May 2, 2019 Vol. 88, Issue 12

TheOnlineBeacon.com

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Volume 88 • Issue 12

O+ Festival Coming

BY AIDAN RAWSON SPECIAL TO THE BEACON

North Adams will host its inaugural O+ (pronounced O-Positive) Festival of art, music and wellness Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11. The festival allows for artists, volunteers and other creative individuals to exchange their talent and time for free health and wellness care in a temporary clinic. “[The festival is a way to] empower communities to take control of their collective wellbeing through art, music, and wellness,” O+ Communications Director Makayla Courtney-McGeeney said. “This is the first one happening in North Adams, and we hope to make it an annual event.”

Courtney-McGeeney credits North Adams’ creative community presence as a reason for bringing the festival to the city.

“North Adams encompasses a large creative community,” Courtney-McGeeney said. “It’s also nice to get regional artists and musicians to the area who may have never been to North Adams.”

FESTIVAL, Page 12

BY TESSA SESTITO STAFF WRITER

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MAKAYLA-COURTNEY MCGEENEY

From left: Volunteer Coordinator Bri Rousseau, Festival Director Jessica Sweeney, Clinic Volunteer Amanda Leola, Egan Poirier, RN, Music Director Nico Dery, City Liason Suzy Helm, bottom left, Art Coordinator Ashley Strazzinski, and Communications Director MakaylaCourtney McGeeney.

Fitness Center

Renovation Treading Water

BY JABARI SHAKIR CO-SPORTS EDITOR The planned construction of a new fitness center is back on track for the summer of 2019 after a burst water pipe on campus delayed the project.

The $4.2 million project will move the fitness center to where the pool — which the College drained and closed last year — is currently located. The target date to finish the project is set in November according to College officials.

The College will simultaneously renovate the Centennial Room to upgrade and update the dining area at a cost of $2.5 million with a completion date set in August.

Funds for the projects are being provided by Aramark and state sources. “[The leak] was a contributing factor [to the delay] because we could not drain the pool and [the workers] were nervous about trying to put all that water through the system,” Laura Mooney, athletic director, said.

Mooney stated that the administration planned for a new fitness center after many students complained about

College Costs Far Outpace Inflation Rate

the lack of space and old equipment in the current fitness center.

“It is very small from an athletic standpoint,” Mooney said. “We can’t even fit a whole team in there to get a workout in.”

“We don’t have enough certain pieces of equipment,” Mooney continued. “There are only four treadmills.”

Mooney added that she wants students to decide on what to transform the old fitness center space into to benefit all students, such as a multipurpose room or a student lounge.

“The plan for the old fitness center is going to become a student space,” Mooney said.

SGA is going to have a discussion on how they best want to utilize it. The initial conversations were that it could become a game room, or put a couple of couches in there, or a nice television or screen for movies, or a little stage for performances.”

Megan Richardson ’20, student-athlete advisory committee co-president, expressed her excitement for the new fitness center.

FITNESS, Page 10

Reduced state funding, a decline in state-funded scholarships, and an increase in student services have led to an increase of 105.8% (in-state) and 277.3% (out-of-state) in tuition and, more importantly, fees at MCLA in the last 20 years.

In terms of in-state tuition and fees, MCLA is not far from the average for other Massachusetts public four-year institutions, which have seen a 109% growth in tuition and fees since fiscal 2001 to fiscal 2016, according to the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. “[Massachusetts] has some of the fastest rising tuition and fee rates in the U.S. ― ranking 18% higher than the national average,” Stephanie McGrath, policy and research analyst for the New England Board of Higher Education, stated in an email. “Typically, when states do set their tuition artificially low, it is to make the barriers to college as surmountable as possible.”

The cost of tuition and fees has far outpaced inflation, which increases about 2% each year.

For example, in 1998, a year after North Adams

TUITION, Page 12

Mark Hopkins Hall

Waiting for Upgrades

BY BRIAN RHODES SPECIAL TO THE BEACON Age, space issues, a leaky roof and lack of an elevator have made Mark Hopkins a prime candidate for renovation, like Bowman and Murdock before it.

In recent weeks, students with classes in Mark Hopkins have had to deal with compromised learning environments due to leaky ceilings. Several buckets intended to contain the leaks are scattered around the second floor. Some ceiling tiles have fallen after becoming waterlogged, as they have in Room 212.

Last year the State Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance denied a proposal that would have seen Mark Hopkins get a large-scale $15 million makeover. This proposal would have added several updates to the building, according to Paul LeSage, chairperson of the English/communications department. For LeSage, the cost to renovate Mark Hopkins is reasonable and worth pursuing.

One of the most pressing issues with Mark Hopkins, according to LeSage and other college officials, is the build-

PHOTO BY KENNY OLCHOWSKI

Mark Hopkins Hall lacks an elevator, leaving some classrooms inaccessible for students. ing’s failure to meet compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “It needs an elevator,” LeSage said. “There’s no way [for students who cannot safely use stairs] to get up to the top floor.”

LeSage also noted that had the renovation been approved, a small addition would have been added to the north side of Mark Hopkins, facing Blackinton Street, to house the elevator.

One main purpose of the renovation, according to LeSage, was to convert Mark Hopkins into a tech center that

would house all of MCLA’s student media.

The renovation would have also improved various aspects of student and professor spaces. One such feature LeSage mentioned needing attention were offices in the building; many professor offices were repurposed from rooms that formerly housed elementary school classrooms and later computer labs, with only cubicle walls separating each office.

“There’s no privacy [in the offices],” LeSage said. “We’ve

HOPKINS, Page 12

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Southern Vermont College Students Could Fill Empty Campus Beds

BY BRIAN RHODES SPECIAL TO THE BEACON About 80 Southern Vermont College students have applied to and could transfer to MCLA next semester, and residential programs and services are preparing to accommodate those who wish to live on campus.

SVC announced in March that it will close at the end of the spring semester. MCLA agreed to be SVC’s “teach-out” partner, and will accept students from the small private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont. This agreement included guaranteed housing for all interested SVC transfer students.

MCLA’s residence areas are equipped to handle this influx of students, as only 744 of the approximately 1,000 beds on campus are filled, according to Dianne Manning, director of residential programs and services. Manning also acknowledged that RPS is prepared to help make the transition for SVC students as seamless as possible.

“Our job is to situate them and make them comfortable the same way we situate all new students,” Manning said.

“We’re going to do our best to help their transition not be disruptive. We’ll do our best to give them the roommate of their choice or if they want to live together in a suite or something because maybe they’re living together in a suite now and they’d like to continue that relationship as they come to MCLA.” The average cost for on-campus housing each student at MCLA paid fiscal 2019 was $6,297, according to Fernando Valle Garcia, communications and data specialist at the Massachusetts State College Building Authority. Assuming all estimated 80 applicants decide to attend MCLA and live on campus, this would provide an additional $503,760 in revenue for the College.

This revenue would help offset the assessments that MCLA and other state colleges pay to MSCBA every year.

According to Garcia, these assessments pay for things such as capital improvement reserves, outstanding debt service,

PHOTO BY KENNY OLCHOWSKI

Only 744 of the 1,000 beds on campus are filled, meaning that the residence areas could handle the influx of students from SVC. operating costs and insurance premiums. The estimated assessments that MCLA will pay for fiscal 2019 is $3,409,103, according to Garcia.

Manning also expressed her sadness and condolences for the situation that current SVC students are experiencing.

“We have colleagues who are there, people who used to work for us who now work there plus all of the students, it’s a disruptive thing in people’s lives,” Manning said. “If you find out that your place of employment is going to close or the place you decided to pursue your college career is going to close, people have relationships with each other

where they work together, they live in the residence halls together, there’s a whole piece of grieving with that.”

Catherine Holbrook, vice president of student affairs, was similarly optimistic about the transition and is excited to welcome the former SVC students into the MCLA community.

“I think adding students from another institution to our institution is a plus on many levels. We have room to have more students,” Holbrook said. “The more students

BEDS, Page 12

Senior Week, Baccalaureate and Commencement

BY AIDAN RAWSON SPECIAL TO THE BEACON Graduating seniors will have the opportunity to celebrate their accomplishments during the week of Commencement, otherwise known as Senior Week.

This year, Senior Class President Allison Thienel worked diligently with her classmates and Coordinator Natty Burfield, assistant director of student activities and programming, to plan myriad events for seniors leading up to the 120th Commencement Saturday, May 18.

Senior Week is a celebration giving graduating seniors an opportunity to spend time with their classmates before embarking on their postgraduate journey.

Thienel explained the planning process that took place behind the scenes.

“I first reached out to the graduating class as a whole because I really wanted everyone to feel included; I felt there should be an event everyone could enjoy,” Thienel said. “We had this enormous checklist, but we knew we needed food, trips, activities and we kind of threw ideas around to see what stuck.”

Thienel also noted that the full list of senior week events was sent to anyone who purchased a Senior Week package, with additional information sent home as well.

This year’s Senior Week will take place from May 11 to May 17. Some of the events — like the Boston/Foxwoods trip Thursday, May 16 — are planned by the class as a way to venture off campus.

Other events are rooted in MCLA’s deep and rich history.

Presentation of the class number and taking of the class picture will occur Wednesday, May 15. The class number presentation is a tradition; each class gets to select a brick on Murdock Hall to be etched with their graduation year.

Additionally, the baccalaureate ceremony will take place Friday, May 17, in the Campus Center

Gym at 2 p.m. The baccalaureate ceremony is free and does not require a ticket for entry.

All of these events will lead up to Commencement Saturday, May 18. This year’s Commence-

ment will host three honorary degree recipients.

An Honorary Doctorate in Public Services will be

awarded to Richard Neal, commencement speaker and representative of the 1st Congressional District of Massachusetts, as well as to former four-term North Adams mayor, Richard Alcombright, currently of Mountain One. A third honorary degree in Humane Letters will be awarded to Shirley Edgerton. Director of Youth Alive, Inc., Edgerton is also a cultural proficiency coach for Pittsfield Public Schools. A full write up of this year’s honorary degree recipients can be found in the press release section of the MCLA website.

While a limited number of tickets were initially available for commencement, additional tickets are awarded through a lottery system. Attendees who do not have seats will be able to watch a live simulcast of graduation in both the Campus Center Marketplace and Sullivan Lounge.

A livestream of Commencement will also be available for those who are off-cam-

pus at https://www.youtube.com/mclaedu.

As Commencement inches closer, Thienel offered some final words of wisdom for her fellow classmates.

“I wish that they never forget how far kindness can go,” Thienel said. “MCLA has been an accepting place where students can be who they want to be … I wish them the best.

Wherever their lives go after graduation, I wish that they’ll get to do what they love, because then they’ll never work a day in their life and that is truly living.”

When asked about her plans for after graduation, Thienel stated she hopes to make films one day and is excited to be on a movie set to bring stories to life. She credits MCLA for helping to make her story that much greater.

“What’s kind of running through my head is how ready and eager I am to see what’s beyond MCLA,” Thienel said. “Being a trailblazer was amazing and I got to do some pretty incredible things — like being class president, senior admissions ambassador, go study abroad — and it’s all of these memories that are what prepares us for what comes next.”

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May 2, 2019

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Berkshire Barbeque is A-OK

BY NATHAN BIRON STAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY NATE BIRON

A-OK Berkshire Barbeque on Marshall Street is open Friday through Monday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Frustration with Philo

BY TAYLOR SCARVER SPECIAL TO THE BEACON Since MCLA’s change from cable television to streaming service Philo, many students have voiced their frustrations with the switch.

Philo was introduced to students at the beginning of fall 2018. It gives students access to live TV and DVR on televisions, computers and mobile devices.

However, this is a problem for students who have brought televisions from home and cable is their only access to live TV. L’Rae Brundige ’19 brings her TV to school as an outlet from school work.

“I watch TV about a handful of times a week, maybe four out of the seven days,” Brundige said.

Although Brundige uses her Philo account often on her computer, she still prefers to have cable “It sucks not being able to just turn on the television since I don’t own a Roku or an Apple TV,” Brundige continued.

“I don’t have the funds to buy an entertainment box just for school.”

The College had used Time Warner, now Spectrum, since the 1980s. Each residential area was provided with cable inputs in every dorm room. Students were required to bring their own cable cord if they brought a television. The cable option provided 144 channels, which included over 70 networks and over 50 music stations.

In the fall of 2018, the College ended its cable service with Spectrum based on spring 2018 survey results that showed students preferred streaming, according to Ian Bergeron, associate dean of information technology.

