MCLA Beacon - Volume 87 - Issue 6

Volume 87

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Math Drop-In Center Doubles Attendance

Issue 6

Parlor Café

BY MAYA MCFADDEN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR MCLA’s Math Drop-In Center opened a year ago, and its attendance numbers have nearly doubled since this time last year.

This semester set a record of 42 visits in a week in comparison to attendance numbers in the sixth week of last year, which saw only 11 visitors. “This time last year the record total in attendance numbers was 21 visitors in a week,” Benjamin Michener said in an email sent to the center’s faculty.

“By allowing drop-ins, we can get the students right when they need the most help,” said assistant professor, Kebra Ward.

Michener is the center’s head tutor, responsible for tracking all of the center’s sign-in data and reports back to the lead faculty.

“Collecting and organizing data helps ensure that the drop-in center is running smoothly,” Michener said. “It also shows the school how useful of a resource the drop-in center is.”

So far this semester, Ward said the center has continued to increase its attendance numbers each week. Some recent weeks have doubled the numbers of the previous week’s numbers.

In his Oct. 22 email, Michener said, “It was another great week at the drop-in center, with a total of 26 visits over the course of five days.

Students visited for topics ranging from Calculus 3 and Stats to Intro to Mechanics and Differential Equations.”

Ward is the lead faculty of the math drop-in center this semester while Elizabeth Hartung, associate professor, is on sabbatical.

Ward makes the center’s schedules, runs the tutor training sessions, and keeps track of student timesheets, among many other tasks.

The center keeps an attendance record of visitor’s class information to track retention rates. At the end of each semester, the center also invites its past visitors to participate in a survey.

One question on the survey for students is, “How helpful were the tutors

photo by Jake Vitali

MCLA alumni Nick Tardive ‘17 and Julia Daly ‘17 work the counter at the Parlor Café on Ashland St. which re-opens officially on Friday but had a soft opening Monday. The pair purchased the cafe over the summer. See story, page 6.

MATH, Page 4

Ballot Review

Question 2: Personhood and Political Spending

BY RON LEJA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The commission would be made up of unpaid, Massachusetts residents and would not hold an age restriction in order to join. While applicants for the commission would be asked to list their qualifications and explain their general interest in the initiative, it would ultimately be open to candidates from all walks of life and varying professions.

It would also define inalienable constitutional rights as those belonging specifically to individual human beings. As it stands, those rights currently apply to artificial entities and groups—i.e., corporations, unions, and nonprofit organizations.

The commission would also be responsible for producing reports on political and election spending throughout the state, the legal ability of state government to regulate the influence corporations currently have on the political process, and proposals for the inclusion of a 28th amendment to limit the amount of money that these groups can add to campaigns.

This article is part of a three-part series in which The Beacon will be examining each of the questions to appear on the November Midterm ballot.

For information pertaining to question 1, please visit our website at www.theonlinebeacon.com.

Question 2: What is the Corporate Personhood and Political Spending Initiative?

Despite being nothing short of a mouthful, the Advisory Commission for Amendments to the U.S. Constitution Regarding Corporate Personhood and Political Spending Initiative, or question 2, has received very little attention when compared to the other questions on this year’s ballot.

Reason being, question 2 involves pushing for something that many Americans, both Democrat and Republican, have been clamoring about for years: limiting the amount of money influencing politics.

By overturning a 2010 Citizens United vs. FEC Supreme Court decision, question 2 could potentially lead to the creation of a 28th amendment in the United States Constitution.

In the 2010 case, the Supreme Court ruled, in a 5-4 decision that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts for candidates cannot be limited, stating that doing so would violate their First Amendment rights.

Should question 2 pass, it would allow for the creation of a fifteen-member citizens commission to propose amendments to the Constitution, particularly those in favor of overturning Citizens United.

Those in Favor?

photo illustration by Ron Leja

Question 2 aims to limit the amount of money corporations, unions and special interest groups are capable of submitting to political campaigns. In doing so, question 2 would allow the state government to to regulate the influence corporations currently have on the political process.

A yes vote on question 2 seems almost imminent.

A recent poll conducted by the Boston Globe found that 71.6 percent of registered voters state that they are in support of the commission, while only 19.6 percent are not.

It comes as no surprise, then, that compared to the other two questions on the November ballot, very little money has been spent campaigning for its approval. The campaign, led by People Govern, Not Money, has raised just under $281,000—pocket change compared to the millions of dollars spent campaigning for the other two questions.

BALLOT, Page 2

CAMPUSNEWS

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Oct. 25, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 6

Members of Boston Symphony Orchestra to Play Church Street Center Sunday

BY JAKE VITALI MANAGING EDITOR

“One of the string players said, ‘This auditorium is a lot like symphony hall in Boston This Sunday, members of the on Huntington Ave’,” Dilthey Boston Symphony Orchestra said. “He said, ‘The shape of the (BSO) will play a free concert in building, the rectangle, the diChurch Street Center at 3 p.m. mensions, the proportions—obThis is the second year in a viously symphony hall is bigger row that members of the BSO but how high it is, how long it are coming to play at MCLA. is, it’s a similar balance that we The BSO offers a program have here.'” where groups consisting of Dilthey reemphasized how three to four members are good Church Street Center is sent to play chamber music for music. across the state, with about 15 “We often think of the performances in total.

Church Street Center as a secMichael Dilthey, professor of ond-class citizen compared music, helped organize the perwith Bowman Hall or the Sciformance with Lisa Donovan, ence Center, but it really is professor of arts management. a nice auditorium for music “The main connection that making.” we have is through our arts “It [BSO] is one of the top management professor, Lisa orchestras in the world,” said Donovan, who knows a lot of Dilthey. people around the state,” DilTrevor Wheelock, a fine and they said. “One of her former performing arts major concolleagues is now the director centrating in music is excitphoto courtesy of Michael Dilthey ed to have the BSO coming, of a program at Boston Symphony Orchestra and one of Professor Michael Dilthey poses with members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra who although he believes there the things they do is organize played Church Street Center last year and were impressed with the acoustics of the should have been more prochamber groups out of the auditorium. They felt that Church Street Center was similar to Symphony Hall in Boston. motion of the event. symphony.”

