November 9, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 8

T hu r s day , N ov e mb e r 9, 2017

Volume 85

Issue 8

MAYORAL ELECTION

Thomas Bernard elected

BY HANNAH SNELL STAFF WRITER Additional reporting by Jacob Vitali, Special to the Beacon NORTH ADAMS- Political newcomer and North Adams native Thomas Bernard was elected the 26th Mayor of the City of North Adams on a 2,404 to 1,023 vote.

This is the first election in 34 years in which there have been no incumbent candidates.

“I’ve said it before, but I will be a mayor for everyone in North Adams and I want to hear people’s concerns, as well as their hopes,” Bernard said in his victory speech.

In his speech, Bernard said that he has since been in contact with Robert Moulton Jr., his opponent in the race. Bernard also congratulated the newly-elected members of the city council.

“I have spoken with Councilor Moulton and I thanked him for his service to North Adams and congratulated him for running a campaign that reminded us of the needs we have in this city, and the need to build bridges of understanding and shared responsibility of people who feel left behind by the positive developments happening in North Ad-

photo from Bernardformayor.com

Thomas Bernard was elected the 26th mayor of North Adams on Nov. 7. ams,” said Bernard. community members gathered at On the night of the election, Ber- Richmond’s Grille in downtown nard’s campaign, supporters and North Adams. Family of Bernard

LARRY PRATT TALK

The SecondAmendment: a check on government

BY HANNAH SNELL STAFF WRITER The debate over the Second Amendment and gun control in America has deep, historical and cultural roots, according to Larry Pratt, co-founder and Executive Director Emeritus of Gun Owners of America (GOA).

“We all need to keep this in historical perspective,” said Pratt. “That

photo by Ron Leja

Larry Pratt spoke on the controversial issue of gun control.

was something that had motivated the founders because they felt very strongly about the king. . .to the point where the only way they could keep things in a proper direction was to defend themselves.”

According to Pratt, there are common threads that the Second Amendment shares with other amendments in a historical context.

“Other parts of the Bill of Rights have similar political notions behind them. Different aspects containing, straining the government,” Pratt said. “They are part of the same effort.”

According to Pratt, the reason why other countries, such as Panama, may not have the same stance on guns as the U.S. is because guns do not have the same historical context as the U.S. The lecture, entitled “The American Gun Phenomenon,” was hosted

by MCLA College Republicans and the Political Science Club. Pratt is the first speaker that the MCLA chapter of College Republicans has hosted, as its first year as a campus club.

“There’s all kinds of discussions about the gun issue, but at the end of the day, the Second Amendment

Gun talk page 4

and Outgoing Mayor Richard Alcombright were in attendance.

“My son ran a clean campaign,” Thomas Bernard Sr., the father of the mayoral elect, said. “I’m proud of him and if he lost I would still be proud of him because he did run a clean campaign and there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

MCLA student Alexander Stewart was also in attendance at Bernard’s campaign gathering. Stewart had previously attended Bernard’s campaign events such as spaghetti dinners and wanted to see “how it would end.”

“He seems like he knows the path that he wants to take to move North Adams forward,” Stewart said.

Bernard reported in an interview with Beacon Web News (BWN), WJJW and The Beacon that first on his agenda is to focus on the first 100 days and public safety in the city.

“The first thing on the agenda is the first 100 days and that’s putting together the plan for that,” Bernard said.

Democrat John Barrett III was also elected state representative of the 1st Berkshire District. Bernard emphasized in his speech the importance of fostering a relationship with Barrett.

Bernard page 2

STATE REPRESENTATIVE

Barrett wins 1st district rep seat 1st Berkshire District

John Barrett III (D)

4976 votes

Christine Canning (R)

1478 votes

MAYORAL ELECTION

Moulton looks to relax after loss

BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE STAFF WRITER Additional reporting by Nick Basset, Special to the Beacon Despite the cold weather and the loss of the election, warm handshakes, hugs, and feelings of hope were exchanged by Robert Moulton Jr. and his supporters on election night.

His post-election gathering took place at Mingo’s Sports Bar and Grill, at which Moulton spoke of what the future holds for himself, the mayoral office, and North Adams.

“I mean, I’ll have a hard time staying out of it,” said Moulton. “We have a talk show that a buddy and I do every other week. Maybe I’ll do that weekly now and keep up on the issues.”

“I’m 61, right now would say I just want to settle down a bit. Relax, give a little more time to my wife, who’s been very forgiving with all my extra activities and involvement,” he said.

Voters gathered at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish on Tuesday, Nov. 7, to cast their ballots. Results were released a few minutes past 8 p.m. with Thomas Bernard winning the

Moulton page 4

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Nov. 9, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 8

PR chair resigns; moves made on new seats

BY JOSEPH CAREW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Public Relations Chair Nick Basset resigned his position in the Student Government Association (SGA) effective immediately at this week’s SGA meeting. Basset seemed to cite that he had too many commitments to continue in that position.

The SGA also saw senate secretary Austin Sirois step down from his position. Sirois will continue as a member of the senate-atlarge but without the title or requirements of secretary. In the wake of this announce-

ment, the meeting was briefly closed to the public as the position was voted on.

Senator Shon Loftus was elected to the vacant senate secretary position. Because the meeting was closed during this vote, it is unknown how this came about or where the members of senate stood.

It was announced that the club of the month for October was the College Republicans club. This election was closely contested and voting for November’s club of the month is open.

Treasurer Katie Howe announced that a supplemental budget request had been

made by the Student Activities Council (SAC) but that this would be discussed at next week’s meeting.

Constitution Committee reported that the MCLA “DAD club” had been formed and that they were in the process of drafting and finishing their constitution.

Last week’s conversation on the two proposed chairs (a multicultural seat, as well as an LGBTQIA+ seat) was reopened with a motion being made on these chairs.

The motion moved the ball into the constitution committee’s court where they will address the specific powers

of the chairs, as well as the roles they will play in the senate.

This motion also contained requirements for the committee to consult with concerned parties on campus while drafting the bylaws for these chairs and passed with a significant majority.

The open forum section of the meeting saw the topic of vandalism in the library brought up again by members of the gallery. It was stressed that moves should be made immediately to begin a dialogue about anti-Semitism and the impact this one sym-

Bernard currently works at Smith College as director of special projects. He has held multiple positions, such as a development officer at MASS MoCA before working at MCLA for the next eight years, serving as Director of Corporate, Foundation and Government Relations; Executive

Assistant to the President and Clerk of the Board of Trustees; and Director of Business Affairs.

Bernard will succeed North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright, who served four terms as mayor before announcing that he would not seek re-election.

Alcombright will leave of-

fice in January, when Bernard will be inaugurated.

“I will be in town, I love this city and I’m not going anywhere,” Alcombright said, on his plans post-office. “I was born and raised here and fortunate enough to be mayor here for eight years; I’ll be around.”

When asked if he had any

bol has made on people on campus.

The Student Government Association meets every Monday at 7 p.m. in Murdock 218. All meetings are free and open to students.

Bernard from page 1 “The partnership between the mayor and the representative will need to be deeper and stronger than anything we have seen before,” Bernard said. “. . .It will take all of us working together to keep North Adams and the Northern Berkshires on the radar with the leadership on Beacon Hill.”

advice for Bernard, Alcombright said to “stay humble” and stay within himself.

“As a person, as a human, we know our limitations,” Alcombright said. “If you know your limitations, then you will also know what you can do.”

