April 12, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 10

Volume 86

T hu r s day , A p r i l 12, 2018

Cullen to talk Brexit borders and Good Friday

Issue 10 Clint Watts talk

Social media, spies, and Russia

BY MAYA MCFADDEN STAFF WRITER

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

With the exit of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union, the peace and rules of the past have come into question.

BY JOSEPH CAREW Friday Agreement that ended the has been in Ireland recently, lookEDITOR-IN-CHIEF time known as “The Troubles” in ing at the issue.”

Northern Ireland as well as the The recent vote by the citizens of Kevin Cullen, a foreign corre- developing dynamic between the the United Kingdom to leave the spondent who has spent decades United Kingdom and the Republic European Union brings this topin Ireland, will give the next lec- of Ireland. ic to the forefront of global news ture in the Conflict Prevention and “He was the foreign correspon- once again. With the Republic of Resolution Speaker Series. His dent during the negotiations of the Ireland remaining in the Eurotalk, “The Good Friday Agreement Good Friday Agreement and since pean Union and Northern Ireland 20 Years On: Whatever You Say, then as well,” said David Cupery, leaving it, questions have been Say Nothing,” will be Tuesday, assistant professor of political brought up about how the border April 17 at 6 p.m. in the Sammer science and public policy. “It still between the nations will be enDennis Room (218) in Murdock hasn’t been finalized yet what’s forced.

Hall. going to be the case there [on the “How can the UK and Ireland The talk will encompass the border of Northern Ireland and in between Northern Ireland and 20th anniversary of the Good the Republic] and Kevin Cullen Cullen page 2

Clint Watts, former FBI agent and foreign policy and cybersecurity expert, presented MCLA’s Public Policy Lecture discussing “Russian Spies, Social Media, Fake News: An Inside Look at Russia’s Cyberwarfare Campaign Against American Democracy” on Wednesday, April 4 in the Church Street Center.

In 2014, Watts and two other analysts, Andrew Weisburd and J.M. Berger, began tracking what he called “Russian hackers” online. The hackers worked to grow strong influences on social media platforms with automated bots that send malware and share propaganda exploiting free speech.

“I wanted to talk about it, but no one wanted to,” said Watts.

In 2016, the Russian influences on online systems led to concerns for the state of American democracy and its future, according to Watts.

“If you want to infiltrate a country you start with their social issues,” Watts said.

Watts discussed how the goals of the Russian hacking were to undermine citizens’ confidence in the democratic government, weaken the trust between citizens and political officials, and create distrust in information sources by confusing fiction with fact.

“I’ve been very concerned about all the topics Watts discussed since before the election and I think we underestimate what the Russians can do,” said Katherine Kidd, an instructor at the Osher Lifelong Learning

Watts page 2

MCLA’s Board of Trustees

Green Living

Satellite data and farming the breeze

Burdick, Keator, and Chapman welcomed

BY FABIENNE BOGARDUS-STREET STAFF WRITER

BY COREY MITCHELLLABRIE STAFF WRITER

The Green Living Seminar series continued with its latest lecture, “Understanding Potential Large Wind Farm Impacts on Local Meteorology Using Satellite Data,” presented by Liming Zhou, associate professor from the University of Albany department of atmospheric and environmental sciences.

“My favorite part of the lecture was seeing how the popular media distorted the results of Professor Zhou’s research,” said Elena Traister, associate professor of environmental science. “I was curious about whether additional research had followed up on the findings that wind turbines mix the night air, driving warmer air toward the land surface.”

The lecture started off with background on renewable wind energy and

the impacts of wind farms. A wind farm is an installation of wind turbines, which generate power by converting the force of the surface wind into a torque turning force acting on the rotor blades.

The amount of energy converted depends on air density in the rotor area and wind power is proportional to the cube of wind speed. Wind turbines can adjust their blades with wind direction to maximize power. To be considered a good location for wind energy, an area needs to have an average annual wind speed of at least 12 miles per hour.

According to the Zhou, the installed capacity of wind farms worldwide has increased exponentially in the last decade. In 2010, China overtook the U.S. as the world leader in wind power and now accounts for about 22 percent of the world’s wind power. The total in-

Green page 3

MCLA’s Board of Trustees, the College’s highest form of governance, welcomed several new members on Thursday, April 5, including Brenda Burdick, Frederick Keator and student representative Mitchell Chapman ’18.

“I’ve known both of them before they came to the board,” said MCLA president James Birge. “I’m excited to have them on the board for what they bring to the dialogue, frankly, and to the governance of the institution.”

Members of the board are experts in their respective fields and act as representatives who work together as the authoritative body of the College. MCLA’s board consists mainly of prominent community and college members, with one seat reserved for

student use. Senior Mitchell Chapman will hold this for the remainder of the academic year.

“My hope is that they enjoy their time here,” said Birge. “We tackle heady issues and heady issues require thoughtful, intelligent people to contribute to the resolution.”

Burdick works as senior manager of marketing and public relations for General Dynamics Mission Systems in Pittsfield, which hosts several college internships in the physics and engineering fields.

“My goal is for people to see the value in MCLA,” said Burdick. “[The value] that I see as a trustee and I think you see as a student, and the faculty and staff see.”

“I’ve been board chair of Berkshire United Way, 1Berkshire, Berkshire Music School… there’s been a number of different boards that I’ve served on

Trustee page 2

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April 12, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 10

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are food insecure on one level or another.”

The food pantry is made in partnership with the Berkshire Food Project with additional donation boxes around campus.

Moser was accompanied by Casey Messina, student leader for uniting MCLA and the Roots Teen Center, who spoke about the Roots Teen Center and its availability to MCLA students.

“The space can be used for literally anything,” said Messina. “Anyone can go in and just hang out. There’s crafting supplies, games, a TV for movies, food, and a popcorn machine, but we want to open that up to MCLA students.”

The Roots Teen Center is an organization based on creating a safe space for teens and young adults from ages 14 to 22. The space, located at 43 Eagle St., is open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Wednesday through Friday.

“We’re also going to start doing a program that we’re calling ‘Adultish’,” said Messina. “We’re going to have speakers come in and talk to us about how to do things we didn’t learn how to do in school like ‘What is a lease?,’ ‘How to find a landlord’, ‘How to change your oil’ or ‘How to change your tire.’”

SGA final spring elections will take

M

In their second to last meeting of the semester, the Student Government Association (SGA) approved $100 to MCLA’s MASSPIRG chapter and approved changes to several club constitutions, including their own.

The money will go toward MASSPIRG’s Save the Bees campaign and will help move forward with the College’s application to become a beefriendly campus. This entails creating service learning programs, raising student awareness and campus habitat plans, like special bee gardens.

Constitution changes were approved for SGA, Student Activities Council (SAC), Fashion Student Organization and Crafting Club.

SGA’s approved constitution included changes to their E-Board’s rights during official meeting times, senate absence buildup and a few of their committees. In particular, their Constitution Committee focused on how they will handle club constitution changes in the future.

“The E-Board is still having a say in what they want to be done with these documents,” said Senator Trev-

or Wheelock ‘20. “They can propose amendments, and propose motions and vote on them.”

SAC also made changes to their constitution.

“What inspired me to go through the constitution edits was my position right now as comedy stop,” said SAC member Jordan DeGaetano ‘20.

“When Kenneth Rivera was still comedy stop he pointed out that it would be in our best interest to change that to entertainment chair.”

SAC modified their vice president and secretary’s duties, as well as their rules on co-sponsorships with other clubs.

Fashion Student Organization will now be officially recognized as Fashion Club, as per the changes to their constitution.

Crafting Club eliminated their public relations chair, moving its duties to their vice president’s position.

Spencer Moser, coordinator of the Center for Service and Citizenship, attended the meeting as a special guest speaker to talk about a new food option for students on campus.

