April 5, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 9 by MCLA Beacon

T hu r s day , A p r i l 5, 2018

Volume 86

Issue 9

The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport

MCLA earns ‘A’ for women coaching women

BY MAYA MCFADDEN STAFF WRITER

MCLA’s women’s athletics earned an ‘A’ on the Women in College Coaching Report Card for having 100 percent of women’s teams led by women coaches for the first time in the six years of the research series conducted by The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport. Only two other colleges, Mitchell College and Sweet Briar College, received an ‘A’ in the report with MCLA. The report summary states, “The goal of this research series is to document the percentage of women collegiate head coaches over time.” “I think it represents the hard work we put in as an institution that’s committed to having role models for young women to see themselves in strong future roles,” said Amanda Beckwith, women’s volleyball coach. Many of the women’s coaches spoke about the importance of supporting their student-athletes beyond just the sport and of the significance of women seeing other women in leadership positions. “What we teach students on the

Loren Stock, the women’s basketball a game. field is only a fraction of what we do as coaches,” said Deborah Raber, women’s soccer coach. “The grade is a way to market how important female athletes mean to MCLA.” Laura Mooney was hired as MCLA’s first female director of athletics three years ago and is one of

Green Living Seminar

Conserving landscapes

BY FABIENNE BOGARDUS-STREET STAFF WRITER The Green Living Seminar series continued with its latest lecture on landscape conservation design by Ethan Plunkett, a research associate in the department of environmental conservation at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Elena Traister, associate professor of environmental science, said, “I think there is a lot of interest these days in the different ways people are working toward sustainability of how we eat, how we generate our energy, how we use natural resources like wood and water, how we reduce pollution, and how we protect wildlife and biodiversity.” “The Green Living Seminars have always tackled issues relating to sustainability, and this semester the specific aspect of sustainability we are focusing on is that relating to the role of technology,” Trais-

ter said. “Over the course of the semester students have been able to learn about the development of new technologies as well as some remaining technical and social barriers to their becoming widely adopted.” This presentation was focused on landscape conservation and what goes into designing these models. Forest loss, climate change, species loss and temperatures rising are main reasons that lead to the extinction of land. According to Plunkett, “Climate change modifies the risk of global biodiversity loss due to land-cover change.” Groups mentioned that help with land conservation were USGS, USDA, LCCN, and Connect the Connecticut and the North Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperation (NALCC). The landscape conservation design model had a few key elements, including the 2010 environmental settings,

Green Living page 2

photo from MCLA Athletics

coach, instructing her players during

the youngest college athletics directors in the country. “I think it’s incredibly important to have strong female role models and not just in athletics but in all industries,” said Mooney. “With our athletics staff women can see themselves having a career

in athletics because there’s a balance,” Raber said. Raber and Beckwith spoke about women’s sports becoming more competitive and being taken more seriously since they both began coaching. “The women’s game, especially in soccer, has become faster, more physical, and more technical,” Raber said. Beckwith, an MCLA alum, said that she has watched MCLA progress greatly in the athletics department. There have been additions in sports like women’s tennis and lacrosse, the first-ever female athletics director was hired and an emphasis on athletic recruiting efforts has increased along with athletic resources. “When Sue Getchell coached, the female teams had to share uniforms,” said Dot Houston, associate athletic director. Within MCLA’s athletic progression, the department enhanced its support staff for student-athletes with a coordinator of academic success and a coordinator of student athlete development.

Women coaches page 3

Spring Concert

SAC’s new twist has festival feel and atmosphere BY JACOB VITALI A&E WRITER Instead of a traditional headliner for the 2018 spring concert, the Student Activities Council (SAC) will be hosting two events to take its place. The first event, “A Little Bit of Sound,” will be held on April 16 at 3:20 p.m. on the quad and will feature off-campus performers Ceschi Ramos and House Sparrow, in addition to oncampus performers including hip-hop artist Kam Anderson. The festival will also feature performances from the College’s acapella group, Allegrettos, and the College’s various dance-centered groups including Dance Company, NeXXus and Dysfunk. Ceschi Ramos is a hip-hop, folk artist from New Haven, Connecticut. On his website, he describes himself as being, “first and foremost a singer-songwriter at heart.” He combines technical rapping, folk music, and punk. In 2014, Ramos won the Connecticut Music Award for Best Hip-Hop. House Sparrow is an indie-folk act from North Adams. They are a two-person act consisting of Francesca Shanks and Joe Aidonidis. House Sparrow has played many shows in North Adams and the surrounding communities, including WJJW’s fall concert, “The Sound,” which was co-sponsored by SAC. Senior Kam Anderson is also well-known

by the MCLA community. Last spring, he planned the “Backup Spring Concert” where local artists performed. While the concert had been planned in advance, the event name was a joke reflecting SAC’s decision to bring in a comedian.

SAC page 6

CAMPUSNEWS

April 5, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 9

NMENT A VER SSO GO CI

T EN

The Centennial Room’s renovations will be taking place in summer 2019, but other changes will be coming to MCLA’s dining services. John Kozik, MCLA Aramark food services director, was another guest at the meeting who spoke about possible modifications to the space. Plans include adding a more accessible vegan station and a possible “to go” area for students looking for something small like a cup of coffee. “We would also add a new ‘Made-to-Order’ exhibition station,” said Kozik. “That would happen on the south side of the ‘Pizza Station’ as it is now.” “‘Nature’s Nook’ is really just something that we thought students would enjoy,” said Kozik. “There is always talking about more healthy options available on meal plans. So we would have

contacting student affairs. Holbrook and Norcross also spoke with SGA about possible changes to the various food options available to students. The proposed plans included a 3.5 percent increase in the overall meal plan price to all but their “declining balance only” plan. “One thing that we do know is that freshman year is really hard to manage time,” Norcross said. “Making the unlimited plan is very appealing to students who haven’t learned how to manage time yet.” “We were looking for some sort of a structure that would allow us to grow the program and add small changes that really were responsive to student needs,” Holbrook said. “It has to make financial sense for a really small college with the number of students we have on the plan.”

The Student Government Association (SGA) reached a final verdict about their tobacco policy referendum set to appear on the spring ballot. It will feature text from the College’s official policy, which is set to go into effect on August 1, with two accompanying questions. Catherine Holbrook, vice president of student affairs, and Celia Norcross, assistant dean of student development and engagement, appeared before SGA to explain MCLA’s new tobacco policy. “I can say with a fair amount of certainty that it’s not going to affect the policy that’s been voted in replace,” said Holbrook. “It’s been talked about for well over a year on campus, at the highest levels

of the institution, through the Board of Trustees.” Among many questions posed, Parliamentarian Dean Little ’21 expressed concern over the level of influence the policy will have on students. “The law would still protect,” said Little. “Let’s say if I were a smoker I could still walk up and down the sidewalk smoking my cigarette on my way to class. There’s no law that would prevent me from doing that whether the campus says they can or can’t because the sidewalk is public property.” “Yes, in theory, there are plenty of places that are not properly owned by the College that people can smoke in,” Holbrook said. “We have no right, as you suggest, legally to say ‘you can’t do that.’” MCLA’s new tobacco policy is available online and more information can be found by

N IO AT

BY COREY MITCHELLLABRIE STAFF WRITER

ST UD

Tobacco referendum set, new possibilities for meal plans and the Centennial Room

etts

i C o l l e ge o f L

this option in the afternoon for people to come in and just kind of swipe and be able to indulge in healthy snack-related items.” SGA’s spring general elections are approaching. If necessary, primary elections will take place on April 12 in the Campus Center. Final elections will take place on April 17 and 18 in the same location. The Student Government Association meets in Murdock 218 on Mondays at 7 p.m.

