November 10, 2011 - Issue 8

Student Newspaper of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Volume 74 Issue 8 For more content, visit us at: theonlinebeacon.com

North Adams, Mass.

Firearm meetings next week

Salsa shakedown

By Skyla Seamans Senior News Editor

Photo by Cara Sheedy/Beacon Staff

Students get down at the Salsa Dura Dance Party hosted by Mass. Moca on Nov. 5.

The Brooklyn-based salsa band La Excelencia entertained a crowd of about 75 students from MCLA and Williams College.

FOR STORY - SEE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, PAGE 6

Cell phone service improvements costly

A selected panel will present arguments for and against arming Public Safety officers on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m. in Sullivan Lounge, according to SGA President Todd Foy. The panel will also field questions about the issue.

According to Dean of Students Charlotte Degen, the panel will be comprised of a student, a faculty member, a staff member and a regional expert.

A second meeting will take place on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. in Murdock Hall 218.

Degen expects the panel to vary at both meetings due to conflicts with class schedules.

Currently, the Student Government Association (SGA) is working on a student referendum that will survey students to see if they are in favor for or against

the arming of Public Safety officers. SGA will then present their findings to the Board of Trustees, who will consider students’ votes when determining the final decision in December.

SGA made some progress on the referendum Monday by unanimously voting to suspend the constitutional requirement that requires 10 percent of the student body to sign for the referendum. The SGA Senate will vote on the referendum on Monday, Nov. 14. If passed, students can vote on Dec. 5.

SGA is still working on the linguistics of the referendum and whether there should be an undecided or “don’t care” option is still under debate.

Students who have questions or concerns about the arming of campus police and who want to learn more about SGA’s referGUNS, continued on Page 2

Improving service would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to James Stakenas, vice president of Administration and Finance

By Nicole Knapp Staff Writer

Residence halls and communal areas are the current focus of the College’s continuing efforts to improve cell phone service on campus. Verizon and AT&T expressed interest last year in making an investment due to the size of North Adams.

The College wants to do something about the cell service problem, but according to James Stakenas, vice president of Administration and Finance, it would be hundreds of thousands of dollars to improve it.

“We know it’s important, but at the same time we need to use our

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resources wisely,” he said. “We just want to make sure students have access to tools they need when they need them.”

Stakenas said they worked for six months with the Department of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) on a proposal called the Request for State Proposal that will allow companies to put signal repeaters on state buildings for cell service.

Stakenas said it is better for the state to ask the companies. That way, it won’t cost the College anything.

“The bad news is it’s just a slow process,” Stakenas said. “We hope that sometime in the next year there will be cell phone service.

We recognize that this population of college students must have their cell phones.”

Stakenas said they also know cell phone service is needed for emergencies, which is why they have put emergency phones around campus and in the classrooms.

One thing they don’t know is what services students are using and Stakenas said it would be helpful if students talked about where the dead spots on campus are.

The College’s cell service comes from a tower in Adams. There is a line-of-sight tower on the Mohawk Trail above the hairpin turn, but the signal is blocked by a hill behind Berkshire Towers.

Photo by Will Casey/Beacon Staff

These cell towers on the Mohawk Trail are blocked by a hill behind Berkshire Towers.

Environuts protest Keystone Wehner named to AllXL Pipeline in D.C. American basketball team.

About 12,000 protesters surrounded the White House Sunday Science, Page 8

The senior forward became the first MCLA athlete named to the team Sports, Page 10

Index

News World News Features A&E Science Sports

2 3 4 5-7 8-9 10-12

Letters to the Editor Campus Comment Commentary Comic Word Search Photo Essay

13 13 14 15 15 16

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News

Thursday, November 10, 2011

theonlinebeacon.com

Vision Project aims to help Colleges Against Mass. colleges compete Cancer to host

By Jess Gamari Staff Writer

Massachusetts public universities are in fierce competition with other states and nations for talent, investment, and jobs, according to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.

The Vision Project was created to ensure public colleges and universities in the Commonwealth are educating citizens to be successful in the workplace and beyond. The vision is to “produce the best-educated citizenry and workforce in the nation … [and] a national leader in research that drives economic development.”

There are three ways the Vision Project will pursue this goal: • Highlight the work of the campus in ways that represent public higher education’s most important contributions to the strength of the state.

• Annually report school standing in regards to the highlighted work among the 50 states.

• Organize work to ensure a targeted and sustained effort to achieve and maintain national leadership, with respect to each of the Vision-related outcomes.

The College first previewed the Vision Project in May 2010 and discussed it again at a conference in Sept. 2010.

According to English-Communications Professor David Langston, there are about 60 members in the statewide committee known as Advancing Massachusetts Culture of Assessment (AMOCA). Kristina Bendikas, Associate Dean for Assessment and Planning, is the MCLA representative. Langston and environmental studies professor Elena Traister serve as the alternating faculty member representatives.

The feedback from the Project stated that committee members agreed with the importance of the goals and objectives of the project.

The College will be able to provide

evidence of accomplishments and initiatives aligned to these areas, the report said.

“These are goals MCLA has had for a long time,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs Cynthia Brown. “Everyone aspires past a second education. A high school diploma is no longer enough. Our hope is to have all students complete their programs in 4 to 6 years.”

To succeed with the Vision Project, there are several key outcomes the state must claim national leadership in: college participation, college completion and success rates, student learning, workforce alignment, academic achievements on campus and national level assessments, and comparable learning outcomes among different student population groups.

“These statements are not mere aspirational goals,” the Project outline stated. “They represent urgent necessities for Mass. Together the community and state colleges educate approximately half of our recent high school graduates…and the graduates of our public institutions are also more likely to remain in the state and become part of our workforce and communities than are their counterparts who attend private colleges.”

According to the feedback report, committee members expressed concern that the project’s alignment of degrees with careers is not wellrelated to the broad mission of a liberal arts college. “Career-focused training is a narrower focus than what a liberal arts education aims to achieve and indeed may be inconsistent with this mission.

“Members felt a summative examination or tool assess would not be reflective of the complex nature of a college education,” it also said.

The members also wanted to be sure the unique mission of MCLA as the Commonwealth’s designated public liberal arts college was reflected in the goals alignment.

“I don’t think you can test for this through paper and pen,” Brown said.

In regards to proper testing methods, Brown said that there are different assessments for goals and outcomes when measuring a student’s learning experience. Sometimes the learning experience occurs outside of the classroom, for example, in the dorms, clubs, or volunteer work. In cases like these, the e-portfolio is a way to document everything going on, sharing details of individual student’s work.

“It’s what a student does the entire time that is important,” she said.

Langston stated the Project will not have negative effects on the school and its goals will not be deflected.

“We will draw whatever positives we can from the Project and [use them to] shape in such a way that will help the College,” he said. “Ensuring the College’s priorities are integral to the Vision Project.”

Since beginning the Project last year, the school has been gathering information about student learning. Brown said students are requesting extended library hours, and she sees this as a positive sign about getting the message out and being organized. She also noted students who work with a tutor are highly more likely to pass a class because they are making the effort to connect.

Another important key in success is making sure every department has a “map of its own curriculum,” Brown said. She said that it is very important students know what it takes to excel in their major. A strategic plan must be made so everyone will understand what needs to be completed on time.

“This is a state level initiative by commission of higher education to start a discussion over outcomes,” Langston said. “All professors should be concerned and aware of having an impact on how we do work.”

There is no completion date for the Vision Project. This will be an ongoing process to make the school better and better, Brown said.

Smokeout

By John Durkan Editor-in-Chief

The Colleges Against Cancer club will host its “Great American Smokeout” event on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

The event officially begins at 1:30 p.m. and will end around 5 p.m.

The “Great American Smokeout” is an annual event that encourages tobacco smokers to quit smoking.

According to the American Cancer Society, tobacco use is the largest preventable cause of disease and premature death, but more than 46 million Americans still smoke.

Towards the end of the event, the group will raffle off a variety of items.

Raffle tickets cost 25 cents each or five for a dollar. Tickets will also be available via any CAC member, at a table in Bowman Hall on Nov. 14 and 15 from 10 a.m until 2:30 p.m. and at the Nov. 16 event. Bracelets will also be for sale at a dollar a piece at the Smokeout and at the

GUNS, continued from page 1

• Pizza Works gift certificate for a large cheese pizza • Moonlight Diner $15 gift certificate (two available) • More prizes to come

-endum on the topic can stop by Sullivan Lounge for this event.

SGA’s Food Committee announced that the topic of implementing to-go containers for breakfast and lunch is well underway and may be set in place this spring. Also, ARAMARK’s Thanksgiving themed dinner will be tonight, Nov. 10.

MASSPIRG’s National Hunger and Homelessness week will start tomorrow, Nov. 11, with a

For more information regarding arming Public Safety, visit us at:

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For more information, students can e-mail MASSPIRG via FirstClass.

The Fine and Performing Arts Department will be presenting “Urinetown the Musical” on Nov. 16 through Nov. 19 at 8:00 p.m. in Venable Theater. Admission is free for students. To reserve tickets, call the box office at 413-662-5213.

SGA meetings are held Monday nights at 7 p.m. in Murdock 218 and are open to the public.

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In addition to the raffle, CAC will host games and activities during the event, including cornhole, can jam, apple bobbing, arts and crafts, and egg toss.

Prior to the “Great American Smokeout,” CAC will host a pizza party at its next meeting on Monday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. in Bowman 207. People interested in joining the group are welcomed to attend.

AVOID A HOLD ON YOUR SPRING REGISTRATION!!

Please check with the Financial Aid Office and Student Accounts to make sure your paperwork is complete.

Contact us on the Lobby level of Eldridge Hall or call us at 413-662-5219, Monday through Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm

National/World News

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Obama invests in education

By Ken Thomas Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama chided congressional Republicans Tuesday for “trying to gut our investments in education,” and announced new steps to tackle early childhood education that won’t require legislation.

Speaking at a Head Start center in politically important Pennsylvania, Obama said boosting the nation’s education system at all levels is an economic imperative because it puts young people on the path toward obtaining good jobs later in life.

The president said his administration has been able to work on education reform with mayors and governors in both parties. But congressional Republicans, he said, have stood in the way of his efforts to revamp the No Child Left Behind law and blocked a proposal in the president’s job bill that the White House said would have kept

Occupy Wall Street activists travel to D.C.

By Verena Dobnik Associated Press

NEW YORK — Occupy Wall Street is going on the road – a two-week walk to Washington.

A small group of activists plans to leave Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park at noon Wednesday and arrive by the Nov. 23 deadline for a congressional committee to decide whether to keep President Barack Obama’s extension of Bush-era tax cuts. Protesters say the cuts benefit only rich Americans.