MCLA Campus Safety Police Log 10/26/17-11/02/17 COMPILED BY ERICKA DELISLE SPECIAL TO THE BEACON Thursday, October 26th, 2017 • 3:00 a.m.-Campus Safety responded to a medical call. The individual was transported to the hospital. Refer to Incident 17-401-OF. • 6:14 p.m. -8:11 p.m. -Campus Safety initiated three separate motor vehicle stops. All three incidents were issued verbal warnings.

• 10:31 p.m. -Campus Safety responded to reports of vandalism. The appropriate incident report was filed for the complaint. Refer to Incident 17-404-OF. Friday, October 27th, 2017 • 8:31 a.m. and 12:58 p.m. -Campus Safety received two separate calls, but both parties hung up upon answering. No action was required for either hang-up call.

• 10:15 p.m. -Campus Safety responded to a report of suspicious activity. The proper report was filed.

Refer to Incident 17-405-OF. • 10:25 p.m. -Campus Safety initiated a citizen’s assist. The action was completed.

Saturday, October 28th, 2017 • 12:45 a.m. -Campus Safety responded to a medical call. Their services were rendered, but no reports of the individual being transported to the hospital were found. Refer to Incident 17-406-OF. • 11:07 and 11:34 a.m. -Campus Safety responded to two separate calls of individuals needing access to a building. The prior call was allowed access to the building. The latter call had services rendered to them, and it was not specified if they were allowed access to the building.

• 9:08 a.m. -Campus Safety responded to a radio complaint of vandalism.

The appropriate report was filed the incident. Report to Incident 17-407OF. Sunday, October 29th, 2017 • 1:15-2:03 a.m. -Campus Safety responded to four separate medical calls. The first call was transported to the hospital. The second call had a report filed. The latter two calls required no action. Refer to Incidents 17-409OF, 17-410-OF, and 17-411-OF. • 11:32 p.m. -Campus Safety responded to a call of a safety hazard.

The call was completed.

Monday, October 30th, 2017 • 12:33 a.m. -Campus Safety responded call to escort an individual.

The individual was transported via police cruiser.

• 1:47 a.m. -Campus Safety initiated a call for a parking issue. The call was completed.

• 4:19 p.m. -Campus Safety received a call to transport an individual. The call was complete, and services were rendered.

• 5:34 p.m. -Campus Safety initiated a follow-up investigation. The initiation was completed.

Tuesday, October 31st, 2017 • 7:20 a.m. -Campus Safety received an anonymous tip through the Rave Guardian app. The tip was received and the action was completed.

• 10:39 a.m. : Campus Safety returned found property to its owner. The action was completed.

• 4:24 p.m.-Campus Safety responded to a call of a potential fire and the smell of smoke.

The call was investigated.

• 4:32 p.m. -Campus Safety

initiated a response to a juvenile problem. The juvenile was warned and the initiation was completed.

• 5:25 p.m. -Campus Safety received a radio call of vandalism. The proper report was filed for the incident. Refer to Incident 17-411-OF. Wednesday, November 1st, 2017 • 10:58 a.m. -Campus Safety assisted an individual who had been locked out of their vehicle. Services were rendered for this walk-in.

• 1:18 p.m. -Campus Safety responded to a motor vehicle accident. The appropriate report was filed. Refer to Incident 17-22-AC. • 8:32 p.m. -Campus Safety initiated an investigation into suspicious activity. No report was filed.

Thursday, November 2nd, 2017 • 12:15 PMCampus Safety responded to a phone call of a motor vehicle accident.

The proper report was filed.

Refer to Incident 17-23AC. • 3:06 PM and 4:52 PMCampus Safety completed two followup investigations. It was not specified if these investigations were related.

image from pixabay

• 5:23 p.m. -Campus Safety responded to a phone call of an individual needing access to a room/building.

The call was completed.

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Nov. 9, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 8

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Mayoral debate sets tone for election

BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE STAFF WRITER

Candidates Thomas Bernard and Robert Moulton Jr. stepped up to the debate stage on Monday, Oct. 30, both determined to win over the residents of North Adams and get voted in as their newest mayor.

“This election has a clear choice for the direction of the city of North Adams, it’s also about deciding who has the real world business experience it takes, not only to run a city, but to negotiate through the changes and challenges we have,” said Moulton in his opening statement.

Throughout the debate, Moulton seemed quick and eager to mention his impressive resume to prove his worthiness for office. He claimed four decades of business experience in challenging markets partnered with his five different nonconsecutive terms on the City Council.

His opponent, Thomas Bernard, chose a more emphatic approach, reaching out as a fellow citizen of the city concerned over his home and its future. Born and raised in North Adams, Bernard already has plans in place to change the city’s financial and school systems for the better.

In his opening statement, Bernard said: “Plain and simple, North Adams is the place, to buy a home, to raise a family, to educate your kids, to vote,

to volunteer, to make your voices heard. Because we do have real challenges to address and real work to do in education, infrastructure, public health, and economic development.”

One of the major plans Bernard brought forth was using systems successful in other areas and bringing them to North Adams. These included Holyoke’s system in bringing together their building department, solicitors, public services and others in their Problem Property Group.

“What they do is they’ve created priority project lists to create the order in which you tackle some of these blight issues,” Bernard said at the debate.

This system could be big in preventing the city from using the resources it has inefficiently as Moulton points out in his response.

“I don’t think the youth have benefited from that. You’ve got a

$300,000 plus kitchen downstairs that we’ve spent money on. Efficient? The plastic hasn’t been taken off it,” said Moulton at the debate.

“When I was on the school council they voted to allow the kids to wear hoodies, hats, wear pants down below their waists, little girls come in with revealing clothing. I don’t think that’s raising your standards. I think that when people come from out of town, go into your schools, and see what’s in there, that’s gangster dressing,” Mouton said at the debate.

Moulton lost the mayoral position in 2013, taking his fifth and most recent council position in 2015.

His plans center around bolstering North Adams’s dwindling economy.

Determined as he was to get his point across, he even abandoned his previously prepared final statement to list over 40 things the city has lost

over previous years including Dairy Queen, Radio Shack, Sears and others.

For bringing in jobs and businesses back to the city, both candidates proposed different examples on how he would so. Bernard once again brought up initiative models from other towns and cities across Massachusetts to attract businesses.

“What we should do is, we should look at the models that exist for initiatives like gateway cities. We’re smaller than the baselines for those but we have a lot of the same issues that we can pull from those. Look at places like Austin, Easthampton, Ashfield and Keane, New Hampshire that are doing it the way we want to do it,” said Bernard at the debate.

Following a similar perspective, Moulton proposed mimicking a program in New York called START-UP NY. This would give incoming or relocating businesses a ten-year time span in which they would be able to operate tax-free.

“It’s working in New York, there’s no reason it wouldn’t work here.

We’re very challenged with our infrastructure, with the roadways, so that’s a tough nut but not impossible,” said Moulton at the debate.

The new mayor will serve for the next four years until the next election in 2021.

MICHAEL S. AND KITT Y DUK AKIS PUBLIC POLICY LECTURE

JEFFREY TOOBIN INSIDE THE SECRET WORLD OF THE SUPREME COURT CNN Senior Analyst and Best Selling Author

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017 7 P.M. MCLA CHURCH STREET CENTER, ELEANOR FURST ROBERTS AUDITORIUM

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. The Public Policy Lecture Series is made possible through the generosity of the Ruth Proud Charitable Trust.