Green Living from page 1 climate change and urban growth, the 2080 settings, the 2080 assessment, the assessment index of ecological integrity, geophysical resilience and the species landscape capability. The index of ecological integrity assessment model included features such as landscape, wetness, traffic, habitat loss and connectivity of the area. That model measures the relative freedom from anthropogenic stressors of a site based on a suite of twenty metrics, which is evaluated by the ecosystem. Traister described landscape conservation design as, “The idea that we can influence the way that land continues to be developed, in part by conserving land (purchasing easements that restrict development or purchasing land outright). Since it is not possible to conserve all of the currently undeveloped land, we have to come up with priorities that help guide land conservation. Landscape conservation design, then, is a strategy for conserving land across a large landscape in a way that best sustains its ecosystems.” The species landscape capability measures the relative capability of a

site to meet the life history requirements of individuals and local populations based on habitat and climate suitability. There are only 31 representative species in the climate suitability and habitat capability from the 2010 to the 2080 landscape capability and climate response models. Development and roads play a part with habitat loss, watershed loss, road traffic, mowing and plowing and micro alterations. There are three main species focused on in the model: the ovenbird, moose and black bear. The last part of the presentation talked about the core building criteria Plunkett and the other contributors from the department of environmental conservation, Kevin McGarigal, Brad Compton, Bill DeLuca and Joanna Grand, used to develop these models. Those criteria include representativeness or “leave no one behind,” redundancy or “spread the risk,” complementarity or “little of this and a little of that,” distributor or “Not NIMBY,” cohesiveness or “bigger is better,” and buffering or “protect your assets.” The core building algorithm sec-

tion included steps such as create selection index based on maximum resiliency and IEI, select “seeds,” grow cores to 20 percent of landscape, add species cores to 25 percent of landscape and focus on underrepresented species. The species core building included tally value captured by prior cores, create selection index that favors underrepresented species, grow a core from the highest value and repeat. Traister also said, “Students taking the course for credit will be presenting posters at the MCLA Undergraduate Research Conference about the community-based learning projects they have been carrying out relating to the theme of this series. In addition to coming to upcoming seminar presentations, I hope readers will also visit the student presenters at the URC and see what they have been up to this semester.” This is an 11-part series with the theme of “Sustainability and the Role of Technology.” All presentations for the seminars are at 5:30 p.m. in the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation Room 121. This series is free and open to the public.

Are you an SGA Club?

Your first ad in the paper is on the house! Contact Business Manager Mitchell Chapman at mc7368@mcla.edu for details

photo from MCLA.edu

The Green Living Seminar is open to the public with the last one on April 12.

April 5, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 9

WORLDNEWS

Saudi Crown Prince

Says Israelis, Palestinians both have ‘right to have their own land’ By Laura King Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON- Saudi Arabia’s young crown prince said in an interview published Monday that Israelis, alongside Palestinians, “have the right to have their own land,” seemingly opening the door to the possibility of an eventual normalization of ties with Israel. Mohammed bin Salman, the 32-year-old heir to the Saudi throne, told the Atlantic magazine that any Mideast peace agreement would need to address the fate of Islam’s thirdholiest site, which is located in Jerusalem, and ensure “the rights of the Palestinian people.” Even so, his comments appeared to mark a break with the public posture adopted by most Arab leaders. Two Arab countries, Jordan and Egypt, have peace treaties with Israel, but most Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, do not recognize Israel. However, there have been recent signs of a warming between Israel and the conservative kingdom, whose aging monarch, King Salman, has already handed many leadership responsibilities over to the crown prince. The Trump administration has pinned hopes on Saudi Arabia as a key interlocutor in any Mideast peace accord. Mohammed is currently on a U.S. visit that’s focused on attracting investment and presenting himself as a reformist who has pushed for social changes such

as granting Saudi women the right to drive. The young crown prince is close to President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and a bitter Saudi rivalry with Iran’s government dovetails neatly with Trump’s own hawkish views on Tehran. Critics are mistrustful of Mohammed, however, painting a recent anti-corruption drive by the crown prince as a thinly veiled power grab meant to sideline royal rivals and force wealthy business leaders to sign over billions of dollars in assets. In the Atlantic interview, Mohammed was asked whether he believed that the Jewish people had the right to a nation-state in at least part of their ancestral homeland. “I believe the Palestinians and the Israelis have the right to have their own land,” he replied. “But we have to have a peace agreement to assure the stability for everyone and to have normal relations.” Referring to the contested plateau in Jerusalem’s Old City revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, the crown prince said Saudi Arabia had “religious concerns about the fate of the holy mosque in Jerusalem and the rights of the Palestinian people.” But he added, “We don’t have any objection against any other people.” Although Trump has said he regards Mideast peace as “the ultimate deal,” the rift between Israel and the Palestinians has

widened during his tenure to date. Palestinians were infuriated by Trump’s declaration that the United States recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, seemingly dismissing a Palestinian claim to part of the city as the capital of their future state. Saudi Arabia was among the many states across the Muslim world that denounced the Trump administration’s stance on the holy city. Trump has been inconsistent on what had for decades been a cornerstone of U.S. policy: support for side-by-side Israeli and Palestinian states. Mohammed, in the interview, suggested that shared economic interests might be a powerful driver of normalization efforts with Israel. “Israel is a big economy compared to their size, and it’s a growing economy,” he said. “Of course there are a lot of interests we share with Israel, and if there is peace, there would be a lot of interest between Israel and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and countries like Egypt and Jordan.” Saudi Arabia’s position, like most other Arab states, has long been that there can be no ties with Israel until it cedes territory captured in the 1967 Middle East war to make way for a Palestinian state. Under the rightist government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has tightened its grip on Jewish settlements scattered across the West Bank, creating what Pal-

Women coaches from page 1 “They’re my family and I’d give my right arm to help any of them,” Beckwith said. “It’s important to me that they feel supported in every aspect like they’re my own children.” The athletics department has also established its 3-2-1 vision. Coaches and department members focus on pushing studentathletes to maintain a 3.0 GPA, having teams compete in the top two of their conference, and all members working as one team. “Good coaches and teachers strive to make our student-athletes better people which in turn supports them as they find their pathways,” Houston said. Coaches said that sports teach student-athletes skills like time-management, teamwork, leadership, diversity, self-advocacy, overcoming adversity

and humbleness. “A sport is a place where you’re going to fail on a daily basis and it tests how good you are but it happens in a safe environment where someone passionate is mentoring you to get through that process and that’s what life is about,” Raber said. The athletic department has enhanced its representation of strong women and female leaders for all student-athletes. “As the strength and conditioning coach I work with men and women,” Raber said. “Having guys around a strong female presence getting better everyday is a powerful message as well.” “Having the report come out is a phenomenal thing to keep it fresh in everyone’s minds that there is still a lot of work to do,” Mooney said.