“The results showed that students were streaming more than ever and wanted a more modern television entertainment solution,” Bergeron said. “We continued to use Spectrum, since long before it was called Spectrum, well over a decade and long before my time.”

As an alternative, the College provided students with the option to purchase a Roku for about $40 from the bookstore or to use the streaming service on their televisions. Philo can also be accessed through the Philo app on your phone or tablet and on its website (https:// www.mcla.philo.com) using an MCLA login. HBO Go has also been offered for students with their MCLA login. During the Super Bowl, usage experienced a high of approximately 100 simultaneous viewers.

Over the past years, Spectrum has reduced its services, such as removing channels while still raising prices. Spectrum subscribers in Berkshire County were angered when Spectrum dropped a Springfield NBC station from its channel lineup because the company said the county is a part of the Albany, New York, market.

PHILO, Page 5

Soon to celebrate a year in business is A-OK Berkshire Barbeque in the old Sprague Electric Guardhouse at the entrance to MASS MoCA. Aaron Oster, co-owner of A-OK, has a positive outlook on the town and what his restaurant can do for the community. A-OK Barbeque is open Friday through Monday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Some days they close earlier than other days when the restaurant sells out of products.

“Having our location being so unique, we think this is a great opportunity to show not only the community around us, but all the rest of the tourists who come to this area to experience something different,” Oster said. “With the help of the museum, we are able to bring in more customers than say having a restaurant on the main street.”

Some of the items on their menu include the honey-baked ham & cheese sandwich, hot sliced brisket and their special smoked carrots and coleslaw. Customers can also purchase meats by the quarter-pound, which include the Berkshire brisket, smoked chicken and their sausage.

Alexandra Oster, Oster’s wife and co-owner, is also very excited and anxious to see how much impact the business has on the community.

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“Owning this restaurant is a dream of ours,” Oster said. “Hopefully one day we will be able to move into a bigger space and reach more of the outer communities.”

Oster has the restaurant open four days only out of the week compared to most that are open six days a week.

“Having this restaurant be so exclusive than the others I think puts an emphasis on how much care we put into the food,” Oster said.

“We stay until there is no more food left or there aren’t any more customers and that is different every single day.”

Orion Howard, another co-owner, also expressed his opinion on the food and their customers.

“Our main goal is to put better food on people’s plates and to reach out to the community with new ways of dining at a restaurant,” Howard said. “Being able to grab a bite to eat here and then grab a drink in the Bright Ideas Brewing Company right next door.”

Christopher Delorey, local resident, has been going on a weekly basis to eat the food Aaron and Alexandra Oster have created.

“This is by far the best food in the area for barbeque and quality of meat,” Delorey said.

“Having the option to sit inside the brewing company is a huge plus for them, especially if there is poor weather.”

A-OK can be reached at (413) 398-5079 or at http://www.aokbbq.com.

Questionable Future for WGSS

BY NICHOLAS BASSETT MANAGING EDITOR In January of this year, MCLA published a press release on its website remarking on a report from the Eos Foundation examining gender equality in Massachusetts colleges and universities and the report identified MCLA as the top four-year public institution among only a small handful of schools to achieve gender equality.

The article mentions MCLA’s 18-credit Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) minor as an example of how students are being educated on gender issues. The minor held its annual dinner Wednesday, April 24, in honor of the students who have completed the minor and/or will be graduating this year.

An occasion usually marked by happiness and rejoice was instead marked

with questions about the future of the minor. As covered earlier this semester, the WGSS minor is one of the areas at MCLA affected by the change of some faculty Alternative Professional Responsibilities. WGSS Director Ingrid Castro’s APR has been removed for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Of the two speakers at the event, Michele Ethier, department chair of sociology, anthropology and social work, and one of the original founders of the women’s studies minor, expressed her concern for the minor in the beginning of her speech saying, “Welcome to what might be the last supper for Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies.”

Ethier went on to explain how APRs are a feminist issue saying, “MCLA is known across the state as being cheap with APRs.

The bosses have an unlimited supply but they have not been generous with them … [T]oo many APRs have been eliminated for next year.”

“If you omit chair work, where APR work is contractually mandated, I realized that it’s mostly women faculty,” Ethier continued.

In her opening speech and in a later statement via email, Castro stated that she hasn’t been communicated with at all in regards to the future of the WGSS APR. At the end of her speech, Ethier spoke directly toward President Birge, Vice President of Academic Affairs Emily Williams and Dean of Academic Operation Deb Foss saying, “President Birge, Vice President Williams, Dean Foss, the Women, Gender and Sexuality Minor, founded 30 years ago, deserves your respect and honor, not your disdain.”

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May 2, 2019

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BT Parking Lot Wall Rupture, Repairs Coming Soon

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BY COREY MITCHELL- LABRIE SENIOR NEWS EDITOR MCLA students aren’t the only ones starting to crack under pressure as the spring semester comes to a close, as a section of the rock wall in the Berkshire Towers parking lot collapsed.

The area is marked off with traffic cones, caution tape and fallen dividers to prevent cars from utilizing the space around it while MCLA Facilities works to get that section of the wall fixed.

Robert Fortini, MCLA’s maintenance working foreman, was on vacation and unavailable for an interview. Facilities didn’t comment on the wall and directed The Beacon to Lawrence Behan, vice president of administration and finance.

“Facilities does rounds as part of their every morning routine,” Behan said. “So we were notified the morning it happened.”

According to Behan, when issues like this arise on campus, the first thing the College looks into is safety.

Because the area proved easy to block off and was not deemed a life-safety issue, Behan projects that the wall will be repaired sometime in the next few months.

When pulling money for repairs, Behan noted that a specific portion of the operating budget is set aside for these issues.

“We use historical data each year to determine the exact amount [for their operating budget],” Behan

PHOTO BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE

The damaged rock wall in the Berkshire Towers parking lot is expected to undergo repairs within the next few months. said. “Some years we use less, some more.”

When that pool of funds isn’t sufficient, the College starts looking into other options—like dipping into the reserve fund or even going straight to the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance.

The College itself doesn’t own the campus, so when

SGA

New Members Attend Last Meeting of the Semester

BY MAYA MCFADDEN STAFF WRITER Fifteen new student representatives for the fall 2019 Student Government Association were present and sworn in during the final meeting of the semester Monday, April 29.

The newly elected executive cabinet for fall 2019 will include Dean Little ‘21, SGA president; Giovanni Arana ‘21, executive vice president; and Samantha Schwantner ‘20, coordinating vice president.

Executive positions that will be vacant for fall 2019 are parliamentarian and student trustee.

Nick Strezinski ’20 was nominated and sworn in as the treasurer, Elizabeth King ’20 was nominated and sworn in as the public relations chair, Fabienne Bogardus-Street ’20 was voted into the role of Senate chairperson for her third year and Joe Bellas was voted into the position of Senate secretary.

An adviser for next semester has not yet been decided on, according to Christopher Hantman, SGA adviser and community engagement coordinator for the Volunteer Center.

Many changes and edits to the constitution and the bylaws were proposed and approved. Some of these changes will include: the Senate now has the ability to confirm or deny presidential appointments to the cabinet; the SGA president may not vote on

certain issues arise the state of Massachusetts will step in and pay for work on repairs.

“I think this crew does a very good job maintaining the campus, they do a very good job in keeping it safe,” Behan said. “I don’t think they get recognition for the good work they do.”

Green Living Seminar

New Tech and Practices Helping Farmers

BY COREY MITCHELL- LABRIE SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

PHOTO BY MAYA MCFADDEN

Current SGA Executive Cabinet and Senate members pose alongside SGA Adviser Christopher Hantman and SGA Office Manager Amanda Schueler. anything except in the case of a tie; only a majority is now required to amend the bylaws; and the executive cabinet is now allowed to vote on bylaws along with the Senate.

Many of the now former SGA members said they will be looking forward to seeing what SGA will do during the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year.

“I’m really happy with how the year went, I had a great e-board, I had a great Senate, it was a small group of folks, but we worked so hard and we accomplished a lot this year,” said Declan Nolan ’19, former SGA president.

As president, Little said he hopes to work on strengthening

the student voice by maintaining regular communication with administration, better SGA’s relationships with its clubs and organizations, and build more relationships with the local community.

“We’ve gone through an area of complacency,” Little said.

Changes were also made for club and organization requirements. Now, a club or organization must maintain a membership of at least five students with at least two members being a part of the clubs e-board. Clubs also must meet at the minimum two times per semester.

“Any club that does not main-

SGA, Page 12

The Green Living Seminar Series ended Thursday, April 25, with environmental researcher and framer Dorn Cox who spoke about new technologies and practices farmers could use to help each other.

Cox pushed for farming network groups such as Gathering for Open Agriculture Technology and the Three River Farmers Alliance. A large part of his goals was to get farmers to better themselves and their lands by working as a collective.

“Agriculture, as a concept, is not so isolationist as this concept of the farmer,” Cox said. “Agriculture is actually everyone and we collectively create the culture that we want.”

He spoke widely about the idea that “tools are a reflection of our understanding,” particularly when talking about outdated tools like the plow where, based on modern research, over-tilling has been shown to have an adverse effect on soil.

“We’re looking at agriculture as not just thinking about ‘What tool can I go buy?’, but understanding tool as part of a system you are trying to create,” Cox said.

Cox spoke about work on farming computer operating systems — like FarmOS — and insight into newer, cheaper tools like soil spectrometers.

One of the main problems Cox had with technologies of the past was its adaptive capacity. As the climate changes from year-to-year with different rainfalls, temperatures and so on, farmers need flexible, accommodating tools and practices.

As a part of his vision on modernizing farms, Cox proposed ideas for farms to become premier sites for laboratories and climate observatories.

“I think one of the key things we’re looking for [in] agriculture right now is this idea of an observatory,” Cox said. “We’re looking to our landscapes for other functions from a biological perspective, from managing climate change and so forth.”

By creating farm based observatories, Cox hopes to start a shift in which farms become more culturally open spaces rather than closed, isolated systems of production.

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May 2, 2019

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SimpsonScarborough Improves MCLA Image

BY TAYLOR SCARVER SPECIAL TO THE BEACON On March 3 and 4, SimpsonScarborough held a meeting about MCLA’s future in marketing and the changes that could potentially help with the College’s image and raise enrollment.

SimpsonScarborough is a marketing company that helps higher education bring out the best of their brand. The company began working with the College last year, creating different primary goals and processes on how to better the College’s brand. They used the College’s previous marketing strategies to help focus on what needs to be worked on. Since then, the College has sent out multiple surveys asking students, alumni and faculty about the presence of MCLA. According to U.S. demographics, the number of prospective students is on a decline nationwide, making the competition for students harder than it has been. The College is sending out the same message with the same values it always has. It is just changing its appeal through marketing using visual changes to MCLA’s brand to catch the eye of prospective students. The

College has left the print marketing aspect and has entered the digital world.

“The MCLA wordmark is in Trajan,” said Francesca Olsen, MCLA’s social media and marketing manager. “Years ago, you’d see MCLA ads use Trajan for headlines, subheads and body text. This is changing. you don’t want to use your logo font for everything and you won’t see Trajan being used for anything except the wordmark going forward.”

The College plans to use many different type fonts such as “Knockout,” “Superclarendon” and “Hellenic Wide JF.” “Knockout” will be used as the primary sans-serif and used for headlines and body copy.

The College has updated its logo colors, making them brighter and vibrant. It is using shades of blue, considered the hero colors. The College will also use two different yellows and a gold, the gold being used for legacy, heritage and athleticism.

The consultants have created different graphic designs such as directional lines, globes and semi-circles, which were included to look like the windows of Murdock. They also added the design of woodgrain to compliment the outdoors

“It’s empowering to work with professionals and hear their in-sight about the higher education market and other clients they work with. It’s exciting to learn a new brand and teach others how to use it.”

— Francesca Olsen MCLA Social Media and Marketing Manager and the foliage. The College has been doing well with photography, including pictures of the mountains and more photographs of students in the campus setting.

Bernadette Alden, director of marketing and communications, mentioned that SimpsonScarborough’s work has helped the College a great deal: “We’ve never been able to send surveys out to students, faculty and alumni and ask, ‘What is your perception of our institution.’”

Before SimpsonScarborough, marketing company Moth Design helped the College with their “Be Here” campaign in 2015. To help fund SimpsonScarborough’s project, the school received funding by a bequest from Helen Sind-

erman, a 1944 alum.

Helen Sinderman died at the age of 94 Nov. 2, 2016. After her passing, the College received a donation of $348,000 from her estate. Three hundred and fourteen thousand dollars of this donation was used to help fund the marketing department to conduct surveys and strategies.

