November 20, 2019 Vol. 89 Issue 10

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Thursday, November 21, 2019

Volume 89 • Issue 10

MCLA Nearing Purchase Of Porter And Montana Street Properties

BY BRIAN RHODES STAFF WRITER

The MCLA Foundation is finalizing a combined $150,000 purchase of properties on 60 Porter Street and the building encompassing both 8 and 10 Montana Street.

Robert Ziomek, vice president for institutional advancement, said closing for the two properties will take place today, Thursday, Nov. 21.

According to Ziomek, 8 and 10 Montana Street, a duplex house, is set to be torn down and will be replaced with approximately 14 parking spaces. Ziomek said the teardown and creation of the parking lot combined will cost about $40,000.

“It’s not a big space but any little bit helps,” Ziomek said.

Ziomek remarked that these parking spaces could be available as soon as the beginning of the spring semester, but he does not know who would be allowed to utilize these spaces.

According to Ziomek, 60 Porter Street could be converted into office space with significant renovation. It is unknown at this time how much

PHOTOS BY BRIAN RHODES

8 Montana Street, left, and 60 Porter Street, above, are two properties MCLA is set to purchase today, Nov. 21. Purchasing both will cost $150,000, excluding any additional costs for renovation. this conversion will cost or when it will start. Things that would be priorities in a potential renovation, Ziomek said, are accessibility improvements, internet upgrades, and plumbing. “[60 Porter Street] needs a total

renovation inside,” Ziomek said.

“It’s not in move-in condition. When you’re taking something from residential to office space, there’s a lot of other things.”

Ziomek noted that there still is no concrete plan for what will be housed

on 60 Porter Street.

“There’s been a lot of discussions, a lot of rumors,” Ziomek said. “From my knowledge, there’s no decisions that have said ‘this is what’s going to

Properties, Page 8

Minimum Wage Increase College Proposing Leads to Work Study Cuts New Bio Program Radiologic Sciences

BY NATALIA GIACOMOZZI STAFF WRITER

BY TESSA SESTITO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Only 172 students have been awarded federal work study for the 2019-2020 academic year, almost 40 less than what was awarded to students in the 2018-2019 academic year.

“The number of awards [positions] fluctuates based on how thin the funding is spread per student, and as minimum wage increases, the work study award needs to be adjusted for each year,” Howland stated in an email.

The college received $319,000 for work study 20192020, according to Bonnie Howland, director of student financial services. Higher minimum wages required MCLA to allocate funds to fewer students, rather than reduce the number of hours per student.

The average award for a student granted work study is $1,800 per year, $900 per semester. “[This allows] a student to work [based on a wage of $12.00 per hour] 75-80 hours a semester,” Howland explained.

Howland noted that the funds for the work study program are limited and allocated by the U.S. Department of Education.

The successful implementation of Southern Vermont College’s (SVC) Radiological Sciences major to MCLA has sparked a proposed program that will hopefully be approved in the near future.

According to biology department chairperson Anne Goodwin, the proposal would be for a bachelor’s degree in health sciences with a concentration in radiologic technology.

“We are proposing a new program so that MCLA students can also become certified as radiologic technologists,” Goodwin said. “As a bachelor’s in health sciences, that would also belong in the biology department because that’s where health sciences is currently housed.”

According to Adrienne Wootters, vice president of academic affairs, the concentration is currently going through governance.

“Actually, it was just approved by the curriculum committee and will be picked up by All College soon, so that will be effective when the teach-out is completed,” Wootters said.

In order for the proposed program to be approved, it not only has to make its way

PHOTO BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE

Brianna McNamara ‘21 working for her work study program for the english/communications depertment for the semester.

According to Howland, within the first month of each semester, the student financial services office collaborates with human resources to make sure all students with work study have a job.

“This ensures that students are able to earn their funds and no student goes without a position,” Howland said.

“Federal work study is awarded as part of a student’s financial aid package, [whereas] trust fund positions on campus are offered by individual departments that are using their departmental budget funds to pay for a student worker,” Howland said. “Trust

funded positions are not tied to financial aid or need.”

Some students rely on the money generated by the work study positions to afford the college tuitions. Trust funded positions and federal work studies are the two ways which student employment occurs at MCLA. “I applied for work study because I needed the money and it was easier than getting a job off campus,” said Grace Gaughan ’22, a work study student for the student commuter lounge in Venable Hall.

Work Study, Page 8

through the governance process and be signed by the President, but it also needs to be signed by the certification agency, according to Goodwin.

However, Goodwin believes if everything goes as she is hoping, the new proposed program would be offered in Fall 2020.

“Students would be able to go straight into that as juniors so it’s not an entering class at the freshman level in Fall of ’20,” Goodwin said. “If everything goes as we are hoping, then students already here at MCLA or students transferring in could go straight into their final two years.”

According to both Goodwin and Wootters, the final two years are when students in the current and proposed program would take radiologic technology-specific courses.

“The pre-rad courses are already largely taught here, and then the ones that aren’t, the ones in the rad program, are already being taught by the three faculty that came from SVC,” Goodwin said.

“The [current] radiologic sciences major is kind of interesting in that your first two years, you’re just taking your foundation courses,” Wootters

Radiology, Page 8

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SGA

Looking Ahead At Next Semester’s Goals

BY NATHAN BIRON SENIOR NEWS EDITOR On Monday, SGA announced Public Safety’s new police cruiser and touched on topics relating to how SGA and administration can change moving into next semester.

SGA President Dean Little ’21 and SGA Coordinating Vice President Samantha Schwantner ‘20 will be having a meeting with President James Birge to review the semester, addressing what could be fixed and how SGA and administration can change moving into next semester.

“One of the big things that we want to talk to him about is the sexual assault that had happened here on campus,” Schwantner said.

“I want to make sure that moving forward the steps to handle the situation will be much better and more transparent. The school needs to be better for the future, because we cannot let this happen again.”

The cruiser that was recently purchased for the Public Safety, costing $2,000, will replace an old cruiser that was near its end. According to Little, this MCLA cruiser is not affiliated with North Adams Police.

“The new cruiser, which was purchased from Williamstown Police Depart-

PHOTO BY NATHAN BIRON

Pictured left to right: Senate Chair Fabby Borgardus-Street ‘20, Parliamentarian Joseph Medina ‘22, President Dean Little ‘21, and Coordinating Vice President Samantha Schwantner ‘20. ment, will be a huge asset to the school for the upcoming years,” Little said.

“The cruiser that was replaced had around 170,000 miles and was also in and out of repair for a while now.”

“The cruiser is unmarked at the moment which might have led to the confusion of whether it belonged to MCLA or North Adams,” Little added.

“The decals will be added to the car in the near future, since a previous Public Safety officer will be putting them on.”

Little also mentioned that another cruiser in the College’s fleet will need to be replaced also in the near future.

“The other cruiser has around 150,000 miles which will most likely need be serviced soon as well,” Little said.

The student/trustee meeting will also be taking place this week with Student Trustee Jake Vitali ‘20 hoping to make sure the Board hears what has been going on with campus safety and transparency at the College.

“I am very upset about the agenda of the meeting,” Vitali said. “I understand and fully respect the player recognition of the volleyball team, but I don’t think it should be the topic of the meeting. Students need to be taken care of.”

Little addressed the ongoing fitness center project, and when it might be completed.

According to Little, the project has been going on since his freshman year and looks like it’ll be put on the back burner even longer.

“The plan is still to be open by next fall for the new gym, but I spoke with Cathy [Holbrook] and we were discussing who would be allowed to use it whether that be just MCLA students or students and the community will be able to use it,” Little said.

According to Little, these talks are preliminary and nothing is actually in the works yet on that decision.

“If MCLA allowed the community to use the new fitness center, then students wouldn’t be billed directly for the cost,” Little said. “The community would be having to pay more which would not increase student fees.”

Senate Chair Fabby Borgardus-Street ’20 also spoke with Holbrook to discuss the possible purchase of more minivans, or one big bus, for student-athletes.

“The idea would be to either purchase of a large bus for more distant games/events, or it would be five, smaller vans that would replace ours now,” Street said. “The mini vans that are being used now are in pretty bad condition so I think those being replaced would be a good idea.”