“We are rolling out a food pantry here at MCLA, it’s going to start out of my office,” said Moser. “We know that there are students here at MCLA that

N IO AT

BY COREY MITCHELLLABRIE STAFF WRITER

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place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17 in Bowman Hall and Wednesday, April 18 in the Campus Center marketplace.

A special debate between SGA presidential candidates Declan Nolan ‘19, and Senator Andrew Baillargeon ‘19 will take place on Friday, April 13. Current president Samantha Giffen ’18 will act as moderator with Senator Jacob Vitali ‘20, Emma Monahan ‘18, and Maggie Allen ’18 as panelists. The debate will be uploaded to BWN’s YouTube page.

The Student Government Association’s final meeting of the spring semester will be in Murdock 218 on Monday, April 23 at 7 p.m.

Watts from page 1 Institute at Berkshire Community College.

Watts formerly served as an infantry officer in the United States Army and was a special agent for the FBI on the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Watts currently develops countermeasures for Russian cyberwarfare at the federal, state, and local levels as a consultant.

“I was really interested in coming because I’m an academic, and I think Watts’ training gives him very particular insights and techniques to figure out where the Russians are engaged,” said Kidd. “I was very interested in the behind the scenes of his research aspects.”

Watts talked about Russian influences increasingly pushing anti-government stories to highlight inaccurate

trends on social media.

“What’s worse than no information is too much information,” Watts said. “They want to create confusion on what is fact on purpose.”

As a result of the Russian’s non-stop cyberattacks, Watts said that people are getting exhausted of fake news and are losing faith in seeking the truth.

“This leads to apathy,” Watts said. “Without policy debate democracy collapses.”

“I came because I’m very scared about what’s going on in this country,” said a North Adams resident. “I’m absolutely terrified because people are losing hope since the same issues have been going on for so long.”

The lecture was free and open to the public, supported by the Ruth E. Proud Chari-

Cullen from page 1 the Republic of Ireland create a border that reflects this new reality where the UK is no longer part of the European Union?” Cupery said. “But borders have even more meaning in this division of Ireland where there is a lot of symbolism accompanying the logistics.”

Cullen’s experience in covering this region dates back three decades and his talk will explore potential results of this change and the prospects of peace in this new dynamic.

“The Troubles” in North-

ern Ireland saw roughly 3,000 people die over the question of whether or not Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland should be one. The Republic of Ireland effectively separated from the United Kingdom in 1921 with the AngloIrish Treaty.

This series is made possible by a gift from the Boschen Peace and International Understanding Fund and seeks to create a forum for international peace and understanding across borders.

table Trust that started the series in 2008. The lecture is an opportunity for political science and public policy majors to hear from a speaker in their academic field.

Following the lecture, Watts answered questions submitted by the audience.

One attendee asked, “What actions would you recommend to protect freedom of speech without infringing upon American rights?”

Watts proposed the idea of information consumer reports as “nutrition labels for information” to have public standards for the quality of information online.

Watts also discussed the need to reform the nation’s dependence on social media.

“I could bring America to its knees if I turned off its WiFi,” Watts said.

“We’re so proud of social media that we have trouble evaluating that these American-made things do in fact have downsides and when Watts spoke about it, I agreed,” Kidd said.

“The internet brought us together, but social media tore us apart,” Watts said.

Watts discussed the many efforts other countries have made on combating cyberwarfare compared to American efforts.

“I was struck by how far behind we are,” said sophomore Isamaya Hagstrom. “It troubles me that we’re not moving toward political and social sanctions.”

Now more than ever, Russian social hackers and fake news issues are being discussed to protect democracy around the world.

Trustee from page 1

and I want to bring that experience here,” Burdick said.

Burdick has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a double major in business communications and marketing. In addition to her professional career, Burdick is a Berkshire native, with one child who graduated from UMass and another currently enrolled at BCC. Keator is managing partner of Keator Group, LLC. He is a nationally-recognized finance manager, placing on Forbes’ 2018 Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list.

“My goal is to help MCLA become that crown jewel of the

Photo by Maya McFadden

Clint Watts is a former FBI agent and a foreign policy expert.

state college system,” said Keator. “To make MCLA the best product out there for other people around the state and around the country, actually around the world, to take advantage of.”

“I heard earlier,” said Keator, “one of your professors talking about how communication skills are one of the greatest assets that current employers are looking for and that’s absolutely correct. It’s more than just communication, it’s critical thought, and that’s what a liberal arts institution provides.”

Keator owns his management firm along with his two brothers. He has three children, one

of whom just started college. As one of his goals, he mentioned wanting to make sure the state’s assets were properly set.

“They’re not wallflowers,” said Birge. “They know how to step in and provide input, which is what is necessary for a good governing body, to have people who are proactive with questions and comments.”

“I want them to have fun,” said Birge, “because I think serving on a college university board is the most noble form of public service and I hope they understand the weight of that and how important their part of this is.”

April 12, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 10

NATIONALNEWS

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Paul Ryan retirement

To serve out term as speaker

By Lindsey McPherson CQ-Roll Call

WASHINGTON - Paul D. Ryan said he plans to remain speaker of the House through the end of the year when he plans to retire and indicated he will eventually endorse someone to succeed him.

“I have great confidence in this leadership team. That’s one thing that I’m really proud of,” Ryan said when asked who he thought should be the next speaker.

“I have more thoughts on this,” Ryan added. “I think this is probably not the right time to get into that, but I’ll _ and I’ll share those thoughts later. That election is in November, so it’s not something we have to sweat right now.”

Leading candidates for speaker are expected to be House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 and No. 3 in GOP leadership ranks, respectively.

Scalise has reportedly said he would not run against McCarthy, whose path to the speakership is not certain given his inability in 2015 after the resignation of former Speaker John A. Boehner to secure the 218 votes needed to be elected speaker on the floor. Ryan became the consensus candidate, despite initially declining to run.

Other high profile Republicans could seek to run for speaker or lower level leadership positions that would open up if McCarthy or Scalise were to ascend. Republican Conference Vice Chairman Doug Collins of Georgia, Republican Study

Committee Chairman Mark Walker of North Carolina and Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady of Texas all declined to say whether they’d be interested in doing so.

Ryan’s decision to stay on as a lame duck speaker has not happened in three decades. In recent years, particularly among Republicans, congressional leaders have resigned instead of riding out the remainder of their terms, as happened with former Speaker John A. Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and former Speakers Dennis Hastert and Newt Gingrich.

“I know most speakers don’t go out on their own terms,” he said. But he cited former Speaker Tip O’Neill, who announced his retirement before the 1986 elections but stuck around until the end of his term, and former Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, who announced his retirement before the 2016 elections and did the same as O’Neill.

Ryan acknowledged that waiting to announce his exit until after the November midterm elections is what he was supposed to do politically. He said he considered it but decided that he couldn’t in good conscience go out that way because it wouldn’t be fair to his constituents in Wisconsin.

“For me to ask them to vote to re-elect me knowing I wasn’t going to stay is simply not being honest,” he said.

A lame duck speaker might not be ideal for the Republican Party in terms of fundraising and power to get things done, but Ryan down-

played his retirement’s impact on the broader midterm election landscape.

“I really don’t think a person’s race for Congress is going to hinge on whether Paul Ryan’s speaker or not,” he said.

Ryan was smiling as he walked up to the podium in the House studio to announce his plans to reporters. He reminded the press corps that he did not seek to be speaker and that he took the job “reluctantly.”

Nonetheless, Ryan said, “This has been one of the two greatest honors of my life.”

The other, he said is his role as a husband and a dad. He said he’s retiring to spend more time with his family, noting his kids weren’t even born when he was first elected to the House in 1998.

photo from TNS

House Speaker Paul Ryan attends the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon on Capitol Hill on March 15, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/TNS)

Green from page 1 stalled capacity in the U.S. has increased to approximately 82,183 MW, which provides about 6.3 percent of all electric power in the U.S. The Department of Energy envisions that wind power could supply almost 20 percent of all of U.S. electricity by 2030.

