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Thursday, September 19, 2019
Volume 90 • Issue 1
Campus Wi-Fi Receives Upgrade BY BRIAN RHODES STAFF WRITER As part of the College’s efforts to improve campus life, the Wi-Fi network in the residence towers has been overhauled to replace the outdated network. The Wi-Fi system that was replaced was installed in 2014 and was rapidly nearing the end of its manufacturer support that would leave replacement parts and other essentials would soon become unavailable, said Ian Bergeron, associate dean of information technology. “This upcoming December we had a hard stop for our existing Wi-Fi,” Bergeron said. “It was time to go; this equipment had to be replaced.” Bergeron said that the upgrade is “significant” as it jumps the technology in the residence areas
ahead seven years. All MCLA’s residence areas were refit with state-of-the-art Wi-Fi access points which are equipped with Wi-Fi 6, said Bergeron. He said that the total cost of this update was approximately $200,000. The access points act as a router for students to connect their devices to get internet access. In addition to the already upgraded routers, the access points in several townhouse rooms received wallplates that further improve signals in problematic places. “The biggest concern in redesigning this was that those rooms got covered,” Bergeron said. “That is a significant number of students who would have been adversely affected.” Bergeron also mentioned that there were a total of around 500 routers total that were put in place.
SSI Survey Results
Student Survey Produces Mixed Results
According to Seth Bean, administrator of networks and telecommunications, one notable benefit of the upgraded equipment is a reduction in coverage gaps and slow areas. “These are much better access points than the ones we had before,” Bean said. A main goal of this upgrade, according to Bergeron, is to ensure that the Wi-Fi meets the College’s needs for the next half-decade at least. “We want to be sure that at the end of five years it [the new Wi-Fi] is working fantastically,” Bergeron said. “We are hopeful that we are ahead of the curve.” Bergeron said the classrooms and other areas, due to less overall network impact, do not need updates as urgently as the residential areas did.
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Fresh Grass is Back this Weekend
Recent satisfaction survey exposes the strengths and weaknesses of the institution BY TESSA SESTITO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Results from a Student Satisfactory Inventory (SSI) survey sent to students in April have highlighted MCLA’s shortcomings. Of the figures reported, MCLA was found to have a overall student satisfactory rating of 49%, which is lower than the national average of 56%. According to the RNL Student Satisfaction Inventory Executive Summary, the SSI measured levels of student satisfaction and their priorities, illustrating what issues are important to students as well as how satisfied students are. “The survey provides us with baseline results about MCLA student perceptions about the quality of their experiences, as well as comparative data about how our students’ responses compare to those of students from other four-year institutions who administered SSI this year,” the summary stated. Students were asked to complete the 70-question survey that focused on specific aspects of academics, campus life, services, and programs. Only 367 students, roughly one-third of the undergraduate student population, took this survey during the spring. Of those 367, half provided feedback that expanded on their initial responses in the open comment box provided. Not only did the results highlight the institution’s strengths and shortcomings, but it also provided information on a student’s likelihood to choose MCLA again. Of the strengths found for the institution, the report found that 70% of students were satisfied with their academic advising, “noting that their advisors are approachable, knowledgeable about their major, and concerned about their success.” Overall, almost all faculty were reported to be experienced in their fields of study, available to and caring of students, and providing students with valuable course content and instruction for their majors. Although the institution exhibited strengths in areas, the overall results of the SSI indicate that “MCLA stu-
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PHOTO TAKEN FROM MASSMOCA.ORG
This year marks MASS MoCA’s ninth annual FreshGrass Music Festival from Friday, Sept. 20, to Sunday, Sept. 20. Festival-goers can expect performances by: Andrew Bird, Greensky Bluegrass, Calexico, and Iron and Wine, among others. See story, page 6. Enrollment Numbers
Incoming Freshman Class Size Gives MCLA Hope BY NATALIA GIACOMOZZI STAFF WRITER MCLA has bucked the trend in declining enrollment with an incoming freshman class of 288, an approximately 9% increase over last year. The number of transfer students also increased significantly, due largely to 60 Southern Vermont College (SVC) students who opted to come here after the school closed last spring. “Being the teach-out partner for Southern Vermont College was a surprise, because it was a really quick turnaround to mobilize campus,” said Gina Puc, dean of
enrollment management. Puc said she believes that MCLA’s support for those students’ attests to the “state of flux” that higher education faces. The “state of flux” refers to the closure of private colleges across New England. Puc also pointed to MCLA’s new ranking on the Top Ten Public Liberal Arts Colleges in the recent U.S. News and World report, up two spots from last year, as representative of providing“education on an accessible and affordable format.” Puc attributes the increase to the Admissions office’s better use of social me-
Enrollment, Page 3
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MCLA in Top 10 Public Liberal Arts Schools BY TAYLOR SCARVER STAFF WRITER For the second year in a row, MCLA has been featured in the U.S. News and World Report’s Top Ten Colleges. This year, the College was placed 7th in Top Public Liberal Arts Schools along with highly respected institutions such as the United States Naval Academy. This year marks the second consecutive year MCLA will have been ranked on the organization’s website, last appearing on a four-year streak from 2011 to 2014. “This recognition affirms what people in North Adams and the Berkshires have always known: that MCLA is a great public liberal arts college, and an incredible asset to the community and the Commonwealth,” said Tom Bernard, Mayor of North Adams in a press release last year about MCLA’s 2018 ranking. “MCLA’s students, staff, and faculty, enrich and enliven North Adams and in turn the city itself serves as an extension of the college’s campus.” U.S. News and World
PHOTO BY COREY MITCHELL -LABRIE
The Smith House, which houses the admissions staff. President Birge gave praise to their excellence in student recruitment for this academic year. Report is a media organization that publishes news in all aspects of media areas such as health, personal finance, education, travel, etc. The education side of the news site ranks
schools based on their performances and individual factors to help students decide what college is a best fit for them. The site uses over five different factors to help de-
termine the ranking of colleges including student outcomes, faculty resources, expert opinion and financial resources. Each factor holds a certain percentage depending on how import-
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ant it is, outcomes being the heaviest, 35%, therefore the most important to a schools ranking. MCLA stands out most with its well-respected faculty and easy access to them and its yearly graduation rates. MCLA President James F. Birge, was delighted with the College’s appearance in the top ten list. “I’m proud of my colleagues’ efforts to provide a high-quality public liberal arts education for our students, reinforcing what I know well—MCLA is a best-choice college for students and their families,” Birge said in a press release. MCLA also appears under the news sites National Liberal Arts Colleges and Top Performers on Social Mobility. Social Mobility is based on how well students who have received Pell Grants do. Pell Grants are often awarded to families that have a total income less than $50,000. “This is the highest U.S. News ranking MCLA has earned; the College has appeared on U.S. News’ list of top public colleges for seven of the last nine years,” said the College in an official press release.