The office of marketing and communications is thrilled with the changes.

“It’s empowering to work with professionals and hear their insight about the higher education market and other clients they work with,” Olsen said. “It’s exciting to learn a new brand and teach others how to use it.”

‘#MCLAGIVES,’ New Annual Fundraising Event

BY COREY MICHELL-LABRIE SENIOR NEWS EDITOR “#MCLAGIVES,” a 30-hour fundraising program, began at noon Tuesday, April 30, and ended at 6:00 p.m. yesterday, May 1, during which the whole MCLA community was encouraged to submit donations to the College.

Ryan Senecal, director of annual giving and special gifts, worked alongside Amanda Meczywor, MCLA’s annual gifting associate, to put together the #MCLAGIVES event. According to Senecal, the event is centered around gaining new donors, with the College’s goal for the program at 300 gifts.

“The whole purpose of something like this is we’re empowering the people that are looking to get the funds,” Senecal said.

Senecal explained that within a small institution it is important to target already difficult fundraising efforts.

“There isn’t a ton of money in the budget to do a whole lot [of fundraising] with parents, for instance,”

SGA

From Page 4 tain these requirements, or any other requirements outlined in the bylaws will receive a grace period of one month before they will be deemed ‘inactive,’” said Corey Powers, class of 2019 vice president and former parliamentarian. “The SGA President or treasurer may freeze their funds and their ability to request a future budget until they come back into compliance with the bylaws.”

Discussions around the possible need to make attendance mandatory for the student trustee at SGA’s Monday meetings was mentioned.

Students discussed the duties of the student trustee, agreeing that the student trustee should be a liaison between SGA and the board of trustee’s and be given discretion for meeting attendance though attendance is encouraged.

Senecal said. “We don’t have much of a parent campaign here at MCLA and it’s something that I’d love to see in the future, but with budget, with my team size, it’s tough to do.”

Each donation could be given a specific allocation, and depending on how many donations a specific category received, donors could complete certain “challenges.”

Based on a number of donations received, there were six challenges that, when met, large donation pledges would be fulfilled and additional funds granted in that category.

MountainOne, for instance, pledged to give $10,000 to MCLA Athletics if they received 35 donations during the 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. time slot of their challenge, which took place yesterday. Greylock Federal Credit Union also pledged $10,000 to support campus diversity, equity and inclusion if the challenge, the Ivy Challenge, received 25 donation gifts.

“The SGA challenge is one that I’m super excited about and unfortunately we didn’t know beforehand

“They [student trustee] are always that direct line of communication,” Little said.

Ryan Dube ’21 was elected Greek seat on the special Senate representatives.

Tarah Agathe Valin was elected the class of 2022 secretary. Josephine Burlingame was elected as the class of 2020 president. Allison Williams is now the class of 2020 vice president, and Carrier Fontana is the class of 2020 secretary.

Many of the other class Senate representative seats remained vacant.

This coming year, SGA’s meetings will remain on Monday evenings starting at 7 p.m.

Little said he is looking forward to working with those returning to positions on SGA and the new student representatives.

“He’s [Little] going to fill these shoes really well,” Nolan said.

that there had been huge cuts to funding of clubs and organizations,” Senecal said.

For the SGA challenge, the top three clubs to get donation gifts during the event plan to receive $1000, $750 and $500, respectively, for the upcoming fiscal year.

Currently, Senecal and Meczywor are the only individuals working on these projects, a much smaller staff than what Senecal had in his previous position at UMass Amherst.

“I worked in advancement there for five years and I helped them kick off UMassGives, which is their giving day, and it works really well,” Senecal said. “However, I think it’s an even better tool for a school like MCLA.” “We don’t have a dollar amount that we’re aiming for this year, being our first year,” Senecal continued.

“We are hoping to get 300 gifts in 30 hours. In two or three years down the line I think we’ll have monetary goals but again the actual dollar amount is not the focus. The focus is just to get as many people involved as possible.”

BEDS

From Page 2 we have the better it is for everything, from the budget to the way costs get spread across student populations. I think students from another college bring a new and fresh perspective that will be interesting for our students.”

Holbrook emphasized that MCLA’s status as a small liberal arts institution is

PHILO

From Page 3 “Effectively, we were paying more for fewer services and the competition had grown significantly,” Bergeron said.

The discussion to officially transfer to Philo began at the end of spring 2018. Students were then notified in September 2018 that Philo would be accessible October 1, 2018.

Although some students preferred the switch to Philo, they still had questions.

Thalia Torres ’19 says she doesn’t mind

crucial as well.

“There’s kind of this magic number [for enrollment] that works, I don’t know what it is, but we’re not there, we’re a little below that, and then there’s a ceiling where if you get more than a certain number of students it probably would have adverse effects, ” Holbrook said. “In this case, we are so far in the middle of that band that I think that anything that would affect us is positive.”

using Philo but is still skeptical about the switch.

“I’ve been wondering, since our cable was a part of our technology fee, why hasn’t it gone down after cable was removed from campus?” Torres asked.

Regarding complaints about the streaming service, there has been only confusion about the steps to connect to Philo and set up Roku.

The College will review its contract with the streaming service in two years — fall of 2021 — while also keeping an eye out for alternative options.

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The Mohawk Theatre’s Saga Continues Despite closing 20 years ago, the theater hasn’t been without plans

BY JAKE VITALI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF First established as a movie house in 1938 by E.M. Loew, the Mohawk Theatre on Main Street could soon enter a new act with the help of private developers.

Last Tuesday, April 23, the North Adams City Council voted to allow Mayor Thomas Bernard to execute a purchase and sale agreement of the theater, marking a significant step in the history of the theater which ceased daily operations in 1991.

Bernard said that the decision to issue an RFP stems from making good on a promise last year to involve the community in discussions about what the theater could be. He also shared that it stems from other successful projects undertaken in the city.

“When you look at the Norad Mill, when you look at Greylock Works, TOURISTS, all of these projects are rooted in adaptive reuse,” Bernard said.

However, Bernard is not set on what he would like to see the space become, leaving that for potential buyers to outline in their proposals.

“I don’t have something where I’m trying to be directive,” Bernard said. “I’m really trying to put this out in a way that creates a maximum space for vision and creativity. The vision piece from my end is what reactivates that building that has been mothballed for twenty years.”

The plan, however, was not always for the Mohawk Theatre to be sold.

The Barrett Years

State Representative and North Adams Mayor from 1984-2009, John Barrett III said that upon leaving office, there was a plan for the theater’s development.

“This is what the Director [of MASS MoCA], Joseph Thompson, has said about downtown

North Adams,” Barrett said.

“He said, ‘I would give anything to have a conference center in the downtown of North Adams, what a better place than that?”

“Nine hundred people could be seated in it, beam the digital feeds into the place, concerts, people talking from around the country — this is the future,” Barrett continued.

“The amazing part is you’re taking a theater that opened in 1938 and you’re adapting to today, which isn’t that the same thing that we did with MASS MoCA?” Barrett’s vision was inspired by the success of the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington and the Calvin Theater in Northampton restoration projects.

“I saw what it did in Northampton, I saw what it was doing in Great Barrington — they have digital feeds there and I could see the same thing,” Barrett said. “I think at the time, you could’ve beamed the Rolling Stones concert from England into the Mohawk Theatre, and you could have 900 people who were really there on stage.”

In 1988, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center found itself in a similar position, arguably worse than the Mohawk Theatre currently finds itself. The theater faced demolition following the purchase by a cinema chain.

In 1995, the venue found itself protected by Great Barrington’s Downtown Historic District and renovations began in 2003.

Currently, the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center is an established nonprofit organization that houses movie screenings, live music performances, comedy acts and is available for rent.

Barrett was also adamant about having community involvement in the project. He believed that community involvement would help ensure that the project offered some-

PHOTO BY PROVIDED BY PAUL W. MARINO

On opening night the theater reached its capacity of 1,300 patrons.

PHOTO BY PROVIDED BY PAUL W. MARINO

The Mohawk Theatre’s marquee in November 1938 shortly before the theater opened for business Nov. 5, 1938. thing of value to every member of the community, as was the case with MASS MoCA. “They bought into MASS MoCA,” Barrett said. “I often tell the story that in the 14 years that from when we announced MASS MoCA, until the day that it opened, not one negative letter appeared in the newspaper about MASS MoCA by any resident of the city of North Adams.”

For Barrett, the vision he had for the Mohawk Theatre remains the most viable link between downtown North Adams and MASS MoCA. His plan saw the Mohawk Theatre becoming home to conferences, concerts and events produced by MCLA. “It was all built upon a vision,” Barrett continued. “The vision was if you have a theater, you have MASS MoCA, and you have culture in your downtown, and you have people living there — the only way you build any neighborhood, whether it be downtown or anyplace else, is that it has to be owner-occupied.”

Barrett said that when MASS MoCA opened in 1999, the theater’s marquee had been restored and that it was lit up for the first time.

With a vision in place, Barrett says a new roof was installed on the Mohawk Theatre, which he believes is still good. [1st sentence is a bit confusHowever, building inspector William Meranti said at a city council meeting in February that it would need repair soon.

Unsuccessful MCLA Partnership 2009 saw the city impacted by the nationwide recession,

which made further progress difficult. Richard Alcombright defeated Barrett, becoming mayor and bringing his own ideas for the theater’s revival.

Under Alcombright’s tenure, the city pursued a partnership with MCLA that would see the space become home to performing arts programs. At the time, Bernard served as the executive assistant to then-president Mary Grant.

Bernard shared that the College and city discussed different operating models that included the neighboring Dowlin Block building.

“One of the models that we looked at was a renovation that was theater-based as the model, that used the building next door, The Dowlin Block, to do several things,” Bernard said. “It used that building to provide retail and commercial space in the front of the building to generate revenue that would help offset the renovation and operating costs of the theater.”

“It used the back part of the building as the production support space so that you wouldn’t need to engineer a production house off the back of the building and then it used the upper floors as rental income generating whether that was condo development combined with student development,” Bernard continued.

Despite the conversations, Bernard said that the College was unable to find a model that worked for them.

“The housing piece didn’t quite work finacially for MCLA, the building next door has now been sold, and it would take significant investment to make that a performance venue,” Bernard

said.

After MCLA was out of the question, Alcombright told The Berkshire Eagle he would have likely pursued an RFP. The former mayor sought RFPs for the former Sullivan School and department of public works buildings.

What Will It Take?

The building is stripped back to the studs and bricks.

There are currently no seats or bathrooms in the theater, and it is currently non-compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. However, Barrett said that there are tax breaks available for potential investors.

After the city of North Adams came into ownership of the theater, several historic tax credits were made available for the space on the local and state level. Downtown North Adams is also a part of the new tax opportunity zones created in 2017 by the Trump administration and has several new market tax credits.

With these tax credits available, Barrett estimates that an investor would need to contribute around $2 million to make the space fully functional again.

The Last of Its Kind

Local historian Paul W. Marino shared that the first Mohawk Theatre was originally going to be built in 1926 by George Mosser. However, every theater in North Adams at that time was under the control of the Sullivan Brothers, who built, but never finished, the Capitol Theatre as a threat to possible competitors.

THEATRE, Page 4

May 2, 2019

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Ethier Retires After 33 Years

BY MAYA MCFADDEN STAFF WRITER After 33 years of bringing vibrancy to her classes by singing and dancing on classroom desks and chairs, Michele Ethier will retire at the end of the semester.

Ethier is an associate professor of social work and the department chair of the sociology, anthropology and social work department.

“I loved it [teaching] instantly, I felt really comfortable in the classroom right away, I felt like I had found my calling,” Ethier said.

Before coming to MCLA, Ethier was an executive director at North Shore Youth Council, Inc., in Rocky Point, New York, for five years.

As a social worker, Ethier worked mostly with youth ranging from young boys and girls heading to prison to pregnant teenagers.

“I was a good clinician, but I was a better teacher,” Ethier said.

For Ethier, the adjustment from a clinician to a professor was not difficult. While at the North Shore Youth Council she provided graduate and undergraduate social work training to 15 interns.

Ethier described her teaching philosophy as experiential and kinetic. She said she always aims to make learning fun whenever possible.

“I’m very natural with students; I tell them personal stories about my work or myself,” she said.

Her work often addresses sexism, racism and economic inequality, from where she derives her social justice teaching orientation. Ethier said her courses begin by teaching students of the many social work concepts; she then has them put the concepts into practice through role-play exercises and small group activities.