photo fromTurner News Service

Mohammed bin Salman, deputy crown prince and minister of defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, meets with U.S. President Donald Trump on March 14, 2017 in the Oval Office at the White House, in Washington, D.C. (Mark Wilson/Pool/Abaca Press/TNS) estinians describe as an archi- its airspace to a commercial pelago of territory that would flight to Israel, a groundbreakbe nearly impossible to stitch ing symbolic step that Israel together into a viable state. greeted with near-euphoria. Under Netanyahu, however, Reports have also surfaced of there have been indications secret contacts between Israel that Israel and Saudi Arabia and the Saudis, although both were bonding over their com- sides publicly maintain their mon deep mistrust of Iran. Last distance. month, Saudi Arabia opened

“An artist who blurs bodies and genres in protest.” — The New York Times

photos from athletics.mcla.edu

Top: Deb Raber, coach of the women’s soccer team. Bottom: Amanda Beckwith, coach of the volleyball team.

OKWUI OKPOKWASILI CO-PRESENTED WITH

JACOB’S PILLOW DANCE Saturday, April 7, 8pm

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

WORLDNEWS

April 5, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 9

A week in history: Mayflower to LBJ April 5th

1621 – The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, Massachusetts on a return trip to England. 1792 – United States President George Washington exercises his authority to veto a bill, the first time this power is used in the United States. 1956 – Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro declares himself at war with Cuban President Fulgencio Batista.

April 6th

1199 – King Richard I of England dies from an infection following the removal of an arrow from his shoulder. 1917 – World War I: The United States declares war on Germany. 1930 – Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, “With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire,” beginning the Salt Satyagraha.

April 9th

The Civil War General Robert E. Lee.

1865 – American Civil War: Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia (26,765 troops) to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, effectively ending the war. 1991 – Georgia declares independence from the Soviet Union. 1999 – Kosovo War: The Battle of Košare begins.

Thursday, April 5

Sunny High: 35° Low: 23° Precip. Chance: 0%

April 7th

Richard Coeur de Lion by Carlo Marochetti, a statue depicting Richard I of England.

April 10th

1912 – RMS Titanic sets sail from Southampton, England on her maiden and only voyage. 1925 – “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald is first published in New York City, by Charles Scribner’s Sons. 1998 – The Good Friday Agreement is signed in Northern Ireland.

451 – Attila the Hun sacks the town of Metz and attacks other cities in Gaul. 1868 – Thomas D’Arcy McGee, one of the Canadian Fathers of Confederation is assassinated by a Fenian activist. 1954 – United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower gives his “domino theory” speech during a news conference.

April 8th

217 – Roman Emperor Caracalla is assassinated. He is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus. 1913 – The 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution, requiring direct election of Senators, becomes law. 1952 – U.S. President Harry Truman calls for the seizure of all domestic steel mills to prevent a nationwide strike.

April 11th

1689 – William III and Mary II are crowned as joint sovereigns of Great Britain. 1713 – War of the Spanish Succession (Queen Anne’s War): Treaty of Utrecht. 1968 – President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing.

Images from WikimediaCommons

The official portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson

Weekend Weather Friday, April 6

Snow High: 46° Low: 30° Precip. Chance: 100%

Saturday, April 7

Cloudy High: 39° Low: 25° Precip. Chance: 10%

Sunday, April 8

Partly Cloudy High: 38° Low: 21° Precip. Chance: 10%

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April 5, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 9

FEATURES

A champion for immigration policy BY MEGHAN COOK FEATURES EDITOR Bryan Vega is a resident of sunny Southern California, a sophomore here at MCLA, and a person who wants to go through his life by changing the lives of others. As a student majoring in political science and public policy, Vega is learning about our government, pressing issues, and ways in which we as a society behave in terms of these issues. However, even before studying at MCLA he had a passion for immigration. “As the offspring of two Mexican immigrants I have come to fully understand the adversities that immigrants undergo not only during migration but also the hardships of starting a new life in the United States,” explained Vega. For this summer, Vega has secured an internship at the nonprofit Southern California Immigration Project. “I am disgusted that racist residue from the 1920s dictates today’s immigration policy,” explained Vega in regard to where his passion comes from. According to the organization’s website, its purpose is to offer pro bono or low bono legal services and healing resources to immigrants suffering from human rights violations. It mainly focuses on aiding seekers of asylum and survivors of Female Genital Cutting (FGC). The nonprofit’s mission deals with these intense and brutal issues because many times the people most affected by them are unable to afford these services on their own. Vega used his networking to get this

opportunity to work in this field. “A former peer from Whittier College put me in contact with Elizabeth Lopez, who is the founder of the nonprofit,” Vega said. These realities are hard for some people to even acknowledge, but Vega is a realist and knows that this is some people’s reality. “Immigrants aren’t criminals, if anything they are victims and survivors, and despite their struggles they still manage to find the courage within to immigrate and create a better life for themselves,” Vega said. “I am very fortunate to have been born in the U.S. thus I feel it is my responsibility to help facilitate the lives of immigrants.” The Southern California Immigration Project’s website states that the focus on legal representation in immigration proceedings for asylum seekers and survivors of FGC is due to lack of financial resources for these groups. Another resource it provides is informing healthcare providers working with patients who have survived FGC. When asked if he is prepared to work in such an intense workplace, Vega had his answer ready. “I’m definitely prepared to shed some tears, but all the while I have to remain brave,” Vega explained. “Because I have to do everything in my power to alleviate some of the hardships these people have gone through.” “This experience I think is going to be my first encounter with the law aspect,” Vega said. “I am more in touch with the moral aspect, like why people

Photo provided by Bryan Vega

MCLA sophomore and political science major Bryan Vega. deserve to relocate in the U.S., but this is more than just ‘crossing the border.’” Samantha Pettey, assistant professor of political science and public policy, has Vega as a student this semester and has taken notice of Vega’s interest in this field. “Bryan is currently taking Political Science Research and Methods which exposes students to how political scientists study politics,” explained Pettey. “Students can write a research paper on any political topic they want and Bryan is researching on Mexican migration into the U.S. Immigration has become a timely and important topic in the last few years.” As Vega continues to incorporate his interest not only academically, but professionally, he continues to impress the people around him. “I am happy to see Bryan, and other

students, taking an interest on researching the intersection of American and comparative politics,” Pettey said. “To me, it shows the overall goals of the political science major are successful.” After he graduates from MCLA, Vega has plans to move on to law school, and then specifically practicing immigration law. “This internship is going to open up my eyes to what I have in store during my career after law school,” Vega said. “I also want to do lobbying work for immigration policy, when I will inevitably need a break from practicing law.” Vega still has two more years at MCLA, and already he is taking every opportunity he can to further not only his future, but others’.

