Fall 16 issue 1

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Volume 83 ◆ Issue 1

Th u r s d ay, S e p t e m b e r 2 2 , 2 0 1 6

Inside

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FAFSA deadline moved to Oct. 1

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Student performs at FreshGrass

Birge: Six months in

MCLA awarded $2.17 million grant

By Harmony Birch Editor-in-Chief

By Nick Tardive Staff Writer

It’s been over six months since President Birge first suited up, yellow and blue bowtie and all, and started his work here at MCLA. The College has seen many changes in those past six months, but Birge credits himself with few.

Starting in March, midway through the spring semester, allowed Birge to get to know the institution before jumping full throttle into his role as President. He spent his first few months talking to faculty, staff, and students.

“I learned a lot about the institution through the experience and the stories that my colleagues and our students have had,” Birge said.

Now he’s formed strategic plans and is encouraging ideas already in place.

Increased diversity One of Birge’s major focuses going forward is to increase diversity on campus. Since his start at MCLA the percentage of ALANA students has dropped three percent, but the number of this year’s incoming class ALANA students is greater than previous years.

To increase diversity further and to make MCLA a better environment for diverse students Birge is prioritizing efforts like the diversity task force. Birge aims to start a new taskforce that more proportionately represents students and faculty. The taskforce will consist of primarily students and faculty.

Smoke free campus Another new change, guided under VP Catherine Holbrook’s

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MCLA wants Quidditch

Photo by Gionna Nourse/The Beacon

Birge during his first week, talking about his plans for campus leadership but encouraged by Birge increasing the amount of high is moving MCLA towards a smoke schools and community colleges free campus. While he admits the Admissions officers travel to. Last plan to become smoke free has been year MCLA’s name went out to 820 independent of him, he supports it. different high schools, community “All that I’ve heard about smoking colleges, and college fairs, according is bad,” Birge said. to Birge.

Plans to become smoke free He also credits the financial

by Fall 2018 are already in effect aid office who got their work done but a new team has not yet been earlier this year to show families developed. their financial options as soon as possible.

Increased admissions MCLA’s admission rates Improving MCLA’s visibility increased this year, but Birge wants While admission increased this to increase them even more. Birge year, Birge believes the College can credits the increase of admissions and should house more students. to the work done by Gina Puc, director of admissions, who has been expanding efforts to spread BIRGE information about MCLA by Continued on page 3

MCLA received a Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant from the United States Department of Education that will total $2.17 million over a course of five years. The initial disbursement of funds will come on October 1 in the amount of $443,346.

Title III grants are often awarded to schools that have a high population of students from low-income families, or schools with a lot of students whose first language is not English. The Department of Education describes eligibility as, “at least 50 percent of its degree students receiving need-based assistance under Title IV of the Higher Education Act, or have a substantial number of enrolled students receiving Pell Grants, and have low educational and general expenditures.”

Last year, the Education Department recognized MCLA as one of 13 institutions across the United States where a similar number of students from lowincome families graduate at the same rate as students from highincome families, according to the Berkshire Eagle.

According to President James Birge, an incredible 46 percent of MCLA students are currently receiving Pell Grants (the highest percentage of Pell eligible students in the Commonwealth).

Around 30 percent of students come from families earning less than $30,000 a year. A big part of that, Birge explained, is that

Berkshire County is itself one of the poorest counties in the state of Massachusetts.

“MCLA…attracts many of these students because we are a high quality institution that is more affordable than other institutions,” Birge said.

The total direct cost for students receiving in-state tuition is around $26,000 a year. Birge and Executive Vice President Denise Richardello explained that MCLA has done its best to not raise tuition fees recently.

They stressed the importance of a cost-effective education versus the excellence of available academics – of which both Birge and Richardello are beyond pleased with.

“The public prefers access and affordability,” Richardello explained.

According to a press release sent out by the school, MCLA plans to continue its push toward strengthening its Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs.

The College will be focusing on digital and software upgrades to, “Increase intensive advising utilizing the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) and early alert software...provide electronic academic planning and degree audit utilities...create online undergraduate courses for summer enrollment to assist in increasing graduation rates,” and to, “purchase equipment, electronic journals and database subscriptions to support undergraduate student research.”

GRANT continued on page 3

Is MCLA’s ALANA population dropping? Yes and No

By Nick Tardive Staff Writer

After a three percent drop in the student African, Latino,Asian and Native American (ALANA) population for the school year, President Birge has mad it a goal to widen MCLA’s diversity.

In 2011, admissions for students of color came in around the 22 percent mark.

In 2015, the number was 30 percent, but this past year that number dropped to 27 percent.

However, that’s not quite a reason to panic.

“We have more students of color in this incoming class than we had students of color in last year’s class,” Birge said.

The answer to this possible dilemma is simple: the class of 2020 is larger than the class of 2019 was. According to Birge,

270 first-time students made up the incoming class of 2019, with 83 of them being classified as students of color. This year there are 330 first-time students, 84 of whom are students of color.

While the difference isn’t a large one, it explains the three percent drop between the 20152016 and 2016-2017 academic years.

However, compare MCLA’s admissions for students of color to other schools in the state of Massachusetts, and it is clear that the College has quite a way to go in that department.

Amherst College’s website states that 44 percent of its students self-identify as students of color.

Boston University is even further up there, at around 57 percent, including international students.

Williams College is slightly closer to MCLA’s average, sitting at 38 percent students of color.

However, there are plenty of explanations for why MCLA’s admissions for students of color is low. Being a public, state College is one of them.

“Just five percent of students at the nation’s flagship public universities are black,” Meredith Kolodner, writer for the Huffington Post, wrote in 2015.

“Even…at the University of Virginia, which prides itself on the diversity of its campus, just eight percent of students are black. Just five percent are black Virginians, in a state where 22 percent of public high school graduates are AfricanAmerican.”

Although the article is tackling

the issue of African American diversity in flagship universities, the numbers are troubling.

If African Americans are not attending flagship public universities, then what about their attendance of other public colleges around the country?

At a small college such as MCLA, attracting and retaining students of color could be an issue, simply because it’s a problem better-funder, betterknown colleges around the country have.

President Birge, however, believes that the College has made great strides in diversifying its student population. He is even considering conducting a climate survey in order to “provide feedback from the

community” regarding how MCLA can further diversify and be more inclusive.

“It seems to me to be the right time,” Birge said. “We have a seemingly diverse population of students. [And] when I look at my colleagues, we’re not reflective of that situation.”

Birge also mentioned creating a re-engineered diversity task-force that will measure the diversity around campus, mostly among students and faculty, although it will also take into consideration staff members.

The Beacon reached out to members of the Black Student Union for comment on the issue, but received no reply.

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Thursday, September 22, 2016

Campus News

Beacon.MCLA.edu

A bright smile never forgotten; Remembering Melissa McHenry The Beacon Staff On May 9, student Melissa McHenry passed away unexpectedly at her home in Lynbrook, NY. She had just completed her freshman year.

McHenry is described by her friends as being warm, friendly, and unyielding optimist who brought light and laughter wherever she went.

“When I first met Melissa she was so timid, but you could tell just by looking at her that she had such a rich personality,” senior Milena Cassimassima said. “She was always making people laugh and you could tell she was in a room or house because you would be able to hear her laugh, it was so distinct.”

According to Cassimassima, McHenry was a very supportive friend.

“If I was scared about doing something or feeling insecure she would say to me, ‘You’ve got this, Milly. You are a queen. You can do anything,’” Cassimassima said.

“She came up with the nickname Milly for me and she was my Melly and the last words she said to me were, ‘When I get to senior year I want to be just like you, Milly.’”

McHenry was a member of TAZ, a co-ed fraternity. She left behind many brothers, sisters, and friends.

“She was literally the light of people’s lives because if she saw that you were sad she would do whatever it takes to make you happy and make you laugh and she was just very friendly, very funny,” Abigail Hart, a member of TAZ, said. “She would literally become friends and talk to anybody. It was great.”

“I can’t imagine how it must feel with her family,” junior Emily Young, another member of TAZ, said. “For a while I thought, ‘oh this

Photo Courtesy of Emily Young

Melissa McHenry (left) and Emily Young (bottom right). McHenry was a member of TAZ, a co-ed fraternity on Blackinton St. must be a joke, this isn’t actually had ever encountered, or even not “Ouija,” with her. The movie was What he misses most is her laugh. real,’ but when it started to settle in encountered yet to smile for her. so bad it was laughable he said.

