November 14, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 9

Volume 87

8th Annual Public Policy Lecture

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Issue 9

Ta-Nehisi Coates Speaks At Annual Day of Diologue

The author of New York Times 2015 Best Seller “Between the World and Me” talks about his career, personal experiences and thoughts on the current political climate.

BY SOPHIE PLAYER STAFF WRITER Ta-Nehisi Coates was welcomed to campus last Thursday as a guest speaker in the Eighth Annual Michael S. and Kitty Dukakis Public Policy Lecture funded by the Ruth E. Proud Charitable Trust.

Coates discussed topics like race relations in America as well as his long literary career and future endeavors.

Coates sat beside professor of history, political science and public policy Frances Jones-Sneed while he answered questions from students and spoke of his career and personal experiences.

During the lecture, he spoke about his 2015 book, “Between the World and Me,”

which is written in the style of a letter to Coates’ teenage son about feelings and difficult realities associated with being black in America. He explained that “Between the World and Me” was a follow-up of a piece he wrote for The Atlantic in 2014 titled, “The Case for Reparations.”

“Between the World and Me” was a number-one New York Times best-seller in 2015 and was required reading for this year’s MCLA freshmen. Coates is also a winner of the National Book Award and the NAACP Image Award and is a former national correspondent for The Atlantic.

The event also included

Coates, Page 2

Photo By Ron Leja

Professor of history, political science and public policy, Frances-Jones Sneed (left), interviews renowned author Ta-Nehisi Coates at the Eighth Annual Michael S. and Kitty Dukakis Public Policy Lecture.

Inaugural Day of Dialogue

A Discussion About Race In America

BY MAYA MCFADDEN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR MCLA students, staff and faculty joined together on Thursday, Nov. 8 for discussion-based workshops on this year’s theme, “Complicating Race,” for the inaugural Day of Dialogue.

A total of 10 workshops were offered throughout the day.

FYE students were required to attend a workshop throughout the alternative academic day. Some workshops had close to 100 students attend.

Melanie Mowinski’s workshop, “Power Up: Art as Action, Art as Dialogue,” had approximately 60 students participate. During the 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. workshop, students formed small groups to discuss and agree on a four to six letter political phrase.

The students then worked with Mowinski to print their phrase on cardstock in the printing press.

Photo By Maya Mcfadden

MCLA students attended a number of workshops throughout the day, some of which saw turnouts nearing 100 attendees.

Freshman Paula Kingsbury-Evans was interested in both Dale Fink’s workshops and Mowinski’s but decided to attend the art-based workshop to start her day off with hands-on work.

“I never really thought of art as being a political statement,” said Kingsbury-Ev-

ans. “The workshop was very expressive for me, and I’m glad the idea of art came up as a way to dialogue.”

Fink’s workshop, “Though He Always Held True to His Cadence and Rhymes Even Great Dr. Seuss Could be

Dialogue, Page 2

SAC announces 2019 Spring Concert Finalists

BY JAKE VITALI MANAGING EDITOR The Student Activities Council (SAC) has decided on 10 finalists for their annual spring concert and will be holding voting in the campus center marketplace until Friday.

The finalists are G Herbo, Dave East, Justine Skye, Curren$y, Jay Sean, Bryce Vine, Smokepurpp, Sevyn Streeter, Blocboy JB, and Ab-Soul.

G Herbo is a hip-hop artist from Chicago, Illinois, who released his most recent mixtape, “Swervo,” in July. The album features guest appearances from notable artists 21 Savage, Chief Keef, Juice WRLD and Young Thug.

Dave East is a hip-hop artist from Harlem, New York, and is signed to Nas’s record label, Mass Appeal Records, before jumping to Def Jam in September of 2016. In January he released “P2” which featured guest appearances from T.I., Torey Lanez and Lloyd Banks.

Justine Skye is a singer,

The Finalists G Herbo Dave East Justine Skye Curren$y Jay Sean Bryce Vine Smokepurpp Sevyn Streeter Blocboy JB Ab-Soul model and actress from Brooklyn, New York. Her debut album, “Ultraviolet,” was released in January.

Curren$y is a hip-hop artist from New Orleans, Louisiana, and was originally signed to Lil Wayne’s label, Young Money Entertainment. He released 12 mixtapes in 2016.

Jay Sean is a pop singer from London, England, who rose to fame in 2009 with his debut single, “Down,” which featured an appearance from Lil Wayne. The

Concert, Page 2

CAMPUSNEWS

2 Coates, From Page 1

Nov. 15, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 9

Dialogue, From Page 2

Ideas to include students in presentations and workshops are already being discussed by its organizers for the next Day of Dialogue.

Photo By Ron Leja

Interest in Coates led to a very large turnout. Students from MCLA, Williams College and locals filled the Campus Center Gym. questions from students. When asked what his view was on hope today, he answered: “I just don’t see why it’s important. I don’t need hope. I was raised differently than so many black people; I wasn’t raised in the church. I don’t have that grand Christian idea of hope ultimately winning out in the end. I was raised to accept death as the end, so for me what I understood was that everything comes to an end. So now that we know that, what beauty in life can I squeeze out in between?”

Coates’ lecture marked the end of this year’s “Day of Dialogue” on campus. This year’s theme was Complicating Race. The event also included an opening breakfast, morning

workshops, a lunchtime conversation and afternoon workshops, finishing off with Coates’ talk at 7 p.m. in the Amsler Campus Center gymnasium.

Coates has worked with illustrator Brian Stelfreeze for two years to write his “Black Panther” comic series. His series, named “A Nation Under Our Feet,” was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story.

He is also working with illustrator Leinil Francis Yu on the next chapter of his series of “Captain America” comics.

When asked if Coates had a novel in the works, he refused to give a straight answer and promptly changed the subject.

Concert, From page 2 song rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

This past year he has released two songs, “Emergency” and “Say Something.”

Bryce Vine is a rapper and singer from New York City. His current single, “Drew Barrymore,” continues to be a hit on top 40 radio, and Vine has an upcoming EP with a release date not yet determined.

Smokepurpp is a rapper from Miami, Florida.

His 2017 mixtape, “Deadstar,” peaked at #42 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. He is set to release “Deadstar Part 2” and “Sounds of Space” before the year ends.

Sevyn Streeter is an R&B, soul and pop singer from Haines City, Florida. She has written songs for artists including Arianna Grande, Alicia Keys, Trey Songz and Usher. She won Soul Train Awards’ “Best New Artist” distinction in 2014. Her most recent single, “Yernin,” was released in September.