Workshop gives students ‘Next Step’ in their careers BY MEGHAN COOK FEATURES EDITOR Four MCLA students had the opportunity to attend the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) NextStep Workshop last week. Students Jared Grise, Christopher Tetlow, Yueqi Li, and Alison Pansecchi are all members of MSCPA and shipped out to Boston to be a part of the workshop. It was organized by the society and hosted by PwC, one of the largest accounting firms globally. “The participating students really enjoyed the workshop and said they feel better about graduating having had this experience,” said Tara Barboza, assistant professor of business administration and economics. According to Barboza, the workshop gave all the attendees the chance to discuss different opportunities in career paths in the field by a 15-member panel. Members of the panel included academics, corporate accountants, and public accountants. “The best part about the workshop was listening to other college senior’s questions for all the intelligent panelists,” said Jared Grise, who is a business administration major with an accounting concentration. “I definitely learned more than I could have even expected.” Barboza identified key panelists

Photo courtesy of MCLA

(From left to right) Jared Grise, Alison Pansecchi, Christopher Tetlow, and Yueqi Li. including Michael Abramo, CPA and sionals at both the beginning and end. chief administrator for the Massa- According to Barboza, professionchusetts Bay Transportation Author- als in human resources discussed ity (MBTA), and Anna Howard, CPA, topics from how to create a favorable certified management accountant impression and what employers are and director of the Master of Science looking for to creating a resume and in Accounting program at Nichols cover letter. This allowed students to College. Other accounting and hu- evaluate where they were in terms of man resource professionals also of- professional development and career fered advice to the students. paths. “I learned a lot from a speech from “This experience helped me thorKim, who is a young panelist. She oughly understand what recruiters mentioned she graduated from Bent- want, whether it be an internship or ley University, and she is going to take a full time job,” said Tetlow. “They CPA exams very soon,” said Li. “I was helped make a lot of people, not just encouraged to follow the wonderful myself, feel more comfortable and career path of her, and take the CPA relieved on what they’d like to see on exams after graduate education.” resumes.” The workshop included networking The consensus among the MCLA activities with students and profes- students who went was that hearing

from the younger panelists was most helpful. “[They] were the easiest to relate to, because they were about five or six years out of school,” said Tetlow. “It gave me more of an understanding of how I want to build up my life postgraduation.” There was guidance from panelists on the best ways to set goals in completing CPA exams and obtaining licenses. Li especially found this to be informative. “This helped me set specific shortterm objectives to fulfill my eligibility to CPA exams by attending a graduate school, and work for CPA firms in the future,” explained Li. “In this meeting people who already got CPA licenses and those who are going to take CPA exams have the platform to communicate and learn from each other.” The value of the NextStep Workshop to the attendants is significant and the students now feel more secure in how to set down the path toward their careers. Although, some have had their eyes opened even more. “Initially I wasn’t even interested in a career with a big accounting firm but now I am struggling even more with which path to take after graduation,” said Grise. “I think at this point I am primarily interested in either tax for a firm or internal accounting for a cool corporation.”

Arts & Entertainment

WJJW to hold third annual Downtown Sound

BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER

WJJW’s third annual spring concert, Downtown Sound, featuring MCLA student musicians and a few other artists, is shaping up to be a big event following their successful 45th-anniversary show on March 24. Downtown Sound, happening on April 7 in the Design Lab at 49 Main St. from 7 – 10 p.m., will have performances by MCLA’s own Luke O’Brien, Luke Tobin, Nora Hones and Andrew Hall, as well as musician Lady Jane and headliner Arc Iris. The event will be free and open to the public, with light refreshments provided. James Swinchoski, senior and president of WJJW, hopes for a successful show to end the year. “The show was really fun to plan, and it was a lot easier for the E-board this time around, making a list of acts and getting the venue approved,” said Swinchoski. “There were a few hiccups with sound, but thankfully we have ironed those out and are rolling full steam ahead.” While last semester featured a range of genres, from synthfolk to punk to blues, WJJW decided to try a more acoustic sound this time, with a studentfocused lineup and an exciting headliner. Sophomore and WJJW secretary Hannah Snell gave a sense of what the show would be like and what the audience can expect to hear. Luke Tobin

will be returning for this semester’s Downtown Sound with more of his acoustic music, which Snell noted as being absolutely mesmerizing. “He’s the type of artist that can be engaging for hours. He has such a beautiful way of playing and writing music,” said Snell. Luke O’Brien, a junior as well as a long-time DJ at WJJW with his show “Rebel Fist Radio,” has released music under his moniker Lucifer O’Brien and his other project Crashing Sunsets. Mixed among the acoustic tracks are some more experimental ones featuring sound pieces from television and film, and inspirations from literary works. “Some songs I’ll be doing on electric guitar, and some on acoustic. I’m really excited to share my art with my friends and family,” said O’Brien. “This is a perfect showcase to see the great and varied talents MCLA and the greater community have to offer.” Nora Hones and Andrew Hall, both juniors, are a folk duo who have a range of influences. They have both played in various bands and performed individually across Vermont and New York, including with Bennington band Immune Friction. “We will be performing a couple of covers and originals. We’re excited for the show and we hope other people are too,” Hones said. Lady Jane is the solo project of Esperanza Friel, from Northampton. Recording and releasing music since 2012 with

photo by Adam Sams and WJJW E Board

Downtown Sound will be taking place at the Design Lab for the second time. her debut, “Eulogy,” she has since released 16 singles, EPs and albums. Her discography consists of reimaginings of songs by Bruce Springsteen, Big Thief, and Dire Straits, as well as hauntingly beautiful original folk ballads. As Snell puts it, it is definitely music for the soul. Arc Iris, the show’s headliner is based in Providence, Rhode Island and described as a fusion of many genres from folk and jazz to electronic, synth and pop. They have recently toured reimagining Joni Mitchell’s album “Blue.”

and the community. The space has been an expressive hub for local concerts, art events and a venue for many on-campus clubs. “Part of what is attractive about this venue is that it connects MCLA and the campus community to North Adams, and it gets students off campus, to see what is only a short walk away from them,” Snell said. WJJW invites and encourages students and the public to attend this music-filled event. More information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

This Is: Asaka

SAC from page 1 The second event is a PaintU party on April 20 from 9 p.m. to midnight in Church Street Center. PaintU is a company that throws paint parties at college campuses across the country. SAC traditionally hosts one, well-known act for the spring concert. In years prior they have hosted Kehlani, Reel Big Fish, and Sammy Adams. Last year, they hosted “Saturday Night Live” comedian Pete Davidson following unforeseen circumstances with the planned band. SAC concert chair Erika Lucia said that the decision to use this approach comes from a desire to find something that worked for everyone. “SAC is using this approach because I noticed that choosing only certain artists was excluding those who didn’t know about that artist and it was hard to choose one genre that all would be content with,” Lucia said. While different than what the organization has done