McHenry might be gone but she it was hard. It still is hard, because Instead of mourning, I try to live McHenry had a few lovable quirks. is not forgotten. Her memory lives it’s coming back to school without my life the way she did as a way to She was passionate about art and on through those she left behind. her, it’s different.” spread her happiness.” obsessed with Christmas. The “She painted a picture on one of The president of TAZ, Emily Law, Sophomore Michelle VanWormer, word “bee” reminds VanWormer the walls in TAZ and we are hoping said she looks to Mchenry as a role McHenry’s former roommate, of McHenry whose favorite card in to turn that into some sort of model. said McHenry was always fun Cards Against Humanity was the memorial for her,” Cassimassima “If I had to summarize her in one to be around. VanWormer met card reading “Bees?” said. “We are also planning to do word, it would be light,” Law said. McHenry two weeks before their “She was the type of person that something really big in her honor, “She lit up every room and heart freshmen year, and she said they would play Christmas music whether that’s having an event she entered. Everyone was a ‘good immediately clicked. year round,” Rivera said. Rivera for her or creating some sort of woman’ or ‘good man’ to her and “She was one of my very true admitted that it was difficult being scholarship. Ideas are up in the that is a way of life we should all friends; I was very comfortable at MCLA without McHenry. air because it’s still hard to believe strive to be like. I admired that around her. I can’t thank her “She was the sweetest and that she’s gone. I think about she gave everyone the benefit enough for being a good friend,” funniest girl you’ll ever meet. She our friendship all the time and I of the doubt and saw the best VanWormer said.

“Melissa always knew how to put a smile on see pictures of her and I’ll laugh in everyone. She was always touched a lot of people here.” your face even if you were having thinking about the memories.” smiling, and cheery, and I cannot Sophomore Kenneth Rivera, the worst day ever,” he said. “She stress enough that her impact on agrees that McHenry made always knew how to make people _________________________________ this world was sunshine, it was everything more fun. Rivera and feel important. Often, she’d notice Harmony Birch, Mitchell Chapman, happiness, it was pure goodness. McHenry met during First Days. if people were having a bad day Kelsey Kistner, Nick Tardive, I know looking down at us, she’d Some of his favorite memories and comfort them however she Reagan Smith, and Emily Gabert contributed to writing this piece. want anyone and everyone she are of watching the horror movie could.”

SGA: Prep for Sam Gomez race, summit

By Nick Tardive

Staff Writer SGA met with minimal fanfare or excitement on Monday.

Trustee Brianna O’Rourke announced that the Board of Trustees had approved a budget that included 15 percent cuts for every department. O’Rourke mentioned President Birge’s plans to “increase enrollment, revenue, diversity in the community and a closer achievement gap.”

Student representatives are beginning to prepare themselves for the annual Sam Gomez race, brainstorming ways to strengthen involvement.

“We’re looking forward to the race,” said Executive Vice President Samantha Giffen. “This year we’re working on having clubs run in the race, because you can actually run and walk in the race, but a lot of people don’t know that.”

The Sam Gomez 5K Race is in

its 38th year, organized by MCLA as a way to fundraise for different Berkshire-based charity organizations. This year the race is Oct. 16, and the proceeds of the race will be donated to the Northern Berkshire Pittsfield Boys and Girls Club, an organization that means to “enhance the quality of life for youth as participating members of a richly diverse society”.

Senate Chair Tyler Spencer also spoke about increasing student participation, but within SGA itself.

“A lot of times, I’ve talked to people who are on the Senate and, when I

was Parliamentarian last year, said ‘Hey we’ve got some great ideas,’ and we just talked about them,” Spencer said. “But they never actually came to the Senate to talk about them. We have all these ideas about what we can do for the Senate, but we never got them actually discussed in a formal meeting.”

He plans to hold office hours for members of SGA in order to get the best out of them; believing that, if encouraged to participate, more members of SGA will be willing to speak out in meetings and offer new ideas. Spencer wants everybody, not just the e-board, to know that their ideas are important enough to be heard.

MCLA’s Leadership Summit takes place on Sunday from 12-3 p.m. in Murdock 218. The summit wishes to meaningfully engage club e-boards in workshops that will help give attendees a better understanding of what it takes to actively run a club,

while also improving leadership skills at the individual level.

“We split up into different officer meetings for different e-board positions,” Giffen explained. “All the presidents will go in one room and secretaries in another…they discuss their roles and positions more in depth, and what they can do for their clubs.”

SGA President Tim Williams announced the election of Ryan K and Linda Koffman as curriculum committee chair and secretary, respectively. Williams also said that he would be the interim chair of the Elections Committee, as current Chair-person Parliamentarian Jess Lovellette is up for re-election.

Giffen announced in her report that she had set up a meeting with Lawrence Behan, vice president of Administration and Finance, in order to discuss placing a hydration station in the Center for Science and Innovation (CSI). She also asked

student representatives to suggest other plans for sustainability around campus.

Senator Shepherd-Edwards, a representative for the Inner Greek Council (IGC) announced the IGC’s new e-board for the year: Nia Scott was elected president, with Jake Rafferty as vice president, Courtney Johnson as secretary and Peter Lanz as treasurer.

Next week is National Hazing Prevention Week, and ShepherdEdwards asked that members of SGA send out “positive vibes” around campus, asking members to not promote hazing.

Shepherd-Edwards, also the treasurer for the Cheer Squad, asked SGA for $250 to hire a van driver to transport the Cheer Squad from campus to a gymnastics studio downtown. She was diverted to SGA’s Reserve Fund, and was asked to file the paperwork for a formal request for the money.

Campus News

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

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FAFSA priority deadline now Oct. 1

By Harmony Birch and Mitchell Chapman Editor-In-Chief and Managing Editor

The federal department of education has changed the FAFSA annual due date to Oct. 1, as opposed to the usual date of March 1. The department has instituted a prior prior system based on 2015’s tax returns.

According to Elizabeth Petri, director of Financial Aid, MCLA will retain its rolling deadline process, which is first come, first serve.

The government has implemented the prior prior system to encourage more students to apply for financial aid.

“By doing this, they hope to help [prospective] students make decisions earlier, and make it easier for students,” Petri said. “If you apply for financial aid and you’ve been

selected for verification, [under the old system], trying to get your tax information is very difficult.”

Verification is a process that requires the college to collect documentation confirming the accuracy of the FAFSA data, which can be a nightmare, as Petri explains.

“Because you’re applying after Jan. 1., many schools are asking you to have all your information in earlier than April 15 when taxes are actually due by the IRS,” she said. “Many students were having issues, they couldn’t get them; If you’re self-employed, you might file them later; and there’s many times that even if you did your taxes on time, you still couldn’t use the IRS data retriever for whatever reason.”

According to finaid.org, about 30 percent of FAFSA applicants at any given institution are selected for verification.

Constitution Day dives into bioethics

By Kelsey Kistner Staff Writer

In celebration of Constitution Day, students and faculty will be getting the opportunity to learn about how the Constitution of the United States is interpreted as it relates to bioethics, the study of ethical issues brought from advances in medicine and biology.

The lecture will take place on September 22 from 4 to 5 p.m. in Murdock Hall Room 218 and will feature Douglas Mishkin, an attorney in the law firm Venable LLP in Washington D.C. To supplement his work in Washington, he works on cases involving bioethics.

“Bioethics is one of the greatest issues of our time,” Mishkin said. “And in connection to that, how the constitution interpretation is changing to accommodate the controversial issues bioethics present.”

Both Cynthia Brown, vice president of Student Affairs at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and Mishkin believe in the importance of understanding the field of bioethics as it pertains to the constitution.

“Students should care because even though the federal government may feel like a foreign concept it affects our daily lives,” Brown said.

“Understanding the principles of government will help us make informed decisions, especially on controversial topics like bioethics.”

To give prospective students background information, Mishkin created an optional reading list. Some of the court cases he will talk about are as follows: The article “Ethicists approve ‘3 parent’ embryos to

stop diseases” explains how top bioethicists and scientists have deemed a new type of genetic engineering ethically moral. The hope of this new medical advancement is to prevent congenital diseases. But, clinical trials are not legally allowed to take place due to a budget bill prohibiting experiments resulting in human embryos being genetically altered.

The Supreme Court case of Michael H v Gerald D began when Michael wanted to question the paternity of his likely daughter after two years.

Gerald, who was the presumed father, argued Michael cannot challenge his paternity since he has held responsibility over the child longer than 2 years.

The court ruled in favor of Gerald.

In Cruzan v Director the parents of Nancy Cruzan wanted to take her of life support but the state hospital refused without approval from the court. The court ruled in favor of the hospital because Nancy was unable to invoke her right to refuse medical treatment herself.

In Buck v Bell a Virginia state mental hospital wanted to sexual sterilize a patient but needed a hearing before performing the procedure.

Sexual sterilization is when an individual is altered so they cannot reproduce. Virginal law allows for the sterilization of the mentally ill who are admitted into the mental health system, resulting in the Court allowing the procedure.

The Constitution of the United States outlines the law of the United States while protecting citizens by limiting governmental power.

The 27 amendments are changes to the original constitution that gives additional rights such as the right to bear arms, freedom of speech, and freedom of press.

2017-18 will be the only school year students will use the same tax returns from a previous year; going forward, the FAFSA will open Oct. 1.

“This will be the only year that it overlaps,” Petri said. “With 201516, students used 2015 tax returns.

When a family goes to do 2017-18, they are still going to use 2015 information.”

Unfortunately, this system does not account for tax information changing from 2015, which might cause students to get a financial aid package that does not represent their 2017-18 financial situation.

“That’s one of the things I don’t know they thought about,” Petri admitted.

