TheOnlineBeacon.com
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Volume 88 • Issue 8
Hardman Journalist-in-Residence
Fiori Address Latinx Media Representation BY MAYA MCFADDEN STAFF WRITER
Board expressed its disappointment with its proposed budget reduction: “All of our previous budgets throughout the years have been necessary to execute these functions. Having these extreme budget cuts puts dance co is a position that we haven’t really ever been in. It’s not fair to us being one of the biggest clubs on campus and expected to work with such a small budget. Dance company has 40+ members attending meetings each week and they deserve to
Renowned Latina scholar, Mariel Fiori, visited MCLA as this spring semester’s Hardman Journalist-in-Residence. During class lectures, her keynote presentation and workshops, Fiori discussed her experiences in the field of journalism as an immigrant born in Argentina pursuing her passions within the Latinx community. Fiori’s talk, “Democracy and Journalism, the Hudson Valley, and What I Care About,” was hosted Thursday, March 28, in Murdock 218. The turnout for the event included approximately 40 students, faculty, staff and Berkshire community members. Caitlin Mayes ’19, currently pursuing an education major, attended Fiori’s talk, noting that the event increased her knowledge of the effects of media representations of Latinx people. “Topics like this are really important because if I can understand how to bring more bilingualism into my classroom, I can better teach all students,” Mayes said. Fiori, currently a resident of Kingston, New York, is a journalist, educator, translator, and entrepreneur. The 40-minute presentation was followed by a Q & A session, allowing audience members the opportunity to engage with Fiori and her lecture topics. Fiori moved to the United States in 2003 with seven years of experience as a professional journalist. Before immigrating to the U.S, she lived in Spain for two years then moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she attended the Universidad Catolica Argentina. There, Fiori earned her degree in journalism and studied legal commercial English-Spanish translation.
BUDGETS, Page 10
FIORI, Page 10
Created By Ron Leja
Lower Enrollment, Lower Club Budgets BY JAKE VITALI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SGA’s Budget Finance Committee has proposed an overall budget of $300,000 for Fiscal Year 2020, a budget that is 25.9% lower than the current fiscal year 2019, which was $405,000. Among the notable decreases were: a proposed 41% cut to Dance Company from $12,700 in FY19 to $7,503 in FY20; a 51% cut for Black Student Union from $9,000 in FY19 to $4,428 in FY20; a 54% decrease for Debate Club from $3,000 in FY19 to $1,383 in FY20,
a 62% reduction for Anime Club from $6,100 in FY19 to $2,303 in FY20, and a 76% cut for Students for a Sensible Drug Policy from $3,700 in FY19 to $903 in FY20. According to BFC Co-Chair and Coordinating Vice President Dean Little ‘21, MCLA Administration and Finance provided the committee with a projected enrollment of 1,100 students for FY20 with a collection rate of 85% for the $300 student activities fee. In FY19, BFC used an estimated 90% collection rate from 1,350 students. In a statement sent to The Beacon, Dance Company’s Executive
Doug Valentine Addresses CIA Issues of Keeping State Secrets and Telling Lies BY JOHN MORRISSEY STAFF WRITER
Author Douglas Valentine spoke on Monday to a full capacity audience in Murdock 218 about his book, “The CIA as Organized Crime,” and provided insight into his belief that the organization operates lawlessly outside of the public eye. According to Valentine his research into how the CIA operates spans over 30 years and involves relationships with numerous CIA agents, including former Director William Colby. Colby is publicly known for exposing controversial CIA actions prior to his accidental drowning in 1996. “I’m here to tell you that the CIA is the mechanism that the establishment uses to maintain its dominance around the world and here in the United States,” Valentine said. Valentine explained his view on how the CIA grew from the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII, and how it turned into an entity responsible for keeping state secrets and telling lies today. “The United States needed an organization which could coordinate between all of its military services and could operate behind enemy lines without being
PHOTO BY JOHN MORRISSEY
Valentine is known for publicly exposing controversial CIA operations.
detected and that is how the OSS came to be,” Valentine said. Valentine described the birth of the CIA as a permanent extension of the disbanded OSS and detailed the type of individuals the organization recruited. “The original members of the OSS and CIA were members of the establishment, really the people who
were well connected and it is still that way,” Valentine said. Along with writing books, Valentine is a journalist, investigator and poet. He also has testified as an expert witness and served as a documentary film consultant. His previous books include “The Hotel Tacloban,” “The Phoenix Program” and “TDY.” In 2004, Valentine won the American Library Association Choice Award for his book, “Strength of the Wolf: The Secret History of America’s War on Drugs.” According to Valentine, the responsibility of the CIA is to do whatever is necessary to further the establishment’s interests while hiding the means used in obtaining those objectives. “How do you go about keeping the illusion of freedom so it holds the culture together?” Valentine said. “Secrecy and telling lies are very important in American society in creating the science of domination.” Valentine depicted a scenario in which an eightyear-old, who overheard details of a CIA adviser’s plan of recommended action [to a foreign entity], was executed in order to maintain the secrecy of the
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Travel Courses
Living Through Ireland’s History BY TESSA SESTITO COPY EDITOR During spring break, MCLA’s travel course to Ireland allowed students to immerse themselves in Ireland’s extensive history, culture and society through visits to Dublin, Belfast and Kilkenny. For Elizabeth King ’20, this travel course provided her the opportunity to leave the country for the first time and explore. “It was different than what I’ve been in, it’s a different culture,” King said. “I’m used to Massachusetts and being in a city where I drive three hours and I cross the state, but over there it’s driving three hours and you’re in another country.” During this trip, students visited several historic sites and museums, including Kilmainham Jail and Giant’s Causeway.
“We saw this famous jail, Kilmainham, where a lot of people from the 1916 uprising went, and the general post office that had bullet holes in it and bullet marks,” King said. “You’re in history then.” “We went to the Giant’s Causeway in Belfast, which is this huge park you can climb, you can walk around and explore, and I love taking pictures, so there were a lot of great picture opportunities,” King continued. “While there, we crossed this rope bridge that we literally swayed with the wind!” On the trip to Ireland, students were also given the opportunity to learn hurling. “They have hurling like that’s a really big sport there,” King said. “It’s a combination of like lacrosse and hockey and soccer, and we don’t have that here. I want to go back because it’s an exciting place and
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH KING
MCLA travel course students crossing the rope bridge in Northern Ireland.
just a really beautiful country.” Anthony Daly, professor of history, political science and public policy, had previously led a travel course to Ireland in 2016, but this year was different due to the issue of — Brexit, the United Kingdom’s decision to separate from the European Union. “We were in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., and the issue of the border between the two is a huge issue in the Brexit controversy, so it was really interesting to hear people talk about it,” Daly stated in an email. The trip to Ireland covered three cities: Kilkenny and Dublin, which are in the Republic of Ireland, and Belfast, which is in Northern Ireland. Two days were spent in each city, with the remaining five days set aside as traveling days from one city to the next as well as arriving to and departing from Ireland. According to Daly, traveling throughout Ireland gave students the opportunity to explore cultures different from the United States. “Students learned that the way we do things here is not necessarily the way people do things or think about things everywhere,” Daly said. “Speaking to people in different places conveys different ways of thinking about things. For example, learning the perspectives of Belfast taxi drivers on the violence and peace
Wellness Fair Brings Mental and Physical Health Programs BY NATHAN BIRON STAFF WRITER
The Wellness Fair, hosted in the Venable Gym last Wednesday, promoted ways for students to improve their overall health and announced programs that will be starting up now that spring has arrived. The most anticipated activity at the fair was the Student Activities Council’s (SAC) “Builda-Bear,” which offered students the opportunity to choose and stuff their own stuffed animal. In order to participate in this, each student needed to present their fair “passport” with a certain number of stickers on it. The passport acted as an incentive to get students visiting booths around the gym before creating their stuffed animal. Tyler Campbell ’21 was able to partake in making his own stuffed animal. “I think this is a great way to connect with our peers and bring everyone closer together,” Campbell said. “I am very hap-
py with this event and learned some great things from many different people. Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) had a few booths spread out in the fair, including the Healthy Steps booth presented by Cathleen Vidoli, outreach & state supplement program coordinator. Margaret Peebles, registered dietitian at BMC, presented her ways of tackling tough diet changes and trying out new and healthier foods. “We are trying to emphasize plant-based foods such as beans, whole wheat, and pasta meals,” Peebles said. Peebles brought various snacks to the booth, including peanut butter chick-pea energy balls and black bean brownies. New programs starting up this spring include the Ride Share Program, officially starting Monday, April 8. Chris Hantman, coordinator of civic engagement and volunteer programs, and Victoria Munoz ’19 showcased the program with
a booth to let students know about how to get started with signing up for a bike to use. Sarah Housman, marketing manager of Wild Oats in Williamstown, was here to not only shed light on choosing a healthier lifestyle, but to also educate students on their CBD oils. Other popular attractions included Nicotine Awareness, Northern Berkshire EMS, and Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.