A high-profile senior analyst for CNN and staff writer for The New Yorker, Jeffrey Toobin is one of the country’s most esteemed experts on politics, media and the law. Toobin has provided analysis on some of the most provocative and important events of our time. The author of critically acclaimed best sellers, Toobin delved into the historical, political and personal inner workings of the Supreme Court and its justices in his books.

Toobin’s latest best-selling book, American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst, was released to considerable acclaim in August 2016. Toobin allows readers to peek into the past – right into one of the most insane eras of American history.

MASSACHU S E T T S C OL L E GE OF L I B E R AL ART S 375 Church Street, North Adams, MA 413 662 5224 MCLA.EDU

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Nov. 9, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 8

Moulton is down but supporters are still hopeful Moulton page 4

election 2404 votes to Moulton’s 1023.

“I know Tom very well, I’ll support him 100%. He’s a great guy, very knowledgable. We’re just going to have to rally behind him as a city,” said John Meaney, Moulton’s brother-in-law.

“I just wish that people would listen more,” he said.

Issues Bernard will have to face as the new mayor include problems with local crime, taxes, and budgeting. In particular, he will have to deal with opinions over the Public Service Building and its high cost, which Moulton’s

Gun talk from page 1 is in our Constitution for a very plain reason: it’s to keep our government from going off the rails,” Pratt said.

In attendance at the lecture were many community members from throughout the Berkshires. Christine Canning, the Republican candidate for state representative in the 1st Berkshire District, attended the event, along with her 16 year old daughter. Canning also used to be a member of the adjunct faculty at MCLA. “Because MCLA is a higher education, we need to have the free academic exchange of ideas,” said Canning, on why she thought it was important to attend the lecture. “The second reason I’m here is the Second Amendment because the minute you chip away at the Second Amendment, people will chip away at the First Amendment, and other amendments. If you stand for one, you stand for all.”

When Canning’s daughter was 15, she got her a Firearms Identification Card (FID) license.

“Women should feel empowered, if they want to carry, they can, and it’s not just for men,” Canning said.

Another notable audience member was Andrew Moro, the chair of Great Barrington Republican Committee.

“Basically, I came here tonight because. . .I had questions I wanted to ask about what I perceived in the law that exists today and the positives and negatives and I wanted to hear other people’s opinions,” said Moro. “It’s obvious that if you are a licensed carrier that you can have a lot of protection with total citizenship. If you’re not licensed, you shouldn’t be carrying. . .As long as we’re abiding by the law, we should have the

supporters call a waste.

While optimistic, many of his supporters expressed concern with Bernard’s lack of political experience as well as his awareness of the townspeople’s needs.

“It seems like less people seem to care about taxpayers in North Adams.

The tax base is shrinking, the population is shrinking, and the amount of people contributing is shrinking,” said CJ Field, one of Moulton’s supporters.

At the gathering, Moulton expressed that he will not be running for a council

chair, like how he did after losing mayoral elections in 2013. The question remains as to who will take up his place in the party in his absence.

“One counciler I’ve taken a liking to, I like some of her ways, and some of the things she stands for, is Marie Harpen,” said Moulton.

Harpen graduated from North Adams State College in 1989 and received a Masters in Business Administration from MCLA in 2014. Specifically, she desires to improve women’s rights in North Adams and combat the opioid

crisis.

“I think she’s got a fight in her. I think she’s the type to ask her questions and not be afraid, not be intimidated. Because it’s very tough, trust me I know,” he said.

In the wake of Moulton’s loss his supports remain undeterred, still wishing the best for the city and Bernard, its new mayor.

“I’m hopeful that everything will work out, but I’m a little disappointed overall,” Field said.

right to carry. We should also have the right, after doing a background check, to go across state lines and carry. You can’t do that today.”

Assistant Professor of Political Science David Cupery asked Pratt, during a Q&A session, why he thought that the U.S. has the highest murder rate with firearms of other wealthy countries in the world, such as Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom.

“The United States has the highest murder rate with firearms, or overall, of all wealthy countries in the world.

My question for Mr. Pratt was, why does he think our murder rate per capita is so much higher than the rest of the wealthy world?” Cupery said. “He gave a lot of historical information on the United States, and compared different cities and states here. . . but I was interested in his response to that.”

An introduction before the lecture was given by Kaitlin Wright, Chair of College Republicans and President of Political Science Club, who described the debate over gun rights and gun control in America as “one of the nation’s most passionate issues.”

“For me, I was really impressed at how smoothly everything went,” Wright said after the lecture. “It seemed like a lively discussion at the end with a lot of people asking questions.”

Although there were initial plans of holding protests at the event, there were no acts of protest at the event.

“I think it definitely went really well for our first big event that we held as a group,” said Nolan Hickey, executive director of College Republicans. “Seeing people take an active role in discussing issues or concerns or questions

they had with Larry Pratt was something I was really proud of.”

When asked about the most important point that stuck out to him, Hickey said: “I definitely liked the idea of nationwide license to carry, because it varies from state to state.”

When asked if the College Republicans and Political Science club would consider hosting more speakers in the future, Wright reported that they would be interested, and have been actually researching various speakers.

“I know that there’s an organization that provides free speakers for groups, and there was quite an extensive list, about 40 pages, of speakers, and some were very high profile,” Wright said.

“This would absolutely be something that we would consider doing in the future.”

Larry Pratt has been featured in multiple news outlets and has been a popular figure in the gun rights debate.

Gun Owners of America is a grassroots organization comprised of 1.5 million members.

“GOA lobbies for the pro-gun position in Washington, D.C. and is involved in firearm issues in the states.

GOA’s work includes providing legal assistance to those involved in lawsuits with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the federal firearms law enforcement agency,” the GOA website states.

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Weekend Weather Thursday, November 9

Friday, November 10

Saturday, November 11

Sunday, November 12

Chilly; partly cloudy High: 49° Low: 23° Precip. Chance: 8%

Quite cold; some clouds High: 28° Low: 9° Precip. Chance: 0%

Partly sunny High: 34° Low: 15° Precip. Chance: 5%

Mostly Cloudy High: 48° Low: 29° Precip. Chance: 21% Images from WikimediaCommons

FEATURES

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KAITLIN WRIGHT

Finishing strong

BY MITCHELL CHAPMAN FEATURES EDITOR For many, the end of their four years at MCLA is a time to reflect upon their college career and look toward the future. For senior Kaitlin Wright, she is looking forward to taking a gap year after what has been a dynamite collegiate career that has included the founding of two SGAaffiliated clubs, the captaincy of the school’s cross country team, two internships and a stab at the SGA presidency.

“I never expected any of that – my freshman year, I was fairly inactive, the only thing I was really a part of was the cross country team,” she said. “And then my sophomore year, I got involved with the Political Science Club and History Society, and I guess it kind of just took off from there.”

During her time at MCLA, she met people that had interests in clubs the College didn’t have at the time – Debate Club and the College Republicans – and took the lead on making both a reality, serving as the first president and chair of both clubs respectively. While she has handed Debate Club to a new president, junior Andrew Baillargeon, Wright remains chair of the College Republicans, and she has become captain of the women’s cross country team for this season.

Under her leadership, Debate Club and the College Republicans have won the SGA Club of the Month award, with Debate Club winning it for September of 2016, and the College Republicans received it for last month by a margin of seven votes.