She maintained that MCLA students with information changes would still be able to communicate them to the financial aid office, by

notifying her as soon as possible.

“You have to tell us what’s going on and provide the proper documentation,” Petri said. “Give us the latest paystubs; if you’ve been laid off, give us what your unemployment benefits will be for the year; tell us what you expect to earn so that we can construct, with the help of the family, what your 2016 income will look like. With all this documentation, we can make an adjustment.”

The new deadline and easier system may mean that packages are more competitive this year, according to Petri. Ninety percent of MCLA students already apply for financial aid.

“We’re going to have a lot more students who complete early, it puts competition on the money,” Petri said. “You don’t always have enough money to go around… that’s the hardest part

of my job.”

Incoming students will have to apply for financial aid before the College admission deadline.

Petri said new system is aimed at making it easier for incoming students by showing them their financial options earlier.

Petri expects to see more cases where financial aid packages have to adjusted, as the data will be less up to date than previous years. Under the new system, students will submit their information almost a year prior to the school year.

However, it will eliminate almost all of the fight with the IRS, as for “99 percent” of people, their tax information should already be available to them.

“For our students, it should be easier,” Petri said. “My suggestion is: do not wait.”

Core curriculum changes coming

By Emily Gabert Staff Writer

Changes are coming to the College’s core curriculum, with plans for the release to be initiated for the fall of 2018.

Five faculty members are lending a hand in reviewing and processing the curriculum changes. It takes roughly a year for a curriculum’s process to be completed, as it has to go to through a process called “Governance.” It first goes to the Curriculum Committee followed

by All College, with its last stop at the president; official changes have not been released yet.

“What’s really valuable is the process that this team has put in place, by meeting with all academic departments and all constitutates of the college community,” Monica Joslin, dean of Academic Affairs said. “...students and there have been open meetings, so that everyone has a stake in this. It’s the core of a liberal arts education.”

Joslin and the Adrienne Wootters, associate dean of Academic Affairs, believe that the core is important to all departments. One of the changes they would like to see take place is trying to connect these foundation courses to students’ academic majors. Connections between these two distinct sets of classes helps make a student more well rounded and ready for various aspects of jobs, once they’re out in the real world. The core exposes students to more than they would

get with only studying subjects in their academic major.

STEM majors were used in an example by Joslin of the impact of a liberal arts education, as those who went into the STEM field found these extra skills useful in their career. But the changing core curriculum isn’t only going to impact them – it will impact everyone as a whole.

“What’s important for the students? What are the skills and habits of mind, that you students need when you graduate?” Wootters explained.

“What can that core give to them?

We’re trying to look at it more holistically instead of siloed...instead of having just tier one and two classes...what we really want is...we want a whole lot more communication across those tiers.

“Right now, tiers that foundation courses are in are divided by tiers.

Tier one is critical reading, thinking, and writing (three credits); quantitative reasoning (three credits), and language arts (three credits). Tier two is creative arts (six credits), human heritage (six credits), self and society (six credits), and science and technology (seven credits). Tier three is core capstone.

All parts of these cores are required to graduate. As of right now, no parts of the updated core curriculum have been released yet.”

The updated core syllabus will also yield to help students take advantages of the opportunities provided to them. “High Impact Practices”

BIRGE Continued from page 1 To do this he wants to allot more money to the work that Bernadette Alden, director of Marketing and Communications, and Puc do in increasing MCLA’s visibility.

“I have been amazed at what we have here, and I don’t think many people know what we have here,” Birge said.

Birge believes another way to improve both visibility and admissions is to increase athletic programs.

is a term Wootters explained as “hands on learning” (internships, service learning, independent studies, etc). The Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) is also another example of high impact practices; mostly juniors and seniors participate in the conference currently, but both deans would like to see that change. Freshman and sophomores are not commonly found to be participants.

“Predominately those [who participate] are juniors and seniors and we want to get that down into the freshman and sophomore experience. “Associate Dean Wootters said. “Even if it’s not for presentation at the URC [but to show] that we have those research opportunities [for students].”

The $2.77 million Title III grant that the College just received, “Strengthening Institutions Program” from the U.S. Department of Education, has the possibility of being used in the revised core curriculum update for classes. The grant is awarded to help build better support systems and services for students.

“I believe that we currently offer excellent education for our students, I think one thing that is going to come out of this, because the process is a really solid process, is connecting all constituencies.”

Joslin commented. “Including students so that more will understand the value of of the core curriculum.”

GRANT from page 1 Another focus for the grant money are going to be an overhaul of First Year Experience classes in an effort to make them more relevant and useful as a desirable transition tool for students entering their freshman year of college.

“The ability to work with state-ofthe-art tools not only will prepare students to excel in their majors,” said Birge in the press release, “but also to compete for and receive employment in growing science, technology and knowledge

economy industries.” ince President Obama took office, the Department of Education has taken great strides in strengthening STEM majors across the country.

According to the National Math and Science Initiative (NSM) website, in 2012, 26 industrialized nations had high school students that performed better in mathematics than students in the United States. 19 industrialized nations outperformed U.S high schoolers in science as well. In 2008, only 4 percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded were in engineering, as opposed to China’s 51 percent.

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Thursday, September 22, 2016

Opinion & Editorial

Editorial

The Beacon

Govener Baker’s budget cuts effect you; Pay attention to local politics

Hillary, Trump, the lesser of two evils. The presidential election has seized the country. Campaign rhetoric is being shoved down the throats of inconspicuous Americans everywhere, and while it’s easy to get caught in the hype, or build a defense fortress of complete apathy, The Beacon urges you to shift focus and remember your local legislatures.

Two years ago, without the energy of a presidential election to spur voting participation, Massachusetts elected Charlie Baker as governor. Voting turnout in Massachusetts was down 10 percent when compared to the 2010 midterm primary according to PBS.While Baker is one of the most popular governors in the US according to the Morning Consult, his efforts to reduce state deficits could directly impact the MCLA community.

September and October mark two crucial months in which tax revenue is forecasted to decrease, according to Lawrence Behan, vice president of Administration and Finance. This will likely result the Governor’s office to cut internship incentive funding. MCLA received less money this year than in the past from the federal government and was approved last Thursday, Sept.

16, by the Trustee Board to use up to

1 million dollars out of the College’s reserve fund to make up for these potential cuts.

Cuts like these which could potentially impact Gallery 51 and the Dual Enrollment program were fought against by local politicians Gail Carridi and Ben Downing but still have the potential of being cut.

This is why it’s important for you especially to be focusing on your local politicians, whether through voting or letting them know which measures you support and don’t support.

Local politics matter. With the creation of the Constitution in 1787, the fledgling United States launched a governmental system called a Federation. Countries employing this are characterized by their combination of a general (central or federal) and regional (state or local) government. These governing bodies exist as two equally powerful systems that work their own laws under written constitutions.

“Regardless of their design, state and local governments often have a far greater impact on people’s lives than the federal government,” according to ushistory.org.

They exist in unison and separately at the same time and, of the two, the tie goes to local

government. That was how the Constitution was written and exactly the reason why local governments and their elections can’t be ignored.

“Marriage, birth, and death certificates. School policies. Driving age and qualifications for licensure.

Laws regarding theft, rape, and murder, as well as the primary responsibility of protecting citizens from criminals. These critical issues and many others are not decided by distant Washington authorities, but by state and local officials,” According to ushistory.org.

It’s the form of government that is closest to home and the one in which you are likely to interact

with the most. Local elections and politics have the potential to affect your life much more quickly than all other forms of government.

Services typically provided to you by local government include Education, Police and Fire departments, Economic development, Urban Planning/ Zoning and even Parks and Recreation fall into the hands of this lower tier of government.

Ignoring local elections or thinking them unimportant is a mistake that will likely lead to dissatisfaction with your town.

Complaining about how awful your

Beacon.MCLA.edu

government is seems pointless when voting on local issues, going to town meetings, and becoming an active member of your community can dramatically increase the impact you have on your home.

The 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

An interpretation of this amendment is that when making a decision on something the Federal Government is not expressly given permission to do then assume the state and local government has the authority instead.

The framers of this document worked to ensure that when the general or central government clashes with the state or local then the latter has the upper hand. Why wouldn’t you then consider local government as important as its larger counterpart?

The United States was founded on the belief that local government is the most important and it can still hold true to this day so long as you participate in it.

“How do you feel about the first week of classes?”

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Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Harmony Birch Managing Editor Web Editor Jake Mendel Mitchell Chapman Design Editor A&E Editor Adam Sams Jon Hoel Features Editor Copy Chief Joseph Carew Lauren Levite Buisness Manager Photography Editor Reagan Smith Domonique Ackley Video editor Dan Wohler

Staff Staff Writers

Photographers and Videographers

Emily Gabert Nick Tardive Kelsey Kistner

Domonique Ackley Shunquell Dennis Sam Kniskern

Sports Writer

“Coming back was was different. I knew what I was doing this year; I think I’m gonna like it.”

-Andrew Baillargeon, 2019

“The biggest difference was I was ready the whole month of August; I have felt underwhelmed because I feel like I should be doing more.”