“By the end of the semester you have students who are much more confident, which is beautiful,” Ethier said.

For Ethier, the students’ passion, interest and humor are what she will miss most once retiring.

Some of her favorite courses taught were social casework, social work skills, women and health, and casework with couples and families.

“For me, it’s so exciting to see the growth and the development of the student over the course of four months,” Ethier said.

According to Ethier, her courses will not be taken on by another professor in the department.

Last year, a request made to administration was denied for the department to immediately hire a new faculty member to fill Ethier’s position after her retirement. This request was aimed to make the transition after Ethier’s departure easier for the department’s students. Ethier said that they are in the process of again making the request for the position.

Ethier enjoys painting, needle felting and wet felting as hobbies for relaxation.

“I want to retire when I’m young enough to still be able to travel, do my art, and still enjoy life,” Ethier said.

At a young age, Ethier was involved in the antiwar movement, civil rights movement and feminism movement, all of which sparked her aspirations for activist work.

At the College, Ethier was a founding member of the Susan B. Anthony Women’s Center, the women, gender and sexuality studies (WGSS) minor, the child and family studies minor, and the health, aging and society minor.

“There have been some really positive changes where we’ve seen really important organizations

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MICHELLE ETHIER

Ethier is retiring after 33 years of service to the College community. Prior to teaching, she worked in the social work field. become institutionalized,” Ethier said, referencing the establishing of the Queer Student Union.

According to Ethier, Ingrid Castro, professor of sociology and director of WGSS, will be elected as next year’s department chair. “[Ethier] sympathizes with and advocates for faculty, tending to and cultivating positive well-being by offering empathetic, knowledgeable and sound advice,” Castro stated in the WGSS dinner program.

Ethier has been the department chair for seven nonconsecutive years. She described the three-discipline department as collegial. During her time as the department chair, Ethier said she worked hard to maintain the integrity of all three disciplines.

“You have to understand that you have some authority, but you can’t be authoritarian,” Ethier said.

Ethier’s colleagues, Kerri Nicoll and Travis Beaver, assistant professors of sociology, anthropology, and social work, agreed that Ethier often motivated them to advocate for social justice by thinking radically, planning strategically and acting pragmatically.

“Michele is not afraid to push for change when she knows something is not right,” Nicoll said.

“Michele has embodied the role of department chair as an advocate.”

As a clinical social worker, Ethier often dealt with fighting for people’s legal entitlements but

Check out this week’s Beacon Web News on YouTube or MCLA-TV on Philo!

said that these tasks did not amount to the educator role for her.

“Teaching is really hard, it’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” Ethier said.

“You can know a lot about something but actually teaching it to somebody else, that’s a whole different skill level.”

Ethier has served as a member of the MCLA Faculty Association. She has served many positions including president, vice president for six nonconsecutive years, and executive member at large for eight nonconsecutive years.

“She has never received extra compensation from the College for doing this but has done it in service to her colleagues,” Nicoll said. “We all owe her an immense debt of gratitude.”

Upon retirement, Ethier said she hopes to do more traveling, spend more time with her family and seek out new hobbies to revolve around social justice work.

“I’ve done what I could do here,” Ethier said.

If Ethier could spend more time at MCLA, she would have liked to work more toward fixing the College’s decision-making processes to involve students and faculty more often and not only administrative members.

“We seem to have a management model that’s very top-down, very autocratic, kind of authoritarian, and to me, it needs to be much more democratic,” Ethier said.

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Stand-Up Comedian Sam Jay to Headline Comedy Show at MCLA

BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER A&E EDITOR Emmy-nominated writer for Saturday Night Live and stand-up comedian Sam Jay will be headlining the advanced performing arts management class’s first-ever comedy show at MCLA Sunday, May 5, at 7 p.m. in the Church Street Center.

Originally from Boston, Jay was named to Comedy Central’s “Comics to Watch List” in 2015 and has since performed at comedy festivals in Dublin, New York, Portland, Seattle and many other cities. She has been featured in shows such as Comedy Pro’s “Just For Laughs: New Faces,” Adult Swim’s “Rick and Morty” and MTV’s “SafeWord.”

On March 10, 2017, Jay made her late-night television debut on ABC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel.”

She had her Netflix debut in 2018 on “The Comedy Lineup” and later released her first-ever album, “Donna’s Daughter,” which features 14 different stand-up performances. Jay has also written for the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards, plays a recurring role on TV Land’s “Nobodies” and frequently appears in sketches on SNL. “I’m really excited for [the show] and all three performers,” stated Jerome Socolof, assistant arts management professor, in an email. “Sam Jay is such a gifted writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEROME SOCOLOF

Stand-up comedian, Sam Jay, is best known for her appearances on SNL, MTV, and Comedy Central. and performer, and the way she builds jokes which subvert expectations but also make you bust a gut is what I’m looking forward to the most.”

Not only will Jay be headlining the show, but there

will also be performances by local comedian Eryca Nolan as well as MCLA student Dominique Stevenson-Pope ’20.

“With Eryca Nolan, I’m excited to hear local talent,” Socolof said. “It’s easy to fo-

cus on the comedy scenes in large cities, but smaller areas like the Berkshires are also hotbeds of humor, and Eryca Nolan is part of that community right here in our neck of the woods.”

“I’m [also] excited to hear

a young and talented voice [from Dominique-Stevenson Pope],” Socolof continued.

“She recently won second place and fan favorite prizes at the SAC talent show, and the potential [she has] as she continues to hone her craft is just limitless.”

In collaboration with the Berkshire Cultural Resource Center and MCLA Presents!, students of the APAM class booked Sam Jay for the show back in January and have been busy ever since overseeing and planning every element of the event.

“The thing that I’m most excited about with bringing this show to MCLA and North Adams is the level of talent we’re not only able to present, but able to present without charging an arm and a leg,” Socolof said.

“Sam Jay is a comedian’s comedian; she is routinely cited by other comics as one of their favorites … [and] if you went to see her headline at a formal comedy club, you would be paying [much more], [but] with this show MCLA students can see her for free. It’s a huge deal to be able to present someone this good with tickets costing this little.”

Catch APAM’s “A Night with Sam Jay” Sunday, May 5, at 7 p.m. in the Church Street Center. Tickets are free for MCLA students or $20 for the general public and can be reserved at mcla.ticketleap. com/samjay/.

Exploring the Art of ‘Le ng Go’ at the Spring Dance Fes val

BY SALI BAH A&E WRITER In one big weekend, theater and dance students have celebrated the Spring Dance Festival, sponsored by the fine and performing arts department in Venable Theatre. The show consisted of eight performances from Amanda Beres, Kate Breitenbach, Scath Bogard, Sarah Czarnecki, Bex Lake, Kaley Norsworthy, Megan Monty, Connor Sampson, Autumn Sherwood, Liz Wood and more.

The first show of its kind at MCLA, it centered around storytelling with themes such as life, mental health, love and light-hearted fun.

“I’ve always loved dance so it is cool to see not only Dance Co put on shows but also have this as an opportunity for other dancers to do this kind of stuff,” Makayla Wagner said.

PHOTO BY SALI BAH

Bethany Maloy and Heather Upton performing “Bruises” by Lewis Capaldi.

In performance art, it is extremely important to have an audience, as this is the element that makes the show live.

“The audience is the witness,” director Tom Truss said. “Mistakes can happen, new things can emerge and impermanence rules. Once it’s done, it’s done. There

can be pictures or videos, but it will never be like a live performance.”

That being said, Truss began his 40-minute piece lying in silence. He continuously interacted with the audience, occasionally asking for white noise. It felt as though the audience was in his mind as he switched

from topic to topic. He eventually got up, told the audience about his encounter with God in South America and ended back in the position named “corpse pose.”

“It’s going to be hard to forget Tom’s performance; my curiosity was definitely peaked,” Wagner said. “He pulled you along for the story, so it wasn’t hard to imagine what he was talking about and see it there.”

Bethany Maloy and Heather Upton swayed to “Bruises” by Lewis Capaldi, setting an emotional scene for the show while Alyssa Renaud lightened the mood with a hip-hop choreography to “Controlla Anthem”

by DJ Flex and Kyle Edwards.

After the 15-minute intermission, Bee Lopez Schmidt made an astonishing theater debut with her performance titled “Again and Again,” and she danced to “#88”

by LoFang. In her pieces, she illustrated herself going through the cycles of struggling with mental illness.

“Whenever I do a piece I like to show a piece of my own life,” Schmidt said.

“I wanted to show the real side of bipolar disorder, like trouble getting out of bed, the hopelessness, the frustration.”

The piece included a bed and mirror, which she utilized to tell her story, arranged by set designer Jeremy Winchester.

“The performances were really entertaining and engaging,” Natalia Giacomozzi said. “Each one was different, which was pretty cool.”

MCLA’s Fine and Performing Arts department delivered an intriguing performance, showcasing dances that explore stories of love to acts displaying vulnerability and now-ness.

May. 2, 2019

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MCLA Music’s Spring Classical Concert

BY SABRINA DAMMS A&E WRITER Students, faculty and community members came together Monday, April 29, to see the first half of the music department’s 2019 Spring Concert Series with performances by the MCLA Wind Ensemble and other vocalists.

The wind ensemble concert commenced the series with remarkable reviews from both faculty and students. The concert’s diverse choice of music and utilization of vocalists made the concert accessible for people with different tastes.

“I think it was awesome!”

Said Patrick O’Connell, director of the wind ensemble.

“The singers added a lot to it.”

Many of the vocalists’ performances included talented, energetic acting that brought their songs to life.

“I think they were wonderful,” Vocal instructor Kathleen Toohey Carbone said. “I liked the energy and selections for the wind ensemble.”

The vocalists performed many genres of music, including “Caro Mio Ben” by Giuseppe Giordani, to pieces from musicals, like “If I Could Tell Her” from the musical “Dear Evan Han-

PHOTO BY SABRINA DAMMS

Abigail Daggett singing “The Girl in 14G” by Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan. sen.”

“The show was good and entertaining,” Kelsey LaFreniere ‘22 said. “I liked that there was a variety of things.

The vocalists didn’t seem limited and enjoyed what they were doing.”

The wind ensemble also put on a strong performance.

At times many of these pieces were heart-stopping.

Their energy and diverse selections astonished us and

received high praise from the audience.

“I particularly liked ‘Rush’

by Samuel R. Hazo and ‘Vesuvius’ by Frank Ticheli because of their tempo changes,” Associate professor of theater Laura Standley said.

“The show was great!”

Michael Hannett ‘19 said.

“I liked the diversity of the pieces for both the vocal and instrumental.”

The first half of the MCLA

Spring Concert Series showcased many of MCLA’s talented students and demonstrated the range of talent that MCLA students possess.

“The students did a fabulous job,” said Celia Norcross, assistant dean of students & interim student conduct coordinator. “There were great vocalists that I knew from student activities and athletics that I didn’t know could sing that well.”

”It shows the diverse talents that students have and can do so much outside of class,” Norcross continued.

“Overall, these experiences really compliment their educational endeavors.”

The wind ensemble and vocalists’ performances pleased both the audience and those involved in organizing the concert. Glowing reviews demonstrated that all of the efforts put forth by so many to make it the best it could be were not in vain. Those involved included the arts management department, Michael Dilthey, Kathleen Toohey Carbone, Patrick O’Connell, Michael Daunis, Joshua Birns Sprague and many others.

Dilthey, who helped organize the concert, co-oversees the music department with Christine Condaris.

“I was thrilled. It was the best night of the year,” Dilthey said. “I know these students as students and when I hear them perform it takes me to a wonderful place. We are not a music school but when people perform like this it makes us look like it and it lifts me up.”

Don’t miss the second half of MCLA’s Spring Concert Series to see performances by the MCLA Jazz Band Monday, May 6, at 7 p.m. in the Church Street Center.

Review

Beyoncé Brings the Power to ‘Homecoming’ Documentary

BY JENNIFER VANBRAMER A&E EDITOR “Queen B” has done it again! Beyoncé Knowles premiered her “Homecoming” documentary on Netflix across the nation April 17.

“Homecoming” is a 2019 concert film about the multitalented American singer, Beyoncé, and her performance at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — also known as Beychella. The two-hour and 17-minute documentary features hit upon hit of classic and recent songs from Beyoncé’s 22-year career in the music industry.

As the first African-American woman to ever headline Coachella, so much hard work, dedication and preparation were put into the overall performance by Beyoncé herself. Coming back to the stage for the first time since giving birth to twins in 2017, Beyoncé gave her all to the festival’s audience, who shouted back every lyric to each song she performed during the show.