Blocboy JB is a rapper from Memphis, Tennessee, best known for his song “Look Alive,” which featured Drake. The song peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and he received the BET Hip-Hop Award for Best Mixtape for his mixtape

“Simi” in 2018.

Ab-Soul is a rapper from Los Angeles, California, known for his introspective lyrics. All four of his albums have been met with critical and commercial success, including his most recent album, “Do What Thou Wilt,” which was released in 2016. He is signed to Top Dawg Entertainment, the same label which features Grammy award winner Kendrick Lamar.

These artists were chosen in part because of their availability and in part because of student interest, explained Fabby Bogardus-Street, SAC concert chair.

“These artists were picked because of availability for our date for the concert, which is April 15 and because of the cost factor. They were all within my budget, which is about $29,000,” explained Bogardus-Street, “and also based on some suggestions students gave me from the last survey, which choose the genre, and from my booking agent who gave me the rest of the suggestions.”

SAC will be tabling until Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will be splitting time between Bowman Hall and Campus Center Marketplace.

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Racist at Times” had a turnout of approximately 110 students.

The workshop discussed the times in which Seuss books, like “The Butter Battle Book” and “The Sneetches,” were written and their context.

Senior, Erika Lucia said that the role of a public figure and their way into the public spotlight was discussed when looking into Seuss’s work.

While it was not announced, many students remained unsure leading up to the day of events if they had to sign up for the workshops in advance.

Committee members responsible for the organization of the day of events said that only FYE students were asked to give notice to their professors for which workshops they were planning to attend ahead of time.

Some students said that, even after signing up for workshops in advance, they were not able to attend a morning workshop because they were filled.

“It was annoying because I had signed up for it in my FYE and then my peer-advisor emailed me and told me that it was filled up,” said freshman Salimatu Bah. Students that attended Fink’s workshop and others said that they were more lecture-based than discussion despite many of the titles including that they would be “participatory discussions.”

During the afternoon mix -it-up lunch, Kerri Nicoll, assistant professor of sociology, anthropology, and social work discussed her personal commitments to social justice and the importance of dialogue.

“I think dialogue is is such a powerful tool for bridging differences,” said Nicoll.

She emphasized the idea that dialogue is, however, only the first step to working towardsestablishing social justice and change.

She told student, faculty and staff that attended the lunch that the alternative academic day is meant to help all of the campus community members understand similar and different perspective from their own.

“I did not say that dialogue is the ultimate solution for all of the problems in our society.

I did not say that dialogue is a miracle cure for the divisions that ail us. Dialogue is not magic, but it is a tool,” said Nicoll.

While discussing dialogue in relation to her personal life,

like her family and social work, Nicoll told that vulnerability and cultural humility are important to a genuine discussion.

“It [cultural humility] is acknowledging that we cannot possibly understand another person’s views or perspectives if we approach them with a sense of judgment and superiority,” said Nicoll.

She also advised her listeners to “act with humility.”

The average turnout for each workshop was about 50 attendees.

Jenna Sciuto and Christopher MacDonald-Dennis’s documentary-based workshop, “Reflections on a Radical: Grace Lee Boggs, Solidarity, and Political Revolution,” had approximately 55 to 60 campus members attend.

The documentary film “American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs” was shown and discussed the nature of ideas fluidly changing, Sciuto said.

Freshman Olivia LaBraico said the workshop was successful in sparking discussion and “The film left me with a lot to think about and so being able to discuss it afterwards in a comfortable and engaging setting was helpful,” she said.

After lunch was provided, the second session of workshops began at 2 p.m and ran until 4 p.m.

Michael Obasohan and Jamal Ahamad’s workshop “Agency for People of Color in Entertainment Media” had a turnout of approximately 90 to 95 people.

“The workshop’s topic was not surprising to me because it’s obvious that people of color aren’t always represented in the media fairly or let alone at all,” Bianca Lascase said. “Our discussion was still good though because some people really never even noticed until they saw the injustices in media just because they’re white and didn’t have to notice it.”

Students feedback and responses were encouraged for the inaugural Day of Dialogue.

Committee members thanked the campus community during the day’s closing discussion in Bowman’s second-floor lobby.

Ideas to include students in presentations and workshops are already being discussed by its organizers for the next Day of Dialogue.

Nov. 15, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 9

NEWS

3

Trump Blames Poor Forest Management For Wildfires

BY BETTINA BOXALL LOS ANGELES TIMES LOS ANGELES -- President Donald Trump took to Twitter to blame bad forest management. California Gov. Jerry Brown pointed to climate change.

Their arguments about the cause of disastrous wildfires roaring across the state have turned a California catastrophe into the latest political cudgel in the ongoing slugfest between Washington and Sacramento.

Both leaders are in a sense promoting their political agendas. In Trump’s case, that is an attack on environmental regulations. In Brown’s, it is a call to arms to slow global warming.

But as is often with political rhetoric, reality is far more complicated.

The Trump-Brown exchange ignores what many experts consider core reasons for fire’s escalating toll: Humans keep sparking them, and Californians keep building in highfire zones prone to the fierce winds that inevitably drive the state’s most calamitous blazes.

In a tweet in the wee hours of Saturday, Trump framed a lack of logging as the sole cause.

“There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor,” Trump tweeted after the Camp fire _ the deadliest wildfire in modern state history _ leveled much of the Sierra Nevada foothills town of Paradise.

“Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests.

Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!” Trump declared.

The next day, Brown called the firestorms that have flared

BY ANTHONY MAN & GRAY ROHER SUN SENTINEL

Photo by Marcus Yam, Los Angeles Times

LA County firefighter Battalion 13 Captain Victor Correa helps put out hotspot in a neighborhood razed by the Woolsey fire on Harvester road in Malibu, Calif., on Nov. 12, 2018. from Paradise to Malibu the “new abnormal” that threaten Californians’ way of life.

“Managing all the forests everywhere we can, does not stop climate change,” Brown said. “And those who deny that definitely are contributing to the tragedies that we are witnessing and will continue to witness.”

Char Miller, director of environmental analysis at Pomona College, sees the comments “as a conversation between two pit bulls.”

“What we’ve got” from Trump is that “forest management is bad and California is suffering and that serves them right,” Miller said. “And Brown goes for literally the higher ground _ if we’re thinking of climatic issues _ but it doesn’t actually solve anything on the ground.”

What’s missing in this politicization of wildfire, Miller said, is a vital question. “Why

is it, that at the county, city, town level, we have repeatedly green-lit development in areas that we know are fire zones?