PHOTO BY NATHAN BIRON
MCLA Bike Share table with Victoria Muñoz ‘19, left, and Chris Hantman, right.
PHOTO BY ELIZABTH KING
MCLA students at the Giant’s Causeway on the Antrim Coast of Northern Ireland. Pictured left to right: Neil Tupper ’21, Declan Nolan ’19, Elizabeth King ’20 and Megan Mcginley ’20. process of recent history in Northern Ireland.” For King, the difference in culture allowed her to further immerse herself in history and understanding how recent history has occurred. “I think about the history of other countries more now, just like learning that and being at the places still have such historical significance,” King said. In Ireland and Northern Ireland, you still see the Catholic and Protestant tension, so I think about that now and how recent history actually is. For example, 1916 feels like a long time ago, but they’re still affected by that.” Both Daly and King want to encourage students to take a travel course because of the benefits, academically and
experientially, they’ll receive from traveling. “Academically, travel courses help students learn in different ways, allowing them to integrate experiences with more traditional classroom study,” Daly said. “In addition, students gain knowledge and confidence in how travel is doable and valuable.” “Even if you’re not a history person, show up and learn the history because it’s actually pretty interesting to be in it later,” King said. “It’s worth it to learn about everything and go see this place. if I were traveling on my own, I probably wouldn’t have looked up the history, but going with a class and with other students who like learned the same things, it’s all worth it.”
THEONLINEBEACON.COM
THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2019
VOLUME 88 • ISSUE 8
BY RON LEJA EDITOR-AT-LARGE Journalism isn’t for the weak. Between a drastically declining newspaper industry, an increasing threat of violence against the industry, and a president who continues to challenge the authenticity of journalists who dare to ask questions, being a journalist in today’s world takes a lot more than an occasional 500-word article. It takes heart, commitment, endurance and muscle. To prepare the aspiring journalists of MCLA for an industry that can only be described as “hell in a cell,” English/communications professor Jim Niedbalski is determined to whip future generations of the Beacon into shape the only way he knows how — by laying the smackdown. Starting next semester, Niedbalski will be taking on the role of Beacon adviser, promoter and wrestling coach. Following an increase in violent altercations against journalists in recent years, Niedbalski presented a strong case for the inclusion of wrestling ideology and technique into the current communications curriculum earlier this semester. MCLA Administration has since agreed that the journalists of tomorrow must be able to defend themselves, both mentally and physically. As such, Niedbalski has been given the green light to implement a number of unorthodox teaching methods in the newsroom to ensure that journalism students are prepared for the tough road that lay ahead. These include regularly scheduled “ladders, tables and chairs” matches between students, showboating workshops, a strict spandex-based dress code and weekly royal rumbles to be held in Murdock 218. Late stories and poorly executed interviews will affect not only one’s grade but possibly their spine. “Journalism students are soft these days,” Niedbalski argued. “If they can’t even manage to get three sources for a story, how in the hell are they ever going to manage a three-tap on the mat? Someone has to show them how it’s done, brother.” Outside of the classroom, Niedbalski is more commonly known for his acts of choreographed violence inside the ring, where he is referred to as Jim “The Stache” Niedbalski. Niedbalski has been wrestling since the early ’80s as part of the normal weekend roster for NEWS, the New England Wrestling Society. His gruff exterior, prowess on the microphone and trademark mustache have made Niedbalski a fan favorite across multiple generations. His signature move, “10 minutes to deadline,” is considered to be one of the most devastating in the industry, having been used by Niedbalski to secure multiple titles throughout his career. “I have two loves in this life,“ Niedbalski ex-
Above: Jim “The Stache” Niedbalski playing to a sold out crowd at MCLA’s Centennial Room
PHOTOS BY RON LEJA
plained. “Solid, investigative journalism, and dropping elbows from the top rope. I plan on bringing both to the Beacon.” While members of the current Beacon staff are thrilled to be receiving direction from Niedbalski given his wealth of experience, some can’t help but be nervous. “I’ve taken classes with Jim before,” one student who wished to remain nameless remarked. “He’s passionate about what he does and can be pretty intense at times. I forgot to turn in an assignment once and he told me I was setting myself up for a slobber knocker. Back then he was all bark, but now I’m legitimately worried.” All concerns aside, Niedbalski is adamant when it comes to fixing students with strong journalistic skills. Both students and faculty alike expect that, through his teaching, the Beacon can be chiseled into a champion amid student-produced newspapers. “It’s about time these sorry excuses for journalism students learned what’s up,” Niedbalski exclaimed. “It’s time they read between the lines and start putting in work. Jim Mania? It’s coming, brother!”
Committee to Select Student Martyr BY JAIMIE DANGER RESIDENT ANIMAL DUDE
In an attempt to raise individual GPAs of returning students, a committee has been formed to select a 4.0 student to sacrifice so their GPA can be distributed across the student body. As graduation quickly approaches, students excitedly prepare for the upcoming sacrifice. “This is exactly what I needed,” an anonymous student claimed. “My grades are really on the rocks right now and I could use the boost. Even better if it means one less nerd on campus.”
The committee, set to meet for the first time Monday, consists of: Emily Williams, vice president of academic affairs; Dean of Academic Operations Deborah Foss; English/communications professor Zack Finch; John Kozik, director of MCLA Dining Services; and the Trailblazer mascot. “The honors program was actually created to streamline the selection of the sacrifice,” Finch explained. “We always encourage new students to join. However, if you fear becoming the sacrifice, then the honors program is not the organization for you.” President James Birge believes this new ini-
tiative will improve MCLA’s retention rate and build a stronger sense of community among students. “This is an exciting opportunity for the MCLA community to come together to celebrate the achievement of one of our brightest students,” Birge said in a recent interview. “There is no higher honor than sacrificing your GPA for your fellow students.” The event is set to take place in the Campus Center Gym Saturday, April 20, at 4:20 p.m. Students are cordially invited to spectate the ceremony. Further details will be announced as the committee finalizes its decisions.