-Robbie Gair, 2019

“I moved back early. I’m a RASM so I was here September 1st. It was nice to be able to hangout with my friends before classes started.”

-Sara Williams , 2017

Brady Gerow

A&E Writers Ronald Leja Chris Riemer Emma Monahan Cartoonist

Samwise Fox Copy Editors

Advisers

Ayrel Brosnan Nick Webb

Jenifer Augur Shawn McIntosh

*Holds more than one position

Online at: Beacon.MCLA.edu

Facebook.com/MCLABeacon Twitter.com/TheBeacon_MCLA

“It was okay. I enjoyed some classes and not some others.”

-Wyatt Mineau, 2019

“It was good and a lot of fun.

I’ve enjoyed my classes.”

-Megan McGinley, 2020

Photos by Emilty Gabert

“It’s been good. I’ve been reconnecting with friends from last year. I’ve been having more conversations with people, branching out more, and enjoying life.”

-Kaya Liberman, 2019

Opinion&Editorial

Thursday, September 22 2016

5

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Columns

Curious Case of

Mitchell Chapman

Managing Editor

Bots of YouTube:

demonetizing controversy

When a creator monetizes a video on YouTube it allows advertisements to be played over and around that video—for a price. While Google AdSense, the service that curates these ads, is not perfect, it allows them to make up a large portion of many full-time YouTubers’ incomes.

Google purchased YouTube in 2006, and has since implemented a policy which allows certain types of videos to be demonetized, based on not being advertiser friendly. These thresholds include sexually explicit content, depictions of violence, inappropriate or vulgar language, promotion of drugs and controversial or sensitive subjects.

So far, the system barely works. Google’s bots have been infamous for flagging content that abide by the terms of service, while ignoring infringing content. To an

extent, this advertiser-friendly policy has had an impact on creators.

YouTube established itself as a brand by featuring creators that were free to swear and to talk about whatever they wanted in a genuine, unfiltered way. This is how the website differentiated itself from TV, and how its creators have grown audiences bigger than many TV stations.

By demonetizing content including vulgar language and content touching on controversial subjects, Google is directly attacking the content that made YouTube successful in the first place.

YouTube’s biggest stars often invest money into their productions, and eliminating AdSense revenue makes certain types of videos not financially viable for these creators.

It is understandable that Google wants to change

YouTube for the better. They currently make no money off the brand after all, but they’re going about it in the completely wrong way.

Instead of alienating its content creators, Google ought to work with them to create the best product they can. They also need to work with advertisers with the intent of educating them on what YouTube can do for them, and how they can adapt to the web. The online advertising industry in its current state is not something they should be taking demands from.

Most banner ads on YouTube are more offensive than the YouTube videos they appear on; fraught with get-rich-quick and other scams.

Google needs to be wary of how advertisers can negatively affect their content. They will not succeed by changing YouTube into something that it’s not.

FINANCIAL AID ANNOUNCEMENT

FAFSA Update For 2017-2018!!!!

Complete Your 17-18 FAFSA Starting Oct. 1St!!!

Make Sure You Complete It Early!

Financial Aid Will Be Awarded On A First Come, First Serve Basis.

Financial Aid Disbursements Will Be Happening Soon! Check With Financial Aid And Student Accounts To Make Sure Your Paperwork Is All Set!

W

REDRUM

h ee

l

A

Sp n i

Joseph Carew Features Editor

Cheaper gas means more SUVs In a landscape of changing gas prices, the automobile as we know it changes as well.

For example, in the 1960s, cars like the Dodge Challenger, Pontiac GTO, and the Ford GT dominated the muscle car scene. However, things changed in the 1970s.

With higher gas prices and gas rationing due to oil embargoes placed upon the United States, the age of the muscle car came to an end. The market demanded more efficient vehicles and the enormous eight cylinderpowered cars that “exuded coolness” ceased to be produced until technology could make them viable again.

Now, think of a drop in gas prices as having an opposite effect. With less concern over efficiency, engineers can play with speed and more sporty designs. Instead of defaulting with a turbo four cylinder, a car company could consider something more potent with less concern over the consumer market worrying about the car’s efficiency. At the same time, with demand increasing for sports utility vehicles (SUVs), companies are spending that breathing room on those hulking galleons you see on

the road.

In the September 2016 issue of Car and Driver, Editor-inChief Eddie Alterman notes that in an industry where the mid-size car is losing market share, “the small SUV has picked up the slack, growing from 10 percent of the market to 14 percent.”

In short, this means that instead of the industry reverting back to those beasts of the sixties and early seventies, SUVs are taking their place.

For a reappearance of cars like the Ford GT, the Dodge Challenger, and the Dodge Barracuda, it would seem ten more Chevrolet Tahoes appear.

Is this a trend that will continue? If the past decade is any indication, then yes. Does that matter to you in any way?

Perhaps. If you like those big and tall vehicles, you are in luck.

They are most definitely here to stay, but if you are like me and crave something less familyfriendly, then you should be disappointed. It would seem that the automobile world is getting a little freedom to have fun with, and instead, profit margins are pulling them further away from those beautiful cars of old.

6

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Arts & Entertainment

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Bluegrass festival rocks its sixth year

By Ron Leja A&E Writer

This weekend saw the return of what has grown to be an expected and cherished event for North Adams, Mass. Banjos, fiddles, and the roar of spirited hoots and hollers flooded the grounds of MASS MoCA as FreshGrass 2016 kicked off in full swing.

FreshGrass is MASS MoCA’s annual bluegrass and progressive roots music festival.

Every September for the past six years, the contemporary arts museum has showcased a plethora of artists in the reemerging genre. Newcomers and bluegrass legends from all across the United States make up the three day event, each bringing a sound all their own.

This year saw the return of The Devil Makes Three, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Infamous String Dusters, and four-time Grammy award winner Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.

The sense of community was fervent from one courtyard to the next. Each of the four outside stages were in close proximity, making for a close-knit and united experience throughout the entirety of FreshGrass.

Festival-goers from Vermont and New York blended right in with the Berkshire locals and helped create a free-spirited, approachable mashup of easy going bluegrass enthusiast.

Restaurants and catering services lined the pathways.

Many offered all-natural meals using fresh and locally grown ingredients. Good to Go from Bolton, Vermont served up hand-made chicken and pork dumplings that quickly became a FreshGrass favorite, while Mach’s offered a variety of

Photo by Ron Leja/The Beacon

Boston bluegrass four-piece band Mile Twelve played on the 17th at FreshGrass. all natural, wood fired pizza.

Paired with a Freshgrass IPA, the flavors of FreshGrass were just as enjoyable as the performances themselves.

“You can definitely feel the energy and positive vibes resonating,” Charlie Peckar, fiddle player for bluegrass trio Pinedrop, said. “The people here are great, and the music is beautiful. It’s my first time attending Freshgrass, but I’m already in love with it.”

Pinedrop played second stage on Saturday. The band hails from Brattleboro, VT, and their style encapsulates what can be called a “yearning for adventure.”

Their song “California,” was well-received, enticing some of the younger members of the audience to dance throughout the performance.

Local prolific songwriter and high school teacher Jeb Barry also made an appearance on Saturday, alongside Michael O’Neill and Jesse Taylor Cole.

Together, they make up Jeb Barry and the Pawn Shop Saints.

Barry’s lyrics paint a familiar picture of tragedy and feelings of despair, brought on by the harsh reality of small, mill town living.

“I pick up a lot of my song ideas from conversations I’ve

had, or that I’ve overheard,” Barry said. “Mostly things I’ve overheard in bars here and there. After that I try to play it out like a movie, form a story.”

Barry’s song entitled, “Southern Pine,” was featured as an honorable mention in American Songwriter magazine’s September issue lyric contest. This year marked Barry’s third FreshGrass performance.

“FreshGrass is very supportive of not only the big names throughout the roots music genres, but also local musicians,” Barry said. “I’d love to keep playing FreshGrass,

especially if I get to play in the galleries again. It’s a more personal experience between myself and the crowd, I can connect with them there.”

Among the more well-known artists, festival goers were treated to one of bluegrass’s most celebrated and recognized prodigies, Sierra Hull. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Hull began playing mandolin at age eight. At 16, her first album reached second place on the Top Bluegrass Albums chart.

Now 24, Hull’s confidence in her performance was truly inspiring. Her jazzy melodies and haunting voice caused bouts of complete silence amidst the crowd, only to be broken by a flurry of applause when she nailed one difficult solo after another.

Old Crow Medicine Show gathered up the largest crowd of the evening, managing to fill most of Joe’s field for what would become one of the liveliest audiences of the entire festival.

Bathed in red light, fiddle in hand, Ketch Secor was greeted with screams of excitement and a ground-shaking applause. Their hit single, “Wagon Wheel,” was met with loud, soulful singing and a bluegrass stomp and clap routine that seemed to spread like wildfire.

For Tom Denault, a Vermont local and third time FreshGrass attendant, Old Crow Medicine Show’s performance was the epitome of FreshGrass.

“Old Crow has a stage presence that just gets people up and moving,” he said. “You can’t help but stomp your feet and hoot and holler. Everyone’s having a good time, and loving every minute of it.”

