Student Newspaper of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, Mass.
The Beacon
For more content, visit online at: Beacon.MCLA.edu Volume 77 ◆ Issue 3
Th u r s d ay, O c t o b e r 3 , 2 0 1 3
Center celebration A night of art and culture The campus community celebrates the official opening of the Center for Science and Innovation By Nick Swanson Staff Writer
The ribbon cutting of the Center for Science and Innovation is tomorrow at 1 p.m. Many important people from the community and campus will be at the ceremony, including President Mary Grant. “I am thrilled to have a day of significance, to bring the campus and community together for a time of celebration as we are officially opening up to how beautiful everything has come together after these years of planning,” Grant said. James Stakenas, vice president of Administration and Finance added, “This will be the time to thank everyone that has helped bring this great opportunity to a finish. It will also be a public announcement referring to the benefits that the science center will bring and accomplish.” According to Stakenas, this has been a long but worthy three-year process to change the way science education is practiced at the College. “Several science facilities that we were using dated back to being 50 years old,” Stakenas said, “so the big investment is in the new labs, equipment, and technology at the science center.” On Thursday Sep. 26, Dean of Academic Affairs Monica Joslin and Stakenas gave open tours inside the science center to explain and display the new areas of the building.
“The purpose of the building is to inspire and engage all types of students in science, thankfully Nuclea Biotechnology was a big help in funding the center,” Joslin said. The front side of the center is made up of office suites for independent research and the backside rooms are labs for biology and other prep courses. At the end of each hallway are study nooks any student may use. “Students will be able to reserve rooms for formal or informal uses, for scientific studies that science clubs and class practices need extra time to be done outside of the classroom,” Joslin said. “We have an entire aquatic room, that will be dedicated to research on the stickleback fish,” Biology professor Ann Billetz said. “We will be studying their animal behaviors in 50 tanks to report how their genes develop with a cardiac disease.” “The STEM resources center has a new inflatable planetarium. Not only will this serve our students here, but it will also bring in other elementary schools in the county so they can learn more about outer space,” Joslin said. According to Joslin, this January the psychology department will be conducting studies using rats in a new vivarium so they will be able to observe phases of neurobiology. On the roof of the building the
SCIENCE, continued on page 3
Photo by Gabriel Kogel/ The Beacon
Kodi Sullivan uses a molecular model kit in lab.
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Check out page 7 for a look at the various art exhibits at Down Street Art last Thursday, as well as the Writing Series review now on display in Gallery 51.
Self-study concludes By Gabriel Kogel Staff Writer
For an assessment that happens only once a decade, nine representatives from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) will visit the college on Nov. 3. “This is the big one, full court press,” Cynthia Brown, vice president of Academic Affairs, said. Although being accredited is technically a voluntary process, the Department of Education requires accreditation in order for the College to distribute financial aide. “It would not be in our best interest, nor in our [students’] best interest, not to be accredited,” Brown said. The assessment team of peerreviewers from other academic institutions will tour the College for four days. Prior to the visit, the group will receive a 100-page selfstudy which has been under diligent preparation for the last two years. The self-study is a focused appraisal of 11 key “standards,” or benchmarks, NEASC uses to evaluate all schools and colleges. “These are really solid standards,” Brown said. “They speak to the quality of our academic program – our planning process, our faculty, our physical plan, and so on. It’s important that we dem-
Photo by Gabriel Kogel/ The Beacon
Cynthia Brown, vice president of Academic Affairs, left, and Celia Norcross, director of Student Development and Activities, displaying the completed self-study document. onstrate to people external to the not only on NEASC’s standards, institution that we have the facili- but also on how accurately the ties and resources, the people and self-study document represents the programs we need, and are di- the facts. recting them in a way that carries “Is what [the peer-reviewers] are out our mission and purpose.” reading matching up with what they’re seeing? They’ve read evi“We’ve created dence and documents, but does that match the story? They’re veria mini- [selffying, but they’re also exploring,” study] document Brown said. The comprehensive self-study that we know document is the end product of will connect the College community’s analysis with students.” of its strengths, weaknesses, and -Celia Norcross. potential areas of improvement, according to Celia Norcross, director of Student Development UUpon completion of their visit, NEASC, the peer-reviewers will draft a continued on page 2 report that evaluates the College
Facilities storage expands
Singer-songwriter and poet to perform
Women’s soccer lose to Salem State
Construction projected to finish by March 2014
Seattle sensation Mary Lambert performs tonight
Away game ends with loss, 2-1
Arts & Entertainment, page 7
Sports, page 8
News, page 3
News Arts & Entertainment Sports Campus Opinion Local Events Photo Essay
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2 Police Logs
News
Thursday, October 3, 2013
The week of 9/9-9/15 Sunday, September 22 ◆ 6:21 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a call to assist another agency at Berkshire Towers. Services were rendered. Monday, September 23 ◆ 4:16 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a call about a gas leak at 100 Porter Street The call was completed. Tuesday, September 24 ◆ 10:13 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a call about a drug offense in Hoosac Hall. Services were rendered. Wednesday, September 25 ◆ 1:10 a.m. - Public Safety responded to a call about suspicious activity at the Center for Science and Innovation. The call was declared unfounded. ◆ 2:01 a.m. - Public Safety responded to an alarm at the Amsler Campus Center. The building was checked and secured. Thursday, September 26 ◆ 11:42 a.m. - Public Safety responded to a call to jump start a car on Ashland Street. Services were rendered. ◆ 3:15 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a parking issue at Bowman Hall. No action was required. Friday, September 27 ◆ 6:29 a.m. - Public Safety responded to a call about larceny, forgery, or fraud at the Amsler Campus Center. A report was filed. Saturday, September 28
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Elections held next week By Ryan Flynn
Senior News Writer SGA elections will be held Oct. 8 and Oct. 9 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the campus center. There will be elections for five senators at large, the senate athlete seat, the class of 2015 secretary, the class of 2016 secretary, as well as president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary for the class of 2017. n A primary election for the class of 2017 vice president was held on Tuesday, as there were three freshmen running with only two spots on the ballot. After a close race, Geraldine Rios Flores and Daniel Wohler will be running for the position. n In other business, Senator Ama Adwetewa-Badu, a student representative for the Academic Policies Committee, stated that the committee voted on and discussed the issue of honors students no longer having early registration. For now, honors students can only register early for their honors class, according to Badu. nMASSPIRG addressed SGA, announcing their bottle bill campaign, which proposes to add juice, water, sport drinks, and other drinks to the five-cent deposit law. If they are able to get 100,000 signatures by November
their proposal will be on the general election ballot.