The announcement came the same day that David Crosby and Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, planned an acoustic performance in the park for supports and passers-by.

Kelley Brannon is organizing the 240-mile march through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland with a core group of a dozen activists, picking up other marchers along the way – even if for a day, or only an hour, they say.

“Occupy the Highway’’ as it’s been dubbed – will start from the Manhattan park where the first Occupy encampment was set up, with a ferry ride across the Hudson River from West 34th Street to Elizabeth, N.J. Brannon likened the effort to the long-distance marches led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights era.

“That’s the premise Occupy is taking to the road: the historic relevance of such long-distance marches for social causes,” Brannon said.

They are to join Occupy D.C. protesters in McPherson Square the evening of Nov. 22, then walk to the Capitol and the White House the next day.

400,000 teachers in the classroom.

“If Congress continues to stand only for dysfunction and delay, I’m going to move forward without them,” Obama said.

Under the new rules Obama announced on Tuesday, lowerperforming Head Start programs that fail to meet a new set of benchmarks will be required to compete for federal funding.

The new standards mandate that poorly performing programs will have to compete for funding if they have deficiencies discovered in their onsite review, fail to establish and use school-readiness goals for children, or demonstrate low performance in the classroom quality evaluation.

Going forward, all Head Start grants will be good for five years. After that time, each program’s performance will be reevaluated to determine whether it is meeting the benchmarks or must compete for another grant.

“We’re just not going to put

money into programs that don’t work. We will take money and put them into programs that do,” Obama said during his quick trip to Pennsylvania.

The Head Start program provides preschool for 900,000 low-income children. Administration officials estimate about one-third of Head Start programs will be affected by the new standards.

The announcement is the latest step in the administration’s effort to show a contrast between the president and Republicans. With the GOP having blocked action on the president’s $447 billion jobs bill last month, the White House is refocusing on smaller measures the president can take with congressional approval.

Those measures include steps to allow more homeowners to refinance their mortgages, lessen the burden of student loan debt, and give military veterans access to career counseling and job search programs.

Oil drilling to be expanded off Alaska

By Dina Cappiello Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration cautiously offered up more areas in the Gulf of Mexico and off Alaska’s coast to oil and gas drilling Tuesday, but didn not go far enough to satisfy Republicans pushing to greatly expand drilling as way to create jobs and wean the country off foreign oil.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar unveiled a proposal to hold 15 lease sales for areas in the Gulf of Mexico, including two in the eastern Gulf, and three off Alaska’s coast in 2012-2017.

The sales off Alaska, where native groups and environmentalists have objected to drilling, would be the first since 2008.

And they would be held late in

the five-year timeframe to allow time for scientific evaluations in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, which Interior officials called a “frontier” for drilling. They also would be targeted to avoid areas with cultural and environmental sensitivities, officials said.

In the western and central Gulf, by contrast, the proposal puts all unleased acreage up for sale.

“The approach we are taking there is a cautious one,” Deputy Interior Secretary David Hayes said of the Arctic leases. “We are aware of the substantial issues associated with major production.”

The drilling plans are the latest iteration of President Barack Obama’s strategy for energy production, which has continually shifted to account for political realities, high gasoline prices and environmental disasters, such as last year’s Gulf oil spill.

theonlinebeacon.com

3

Muslims start Hajj amid year of Arab uprisings

By Sinan Salaheddin Associated Press

MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia — Libyans long denied the opportunity to make the hajj usually reserved for Moammar Gadhafi’s cronies were among the millions of Muslims ascending a holy mountain Saturday to begin the annual weeklong pilgrimage.

A red carpet has replaced the Gadhafi green at the Libyan tent camp and those given preference this year to fill the North African nation’s quota were relatives of fighters killed trying to oust the longtime dictator.

Vast crowds of pilgrims, wearing white robes to symbolize purity and equality under God, started at dawn to ascend the Mountain of Mercy at Arafat, 12 miles (19 kilometers) outside Mecca, where Islam’s Prophet Muhammad is said to have delivered his farewell sermon.

The ascent of Arafat is the first event associated with the five-

day hajj, a time to seek forgiveness for one’s sins and for individual meditation on the faith.

Saudi authorities say that an estimated 2.5 million pilgrims are expected to participate.

Many prayed for peace at home as the Middle East faces an unprecedented wave of anti-government protests that has toppled autocrats in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya and shaken regimes in Yemen, Bahrain and Syria.

Saudi Arabia’s top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheik Abdul-Aziz Al Sheik, said in his sermon that Islam “is facing challenges and divisions” and urged Muslims to “solve the problems only through peaceful means away from bloodshed.”

“To the people I say: solve your problems by dialogue not through blood,’’ Al Sheik told worshippers, “and to the leaders I say: you must consider God’s dictation when you deal with your people.’’

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Features

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Are you wasting energy?

By Mary Redstone Features Editor

As a child, we were told to turn off the lights when we leave a room because it’s driving up the electricity bill, and that we “wouldn’t understand” because we “don’t pay the bills.” Now that graduation is imminent for a handful of students and another handful is already living in their own off-campus apartments, this threat of paying our own electricity bill is getting closer by the day. Not only can cutting back on energy sources you don’t need throughout the day lower your energy bill, it can also lower your carbon emission from your house, apartment, townhouse, or even your dorm room.

THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT, BUT IT SHOULD IF YOU’RE NOT IN THE ROOM This is the simplest way to cut back on energy. It may seem silly to mention to college students that turning off lights when you leave a room can cut back on energy; however, everyone has that one roommate or housemate that they habitually follow around turning off lights.

This is especially true for incandescent light bulbs, because they also produce heat. Also, they tend to be more expensive than other light bulbs, so the money you can save by turning them off can go towards buying a new one once it burns out.

This is unless you live in a dorm building, because you can go to the front desk of your building with your old compact incandescent bulb and have it traded in for a new one. Also, if you have any other light bulb that you no longer wish to use, you can bring it to the front desk as well to swap it for an energy-efficient compact incandescent bulb.

When you’re dealing with fluorescent lights it’s a whole different approach. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the rate at which fluorescent lights have to be replaced is determined by the amount of times it is turned off and on.

“A general rule-of-thumb for when to turn off a fluorescent light,” states the Department of Energy’s website, “is if you leave a room for more than 15 minutes, it is probably more cost effective to turn the light off. Or in other words, if you leave the room for only up to 15 minutes, it will generally be more cost effective to leave the light(s) on. In areas where electric rates are high and/ or during peak demand periods, this period may be as low as five minutes.”

While this rule dictates the cost of replacing lights, and not the cost of energy spent by leaving it on, you will be saving money anyway if you follow their suggestion.

According to Dianne Manning, Director of RPS, most of the residence area lighting is made up of compacrt flourescent lights or flourescent tubes. Therefore, it is

beneficial to turn off your lights when you leave the room, but only if you’re going to be gone more than 15 minutes.

ENERGY VAMPIRES – WORSE THAN TWILIGHT’S An “Energy Vampire” is defined as an appliance or device that, despite being turned off, will continue to use up energy as long as it is plugged in. These devices fall into two categories. “Passive Standby Mode” is when the device is mostly off, but small things like LEDs are still on. “Active Standby Mode“ is when the device is off, but it is still running things in the background such as a DVR timer.

If you have a device that is turned off, but still has an illuminated display or status light, it is sucking up power. Unless you truly need to know what time it is from your microwave, it wouldn’t hurt to unplug is once your Easy Mac is done. The same thing goes for your DVD player; unless you really need the constant reassurance of a light telling you that it is turned off, it can be unplugged.

Some things are easier said than unplugged; to unplug your television after every power-down can become a nuisance, since the television resets itself after every unplugging and needs to scan through the channels upon restarting.

In the case of your laptop though, nothing adverse would happen if it was to come unplugged when you went to bed at night. As long as the little green light on the power cord stays lit up, it is drawing energy. The same thing goes for all other chargers; if you take your phone off its charger in the morning to take with you throughout the day, unplug the charger, too, so that it stops using up energy with nothing attached.

According to Energy Star, Stand-By power accounts for about $11 billion in energy costs per year in the United States. This includes game consoles such as Xboxes and Playstaions, as well as power strips.

The general rule to follow when wondering if your device is an Energy Vampire is to ask yourself, “Is it on?” If your answer to that is no, then ask, “Is there anything on it that is still illuminated or charging something?” If anything is illuminated, then it is using power.

If it is plugged in and not charging anything, it is using power.

YOU’RE HOT THEN YOU’RE COLD According to Energy Star, heating and cooling a home, or other living area, can make up for 46% of an overall electric bill.

If you live in a place where you can control your thermostat, try to keep it neutral in times where you are either not home or you are sleeping. Sure, a nice warm bed on a winter night feels great, but when you’re sleeping you can barely tell.

If you have the ability to program your thermostat, you can

even set it so that it produces less heat while you’re sleeping, but you can wake up to a nice warm room.

The same can be said for the summer; if you’re not home during the day, there is no need to run an air conditioner. Energy Star states that eliminating unnecessary heating and air conditioning can eliminate up to $180 a year in energy bills.

Another way to lower the amount of energy you use from your thermostat is to simply keep an eye on it. If you’re feeling warm and decide to open a window, turn down your thermostat as well. If you open a window to cool down a room, but leave the heat up, it will not only continue to try to heat the room but it will also increase its output.

THE IMPACT Occasionally, students have been overheard as saying they are less likely to turn off lights and appliances when not using them because they are not responsible for paying the energy bills. However, Manning states that students’ energy consumption does affect future housing costs.

“Energy consumption is definitely related to overall costs,” Manning said. “The RPS budget does not receive funding for energy costs from any sources other than the fees we collect through room rents.”

The biggest impact of turning off your lights, turning down your heat, or even using a cooler cycle for your laundry is a reduction in your CO2 emissions. These emissions accelerate global warming by contributing directly to greenhouse gasses.

Sure, some of the energy-saving tips are harder than others.

However, a little cut back here and there, remembering to turn off your lights, and generally be aware of the energy you are consuming and where it is coming from. Your wallet, and the planet, will thank you.

Information compiled from the Department of Energy

Vampire energy is energy used by a device when it is in an off state. These devices still use power in standby mode and can cost you anywhere from a few dollars to over $100 a year.

A&E

Thursday, November 10, 2011

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5

Yorick gets back to basics with ‘Midsummer’ ‘Urinetown’

By Nora Weiss Staff Writer

Yorick, MCLA’s Shakespeare performance group, has done it again. And by ‘it,’ the club showcased the popular play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” this past weekend in downtown North Adams.