Opening the show with a song we all know and want to sing along to, “Crazy In

PHOTO FROM IMDB.COM

“Homecoming: A film by Beyoncé” is now streaming on Netflix.

Love,” Beyoncé shines in a sparkly cropped hoodie and ripped shorts. The outfits

throughout the documentary change back and forth repeatedly due to its being

filmed during two different weekends of Coachella, which is why one would see Beyoncé wearing yellow-and-then-pink and then black-and-then-white during certain songs.

Other songs that Beyoncé performs during the concert film include: “Freedom,” “Formation,” “Sorry,” “Drunk In Love,” “Diva,” “Flawless,” “7/11,” “Partition,” “Run the World (Girls)” and so many more.

A total of eight months went into rehearsals for Coachella, including four months of rehearsing with the band and four months of rehearsing with the dancers.

Over 200 people were involved in the making of the documentary, including a live orchestra that consisted of trumpets, drums, strings, 80 dancers, a choir and, of course, the Les Twins.

It was very important to Beyoncé that she was specific about every detail that went into the show.

During in-between footage of what happened behind the scenes, she recalled how she personally selected each dancer, every light, the material on the steps of the pyramid struc-

ture — as well as its height and shape — noting that every single detail had an intention that was made by her.

It was also key that everyone involved with the show appeared united yet could stand out on their own as unique individuals. Beyoncé also talked about how she did things that were very unconventional for a festival performance, and she had to make sacrifices at times but yet never gave up.

A few special guests also made an appearance during the concert, including rapper Jay-Z, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child, as well as singer-songwriter Solange Knowles.

At different points during the film, Beyoncé performed “Déjà vu” with Jay-Z; reunited Destiny’s Child singing “Lose My Breath,” “Say My Name” and “Soldier”; and danced to “Get Me Bodied” with Solange.

Ending the concert with “Single Ladies” and “Love On Top,” Beyoncé truly killed the show, and it will go down in history as one of the best things to ever happen at the Coachella festival.

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MCLA Finishes in Last Place in MASCAC with Doubleheader Losses to Salem State The MCLA men's baseball team fell to the fifthseed Salem State Vikings on the Vikings' home turf in a doubleheader, dropping the Trailblazers' overall record to 9-24 and 3-14 in the MASCAC. The Vikings improved to 15-16 overall and 9-8 in the MASCAC. On the mound pitching, MCLA senior Bobby New pitched seven innings and finished with four strikeouts and three walks.

He allowed three errors and eight hits, facing 31 batters. His record drops to 4-5 when pitching on the mound.

Salem State senior pitcher Andrew McLaughlin played an amazing game, throwing in eight innings and finishing with six strikeouts, two walks, two errors and allowing six hits. He also faced 31 batters.

GAME ONE

The final score of the first game was 3-2.

In the top of the fifth inning, MCLA freshman left field outfielder Austin Rachiele scored the first run of the game with an RBI single to bring home junior first baseman Dixon Maxon.

In the top of the sixth inning, senior shortstop Jeff Bink singled to left field to bring home freshman designated hitter Diego Rivera.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Vikings scored their first couple of runs by junior catcher Madoc Fisher who hit an RBI single that brought home junior right field outfielder Traverse Briana.

Next, freshman second baseman Christian Burt hit a sacrifice fly to bring home junior outfielder Kyle O'Connor.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, O'Connor hit a sacrifice fly to center field, ending the game and bringing home sophomore outfielder Shawn Rebello.

Overall, the Trailblazers had 26 at-bats, six hits, two walks, two RBI's and six strikeouts. Rivera and Maxon both finished with three at-bats, one hit and one run.

The Vikings had 25 at-bats, eight hits, three RBIs, three walks and four strikeouts.

O'Connor finished with two hits, one run, one RBI and three at-bats.

GAME TWO

In the nightcap, the final score was 5-1. MCLA senior pitcher Brendan Kelly completed with five walks and three strikeouts, allowing four hits, two errors and two runs in four innings played. He faced 19 batters, and his current pitching record is 1-6.

Two other pitchers for MCLA who saw time on the mound were freshman Mike Urbanski and sophomore Ryan Reuf.

Urbanski finished with allowing four hits, one error and one run in one inning played. He faced

CENTER

From Page 1 “There are times where there are three different teams in there split up into groups,” Richardson said. “It could be cramped sometimes.”

SAAC Secretary Julia Parker ’21 explained that student athletes will benefit from a variety of new workout options in their training.

According to Mooney, women’s soccer coach Deborah Raber will continue to be the fitness center director. Students will also benefit from more jobs for work-study because of the extended hours of the center being

PHOTOS BY MCLA ATHLETICS

Senior pitcher Bobby New will finish his career with an ERA OF 4.50, 111 strikeouts, 44 walks while pitching 142 innings. seven batters.

Reuf finished with allowing one hit, one walk and two runs in one inning played. He faced six batters.

The Vikings controlled the game and used the same momentum from the previous game to take a two-point lead.

In the bottom of the third inning, Salem State right field outfielder Tim Catalano scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Briana. Later, O'Connor hit a single, bringing home Rebello.

In the top of the fourth inning, MCLA junior shortstop Logan Rumbolt hit an RBI single to put the Trailblazers on the board. Rumbolt brought home sophomore third baseman Jake Ferrara.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Fisher singled and brought home Salem State senior shortstop

occupied from morning until night.

“We are going to have it staffed pretty much most of the day,” Mooney said. “We haven’t fully made solid decisions, but my initial idea is 6 or 7 in the morning until 10 at night.”

“The new Fitness Center will help with recruitment and help the campus community incorporate health and wellness as their normal daily routine,” Mooney continued. “I am really excited about the project because it could be a game changer, not just for athletics but the college as a whole as far as recruitment and retention and keeping our students here,” Mooney said.

Mooney wants all of her staff

to be in one place instead of scattered in the campus center and Venable Hall for better communication and teamwork.

“I am very focused on getting my entire staff over here so we can work together better as a unit for ease of sharing information,” Mooney said.

The last phase of the renovations is the redesign and upgrading of the athletic offices, which involves moving the current dance studio to an unused squash court. If there are insufficient funds to complete this project, another funding source will be sought, according to a document provided by Lawrence Behan, vice president of administration and finance.

Brendan Greene.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Rebello advanced to third, scoring on an error made by MCLA freshman catcher Dan Buchanan. Greene then scored on a wild pitch.

The Trailblazers finished with 24 at-bats, four hits, four walks, 10 strikeouts and one RBI. Conversely, the Vikings concluded with 25 at-bats, nine hits, six walks, three RBIs and three strikeouts.

The Vikings' senior pitcher Stephen Keskinidis led with eight strikeouts and one walk, allowing four hits and one run in six innings played. His record improves to 2-2, and he faced 21 batters.

Check out the Trailblazers' last three conference games against Bridgewater State Friday, May 3, at 3 p.m. and Saturday, May 4, at 1 p.m.

PHOTO BY KENNY OLCHOWSKI

The Campus Center pool was drained last semester and will be home to the new fitness center slated to open in fall 2019. Offices on the second floor of the campus center will be upgraded and the dance studio will be moved also.

May 2, 2019

Sports

TheOnlineBeacon.com

Softball Goes 2-0 on Senior Day, Earns 5th Seed in MASCAC Tournament

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BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS CO-EDITOR North Adams, MA - The MCLA Trailblazers’ softball team defeated the Salem State Vikings 4-1 and 10-2 in a doubleheader Monday, April 29; which was also their senior day.

From solid pitching in game one to a red-hot offense in game two, the Blazers were able to end their regular season with their third and fourth straight wins in the home stand.

With the pair of wins, the Blazers improved to 7-7 on the season when playing Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) opponents.

This record earned them the fifth seed in the MASCAC Softball tournament.

Game One Game one saw yet another solid performance from sophomore pitcher Samantha Feinstein, who pitched her team-high 14th complete game in the 4-1 win allowing just six hits while striking out five.

After a scoreless two innings to open the game, the Vikings got on the board first.

With runners on second and third and two outs, Vikings freshman third baseman Mikayla Porcaro hit a single to drive in the runner from third for the opening score of the day.

Feinstein would quickly respond, getting the next batter to fly out and stop further damage.

The Blazers instantly responded in their next at-bats.

Senior left fielder Kara Adams was able to hit a single, while senior third baseman Kaylyn Holliday reached on a fielder’s choice that resulted in runners on first and second for junior pitcher/infielder Erika Quackenbush.

Quackenbush was able to hit a single to drive in Adams from second base to tie the game back up at 1-1.

The following inning the Trailblazers widened the gap.

Feinstein and freshman right fielder Cassandra Crosier started the inning with singles but advanced on errors to occupy third and second base for senior short-stop Kayla Baker.

The runs started coming in as Baker followed with her own single that allowed Feinstein to find home plate and put the Blazers up 2-1.

Adams followed Baker with a single of her own that allowed Crosier to score, making it 3-1 Blazers.

After a wild pitch allowed Baker to advance to third and Adams to second, senior center fielder Kaitlyn

PHOTO FROM MCLA ATHLETICS

MCLA Softball celebrated its seniors prior to their final regular season game as Trailblazers. Seniors honored, pictured left to right, center fielder Kaitlyn Berghela, left fielder Kara Adams, third baseman Kaylyn Holliday, and short-stop Kayla Baker.

Berghela put up a sacrifice fly-ball to allow Baker to tag up and score and put them up 4-1.

Feinstein closed out the game following the offensive burst, allowing only two hits and no runs scored over the final three innings of play to secure a 4-1 game one victory for MCLA. Feinstein is now 8-8 on the year and boasting a team-best 2.87 ERA. Game Two The Blazers’ offense got things going early in game two, scoring five runs in the opening two innings of play.

Quackenbush got the scoring going in the first as she drove in Berghela on a sacrifice-fly. Berghela singled and stole second earlier in the inning before being advanced to third and then home.

MCLA exploded in the second inning and ended up scoring four more runs to increase their lead to 5-0.

Quackenbush, Adams and Baker all recorded RBIs in the inning, Baker’s on a double and the other two on singles. Berghela was the fourth run of the inning as she scored from third base on a wild pitch after singling in her at-bat in the inning.

The Vikings fought back in the fourth inning of play.

Senior second baseman Chloe Manousos recorded a single to center field that would allow freshman pinch runner Hannah Magee to score from third.

Senior center fielder Courtney Kilgore advanced

to third off of Manousos’s single, and then the two executed a double-steal in which Kilgore successfully stole home and Manousos stole second to make it a 5-2 game.

MCLA would quickly erase their efforts, as junior catcher Nevada Nelsen recorded an RBI walk to score Adams followed by a single from junior first baseman Alanza Quinones that drove in Holliday to make it a 7-2 game.

The Blazers scored three more runs over the final two innings while shutting out the Vikings to lead to a 10-2 final score in game two. Quackenbush, Nelsen, and Holliday were responsible for the final three RBIs in the game.

MCLA was led by freshman pitcher Morgan Watson on the mound, who got her fourth win of the season after pitching six complete innings. Watson allowed two runs to score off of six hits. She also struck out two batters and gave up four walks.

Prior to the start of the games, MCLA honored their seniors in a brief ceremony. Seniors honored included Holliday, Berghela, Adams and Baker.

MCLA finishes off the regular season 14-20 overall and 7-7 in the MASCAC. MCLA was awarded the fifth seed in the 2019 MASCAC Softball tournament where they played fourth-seeded Fitchburg State Wednesday, May 1, at 3:30 pm.

SUNY Delhi Strikes Back, Mixed Tennis Falls 5-4 in NAC Semifinals

BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS CO-EDITOR

Johnson, VT - After falling 5-4 to the Trailblazers in the final match of the regular season 10 days before, the SUNY Delhi Broncos got their revenge, defeating the Blazers 5-4 in the semifinals of the North Atlantic Conference tournament Saturday, April 27, to send the second-seeded Blazers home.

The match came down to the final singles match with both teams tied at four points apiece. The match-up saw MCLA junior Briana Higgins facing sophomore Jake Robinson from the Broncos.

The game-deciding match naturally went the full three sets after Robinson took the first set 6-2 and Higgins took the second set by the same score.

With the match being decided by one set, Robinson took control and defeated Higgins 6-1 in the final set to secure the 5-4 win for the Broncos and advance them to the NAC finals.

The Blazers started slow in the doubles section as they lost the first two matches of the day to Delhi.