Does anyone ever
really read these
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BY JAKE VITALI INTREPID EDITOR On Monday, President James Birge announced that the College would be selling Berkshire Towers on Church Street to the Trump Organization, a New York City real estate firm owned by U.S. President Donald Trump. In a carefully worded statement authored by Birge’s communications team, the property is being sold for $500,000. According to tax records, the property had been assessed at approximately $3.4 million. “This is a strategic sale that enables us to bring a well-respected, reputable business presence to the city of North Adams,” Birge said. “Through this new strategic decision, MCLA will have the capital necessary to pursue new surveys on how we should further expand our administrative overhead.” At a campaign rally Tuesday night in Jacksonville, Florida, Trump addressed his latest acquisition. “Trump Towers will offer the most beautiful view of all of upstate New York, not that there’s much to look at, but it’s about as beautiful as you’re gonna get folks, it’s as beautiful as you’re gonna get,” Trump said. “Now, they’re about to become the most luxurious, most spacious, really simply terrific places in all of Western Massachusetts.” According to a source close to President Trump, he became interested in the space because of the Hoosic River flood walls that run through North Adams. Trump is reportedly looking at the flood walls as a model for his proposed wall on the southern border. The suite-style residence hall will be converted into luxury apartments with three apartments on each floor. The renovation is expected to cost upward of $7 million and capital is reportedly being pro-
ARTWORK BY THE INESCAPABLE MAN
In addition to selling Berkshire Towers, Trump and President Birge have merged into one singular entity. vided by the Russian Agricultural Bank. The Greylock and Taconic rooms will be gutted to make room for a Starbucks and a Trump store, selling various Trump-branded merchandise. The space currently housing laundry services will become home to a steakhouse where patrons are advised to order their steaks well-done with ketchup. All steaks are served with a Big Mac appetizer, a Diet Coke, and chocolate ice cream sundae for dessert. The eighth floor of A-Tower will be made into an office so Trump can bring his work with him during his routine visits to western Massachusetts. “It’s exciting when you have an incumbent POTUS on what used to be part of your campus,” Birge said. “I look forward to welcoming the president and his family to our neighborhood and
I look forward to how this will help elevate MCLA’s position in the national conversation. This, coupled with our recent rankings in U.S. News and World Report, is really putting us on the map.” Despite Birge’s excitement over the sale, students do not share the same sentiment. Protests broke out in the quad Monday and Tuesday night and caught the attention of CNN and MSNBC. With 2020 around the corner, Democratic presidential hopefuls have been flocking to the area. Beto O’Rourke reportedly jumped on a table in the Centennial room in an effort to appear youthful before grinding on a skateboard down the campus center’s outdoor staircase. “I just don’t understand it,” one student said, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Trump is an embarrass-
ment to our country, he’s disgraced the office of president, and his values are in direct opposition with the overwhelming majority of this campus!” “I haven’t been able to recognize my own country since Trump got elected and I can’t even recognize my alma mater now,” an anonymous alumnus said. During a recent conversational gathering in Birge’s office, Emily Williams, vice president of academic affairs, tried to quell students’ concerns over looming evictions and insisted the buildings were not being sold. “These buildings are not being sold, because they never existed in the first place” Williams said. The move comes following the closure of several small liberal arts-oriented colleges throughout New England and decreasing enrollment at MCLA.
Paul LeSage Enters 2020 Presidential Race
BY JAKE VITALI THE INESCAPABLE MAN
Singing their way into the hearts and minds of voters across the country, English/communications professor Paul LeSage announced Friday night, March 29, that he is entering the 2020 race for president with Thomas Whalen, professor of business administration, as his running mate. “This is a scary time for our country, we have a guy who’s a dictator in office and he’s one of the worst presidents that I’ve ever seen,” LeSage said. “But we’re gonna work together, unite this country, and do some really cool things.” LeSage is running as an Independent, something he views as a strength. Although LeSage has never authored a bill, he is no stranger to politics. In March, LeSage defended a new communications major before the Board of Higher Education. “I’ve got two degrees in literature, a degree in communications, and I’m the chair of the English/communications department at MCLA,” LeSage said. “I know how to bring people together.” LeSage is also accomplished in his own right: he boasts a 4.6 out of 5 rating on the Rate My Professor website, which is among the highest ratings of any faculty member at MCLA. He has also served as the associate dean of academic affairs within the MCLA Administration, which is often considered a more difficult challenge than national politics. According to LeSage, he never viewed himself as a political figure. However, he was prompted to run because of his concerns over the rising costs of higher education. “We have students here who work so hard in the classroom, they do really incredible things, and then they
work just as hard to pay for their education,” Lesage said. “What we want to do is reduce the financial burden for students so that they can maximize their college experience without worry.” The pair announced their candidacy in the Campus Center Gym and spoke before a sea of students, faculty, alumni and administrators. When they made their intentions clear, the gym erupted into a standing ovation. “I was planning to vote for Bernie, but this completely changes the game,” one student said. “LeSage is the right candidate for the young generation. He sees us in class every day and he’s youthful at heart.” While most candidates have celebrities play music before the big announcement, LeSage and Whalen performed a set starting with “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts and ending with “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel. Announcing a running mate this early in the game is not traditional; however, LeSage said he wanted Whalen because of his insight on the economy. The pair hope to decrease unemployment to record levels and prioritize a resurgence of small businesses. “Paul is a visionary,” Whalen said. “Together we will make every American feel empowered and important, we will work together, and we will restore civility to White House communications.” While journalists have been a target of the Trump administration, LeSage wants to increase the access that journalists have and is promising to let student journalists have equal access. “I’ve been a journalist, I advised the Beacon for many years, I know how important it is for information to be publicly available,” LeSage emphasized. “We don’t want to confuse anyone, we have nothing to hide.” Whalen echoed his running mate’s feelings about
ARTWORK BY THE INESCAPABLE MAN
LeSage has promised many jokes and to make everyone friends again in his upcoming election.
openness towards journalists. “We’re going to hold office hours,” Whalen said. “Everyone is invited to drop by, discuss what’s on your mind, get some help or even just have a snack.” Since LeSage and Whalen plan to continue teaching during the campaign, they have hired a team of adjunct professors to serve as surrogate speakers. To keep costs low while maintaining access to amenities. LeSage and Whalen reportedly chipped in to purchase a used RV on Craigslist. Campaign staffers have printed directions and maps of various focal points so they don’t get lost. The pair will not be accepting contributions from Super-PACS, large multinational corporations or the top 1%. Instead, they are hoping students can contribute $5 each and to receive the backing of unions. Since the pair announced their candidacy, a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University has them beating President Donald Trump by 95%, and six of the Democratic candidates have since dropped out of the race.
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Major Absence of Students at Public Safety Outreach Events BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE SENIOR NEWS EDITOR Public safety hosted a a circle talk Thursday, March 28, as the second part in their outreach series. The event was run by Celia Norcross, assistant dean of student development and engagement, Chief Diversity Officer Christopher MacDonald-Dennis and Michael Obasohan, coordinator of the multicultural education resource center. “This kind of event is tailored for our campus community to get to know us and it seemed more about us getting to know each other,” Sergeant Justin Biasin said. “Which is not a bad thing either, but it’s designed to show that our officers are building relationships with the community.” Most of the public safety officers were there, many of whom were off-duty, but almost no students showed up. The only ones in attendance included this reporter, Biasin, who is taking classes at MCLA, and Abigail Dumo ’20. “I feel a lot more safe with campus police, not that I didn’t before, but definitely now that I’ve made connections with them, like I know their individual names. And if see them on campus I can say hi to them,” Dumo said. “We’re the campus police department
and we’re also part of this community,” Chief Police Daniel Colonno said. “How do we get this message out there? Because part of me is like, ‘If you’re not showing up to these events, are you not interested?’” Despite minimal student engagement in the events, Obasohan stated that he’d heard students were comforted with the knowledge of public safety’s friendly outreach, even if they were still too uncomfortable with direct communication. Emails were reportedly sent out to members of SGA and various clubs to sign up for the event. “This relationship is important and valued by a lot of people,” Norcross said. “If we have two more students come, Great! If we have coffee in the marketplace and three more students come, Great! We’re going to take them as we can because that’s the impact we need to have, to show that regardless of what the response is from students, that you all [public safety] care.” Although the talk had few attendees, Dumo noticed a change in her own view of public safety due to this outreach. “I definitely think that even though there wasn’t a lot of students here my perspective of the campus police changed a little bit more, to be more positive,” Dumo said. The circle talk allowed people to share
PHOTO BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE
Pictured left to right: Sergeant Andrew Monts, Officer Mark Denault, Abigail Dumo ‘20, Sergeant Peter Urbanowicz, Officer Chris Lampiasi, Officer Gary Van Bramer, Officer Bob Horne, Sergeant Justin Biasin and Officer Michael Cogswell. their past experiences with police and feelings toward them on a national scale. It was greed that the privately shared experiences would not be published for this story. “There’s a lot of officers who share commonalities with students on campus, and if we took the time to get to know each other than great relationships could form,” Biasin said.