The Ballot
Senate At-Large Seat - Bridget Forson - Jennifer-Jean Baptiste - Samantha Beaton - Nicholas Hernigle -Cale Hough -Lanette Simmons
Senate Athlete Seat - Anthony Cancilla - Svetlana Morrell
Class of 2015 Secretary
- Rhea Werner
Class of 2016 Secretary
- Nicholas Hernigle
Class of 2017 President
- Kathryn Daly - Devante Rosa
Vice President
- Geraldine Rios Flores -Daniel Wohler
Treasurer
-Timothy Williams
Secretary
- Shelby Gauthier
Photo by Kayla Degnan/ The Beacon
SGA discussed the upcoming elections.
Primary Results
Geraldine Rios Flores - 50 Votes Daniel Wohler - 33 Votes Svetlana Morrell - 32 Votes
Check it out!
What: SGA Elections When: Oct.8 and 9, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Where: Campus Center
Peer-reviewers to visit college campus NEASC continued from page 1
and Activities. “It’s really us comparing ourselves to ourselves, figuring out what we want to accomplish, enhance for our students, and continue on a regular basis,” Norcross said. “We’ve created a mini- [selfstudy] document that we know will connect with students.” One student with firsthand knowledge of the self-study process is Jake Powers, president of the SGA. Since the outset, he has been a member of the team responsible for reviewing standard seven, which covers library and other information services. “Maureen Horak [associate dean for Library Services] chaired the team,” Powers said. “She’d give us assignments when the team met,
and we’d report back with our findings. For instance, we’d give feedback on programs like First Class and digication, and find out how the library catalogue update was progressing.” Powers is ready to meet the NEASC representatives when they sit in on an SGA meeting this November. “I felt a real sense of contribution as a member of the team tasked with this standard. Now that the process is coming full circle, there’s no doubt in my mind SGA can share a number of insights into the self-study [with the peer-reviewers],” he said. “It’s good for the College’s future. It’s exciting to be a part of it.” Although she declined to comment on the financial cost of accreditation, Brown emphasized
Photo by Gabriel Kogel/ The Beacon
Jake Powers is one of multiple students observing the College’s standards. that the true cost has been the hundreds of hours of work and dedication freely volunteered by members of the college community.
A mini version of the final selfstudy document is available on the College’s website, along with a link to an FAQ section covering NEASC accreditation.
Thursday, October 3
Friday, October 4
Saturday, October 5
Sunday, October 6
Sunny High: 72° Low: 53° Precip. Chance: 0%
Few Showers High: 73° Low: 56° Precip. Chance: 30%
Cloudy High: 75° Low: 56° Precip. Chance: 20%
Cloudy High: 76° Low: 58° Precip. Chance: 20%
◆ 2:22 a.m. - Public Safety responded to a disturbance call at Berkshire Towers. Peace was restored. ◆ 12:29 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a call for a medical transport at the Campus Police Building. The subject was transported to the hospital.
News
Thursday, October 3, 2013
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Facilities Underway Construction
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now complete SCIENCE continued from page 1 new green house will be open to environmental students with a key card access. The room leading to this is the control room which monitors and can change the temperature and humidity for the entire building. Also, there are also newly installed wind turbine and solar panels that power the whole center. As well as a new computer operating system called ‘voice over IP’ meaning that the phones,
computers, and other systems are all connected under one plug. “The overall goal of this building was too create research places, teaching labs and an area for students to professors to practice new things,” Stakenas explained. “We wanted to stretch to make everything more connected and efficient for everyone.” “The next building up for renovation is Bowman Hall, which will be dedicated to mathematics and computer science departments that will be open in Fall 2014,” Joslin said.
Photo by Nick Arena/ The Beacon
New facilities buildings and parking space projected to be completed by March 2014.
By Ryan Flynn
Senior News Editor Construction has begun for the new facilities building and parking space on Ashland Street, which will be up and running in March. The steel-clad, 11,500-square foot building will contain a large break room, a conference room, a carpenter’s shop, a painter’s shop, an electrician’s shop, and 1,100-square foot offices. According to vice president of Administration and Finance James Stakenas, a facilities building is an absolute necessity, as Charles Kimberling from maintenance had to relocate to Townhouse 4 when the Public Safety office opened up two years ago. In addition, due to the renovation
of former storage area Bowman Hall, there is no longer a secure location to keep electricians’ and plumbers’ equipment. For the most part, the building will be exclusively for facilities and workshops. “We’ve had a need for a facilities building for the past decade,” Stakenas said. The cost of the building will be $2 million. The College originally purchased Shapiro & Sons Inc., but according to Stakenas renovating the 26,000-square foot warehouse would’ve been far too costly, at over $3 million. The demolition of the building occurred during the end of April. As facilities equipment is scattered all over campus, in locations such as the Amsler Campus
Center and the garage by Public Safety, Stakenas and Kimberling both said giving electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and custodial maintainers a place to keep their equipment, as well as begin and end their days, should be on the agenda. “They’ll have a place to drop off their stuff in the morning, check in, eat their lunch, and check out,” Kimberling said. With the building set to be ready for the beginning of 2014, Stakenas said that both the facilities department and the college are very excited. “March is a good time for us,” he said. “People are eager, and we really look forward to having good facilities building, finally, for our facilities team.”