SGA Discusses Survey Results With Administration BY NATE BIRON SENIOR NEWS EDITOR On Monday, the SGA held their first meeting of the year to discuss the SSI results from last spring. SGA invited President Birge, Gina Puc, Catherine Holbrook, Christopher Mac-Donald Dennis and other faculty to discuss the SSI results from last academic year. “Some of the things that were mentioned in fixing for this semester we have already scheduled to be looked at fixed,” said Birge. “Another good thing about this year which we thought would help students in a positive way is to have all open office hours.” The SSI results showed MCLA’s academic advising was very powerful. Plus public safety was recognized by their quick response times. Other positive categories included: good core major study content, professors are approachable, and registration personnel is helpful. Catherine Holbrook, vice president of student affairs, acknowledged our positives but also our weaknesses. “After looking at the results, we as MCLA have chosen what would be more important to
focus on fixing than the other,” said Holbrook. The issues that are focused on was making sure the campus felt safe and secure for everyone. Financial aid needs more availability for students. Other areas include maintenance around campus, living areas need updating, and making sure students want to be here. Dean Little, president of SGA, was still unconvinced that MCLA will be making these changes their top priority. “Why aren’t we trying to do these things faster and in a more timely fashion?” said Little. “I am just a little confused as too why nothing is being done.” Christopher MacDonald-Dennis, chief diversity officer, had some push back with Dean’s comments on the effectiveness of MCLA staff to make changes. “We just can’t do everything at once,” said Dennis. He also added that “since we are public institution, we don’t have all the money in the world to get them done immediately.” President Birge also mentioned that he wasn’t surprised at the results in some of the categories on the SSI survey. “I was more disappoint-
Catherine Holbrook explains the SSI results to the SGA Board and Students. ed than surprised at the results,” said Birge. “I think we can find a lot of these issues on many other campuses in the U.S. as well.” SGA last week had also made clear with the institution that their top priority in the first weeks of class is to have more transparency with sexual assault problems on campus and what it all means.
“There have been more reports of sexual violence on campus within the last few years and we would like to make that change immediately,” said Dean. “That also means fixing the lighting on campus or just having more public safety officers around at night.” President Birge had some closing remarks about the survey and how we can work
PHOTO BY NATHAN BIRON
around getting the money for these improvements if the state will not fund the cost. “Typically donors don’t give money to institutions for these types of instances, so in that case, we will use our own dollars to try and address those problems sooner,” said Birge. “We are putting all these issues on our top priority lost to be done as soon as possible.”
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Sept. 19, 2019
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Hong Kong Won’t Concede to More Protester Demands, Top Adviser Says BY IAIM MARLOW BLOOMBERG.COM Hong Kong’s government doesn’t see any benefit in conceding to more demands from protesters and the increasingly violent demonstrations are unlikely to stop anytime soon, according to a top adviser to leader Carrie Lam. Radical demonstrators -- some of whom have lobbed petrol bombs at police and vandalized subway stations in recent weeks -- won’t give up their struggle even if the government meets all of their demands, said Bernard Chan, convener of the city’s Executive Council. While more moderate protesters may be swayed by moves to address social inequality, their die-hard
Survey
From Page 1 -dents are less satisfied with most of their student experiences than their national peers,” as stated in the report. Only 49% of surveyed students were found to be satisfied with their overall MCLA experience, with 51%
Wi-Fi
From Page 1 did. Despite this, the WiFi throughout the rest of the campus will need to receive similar upgrades within the next two years, he said. “I can’t wait until we can finish the campus and change out the radios in all the other buildings,” Bergeron said. “We’ll probably need fewer radios than we have today, which is the first time I can ever say that.” While the new Wi-Fi is a significant upgrade over the previous iteration, there is still room for
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-dia and other technologies to better recruit and attract students. “Over 60 percent of students are doing their college searches on their mobile device, so it really changes the look and feel of how we communicate with students,” she said. The official statistics of the new semester are not finalized until the end of September. At the beginning of each fall semester, MCLA conducts a “census date”, a period of freezing data and reporting it to the federal government. As a public institution, MCLA is required to send their enrollment data to the Massachusetts Department of
peers are unlikely to give up, he said. “No one is foolish enough to think that the more violent, more radicalized ones will dissipate anytime soon -- I’m afraid that this might drag on for a while,” Chan said in an interview this week. “They give the impression that it’s the five demands they want, and they’ll walk. Come on, we all know that’s not true. The five demands may be just the outset. The underlying issues are about all the other social issues we’re facing in Hong Kong.” Chan spoke after another weekend of protests descended into violence, less than two weeks since Lam’s government made its most significant concession to date by announcing it would formally withdraw a controversial bill that kicked off the movement. While
of them expressing that if they had to do it over again, they would enroll in MCLA. The report added, “the survey data indicates that although we pride ourselves in being a place that treats students as individuals and whose small size creates a close knit campus community, this is not the experience of a majority of our students.” improvement, according to Bean. “It’s a constant moving target,” Bean said. “It is always a challenge for us to make our wireless work for everything.” Bergeron said that he hopes students who are having Wi-Fi issues utilize resources, such as coming to the Murdock Hall HelpDesk. “After investing that kind of time and effort into this installation, I am really hopeful that people let us know if they are dissatisfied,” Bergeron said. “This is brand new, and we really want it to work, so let us know if it doesn’t.” Higher Education. As of right now, Puc said there are 1,500 total enrolled students, with 1,350 total undergraduates. 33% of the class of 2023 are students of color, an upward trend that makes it thehighest percentage to date at MCLA. Last year, the percentage was 30%. “We have a diverse group of students,” Puc said. “[The freshmen] come from 12 different states.” According to Puc, incoming students are started to become more conscious of student debt,something that wasn’t as prominent of a factor as years past. “I think more and more students and families are starting to get really savvy about the student debt situation,” she said.
that met one of the five demands called for by protesters, it did little to quell the unrest. The city has been gripped by historic pro-democracy rallies that have stretched into a fourth month. What began as pushback against legislation allowing extraditions to China has shifted into calls for greater democratic freedoms. Hong Kong authorities said Wednesday that they would cancel a National Day fireworks display scheduled for Oct. 1, the politically-sensitive 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule in China, citing safety concerns. Large crowds are expected to protest in the city on that day, and key organizer the Civil Human Rights Front has said it will apply for a permit to march.
Of the surveyed individuals, 32% reported that they feel a sense of belonging on campus, while 41% said being a student at MCLA was enjoyable, according to the report. Expanding these answers, 47% of students feel that, as an institution, we show concern for students as individuals, while 54% report that the campus is safe and secure for all students. A big consensus on areas of dissatisfaction that the report found involved “the living conditions in the residence areas, the selection and quality of food in the dining hall, overall maintenance of campus, and the availability of adequate financial aid.” In response to the feedback MCLA received from the SSI, there have been changes implemented
U.S. lawmakers are considering passing legislation that would sanction Chinese officials responsible for abducting or extraditing anyone from Hong Kong to the mainland. It would also seek to safeguard the autonomy that underpins special trading privileges for Hong Kong, which are crucial to its economy. In addition to the withdrawal of the extradition bill, Hong Kong’s demonstrators have also called for an independent inquiry into the violence, an amnesty for those charged during the unrest, rescinding the categorization of participants as “rioters” and the implementation of full universal suffrage. Tens of thousands marched in the city center over the weekend, some chanting “Five Demands, Not One Less.”
around campus. Some of these began with the start of the semester, such as: the information tent set up in the quad during the first week of classes to provide extra assistance to students; Executive Staff members holding open office hours; a large-scale renovation to the Centennial Room; and an increase to the college’s Wi-Fi for improved connectivity. As Catherine Holbrook, vice president of student affairs, stated in an email sent to the student body, “Not all areas can be addressed in the short term, but we remain committed to continuing the work and keeping you informed about both the initial results and the steps that are being taken to address the challenges raised via the SSI survey.”