They also performed at the Elks Lodge in North Adams over the summer. The band released their self-titled debut in 2014, as well as “Moon Saloon” in 2016. They have recently finished touring with Kimbra. “They are unique in that even though they have played in Europe and have been praised by publications such as the NY Times, Boston Globe and NPR, they are down-to-earth and have local ties to the Berkshire area,” said Snell. Snell stated how important the Design Lab is to the event

BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER

courtesy from SAC

PaintU will visit the campus on April 20 from 8-11 p.m. Students will be able to have some fun with their friends while getting a little messy. before, Lucia said that she is excited to see how this plays out. “I am extremely excited that SAC is having this opportunity to try something new this year and depending on how it goes, next year could be even better,” Lucia said. “I think that both events will receive a good turn out due to the fact that these things have never been done at MCLA.” While the spring concert has traditionally cost about

$5, this year’s events will be even cheaper. “A Little Bit of Sound” is a free event for students, however, those interested in attending are encouraged to get a wristband when SAC is tabling from April 9 to April 13. The paint party will cost $1 if tickets are bought during tabling but they will also be available for purchase at the door for $2. A valid student ID is required for entry to the event.

Asaka is a Japanese singer and performer from the city of Nagoya who made her debut in 2016 with the release of her single “Open Your Eyes.” The song was later used as the ending theme for the anime “Occultic;Nine.” Her upcoming singles, “Edelweiss,” “Shiny Days” and “Play The Game,” have also been featured in anime series. When she was three, Asaka’s family moved to Michigan for five years, where Asaka’s dream took root. There, she was exposed to several cartoons and anime series, getting her interested in the genre. After moving back to Japan, she continued watching anime and was inspired by characters singing and playing guitar and began studying the techniques of writing and performing character songs. While watching one particular series with a strong musical presence, Asaka decided to become an anison, or theme music singer, supported by her father.

From there, Asaka went on to win a singing competition in 2014 and participated in an anison contest in 2015, before debuting her single a year later. This past week, Asaka made her North American debut at a concert at Anime Boston. Singing in both Japanese and English, each song was met by an enthusiastic audience waving glow sticks in time to the music. Visit Asaka’s website for more information on the singer. Official music videos are also available on YouTube, as well as the songs paired with the anime series.

photo from MyAnimeList.com

Arts & Entertainment

Junot Díaz’s ‘Oscar Wao’ ties in culture and magical realism BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR

If you’ve never heard of Junot Díaz, you’re missing out. Author of novels such as “Drown” and “This is How You Lose Her,” the Dominican Republic (DR) native stole hearts and crushed them at the same time with his 2007 novel, “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” Told through the third-person narrator named Yunior, we meet Oscar, a geeky, overweight loser who’s just trying to find love from his high school years into young adulthood. Living with his mother, Beli, and his sister, Lola, in New Jersey, we learn about Oscar and his family, who are all affected by fukú, a curse that has been torturing his family for decades. Split into multiple parts, Yunior is telling this story of Oscar and his family as a tribute to his late friend,

hence the title. From what Oscar and Lola have told him, Yunior tells the reader about Beli’s experience growing up in the DR, their grandfather, Abelard, who tries to protect his family from dictator Rafael Trujillo, and Lola and Oscar themselves. There’s a connection with each individual’s stories, which Díaz does incredibly well. The way each character affects the next, from Abelard to Beli to Lola, and then Oscar, shows this fukú is real and it’s hurting the family in horrible ways. This style of narration and point of view is very interesting as well. Halfway through the book, it’s revealed that Yunior and Lola dated, and that he and Oscar were college roommates. In the beginning, the narration is in third person, and its main focus is on Oscar, but once it shifts to Lola, the narration is slightly different and very confusing. If it weren’t for

class, Google would’ve been helping out. Another interesting addition that Díaz included was the Spanglish throughout the novel. Sentences and phrases were used to show the readers the Oscar’s culture, especially when part of the setting was in the DR. Footnotes were also included in the book to clarify certain historical events; Trujillo was a real Dominican dictator. “Oscar Wao” is a novel that everyone should read, especially those who are interested in other cultures and history. Although fiction, this book packs in events that occurred under Trujillo’s dictatorship from 1930 to 1961. Magical realist elements, which are rarely used, are common in this novel, and Díaz portrays it so well with the fukú. For those who don’t even like to read, this book still may be one to pick up.

photo by Emma Monahan

“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” tells the story of Oscar de León and his family being affected by a curse called fukú. Díaz’s novel can be read in Global Anglophone Language and Literature.

FPA beginning work on ‘Into the Woods,’ a Grimm musical BY WYATT MINEAU A&E WRITER MCLA’s fine and performing arts department (FPA) is wrapping up this semester’s performances with their production of “Into the Woods,” a musical by Stephen Sondheim. The musical takes various queues from fairy tales, namely the Brothers Grimm and their famously dark stories, and debuted in 1986 to a warm reception. Over its 30+ year run, it received multiple Tony Awards and even a film adaptation by Disney in 2014, which grossed $210 million worldwide. The musical’s plot focuses on four main characters including Cinderella, Jack and a baker and his wife. Throughout the play’s two

acts, many other fairy tale characters come into play such as Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf, Rapunzel and an old witch who placed a curse on the baker and his wife. Each character has a wish they desire to make true, but they must face hurdles like the witch, death and their own pride. The musical was chosen as a result of the “We the People” theme agreed on by a committee of faculty and students. As the political climate heats up in the U.S., a bit of metaphorical critique and analysis could never hurt, and there’s no better choice than this criticallyacclaimed musical. As this is FPA’s last performance this semester, it looks to be a delightful experience full of wonderful

photo from Wikimedia Commons

“Into the Woods” is a popular play which portrays a mix of classic fairy tale characters. music and talented acting. Rehearsals have concluded at this point, but with the reception to their third show this year, “Rhinoceros,” being generally favorable, there’s a good chance they’ll put on another stellar performance. Unfortunately, FPA members were unavailable for comments, but they have had a great track

April 11:

April 14:

April 17:

Residence Talk | 12 p.m.

Service | 9 a.m.Venable

p.m. Murdock 218

Murdock 218

Gym

April 12:

April 16-23: SAC Spring Fling

11am- 7pm in Bowman

Venable Dance Complex

Week | Varying times and

Hall on April 17

locations

11am-7pm CC

Hardman Journalist-in-

April 7:

April 10:

Concert | 6 p.m. Church

4 p.m. Quad

Allegrettos Spring Street Center

S’mores in the Quad |

record with their previous performances, including such hits as the aforementioned, “Rhinoceros,” “A Doll’s House,” and “Our Country’s Good.” In a press release sent to the Beacon, director and assistant professor of theatre Jeremy Winchester explained the meaning behind “after the happily ever after.”

