September 24, 2020 Vol. 91 Issue 2 by MCLA Beacon

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Thursday, September 24, 2020

COVID-19

One Active Student Case, Now Isolated Off Campus BY BRIAN RHODES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF After entering last week with no active COVID-19 cases, the college has learned of one positive student case. The student who tested positive is currently in isolation per the college’s COVID-19 guidelines, but they are not on campus according to Gina Puc, vice president for strategic initiatives. “Because this case was deemed to have a known close exposure (not from campus), the individual is isolating at home and is being monitored by our public health contacts,” she said in an email. The college first learned of this first case in the afternoon last Thursday, Sept. 17. The college has not yet updated its COVID-19 information page to reflect the new positive test. President Birge spoke

of the positive test during MCLA’s Board of Trustees’ general meeting shortly after learning the news. “While we were all a little disappointed that we had one case, it’s one case,” Birge said at the meeting. “And what’s really good about that is we saw how strong the planning was, to do the tracing of those students [who came into contact with the positive case].” This week is the final week of testing every student on campus once a week for COVID-19. For the remainder of the semester, 25% of the student population will be tested randomly every week. Puc noted that the college has been pleased with how testing has gone so far. “Overall, we have been happy with our engagement with the Broad Institute for

COVID, Page 10

Volume 91 • Issue 2

VP Holbrook to Retire at End of the Academic Year BY BRIAN RHODES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catherine Holbrook, vice president of student affairs, is retiring at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. In a Microsoft Teams interview with The Beacon, Holbrook explained that, after working in higher education for nearly 40 years, she felt that now was the right time to retire. “I have loved what I do, and I still love what I do,” she said. “But there comes a point when you look at it, and you say I’ve worked for a long time, I’ve done the kinds of things that I think that I can do and it’s time for me to do the next phase of my life.” Holbrook, who has been vice president of academic affairs since 2015, said that she hopes to spend more time with her family once she transitions into retirement.

PHOTO TAKEN FROM MCLA.EDU

Catherine Holbrook, vice president of student affairs, is retiring at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. “I think that this COVID pandemic kind of puts a lot of things in perspective, and it’s changed everything; for you all as students, for us all as faculty and staff,” she said. “And quite frankly, to be living away from my children and my grandchildren, and the distance, to be

unable to see them; it’s kind of like time with family is really precious, and you never know how much time you actually have.” President James Birge was the first to publicly announce Holbrook’s plans to

Holbrook, Page 10

MCLA Website Receives Complete Overhaul BY MARIAMA NDIAYE STAFF WRITER

On Wednesday, Sept. 16, MCLA launched its new website design to students and faculty for the start of the new year. The goal of the redesign is to benefit students and faculty and to help them with navigating their way through campus, academics, financial services, counseling, and any other information they need. Communications and Marketing Director Bernadette Alden said that the school partnered with higher education marketing firm Simpson Scarborough in spring 2018, which resulted in the college’s new brand and messaging. “A core team took on the work of reinventing our public-facing website, mcla. edu, in collaboration with an experienced web development firm, iFactory,” Alden said. Over a total of two years, Alden and numerous faculty held multiple on-campus interviews, town halls, and presentations. They also conducted campus community surveys and held web champion training, which teaches students how to use the web, for people on

PHOTO TAKEN FROM MCLA.EDU

The goal of the the website redesign is to benefit students and faculty and to help them with navigating their way through campus, academics, financial services, counseling, and any other information they need. campus who have interaction with the back end of the website. The following MCLA personnel spearheaded the project: Associate Dean of Information Technology Ian Bergeron, Director of Enrollment Operations Jana Boyer, Web Management Assistant Morgan Burfield, Social Media and Marketing Specialist Jasmine Gancarz, Administrator of Systems Ste-

phen Maselli, Creative and Brand Strategy Manager Francesca Olsen, Web and Applications Senior Manager Steve Pesola and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives Gina Puc. “MCLA’s new website needs to do all of this while continuing to differentiate the College from our competitors – particularly in the eyes of prospective students,” Alden said. In a statement to the Bea-

con, director of admissions Kayla Hollins said the creation of the site is beneficial for student outreach. “The fact that the site is mobile responsive is a step in the right direction for the institution. We know that students utilize their phones more than ever, so it was important to make sure our website met students where they are,” Hollins said. Examples of new additions of the redesigned website in-

clude a calendar plugin that shows events from Presence. io, a searchable faculty directory, and an academic programs page that displays to visitors information on the college’s faculty, majors, minors and concentrations. “We chose iFactory from the many vendors that responded to our RFP at the onset of the project,” Alden said. “iFactory stood out among the group for their intuitiveness, grasp of our specific needs, and their understanding of the higher ed landscape.” “We chose OmniUpdate for our content management system because they could provide ongoing site development and had a unique set of site features designed specifically for higher ed,” Alden said. OmniUpdate’s higher education focus, ease of use, strong project management, and technical support teams made the service a fitting partner for MCLA’s content management. Arrionna D’Abreau ‘21 stated that she liked the new design for the MCLA website. “Very organized and eye-catching for recruiting students wanting to apply,” she said.

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SGA

Little Won’t Re-Run for SGA President BY NATALIA GIACOMOZZI MANAGING EDITOR Student Government Association (SGA) began its meeting via Microsoft Teams on Monday, Sept. 21 with President Dean Little ’21 announcing he would not run for his current position or for another SGA role this election cycle. Little said last week’s resignation of Executive Vice President Sophie Smith ’21 made him reflect on his course workloads and pursuit of a full-time job. “For that reason, I will announce my non-candidacy in the next election. At the meeting after the results of the election, I will officially swear in any new president and then step down from the role entirely,” said Little. Little added that his commitments outside of SGA would not allow him to “participate in the role as a president should.” Little also noted he will spearhead the elections committee as the results of each race come in following this semester’s elections. “I am able to serve on the elections committee having the most experience from doing so. I will chair the committee, so I will be working very closely with Chris [Hantman], Amanda [Schuler], and Emma [Marino] as far as the election process goes to ensure fair and accurate ballot counting as well as the election actually happens and all candidates are following election rules,” he said. According to Little, an

estimated 80 students voted in the election this previous spring semester which resulted in Little and Coordinating Vice President Shannon Prouty ’21 won. At Monday’s meeting, Senator Emma Marino ’22 also reported that the school’s academic policies committee voted on a president, vice president and a secretary during their meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16. “There wasn’t anything else to discuss, but there is stuff on the table for next week,” Marino said. She noted that Jeremy Winchester, associate professor of fine and performing arts, will continue to be the chair of the academic policies committee. Treasurer Kelli Garrant ’21 reported the school’s curriculum committee decided on a new chairperson and secretary also on Wednesday, Sept. 16. “I know [the meeting] was about transitioning to new people, but that was about all we did,” she said. Little told the SGA members present that a budget committee needs to be established for the fall semester. “In this semester they don’t do much week over week. Usually it is a few requests from clubs here and there. Beyond that, we will need to establish one so at least we have it in case a request does come in from a club,” he said. Little noted that there is a new budget committee, as well as new academic policies and curriculum

Election Sign-ups to Close Tonight BY NATALIA GIACOMOZZI MANAGING EDITOR

committees, every year “as far as who comprises the committee”. In speaking about increasing student involvement with SGA, Little noted students do not have to be associated with SGA to join the budget committee. “To be on the budget committee, you just can not be in the e-board of a club at all,” he said. Chris Hantman, coordinator of civic engagement in student affairs, mentioned that all club e-boards should be considering attending the leadership summit on Sunday, Sept. 27, from noon to 3 pm. “Please sign up and attend because it’s important and there’s going to be workshops on every position from president, vice president, etc. and a number of other workshops that are going to help your club be successful in the coming semester and next semester no matter how it may look,” Hantman said. Hantman also suggested that students who are on the fence about running for an open SGA position could conduct write-in campaigns. The next SGA meeting is on Monday, Sept. 28.