Photo by Jess Gamari/ The Beacon
In a tour prior to the semester start, James Stakenas explains the final touches being implemented on the new building.
Computers vulnerable to attack MCT Campus
At a time when millions of computer users face increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, the antivirus software they rely on to keep their information safe frequently fails to do the job. Of 45 pieces of malware that lingered on the New York Times computer systems for a third of a year, just one was spotted by its antivirus software, the newspaper disclosed in January. That same month, security company Kaspersky disclosed a global data-stealing scheme had evaded detection by antivirus products for five years. Such examples are becoming alarmingly common. Recent studies have found much of the malware-fighting software on the market is virtually useless against the growing onslaught of attacks. “Every couple of months you see there’s this major virus outbreak that everybody missed,” said Jeremiah Grossman of Santa Clara, Calif.-based WhiteHat Security. “The cards are stacked in the bad guys’ favor.” With global spending on antivirus products expected to hit $8.4 billion this year, according to research firm Gartner, he added, “people are paying good money to be less secure.” Campbell, Calif.-based ClickAway’s stores repair about 60 infected computers a day, and about two-thirds of them have antivirus software on the machines, said Execu-
tive Vice President Oliver Rowen. Jeremy Prader, who sees similar problems at his San Jose, Calif., computer repair business, The Cheap Squad, added that the crooks “are coming up with something new every day.” Indeed, Kaspersky says it encounters about 200,000 new malware varieties daily compared with only about 25 per day in 1994, 700 in 2006 and 7,000 in 2011. That’s a big problem because antivirus products mostly spot known malware, not new forms. Plus, hackers have gotten more devious, said Wade Williamson of security firm Palo Alto Networks, noting that sophisticated crooks can disable antivirus software while making it appear the software is still working. Other experts say hackers routinely finetune their malware against antivirus products to make their code harder to detect. Although antivirus comparison tests vary widely, some have found grave weaknesses in many of the products. Of 11 commonly used security programs tested last year by Texas-based NSS Labs, most were found to be “not providing adequate protection,” and even updated versions failed to spot malware that had been rampant for years. When Palo Alto Networks this year scanned about 70,000 malware varieties with a half-dozen antivirus products, it found about 40 percent “were not detect-
MCT Campus file photo
Protect your computer with up-todate antivirus software. ed.” A study of 42 antivirus products last year by Imperva of Redwood City, Calif., and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology determined that the initial detection rate of a newly created virus is less than 5 percent. Many experts say having the software is better than nothing and that computer users often invite malware by letting their antivirus service lapse. That’s what 25-yearold Jessie Trujillio suspects may have caused his laptop to become infected a few months ago. “I forgot to renew it, so boom, I guess I got some kind of virus,” said the San Jose
State University industrial-engineering student, adding that the malicious code fouled up his Web searches by “redirecting me to another site.” Nonetheless, security specialists contend the public needs more help warding off hackers. After all, the experts say, cyberthreats can be complex and confusing. Moreover, while large corporations have IT departments to shore up their computerized networks and often spend heavily on layers of protections, they add, most consumers rely solely on antivirus software to shield them from crooks. Many antivirus companies are working to improve their products. Instead of just concentrating on detecting known malware, for example, their software scans for unusual behavior and blocks anything not known to be safe. Still, “when you have a well-funded adversary, they’re always going to find chinks in the armor,” said Randy Abrams, NSS Labs’ research director. Amichai Shulman, Imperva’s chief technology officer, agreed, saying he fears the threat posed by hackers will worsen unless a more comprehensive approach is devised to combat cybercrime. “Ultimately, it is up to governments and law enforcement to create a more reasonable online environment,” he said, adding that what we have now resembles “the legendary Wild West.”
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News
Thursday, October 3, 2013
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Government begins shutting down MCT Campus WASHINGTON _ The U.S. government started shutting down early Tuesday after a bitter fight over the new health care law deadlocked the Congress and stymied every attempt to keep money flowing after the federal fiscal year ended at midnight. It was the first such collapse of the government in nearly two decades and there was no immediate way to know how long it would last or how it would end. The partial closure will shutter national parks and museums and furlough hundreds of thousands of federal employees. Essential services will still be provided; the military remains on duty, Social Security payments will be made. President Barack Obama declared the government had officially run out of money when the fiscal year expired at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. “Congress has not fulfilled its responsibility,” Obama said in a video message sent to the U.S. military around the globe. “It has failed to pass a budget and, as a result, much of our government must now shut down until Congress funds it again.” The White House Office of Management and Budget sent an alert to all executive branch government offices, telling them to start implementing shutdown plans: “Agencies should now execute plans for an orderly shutdown due to the absence of appropriations.” The shutdown came after the Senate and the House of Representatives engaged in a highstakes political showdown well into the night _ sending bills back
MCT Campus File Photo
Outraged Amerians protest against government. and forth across the Capitol _ but never coming close to a deal. It was driven by House efforts to try to force a weakening of the new Affordable Care Act, all of which the Democrats rejected. “We believe we should fund the government” and that there should be changes in the new health care law, a drawn-looking House Speaker John Boehner, ROhio, told reporters early Tuesday. He declined to answer questions about the shutdown. The Republican-controlled House voted 228-201 late Monday to fund the government for two months while delaying the new federal health care law’s mandate that Americans be required
to have insurance and canceling health care subsidies for members of Congress. The Democratic-led Senate voted 54-46 to reject the proposal, just as it did earlier in the day to a similar measure that would have postponed the entire health care law, the president’s signature domestic achievement. As the clock ticked toward deadline, the House tried a new tactic, voting 228-199 in the early morning hours Tuesday to set up direct negotiations with the Senate by appointing a team of budget negotiators called “conferees” to work with Senate counterparts in the coming days. The Senate flatly rejected that proposal before leaving the Capitol.