Students: SereniTea Parlor has steep hill to climb

By Chris Riemer A&E Writer A North Adams institution has closed its doors. Well, not really—what was previously The Elf Parlor, then simply The Parlor, is now the SereniTea Parlor.

Since 2012, The Parlor has been a contender for the best place in town to spend one’s coveted Blazer Bucks. Until recently, it served as a cafe, restaurant, bar, meeting space and the epicenter of MCLA’s open mic scene.

Student opinions about the SereniTea Parlor and its new ownership have been mixed.

“The vibe was different, and nobody likes change, but it wasn’t that bad,” Alex Hicks-Courant, ‘16, said.

Others felt more strongly about the changes the new owners have made.

“People who are used to the old Parlor will not like it,” Emily Tarnawa, ‘19, said. “The menu is

more diverse, but it’s not as good quality.”

While some of the menu items are holdovers from the old Parlor, others haven’t lived up to what returning students expected.

“The bagels are good, and the cream cheese was good,” Tarnawa said. “Their iced coffee is just hot coffee with ice in it. They don’t have liquid sugar so they try to make you get a flavor shot. It was good when I just added my own sugar.”

Ian Cappelli, ‘18, was also unhappy with the sugar situation, especially the beet rock sugar the owner encourages customers to try.

“The rock sugar is the worst,” he said. “It tastes like Lucky Charms. I couldn’t taste the tea at all! I could only taste the beets.”

Cappelli also commented on the quality of the food offered at the SereniTea Parlor.

“I got a breakfast sandwich with pesto aioli, egg, and mozzarella on ciabatta bread and

Photo by Chris Riemer / The Beacon

it was very nice,” said Cappelli.

“It tasted better than anything ARAMARK is serving.”

Overall, the reception of the SereniTea Parlor’s food is mixed.

“I had french toast there and it was awful, but the sandwiches

that are more than five dollars are usually worth it,” Aaron Starkman, ‘17, said.

He was not sure how the new food options stacked up to those of the past.

“I wouldn’t say this is better— it might be on par at most,” Starkman said. “It’s good. I miss the Gobble Gobble though.” The Gobble Gobble was a sandwich offered at the Parlor made with turkey and cranberry cream cheese.

One of the most criticized items on the menu were the smoothies. The cost ranged from $4.50 to $6. if made with ice cream and $6.50 to $8 if made with yogurt. Students agreed the smoothies were not good enough to justify the price.

“Their smoothies are wack because they don’t have vegan [ones],” Stephen Payne, ‘18, said.

“They do have fresh-pressed juice though.”

Cappelli, who helped design the smoothie menu at a Great

Barrington frozen dessert shop over the summer, felt the same way, but for different reasons.

“Their smoothies are a little expensive,” he said. “Six dollars for a smoothie? Although the flavor is there, the smoothies are not cold. They could easily add ice and make it cold.”

It’s natural that when cosmetic changes occur to a beloved establishment, customers will notice. Patrons were not bothered by the new sign or paint job, but there is one aspect the renovation which did not fare the same.

“Every time I’ve gone in there, it’s like I’m listening to a mixture of musical soundtracks and my 8th grade emo playlist mashed into one,” said Tarnawa.

“It’s called SereniTea but they’re playing very anxiety-inducing music.”

SereniTea continued on page 7

7 Levitt Concert Series: AMP it up on Colegrove Arts & Entertainment

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

By Emma Monahan A&E Writer

In the fall of 2015, Jennifer Crowell and a team of fellow community members decided to try something they never thought possible: the Levitt AMP Grant Awards.

“I guess you would call me the producer,” she said.

Crowell works at MCLA as the director of the Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (BCRC). Through the Levitt AMP Grant Awards, the organization awarded 15 cities with money to put on 10 to 12 concerts throughout the summer and fall, according to levittamp-org.

Despite the craziness involved with running a concert, Crowell is excited to be a part of it.

“For the month of November, you get people to vote for you,” she said. “We had a very elaborate marketing plan, and we were shocked that in the first week of voting we were in the top five, and we were sort of like, ‘Oh, okay, this is great!’

We ended up being in the top 25 then, and the Levitt foundation thought we were worthy enough to be in the top 15.”

North Adams placed fourth overall, competing against other cities like Cleveland, Miss., Charlottesville, Va., and Asbury Park, N.J. The result came as a surprise to Crowell and her colleagues.

Part of the application pro-

SereniTea continued from page 6 “The music is radically different, and I’m upset that they’re doing away with the Parlor’s terrific local beer selection,” Hicks-Courant said. “That was an enormous plus for the Parlor. It was my favorite place to go to get a quick pint.” Although the owners reportedly plan to keep the SereniTea Parlor open late for special occasions, the new hours and the removal of alcohol from the menu leaves of-age students without a local and low-key place to congregate in the evening.

“They have good tea but I wish they were open later,” Sean Kelleher, ‘17, agreed.

Despite some early negative impressions, students recognize that the owners of the recently opened cafe will need some time to acclimate to the new area, and to the difficult business of running a restaurant.

“They’re new, they’re not going to be perfect with everything,” Cappelli said.

“They’re still getting their jive on. I’ll still support it, hopefully it’ll get better.”

Photo by Brian Geltzer

M Shanghai, the Brooklyn Americana string band - they played at Concert Series on September 18. cess was to pick a destination in the city that the community. The BCRC selected Colegrove Park, located on North Church St. “We don’t have a ton of greenspace [in North Adams],” Crowell said of the selection of .

“This was actually one of the few parks that was in the city, downtown, that no one knew about... the whole purpose was so then we could really reestablish it in North Adams. The city did a beautiful job cleaning that park up. It was a way for us to really celebrate that.”

Colegrove Park was a “nobrainer” because of this. The goal is reestablishing the area as a community space. With the newly-built Colegrove Park Elementary School being opened in January, it was a way to kick off the new destination for citizens.

The effects of the year-long process appear to be positive.

Crowell reported people sitting in the park, reading and talking. She aims to remind people North Adams is more than just old pretty buildings.

Along with the musicians

coming into town, Crowell wanted to incorporate local talent with the series. Chris Hantman, the Community Engagements Coordinator on campus and also one of the founding members of Sounds and Tones Records, was able to provide two opening acts from the label.

“Flannel Dan and the Pan Handle Band opened for Bella’s Bartok, and it was cool for us ‘cause Bella’s Bartok was on our summer compilation that we put out,” said Hantman, “and Izzy Heltai is opening the week-

end of Oct. 2.”

There are four more artists lined up for the series.

On Sept. 25, The DuPont Brothers will be performing at Colegrove Park. Hailing from Burlington, Vt brothers Zack and Sam DuPont have been performing together professionally since 2013. The DuPont Brothers are known for their classic acoustic sound and their harmonies.

Caitlin Canty comes into town on Oct. 2, bringing her highly relatable lyrics such as those found in her song “Get Up.” Her style is blend of pop, folk and, in certain songs, some country. She is also from Vermont.

Peter Mulvey will be playing his uplifting, Americana infuses with hints of Irish folk music on Oct. 9. Mulvey has been making music since the late 80’s, early 90’s, and all of his hard work has paid off. With 19 albums under his belt, he’s a shoo-in for being a crowd pleasure to the North Adams community.

The concert series will end with a performance from Seratones on Oct. 16. Seratones plays with a classic rock sound mixed with a pop vibe.

All shows begin at 2 pm.

“The Berkshires have a reputation for music, and creating great singer/songwriters,” said Hantman. “North Adams itself is a small town, but it’s these kind of events that draw people.”

Collaborative exhibit comes to Gallery 51

By Jon Hoel A&E Editor

In what will be both of their North Adams gallery debuts, Michelle Daly and Shelley Chamberlin will be premiering their exhibit collaborative entitled “Everything I Never Told You: Secrets Too Beautiful To Keep” on Thursday, Sept. 29 at Gallery 51 in downtown North Adams. its Through of blending unique interdisciplinary mediums, the exhibit will delve into complex themes of vulnerability, nostalgia, distance, absurdist humor and hope.

It will include works of printmaking, painting and drawing. “It’s a variety of emotional geography,” Daly said.

“Symbolism in a sort of

metaphoric, analogous way.” artists’ work Both differ in some respects, but share an important similarity in that very emotional theme: geography. Part of the exhibit features an array of abstract maps and postcards. and significant A energized portion of the exhibit is a series of literal red flags designed

by Chamberlin, which symbolize early wariness in relationships.

“We have kind of a dark sense of humor,” Chamberlin said. “The red flags have actual quotes that were said to me early on in those relationships.”

Gallery 51 has been a pinnacle for the arts in downtown North Adams.

It has been run by MCLA since 2005 and is also

“Skyline 3” Charcoal on Paper, by Shelley Chamberlin

of part Berkshire MCLA’s Cultural Resource Center (BCRC).

Both artists have work exemplifying the themes they’ve discussed. Daly, who is also the program manager for the BCRC, seemed excited at the prospect of the duplicity of their works. is art “Shelley’s more definitely formulative than mine,”

she said. “But I think that the common ground we share is the thematic one.” definitely “There’s a combined sense of delight, euphoria and panic now.” Chamberlin said, laughing.

