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Volume 83 ◆ Issue 5
Th u r s d ay, O c t o b e r 2 0 , 2 0 1 6
Inside
2
The Beacon’s election guide
6
Nick Cave reception
Science Center wins gold
8
Scenic train rides open
Hardman speaker has a new vision for American Journalists By Harmony Birch Editor-in-Chief
Photo by Emily Gabert/The Beacon
The Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation opened October 2013.
Awarded through Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design By Kelsey Kistner Staff Writer
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation (CSI) a LEED Gold certification. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used third-party verification for green buildings. It is a
system created by USGBC that measures aspects of a building’s sustainability during and after construction. MCLA President James F. Birge believes the value of this award comes from its reputation. “I think the most important advantage for MCLA as a result of the recognition by the US Green Building Council is that we articulate to the public our commitment
to outstanding design for teaching and learning space while recognizing our environmental responsibility,” Birge said. According to Lawrence Behan, vice president of Administration and Finance at MCLA, sustainability is evolving into an important aspect when designing and constructing buildings, especially in the school system. “Both the private and public
sector is looking to build smart and sustainable because they are not only beneficial for the environment but also more cost effective to operate,” Behan said. “Sustainability is becoming more prevalent in the public discourse, which is a great thing.” Behan explained one major green feature that the CSI GOLD Continued on Page 2
Heroin: The struggle with addiction By Nick Tardive Staff Writer
Although Audrey has lived in North Adams for less than a month, she has lived a life far too familiar for residents of this small town in Western Massachusetts: the life of a heroin addict. According to a report released by the County Clerk’s office, between 2005 and 2014, substance abuse treatment jumped in North Adams by 47 percent. In that time span, the number of people in treatment programs specifically for heroin went from around nine percent to 40 percent. With a mother who has been clean for around 30 years,
Photo by Sunquell Dennis/The Beacon
The North Adams Brien Center, which offers many services to recovering addicts. Audrey was raised by a family in Florida that was very open about addiction and recovery. From a young age, she knew that it was in her system to try “everything” once. She said that she wanted to “take her vices to the limit.”
Attending a private high school in Florida during the prescription pill boom of the new millennium, Audrey’s first experience with opiates was OxyContin. Prescription pills are often popular among the higher
class – Audrey even described heroin as being “the same” as prescription opiates, just cheaper. For perspective, in Berkshire County, opiate prescriptions grew by 450 percent in the last few years, according to the Greylock Independent. Following high school, Audrey moved around quite a bit, going all the way to California on the west coast before finding her way back to Orlando, where she found a boyfriend in a “whirlwind romance” at an Ultra Music Festival rave. It was with him that Audrey became addicted to heroin. “If there’s anything that HEROIN Continued on Page 9
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton ranks five percent above Republican nominee Donald Trump in a national polling according to the New York Times. This presidential election’s focus on Muslims, Islam and Islamophobia mirrors a trend that dates back centuries, according to Abderrahim Foukara. Foukara graced the MCLA community on Thursday Oct. 13, 2016 as this year’s Hardman scholar. Foukara is chief of the Washington D.C. Bureau of Al Jazeera, one of the leading news organizations for the Arab world. Foukara has been working for Al Jazeera for the last 14 years. Before that, he worked for the BBC. He is well acquainted with the differences between British, American, and Middle Eastern media. Both the BBC and Al Jazeera catered to more diverse audiences than American media. The BBC caters internationally while Al Jazeera predominantly focuses on Middle Eastern countries. America tends to have less focus on international media and more focus on localized events. One of Foukara’s most shocking American viewing experiences was during Arab Springs when he said Egypt was literally in flames, and each major American news channel was playing footage of the Treyvon Martin case. The biggest difference between American media and the media Foukara has encountered elsewhere is the commercialization aspect. He said he missed the days of eight hour commercial free television, which is something unheard of in the current American media cycle. Working for both the BBC and Al Jazeera, Foukara is familiar with media outlines funded by government agencies. “There is no such thing as 100 percent independence from the party, person or state that funds you,” Foukara said. Still he frequently questions how free commercial TV is to do serious investigative work. HARDMAN Continued on Page 9
Photo by Ron Leja/The Beacon
Foukara answers the campus community at the Q & A session last week.