“We like to resolve issues,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. “But we will not go to conference with a gun to our head.” About 800,000 of the more than 2 million federal employees will stay home after the plans are implemented sometime Tuesday. But more than a million activeduty military will remain on the job and be paid, according to legislation passed by both chambers and signed into law late Monday. Joseph A. Beaudoin, president of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, said he was deeply disappointed in Congress’ decision “to allow politics to trump the best interests of the American people.” “Today, in communities across our country, vital federal services are being interrupted and hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been told to stay home without pay because Congress has failed to carry out the most basic of its constitutionally mandated duties,” he said. After the government reopens, lawmakers must decide whether employees _ both those who worked and those who didn’t _ should get paid following three years of frozen pay and increased workloads. Some critical services would remain, but others would not. Mail delivery would continue but loan programs to small businesses, farmers and homeowners would cease. Inspectors still would regulate food and drugs but research programs would be halted. Taxes would be collected but judges would have to go home when the courts run out of funds. Prisoners still would be held in federal custody but money for
recovery efforts following Superstorm Sandy would be reduced. The health care law that is the focus of the dispute between Republicans and Democrats would continue to be implemented, because much of its funding comes from other sources, including new taxes and fees and cuts to other programs. “Let me be clear about this. ... The Affordable Care Act is moving forward,” Obama said. “That funding is already in place. You can’t shut it down.” Earlier Monday, Obama placed separate calls to Boehner; House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.; and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. He told them anew that he would not negotiate on health care as part of the budget bill. Boehner told the president in a 10-minute call that the health care law is “costing jobs and that American families are being denied basic fairness when big businesses are getting exemptions that they are not,” said Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck. But Reid criticized House members for their fixation on the health care law. “Albert Einstein defined insanity as, ‘doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,’ “ Reid said on the Senate floor. “Tonight, we have more proof that House Republicans have lost their minds. Instead of allowing all 435 members of the House of Representatives to vote on the Senate’s bill to keep the government open for business, Speaker Boehner is once again pushing a government shutdown.”
New political and public policy professor joins the College By Hannah Sterrs Staff Writer
What does a Georgia native have to say about the frigid New England weather? “You can always throw on another shirt.” With a wide smile and an enthusiastic southern drawl, Professor James (Ben) Taylor joins the College as a Political Science and Public Policy professor. Taylor is one of seven new faculty members at the College this school year. Previously an instructor at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga., his alma mater, Professor Taylor says he is looking forward to his new journey here in North Adams. His hometown, LaGrange, Ga., was also a small college town, but it did not reach the cold temperatures experienced here in North Adams. Yet he says, weather was not a factor in his search for teaching. “When I applied for teaching positions, I looked for a school that placed a strong value on teaching,” Taylor said. “MCLA has that.” Originally wanting to teach high school students, Taylor made the switch to being a professor after yearning to teach those who are “ready and capable of thinking on a deeper level,” he said. Taylor’s students have been reacting positively to his classes and teaching methods in courses like Political Science Research and Methods and U.S Government and Public Policy. Brendan Peltier, junior and Political Science and Public Policy major, is currently taking Taylor’s research and methods class. “The class is phenomenal,” Peltier said. A major part of the research and methods course is writing a political science research paper to be completed by the end of the semester. While the paper may seem daunt-
ing to some students, “Professor Taylor’s willingness to help the class reassures us that it will be a working progress and an amazing experience,” Peltier said. Looking forward to Steeplecat games, the Andrew Young Public Policy lecture, and hiking with his wife and two dogs in the upcoming year, Taylor has taken up residency in his second floor office of the history house. A large bulletin board decorated with political paraphernalia takes up space on his office walls, truly reflecting Taylor’s love and dedication to political science and public policy. “I always liked and wanted to say something about politics,” Taylor said. “And I was attracted to the approach political science uses to do that.” Before Taylor made the Berkshires his home, he made a trip to North Adams this past spring to guest teach various classes. This audition of sorts left a strong impression with students. Alexandra Kadell, sophomore and Political Science and Public Policy major, had Taylor come in to teach her U.S. government and public policy course, an experience she says she enjoyed. “He is truly passionate about what he is teaching.” Kadell said. “He’s really energetic and grabs your attention when teaching.” Sitting at his office desk, eating a lunch of black beans, tomatoes, and corn with tortillas, Taylor says he hopes to encourage students to “think seriously about political science,” he said. Taylor’s energy and passion is not limited to political science and public policy. An Atlanta Braves fan and hiking enthusiast, Taylor has a love for watching sports and being active. Taylor even takes his own interests and uses them in his class lectures. “When (Taylor) talks, he brings relevant topics into play,
Photo by Kayla Degnan/The Beacon
Professor James Taylor joins the campus from Georgia State University. like the NBA,” Peltier said. “He keeps the class engaged for the entire class period.” Taylor says that his experience at the College and in New England will be “different” from that of Georgia, but he is looking forward to it nonetheless. With his enthusiasm, positive attitude, and a heavy jacket, Taylor says he plans to continue to take the school year head-on.