“Everything I Never Told You: Secrets Too Beautiful To Keep” exhibit opens on Sept. 29 and runs until Nov. 20. The opening reception takes place on the 29th at 5 p.m.

Features 8 Students and Alumni Perform at FreshGrass Thursday, September 22, 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

The Common Folk Jam as well as Izzy Heltai and Secret Creature performed at the annual festival

By Joseph Carew Features Editor

Junior Luke Tobin, Daniel O’Connell ’15, Mike Vogt ’14 and Timothy Shiebler ’14 infused the FreshGrass Festival with their funk as the event’s first day came to a close. They were part of The Common Folk Jam, which packed three guitarists, a bassist, a mandolin player, a keyboardist and a drummer on or around the FreshRoots Stage.

The group managed only two practices ahead of Friday’s performance, but this fact did not seem to matter.

Once they selected a key, they diverged from the blue grass, folk, and country collection that typically dominates this festival, opting for a sound more reminiscent of jazz and funk.

Audience members even danced near the stage.

“It was really fun,” Tobin said.

“We were just jamming and people really seemed to enjoy it.”

Each has attended the Freshgrass Festival at least once.

Tobin even played two years ago but never has MCLA been so well represented onstage. Each member is a tenured musician in their own right but playing here is a special experience.

For guitarist O’Connell, “prideful progress” summed up what his part in the festival meant. He performed in the college’s jazz band in his last year, but is known for his open mic performances at the Parlor Cafe before the venue closed its doors earlier this year.

MCLA was also represented at FreshGrass on Sunday morning.

As the stages began drying after an intense overnight shower, junior Izzy Heltai stepped onto the stage occupied by the cohort of friends two days earlier. He, Vogt, Shiebler and his brother Matt make up the band Izzy Heltai and Secret Creature.

Heltai did the majority of the songwriting. The band played within genres common for FreshGrass, and their music woke people to enjoying the third and final day of the festival.

“It’s an honor,” Tim Shiebler said. “It’s my fourth FreshGrass and I have fun every year but this year especially because I got to play.”

Heltai credits the band’s presence at the festival to Sue Killam. Killam is the Managing Director for the Performing Arts and Film for MASS MoCA and an Adjunct Instructor of Arts Management at MCLA. Being a part of that department, Heltai was able to speak with her about performing at this year’s festival.

“It was really about persistence,” he said. “But she was really receptive to local bands.”

MCLA is hard to ignore at the FreshGrass Festival. Not only are there students and Alumni performing but they also help fill the ranks of the volunteers and staff.

“Hopefully we can play next year,” Heltai said.

So long as MCLA and

Photos by Joseph Carew

Above: Izzy Heltai (junior) and Secret Creature performed a myriad of folk songs written by Heltai himself at the festival. From left to right: Izzy Heltai, Mike Vogt ‘14, Tim Shiebler ‘14, and Matt Shiebler.

Below: The Common Folk Jam contained three former students and a junior, Luke Tobin.

MASS MoCA enjoy a healthy relationship it would seem inevitable for more students to make an impact at what has become a staple of Fall in the Berkshires.

“The community needs to continue this festival if North Adams wants to be the culture hub it tries to be,” O’Connell said.

The Common Folk Jam will have an opportunity to return Sept. 15-17 of 2017.

MCLA Welcomes Alumna Professor

By Joseph Carew Features Editor

Professor Tara J. Ferriter grew up here. Her family is here. And now, she teaches here.

“I’m a resident, I’m local,” she said. “My house used to be a frat house back in the North Adams State College days. Every now and then we’ll have people over [at] the house, you know people who went to North Adams State, and they’ll be sitting there for about half an hour and then they’ll look around and go, ‘I think I was at a party here one time.’ So I have a big connection with the College in that way.”

Ferriter joins MCLA as an assistant professor within the Department of Business Administration and Economics.

One of 11 new hires, she starts her teaching career with Financial Accounting. She is far from unfamiliar with MCLA, as she graduated from the College in 2013 with her Masters in Accounting.

“In fact, I was part of the very first cohort of the MBA program that they had,” Ferriter said. “The faculty was fantastic

Photo by Tarmservices.com

Professor Ferriter lives in the Berkshires with her partner and three children.

because they really like let us talk and learn from each other.”

Although she has never been a professor before, her main line of work involves educating.

“In the meantime I own a tax firm and I’ve trained staff, I’ve had interns, I’ve done workshops with local businesses to teach them how to keep better books and that kind

of thing,” she said.

Ferriter comes to MCLA as an experienced individual who is an enrolled agent of the United States Department of Treasury and a business owner.

She is the Chief Executive Officer of Tarm Tax Services.

The group was established in 2008 and, according to its website, “services individuals and businesses in Northern Berkshire County.”

Ferriter went into the business world instead of going on to higher education after high school, managing a series of convenience stores, and owning and operating a daycare center for a while. But her love of accounting and the intricacies of taxation seemed to stick in her mind through these ventures.

“From the time I was nineteen I always did my own taxes and I really loved it and so I thought maybe I could do this for a living,” she said.

Ferriter required a degree in order to move into the field of accounting. With a business and family to think about, the University of Phoenix provided

her time to continue her life uninhibited by the normal stresses that accompany college.

With so much on her plate it is a wonder Ferriter finds the opportunity to enjoy the Berkshires through kayaking, her favorite activity.

“I just love accounting so much and I love taxation so much that for me, even though it’s kind of a struggle to try and balance it all, it’s all the fun stuff,” Ferriter said. “Maybe for a normal person that would be like playing kickball or something but for me it’s doing accounting and so it’s a challenge, it’s hard but so far so good.”

As Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts opens its doors to the class of 2020, 11 professors join the ranks this year. These full-time faculty members consist of two associate professors, an instructor, and eight assistant professors.

The Biology, Business Administration and Economics and the Fine Arts Departments have hired two new professors each.

Sunday

Global Film Series: Kinyarwanda: Forgiveness is Freedom: A story of the healing power of forgiveness and compasion set during the Rwandan Genocide.

See it: October 25, 2016 in Murdock 218 @ 7pm

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Campus Life

Beacon.MCLA.edu

9

Beacon Poll After Ilvermorny, MCLA wants a Quidditch team

By Mitchell Chapman Managing Editor

This June J. K. Rowling set the North American equivalent of Hogwarts atop Mount Greylock names Ilvermorny. Now, interest in having an official SGAsanctioned Quidditch club is as strong as ever.

Last week, The Beacon opened a survey composed of three questions, asking members of the campus community if they think an MCLA Quidditch team should exist, if they were interested in being a part of a Quidditch team, and if they were interested in being attending Quidditch club events.

Of the 56 survey takers, 43 wanted an MCLA Quidditch team (76 percent), while 44 were interested in attending Quidditchrelated events (78 percent). Only 27 people wanted to be a part of Quidditch club, which is more than enough to form a team.

According to U.S. Quidditch, the co-ed contact sport has with 12 players, meaning that MCLA could fill an entire roster and bench and then some, if all 27 survey takers joined up.

However, past attempts to establish a team failed due to SGA skepticism about finding a certified coach, but given the interest in the area Ilvermorny has imbibed, the campus thinks it’s worth it.

“I’m really interested in seeing Quidditch on campus, as I’m a very avid Harry Potter fan,” freshman Joe Bellas said. “It would be a great thing to get students who love the series out and active. Plus it seems like one of those things you just need to have, considering that Ilvermorny is right up there on Mt. Greylock.”

Junior Rebecca Aimes echoed these sentiments.

“How do you turn a childhood interest of several people into physical activity?” Aimes said.

from Wiki Commons

“Well some people have been playing Pokemon Go this summer. But sometimes you want more of a team experience, which is where Quidditch comes in.

And Quidditch has been around for several years and only keeps growing so it’s already showed staying power. While we play, we can use our imaginations too to pretend we’re representing Ilvermorny. Now that’s what I call fantasy sports!”

If approved, an MCLA Quidditch team will have to go

FreshGrass brings in $1 million to North Adams, according to MoCA

through one full year without a budget, but during that time they can fund raise to support themselves. This makes new clubs a virtual 0$ investment for the SGA. Being official gives clubs special privileges, like the ability to reserve rooms on campus regularly and table in the marketplace.

If a competitive team is established at MCLA, it would join U.S. Quidditch, the governing body for sport in the U.S. According to their website, U.S. Quidditch has almost 200 teams nationwide, and serves over 4,000 athletes. It describes Quidditch as having “a unique mix of elements from rugby, dodgeball, and tag.”

As such, the group has compiled an official rule book, with strict regulations pertaining to safety and sportsmanship.

If anything, Quidditch would be a nice thing to have on campus, as sophomore Andrew Baillargeon said, “I know plenty

MCLA student rentention on the rise for the first time in years

By Harmony Birch Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Ron Leja / The Beacon

By Reagan Smith and Mitchell Chapman

Special to the Beacon and Managing Editor The FreshGrass festival was here in the Berkshires once again, and blue grass enthusiasts are not the only ones excited. The city of North Adams warmly embraces the economic impact of this enormous Mass MoCa production.