“Whether it is to allow a rock star to build on a ridgeline in Malibu or a manufactured home community that nestles into the foothills, the decision is the same and the consequences are the same. People who have been routed out of their houses have lost their possessions, and many people have lost their lives.”

This is not the first time Western wildfires have became a political football.

President George W. Bush’s administration pushed more commercial logging in national forests after huge wildfires erupted in federal forests in the West in the early 2000s.

But with his wildfire tweets, Trump is once again breaking old boundaries.

“I’ve been following these

issues for 40 years, and I don’t remember a time when the issue of wildfire has ever been politicized anywhere close to the extent it is now,” said Richard Frank, director of the California Environmental Law and Policy Center at the University of California, Davis.

“Trump’s tweets and comments on the subject are completely uninformed,” he said. “To attempt to make political points in the middle of calamitous public disasters of wildfires of the type and extent we’ve never seen in recorded California history is not helpful, to say the least.”

Overgrown forests - the result of a century of fire suppression as well as past logging that cleared the way for dense young stands of trees - pose a heightened wildfire threat in some parts of the Sierra Nevada.

UC Berkeley Law to Strip The Name of Boalt Hall Due to Racist Taint

BY TERESA WATANABE LOS ANGELES TIMES The University of California, Berkeley’s elite law school will move to drop the name of its famed Boalt Hall after a century because it honors a man now known to have been an anti-Chinese racist, the dean announced Tuesday.

Dean Erwin Chemerinsky said he struggled for months over the school’s close ties to the name of John Henry Boalt, a 19th-century San Francisco attorney who described the Chinese laborers coming into California as unassimilable murderers and thieves and

Lawsuits Try to Extend Florida Recount Deadlines

successfully pressed for an 1882 federal ban on Chinese immigration.

Details of Boalt’s unsavory past were widely disseminated for the first time after Charles Reichmann, a Berkeley law lecturer, last year published an op-ed and, later, a law review article.

In a letter to the law school community Tuesday, Chemerinsky said he changed his mind several times as he sorted through hundreds of “passionate, persuasive messages on both sides.” About 40 percent wanted to keep the name and the rest wanted to drop it.

Some argued that many

historical figures, including Thomas Jefferson, had mixed legacies. Others feared that dropping the Boalt brand would hurt the law school or that it would dishonor Elizabeth Josselyn Boalt, who donated $100,000 for the original law school building in her late husband’s name. (The law school moved to another building in 1950.)

In the end, Chemerinsky said he was most persuaded by those — including many students and alumni of color — who were pained by the continued use of the Boalt name.

“I was moved by the many

who wrote me expressing their discomfort with honoring someone who expressed vile racism, especially without anything to point to that would justify honoring him as an individual,” Chemerinsky wrote.

He said he would ask the campus building committee to drop the Boalt name from the law school’s classroom wing. The committee will launch its own review, which will include a public hearing, with a decision by UC Chancellor Carol Christ expected next spring. UC President Janet Napolitano then would have the final say.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Tuesday he wants the federal courts to throw out Florida’s recount deadlines, arguing that they’re too tight to fully check all the votes in his tight contest for re-election that — for the time being — Gov. Rick Scott is winning.

Nelson’s claim, contained in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the northern district of Florida, asserts that the likelihood that Palm Beach County can’t complete vote counting by the deadlines and the possibility that Broward might not be able to would disenfranchise too many voters.

If any counties can’t get ballots recounted on schedule, the state Elections Canvassing Commission uses the previous round of results to certify a final winner. That isn’t fair, Nelson and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee argued.

Chris Hartline, spokesman for Scott’s Senate campaign, said the Nelson campaign wants to bypass Florida law.

“Just so it’s clear: our campaign has filed lawsuits to make sure that Florida law (which is designed to protect against fraud) is followed. @ SenBillNelson and the liberal groups backing him have filed lawsuits to disregard Florida law and count unlawful ballots,” Hartline said on Twitter.

Also on Tuesday, Broward County finally started recounting ballots from last week’s midterm election.

Late Tuesday morning, the Supervisor of Elections Office finished the process of separating first page of the ballots — the page that contains the races that need to be recounted — from all the other pages, reports said.

Broward County attorney Drew Meyers said he was in contact with his staff at the elections office, who told him the machine recount was on track to be completed by 6 a.m. Thursday.

Broward has been the focus of national attention because of the slow pace of the initial round of vote counting from the election and the slow start to the recount, which was ordered by the state on Saturday for the three contests in which the margin was less than .05 percent of the vote.

“We’ll complete the recount.

There’s never been a deadline that we have missed,” Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes said Tuesday.

4

Hurricane Michael

News

Nov. 15, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 9

Why Won't Red Tide Go Away?

BY JENNY STALETOVICH MIAMI HERALD

MIAMI -- Just before Hurricane Michael made landfall last month, a ferocious red tide that had scoured Florida's Gulf Coast for a year, depositing countless dead sea turtles, dolphins and other marine life on beaches before spreading to the Atlantic coast, had finally started to wane.

In most places, with the wet season winding down and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers easing up on releasing polluted water from Lake Okeechobee, the toxic algae that had become a key election year campaign issue had dropped to relatively low levels. Fish kills were down and so were the coughing fits among beach-goers.

But in the weeks following the storm, red tide that is already considered the worst in a decade has roared back.

On Monday, state wildlife officials logged high to medium levels along beaches from Clearwater to waters off Everglades City and in the Panhandle. Fish kills were reported in nine counties from the Panhandle around the tip of the state to the Space Coast.

Along the Atlantic coast, levels capable of killing fish and causing respiratory distress remained along Cocoa Beach and in Martin County, but had dropped from Friday to Monday along other stretches of the Treasure Coast.

Why that is remains a little bit of mystery. Red tides have many factors at play, and remain tricky to predict. But it's likely a combination of wind, pollution and the tiny algae that cause the blooms, one of the few with the ability to swim, conspired to revive the tide.

"I kept hearing this argument, 'Yeah, let's bring a hurricane and that'll flush everything out.' But not necessarily," said Nick Shay, an oceanographer at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

While hurricanes can mix up the ocean and sometimes even provide a healthy flush _ following Hurricane Irma guides in the Key and Ten Thousands Islands happily reported a surge in fish _ red tides require more than a one-time flush. Polluted run-off from a storm's heavy rain or retreating storm surge also likely provide the blooms with an injection of fuel.

As Michael crossed the Gulf as a fierce Category 4 storm, Shay said temperature data show heavy mixing occurred across the long steep slope of the Florida Shelf where the red tide algae, Karenia brevis, live.