Little hopes to have most of these issues brought up to at least be talked about by administration and wants the upcoming semesters to be handled more efficiently.

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Nov. 21, 2019

MSCA

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Work To Rule Is Over; MCLA And Union Optimistic Heading Into Next Negotiations

BY TESSA SESTITO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The Massachusetts State College Association (MSCA) Board of Directors voted unanimously on Nov. 1 to end Work to Rule at all campuses, with the exception of Westfield State University. This vote went into effect Monday, Nov. 4.

“The decision to end Work to Rule came as the day parttime, per-credit rates have been agreed to, as well as the hourly rate for Music Instructors,” the MSCA Board of Directors explained in a statement available on the MSCA website. “We have been told that the universities are in the process of paying all retroactive monies owed, dating back to July 1, 2017.”

President James Birge said he believes that the end of Work to Rule is beneficial for everyone.

“I think, for a couple of different reasons, it’s great news,” Birge said. “One is that although I think that our faculty were very conscientious about continuing to provide things that students needed, they did curtail some of their activities a little bit. I think it’s good for them to come into the fullness of their role as faculty.”

According to Birge, one of the great things about working in an academic community is

that there are opportunities to do things outside of our jobs.

“Whether you’re President, or a faculty member, or a marketing professional, there are great things that happen here and for faculty who were on Work to Rule, they didn’t participate, and I think they missed some really great opportunities to hear great lectures and performing arts events,” Birge said. “I think our faculty lean more toward being considerate of what’s happening in students’ lives than maybe some other campuses. So, I think they were conscientious about how they honored the work to rule status.”

Birge added that although everyone felt their absence during that period, he thinks they were quite reasonable and professional with how they straddled the line between being in solidarity with the union but also fulfilling the role that they love to have here at the institution.

“I think they did a very good job with it, given the kind of tough situation,” Birge said.

Professor James Moriarty, chapter president of the faculty association on campus, shares Birge’s sentiments on Work to Rule ending.

“I’m happy because now faculty and administrators can concentrate on the things that need to be done over and

above what the contractual requirements are,” Moriarty said. “It’s never something any of us want to enter into lightly or we’d like to do.”

Looking forward, Moriarty hopes Work to Rule will not happen again as they head into the next round of negotiations.

“I’m hoping the next contract goes through smoothly, and unfortunately it’s not something myself and the faculty association and President Birge and administration can control 100% because we can’t; it’s everyone else who’s involved in this,” Moriarty said. “I could have an influence, a certain statewide influence, in bargaining and he [President Birge] could have a certain influence with the council of presidents, but at the end of the day it’s not our call by ourselves. It’s just how it is.”

Moriarty added that he would not tolerate either side taking things personally.

“We’ve got to get through it as best we can and come through the other side,” Moriarty said.

Moriarty emphasized the importance of fostering relationships in order to get work done.

“If you’re fighting all the time, it makes it very difficult to get things done at the benefit of the College and for its students,” Moriarty said.

Birge agreed that the rancor from the previous negotiating teams was counterproductive, and said that he is optimistic with the new negotiating team.

“Our negotiating team is completely different because I think, to be quite frank, we made some missteps and a number of us have been vocal about making sure that doesn’t happen again,” Birge said. “Not to say that we’re going to give more than what we have, but I don’t think from a negotiating standpoint we put our best foot forward, and that’s what we want.”

“We want to be able to be collegial and respectful and agree on some items and respectfully disagree on others; and I don’t think we have to tear each other down and I think there’s been some of that,” Birge said.

“My hope is that the union also provides a different team because I think they were as dysfunctional as we were,” he said. “And I hope they come to the table with a different leadership and negotiating team than they’ve had.”

Although neither side wanted to resort to Work to Rule, Moriarty said he believes some good did come out of it.

“Through the governance process here at the College, we’ve taken a lot of the committees that were not part of

governance which would be over and above, and now put them through governance as official committees, which are insulated from work to rule,” Moriarty said. “In other words, something that would’ve been over and above last year is now part of the governance process, which is not part of work to rule. And that’s very beneficial.”

While Moriarty felt Work to Rule slowed things down, he said they now have plans if it happens again.

“However, we’ve addressed it and we’ve taken steps that if it happens again,” Moriarty said. “Hopefully, I’m confident that it won’t, but it if does we have a plan in place that these things are still going to move forward and that’s the most important thing.”

According to an email from Grievance Officer Graziana Ramsden sent to MCLA faculty, Westfield continues to struggle with its administration after the current university president received a vote of no confidence last spring.

“The Board unanimously supports the Westfield State University chapter’s continuation of Work to Rule at the chapter level and the chapter’s vote of no confidence in the university president,” The Board of Directors said in their statement.

Composting E-Waste Recycling Part of Sustainability Efforts

BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE MANAGING EDITOR

Elena Traister, professor of environmental studies, is working on introducing new options to help MCLA with creating sustainable and clean waste removal operations.

While working with the sustainability committee as sustainability coordinator, Traister has been developing several projects with students including adding composting to the town houses.

“The way that it works now is only food that you [don’t] eat in the dining hall gets composted. And that’s not super helpful when we have townhouses where you can make your own food,” Cassie Wright ’22 said.

“Composting is really important because when food is in the trash it doesn’t decompose like it should.”

Traister has helped Wright work on developing the compost project this semester with full intention on bringing it to life.

“The idea right now is where just going to do one block in the townhouses like a pilot program to see how that’s working,” Wright said.

She has been working on her plan with the help of Williams College.

“We worked with Williams College a little bit because they have composting already in their dorms,” Wright said. “I spoke with someone who works there and we talked about what’s worked for them, what challenges they had and some ways we could possibly implement that here.”

Traister has also worked with Jahshyah Love ‘20 to create a series of fliers that will

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be distributed around campus. These include info pages for what can and cannot go in the blue recycling bins and where students can properly dispose of old batteries.

“We are, just this week, starting to better get the word out about used battery recycling on campus,” Traister said. “Which is something that has been done by a couple of departments but was not publicized to the broad campus community.”

The new fliers, made by Love, will help visibility for the various battery collection sites. These sites will be located in the Berkshire Towers (BT) and Hoosac Hall Resident Area Security Monitor (RASM) desks, and the Info Desk in the campus center.

“Anyone who has any kind

E-Waste, Page 8

COMEDY

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‘What About Us?’ Student-Led Movement Gives Students A Voice

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BY MAYA MCFADDEN FEATURES EDITOR Amidst the many recent campus discussions around diversity, Title IX, and a group of about 25 students have joined together to participate in “What About Us?,” a student-led movement whose goal is drawing attention to issues students feel are not being heard by the College’s administration.

The students joined together for their first meeting Friday, Nov. 15, during which they talked about potential ideas for on-campus demonstrations to host in the future.

Bryan Vega ’19, head organizer of the movement, came up with the idea in October after an alleged sexual assault crime and safety alert was issued by public safety. Vega, along with other students, began having discussions about the recent state of student safety and well-being. “’What About Us?’ is just calling for a little more compassion,” Vega said.

Some issues the movement prioritizes are financial help and opportunity for students of color in a predominately white environment, diversity, and the needs that come with creating a diverse space, sexual violence, and administrative reform.

A student during the Friday meeting, Samantha Schwantner ’20, suggested the movement request support from the Student Government Association (SGA)

PHOTO BY MAYA MCFADDEN

While students gathered in Bowman 217 for the first meeting some signed up as volunteers for potential demonstrations ideas for the future. for any funds needed for demonstrations through a supplement form.

Before Vega pursued his ideas for the movement, he reached out to faculty and staff like Hannah Noel, assistant professor of English & communications, Celia Norcross, assistant dean of students, and Chief Diversity Officer Christopher MacDonald-Dennis.

The goal of the movement is to make institutional improvements for all students and to expand conversations about diversity beyond just race.

“I want the college to learn that a student is so much more than their money, major and race,” Vega said.

In the future, Vega said he hopes to work with the group members to put to-

PHOTO BY MAYA MCFADDEN

The meeting flyers were approved and posted in Bowman Hall for students to join the movement or contact the organizer, Bryan Vega.

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gether campus-wide demonstrations drawing attention to the movement’s goals.

“We just need a more comprehensive understanding of what diversity is,” Vega said.