“Some people think that wind farms ruin the beauty of nature and reduce property value while others find warm farms to be absolutely fascinating,” said Zhou.

Wind turbines occupy only a small percentage of the total area of wind farms as distance between turbines is necessary to mitigate negative impacts and increase efficiency. Wind power largely depends on

weather and there is an impact of wind power on the weather as well.

These wind farms can kill birds if they get caught in the propellers and environmentalists criticize wind turbines for this reason. On the other side, there are positive agricultural effects to these wind farms because they mix up the air, getting more carbon dioxide out.

Turbine-induced turbulence mixes the air near the surface, having a cooling effect during the day and warming effect at night. The daytime often has an unstable atmosphere with cool air above warmer air so turbulence brings cool air down, but typically at night this is more stable and vertical

mixing brings warm air down.

“The environmental impact of wind power is relatively small when compared to those of fossil fuels but nothing is free,” Zhou said to end the lecture. “Any environmental impacts of wind power could be politicized.”

This lecture was the second to last in the 11-part series with the theme “Sustainability and the Role of Technology.”

The final presentation, “Studying Whales Using Drones: The Ocean Alliance’s Snotbot,” will be on Thursday, April 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation Room 121. This series is free and open to the public.

“Staunch defenders of an ancient tradition.”

— NPR

LIVE MUSIC

TRIO DA KALI with JASON LUCAS

Saturday, April 14, 8pm CLUB B10 | $10 STUDENTS | $14 ADVANCE $20 DAY OF | $26 PREFERRED

TICKETS: massmoca.org or 413.MoCA.111 | North Adams, Mass.

WORLDNEWS

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April 12, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 10

A week in history: Sieges and Civil War April 12th

April 13th

1606 – The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships.

1861 – American Civil War: Battle of Fort Sumter. The war begins with Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.

2009 – Zimbabwe officially abandons the Zimbabwean dollar as its official currency.

1111 – Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor.

1777 – American Revolutionary War: American forces are ambushed and defeated in the Battle of Bound Brook, New Jersey.

1943 – The Jefferson Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C., on the 200th anniversary of President Thomas Jefferson’s birth.

April 16th

A photograph of Vladimir Lenin circa 1915.

1818 – The United States Senate ratifies the Rush–Bagot Treaty, establishing the border with Canada.

1862 – American Civil War: The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, a bill ending slavery in the District of Columbia, becomes law.

1917 – Vladimir Lenin returns to Petrograd, Russia from exile in Switzerland.

Thursday, April 12

PM Rain High: 52° Low: 32° Precip. Chance: 90%

April 14th

AD 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, surrounds the Jewish capital with four Roman legions.

1205 – Battle of Adrianople between Bulgarians and Crusaders.

2003 – The Human Genome Project is completed with 99 percent of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99 percent.

An image of Henry V being crowned Holy Roman Em-

April 17th

1797 – Citizens of Verona begin an unsuccessful eight-day rebellion against the French occupying forces.

1905 – The Supreme Court of the United States decides Lochner v. New York, which holds that the “right to free contract” is implicit in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

April 15th

1861 – President Abraham Lincoln calls for 75,000 Volunteers to quell the insurrection that soon became the American Civil War. 2014 – In the worst massacre of the South Sudanese Civil War, at least 200 civilians were gunned down after seeking refuge in houses of worship as well as hospitals.

April 18th

1521 – Trial of Martin Luther begins its second day during the assembly of the Diet of Worms. He refuses to recant his teachings despite the risk of excommunication.

1775 – American Revolution: The British advancement by sea begins; Paul Revere and other riders warn the countryside of the troop movements.

Images from WikimediaCommons

Portrait of Luther as Junker Jörg.

Weekend Weather Friday, April 13

Saturday, April 14

Mostly Cloudy High: 64° Low: 34° Precip. Chance: 20%

Mostly Cloudy High: 63° Low: 38° Precip. Chance: 20%

Sunday, April 15

AM Showers High: 40° Low: 39° Precip. Chance: 50%

FINANCIAL AID ANNOUNCEMENT

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Editors, writers, designers, photographers, copy editors, etc..

Consider joining Beacon Web News as well!

ATTENTION GRADUATING SENIORS!

IF YOU BORROWED STUDENT LOANS WHILE AT MCLA, YOU WILL NEED TO COMPLETE ON-LINE EXIT COUNSELING. DON’T WAIT!!

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April 12, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 10

FEATURES

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MCLA student Ava Zigmand, so many places to call home

BY MEGHAN COOK FEATURES EDITOR India, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, and MCLA. These are just a few of the places Ava Zigmand has been able to call home.

“I was born in Taipei, Taiwan,” explained Zigmand. “I lived there until I was two years old then it was Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.”

She has spent all her life until coming to MCLA living in different countries with her parents and older brother. After the Dominican Republic, she spent her elementary school education in Shanghai, China. Why all the travel? Her parents are international school teachers, and have taught all over the world.

Her parents work at international schools in big cities around the globe.

These are private, American schools where the language spoken and taught in is English. According to Zigmand, the majority of students are children

Photo provided by Ava Zigmand

Zigmand with a baby tiger while visiting Thailand.

of diplomats, military officers and employees of oil companies or, in her case, children of the teachers of the school. A smaller amount of students are from the local area.

Zigmand’s parents remain in India teaching at the high school she graduated from.

While she had grown up living across the globe, she was not a stranger to Berkshire County.

“We have a house in [Southern Berkshire County] so we would come here for summer and winter breaks,” Zigmand said. “But I always thought of Berkshire County as a little boring.”

After growing up in great and vibrant cities like Cairo, Egypt and New Delhi, India, Berkshire County is more tame and less exciting, though, in some cases, safer.

“I spent my middle school years in Cairo, which was during the Egyptian Revolution,” Zigmand explained. “It was scary to walk alone at night, and there were times when I did not always feel safe.”

While some of the excitement in Egypt was not ideal, it still remains a great memory and experience for her.

“Egypt is where I had my awkward middle school phase and also where I began being able to hang out with my friends all on my own,” Zigmand said.

Zigmand said she feels that having lived all over the world and moved so many times she is both more resilient and relaxed now.

“There was this time in India where we were driving up to the mountains and there was an enormous festival taking place and blocking the road,” Zigmand said. “We were stuck in the car not moving for 11 hours, but the whole time I was just hanging out, and

it did not even feel like a big deal.”

Having spent her whole life always with her parents, she realized growing up that, while she was resilient, she had developed a dependency on her mom. In high school when there was a class trip she would feel anxious to be without her mom.

“That has gotten much better since I’ve come to college,” Zigmand said. “I feel like I’ve changed, in a good way, in the past two years since I’ve had the opportunity for some freedom.”

Like most college students, she has taken the opportunity to become more self-sufficient and to focus on her studies. As an environmental studies major she has enjoyed taking classes like ecology and zoology. These classes have helped narrow her focus in the field.

“While I was visiting my parents in India over spring break my father took us to visit this small non-profit organization that takes care of elephants,” Zigmand explained. “The workers there are amazing because they take it upon themselves to feed and take care of these animals, not for any recognition, but because it is important.”

Zigmand has even posted a link to the organization, Wildlife S.O.S., on her Facebook for donations. Her passion for large mammals has allowed her to think of options after graduation.

“I would love to study animal conservation in Africa or somewhere tropical,” Zigmand said.

Linked around her wrist are a chain of tattoos depicting monuments from every place she has lived and called home.

“There is the Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramids, the Taipei Tower,” Zig-

Photo provided by Ava Zigmand

Ava Zigmand in front of the Taj Mahal in India over spring break. mand said. “There are palm trees for the D.R. and the Pearl Tower for China. I also have the foothills of the Himalayas to complete the band.”

According to Zigmand, all of the places she has grown up and lived in are equally important to her, though she has a soft spot for India.