Water from the shelf was then pushed ashore as Michael passed to the right, he said.

Michael, Shay said, in effect did the opposite of Hurricane Irma, which occurred in September 2017 a month before Mote Marine Laboratory scientists first detected red tide off Sarasota in October, and he suspects helped trigger the current bloom: As it slid up

Photo by Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel/TNS

A dead fish is seen in the seaweed at Oceanfront Park in Boynton Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018.

Officials have confirmed that red tide has appeared on Florida’s Atlantic Coast. the coast, Irma sucked water off the coast and sent algae-laden water from the bottom ashore.

"It's still essentially the same recipe," he said.

For the tide to be flushed out, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration oceanographer Rick Stumpf, who monitors harmful blooms, said regular seasonal fronts need to arrive. The fronts carry northerly winds that produce a southbound current which can help push the tide offshore. That's typically what happens, and what failed to happen last January and February when winds were remained to mild, he said.

"We had this nondescript, probably gorgeous weather and the wind not going in any direction," he said.

As seasonal winds pick up, Stumpf said there's also a chance other algae that live in the Gulf and do better in windy conditions _ the good algae that don't carry toxins and form the basis of the food chain _ could begin to thrive. Those algae can't swim and tend to sink in calm weather while the tiny swimming Karenia brevis fare better in calm water. With the wind, the good algae remain suspended, feed off nutrients and out-compete the red tide algae, he said.

"It's not the shear amount of the wind.

It's the frequency of the wind," he said.

Tides in the Gulf are a seasonal event, arriving in late summer or early fall and usually last three to five months, state scientists say. That's because a permanent population of Karenia brevis live on

the bottom of the Florida Shelf. But after the tide first appeared, it wafted up and down the coast for months and never subsided. Over the summer as the rainy season deepened and the Corps began releasing polluted water down the Caloosahatchee River to ease pressure on the aging dike around Lake Okeechobee, the tide exploded in Pine Island Sound, littering beaches with tons of dead fish. Nutrients in pollution, especially in fertilizer, can feed the nutrients, so scientists suspect the lake releases worsened the problem.

"The pure chemist would say we haven't proven it.

We need lots more data. But it seems pretty evident to me. It's nutrient laden. That's why we have blue green algae," said Florida International University coastal ecologist Steve Leatherman.

The tide was then carried down and around the coast by the Florida Current and up the Atlantic coast, where tides rarely occur. The appearance of the tide in Miami-Dade in low amounts marked the first time since !972 when the New York Times reported an incident, according to Rosenstiel researchers.

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Nov. 15, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 9

FEATURES

5

Beyond the Beacon

From College Republican to Party Influencer

BY JAKE VITALI MANAGING EDITOR Tyler Spencer left MCLA after the fall 2016 semester with hopes to further his political career and so far, he’s done just that.

Spencer just spent the past six months working on the campaign of Kevin Cramer, the Republican senator-elect from North Dakota who beat out incumbent Democrat Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in the recent midterm elections. Cramer’s victory wasn’t guaranteed when he took the job, Spencer explained.

“When I moved out there I understood it was pretty 50/50

the people Spencer oversaw were volunteers that he trained on phone-banking and door-knocking. He spent his time in four key areas.

“Pretty much what the RNC does is there are four turfs, so for me that was Jamestown, Grand Forks, Devil Lake and Fargo, and the surrounding areas around that were covered by different staffers,” Spencer said.

The Cramer campaign was also raising less money than Heitkamp’s leading up to the election. According to CNBC, Heitkamp finished the race with $27 million raised, while Cramer had just $5 million in comparison.

Heitkamp finished the race with $27 million raised, while Cramer had just $5 million in comparison. and what changed it was the Kavanaugh issue. The people of North Dakota overwhelmingly wanted Kavanaugh to be confirmed to the Supreme Court.”

Spencer was the regional field director for the eastern part of the state and oversaw campaign volunteers.

“My job was pretty much to handle the grassroots organization on the eastern side of North Dakota. My region was about the size of Massachusetts, if not bigger,” Spencer said.

Before moving west this past May, he had been working on the Senate race here in Massachusetts while he simultaneously worked to finish his degree from Framingham State University. Ready for a challenge and realizing that the race here might not go as planned, he decided to change his course.

“Might as well try to find something different now that I’m graduating college,” Spencer said.

Through what he describes as being a friend of a friend, Spencer landed in North Dakota.

“Everything in politics circulates around who you know,” Spencer said. “I had a friend of a friend and we got to talking and he said, ‘Hey, what about North Dakota?’”

Not long after, he was connected with leaders in the North Dakota Republican Party and things clicked.

“I ended up getting connected with the deputy state director of the RNC director that night and he turned out to be a really nice guy, and then I talked to the state director and I was offered the chance to become the regional field director,” Spencer said.

They were working with a small budget and most of

Despite Heitkamp significantly outraising the Cramer campaign, the plan was always to maintain a grassroots approach.

“Basically, what the idea is, is that the RNC has created a program where you hire as little of staff as possible,” Spencer said.

It appeared to pay off for them, with Cramer winning the race by a 10-point margin with 55 percent of the vote to Heitkamp’s 44 percent.

For Spencer, he was proud of not just the victory, but how well his staff had decided to work together.

“Wherever you go, you have the ability to empower people, and the best thing that I saw is that this was my first management role, and I was managing five staffers, and how we all came together and how we all worked as a team is something I thought was incredibly unique and special,” Spencer said.

In addition to a lesson in campaign management, Spencer feels he learned a lesson in pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone.

“I think there’s a lot out there in the world to experience and stepping outside of my bubble in Massachusetts and going to a place I’d never imagined I’d live in has been the most rewarding of my political career so far,” Spencer said.

As we spoke on the phone, Spencer was in the process of driving back to the eastern part of the country. He is off to visit his parents who have since moved to New Jersey. Searching for his next opportunity, he is hoping it’s somewhere a little bit warmer.

“Not to sound cliché, but I like sand and beaches,” Spencer said.

Photo courtesy of Tyler Spencer

When Spencer moved out to North Dakota, Cramer’s victory wasn’t a guarantee. He also never anticipated that he’d ever move to the state in the first place.

Photo courtesy of Tyler Spencer

Spencer had the opportunity to be on the tarmac as President Trump visited to campaign for Cramer. He also had the opportunity to shake the president’s hand. In addition, he spent time with Cramer as he toured the state and attended various campaign events.