“We heard you and took your examples of why you feel as you do to heart,” she continued. “We are committed to addressing these issues as quickly and practically as possible, and many people on campus will work hard this year to address our challenge areas and open more channels of communication to allow you, as an individual student to bring your concerns forward to us.” As part of this initiative of change, MCLA will be hosting two Information Forums: Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m., and Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m., in Murdock Room 218. These forums will allow students to discuss the SSI results more in depth, ask questions, provide feedback, and hear the college’s plan for action moving forward.
FINANCIAL AID ANNOUNCEMENT WELCOME STUDENTS!! THINKING OF STUDYING ABROAD FOR SPRING?? FINANCIAL AID MAY BE AVAILABLE FOR YOU! STOP BY TO CHECK! ********************** OCTOBER 1ST IS COMING SOON IT’S ALMOST TIME TO REAPPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID FOR 2020-2021! ANY QUESTIONS? STOP BY THE OFFICE IN ELDRIDGE HALL OR CALL US AT 413-662-5219
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Sept. 19, 2019
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MCLA Plans to Honor Legendary Trailblazer Coach Zavattaro BY MAYA MCFADDEN FEATURES EDITOR
In July the MCLA community lost former baseball coach and athletic director, Joseph Zavattaro Jr., “Coach Zav,” at age 86. Zavattaro was a beloved baseball coach and mentor to many MCLA alumni, staff, and faculty. “His reach was far greater than a bat and a ball,” said Jeffery Puleri, assistant athletic director for communications and development. With it nearing two months now since his passing, MCLA has announced that it will host a “Celebration of Life” event for Zavattaro on Saturday, Oct. 5. An open invitation is extended to alumni and friends to honor Zavattaro’s legacy and impact. A funeral service will be held at 12 p.m. at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish followed by a Celebration of Life social gathering at 2 p.m. in the Amsler Campus Center Gym. At the events, the College will recognize Zavattaro’s many baseball successes. He went 497-314 at MCLA during his 1964 to 1995 career. He will be remembered as part of the New England Baseball Hall of Fame, the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Hall of Fame, the MCLA Athletics Hall of Fame, and the Class of 2019 MASCAC Hall of Fame. Puleri wasn’t introduced to Zavattaro until after he retired from his 31 years of work at North Adams State College and MCLA. Puleri was the MCLA baseball coach for 15
years before becoming the assistant athletic director in 2013. Puleri said he learned about Zavattaro’s legacy as soon as he joined the athletics department and it led to him asking Zavattaro to be volunteer assistant coach. Zavattaro knew the sport of baseball inside and out. He played professionally for the Pittsburgh Pirates. “Baseball was his ultimate love,” said Dot Houston, associate athletic director for administration and compliance. His talent, however, surpassed his ability to play— Zavattaro was the ultimate coach. He has taught and coached baseball in countries such as Zimbabwe, Italy, Canada, and Japan. Zavattaro also taught lessons beyond the baseball field to his players, staff, and faculty. “The hardest coaching job is coaching the game of life and I think that’s what he did,” Puleri said. “He coached these people to be men.” Zavattaro was not only known for his championship-winning coaching, but also as the College’s first athletic department director. Houston said she remembered Zavattaro’s laid-back but passionate commitment to the department while being the athletic director. When Zavattaro hired Houston about 30 years ago, she said she remembers him always having a large bottle of Tums on his desk. Houston has been the women’s basketball coach, softball coach, and a full-time faculty member before stepping down from
coaching in 2000 to take on a full-time administrative role. In the start, Houston was one of two women in the athletics department, along with Susan Getchell, former gymnastics, field hockey, women’s soccer, softball and cheerleading coach. Houston said Zavattaro and Getchell mentored her and became a support system for her in her work. She described him as easy to talk with, funny, and business-like when it came to baseball. During Zavattaro’s final year, in 1995, the Trailblazers went 24-14 and won the MASCAC championship. Zavattaro’s relationships he built with the staff, faculty, and student-athletes showed that “he won in a lot of ways beyond just championships,” Houston said. Both Puleri and Houston leaned on Zavattaro for advice at the starts of their MCLA careers. “He showed me that no matter what level of administration you’re in, it’s coaching,” Puleri said. Puleri added that he always pushed the staff to be better. Houston said as an athletic director, Zavattaro created a strong family-feel in the department. Once a year he would put together a time for the department staff to go out to dinner together. As athletic director, Zavattaro helped with the creation for what is now known as the Joeseph Zavattaro Athletic Complex, which includes the turf soccer field named after the former men’s soccer coach,
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY MCLA ATHLETICS
The annual alumni baseball game for Homecoming Weekend will be on Sunday, Oct. 6. Ron Shewcraft, grass soccer fields, baseball and softball facilities, and tennis courts. Houston said she hopes to see improvements to the complex’s baseball field in the near future. “One regret would be that we didn’t fulfill his dream of really having a tremendous baseball field at the complex,” she said. Zavattaro served on the NCAA Rules Committee, Chair of the NCAA Baseball Committee, ECAC Softball and Baseball Committee, U.S.
Baseball Federation’s International Relations Committee, and as President of the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference. Houston said she hopes for the October remembrance events to offer closure for her and the others whose lives he touched. Through his many accomplishments, Zavattaro always gave MCLA athletics value and instant credibility, Puleri explained. “He was the ultimate competitor,” he said.
Remembering Professor Greg O’Connor BY LISE MANSARAY STAFF WRITER MCLA students and staff mourn the loss of business professor Greg O’Connor who passed away on June 3, 2019. “He’s one of the smartest people I have ever met in my life,” said fellow business professor James Moriarty, who was fairly close to O’Connor. “He was this street kid from Dorchester who exceeded academically at BC. He was just honestly really street smart and academically smart.” Moriarty first met O’Connor during his first semester teaching at MCLA in 1980. Since then, he began to build a very strong friendship with O’Connor and even goes as far as saying he was like a brother to him. “When I was 25, I moved out of the house and for some time we even lived with each other before we both got married,” Moriarty shared. “He was a mentor to me for a very long time. I really looked up to him.” O’Connor had a strong influence on the people around him. Alumni who had him as a professor years ago would always come back to visit him. “He had a strong relationship with his students here,” Moriarty said. “Students from the 80’s and 90’s always come back to visit. He was such an approachable guy. He taught me a lot about being out-
PHOTO FROM MCLA WEBSITE
Greg O’Connor taught MCLA courses such as marketing and issues in event and sports managment going and being social which is something I didn’t have a lot when I first came here.” According to Moriarty, O’Connor was known to have “such a great sense of humor,” always cracking jokes with students.