Evenly mixed with both new and familiar talent, audiences got to witness Yorick get back to basics and perform one of Shakespeare’s most well-known and light-hearted plays.

Yorick harnessed its origins and highlighted the simplicity of performing where scenery is created by the ability of an actor. Set upon a dark stage with a minimalistic background, students emphasized the talent amongst themselves through well-rehearsed scenes and that natural ability to portray another life.

Co-directors Elizabeth ‘Lily’ Cardaropoli, 2012, and Tyler Prendergast, 2013 had their actors perform the play as it was meant to be delivered.

“We didn’t have a concept,” Cardaropoli said. “We just wanted to put on the show itself without bending it to any extraneous theme.”

According to the duo, they wanted the production to cap-

ture the imaginations of both the audience member who knows Shakespeare, as well as someone who had never experienced the play works before.

“As someone who reads Shakespeare,” senior Faith McCarthy said, “I’ve seen ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ a few times. This production was one of the better executed performances I’ve ever seen.”

Both audience members and actors experienced things they had rarely encountered before, even though the content of the play was not changed.

The show was enhanced by exceptional performances by talented MCLA students, from the natural flow of freshman Lynn McEnaney as the love-stricken Helena and the powerful presence of senior Jimmy Dunn.

Dunn played the frustrated fairy king Oberon who is trying to convince his wife to give him her changeling child to raise as his own personal henchman.

Dunn sees his experience in his first Shakespeare production as a good life choice for himself.

“I had an amazing time portraying Oberon,” Dunn said.

“He certainly helped me understand the importance of stage presence. During those long monologues I had to entertain the audience by myself, which

The Feelies

coming to Mainstage Press Release

Photo by Cara Sheedy/ Beacon Staff

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ wowed audiences this weekend. really asked a lot of me as an actor.”

Even though he has been in countless productions while at the College, Dunn cited that he had to personally draw a good deal of self-confidence to capture the audience the way he did.

Dunn is not the only one who recognized the challenges of presenting Shakespeare.

While the College has an exceptional theatre department, many people, actors included, struggle with swallowing Shakespeare’s “thee, thou, and thy” vocabulary, no doubt having enduring many scarring nights in

Andy Rooney dead at 92

By David Bauder Associated Press

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high school analyzing line after line. Cardaropoli and Prendergast set out to heal their peers and entertain.

“As we would tell our actors,” Prendergast said, “for someone who never read or seen the play before, this production is ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ it isn’t an interpretation so much as a representation.”

Yorick will hold a vote amongst its members in December to determine next semester’s production.

The Fine and Performing Arts Department at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will continue its fall theatre season with Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis’s musical comedy, “Urinetown,” Nov. 16-19 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. in the Mainstage theatre in Venable Hall on the MCLA campus.

The three-time Tony Award winning musical for the best director, best book, and best original score in 2002, “Urinetown” has been acclaimed as “the most gripping and galvanizing theater experience in town” by the New York Times.

Directed by Laura Standley, assistant professor of theatre at MCLA, with the music directed

by Christine Condaris, professor of music, and featuring a cast of MCLA student singers and dancers, “Urinetown” is a tale of greed, corruption, love, and revolution in a time when water is worth its weight in gold.

Tickets are $8 for general admission, $5 for faculty, alumni and staff, and free for MCLA students. To reserve tickets call the box office at 413-662-5123.

Andy Rooney so dreaded the day he had to end his signature “60 Minutes’’ commentaries about life’s large and small absurdities that he kept going until he was 92 years old.

Even then, he said he wasn’t retiring. Writers never retire. But his life after the end of “A Few Minutes With Andy Rooney’’ was short: He died Friday night, according to CBS, only a month after delivering his 1,097th and final televised commentary.

Rooney had gone to the hospital for an undisclosed surgery, but major complications developed and he never recovered.

“Andy always said he wanted to work until the day he died, and he managed to do it, save the last few weeks in the hospital,’’ said his “60 Minutes’’ colleague, correspondent Steve Kroft.

Rooney talked on “60 Minutes’’ about what was in the news, and his opinions occasionally got him in trouble. But he was just as likely to discuss the old clothes in his closet, why air travel had become unpleasant and why banks needed to have important-sounding names.

Rooney won one of his four Emmy Awards for a piece on whether there was a real Mrs. Smith who made Mrs. Smith’s Pies.

As it turned out, there was no Mrs. Smith.

“I obviously have a knack for getting on paper what a lot of people have thought and didn’t realize they thought,’’ Rooney once said.

“And they say, ‘Hey, yeah!’ And they like that.’’

Looking for something new to punctuate its weekly broadcast, “60 Minutes’’ aired its first Rooney commentary on July 2, 1978. He complained about people who keep track of how many people die in car accidents on holiday weekends.

In fact, he said, the Fourth of July is “one Photo by courtesy of mojocincy.com of the safest weekends American news icon Andy Rooney passed of the year to be going away on Friday after complications from someplace.’’ minor surgery.

More than three Guild of America award for it. decades later, he was He returned to CBS three years railing about how unpleasant air later as a writer and producer of travel had become. “Let’s make a specials.

Notable among them was statement to the airlines just to get the 1975 ``Mr. Rooney Goes to their attention,’’ he said. “We’ll pick Washington, ’’ whose lighthearted a week next year and we’ll all agree but serious look at government not to go anywhere for seven days.’’ won him a Peabody Award for exFor his final essay, Rooney said cellence in broadcasting. that he’d live a life luckier than “He was one of television’s few most. voices to strongly oppose the war “I wish I could do this forever. I in Iraq after the George W. Bush can’t, though,’’ he said. administration launched it in 2002.

True to his occasional crotchety After the fall of Baghdad in April nature, though, he complained 2003, he said he was chastened by about being famous or bothered by its quick fall but didn’t regret his fans. His last wish from fans: If you “60 Minutes’’ commentaries. see him in a restaurant, just let him “I’m in a position of feeling secure eat his dinner. enough so that I can say what I Rooney left CBS in 1970 when it think is right and if so many people refused to air his angry essay about think it’s wrong that I get fired, well, the Vietnam War. He went on TV I’ve got enough to eat,’’ Rooney said for the first time, reading the esat the time. say on PBS and winning a Writers

A&E 6 Salsa Dura Dance Party gets everyone shakin’ Thursday, November 10, 2011

theonlinebeacon.com

By Nora Weiss Staff Writer

Culturing yourself is as simple as heading down to Mass.

MoCA. No, I am not talking about walking through Sol LeWitt for the millionth time, or craning your neck to take in those cool upside down trees all over again.

What I am talking about was getting close, real close, at Mass.

MoCA’s Salsa Dura Dance Party this past weekend where stuff got sexy and downright fun.

The growing frost outside was easily forgettable as things heated up within the walls of MoCA’s social hall, the Hunter Center.

Salsa instructors from Williams College both took the stage and lit up the dance floor to give a 30-minute salsa instruction to a crowd of about 75 people. After a few minutes of “…and one, two, three,” Brooklyn-based salsa band La Excelencia took the stage.

Horns blaring, upbeat salsa bass bumping, and cocktails (and soda) flowing, the crowd maximized to over a hundred people where everyone got close. Students from both MCLA and Williams took to the floor with a sense of adventure; some got daring in high heels.

There was a clear mood of fun and flair that was indescribable and ultimately contagious.

“I loved the atmosphere of the night,” Ariana Tourangeau, a junior, said. “The energy was high and the music was very upbeat and fun.”

Photo by Cara Sheedy/ Beacon Staff

Feet were moving at the Salsa Dura Dance Party at Mass. MoCA’s Hunter Center on Nov. 5.

Tickets for students were $10, a decent price for something as cultured as the salsa-lifestyle of fast beats and quick footed movements. Catering to MCLA and other college students, MoCA consistently charges less for their events, including this week’s musical performance by classic garage-band The Feelies.

Students will only pay $18 for this band who has performed with Sonic Youth, while tickets for the general public are $22 in advance, and $26 on the day of the concert.

Like many students who have experimented with the contemporary world that is Mass.

MoCA, Tourangeau admits it

took some guts to step outside of her comfort zone when it came to dancing to live music.

“I still had a lot of fun dancing a different style than normal,” she said. “[Salsa Dura] was really different from stuff I normally do on the weekend; I wish I wasn’t wearing stilettos. I would still do it again and I am definitely going to go to more events at Mass.

MoCA.” Other students who want to venture further into the lifestyle of Mass. MoCA are in luck because November seems to be bumping. After the Feelies this coming Friday, MoCA utilizes its upstairs lounge, Club B-10, to host London-based musician

Peabody’s Press Poetry to premiere

By Andrew Hodgson

To get yourself submerged in the music, take a gander to MoCA’s performing arts page at www.massmoca.org and mark your calendars.

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The first installment of the PRESS poetry series will kick off at 7:30 at Gallery 51, 51 Main St. North Adams. The series, conceived by MCLA senior Jason Peabody, will consist of two to three poetry readings each semester. Thursday’s reading will showcase poets from around the Berkshires, including Abbot Cutler, poetry professor at the College.

The reading will also include poet Hannah Fries, an editor at Orion magazine, and several other local poets.

Peabody hopes the series will help foster a stronger poet community in North Adams as well as bridge relations between the town and the College. Current poetry editor for Spires and an English/Arts Management major, Peabody still found time this semester to organize a series that brings his passion for poetry to the community.

Several poetry readings have been held on campus, but Peabody has found that outside of the College there is a lot of interest in poetry as well, “most of the reservations so far are nonMCLA students,” he said.

The event is first come first

Sam Aidon on Saturday, Nov. 19.

This cutie-pie’s stylings range from R. Kelly covers on guitar to bluegrass on the fiddle, drawing attention and praise from Rolling Stone Magazine.

413-664-4134 or 413-664-6889 51 Eagle St.

Open 7 Days a Week Late Nite Photo by Cara Sheedy/ Beacon Staff

Jason Peabody organized the poetry reading at Gallery 51. serve by reservation. To make a reservation email letterpress105@gmail.com. The reading is free and open to the public.

After the reading there will be a reception at PRESS 105 Main St. It is right down the block from Gallery 51 and refreshments will be served.

The second PRESS poetry reading will take place on December, 15. Since this is the College’s reading day Peabody

hopes to appeal to students looking to mellow out and enjoy some poetry before the grind of finals week begins. The event will include four different poets from around the area.