“I think it is an amazing opOn the BSO side, the prois the father of an MCLA alum. portunity to see members of gram is coordinated through Wesley Wu-Foley who In the concert’s first year, BSO sent a string quar- the BSO play for free,” Wheelock said. “But it seems will be returning to campus later in the year to talk tet to play. A group from Pittsfield known as Kids 4 the music end of the FPA department doesn’t nearwith students about jobs in the industry.

Harmony opened, and both played music from the ly get as much publicity as theatre. If people don’t While the college has known that they will be play- same composer. know about the College bringing the BSO, then how ing, the BSO waited until the beginning of fall se“We don’t know until the very beginning of the fall can people go?” mester to announce which group would be playing. what actual group we’re going to have.”

The concert will start with a performance from This year the College will host a string group accomDilthey is excited for the performance because of the Harmony 4 Kids that will run from 2:15 to 2:45 p.m., panied by a pianist and a clarinetist. The clarinetist feedback received from the group attending last year. and at 3 p.m. BSO will take the stage.

Corrections: Corrections Last Lastweek week“Responsibilities Jay Capeles waswas listed spelt as class wrong ofon2020 pageon 1 page 2. Capeles is in the class of 2022.

The photo for the Late Night with SGA story was misattributed. The photo was courtesy of Declan Nolan.

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BALLOT, from page 1 Gov. Charlie Baker also appears to be in support of question 2. Terry MacCormack, the spokesman for Baker’s re-election campaign, released a statement to Boston.com, saying, “Governor Baker supports Massachusetts’ campaign finance laws and any efforts to explore improvements to accountability in the Commonwealth’s elections.”

Those Opposed?

Opposition toward question 2 practically ceases to exist. The official campaign, led by the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance (MassFiscal), hasn’t garnered any contributions at this time.

MassFiscal has stated in its official argument in opposition to question 2 that “even if you disagree with the Citizens United decision, an amendment to the United States Constitution is a dangerous and misguided way to go about undoing it.”

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NEWS

Oct. 25, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 6

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Pooja Agarwal Kicks off STEM Week

BY SOPHIE PLAYER STAFF WRITER MCLA participated in Massachusetts’ first annual STEM Week on Monday by hosting speaker Pooja Agarwal to speak about the science of learning.

In her lecture, directed at faculty and educators as well education, psychology, and science students, Agarwal explained tactics of efficient learning to be used in the classroom and while studying.

Agarwal’s lecture, titled “Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning,” explores a psychological method of learning called retrieval practice. Retrieval practice is a series of techniques that focus on retrieving learned information from the brain and remembering it longer.

Dr. Agarwal is an assistant professor at the Berklee College of Music and an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University. She is a cognitive scientist and has conducted more than 15 years of research on learning in K-12 public schools during her time as a K-12 teacher. She founded a website called RetrievalPractice.org, which is a center of resources and strategies for teachers based on her

have learned.

Two things is similar to free recall, except students write down just two things/words they remember, rather than everything. Retrieve-taking, which they call “a boost on note-taking” according to the website, is note-taking done differently. For students, retrieve-taking means reading a book, watching a video, or listening to a photo by Sophie Player lesson without taking Agarwal discusses her dedication to implementing notes, pausing to remeaningful teaching methods for students. call and write it down, and then continuing. scientific study of learning.

“I like the idea of word retrieval,” Some of the methods of retrieval said Carla Como. “I haven’t heard that practice she included were: free re- often in teaching but I think that’s call (brain dump); two things; and key because the kids can connect to retrieve-taking. Both teachers and it. Very often they don’t always retain students can use free recall. For information, so identifying retrieval teachers, pausing a lesson and having as something they’re in charge of dostudents write down everything they ing … it’s something that they think know, or brain dump, helps students about.” remember past and future content Teachers were encouraged by Agarand organize the information they wal to keep retrieval low-stakes,

Study Abroad Expands Horizons

BY JAKE VITALI MANAGING EDITOR College is the first time that young adults are living away from their parents for a prolonged period of time. Some students opt to take that to the next level, choosing to live away from their family and friends in a foreign country.

According to a study conducted by the United States Department of State, there were 325,339 students who studied outside of the United States in 2015-2016, a 3.8 percent increase from the previous year.

For senior Nick Bassett who is studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain, the experience has been a rewarding one so far.

“I’m doing a home-stay here, so it’s giving me the chance to interact with the city of Barcelona in a really interesting way, for example, by learning the language and getting to know some of the local places and areas around the city,” Bassett said. “I’ve also gotten the opportunity to interact with different people from around the world who have different worldviews and lived experience.”

Bassett had never left the United States until he was a sophomore in college and feels that the experience has allowed him to see the U.S. from an outsider’s perspective.

“For me, a native of Massachusetts who never even went to Canada until their sophomore year, it’s allowed me to see and understand how the U.S. and its citizens are viewed by the rest of the world,” Bassett said.

Even with its benefits, Bassett acknowledges that there are concerns with the safety of studying outside of the country.

“I’m living near La Rambla in Barcelona, which has a high tourist population, and the only thing that you need to look out for are pickpockets there and on the subway, but I wouldn’t consider it any more dangerous than Boston or New York in the States, especially if you pay attention and are smart about keeping track of your belongings.”

David Cupery, professor of Political Science and Public Policy, and an avid traveler who leads a travel course to Latin America every spring, acknowledges that there are risks no matter where you go.

“There’s still some risk wherever you go, whether you’re in Barcelona, Boston, or New York City,” Cupery said. “I don’t think the existence of a minimum risk means that we should avoid something which otherwise is really enriching.”

Cupery suggests that

when studying abroad, carry limited cash and be aware of possessions, including your phone.

“People who pull off pickpocketing are looking for easy opportunities.