“In both [clubs’] instances, it was mainly [former SGA Par-

Photo provided by Kaitlin Wright

During her time at MCLA, Kaitlin Wright has founded and served as the president of two clubs, was captain of the cross country team, and ran for SGA president. She is now looking forward to taking a gap year, before pursuing further education at graduate school. liamentarian] Tyler Spencer that pushed me to do it, but he couldn’t make a club because he was on SGA at the time,” she said. “They were both two clubs that I was interested in. So I agreed to do it.”

Cleared to graduate in December, Wright weighed the pros and

cons of coming to MCLA. She acknowledged that MCLA was not her first choice – she picked the institution due to its competitive pricing when compared to other four-year institutions – but she admits had she chosen to go to a larger school, she would not have had the opportunity to both

establish and run two clubs, and probably would not have made it onto the school’s cross-country team, let alone rise to become captain. And while she admits that she does not intend to immediately go into a graduate program – she plans to take a gap year – further education is

on the horizon for her.

“I do want to go to grad school eventually, but I’m going to take a gap year to find out exactly what I want to do,” she said. “I know I want to do something related to political science and government, but there are a lot of varieties in programs, so I’m not sure if I want to go into policy or government affairs, or campaign management – I may even pursue a law degree. I think I really need to sit down and hear out what I want to do because this is not only a big time commitment, but also a financial commitment.

I need to figure out what I really want to do, and I don’t really have enough time to properly do that while finishing up my last semester in college.”

For Wright, she knew that early graduation was always a possibility, even when campaigning last semester for SGA president.

Wright’s campaign was disqualified, along with former SGA Senator La’Juan Allen’s campaign, for failing to meet SGA’s campaign requirements. As such, Samantha Giffen was elected as the sole presidential candidate on the ballot.

“It was always in the back of my head that there was a possibility that I would graduate in December,” she said. “If I hadn’t decided to graduate in December, I would have been just four credits shy [of graduating]. It was disappointing in a way, of how it worked out, but it was kind of a blessing in disguise because now I can save about $10,000 by not coming here an extra semester.”

If she was elected, Wright would have stayed in the spring to finish out the presidency. She is now focused on graduating, and finding a job back home.

Good Vibes Yoga: holistic health of the body, mind and spirit

BY MEGHAN COOK FEATURES WRITER On the first floor of Venable Hall in the dance studio, students of MCLA can be found bending their bodies to create bizarre shapes with their limbs voluntarily twice a week, every week – this is the Good Vibes Yoga Club.

The Good Vibes Club provides students with an hour, twice a week, to let go of the stresses of college life. This allows them to focus on their breathing and poses, forgetting about the latest chemistry lab or political science exam.

“We believe in holistic health of the body, mind and spirit,” said Sabrina Superneau-Gilman, senior and president of the club. “And aim to support one another through a community of conversation, practice, and good vibes.”

Superneau-Gilman has been a member of the

club since her freshman year and describes her years in the club as “glorious.”

The club was founded in 2006 by Danielle Gismondi, who taught as an instructor at Frog Lotus Yoga up until recently. At the time of its founding, the club started with a small group of students practicing yoga in an attic off-campus. Now the club’s sessions are held in the dance studio with access to mats, blocks and bolsters to aid in the students’ practice.

While the club has grown more and more popular each year, its numbers are difficult to determine due to the inconsistency of students attending the meetings.

“It’s hard to track unlike other clubs, because some people come once or twice,” said Devin Kibbe, instructor for the club and co-owner of North Adams Yoga located downtown. “It depends on students’ semester and

scheduling, but the club serves many, many students.”

According to Kibbe, she has been a part of the Good Vibes Club either as a student or instructor since 2007.

“It’s just magical,” says Kibbe. “Everything I have seen has helped students cope with the semester, even alumni come back and say ‘I’ve missed Good Vibes’ and the ability to have that resource.”

Students who are a part of this club are all different ages and have different interests, but all come together to enjoy yoga and explore their abilities together. “[Devin] is lenient with those who participate in the poses she shows, but she also is unafraid to really push people out of their comfort zones,” says Letisha Ferabolli, class of 2019 and recent member of the club.

In the past few years the club has had the opportunity

to collaborate with North Adams Yoga in providing special events for members like Hot Yoga and Glow Yoga.

Going to the studio downtown, students were able to sign up through the club to get the opportunity to practice yoga with a twist. A Glow Yoga event this past Halloween weekend was attended by many Good Vibes members.

“North Adams Yoga has been an awesome studio incorporated into the Good Vibes practice,” says Superneau-Gilman. According to her, the club is looking forward to the continuous collaboration with the local studio and aims future goals into taking the relationship further.

“Ideally, at some point in the future Good Vibes would like to open up special classes to students whenever they would like attend, expense free,” says Superneau-Gilman. “This would be good

for the students and the local business economy.”

The Good Vibes Club has developed from being just a group enjoying the practice of yoga together into a community of members looking for new ideas to improve to club and the practice.

“We are trying to arrange a multi-day trip to Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in the spring,” says SuperneauGilman. “This will give students a chance to experience other places of yogic beauty and wellness within the Berkshires.”

As the club moves forward into coming years, there is one thing that almost all members found to be true, and that is that yoga has helped them.

“Yoga changed my life,” says Superneau-Gilman.

The Good Vibes Yoga Club meets every Sunday and Monday from 8-9 p.m.

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Arts & Entertainment

Seniors victorious, Midnight Madness shows changes and a look at the past

BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR

One of MCLA’s most popular events of the fall semester has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean it’s forgotten.

What goes into an event like Midnight Madness?

Celia Norcross, assistant dean of student development and engagement, and senior Mele Enomoto sat down with the Beacon to talk about the past and present.

“I’m a huge athletics fan,” said Norcross, “anything we can do to promote that is important.”

Norcross later added in an email that the event has taken place at the College for over ten years.

Not only are the men and women’s basketball teams a highlight of the event, but class councils, clubs like Dance Company

and NeXXus, and other organizations on campus get involved, as well.

Enomoto, who is interning this semester with Norcross, was in charge of the whole event, from planning the activities to figuring out who was going to MC. “I started planning in the beginning of the semester,” said Enomoto, “and it’s been so stressful, but a learning experience for event planning.”

When planning a huge event like this, Enomoto had to take into consideration which events were going to grasp students attention.

Some fan favorites like tugof-war and the obstacle course have been cut, but new events such as a halfcourt shot contest have been added.

Another new addition that Enomoto has included is fun facts about the athletes.

photo by Alyssa Call

Junior point guard Collin Parrott runs out to join his teammates on the court, encouraging students to cheer on the men’s team.

photo by Alyssa Call

The senior class, along with some underclassmen, celebrate their victory with Trailblazer and the Midnight Madness trophy.

Norcross and Enomoto described this event as a “twist on a pep rally,” and that’s exactly what it is.

And a twist it was. Over 550 students attended the event on Tuesday night.

With so much chaos and commotion, at times it was hard to keep track, but the event was still run smoothly by host seniors Nilson Neto and Kircys Canela.

President Birge gave an introduction to the student body with a warm welcome, and a good luck wish to the men and women’s basketball teams.

Throughout the night, Trailblazer was seen on the

sidelines, making students laugh and encouraging everyone to participate. Who was under the suit remains a mystery, but their dance moves definitely stood out.