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A&E

Thursday, November 10, 2011

theonlinebeacon.com

Fall releases feature American roots torn down for a coal companies’ profit: “And daddy won’t you take me back to Muhlenberg County/ Down by the Green River where Paradise lay/ Well, I’m sorry my son, but you’re too late in asking/ Mister Peabody’s coal train has hauled it away.” Sings Prine.

An intimate live performance accounts for more than half of the content. Prine’s warm presentation is met with sing alongs from the audience alongside rousing renditions of “Jambalaya” and “Hey Good Lookin’” as well as a stark rendition of his oft-covered “Angel from Montgomery.”

John Deming A&E Editor

For the lover of truly American music, this Fall has been a goldmine as surprising bluegrass and blues collaborations join an Illinois folk legends’ rare back catalogue on the shelves.

Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton “Play the Blues” This live collaboration recorded at the Lincoln Center in New York City features the swinging New Orleans jazz aficionado Wynton Marsalis in a perfect fit with British blues-power axe man Clapton.

Blasting off with a New Orleans swing jazz scamper, Clapton’s grainy blues voice powers through with “Ice Cream” “ You scream I scream everybody wants ice cream.” Clapton and Marsalis find themselves trading off trumpet and guitar solos through much of the album, while no emphasis is kept from the masterful professionalism and expertise of the entire band, featuring banjo’s stand up bass jazz piano and everything in between.

When you listen to this album it comes off as a no-brainer. Clapton

Photo courtesy of 1.bp.blogspot.com

Eric Clapton and Wyton Marsalis have released a blues collaboration.

and Marsalis gel so effortlessly that Clapton could fit right in the big easy.

Everyone knows “Layla” is debatably Clapton’s finest single musical effort, but you’ve never heard it with a section of horns and a drum march dragged over the introduction of each verse. Marsalis’ trumpet finds room to soar over the last few minutes where you might remember there to be a guitar solo.

It is an album full of twists and turns each one as delightful as the one before it. Its the sound of the old American blues standard brought back to its original form by the masters.

Editor’s Picks Concerts in your area this November Bela Fleck and the Original Flecktones Where: Calvin Theatre, Northampton, Mass.

When: Nov. 10 How Much: $35--$45

Jedi Mind Tricks Where: Pearl Street Nightclub Northampton, Mass.

When: Nov. 10 How Much: $15--$18

Furthur: Featuring Bob Weir and Phil Lesh Where: Times Union Center, Albany, N.Y. When: Nov. 15 8 p.m.

How Much: $37.50$69.50

John Prine: “The Singing Mailman Delivers” John Prine digs deep to his past with this album, assembling the finest tunes of his early career, before he was nationally known.

The “Singing Mailman Delivers” features a radio set and a live set, as well as a collection of his trademark humble folk stories of American lives, American towns, and American wars. Prine represents the steadfast and often times stoically emotional stories that today are often overlooked.

A true standout on this collection of acoustic ballads is “Paradise” written about his fathers hometown in Kentucky that was

Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile: “The Goat Rodeo Sessions” Yo-Yo-Ma trades in Bach for bluegrass in this new collaboration so flawless in its quality and purity that it at times sounds like classical lab grass.

There are haunting layers of cello that lay beneath everything and when dragged out correctly mold with a mandolin or banjo rhythm, yet at times this proves to be the albums downfall as the sound becomes repetitive. On tunes like “Hill Justice” however, the many changes of pace make it a true gem, as cello takes a back seat to violin, banjo, and mandolin.

David Lynch isn’t ‘Clown’-ing around

By Mary Redstone Features Editor

In the thirty or so years that David Lynch has been making films, he has acquired a reputation of being varying degrees of strange, unsettling, and downright weird. So, one might expect the same kind of product with his newest venture; a full-length album titled “Crazy Clown Time.”

The album opens on an uncharacteristically normal song, “Pinky’s Dream,” featuring Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on vocals. It’s not dark enough to be goth-rock, but it’s certainly holding onto the rock-aspect of the genre. On closer inspection however, the lyrics make about as much sense as the opening scene of “Eraserhead,” his 1977 surrealist debut film.

Then, just like one of Lynch’s films, that false sense of normality is pulled right from under the listener’s feet on the second track, “Good Day Today.”

The vocals, provided by Lynch, are run through an eerie kind of effect that renders anything he is saying incomprehensible.

Strange, although somewhat expected, this is the first single from the album and even already has its own music video.

The subsequent song follows the same pattern of strangeness,

And while Lynch may not be the world’s greatest singer, it doesn’t seem to matter. Each song conveys an emotion and a purpose, even if you have to wade through a fog of obscure and sometimes incomprehensible lyrics to find that purpose.

Then again, if you already Photo courtesy of Israbox.com have been a fan of but fourth track “Noah’s Ark” Lynch this proves to be a combo breaker shouldn’t come as any kind of a in the string of slightly uncom- surprise. fortable tracks. Instead, it is a The entire album can be a sudark feeling song rather than per-cool soundtrack to an eveweird. This is not the end of the ning of aimless driving through bizarre; “Strange and Unpro- dark streets. Since Lynch is ductive Thinking,” finds Lynch known for crafting his own putting his voice through more films’ scores and soundtracks, effects, creating an eerie robotic this seems expected. Luckily, no and futuristic feel that borders matter how unsettling or unon the unsettling. comfortable any of the songs The majority of the album may make you feel, especially maintains a sort of bluesy, on the title track, “Crazy Clown dark tone that dances on the Time” does not feel like a novedge of electronica; the bluesi- elty or a gimmick. It truly feels est track being “The Night Bell like the legendary auteur David with Lightening” and closest to Lynch finally took his talents to sounding like it came fresh off the recording studio to make a the club floor, “Stone’s Gone legitimate album.

Up.”

7

John Deming A&E Editor

Jungle Work The Insane Clown Posse: the name alone will make you roll your eyes, and visions of hip-hop misfits, faces laden with ridiculous paint start to dance through the brain. If you’ve ever read my column you’ve probably realized by now they aren’t in my itunes rotation, but of all the bad publicity these clowns have received (and deserved), perhaps the most bizarre is their fans, the “Juggalos” if you will, being classified by the FBI as a “Gang.”

Lets take a step back and look at the misconception here: a group of people moronic enough to paint their faces to reflect the stage getup of their moronic cultural idols can be taken about as seriously as you’d take Rick Santorum’s presidential bid or people who think the New England Patriots are going to win the Super Bowl. In primetime, “Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia” (a shame this season in itself) featured an episode last season in which Charlie is a janitor, and the only friend a Juggalo high school student could make.

On “Workaholics” (the new heir to the comedy throne) Telemericorps’ three stooges inadvertently form a family of Juggalos amongst themselves at an ICP concert, and invade a young professionals mixer. This culminates with them fleeing as their huge Juggalo “brother” attacks a man in a wheelchair.

The Juggalo culture can only be taken seriously in the respect that they are dedicated fans who have chosen a name for themselves. After all, I call myself a “Deadhead” out of respect for the Grateful Dead, and fans of trash- pop icon Lady Gaga refer to themselves as “monsters,” Juggalos just show their love by wearing pants featuring chains that hang lower than Jibbs’ and paint their faces like confused Oakland Raiders fans.

According to an Article in the LA Times: “In the agency’sNational Gang Threat Assessment, the agency officially classifies the fans of ICP as a fast-growing, violent gang.” The article goes on to say four states recognize the Juggalos as a gang: Arizona, California, Pennsylvania and Utah.”

As ridiculous as the Face-painted hatchet wielding fans of ICP are, it is not practical for the FBI to label a group of people who listen to one band as a gang.

Music transcends these borders because the folks who make music (no matter how trashy or moronic it is) are going to appeal to someone. We just have to remember to listen to common sense and not a grown man with his face covered in paint.

8

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Science

theonlinebeacon.com

Keystone XL pipeline protest Several MCLA students joined thousands from across the country in Washington, D.C. on Sunday to protest a proposed oil pipeline that would run through the heartland of the United States

By Chris Goodell Managing Editor

An unseasonably warm November sun shined down on President’s Park as one of the largest environmental protests in decades enveloped the White House.

“I feel pretty passionate about this,” Jason Brown, President of the Environuts said. “I think it’s important for us to think about our impact on the environment, specifically for future generations.”

Over 12,000 protesters gathered exactly one year before the next presidential election with the goal of linking arms and encircling the White House to send a message to President Barack Obama.

“I’m asking the president to stand up for the interest of the American people,” said Washington, D.C. congressman Steve Cohen as he addressed the crowd. “It’s not in our best interest to continue our dependence on the world’s dirtiest resource.”

Photos by John Durkan/Beacon Staff

At left, MCLA Environuts president Jason Brown meets Lt. Dan Choi at the protest, with Beacon Managing Editor Chris Goodell inbetween. Choi, who served in Iraq from 2006-2007, fought to end the “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell” policy. At right, a protester dressed up for the Keystone XL pipeline protest in Washington D.C. on Sunday.

Obama is faced with the decision of whether or not to sign off on permits that would allow the TransCanada energy company to build the Keystone XL pipeline, a 1,700 mile oil pipeline that would run from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

“President Obama can reignite the passion of Americans who care about clean air and clean water if he stands up for the health and livelihood of America’s heartland,” said Michael Brune, executive di-

This map shows the already built Keystone Pipeline, as well as the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would cross over the Ogalla Aquifer, which provides 30 percent of the nation’s groundwater for irrigation.

Map courtesy of National Resources Defense Council/nrdc.org

rector of the Sierra Club.

The protest featured many prominent environmental and political figures, including environmentalist Bill McKibben, actor Mark Ruffalo, and Nobel Prize winner Jody Williams.

“I was really motivated by not only the speakers but everyone I talked to,” Brown said. “I was particularly interested and motivated by the different reasons why people were there.”

Protesters gathered from states all across the country, many asking Obama to fulfill the environmental promises he made during his 2008 presidential campaign.

“I feel strongly that this issue needs to be addressed,” said Environuts member Sarah DiMarino.

“We’re going to have major problems in the future if we don’t deal with this now.”

Keystone XL’s Path The pipeline would run south from the tar sands of Canada through at least six states, ending in the Texas gulf coast. Many environmentalists are concerned because the pipeline would run directly over the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world’s largest aquifers and one of the nation’s largest providers of drinking water.

“We will fight to save the aquifer for all the American people,” said Bruce Boettcher, a fourth generation farmer from Nebraska.

“If we lose this battle, many of our children will be poisoned,” added Lennox Yearwood, a reverend and activist in Hip Hop political life.

The Ogallala Aquifer provides drinking water to approximately two million people. Brown said he was concerned that a leak in the pipeline would contaminate the aquifer and possibly lead to a water shortage in the United States.