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Thursday, October 3, 2013
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Obama administration enforces Opinion Antibiotic use in farms race in college admissions reduces drugs’ effects MCT Campus
In the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling that narrowed but did not do away with affirmative action in college admissions, the Obama administration has reaffirmed its commitment to using race as a factor in college admissions to help increase campus diversity. In a letter to college and university presidents, the departments of Education and Justice reminded educators that the Supreme Court in June ruled that race could still be used as a factor in admissions, as long as the race-based policies were necessary to achieve diversity. In its 7-1 decision in Fisher vs. University of Texas, the court held that race could be used if “no workable race-neutral alternatives would produce the educational benefits of diversity.” Civil rights advocates and many university officials were relieved that the high court continued to allow race to be used in considering admissions, while opponents argued that there was still enough ground for further suits to challenge such policies. The use of affirmative action has divided Americans since the 1970s. In college admissions, supporters have used such policies to give opportunities to qualified minority students to help them overcome the effects of long-term discrimination. Opponents have contended that affirmative action is really reverse discrimination. The Obama administration has supported the use of race to help improve diversity.“ The Departments of Education and Justice strongly support diversity in higher education.
MCT Campus
MCT Campus File Photo
Obama speaks to the public. Racially diverse educational environments help to prepare students to succeed in our increasingly diverse nation. The future workforce of America must be able to transcend the boundaries of race, language and culture as our economy becomes more globally interconnected,” the letter sent to educators says. The letter goes on to say that the 2011 policies on voluntary use of race in admissions remain available and that the agencies “stand ready to support colleges and universities in pursuing a racially and ethnically diverse student body in a lawful manner. We look forward to working with you on this important goal.” The letter was signed by Catherine Lhamon, the
Education Department’s assistant secretary in the Office for Civil Rights, and Jocelyn Samuels, the Justice Department’s acting assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division. In the Texas case, Abigail Fisher, a white woman who was not offered a spot at the university’s Austin campus, asked the courts in 2008 to look at whether the school had misused the racial criteria for making such admissions decisions. The Supreme Court did not deal with the broader question of whether race should be a factor but asked a lower appeals court to look at Fisher’s case again. Fisher has since received her undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University.
Center celebrates rare Nile Crocodile breeding MCT Campus They may be small, slow and cute for now, but within a few weeks the baby Nile crocodiles that fit in Russ Johnson’s hands will be downright dangerous. Johnson, president of the nonprofit Phoenix Herpetological Society, is celebrating the first breeding of Nile crocodiles in Arizona, calling the 11 newborns a boost for a species that’s increasingly rare in the wild. “This is a novelty; it just doesn’t happen,” Johnson said. The parents are a male the society took in in 2003 and a female who arrived at the facility last year. Dubbed Mr. and Mrs. Engelbert, they were handed over by owners unable to care for them, Johnson said. The Phoenix Herpetological Society is able to keep and breed rare, non-native reptiles through permits granted by the state and federal governments. Most of its reptiles come from other states, turned over by individuals who owned them legally or illegally. Adult Nile crocodiles can weigh up to 1,500 pounds. While they usually eat fish, they are known to attack most things that get in their way, including humans. In their
native Africa, Nile crocodiles kill about 200 people a year. Nile crocodiles are different from other reptiles in that they protect nests until their eggs hatch. After the female laid her eggs in June, eight months after meeting the male, Johnson and his team moved the eggs from the nest to a temperature-controlled environment. It was too hot for the eggs to survive in the crocodiles’ outdoor enclosure. For now, the baby crocodiles, which were born in late August, are kept in a small incubator meant to simulate their natural habitat. Johnson said the births are remarkable because the success rate of first-time breeding is 30 and 40 percent for Nile crocodiles. “This is the first time she has laid fertile eggs,” he said. “And it is the first time he has bred.” Johnson said the baby crocodiles will likely wind up at zoos outside of Arizona after having a month or so to grow up at the Phoenix Herpetological Society. They’ll grow on a diet that consists mostly of mice. He expects one or two of the babies to remain at the facility so visitors can see Nile crocodiles of different sizes.
When historians look back on our time, one question they’re likely to ask is this: How could people have been so stupid as to cripple the lifesaving power of antibiotics by letting farmers pump cows, pigs and chickens full of them? It’s a clear case of putting profits before people’s lives, and if the FDA and Congress won’t act, California should show them how. Scientists have been trying for 40 years to get the FDA to ban or at least slow the practice of pumping large amounts of antibiotics into farm animals. This widespread use has led bacteria to develop resistance to the drugs, whose therapeutic value for humans is gradually destroyed. Fully 75 percent of antibiotic use today is in feed additives for farm animals to promote faster growth and reduce the risk of disease, especially in overcrowded factory farms. The European Union in 2006 recognized the risk and banned the use of antibiotics for these purposes. But in the United States, the politically powerful farm industry has beaten back every attempt by downplaying the risk and threatening higher meat prices. Both arguments are bogus. The Centers for Disease Control last week for the first time quantified the number of Americans 23,000 who now die every year from antibiotic-resistant infections. More frightening, last year 2 million Americans fell ill to drug-resistant bacteria. As antibiotics become less and less ef-
fective, more people will die from these infections. “We are getting closer and closer to the cliff,” said Dr. Michael Bell, the CDC official who presented the results of the study. As to rising prices, a National Academy of Sciences study found that banning the use of antibiotics in farm animals for purposes other than curing disease would result in a consumer cost increase of just $5 to $10 per person per year a pittance to pay for preserving the ability of humans to fight infection. And don’t even start arguing that the price increase will hit the poor harder. Low-income Americans are at far greater risk from drug-resistant bacteria, since the wealthy get earlier and better medical care. Health threats in the national food supply demand federal action. But the FDA and Congress have known about this danger since at least 1977, and all they’ve done so far is to politely ask the industry to voluntarily, if it wouldn’t mind, reduce antibiotic use. Factory farmers yawned and ignored them. California has set the pace for the nation on clean-air regulation and other health advances that eventually went national. If the FDA and Congress continue to ignore this very serious threat to public health, California should set rules for meat raised or sold in the state. It is a huge market and even if factory farmers across the country try to ignore it, consumers are likely to take notice. Especially as the number of deaths from antibiotic-resistant infection continues to grow.