The deadline to sign up to run for an open position in Student Government Association (SGA) is Thursday, Sept. 24, as SGA meetings get underway via Microsoft Teams this semester. Anyone interested in running for a spot in SGA can find the information under the “Run For Office 2020” tab on the MCLA SGA online homepage. As of Sunday, Sept. 20, there are three candidates running to be a senator-at-large, six candidates running to fill the SGA executive board, and 12 candidates running to be on class councils. Respectively, each current class has at least two students running for a class council seat. Amanda Schuler, SGA office manager, sent an email to all SGA-recognized clubs, advisors and organizations proposing they encourage students to sign as many SGA candidate nomination forms as possible. “Please help us by sharing with your club members and other MCLA students the links below of all candidates who are running and if you as e-board members haven’t had a chance yet, please consider signing candidates’ forms as well,” Schuler wrote. Students interested in running can also ask questions in the SGA office lo-

cated in room 316 of the campus center or contact Schuler. More information can be found at https://www. mcla.edu/student-life/student-government/index.php The SGA elections come off the heels of last week’s announcement that Executive Vice President Sophie Smith ’21 had resigned. Smith has not yet responded to a request from The Beacon for comment on her resignation. At the first SGA meeting of the semester on Sept. 14, President Dean Little ’21 also announced that he and Coordinating Vice President Shannon Prouty ’21 would “concede the contest” if challenged for their positions. Chris Hantman, Coordinator of Civic Engagement in Student Affairs, suggested during the first meeting that those in SGA should encourage new students to join.

Board of Trustees

Mohan Boodram Named to Chair of Board of Trustees BY BRIAN RHODES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Trustee Mohan Boodram has been named chair of MCLA’s Board of Trustees for the 2020-2021 academic year. Boodram has served on MCLA’s Board of Trustees since 2012 and was chair of the trustees’ Enrollment Management Committee since 2013. Boodram is the first openly gay, person of color to become chair of MCLA’s trustees. Boodram and the rest of the trustees came together, both in-person and virtually, last week for introductory meetings to begin the semester. The trustees’ first Fiscal Affairs Committee took place on Tuesday, Sept. 15 and the Trustees’ first

Student Affairs Committee and general meetings took place on Thursday, Sept. 17. “It is a different experience being a chair [of the trustees],” Boodram said in a followup Microsoft Teams interview with The Beacon. He noted that going to all of the trustees’ subcommittee meetings, which he did not do before becoming chair, has given him useful experience that is important to have for his new role. Boodram mentioned that, along with him becoming the chair of the trustees, almost all of the subcommittees have new chairpeople as well. “I’m also looking to make sure that the chairs of those committees are getting the support and information

they need to be effective at carrying out their responsibilities,” he said. During Boodram’s report at the general trustees meeting, he recited the college’s mission statement, as well as the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s goals on racial and social equity, and recognized that it is their job as trustees to enact that mission. “I mention these because I think that they are our guiding star, and they are all that we should be thinking about as we carry on our work this year,” he said at the meeting. “I will hopefully use some of my time at future meetings during the chairperson’s report

Trustees, Page 10

PHOTO TAKEN FROM MCLA.EDU

Boodram has served on MCLA’s Board of Trustees since 2012 and was chair of the trustees’ Enrollment Management Committee since 2013.

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Sept. 24, 2020

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MCLA & HVCC Sign Environmental Articulation Agreement BY NATALIA GIACOMOZZI MANAGING EDITOR MCLA and Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) in New York have signed an articulation agreement for students involved in environmental studies. Under the terms of the articulation agreement, HVCC students who acquire an associate degree in environmental science can transfer to MCLA as juniors to pursue a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with either a concentration in either environmental science or environmental sustainability. According to both the MCLA and HVCC press releases, HVCC students need at least a 2.0 grade point average upon graduation in order to qualify. Professor Elena Traister, chairperson of MCLA’s environmental studies department, said the agreement has been a work in process for several years. “Way back in 2015, the MCLA administration reached out to us in the Environmental Studies Department to let us know that HVCC had an A.S. Environmental Sciences and was interested in developing an articulation agreement with us,” Traister said in an email. In the MCLA press release announcing the articulation agreement, Traister stated

that HVCC’s environmental science program was “well-aligned” with the one taught at MCLA. “Similar to our program, HVCC’s associates program requires students to take introductory courses in biology, chemistry, geology, geographic information systems, and environmental studies,” she said in a statement to the Beacon. Whereas the recent education articulation agreement between MCLA and Berkshire Community College (BCC) makes it mandatory for students to enroll in the Children, Families and Society concentration, the agreement between MCLA and HVCC allows students to choose which concentration to take. “Since it was clear to us in the environmental studies department that junior transfer students coming from HVCC would be able to complete either concentration in Environmental Studies and graduate from MCLA in two years, it made sense to allow students to choose either one of our two major concentrations,” Traister said. Traister stated that she did not directly communicate with any members of the HVCC faculty about the agreement. “I worked directly with Erinn Kennedy […] Erinn simultaneously communicated with the administration and faculty at

PHOTO BY NATALIA GIACOMOZZI

The Center for Science and Innovation (CSI) will house the courses run under the environmental articulation agreement between MCLA & HVCC. HVCC,” she said. Erinn Kennedy, associate director of advising and outreach at MCLA’s graduate and continuing education department, previously oversaw articulation agreements in the admissions office. “When I moved positions, I took [articulation agreements] with me,” Kennedy said in an email. She had discussions about the agreement with the associate director of academic planning, assessment, research, and accreditation at HVCC, Amy Keegan. “We plan on working together on more agreements in the future,” Kennedy said. Professor Peter Schaefer,

who also chairs the biology, chemistry, and physics department at HVCC, was not in contact with the MCLA administration. However, he sees the articulation agreement as an opportunity for environmental-majoring students to expand their options. “Typically, we see about 20 to 25 students per year who graduate in our environmental [associate’s] degree program. They usually go on to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse or seek employment with the NY [Department of Environmental Conservation],” Schaefer said in an email.

He was unsure how to answer the specifics of HVCC’s plan to prepare students with associate degrees in environmental science for the transfer to MCLA, should students choose to do so. “There are certainly surroundings for environmental projects and employer connections in the northwestern part of Massachusetts. I would think that internships and research opportunities could be developed,” Schaefer said. Kennedy also noted that she believes articulation agreements similar to the MCLA-HVCC pact can have long term benefits for students regardless of enrollment status. “I think having this type of agreement is always a good way to attract more students in hopes of garnering more interest,” she said. According to director of marketing and communications Bernadette Alden, the number of MCLA students graduating with a BA in environmental studies has ebbed and flowed over the previous three years. “[There were] 10 environmental studies graduate in 2020, six in 2019, and 12 in 2018,” she said in a statement via email. The Berkshire Eagle also announced the MCLA-HVCC articulation agreement in its Sept. 11 issue.