“It would be really tragic for something to happen to [the aqui-

fer],” Brown said.

Supporters of the pipeline argue that it would not have significant adverse effects on the environment, however. In the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) delivered on Aug. 26, Kerri-Ann Jones, assistant secretary of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, stated that the pipeline would not significantly damage resources as long as proper environmental protocol was followed.

“The FEIS does have a summary of findings, and what that summary states is that there would be no significant impacts to most resources along the proposed pipeline corridor,” Jones said.

“We need to bring the movement for environmental justice and the movement for economic justice together.”

- Naomi Klein, author and activist Environment vs. Economy Some supporters of the pipeline argue that it would create American jobs, leading some to view this issue as pitting environmental concerns against economic concerns.

Author and activist Naomi Klein spoke at the protest about how the environmental and labor movements are related and should be approached as one issue.

“We need to bring the movement for environmental justice and the movement for economic justice together,” Klein said. “We have to reinvent the economy from the

ground up.”

According to the TransCanada website, the Keystone XL project would create at least 20,000 new jobs and generate $6.5 billion in income for workers and their families. On Oct. 19, TransCanada announced that 22 Democratic members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Obama urging him to approve the pipeline permit.

“It is in our national interest to have a Presidential Permit issued for Keystone XL as soon as possible,” the letter stated. “America truly cannot afford to say ‘no’ to this privately funded, $20 billion, jobs-creating infrastructure project, which would bolster our economic, energy and national security.”

However, the accuracy of these numbers has been called into question, and an investigation is currently underway by the State Department into whether or not TransCanada’s numbers were skewed or misrepresented.

A report appearing in the Washington Post indicated the State Department’s estimates for the number of jobs created are closer to 5,000 or 6,000. McKibben believes that there will be no net job growth, after taking into account the environmental impact.

“The only study not paid for by the pipeline company makes clear that there are no net jobs from this pipeline because it will kill as many as it will create,” McKibben said.

Many feel the environmental impact outweighs any possible economic benefits and that energy conservation and renewability could create just as many jobs.

“This pipeline would bring such destruction to our lands and our water,” said Deborah White Plume, a Lakota leader and activist.

KSXL, continued on next page

Science

Thursday, November 10, 2011

theonlinebeacon.com

9

draws 12,000 to White House KSXL, continued from last page

Oil ‘Addiction’ Along with possible job creation, some supporters also believe the pipeline could help reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil and benefit our national security.

Paul Sullivan, professor of Economics at National Defense University, testified before the House of Representatives that allowing the pipeline is in the best interest of the United States.

“The XL pipeline should be allowed to go forward for energy security, economic security and national security reasons,” Sullivan said. “Energy security is a vital part of national security, and it is a requirement for economic security.”

However, according to the Tar Sands Action website, Keystone XL is simply an export pipeline and Americans will not reap the benefits of its crude oil.

“Gulf Coast refiners plan to refine the cheap Canadian crude supplied by the pipeline into diesel and other products for export to Europe and Latin America,” the site says.

DiMarino agrees that allowing the pipeline will not benefit Americans.

“I think we need to diminish our dependence on foreign oil, and the pipeline is only going to make it worse,” DiMarino said.

Many environmentalists also feel this pipeline would contribute to global warming and be a step in the wrong direction toward weaning Americans off of fossil fuels.

James Walsh, a former New York congressman, addressed the crowd, likening oil dependence to substance abuse.

“This [protest] is an intervention in the soul of the economy,” Walsh said.

Coming Together Brown said he first learned about the protest after attending Bill McKibben’s lecture at Williams College on Sept. 20. McKibben, the 2007 MCLA Hardman Lecturer, called for young people to get involved in the cause.

Brown brought the subject to the rest of the Environuts, who were enthusiastic about participating.

“Everyone was like, ‘We need to do this; we need to make it happen,’” Brown said.

Brown contacted organizers at Williams College and learned that they were planning a trip to the protest, sending nearly 100 students of their own. Williams professor Shanti Singham said she was glad to partner with MCLA students.

“It was really nice to see Williams students and MCLA students come together,” DiMarino said.

Brown was appreciative SGA was able to provide $480 to fund the trip for 12 MCLA representatives - 11 students and faculty adviser Caroline Scully. He said he was so motivated to take part in the protest because of the possible impact on the Ogallala Aquifer and because one of the nations’s leading climatologists warned that the Keystone XL pipeline could be catastrophic for the environment.

“Despite what people think, climate change is very real and it has a very real impact,” Brown said.

McKibben’s original goal of 5,000 protesters was shattered, as over

Photo by John Durkan/Beacon Staff

Protesters march around the White House carrying a massive pipeline. Three rows of people stretched around the White House at Sunday’s protest.

12,000 people showed up.

“There were more people than I anticipated being there,” Brown said. “I even spoke with a few people from Canada.”

At around 3 p.m., protesters began mobilizing to surround the White House. Sections of the crowd were divided into groups and directed to different sides of the building.

“I was impressed with how organized they were,” DiMarino said. “I think they had a really good handle on everything.”

The chain of protesters was easily

This week in science Slowing the aging process a possibility

By Ryan Barley

Special to The Beacon This week in science, researchers at the Fonctionnelle Génomique Institute in France and Harvard University in Massachusetts have found keys to halting the aging process.

The French researchers took 100-year-old cells and reprogrammed them to have the characteristics of embryonic stem cells, from which they can then become liver cells, skin cells, or any other type of cell.

Scientists have been able to reprogram mature cells into pluripotent human stem cells, which function similarly to embryonic ones, sidestepping bans and criticisms about using embryonic stem cells in research. However, there is a point where adult stem cells cease to function like embryonic stem cells; a limit called senescence.

Senescence causes cells to stop dividing; this can be caused from a build-up of biological damage.

This causes the cell to age, or, if the damage cannot be easily repaired,

the cell self-destructs.

As a whole, senescence is what causes characteristic aging in humans, a weakened immune system, wrinkles, a loss of energy, and, eventually, death.

The French research team broke the senescence limit by manipulating the genetic factors involved in reprogramming adult stem cells.

Through this, the stem cells regained characteristics associated with embryonic stem cells, with no trace of them having been aged to begin with. The new cells were also able to produce all types of functional cells, just like real embryonic stem cells.

Meanwhile, in Cambridge, scientists are finding ways to clean out senescent cells using mice whose genetic code has been manipulated to turn telomerase production on and off. Telomerase is an enzyme that acts as a protective end-cap for DNA, and as DNA replicates, little pieces of telomerase breaks off. Running out of telomerase is another factor in human aging, but mice can regenerate the enzyme.

While telomerase production is

turned off, their mice became old in half the time that mice normally age. Their brains had atrophied and they had other age-related ailments. Turning telomerase production back on reversed the aging and the mice went back to normal.

Researchers were then able to flush out the broken telomerase, and other senescent cells by injecting the mice with a novel gene called INK-ATTAC, which sought out senescent cells in the mouse and disposed of them.

Neither of these studies promises immortality, but they do suggest a means of providing the elderly with a prolonged quality of life.

By creating embryonic stem cells from fully developed adult pluripotent stem cells, doctors can use reprogrammed cells in elderly patients with weak immune systems to avoid having transplants rejected.

If scientists can find a way to flush senescent cells from human bodies, they can improve many of the physical traits associated with aging.

able to surround the White House, and even doubled back over several times.

“I was surprised at how much they let us get away with,” said Environuts secretary Josh Cook.

Protesters were able to stand right up against the White House fence, and there was very little confrontation with authorities. Cook said he hoped the peaceful protest would still be effective.

“I thought the camaraderie was great between everyone,” DiMarino said.

Looking Forward Brown and Singham both expressed interest in partnering again in the near future and continuing to spread awareness about the pipeline. They have considered leading community discussions on the topic and attending more demonstrations.

Meanwhile, McKibben has already planned for more action

against the pipeline. He posted on the Tar Sands Action website Monday asking people from all 50 states to visit Obama’s 2012 campaign offices and demand that he live up to his 2008 campaign promises.

“According to the President’s own rules, the first time he can make a decision about Keystone XL is in late November,” McKibben wrote.

“At that point, we need to make it absolutely clear to him that he needs to step up and reject this disastrous pipeline.”

Although a decision on the pipeline was originally planned to be announced by the end of the year, a recent New York Times report indicated that it could be delayed several months as the State Department’s investigation continues.

However, Brune was confident on Sunday that Obama would side with the protesters. Amid chants and cheers, he addressed the crowd of thousands, stating simply: “We will defeat the Keystone XL pipeline.”

Bill McKibben, environmentalist, author and journalist, encourages the protesters to demand that the government not build the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Photos by John Durkan/Beacon Staff

10

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Sports

theonlinebeacon.com

Senior Jennifer Wehner named to All-American Basketball team

By Brendan Foley Sports Editor

Senior Jennifer Wehner has been named to the Division III All-American team. This is the first time in women’s basketball history an athlete from the College has been named to the preseason All-American team.

Only two other players from Massachusetts were named to the team. They were Nicole Wurdeman of Babson and Caroline Stedman of Amherst.

All-Americans are selected by members of the national media.

All-Americans are selected from a variety of sports across the country, including hockey, wrestling and even swimming and diving.

In last season alone, Wehner managed to rack up 477 points in 815 minutes of play.

Athletic Director Scott Nichols considers Wehner’s achievement indicative of the College’s growing strength as a whole.

He said, “We’ve had some tremondous athletes. We continue to attract strong student-athletes to our school.”

Wehner has been a fixture of

the athletics program ever since she first set foot on campus. She has served as the women’s soccer team’s goaltender and put up impressive stats in that position.

As a freshman, she appeared in 21 games and the following year Wehner played in every single one of the Traiblazers basketball games, 29 in total.

Wehner attributes the nod towards the Trailblazers receiving more attention after making it to the NCAA tournament last year and making a strong run for the MASCAC title. Wehner has also received numerous commendations from the conference, including recently being named the MASCAC Player of the Year.

Wehner has also been named the MASCAC Player of the Week multiple times in her career with the College.

Last year also marked another milestone for Wehner. She became only the fourth player in college history to reach 1000 points in her career. She was the first to ever reach that marker in her junior year.

The year before that, Wehner also achieved 284 rebounds

through the season.

Despite her strong career, the announcement blindsided Wehner.

“I was kind of shocked,” she said.

“I was caught off guard.”

Wehner also had nothing but positive things to say about her fellow All-Americans, having played against them before.

“To be even close to the same page as them is indescribable,” she said.

Wehner hopes that this achievement will improve her play in her senior year at the College.