“Because when everyone thinks about diversity they just think, ‘Oh another conversation about race.’”

In an effort to tackle the movement’s goal of prioritizing more opportunities for financial help for students of color, Vega set up a meeting with the financial aid office to see how the College can offer more inclusive scholarships.

While also at the first gathering, students expressed an interest in working with the administration to establish a program to make meal swipes transferable to fight the national food insecurity crisis. Others also discussed possible ideas to create support programs for students at risk of withdrawing from the College.

“The best way to get things done is to not shut up about them,” Schwantner said.

While at MCLA, Vega has become accustomed to issues.

“I hadn’t been truly listened to in so long,” Vega said.

On Tuesday, Oct. 29, Vega put up multiple posters to draw attention to the movement and its initiatives.

Three poster-size displays were put in Bowman Hall

along with 12 print outs of a quote from Ida B. Wells that stated, “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”

“It [College] works so hard to get a diverse population out here but then doesn’t assess the diverse population’s needs properly,” Vega said.

Vega worked with Norcross and others to get his posters approved and for resources to put them together himself.

“It’s important for me to make sure that there are no repercussions for us,” Vega said.

MacDonald-Dennis is sponsoring the movement by providing “What About Us” pins and stickers to disburse among the campus.

At a past SGA meeting, Vega spoke out about the language used in the October safety alert email.

“That email put every African American male on campus at risk,” Vega said. “This is how incidents with racial profiling happen because it’s become normal to always lead with race.”

After the Nov. 4 SGA meeting, Vega said the conversation left him with the feeling that it was the student’s responsibility to fix the institutional issues.

“They make it seem like change is not possible,” Vega said.

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Nov. 21, 2019

Entrepreneurship and Innovation Challenge

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Strezynski Stays Sharp with Whet Towels

BY LISE MANSARAY FEATURES WRITER The most recent Entrepreneurship and Innovation Challenge winners, Nicholas Strezynski ’20 and Owen Fitzgerald ‘20, have continued working on Whet Towel, their award-winning business idea which expands the lifetime of razors.

The Whet Towel is composed of a towel-like material on one side and denim fabric on the other.

Since the challenge, a newer model of this product has been developed, featuring a pocket to place razors which is designed to wrap around the towel rack or ring in the bathroom. The creative logo features a razor in place of the letter “T” in Towel, is displayed on all his products.

“I was surprised at how short the lifespan of a razor was so I looked up how to increase that,” Strezynski said. “What you can do is use it against denim in the opposite way of shaving and it sharpens/aligns the blade. I used that denim trick for years.”

Strezynski wanted a product that was convenient enough to fix this issue.

“There were not any products on the market that I found that use this denim method so my idea was to create a product that provides a denim surface in a form that is convenient for the bath-

PHOTO BY LISE MANSARAY

The Whet Towel project ran against two other business ideas during the first challenge. room,” Strezynski said. “Even when people use a razor, it tends to rust from moisture so the towel on the back allows people to dry it off.”

“I was telling my brother I want my idea to be involved with using this trick I found on the internet that everyone says works but no one came up with a product for yet,” Strezynsti added. “He came up with

Roots Teen Center

Local ‘Safe Place’ For Young Adults

BY LISE MANSARAY FEATURES WRITER Roots has been building reputation as a “safe place” for young adults, teens, and students, in the Berkshires since 2015.

The organization, located on 43 Eagle Street in North Adams, has hosted various events and has an upcoming workshop that allows people to build their own computers.

“We recently did a haunted house walk-through for Halloween, and we’re currently doing a build-a-computer workshop where kids can take him the computers they build,” said Roots volunteer Wyatt Mineau ‘19.

Roots strives to support the community and provide resources for those in need. “[We have] everything you could need. Food, drinks, hundreds of books, games, furniture, heating, electricity, internet, anything you need,” Mineau

said. “We have full meals provided to the center, shipped every month, and tons of extras, like leftover Halloween candy, soup mix, even ice cream.”

Those resources are open to anyone who wants or needs access to them as long as they check-in on a sign-in sheet.

Roots offer computer building workshops on Wednesdays, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., running now until Dec. 11. They also host game nights on Tuesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and open mic nights on the third Friday of every month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

According to their website, the mission of Roots is to be a safe space where people ages 14 to 22 are heard, encouraged, and empowered.

Alex Hicks-Courant, drop-in coordinator for Roots, was drawn to the organization four years ago.

“I started as a volunteer at ROOTS

Roots, Page 8

PHOTO TAKEN FROM BERKSHIRE EAGLE

The center’s grand opening was on Oct. 15th, 2016 at 43 Eagle Street.

the name and I came up with the design.”

Strezynski sketched out potential ideas on the Microsoft Notebook app until he and Fitzgerald were able to finalize on the logo with the help of Amy Shapiro, a faculty member who works alongside the winners to help further develop their business plan.

Since winning the challenge, Strezyns-

ki has also sold some of his products at 3rd Thursday in Pittsfield, a local street festival. Products can be best accessed at Whettowels.com.

“I have continued working on it by perfecting the product, making a website, and business cards, but balancing that with school is hard,” Strezynski said.

Strezynski looks forward to the future for the business.

“I hope that it’s local within the next year or two with different employees and the revenues hitting somewhere within the $30,000 to $40,000 range,” Strezynski said. “Who knows what can happen. Every large business started somewhere.”

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Challenge gives student entrepreneurs the opportunity to jump-start their businesses with $10,000, a summer internship, and professional help. Strezynski found that the challenge gave him the opportunity to explore the entrepreneurial world.

“I’ve always kind of liked the idea of entrepreneurship,” Strezynski said.

“There’s really a few different options when you graduate. You either get a job or one of the other options is to try starting your own business which is risky but since this program gives you the funding you have a higher chance.”

Volunteer Center

STAGE RIGHT Encourages Youth Performing Arts

BY MAYA MCFADDEN FEATURES EDITOR

The Volunteer Center’s after-school program for youth, “STAGE RIGHT,” is continuing for its second semester with the program coordinator Meaghan Murphy ’22.

The performing arts program offers fifth and sixth graders an hour to learn more about theater, public speaking, and most important to Murphy, a lesson in confidence.

Students from Greylock Elementary School, Brayton Elementary School, and Colegrove Park Elementary School make up the programs group of 13 this semester.

STAGE RIGHT was put together by Murphy and Paula Kingsbury-Evans ’22 this year during the spring to replace a former art program known as the Berkshire After School Art Program (BASAP).

Murphy is a triple major in secondary education, English with a literature concentration, and psychology. Though she dropped her minor in theatre she uses this program to continue to keep up with acting. She is also an acting teacher back home in Boston.

Of the 13 students, three are returners from the spring semester. Alongside Murphy, there are six student-volunteers in the program.

The program is held on Monday’s 3:30 p.m to 4:45 p.m.

“It’s awesome to watch them channel their energy through acting,” Murphy said.

The program is currently in its fifth week with about two weeks left before the group’s final show performance to bring the semester-long program to an end.

So far, Murphy has organized lessons in articulation and accents, improv games to get them comfortable with the

stage, and projection.

In the upcoming two weeks the students will have a dress rehearsal and learn how to work with props for the final show at Brayton Elementary School Monday, Dec. 2.

The spring semester version of the program will have the students perform Hansel and Gretel.

This semester, Murphy has organized for the students to do an improv performance in groups of 3-5 for about five minutes each for the final show.

Unlike some of the other volunteer center after school programs, STAGE RIGHT has a cap of 12 for the student capacity to be sure that Murphy and the volunteers can provide each student with a unique learning experience.

“My goal is to teach them the foundations of the theater because it’s not just the technical skills but the core is confidence,” Murphy said.

Murphy said she is more confident this semester in her teaching after getting positive feedback since the programs start.

Through the program, Murphy has been able to intertwine her theater hobby with what she has learned in the classroom. In her developmental psychology course she is taking this semester she learned about how different age groups take in information and she was able to put this information to use while planning her lessons and activities for the program.

“I think theater is such a great way to get out of your comfort zone,” Murphy said.

Murphy described the goal of her activities and lessons for the students as “getting them to be as weird and loud as possible.”