“I spent my high school years there and it’s the place I remember most vividly,” Zigmand said. “On the back on my neck, written in Hindi is a tattoo of my street address in India.”

While she has been all over the world, from living to visiting, there is one place she has not yet been.

“I would really love to go to South Africa,” Zigmand said. On to the next place!

Fashion Club is always in season

BY LISE MANSARAY FEATURES WRITER

Fashion Club has been more active and gaining attention in recent years. This spring semester, they have a show at the MCLA Design Lab on April 29 at 7 p.m.

The club hosts a fashion show two times a year, one in the fall semester and another in the spring semester.

“Our previous shows have had great turnouts, so we hope this semester people decide to take a break and come see fantastic clothing designs,” said Stefanie Nieves, secretary of the club.

Every year there is a large variety of different styles featured in the show, giving total creative freedom to designers.

Koree Woodley-Adjei is one of many designers in this semester’s show. She shared the inspiration behind her developing collection.

“My inspiration behind my collection is based off of Bruno Mars’ ‘24K Magic’ album. It’s a very ‘80s type of style with a boujee feel and a lot of gold,” said Woodley-Adjei.

The process many of the designers go through includes picking up pieces from thrift shops and recreating them into their own looks.

“I’m most excited about what the other designers are doing because they are doing really nice and different things. I’m also excited about the new runway setup that the E-board created,” Woodley-Adjei said.

Nieves agreed, as she too looks forward to how the many different looks come alive.

“It’s lovely seeing how each look unfolds and how the audience reacts to the art,” Nieves said. “The process is long, but at the end it’s all worth it. So much effort and hard work goes on behind the scenes so I usually get excited to see the finished product. Again, this show was put on by a small club, but even though we are small we still make the best out of everything.”

Nieves encourages anyone who is dedicated and passionate about fashion, modeling, or designing to join the club.

“We encourage people to come out

of their comfort zones,” she said.

Woodley-Adjei, a new member herself, also encouraged others to join the club as it provides a welcoming environment and opens people up to new experiences.

“Everyone has a sense of fashion or has some sort of idea on how they want stuff to be portrayed,” she said.

“Also, if you want to be a model and are insecure about doing it because of your size and stuff like that this is a great opportunity.”

The group meets every Friday in Bowman 319 to discuss the show and have fashion workshops where they provide DIY and sewing lessons.

Photo provided by MCLA Fashion Club

The MCLA Design Lab decked out and ready for the fashion show last spring.

6

Arts & Entertainment

Yorick to feature glamour and Bowie

BY JACOB VITALI A&E WRITER

MCLA’s Shakespeare club, Yorick, will be putting on a production of “Hamlet” Thursday through Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. with an additional show at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

“Hamlet” is traditionally a five-act, tragic play that follows the internal conflict of Prince Hamlet after his father’s death. He discovers his mother has remarried his uncle, Claudius, and his father’s ghost comes to him, declaring that he was murdered.

While the play was written between 1599 and 1602, Yorick is infusing modern influences with this production. The show will feature a glam rock twist heavily inspired by the music of David Bowie.

Seniors Lee Skerry and Kathleen Harrison are codirecting the play with the vision Skerry originally had during their freshman year.

“I was listening to the David Bowie song ‘Quicksand’ and there was a line where I was like ‘this sounds like Hamlet,’” said Skerry. “I was like, what if we did a production of ‘Hamlet’ through the lens of this crazy, colorful David Bowie world where gender is ambiguous.”

How Bowie’s music is integrated into the show will largely be a surprise for audiences, however there is a promise of one song to be sung by the cast.

“You will hear one Bowie song sung in the show, I won’t say which one, but we are using his music for score and transitions during scenes,” Skerry said.

Skerry believes that audiences will be surprised by how much they connect to Hamlet.

“I think that one aspect of the show that people will be surprised about is that Hamlet is a really funny, life-affirming story in some ways and that seems funny in some ways

This Is: Nora Hones and Andrew Hall

because it’s so notoriously depressing,” Skerry said.

The show will feature performances from many first-time actors, something that the club was hoping for when they chose “Hamlet.”

“We were really hoping that it would draw in new faces and it has. Over half of the cast have never been in Yorick productions before and many of those people have never acted before,” Skerry said.

Despite its modern Bowie influence, the dialogue will remain true to its original form.

The role of Hamlet will be played by Yorick’s president, senior Brianna Lamb.

The shows will be held in Church Street Center Social Hall Thursday through Saturday. All performances will be free and open to the public. Tickets can be reserved by emailing mclayorick@ gmail.com with your name, the performance you wish to attend, and the number of tickets needed.

photo from Yorick Facebook

Inspired by musician David Bowie, Yorick is changing things up with their own rendition of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Yorick is infusing modern influences, featuring glam rock inspired by Bowie.

A small bite of creativity from Spires

BY WYATT MINEAU A&E WRITER

photo by Emma Monahan

Nora Hones and Andrew Hall waiting to perform at Downtown Sound at Design Lab on 49 Main St.

BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR Juniors Nora Hones and Andrew Hall may have only been playing music together for a year, but they’re just starting to branch out on campus. Their debut in North Adams was this past Saturday at WJJW’s Downtown Sound, and with this mix of folk and indie they fit right in.

Both students have been playing music for years, each in separate bands before transferring to MCLA and deciding to play together. So far, they’ve had experience on WJJW, with different radio shows throughout the week but are hoping to branch out

more next year.

They both describe themselves as “folky,” or “indiefolk BS” according to Hones.

They draw inspiration from bands like Days and Days and The Lumineers, which they have covered in the past.

Both agree that what they love about music and performing is the connection they make with the audience and the good feeling of playing. At Downtown Sound, along with playing old originals written by Hones, new songs were featured.

Hall and Hones don’t have any social media pages, but they are planning on playing together more next school year.

Poetry and creativity go hand in hand, and don’t always come in the most likely of places. Sometimes poems don’t have a rhyme scheme, but that’s not a flaw as it allows authors to express themselves. Sometimes a bit of privacy is good for creativity, which is exactly what was shown at the latest Spires open mic night on Friday, March 30.

Although many students were home for the Easter holiday, Sullivan Lounge held a few creative minds despite low attendance. Grouped around one table, it was an engaging and enjoyable experience. The process was simple: a piece was read by its author, and those around the table did respectful claps and snaps after they finished.

Such a simple setup allowed for some really creative minds to shine. Almost nothing was literal - metaphors on top of metaphors, creative verse to creative verse. A whirlwind of creative poems and limericks

April 18: Magician/Comedian Ben Seidman | 8 p.m. Church Street Center Social Hall

photo from Spires’ Facebook

Spires magazine will be published later this month. that the authors worked days, weeks, maybe even months on were read. The few pieces presented were enjoyable and unique. That’s really what any artistic medium is about - expression, creativity, learning the rules so you can break them. Even though the night was cut short by unlucky timing and attendance, it was enjoyable.

Another Spires open mic night will be held later this month, giving more students the opportunity to share their writing. While this event didn’t have the expected turnout, it’s not any obstacle in the path

for the group. The “Spires” print journal is currently being designed, and a launch party will be held in late April.

This month’s Gray Comma reading event is Saturday, April 14, which will feature poets Shira Dentz and Kathline Carr. It will begin at 7 p.m. in the Design Lab at 49 Main St. in downtown North Adams.

If you’d like updates or more information on Spires, check out their Facebook page. You can also check out their new webpage at www.mclaspires. com, which was designed by Brigid Downey.

April 12:

April 17:

Dr. Jyoti Puri Talk |

Public Policy Lecture | 6 p.m.