“How do we square the thing we thought we wanted with the daily reality of it? Princes are rich and handsome, but rich and handsome doesn’t guarantee kindness and love.” If you’re a fan of fairy tales, the Brothers Grimm, musicals or political commentary, you can rest assured that this performance is in good hands. MCLA theatre program’s adaptation of “Into the Woods” will be shown April 20, 21, 27, 28 at 8 p.m., April 21 and 29 at 2 p.m. A talkback will be hosted after the 8 p.m. show on April 28. Performances will take place in Venable Theater on the MCLA campus. More information can also be found on their Facebook page.

Zumba Class | 8 p.m.

photo from Pixabay

Community Day of

Public Policy Talk | 6

April 17 + 18: SGA Final Elections |

Marketplace on April 18

SPORTS

April 5, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 9

LaBonte hits three-run homer, MCLA defeats Anna Maria 11-9 BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The Trailblazers baseball team defeated the Anna Maria College (AMC) Amcats 11-9 behind a great offensive performance from senior Brett LaBonte who went 1-2 with a three-run homer, four RBIs and a walk. The teams only played five innings of the game held last Tuesday at the New England Baseball Complex in Northborough due to rain. The 'Blazers started the game off hot, as they put a run up in the top of the first on LaBonte's sacrifice fly that scored senior Nick DiSanti for a 1-0 lead. The 'Blazers got most of their work done in the third and fourth innings, generating nine runs over the two-inning span. The three runs in the third inning were courtesy of LaBonte's three-run blast that drove in sophomore Christian Seariac and DiSanti. DiSanti and Seariac had a productive game hitting in the second and third slots in the lineup. DiSanti went 2-3 on the day, recording one RBI

photo by MCLA Athletics

MCLA senior Brett LaBonte taking a swing at the ball in a game earlier this season. LaBonte went 1-2 with a three run blast, four RBIs, and a walk in the 11-9 win over Anna Maria College in five innings. The Trailblazers improved to 8-5 with the win. and scoring three runs. Seariac went 1-1 on the day, drew two walks, scored one run, and recorded an RBI. The fourth inning saw the 'Blazers erupt for six more runs. The inning opened with the

'Blazers scoring two runs on an error by Amcats pitcher Daniel Chambers. Seariac drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, while DiSanti scored on a passed ball later in the inning. The inning was capped by

Trailblazers defeated in doubleheader with identical scores BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS WRITER The Trailblazers women's softball team took a double loss against the Framingham State Rams, dropping two five-inning games with identical scores of 11-2, putting their record at 2-10. MCLA's Kaitlyn Berghela scored the last two runs of the first game, earning two RBIs from senior Francesca Belli and freshman Alanza Quinones. Pitcher Morgan Watson's record dropped to 1-4. The Trailblazers finished the game with 21 at-bats, four hits, one walk, six strikeouts, and five left on base. The Rams finished with 29 at-bats, 16 hits, one walk, two strikeouts and five left on base. Rams outfielder Dayna Marchant led her team with four at-bats, four runs, four hits and two RBIs. She was followed up by her teammate Mycala Moody in three atbats, two runs, two doubles, one RBI and one walk. Pitcher Kelsi Gunarathne's record improves to 4-3. Despite the current record, coach Erica Li is excited about her team's eagerness

photo by MCLA Athletics

MCLA sophomore Kaylyn Holliday standing on second base in a game this year. Holliday went 0-3 in the first game against the Rams, but went 1-3 with an RBI in the second game of the doubleheader. to improve their flaws on the field as a group. "They all have this attitude they want to get better, so I am excited that we found some of our weaknesses because they are hungry to get better," Li said. In the second game, pitcher Grace Caughey led the Rams with two strikeouts and one hit. Caughey's record rises to 3-1 while MCLA freshman Samantha Feinstein falls to 1-4. Marchant and Megan Downing secured their team's win with a total of five runs out of six at-bats.

Marchant went on to have three hits, two RBIs and one walk. Downing had one single, an RBI, a walk and two left on base. For MCLA, sophomore Kayla Baker had one run and a hit, with a total of three atbats. Following behind her, sophomore Kaylyn Holliday had one hit and one RBI. The MCLA Trailblazers will be back in action on Saturday, April 7 with a doubleheader at home against Fitchburg State at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

sophomore Joe Toledo driving in two more runs with a single up the middle. The bottom half of the fourth was where the 'Blazers saw trouble. Starting pitcher sophomore Shawn James was

chased out of the game after recording five walks in the inning. The Amcats were able to score five runs of their own after the flurry of walks and only one hit to put the score at 10-5. In the bottom of the fifth, the Amcats scored four more runs to put the score at 11-9 after the 'Blazers only recorded one run in the inning. Once again, AMC took advantage of some Trailblazer wildness off the mound but left the tying run in the batter's box. The 'Blazers were able to extend the lead in the sixth inning, but the game was called before the inning was completed, giving the 'Blazers the 11-9 win. MCLA sophomore Brandon Condon got the win on the mound coming in out of the bullpen. The 'Blazers improve to 8-5 with the win, and face off with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Thursday, April 5 at 4 p.m. in an away game as they continue their non-league schedule.

Men's tennis falls 9-0 to WNE, drops second straight match BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The Trailblazers men's tennis team was defeated 9-0 by the Western New England University (WNE) Golden Bears on Friday, March 30 at the Berkshire West Athletics Center in Pittsfield. The Golden Bears had little trouble getting the win, as they were able to dominate the courts in every match played on the day. The match began in the doubles section, where WNE's David Kalmer and Justin Kohut faced off with the 'Blazers top duo made up of seniors Jared Freeman and Aaron Goldsmith. Freeman and Goldsmith have had a tough start to the season as a pair, getting beat in their first match of the year 8-2. Freeman and Goldsmith have never played together as a duos team, so the early struggles are to be expected. Friday was the same as Freeman and Goldsmith were defeated 8-1 by Kalmer and Kohut. The WNE pairs of Luke Surawski and Max Gordon continued to sweep the 'Blazers duo of sophomore Mohamed Mahrous and

freshman Matt Bluteau. WNE's Matt Russell alongside Michael Tran swept the MCLA duo of freshman Charles Najimy and sophomore Nick Castle to give the Golden Bears a 3-0 lead heading to singles. The Golden Bears continued to breeze through the singles matches as Kalmer handled Goldsmith in the top singles match 6-3, 6-2 for his second point of the match. Surawski then defeated Freeman 6-0, 6-0 while Gordon beat Najimy 6-3, 6-0. The Golden Bears continued on to win the final three singles matches of the day in dominant fashion. They didn't allow a 'Blazer to score more than two points in a single set over the last three matches. The Golden Bears improve to 5-1 on the season with the win, while the Trailblazers are now 0-2 under firstyear coach Stephen Bryant. The 'Blazers next match is Thursday, April 5 as they face off with Rhode Island College in their last nonconference match until the end of the season.