Members of public safety want students to feel better about going up and talking with them informally. A big push from these outreach events is to reduce the tension between the two when they come in contact. Their next event will be a tabling in the central marketplace where their members will be able to speak with the public.
SGA
Greta LaFleur Led Informal $300k Max; Talk as WHM Closes Out Reserve Untouched BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
To close out Women’s History Month, the Women’s Center hosted Yale University’s Greta LaFleur to discuss her new book, the history of Trans-culture, and labels in western society. Originally, LaFleur came to give a formal presentation of her work; however, she ended up doing a circle talk with MCLA students as only seven students showed up for the meeting. “I love having informal talks, not everyone wants one so I prepare a very formal talk, but when people are willing to do an informal I love do to that,” LaFleur said. “I think it’s more fun, its more engaging, and more interactive.” Students spoke with LaFleur on a wide range of topics, ranging from labels and trans-attitudes towards YouTubers and discovering identities. LaFleur became interested in gender studies as she was coming out as queer in her teen years. Although the students unanimously voiced preference of the informal setup, the lack of students attending was impossible to ignore. “There was a lot going on tonight to choose from,” said Amanda Beckwith, coordinator of the women’s center and the identity & gender equality resource center. “I know a student who told me they wanted to come but had to go to a required movie for class. They missed out on a good talk but we will have more in the future.” LaFleur is a graduate professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and published her first book last year entitled, “The Natural History of Sexuality in Early America.” Her courses were the first ever taught on the subject of Trans-studies at Yale. Alexter Shand ’20 helped bring LaFluer to campus. Shand’s mother works at Yale as LaFleur’s department chair. The two of them met when Shand was in high school and have been
BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
PHOTO BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE
Attendees of the WHM speaker enjoyed dessert and conversation after LaFleur’s talk. Pictured left to right: Holly Brunow ‘20, E.D. Bibbins ‘20, Amanda Beckwith, Lily Broman ‘20, Kai Warren ‘20, Alexter Shand ‘20, and Greta LaFleur.
in contact ever since. “I knew Greta had done some stuff to do with women and gender studies and she’d just released a book,” Shand said. “I figured it would be interesting to have her come up here and talk.” In reflecting on the event, Shand wishes the Women’s Center extended the open talk to Williams College to boost attendance, as they might have ties to Yale as well and might’ve been interested. “All in all, I think the event turned out pretty decently in regards to how Greta went about everything,” Shand said. “It definitely could have gone better but it could have gone much much worse.” Regardless of the turnout, LaFleur was still impressed with MCLA’s supportive atmosphere for queer students. “I think it’s fantastic that there is so much programming around women’s history month stuff,” La Fleur said. “Just thinking about watching a school develop supportive architecture for trans-gender, queer, and questioning students, that’s amazing and it always makes me feel so happy.”
SGA’s meeting Monday directly followed the release of its proposed budget for the 2020 fiscal year. The plan contains a combined $300,000 to be allocated with no money taken from their reserve account. “We were getting $300,000 and we’re going to budget that without going over and without going under, so it is perfect,” Coordinating Vice President Dean Little ‘21 said. “$300,000 [is] going to [be distributed among] every club.” Little pushed the notion for SGA to not touch its reserve account as a precedent to be set for SGA in the future. With the large cuts to club budgets, clubs will be looking toward lessening their spendings by budgeting less individually and cutting back on events. “Something to also consider is that you could co-sponsor [events] with clubs. Like if you have funding and you want to do an event with another club that maybe has less funding,” President Declan Nolan ’19 said. Three clubs were granted money from SGA’s supplementary budget at the meeting. Anime club received $200 for hotel payments to go to its annual trip to the Anime Boston convention. Computer Science club, however, did not receive any money for fiscal year 2020; instead, it received $500 for recognition due to the club’s reduced participation on campus. Finally, the Class of 2019 was allotted $1000 from SGA to go towards its class gift to MCLA — a life-sized statue of a mountain lion, the college’s mascot, who’s set location has yet to be determined. SGA also swore in Corey Powers ’19 as the newest parliamentarian. The addition to SGA’s roster has been a long time in development, with Powers already a member of its constitution committee and working in communication with e-board members for several months.for several months. This follows a four-month gap in the spring semes-
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‘Prince Daddy’ and the Hyena and ‘Dump Him’ (Duo) to Play for ‘Downtown Sound’ BY SABRINA DAMMS A&E WRITER WJJW and Arts Management Club will be continuing their traditional “Downtown Sound” Friday, April 5, at The Green on Main Street. Prince Daddy and the Hyena, and Dump Him (Duo) will be performing. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show will start at 7:30 p.m. Admission for students is free. “I hope they rock out and have a great concert experience that is free for students, with their friends,” WJJW Vice President Luke O’Brien ‘19 said. Prince Daddy and the Hyena, a power pop band from the Albany area, played three years ago in spring 2016 for a previous “Downtown Sound” event that WJJW held. Since then, they have grown in popularity. O’Brien has seen Prince Daddy and the Hyena nine times since he first discovered them, saying “they are great people who put on a great show.” “It is really exciting to see them expand and put on bigger shows that have larger crowds,” O’Brien continued. “It’s also really exciting to see that they built this following and are bringing it back here, going full circle.” Dump Him (Duo), a punkpop band from Northampton, Massachusetts, has per-
formed several songs about Queer feelings and experiences. “I really think this is something people will regret not going to. Especially since it is free for MCLA students,” WJJW Public Relations Chair Teresa Leahy ‘19 said. ”Downtown Sound” has grown into a yearly tradition for the radio station, giving students acts they want to see. The event originally consisted of smaller-scale shows with more local bands. Now, WJJW wishes to expand this tradition by bringing in other bands that draw a bigger crowd. WJJW usually holds two shows a year: one in the fall called “The Sound,” and the other in the spring called “Downtown Sound.” O’Brien and Leahy have both been involved in booking “Downtown Sound” this year. They took what they learned from working on WJJW and used it to bring in performers that students would enjoy. WJJW has a diverse staff of students with multiple majors, giving them the opportunity to express themselves. “I probably would not be involved in the radio if I went to a bigger school, [but] because this school is small we can have a more intimate experience,” Leahy said. “We don’t have to settle for less [when] we can
PHOTO BY SARAH KNOLL
Prince Daddy & The Hyena, a power pop band from New York, will perform at Downtown Sound. get bigger artists. MCLA is small enough that students have the opportunity to connect with the bands in a way that would be difficult at bigger schools.” In an effort to try and get the community involved, O’Brien and Leahy booked “Downtown Sound” at The Green, a new space located at 85 Main St. in downtown North Adams. “We hope that we can get people downtown,” O’Brien said. Be sure to catch “Downtown Sound” happening Friday, April 5, at 7 p.m. at The Green on Main Street.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LUKE O’ BRIEN
Northampton punk pop band, Dump Him, will perform as a duo at Downtown Sound Friday.