5:30 p.m. Murdock 218

Murdock 218

April 19: Undergraduate Research Conference | 8:30 a.m. MCLA

April 20: PaintU | 9 p.m. Church Street Center Social Hall

Arts & Entertainment

7

Museum of Dog opens downtown, and it’s not ruff

BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR

Dogs of all shapes and sizes can experience an exhibit like no other at Museum of Dog, located on 55 Union St. in the old Quinn’s Wallpaper and Paint building. Owner and founder David York said the process to get the museum up and running took about six months, and it all started with Sophia.

A dog lover himself, York rescued his first dog, Sophia, who lived to be 20 years old.

Then there was Hope, a pup who was neglected by a trailer park community, shot and left for dead but survived after being buried twice. York rescued Hope and gave her a loving home. Daisy now runs the house, or the Jeep, one of York’s cars that she has since destroyed, which is parked across the street and will soon be another piece in Museum of Dog. On a surprisingly snowy day in North Adams, the museum was still up and running, even if it was slow. MCLA student Chelsea Coleman, a dog lover, can be seen in the space almost

every day. She sits in the family room, which is inspired by York’s own dogs and experiences, consisting of couches, old photos of Sophia, Hope, and Daisy and collections of dog items such as collars dating back to the 19th century.

Jonathan Langlois was enthusiastic about the space, giving a tour and explaining the building’s history. Just like how Quinn’s was a familyowned business, Langlois explained how York wants the space to have the same feel, except that the dogs do all the running.

Dogs are welcomed. The space has such a wholesome and home-like feel, so dogs are allowed to make it even better. No dogs were in sight on Friday afternoon, but the beautiful paintings and amazing photography made up for it, with trinkets and paintings lining the wall.

York happily talked about the space, explaining how he wants to expand. Originally from Missouri, York had a home in Massachusetts and visited MASS MoCA about a year ago, thinking the Museum of Dog would be something

wonderful for the community.

That idea struck gold - since its soft opening a couple weeks ago, York said that many tours and multiple parties have come through the small space.

His enthusiasm over the museum was obvious when he talked about it and his own dogs, including Daisy. He has photos of the Jeep she destroyed with the seat ripped up and her sitting in it like nothing is happening.

“She’s spoiled,” he said.

One small room in the gallery consists of portraits photographed by Jesse Freidin. A close up of a Boston Terrier stands out, and Langlois explained how the exhibit will be here until the summer, but after that it’ll start to change every month or so.

From the history of the building to incredible art to the massive amount of dogs, there is something for everyone.

York and Langlois also talked about the possibility of expanding. Although they are only ideas right now, they seem possible. The second and third floors of the building need work done, and York is looking into the property

photo by Emma Monahan

The Museum of Dog features many trinkets and collectibles owned by David York. across the street, in hopes of opening a café.

When asked about a dog park, York laughed and said, “That, that would be nice.”

Then his mind wandered.

He looked at Langlois and started to talk about the small river across the street, with all of the green behind the building being a perfect spot. But, like everything else, it’s only an idea.

On Saturday, April 28, the museum will celebrate Daisy in all her glory from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Attendees will be able

to bring their dogs, take selfies with the star pup herself, and participate in some artwork with the Jeep.

“Wouldn’t it be cool if we somehow brought the Jeep in here, or in the barn [out back], and have people paint daisies on it?” York said.

Even if you’re not a dog lover, the Museum of Dog is cool, interesting and a fun space, open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

More information is located on their website.

Gallery 51’s ‘Witness’ exhibit holds powerful message

BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER Gallery 51 recently brought a powerful exhibit by New York-based artist and educator Shaun Leonardo into its space. “Witness” references the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Sean Bell and other men of color.

The exhibit, curated by MCLA’s Advanced Museum Studies class, combines drawings and video to allow perspective and awareness in the viewer.

“Witness” began on March 28 with an Artist’s Talk in which Leonardo described the use of each technique and subject. The exhibit runs until April 22.

In all his pieces Leonardo uses charcoal on paper but adds an impactful element to his works that make them stand out even further.

In his artist’s statement, Leonardo said during the act of drawing, strategies of omission have been used to bring awareness to those specific elements that are intentionally left absent.

“This is not as an act of willful neglect but as a tactic of extraction; such removal points to a process of erasure that is a means as opposed to an end,” said Leonardo in his statement.

Leonardo directly states his meaning and means of

achieving the look and feel of each piece to give the viewer the full picture and a better understanding of what they are witnessing.

He commented that some areas of a drawing are removed while others are emphasized within the visual field in order to invite contemplative reading by focusing the eye on information that would otherwise go overlooked by the casual observer.

One such technique used in some of the drawings was the use of a mirrored film applied to the surface of the frame, directing attention to specific areas or voids of the piece. In addition to this, the viewer can see their reflection in the mirror, reacting to the piece.

Having the face of the drawing obscured, Leonardo stated, also obscures the image allowing for the slower absorption of a difficult image.

“This places the viewer’s own image onto the drawing’s surface, both literally and metaphorically forcing one to see themselves within these tragedies,” Leonardo said.

Such pieces in the exhibit that showcase Leonardo’s recent experimentation with the mirror technique, as well as the cutout technique, are those entitled “Trayvon,” “Sean,” “Jonathan,” “Attica” and “Rodney King” (with many of Leonardo’s works taking the first name of the men being

depicted).

In most of these the entire frame is mirrored, with small cutouts highlighting various parts of the drawing underneath. For “Trayvon,” this is his eye and a part of his hoodie. For “Sean” and “Jonathan,” this is their eyes and portions of their shirts.

For “Rodney King,” this is space within the middle of the frame.

The rest of the drawing, though visible beneath the mirrored surface, maintains a subtler tone as opposed to the two areas that jump out in each piece.

In “Attica” the opposite is done, with a large portion of the drawing’s close-up individuals being mirrored and the rest of the drawing being unobscured.

Three other sets of drawings, entitled “Keith Lamont Scott,” “Central Park” and “Freddie Gray,” create omission and emphasis, not by using the mirrored tint, but by incorporating it into the drawing’s dynamics.

Pieces of the drawing look like they have been cut out or erased so that the viewer can focus on one particular part of the story.

Of course, this omission is completely intentional for Leonardo to get viewers to be aware of these pieces of information that may otherwise be overlooked.

“I interrogate audience

photo by Brianna Lamb

“Keith Lamont Scott” (1-3) by Shaun Leonardo. members’ memory of these tragedies in order to unpack the complexity of how one internalizes trauma, and in doing so, attempt to restore a sense of humanity to how these events are so often flattened in the media,” Leonardo said.

When talking about his artwork, Leonardo said ultimately he questions why these particular images of fallen black and brown bodies circulate in the media, and measure our complicity in how an image survives in our collective consciousness.

In the past, Leonardo has won multiple awards for his artwork and performance pieces from various funds and foundations, mostly based in New York. After receiving a

B.A. in Visual Arts at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and an M.F.A. in Painting at the San Francisco Art Institute, the New York-based artist embarked on many group and solo exhibitions from 2006 to the present day.

His projects range from his series “I Can’t Breathe,” a public participation performance created in response to the death of Eric Garner, to “Bull in the Ring,” which focuses on football and the pressures young men face to conform and prove their toughness.

Leonardo’s “Witness” exhibit is open until April 22 in Gallery 51. Visit the Gallery 51 Facebook page for more information.

SPORTS

8

April 12, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 10

MCLA's baseball team loses and ties in doubleheader against Fitchburg State

BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS WRITER Despite a nine-run rally in the seventh inning, MCLA's baseball team lost 11-9 and tied 5-5 in their doubleheader visit against the Fitchburg State Falcons on Monday, April 9 at Rocheleau Field in Worcester.

The Trailblazers move to 8-7-1 overall and the Falcons improve to 6-10-2 overall while both teams' records in the MASCAC are 1-2-1.

In the first game, Trailblazers senior ace pitcher Liam Nolan threw a season-high seven strikeouts while allowing four walks, five errors, eight hits and five runs in three innings played. Sophomore Shawn James relieved Nolan in the fourth inning and finished with three strikeouts and two walks.