Beacon News Briefs: For September 24, 2020 Graduate and Continuing Education to Hold Three Virtual Seminars Oct. 4

CSSE to Host Student Resume Workshop Today at 3 p.m.

MCLA’s Division of Graduate and Continuing Education (DGCE) is holding three virtual information sessions at 4p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4. The first information session will focus on MCLA’s Master of Business Administration/Graduate Certificate in Business Administration program. The Second information session will focus on MCLA’s Master of Education Program. During the session, attendees will recieve an overview of educational opportunities available to students in the program. The third information session will focus on MCLA’s Degree Completion Program,which is designed for adult learners seeking accelerated, non-traditional pathways to completing bachelor’s degrees. Those interested in attending any of the information sessions can visit mcla.edu/graduate to register.

The Center for Student Success and Engagement (CSSE) is hosting a resume and cover letter workshop in Bowman Hall’s Lower Cafe from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24. Students attending the event will have access to help on their resumes, as well as their cover letters. CSSE will also be hosting several other workshops in the hours and days following the resume and cover letter workshop, including a job searching workshop at 4 p.m. on Sept. 24, as well as an interviewing skills workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Students interested in the workshops should contact CSSE for more information.

Food Pantry Taking Submissions for New Logo, Prize Being Offered MCLA’s Food Pantry is taking submissions for a logo. The winner of the contest will recieve a $30 Walmart gift card and have their submission as the new Food Pantry logo. “The idea of students coming up with the logo is compelling and I think will help with the publicity of the pantry itself,” said Spencer Moser, director of civic and community engagement, in an email. Submissions for the logo contest are due by Friday, Oct. 2. Those interested in submitting a logo should send their submission to DeAnna Wardell at dw4833@mcla.edu.

Majors and Minors Fair to be held Virtually Today at 12 p.m. The Majors & Minors Fair will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams from 12 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24. The purpose of the fair is to help students who have not declared a major, are considering changing their major, or are considering adding a major or minor. Faculty and students from every academic department will be present to discuss what their majors entail, what kinds of classes students in them take, what extracurricular opportunities there are, and what careers can be pursued within it. Students interested in attending can visit https://mcla.presence.io/event/major-minor-fair.

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Trump Slams China in UN Speech, Echoing Campaign

BY TRACY WILKINSON LOS ANGELES TIMES As the United Nations marked its 75th anniversary with a pandemic-era summit conducted virtually, President Donald Trump used the occasion Tuesday to excoriate China, accusing it of “unleashing” the coronavirus on the world even as U.S. deaths from the disease passed 200,000. Trump, who had advertised for days on the campaign trail that he would be tough on China, took on the fellow member of the Security Council at the U.N.’s annual General Assembly, with the world’s leaders looking on via video screens. While Trump railed against Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged cooperation. Using a term widely seen as xenophobic, Trump said Beijing must be held accountable for the “China virus.” The world’s death toll is on track to reach 1 million. While one-fifth of the deaths and confirmed cases of infections are in the United States, Trump made wildly exaggerated claims about how well his administration has tackled COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. “In the United States, we launched the most aggressive mobilization since the Second World War,” Trump said in relatively brief remarks recorded at the White House and delivered remotely. He claimed, contradicting his government’s top scientists and medical experts, that a vaccine will soon be distributed and the virus “defeated.” “As we pursue this bright future, we must hold accountable the nation which unleashed this plague onto the world: China,” Trump said. He accused China of colluding with U.N. health officials to dupe the world over the severity of the disease, while also attacking Beijing on issues including ethnic cleansing and climate change. After years of apparent

PHOTO BY SARAH SILBIGER

President Donald Trump speaks to the White House Press Corps on September 19. The United Nations, marking the 75th anniversay of its creation, is holding a General Assembly this week virtually. friendship between Trump and Xi, relations between the world’s two largest economies are the most hostile in years, with tension over the coronavirus exacerbating conflicts over artificial intelligence, military activities in the South China Sea and trade. The unusually harsh speech in a forum that typically sticks to diplomatic niceties had two audiences. Trump not only was speaking to the global community, but also to American voters: Anti-China rhetoric has been central to his campaign efforts to deflect blame for his failings in handling the pandemic, as well as criticism about his responses to trade deficits, climate change and China’s abysmal human rights record. The tone of Trump’s comments harked back to his first General Assembly speech in 2017, when he taunted Kim Jong Un, the leader of nuclear-armed North Korea, as “Rocket Man” and threatened “to totally destroy” his country. “The Chinese government and the World Health Organization _ which is virtually controlled by China _ falsely declared that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission,” Trump said. “Later, they falsely said people

without symptoms would not spread the disease,” he added. “The United Nations must hold China accountable for their actions.” The president’s assertions of China dissembling about the virus came as he has been on the defensive domestically for minimizing, even falsifying, information about the deadliness of the coronavirus _ based on months of recorded interviews with journalist and book author Bob Woodward that contradict his sunny assessments to the public over time. Trump has already vowed to leave the WHO, the U.N.’s main health body, which has been a top recipient of U.S. aid to combat polio and malaria across the globe. In a tweet, the WHO responded that no government controls its activities, policies or decisions. Though he has routinely denied that global warming is a problem and withdrew the U.S. from the worldwide Paris climate accord, Trump blasted China for its environmental record. (The United States is the only country in the world to have withdrawn from the Paris pact.) “Those who attack America’s exceptional environmental record while ignoring China’s rampant pollution are not interested in the environment. They only want

to punish America. And I will not stand for it,” Trump said. He added that the U.N. must focus on the “real problems” of the world, such as terrorism, drug trafficking and the “ethnic cleansing of religious minorities.” By the last item, he was referring to China’s repression of Muslim Uighurs. The Trump administration was slow to criticize China for its treatment of the minority, which it has forced into labor camps, stripped of cultural identity and in some cases, according to human rights organizations, tortured and killed. But since Trump decided that stoking anger against China was politically advantageous, he and his top Cabinet members have routinely decried the plight of the Uighurs. Asked later if Trump’s attack on China might backfire and undermine cooperation on fighting COVID-19, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, “There is no bigger bully than China when it comes to COVID.” The General Assembly is usually an elaborate, twoweek affair that annually brings most of the world’s leaders to U.N. headquarters in Manhattan. But this year, presidents and prime ministers were asked to submit videotaped speeches

ahead of time. Those were then broadcast, starting Monday, to a nearly empty conference hall. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the session and, while not naming Trump, declared that “populism and nationalism” _ Trump’s hallmarks _ have failed, especially in the fight against the coronavirus. He warned against a new Cold War between Washington and Beijing. “We are moving in a very dangerous direction,” Guterres said. “Our world cannot afford a future where the two largest economies split the globe in a great fracture _ each with its own trade and financial rules and internet and artificial intelligence capacities.” Xi’s speech was taped before Trump’s comments aired, and so he was not responding directly to his American counterpart. Still, he got in his digs as well. Xi took aim at Trump’s “America first” doctrine, which challenges the U.N.’s core mission of multilateralism since its founding after two world wars. “No country has the right to dominate global affairs, control the destiny of others, or keep advantages in development all to itself,” he said. “Even less should one be allowed to do whatever it likes and be the hegemon, bully or boss of the world. Unilateralism is a dead end.” He said China had no interest in a “cold war or a hot one” with any nation, and urged world powers to avoid “falling into the trap of a clash of civilizations.” China’s U.N. ambassador, Zhang Jun, was in New York and, speaking to reporters, condemned Trump’s tone as “incompatible with the general atmosphere” of the world body. “When the international community is really fighting hard against the COVID-19,” he said, “the United States is spreading a political virus here in the General Assembly.”