The Broncos kept the same top team but sent two different teams in the second and third slot from the match-up 10 days prior.

The Blazers’ top duo of senior Matt Bluteau and sophomore Charles Najimy fell yet again to the Broncos’ pair of senior Marcos Andrino and freshman Christopher

Balogh by a score of 8-4 to put MCLA down 0-1 early.

Seniors Nick Castle and Samantha Gawron were up next to face off with Robinson and junior Payton Dean for the Broncos. Gawron and Castle came close to evening the match score but fell 8-7 in the set to give the Broncos a 2-0 lead.

The Blazers would finally get on the board after Higgins and sophomore Mackenna Jordan took down Delhi sophomores Body Rettle and Michael Zerniak by a score of 8-5, putting the match score at 2-1 going into singles.

The singles section of play started off well for the Blazers, as Najimy was able to secure a comeback win over Delhi’s Andrino by scores of 4-6, 6-3 and 6-3 to tie the match at 2-2.

The Broncos responded to Najimy’s win with two dominant wins in the second and third singles matches.

Balogh handily took down Bluteau by scores of 6-3 and 6-0, while Dean handled Castle by scores of 6-1 in both sets to make it 4-2 Broncos.

With the match on the line, Gawron came up huge to defeat Delhi’s Zerniak by scores of 6-2 and 6-1 to keep MCLA alive, while also winning her sixth singles match in a row.

The Blazers got another big performance from junior Mohamed Mahrous, who clawed back after losing the first set 4-6 to beat Delhi freshman Bailey Lane, winning the next two sets with scores of 7-5 and tying the match at 4-4 before Higgins fell in the final match.

PHOTO FROM MCLA ATHLETICS

MCLA senior Samantha Gawron returning a ball in a match this year. Gawron won her sixth straight singles mat against SUNYDelhi by scores of 6-2 and 6-1.

MCLA finishes off the winning season 6-5 overall in their first year under Coach Derek Shell as they look to rebuild for next season. MCLA will have to fill spots for departing seniors Gawron, Bluteau and Castle before getting things going next season.

News

May 2, 2019

TUITION From Page 1

State College became MCLA, tuition and fees were only $3,377, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. If the rise in tuition and fees were consistent with the rate of inflation, the cost in 2019 should be $5,202. However, the same data set found that MCLA’s tuition and fees for last year were twice that: $10,734 in-state and $19,679 out-of-state.

This increase in costs, however, is not specific to MCLA or Massachusetts alone; this is a nationwide issue. According to data reported to U.S. News and World Report in an annual survey, the average cost of tuition and fees for the current academic year was $9,716 for state residents at public colleges and $21,629 for out-ofstate students at state schools.

According to a report by McGrath entitled ‘Published Tuition and Fees at Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts, 2017-18,’ “Tuition and fees at the state’s four-year institutions are on a par with the region, but they have risen more rapidly in Massachusetts than in New England.

Massachusetts has the fastest rising cost of public higher education in the nation.”

On a national scale, the average stu-

FESTIVAL From Page 1

Music and art festivals are not a one-person job either.

Courtney-McGeeney shined a light on just a few of the women who helped make this festival come to life.

“Several women in the community are making it possible: Jessica Sweeny, festival director; Amanda Chilson, clinic director; Nico Dery, music director; Ashley Strazzinski, art director; Bri Rousseau, volunteer coordinator; and Suzy Helm, city ambassador,” Courtney-McGeeney added.

In order to make healthcare possible, Courtney-McGeeney credited Amanda Chilson for her work coordinating the clinic.

“Chilson, who works at Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, reached out to physicians and health care professionals to curate a clinic,” Courtney-McGeeney said.

“Participating artists, musicians, and volunteers schedule an appointment for the clinic and can get a physical/checkup, get their teeth looked at by a dentist or even get a massage.”

The wellness activities, also coined under the term “EXPLO+RE,” will allow for creative artists to have access to free healthcare, something many artists struggle to maintain.

Jess Sweeny, festival director and co-founder of Common Folk, also spoke about the nature of the festival.

“O+ is going to shine a unique light on the healthcare challenges we face here in North Adams and encourage a dialogue of wellness, not only for us as individuals, but for us as a community,” Sweeney said. “We have such a strong creative community, and we have an opportunity to provide artists with healthcare that they need.

And we get to have a little fun along the way.”

Tickets (which are red wristbands) are already on sale at https://o-positive-festi-

dent loan debt for graduates of four-year institutions is $28,650, according to the Institute for College Access and Success.

According to the financial aid page of the MCLA website, the current average debt for an MCLA graduate, based on May 2018 graduates, is $27,833.

A primary cause for the increase in student debt, according to a 2018 report by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, is a 14% cut in public higher education spending by the state since fiscal 2001.

“Between 1998 and 2002, the state phased in a series of cuts to the state income tax, which has led to a loss of over $3 billion annually,” the report stated.

“As a result, many state programs have been cut over the past 17 years, including local aid, early education, public health, and public higher education.”

The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center Report found that if all nine state colleges (not including the UMass system) were combined, the state reduction in funding would add up to about $2,500 per student, with increases in tuition and fees to $5,400 per student since fiscal 2001.

According to McGrath’s report on tuition and fees in New England, “Since 2012-13 across New England, increases

val-north-adams.square.site or at Common Folk on 73 Main St. in North Adams. These wristbands serve as your ticket to all events taking place as part of the O+ Festival.

Advance ticket buyers will get access to the May 10 show at the Elk’s Lodge, with only 300 tickets available for this particular show.

On Sunday, May 12, Hancock Shaker Village is providing EXPLO+RE programming as part of the festival. Wristband holders get access to those events as well.

Courtney-McGeeney explained how they tried to make the festival as accessible as possible.

“The wristband is pay-whatyou-can with a suggested donation of $50,” Courtney-McGeeney said. “The online link for tickets gives the option for $50 and $100 donation, but if you can’t pay that you can email our director Jess Sweeney at sweens@ opositivefestival.org for a discount code. We want to make the festival accessible for everyone.”

Alongside the free healthcare clinic, a large number of creative individuals will be exhibiting work and performing throughout the weekend.

Headlining act Les Nubians will be performing at Mass MoCA’s Hunter Center May 11, with a local opening act, Spero, from Bennington, Vermont.

The festival will feature almost 20 musical acts as well as nine visual artists. North Adams is represented by a number of these artists, including the band Quincy, painter Danielle Kleebs and Nick Stanley. They will be joined by artists from the surrounding Berkshire County as well as New York and Vermont.

The O+ festival will take place all over downtown, including locations like Common Folk, The Green, Mass MoCA’s Hunter Center and various other downtown locations. The exploration of downtown North Adams will provide festival-goers an opportunity to learn more about its rich history and artistic culture.

TheOnlineBeacon.com

in tuition and fees at community colleges (16%) and four-year public colleges (10%) have outpaced increases in the maximum Pell Grant (6.25%), leaving a widening gap for low- and moderate-income families to fill with additional institutional or state aid and/or family resources.”

According to the Final Report of the Higher Education Finance Commission, tuition rates are determined by the Board of Higher Education as approved in Massachusetts General Law. Excluding Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, all in-state tuition the colleges receive is sent directly back to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; however, all out-of-state tuition collected is kept by each of the campuses. Fees income stays on campus.

Since the state funding has declined, state colleges have been forced to charge much more in fees. In the 1980s, tuition and fees were about an 80-20% ratio, respectively; now, the ratio is 10-90%.

Along with reduced public higher education spending, Massachusetts also has cut state scholarships by 32% since fiscal 2001 according to the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center 2018 report.

“The largest portion of state scholarship funding goes to the need-based MASS-

HOPKINS From Page 1

done everything we can with the building.”

The English/communications department was housed in Murdock before that building’s renovation but was moved into Mark Hopkins after Murdock was completed.

The English/communications department also applied to the College for a Title III grant of approximately $17,000 to fulfill portions of the student media center of the planned renovation, but it was denied by the College.

The College has, however, provided some funding for minor updates such as general maintenance, painting of the hallway walls, equipment for the television studio, and new decorations and signage.

Last year, the English/ communications department converted Room 110 from a classroom into a student lounge, which includes new furniture, a widescreen television, and snacks that are restocked throughout the day.

“Room by room you can do a lot,” LeSage said. “I hope that we will still be able to get renovated at some point. I will keep lobbying for it because we need an upgrade here.”

The education department, several classrooms, and the honor’s program lounge are housed on the top floor of Mark Hopkins.

Nicolas Stroud, chair of the education department, agreed that adding an ele-

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Grant program for low-income college students,” the report stated.

The report also concluded, citing a 2014 report from the Higher Education Finance Commission, that “MASSGrant funding covers a much lower share of student costs than it once did: in 1988 MASSGrant covered 80% of a qualifying student’s tuition and fees, whereas it only covered 9% in 2013.”

Also responsible for increased costs is the growth in student services at public four-year universities and colleges nationwide. Students expect colleges to provide more services than what was offered 10 or 20 years ago, specifically having a more individualized focus on students — academic support and career services — because they are often the first in their family to attend college.

At MCLA, for example, the Center for Student Success and Engagement has grown in staff size as the college provides more advising services beyond that of what individual faculty members provide. In CSSE, a dean oversees eight staff members. Other student services, such as health services, counseling services, multicultural affairs, community services and other student well-being services have been added over the last two decades.

vator should be the most critical piece of a renovation, saying it would be a massive quality of life improvement for many students on campus.

“We’ve had to move classroom spaces because of specific student constraints,” Stroud said.

“That’s a pretty bad situation to be in, to have to move a classroom because it’s not accessible.”

Stroud also expressed confidence that a renovation is feasible.

“I do believe Mark Hopkins is one of the buildings, if not the next building on the list of buildings to be renovated or updated on the MCLA campus,” Stroud said. “I would hope that there would be some movement within the next two years.”

According to the DCAMM website, colleges and other state-funded services asking for money for construction or renovation seek help from DCAMM’s Deferred Maintenance Program, which will fund projects up to $10 million.

DCAMM also provides other services, such as Interior Planning and Design Management, which help projects in their early stages stay within budget.

Gina Puc, dean of enrollment and community relations, said the renovation proposal made it through the initial round of vetting for those proposals but ultimately wasn’t funded.

“You don’t get a ton of feedback from the state, but one of the things that bubbled up in terms of feedback is we could do a

little bit more work on the front side of the proposal, making sure all the feasibility questions are answered,” Puc said.

According to Puc, the plan now is to take feedback from the failed proposal for Mark Hopkins and submit a new one in the near future. Puc noted that due to the building’s age, the College does not receive any repercussions such as fines for Mark Hopkins’ lack of ADA compliance, but affirmed that it was a matter of extreme importance to any potential renovation.

Puc also recognized and acknowledged that, from an enrollment perspective, renovating Mark Hopkins could be a beneficial project that will help MCLA in the future.

“I would love to see a better-looking space for two of our marquee programs,” Puc said.

LeSage echoed this belief, saying that a renovated Mark Hopkins would be a boon to recruiting new students to the College.

“This would be a real showpiece in the state if we really could pull this off,” LeSage said. “We’re expanding and we’d like to have the space to accommodate the things that we’re doing.”

One prominent and vital aspect to Mark Hopkins, according to LeSage, is its long and dynamic history that has spanned over a century. LeSage recognized that any potential future renovation would build on the building’s rich history.

Opinion

TheOnlineBeacon.com

13

News Analysis

Why Your Grandma Should Play Xbox

BY RON LEJA EDITOR-AT-LARGE “You don’t still play a lot of those video games, do you?”

This was the question my grandfather asked me several weeks ago over dinner, quite literally out of the blue. As a child, both my cousins and I spent a lot of time at Grandma and Pop’s house, where we would often turn their finished basement into an arena for “Super Smash Bros” and “Mario Kart.”

My grandfather may not have necessarily come right out and said it, but you could hear the hint of disdain in his voice. What he wanted to say is, “Are you still playing games?

What a waste of time.”

Most gamers have had this conversation at one point or another, usually with a family member who’s out of touch with the hobby.

As such, I don’t blame my grandfather for feeling the way he does.

Plenty of people his age hold similar views, which really comes as no surprise. Mainstream media organizations love to weave stories of how the pastime has led to an increase in violent tendencies from today’s youth or point the finger at them when discussing America’s obesity epidemic. More often than not, they

are depicted as the epiphany of a waste of time and genuinely bad for you, so it is only natural that those outside of the gaming community think of them in a negative light.

I find this to be especially sad though, because games also can be incredibly beneficial, especially for the older generation.