“I’d like to be more of a teamoriented player,” she said. “I can score a lot because of my height, but I would like to be more of a role player.”

Wehner is a native of Cooperstown, N.Y., where she realized from an early age that she was interested in playing sports.

When asked just how she keeps her head above all the pressures coming down on top of her, Wehner responded, “I take my own time and just breathe. I like to be alone and just breathe.

She concluded, “I like to know that whatever is going to happen at least I will play hard.”

Photo by Cara Sheedy/Beacon Staff

Wehner is the first MCLA athlete to be named All-American.

Athletic Trainers strive to keep student-athletes on their feet

By Kaitland Hager Sports Writer

Wandering through the Amsler Campus Center, any student might stumble upon a room in the basement brimming with activity.

On an average day, any number of student-athletes can be seen drifting in and out, as if the room has a revolving door.

This is the Athletic Training room, home to certified trainers and students on their way to becoming athletic trainers.

This is the Athletic Training room, home to certified trainers and students on their way to becoming athletic trainers.

Head Trainer Matthew Boillat leads the team of trainers and physical therapists who work to improve the physical health of all student athletes. Boillat and his team, Assistant Athletic Trainer Amanda Beckwith and Physical Therapist Nancy Bullet, work diligently to prevent, evaluate and rehabilitate athletes, from minor injuries like a bone bruise to the

more serious issues such as concussions and ACL tearing.

“We oversee varsity athletes,” Boillat said. “We provide home game and practice coverage as well.”

As head trainer, Boillat is also in charge of evaluating injuries, rehabilitating injuries and the safety of student-athletes.

Boillat got his start locally. A resident of North Adams, he attended Drury High School. His sophomore year, the one year he played football, he tore musculature in his knee. Drury had no athletic trainer at the time and Boillat bounced between doctors.

“It was a frustrating and tiring experience for myself and my parents,” Boillat said.

It was then he decided he wanted kids in his situation to have a better experience. He did his undergraduate work at Quinnipiac, graduated with a degree in Sports Medicine in 2003 and headed to the University of San Jose. He received his Masters in Kinesiology and started his career as an athletic trainer at a public high school where he was in charge of almost 2,000 athletes. After that, he worked with a program that implemented a Pilates-based physical therapy exercise.

Merrimack College was his first job in a college-setting. He worked

Photo by Will Casey/Beacon Staff

The Trainers office in the Campus Center has a constant flow of traffic in and out during the day. as an assistant athletic trainer for two and a half years until a job opened up at MCLA. Looking to advance his career, Boillat took the job as Head Trainer at the College and has enjoyed every moment of it.

“I get to come back to my community and my family and give back to them,” Boillat said. “For

some people, it’s hard to get back home. I’m blessed to do this.”

Amanda Beckwith, head volleyball coach and assistant athletic trainer, came back as well. While a freshman at Clark University, Beckwith suffered a bad ankle injury three days into the season.

She spent weeks in and out of athletic training, getting acquainted

with the different aspects that came with training.

Beckwith wouldn’t be able to pursue athletic training as a major at Clark however, and later found herself at MCLA. She majored in biology, with a concentration in sports medicine.

TRAINERS continued on pg. 12

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Sports

theonlinebeacon.com

11

Men’s Basketball ‘back on the map’

By Bobby Beauchesne Sports Writer

“Back on the map.”

This slogan can be seen on tshirts worn by MCLA basketball players. The shirt displays the state of Massachusetts and a big star on the city of North Adams.

This statement certainly rings true for opposing players and coaches in the MASCAC conference. After some lean years, the Men’s Basketball team is a legitimate contender for the conference title and a possible NCAA tournament run.

The Trailblazers have come a long way since the 2009 season, which saw them walk away with only one win in the entire season.

This season, the Trailblazers are coming off of back to back conference tournament appearances.

The Trailblazers, lead by coach Jamie Morrison, return many key players from last years’ squad, which won 17 games. However, the team did lose several players to graduation. Their biggest loss might be Jon Greenberg.

Greenberg, who stands at sixfoot-six, lead the conference in offensive rebounding and total rebounding, He averaged 15 points and just over 12 rebounds a game, and also earned first team MASCAC honors. Although replacing Greenberg will be tough, the Trailblazers are a deep team

with many different scoring and matchup options.

This Trailblazers team features a little bit of everything.

The trio of Chris Harris, Jamal Brown, and Ramon Viches combined for over 16 rebounds a game last year. Tyrell Mosley made an immediate impact for the Trailblazers last year off the bench shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. Harris used his inside out ability to convert on 35 triples last season.

Harris, the senior leader and captain, is prepared to make the next step.

“Our expectation for this year is to bring the MASCAC title back to North Adams,” he said. “We’re not settling for less this year. Our goal is to get to the top.”

The Trailblazers only allowed 76 points a game last season, and they have three returning players that had double-digit blocks.

In years past, MASCAC opponents were able to capitalize on the Trailblazers relative lack of size and explosiveness. Morrison has addressed this need, and now the roster boasts seven players that are six-foot-three and above.

Morrison likes to make substitutions on the floor to keep fresh legs in the game.

MCLA also boasts good ball handling and distribution of the basketball. Bilal Shabazz, from Schenectady, N.Y., is settling into his role nicely. The quick and

Photo by Tyson Luneau/Beacon Archives

Jamal Brown went up for the ball during a game last spring. Jamal returns alongside seven other seniors. The Trailblazers have been picked to come in fourth in the MASCAC. shifty Shabazz likes to push the tempo and find his teammates in transition. He dished out 60 assists last year.

Also playing point guard is returner Mike Robinson from Springfield, Ohio, via Quinsigamond Community College.

Robinson is a pass first guard who is like a coach on the floor.

This combo will get the ball to the open man and get it to shooters on their spot.

Ramon Viches is part of the

youth movement which hopes to provide a spark on the floor, saying, “Practices have been real intense, almost like game situations. We believe that you practice how you play, and we are looking to bring the same intensity day in and day out.”

The Trailblazers also have several newcomers that are looking to make an impact. Freshman Dominique Bostick from Brooklyn is a six-foot-four forward who adds to the length and

depth of the team. Vernon Cross and Michael Young are both junior college transfers who will add scoring and defense.

At the very least, the Trailblazers will be a hard working, tough, athletic team. There is a good mix of youth and experience. Basketball, maybe even more so than any sport, is truly about how the five players on the floor function as one unit. MCLA not only has the ability but has the cohesion to work as a team.

Women’s team picked to finish first

By Kayla Koumjian Sports Writer

The Trailblazers were voted the most likely MASCAC conference champions, based on a vote held by the coaches of the various teams on Nov. 7. This is the first time the program has been picked to win in school history.

The Women’s Basketball team is already three weeks into their season. Practice began on Oct.16 and they have already played a scrimmage against Green Mountain College.

The team has 11 girls on it with three seniors, two juniors, three sophomore and three freshmen.

Holly McGovern, in her seventh year as head coach, is feeling positive about the team she has assembled.

“Our team chemistry is strong on and off the court,” she said.

The players agree with their coach about chemistry.“Things are really coming together well,” said senior Olivia McMullen.

“We’re all pretty close already.”

Junior Lucy Tremblay also believes they will be very successful this year. “We have really powerful seniors, and we only lost one starter from last year,” Tremblay said. “And we have a lot of flexibility off the bench.”

These seniors include McMullen, Alie Dobrovolc, and Jen Wehner. Wehner has been named as preseason Division III All-

American. She was also named the MASCAC Player of the Year after her dominating performances last season, scoring more than 17 points per game while grabbing just over 14 rebounds per game.

McMullen is very proud of her teammate, saying, “She’s really matured a lot as a player within the three years and its been a real pleasure being her teammate. I’m really happy for her.”

Tremblay is also happy for Wehner, saying, “It’s great for her and our program, she truly deserves the title.”

Along with Wehner, MCLA returns a lot of experience from last year’s squad who won 17 games.

Three returning players, including Wehner, Dobrovolc, and sophomore Kaitlyn Chenevert, started over 20 games.

The team returns their top three scorers, Wehner, Dobrovolc, and Tremblay, who combined an average of nearly 40 points a game.

The girls are very optimistic when talking about the future of the team. “Our communication has gotten a lot better and the intensity in the gym is a lot higher,” McMullen said.

She also added, “People are finally learning each other’s games and where they are on the court.”

The loss of Hilary Perks and Chelsea Burke, point guards on last year’s team, will have the Trailblazers looking for some-

Photo by Tyson Luneau/Beacon Archives

The 2011 women’s Trailblazers have been voted most likely to win the MASCAC conference. body to step into the vacant role on the team.

Tremblay feels leaders will start stepping up soon: “A lot of people are stepping up and we’re starting to see who the stand out leaders are.”

Both players and coach have the same goal for the season.

“Our main goal is always to be conference champions and make it to the NCAA’s,” Tremblay said.

When asked about which teams

to look out for in the conference this coming season, coach McGovern said, “It’s up in the air – the whole conference is full of very competitive teams.”

McMullen feels the same way.

“It’s a very intense competition between our team and theirs,” she said.

Tremblay feels Worcester will be tough to beat. “Since I’ve been here we’ve only beat Worcester once and that was during the

MASCAC Championship game my freshman year,” she said.

The team’s philosophy will help them stay focused and on track towards their goal.

McMullen said, “We can’t think ahead of the schedule, we have to play one game at a time.”

The Women’s Basketball team’s first game was on Nov. 6, at St. Joseph’s. Their first home game will be against Williams College on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 4 p.m.

12

Sports

Thursday, November 10, 2011

theonlinebeacon.com

Athletic Complex hosts Flag and Powder Puff Football

By Brendan Foley Sports Editor

Brendan Foley Sports Editor

What Are We? We are not a sports campus, that much seems obvious at this point.

So the big question becomes why, and what kind of campus are we?

We may very well be a predominantly English campus, but there’s a growing sense of stagnation and wear as fewer and fewer professors are enlisted. Our increasing bills and the closing of parking lots for the Center for Science and Innovation suggest we could very well be a science campus in the incoming years, but really, who can say?

There seems to be a general agreement that the sports teams at MCLA are simply not up to snuff. This is not accurate. Saying that MCLA has poor athletics is an untrue blanket statement that demeans dozens of peoples hard work and perserverance.

Our sports programs are hit and miss, there is no denying this.

While both of the soccer teams finished below .500, both seasons also featured incredible individual performances and accomplishments. Our basketball teams are each coming off of very strong seasons and have been pegged for success by other members of the conference.