MCLA’s Yorick to Bring ‘The Tempest’ to Campus BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER A&E EDITOR MCLA’s Shakespeare club, Yorick, recently announced “The Tempest” as its spring semester production. The show opens Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m. “The Tempest” follows the story of Alonso, the King of Naples, his son Ferdinand, Antonio, the Duke of Milan, and other nobles who are shipwrecked on an island by the magic art of Prospero. It is later found that Alonso is the rightful Duke of Milan and Antonio took the title out from under him. “Our show is meant to draw from a Technicolor scheme. We essentially want the audience to feel a bit like they’re watching a movie in the Chinese Theater in Hollywood,” Theodore Jones ‘20, “The Tempest” co-director, stated in an email. “Beyond that,
without revealing too much our show will include Magic, Misery, Love, Freedom, Drinking, and Family.” Codirecting “The Tempest” alongside Jones is MCLA sophomore Justin O’Connor. The pair have been very involved in being the show’s coordinators, making sure they have everything organized, receive the help they need from the right people and put on a good show. “Justin dreamed up the show, and when he first told me about it, I was instantly intrigued,” Jones said. “We both love the show and we both have a lot of complementary knowledge and skills that allowed us to be able to play to our strengths without stepping on each other’s toes too much.” Yorick decided on “The Tempest” from an overall club vote after Jones and
O’Connor presented their ideas for it last semester. The two are both very excited to bring the show to life. “I’m looking forward to the first full tech run, the first time the show is put all the way together and we get to see everything that we’ve all been working so hard on,” Jones said. Production of the show started earlier this year, in February. Hanna Pimenta ‘21, Yorick public relations co-chair, is also really excited for “The Tempest” to all come together. “I want to see what all that hard work turns into onstage,” Pimenta stated in an email. “Justin and TJ have put a lot of thought and effort into making this show what it is. The actors and the production staff have [also] put round the clock effort into this [show] and it’s going to be something.” Catch Yorick’s production
PHOTO FROM MCLA’S YORICK FACEBOOK
Yorick’s spring production of “The Tempest” will have its opening night Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m. in the Church Street Center Social Hall. of “The Tempest” happening April 11-13 at 7 p.m., along with a matinee Saturday, April 13, at 2 p.m. All
of the performances will take place at the Church Street Center Social Hall and are free to attend.
Apr. 4, 2019
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Gallery 51
MCLA Alumni ‘Reconnecting’ at Alumni Art Exhibition BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER A&E EDITOR Gallery 51 had its opening reception of the first ever MCLA alumni art exhibition in a show titled “Reconnecting” last Thursday night. With the show opening at 5 p.m., a large crowd gathered inside to see the new exhibit. There were a few past and current MCLA art professors and students, several community members and, of course, artists in attendance at the show. A wide range of work was on display including paintings, photography and prints. “My favorite part [about the show] is the diversity in all of the work,” Cassie Kerner ‘21 said. “I think it’s pretty cool that it’s five decades of artists.” Kerner has been working at Gallery 51 since she first started attending MCLA as a freshman, and has been very involved with the drop-off process of collecting artwork from the artists who take part in the variety of shows that are put on. “There’s 20 artists in the
PHOTO BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER
A crowd gathers at Gallery 51’s “Reconnecting: MCLA Alumni Show” that opened last Thursday, March 28, to admire works of art by MCLA almuni. show and seeing all the alumni come back and drop off their work even was exciting,” Kerner said. “Welcoming them back to North Adams was really sweet.” MCLA alumna, Amy Mod-
esti ‘14, had a piece featured in the show, which was a framed digitally printed 8” x 10” photograph that she had taken at a concert she attended with her father.” “I love concert photogra-
phy, and this photo was taken when I had seen Serbian blues guitarist Ana Popović perform at the Cohoes Music Hall in New York,” Modesti said. “She was a really good performer when I first
saw her two years ago and I knew I wanted to see her perform again.” When Modesti attended MCLA as a student, her work had been focused mainly on digital photography as well as painting, but now she focuses just on photography itself. “[My artwork] has definitely changed since the last show I was in [the Senior Art Thesis Show],” Modesti said. “Now I am focusing more on photography as a means to further express myself and to capture special moments.” “MCLA was the one place where I learned to grow as an artist,” Modesti continued. “To be able to participate in this show was really cool because this time it featured more alumni and I figured why not take the chance to be a part of something that is happening for the first time.” Be sure to stop downtown and visit MCLA’s Gallery 51 to see “Reconnecting,” an MCLA alumni art show on display now through Sunday, April 21.
Review
‘On My Block’ Season Two is Finally Here BY SALI BAH A&E WRITER Netflix’s original coming of age dramedy, “On my Block” — a realistic representation of inner-city communities and seamless blend of comedy, drama and social issues — is back for season two, which premiered Friday, March 29. The show, created by Lauren Lungerich (creator of MTV’s “Awkward”), Jeremy Hat and Eddie Gonzalez (writers of the 2017 Tupac biopic “All Eyez On Me”), is heavily inspired by Gonzalez’s life growing up in Compton and Inwood. Season one racked up an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 on Rotten Tomatoes. Set at the beginning of summer in South Central Los Angeles in season one, we meet our crew, complete with Monse, a tomboy and aspiring writer (Sierra Capri); Jamal, a weird black kid who avoids sports and injury at all cost (Brett Gray); Ruby, the “brains” of the group (Jason Genao); and Cesar (Diego Tinoco), whose fate is to join the Santos — a gang led by his older brother and caregiver
“On my Block” main characters from left to right: Jamal, Monse, Ruby and Cesar. Spooky (Julio Macias). This group of teens are creeping from behind the fence at a party to get the first taste of their high school experience when gunshots go off. As they flee the scene, it is apparent this is a normal occurrence; the teens make a game out of what type of gun they just heard go off. The series picks up after summer just as they are about to start school. Monse
has been away at writing camp all summer and she comes back to news that Spooky has been released from jail. In order to appear cool in front of his brother and to protect Monse, Cesar claims her as his girl, which causes a rift in the group. Things take a turn when Cesar is assigned to kill a gang member the Santos have a rivalry with, forcing the group to come back together to help Cesar get out
PHOTO FROM POPBUZZ
of this lifestyle. As Ruby figures out how to lock down Olivia, a girl who moves in with him after her parents are deported, Jamal, with the help of Ruby’s gang-smoking Abuelita (Penny Blow), embarks on a Goonies-like treasure hunt to find buried money — that might not even exist — from an ‘80s heist. Monse, who was raised by her father, searches for her mother and identity. She and Cesar try
to hide their budding relationship from the group. Although riddled with sadness, the storylines of the characters somehow balance optimism and positivity throughout the series. In season two, the crew struggles to move forward after the death of a close friend and with how to save Cesar once and for all. Jasmine (Jessica Marie Garcia), Ruby’s not-so-secret admirer, who was in the shadows last season, steps up and plays a vital role in Ruby’s healing. This season explores the themes of privilege and race as Monse agrees to meet her white mother who lives far from the violence of Freeridge, California. It also touches on mental illness, as Ruby suffers from PTSD and depression. As expected, the show contains an amazing soundtrack featuring artists such as 070 Shake, Khalid, Billie Eilish and BROCKHAMPTON. Filled with melodrama and jaw-dropping cliffhangers, “On My Block” is easily binge-worthy with 10, 30-minute episodes per season. Stream it now on Netflix!
Sports
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PHOTO BY MCLA ATHELTICS
Junior outfielder Christian Seariac currently leads the team with 25 hits, tied second with 10 runs, tied first for homeruns and in second place with 11 RBI’s. He has a slugging percentage of .492.