Performances by Dance Company, Cheer Squad, and NeXXus got the crowd riled up. Cheer Squad seemed to have a major increase in their numbers and a surprise in skills. NeXXus surprised the crowd by getting up from their respected class sections in the bleachers.

“Where my seniors at!?”

Brittany Watson yelled to her classmates.

Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams

had some new faces, the men’s team having a total of seven freshmen. While they were being called out into the gym, fun facts about each player were announced to the crowd, although it was difficult to hear the host due to the music and audience screaming.

One fact that stood out though? One of the men’s players likes to listen to “Push It” by Salt N Pepa while, well, you know.

Contests like a three point shooting contest, a dance contest, and a Rock, Tree, Bridge obstacle course brought classes together in friendly competition.

Time to relax with the DAD club

BY NORA HONES A&E WRITER

There is a new club on campus called the DAD Club or, as they go by on their Facebook page, Rad Dads of MCLA, and it is something new and completely unique.

“It’s more or less a relaxation club,” Vice President Dominique (Domo) Stevenson-Pope said.

“It’s just something for people to relax and explore the fantasy of a stereotypical dad.”

Stevenson-Pope explained that you don’t have to be a man to be dad and that their concept of what a dad is has more to do with wanting to be someone who takes care of others and does stereotypical “dad-ish” things.

They’ve had Hawaiian shirt contests, “craft” beer day (root beer) and fantasy football events, which Stevenson-Pope made a point to mention that women, men and gender nonbinary individuals can all do too.

“We want to be the ‘good dads’ because not everyone has

a great dad,” Stevenson-Pope explained, saying the whole purpose behind the club was that they wanted to be able to step up and take the place of “dad” for people without dads and be a support system for people.

DAD Club formed during the ice cream social at the beginning of this semester according to Alexter (Lex) M. Shand, president of the club.

“I kept joking around saying ‘kids do you wanna throw around the pigskin with your old man’ and then I said to Domo we should start a dad club,” Shand explained when asked where the idea even came from.

Within 24 hours of that interaction the E-Board, an advisory teacher and a good amount of members were found and official paperwork was turned in.

But here’s the hitch: they aren’t “technically” an official club yet. They’ve gone through the paperwork and were told they were approved and could start having meetings but the

member in charge of approving new clubs for SGA [had an accident.] Since Samantha Giffen has taken on that role, the whole “becoming official” process has to start over, but the DAD club doesn’t mind.

The DAD club is taking part in the No-Shave November campaign which helps with a lot of men’s health issues. In December they are doing a toy drive to provide toys for kids in the community who might not have actual father figures through the Colegrove Park Elementary School, hopefully in conjunction with SGA. And in the spring they are planning the “dad-a-palooza” with a barbecue and hopefully dadthemed Olympic activities.

What are dad-themed Olympic activities? They would include things like: building a desk from Ikea, constructing the best burger, confronting their child about how becoming a rock star isn’t the most practical life choice with the least amount of conflict, etc. The teams would be built out of other clubs putting

photo from Simpsons Wiki

“Okilly Dokilly, Neighborino!” their best dad foot forward.

“We understand people kind of view us as a joke,” said Stevenson-Pope. “We hope we actually get recognized as an actual club because we want to

use it to do good things for the community.”

The DAD club meets every Friday at 5 p.m. in Bowman 205 and can be found on Facebook under the Rad Dads of MCLA.

Arts & Entertainment WJJW: Turning Up The Sound

BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER

WJJW, MCLA’s radio station, will present The Sound, an event bringing together five musical acts from MCLA and the surrounding area.

The concert will feature performances by the MCLA Jazz Band with Trevor Wheelock, Immune Friction, House Sparrow, Luke Tobin, and Sons Lunaris. It will take place in Venable Gym on Nov. 11 from 7–11 p.m.

A Day Without Love, who was set to play on Saturday, will not be performing due to communication gaps. The solo act has plans to return to the

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College next semester.

“The station’s past shows have incorporated student musicians. I also wanted to branch out to get as many different acts as possible,” said senior and president of WJJW James Swinchoski.

Trevor Wheelock was originally approached to perform a solo act, but requested the Jazz Band be included in the final line-up.

Immune Friction is a rock duo from Bennington, VT, with a sound likened to the music of the White Stripes, while Sons Lunaris is a group from Lowell, MA with a psychedelic blues/ rock sound.

Local musician Luke Tobin

photo by Emma Monahan

WJJW has a wide variety of shows, from hip-hop to country, rock to pop.

photo from WJJW Facebook

WJJW is located on the third floor of the campus center.

Upcoming Events: Nov. 13:

SAC Veggie Carving Contest CC Marketplace 5-7 p.m.

Nov. 15:

NRHH Campus Center Takover CC Marketplace 9-11 p.m.

Nov. 16:

Public Policy Lecture: Jeffery Toobin Church Street Center 7 p.m.

Nov. 17:

Movie Night: Tangerine Sullivan Lounge 7 p.m.

Nov. 18:

SAC Lip Sync Battle Sullivan Lounge 8 p.m. photo from Pixabay

will also be performing, as well as House Sparrow, the project of Francesca Shanks and Joe Aidonidis. Shanks has performed at past concerts as a solo artist.

The show will also be emceed by sophomore Jacob Vitali.

“It’s been a bit of a hassle organizing the event, but it’s going to be well worth it,” Swinchoski said. “It has been fun reaching out to the other groups.”

In the past, WJJW has held their shows in Sullivan Lounge, giving the event a more low-key atmosphere, but the E-board was looking for a change of venue. Venable Gym was considered an option only as a joke at first.

“One of our DJs wanted to get

Venable, because he was joking that he wanted something like the ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ music video,” Swinchoski said.

“We only learned later that gyms aren’t the best for sound, but we have a plan to work with the space.”

A strategic stage plan was created to accommodate the best sound possible with the gym’s limitations.

“Last year, we had a lot of collaboration from previous E-board members but unfortunately a lot of those tools of the trade weren’t passed on to the new E-board so we had to piece everything together from what we remembered from last time,” Swinchoski said.

WJJW will also be organizing a concert for the spring,

Downtown Sound, which started in spring ‘16.

“I think this show is going to be bigger than ones in the past and will help WJJW branch out and grow,” Swinchoski said.

According to Swinchoski, the radio station was not as well known when he was a freshman. Though they have grown due to their expanding presence on campus, there are still many people that do not know about it.

“I know a lot of people who want to get involved in college radio but they don’t always know how to or that they even have that opportunity,” Swinchoski said. “I think this show and future events will help attract people to the station, and help it get bigger and branch out.”

This Is: A Day Without Love

BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR

A Day Without Love has always been a solo act, consisting of Brian Walker, a Philadelphia native. Walker told the Beacon over a Google Hangout interview that the idea started in 2007, but did not officially begin until 2013.

“The idea started my sophomore year of college with my poetry anthology, and writing a poem every day,” said Walker.

Walker describes his music as a mix between alt-rock and folk/indie, with some emo incorporated into it.

“Brand New is one of my biggest influences,” said Walker.

Walker has performed at more than 30 colleges since beginning his music, but North Adams has definitely

photo by Abi Reidmold

A Day Without Love will be performing at Mount Holyoke College on Nov. 18. stood out to him.

“Feels different,” he said, “different from the city.”

A Day Without Love is a part of Sounds and Tones Records, based out of the Berkshires.