That trade-off seems average for any athletics program, or any system which sprawls over many years and involves numerous people. Sometimes you go see the new Clint Eastwood movie and it’s “Unforgiven” or “Gran Turino,” but then other times you go and it’s the one where Angelina Jolie cries a lot because people are mean to her, or something.

I think our blasé attitude towards sports lies somewhere deeper. Sports teams are emblematic of the places and institutions that they serve as mascots to. We clutch onto the Patriots, Celtics and the Red Sox because we imagine they embody the best of ourselves and those places we call home. And that relationship goes both ways.

One of the many things that binds us here at MCLA is a general dissatisfaction with MCLA. Everyone wants something more from this place, something different. Everyone feels that the department or group that they feel is most important has been overlooked or underfunded. Every attempt at improvement or touchup is greeted with complaints and general upset at the one-step forward and two-step back process.

Who wants to root for that?

This Sunday the Athletic Complex played host to both the traditional flag football tournament and its first ever powder puff football tournament.

It was perfect weather for the events, with clear blue skies and cool air.

The powder puff games were held on the Ron Shewcraft turf field, with a rectangle marked out at center field with cones as a playing field.

The event was developed and executed by members of SAAC, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The e-board consists of Olivia McMullen, Jen Wehner, Hayley Gunderson and Karrah Chapman. All members were present and accounted for either as referees, players or moderators.

The atmosphere was loose and fun with the players cheerfully cat-calling each other, their opponents and even people on the sidelines. The players wore home-made uniforms and some even went so far as to streak their eyes with black, to fulfill the football stereotype.

On the sidelines, SAAC eboard member Olivia McMullen explained how the event came to be.

“We wanted to do more fundraising,” she said. “Something really fun that wasn’t just for athletes, but the student body in general.”

McMullen was disappointed by the turnout – only three teams

Standings

(As of Press Time)

Men’s Soccer framingham salem worcester westfield bridgewater mass. maritime MCLA fitchburg

All

Conf

8-8-3 12-7-0 8-8-2 10-7-1 6-7-3 2-12-1 5-10-1 3-12-1

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

Women’s Soccer worcester westfield bridgewater fitchburg framingham salem MCLA mass. maritime

All

Conf

13-5-1 15-3-1 11-7-1 10-6-2 8-8-1 7-7-3 6-10-1 2-13-0

5-2-0 5-2-0 5-2-0 4-3-0 3-3-1 2-3-2 2-4-1 0-7-0

Volleyball All

Photo courtesy of Nancy Bullett.

The winning Powder Puff teamed posed in victory on Sunday. registered for the event – but confident that if the powder puff games continued to be played, turnout would continue to increase.

“It’s hard to get students here excited sometimes,” she said.

It wasn’t only students that hit the turf. Dot Houston of the athletics office, along with Nancy Bullett and Renee Royal had intended to form their own team, but lack of members meant they were ineligible. The ladies turned up anyway, hoping to provide assistance to the teams that had arrived.

When one squad came up short, the ladies happily stepped in and proceeded to run and pass and tackle with the younger girls.

Across the complex at the grass field, the men’s flag football tournament was also underway. The competition was much more heated, with players cursing and playing much more physically than their turf counterparts. The turnout was also much greater, with players from many of MCLA’s teams, as well as simply athletic minded individuals turning up to compete.

Trainers work to keep MCLA athletes on their feet

westfield framingham worcester bridgewater MCLA salem mass. maritime

Conf 6-0 5-1 4-2 3-3 2-4 1-5 0-6

15-20 19-13 13-17 8-22 12-21 3-17 0-28

Women’s Basketball 11/16 @St. Joseph 11/22 @Becker 11/27 Williams

7 p.m.

7 p.m.

4 p.m.

Men’s Basketball 11/15 Sage 11/18 vs. Suffolk @Endicott 11/19 TBD @Endicott

7 p.m.

8 p.m.

4 p.m.

TRAINERS continued from pg. 10

“I was the last class that the National Athletic Training Association (NATA) Board accepted internships from,” she added.

Beckwith stayed local, working as the varsity softball and volleyball coach at Miss. Halls, a boarding school in Pittsfield, .

That eventually led to an assistant coaching position at MCLA. When the athletic training position opened up, Athletic Director Scott Nichols asked Beckwith to step in as the interim trainer. She remained in that position while working as a part-time coach until Boillat was hired. Afterwards, she became a full-time employee, dividing her time: 10 percent student life, 40 percent trainer and 50 percent coach.

There are still part-time employees in the athletic training room, like local Nancy Bullett.

Bullet, a tour de force in North Adams, currently running for City Council, is a physical therapist. She got her start in 1974 as a physical therapist at North Adams Regional Hospital. After a few years there, she decided

Photo by Will Casey/Beacon Staff

Trainers work to keep the atmosphere loose for incoming student-athletes. to go back to college and gradu- training room part time, Bul- is really special to see an athlete ated from Springfield Technical lett’s role has evolved to perform return to the game they love.”

Community College. She later rehab on rehabilitating athletes.

Beckwith and Boillat must feel returned to Sage College and This includes manual therapy to the same way. It’s why they’re at received a degree in physical working with Beckwith, Boillat, most sporting events, hovering therapy in 1981. coaches and athletes to restore in the corner for the first sign of A member of the athletic train- their ability to get back into the trouble. It’s why they take time ing department for the last four game. out of their day to spend workyears, Bullett took the job after a “I have continued on a contract ing on the injuries of studentcall from Scott Nichols. basis since,” Bullett said. “I en- athletes, rehabilitating them to From covering the athletic joy working with the athletes. It their peak condition.

Campus Comment

Thursday, November 10, 2011

theonlinebeacon.com

How do you feel about the pool being closed for so long?

“I feel like it should be open. It would motivate people to exercize!”

“I think it’s a little strange that it’s taking so long just to fix the heater, but I guess with the construction it’s understandable.”

- Vanessa Poma, 2015

- Kate Lantagne, 2015 “I was kind of excited not to have swim class, but otherwise I love the pool just for fun!”

“Not having the pool makes me want to use it more now, but I never used to.”

- Laura Pettengill, 2013

- Kim Huxley, 2013

“It’s stupid. The college should have prepared for the construction a lot more. It postponed my class by a few weeks.”

“We should be using the space for a larger fitness center anyway.”

- Samantha McLenithan, 2012

- Austin Bodzioch, 2013

Letters to the Editor his past week, I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Robert Gates give a lecture to a pretty full house. He spoke of many things and answered many hard questions with confidence and class. Yet one statement stuck out to me as a citizen and a student.

When asked what he thought the biggest deficits were facing youth today, he delivered an answer which struck a chord. Simply, he stated that youth in this country truly cherish their “rights”. Especially now, with the Occupy Wall Street movement, people are taking down injustice by utilizing and advocating for these “given rights”. But then, he asked of us all what we have done to

I

t has come to my attention, over my time here at MCLA, that the Freel Library is in a rather poor situation. And I mean this quite literally.

The library is in sad, sad shape. The selection of books is limited, and most of what does exist is outdated.

If the library were to receive more financial attention from the school, they could afford to offer a constant supply of coffee (a small Kurig coffee maker and a small selection of coffee is already offered) and snacks; replenish the outdated and limited selection of books; refurbish the inside of the building, as well as provide

R

ecently, Public Safety moved to an off-campus location. As a result, things may have become harder to manage and monitor on campus. Not being right on the campus grounds can lead to many different problems. The whole point of having a police staff is for them to be on campus for the students to have easy access to. Yes, we are still able to contact Public Safety in an emergency, but it is not as easy as when they were right on the bottom floor of the Campus Center.

A call for action

deserve these rights. He proceeded to assert, not much, and that it was time to give back to our country in some way to earn what we claim.

It is a convicting and controversial assertion, but I can say that I whole-heartedly agree. And I think I can agree even more as an MCLA student. We talk often about how we “pay the bills” here, we attend the classes, and we keep this place running. In turn then, we should have a say in the way things are decided and done. You are very right, that we as students do have certain rights and that they should be exercised now more than ever. But I think that time, place, and manner are key.

I find all too often, especially as SGA President, that students become complacent and often just start complaining. There seem to be no given solutions or self-education, just offerings of judgment and anger. All too often a real issue never leaves a Townhouse or it simply turns into rumors. Where does that get us? What does that give us? I can tell you from experience: nothing.

It is my duty this year to represent and work for you. I’ve done that, I would hope you agree, to the best of my ability. Now I want you, the students of MCLA, to come out and claim the rights you know you deserve. Attend SGA meetings and voice concerns. Vote in the upcom-

Library needs improvement

more staffing in order to extend the hours of which the library is open.

In my opinion, as well as the opinion of many others that I have spoken with ranging from students to faculty and staff, the library has been financially neglected for years as the administration of the College only continues to shrink its budget.

And yes, I am complaining about the condition and situation of the library, but I do have suggestions for the direction of funding for the Freel Library. If Freel were to receive money for renovations, they could easily solve the over-crowded issue

by installing certain types of study desks specifically designed for college libraries. At Williams College’s library, which I do visit during finals week because of these accommodations, they have double bunked desks similar to that of what a bunkbed is. They are efficient for libraries with tall ceilings and limited floor space, both of which are present in Freel. They are efficient and will look contemporary and fresh in a building that is as old, if not older, than the books on its shelves.

And as for the outdated selections of books, what if each department

New Public Safety location brings concerns I feel that with their new location, new problems will arise. They are not going to be on the scene as fast as they were before. Another possible issue is that we are paying these officers to be on campus, when in reality we can just have the North Adams Police Department come to the scene. Neither the NAPD nor Public Safety are located on campus, so why have Public Safety? Yes, I understand that we need them, but I really believe Public Safety should be on the main campus

grounds.

One possible solution is to simply move Public Safety back onto campus. Another idea is to have some of the officers be stationed at a place right on the campus grounds. They can take shifts and rotate who is on campus and who is at the station off-campus. They can also work out with the school what they think is going to best benefit and protect the students.

I have not seen Public Safety officers around campus as much as

The Beacon

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Editorials Policy Unsigned editorials that appear on these pages reflect the views of The Beacon’s editorial board.

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Letters Policy The Beacon welcomes Letters to the Editor. Deadline is noon on Mondays for that week’s newspaper.

Letters should be kept to 500 words or less and are subject to editing for grammar and content. The Beacon will not publish anonymous or libelous letters.

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Compiled by Aaron Crawford

T

13

ing firearms referendum. Write letters to the editor. Meet with your administrators. None of this goes unnoticed. Your voice is our voice.

So use it. And if you don’t, then there is nobody to blame for shortcomings and disappointments than yourself.