Army dog reunited with handler MCT Campus
A U.S. Army dog and the handler whose life he saved have been reunited. “He’s sitting on my couch,” Logan Black, 34, of Kansas City, Mo., said Wednesday of Diego, an 8-year-old bomb-sniffing yellow Labrador retriever that Black considered his best friend. Black, who left the Army in 2007, was reunited with his canine comrade Tuesday at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and drove back to Kansas City, returning to their Hyde Park neighborhood about midnight. Black trained Diego when the dog was about 1 year old and took him into Iraq on as many as 40 missions. Together they discovered caches of weapons buried in the desert, automatic weapons in the homes of insurgents, bombs hidden in the roadways of Fallujah. More than once, he said, Diego saved his life. Several years after leaving the Army, Black began searching for Diego, hoping to adopt him when he was retired from duty. A Facebook page garnered national attention from the animal rights group PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Black learned that Diego, although older, was still on active duty and was being used to train military dog handlers at Lackland. The Army told Black he would get first dibs
MCT Campus File Photo
A soldier and a bomb sniffing dog. on adopting Diego when he retired. This week he did. “Both Logan and Diego have served our country with distinction,” U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri said in a statement. Her office had worked to help find the dog. Black said Diego didn’t quite recognize his former handler at first. The lab had gotten older and grayer around his muzzle. “At first, he completely ignored me. He was looking for a place to do his business,” Black said. Once Black took Diego’s leash, it didn’t take long before the two were rolling on the ground. “I feel great,” Black said. “Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s fantastic having him here.”
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Arts & Entertainment
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Beacon.MCLA.edu
‘Inspiration creates the movement’ Nick Arena Managing Editor MCT Campus File Photo
Candice Crow
Disney World Correspondant
“A
ll our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” These words were famously spoken by Walt Disney—a man whose dream became a reality for him and the millions of people who venture to Disney theme parks annually. I have always been told to follow my dreams. Ever since I was young, my grandmother told me never to give up. She told me I could do anything I set my mind to and has supported me every step of the way. When I told her I was participating in the Disney College Program, she said, “Good, I’m proud of you!” She told me how important it was to go into the world and experience life whenever you have the opportunity to do so. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but nothing worth doing is. Walt’s road to superstardom was not as perfectly paved as some may think. In reality, there were many bumps along the way. For example, on the opening day of Disneyland (Calif.) July 17, 1955, none of the water in the parks was running. Walt had to take matters into his own hands and fix the problem. The next day, water was flowing throughout the parks. During the meet-and-greet portion of my Marketing You class, the teacher asked everyone to write down why they came to the Disney College Program. I sat there, grasping my pencil, until I finally managed to write, “Because I could.” That is one of the magical things about being in Disney World: you realize you can do whatever it is you want to do. There is no limit to imagination here; endless opportunities present themselves every day. I find that I meet so many new people that it’s hard to keep track, and everyone I meet has a smile. Even though on the surface the Disney College Program does not seem to have anything to do with my English/ Communications major, I have learned so many things that I can take back with me to MCLA. For example, before coming to this program I wasn’t too fond of public speaking. Now, I feel comfortable standing up in front of a group of people and expressing my thoughts and opinions. I am more confident than I ever imagined, and I owe it to the man who started it all: Walt Disney.
The kickoff event for MCLA’s Creating Equality series boasted a nearly full house at the Church Street Center on Thursday, Sept. 26. Author, musician, and honorary MCLA degree holder James McBride entertained the audience with his quick wit and details of his new book “The Good Lord Bird,” while discussing what equality means today. “This year marks a number of significant events during the Civil Rights Movement,” Cynthia Brown, vice president of Academic Affairs said as she introduced McBride. McBride took the stage to a round of applause from the audience and wrapped a piece of chewed gum up in an empty piece of paper, cracking a joke about why he never swallows gum after chewing it. “My mother said if you chew and swallow gum your behind will close up,” he joked. The crowd laughed along. He talked about some of his heroes during the struggle for freedom, from slavery through the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the most important being John Brown. Brown was McBride’s inspiration for his latest novel. In it, Brown is one of the main characters. “This is the diary of Onion,” he said as he held the book up for the audience. The story focuses on a young black boy that John Brown had kidnapped to free, whom he nicknamed “Onion.” It follows their journey from his kidnapping to the raid at Harpers Ferry.