Walker’s goal is to write and create music that helps people, focusing on a wide range of struggles and problems in his

own life and others, saying he wants to be one of those artists that people go to listen to when going through hard times.

A Day Without Love will be releasing their second LP “Diary” soon, featuring 24 songs Walker wrote and produced in his bedroom.

SPORTS

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Nov. 9, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 8

Men’s basketball reloads and aims toward programs future

BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The MCLA Trailblazers men’s basketball team hasn’t recorded an above .500 record since the 2012-13 season, but none of those players are MCLA students anymore, let alone on the roster. In his second year, Coach Derek Shell is looking to start over in hopes to get back to that level of play.

Shell only won two games last season in his first year as coach. He came into a team of mostly older players that were not brought up under his system.

In year two, Shell will look towards his few returners to lead his young group on the court.

“We do have some returners, some veterans, Ki-Shawn Monroe returns after a year away he’ll be a sophomore, Tyler Mckay is a junior and Collin Parrot as well,” said Coach Shell.

“Those are the guys I really look to lead these freshman on the court.”

As for freshman, Shell has recruited seven players to come start their collegiate careers as Trailblazers in hopes that they can create the future of Trailblazer basketball.

Quran Davis, Reydel Santana, Mike Demartinis, Noah Yearsley, Brendan

photo by MCLA Athletics

The 2017-18 MCLA men’s basketball team pictured. The team led by second year Coach Derek Shell looks to improve upon its previous record of 2-22 in the 2016-17 season. The Trailblazers boast a young roster with a handful of returning players to lead the way.

Powers, Hayden Bird, and Harrison Grant round out the class of freshman on the team.

The seven new freshman on the team is the second largest freshman class out of the teams in the MASCAC. Framingham State has the biggest freshman class with nine new players, while Fitchburg State is looking to have another good year only having to fill two spots from their MASCAC championship

team last season.

“The trend there is that Framingham finished sixth (in the MASCAC) and we finished seventh,” Coach Shell said. “So obviously we need to bring in not only a quantity of players but quality of players and you only do that through recruiting.”

A noticeable change from last season’s roster is that the teams leading scorers Joseph Wiggins and Keiland

Cross are no longer on the team. The teams standouts last year have played one semester shy of the maximum allowed in college sports.

Due to the season spanning over two semesters, the two are ineligible to play on the team.

Despite the loss of Cross and Wiggins, Shell is looking toward the future and building his program to fit his system.

“We got a good crop of

freshman, we didn’t get as many of the big’s that I was hoping to get,” Coach Shell stated. “Of the guys that are here I think we have some long term four-year players that will help us this year, but I think in the years to come as well.”

Last year’s team allowed their opponents to score an average of 88 points per game while only putting up an average of 65 points themselves.

“I think every team that plays basketball has the potential to do well on the offensive end and the defensive end in spurts,” Coach Shell said. “It’s the team that can do it most consistently throughout a game that end up with wins.”

Despite the ‘Blazers’ lackluster standing last season, Shell is optimistic, with a team consisting of some returning players that understand the system and a fresh group of talent ready to learn and play. This season may not be a complete turnaround, but the future of the program is on the right track.

The ‘Blazers will begin their season on Nov. 17 where they travel to Amherst College to face off with Western New England College in the first round of the Ken Wright Tournament.

Growing Strong: MCLA Women’s Basketball prepares for season with new coaches and players

BY JEFFREY MAYOTTE SPORTS WRITER Rising underdogs and strong sportsmanship are at the heart of a strong comeback team. Yet at its core, with a combination of communication and strong leadership during the harsh winter, the season should be a showcase of growth welcoming new players and methods.

The MCLA women’s basketball team, whose season starts Nov. 15 against the SUNY Cobleskill Tigers, will consist of a majority of juniors and sophomores in the place of the seniors that graduated the previous season.

Coach Loren Stock returns for her second season. Alongside Stock are new assistant coaches Nina Nunes and Courtney McLaughlin.

The duo have been working since the start of the preseason practice. McLaughlin was

photo by MCLA Athletics

The 2017-18 MCLA women’s basketball team pictured. The Trailblazers will be led by second year Coach Loren Stock. With a solid group of returning players Stock will look to improve on her team’s 10-16 record last year. a four-year letter winner at McLaughlin should help Dupont as they join the MCLA who just wrapped rally and train the team this Trailblazers. up her collegiate career. season.

Returning for her final The personal connection MCLA welcomes freshmen season of college basketball to the campus and the players Janitza Santiago, is forward Emily Moulton. knowledgeable abilities of Alanza Quinones, and Kayla Last season Moulton

averaged 6.1 points per game and shot 48 percent from the field. She scored a career high 18 points in a double OT setback to Bridgewater State. During her freshman year, she played in all 25 games for the Trailblazers, grabbing one start in the process. She primarily was used off the bench during her inaugural campaign and had a season best six points in her collegiate debut in a win over Daniel Webster. As with all seniors, it is expected that she will give an extra push for her final season.

The engine of the team’s offense comes from returning forwards L’Rae Brundige and Erika Ryan.

Brundige appeared in seven games during her freshman season for MCLA. The forward tallied a season high six point effort last season in a win over Southern Vermont. Ryan appeared in 12 games as a freshman at MCLA.

SPORTS Former Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels honors former teammate Roy Halladay Nov. 9, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 8

BY MATT BREEN THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER WIRE SERVICE Cole Hamels and his wife, Heidi, drove to Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night through a cold, rain storm.

The former Phillies pitcher, who still lives in Delaware County, had a message to deliver.

“This is from all of us,” Hamels said as he began to remember Roy Halladay.

“What he meant and what he still will mean to us.

It’s very, very unfortunate

and I know these things do happen but you don’t know how you’re going to feel in those moments, especially for someone that touched my life, my teammate’s life, the fans, the city. He’s a tremendous person that’s going to be missed.”

Hamels spoke just two hours after a Florida sheriff announced that Halladay had died when the former Phillies pitcher crashed his plane into the Gulf of Mexico. Halladay began flying planes after his

playing career, which will eventually be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, ended in 2013.

“He has left such an impression. Not only to me, but to a lot of us, and a lot of the kids coming up in this game today,” Hamels said.

“A lot of us grew up watching Roy Halladay play. I was fortunate enough to be able to sit in the dugout and share a locker with him for some of the best years that I’ve had. He’s really given me such, a way to perceive

and look at baseball and to try to improve and be the best at I do.”

Hamels and Halladay spent four seasons together.

Hamels followed Halladay’s 2010 postseason no-hitter four days later with a shutout and nine strikeouts to sweep the Reds. Hamels remembered when people said the Phillies would never have a strong pitching staff because of their ballpark.

That all changed, Hamels said, when Halladay arrived.