They’re not targeting you because they dislike tourists, they’re targeting tourists because tourists are walking around with their phones out taking pictures all the time,” Cupery said.

In Cupery’s view, studying abroad is a beneficial experience because many of today’s issues are not just experienced here in the United States.

“We’re just one country out of 193 and we live in a world where culture, products, ideas, challenges, and threats don’t respect borders as much as they used to,” Cupery said.

“The content in which you work is often not just contained within our borders, so I think that it makes you more competitive as a future professional, and it’s fun.”

In addition, Cupery believes that the experience can offer students a way to be better global citizens.

“I think it’s good for us as citizens of a world that is interconnected to be more aware of the interconnection, to be more knowledgeable, to maybe have more empathy about lifestyles and places that are different from our own.”

meaning having assignments that focus on retrieval not be graded or be worth very few points. This is meant to encourage students to learn and not to cram information for a grade only to forget it later.

“It was interesting to be affirmed in what we’re doing for our pre-service teachers,” said Phyllis Hakeem, an adjunct/visiting professor of education at MCLA. “The focus is on learning, not just achievement and not equating self-worth to a score.”

Agarwal also discussed some ineffective study methods for students to avoid, including cramming. She showed that cramming is actually more effective at retaining information than those who spaced it out and used retrieval practice after only one day, but after one week those who crammed forget much more than those who didn’t.

Agarwal’s lecture is just one of many events planned for the week surrounding learning and STEM. Some events this week include General Dynamics Mission Systems Engineering Expo on Wednesday, Going Places with Fabmaker Studio on Thursday, and Monument Valley Middle School’s i2 Learning STEM Week Final Showcase on Friday.

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News

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SGA

Oct. 25, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 6

A Matter of Identity, Club Budgets

BY RON LEJA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF This may come as a surprise to most underclassmen, but Student Government Association (SGA) and Student Activities Council (SAC) are not one and the same.

This week, coordinating Vice President Allen Little ’21 presented the results of a survey conducted during last week’s SGA Late Night event, in which attendees were given the chance to comment on a number of different things pertaining to SGA’s presence on campus.

Questions like, “Do you feel SGA is doing a good job?” and “What do you like most about SGA?” were met with mostly positive responses. The majority responded with a simple “yes,” others stated that they love the free food their events include, while some mentioned that the group is very involved around campus.

Numerous students stated that they enjoyed “the events” that the club puts on, but in therein lies the problem. Little admitted that it seemed apparent that many students were confused, in that they believe events put on by the SAC were being put on by SGA and vice versa.

This revelation didn’t appear to come

as much of a surprise to members of the Student Government, as they’re presence on campus has not been nearly as prominent as they would like it to be.

“People are confusing SGA with SAC because people are still unaware of what SGA does,” Little said.

It’s a problem that SGA is adamantly looking to rectify moving forward. Starting as early as next week, SGA members will be given the task of attending meetings of the numerous clubs on campus to not only better understand their needs, but to begin establishing a more concrete relationship with each club.

Little also encouraged members of SGA to think of ways in which they could begin to create a more vibrant image of SGA on and around campus.

Sunday marked the first budget finance committee meeting of the semester, giving several clubs the opportunity to request funds from the subsequent budget for various supplies. Political science club, Nexxus and ski club were reported to have made claims for funding.

Of those mentioned, ski club treasurer Breanna Castor attended the Monday SGA meeting as a guest speaker,to help better explain the club’s request of $2,000 to both purchase and rent equipment. As it stands, Ski Club

MATH, from page 1 One question on the survey for students is, “How helpful were the tutors at the Drop-In Center?” Ward said that more than 70 percent of students answered this question with “extremely helpful.”

Anonymous comments have also been collected from students at the center to gauge success rates. One comment said, “I LOVED this center. It is by far the most helpful. The tutors are very friendly and helpful.”

The center was opened last fall after a need for it was discussed many times during the Quantitative Understanding Across the Curriculum (QUAC) committee meetings.

Hartung spearheaded the project with Erin Kiley, assistant professor, and Ward as additional support faculty.

Before opening, Ward said MCLA was one of only two state schools in Massachusetts that did not have a math drop-in center.

“Now we are on par, resource-wise, with our sister institutions,” said Ward.

The center’s total cost is approximately $7,400 and is currently funded by a Title III grant and the STEM Pathways grant, Ward said.

The two grants pay for the training and salaries of tutors, as well as a stipend for the faculty that coordinate the center.

is limited to only a few sets of mostly male-suited equipment, some of which is not fitted with adjustable bindings to serve different sized ski boots.

“The campus is predominantly female,” Castor stated. “As of right now, we do not have equipment to meet the needs of female students should they decide to join us.”

Castor also stated that the funds provided would be spent on “beginner-level” equipment. She explained that the material used for the types of skis mentioned were both flexible and durable, to ensure that breaking a ski would be a rare occurrence and that the money used would be well worth it.

The topic of the special election, scheduled for the end of October, was also brought up. Members of the board discussed potentially dropping the amount of required signatures needed by candidates, strictly for the upcoming election, from 40 to 30.

The change would be made with the intent to make running for election more obtainable for students overall, but particularly commuter and nontraditional students.

While Little did make a motion to have a new constitutional amendment written pertaining to the change, the semantics surrounding particular bylaws

Currently, those faculties are working to find permanent funding for the center.

“We are very dedicated to finding these funds because we believe this is an invaluable resource to the students at MCLA,” Ward said.

The center is in the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, room 101. Its services are free to the campus community and drop-ins are encouraged.

“You don’t have to worry about making an appointment, you don’t need to make a semester-long commitment,” Ward said. “You can just get the help you need when you need it.”

The center added to its weekly hours and now offers three hours Sunday, to help to increase their attendance numbers.

“I have made friends through going to the drop-in center. The tutors are interested with not only helping you, but they care about how you retain the information after you leave as well. I am so impressed by the level of knowledge and people skills that they have. I have loved visiting and never dreaded math this semester. It helps to know that there is a place that you can go for help with difficult problems in math,” another anonymous comment said.