Artic Sea-Ice Extent Nears Record Low Despite Growth During a Frigid Winter BY ANTHONY R. WOOD THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

Despite a growth spurt during quite a cold winter in the far north, Arctic sea ice has fallen to its second-lowest extent in 42 years of satellite observations, the National Snow and Ice Data Center reported Monday.

“The year 2020 will stand as an exclamation point on the downward trend in Arctic sea ice extent,” said Mark Serreze, the center’s director. “I thought the sea ice would do well this summer because it had such a favorable winter,” said Judah Cohen, scientist and polar weather specialist with Atmospheric and

Environmental Research. In winter sea ice had reached its highest extent since 2013. The polar vortex swirled persistently up that way, confining the cold air and keeping it from spilling into parts of the nation. But then came extreme summer warmth. “That June heat wave over Siberia

moved into the central Arctic in July and just was a very efficient ice melter,” said Cohen. He said the melting also might have received a boost from a strong storm at the end of July. The center, and the University of Colorado Boulder, said that the sea ice evidently had reached its minimum

annual extent, 1.44 million square miles, on Sept. 15. The record minimum of 1.31 million square miles was set in 2012. Meanwhile, at the other end of the world where winter ends on Tuesday, the Antarctic is experiencing one of its top 10 sea-ice extents, the center said.

Sept. 24, 2020

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Faculty and Staff Adjusting to Working From Home ter. Most of my material was already available online so I really did not feel Academics at MCLA have a huge jump converting to been looking different re- a completely remote modcently, as many students el,” said Edgerton. and staff have chosen to Edgerton, like many othmove towards completely er professors, had to work remote learning. very quickly to make changEver since the COVID-19 es to semester plans for inpandemic had surfaced the class presentations. United States back in March “It was done very quick2020, students and staff at ly. I would always have my MCLA began learning how students do in-class presenthey were going to change tations and in-class discusthe way they held classes at sions, I had to transfer that MCLA for the near future. to all online,” said Edgerton. MCLA President James The main setback for facBirge took to the campus ulty and students during this community to announce a new remote learning experinew hybrid learning mod- ence is dealing with the ups el for fall 2020, which af- and downs of technology. ter Thanksgiving break MCLA has mainly used will then switch to fully Microsoft Teams as the front remote learning. runner for remote class Susan Edgerton, pro- scheduling and discussion. fessor of Interdisciplinary Cameras and microStudies at MCLA who has phones have been installed been teaching at the college in most of the classrooms to for 16 years, has chosen to accompany the remote and go fully remote to protect hybrid model learning style. her health. As the semester is start“I am considered in the ing, both professors and vulnerable category due to students have been figurmy age, and ing out how so I was alto make the lowed to go most out fully remote of learning in accordance through Micwith the CDC rosoft Teams. guidelines,” “In the said Edgerspring I did ton. not try to “I have learn how to taught a graddo the remote uate course meetings, all online and PHOTO TAKEN FROM MCLA.EDU it was a lot I think as do Susan Edgerton, professor of for me, I felt most of my Interdisciplinary Studies at MCLA like my time collages, put who has been teaching at the was better my course up college for 16 years, has chosen spent trying on Canvas to go fully remote to protect her to transfer every semes- health. my courses to BY ISABEL COSTA STAFF WRITER

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PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHRISTOPHER MACDONALD-DENNIS

When Christopher MacDonald-Dennis first learned of the remote learning model due to the pandemic, he struggled with realizing how it was going to change his daily life engaging with students at MCLA. fully online. “But then I had to learn how to remotely teach, so we have all our meetings via Microsoft Teams,” said Edgerton. Glitches with Microsoft Teams as the semester has gone underway has been a big issue with professors trying to conduct classes online. “That’s the most challenging part for me is the technical glitches that happen, someone’s internet or camera can go out and also Microsoft Teams at this point can only show nine faces at a time. That can be really strange that I can only see nine faces at a time instead of everyone’s faces,” said Edgerton. Edgerton also made a point to mention the positive

outcomes she has experienced with remote learning. “The hybrid model is very complex to me you only see half the class really at a time, whereas with conducting a class fully on remote I can see everyone’s faces when they speak, the students don’t have to wear a mask so we can see one another’s expressions,” she noted. She added: “There is an intimacy in that, that I think is better in a way for some people then face to face class. I’m not saying it should replace face to face class which is by far the best, but under the circumstances I find it’s the best option.” Chief Diversity Officer Christopher MacDonald-Dennis has been at MCLA for two and a half

years. When he first learned of the remote learning model due to the pandemic, he struggled with realizing how it was going to change his daily life engaging with students at MCLA. “I struggled because I was an extrovert. I get energy from people. I love being with people it has been really tough. The reason I am home is I have diabetes, HIV and asthma, and I had to truly realize if I got COVID I would die,” MacDonald-Dennis said. MacDonald-Dennis , although mainly apart of the administration , voiced his excitement coming to campus every day for the MCLA community and getting to chat with students. “It was really hard for me I wanted to take care of myself but I also went against why I go into higher ed to really be around students every day. I love the energy of a college campus and not having that was very difficult,” MacDonald-Dennis said. He believes the biggest issue with being remote within the administrative aspect of MCLA is doing the right thing by students and faculty. “We knew people wanted to come back in some way, but how can we protect people? How can we assure we have the proper testing, we really have to do the right thing,” MacDonald-Dennis said. MacDonald-Dennis also noted another challenge for him that comes from working from home is hav-

Remote, Page 10

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Arts & Entertainment

Sept. 24, 2020

* THURSDAY, SEPT. 24 -Register to vote! Student Engagement Office - Major and Minor Fair GSSE- Center for Student Success and Engagement 12p.m. - Civic Engagement Workshop Enchill Virtual 2:30 p.m.

with

* SUNDAY, SEPT. 27

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* TUESDAY SEPT. 29 - Homecoming Week Sept. 29 - Oct. 3 Hosted by MCLA Alumni Association

-SGA Leadership Summit 2020 Online 12 p.m. - Interviewing Skills Workshop Virtual through Teams Hosted by CSSE AJ 2 p.m. Hosted by Student Engagement Bowman Hall Lower Level Cafe Office

* FRIDAY, SEPT. 25 - IGE Center: Movie Night Virtual 9 p.m. - Spirit Friday * SATURDAY, SEPT. 26 - Featured Artist Series: Conrad Egyir Virtual Hosted by MCLA Gallery 51 -Mug ‘N’ Go Quad 3-4 p.m. Hosted by Student Activities Council

-Mindful Mashup Yoga with -MCLA’s 125th Anniversary Celebration Monique Symes ‘11 Virtual Facebook 2 p.m. 4 p.m. Hosted by Center for Student Success and Engagement (CSSE) * WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30 - Flu Clinic -Get Your Head In The Game 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 3-5 p.m. Quad Campus Center Gym/Taconic Lawn -Women’s Center Wednesday Hosted by Susan B. Anthony Women’s Center * MONDAY, SEPT. 28 Virtual 12 p.m. -Mental Health Monday Hosted by Counseling Services 12 p.m. Virtual

- BIPOC Healing Circle 1 p.m. Hosted by Counseling Services 1 p.m.