The Dollars and Sense behind the NFL Trade Deadline The trade deadline for the NFL receiver, has been incredibly helpful sure was a doozy. to Newton’s success in the NFL, Honestly, I can’t remember it as well as Carolina’s. Without ever really being as active or really, Benjamin, the exponentially less complicated, as it was on talented Devin Funchess will Tuesday, Oct. 31. have to develop into that type Nevertheless, four teams of player at a much faster rate struck very surprising than he prepared for. With deals, and one team found Greg Olsen on the pine, Cam yet another way to make a Newton really has no reliable, mockery of themselves. tried-and-true possession Let’s cut right to the Andrew receivers. He has guys with chase: Baillargeon experience as deep threats, The San Francisco 49ers but lacking the versatility The Call acquired Quarterback that Benjamin brought to the Jimmy Garoppolo from the table is going to hurt. Enter New England Patriots in exchange Buffalo, with a very similarly-built for a second-round pick in this quarterback in Tyrod Taylor. Put upcoming draft. two and two together. Nobody is Who won this trade: both teams. happier with this trade than Tyrod This trade will ultimately prove Taylor is, as he has yet another to be mutually beneficial. The 49ers tool to work with in what is quickly receive a player they believe can becoming a very potent, playofffit the mold of a franchise QB, and hungry Bills team. the Patriots receive a second-round The Philadelphia Eagles acquired pick that will likely prove to be a Running Back Jay Ajayi from the very high pick, with the 49ers off Miami Dolphins in exchange for a to an 0-9 start to the season. With fourth-round pick. the Patriots bringing Brian Hoyer Who won this trade: Miami....? back into the fold, in addition to Really, this trade seems much having the ever-reliable and durable bigger on the surface than it really Tom Brady at the helm, New is. Ajayi has been hanging on the England clearly deemed Garoppolo coattails of a couple really good expendable. It seems the Patriots games for two years now. In reality, have reason to believe Brady will he’s a big guy - very big and bulky be playing for a good while longer, for a running back, but he lacks which led to the team’s acceptance explosiveness and, according to his of Garoppolo’s departure. That former coach Adam Gase, he may second-round pick could very well also lack the heart to play football. come in handy in selecting a more Perhaps the change of scenery can fitting heir to the throne, as this correct the latter, but Ajayi isn’t a year’s draft promises to be very top-tier talent like many in Miami quarterback heavy. Meanwhile, may have pegged him to be. This is if Garoppolo pans out, it would also an odd fit; Philadelphia didn’t speed up the 49ers’ rebuild process really have a dire need for a running twofold or threefold. At the very back of Ajayi’s mold, as LeGarrette least, the team would become Blount arguably fills the role better competitive, something it has and the team has a small arsenal of lacked since they lost Jim Harbaugh usable running backs underneath as he crossed over to Ann Arbor to Blount as is. What’s even more coach the Michigan Wolverines. baffling is that, in the team’s 51-23 The Carolina Panthers traded victory over Denver, neither Blount Wide Receiver Kelvin Benjamin to nor Ajayi received the lion’s share the Buffalo Bills in exchange for of the touches: a team-leading third- and seventh-round picks in 12 carries went to rookie Corey this year’s draft.

Clement. For Miami, this is a team Who won this trade: the Bills. that seemed to be kicking Ajayi out This trade very much baffles the door beforehand anyway. They me. Kelvin Benjamin has been were never going to cut or even Cam Newton’s favorite target demote him, but the disconnect for years. As a dual-threat QB, between the two parties seemed to having Benjamin as a security be getting worse and worse by the pin, a bonafide possession wide week. Ajayi’s carries and production

took a dip this year, to the point where as of now, the Dolphins still have had exactly zero running backs score a single touchdown this season. Having said that, in the last year of his contract, the Dolphins were clearly set to part ways with Ajayi after this year anyway, so getting something for him has to be viewed as a positive. Now Miami can get an extended look at the exciting young prospect in Kenyan Drake.

The Seattle Seahawks acquired Tackle Duane Brown from the Houston Texans in exchange for Cornerback Jeremy Lane, a 2018 fifth-round pick and a 2019 secondround pick.

Winner: Duane Brown.

Duane Brown’s lengthy holdout from Houston to start the year, combined with his disdain with owner Bob McNair’s comments on players kneeling for the national anthem make it very clear how happy he is to be skipping town.

Having said that, this trade is mutually beneficial; the Texans get a very good package for a guy who wanted out, and the Seahawks finally got the left tackle they’ve sorely needed for years.

The Cleveland Browns (almost) acquired Quarterback AJ McCarron from the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for second- and thirdround picks.

Who (would’ve) won this trade: Both teams.

Oh, Cleveland. We may mercilessly make fun of you, but we also wouldn’t know what to do without you; you constantly provide us with some muchneeded comic relief. The most poorly-run organization in all of football (history) managed to make headlines for the wrong reasons.

The team reportedly had this trade agreed to, but failed to call in to the NFL league office to report the deal because they were too busy celebrating and accidentally missed the 5 p.m. deadline.

What more needs to be said?

Andrew Baillargeon is the host of The Call, a weekly program broadcasted by WJJW. Tune in on Sundays from 7-10 PM. Listeners can also tune in via 91.1 WJJW or our website, http://www.mcla.edu/ Student_Life/studentmedia/wjjw/.

SCORE BOARD MCLA Women’s Volleyball MCLA (1), Bridgewater State (3) Brooke Queripe (MCLA) 16 Kills, 6 Digs2 Pts, 7 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk

Kayla Baril (Bears) 15 Kills, 6 Digsts, 3 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Blk

NFL LA Rams (51), New York Giants(17) Jared Goff (Rams) 14-22, 311 YDS, 4 TDts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl

Evan Engram (Giants)

4 REC, 70 YDS, 1 TD 16 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl

NFL

Oakland Raiders (27), Miami Dolphins (24)

Marshawn Lynch (Oak) 14 CAR, 57 YDS, 2 TD 10-12. 100 yds, 0 TD

Jay Cutler (Mia)

34-42, 311 YDS, 3 TD

NBA Bucks (119), Cavaliers (124) Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) 40 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST5 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl,

Kevin Love (Cavs)

32 PTS, 16 REB, 3 AST5 Pts, 1 Reb, 1 Stl

NBA

Knicks (118), Hornets (113)

Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks)

3 Reb, 2 Stl, 2 Blk

28 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST

Dwight Howard (Hornets) 21 PTS, 9 REB, 1 STL Pts,

NHL

Edmonton Oilers (2), New York Islanders (1) Final/OT

Connor McDavid (Oilers) 1 Goal, 2 SOG Pts, 8 Ast, 2 Stl

Jordan Eberle (Islanders) 1 Goal, 3 SOG8 Pts, 22 Reb, 3 Ast

OPINION

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Featured Photo

Nov. 9, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 8

Comics Section

This week’s featured photo is brought to us by none other than the Beacon’s copy chief, Nicholas Webb. Nick submitted this up close and personal photo of a butterfly resting on the screen of his gazebo back home.

Are you a student with a passion for photography? If you would like to see your photo featured in a future issue of the Beacon, please email your submissions, along with a brief description, to our Photography Editor Ron Leja at rl2670@ mcla.edu Comics from MCT Campus

How to combat low participation on a small campus On a campus the size of the amount of students that MCLA, boasting 1,600 stu- are here. dents and over 40 student The first question that clubs and organizacomes to mind with tions, many of which low club participation retain between 5 to and inactive participa20 consistent memtion (general members bers, the question of that aren’t particularly how to retain memcommitted to the club) bers is a constant is: Are there too many one, as well as how to Mitchell student organizations actively recruit active Chapman on campus? Are there and outgoing mem- Not on My not enough students to bers. properly run the clubs Watch It is no secret that and organizations that many SGA clubs and are here? Does it make organizations strugsense to try to consoligle to fill their E-Boards. On date and combine some of SGA itself, there remains far these entities? From a puretoo many empty seats, which ly business perspective, poall stems from the total tentially merging clubs and amount of students enrolled working towards resource at the institution. Admis- sharing makes sense, but sions does indeed have its up it does risk distorting and and down years, but it seems compromising what many for the time being, the insti- clubs stand for, effectively tution will not grow drasti- butchering who they are and cally large any time soon what they do for the sake of (beyond 2k undergrads), efficiency. meaning that clubs will have For a club or organization to more or less make do with on campus, it often comes

down to learning how to do more with less. When you can’t fill a position in a club, somebody will have to cover the duties of that position on top of whatever existing position(s) they already have. Positions get merged.