Returning students have also been identified as one reason numbers have increased.

“Returning students are a big part of it. They al-

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of the overall process ultimately led to a fair amount of confusion that left some members of the board hesitant to vote.

The motion would have led to the matter being looked into by Parliamentarian Duncan Hay, who was absent from this week’s meeting.

SGA adviser Jenn Labbance also brought up a point of concern, stating that the current 40-signature requirement was a direct reflection of the hard work a student will take on as a member of the board.

In the end, Little withdrew the motion, feeling that it may be better suited for next week’s meeting, given the confusion surrounding it.

SGA meets in Murdock Hall 218 on Mondays at 7 p.m.

ready know about the center from last year and they know to use it as a resource,” Ward said. “Word-ofmouth from those students probably also helps to drive those numbers.”

Peer tutors are offered through the center because they are effective learning tools and are cost-effective, Ward said.

“Your classmates are way less scary. And sometimes the tutor is better at explaining a concept than the professor would be since they themselves would have recently figured out the material and know more intimately what is confusing to the student,” Ward said.

Tutors for the center are required to attend training sessions before the center opens and throughout the semester.

“We recruited tutors that were math and non-math majors so that they could speak to the specific quantitative issues for those subjects,” Ward said.

The center offers help for any class that would include quantitative reasoning. This includes, but is not limited to: physics, chemistry, biology, education, business and psychology courses.

“It doesn’t matter if you are taking Stats for Business or Biochemistry. If you have questions, we can figure them out together,” Michener said.

The center’s help with more quantitative courses than ever before has helped increase its attendance rates.

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URES

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Oct. 25, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 6

SAC’s Family Fest 2018 Photos by Ron Leja

Last Saturday’s Family Fest featured many clubs, activites, and chances to learn new things.

Particularly popular was the corn maze and a bucking pumpkin, that challenged rides to stay on it. Check out this week’s BWN for a featured story about Family Fest.

Arts & Entertainment The Parlor Café is Reopening 6

BY JEN VANBRAMER A&E WRITER Located just behind MCLA’s Flagg Townhouses, the Parlor Café will be hosting a night of live music with performances featuring Adrian Aardvark, Quincy, and Forks of Buffalo on Friday, Oct. 26, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

MCLA alumni and new business owners, Julia Daly and Nick Tardive, have brought the Parlor Café back to life after it previously shut down in 2016. When Daly and Tardive first heard the news of the Parlor Café closing, they knew they had to do something to keep the business running because it meant so much to both of them.

“Nick and I both felt that [the Parlor Café] was such an important piece of our lives being here [in North Adams],” Daly said. “When the opportunity came to reopen, we couldn’t pass it up.”

It has been quite a work in progress for Daly and Tardive, as they have been preparing to reopen the Parlor Café for MCLA students and the surrounding North Adams community for several weeks now.

“For the first few days, we want to have the doors open and let people wander in to

grab a cup of coffee and hang out,” said Tardive, explaining how they are hoping to progress into opening the Parlor Café full-time again, starting off with hosting this first night of live music.

The Parlor Café’s event lineup includes: Adrian Aardvark, a four-piece punk rock folk band from Plattsburgh, N.Y., that is highly energetic—complete with costumes, and solid grooves—that performed at MCLA’s Design Lab earlier in 2018; Quincy, a six-piece band based out of North Adams combining styles of rock and folk music, that recently played at MASS MoCA’s annual FreshGrass Festival; and Forks of Buffalo, a three-piece folk-based band with a mix of chill pop vibes created by a drum machine and various other instruments.

“This is a really creative community,” Daly said.

“There are a lot of creative people here and those people need an outlet.”

Every Friday in the past, The Parlor Café would host open mic nights for those who wished to share personal stories through their chosen poetry, songs, or readings.

Daly and Tardive felt that these opportunities brought people of all different ages,

By Jen VanBramer

Parlor Cafe to host performances by Adrian Aardvark, Quincy, and Forks of Buffalo tomorrow night at 7. backgrounds, and walks of life together.

“Opening up your vulnerability is what helps create that sense of community,” Tardive said. “I just want it to be a space where everybody is comfortable—a lot of fond memories come from this place.”

Daly and Tardive hope to

continue putting on events like open mics and live performances for students to be able to take these experiences with them wherever they go, but also to keep them coming back to the area of North Adams.

“I know so many people who have left [North Adams] to go do other things but wish

they could come back,” Daly said. “It’s really such a special place and for a lot of people it’s not so easy to see that when they are here.”

Definitely don't miss your chance to visit the Parlor Café as its doors re-open tomorrow night at 7 p.m., with performances starting at 7:30 p.m.!

“She Kills Monsters” Lives up to its Nerdgasm Description

BY WYATT MINEAU A&E WRITER A play described with the word nerdgasm, “She Kills Monsters” is a totally fantastical story abundant with zany characters—like evil faeries and cheerleaders—and pop culture references.

"Don't judge a book by its cover" is the classic metaphor used to convey the idea that one should not take everything at face value.

It should also be your mantra if you choose to attend MCLA theatre’s first performance of the season, "She Kills Monsters.”

And you should attend.

"She Kills Monsters" appears, at face value, very much like a shallow and predictable play.

The story of an uptight and awkward girl entering the world of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) after her sister passes isn't necessarily an original piece.

However, it would be foolish to brush-off the play as such.

You might (wrongly) assume the characters superficial, fourth-wall breaking (when the performers directly address the audience), anti-jokes and as many pop-culture references as the playwright could fit into the script. For the first 10 to 15 minutes the play does give off

that vibe, with one performer singing along to Beck's hit single "Loser," while playing on a Game Boy. There are also multiple references to pop-culture television series from the 90s, such as “Babylon 5” and, of course, “Friends.”