Shortstop Jeff Bink, outfielder Christian Seariac and catcher Nick DiSanti all contributed to their team by having two RBIs each. The Trailblazers concluded with a total of 35 atbats, nine hits, nine RBIs, six walks and 12 strikeouts.

Pitcher Ryan Towle led the Falcons, throwing nine

strikeouts and five walks while allowing four runs and three hits. His reliever, Benjamin Chiasson, allowed five hits and five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. In the eighth inning, Falcons centerfielder Nicholas Cordeau hit a tworun homer on MCLA pitcher sophomore Brody Farnum to seal the first game for the Falcons.

Fitchburg State ended with 38 at-bats, 13 hits, 11 RBIs, eight walks and 13 strikeouts.

In the second game, due to darkness, the umpire called the game after six innings. Junior pitcher Bobby New led the Trailblazers with five strikeouts, four walks and one error, allowing five runs and four hits in six total innings played. New loves to motivate, boost and encourage his teammates when any of them are discouraged about themselves or the game.

"That's one thing I stress keeping everybody up in the dugout," New said. "We are a very unselfish team. When one person is struggling there is a handful of us to let them know that 'You gotta stay in the game,

photo by MCLA Athletics

MCLA sophomore Christian Seariac in an at-bat in the doubleheader against Fitchburg State. Fitchburg defeated the Trailblazers 11-9 in the first game, and the teams tied in the second contest 5-5. you gotta talk it up." with two runs and two hits each.

Designated hitter and first The Trailblazers finished with baseman senior Brett LaBonte 25 at-bats, seven hits, four RBIs, and third baseman freshman four walks and nine strikeouts.

Jake Ferrera uplifted their team The Falcons concluded

MCLA's men's tennis earns their first victory of the season over Lyndon State

BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS WRITER The MCLA men's tennis team defeated the Lyndon State College Hornets 8-1 to earn their first win of the season. The Trailblazers improved to 1-3 overall, 1-1 in the conference, 1-1 in NAC, 0-1 in the region and 1-2 at home. The Hornets dropped to 0-6 overall and 0-2 in their conference. The match was held on Sunday, April 8 at the Bennington Tennis Center in Bennington, Vermont.

The Trailblazers almost swept the singles competition, winning five out of the total six matches.

MCLA senior Aaron Goldsmith defeated Jake LaCerda (7-5, 4-6, 10-7), freshman Charles Najimy defeated Korey Steele (6-0, 6-1) and freshman Matt Bluteau defeated Mukhtar Abdullahi (61, 6-1). Sophomore Mohamed Mahrous defeated Raymond Monroe (6-0, 6-1) and freshman Reydel Santana won by forfeit.

In the doubles competition, seniors Goldsmith and Jared Freeman teamed up to beat Lacerda and Mulligan 8-6 and Najimy and Bluteau won a victory over Steele and Abdullahi 8-1.

Goldsmith's overall record is 1-3, and also in dual matches.

Additionally, Goldsmith is 1-1 in the NAC.

photo by MCLA Athletics

MCLA freshman Charles Najimy serving a ball in the team's match against Lyndon State College. Najimy won his singles match 6-0,6-1. He also won his doubles match with his partner, fellow freshman Matt Bluteau, by a score of 8-1.

Senior Goldsmith is excited about the season, becoming a captain and teaching the new players the fundamentals and the basics of tennis.

"It makes me sharpen my game, so I could lead by example but be proficient enough that what I am doing to be able to teach them, I love having the guys along," said Goldsmith.

The new players on the team include five freshman: Reydel Santana, Temeskeghen Reda, Steven Luciano, Charles Najjimy, Matt Bluteau and one sophomore, Felix Bou.

Goldsmith loves his team's encouragement of one another as they create an unbreakable bond.

"We support each other not only just at practice but the matches, we have each other's backs, and if we have anything we have an issue with whether it is tennis strokes or keeping our mental game we know, we can come talk to each other," said Goldsmith.

Check out the next MCLA men's tennis match against Castleton on Saturday April 14 at 1 p.m.

with 23 at-bats, four hits, two RBIs and five strikeouts. Their pitcher Tommy Parsons led them with seven strikeouts, four walks, five errors and seven hits in four innings total played.

Coach Mike Gladu inspires his team to learn from their mistakes and improve on them.

"The motivational part I try to drive home is to get better," said Gladu. "It is an honor to be in the program, understand that it is the hardest game in the world, it is built on failure. The guys who are successful are the guys who understand they are going to fail."

"Our coach's biggest thing is paying attention to detail, not going through the motions making sure that you are doing everything to the fullest," New said. "Not everyone has the opportunity to be a baseball player in college, take advantage of the opportunities given to you."

The next game for the Trailblazers is a doubleheader on Saturday, April 14 against the Mass Maritime Buccaneers at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

10 different Falcons score; Fitchburg defeats MCLA Lacrosse

BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The Trailblazer lacrosse team faced off with the Fitchburg State Falcons in an away game on Monday, April 9 where the Falcons placed 10 different players in the scoring column in the 16-2 route of the 'Blazers.

The first half was where the Falcons did the majority of their damage, starting the scoring clinic only one minute into play. Sarah Napolitano got the scoring started for the Rams while scoring her first goal of the season.

Fitchburg's aggression only ramped up from that point. The Falcons got their second goal from Sarah Mallahan about a minute after Napolitano opened the game with hers.

The Falcons went on to score a goal roughly every three minutes for the rest of the first half, with the longest gap between goals for the Falcons being four and a half minutes.

The Falcons spread the ball out with ease against

the 'Blazers, having nine different players record a goal in the first half of play alone. Carrie Long was the only Falcon to score two goals in the half. Long's goals were also consecutive scores coming with 16 minutes and 11 minutes left in the first half.

The 'Blazers were able to muster up no offense for the majority of the contest.

The 'Blazers recorded both of their goals with less than five minutes to play when the score was already 15-0 in favor of the Falcons.

The goals from the 'Blazers came from sophomore Kim Granito and senior Mackenzie Cutler. Cutler has been the driving force of the offense this year with 11 goals in their four games played.

The Falcons improve to 6-3 overall with the win and are now 1-1 in the conference.

MCLA drops to 1-3 overall and is 0-2 respectively. The 'Blazers are back in action tonight Thursday, April 12 at 6 p.m. when they host Southern Vermont College.

April 12, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 10

SPORTS

Strong pitching leads Falcons past MCLA softball in doubleheader

BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The Fitchburg State Falcons softball team relied on strong pitching and a solid offense to help propel them to a 10-1 win and a 6-1 win over the Trailblazers in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) doubleheader at Williams College on Monday, April 9.

The Falcons got things going quickly in the first game of the day. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead after 1.5 innings of play. Cammi Sperling’s RBI single in the first inning got things started off MCLA pitcher sophomore Morgan Watson.

The following inning the Falcons saw McKenzie Lambert and Melissa DiPhilippo record RBIs, Lambert off of a single while DiPhilippo drove in Lambert after her single.

The ‘Blazers scored their only run in the second inning of play as sophomore Ashley Wilson recorded a pinch hit single knocking in sophomore Trinity Shellard.

The Falcons then shut the door as pitcher Mikayla Harnois came in as relief for starter Taylor Colvin and went 5.1 innings while allowing no runs and striking out two.

The Falcons eventually poured on seven more runs over the final three innings of play to end up defeating the ‘Blazers 10-1 in the opening con-

test.

The second game held a similar fate for the ‘Blazers as the Falcons starting pitcher Emma Campbell kept the ‘Blazers offense in check.

Campbell pitched a complete game, giving up eight hits, walking one and striking out four batters. Campbell improved to 3-3 on the mound this season after the win.

On the other end of the ball, the Falcons continued their scoring clinic while the ‘Blazers continued to struggle.