It may be hard to imagine that there even exists this community of “ancient” gamers — those above the age of 63 — but I assure you that they are real and they are living richer, fuller lives as a result of their gaming habits.

Over the years, video games have been found to offer several health and wellness benefits for older adults. Numerous studies looking at the ways gaming affects older adults have been conducted, many of which have turned up positive results, especially with regard to the brain.

A study conducted by researchers at North Carolina University found that adults with poor cognitive focus or spatial abilities showed signs of improvement after playing complex strategy games for two hours a day over so many weeks. Games such as “World of Warcraft,” cognitively complex and visually engaging, were noted as being the most

beneficial, as the style of game play requires one to exercise a wide range of cognitive abilities.

Scientists at the University of California found that games are actually capable of altering the brain’s neural network, resulting in a reversal of the negative signs of aging. Games that require a fair amount of multitasking have been found to improve both working memory and sustained attention. The study also found that signs of improvement remained present nearly six months after the experiment had concluded.

Believe it or not, games have even been found to have physical benefits for older players. A 2015 study published in “The Journal of Gerontology” found that games that required fast decision-making and visual attention could improve older gamers walking capabilities. Adults who played video games for just three hours a week, over the course of 10 weeks, saw significant improvements in walking speed and overall balance. The study concluded that

games could help to further assist other fall prevention tactics.

Games can also help senior citizens fight off negative emotions and onset depression. Several reports discussing the affects that computers have on human behavior have found that in regard to the older crowd, those that played games regularly performed better on measures of well being and emotional reaction.

A report entitled, “Successful aging through digital games: Socioemotional differences between older adult gamers and non-gamers,” concluded that those that did play video games regularly appeared livelier than those that didn’t, more social and open to conversation, and intellectually quicker than those who did not.

While I do agree that there are certainly other pastimes that people of all ages would benefit from engaging in — reading, writing, exercise and the arts being at the top of my list — I don’t think it’s necessarily right to write off video games as something unquestionably bad.

Op-Ed

Administration Increases as Enrollment Decreases

BY TESSA SESTITO COPY EDITOR Over the past two decades, MCLA has experienced a steady reduction of state funding and its enrollment is as low as it was during the couple of years after the name change from NASC to MCLA in 1997. As a result, students have seen an annual increased cost of fees. (Tuition is set by the state, and that revenue goes directly back to the state.

Annual tuition is about $1,000, about 10% of the cost of fees.)

Despite budgeting being so tight and the current budget deficit of approximately $1 million, the number of MCLA higher-level administrators has grown bigger than what it seems it needs in congruence to its size.

For MCLA in the last 20 years, tuition and fees have increased 105.8% for in-state and 277.3% for out-of-state. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, tuition and fees in 1998 were $3,377. If the rise of tuition and fees were consistent with the rate of inflation, set at approximately 2% annually, the cost in 2019 should be $5,202. However, the same data set found that MCLA’s tuition and fees for last year were twice that: $10,734 instate and $19,679 out-of-state.

Of course, there are several factors that can contribute to this increase: reduction in state funding and decline in enrollment.

Issues such as cuts in state-fund-

ed scholarships, while not affecting tuition and fees, does affect the net cost to students; fewer scholarships means more money students pay, which can affect enrollment numbers based on affordability. However, these are factors out of the College’s control. What’s within its control is the number of employees and whether new administrators and staff are added to the payroll.

According to figures provided by Barbara Chaput, director of human resources/payroll office, MCLA has seen an overall increase of 11.5% in employees since 2008 (the furthest data provided by Chaput went). Just this last year alone, the number of full-time employees at MCLA increased by 17, according to data provided by Chaput. This data, conveniently split into five categories (faculty, administrative, professional, clerical and technical, and maintenance), illustrates that MCLA has seen slight decline and growth throughout each category.

However, comparing the data from 2008-2009 academic year to 2018-2019 academic year, there has been no growth or decline in faculty members, a 44.1% overall increase in administrators, a 19.6% overall expansion of professional employees, a 6.25% overall reduction in clerical and technical employees, and a 17.6% overall growth in maintenance employees.

James Moriarty, department

chair of business administration, has been working at MCLA for almost 40 years now. According to Moriarty, there has been a lot of retirements over the last two decades and because of low enrollment, not every retiree’s position is given a replacement.

“In 1980, there were 700 business majors and 15 faculty members to teach them,” Moriarty said. “But that number is twice what we have now in a single graduating class, so not every position needs to be replaced.”

Since the early 2000s, Moriarty has seen a pretty substantial increase in administration in relation to the number of faculty.

Based off of his recollection, the number of administrators in the 1980s was less, even with enrollment back then at 2,400.

Moving forward, Moriarty wants faculty and administration to work together and be collaborative with the challenges facing the institution, like low enrollment.

“There needs to be more cooperation with administration on these challenges, more so next year than this year, and I look forward to meeting that challenge and working together,” Moriarty said.

Enrollment has been on a steady decline for several years now. Based on figures found in the 2018-2019 MCLA Factbook, enrollment from fall 2009 until now has shown a 26% decrease.

According to the “At a Glance”

page of the MCLA website, 2017 annual enrollment was 1,822 undergraduates and 427 graduates. In the 2017-2018 MCLA Factbook, the enrollment of undergraduates (full-time and part-time) was 1,407 and 181 graduates (full-time and parttime). That’s 415 undergraduates and 246 graduates unaccounted for.

During this last year alone, full-time faculty course releases and adjunct courses have been evaluated for cost-benefit analysis, but the same has not been done to question the promotions and additions that occur within administration.

Under the administration of former President Mary K. Grant, the dean of students and foundation director positions were elevated to the vice president level, and an executive vice president position was added. During the current administration, the positions of Title IX Coordinator and Chief Diversity Officer have been added this year. The executive vice president was replaced by a dean-level position. The College is currently advertising to hire an associate dean of student affairs/ deputy Title IX coordinator.

A comparison to Westfield State University in terms of high-level administrators provides some context in total number of administrators serving the student population. MCLA’s total enrollment of full-time, part-time and graduate students

for 2018-2019 is 1,452 students; Westfield currently has 6,101 full-time, part-time and graduate students enrolled.

Westfield currently operates with 12 deans, three associate deans, one assistant dean, four vice presidents, three associate vice presidents and one assistant vice president, according to information found in Massachusetts Open Checkbook, an online database that contains position and salary information for all state employees. Conversely, MCLA currently has four deans, four associate deans, two assistant deans and four vice presidents. Totaling the positions of deans and vice presidents, including associate and assistant level positions, MCLA has 14 administrators while Westfield has 24. In the dmissions department, MCLA operates with nine total staff members while Westfield operates with 10. Westfield has four times the number of students MCLA enrolls, but Westfield has less than twice the number of high-level administrators.

As faculty retire, MCLA often does not replace them, or waits one to three years to do so.

(Three retiring professors will not be replaced in the fall.) Yet the administration seems to be quick to replace, and even add, administrators. MCLA should look at its administrative levels before it raises fees or makes other cuts.

Opinion

May 2, 2019

Senior Bye-Line

Bye Bye Beacon

BY NICHOLAS BASSETT MANAGING EDITOR It’s been four years and two semesters on The Beacon and many other classes within the English/Communications department and a few outside of the department.

I started as design editor in the spring 2018 semester and have been managing editor this semester after a brief hiatus from the paper.

I would be remiss to not mention Professor Amber Engelson, my adviser, for getting me into the journalism concentration, and Professor Shawn McIntosh, adviser to The Beacon, who guided me through the courses and working on the paper, as well as pushed me to join the newspaper originally, encouraged me to explore design and helped me to hone my skills.

We have also had an amazing staff this semester who have helped to keep this running smoothly in the newsroom and make sure the campus has received a quality paper every Thursday. Our copy editors, Elizabeth Haight and Tessa Sestito, our incoming managing editor, have done a great job making sure our stories look great and keeping us on track on Wednesdays; Corey Mitchell-LaBrie and our intrepid Editor-in-Chief, Jake Vitali, have both worked hard to make sure the paper has been covering important well-timed news stories relevant to both the campus and the community.

Jennifer VanBramer, our Arts & Entertainment Editor, has done a great job with making sure the section’s stories are timely and relevant. Additionally, she has excelled at page layout and photography.

But while I’ve enjoyed my time on The Beacon, it has

Senior Bye-Line

also given me a chance to see things at MCLA that I would like to see changed in the future.

The most pervasive problem that I think the College and administration are facing right now, between the students and the faculty and staff, is one of communication. Now more than ever, people are trying to figure out what is going on and why the changes are being made, and there is a lack of openness and communication.

Students on this campus are adults and are more mature than the administration thinks. I think they would find themselves surprised if they tried to be honest and come out and explain what the problem is and the steps they are taking to solve it; there would be a warmer reception than in trying to do things quietly and without people noticing.

I attended the opening breakfast where President Birge talked of the need for openness with students and the College in general, but I have not seen a good example of this throughout this semester — between the issues surrounding APRs and hybrid courses, a couple of examples that come to mind.

My hope is that President Birge and the administration will see that students, faculty and staff really just want and deserve the opportunity to have input and ask questions about what is happening at MCLA. Faculty and staff work hard to provide for students here and students respect and want this community to thrive.

The College is not perfect; no place ever is. Still, I have enjoyed my time here and I want other people to have the opportunities I’ve had, and MCLA needs to be here in order for that to happen.

Goodbye, Beacon

TheOnlineBeacon.com

14

From the Editor

I Never Thought I’d Be Where I Am

BY JAKE VITALI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF I never thought that I would get an opportunity to be The Beacon’s Editor-in-Chief, let alone get a second opportunity to do so.

Last October, I became a journalism student after realizing a passion for journalism. I worked on The Beacon, but to reach to the editor position, you traditionally first have to work your way up through several editorial positions.

Besides, I was a radio person at heart, and leading WJJW was (and still is) my dream job.

However, leading this publication was another dream come true that I never knew I had. Waking up Thursday morning and seeing the print copy that you’ve worked all week to produce is an indescribable feeling that you only know if you’re a part of this. There’s a certain rush that comes with interviews, writing stories, and designing pages. Not to mention seeing students engaging with the end product.

Our job as journalists is to tell meaningful stories, even though it can be uncomfortable at times.

We tell the story regardless of how it may make somebody look. Even as students, the old adage of being the fourth branch of government is true. We are holding people in positions of power accountable for their decisions and watching to make sure that power is used responsibly.

Throughout this semester, many people have remarked that they felt they learned something by reading The Beacon. Others have suggested that our content has been the strongest it has been in recent years. Receiving the labels “intrepid” and “inescapable” are worn as badges of

honor.

I have received much of the praise for The Beacon’s success and it truly is a humbling thing, words can’t describe how much I appreciate all of it.

However, this was never something that I could do without the help of some incredible people. Since today is my last opportunity to do so this semester, I want to recognize them.

When I took on the role of Managing Editor in the fall, there was a lot to learn.

Thankfully, I was paired with Ron Leja. For the first time in my career with The Beacon, Ron believed in my potential and taught me to have confidence in my ability. He pushed me to pursue stories I was interested in and he taught me the basics, like page design and photography, while also teaching me the complexities of the newsroom and managing personalities.

We may have been handed a small crew to work with, but we proceeded and found success each week.

Ron has made the newsroom a very welcoming place, rich with laughter, and he will be missed.

Elizabeth Haight has been a calming, supportive presence as Copy Chief.

While she possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of AP Style, her copy editing goes far beyond just style changes. She is quick to help making your writing clear and more concise, always ready to offer story ideas, and offer insight not previously considered. Elizabeth is one of the most hardworking individuals I have ever encountered. I wish her great success post-graduation.

By my side has been this semester has been the best Managing Editor I could have asked for. Nick has helped create a compelling, modern design for this paper, and has routinely chal-

I’ve been writing for The Beacon for selves through the grinder, producover two years, and this will be my last ing top-notch quality work. submission. Ordinarily, I have been Recently, at the English/Comdoing sports opinion columns, but this munications awards ceremony, week’s edition will be a tad different. many of them were honored for Goodbye, Beacon newspaper. I’ll be their work, but I still don’t think it graduating this semester and will not receives enough attention from the be returning to write this column again campus as a whole. There is somenext semester. thing profoundly satisfying about As a columnist (notably, someone being on a college campus (espewho has never been tasked to do reportcially one with a highly questionANDREW ing, designing or the like) my direct inable administration, as ours is) with BAILLARGEON volvement with The Beacon aside from an elite newspaper team. While THE CALL writing these weekly columns has been many of us will be departing at the limited to my contributions within Beaend of the semester, enough of us con Web News. will remain to see The Beacon again in the flesh next Still, I know just about everyone who works for semester and academic year.