Members are often stuck with way too many jobs than they can possibly do well.

And at the end of the day, it leaves many clubs unbalanced, with certain areas they are doing exceedingly well in, and with others, they become non-functioning.

And the catch with all of this is that everyone on campus is a student first, and the various clubs and organizations on campus are perceived as extra; extra-curricular, that is.

Workload awareness is also a major contributing factor to the poor retention rate many clubs and organizations have, being that many students just don’t have it. They’ll take on three,

four, or more positions in various clubs, only to realize that the classes they signed up for require a much larger time commitment than they previously expected. They are over the allotted time they can give out to school, without sacrificing their social life or mental sanity, and the first thing to go are their club positions.

Simplification and consolidation are how many clubs survive, though some attempt to push through with their same semester plan when members drop off.

This leads to a participation disparity, where some members, often E-Board, are ultra-committed and involved in their club, while general members might come to a few meetings, enjoying the fruits of the committed members’ labor, while not officially filling out any positions or jobs themselves.

College is a unique time and you should enjoy it, but

it’s also a time where it’s really easy to garner a lot of experience within the various clubs and organizations here, gaining skills that can help you during life after college. Balance is key; don’t overload yourself, but also don’t waste away your four years.

For clubs and organizations on campus, there is not one easy overarching solution to low participation and retention, but one thing is certain; there will be compromise in some form, whether this be in the form of desired workload for committed members, or the things the club wants to accomplish.

For those reading this column, one way you can clear up a lot of the headache with club retention is: Don’t accept a position unless you know you can commit to it or do it well, because if you can’t the workload will simply fall on someone else.

OPINION

Nov. 9, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 8

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Editorial: Policy will end up in smoke MCLA will be smoke-free come September 2018, marking the end of the strategically placed smoking zones. This is the final step in a many-year process the College has taken towards limiting smoking on campus. Unfortunately, it may very well prove to be a mistake.

This change in policy has been framed to focus more on the impact secondhand smoke can have on others rather than having the campaign be a moral judgment on the individuals it pertains to.

This is a smart way to portray the move to a smoke-free campus, but it alienates a percentage of the MCLA community. The effectiveness of this ban will not be known until the policy has been implemented for a while but, if it is akin to the College’s drug and alcohol policy, than smoke will still roam

MCLA. Students will be forced to continue their habit but change the way in-which they partake. This means that a percentage of the MCLA community will immediately become rule-violators. Providing services to either convince individuals to quit or help them along the way doesn’t solve anything. There are students who wish to continue to smoke and this change in policy leaves them little refuge. That part of the population will be forced to travel off-campus in order to smoke which could significantly inconvenience them.

This isn’t just a student problem either. There are faculty members here as well as numerous other employees whose lives will be changed when this policy goes into effect September 2018.

Another layer to complicate this

matter is enforcement. It should be noted that enforcing the smoking areas and non-smoking areas was complicated at best but how does the College plan to prevent someone from lighting up a cigarette and smoking for less than two minutes on campus? Obviously difficulty enforcing a law doesn’t inherently invalidate it but, it should be acknowledged that it isn’t as simple as a light switch. You can’t just say that smoking is no longer allowed and expect it to instantly enter into the minds and routines of all who attend MCLA. It may be too late to alter the policy change, but it should never have gotten to this point. Secondhand smoke is a legitimate concern but this sharp move is much too severe.

“House of Cards” crumbles down I think everyone and season six will be the fitheir mother was sur- nal season of the show, prised by the allegations and that there are rumors against Kevin of a spin-off in the Spacey that were works. For those released last week. of you who watch For those of you “House of Cards” who don’t know, and have seen I’ll give you the season five, you brief version: Acknow that Robin Emma tor Anthony Rapp Monahan Wright’s character accused Spacey of Arts & Emma Claire, who is marmaking sexual adried to Spacey’s vances toward him character Frank, is when he was 14. taking her role as a leader I’m not here to talk in season six. about Spacey and the This leads to my main whole situation, because I question: why cancel it? pretty much covered that Before you start freaklast week. I’m here to talk ing out over my quesabout “House of Cards,” tion, here’s my reasoning: Spacey’s mega-hit Netflix Claire Underwood is a show. powerhouse. Her characNetflix announced that ter development through-

out the past five seasons has been the best I’ve ever seen.

So why not just focus on Claire? Do away with Frank (he was getting annoying, anyway), and focus on a female president!

A character and storyline like that is something that this country kind of needs right now.

And this spin-off? Reported by Variety, ideas have been brewing in the creative minds behind the hit show, one focusing on character Doug Stamper, who plays the Underwoods’ chief-of-staff (and my personal favorite character).

As much as I would love a spin-off, it wouldn’t live

up to the expectations of “House of Cards.” The next thing to wonder is whether or not viewers will watch the final season after these allegations. To be honest, I will, because I’m ready to watch Claire take the driver’s seat.

For those of you who have been wanting to watch it but haven’t yet, you still should. Despite Spacey, what goes on in the world of politics in the show is so relevant to today, especially in season five.

Or you could just watch season two of “Stranger Things” (even though I haven’t).

Retire your tired tires, you tyrant Tires are how Cracks, cuts or your car commublisters on the nicates with the sidewalls of your road. Your body tires should worinforms the pedry you. Blisters, als and steering especially, could wheel how much result in a blown Joseph speed you need tire putting your Carew and what kind car and self at of turn you may WheelSpin risk. be dealing with Noting the and your tires try tread wear is the and give you what you’re most common way to enasking for. When they sure those round, rubno longer can properly ber miracles are working supply you with proper properly for you. turns or speed consis“Tire tread depth in the tently than it is time for U.S. is measured in 32nds a change. of an inch, and several There are important states require you to resigns of excessive tire place them when depth wear that should not be falls to 2/32 [inches]. ignored by motorists. The U.S. Department of

Transportation also recommends replacing your tires when they diminish to that depth,” according to Pepboys.com.

Even easier than that measurement is the tried and true penny test of tread depth.

“Take a penny and place it between the tire tread blocks with Lincoln’s head upside down and facing you. If Lincoln’s head is buried, your tires still have more than 2/32[inches] of tread, but if the top of his head is visible, your tires need to be replaced,” according to Pepboys.com.

I’m certain I’ve mentioned this in prior col-

umns but not all tires are made equal. What I would recommend to those who have a decent amount of money is to have a set of winter tires and a set of summer tires.

All-season tires are perfectly fine for the summer but can come up quite short in New England winters and the investment in two sets will pay off in the long run.

Your summer rubber will have an extended life because of the lack of hard use in the colder months and you’ll have more peace of mind when the snow starts to fall because your rubber is specifically built to handle it.

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Beacon Photo Journal MCLA Performing Arts

MCLA various performing arts teams never cease to impress. During the past few weeks, the community has been treated to the impressive stylings of both Dance Company and the Nexxus dance team, as well as an exemplar performance of William Shakespeares “Taming of the Shrew,� put on by Yorick.