Fifteen minutes in, the story is already enthralling, pulling you in as it switches between the fantasy D&D world of Tilly and the real-life story of Agnes and her desire to connect with Tilly, Agnes’s passed younger sister. Thirty minutes in, even the goofiest moments, like random dance routines, are not off-putting. The characters are very fleshed out, with their own personalities intersecting between the two worlds.

The story being told onstage is so well done, both from the script writing and the acting.

Every actor’s performance will blow you away. By the end, when all the actors come out to take their bows, everyone in the audience is hollering and clapping. None of the actors seem nervous, cautious or shy. Even the newest performers appear at-ease and confident.

If there is one major complaint to level with “She Kills Monsters,” it would be the sound. The sound design is

By Wyatt Mineau

Agnes (Amanda Gilmore) being introduced to her party members (Elizabeth Rodio, Lydia Jung, and Rachel Bartlett)

by Chuck (Tim Downs). lacking. Only one of the actors wears a body microphone, so the audience can properly hear only them. Only one other microphone is used. Combine this with a fairly big theatre and the all of the late-90s to early-2000s pop and punk music, and you may have difficulty with the heartfelt moments.

One particular scene stands out—as Agnes gives an important note to one of the students, a song by Blink-182 plays—the problem being that the chorus of the song completely overwhelms the delivery, and it is unlikely anyone in the audience can hear either character’s line until the song stops playing.

The choreography of dance and fight scenes is excellent, but there are a noticeable lack of sound effects. What should be incredibly punchy and weighty battles between fantasy characters seems more like dancing-with-shouting, as no sound effects were used.

Ironically, because of the lack of sound, the most awkward parts of the play are the straightforward fight scenes.

Microphones are a necessity, especially since Venable Theatre is not tiny, and sound doesn't travel very far in it. Even in the second row, you are unable to fully enjoy (as you should) the performers’ dialogue and delivery due to the din of background

music and peanut galleries.

It would be an understatement to say the play is enjoyable. It would be an understatement to say you will walk out having experienced one of your favorite performances the MCLA Theatre has ever put on.

Whether you are or are not a D&D fan or if you don’t like plays at all, “She Kills Monsters” is highly recommended. There is so much fun to be had with many hilarious moments and lines, and spectacular acting.

The play is full of mind-boggling ingenuity and creativity, including set and costume design.

Seriously consider seeing this performance. You won’t regret it.

You will praise every member of the crew, from the actors to the designers. They have done an amazing job with a performance that won’t soon be forgotten.

"She Kills Monsters" is being performed in Venable Theatre Oct. 26, and 27 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. A talk-back will be hosted after the 8 p.m. show Oct. 27. You can always follow the MCLA theatre department's Facebook page (MCLA Theatre) for updates and upcoming shows. Tickets can be purchased in advance at mcla.ticketleap.com/she-killsmonsters.

Arts & Entertainment

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Dogs and Drafts Fundraiser

BY NORA HONES A&E EDITOR Some people try to argue that North Adams does not have a lot going on, but if you are a dog lover, North Adams always seems to have dog-related events just for you.

On Saturday, Oct. 20, the Berkshire Humane Society, in conjunction with Bright Ideas Brewing, sponsored a Dogs & Drafts fundraising event. The event was originally supposed to take place on Saturday, Oct. 13, but was postponed due to weather conditions.

Despite their efforts, a slight drizzle fell on their rain date, but that didn’t seem to stop people and their pooches from attending.

People like Nate Feder, with his six-year-old gigantic yellow lab, Dopper, were in attendance to donate to the cause.

Feder saw the event on Facebook and couldn’t help but stop by.

“I love dogs and it’s a good cause,” Feder said, while try to hold Dopper back from jumping on everyone and giving them a layer of slobbery kisses.

Between kisses and snuggles, most of the dogs were also big fans of getting their pictures taken, striking a pose with a big goofy smile for the camera.

Christa Abel, owner of North Adams' Bark N' Cat, is on the board of the Berkshire Humane Society and imagined this event into existence.

“I knew there were some dog lovers at Bright Ideas, so I thought perhaps we could utilize their outdoor seating area for a small fundraiser,” Abel explained via email. “As the donations cannot be tied to beer sales, we'll have a donation jar.”

The event also offered a raffle on a basket of dog goodies from Bark N' Cat, sold Subaru raffle tickets and beer-themed dog toys.

“With the 'Year of the Dog' and our annual 'Dog Days of

Fall' parade, I thought it would be fun to keep the autumn dog theme going into October,” Abel explained. It was obvious the people of North Adams agreed, as attendance was pretty good for noon on a Saturday.

The reasoning behind the event is based on the fact that the Berkshire Humane Society is solely dependent on fundraising to keep itself afloat, since it receives no income from any public entities Abel talked highly of Bright Ideas Brewing, saying that not only do they do a great job brewing beer, but they are also community-minded, which is why they make time for organizations like the Berkshire Humane Society.

Bright Ideas Brewing and the The Berkshire Humane Society seemed to have the right idea, because who doesn't love day-drinking and dogs? By the packed brewery and crowded outdoor patio, it seems not many people dislike that combination.

Abel hopes this event will not only help raise needed funds for the Berkshire Humane Society but will also give folks an opportunity to connect as dog owners and lovers and, hopefully, be another step in making North Adams a dog-friendly town.

This seemed more than possible while watching dogs and their owners meeting other dogs and owners for the first time. Dog lovers were sharing photos, stories, and complimenting each other’s perspective dogs, while the dogs bounced around sniffing and saying hello to each other in dog language.

The best way to keep up-todate about upcoming events like this is to like Berkshire Humane Society's Facebook page, check out their website, become a member or compassionate caregiver, and receive their newsletter via email.

By Nora Hones

Oakly attempting to sit still for a photo at the Dogs & Drafts fundraising event.

By Nora Hones

A bowl of treats for humans and dogs alike being offered at the event.

By Nora Hones

A women placing a needed donation to the Berkshire Humane Society.

By Nora Hones

Hamilton being carefully eyed by his owner at the fundraising event.