“He was the funniest guy,” Moriarty laughed while reminiscing. Recent students, such as Cody Falkner ’20, described O’Connor as an easygoing professor. “I took his management and marketing courses,” Falkner said. “He was a very nice guy who was laid back and easygoing, which is why I looked forward to going to his classes.” O’Connor is survived by his wife, Gail O’ Connor, and three sons, Kevin J. O’Connor, Ryan G. O’Connor, and Sean P. O’Connor. Born on January 18, 1951, in Boston, Massachusetts, he was the son of James Patrick and Mary Florence (White) O’Connor. O’ Connor earned his degree at Boston College with his B.S. and B.A., and obtained his MBA and MPA from Suffolk University. From there, he dove into his teaching career and taught as a professor at MCLA for about 40 years. O’Connor also had a number of different interests, including his love for animals, boats, water skiing, watching Boston sports games and traveling. “He really liked to travel,” Moriarty said. “We went to Vegas, we went to Florida once, and we went to Saint Martin together.” Moriarty still has a photo of him and O’Connor in his office drawers at Saint Martin from 1987. The two posed together, decorated in Saint Patrick’s gear and smiling ear to ear.
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Arlene Theodore Finds Place at MERC as New Leader and More
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A new MERC Coordinator is hired after the position was vacant for four months BY MAYA MCFADDEN FEATURES EDITOR Arlene Theodore, a new face to MCLA, hosted approximately 50 people at the Multicultural Education Resource Center’s (MERC) faculty, staff, and students of color luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 17. “My work plans to include a lot of your voices so this is only the start to many more encounters,” Theodore said at the luncheon, which was held in Murdock 218. Theodore has filled MCLA’s vacant MERC coordinator position for a little more than a month, taking responsibility for overseeing the MERC and working under the Chief Diversity Officer, Christopher McDonald-Dennis. Theodore’s current position as the Associate Director of Diversity Programs and MERC has a variety of responsibilities in addition to coordinating the MERC, which was previously done by Michael Obasohan who left the position in April. The Tuesday luncheon provided students of color with the opportunity to meet professionals of color from the College. Theodore said she will continue to provide students of color with a support system that is diverse and representational. This was also an opportunity for faculty and staff to get to know the students of color on campus. Theodore said she found herself accepting the job position after having a lunch panel with about 10 MCLA students during her interview process in July. “A lot of times students shy away from telling what it is when people are coming for interviews,” she said. “But not MCLA students, they told me everything.” Many of the students in the group were orientation leaders.
PHOTO BY MAYA MCFADDEN
Now a senior, Issa Jolloh (left) talks with new MERC coordinator Arlene Theodore (right). Jolloh has joined the MERC staff for a second year of workstudy. “She felt like the one that they had to hire. After she left we all looked at each other and said ‘If MCLA doesn’t hire her then we don’t know what MCLA is doing,’” Junior, Giovanni Arana said. She also said the College’s administrative members were very transparent in telling her what the College needs and where they are currently at in its diversity, equity, and inclusion mission. Before MCLA, Theodore was a residence hall director (RD) at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU). While in the position, she revolved much of her work around social justice education, diversity, and inclusion work. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Theodore attended Sa-
PHOTO BY MAYA MCFADDEN
Chief Diversity Offiver, Christopher McDonald-Dennis introduces Theodore in her new role as Associate Director of diveristy programs and MERC..
lem State University for her undergraduate degree and ECSU for her graduate. While at Salem, she was a resident assistant (RA), a member of the step team, worked with the multicultural student center, and coached volleyball. Theodore found her passion for mentoring as an RA, and during her senior year at ECSU, she won the resident assistant of the year award. It was at that moment when Theodore realized that “this is so much more than just the position, I have an opportunity to be a leader,” she said. Throughout her college career, Theodore worked to figure out a career that could include both her passion for mentoring and advocating for social justice. While in school, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America was one of Theodore’s first encounters with putting her passions to work. She was able to mentor the youth and be influenced by students from all walks of life. Theodore said she always aims to look for people’s potential which is why she is particularly passionate about advocating for students of color. “Being a mentor is my passion,” she said. As a result of her work with the Club, Theodore initially had her goals set on being an executive director of a Boys
and Girls Club chapter. Though over time Theodore found her place in secondary education as what she calls an “educator outside the classroom.” Theodore’s unique MCLA role provides her with the opportunity to do systemic work with diversity while also interacting directly with students as the MERC coordinator. “I knew what I was signing up for,” she said. Since being at MCLA, Theodore has sent an introductory email to the campus’ students of color opening up the MERC office (CC320) as a place to “relax, kick back and be true to themselves,” she said in the email. As a part of her MERC programming, Theodore will introduce “Real Talk Mondays” twice a month every month for students to engage in an open dialogue centered around diversity and inclusion. “It will be a space where students can feel vulnerable and speak their truth,” she said. While at ECSU, Theodore was a member of Connecticut’s NAACP chapter. She said she intends to join the Pittsfield chapter out of personal interest. While Theodore said she most looks forward to establishing and building relationships with her students and the campus, she also hopes to bridge the gap between administration and
students. “I’m hoping that administration is willing to listen,” she said. Theodore said she hopes to help the College to not ignore micro-level issues around diversity, equity, and inclusion. She said many institutions often wait for issues to get to a macro level before dealing with them and she hopes to change this by helping other faculty and staff members to intentionally listen. “I think administration needs to be willing to listen to our students cry,” she said. MERC is located on the third floor of the Campus Center in Room CC320.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ARLENE THEODORE
Arlene Theodore’s office is located in room 319 on the Campus Center’s third floor alongiside the Multicultural Education Resource Center in Room CC320.
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MASS MoCA’s Ninth Annual FreshGrass Festival Starts Sept. 20 BY SABRINA DAMMS A&E WRITER MASS MoCA, in partnership with FreshGrass Foundation and No Depression, will be having their ninth annual FreshGrass Music Festival from Friday, Sept. 20, to Sunday, Sept. 22. With the school semester speeding up and the stresses of everyday life weighing people down, the FreshGrass Festival is a great opportunity to blow off steam while also supporting both established and unestablished artists. “One person recently commented online that the FreshGrass Festival was their chance to recharge and reset for the rest of the year,” said Hannah Fiske, Communication Assistant at MASS MoCA, during a phone interview. “I think everyone goes into it with different goals.” Each festival-goer will create an experience that best represents what they want to get out of it, Fiske explained, whether it is spending time with their family, meeting their favorite band in the front row, or being one of the contestants who are early in their career. Festival-goers can expect performances by: Andrew Bird, on Friday, Sept. 20; Greensky Bluegrass, on Saturday, Sept. 21; and Calexico and Iron and Wine, on Sunday, Sept. 22, among others. Andrew Bird is an Indie Rock multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter. Since 1966 he has released 15 albums, several live albums, and EP’s that spanned across various genres including swing music, indie
PHOTO FROM BERKSHIRES.COM
A large crowd gathers at MASS MoCA’s 2018 FreshGrass Festival, giving festival-goers a chance to experience performances by a variety of artists. rock, and folk music. Greensky Bluegrass is a five-piece American Bluegrass rock band, known for their electric effects and full light shows on tours. Calexico is an Indie Rock Band. Iron and Wine, real name Samuel “Sam” Erivin Beam, is a singer-songwriter who has released six albums and several EP’s in Folk Music, Folk Rock, and Indie Folk. The FreshGrass Festival has something for everyone and will have activities for kids, vendors, a hike at Windsor Lake, and contests for the performers. It is a great, family-friendly place to make memories with loved ones and gives people the chance to enjoy the area. It stands out from other festivals because of its world premieres and unique
awards. Every year, the FreshGrass Festival hosts “must-see,” one of a kind events including the FreshScores and Composition Commission. FreshScores will be happening on Sunday at 2 p.m. During this portion of the event, attendees will see original music scores that play to silent films lasting 10 to 15 minutes. This year’s will be by The Mammals, Natalie Prass, and Aoife O’Donovan joined by Greg Liszt. Their website describes the event by saying it is, “full of beautiful and unexpected musical moments as the artist interprets a completely different art form.” To celebrate Pete Seeger’s, an American folk singer and vocal advocate for civil
FreshGrass Festival Ticket Prices $350 for a 3-Day VIP FreshPass $145 3-Day Festival Adult $105 3-Day Student $48 3-Day Child (ages 7-16) Free Child (age 6 and under) $59 Friday $89 Saturday $74 Sunday rights, peace, and equality, 100th birthday the FreshGrass Foundation commissioned Kronos Quartet, world-renowned string ensemble. They will be performing, “Music for Change: Pete Seeger @ 100,” for the festival’s Composition Com-
mission event, where an artist will create about an albums worth of original work that pushes the boundaries of roots music. Be sure to catch Mass MoCA’s three-day FreshGrass Festival this weekend, starting on Friday, Sept. 20.