The Beacon pretty well and have a decent rapport I’m grateful for having the opportunity I had with most of them. I’m going to miss working with here with The Beacon. I remember being incredibly these people just as I will miss writing this column. excited to take it up when, a couple of years ago, Let it be stressed that these people really put them- the editor-in-chief at the time reached out to me

lenged me on my ideas.

Last year, we met serving on the SGA E-Board together. Coincidentally, we resigned at the same time, and coincidentally started on The Beacon together that spring. However, it is no coincidence that Nick is the first person I turn to for advice, to finish something, or to just bounce ideas off of.

Maya McFadden, Corey Mitchell-Labrie, Jennifer VanBramer, Nathan Biron, and John Morrissey have all been incredible additions who have helped push what this newspaper can be and furthered that desire to publish impactful content. Tessa Sestito, our next Managing Editor has pushed us to be at our best, and has shown tremendous promise in her desire to learn all aspects of this production. Julia Teixeira also deserves praise for realizing what true collaboration with The Beacon and WJJW can be and I am excited to work with her again.

Finally, I want to thank WJJW’s E-Board. While they may not be part of The Beacon officially, our organizations are united as members of student media. Luke O’Brien and Teresa Leahy provided expertise in concert planning and reaching the broader community. Sean Curtis provided a wealth of technical knowledge and Aidan Rawson showed tremendous growth as a leader.

This semester has come to an end. While all of us are looking forward to a much needed break, we are excited to return in the fall, and to continue producing stories that students need to know. I am excited to return as the editor and I am excited to continue working with a staff that will challenge one another and share the same goals. Student media will keep pushing forward.

over winter break asking if I’d be willing to write a sports column.

To that end, the opportunity opened up strictly because my work on The Call for 91.1 WJJW FM got me noticed. If this isn’t a loud and clear indicator that you can pick up the skills and resources you need to succeed from student media, I don’t know what is.

If nothing else, The Beacon was just as fun to write for as it was productive and academically stimulating. Being able to write about generally whatever I wanted, and to earn credits doing it, has been great.

Being able to play around with acquired writing styles, to touch base on an interesting topic that appealed to me — all of that stuff made writing for The Beacon loose, fun and generally stress-free. It was simply taking a class I happily was able to essentially ace.

I’m going to miss it. This newspaper is incredible, and the people here are all going places. So, goodbye Beacon. Time to turn to the next chapter in my life.

Opinion

May 2, 2019

TheOnlineBeacon.com

15

Editorial

MCLA Should Explore Marijuana Research

The Berkshire County area is slowly but surely seeing the inclusion of the medicinal and recreational marijuana industries in a steady increase of smoke shops and dispensaries. Pittsfield is currently home to both BerkshireRoots and Temescal Wellness, and just this week, The Beacon covered the opening of Silver Therapeutics in Williamstown.

Opinions surrounding the matter of legal marijuana use have, for the most part, been met with widespread positivity. It has also sparked a general interest in the field of marijuana cultivation, with many potential students now looking into how they can get involved in the marijuana industry.

The legal marijuana industry has the potential to become the next Silicon Valley scenario. It’s a field that is expected to generate more than $132 billion in federal tax revenue in the next decade and generate nearly 1 million jobs. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue has estimated that the state could collect between $93 million to $172 million from marijuana sales alone by the end of 2020.

It’s evident to us at The Beacon that opportunities in the marijuana field will be bountiful. Therefore, we feel it is only logical that the inclusion of a major gear toward preparing students for the inevitable wave of cannabis-related work would prove beneficial not only to future students but the school itself.

In 2017, the University of Northern Michigan nstituted a new program of study geared toward the budding marijuana industry that would see that students receive qualifications that would allow them to be hired on as laboratory technicians, analysts and oversight positions.

Since then, several colleges throughout the country have started adding classes to their curriculum to prepare students for careers in marijuana cultivation, marketing, analyzation and research — some of which can be ex-

pected to pay upward of $70,000 annually.

Colleges offering plant-related majors specifically geared toward cannabis are still far and few though.

At a time in which enrollment numbers have been on the decline for the past nine years, MCLA needs a means by which to bolster their numbers. They need to offer opportunities that other colleges throughout Massachusetts do not, as well as those that promote job security and worthwhile pay and capture the current interests of young people.

As it stands, several marijuana career training programs do exist throughout the state — Mount Wachusett Community College’s cannabis career training program, for example. However, they all seem to fall in line with something more akin to a monthlong course or collection of “do-it-yourself” style online training modules.

MCLA has the potential to be one of, if not the first, public, residential colleges to take a step toward preparing students for the careers of tomorrow — not just those that have been established for years and, in some cases, are becoming increasingly hard to make a living in. It just so happens that the careers of tomorrow are in cannabis.

Crippling student debt and a lack of job opportunities have become a very real, very scary part of the college experience in recent years. Students entering college now want to be ensured that their time, effort and money will pay out in the end, which unfortunately doesn’t happen for many college graduates throughout the country. So why not take steps to ease their concern and offer them direction in a field that actually shows promise?

While we realize that adding an additional major is by no means something that could occur overnight, we do think that it is a topic the school shouldn’t shrug off because of the lingering stigma surrounding it.

Key West Lounge Review

BY NORA HONES COLUMNIST Key West Lounge resides at 159 State St. in North Adams but is far from the accepted idea of a lounge.

There is no jazz music nor armchairs where artists sit like the commonly-known lounge aesthetic. Key West Lounge — or as it’s more commonly known, Key West — has been referred to as an “All-American” dive bar, which sums it up quite well. With its three pool tables, numerous Budweiser signs and lotto machine, it’s a true townie hot spot.

Unlike the Pitcher’s Mound, Key West’s chances of seeing students are slim-to-none

even though it’s a mere 15-minute walk from campus.

This raises the question: why is it not more occupied by students?

That is something I’m not completely sure of, but I have a good guess as to why. My theory is that it comes down to the fact it’s such an “All-American” bar that it’s off-putting to the average liberal arts student, at least to myself and many others I’ve talked to about their experiences there.

Key West Lounge is the kind of place you go to see some live music and end up having to deal with a plumber hitting on you all night and giving you their personal phone number written on their business card. It’s

Dives

the kind of place where you are just walking past holding your girlfriend’s hand and getting catcalled all the way up or down the street.

It’s not the most feminist- or women-friendly dive bar I’ve been to by a long shot.

It’s not all bad though; they do have some pretty good drinks. The drinks are more expensive than the Pitcher’s Mound, but Key West’s well-liquor is of a much higher quality than the Mound’s, mak-

ing it worth the $2 price jump. I haven’t partaken, but I’ve heard they have cheap draft beers as well.

It’s not the kind of place I would necessarily return to, but if I ended up there I wouldn’t be upset.

As the dive bars of North Adams go, it’s not the worst but is far from the best I’ve been in. According to their Facebook page, they’re open seven days a week serving drinks and grill items from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

A Welcome to Our Fall 2019 Staff Eboard Staff

Editor-in-Chief – Jacob Vitali BWN Executive Producer – Julia Teixeira Managing Editor – Tessa Sestito Senior News Editor – Corey Mitchell-Labrie Deputy News Editor – Nathan Biron A&E Editor – Jennifer VanBramer Features Editor – Maya McFadden Sports Editor – John Morrissey

Contact News desk number: 413-662-5535 Business number: 413-662-5204 Email: beacon@mcla.edu Website: theonlinebeacon.com Office: Mark Hopkins Hall, Room 111

Policies Letters: The Beacon welcomes Letters to the Editor and columns on issues of interest to the campus. Deadlines are 11:59 p.m.

Sunday. Strive for 500 words or less.

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

Contribution: The Beacon accepts stories, photos and opinion pieces. Submit to beacon@mcla.edu.

Advertising: The Beacon reserves the right to not publish any advertisement it deems libelous, false or in bad taste.

Editorial Board

Diners, Drive-thrus D and

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

The Beacon is a designated public forum and content is determined by student staff members. 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 staff member.

A&E Writers – Sabrina Damms, Salimatu Bah Staff Writers – Natalia Giacomazzi, Tayler Scarver, Brian Rhodes Copy Editor – Ericka Delisle Beacon Web News Producer/Reporters – Robert Wehry, Symantha Kehr, Jabari Shakir

Editor-in-Chief Jake Vitali

Managing Editor Nicholas Bassett

A & E Editor Jennifer VanBramer

Senior News Editor

Co-Sports Editors

Corey Mitchell-Labrie

Brady Gerow Jabari Shakir

Editor-at-Large Ron Leja

Copy Chief

Website Editor

Elizabeth Haight

Andrew Clarke

BWN Executive Producer Karen Canela

Staff Staff Writers Maya McFadden Tessa Sestito Nathan Biron John Morrissey

A&E Writers Salimatu Bah Sabrina Damms

Copy Editor

Tessa Sestito

BWN Reporters

Andrew Strout Ally Thienel Erika Lucia Julia Teixeira Shunquell Dennis

Columnist

Andrew Baillargeon Nora Hones

Photographer Kenny Olchowski

Adviser Shawn McIntosh

May 2, 2019

NEWS

16

Cont. from Page 6

The Mohawk Theatre’s Saga Continues

PHOTOS BY JAKE VITALI

The Mohawk Theatre’s marquee was lit up this past Saturday night for the Cycling ‘74 Expo. The Inside of the theater has been stripped back to studs and brick.

Acording to Marino, that threat scared off Mosser.

However, Marino said that by 1937, most of the theaters were owned by Western Massachusetts Theatres in Springfield, except for the Richmond Theatre, which Boston-based theater tycoon E.M. Loew held a lease on. The lease was set to expire, however, and Loew wanted to maintain a local presence.

“He wanted to maintain a presence here, but there wasn’t enough land in downtown North Adams to build a theater on,” Marino said. “So what he did was, he bought lots and little pieces of lots until he had enough space to build a theater on.”

The Mohawk Theatre opened for business Nov. 5, 1938, with the theater reaching its full capacity of 1,300.

However, the space differed from its original plan.

“The Mohawk had this gorgeous oval lobby with glass block in one wall, gorgeous, that was supposed to be the actual lobby,” Marino said. “He was planning on putting the entry way from Eagle Street but the Baptists stood in his way. One of the Baptist Deacons said, ‘There’s never been a saloon or a theater on Eagle Street and as long as the Baptists are here, there never will be.'”

“Unfortunately, they didn’t hold up their end of the bargain when Desperados moved in, because they do have a bar there,” Marino continued.

The Richmond Theatre fell victim to urban renewal

in the 1960s following a fire, and the Paramount Theatre was renovated to make way for retail.

A Place of Memories

A fixture of North Adams’ downtown, many longtime residents of the city hold dear memories of the theater when it saw better days. Robert Bence, emeritus professor of history, political science and public policy, recalls many of the shows he saw at the theater.

“I thought Arlo Guthrie and his family brought down the house when I saw him,” Bence said.

In addition to performances, Bence also recalls some of the films that he saw at the theater.

“I saw the first Star Wars movie there with a kid that I was a Big Brother for, and I think that’s still the best Star Wars movie and I saw it at the Mohawk,” Bence said.

In Bence’s opinion, Images Cinema in Williamstown could be a model for the Mohawk Theatre.

“That’s run by a non-profit organization and they show an interesting collection of movies,” Bence said.

“It’s a small theater too and they have memberships.”

A longtime resident of North Adams, Bence would like to see the theater active again, in some capacity.

“It would be comforting for most of us who have lived here for a long or short time to know that it’s functioning, the same way that Mass MoCA is com-

“It would be comforting for most of us who have lived here for a long or short time to know that it’s functioning, the same way that Mass MoCA is comforting,” — Robert Bence Professor Emeritus forting,” Bence said.

Marino proposed forming an organization which could present smaller-scale performances throughout the city and raise money for the Mohawk’s restoration.

“If a group was formed under the moniker ‘Mohawk’s Baby Brother,’ it could put on shows, movies, concerts and lectures in various small venues around the city — for instance in churches, in school gyms and auditoriums, and storefronts,” Marino said. “If we had a theater like that here, even it was a smallscale like ‘Mohawk’s Baby Brother,’ we would be bringing people to North Adams.”

For Barrett, the Mohawk Theatre’s design still leaves an impression on him.

“That’s a 1938 E.M. Loew art deco theater,” Barrett said. “How many of those are left?”