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If you’re interested in writing a guest column, contact Editor-in-Chief Brian Rhodes at br1620@mcla.edu

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MCLA’s 125th Anniversary Virtual Celebration Set For Tuesday, Sept. 29 BY KYLE MILLIGAN SPORTS EDITOR MCLA’s Facebook page will host a virtual fundraising celebration event on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 4:00 p.m. The event will honor MCLA and it’s 125 years of teaching students. All proceeds from the event will go to the 125 Evaluating Lives Fund which is used to support students and fund scholarships, internships, academic travel, and emergency needs involving COVID-19. This virtual celebration is free and open to the public. An MCLA Facebook Event has the registration link that you can sign up for, donate to the fund, and watch it live. After the event is over, it will stay on the Facebook page and also be uploaded to the MCLA YouTube channel. “For this event, we really wanted to celebrate our students. Our students are the core of the MCLA community and we want the spotlight to be on them,” said Events Coordinator Jacqueline Kelly. President James Birge will speak in the virtual celebrations along with chair of MCLA Board of Trustees Mohan Boodram a the three presidential medallion honorees: The Fairbank Group, BRIDGE, and Jane Allen ’61 HD’02. Students, faculty, alumni, and community members of MCLA will also make special appearances during the celebration. “Our honorees this year are really champions of MCLA and Berkshire county. So, we are really excited to be able to give them the chance to have that honor, because they have all done so much for our community,” said Kelly. The anniversary celebration was originally sched-

PHOTO BY JAKE VITALI

To commemorate the college’s 125th anniversary, banners were draped on the front of Murdock Hall in Fall of 2019. The anniversary celebration was originally scheduled to be an in person event in April of 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. uled to be an in person event in April of 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We were really hopeful that we could make it work as an in-person event, but given the current climate we realized we had to switch this celebration to a virtual format,” Kelly said. The goal was set to raise $150,000. To this date, the 125 Elevating Lives fund has raised $143,000 and are hopeful they will reach their goal during the celebration. Kelly encourages everyone to join live and help celebrate the institution’s accomplishments. “I really encourage everyone to register and watch it with us live,” Kelly said. This event will focus on student groups and com-

munity members who have been a large help to MCLA. “We really want to highlight some of our awesome student groups, and some of the people who have supported the institution over the years,” said Kelly. The celebration is also meant to key in on the long history of MCLA and all of the sponsors that have been of much importance to the college’s success. “It is always good to look back and celebrate those who have come before us, and help make MCLA the institution that it is today,” Kelly said. “We worked really, really hard to make this event possible.” The college was established in 1894, making last year (2019) the 125th anniversary of the institution.

PHOTO TAKEN FROM MCLA.EDU

MCLA was established in 1894, making 2019 the 125th anniversary.

Check out the latest episode of Beacon Web News on YouTube or MCLA-TV on Philo!

Sports It’s Not Only Football Players. The Postponement of Fall Sports Affects so many College Athletes Sept. 24, 2020

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BY SHANNON RYAN CHICAGO TRIBUNE When Loyola Chicago senior midfielder Giann Magno learned the fall soccer season was postponed because of COVID-19, he processed a mix of emotions. He was disappointed not to compete. He was relieved to have some finality to questions about whether he should continue preparing for fall games. Quickly, he moved on to acceptance. “On my team there is more so understanding,” Magno said. “We had this conversation: Even if we were to have a season or try to have a season, it wouldn’t be smart. It would take just one person on one team for that team to get shut down. We all know this is a problem, this virus. It is really prevalent in everyone’s minds. We would be putting ourselves at risk and putting other people at risk that we know.” Measured responses such as Magno’s often aren’t given the megaphone in the divided, intersecting world of sports, politics and COVID-19. The king of college sports _ football _ sits at the center of most media stories. Big Ten football parents, players and coaches have held rallies and protests, while some hired attorneys to try to force a fall season despite a vote by university chancellors and presidents to postpone. Politicians even have weighed in, focusing their attention almost solely on football. All the while, athletes in cross country, soccer, women’s volleyball and field hockey quietly have digested the loss of their fall seasons too. Lucrative profession-

PHOTO BY CHRIS SWEDA

Illinois fans cheer at the start of a game against North Carolina at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois, on September 10, 2016 al sports contracts don’t await them like some football players. Seniors grapple with whether they’ll join the workforce or use an extra season of eligibility, which can be costly for those without full scholarships. “I felt like I was in the best shape of my life,” said Kayla Isom, a cross-country and track athlete at Illinois-Chicago. She won the Horizon League indoor and outdoor 800-meter championships. “We were kind of hopeful for the upcoming outdoor season because we had such a great indoor season,” Isom said. “I shed some tears but realized I had to get over that. I felt like everyone was disappointed, but we realize it was for the safety of us and the safety of our family and everyone in the world. I don’t mean my team didn’t feel anger. ... We just understood it.” The NCAA approved a blanket waiver allowing fall sports athletes to retain a year of eligibility for the 2021-22 season. DePaul soccer goalie Drew

Nuelle hopes a spring season can be fulfilled, and he won’t use that extra season of eligibility. He’ll be taking the Medical College Admission Test in the spring. He had planned to take it last spring when his class load and athletic responsibilities weren’t simultaneously overwhelming but had to cancel amid COVID-19 restrictions. He’ll use this rare fall without competition as an opportunity to study and delve into activities his hectic schedule had caused him to neglect. He wants to join a new diversity and inclusion group on campus, learn leadership skills and find a mentoring program in the medical field. “I’m trying to use (the fall) for social events with friends or to join clubs,” said Nuelle, from St. Louis. “You’re super busy as a Division I athlete. If you’re pre-med or pre-law, it’s very strenuous. You can look at this as not having a season. My mindset is, let’s make the most of it.” Isom, a senior from Boling-

brook, Ill., will base her decision to return on whether she competes this season. Her spring 2020 outdoor track season was canceled as well as her fall cross-country season. If she can’t compete in the winter indoor track season or the spring 2021 outdoor season, she might return. “I’m still considering that,” she said. “There’s a lot of I-don’t-knows. If we don’t have a season, I will probably come back. I feel like I’m not finished yet. I want to go out the best I possibly can.” This is the longest most fall athletes have gone without competing. UIC’s cross-country team has held team races to stay sharp. “It gets really competitive,” Islom said. Illinois senior goalkeeper Sami Sample, from South Elgin, said her soccer team has Friday night scrimmages under the lights. “We’re finding ways to get that competitive feeling back again,” she said. “We play on a game field and get all the emotions out that we can’t get from playing (other) teams. That’s what’s kept us going.” In Big Ten football circles, some argue for resuming competition because conferences such as the SEC, ACC and Big 12 are playing _ although almost all NCAA programs below the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision are not competing. Sample feels some frustration when she sees other soccer programs competing. But she said she understands the Big Ten’s decision. “I’m extremely hopeful (for a spring season),” she said. “With all this uncertainty, I’ve learned during quaran-