“It’s amazing to see the student’s confidence skyrocket from day one compared to the last day,” Murphy said.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Boston Symphony Orchestra String Chamber Ensemble To Perform TheOnlineBeacon.com

BY SABRINA DAMMS A&E WRITER A chamber ensemble from the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) will be coming to MCLA Sunday, Nov. 24, for a third year.

This free event will be held in the Church Street Center starting at 2 p.m. with a performance by Kids 4 Harmony.

Shortly after, Robert Kirzinger, BSO’s associate director of program publications, will be holding a casual talk and Q&A session with the audience as part of the BSO’s “Community Conversations” at 2:30 p.m.

To wrap up the event, BSO’s String Quartet will perform a piece by Joseph Haydn, Antonín Dvořák, and Stephan Knocz, beginning at 3 p.m.

“They are a chamber ensemble drawn from the members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra,” professor of music Michael Dilthey said. “The Orchestra as a whole is comprised of about 75 to 100 people, and different members get together to form these chamber groups.”

“They will go around to two or three venues and the BSO coordinates these as outreach programs,” Dilthey added. “We are the North East location.”

Dilthey compared the importance of listening to classical music to the importance

PHOTO FROM BSO WEBSITE

A string chamber of the Boston Symphony Orchestra is set to perform at the Church Street Center this Sunday. of the Clark Art Museum, art films, and high literature.

“The subcultures of music are fun and important but high quality art music is also important and it elevates our spirit,” Dilthey said. “It touches our soul. It inspires us. It intrigues us. It draws us.

That is important. We need to always have that here.”

He sees classical music as a way to expand the soul, a per-

son’s range of emotions, and a great opportunity for students to expand their minds.

If students limit themselves to what they listen to now, and it doesn’t include classical music, they are limiting themselves from growth.

“Students should live outside their comfort zone and give classical music a try because it will expand their minds and hearts and show them a larger

future,” Dilthey said. “If they listen to the music that they listen to now that does not include classical music they will continue to enjoy that music but they will not grow.”

“To grow into new types of experiences, new opportunities for new feelings, and new emotions and new understanding is what a liberal arts college education is all about,” Dilthey added. “This is central

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to what we do here. If you listen to the same old music you will get the same old results.

But there are new opportunities new results new ways of understanding that classical music can provide.”

According to Dilthey, having these chamber groups come to MCLA is a great opportunity for students to experience high-culture classical music.

“It’s a great bonus to have this high culture and music for our students,” Dilthey said. “I hope that we see a lot of our students there and hear really great music in a really great space.”

“One of the violists from a previous year commented that he loved our auditorium because it’s very similar in its acoustic properties to Symphony Hall in Boston,” Dilthey added. “So, Symphony Hall in Boston and the Church Street Center auditorium are like twins separated at birth.”

“The new generation just needs the opportunity to hear it and to get turned on to classical music,” Dilthey said. “Classical music will go on. It’s not a dying thing. It’s a viable important art in our society and our culture.”

More information about the Boston Symphony Orchestra can be found on their website, www.bso.org. Although the event is free, tickets for the show can be reserved by calling 617-266-1200 or 888-

November Movie Night With IGE & ‘The Birdcage’

BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER A&E EDITOR MCLA’s Identity and Gender Equality (IGE) Center is hosting its third movie night event of the semester with a showing of “The Birdcage” Friday, Nov. 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. in Sullivan Lounge.

The 1996 comedy film, starring Robin Williams, Nathan Lane and many others, is a remake of the classic French farce “La Cage aux Folles” and follows engaged couple Val Goldman (Dan Futterman) and Barbara Keeley (Calista Flockhart) who shakily introduce their future in-laws to each other.

Val’s father, Armand (Williams), a gay Miami drag club owner, pretends to be straight and attempts to hide his relationship with his life partner, the club’s flamboyant star attraction (Lane). This is all in an effort to please Barbara’s father, controversial Republican Senator, Kevin Keeley (Gene Hackman).

“When planning these movie nights, we usually make a master list of queer movies that seem interesting

PHOTO FROM IMDB.COM

The 1996 comedy LGBT film “The Birdcage,” starring Robin Williams (center left) and Nathan Lane (center right), will be shown Friday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. in Sullivan Lounge. or seem like something people would be interested in watching,” Lilly Broman ’20 stated in an email. “‘The Birdcage’ has been on this list before, so

we felt it would be a good choice and this movie seemed to be something that would be fun and entertaining, as well as something that does a good job portraying the queer community.”

Movie nights with IGE happen every month and provide students with the opportunity to come together to watch films in the LGBTQIA+ genre.

“It’s a cool event that could help bring people together, and offer a space where people can watch queer films,” Broman said. “Whenever IGE does an event I look forward to the community having a space to learn and simply be together.” “[Often] there aren’t spaces that are dedicated to queer topics, so creating spaces for this on campus really helps to build community between queer people on campus and our allies,” Broman added. “Events like movie nights creates a space where people can truly interact not only with the IGE staff working it but also with each other. It creates an actual environment for a safe space for the queer community and its allies.”

IGE’s movie night with “The Birdcage” will take place tomorrow night,

Friday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. in Sullivan Lounge. All students are welcome and encouraged to attend. Free pizza and drinks will be provided.

PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG

“The Birdcage” is a remake of the classic French farce “La Cage aux Folles.” The movie’s showing will be the third movie night hosted

by IGE.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Nov. 21, 2019

TheOnlineBeacon.com

WJJW & SAC ‘Indiechella’ Concert Coming To Campus This Saturday

7

BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER A&E EDITOR Happening Saturday, Nov. 23, at 7 p.m. in the Church Street Center Social Hall, MCLA’s Radio Station, WJJW, and the Student Activities Council (SAC) are teaming up for a free concert event known as “Indiechella” featuring performances by local and regional bands Raavi & The Houseplants, Quincy, and The Water Cycle.

“Indiechella” was an event originally created by SAC back in October. They immediately got WJJW involved in the collaboration.

“The Co-Entertainment Chairs of SAC, Paula [Kingsbury-Evans] and Corey [Hathaway], reached out to me in late October asking for some advice on providing backline and live sound for a concert,” WJJW President Jacob Vitali said in an email.

“We’re always looking to partner with other organizations and bringing live music to campus is something we’re incredibly passionate about, plus these bands are phenomenal, it just seemed like a great match.”

Boston-based band, Raavi & The Houseplants, are an indie rock group of four members: Raavi, James, Josef, and Madden. In 2018, the band released their first EP, “And I Miss You Already,” and this year they released two singles, “Nora” and “Shoulder.”

“In terms of the music, however, these are very much the types of bands that you would see at a WJJW event

PHOTO FROM QUINCY FACEBOOK PAGE

Quincy is a six-piece band from North Adams. This group will be one of the three acts playing at SAC and WJJW’s “Indiechella” concert this Saturday night. and often played on our airwaves,” Vitali said. “Each of the acts has a distinctive flavor, but they all complement each other beautifully. I’m really excited to see it all come together.”

Local band from North Adams, Quincy is a six-piece group that combines a range of styles between five songwriters. Members include Tim Martin, guitar and vocals; Dylan Girouard, guitar

PHOTO FROM THE WATER CYCLE FACEBOOK PAGE

The Water Cycle is a jitter pop band from Boston with three members: Joe Kerwin (left), Jack Kerwin (center), and Olivia Mastrosimone (right).

* THURSDAY NOV. 21 - ARTIST TALK WITH GENEVIEVE GAIGNARD MASS MOCA 5 P.M. - FRONT COUNTRY WITH MATTHEW RUNCIMAN CONCERT HILO NORTH ADAMS 8 P.M. * FRIDAY, NOV. 22 - SWEET CHARITY PERFORMANCE VENABLE THEATER 8 P.M.

and vocals; Luke Tobin, guitar and vocals; Dan O’Connell, guitar and vocals; Matt Shiebler, bass and vocals; and Tim Shiebler, drums and vocals.

“There’s nothing quite as great as live music in my opinion, and these are really fun bands,” Vitali said.

“Since we’re in such a stressful point in the semester, with only a few weeks left, and finals coming soon, it’s something to look forward to, and a way to get out and forget about everything worrying you right now.”