“We estimate that the festival generates $1 million in economic activity for the city,” said Jodi Joseph, Mass MoCA director of Communications. “FreshGrass gives North Adams and our community a lively weekend to look forward to all summer long and introduces brand new visitors to the city each year while showcasing all treasures that North Adams has to offer -- both inside and outside the festival.”

In fact, MoCA has a new installation called Bright Ideas Brewing hoping to capitalize off of the festival.

“We just opened in April, so this is the first FreshGrass for Bright Ideas,” said Orion Howard, co-founder and owner of the brewery. “But, we’re ready and excited for the weekend. We even brewed a special beer, FreshHop

Alcombright: ‘Another reason why North Adams is the place to be in Berkshire County’ Farmhouse, just for Fresh Grass.

It will be available in our taproom and inside the festival grounds.”

Businesses close to the FreshGrounds and festival lot prepare for the significant increase in foot traffic and revenue every year. However, restaurants and shops further downtown don’t anticipate an increase as large.

“The results of FreshGrass effect our business in a different way than one may expect,” said Keith Bona, owner of The Emporium antique shop. “We might see a 10 to 20 percent increase.”

However, even Bona couldn’t deny the festival’s impact on the area.

“Overall this is a huge boost to the area,” he said. “It gets people here that wouldn’t come here.

We see them come back months after the event so they can see the rest of the community, and some buy and invest here. We also get tech and crew members who

hang around a little longer in our store.”

He added: “Some of our best sales come a couple days after the event.”

North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright also commented on the festival.

“FreshGrass, much like other major MASS MoCA festivals, has brought a wonderful new summer energy to the City,” Alcombright said.“While most activities are on the MoCA campus, our downtown swells, restaurants overflow and there is not a room to be had in the region.”

These sentiments were reflected by Joseph, and Mass MoCA. “We hope festival-goers will head to Colegrove Park on Sunday morning for our free community concert, will remember fondly all the Bright Ideas beer they sample, will have MCLA on the brain when it comes time to plan for college with kids, and that they’ll spend money on hotels, restaurants, and goods, and services throughout the weekend,” she said.

“FreshGrass is yet another piece of why North Adams is the place to be in Berkshire County,” Alcombright concluded.

of people who would be interested in such a club, and I think it might be good for MCLA as a whole.”

According to SGA Coordinating Vice President Samantha Giffen, new clubs are required to fill out a single form found in the SGA office to begin the affiliation process.

The club will have to fill out the traditional E-Board positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary, as well as find 10 MCLA students who are interested in being general members, as well as an MCLA faculty or staff member to serve as the club adviser.

Parliamentarian Jessica Lovellette will help new clubs craft constitutions. All paperwork must be turned into SGA Office manager Amanda Schuler at the earliest convenience.

To aspiring Quidditch players, Giffen said, “We can start with the paperwork and help to find a coach from there.”

Student retention is the highest its been in years, at 79.4 percent. In 2013 MCLA ranked eighth out of 13 four-year public universities in the state in retention with a rate of 78.6 percent, according to College Completion by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The raised retention rate comes from increased conversations and efforts by the College to raise awareness about student retention. Last year a software called Drop Out Detective was tested on select groups of incoming freshman to track through Canvas their likelihood of succeeding in a course and at school over all.

This year all incoming freshman were made participants of the program. Monica Joslin, dean of Academic Affairs, maintains that there’s not just one way to retain students.

“What we want to focus on is making sure that students have a valuable experience here,” Joslin said.

She cited activities such as undergraduate research, internships, and independent studies as methods of engaging students and making sure they stay.

Anecdotally Joslin and Kate Heekin, assistant director of Center for Student Success and Engagement (CSSE)/Advising, stated that financial woes were often the reason students left MCLA. When asked how she works

to retain students Heekin said it was about making the students a priority.

“You get to know them,” she said. “It’s faculty, RA’s, and advisor’s responsibilities to reach out and get to know their students.” MCLA’s small size should be putting us at an advantage, according to Heekin.

Another method advisors are encouraged to do to keep retention is pushing all students to take 15 credits, which will put them on track to graduate in four years. Both Joslin and Heekin agreed that engagement was the biggest indicator of student success.

One of Heekin’s advisee’s, who was taking a full course load, told her she was already getting straight A’s and that she was bored. So Heekin recommended the student join the Honor’s program and gave her tutoring opportunities to better challenge her.

Heekin and Joslin want to make sure that students are exploring all that MCLA has to offer whether it be the National Exchange program or an individualized course of study through the interdisciplinary department.

The administration is hopeful that retention will only approve from here after MCLA’s $2.17 million grant award from the Department of Education. The grant will be used for efforts to increase retention like pushing for stronger STEM programs, increasing technology used to track student retention and offering new equipment student can use in their academic programs.

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Sports

Thursday, September 22. 2016

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Soccer: Richardson keeps Bears at bay

By Brady Gerow

“We played our hearts out and showed a lot of grit and tenacity”

Sports Writer

In a game that should’ve been a blowout on the stat sheet, freshman keeper Megan Richardson was able to hold strong in the Women’s Soccer MASCAC opener against the Bridgewater St. Bears resulting to a 0-0 tie after a 2OT game at Shewcraft Field.

Being out-shot 27-2 over the course of the game, most would think that Bridgewater would have had their way with the MCLA Trailblazers, but Richardson had other plans.

“Going into the game we felt very prepared to face Bridgewater,” said Richardson. “We knew what to expect from them, and felt confident that we could deal with whatever they threw at us.”

After recording 13 saves Richardson and her defense were able to hold off the Bears’ attacking squad despite several well placed shots from the team, getting Richardson her third shutout this season.

With 3:30 left in the game, Bridgewater’s sophomore forward Taylor Loyd took a shot at the net from inside the box, which Richardson was able to deflect over the net.

Richardson had two similar saves

From athletics.mcla.edu

Megan Richardson, freshman earlier in the game, and 10 more on top of those to keep the Trailblazers in the game the whole time.

“We played our hearts out and showed a lot of grit and tenacity,” stated Richardson.

One of MCLA’s only offensive chances in the game came with 1:30 left to play in the second overtime.

Midfielder Natalie Caney, senior, was awarded a free kick. The kick unfortunately sailed slightly high and MCLA was unable to capitalize late in the game.

The lack of offense from the Trailblazers was mainly due to the amount of offensive pressure put forth by the Bears.

Bridgewater controlled the ball for most of the game. Working to get a 10-0 corner kick differential

on top of the already astounding 27-2 shot differential that was also in the Bear’s favor.

Bridgewater’s freshman forward Alana Vincent was at the helm of the offensive display, recording six shots on goal, many coming from inside the box, nearly resulting in goals for the Bears.

Vincent’s offensive performance was followed up by four other Bridgewater players recording three or more shots in the contest.

Unfortunately for the Bears, all of said shots either drifted away from the goal, or were deflected

by Richardson and her defense.

The Trailblazers (1-2-2 overall, 0-0-1 in conference) will next look to win a nonconference game against SUNY Polytechnic Institute on September 22 at home. While Bridgewater (1-2-2 overall, 0-0-1 in conference) will next face off against Salve Regina in Newport, RI in another nonconference match.

Best tips for Daily Fantasy Football

Jake Mendel Web Editor

If anyone has watched any sporting event within the last three years, odds are you have seen at least 1,000 different commercials for either “Draft Kings” or “Fan Duel” explaining how any sports fan can show off their sports knowledge and win millions of dollars playing fantasy football.

Everyone is an expert, especially when it comes to sports. With that being said, sometimes, most of the time, it is better to be lucky.

If you want to try your luck in some fantasy tournaments at any level, here are three tips to keep in mind.

1. Accept that you have no idea what is going to happen.

Football nerds can sit at their computer all day comparing different match-ups and picking out the best players each week. If it

was that easy, everyone would be an expert. While you need to pick good players, you also need to get lucky. There are plenty of people who will play the best match-ups and it likely doesn’t work.

It is hard to not over-think in fantasy football but if projections were always right, they would never play any of the games. The second you realize that you don’t know what will happen, you may be able to find the home-run hitting flyer, or underrated player, that may push you in front of the obvious picks.

2. Big names do not equal big weeks.

Each week the highest “projected” players at each position will likely be who ever has the most yards and touchdowns overall.

These players also have the highest average yards and touchdowns per game, but not in any given week.

If you don’t come close to spending all your money when drafting your team, it isn’t a huge concern. While the big-name players may put good numbers every week, look at the guys who have the occasional monster game instead. With that being said, luck is still a huge factor in winning your Daily Fantasy Tournament.

3. Just because a player is hot it does not mean he will stay hot.

The term “ride the hot hand,” or a person who has experienced success with a random event has a greater chance of further success in additional attempts, is often thrown around when talking about sports.

There is a belief that if a player is playing well, he will continue to play well. Whether it is a rookie who bursts on to the scene, or the veteran that had weeks of good match ups. Every player will have streaks and it is impossible to project how long they last.