6

Arts & Entertainment

Taryn Simon Speaks at MASS MoCA

BY WYATT MINEAU A&E WRITER MASS MoCA's art is core to its function as a museum, and two of its latest exhibits are from artist Taryn Simon. This past Thursday MASS MoCA brought Taryn to their Club B10 to give an hour-long talk, interview, and Q&A on her work.

Taryn Simon, born 1975, is considered a multidisciplinary artist. This means she works with various media, as her work demonstrates. In her artist talk, Taryn discussed the two self-made pieces on display at MASS MoCA, "A Cold Hole" and "Assembled Audience," as well as some of her other work.

The general theme throughout the talk, as seen in her exhibits, was a focus on categorization: "the way power is constructed and formed" and "looking at the mathematics behind power."

Taryn also mentioned that her more recent pieces, such as the two on display, have an emerging theme of deprivation, especially of the senses.

She stated that when coming up with these pieces, she was told to "[s]ort of 'break form' and 'imagine anything you want to do.'"

"A Cold Hole"—a square hole in the ground filled with icy water which willing participants jump into—is her most notable and recognizable piece and was the focus of a short video shown to the

Photo by Wyatt Mineau

Taryn Simon (right) on stage during her talk at MASS MoCA. audience before her talk. The video showed that the spectator could clearly observe the participant in the hole, and though the participant could barely see the spectator, the participant could see a camera above capture their jump into the hole. There apparently is a mirror in the hole in which the participants can see themselves when they are in

the water.

Oddly enough, Taryn herself admitted that she had jumped into the hole before the talk to try to wake-up after a long travel day. Her hair was noticeably wet because of it.

Taryn discussed how she researched centuries of use of cold water immersion.

Charles Darwin used it as a type of spiritual cleansing,

and Vladimir Putin immersed himself in freezing water to commemorate the Feast of the Epiphany (baptism of Jesus).

She mentioned the scientific relationship between "A Cold Hole" and birth and death, specifically the extreme "gasp" that only happens "during birth, death and being woken from sleep."

She never had the intention to gather a significant response from the subjects, but spoke about a woman participant (whose parents had passed) telling Taryn she'd had a "catharsis" going into the hole.

Next, Taryn talked about her other work, the "Black Square" series, aptly named due to its focus on black squares on white backgrounds. She has been working on "Black Square" for many years, even requesting a black square of radioactive waste from a Russian corporation associated with monitoring radioactivity. In "a few thousand years," the neutralized radioactive waste will also be on display—in a black square—as part of the "Black Square" series.

To conclude the event, Taryn talked about her other MASS MoCA feature, the "Assembled Audience" exhibit, and its focus on the idea of contagion, "contagious behavior," and an unconscious impulse to follow.

She commented afterward on her experience working with MASS MoCA: “It insists on huge risk and potential failure, and definitely pushed me to a very different space.”

You can always follow what will be happening at MASS MoCA via their website, where you can also purchase tickets to their upcoming events. Taryn Simon also has her own website if you'd like to follow her work or talks.

Book Club: A Small Club with a Huge Love for Reading

BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER A&E WRITER Four years since Book Club was established on MCLA’s campus, it continues to be a club that brings students together who have a love of reading, sharing stories, and talking about their favorite books and life in general.

“I fell in love with Book Club my freshman year,” said senior and President of Book Club, Erin Carney. “I love being able to discuss books with other people who like to read.”

Each semester Book Club reads two books that are chosen by club members who come in with suggestions that are voted on. After the list of books is narrowed down to two, E-board members then put together discussion questions for their weekly meetings. This semester, Book Club read “The Princess Bride” by William Goldman and are currently reading “The List” by Siobhan Vivian.

“I enjoy hanging out with the people in the club and being able to see what they liked and disliked about what we’re reading,” Carney said. “Even hearing their opinions on books we’re not reading but they

have read is nice.”

Formerly known as the “Book Club Gala,” now the “Book Club Extravaganza,” is being brought back to campus and all MCLA students are invited to come to play book-related games and activities, make crafts, and hang out with friends and classmates. Book Club also tries to host movie nights that are based on the different books they read every semester.

“We just had a Princess Bride movie event after we read the book,” Carney said. “It was a good adaptation of the book and it was nice to see it on the screen.”

Like Carney, Heather Brzykcy joined Book Club her freshman year at MCLA. She is currently a junior and is also Vice President of Book Club.

“I have always wanted to become part of a book club where I could share my love of reading with others,” said Brzykcy, who responded via e-mail. “There were so many times I would finish a book I loved and have no one to share my excitement with!”

Back when Brzykcy was in high school, she tried to form a book club with her friends, but it didn’t work out. It wasn’t until she came to MCLA

that she was finally able to join a book club that was already running on campus. Now three years into it, Brzykcy loves Book Club more than anything.

“We are a group of people that accept everyone just as they are and encourage people to share a wide range of opinions,” Brzykcy said. “While we love reading and discussing the books we choose to read, we would love to have people come just for the fun of it even if reading is not their thing.”

Book Club generally has eight to 10 members who regularly attend meetings, but they are always open and looking for new students to join.

“We are working on several opportunities to advertise our club and really get people interested in it,” Brzykcy said. “I can't wait until we have a larger number of members and just really grow the club overall.”

Book Club currently meets every Monday night this semester at 8 p.m. in Bowman 324. Don’t miss their “Book Club Extravaganza” happening on Friday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. in Sullivan Lounge; it is open to all.

Photo from wikipidia

Book Club’s second book of the semester is “The List” by Siobhan Vivian.

Arts & Entertainment Dance Company Means Business During Their Fall 2018 Showcase 7

BY NORA HONES A&E EDITOR MCLA Dance Company— more commonly known as "Dance Co." on campus—performances are always highly-anticipated, and this year's fall showcase did not disappoint.

This past weekend's showcase had high-energy performances and an inclusion of other clubs in a way you don’t usually see at club events, making it a one-of-a-kind experience. With special acts by the Allegrettos, NeXXus, Dysfunk, and Berkshire Dance Theatre, the showcase gives you a taste of many other talented clubs and organizations while putting on a spectacular act themselves.

“The Dance Co. shows always surpass my expectations. We have so many talented dancers at MCLA,” said junior Sarah Groux, who attended Friday night’s performance. “I always enjoy the diverse array of acts they prepare!”

The diverse acts Groux refers to are an aspect of the performance that made it so strong this year in particular.