The Water Cycle is a DIY jitter pop band from Boston that writes songs about being nervous, having crushes, and being nervous about having crushes. The original three members of this group are Jack Kerwin, Joe Kerwin, and Rob Capodilupo. Capo-

* SATURDAY, NOV. 23 - INDIECHELLA CONCERT CHURCH STREET CENTER, SOCIAL HALL 7 P.M. - SWEET CHARITY PERFORMANCE VENABLE THEATER 8 P.M. * SUNDAY, NOV. 24 - SWEET CHARITY PERFORMANCE VENABLE THEATER 2 P.M. - BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SHOW CHURCH STREET CENTER 3 P.M.

dilupo recently left the band to pursue graduate school over in the United Kingdom but bass player, Olivia Mastrosimone, joined the team soon after. The group is best known for their 2017 EP, “Other Boys,” and 2018 EP, “The Water Cycle Falls in Love.”

“Whether you know these bands or not, they bring such a great energy to the stage, they have some amazing songs, and their performances are going to be a lot of fun,” Vitali added.

“Indiechella” will take place Saturday night, Nov. 23, at 8 p.m. in the Church Street Center Social Hall with performances by Raavi & The Houseplants, Quincy, and The Water Cycle. This event is free for all to attend and refreshments will be provided.

- CRAFTERNOON WITH MCLA’S CRAFTING CLUB FREEL LIBRARY 3 P.M. * TUESDAY, NOV. 26 - THANKSGIVING BREAK BUS TRIP TO BOSTON DEPARTURE FROM MCLA 5 P.M. * WEDNESDAY, NOV. 27 - ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING DOWNTOWN NORTH ADAMS 6 TO 7 P.M.

News

Nov. 21, 2019

RADIOLOGY From Page 1

said. “You’re not doing a clinic, you’re not taking these very specific courses of radiologic sciences. It’s in your junior and senior year that you take those courses, which happen all at the hospital, and you do your clinical studies in all the different areas and all the different sites in the area.”

Currently, the people taking those courses up at the hospital now are juniors and seniors who came from SVC. “The people who are eligible to move into that [proposed] program right now are the current sophomores,” Wootters said. “It will be a concentration and there are several [sophomores] who have indicated that they want to, when they’re juniors, start moving into that program.”

According to program director Linda Lippacher, no additional faculty or staff would be needed for the new proposed program.

“Right now, we are self-sufficient,” Lippacher said. “We have a 100% job placement, we have for the past 16 years.”

“Right now, we have a cu-

mulative pass rate on the certification exam, from SVC time, of 97%,” Lippacher said. “Our recent graduates were put under MCLA, who graduated in May, and that makes it 100%.

So MCLA presently has a 100% pass rate on the national registry exam even though none of the students who were there took one course at MCLA.” “It’s because the teach-out, when it happened, took SVC and turned it into MCLA,” Lippacher explained. “So, it’s as if we got married to MCLA and all of our stuff goes on, but they have it stated under MCLA.” The current program, which came to MCLA through a teachout agreement with SVC, is made up of 28 students, consisting mostly of juniors and seniors.

“We had 69 [students in the program] when the College announced they were closing,” Linda Lippacher said. “We lost a lot of our freshmen and about half of the sophomore group went and did other things. Not all of the juniors came, about 75% of them, and all of the seniors came over. The sophomores that came with us from SVC are also in the program.”

The program is taught by one

PROPERTIES From Page 1

According to Ziomek, part of the reason for purchasing these properties was to benefit the Connector Project, which the College is applying for state funding for, and show MCLA’s commitment to it.

“The foundation purchasing these properties is a small part of that [showing commitment for funding approval for Connector Project]. We have to show that we have some skin in the game,” Ziomek said. “Our foundation

WORK STUDY From Page 1

Gaughan applied for work study through FAFSA, then located the student employment page on the MCLA website.

Gaughan suggested that if the College would shed light on the opportunity to apply for work study, flyers would initiate interest.

“Information about work study at orientation for freshmen would also a great way to tell students what’s going on,” Gaughan explained. “I did not see anything about work study when I first come to MCLA.” Due to limitations in funding, Howland stated that pro-

ROOTS

From Page 5 in 2015,” Hicks-Courant said. “I moved away to travel for a while, and when I came back to North Adams to visit, I learned that they were trying to fill a position here.”

“I’ve been in the youth work field in some capacity for sev-

adjunct professor and three fulltime faculty members: program director Linda Lippacher, clinical coordinator Julie Walsh, and clinical supervisor Alyssa Dufresne, clinical supervisor. All four professors came with the program from SVC. “It is the same curriculum as what was taught as SVC,” Goodwin said. “That’s part of the teach-out.”

According to Wootters, all three full-time faculty are currently visiting professors. If a permanent radiologic sciences program is established on campus, all three would become tenure-tracked professors.

If the proposed program were approved, the degree name would be different from the degree former SVC students are receiving from the SVC program currently, according to Goodwin.

However, Lippacher reassured that having different names isn’t going to change the way it’s looked at by the certification board.

“They’re not going to look at it any differently,” Lippacher said. “It’s still a bachelor’s degree with the courses that are required for the radiologic

has committed to purchasing these two properties.”

Although Paul LeSage, chairperson of the English & communications department, is excited for the renovations coming to campus, he expressed his disappointment that the department was not more involved in the Connector Project.

According to LeSage, the department was not formally told about the Connector Project by the college until Nov. 18.

“The department created a plan to remodel Mark Hopkins two years ago,” LeSage said. “We were given no oppor-

motion is based on outside funding.

“Promotion could [only] occur on the trust funded positions,” Howland said.

Howland also said that in the first month of each semester, the student financial services office collaborates with human resources to make sure all students with work study have a job.

“This ensures that students are able to earn their funds and no student goes without a position,” Howland said.

Federal work study jobs on campus includes working for Aramark, the athletics department, the computer Helpdesk in Murdock, the mailroom, student affairs, student financial services, and the office of student records. en or so years,” Hicks-Courant added. “I believe in the mission of ROOTS, so it seemed like a really good fit.”

According to Hicks-Courant, people of all ages and backgrounds are able to utilize the center. He believes it is important for the community to offer safe places for young adults and students.

“People learn who they

TheOnlineBeacon.com technology field.”

The push for a permanent radiologic sciences program on campus that is open to all students is due in part to the lack of competition for such an expanding field, according to Goodwin and Lippacher.

“It’s a great field. It’s an expanding field,” Goodwin said.

“The students work with their undergrad degree.”

“This will be the only second bachelor’s degree in radiologic technology in the state of Massachusetts,” Lippacher added.

“The other one is in Boston and it’s not a state school.”

“As far as competition for other bachelor’s degrees in other states, there are none in Vermont at all now since we [SVC] were the only one left,” Lippacher explained. “There are only three in the state of New York. Quinnipiac and Hartford are the closest in Connecticut. So, there’s no other competition.”

According to Lippacher, the field itself is looking at one of the largest shortages coming up in the next four to five years.

“It’s experiencing it now,” Dufresne said. “Our hospitals are desperate for radiologic technologists.”

“Our last big shortage was in

tunity for input into this project, which is unsettling to me.”

LeSage, while affirming that the Connector Project and other renovations are good for the school and students, also showed concern that there is any possibility that the department’s offices could be moved to 60 Porter Street when the Connector project is funded.

“I don’t think it’s very healthy for our department to be split up in any way.

Our department needs to work with things in this building,” LeSage said.

“It’s up to the College, the department doesn’t own buildings.”

E-WASTE

8

2000, we were expected to have another in 2012 but because of the economic downturn, it got pushed and now it’s going to be even larger than what they originally expected,” Lippacher said. “A lot of that is stemming from about 46% of technologists in the field today are between the ages of 45 and 55 which means they are going to be at retirement age in a short period of time.”

“The average pay for technologists has gone from about $40,000 a year from 2000-2003 to about $60,000 as an incoming with a bachelor’s degree,” Lippacher added. “With subsequent second certification, you’re looking at about $80,000 easily. We have students who graduated last year who are making, well I know one making $90,000 right now.”

Because of this, Goodwin believes the new proposed program is going to be a great match for the MCLA community.

“We are very excited about the job opportunities for students in terms of the need and in terms of students being interested in working right out of an undergrad program,” Goodwin said.

If the Connector Project does not receive funding, Ziomek said that the purchase of these properties will still benefit the College in the long term.