Elizabeth Freeman Center’s ‘Walk a Mile’ Rally BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER A&E EDITOR In its ninth consecutive year, the Elizabeth Freeman Center’s “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” rally will take place Sept. 19, starting at 6 p.m. during Pittsfield’s Third Thursday event. Hundreds of people from various communities will come together to take part in this one mile walk, wearing symbolic and decorative footwear down North Street, united to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence. “[When we started] eight years ago we had just a couple hundred people walking
down North Street and last year it was 800,” said Molly Graether, a counselor and advocate for the Elizabeth Freeman Center, in a phone interview. “[It’s] people of all ages, races, genders, and backgrounds taking a stand against domestic violence – bringing it out of the shadows and letting [others] see we don’t stand for domestic or sexual violence.” With eight domestic violence murders occurring in the last three years that have shaken communities throughout Berkshire County, the Elizabeth Freeman Center is an organization that takes a stand in support-
ing victims of domestic and sexual violence no matter what. Annually, they put on their “Walk a Mile” march to raise funds that provide help, hope, and healing to these survivors. “It’s becoming more and more important that we keep getting our awareness up as those rates are rising,” Graether said. “We’re all in this together, it takes a community to really make a change.” Having offices located in Pittsfield, North Adams, as well as Great Barrington, allows those working for the Elizabeth Freeman Center to reach out to as many people as possible. In the past year
alone, the Elizabeth Freeman Center has served over 1,700 survivors and provided violence prevention education to over 12,000 youths across the county. “We see a lot of people in our agency,” Graether said. “People come through our door for a lot of different reasons, but the biggest thing we do is just show [others] that they are not alone, they have a voice, and they deserve to feel safe in their relationships.” To take part in “Walk a Mile” participants can register individually or with a team of people online at www.elizabethfreemancenter.org/walk-mile-2019/.
People can also register just before the event kickoffs starting at 5 p.m. at the red tents that will be located on the corner of North Street and Columbus Avenue in downtown Pittsfield. There is no fee to register or to walk, but those who participate are encouraged to raise funds that support the services the Elizabeth Freeman Center provides to address and stop violence. Shoes, shoe decorations, and signs will also be available at the walk, but participants may also bring their own. All are welcome to participate in “Walk a Mile” tonight in Pittsfield from 6 to 7 p.m.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Sept. 19, 2019
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IGE & Freel Library Host Movie Night with ‘Fire & Flood’ Documentary BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER A&E EDITOR MCLA’s Identity and Gender Equality (IGE) Center and the Susan B. Anthony Women’s Center are co-hosting a documentary screening of “Fire & Flood: Queer Resilience in the Era of Climate Change” in the Freel Library on Friday, Sept. 20 at 7:30 p.m. This 90-minute film tells the story of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the fires in Santa Rosa, California, twonear simultaneous climate-related disasters that occurred in the fall of 2017. Offering a sneak peek screening, “Fire & Flood” filmmaker wanted to raise awareness of these tragic disasters and right away MCLA’s Freel Library staff got involved, teaming up with IGE and the Susan B. Anthony Women’s Center. “It sounded like an amazing documentary and we wanted to support its success,” said Alishia Alther, acquisitions and technical services assistant
PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA BECKWITH
A screening of “Fire & Flood” will take place tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. at Freel Library, in an email. “[We’re] looking forward to students getting together, meeting each other, and having a shared experience.” Over the summer, Alther became very involved with an initiative where Massachusetts libraries have been planning to hosts events for
Climate Preparedness Week, which occurs Sept. 24 through Sept. 30. “With the changes to the library space over the summer, we are now able to host screenings, lectures, and other types of gatherings,” stated Emily Alling, associate dean of library services at Freel Library,
in an email. “We’re excited about planning events that will enrich the academic and social experience at MCLA.” Told through the voices of LGBTQIA+ people who lived through those disastrous events and were part of the community response, “Fire & Flood” explores the vulnerability of LGBTQIA+ communities to climate disasters and also lifts up queer and trans strategies for resilience, transition and survival. When asked what students could expect to take away from this event Alther said, “Community building and conversations – inspiration to take on local climate change-related issues and raise awareness about what is going on in other parts of the country.” An event as such as this one is also intended to provide people a space to have conversations with each other about serious and difficult subjects. “Those who attend can expect an excellent group of stories that aim to help create dia-
logue around important topics such as social justice and climate justice,” Lilly Broman ’20 stated in an email. “We hope to see people attend to learn more about these issues!” “[We’re] really excited that the IGE and Women’s Center are partnering with the library on this event. I hope that this can be a model for future partnerships with other student organizations,” Alling said. “I see this as a great opportunity to engage with each other and to have conversations outside the classroom.” “The idea of resilience is [also] an important one. We are all facing the actual and anticipated consequences of climate change,” Alling continued. “Learning from the experiences of the communities showcased in this film can help us support each other both locally and on a global scale.” Catch a sneak peek of the documentary, “Fire & Flood,” tomorrow night at Freel Library at 7:30 p.m.
* THURSDAY, SEPT. 19 - PRESIDENT’S ICE CREAM SOCIAL & STUDENT ACTIVITIES FAIR ACADEMIC QUAD 12 TO 4 P.M. - IGE LAVENDAR RECEPTION MURDOCK 218 12 TO 1 P.M. - LIBRARY TEA & TALK 1:45 TO 2:45 P.M.
* FRIDAY, SEPT. 20 - FRESHGRASS FESTIVAL MASS MOCA 5 TO 10:45 P.M. - LIBRARY MOVIE NIGHT 7:30 P.M
* SATURDAY, SEPT. 21 - FRESHGRASS FESTIVAL MASS MOCA 10:30 A.M. TO 11 P.M. - SAC’S CAMPFIRE S’MORES DIRT COMMUTER LOT 8 TO 10 P.M.
* SUNDAY, SEPT. 22 - FRESHGRASS FESTIVAL MASS MOCA 10:30 A.M. TO 5:30 P.M. - YORICK COMEDY WORKSHOP BOWMAN 319 4 TO 5 P.M.