After a quiet first inning from both teams, the Falcons started their scoring in the second inning as Campbell recorded a two RBI single to left field.

Campbell was able to contribute on both sides of the ball for the Falcons, knocking in the team’s first runs alongside her strong performance on the mound.

The Falcons went on to score a single run in each inning until the final inning of play. Although they got no serious rallies going, the consistency from the bats and the solid pitching allowed the Falcons to gradually run the score up on the ‘Blazers.

The ‘Blazers were able to record one run in the fifth inning as sophomore Kaylyn Holliday sent a single into center field that allowed junior Kaitlyn Berghela to score.

With the two losses the ‘Blazers

SCORE BOARD MCLA Lacrosse MCLA (2), Fitchburg State (16) Mackenzie Cutler (MCLA) 1 Goals, 1 SOG

Carrie Long (Fitchburg) 3 Goals, 4 SOG, 3 Assists

MCLA Baseball MCLA (5), Fitchburg State (5) photo by MCLA Athletics

MCLA junior Kaitlyn Berghela playing the field in a game earlier this season. Berghela has had a good start to the season despite the team’s troubles. Berghela is batting .400 through the season, with five RBIs and seven runs scored. Berghela went 1-7 with one walk against the Falcons. move to 2-12 overall on the season with an 0-4 conference record. The Falcons even their overall mark at 9-9 and remain perfect at 4-0 in the MASCAC with the wins. The ‘Blazers are back in action this afternoon, Thursday, April 12, as they face off with Bay Path University in a doubleheader at home.

Evaluating the MLB in the early going of the regular season The MLB had Opening Day two Francona. The team, under Tito, has short weeks ago. In that time, we’ve never started with a record above already been exposed to quite a bit: .500 through 10 games. Things were we’ve had a 20-run game, we’ve had no different this year, as they began multiple lengthy extrathe season at a pedestrian 5-5. inning games, a complete However, if their 24-game wingame shutout, and a player ning streak last year and 100+ win producing at an All Star season which saw a large amount level with both bat and of their roster return to the team ball. It’s been a rigorous this season doesn’t speak for itself, beginning, but expectations I don’t know what will. With CoAndrew rey Kluber pitching the way he did should be tempered; after all, we aren’t even one-tenth Baillargeon when he won the Cy Young Award of the way through the sealast year, the team’s hitting will The Call son. However, we still have come around. The talented likes of plenty to take away from Francisco Lindor, Edwin Encarnathe beginning of the season: cion, Michael Brantley (when healthy) 1. Expect the Pittsburgh Pirates and co can’t be kept down for long. to fall off.

3. The Angels are a legitimate Right now, Pittsburgh is off to a hot, threat. fast start. Don’t expect that to last!

Wow, how amazing is it the type of Though the Pirates currently hold the impact one player can have on a team? third-best record in the majors, that is Normally, when you speak of the Anbound to come down soon. Masked by gels in that way, Mike Trout comes to their brilliant start has been a bullpen mind. You know you’ve got a talented ranking near the bottom of the MLB player when you’ve got a guy who, in in ERA and WHIP, and near the top in a mere dozen games, can overshadow blown saves and losing decisions. With Trout! Don’t get me wrong, Shohei a bullpen as horrid as the Pirates have Ohtani has a lot of work to do to had, and will continue to have if what displace Trout as the club’s franchise we know about it on paper continues player, but rather than work to deto ring true, the amazing batting will throne Trout, Ohtani’s impressive twoeventually fall off (they are scoring a way talents have served to work with ridiculous eight runs per game!) And Trout, making the Angels one of the with that, the Pirates will find it difMLB’s hottest teams out of the gate. ficult continuing to win ballgames.

After taking a perfect game into the 2. The Cleveland Indians startseventh inning against the Oakland ing off slow is nothing new.

Athletics, and having a .389 batting This happens every single year. average with three homers, Ohtani has The team has proven itself to be a proven that he has the talent to be a late bloomer under skipper Terry force to be reckoned with in the ma-

9

jors. Ohtani has also helped to anchor down the starting rotation, aided also by the improvement of starter Tyler Skaggs, the (hopefully) good health of solid starter Garrett Richards, and the potential return to viability by Matt Shoemaker. If the Angels can continue to solidify that starting staff, then they will be the dark horse candidate in the MLB this year. If the shoe fits......

4. The Atlanta Braves are pretenders.

Oh, give me a break. Are we really overhyping Atlanta’s solid but steady start to the season? Yes, their series victory over the Washington Nationals was somewhat impressive, but baseball is a marathon, not a sprint.

Simply put, the Braves do not have the personnel to sustain their early season success. Their staff is anchored by the uninspiring likes of Brandon McCarthy and the overrated Julio Teheran, with no particularly solid starters outside of them. Their bullpen is a mess, with no proven closers and the inexperienced Arodys Vizcaino failing to record a save so far. Ozzie Albies has impressed with his bat so far, but the young second baseman is an unproven commodity at 21 years old and, outside of Freddie Freeman and the equally unproven Dansby Swanson, is very much lacking in support from the rest of the team’s offense. Playing in pitcher-friendly SunTrust Park does nothing to help this. In a division where the Washington Nationals are expected to run away with it early, expect Atlanta to be left in the dust, missing the playoffs once again.

Brett LaBonte (MCLA) 2-3, 2 RBI’s, 2B

Nicholas Cordeau (Fitchburg) 1-4, 2 Runs, 2B4 Ast, 2 Blk 16 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl

MCLA Softball

MCLA (2), Framingham State (16)

Kaylyn Holliday (MCLA) 1-4, RBI 10-12. 100 yds, 0 TD

McKenzie Lambert (Framingham) 1-3, 2 RBI, 1 Runs, HR

MLB

New York Yankees (1), Boston Red Sox (14)

Mookie Betts (BOS) 4-4, 4 RBI”s, 5 Runs, BB, 2B (2), Grand Slam, 2 Stl,

Aaron Judge (NYY) 3-4, RBI, Run, HR

NBA

Philadelphia 76ers (121), Atlanta Hawks (113)

JJ Redick (76ers) 28 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST

Taurean Prince (Hawks) 27 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST

NHL Boston Bruins (2), Florida Panthers (4) Frank Vatrano (Fla) Goal, Assist, 1 SOG Ast, 2 Stl

David Backes (Bos) Goal, 3 SOG 22 Reb, 3 Ast

10

OPINION

April 12, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 10

Formula for success

Please allow me to talk some Honestly, I would never have Formula 1 again. What. A. Race. thought that Fernando Alonso There were few moments last year would be in fourth place in the driv(and even fewer the years before) ers’ championship. And I certainly that were even half as intense as would never have even remotely this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix. considered that McLaren would The top three isn’t surprising on a be third in the drivers’ championstats sheet (1. Sebastian Vettel, 2. ship. Now I know that the season Valtteri Bottas, 3. Lewis Hamilton) is quite young, but their achievebut the race was full of shock and ments still should be acknowledged. awe. Here are some of Mercedes- Valtteri Botthe incredible storylines: tas: 2nd, Lewis HamilSauber Ferrari- Marton: 3rd cus Ericsson: 9th, Having been burned by Charles Leclerc: 14th strategy and luck last race, This team has been the reigning world champiquite bad for years. Not ons had devised a brilliant a judgment, just an obplan to take the Bahrain Joseph servation. In 2017 they Grand Prix. Their drivCarew had five points over 20 ers finished second and WheelSpin races and in 2016 they third and their plans laid had two in 21 races. This in ruin. So where did it all year they have two points go wrong? Well, they went in two races! Now I know that is by for one pit stop and change of tires no means a large amount but, for during the race, hoping that Ferrari Sauber, it is a huge leap forward. would pit twice and end up behind This team needs points to get fund- the two Mercedes at the end of the ing at the end of the year from For- race. But Ferrari didn’t stop. Semula 1 and with these in the bank bastian Vettel nursed his extremely already they can afford to take a few worn tires all the way to the finish, more risks for the rest of the year. just edging out Mercedes driver Scuderia Toro Rosso Hon- Valtteri Bottas by under a second. da- Pierre Gasly: 4th, Brendon They were left with mixed feelings.