“John Brown was a very religious man, and I was very attracted to that part of him myself,” McBride said, talking about his own religious upbringing. Shortly after reading a brief excerpt from his book, he discussed how music played a role in his life, saying religious or not, music brings people together and creates equality by lifting each of us up. “[It’s] the inspiration that creates the movement of the spirit,” he said. Musicians joined McBride on stage. “I’ve brought some wonderful friends of mine to help me lay my burdens down.” McBride’s band played a number of jazz gospel renditions including “Glory, Glory (Lay My Burden Down)” and “How Great Thou Art.” The crowd rose up, clapped, danced, and sang along with McBride and his crew. Between numbers, the band continued playing while McBride read another short piece or two from his book, taking the crowd deeper into the timeline of John Brown. McBride’s discussion of equality was simple: it is always there no matter what anyone might try to do to quell it. He cited his own personal fame as an example. “What I’ve done with my life is not that unique, it’s something you all can do,” he encouraged. “If you can see [someone famous] 20 or 30 years before, you can see yourself.” Despite believing that equality is always present, he acknowledged that it is a lot of work and it can measure who people are in the long run. He says fighting for equality is no simple task. “It’s easy to [talk about], but to do it in your life, that’ll fulfill you,” he said.
Photo by Gabriel Kogel/The Beacon
James McBride plays the saxaphone at the Creating Equality kick-off event Thursday, Sept. 26 in the Church Street Center. Students and faculty expressed their enjoyment of listening to McBride’s music and comedy. “It’s not what I expected at first,” freshman Diana Faulkner said. “I thought it put a nice twist on things. It wasn’t just a boring lecture, and I felt like the music got people a lot more involved with it than it would have been if it was just a guy up there talking about his book. I thought it was pretty
cool.” “I was expecting it to be good, but it was just absolutely awesome,” Counselor Ojae Beale said. “If you can get me up out of my seat in public like that, then [it’s good].” McBride ended by reminding people they are not alone. “Remember that no matter how hard it is, there will always be someone behind you,” he said.
‘Writing’ series questions and puzzles By Raanan Segal
Arts & Entertainment Writer
Photo by Gabriel Kogel/The Beacon
164 pieces of paper with scrawled notes of the artist hang on the wall in Gallery 51 as part of the “Writing Series: (Manga) Sulat Sa Pader (Writing on the Wall).”
Gallery 51’s solo exhibition, “Writing Series: (Manga) Sulat Sa Pader (Writing on the Wall),” by Eliza Barrios, is one of the more challenging displays I have seen recently. This is due less to its content than to its presentation. The exhibit includes six pieces. Four of them are, cumulatively, made up of 164 pieces of paper. Each paper is covered in the artist’s scrawl as she writes on a variety of topics in a multitude of ways. She formats the writing differently for each piece, making it challenging to determine what she is trying to say. The four main pieces are “Asanas (Industry of Yoga Series),” “Agent Orange,” “Entries Argentina,” and “Poetics of Obsolescence.” Each of these pieces explores some aspect of the artist’s experiences and relays it to the audience in altered and frequently confusing ways. Social criticism is a consistent aspect of the entire exhibit. Every piece comments in some way on what the artist sees as missing portions of modern society, or remarked-upon truths. “Agent Orange” is perhaps her most personally affecting, as the content of the piece is the most immediately emotionally accessible. It is composed of a letter sent by the artist’s mother in which she blames the military for the artist’s father’s death, as he was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam. This is arranged, like all the pieces, as scattered writing on graph paper.
The piece that dominates most of the exhibit, however, is “Poetics of Obsolescence,” made up of 132 pieces of paper. On each one, Eliza Berrios has written some entry from her journal in inscrutable and constantly shifting handwriting. This attempts to show that variety in the written word is vanishing as society begins to rely more heavily on newer technology: the switchover from paper to computers. Parallel to this is the piece “Lost Language of Writing.” This features two videos, projected on the wall, showing “pain’s” point of view during the act of writing the other pieces in the exhibit. The videos offer a peek into the process of creation, which becomes a sort of artistic lifeline in an exhibit too frequently cold and inaccessible. Seeing “pain” quiver as the artist decides which square on the graph paper to write in next provides a clearer window into the artist’s intentions and process than the finished work does in its totality. The exhibit’s overall purpose is to expose a fear of how technological change will affect society should “the power go out.” Other such concerns about technological and social progress are reasonably discernable in the pieces, yet the presentation is more impenetrable than thought-provoking at first glance. This exhibit really only works for those committed to exploring it for a fair amount of time. The casual observer may get nothing out of any of the pieces.
Arts & Entertainment
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Spires and SAC present slam poet, Mary Lambert By Jess Gamari Editor-in-Chief
Before recording the chorus to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ hit single “Same Love,” Mary Lambert had a strong grip on the poetry scene in Seattle, Wash. After watching a few of Lambert’s videos on YouTube, Christopher Hantman, copresident of Spires, decided to take a chance and invite the poet and singer-songwriter to the college campus via e-mail. “Mary is a sweetheart and told me, ‘I’m super busy, but when I go on tour I will get back in touch with you,’ and that is exactly what she did,” Hantman said. “From there it was all just about securing the funds and finding opening acts.” Lambert and other poets will perform tonight at 7 p.m. in the Church Street Center. Every poet is a member or ally of the LGBT community. Hantman hopes this show will carry the message of “Same Love,” highlighting the solidarity and community that exists on the campus. “When I realized who [Lambert] was, I knew I was going to be on board with it,” said Allison Conlon, president of SAC, a cosponsor of this event. “I knew it was going to be something different that [SAC has] never done before and it would bring a lot of people out, which is always something any club wants.”