The walls between different clubs broke down with performances such as “Home,” which was choreographed and performed by Dirk Correia and Dance Co. Vice President Heath Upton. Correia is a member of Allegrettos and sang “Home” while Upton danced. It created an unexpected but thoroughly enjoyable intersection between two different forms of artistic expression.

As someone who has attended Dance Co. showcases in the past, this was not a sight I was accustomed to.

There was something special about this showcase and I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

“The last Dance Co. show I went to was a few years ago and it was awesome, but this show went above and beyond,” said junior Bridget Broyles, who also attended Friday night. “I can see how passionate all the dancers are about what they're doing and it made the show absolutely incredible—they all worked so hard!”

This show had more inclusion, energy and precision than Dance Co. shows I attended in the past. There were very minor slip-ups— someone bumping into someone else—but overall, Friday night’s two-hour show was solid. At no point did I think to myself, "Wow, they messed up!" For this length of pro-

Photo by Nora Hones

Dance Co. members performing the Aminé mix “CLBN” choreographed by Maggie Whited on their Friday night performance in Venable Theater. duction, involving 50-plus performers who are moving in and out of each other's space, it was very impressive.

For me, one of the big things that made this show so good was the energy it carried and created. After the Allegrettos performed, the first act in the showcase was called “CLBN” and was an Animé mix choreographed by Maggie Whited, co-president of Dance Co. The act was absolutely popping. Between the smooth turnovers in the mix to the high-energy dance, it was the perfect number to start the night off and show the audience Dance Co. means business.

Another powerful piece was “Silence,” choreographed by Secretary Alyssa Renaud, whose act showcased bullying awareness using dance as a way to communicate that bullying can happen to anyone.

The crowd was left speechless, appropriate for being the last act before the 10-minute intermission. The layout of pieces was very well-strategized to keep the audience's attention.

The performance also included a piece by the dancer-in-residence, Prince, who choreographed “She Don’t Text,” which had the audience literally yelling with excitement. When his piece was an-

Photo by Nora Hones

Maggie Whited performing “Fin,” her senior solo to the song “Nothin To Somethin” during Friday night’s performance. nounced, the Dance Co. member introducing it said Prince's vision really helped create the show, and it was evident this was true. The amount of energy and excitement he and his dancers exuded during their performance carried through all of the other performances.

I’ve never seen the crowd at

previous Dance Co. shows get so into the performances with such positive energy. While walking out of Venable Theatre, the only complaint heard was about the weather—it had been pouring rain before the show.

One could go through every piece performed and explain

in detail what it was about and what made it so great, but in reality that isn’t needed to get the picture that this was a great showcase.

Make sure to keep an eye out for Dance Co.’s spring showcase—you do not want to miss seeing what this club has to offer!

8

Arts & Entertainment

Beilin Launches New Memoir, “Spain”

BY JAKE VITALI MANAGING EDITOR Professor Caren Beilin released her new book, “Spain,” on Nov. 1 and celebrated the launch with a reading at Gallery 51 Tuesday night.

The book is a memoir of stories Beilin has from the brief period of time she lived there.

“It was a pretty boring and uneventful trip, and five years later, I was looking for something to write about, and I’d been telling sort of the funny, boring stories of Spain for those five years,” Beilin said.

Those stories became a platform for Beilin to talk about larger issues that she wanted to focus on, including sexism, the treatment of women, and micro-aggressive behavior toward women.

“I started just using them as the base layer to talk about some of the bigger issues I was thinking about in 2016 when I actually started writing it,” Beilin said.

“Spain” is Beilin’s second book. Her first publication, “The University of Pennsylvania,” a novel, was written while she was enrolled in an MFA program. The selection she read from her novel dealt with the juxtaposition of statues in a park named Glen Park of William Penn and George Fox. “I wanted to read a little bit from my first novel just because it’s so much the story of where I’m coming from as a writer. I worked on that novel for eight years, all the while being a creative writing student,” Beilin said.

However, “Spain” was the focus of Tuesday’s reading. She opened with

a piece called “Sanjay,” about a man who would not stop talking about how fearful he was hearing an alarm sound on a cruise. Sanjay’s story droned on and on, refusing an opportunity for the women in the group to speak.

Other readings dealt with more controversial subject matters such as “Osama,” which saw Beilin experiencing mixed emotions over the death of Osama bin Laden. All around her were people celebrating his death, and she struggled to see if it was worthy of celebration, believing he’d been made out as a bogeyman by the media.

At one point during the reading of “Osama,” Beilin broke into her impression of her mothPhoto by Victoria Weichel er and had an argument Caren Beilin described her new book as a memior of stories about her time spent in with herself. Her mothSpain. She primarily focus on her encounters with the treatment of women globally. er tried to suggest that writing to be personal and something content, however. Most of her work perhaps his death would give peace to those who lost loved ones she has been working at since child- was short in length because of her dein the 9/11 attacks and wars that fol- hood. sire to focus on the sentence and length For Beilin, her writing is person- developed near the end of her MFA studlowed, to which Beilin replied, “We’d al. She’s been writing since she was a ies. need Dick Cheney’s dead body.”

After reading a selection entitled child, but it wasn’t until her MFA pro“I was in an MFA program for writing “Acid,” Beilin returned to “Sanjay” gram that she began to write in this and only writing very short, small pieces for a brief moment, Sanjay still dron- form. because I only wanted to think about the “I’ve been practicing being a creative sentence,” Beilin said. ing on telling his story and Beilin still writer, arguably since I was eight years wanting to speak.

There will be one more reading with Beilin was hired in May as a profes- old,” Beilin said. novelists Andrea Lawlor and Jordy RosenShe hasn’t always written long form berg on December 6, 7 p.m. at Gallery 51. sor of creative writing. She considers

Good Vibes, Good Beer with Melissa Brinton

BY RON LEJA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF On Tuesday, Nov. 6, folk music artist Melissa Brinton was featured at Bright Ideas Brewery at MASS MoCA alongside Sam Rosen, another local folk musician. The event was hosted by Common Folk, a collective of local musicians who mostly reside in the folk and indie genre.

If you are a native of Berkshire County and have yet to experience the musical styling of Brinton, chances are you don’t get out much. Ever since kicking off her music career in 2008, the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has become a staple of Berkshire County’s roving folk music scene, and for good reason.

Her sunny personality is always accompanied by a smile. Her guitar work has an almost Santana-esque vibe and melded with her silk-like vocals—reminiscent of Rita Coolidge—Brinton never ceases to create a warm, inviting atmosphere for her listeners, really making them feel right at home.