Hartley: 13th Ferrari- Sebastian Vettel: 1st, Pierre Gasly, with one race, just Kimi Räikkönen: DNF became a household name for ForFirst off my prayers go out to the mula 1 fans. He finished fourth in mechanic who was injured during the Bahrain Grand Prix, giving his Kimi Räikkönen’s second pit stop. team’s engine supplier, Honda, I hope he is doing well and can retheir best finish since returning cover from that truly horrifying into the motorsport in 2015. This is cident. The only bright spot of the tied for their best finish in the last day was Vettel’s incredible driving. three seasons with last year’s Sin- He managed to keep himself just gapore Grand Prix. What a finish far enough ahead of the Mercedes for Gasly, who has only complet- to take home the win. The tires he ed a handful of Formula 1 races. was on were absolutely garbage with McLaren- Fernando Alonso: 10 laps to go and it must have taken 7th, Stoffel Vandoorne: 8th quite the effort to get that car home.

Life has a way of working itself out Perhaps instigated by my senior portfolio, which has seen me reflecting on my college experience in its entirety, specifically my journey through the English/Communications department, I’m reminded that my career could have gone in many directions.

While I can now speak as your former editor-inchief and student trustee, there was a point in my college career where Mitchell I was greatly disparaged, mostly Chapman due to how unpol- None of your ished I was. business This is another column that looks at the career path aspect to business, as my class (the class of 2018) looks to graduate in just about a month. For most of us, our careers have just started or are set to just begin. Some of us might change the field we choose to work in, others might find success in their chosen area of study, but we all will face road bumps in one way or another, and it is important to hang on when they happen.

In the moment, it’s easy to let disparagement cloud your judge-

ment, especially when you’re told you’re not good enough for a job, a class, whatever. Especially if you do anything creative – whether this be novel writing, traditional art (such as painting), or even something more performative, like video art via YouTube or theater – rejection is the name of the game, even if you’re good. Like anything, art has a business side to it, and even the best artists find themselves in situations where they might have a masterpiece in their hands, but they’re told that it will never sell. Then the question becomes: How badly do you want this thing? And: What are you willing to do to make this happen?

And sometimes that is not enough.

Sometimes dreams are never meant to come true, because they’re impossible. And that’s OK. We’re all young. We’ve all experienced but a sliver of the world. Chances are, there is something else you can do professionally that will make you happy and fulfilled, and know that with enough determination and commitment – and it might take decades – I do believe humans can mold themselves to a point where they’re good enough to make their passions professions. But that’s not always practical, and in the interim, you have to find something to fund

your livelihood, and one thing I noticed is that while you might lack in one area of professional skills, you might have a boon somewhere else.

Point being, try not to be discouraged, especially at this point in life.

We’ve all explored a fraction of the possible routes our lives can go, and chances are, while one thing didn’t work out, there are 50 other things that could. And sometimes, things that are meant to happen just work out. For instance, this semester wasn’t the only time I thought of running for student trustee, and I know full well that I could have joined Greek life before I did, and that would have shaped my professional career in a much different way. I can’t say that doing those things earlier would have been better for me as a whole, but I had enough drive and passion to do those things that when a better opportunity came to accomplish them, I was still invested to the point where I could achieve them. I find what-ifs not to be helpful at all, when looking in retrospect. Nothing can change about the past. Those what-ifs will never happen. Nobody wins all the time, and while victory can be gratifying, defeat is one of the most valuable of teachers.

For all our future and past stories make sure to check out our website: theonlinebeacon.com

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OPINION

April 12, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 10

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Editorial

Faculty deserve better Professors at MCLA have worked 284 days without a contract but finally that streak will come to an end. The Massachusetts State College Association (MSCA) website (mscaunion.org) reports that a tentative agreement has been reached.

Details are still to follow. Certainly, this is a move in the right direction, but... why did it take so long?

Agreements on almost every aspect of the contract had been worked out except for one proposal that would reduce the amount of vacation time that some librarians accumulated and that would end the precedent of allowing excess vacation time to be converted to sick leave. According to MSCA President CJ O’Donnell, “Had the DHE [Department of Higher Education] not placed this [proposal] on the table nine months after negotiations began we would have had a tentative agreement

on March 22, 2018, and we would not be facing the possibility of mediation, fact-finding, and unilateral implementation of the DHE’s vacation leave proposal.”

For now, the specifics of the agreement are unknown. While the excitement of having a contract might be enticing, we should not overlook the disgruntlement that loomed over faculty and staff for two semesters. What is an appropriate way to protest and vocalize the demand of a contract?

One idea was to have professors participate in a “work to rule” protest; professors would meet the old contract’s requirements, but they would cease facilitating or participating in extracurricular clubs, open houses and orientation meetings, coming in early or staying late, side projects, or other events and services that were not specifically required by the previ-

ous contract. But what happens when the professors have minimal involvement on and off campus?

Whether intended or not, a faculty protest would have significant impact on student body and the quality of education we receive. Many professors opted to wear MSCA shirts every Monday to make their voices heard instead. Still though, the “work to rule” strategy put into place has left some students feeling abandoned… which is not great considering the College has a declining enrollment.

The faculty and staff at MCLA absolutely deserve a contract. It is ridiculous that they have gone almost a year without one. Students, however, also deserve to have professors that are dedicated to their pupils’ education, because ultimately, it’s why they are here.

That is why we pay $20,000 a year, right?

The Beacon is published Thursdays during the academic year and is distributed to the MCLA community.

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Editorial: Unsigned editorials that appear in these pages reflect the views of The Beacon. Signed columns and commentary pieces reflect the views of their writers.

I’m so sick of that same old love Love is dead. Well, their lives 24/7 on evcelebrity couples that ery social media platwe identify with love form. Take Kristen Bell are falling apart as we and Dax Shepard for speak. Last week was example, luckily still Channing Tatum and together and supportJenna Dewan, being each other, fore that, Logic who post on platand Jessica Anforms like Instadrea, and just this gram and Twitter year alone other about how great celebs like Jentheir relationnifer Aniston and ship is, even the Emma Justin Theroux, it hard parts. Even seems like every- Monahan when celebrione is breaking Arts & Emma ties intentionally up and fans’ reackeep their pertions are “love is sonal lives super dead!” private, fans envy that.

It’s a logical reaction. It’s like their love is so Celebrities post about good, they want no one

to know about it or interrupt it.

Because of these wonderful celebrity couples, we, as average human beings with no talents that’ll make us famous, now have these high expectations of what love is. Will I ever find a man like Chris Evans or Nick Jonas? No, probably not. Will I run into Niall Horan during my trip to Ireland over the summer? Not likely.

Girls like me who are rarely in relationships thrive off of this kind of stuff: real-life couples, rom-coms, novels, TV

shows, etc. We feed off of it, and this is what we expect when it comes to relationships.

That was very off topic, but to say the least it’s true. Celebrity couples are a godsend - for some reason they’re this little glimmer of light that brings us happiness. Watching Ellen DeGeneres and seeing cute videos of her guest with their significant other, or even Ellen and her wife kills me. Every.

Damn. Time.

Time to open Tinder.

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Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Joseph Carew

Features Editor

A & E Editor

Meghan Cook

Emma Monahan

Sports Editor

Copy Chief Mary Kate Lynch

Brady Gerow

Design Editor

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Nicholas Bassett

Mitchell Chapman

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Want a guest column?

If interested, contact Editor-in-Chief Joseph Carew at jc2824@mcla.edu

Jacob Vitali

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IN OTHER NEWS

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April. 12, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 10

Photos from the Allegrettos concert on Saturday, April 7.

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