Arts & Entertainment “Potted Meat” Author Speaks to Undergraduates at Gallery 51 8

BY HANNAH SNELL A&E WRITER

aspiring writers at the undergraduate level, as someone who wrote and published a book during his B.A., Dunn said “About 68.2 percent,” author Steven that collaboration is key.

Dunn responded, when asked by a stuAt the reading, Dunn introduced his dent how much of his novel, “Potted book, “water & power,” an ethnography Meat,” is based on his real life experiwhich combines interviews conducted ences.

by Dunn, as well as fictional segments, Still, however, he considers both “Potpieces of personal experience, and other ted Meat” and “water & power” to be hybrid work. The book was inspired by pieces of fiction.

Dunn’s experience of being in the Navy Author Steven Dunn read excerpts for ten years. Dunn told the audience from his two books Monday night at that he hoped to disrupt traditional milGallery 51 as the fall semester’s visiting itary narratives. writer and first reader for the semester’s “Being in military and really disliking Literary Reading series. military and really disliking military lit“For ‘Potted Meat,’ Dunn was named erature and the experience,” Dunn said, a Small Press Distribution Bestseller, is on what inspired him to write “water & a co-winner of the Tarpulin Sky Book power.” “I feel like a lot of things don’t Prize, on the shortlist of the Granta Best get talked about, I wanted to bring in a of Young American Novelists, and a finew focus, a new way of military writnalist in the Colorado Book Award,” a ing.”

College press release reads.

Dunn said that arranging the pieces of During his visit to campus, Dunn also writing in the book differed from “Potvisited creative writing students directted Meat” because it was more associaly in classes, such as in Experiments in tion-based.

Creative Writing, and Creative Writing: “It was different because I wanted othFiction Workshop. These classes both er people’s voices mixed in with some read and studied “Potted Meat,” interof my own experiences that I had, so I weaving the novel into curriculum and started it off with ‘Boot Camp,’ and it exercises. kind of follows being deployed, women The book is based in W.Va. and follows who may be at home, and something in a young male protagonist, exploring there that may have been linked to anthemes of poverty, abuse, adolescence, other interview I had. So it was more addiction, and sexuality. association-based how I arranged it. It photo by Hannah Snell Dunn told the audience at Gallery 51 took me a long time to get to that.” that his writing style, especially in “Pot- Steven Dunn, this fall’s visiting writer, reads lyrical exercpts from his At the Q&A session after the reading, ted Meat,” is inspired by ikebana, the novel, “Potted Meat” inside the SPECTRUM exhibit at Gallery 51.

Dunn touched upon topics such as writing Japanese art of flower-arranging. processes, inspirations, and how he apfrom Va. The image was created using leftover rot“When you think about ikebana, if you proached different themes in his writing. ever do, you most likely think about how it looks: ten hamburger meat and rat skulls, he said.

“Usually undergrads don’t ask a lot of questions, “[Potted meat] looks gourmet on the outside, but but that has not been my experience,” Dunn told spare and deliberate in its construction,” Deborah Needleman wrote in the New York Times article, then once you read the label and see what’s inside the Beacon after the Q&A session. “Everyone asked “The Rise of Modern Ikebana.” “And maybe you it, it’s gross.” a lot of questions and the reading was great, and “Potted Meat,” according to English/Commu- people listened and really engaged, so yes, I loved think about how it has lots of seemingly unfathomable rules, which it does—so much easier to just nications Professor Caren Beilin, was born out of it.”

Dunn’s undergraduate years at the University of throw some flowers in a jug!”

Dunn told the Beacon that he is currently workDunn’s stylistic choices in “Potted Meat” are sim- Denver in creative writing workshops and student ing on another novel. ilar; the excerpts are relatively brief and purpose- collaborations.

“I’m working on another novel right now with a Beilin then asked Dunn in her experiments in friend who wanted me to write about some of her fully fragmented, although the arrangements are creative writing class Monday morning if he had life and some of her history, and I’m having a hard conscious.

Dunn said that when arranging the written frag- any advice to give students on workshopping as an time with it. There’s longer chapters and some of it ments of “Potted Meat,” he wanted to embody ike- undergrad. is historical,” he said.

Dunn responded by saying that writing workbana by balancing lighter and darker moments. He “It’s difficult but it’s good to collaborate with also said that he did not arrange the sections in any shops can be complicated spaces, that the key to somebody to get to these things, I’m a big believer being an effective member of a workshop is to be a in collaboration. It’s really nice to collaborate and order until after he was finished writing.

The novel’s title, “Potted Meat,” is a symbol of good reader. According to Dunn, this means help- have someone else’s memories that are important oppression and poverty—two central themes in the ing the writer achieve their goals and not changing to them and mix them with what I think is importnovel—Dunn said. According to Dunn, the bleak their voice. ant. It’s a really good experience, so we’re calling When asked about what advice he would give to that fiction, too.” cover photo of the novel came from a friend of his

Check out the MCLA Beacon channel on YouTube for this week’s edition of Beacon Web News, coming soon to MCLA-TV on Philo!

Oct. 25, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 6

OPINION

9

Editorial

Should We Take A Vote?

Getting to the voting booth on Election Day is easier for some than it is for others. It isn’t uncommon to hear that one’s responsibilities kept them from getting to the polls, and it’s even more likely to hear that their place of employment would not grant them the time off to vote.

The problem with the one-day system is that it is used to intentionally undermine our democracy through the systematic oppression of the working class. It’s a problem that has been brought up several times throughout the years by politicians, political activists, TV personalities and regular, everyday Joes alike.

People go to school. People have jobs. Some have children, or sick family members to take care of, and a slew of other trials and tribulations in their day-to-day lives. So much, in fact, that the very idea of allowing for only one day of voting is not only proven to be problematic in today’s world, it is simply unacceptable.

The one-day voting system was ideal for a time. Back in the 1800s, Congress decided that Tuesday was the most convenient time for church-going farmers to head to town. Wednesdays were a market day, weekends were spent praying, and farmers needed an ample amount of time to travel to and from their county voting booth via horse and buggy.