“It’s a purchase for future development,” Ziomek said. “It was a great opportunity at a great price, close to campus, and that’s what the foundation looks at.”

In addition to these properties, Ziomek said the MCLA Foundation has inquired about a property on 39 Willow Street for a potential president’s residence, but there has been no further action beyond preliminary discussions.

of batteries that they no longer want or are used or dead, they can just bring them by and be collected there and then stored with the other batteries that are collected on campus,” Traister said.

The batteries will be recycled through Veolia, a company specializes in bringing green solutions to recycling and waste management.

“We’re also going to expanding collection of e-waste beyond batteries,” Traister said. “So anything that that has batteries of you can plug in. Currently people often with throw out [things like] a pair of earbuds, those are actually e-waste.”

At the end of the semester,

Traister says that the Residential Assistant (RA) donation stations should also have special collection bins for e-waste which students can use to safely get rid of old or broken products.

“I’m hoping to recruit a student who wants to go though and catalog our greenhouse gas emissions,” Traister said.

“That’s something we reported perviously as part of our commitment to the American College University and Presidents Climate Commitment,” “We report on our emissions and emissions reductions,” Traister added. “So that reporting hasn’t been updated recently.”

Students interested in green solutions and environmental practices on campus are encouraged to contact Traister and to join the sustainability

committee on campus.

“I feel like we are really getting going again in a meaningful way about facilitating larger conversations about campus sustainability that are really helpful,” Traister said. “I would love to see a lot of people being involved in those conversations. I’d love to see interest and awareness across campus, students, faculty and staff.”

Even as a Sustainability Coordinator, Trasiter explained that she can devote only a fraction of her time towards these projects.

“Given that my time spent on sustainability is limited, it falls on student interns to do a lot of the actual work in continuing to build on our previous successes and continue to make MCLA as environmentally sustainable as we can,” Traister said.

are when they have room to grow,” Hicks-Courant said.

“Making sure there’s a space for people to be themselves, and to be supported, is a huge part in helping young people ‘self-actualize,’ or come to realize what’s valuable to them and how to develop and work toward attainable goals that align with their own interests.”

Roots is still currently look-

ing for more volunteers, according to Mineau.

“Right now we don’t have too many volunteers, so more people are always welcome,” Mineau said. “They can visit the website, rootsteencenter. com, and apply to volunteer there. You can also donate anything you don’t need through the site.”

Hicks-Courant highly en-

courages others to volunteer because, for him, it’s a “rewarding” experience.

“Giving your time in ‘service,’ as it’s called, is one of the most rewarding ways to spend time,” Hicks-Courant said.

“It’s really important that we have volunteers here, just so we can keep everything available to young people on a reliable & consistent basis.”

From Page 3

Sports

TheOnlineBeacon.com

Basketball

Men Triumph Over Castleton; Women Suffer Loss Against Ephs

BY JOHN MORRISEY SPORTS WRITER Additional reporting by Tessa Sestito Men’s Basketball The men’s basketball team came out firing Tuesday, Nov. 19, racking up 65 points in the opening half and cruising through the second half to finish the match-up against University of Castleton Spartans 95-71.

The first half was dominated by the Trailblazers, who shot 68% from the field.

The Blazers lead 9-0 before the Spartans battled back to make the score 16-14. Shortly after, the Trailblazers went on another 11-point run.

The first half closed out with the Trailblazers outscoring Castleton 20-9 and leaving them with a 25-point first half lead which they used to close victory in the second half.

The Trailblazers were led by Hayden Bird ’21 who collected a career high of 25 points, all of which came from off the bench.

Bird shot an impressive 10 for 17 from the floor along with seven rebounds and four assists on the night.

Ki-Shawn Monroe ‘20 had another terrific night recording team highs in rebounds, with 11, and assists, with 10.

This win came after the Trailblazers won the consolation round of the Western New England Invitational Saturday, Nov. 16, over Medgar Evers College Cougars pulling away in the second half to win 90-82.

PHOTO TAKEN FROM MCLA ATHLETICS

Hannah Mazzeo ‘23 led the Trailblazers against SUNY Cobleskill last Wednesday with 13 points and 15 rebounds.

Mike DeMartinis ‘21 led all scorers with 31 points while shooting just under 50% from the floor.

Monroe provided 15 points along with another team high in rebounds with nine.

The victory ended the day on a high note after falling to Western New England Golden Bears in the earlier tournament match-up 91-63 Friday, Nov. 15.

The Trailblazers weren’t able to pull out a win against the Golden Bears, who controlled the majority of the game.

Noah Yearsley ‘21 led the Trailblazers in scoring with nine, while Quentin Gittens ’23 grabbed seven rebounds.

Western New England’s defense also forced the Trailblazers into 20 turnovers which they turned into 24 points which the Trailblazers could not overcome.

The Trailblazers currently sit with a 3-2 record, creating plenty of momentum from their two-game winning streak. The team looks to add another win and defend their home court against Becker College Hawks Saturday, Nov. 23, at noon.

This game will followed by a match-up against area rival Williams College Tuesday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball The women’s basketball team suffered a tough defeat of 45-97 against Williams College Ephs Saturday, Nov. 16. The Trailblazers headed to Mount Holyoke to face off against the Lyons Wednesday, Nov. 20, with a record of 1-2.

Overall, the Ephs shot 52% from the floor and made 14 of their 30 three-point attempts, while the Trailblazers shot 25% from the floor and had 21 turnovers.

Williams’ guards Maggie Meehan ‘21 and Mikaela Topper ‘21 controlled the game, collectively earning 45 of the Ephs’ 97 points.

Despite the loss, the Trailblazers’ guard Kylah Langston ‘20 earned a team best of 14 points, while guard Olivia Pressley ‘22 earned an additional 10 points.

This loss followed the Trailblazers’ close win against the SUNY Cobleskill Fighting Tigers 53-52 last

Men’s and women’s cross country teams finished their season last week at the NCAA New England Regionals.

The event, which took place Saturday, Nov. 16, was hosted by Bowdoin College. The Trailblazers finished 50th overall with 54 schools competing.

Both teams were trained under Coach Abigail Wright, who is wellliked by runners from both teams.

“As the coach, I think the season went very well,” Wright stated in an

Women’s Cross Country NCAA Regionals @ Bowdoin Nov. 16 - 50th Julie Gambill - 25:23.9 (217th) Hannah Poplawski - 27:52.6 (307th) Domenica Gomez - 34:27.6 (368th)

Natalia Gerena - 36:57.1 (371st) Haley Rode - 37:47.6 (376th) Hunter Schrade - 47:46.0 (308th)

Men’s Cross Country NCAA Regionals @ Bowdoin Nov. 16 - 50th Isaac Sibley - 31:42.3 (341st) Theodore Jones - DNF

Men’s Basketball

MCLA (63), Western New England (91) Nov. 15 PHOTO TAKEN FROM MCLA ATHLETICS

Noah Yearsley - 9 Points

Ki-Shawn Monroe ‘20, pictured here in a game against SVU last season, led MCLA in rebounds and assists against Castleton.

Quentin Gittens - 7 Rebounds; 1 Assist

Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Mazzeo shined in the home game matchup, recording 13 points along with 15 rebounds, 11 of which came from Trailblazer misses. Langston added nine points while Burke earned seven points.

By the half, the Trailblazers held a mere 23-22 advantage over the Fighting Tigers, kicking into high gear for the last two quarters and leading 41-36 after the third quarter.

The Fighting Tigers found their opening in the fourth quarter as their freshman forward/guard Anna Post scored ten straight points to take the lead at 47-46 with 6:22 left to play.

The Trailblazers quickly regained the lead with a few free throws from Langston to make it 53-47, and proceeded to stop the Fighting Tigers offense for the next five minutes.

With just 53 seconds left in the game, Cobleskill’s guard Nylasia Sutton ‘21 shot a three-pointer, followed by an additional two points, closing the gap to 53-52.

The Fighting Tigers had a few chances in the remaining 30 seconds of play, but could not get a quality shot, leading the Trailblazers to earn their first win on the season.