SPORTS Despite tough loss Coach Bartini is focused on rebuilding

April 5, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 9

BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS WRITER The Trailblazers women’s lacrosse team was demolished in their first MASCAC conference home game against the Bridgewater State University Bears on Saturday, March 31. The final score was 19-3, which puts the team’s record at 1-2. Junior goalie Zoe Elwell defended a tough 33 shots in total in the game. Elwell’s record dropped to 1-2 while finishing with nine saves and 28 shots. Seniors Mackenzie Cutler and Rachel Green fought an intense battle by scoring the only points for their team. Cutler finished with a total of five shots attempted, four shots on goal, three draw controls and one turnover. Green ended the game with two shots in total, one shot on goal, a ground ball and a turnover. The Trailblazers finished with seven shots in total, five shots on goal, four ground balls, three draw controls and 10 turnovers. Coach Maria Bartini is not worried about the points in each game but how the team plays in harmony and how teammates are learning from one another. “I do not get too focused on the scoreboard, obviously the scoreboard matters but I get a little more focused on how the team plays and how we come together as a unit and how we

SCORE BOARD MCLA Lacrosse MCLA (3), Bridgewater State (19) Mackenzie Cutler (MCLA) 2 Goals, 4 SOG

Elizabeth Ettridge (Bridgewater) 5 Goals, 5 SOG, 2 Assists

MCLA Baseball MCLA (11), Anna Maria College (9) photo by MCLA Athletics

MCLA senior Mackenzie Cutler (right) cradling the ball in a game earlier this year. Cutler recorded two goals in the 19-3 loss. The team’s record falls to 1-2 on the season as they head into the heart of conference play. are learning and improving,” Bartini said. Elizabeth Ettridge led the Bears, going 5-5 for shots on goals with two assists and four draw controls. She was followed by Mackenzie Manning and Lacey Dinning tied with three goals out of three shots on goal. Manning continued for one assist and Dinning had one ground ball. Bears goalie Hayley Barner improved her record to 7-2, finishing with one save. The Bears ended with 12 assists, 28 shots on goal, 12 ground balls, 20 draw controls and 10 caused

turnovers. Although the Trailblazers have had rough start, Bartini believes this year is a rebuilding season even though she did not expect it to be. “I had not anticipated it was going to be that, but that is what ended up happening. We ended up being in a more rebuilding mode, but the players are really rising to that, and the returners have been a phenomenal resource,” Bartini said. The next women’s lacrosse game is Friday, April 6 at 7 p.m. at Fitchburg State University.

NBA playoff preview

As the playoff seeds in the NBA which will be the difference in this finally cool down, the impact of series. the games and the level of play will #3 Cleveland Cavaliers over begin to heat up dramati#6 Washington Wizards 4-1: cally. It has been a giganEven though this series is tic revolving door in both predicted to end in five games, conferences (one which it should be the most exciting may not yet be over with first rounder in the East, with six games left in the Cleveland and Washington regular season) but with finally renewing their long lost things potentially settling Andrew rivalry. If the Wizards can get down, now is a good time Baillargeon a healthy John Wall doing his to make first-round picks thing, this series could even go The Call for both conferences. seven games. Nevertheless, the Starting with the Cavaliers have depth, experiEast: ence, and star power on their #1 Toronto Raptors over #8 Milside, in addition to home court waukee Bucks 4-2: All too temptadvantage. However, don’t look ing to pick the Giannis-fronted too deep into the latter, as the road Bucks for the upset here. However, team in this lifelong series has won the Raptors may have an iffy postthe last six games. season history under coach Dwane #4 Philadelphia 76ers over #5 Casey, but they’re not about to Indiana Pacers 4-3: Another diffibecome the second No. 1 seed in cult-to-pick, exciting series. What NBA history to be a one-and-done. gives the Sixers the edge is winning Difficult to imagine a team as deep the season series against a triedand explosive as Toronto falling and-true Pacers team, back in the in a best-of-seven series to the postseason once again. Difficult banged up, depleted Bucks team to imagine this series going any that suffered a midseason head less than seven games, as both of coach change. these teams are extremely evenly #2 Boston Celtics over #7 Miami matched. Tiebreaker really goes to Heat 4-3: The Kyrie Irving-less Philly for having home court. Celtics have outperformed what Now for the West: many thought of them as being #1 Houston Rockets over #8 New without their star point guard. EnOrleans Pelicans 4-0: This one ter the Heat, a team which has also should hardly need any explaining stumbled into the postseason. This at all. Nevertheless, this series is series really should be a lot better figuring to be the most lopsided in on paper, but with the Celtics havthe first round of the playoffs by ing lost their star, and the Heat be- far. If the Pelicans can make these ing in a playing time-based dispute four games competitive, they may with their star, this could be a bit yet exceed their expectations in messy. Thankfully, the Celtics have this series. experience winning ugly games, #2 Golden State Warriors over

Minnesota Timberwolves 4-0: This lopsided result is in fact contingent on the Warriors receiving the services of a healthy roster. If this is the case, then this series should prove to be fairly in their favor. A star-studded, battle-tested, defending champion team versus a team lacking significant playoff experience and being outgunned in star power should end about how you would think. However, the T’Wolves have a bright future and a very solid young core. Don’t think this is the last you’ll see of them in postseason play. #6 Utah Jazz over #3 Portland Trailblazers 4-2: Ah, finally, we have ourselves an upset pick. The Jazz owned Portland in the regular season and managed to close out their regular season on a strong note. They match up quite well against the Blazers in general, especially with their strong crop of big men. #4 San Antonio Spurs over #5 Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1: Gregg Popovich and his tried-and-true crew send the super star-loaded Thunder home in bitter disappointment. This is an absolute matchup nightmare for OKC - the Spurs have the personnel, both starting and on the bench, to curb the talents of Russell Westbrook and Paul George enough for the Spurs to win this series by a decent margin. What remains to be seen is if the Thunder can retain their de facto Big Three to try and return to postseason play next year. Things could get ugly, and in a hurry, especially if this defeat is particularly lopsided....

Brett LaBonte (MCLA) 1-2, 4 RBIs, 1 Run, BB, HR

Greg Gehring (Anna Maria) 2-2, RBI, 2B4 Ast, 2 Blk 16 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl

MCLA Softball

MCLA (2), Framingham State (11)

Kaylyn Holliday (MCLA) 1-3, RBI 10-12. 100 yds, 0 TD

Dayna Marchant (Framingham) 3-3, 2 RBI, 3 Runs, BB

MLB

New York Yankees (11), Tampa Bay Rays (4)

Didi Gregorius (NYY) 4-4, 2 HR, 2B, 8 RBI’s, 3 Runs, BBt, 2 Stl,

Adeiny Hechavarria (TB) 2-4, RBI, Run

NBA

Boston Red Sox (4), Miami Marlins (2)

Andrew Benintendi (Bos) 2-4, RBI, 2 Runs, 2 BB

Cameron Maybin (Mia) 3-5, RBI

NBA Boston Celtics (102), Milwaukee Bucks (106) Jaylen Brown (Bos) 24 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 8 Ast, 2 Stl

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) 29 PTS, 11 REB, 6 AST, 22 Reb, 3 Ast