But things have changed substantially in the last 200 years, and

for a lot of U.S. citizens, Tuesdays alone just don’t work.

While it’s true systems such as early voting and mail-in voting do exist as alternatives, those systems are prone to problems all their own.

Voting by mail poses a huge privacy and security risk should the system be used fraudulently, and the same can be said for absentee ballots.

As it were, the system in place does not promote engagement. Our government officials beg that we go to the polls, but if we can’t seem to make it, it’s no big deal. After all, plenty of people couldn’t, so don’t worry about it.

By treating voting day like any other Tuesday, the powers that be are knowingly preventing others from participating in their right to vote.

With so much hanging in the balance of the upcoming elections, an old but generally applauded idea of making voting day a national holiday has become a topic of discussion yet again.

The idea was first proposed by Michigan’s Democratic Representative John Conyers in 2005. “Democracy Day” was the name given for the potential federal holiday.

The purpose of Democracy Day was to increase voter turnout by giving citizens an entire day to go out and vote, as well as allow for more polling places to be put in place.

The idea never panned out, only to be reintroduced in 2014 by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Still,

a national day to vote has yet to be enacted. While this might upset some, it doesn’t upset us at The Beacon, because it wouldn’t work.

While a national day of voting would surely allow for many white collar workers to reach the polls, there are plenty of establishments that generally remain open through the holidays. Gas stations, fast food chains, supermarkets and retail stores still may not allow their workers to get out and vote during the allotted time.

Likewise, it just isn’t practical.

Plenty of small businesses cannot afford to lose a day of revenue, never mind give workers a paid day off, and it isn’t unreasonable to think that businesses would use the holiday to run promotions and sales, expecting more people to shop given said time off.

The answer then lies not in a national holiday, but in an extension of time. The idea of limiting voting to a single day need not be set in stone. There doesn’t appear to be any reason why a vote can’t be held throughout a three day period, a week or even a month.

Everyone lives a life all their own.

Our schedules, opportunities and obstacles differ far too much to expect us to all act within the same 24-hour stretch of time.

Rather than limit our chance to vote through a rigid, archaic schedule, give us time. For the sake of creating a country for the people and by the people, surely our leaders can wait.

The Beacon is published Thursdays during the academic year and is distributed to the MCLA community. The Beacon is funded by the Student Government Association, the English/Communications department and ad revenue. Single copies are free and additional copies can be purchased at 50 cents each. If you wish to purchase additional copies, please contact a member of staff.

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SPORTS

10

SAAC: Volunteerism is Key

Oct. 25, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 6

2018 Intramural Cornhole Champions

Photo by Jabari Shakir

SAAC E-board and Coach Loren Stock discusses and evaluates a plan for Career Fair.

JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS EDITOR Women’s basketball coach Loren Stock and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) E-board emphasized creating brother-and-sister teams to build team spirit by supporting each other at sports home games and rallying student volunteers for the career fair held Friday, Oct. 19, in Venable Gym. Coach Stock is very committed to getting student-athletes to work as one big family to help one another in order to achieve one goal for all.

“The importance of development in sports and people being a part of something bigger, SAAC gives you that type of platform, more in-depth and more integrated, because it is not team-by-team; it’s recreations from every single team coming for the greater good of the campus," Stock said.

Coach Stock explained that it would be a great opportunity for student-athletes and SAAC E-board to pick specific teams for brother-and-sister teams as “cheerleaders” at home games to support and rally behind each other. SAAC

also talked about two sports representatives for each team to be at all SAAC meetings and to communicate to the E-board, Coach Stock, and the teams for whom they play.

The Career Fair was a great opportunity for student-athletes to begin their commitment with helping hands and to build-off of their first event to continue to create volunteering events for the campus and community.

The next SAAC meeting will be held Tuesday, Nov. 30, in the Sullivan Lounge at noon.

2018 Intramural 3v3 Men’s Basketball Champions

Photo by MCLA Athletics

Ryan Meehan (left) and Jacob Ostrobinski (right) of Team Jacob defeated Team Shannon in the finals 2-0.

Cornhole Final standings Team Jacob Team Shannon Team Emily Team Lukas Team Matt Team Tanner

5-0 3-2 2-3 2-2 1-3 0-4

Session II Forms Due Oct. 26, 2018, in the Intramural Office (Venable G03)

Six-person-mininum roster for all sports Volleyball (Monday 8 p.m.)

Flag Football (Tuesday & Thursday 7 p.m.)

Indoor Soccer (Wednesday 8 p.m.)

Photo by Jabari Shakir

Felix’s Team (left to right): Mikael Atkins, Felix Bou, Corey Jackson, Matt Belini, Alex Rivera, Mohamed Mahrous.

Contact Coach Adam Hildabrand for more information: 413-662-5007, a.hildabrand@mcla.edu Follow on Twitter @MCLAIntramurals and

Oct. 25, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 6

SPORTS

11

Senior Day Loss Leaves Men’s Soccer 0-13

Photo by MCLA Athletics

Senior midfielder Khalil Kareh, junior forward Matthew Bluteau finish soccer careers, leaving the team with experience and wisdom for next season.

JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS EDITOR The Salem State Vikings swept the MCLA Trailblazers in a tough game 2-0 on Senior Day, leaving them winless still with a record of 0-13-1, MASCAC 0-6.The Vikings record improved to 11-2-2 while receiving their fourth win in the MASCAC conference, standing at 4-1-1.This is MCLA’s longest losing streak since the season of 2013, which was eleven in a row.

The Trailblazers completed with a total of six saves, seven fouls, seven shots, and eight shots attempts on

goal. MCLA's freshman goalkeeper Holvin Nieves defended against seven shots on goal and had five saves while playing a total 90 minutes. His teammate, sophomore midfielder William Walkley, finished with two shots and one shot on goal. Sophomore midfielder Colin Rousseau finished with a shot and one shot on goal.