Both she and Rosen played guitar and covered a fine mix of not only some of Brinton’s original pieces but several covers of classic songs—ranging from Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” to “Over the Rainbow,” Harold Arlen’s famous ballad from “The Wizard of Oz.” While Brinton’s own work, mostly featured off her 2017 debut album, “Melissa,” was enjoyable in its own

Photo by Ron Leja

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Melissa Brinton kicked off her music career in 2008 and is a widley know musician in the Berkshire County. right, her covers were unquestionably entertaining and greatly appreciated by her audience.

Where she may not be the original artist, Brinton manages to present each song in a way that holds true to

her own style, making for an experience that is truly all her own in keeping the audience engaged, despite being such a low-key affair.

“I think Melissa is a Berkshire County gem,” Kirsten Renee, a North Adams

local, raved. “I’ve seen her at a few different places here and there, and I always enjoy her voice. The songs she chooses to cover are oldies but goodies. They’re popular enough that most people are familiar with them, so it’s easy to get into the groove with her.”

“It was my first time seeing her play and I’d definitely come out to see her again,“ Jonathan May, another resident of North Adams remarked, “I’m not really one for this style of music, but it makes for some nice background noise while drinking with friends. She has a very relaxing voice and an energy about her.”

Hailing from Pittsfield, Brinton has played at a cornucopia of establishments throughout western Massachusetts over the years. Not only has she played at the majority of eateries, taverns and lounges in the general area, but recently has shared her gift of music with those in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.

Brinton also is in the very early process of producing a second album and has recently begun another musical journey dubbed “Fannie Pack,” a new project alongside Rosen, Laine Morel, and Paul Armstrong that, as the band notes, “consists of a collection of songs from various time/space continuums.”

Fannie Pack played their first show at Tavern at the A in Pittsfield this past Saturday.

Nov. 15, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 9

OPINION

9

Editorial

Remakes, Sequels and Film Adaptions; Oh Please This weekend, Illumination’s new take on Dr. Seuss’s holiday classic, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” managed to rake in $66 million dollars at the global box office.

The rehashed story of a furry, green stick-in-the-mud’s diabolical attempt to ruin the Christmas festivities, a story that’s been told time and time again, managed to outperform both the Queen biopic, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and the horrific robot-Nazi-zombie thriller, “Overlord”—two films sporting, if anything else, authentic, original storylines.

Furthermore, both aforementioned movies have received considerably better scores on Rotten Tomatoes than “The Grinch,” by upward of 10 to 20 percent by both users and critics alike. Yet still, they did not come close to making as much money as “The Grinch.”

It is not only upsetting to see such fantastic films receive less publicity in comparison to what is arguably yet another cookie cutter family film filled with “dad jokes” and “cool” hip-hop renditions of Christmas songs, it is honestly aggravating.

It is a hard truth that none of us want to hear, but as much as we like to complain that Hollywood is out of ideas, we as a society are part of the problem.

Year after year, we continue to support a lack of creativity and exploration in cinema by throwing money toward every remake, sequel, popular book adaptation and CGI-ridden blockbuster to hit the

silver screen.

We turn our attention to yet another rendition of “King Kong” with Samuel L. Jackson, the umpteenth “The Fast and the Furious” flick, or an all-female rendition of “Ghostbusters,” complete with storylines that vary only slightly from their older versions.

While we totally understand fandom, doesn’t the over-the-top superhero flick start to get old after a while?

Don’t get us wrong, we at the Beacon enjoy our fair share of “Harry Potter” spinoffs and expansions to the Marvel cinematic universe. The problem is that these types of films now dominate box offices month after month, leading to what we believe to be a fairly stagnant viewing experience, in which originality is replaced with familiarity and experimentation is frowned upon.

Meanwhile, a slew of fantastic, original films, despite receiving critical acclaim, are all too often passed over by the masses, left to be enjoyed by a mere fraction of those willing to stray from the flock and venture into films with fewer explosions and more depth.

Movies such as Nora Twomey’s “The Breadwinner” and Leigh Whannell’s “Upgrade” are dynamic works in their genres, and yet ask most people if they have seen either—and chances are they haven’t so much as heard of them—despite them being less than a year old and critically celebrated.

In society’s defense, neither of these

movies made it to the majority of theaters throughout the country. Even if people wanted to see them, there is a good chance they could not, which is another problem all on its own.

This is, in part, due to Hollywood’s inability to take risks.

In a world in which the majority of millennials subscribe to two or three streaming services at a time and movie theaters charge upward of $10 for admittance, the movie industry cannot afford to take chances with a narrative that strays too far from the norm. Otherwise, people may just stay home.

The movie industry needs hundreds of millions of dollars to stay afloat, and as it stands, remakes and blockbuster sequels are what rake in the cash because that is what we buy into. So that is what they produce.

While there is certainly nothing wrong with enjoying these types of films, we do feel that the film industry has reached a point where the big-name remake or blockbuster is entirely overdone.

The announcement of a new “Star Wars” or “Lord of the Rings” used to instill us with excitement and intrigue. They were far and few between, and therefore special. To see them on opening night practically felt like a holiday outing in and of itself.

Nowadays, not so much. We have been subjected to so many retellings and continuations of stories we all know that they just no longer capture us the way they used to.

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.

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SPORTS

10

Nov. 15, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 9

Player Profile Senior Guard #32 Courtney Pingelski Height: 5’9 Hometown: Mechanicville, NY

Career Stats Totals

Photo by MCLA Athletics

Senior Courtney Pingelski currently averages 90 percent from the free-throw line, 57 percent from the three-point line and 43 percent from field this season.

Pingleski Leads her Team to First Win of Season

BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS EDITOR Senior guard Courtney Pingelski led her team with 23 points in women's basketball's first win of the season against SUNY Cobleskill, with a final score of 65-46.

The secured win moves MCLA to third in the MASCAC conference with a record of 1-1. The Trailblazers overall finished the game with 44 rebounds, 15 assists, seven steals, and one block.

Pingelski had nine rebounds, one assist, and one steal while shooting 5-8 from the field, 10-10 from the freethrow and 3-5 from the three-point arc.

Senior forward Samantha Gawron carried a season-high 16 points and nine rebounds.

Senior guard McKenzie Robinson scored 14 points, five rebounds, five as-

sists, and one steal. She shot 5-17 from the court, 1-6 from the free-throw line and 3-7 from three-point range.

Coach Loren Stock's experience helped her learn to change her coaching style based on her players all learning differently, allowing them to adapt well.