Hayden Bird - 1 Assist

Quran Davis - 1 Assist Marius Turner - 1 Assist Mike DeMartinis - 1 Assist Ki-Shawn Monroe - 1 Assist

MCLA (90), Medgar Evers (82) Nov. 16 Mike DeMartinis - 31 Points Ki-Shawn Monroe - 9 Rebounds Damon Daniel - 5 Assists

MCLA (95), Castleton University (71) Nov. 19 Hayden Bird - 25 Points Ki-Shawn Monroe - 11 Rebounds; 10 Assists

Next: vs. Becker College Nov. 23, 12:00 p.m. vs. Williams College Nov. 26, 7:00 p.m. vs. Sage College Dec. 3, 7:00 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

MCLA (53), SUNY Cobleskill (52) Nov. 13 Hannah Mazzeo - 13 Points; 15 Rebounds; 2 Assists Kylah Langston - 2 Assists

Cross Country Ends Season With NCAA New England Regionals email. “All of my athletes put in their time in order to get their results.”

“We had 5 races back to back, which is not easy on the body,” Wright added. “Cross country is not easy, and these athletes really showed me how they can push themselves to the next level.”

Julie Gambill ‘20 was placed the highest for MCLA, ranking 217th out of a total of 388 runners in the women’s 6000 meter race. They finished with a time of 25:23.9.

“I am one proud coach,” Wright said.

“They always give it everything, and I

SCORE BOARD

Jenna Berg - 33:35.7 (365th)

Men’s and Women’s Cross Country

BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE MANAGING EDITOR

9

cannot not be disappointed with that.”

“I always tell them, you cannot control the uncontrollable, and you need to get comfortable being uncomfortable,” Wright added. “They do just that.”

Isaac Sibley ‘23 was the only runner for the men’s team to finish and place in the men’s 8000 meter run over the week, ranking 341st out of a total of 388 runners and finishing with a time of 31:42.3.

“This team pushes one another as much as they push themselves,” Wright said. “They are truly one happy family, and I am so grateful.”

Maddie Teta - 2 Assists Emily Burke - 2 Assists

MCLA (45), Williams College (97) Nov. 16 Kylah Langston - 14 Points; 3 Assists Hannah Mazzeo - 9 Rebounds

MCLA — Mount Holyoke (Wed.) Nov. 20 Next: vs. Utica Nov. 23, 2:00 p.m. vs. Fisher College Nov. 26, 5:00 p.m. vs. Trinity (Conn.)

Dec. 1, 2:00 p.m. vs. Elms College Dec. 4, 5:00 p.m.

Opinion

TheOnlineBeacon.com

10

‘Healthier’ Fast Food Options Means Bigger, Saltier, & Heavier There used to be a time when quick-service food didn’t pose as much of a threat to Americans’ health as it does now.

Today in the U.S., however, about 37% of adults, at least 20 years old, eat fast food on any given day, as do 45% of adults between the ages of 20 and 39.

In the past few decades, fast food has earned a bad reputation, largely because of its large portion sizes, high fat and sodium contents, and processed ingredients.

This is of great concern for Americans, with the adult obesity rate currently sitting at an all-time high.

According to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control, about 40% of adults in the U.S. are obese. Eating fast food regularly is a large contributor to this ever-growing obesity rate.

To counter this, fast food chains have spent the last few decades marketing themselves as more health-conscious than ever before.

They advertise their salads, yogurts, and wraps more than the usual burgers, fried chicken, and shakes.

However, according to a new study from researchers at Boston University and Tufts, while the variety of options grew in size, the calories and sodium in them rose as well.

The researchers studied 1,787 entrees, sides and desserts at 10 chains—Arby’s, Burger King, Carl’s Jr., Dairy Queen, Hardee’s, Jack in the Box, KFC, Long John Silver’s, McDonald’s and Wendy’s—from

1986 to 2016. In that time, the number of items in those three categories rose 226%.

The study, published earlier this year in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, found that even with lighter items in the mix, fast food menus are less healthy than they were 30 years ago.

The fat and salt content and the sheer size of fast food meals have always been a public health concern.

They are often blamed for increasing the obesity rate among adults in the United States, which rose to 40% in 2016 from 13% in the early 1960s.

This new study suggests the problem is getting worse. Fast food’s growing portions have warped people’s conceptions of what a serving size should look like.

Across the 10 chains, researchers found that the average entree weighed 39 grams more in 2016 than in 1986, a difference equivalent to about two eggs, and had 90 more calories.

While 90 calories may not seem like a huge number, think about how that number multiplies based on how often you consume fast food. Let’s say an individual eats one fast-food meal, without any sides, once a week.

That person consumes about 4,680 calories more per year from that one fast food meal alone than they would have in 1986.

The study also found that entrees had 41.6% of the recommended daily amount of sodium, up from 27.8%.

TESSA SESTITO NOT FOR THE BETTER In terms of desserts, researchers found that in 2016, the average fastfood dessert weighed an extra 71 grams and had 186 more calories than the average dessert 30 years earlier.

For sides, the study revealed that there were 42 more calories, on average, in items like chips, soups, and French fries in 2016 than there were in 1986. Sodium content rose to 23.2% of the recommended daily value from 11.6%, even though portion sizes did not grow substantially.

Consumed together as a single meal, the study found that the average entree and side account for nearly 40% of a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

Even salads, which have been added to fast-food menus over the years, is not an option that is healthy enough to be considered “better for you.” When you factor in the amount

of dressing, unhealthy add-ins, oversized portions of meat, and cheese, fast food salads might not end up being much better than that burger.

The commonly used argument in favor of fast food usually revolves around its ability to stretch a dollar farther than healthier options sold in grocery stores.

However, in the battle of fast food vs. the grocery store, the drive-thru is losing out on a key measure.

New data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed an index for “food at home” that measures the prices of major grocery store food groups decreased by 0.2%.

Meanwhile, food “away from home,” which measures food sold at places such as full-service and fastfood restaurants, ticked up 0.2%.

However, perceptions about the expense of food haven’t changed.

Over the past year, food at home declined 1.6% with some proteins seeing sharp decreases: a 10.2% drop for ground beef and 3.4% for chicken.

During the same period, food away from home rose by 2.8%.

So, what can be done to prevent the obesity rate from escalating any further?

Researchers in this study proposed that fast-food restaurants offer smaller portion sizes, or, even more extreme, introduce calorie taxation.

While this may sound too radical, having to pay a tax on higher-calorie meals would deter people from being tempted to order grossly unhealthy meals such as a Big Mac with fries and a large soda.

Examining The Over-Saturation of Streaming Services

JAKE VITALI A SLICE OF AMERICANA On Nov. 12, Disney launched its new streaming site Disney+ and the immediate reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, especially with exclusive programs like “The Mandalorian.”

In many ways, Disney+ is a groundbreaking product. While the idea of a streaming service that offers a company’s programs exclusively is not a new idea, CBS has taken this approach with their All Access service, Disney+ has undoubtedly been the conversation starter due in part to the vast network of films and television shows that they own.

But Disney+ launches in an already crowded field of streaming services with well-established competitors like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.

These platforms have been successful largely in part due to their ability to offer a wide array of content from established networks like Disney. The option of paying $10 per month for a service that offers programs, from the hit sitcom “Parks and Recreation” to dramas like “Pulp Fiction”, is an appealing proposition.

The low cost of services like Netflix and Hulu, in addition to their on-demand capability, has arguably been a significant reason why cord-cutting has become an increasingly popular trend with millennials, as was outlined in a study from Consumer Reports earlier this year.

Even at their most basic level, a television subscription is approximately $30 per month. To purchase a monthly subscription to Netflix and Hulu, it would be about $19. For an additional $7, you can add Disney+ to the mix bringing you to $26. Adding the soon to be released HBOMax, the newly launched AppleTV, and CBS All Access puts you at $52.

However, the model that Disney+ follows is going to be utilized more by television networks and film distributors. NBC has already announced its plans to move forward with a platform called Peacock which would exclusively house programs like “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Frasier,” and “Saturday Night Live.”

The service may have a free com-

ponent where you can watch content with advertising, although nothing has been confirmed yet. It is also possible that there could be a component like Hulu’s base subscription wherein you pay and still see ads.