OPINION

April 5, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 9

Increasing rim size does not make you cool You see it all over the com. “This has the effect of place. A decent looking car less tire sway or roll, and inbut something is off. Is it the creases the stability or cornerhood? Maybe an odd paint ing ability of your ride.” job? Nope. The rims. They are But the minor difference much larger than they should in handling is negated by so be and it just looks many adverse effects. ridiculous. This is a Less side wall also trend that seems to means that every bump have erupted in the in the road and every late 1980s through pothole is going to feel the 1990s and it just much worse. Not only makes no sense to will you be uncomfortJoseph me. able but your tires will Carew Some call this be much less quiet. trend “plus sizing” WheelSpin Manufacturers come and it is when you inup with an appropriate crease the diameter wheel to tire ratio when of the rim but keep the over- it comes to diameter. They all height of the tire the same. test it and perfect it. MessNow I am not a fan of altering ing with it will only bring you a standard car in any way but more problems than you barI can understand trying to get gained for. That being said, more horsepower of the enincreasing the diameter of the gine or putting on tires with wheel won’t have dramatic efmore grip than what it came fects so it can be done withwith. These have a purpose out much cause for alarm. My outside of just looking “cool.” Plus sizing really doesn’t have real problem is seeing someany other purpose than alter- one who has increased it by 4, 5, or even 6 inches! To me ing the look of the car. “The biggest benefit from your car just looks ridiculous. Plus Sizing is the increased But aside from that you most road handling. By increasing likely have ruined the ride. the wheel diameter (and main- Cars are not just meant to taining the original overall di- look good. They are supposed ameter), the height of the tire to feel good. They are built to side wall decreases,” accord- cruise and speed and ride. ing to performanceplustire.

Don’t be afraid to microinvest With the advent of block just a few dollars here and change and cryptocurrency, there. Though you might young people have more av- only stand to make a few enues to invest their money dollars or so, microinvestthan ever before, though ing can help you understand many of them are risky. whatever market you’re inUnderstandably, vesting in. Invest $5 in many young peoBoeing and on certain ple are hesitant days of the week it goes to get involved in up without fail? It might both these new be worthwhile investing modes of invest$10 next time at those ment, as well exact same times. Of as traditional course, this is not foolMitchell proof, but microinvestmeans of doing so, simply be- Chapman ing can install at least a cause they don’t None of your basic understanding of understand it. business market trends at little Ignorance is to no risk, knowing that not always bliss, even highly trained experts and it is understandable to in the field haven’t cracked look at investing cautiously, a magic formula to making especially if you’re the av- money. erage college student who For cryptocurrency, this doesn’t necessarily have is also one of the few ways money to invest when stu- to go about getting a grasp dent loans, car insurance, on the daily fluctuations rent, the cost of staying of that market, because it alive, etc. are taken into ac- is so new and unpredictcount. But even if you don’t able. Just about anyone have a lot of disposable incan create their own crypcome, you can still invest tocurrency as well, so the on a micro level, even if it’s risks of getting scammed

especially with new cryptos are significantly higher than that of new stocks, as cryptocurrency is a largely unregulated industry. Still, with many cryptos reaching the point of near exponential growth, they are worth checking out, even if your investment in them is only short-term due to their unstable nature. Microinvesting can lead to regular investments of significant amounts down the line, but always remember: Never invest more than you are willing to lose. Even the best of us forget this at times, but to some extent, investing is always a gamble. Even the most (perceived) stable of companies can see their empires crumble in a matter of years, or even days, reacting to changes in the world. Nothing lasts forever, but just because success is not guaranteed, it does not mean you shouldn’t play the game, even if you have no more than $5 to invest.

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

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OPINION

April 5, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 9

Editorial

Students succ the fun out of new lounge

Over this past weekend it was reported that a multitude of succulent plants and lamps were stolen from the new English/Communications student lounge. This highlights an ongoing problem that the students and administration of the College have with one another: trust. Students continuously say that there is no need for systems like Resident Advisors and that they want things like more students lounges. But when things like this happen, when students betray the trust of the administrators of the College, they discourage the College from putting more trust in the student body. If students want the privilege of having lounges, don’t

want to be supervised, and want to be treated like adults then they need to show that they are capable of doing so. So long as students continue to steal college property and request more freedoms, while simultaneously taking advantage and misusing those freedoms, the atmosphere of distrust will continue. If students want this mutual bond between themselves and the staff, faculty, and administration to improve then they need to discourage each other from misusing the newfound freedoms that they have when they come to college. They need to understand that while you might have new and different types of opportunities at this school that you might not

have had before, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you engage in them. The College, its staff and faculty, and all of its property should be treated with respect because they are here for the benefit of all students. The true shame is that it takes just a small group of individual students to essentially prove the administration right. They are responsible for the tensions between students and the College. It takes a few selfish people to undo the good of the many. These people are actively working against their friends and fellow students.

‘The Crown’ is about to lose its throne

For those of you who obsessed with the royal love Netflix originals family. as much as I do, “The That being said, the Crown” is high on peo- Netflix hit has decided ple’s watchlist. A real- to age up the characters life drama that shows with different actors the life and luxury of and actresses (naturalQueen Elizabeth II? ly), instead of keeping Yes, please. season one and My mom and I two favorites watch the show Claire Foy and as soon as it Matt Smith. The comes on. Durreal question is ing winter break though: is this a two years ago, good idea? Emma we finished it be- Monahan I’m wishyfore school start- Arts & Emma washy. That’s ed, and we’re really the only slowly but surely way to describe getting through season it. Fans (and myself) two. Side note: she’s love Foy and Smith’s

chemistry, and Foy is so good – she’s won awards for her role as the queen. We’ve gotten used to the two of them and the other cast members who will be leaving. There’s always the option of making them look older, like in “This Is Us” with Mandy Moore, but it’s obvious Netflix doesn’t want to do that. For or against, it’s hard to decide. I have an open mind, and my mom and I are obviously going to watch it, but there’s such a high possibility that the

show will just be very different without the original cast members. That, in my opinion, means that the show just won’t be the same. Logically, what Netflix is doing is understandable. “The Crown” is about the queen’s life throughout the years, so aging the characters is obvious. But look at shows that have either changed actors or leads have left the show – they never end well. This will ultimately happen to “The Crown,” and that’s very upsetting.

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A&E Writers Jacob Vitali Brianna Lamb Wyatt Mineau

Nicholas Webb Aryel Brosnan

Staff Writers

Sports Writer Jabari Shakir

Fabienne Bogardus-Street Corey Mitchell-Labrie Maya McFadden

Features Writer Lise Mansaray

Adviser

Shawn McIntosh

Columnist Andrew Baillargeon

MCLA ALLEGRETTOS FINAL CONCERT SATURDAY, APRIL 7 6 PM CHURCH STREET CENTER

YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE

May 21–June 28

June 18–July 26

summer M A SSA C H U S E T T S C O L L E G E O F L I B E R A L A RT S

July 2–August 9 Check out our summer schedule and register for courses:

MCL A.EDU/SUMMER

413 662 5224 MCLA.EDU