tine to take the little wins. I want us to be able to play again and compete with other teams. (We’re focused on) the ability of our team to be resilient and bounce back and practice hard together.” Even if conferences allow games to resume in the spring, seniors feel some disappointment about missing a traditional fall season. When the decision to postpone was announced, DePaul senior volleyball player Emma Price said she felt “relief to not be in danger.” She has tried to focus on positives. “It’s something to be taken seriously,” said Price, from California. “But there was also sadness. Every senior wants their best season to be their last season. It’s tough no matter what. I’m excited to play in the spring. It gives us more of a competitive advantage to train and prevent injuries.” Magno, of Buxton, England, said he’s still learning about American culture and the dominance of football here. “When I saw players and players’ families protesting, I was actually shocked,” he said. “It’s like, there are bigger things, people’s health.” Magno said the Loyola soccer team “had a scare” with COVID-19 when a teammate had been exposed to someone who tested positive. It reinforced his acceptance of waiting to play. “(The team) shut down,” he said. “It opened our eyes to the possibility of getting COVID. It’s not just you _ (it’s) teammates, people around you who are close to you. It helped us understand if we don’t have a season, it’s the smarter decision.”

MLB plans playoff bubbles in California, Texas BY LUKE MCGRATH BLOOMBERG NEWS Major League Baseball is planning to hold playoff games in four “bubble” locations in California and Texas, an effort to minimize the COVID-19 risk by completing the season in relative isolation, according to a person familiar with the situation. After a first playoff round held in participating teams’ ballparks around the country, the league is expecting to send four National League squads to Houston and Arlington, Texas, with American League contenders heading to Los Angeles and San Diego. The World Series would take place at the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field in Arlington, said the person, who asked not

to be identified because the plan isn’t yet public. Texas was chosen to host the World Series and other rounds in part because of its central time zone _ something that could help maximize ratings. The league is already expecting to lose more than $3 billion this year, the person said, with the red ink growing every day of the regular season. Playoff bubbles _ where players and staff are sequestered to prevent contagion _ have been successful for the NBA and NHL, and baseball is hoping they will help get the season over the finish line. Teams have suffered numerous coronavirus cases, sidelining squads for days at a time _ something that would be harder to overcome during the playoffs. Twenty-one MLB clubs have had positive tests,

including 55 players and 30 staff members, the league said last week. MLB’s proposed setup ensures no team will play a divisional or championship series in their home ballpark. The league is hoping to have the playoffs begin Sept. 29, with Game 7 of the championship _ should the series go that long _ occurring on Oct. 28. The 16-team playoffs will start with three-game wildcard series all taking place at the higher seed’s ballpark, according to the person. From there, the four remaining National League teams will travel to Texas _ with one division series hosted in Houston and the other in Arlington. The National League championship series will also take place in Arlington. The four remaining Ameri-

can League teams will head to California, with one division series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. San Diego’s Petco Park will host the other series, along with the American League championship. Some health and safety protocols for the postseason are still being worked out with the players union. Safeguards may include having playoff-bound players and staff stay in a hotel at some point in the final week of the regular season to reduce the risk. Another issue is how to handle players’ families, who would need to quarantine for seven days before officially entering one of the bubbles. Beyond that, health and safety protocols will be similar to those that teams already follow while they’re on the road. The league declined to com-

ment, while the players union didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and the Athletic previously reported on the bubble plan.

PHOTO BY JIM MCISAAC

Rob Manfred, commissoner of Major League Baseball.

Sports

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Softball and Baseball Teams Prepare For Spring ‘21 Season

SCORE BOARD

NFL

Thursday

Browns (35), Bengals (30) N. Chubb (CLE) 22 CAR, 124 YDS, 2 TD

BY KYLE MILLIGAN SPORTS EDITOR MCLA’s baseball and softball teams are working hard to better themselves individually, as they await the opportunity to be able to put a full team on the field in the Spring. After both seasons coming to a sudden end in Spring 2019, not much normalcy has occurred since then. Players on both teams have preached on resiliency, having there been so much uncontrollable adversity dealt with this year. Captains from both teams seem focused and motivated on the task at hand. Some of that focus seems to be associated with last year’s disappointing end. “Last season was definitely a disappointment, I felt like we had a lot of potential going into it and to have to cut it short before we could really reach our full stride. That just means this year’s team has a lot to live up to. I can already tell guys are just as hungry this year, it should be a great season,” said Ryan Ruef ‘21, a captain of the baseball team. “When the season first ended, I took it in the worst way possible. Now I let it motivate me because I learned the hard way that something you truly love can be taken from you at any second,” said Jake Ferrara, also a captain of the baseball team. Both teams have made it a priority to follow the new rules in place to ensure they are doing their part. In order to put themselves in position to have a season, players have to be aware and follow the new guidelines made by NCAA. “Last season’s sudden ending definitely had an impact on the team, we were all very upset with the situation but now we are just eager to play. We are all being very cautious and following the

J. Burrow (CIN) 37/61 C/ATT, 316 YDS, 3 TD

Sunday

Cowboys (40), Falcons (39) D. Prescott (DAL) 34/47 C/ATT, 450 YDS, 1 TD M. Ryan (ATL) 24/36 C/ATT, 273 YDS, 4 TD

Bears (17), Giants (13)

M. Trubisky (CHI) 18/28 C/ATT, 190 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT D. Jones (NYG) 25/40 C/ATT, 241 YDS, 1 INT

Packers (42), Lions (21)

A. Jones (GB) 18 CAR, 168 YDS, 2 TD M. Stafford (DET) 20/33 C/ATT, 244 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT

Titants (33), Jaguars (30)

R. Tannehill (TEN) 18/24 C/ATT, 239 YDS, 4 TD G. Minshew (JAX) 30/45 C/ATT, 339 YDS, 3 TD, 2 INT

Colts (28), Vikings (11)

P. Rivers (IND) 19/25 C/ATT, 214 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT K. Cousins (MIN) 11/26 C/ATT, 113 YDS, 3 INT

Bills (31), Dolphins (28)

J. Allen (BUF)24/35 C/ATT, 417 YDS, 4 TD R. Fitzpatrick (MIA) 31/47 C/ATT, 328 YDS, 2 TD

49ers (31), Jets (13)

J. Garoppolo (SF) 14/16 C/ATT, 131 YDS, 2 TD S. Darnold (NYJ) 21/32 C/ATT, 179 YDS, 1 TD

Rams (37), Eagles (19) J. Goff (LAR) 20/27, 267 YDS, 3 TD M. Sanders (PHI) 20 CAR, 95 YDS, 1 TD

Steelers (26), Broncos (21)

B. Roethlisberger (PIT) 29/41 C/ATT, 311 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT J. Driskel (DEN) 18/34 C/ATT, 256 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT

Buccaneers (31), Panthers (17) L. Fournette (TB)12 CAR, 103 YDS, 2 TD T. Bridgewater (CAR) 33/42 C/ATT, 367 YDS, 2 INT

Cardinals (30), Washington (15) PHOTO BY MCLA ATHLETICS

Ryan Ruef ‘21 captain of the baseball team throws a pitch during his sophomore year, Spring ‘18 (Last full season played). rules to make sure we will be able to play in the spring,” said Samantha Feinstein, a captain of the softball team. As teams prepare for the unknown, two of the biggest challenges are not having a full team at practice, and not being able to use the athletic complex for individual work. Both teams are split into pods which splits the team up into groups. They practice a total of 3 hours a week, and are not allowed to workout with teammates in a different pod. Although this complicates team chemistry being built up before the break, players are making the most of the time they do have with their teammates they practice with. “Since there is less practice time, our practices are very strict, and no time is wasted.