Trailblazers Lose Doubleheader Against Framingham BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS CO-EDITOR The MCLA Men's baseball team lost their first conference doubleheader game against the Framingham State Rams at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough, Massachusetts. GAME ONE The Trailblazers record drops to 6-12 overall and 0-2 in the MASCAC. The Rams improved to 9-8 overall and 3-0 in the MASCAC. In the first game, the final score was 7-6. On the mound pitching, MCLA had the following: senior Brendan Kelly, junior Dillion Maxon and sophomore Ryan Ruef. Kelly began the game by throwing ten strikeouts and having two walks. He allowed seven hits, four runs including a home run, and four errors, on six innings played. The Trailblazers lagged in the first two innings, with a score of 3-0, before tying it up in the top of the third. In the first inning, Rams senior designated hitter Kyle Dembrowski hit a two-run RBI single, bringing home senior shortstop Joe Ambrimso and senior right fielder Aaron Williams. In the bottom of the second inning,
MCLA FRAM.
MCLA FRAM.
Ambrimso singled bringing home Williams. In the top of the third inning, MCLA senior shortstop Jeff Bink hit a two-run RBI single to bring home freshman outfielder Austin Rachiele and junior outfielder Joe Toledo. Later that inning, junior outfielder Christian Seariac hit an RBI bunt single to bring home Bink on an error. In the bottom of the third inning, the score was 4-3, after Dembrowski hit a home run, his third for the season. The Trailblazers answered with a three-run score to take the led 6-4. Rachiele doubled to left field to bring in junior pinch runner Shawn James and sophomore third baseman Jake Ferrara. Also, Seariac homered to right field, his first career home run. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Rams took the lead and with three runs, sealed the game. Senior centerfielder Kyle Lippert scored on a wild pitch. Next, Dembrowski singled to left field, bringing home junior left fielder Andrew Curtis. Later, freshman catcher Jonathan Cloutier singled to left field bringing home Ambrosino. Overall, the Trailblazers had 30 total at-bats, nine hits, five RBIs, two walks
and 11 strikeouts. Rachiele finished with four at-bats, one run, two hits and two RBIs. His teammate, Seariac followed up with a total of four at-bats, one run, two hits, one RBI and a home run. Overall, the Rams had 31 at-bats, 11 hits, six RBIs, four walks and two strikeouts. Dembrowski had four total at-bats, one run, three hits and four RBIs. His teammate, Williams finished with a total of four at-bats, two runs and one hit. GAME TWO In the nightcap, the final score was 9-2.. MCLA freshman pitcher Micheal Urbanski led his team with five strikeouts, three walks, three errors, by allowing five runs and four hits in six total innings played. Four other pitchers for MCLA that pitched were freshman Max Gabrielly, junior third baseman Kevin Speach, junior Jimmy Miller and sophomore Andrew Lavelle. The Rams controlled the game, using the same momentum from the first game to take a five-point lead. In the first inning, Williams scored on a throwing error by and Ambrosino hit his third home run of the season to bring home Curtis and Lippert.
GAME ONE
INNING 1
INNING 2
INNING 3
INNING 4
INNING 5
INNING 6
0 2
0 1
3 1
INNING 1
INNING 2
INNING 3
INNING 4
INNING 5
INNING 6
0 4
0 0
0 1
0 0
1 3
1 1
INNING 7
In the bottom of the third, Dembrowski hit another home run to right field. MCLA answered back in the top of the fifth with one run of their own to cut the lead down to four. Rachiele grounded out to second base bringing home freshman catcher Dan Buchanan. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Fogarty and Dembrowski scored on a fielding error by Bink. Williams singled to right field to bring home junior designated hitter Corey Caraher. In the sixth inning, MCLA's junior first baseman Dillon Maxon scored on a single. Meanwhile, the Rams extended their lead with a triple by Fogarty to bring home Ambrosino. The Trailblazers finished with 24 atbats, four hits, two RBIs, six walks and seven strikeouts. The Rams concluded with 26 at-bats, seven hits, six walks, seven RBI's and six strikeouts. Their pitcher, senior Kevin Connelly, led the Rams' with six strikeouts, six walks, two errors, allowing three hits in five innings total played. Check out the second conference home game on Friday, April 5, against the Fitchburg State Falcons at 3:00 p.m.
RUNS
HITS
ERRORS
6 7
9 11
0 2
INNING 7
RUNS
HITS
ERRORS
0 X
2 9
4 7
3 0
0 0 2 1 0 0 0 3 GAME TWO
Apr. 4, 2019
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Slow Start Leads to 4-12 Loss for MCLA Lacrosse at Becker; Losing Streak Extends to Five BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS CO-EDITOR The Becker College Hawks women’s lacrosse team used an 11-goal first half to propel them into a 15-4 win over the Trailblazers in a match Monday, April 1, at Alumni Field. The Hawks were led by sophomore attacker Arianna Calouro who recorded four goals in the contest. The Hawks wasted little time getting started in the game, as freshman attacker Shannon Siclari netted the first goal for the Hawks with only 1:35 on the clock. With the first goal at the start of the game, the Hawks began to pour it on. Junior midfielder Cassandra Nelson found the back of the net just thirty seconds later, making the score 2-0 Hawks. Following Nelson, Calouro then netted the next two goals in three minutes of play to put the Hawks at an early 4-0 advantage. Their opening run wouldn’t end there. Four minutes after Calouro scored, freshman attackers Clare Conway and Julia Ravenelle would each score a pair of goals over the next five and a half minutes of play to cap off the 8-0 run by the Hawks. Conway and Ravenelle each assisted each other on their first goals, while freshman defender Kylian Kelly was awarded the assist for Conway’s second goal. With an unlucky start, MCLA junior Kim Granito found an opening and scored the first of her four total goals in the contest, finally putting the Blazers on the board and setting the score 8-1. The momentum would shift back to the Hawks swiftly, as Ravenelle scored another goal only 22 seconds after Granito, making it 9-1. Two minutes passed before Conway was able to get another assist for her setup of teammate junior attacker
The MCLA Trailblazers Mixed Tennis team was swept in nine straight matches against the Rhode Island College (RIC) Anchormen Tuesday, April 2. RIC was dominant in all phases, allowing only 12 points to be scored against them overall. In the top doubles slot for the match, MCLA duo sophomore Charles Najimy and senior Matt Bluteau were taken down by RIC’s sophomore Alex Bourque and senior Alan Esposito with a final score of 8-1. Najimy and Bluteau are 4-4 thus far when playing as a duo. The second doubles match saw RIC’s pairing of senior Chandler Scott and sophomore Michael Shea breeze past MCLA’s mixed duo of
MCLA Softball MCLA (0), Framingham State (5) Kaitlyn Berghela (MCLA) 1-3, 2 SB
2-2, 1 Run, BB
MCLA Baseball MCLA (6), Framingham State (7) Austin Rachiele (MCLA) 2-4, 2 RBI’s, 1 Run, 2 2B
Kyle Dembrowski (Framingham) 3-4, 4 RBI’s, 1 Run, HRAst, 2 Blk 16 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl
MCLA junior Kim Granito controlling the ball in a game last season. Granito recorded four goals, along with five groundballs in the loss to Becker College. Granito is the leading scorer for the Trailblazer, as she has recored 25 goals in a five game stretch to open the season. Thats 14 more than her season total for last season [11]. Samantha D’Auteuil to put the Hawks even further up at 10-1. Granito would follow with another goal of her own, but was soon followed by Nelson who netted a goal only 15 seconds after Granito’s second, putting the score at 11-2 going into halftime. The second half was much slower than the first, as the Hawks only put up four goals to add to their 11 in the first half. Despite the decreased scoring and an additional two goals by Granito, the Blazers were unable to fight their way back to the top. The Hawks received two more goals from Calouro towards the end of the half, and single goal from both sophomore midfielder Sydney Theriault and Siclari to put their endgame total at 15.