“Throughout the years, just adjusting to different teaching methods, just trying to be able to make sure that I am hitting every single one by doing a chalk talk,” Stock said. “Making sure we have time on the floor to get five people out to be able to run through an offensive set so that obviously everybody can learn, and everybody is on the same page.”

Cobleskill overall completed with a total of 38 rebounds, nine assists, eight steals, and two blocks. The Trailblazers’

magnificent defense held players on the Tigers team to 10 or fewer points. Junior guard Addy Lawson had 10 points, nine rebounds, four steals, one assist and one block.

Junior guard Erica Cabrera scored nine points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal, followed up teammate sophomore guard Kristena Westerfeld finishing with eight points and six rebounds.In the first half, the score was 26-23.

In the fourth quarter, the Trailblazers pulled away with two defensive scoring droughts to secure the game at 1:54 with the score 61-43. The Trailblazers head to New Hampshire to play against Keene State College on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 1 p.m.

Field Goal Percentage: 35 3-point %: 31 Free-Throw %: 71 Career Points: 609 Rebounds: 300 Assists: 78 Steals: 94 Blocks: 9 Pingelski is a member of SAAC and is majoring in Health Sciences with a minor in Business.

She was named to MASCAC All Academic team and National Society of Leadership and Success.

“My biggest goal for myself this season is to just play confident, be cool, calm and collected out on the court and just be able to work with teammates that are on the floor.”

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Nov. 15, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 9

SPORTS

11

Is Tom Brady in the Twilight of his Career?

Photo by MCLA Atheletics

Sophomore Mike Demartinis currently averages 77 percent from the free-throw line, 31 percent from the three-point line and 36 percent from field this season.

Men’s Basketball Comes up Short in Season Opener

BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS EDITOR MCLA Trailblazers came up short with a loss in their season opener against John Jay, leaving the final score of the game 91-63.

The Trailblazers overall finished with 42 rebounds, 14 assists, eight steals, and one block.

Sophomore forward Mike Demartinis led his team with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals while shooting 4-11 from the field, 7-9 from the free throw and 0-2 from the three-point arc.

Also, his teammate, sophomore forward Hayden Bird tied with Demartinis with eight rebounds but followed up with 14 points, an assist, and a steal. Bird shot 5-11 from the court, 1-2 from the free throw line and 3-7 from three-point range. Junior Antoine Montgomery had seven points, two rebounds, and two assists.

Coach Derek Shell realizes his team’s strengths and weaknesses, and wants to turn them into their benefits by focusing on them during practice. “[What we are focusing on in practice] currently is conditioning because as a smaller team our best chance is to be competitive, play tenacious defense, run up and down the floor,” Shell said. “We have a lot of size, but we have a lot of bodies, athletic kids, kids with a lot of basketball IQ’s, so we need to try to take what our strengths are and turn them into our advantages.”

“We have a lot of size, but we have a lot of bodies, athletic kids, kids with a lot of basketball IQ’s, so we need to try to take what our strengths are and turn them into our advantages.”

John Jay overall completed with a total of 54 rebounds, 19 assists, 13 steals, and three blocks. The junior six-foot-seven forward Doug Levy had his first double-double to start the season. He had 27 points, 19 rebounds, and three blocks.

Levy was followed up by his teammate freshman wing Santiago Collado, who scored his first 14 points of the season. He also added three rebounds and one assist. Senior wing Essien Epps had 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals.

The Trailblazers will head to Amherst to enter into the Ken Wright ‘52 Invitational tournament against Kean University on Friday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m.

Recently, the New England Patriots endured a vicious 3410 loss at the hands of the Tennessee Titans. Nothing at all went right for the Patriots while their defense failed to stop Tennessee's mediocre offense for much of the day, and the Patriots' usually electric offense was lifeless against the Titans' strong defense. Of course, since this always happens whenever the Patriots lose a game, many questions surrounding Quarterback Tom Brady have spiraled.

Chief among those questions is the tried and true, "Is Tom Brady done?"

While Brady admittedly had some rough, uncharacteristic moments and hasn't been at his best throughout the season, shouldering the majority of the blame on him for Sunday's loss is absolutely absurd. Anybody who watched the game for ten minutes and has half a brain could tell you that. For one thing, the play calling was strangely atrocious. Why the hell is the team trying some wacky trick play pass to 41-yearold Brady on a third and nine situation? Are you trying to insult the man?

Perhaps more predictable and, in this game blatantly obvious, is how badly the Patriots need Rob Gronkowski. Their receiving talent is laughably bad when Gronk isn't around. Julian Edelman put forth a Herculean effort with 10 catches for over 100 yards and was brutalized whenever he was brought down. But Edelman can't shoulder the load the way big, hulking Gronk can and has, time and time again.

Chris Hogan and Josh Gordon were largely invisible most of the day, and absolutely nobody is afraid of guys like Phillip Dorsett or Dwayne Allen. New England abandoned the run too early, resulting in a season-low 32 rushing yards.

I bet they wish they had a guy like Dion Lewis, a better between-the-tackles and outside rusher than Sony Michele seems to ever get to be. Too bad they let him go to Tennessee for virtually nothing.

Finally, New England's de-

ANDREW BAILLARGEON THE CALL fense was just awful. Nobody wanted to cover anyone, for one thing, which led to players like Corey Davis and Tajae Sharpe turning in All-Pro type days, making great catches and gaining eerie amounts of separation. For another thing, New England's uninspiring pass rush failed to adequately pressure Marcus Mariota, a man who just endured an 11-sack day against the Baltimore Ravens a few weeks prior. This resulted in Mariota having all day in the pocket, finding momentum, and consistently gashing the Patriots' porous defense, particularly on third down.

But yeah, that loss was all Brady's fault, right? To be honest, I bet Brady could have done a better job covering Corey Davis than well-paid Stephon Gilmore did. Kidding, of course. But still, the non-stop, bland and overdone criticisms of Brady are, like always, annoying, repetitive and, of course, wrong.

You can clearly see that Brady has the same velocity and accuracy on the ball that he's always had. He has never been particularly athletic, so failing to make that first down on that erratic play call is far from surprising. It's like asking your grandpa to go run a 40-yard dash; what are you trying to prove?

If Brady had, say, the weapons guys like Matt Ryan or maybe record-breaking Drew Brees had, this discussion would never be had. I suppose when New England inevitably goes 13-3 or 12-4 and gets to the AFC Championship without breaking a sweat, these talks will die down.

Like they always do.

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Nov. 15, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 9

12

First Day of Dialogue Photos by Maya McFadden, Senior News Editor

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