Sports
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Volleyball’s Win Streak Snapped at 5 BY JOHN MORRISSEY SPORTS WRITER MCLA women’s volleyball tore through opponent Bay Path University, earning a 3-0 victory at the Amsler Campus Center Gym Thursday, Sept. 12, followed with an equally impressive 3-0 victory over Becker College Saturday, Sept. 14, on the road at Alumni Field. Those wins moved the team’s winning streak to 5 games, all of which came in an impressive run of 15 winning sets, heading into Tuesday’s match against Westfield State University Owls. However, MCLA was not able to continue its winning streak, falling to the Owls in a tight 3-1 match. MCLA started the game against the Owls with an early lead, taking the first set, but were unable to continue their momentum into the succeeding three sets. Coach Amanda Beckwith acknowledged her team’s sudden turnaround. “In the beginning of the season we were still figuring each other out,” Beckwith said. “We have been doing well [recently] and I attribute that to good chemistry and everyone on and off the court having great energy. What also helps is we have many strong players representing in their respective positions.” MCLA was led by the standout play of Natasha Stewart ’21 who provided a personal career high of 24 assists against Bay Path, only to surpass it against Becker, with 37 assists, and again with 40 assists against Westfield. Another high was accomplished on Saturday by Kelly Moczulski ’23 with 13 kills, which she trumped Tuesday night with 15 kills and 12 digs. Moczulski, who was named Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletics Conference (MASCAC) Player of the Week two weeks ago, and MASCAC Rookie of the Week for the second straight week, has contributed greatly to MCLA quickly turning around a season which got off to a slow start. “At the start of the season the team was still
PHOTO BY JOHN MORRISSEY
Women’s volleyball are now 5-4 on the season and will play the SUNY New York at Delhi Broncos on Sunday, Sept. 22 trying to figure each other out,” Moczulski said. “Coming out of a 3 game loss streak was tough, but we definitely used it to our advantage. When everyone came out of their shells and we saw who we really were helped us out tremendously.” “Having teammates that you really want to play with really helped me out,” Moczulski continued. “Honestly, the first time I met the girls
on the team, I knew they were people that I wanted to play with and have in my life other than volleyball.” The Trailblazers are now 5-4 on the season and will play again Sunday, Sept. 22, when they head to State University of New York (SUNY) at Delhi to take on the Broncos, who stand at 5-1 with a five-game winning streak.
Men’s Soccer
Castro Breaks 22-Game Losing Streak Snapped
BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE MANAGING EDITOR Rafael Castro ’23 saved MCLA men’s soccer on Tuesday night after scoring two goals against host school Rivier University, and breaking a massive losing streak of 22 games. Throughout the game, Castro made four out of the team’s seven shots on goal, scoring at the 14th minute mark with an assist by Garrett Derosia ’20, and again at the 68th minute mark unassisted, closing the game 2-1.
Rivier’s offense was stopped by MCLA goalkeeper Sam Edge ’23 who managed to make six saves, equally spread across both halves. The win comes as a huge breath of fresh air as the team hadn’t closed a win for the entirety of the 2018 season. The team’s last win was against Green Mountain College, 3-2, on Oct. 22, 2017. While they finished the 2017 season with an overall record of 5-11, it still settled miles better for them than their following 2018 season overall record of 0-15-1.
This win brings their 2019 season to an overall record of 1-4, and hopefully this win sets a trend for the team’s upcoming games. Next up for men’s soccer are three consecutive home games at the Joseph Zavattaro Athletic Complex. On Friday, Sept. 20, the team will play against Bridgewater State University at 6 p.m. The team will then battle Sage College Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m., followed by their game against Fitchburg State University Friday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m.
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PHOTO FROM MCLA ATHLETICS
Rafael Castro ‘23 scored two goals Tuesday.
Sports
Sept. 19, 2019
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Allow College Athletes to Profit from Endorsements
California governor should sign bill allowing athletes to earn money from their name, likeness or image EDITORIAL BY THE MERCURY NEWS The NCAA knows a thing or two about making a buck. The governing body of college athletics, which operates as a non-profit organization, reported revenues of $1.1 billion for the 2017 fiscal year. NCAA President Mark Emmert walked away with $2.9 million that year. But not a dime went to the athletes primarily responsible for raking in the dough. Even though 86% of college athletes live below the poverty line. State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, finds that appalling. Good for her. Her legislation, SB 206, would require California’s public and private colleges and universities to permit athletes to market themselves and receive payment for endorsement deals. The bill is such a no-brainer that the Assembly and Senate both passed it unanimously. Gov. Gavin Newsom should sign it into law and tell the NCAA to stop exploiting young athletes, the vast majority of whom will never play professional sports. When it comes to bullying, the NCAA has few peers. So it came as no surprise that Emmert and the organization’s governing body sent Newsom a letter last week threatening the state. “If the bill becomes law and California’s 58 NCAA schools are compelled to allow an unrestricted name, image and likeness scheme,” the letter said, “it would erase the critical distinction between college and professional athletics and, because it gives those schools an unfair recruiting advantage, would result in them eventually being unable to compete in NCAA compe-
titions.” The NCAA’s assertion that it cares about competitive balance is laughable. Try telling that to the schools that get thrashed on the gridiron every year by the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Notre Dame. No, the bottom line in this debate is money. The NCAA loves to market its student-athletes as amateurs who play for the love of game. But one of the reasons colleges don’t want their athletes to be considered employees is they don’t want to be responsible for providing health care for injured players. Colleges aren’t required to provide health care for athletes when they are hurt, and when a player has a serious injury, it is the parent’s insurance that is primarily responsible for paying the costs for treatment. The NCAA also doesn’t want players taking a piece of its very lucrative pie. The University of Oregon, for example, signed a deal last December with Fanatics PHOTO TAKEN FROM MERCURYNEWS.COM Inc., the world’s largest seller of licensed State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, passed legislation that would require sports gear, for $23 million. If one of its California’s public and private colleges and universities to permit athletes to star players signed an endorsement deal sign endorsement deals. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) to market his or her likeness on T-shirts, the athletes who perform on the playing fields. These sweatshirts, jackets and hats, it could reathletes shouldn’t be blocked from making money off duce the university’s sales. Skinner’s legislation is a matter of simple fairness. their name, image or likeness by what is an absurd The NCAA and its member schools make millions off rule.
Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees Injuries Create Nightmares for Steelers and Saints BY SAM FARMER LOS ANGELES TIMES Most NFL teams would give their right arm for Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger or New Orleans’ Drew Brees. Problem is, the talented right arms of Roethlisberger and Brees are out of service. Roethlisberger, 37, needs surgery on his right elbow that will end his season after two games. Brees, 40, needs surgery on his right hand that will sideline him at least six weeks. It’s a nightmare for the Steelers and Saints, who are built around their Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks and now move reluctantly to Plan B. For Pittsburgh, that contingency is Mason Rudolph, a third-round pick in his second season out of Oklahoma State. He made his NFL debut in the second half of Sunday’s home loss to Seattle, completing 12 of 19 passes for 112 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the 2826 defeat. Rudolph makes his first start Sunday at San Francisco against a team that rolled over Tampa Bay and Cincinnati in the last two weeks. “I’m not into the business of predicting the future,” Rudolph said when asked about the daunting challenge that awaits him. “You never know. You’ve just got to attack every day like it’s your last.” Teddy Bridgewater is the new starter for New Orleans, perhaps the best backup in the league. He struggled against the Rams on Sunday after replacing Brees in the first
quarter, but it was a rough day all around for the Saints. They lost a wideout in warmups, another during the game, and had to finish with quarterback Taysom Hill running routes as the third receiver. The Saints are staying on the West Coast to prepare for Sunday’s game against Seattle, with the Seahawks 2-0 as well. The Saints sent a third-round pick to Minnesota for Bridgewater last year, then re-signed him to a one-year deal worth at least $7.25 million. Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater fumbles the ball as he is sacked by the Rams’ Clay Matthews, left, and Morgan Fox during Sunday’s game. “I felt real confident in Teddy — and do feel confident,” Saints Coach Sean Payton said in the wake of Sunday’s loss. “Listen, if PHOTO TAKEN FROM LATIMES.COM you’re not playing well up front, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is done for the season after suffering a right elbow I don’t care if it’s your Hall of injury Sunday that will require surgery. (Getty Images) Fame guy or your No. 3 guy. It’s going to be difficult.” ous times, [hurt] ligaments, all that guess you always say there are only Age didn’t appear to be a factor in stuff. It just happens. Unfortunately so many throws in your arm. But I Brees’ injury. He was hurt when his for him, it was worse. I don’t think it look at [Tom] Brady and Brees, and hand collided with that of Rams dehas anything to do with age.” I played until I was 38, and never fensive tackle Aaron Donald. It was Medical experts say that Roethlis- really thought that was much of an like an unintentional and clearly berger’s injury is likely an attritional issue. excruciating high-five between the problem as opposed to a traumatic “But what I will say is you don’t players. one, the result of wear and tear on bounce back as quick when you get “The thumb injury with Brees, the elbow joint that could relate to older. When you get banged up, it I had that happen to me so many the way a quarterback pronates takes a little bit longer to heal.” times, where you bang your hand,” when he spins the ball. That could present problems for said Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Mon- the Saints, who are hoping to have Warner, an NFL Network analyst. tana had a similar surgery late in his Brees back by midseason. For the “For me, I didn’t suffer many major career. Steelers, it’s onward with Rudolph, injuries, but I suffered a whole bunch “I guess you don’t ever know when and next year for Roethlisberger at to my hand. I broke my hand numeryou’re a thrower,” Warner said. “I best.
Opinion
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Letter from the Editor
The Last 4 Years of My Life: Then and Now Looking back at what I have accomplished during my college career academically, athletically, and personally, and planning for my future BY TESSA SESTITO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF To Our Readers, Recently, I interviewed President Birge with Beacon Web News Executive Producer Julia Teixeira as sort of a “welcome back” piece for both The Beacon and BWN. Considering he’s entering his fourth year being at MCLA, we asked him: What have you accomplished during your time here? Then, I received a letter that I wrote during my first semester at MCLA from my First Year Experience advisor Jenn Labbance. Everyone in my FYE class wrote a letter to their future senior selves. The letter was intended to not only tell our future selves how our first semester went (in case we forgot), but also to set a goal for ourselves to accomplish before graduation. After reading the letter and the interview, I started asking myself that same question I asked President Birge. I’ve been here as long as President Birge, and with my impending graduation in December, I thought it was appropriate to look back.
Being from California put me in a certain mindset when I got to MCLA – don’t plant roots here. It’s only temporary. You’re here for school and then you’ll be back home before you know it. So, that’s what I did. I didn’t make friends, I stayed in my room 24/7, I would eat, sleep, play volleyball, or do homework. I finally got homesick around November and the worst part was that I didn’t have anyone to talk to because I isolated myself so much. I wanted my life here to at least be enjoyable, and I knew I would have to change in order to do so, which is when I wrote the letter to my future self. The goals I made for myself, the biggest things I wanted myself to accomplish, were somewhat simple but a big step for my freshman self: form connections with faculty, utilize my resources, get involved on campus, take care of myself, and have fun. It sounds simple enough looking back at it now and in 2016 that was huge. But I challenged myself. I made strides every year to get closer to achieving my goal. I didn’t start utilizing my resources
until sophomore year when I started going to my professors’ office hours for help – but I figured that out the hard way by having mono and depending on professors being understanding of my situation. It wasn’t until last year that I started taking care of myself – talking to athletic trainers about my injuries so that they could help me fix them, realizing that my former relationship was toxic long before I ended it, and reaching out to my townhouse mates to help me through rough times in my life so that I wasn’t alone. Last year, I let myself have fun. I helped plan birthday parties for the people I lived with and they even planned a party for my twenty-first birthday (it was the Office-themed and it was amazing). I reached out and was able to join a friend group that didn’t need me, but I needed them. I also finally gained a best friend who shortly left after last year to pursue her career in medicine. I also let myself get more involved on campus last year by joining The Beacon. It started off as needing the credits to fulfill one of my concentrations. I was just going to be
a copy editor, writing occasional stories throughout the semester. But something changed in me – I became more confident in myself, I learned from our amazing copy chief Elizabeth last year, I was able to dabble in page design a bit, and I found a whole other side of me that I didn’t know I have. And so, I start off this year looking back at my accomplishments: athletically, academically, and personally. I grew into this whole other person that I didn’t know was inside of me, all because I went about accomplishing goals, I forgot I even made for myself. As Editor-in-Chief of the paper for this semester, I hope to continue the legacy that has come before me of publishing successful, newsworthy papers, and to set new goals this semester for myself to accomplish. I’d like to thank all of you for your continued support and readership. On behalf of the paper, we are excited to bring meaningful and significant stories with our brand new and returning staff members. Sincerely, Tessa Sestito
You Probably Don’t Hate Country Music Mainstream Country Music does not represent the genre in its entirety BY JAKE VITALI EDITOR-AT-LARGE If you’ve ever stomp-clapped to “Wagon Wheel” at a party, found yourself singing along to “Country Roads Take Me Home,” unleashing your fierce post-breakup anger to “Before He Cheats,” or rocking out to “Jolene,” then, like me, you’ve enjoyed some country music. The problem is that these songs don’t sound like most country songs that you’ll find on the radio or at the top of the country charts today. Absent are the storytelling lyrics, steel guitars and fiddles, and actual percussion. Instead, it seems that most mainstream country songs contain the motifs of girls, pickup trucks, and drinking beer. Most music in country today is simplistic chords layered over snap track beats which resemble most pop songs on the American Top 40. Look no further than the music being produced by the likes of Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, or any other name within country’s mainstream (with few exceptions that include the likes of Chris Stapleton). In the process, country music has become a proverbial punching bag, something that the genre has done to themselves by alienating the staples of the genre and pushing them to the fringes of the mainstream. One of the most popular country albums to come out this year is The Highwomen’s self-titled project, released Sept. 6. The supergroup comprised of Brandi Carlile, Marren Morris, Natalie Hemby, and Amanda Shires not only provided a rootsy, authentic sound, but they did so while introducing concepts of female empowerment to a genre dominated by male artists.
