and “Three Billdon’t watch movies that boards Outside Ebbing, often. The only Oscar- Missouri” both stole the nominated movie I saw show in their respecwas “Spotlight,” but that tive categories, and it’s
probably going to be the same for the Oscars. All contenders for best picture have a chance. “Call Me By Your Name,” “Get Out,” and “The Post” are just three more that could see an Oscar win. Side note: All of these are my honest opinion, especially since I’ve never seen these movies. I’m basing all of my guesses on previous wins and the hype from social media. Anyways. Diversity is key this year too. “Get Out,” directed by Jordan Peele, is nominated, as well as “Lady Bird” director Greta Gerwig.
At the Golden Globes, actress Natalie Portman made a comment on how the best director category was all “male nominees.” These award shows are always tricky though, as something surprising tends to happen. For example, the winner for best picture last year was mistaken. “La La Land” was announced as the winner, when really “Moonlight” was the recipient. Anything can happen at these things, and hopefully your favorite flick will win. This may be biased, but I’m rooting for “The Post.”
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The Beacon is published Thursdays during the academic year and is distributed to the MCLA community. The Beacon is funded by the Student Government Association, the English/ Communications department and ad revenue. Single copies are free and additional copies can be purchased at 50 cents each. If you wish to purchase additional copies, please contact a member of staff.
Contact News desk number: 413-662-5535 Business number: 413-662-5204 Email: beacon@mcla.edu Website: theonlinebeacon.com Office: Mark Hopkins Hall, room 111
Policies Letters: The Beacon welcomes Letters to the Editor and columns on issues of interest to the campus. Deadlines are 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Strive for 500 words or less. Editorial: Unsigned editorials that appear in these pages reflect the views of The Beacon. Signed columns and commentary pieces reflect the views of their writers. Contribution: The Beacon accepts stories, photos and opinion pieces. Submit to beacon@mcla.edu. Advertising: The Beacon reserves the right to not publish any advertisement it deems libelous, false or in bad taste.
Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Joseph Carew
Features Editor
A & E Editor
Meghan Cook
Emma Monahan
Copy Chief Mary Kate Lynch
Brady Gerow
Design Editor
Photo Editor
Nicholas Bassett
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Want a guest column? If interested, contact Editor-in-Chief Joseph Carew at jc2824@mcla.edu
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A&E Writers Jacob Vitali
Nicholas Webb Aryel Brosnan
Brianna Lamb
Sports Writer
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Features Writer Lise Mansaray
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Shawn McIntosh
Fabbi Street Corey Mitchell-Labrie Maya McFadden
Columnist Andrew Baillargeon
Feb. 1, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 1
12
Join the Club!
MCLA’s Campus Center Take Over is one of the most well recieved events of the year. Nearly 30 clubs attended, engaging with the rest of the student body and giving them the opportunity to join them in their endeavors. A portion of the clubs are featured below
Dance Co. provided students the ingredients and direction to make a coffee sugar scrub.
Students for a Sensible Drug Policy tabling with a spread of resources about different drugs as well as Holiday Cards for students to create.
Members of the MCLA Anime club handing out refreshments.
Joe Bellas of the Political Science Club giving and enthusiastic thumbs up.
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