Most people spend all their time “tinkering” with their lineups for hours before the games, trying to find the best plays. If you want to win daily fantasy you do not want to play all the best plays, you want to look at the sleepers and flyers that other fantasy players often overlook.

(DDP images/Sipa USA/TNS)

FIFA soccer officials charged in long-running global corruption scheme

By Michael Doyle

McClatchy Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — Law enforcement officials threw a flurry of red cards at the world soccer establishment Wednesday, charging nine top FIFA officials and five others with conspiracy and corruption for actions that span several decades.

In a 47-count indictment unsealed early Wednesday morning, U.S. prosecutors charged the defendants with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering, among other offenses, in connection with what the Justice Department called a “24-year scheme.”

The stunning indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn names high-ranking officials of the Federation Internationale de Football Association, the organization that regulates and promotes soccer worldwide, as well as leading officials of other soccer governing bodies.

“They corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich themselves,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said at a Brooklyn news conference.

Bribes and kickbacks were used to steer decisions on “who would televise games, where those games would be held and who would run the organization overseeing organized soccer worldwide,” she added.

All told, Lynch said, the indicted soccer officials are charged with conspiracy involving the solicitation and receipt of more than $150 million in bribes and kickbacks.

Lynch served until late last month as the Brooklyn-based U.S. attorney, overseeing the previously secret investigation that first secured several sealed guilty pleas in late 2013. The guilty pleas were made public for the first time Wednesday, along with the other indictments.

As part of the investigation, Swiss officials arrested seven of the indicted individuals in Zurich. The seven men arrested face extradition to the United States, which they can fight.

FBI agents early Wednesday

morning also conducted a search at CONCACAF headquarters in Miami.

CONCACAF is the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, the continental organization under FIFA. Separately, the Swiss Office of the Attorney General announced that it has opened criminal proceedings against unidentified individuals over the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding competition. Amid myriad questions about its choices, FIFA selected Russia for 2018 and the oil-rich, sunbaked Middle Eastern country of Qatar as the site of the 2022 competition.

The Swiss prosecutors’ office said in a statement that it had seized “electronic data and documents” at FIFA’s headquarters on Wednesday as part of its probe.

“FIFA welcomes actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football,” the organization stated in a press release Wednesday. “We are pleased to see that the investigation is being energetically pursued for the good of football.”

FIFA had hired U.S. attorney Michael Garcia, a former federal prosecutor, to investigate the 2018 and 2022 bid process after widespread suspicions about vote buying surfaced.

His findings were never fully released, and Garcia resigned in protest. Garcia’s full report was turned over to Swiss authorities in November.

Joseph “Sepp” Blatter, who has served as FIFA president since his initial election in June 1998, was not among those indicted. The 79-yearold Blatter is running for reelection against one other opponent in Zurich on Friday.

“We understand the disappointment that many have expressed and I know that the events of today will impact the way in which many people view us,” Blatter said in a statement. “It should be clear that we welcome the actions and the investigations by the U.S. and Swiss authorities.”

Sports

Thursday, September 22, 2016

David Whitley: Sports flunks the hygiene test “Do you really want to send your son to play for a booger-eater?”

By David Whitley Orlando Sentinel

At the risk of sounding like your mother, could all you sports figures with poor hygiene habits please take it up a notch?

In case you missed it, a major health-related controversy erupted this past week. No, not the one involving our presidential candidates.

As repulsive as you might find Donald Trump, at least he doesn’t leave a trail of tobacco juice on his golf courses. And as feeble as Hillary Clinton looked, at least video did not show her eating a booger before collapsing into that van.

Which brings us to Jim Harbaugh. Maybe Michigan’s coach got bored watching his team play UCF last Saturday, but a TV camera showed him rubbing his nose with his thumb and then biting said thumb with his teeth.

The video has been dissected more than the Zapruder film.

Conspiracy theorists and Ohio State fans are convinced Harbaugh indeed had a sideline snack. He addressed the issue head-on.

“It might have looked like that was happening. But if you rub your nose and then you bite your fingernail, that’s not eating a booger,” Harbaugh said. “There was no booger eaten.”

Now there’s a line you don’t hear every day, unless you work at a kindergarten. Sports are

Photo from Wiki Commons

gritty, however, so we usually give jocks wide latitude when it comes to hygienic offenses.

The floor of a major league dugout is usually so covered in congealed tobacco juice, wads of gum and chewed sunflower seed shells after a game that the grounds crew wears Hazmat suits to clean it.

The best gross-out story I ever heard was of a tobaccochewer who’d spit into a cup for nine innings. When the game ended, he’d chug down the contents.

Which brings us to Dustin Johnson. Golf isn’t baseball, though you’d be surprised how many pros sneak a pinch of smokeless tobacco into their mouths during a round.

Johnson doesn’t seem to realize that the sight of a long stream of brown fluid spewing from his mouth does not make for good TV. His habit didn’t matter nearly as much when he was known mainly as Paulina Gretzky’s boy toy. But now Johnson is Da Man on the PGA Tour.

After spitting his way to

a win at last week’s BMW Championship, a British paper took Johnson to task, and the story went viral. To paraphrase Tom Hanks in “A League of Their Own,” “There’s no spitting in golf !”

The European Tour fined Tiger Woods in 2011 for spitting during a tournament in Dubai. Anyone caught spitting at the Masters is shot on sight.

It would actually be hilarious if Johnson dribbled some tobacco juice onto a green jacket, but there are bigger considerations here. Sports stars pack a lot of influence, and Johnson and Harbaugh have risen to the tops of their games.

At the very least, Harbaugh should be more careful with his sideline machinations. If nothing else, he knows Urban Meyer will use the issue against him when he makes recruiting visits: As for Johnson, golf is trying to loosen its starched-shirt image and appeal more to kids.

But do we want the face of the sport to have dried tobacco juice on its scruffy chin?

For the sake of America’s impressionable youth, Dustin, please stop leaving a juicy trail on the golf course.

Beacon.MCLA.edu

11

Steve Harvey denies involvement in NASCAR racial discrimination lawsuit

By Kate Irby

McClatchy Washington Bureau CEO of Diversity Motorsports Terrance Cox said comedian Steve Harvey, known best as a host of Family Feud, wanted to start a NASCAR team called “Steve Harvey Races 4 Education” last year and was denied by the racing league. Cox has now sued NASCAR, alleging racial discrimination.

One problem: Harvey says the allegations about him are flatly untrue.

Cox said Harvey joined forces with Diversity Motorsports, a sponsorship company, to talk to NASCAR about creating the racing team. According to a lawsuit filed by Cox, NASCAR officials told Harvey they would never work with Diversity Motorsports, TMZ reported.

But Harvey said in a profanity-laced statement on his radio show Monday that he had never wanted to start a racing team, and just wanted to expose underprivileged youth to NASCAR. Cox allegedly talked to Harvey about having young people protest the Coca-Cola Company, and Harvey refused to participate.

“My work is with underprivileged youth. I do not support anything else you talking about,” Harvey said. “Now here I come, my ass all over the cover of TMZ and everywhere, talking about how I want a damn race team. I

don’t want no damn race team. I don’t even like fast-ass cars.”

“I wish he had some money so I could sue him, but he ain’t got none,” Harvey added.

Cox says in the lawsuit that it isn’t NASCAR’s first time shutting down his attempts to join its ranks, and paints it as a “good ole boy network” that doesn’t want to encourage diversity, according to TMZ. Cox points out in the lawsuit that all 48 drivers in the league’s top tier, the Sprint Cup, are white, and only one driver in its second tier, the Xfinity Series, is black. Only three black people have made it to NASCAR’s top series in its history.

One of the teams Cox is suing is JTG Daugherty, which is partially owned by Brad Daugherty, the black former NBA star.

A NASCAR spokesperson told TMZ Sports that the organization “embraces all individuals interested and involved in our sport, whether as partners, fans, competitors or employees, and there is no merit to this lawsuit.”

“Diversity both on and off the track continues to be a top priority for NASCAR and its stakeholders,” the spokesperson said. “We stand behind our actions, and will not let a publicity-seeking legal action deter us from our mission.”

NASCAR officials also told TMZ they plan to sue Cox for defamation.

WE WANT YOU! Have you ever wanted to see your name in in print or online? We want to see it too.

Contact Jen Augur or Shawn McIntosh, or both through Outlook and find out how you can join The Beacon today.

Don’t want a full-time position?

That’s fine! Send us your tips, story ideas, letters to the editor, or story pitches to Beacon@mcla.edu

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Clubs get one free advertisement a semester! Email us at Beaconbuisness@mcla.edu

12

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Photo Essay

Eating Up FreshGrass

By Ron Leja

Blind Owl Band (above) was a huge hit this weekend with the FreshGrass Community.

Ricky Skaggs (left) 14-time Grammy winner closed the festival on Sunday.

Sierra Hull (right) performed a memorable grass waltz medley.

The Mountain and The Moon (lower left) mix the musical talent of bass and banjo to entice the audience.

Aoife O’Donovan (lower right) created a warm ballad atmosphere during their performance.

Beacon.MCLA.edu