A practice plan is put in place before every practice and it is followed to a tee in order to get a successful and meaningful practice in,” Ferrara said. “It’s been hard having complex access shut down however we’ve been able to find ways to get some great practice time in,” Ruef said. Both teams were packing their bags for competition in Florida last season right before Spring break, when Spring seasons came to a halt. Unfortunately, the softball team didn’t have any games last year, just one scrimmage. The baseball team played six games before their season was paused. After starting out 0-2, they went on to win the next three of their next four games. The Trailblazers were looking forward to carrying their momentum down South.

“This season’s goals are to make it to the ‘chip and nothing less. No one likes to lose and our team certainly doesn’t carry the mantra of being okay with 2nd place,” Ruef said. “Of course, I am hoping to win some games and really do well in conference play,” said Feinstein. Captains from both teams are carrying high expectations for themselves and their teammates on and off the field leading up to this upcoming season. “If you can become comfortable and overcome this unusual fall season as an entire team, nothing is stopping you and your team from competing at your best ability,” said Ferrara. Both teams are motivated, ready to go, and prepared to take on all the possible adjustments along the way.

Beacon Sports Trivia: NBA Playoff Edition Who scored the most points in a single playoff game in NBA history?

Who held the longest playoff drought in NBA history?

Who has the most career playoff points in NBA history?

What team has the most playoff wins in NBA history?

A. Michael Jordan B. LeBron James C. Elgin Baylor D. Wilt Chamberlain

A. San Antonio Spurs B. Los Angeles Clippers C. Golden State Warriors D. Cleveland Cavaliers

A. Kareem Abdul - Jabbar B. LeBron James C. Kobe Bryant D. Michael Jordan

A. San Antonio Spurs B. Miami Heat C. Los Angeles Lakers D. Boston Celtics

K. Murray (ARI) 25/38 C/ATT, 286 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT D. Haskins Jr. (WSH) 19/33 C/ATT, 233 YDS, 1 TD

Chiefs (23), Chargers (20)

P. Mahomes (KC) 27/47 C/ATT, 302 YDS, 2 TD J. Herbert (LAC) 22/33 C/ATT, 311 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT

Ravens (33), Texans (16)

L. Jackson (BAL) 18/24 C/ATT, 204 YDS, 1 TD D. Watson (HOU) 25/36 C/ATT, 275 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT

Seahawks (35), Patriots (30) R. Wilson (SEA) 21/28 C/ATT, 288 YDS, 5 TD, 1 INT C. Newton (NE)) 30/44 C/ATT, 397 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT

Monday

Raiders (34), Saints (24) D. Carr (LV) 28/38 C/ATT, 282 YDS, 3 TD

D. Brees (NO) 26/38 C/ATT, 312 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT

NBA Thursday Lakers vs. Nuggets Game 4, 9:00 p.m.

Friday Heat vs. Celtics Game 5, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday Nuggets vs. Lakers Game 5, 9:00

Sunday Celtics vs. Heat Game 6, 7:30 If Necessary

MLB Teams Clinched: Tampa Bay Rays (36-20) New York Yankee (32-23) Chicago White Sox (34-21) Minnesota Twins (34-22) Cleveland Indians (31-24) Oakland Athletics (33-21) Atlanta Braves (33-22) Chicago Cubs (32-23) Los Angeles Dodgers (39-16) San Diego Padres (34-21)

News

Sept 24, 2020

Sustainability Committee to Pilot Composting Program BY AMANDA BORTMAN COPY EDITOR MCLA will start its first composting pilot program Sept. 25 after the program was halted in the middle of development in spring 2020 by COVID-19. The Sustainability Committee at MCLA, a group consisting of faculty, staff and students formed in 2007, resumed planning for the composting project in the beginning of the 20202021 school year. As the pilot launches, students from six townhouse apartments collect their own food waste in containers and empty them into a nearby composting container outside. The composting container will be maintained by facilities by adding a layer of sawdust every day to reduce odors. The contents of the container will be picked

Remote

From Page 5 ing the right boundaries between personal life and work life. “When you work you try to have boundaries when you’re remote and working from home. It’s really hard to do that. I am always home I can always check my email, so the toughest thing was having the mindset to walk away from my laptop and not always engage with work all the time,” MacDonald-Dennis said. MacDonald-Dennis hopes that after the pandemic people will want to continue to want to have the typical college experi-

Trustees From Page

perhaps to check in with the trustees about how we think we’re doing, and what barriers we see that we think may need some more attention.” During the followup interview, Boodram explained that his past life experiences will serve him well as chair of the trustees. “My undergraduate experience was based on the liberal arts tradition, so I think that’s really important,” he said.

up by MCLA’s waste management contractor Casella, who will then compost it at its facility in Shaftsbury, Vermont. After students over the years have expressed interest in a composting program on campus, the Sustainability Committee began talking about creating one last fall. The Sustainability Committee wanted to start with a small pilot group, so it asked for volunteers from a few townhouse apartments. Six townhouse apartments signed up. “We will be checking in with the students as we go on a weekly or biweekly basis, making sure that it is the way we envisioned this going and how their experience of the pilot is working out,” said member of Sustainability Committee and Professor of Environmental Studies Elena Traister.

“I think we’ll learn over the first few weeks how things are going and then if there’s a real interest, and we’re confident that we can do so to start slowly expanding the program,” she said. School officials expressed hope that the composting pilot program is successful. “I am proud of the students who have stepped up to participate in the pilot composting program in the Flagg Townhouse Apartment Complex. Their initial efforts will hopefully allow us to expand the program in the future,” said member of Sustainability Committee and RPS Director Dianne Manning. To learn more about MCLA’s work in sustainability, please visit https://mcla. edu/mcla-in-the-community/berkshire-environmental-resource-center/ index.php

ence and not allow themselves to be married to the online curriculum. “I fear that students will think they can get a fully developed degree program online. There is something about the experience about being on a college campus. I tend to be an optimist and hope that people will still value residential college life. It’s not transactional; it’s a whole experience,” MacDonald-Dennis said. Overall he feels that MCLA he felt that remote learning has helped the administration’s communication. “We have had to become really great at communication and realizing people are mainly making every decision

on the basis of their health,” MacDonald-Dennis said. MacDonald-Dennis pointed out that he has seen students really take control of their education and learn how important academia really is. “I have really been amazed at how students have taken control to make choices, in regards to changing to remote or hybrid classes to fit their educational needs. I think one of the big things that the MCLA community, as well as students, can take away from the pandemic and remote learning is the true importance of academia we have not seen in this light before,” he said.

