For more content, visit online at: Beacon.MCLA.edu
Beacon@MCLA.Edu 413-662-5535 Mark Hopkins Room 111
Volume 83 ◆ Issue 7
Th u r s d ay, N o v e m b e r 3 , 2 0 1 6
2
Inside
SSDP on Question 4
7
New Spires Website
10
Men’s Soccer defeats falcons
ARAMARK animal welfare petition circulates By Kelsey Kistner Staff Writer
The Humane League, an international farm animal protection organization, has created a petition against ARAMARK, the second largest food company in the United States, urging them to create a more impactful animal welfare policy that improves the wellbeing of chickens raised for meat. This petition outlines the “abuse” chickens raised for ARAMARK’s supply chains are subjected to. It states that ARAMARK “offers no protection for these gentle, sensitive birds.” “The Humane League works to reduce the suffering of animals living on factory farms,” Taylor Ford, corporate campaigns manager at The Humane League, said. “As a nonprofit seeking to have the largest impact possible, we are now advocating for chickens raised for meat, as they represent the majority of farmed animals abused for food.” This petition is part of a larger campaign launched by The Humane League against
Photo by Domonique Ackley/The Beacon
Chicken sandwhiches served during Sunday’s lunch. ARAMARK in September to “end its support of some of the worst abuses against chickens.” The campaign asks ARAMARK
to implement a three-part policy that would reduce unnatural breeding, create better living environments, and improve
slaughter methods. “In addition to being one of the largest companies to commit to purchase only cage-free eggs
in the United States by 2020, we are actively working to address animal welfare related to the growing conditions for chickens raised by our suppliers,” said Karen Cutler, vice president of Corporate Communications at ARAMARK. Cutler explained that this campaign falsely claims that ARAMARK does not have policies to protect these chickens and referred to their Animal Welfare Principles and Policy available through ARAMARK’s website. The policy states “ARAMARK suppliers must strive for an environment that is consistent with the “five freedoms” of animal welfare developed by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) of the United Kingdom.” The five freedoms outline living conditions for animals raised for meat. For example, the first one is defined as freedom from thirst, hunger and malnutrition. The Humane League’s campaign press release claims ARAMARK responded to the ARAMARK Continued on page 3
Political commentator Cokie Roberts The Berkshire talking tonight at Campus Center By Harmony Birch Editor-in-Chief
This year’s 6th Annual Michael S. and Kitty Dukakis Public Policy Lecture is all about the 2016 election and the electoral college. Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne Roberts best known as “Cokie,” is kicking this year’s lecture series off. Roberts is a political commentator who’s been working for NPR since 1992. Roberts mother was Lindy Boggs, the first woman from Louisiana to be elected congresswoman. Her father was also a congressman of Louisiana. Roberts went on to become Congressional Correspondent, and now works on Morning Edition. Professor David Cupery said Roberts was chosen because of student interest in the election. “People are disillusioned with the news they see. We wanted to tap into student interest in the election and get students further engaged,” Cupery said. In addition to her work on NPR Roberts also works for Abc as a political commentator. “These were two networks that a lot of people were exposed to; we want someone with name recognition,” Cupery said.
Photo from mcla.edu
Cokie Roberts Roberts was chosen according to Cupery because she has important insight into how the electoral system works and because she was a woman. The Public Policy board tries to keep speakers diverse, according to Cupery. “That’s a priority that we have every year,” Cupery said. She was
also chosen for her insight into the election. Cupery says his students are very invested in the outcome. He describes his students as both curious and apprehensive about what political forecast Roberts might give them. They’re looking for someone to sort the mess out for them. “They’re excited. Maybe excited is an overly positive way of looking at it. I think they’re a little bit scared as well,” Cupery said. Throughout the 2016 election Roberts has been particularly critical of Presidential candidate Donald Trump. Her anti-Trump column co written with her husband, Steve Roberts in the Topeka Capital Journal even warranted an article about Cokie Roberts’s role in NPR because traditionally fulltime staff are not allowed to make their political views public. “She hasn’t been a Trump fan so much, but I’m not sure many political commentators are,” professor Samantha Pettey said. Roberts will be lecturing in the Amsler Campus Center Gym tonight at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public. A student Q&A will be held earlier at 3:30 p.m. in the Center for Science and Innovation room 121.
Food Project needs your help By Mitchell Chapman Managing Editor
The Berkshire Food Project holds a community meal Monday through Friday, serving between 80 and 100 people every day. However, volunteering has been low in the last year. “We’ve been doing this for over 30 years,” Valeris Schwarz, executive director of Berkshire Food Project, said. “We hold the meals at the dining hall in the 1st Congregational Church in North Adams.” According to Schwarz, the Food Project needs people for food preparation, serving, and cleanup. The community meals happen between 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with serving happening around noon. The organization particularly needs people to stick around for serving and cleanup. “A lot of people leave after preparation,” Schwarz said. “Tuesdays and Fridays volunteering is particularly low.” The Berkshire Food Project has a core team of about 3-4 members, with 10-13 people volunteering in total. With low volunteering, this has dangerously stretched out the core team. “My goal is to have [the core volunteer] people come in only once or twice a week, as opposed to the three to five days some of them are doing,” Schwarz said. “The ideal number of volunteers per day for what we are would be between 8 to 10. We’re not there yet.” BERKSHIRE FOOD Continued on page 3