As these services become increasingly popular, so does exclusively produced content. Netflix has found incredible success with its original series “Orange is the New Black,” “Big Mouth,” and “House of Cards,” in addition to a number of in-house films like “Bird Box.” Hulu has had a hit with “Castle Rock,” Amazon has had a hit with “Transparent,” and early reviews predict “The Mandalorian” which is based on the Star Wars franchise, is a hit for Disney+. CBS All Access is also the only platform to see the new “Star Trek” series “Discovery” and the upcoming “Picard.”

Yet even as distributors create their own platforms, content remains spread out among them. When NBC’s “Friends” leaves Netflix in 2021, it will shift to HBOMax instead of Peacock, and HBO will also have “The Big Bang Theory” which was a popular CBS program. The NBC 1990’s mega-hit “Seinfeld” will also move to Netflix from Hulu in 2021.

These platforms also lack live sports which is another area that feels as if it has yet to be fully explored, although YouTube TV has been slowly expanding offerings in that category. Howev-

er, subscribing adds another $49.99 to your monthly bill for a total near $102.

It can feel confusing as to which service is the best one to subscribe to.

Content is never guaranteed to remain in one place and the next big show everyone is insisting that you watch could be on a platform you haven’t even heard of yet.

The confusion is only heightened as music streaming services are dominated by three primary options between “Spotify,” “Apple Music,” and “Google Play.” Aside from the user interface and potentially integration with hardware devices, these services are largely the same. While artists have occasionally tried an exclusive release with one service, the music always reaches the others in a short window of time. While there’s a number of issues that get in the way, primarily licensing, consumers just want an easy way to watch the content that they want to watch.

With six major competitors in the streaming market already and more likely to enter the scene, it remains to be seen how consumers respond.

Are we really going to pay for 6 major services and can we really justify doing so? Potentially. While Disney+ is still so new to the market, analysts are touting that it has not affected Netflix subscriptions, or the company’s stock price, which is up over the past five days.

Opinion

Nov. 21, 2019

TheOnlineBeacon.com

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Editorial

College Media, Worth It College media has proved its importance over the years, working as student voices to express dissent, question administrators, and report on the ongoing activities of the school.

As an introduction to journalism, it’s important for college papers to mirror the work professional journalists do.

Many schools mimic the format of real-world newsrooms in their student papers, MCLA included, and encourage students to work to those standards.

College newspapers have been known as a significant and powerful voice for students for a hundred years or more in some cases. Student protests and events have been the topics of papers for years as well as critiques on their respective administration and staff.

A student’s whole world can revolve around what happens inside on campus. From changes to the cafeteria menu, to courses being added or removed, it’s the student newspaper’s job to report on it all so that people stay “in the know.”

Student media has been known for breaking nationwide stories as well as local stories. Just this past September, 20-year-old Arizona State University student Andrew Howard broke the story of Kurt Volker’s resignation. Volker, who was the executive director of the McCain Institute, resigned as the U.S. Special Envoy for

Ukraine amidst the turmoil surrounding the Trump whistleblower story.

Journalism is known as the “Fourth Estate,” which means it plays an important role as a watchdog of those in power, including government and business. This role is more important than ever today. It’s the job of a journalist to find and share information with the world, to ask the difficult questions and tell as many people as possible.

Student journalists, just like professionals, need to remain objective and unbiased when covering news.

This year, to help promote the effect student journalists have on society and civic life, various student media advocates declared 2019 as the Year of the Student Journalist. This year-long event is backed by the Student Press Law Center, Freedom Forum Institute, and the Newseum, all Washington D.C.-based groups and organizations that work to protect and promote the First Amendment.

Student journalists play an important role on campuses as public forums and places in which the campus communities can stay informed. This is why student papers, like professional newspapers, must be free of censorship and attempted control by college administrations.

We as student journalists take our ethical responsibilities seriously and take pride in our work when we do it well, because journalism is hard but worth it.

It’s Your Body, It’s Your Choice Abortion has been a hot topic of conversation since the practice started. Throughout history, women have been fighting for a practice that should not be handled by the views of men, or the government.

The right to have an abortion is a fundamental right that women should be allowed to have.

In 1973, the U.S. decided in the Roe v. Wade court case that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant women’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. With the decision to start taking government out of the picture, there was still a decision that abortions would only be allowed before the first trimester of pregnancy ended.

First off, this court decision was significant in that it started the foundation for all other abortion case. This also set to the states that this needs to be done nationwide.

Even after Roe v. Wade, abortion was still being challenged by the public and certain states. Women have also been unequally represented in their fight for fundamental rights. So it was good that in the court case involving Planned Parenthood v. Casey, women received much more support by the Supreme Court than ever before.

In the 1992 court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the Supreme Court ruled on abortion that it affirmed the basic ruling of Roe v.

Wade, that the state is prohibited from banning most abortions. This court case ruled that spousal awareness prior to obtaining an abortion was invalid user the Fourteenth Amendment because it, “created an undue burden on married women seeking an abortion.”

Recently, the government has not physically banned abortions but they are trying to make it much harder for women to be able to find a clinic near them. There was a recent court case that challenged Roe v. Wade involving the state of North Dakota.

NATHAN BIRON DON’T JUDGE ME In 2013, North Dakota became the first state to pass a new bill called the Heartbeat law. The Heartbeat law is a very controversial from of abortion restriction legislation in the U.S. which makes abortions illegal as soon as the embryonic or fetal heartbeat can be detected. As of May 2019, this bill has passed in Ohio, Georgia, and Missouri. Recently, Alabama has passed this law but with much more scrutiny and expansive restrictions.

Alabama changed the regulations and description of the law that would outlaw any abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for pregnancy resulting from rape or incest. Since Roe v. Wade was under a Supreme Court ruling, this law might be under unenforceable to the state, but without legal challenges this could be start to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision.

Another issue for women looking for an abortion is the lack of clinics in the country. There are six states who only have one clinic each that is providing abortion. Some Americans that are living in more rural areas have no access to get to clinics in their town.The government dubs these places as “desert” areas, which claims it isn’t a necessity to have an abortion clinic there. Most people living in these “desert” areas are at least 100 miles away from the nearest clinic. If one doesn’t have the means for transportation, one

could never get to the clinic. Since outright banning the practice can’t be done, the government could chose to just take away the means of providing the service to the people.

According to the Guttmacher Institution, “42 abortion restrictions were enacted between January and May of 2019 alone.” This also includes the common aborting types of procedure and requiring parental consent for teenagers who need abortions. All these restrictions and new laws, could lead to more deaths and injuries for women who decide to try at-home abortions.

Just like removing the first amendment which includes a human right to speech, having women not be able to have the fundamental right of abortions, is beyond ridiculous.

This is not the government’s choice, this is a women’s choice to have the procedure or not. The government should not be allowed to intervene with women’s right to have an abortion. But there still should be limits on when it is healthy to get one to keep women out of harm’s way and to speak with a physician on how to practice this safely.

The fight for women’s human right to abortions is not over. None of the bans have been put into effect yet which makes it still legal in all 50 states. Planned Parenthood Action Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union have vowed to fight back against these states who want to ban the practice, with lawsuits already filed for a few of these states.

With thousands of protesters and rallies occurring throughout the country, the hope is to see an end to this disgusting act of trying to control our citizens. Women and men around the world have stood up against the states trying to deny women of their right. The ban on abortions is unconstitutional and women should be allowed to decide what happens to their bodies without government interference or anyone in that matter. This is a human right that is being exploited and this needs to stop.

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Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Tessa Sestito

Managing Editor Corey Mitchell-Labrie

Senior News Editor Nathan Biron

A & E Editor Jennifer VanBramer

Features Editor Maya McFadden

Editor-at-Large Jake Vitali

BWN Executive Producer Julia Teixeira

Staff Staff Writers Natalia Giacomozzi Brian Rhodes Taylor Scarver

A&E Writer

Features Writer Lise Mansaray

Sabrina Damms

Sports Writer John Morrisey

BWN Reporters Symantha Kehr Jabari Shakir

Robert Wehry Rosedolphe Ambroise

Advisers Shawn McIntosh Jim Niedbalski

Nov. 21, 2019

IN OTHER BEACON NEWS

Applications for The Beacon are open!

They can be picked up and returned to Mark Hopkins 111 Contact Prof. Shawn McIntosh, Prof. Jim Niedbalski, Tessa Sestito, or Corey Mitchell-Labrie with any questions.

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