Overall, the Hawks placed seven total players in the scoring column in the dominant win. Calouro led with four goals on the day, while Ravenelle added a trio of goals herself. Conway, Siclari, and Nelson each ended with two goals. Granito scored all four goals for the Blazers. Granito is the leading scorer for the Blazers with 25 so far, at least 22 more than any other player on the team. MCLA, now 0-5 on the year, is back in action at Shewcraft Field Saturday, April 6, hosting Fitchburg State and looking to earn their first win. The Hawks are now 5-1 on the season, looking to gain another win in their next match-up against Southern Vermont College Saturday.
MCLA Mixed Tennis Swept by Rhode Island 9-0 BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS CO-EDITOR
SCORE BOARD
Lauren Salisbury (Framingham)
PHOTO FROM MCLA ATHLETICS
seniors Samantha Gawron and Nick Castle by the same score of 8-1. The final duo’s match-up saw MCLA junior Briana Higgins and sophomore Mackenna Jordan lose by a score of 8-1 to RIC’s duo of senior Matthew Gambardella and sophomore Ethan Hoy. RIC showed no signs of slowing down in the singles section as they beat the Blazers in all six singles match-ups. The top singles match saw MCLA junior Mohamed Mahrous face off with Bourque of RIC. The match was one of the better performances for MCLA as Mahrous was able to score two points on Bourque in each set, but still fell in straight sets — 6-2 and 6-2. Najimy also put up a fight in the third singles slot of the section for the Blazers. Najimy was able to put up three points in the opening set
against RIC’s Gambardella; however, Gambardella would eventually win the match in straight sets — 6-3 and 6-1. For the other singles matches, MCLA had little luck getting on the board with Bluteau scoring the only other point in the singles portion of the match for the Blazers, falling in straight sets to RIC’s Shea — 6-1 and 6-0. The rest of MCLA’s singles participants in Higgins, Castle and junior Felix Bou all fell in straight sets with scores of 6-0 and 6-0 in the loss to RIC. MCLA, now 2-4 on the year, is back in action Saturday, April 6, hosting Lyndon State in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) action. RIC, now 5-1 on the year, will also play their next match Saturday as they travel to Maine to play the University of Southern Maine.
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MCLA Lacrosse MCLA (4), Becker College (15) Kim Granito (MCLA) 4 Goals, 7 SOG, 5 GB 10-12. 100 yds, 0 TD
Arianna Calouro (Becker) 4 Goals, 4 SOG, 4 GB
MLB Boston Red Sox (0), Oakland Athletics (1) Mitch Moreland (BOS) 1-3, BB, 2 K2 Stl,
Matt Chapman (OAK) 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 Run, HR, BB
NBA Los Angeles Lakers (103), Oklahoma City Thunder (119) Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (LA) 23 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST
Russell Westbrook (OKC) 20 PTS, 20 REB, 21 AST
NHL Boston Bruins (6), Columbus Blue Jackets (2) Jake DeBrusk (BOS) 2 Goals, 1 Assist, 4 Shotsst, 2 Stl
Oliver Bjorkstrand (COL) Goal, 5 Shots22 Reb, 3 Ast
News
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FIORI
BUDGETS
gree in journalism and studied legal commercial English-Spanish translation. While discussing her experiences of being raised in Argentina and pursuing her interest in media and journalism, Fiori talked about the inspirational women in her life. “I had to be strong,” Fiori said in response to a student who asked about what drove her passion for activism. “My inspiration is the power of women in my family.” Fiori discussed her grandmother, who was a manual worker and grew up in Paraguay. She was a high school graduate who had been working to support herself and her family since age six. She raised three daughters, Fiori’s mother being the youngest. When her grandmother began experiencing abuse in her relationship with a man suffering from alcoholism, she decided to migrate to Buenos Aires, bought land, built a house, and raised her three children. Fiori is the co-founder of the magazine, “La Voz, Cultura y Noticias Hispanas del Valle de Hudson,” along with Emily Schmall. “La Voz” was formed from a student project of the Trustee Leader Scholar Program at Bard College. During its start in 2004, “La Voz” was a black-and-white magazine with a circulation of approximately 500 copies, according to Fiori. Today, “La Voz” is a full-color, independent publication with approximately 6,000 copies distributed to an estimated 30,000 readers in New York counties such as Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Columbia, and Sullivan. Fiori’s explained the goal “La Voz” and its team have for each print and online publication is to be “something that feels like a collector’s item.” The targeted audience for “La Voz” has been the Latinx com-
club recognize their hard work and give back to them” the statement read. Traditionally, Dance Company hosts shows in the fall and spring semesters and pays a production crew to help put on the event. According to Dance Company, shows sell out every semester and hosts a formal afterward to celebrate the hard work of those involved. To reach the $300,000 figure, BFC is attempting to pull $19,500 from the reserve account. In FY19, BFC used $40,500 from the reserve, although the committee had only suggested using $35,500 at the time. Little said that he was concerned by the amount of money being taken from the reserve budget and enacted a new rule as last year’s parliamentarian where senators who wished to take more than $20,000 from the reserve account would need a three-fourths majority vote for approval. For clubs and organizations unsatisfied with BFC’s proposed budgets, an appeal for
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SGA
From Page 5 ter, where the position was left empty after the leave of Duncan Hay ’20 last semester. Professor Justin Golub came to speak with SGA to clear the air on online, hybrid and night classes. “A couple of departments had been told that we are no longer going to be offering [their] hybrid or online classes, or we’re trying to reduce them to be part of faculty members loads because we do not have a policy regarding them,” Golub said.
CIA
From Page 1 potential mission. However, Valentine did not state or imply the CIA adviser committed the execution. “Most people do not want
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PHOTO BY KENNY OLCHOWSKI
Fiori hosts a daily radio program in the Hudson Valley for Radio Kingston. munity in the Hudson Valley region since its start. Fiori emphasized the economic and cultural impact of Hispanics and Latinx people in New York state, specifically, but also on a national scale as the Hispanic population increases. According to a Pew Research Center report, the Hispanic population has been on a steady increase since 1970 and today it has reached a new high. Hispanics were named the second-largest racial or ethnic group in the nation, behind Whites, in 2016. At this time, Hispanics also accounted for 18% of the nation’s population, according to a Pew Research Center report published in 2017. Despite these increases in the Hispanic and Latinx population in the U.S, Fiori addressed the underrepresentation and misrepresentation of these communities in media due to a lack of diversity in fields such as journalism. “Have you stepped into a newsroom lately?” Fiori asked. “You won’t see much diversity there.” Fiori’s work as managing editor of “La Voz” and her show on Radio Kingston with co-host Antonio Flores-Lobos are meant to be a “channel, platform and bridge” for community members, according to Fiori. Radio Kingston is a non-commercial radio station founded in 2017.
According to its Facebook page, the station and its shows work to “create a space for residents to build renewed trust, empathy, and connection, while celebrating our shared strengths and creativity, and deepening a truly local conversation about creating a community that works better for everyone.” The invisibility of immigrants, Latinx people, and women in our communities is an issue that Fiori often works to combat and address within Hispanic and Latinx communities by dedicating her work to her Spanish-language programming and publications. Fiori explained the urgency for informing the Latinx community and providing knowledge to Spanish-speaking Hispanics in their first language, as “La Voz” does. Lianne Gallant ’19 echoed Fiori’s concerns, addressing the College’s lack of accessibility to Spanish-language material and need for a more direct emphasis on bilingualism. “It definitely made me think about what more I can do as someone whose first language is English, to make everything else more accessible,” Gallant said. “I hadn’t thought about it until now that all our classes are completely in English.” This year, Fiori and her team members will be celebrating the 15th anniversary for the establishment of “La Voz.”