Aside from the group country radio. breathing a breath of fresh air Jason Isbell’s 2013 album into a genre at a time when ev“Southeastern” is widely erything follows the “C’mon hailed as one of the best Amergirl, get in my pickup truck” icana and alternative-country motif, it also takes us back releases of modern times. The in time to when country mualbum, which explores Isbell’s sic had a very distinguished struggle with alcoholism and sound of its own. rebuilding his life after finding See, all you’re really supsobriety, features songs rich posed to have in a country with metaphors and explores song is three chords and the these themes through persontruth. And thankfully, The al stories and fictional characHighwomen aren’t the only ters. Despite his now-multiple ones producing music that Grammy Awards, Isbell still JAKE VITALI combines impactful lyrics with remains one of the artists people A SLICE OF AMERICANA real instrumentation. Unfortuconsistently overlook when disnately, most of the music falls cussing country. outside the mainstream and is tossed into the Even on a Friday night at The Grand TheAmericana category. ater at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, Jason Americana is, in essence, some of the clos- Isbell and the 400 Unit and Nathaniel Rateliff est music that we currently have to the coun- & The Night Sweats played before a soldout try music of old. Even though Americana at its crowd. The show brought attendees from allcore is supposed to intersect with and draw over including myself: at least one other MCLA influence from rock and roll, blues, soul, and community member, and people from two or gospel. more hours away. Shows featuring these acts Tyler Childers released his album “Country and their contemporaries see consistent results, Squire” this past summer after a successful making them fairly difficult tickets to get, even breakout album “Purgatory” in 2017. While it in New England. is one of the least known albums for most evIt goes to show that people want music with eryday listeners, there’s one fact that cannot be meaning to them, something they can relate to, ignored: it’s true to the genre. Childers songs something that sounds like nothing else – not tell stories about a man trying to fix up a trailer something attempting a lazy copy of pop music. for him and his wife to share, playing gigs and People want originality, through country getearning money to make the dream possible. ting back to its roots of steel guitars, fiddles, Childers received an Americana Award for simple but actual percussion, and lyrical con“Purgatory” in 2017 and used his acceptance tent that explores personal stories or makes a speech to speak out about how he and others statement on political times, it might be a genre aren’t receiving the credit they deserve from more people should consider.
Opinion
Sept. 19, 2019
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Editorial
No Juuls for Kids Juuls are everywhere. You see them used in malls, outside churches, on townhouse coffee tables, and in bags slung around shoulders while going to class. They’re commonplace in public spaces and college campuses, but so too on the grounds of high and middle schools. These are very important periods of development, many kids don’t know who they are and are doing their best just to fit in. Peer pressure starts to sink in along with a growing need to do what’s trendy, cool or popular in the social scene. Today, this means vaporizers like Juuls—small, little, USB stick-looking devices that produce nicotine vapor in a variety of different flavors. Not only do they remove the smoke factor of cigarettes but they contain shockingly high levels of nicotine. In some cases one cartridge, or pod, is equivalent to an entire pack of cigarettes. The massive head rush, coupled with the “cool” feel of fitting in, gets kids hooked on them at a very young age. Their easily portable size makes it particularly problematic, as kids can easily hide them in backpacks and jacket pockets. Flavorless vapor is a lot harder to detect than smoke and disperses quickly. These preteens often have no concept of moderation, and for those who play videogames or watch movies, it’s around this age that the all-nighters begin. Nicotine poisoning can easily result from too many hits, which can lead to dehydration, excessive coughing, confusion, anxiety, sweating and vomiting. Overtime, these side effects can devel-
op into low blood pressure, diarrhea, fatigue, and in extreme cases respiratory failure, seizures and death. While the smoking age in America limits the use of cigarettes, the arguably more dangerous Juul is only limited by a purchase age of 18+. Minors can legally use and possess Juuls, and a quick visit to middle schools will show kids already experiencing their first, second, and hundredth hits. It’s different for adults who have a linear and conscientious agency to choose to smoke or vape. However, kids don’t always have the capacity to fully realize the dangers and risks, especially in the contentious and chaotic social scene of the American schooling system when kids just want to fit in. On a college campus, sure that’s fine. If a student wants to Juul while going to class, it’s their right. That’s their own personal choice as a full-fledged adult. But as middle school or high school students, using Juuls can lead to huge negative effects on their physical and mental health. An early-set drug dependency can lead to similar behaviors developing throughout their lives. The use of Juuls and other vaporizers are fine to use for adults with the wherewithal to make choices for themselves; but for kids in middle and high school they have no place. While the age limit for buying Juuls is 18+, there needs to be a limit for the use of them as well. It’s good that the government and public scene is finally acknowledging their dangers, but it’s disappointing to hear that it took several deaths for them to open their eyes.
Letter to the Editor
Toxic Masculinity is Causing More Damage Than You Think To the Editor: Toxic masculinity is a phrase that is often misunderstood, misused, and mocked. Toxic masculinity can accurately be defined as the cultural concept of manliness that glorifies stoicism, strength, and dominance that is socially or emotionally harmful. These socially perpetuated idealistic standards of what a “real man” is can be detrimental to a male’s self-esteem, body image, ability to form relationships, and even their mental and physical health. Ironically, toxic masculinity becomes even more damaging at this point because it is expected of men to not talk about their feelings/problems and to handle everything themselves. Magazines, movies, commercials, and more generally use men who are tall, overly muscular, and attractive, while most men don’t actually look like this. Many studies have shown that the use of this idealized body image in the media can lead to eating disorders, muscle dysmorphia, depression, and many other negative consequences. Visions of men as dominant over women perpetuate outdated gender roles, keep sexism alive,
and cement the patriarchy further into place. It also makes men feel like they need to be more assertive, aggressive, and in control. This can lead to things like anger issues and spousal abuse. The image of men as stoic creatures causes men to keep things to themselves. Men tend not to ask for help, share their feelings, or discuss their problems because they are supposed to be “strong.” This type of thinking can lead to an inability to make/keep meaningful connections with other people. It can also cause depression, anger issues, anxiety, and more. To make matters worse, when men do reach out, they are rarely met with acceptance or kindness and treatment for eating/body image disorders in men is virtually nonexistent. We as a society need to do better and be better for our men. We need to reject theses harmful stigmas and allow men to be imperfect human beings with feelings. We need more treatment options for men, and most importantly, we need to listen and help. Sincerely, Alexis Nason Class of 2020
Want to write a guest column for The Beacon? If you’re interested in writing a guest column, contact Tessa Sestito at ts5422@mcla.edu or Corey Mitchell-Labrie at cm5449@mcla.edu
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Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Tessa Sestito
Managing Editor Corey Mitchell-Labrie
Senior News Editor Nathan Biron
A & E Editor Jennifer VanBramer
Features Editor Maya McFadden
Editor-at-Large Jake Vitali
BWN Executive Producer Julia Teixeira
Staff Staff Writers Natalia Giacomozzi Taylor Scarver Hans Resignac
Brian Rhodes Lise Mansaray
A&E Writer Sabrina Damms
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BWN Reporters Symantha Kehr Jabari Shakir
Robert Whery Rosedolphe Ambroise
Advisers Shawn McIntosh Jim Niedbalski
Sept. 19, 2019
IN OTHER BEACON NEWS
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Ice Cream Social Happening Today 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. Each Fall, clubs set up booths for new and returning students to learn more about their roles on campus while enjoying ice cream!
President James Birge and some of the MCLA Cheerleading Club at last year’s Ice Cream Social.
The Alegrettos, a club on campus, had a vivid and musical table for passing students to enjoy. The club offers a wide range of groups to join: a cappella, gospel, and general member groups.
MCLA’s Student Government Association (SGA) attended last year’s Ice Cream Social, informing students about SGA.
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