Salem State's very own freshman midfielder Gabriel Meireles led his team with a total of six shots, two shots on goal, and one assist. Sophomore midfielder Lucas Amaral finished with five shot attempts, one shot on goal, and scored one goal in the first half with

Gruden has Been a Total Clown as the Raiders’ Head Coach

A

s a Monday Night Footpick on Cooper. Right, because ball analyst, Jon Gruda guy with four 100 yard reen was certainly good ceiving games over the last at what he did. Me, I'm an asthree years is going to get me piring sports broadcaster, and to give up a potential franchise I looked up to Gruden a lot player pick for his services. A when he was in the booth each guy who has also dropped the and every Monday. Then he second most passes out of any got handed a gargantuan tenwide receiver in all of football year contract to get back on the over the last three years. sidelines. He pretty much has Sure, he's undeniably talenttotal control of the Oakland ANDREW BAILLARGEON ed, probably could fetch a deRaiders now. cently high-round pick, but a THE CALL And boy, has he been a masfirst-round pick is ridiculous. sive idiot early on in his return It would be like trying to sell to live game action. someone a broken down, old Mercedes-Benz Gruden's play calling has been uninspiring, for the same price it would take to buy a and his front office moves have been purely Bugatti Veyron. You just look stupid for doing idiotic. It was one thing when he traded away it. It's even more comical to me that it would Khalil Mack, leaving the Raiders defense in be Dallas, of all teams, to pay this price for total ruin and shambles. But what was even Cooper. more mind-boggling was when he later was Make no mistake, that was Jerry Jones just quoted suggesting that finding a true pass happening to "out-dumb" the Raiders, probarusher in today's NFL is difficult. bly in an effort to just sell some more tickets Yeah, "It's really difficult finding a drink this year with Cooper now being dealt with around here," I said, as I immediately pro- the Cowboys. ceeded to cut a hole in my canteen of water, In all, Jon Gruden has time to turn things leaking it all over the ground. around, but when the Raiders handed GrudThe Raiders looked absolutely somnambu- en the largest—and longest—coaching conlant in London last week, as they got blown tract in NFL history, I can't imagine that this out by the average Seattle Seahawks. Their is what they had in mind. Gruden still has offense sucks, everyone is injured, the de- about nine and a half years and $95 million fense couldn't cover a bucket of water. left on that deal. Oh, and yeah, that money is In the latest edition of "Let's see how point- fully guaranteed. lessly idiotic I can be," Jon Gruden's Oakland So really, Gruden has little incentive (other Raiders briefly decided to actively shop Wide than preserving his own personal image) to Receiver, Amari Cooper. quit being a jackass, as he'd get all the money Okay, the premise of such a move makes the moment the Raiders decided to fire him, sense; Oakland has no hope of competing this and would then have been paid to effectively year and could get a genuinely decent pack- do nothing while likely returning to commenage in a deal for Cooper, as many WR needy tary, something he actually does a good job teams around the NFL also have the assets at. to make a deal like that happen. But then the Oakland definitely would like things to turn Raiders decided to set a price of a first-round around, I imagine.

40:15 on the clock. Senior goalkeeper Gus Savage defended three shots on goal attempts and three saves.

The Vikings concluded with a total of 25 shots, eight shots on goal, eight fouls, and one assist.

Coach Hildabrand knows how a soccer player needs to excel to be the best team player they can be.“To excel to play here you definitely need to play an up-tempo offense, you need to be technical, have good skills, and hard work is number one," he said.

The final 2018 season men’s soccer MASCAC awaygame is on Saturday, against the Bridgewater State Bears, kicking off at 4:30 p.m.

Kansas ranked No. 1 in AP preseason basketball poll

By Jesse Newell The Kansas City Star The Kansas men’s basketball team is a comfortable No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason basketball poll released Monday.

KU received 37 of 65 first-place votes, which easily outpaced second-place Kentucky when it came to total points (1,581-1,529).

“Obviously we lost a lot off last year’s team with Devonte’, Svi (Mykhailiuk) and Malik (Newman), so I’m a little surprised that the writers put us there this preseason,” KU coach Bill Self said in a statement to the Associated Press.

“It’s definitely a spot we welcome and certainly know the goal is to be playing to that ranking by when it counts the most.

“With the young players, we know it’s going to take some time before we’re anywhere close to where we’re going to be, but I do like this team and I think we have a chance to be very good.”

Gonzaga was third, followed by Duke and Virginia.

Kansas State was 12th, while other Big 12 schools West Virginia (13) and TCU (20) also earned an initial ranking.

KU previously was ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP poll in the 2004-05 and 2009-10 seasons.

Preseason AP poll Team (First-place votes) Points 1. Kansas (37) 1,581 2. Kentucky (19) 1,529 3. Gonzaga (1) 1,461 4. Duke (4) 1,452 5. Virginia (2) 1,286 6. Tennessee (1) 1,268 7. Nevada 1,230 8. North Carolina 1,221 9. Villanova (1) 1,085 10. Michigan State 1,024 11. Auburn 974 12. Kansas State 922 13. West Virginia 678

14. Oregon 638 15. Virginia Tech 630 16. Syracuse 620 17. Florida State 530 18. Mississippi State 451 19. Michigan 437 20. TCU 311 21. UCLA 297 22. Clemson 268 23. LSU 187 24. Purdue 170 25. Washington 165

Oct. 25, 2018 Vol. 87 Issue 6

12

THE 8TH ANNUAL MICHAEL S. AND KITTY DUKAKIS PUBLIC POLICY LECTURE SERIES

TA-NEHISI COATES National Book Award winner and author of the ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Captain America’ comic books Keynote speaker of MCLA’s first Day of Dialogue

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018 7:00 P.M. AMSLER CAMPUS CENTER GYMNASIUM FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Please arrive early to ensure seating. No bags in gymnasium.

The Michael S. and Kitty Dukakis Public Policy Lecture Series is made possible through the generosity of the Ruth Proud Charitable Trust.

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