Dr. Gates was right and I’m hoping that his words trigger a new era of inspirational movers and shakers. When we learn that rights are earned and not given, then I think we can truly start making the changes we need to. I look forward to seeing you out there.

Todd B. Foy, Jr., 2012 SGA President

Contributions Policy The Beacon accepts stories, photos and opinion pieces for publication.

Submissions should be dropped off at the office by Monday at noon or e-mailed to Beacon@mcla.edu.

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

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief John Durkan

Photo Editor Cara Sheedy

Managing Editor Chris Goodell

Copy Chief Ed Damon

Senior News Editor Skyla Seamans

Business Manager Tatyana Gorski

Sports Editor Brendan Foley

Ad Manager Jen Smaltz

A&E Editor John Deming

Web Editor Caleb Hiliadis

Features Editor Mary Redstone

of study here (English Comm., Environmental Studies, F.P.A., Biology, Psychology, Arts Management, History, etc.) compiled a list of 100 books each year for three years and the school funded the obtaining of these books? It’s a long-term plan and it can be shaped into being cost efficient. This is necessary.

Thank you all for your time and consideration to read this. I hope that the right people will give this idea the same attention.

Sincerely, Jason Peabody, 2012

when they were located directly on campus. There are going to be many more problems that will come along with all this. Taking the time to talk about these issues and figuring out what the best decision is will benefit everyone at the College. I think this is an issue that needs to be discussed and handled.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely, Kasie Harrington, 2013

Staff Writers

Photographers

Nicole Knapp Andrew Hodgson Jessica Gamari Tano Holmes Robert Beauchesne Kaitland Hager Kayla Koumjian Nora Weiss

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Stephen Kilduff Ad Reps

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14

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Opinions

theonlinebeacon.com

Commentary

Equal education needed in U.S.

Sacrificing your time to the technology gods

John Durkan Editor-in-Chief

W

ouldn’t life be nicer with a little less technology?

After all, technology will dominate us for the rest of our lives.

We know the pros are endless.

Better technology enables better documentation, communication, information and access to entertainment. We can all elaborate on this forever.

Is it possible to escape technology though?

For instance, when can’t you turn off the phone for the weekend without worrying someone?

This summer, I met a man at the Phish festival who was panicking because he dropped his smartphone into a port-a-potty.

He was worried that his family could be looking for him. He worried about falling behind on work. He planned on using his downtime between sets to stay on top of whatever office job he held.

I felt bad for him After all, no one should ever be worried at a Phish festival.

The poor fellow actually dug his phone out of the, probably disgusting, toilet. The attempt to save his technology was futile though and all he was left with was a broken

phone and a vile arm.

Decades ago (not that I would know first hand), this would never be a possibility. You could just tell your family and work that you’re disappearing for four days and that was that.

And doesn’t the world feel so much less personal? When was the last time someone (not your Mom) called you and wished you a Happy Birthday?

And don’t forget the hours you’ll never get back to your life, where you become sucked into the crystal screen browsing useless entertainment. Technology is an enabler of wasting time.

Time better spent exploring the world. An excuse to stay inside on a perfectly sunny day. Endless opportunities to just lay around and waste one of your finite days.

National pride flows free in the capital

Chris Goodell

Managing Editor

I

f there’s one thing I regret about going to Washington, D.C. on Sunday, it’s that I didn’t get to stay longer.

We’ve all seen pictures of the White House and the Washington monument, and you’ve probably heard about what amazing sights they are to behold. But until you go to D.C. and see things for yourself, you don’t really know what you’re missing.

The funny thing is that if the SGA

hadn’t agreed to fund the trip, I may not have gone. If I didn’t happen to know some of the most environmentally conscious people on campus, I may not have known about the trip. If I didn’t work for the Beacon, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see and write about this historic event.

If you ever have the chance to visit Washington, D.C., go. Don’t think about it, just go. If you have to pay a few bucks? It’s worth it. For all the problems facing the United States today, we are still a global leader and arguably the freest nation in the world. To behold the capital of the free world is something you won’t forget and won’t regret.

Even as an objective journalist, taking part in a protest brought me a great sense of worth and camaraderie with the thousands of people around me. We have so many rights

that we take for granted in this country, and to exercise those rights for a cause you believe in is a powerful experience.

Maybe it was the exhaustion from the eight-hour bus ride, but standing in Washington, D.C. among 12,000 people who were there not out of greed or obligation, but because they believed in the cause, was a sobering, truly patriotic experience.

I’m not saying that everyone has to take part in a protest or go to Washington, D.C. just to feel connected to America and all its freedoms (although I recommend it). Exercising your rights can be as simple as writing a letter to your local paper or educating others on an issue you feel strongly about.

It could even be as simple as taking part in a referendum on your campus – hint, hint.

Editorial

Pros of off-campus living L

iving off campus is a wonderful experience.

You get your own room. (Imagine that!) Sometimes it’s the size of a premium single, or bigger, but rarely the size of a Berkshire Towers single. (If it is, you dug your own grave there.)

There’s more freedom. No more routine check-ups by Resident Advisers. Don’t want ARAMARK today? Or ever? No worries, you’re not under contract!

(For food that is, unless if you pull off a sketchy backdoor deal with your landlord, if that’s your thing.)

Want to live in a loud, party house that can be destructive to your college career? You can scout out a place like that!

(Also, if you take that route, the library is your best friend.)

If living far away and the close quarters of every option on campus bugs you, you can do that too! You can choose to live anywhere!

Let’s get to the small things...

Want to burn some incense?

Go right ahead. Candles? That’s fine too.

Do you have a pet back at home you miss? Most places allow pets. Well, except the Flagg Townhouses of course.

Want to drink beer but your 20-year-old friend is in your presence? No one cares! Your landlord won’t prosecute you!

(Does anyone get caught for this on campus any ways? This sounds like a really silly rule.)

(Oh, and legally landlords can’t enter your apartment without a one-day notice or your permis-

sion. And the police don’t waste time with petty things.)

Want a place with smoking?

You can find it. Want a sweet porch? It’s very possible. Balcony? Roof spot? Firepit? It’s a tougher find, but possible. As the great Kevin Garnett said, “Anything is possible!”

If you really enjoy North Adams, you can settle in for the summer. Summer’s great for hiking and all sort of outdoor activities. And if you have that roof or porch, it’s very relaxing.

Rent can be cheap. It’s possible to pay under $300 per month in North Adams. Other than heating, most utilities are cheap.

Unfortunately, the three-year living requirement puts a damper on the finer, more subtle aspects of life.

Tano Holmes writes weekly for The Beacon from Heidelberg, Germany, where he is studying abroad

Tano Holmes

Foreign Correspondent

I

magine receiving your tuition bill from college and instead of it reading $9,000 for one semester, it reads $300. In Germany this is reality.

In fact, the German education system starts earlier. It does depend on which Bundesland (state) you are in but kindergarten begins around 3 years old. Kindergarten is quiet, similar to that in the United States, other than the fact that it can run longer each day, and the fact that it is not only for one year.

However after kindergarten the German education system is drastically different than that in the United States. After kindergarten all children go into the Grundschule (Ground school) where they all learn the same thing until they are approximately nine years old in the 4th grade. At this point, a decision is made between the child’s parents and the child’s teacher as to which of the three types of school the child will attend from 10 years old until they are 19.

If the child shows academic promise and drive, and the parents are supportive, the child may go to “Gymnasium” (not like where we play sports), which is for the University bound students.

If one works hard, but the school work is difficult for them, or the parents don’t really care, the child will probably go to Realschule, where after graduation, they can have a good paying job as a computer programmer, a travel agent or a similar career.

If the student lacks motivation or cannot seem to grasp concepts pre-

sented in the Grundschule they will be sent to the Hauptschule (Main School). Career options are limited after graduation to things like waiters or secretaries, although graduates of the Hauptschule can attend a Berufschule (career school, similar in some ways to community college), which is a three year program where they can learn a trade, and actually apprentice in the job they will have after completion.

While at first it may seem wrong to decide a child’s future at 9 years old, it is important to compare it to the American system of education. As much as we would like to believe we all have the same chances in our capitalistic society, the blunt truth is we do not.

Elementary and high school systems in America are funded from the city taxes, which means cities with lower income people will almost always have inferior school systems to cities and suburbs with a higher income. In Germany, the school system is financed by the county, making the funding of schools more evenly spread out, and thus equalizing the quality of education.

Additionally, when a student finishes high school in the United States, whether or not the go to college is directly effected by the financial status of their parents. While poorer people can receive financial aid or loans, simply said, it is far easier for a wealthy family to send their kid to a private college than a poor family.

In Germany, everyone really has the same chance. If as a child you care about school, you can eventually go to university and become whatever you want. Of course some get left behind, but one can truly accredit it to their personal choices, not the financial situation they were born into.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

For Fun

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By Aurora Cooper To view previous comics, visit: theonlinebeacon.com/weekly-comics-with-aurora-cooper

Animal Word Search II

ANTELOPE BAT BEAVER BOBCAT BUFFALO CHEETAH CHICKEN COYOTE CRANE DEER DOLPHIN DUCK ELEPHANT EMU FLAMINGO FROG GAZELLE GIRAFFE GOOSE GORILLA HEDGEHOG HORSE HUMMINGBIRD IMPALA JAGUAR KANGAROO KOALA LAMPREY

LEMMING LYNX MARLIN MOCKINGBIRD MONKEY MOUSE OCTOPUS ORANGUTAN ORCA PANTHER PARAKEET PARTRIDGE PENGUIN PORPOISE PUMA RABBIT RATTLESNAKE RHINOCEROS ROBIN SHEEP SHREW STORK TURTLE WALLABY WALRUS WEASEL WHALE YAK

Word Search courtesy of puzzles.ca

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

Photo Essay

Above: Jordan Cohen plays the mischievous Puck.

Right corner: Shannen Adamites glows as Mustardseed.

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‘A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM’ A PRODUCTION BY YORICK PHOTOS BY: CARA SHEEDY

Above: Boston Livingstone, Demetrius, argues with Lynn McEnaney who plays Helena.

Above: Jessica Atanas, as Hermia, and Sean Mahoney, as Lysander, share a moment as lovers that learn they will be unable to be together.

Above: Annie Hochheiser plays Titania, the fairy queen, enchanted to fall in love with Nick Bottom, played by Jack Sleigh.

Below, center: Amanda Olsen stands still as Philostrate during a game of William Tell with Hippolyta, played by Mary Marcil.

Right: Jimmy Dunn stands strong on the stage as Oberon king of the faries.