Boodram highlighted the significance of an institution like MCLA has in the current world. “I think that it’s really very special to have a public institution, a public liberal arts college, available to provide that kind of experience,” he said. “And to make it more accessible to a far wider group of people than the traditional long-term private liberal arts colleges.” In a statement on Boodram being named chair, President James Birge said he was excited to work with him.

“MCLA is at a moment in history when we must actively work against racism and exclusion in our community, and having a gay person of color who is a higher education leader serving in this role will strengthen our efforts tremendously,” he said. “Mohan will be a great partner in our work.” Along with being chair of MCLA’s Board of Trustees, Boodram is also Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid at the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Read more about your Trailblazers, and keep up to date with the latest news at Athletics.mcla.edu

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Holbrook From Page 1

retire at Sept. 17’s Board of Trustees Student Affairs Committee meeting. Along with recognizing her accomplishments at the institution, Birge mentioned that Holbrook played a significant role in helping the college plan for returning for the fall semester amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “What you have heard, and what I see on campus in terms of a relatively smooth, smoother than many other institutions frankly, transition back to campus is the result of Cathy’s good work,” Birge said at the meeting. “I think that’s emblematic of the work that she’s done here.” Holbrook said that she didn’t realize until later in her career working with students in higher education that being a vice president of student affairs was the job she wanted to do. Learning so pushed her, she said, to finish her P.H.D. and seek a job as a vice president of student affairs. “I realized, when I spent a year as an interim VP [of student affairs], that I could have a more positive effect on students by being a voice at the table around policy,” she said. “A voice that was student-centered, that understood the student experience and was able to speak up on behalf of what students needed. That year as an interim really solidified for me that that’s what I wanted to do.” In a follow-up interview, Birge echoed this. He said that Holbrook has been an advocate for students in the decision making process of the college. “She was always kind of reminding us that we have have to think about where students are in whatever decision we’re making, so I’ve really appreciated her commitment to students that way,” he said. “She’s also been a really great colleague on the executive staff, not just for me, but for others.” When asked what qualities the college will look for in their search for a new

COVID

From Page 1 testing,” she said. “Testing turnaround has been overarchingly accurate and quick. Planning ahead for spring we will continue to work on logistics around testing times and procedures for greater ease” Puc said that, when a COVID-19 vaccine becomes widely available to the public, the college will look to the state on how they should proceed.

vice president of academic affairs, Birge said that they will look for someone who believes in equity and inclusion, understands student development theory and works hard to engage with and help students. “Here at MCLA, because of our size, and frankly, I think because of our culture and character, everybody works hard,” he said. “So I want someone whose going to be actively engaged in the life of students, I wan’t someone whose going to be, much the way Cathy has been, at athletic events, at lectures, at performing art events. I want somebody who understands that a VP for student affairs job is a lifestyle job.” Holbrook noted that, when first coming to MCLA in 2015, she had to relearn how to, as a vice president of academic affairs, connect with students in a more personal way. To help students get to know her, Holbrook said she started going to student events and meetings, while also seeking out opportunities to talk with students one-on-one. “I think that’s one of the biggest things this experience has said to me, you gotta put yourself out there,” she said. “And you gotta talk to twenty people before you find two or three students that actually want to sit down and maybe engage a little bit further.” Alongside replacing Holbrook’s positions as vice president of student affairs, the college is also forming search committees for two other permanent vice president positions: vice president of academic affairs, which is currently held by Interim Vice President Adrienne Wootters, and vice president of administration and finance. Birge said the college does not plan on using executive search firms to fill these positions, but that there are already candidates who are interested in these positions. “We think we’ll be able to develop a good, strong and diverse pool of candidates without using a search firm,” he said. “We will continue to collaborate with the MA Department of Public Health for guidance and access to vaccines when they are available,” she said. “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts usually determines what vaccines are required as a condition of enrollment, as they recently added the flu vaccine to these requirements.” To Date, there have been three COVID-19 cases reported on campus, one of which the college found to

Sept. 24, 2020

Opinion

TheOnlineBeacon.com

Editorial

Nominating a Supreme Court Justice During an Election is Hypocritical In 2016, the GOP-controlled Senate refused to hold hearings to nominate President Barack Obama’s appointee, Judge Merrick Garland, to the Supreme Court. This year, a similar situation has emerged, following the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday, Sept. 18. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham made the following statement in 2016 (during a Senate meeting, no less) that has since gone viral: “I want you to use my words against me,” Graham said. “If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say ‘Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination.’” Likewise, Texas Senator Ted Cruz publicly contradicted his own words, which were in agreement with that sentiment in 2016, during an ABC News interview on Sunday, Sept. 20. “I believe the right thing to do is for the Senate to take up this nomination and confirm the nominee before Election Day.”. The president tweeted Tuesday morning that he will announce his Supreme Court nominee on Saturday, a week after Justice Ginsburg passed away and the country reached the grim milestone of 200,000+ deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s too easy to call Republican senators names - just like it’s easier for them to side with the president regardless of the high ground set prior than for them to publicly say no.

With less than two months before Election Day, this moment concerning the Supreme Court risks defining a generation and possibly generations to come. If we want true accountability for our government, we need to cement the right to vote and the right to assembly for everyone. See hypocrisy? Call it out by casting a ballot and getting your voices heard. Register to vote and encourage your friends to do the same- the Brookings Institution think thank found that only 50% of adults ages 18-29 voted in 2016. Make a poster and march in your neighborhood, or stick a yard sign in the ground to elicit conversation. Ask critical questions to get to the “who, what, where, how, and why” of a policy decision made by the local, state, and federal folks in charge. Vote with your wallet: donate to a candidate you believe has the same values as you, and know which businesses lobby for actions you agree and disagree with. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are the two Republican senators thus far to openly oppose a Senate confirmation vote. If Congress and we the people do nothing, history will not look kindly on the system of checks and balances, and we the people will be on the receiving end of that stoppable failure. Do not take lightly to the fact Supreme Court Justices tend to hold their positions for life. With the first debate between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday, Sept. 29, expect this moment to take center stage coated in partisanship.

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Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Brian Rhodes

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Staff Staff Writers Isabel Costa Mariama Ndiaye

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Adviser Shawn McIntosh

Sept 24, 2020

IN OTHER BEACON NEWS Queer Student Union (QSU), in association with Student Activities Council (SAC) hosted the Life is a Drag event on Saturday, Sept. 19.

Photos by Kylan Martus Emily Kelleher ‘24 (above left) and Maya Bachman ‘23 (above right) sitting socially distanced.

Ian Crombie ‘23 (above), posing with prizes from the event. Crombie is the vice president of QSU. Ian Crombie ‘23 (above right) and Dai Seamans ‘23 (above left) sitting watching the event.

Jack Vezeris ‘23 (above), is president of QSU.

Check out your local college radio station, broadcasting from 10 a.m. to midnight every day.