Night classes, semi-defined as any course beginning after 4:00 pm, will no longer be counted as part of full-time faculty’s required 12-course credits per week, according to Golub. The academic policies committee has been trying to put forth official wording on this, but unless that happens incredibly soon, this change will be enacted for the fall semester of 2019. “I hope the policy will help clarify things and therefore, moving forward, that hybrid classes and online classes
could be offered more frequently,” Golub said. Executive Vice President Celine Manigbas ’19 reported from the All College Committee about the removal of MCLA’s minor in dance. This arose from several reasons, but most notably, the minimal number of students participating. Dance classes will still be offered at MCLA, even taking on physical education credits, as well as opportunities for students to join other dancing avenues such as Harlequin and Dance Co.
to know because it will upset your ability to be a happy person,” Valentine said. “This stuff can be really hard to digest.” “I’ve been wanting to see Doug [Valentine] for a while, he is one of the few people
willing to speak honestly about the CIA; his story is fascinating,” attendee Steve Davis said. Valentine has written a number of books about the CIA and has highlighted its role in drug trafficking, dat-
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a 37% increase for Mathematics Society to $758 from $555; a 40% for Political Science Club to $2,803 from $2,000; and a 46% for Society of Physics Students to $1,903 from $1,300. Political Science Club President Joseph Bellas ’20 feels that the process overall went well and is excited that his organization received an increase. “Poli Sci has gone through some expansion, [and] looking to do some more here on campus,” Bellas said. “While I am disappointed that we didn’t get what we wanted, I am still grateful for the amount that we got which is more than feasible to work with.” Asian American Union and Colleges Against Cancer also received increases in their budgets, although neither organization received a budget in FY 2019. “We have to practice better budgeting,” Little said. “Could I go into the reserve account and pull another $20,000, give it out to clubs, and we’d be fine? Probably. I’m probably capable of doing such. The issue is that it doesn’t teach the organizations how to budget
“Could I go into the reserve account and pull another $20,000, give it out to clubs, and we’d be fine? Probably. I’m probably capable of doing such.” — Dean Little ‘21 Budget Finance Committee Co-Chair additional funds must be submitted no later than Friday, April 5, at 4 p.m. “Most of the decisions that we made are to protect the financial integrity of MCLA clubs in the future” Little said, pointing to enrollment dropping over several years. The 2018-2019 Factbook states that enrollment for full-time undergraduate students in fall 2018 was at 1,109, a decline of approximately 7.7% from fall 2017. Enrollment of all students is down approximately 8.6%. MCLA’s enrollment has been on the decline since 2010, when there were 1,507 fulltime undergraduate students. Enrollment is down 26% in that category since that year. Eight clubs did receive an increase from their FY 2019 budget: Chemistry Club received a 15% increase to $604 in FY20 from $525 in FY19; a 17.5% increase for College Republicans to $1,058 in FY20 from $900 in FY19; a 19% increase for Crafting Club to $1,603 from $1,345; ing back to the Vietnam era, in multiple writings. “Nobody really knows who or what the CIA is; then you find out what they are really about after listening to this,” MCLA alumnus Joe Rabia said. Sociology professor Ed Cur-
out the money that was given and it doesn’t teach SGA how to properly budget out a very large number.” Little stressed the importance of understanding the current enrollment situation and how it affects the BFC’s ability to make decisions. “We didn’t start with ‘hey let’s screw clubs over’, it just happened that we’ve had to severely reduce the money that we’re able to give out to clubs,” Little said. “We’re asking clubs to try to understand why these reductions are made, know that they’re as fair as we can make them, and tell us what you can do with them.” However, Little also believes that being funded by SGA is a privilege and not a right. “The reality is every single club budget is sustainable,” Little explained. “You can do enough programming and events to meet the demand with the budget we gave you. Every single club on this campus should be able to function with zero budget.” tin, who hosted the event, was excited that Valentine came to MCLA to discuss the CIA as a criminal entity. “Doug [Valentine] is an unmatched expert on the Central Intelligence Agency,” Curtin said.
Opinion
Apr. 4, 2019
Google Stadia: Weighing The Pros And Cons BY RON LEJA EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Streaming technology has made a major impact on our day to day lives. Thanks to companies akin to Pandora, Spotify, YouTube and Netflix, people the world over have access to a near unfathomable amount of music and filmtype media, obtainable through little more than a few keystrokes on their devices. It’s a form of technology that has completely revolutionized how people interact with these media-types, and one that society has come to largely embrace with open arms. In a report released by the management consulting company, “Deloitte Insights,” earlier this year, it was found that more people than ever before are customizing their consumption of media using various streaming services. Nearly 90% of millennials currently subscribe to at least one video streaming service, with Gen Z consumers trailing closely behind. Given these numbers, streaming seems to be the next logical step for the video game industry as well. The question that the industry faces, though, is whether gamers are ready to follow suite. Recently, attendees of the 2019 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, were introduced to Google Stadia, an ambitious new project by the renowned tech giant that aims to revolutionize and, in many ways, re-invent how people access games. Google Stadia is a cloud-based video game streaming platform. Rather than buying a system and the accompanying games and peripherals, users of Stadia need only sign up for the free service. From there, they gain access to a library of games both old and new, as well as a few title exclusives, that will need to be purchased in order to play. Stadia’s selling point is accessibility. Google claims that Stadia users can play games through any chrome-supported hardware, be it your PC, television, tablet or cell
phone, boasting streaming capabilities that will allow games to be played at 4k resolutions, with 60 FPS refresh rates and HDR at launch. In time, they plan to allow for 8k resolutions and 120 FPS refresh rates. Even more impressive is Stadia’s functionality, alongside Youtube and Google Assistant, particularly in regard to user-based streaming. Stadia not only allows users to stream their own gameplay to YouTube at the press of a button, but to also play alongside one another seamlessly using the Crowd Play feature. The Crowd Play feature lets a streamer add viewers to their current game, regardless of whether the viewer has the game themselves. While I don’t think this is something that the current streaming community necessarily wants or needs, I do think the majority of consumers will utilize Crowd Play to play with friends, or check out titles they are hesitant to purchase themselves. If anything, it’s pro-consumer. While this all sounds appealing on paper, much of the gaming community still isn’t sold — and for good reason. Being a streaming service, Stadia requires that you have an internet connection in order to access the platform, meaning if your internet goes out sporadically or for an extended period of time, you’re out of luck. Issues of latency and potential lag are hands down the most glaring. Google has since announced that 4K streaming will require users to have upload speeds of 30 megabits per second(Mbps). While the average national broadband upload speed has steadily been approaching 100 Mbps, there are still plenty of areas throughout the country that don’t hit that mark. Many rural areas simply
lack the broadband infrastructure to reach high internet speeds, Berkshire County included. At the time of this writing, my Spectrum cable internet only manages an upload speed of 11 Mbps. The potential for significant lag issues also rules out the success of certain genres on Stadia, particularly competitive shooters and MOBAs, games where success or failure can come down to a matter of milliseconds between player A and player B. During Stadia’s tech demo, Google used primarily single player games and MMO-type experiences to show off Stadia’s capabilities. Considering that the competitive gaming scene is where the largest, most dedicated gamers reside, I doubt Stadia will take off if it can’t offer something of value in that department. My personal opinion: Stadia will most likely fail. While the platform certainly sports some impressive functionality and hardware, I think the biggest problem Google will face is a lack of consumer confidence. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have spent decades building the industry into what it currently is today, and have troves of dedicated fans backing them every step of the way. There is a certain quality that consumers have come to expect from them, and in most cases they deliver. Google has neither background nor experience in game development. What they do have, is a string of projects that ultimately failed, despite their impressiveness — Google Lively, Google Notebook, Google Buzz, Google Wave … you get the point. Google is jumping head first into a market that is both cut-throat and unstable, with a product that, while impressive, may just be a little too ambitious for their first go around.
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Apr. 4, 2019
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