Photo courtesy of climaxonline.co.uk
Mary Lambert is an award-winning, singer-songwriter and slam poet. Her performace is co-sponsered by Spires and SAC. Hantman says that for many people, the “Same Love” single is a selling point because it is so popular, but Lambert has achieved much more than just this one song. “I want to make it clear that she is so much more than “someone on a Macklemore song” like many know her,” he said. “Her solo music and her poetry career are impressive, and truly moving.” In 2008, the singer-songwriter competed in the Brave New Voices International Poetry Competition, which was filmed on HBO. She co-founded Seattle’s collegiate team in 2009,
Check it out! What: Spires and SAC presents: Poetry and spoken word performances by Mary Lambert, Elizag, T Love Smith and Kori Alston. When: Tonight. Doors at 7 p.m., show start 8 p.m. Where: Church Street Center Auditorium Admission: $3 w/MCLA ID, $5 general admission and in 2011 won Seattle’s Grand Slam Poetry Competition, as well as the Northwest Regional Poetry Slam held in
Portland, Ore. Since then, she has released a book of poetry, “500 Tips for Fat Girls” and a musical album titled “Letters Don’t Talk.” Lambert will be joined by Elizag, T Love Smith and Kori Alston. Elizag, also known as Elizabeth K. Gordon, has competed in many poetry slams in the Albany area and has made herself a regular at North Adams poetry events. “She has delivery and attitude that will make you laugh and tear up in the same poem,” Hantman said. T Love Smith, also known as Tina Smith, is a spoken-word artist from Portland Maine. She co-hosts the three-year-running weekly poetry safe-space open mic event, Rhythmic Cypher, often with a musical accompaniment. For this event, she will be joined by a harpist. Hantman met Kori Alston this past summer at a poetry reading at Mass MoCA for Lift Ev’ry Voice, a community project dedicated to celebrating African American Heritage among many other heritages. Alston is an 18-year-old actor and poet from Great Barrington, and is the founder of The Voice Identity Project. Although he is still in high school, his poems and poetry workshops have taken him to places as far as South Africa. This past summer he competed in his first three slams with Rambling Poets and the WORDXWORD Festival, winning each one.
Down Street Art sightings
by Jess Gamari
Mail Order Brides is on display in Gallery 51.
Bird characters on stilts strolled along Main Street.
Community members traveled by trolley from campus to downtown.
Patrons enjoy a meal and conversation.
Ukulele player Mike Martin serenaded trolley passengers.
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‘Welcome to Nightvale’: the podcast we dare not mention by Shannen Adamites
Arts & Entertainment Editor
T
he surrealist podcast sensation, “Welcome to Night Vale,” exploded into a massive Internet fandom over the summer. Cecil Baldwin, a DJ at Night Vale’s community radio, updates the small, presumably totalitarian desert community on local happenings: everything from the PTA meetings to the creation of a dog park which no one is supposed to acknowledge, visit, or even think about it. Why? Just because. Wait. I shouldn’t have even mentioned the dog park in the first place. Oh no. Sponsors air their advertisements and can range anywhere from full-fledged promotions to an eerie static. The weather is always an original song written by an up-and-coming artist. Weather “genres” range from witty folk tunes to absurdist rap music. Mind control, casual memory erasure, and spontaneous disappearances from radio interns and Night Vale citizens are also very common occurrences in this really peculiar corner of the world. “Welcome to Night Vale” is a very clever take on the typical radio show. The storytelling is clever, incorporating elements of surrealism, paranormal horror, and comedy. Cecil introduces a wide variety of quirky characters, like the perfectly handsome scientist, Carlos, or The Apache Tracker, the village idiot who wears an offensively large Native American headdress. The podcast was created by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor. Fink is an editor, writer, and the co-owner of Common Place Books, the company who publishes “Welcome to Night Vale.” Cranor is a writer, director and performer, known for collaborating on a series of plays called ‘Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind.’ The whole prospect of ‘Too Much Light’ is to perform 30 short plays in 60 minutes. Overall, if you’re looking for something new, creative, and a little weird, check out “Welcome to Night Vale.” You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll probably scream. Or, if you’re not actually screaming, I can guarantee you’ll have a permanent perplexed look on your face
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Sports
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Women’s soccer loses to Salem By James Hunter Sports Writer
Christopher Oxholm Sports Editor
It’s good to be from Boston
A
side from losing the Stanley Cup, trading what seems like the entire starting line-up of the Celtics, the marathon tragedy, and watching the Patriots roster slowly dwindle away, it’s good to be from Boston. The Red Sox, debatably the best team in Major League Baseball this year, has impressed its own city along with the rest of the league. Having clinched the competitive AL East division with ease, the Red Sox are preparing to take on October with the same integrity. Anyone can Google the MLB standings and see that the Sox are 97-65, and anyone could also tell that the Atlanta Braves are holding a similar record of 9666 and also a clinching the NL East, but take a minute to look at the NL East. For starters, the second best team is the Washington Nationals, but their record is an entire 10 wins behind the Braves. And under the Nationals by a whopping 12 wins is the “Amazing” Mets. The Miami Marlins are at the bottom, finishing at 62-100. In comparison, Toronto is at the bottom of AL East with 74-88. In the long run, the Red Sox weren’t actively playing teams that lost 100 games all season, and they still have one of the best records overall in the league. The Braves will have to step up their game to compete outside their division. The Red Sox doing this well arrived as a surprise to what feels like everyone. In the past 20 years, this is only the third time they have won the division. The last time they won the division was in 2007 when the team won the World Series the second time since breaking the Bambino Curse. This team doesn’t have the same backbone it had for the 2004 and 2007, World Series though. It’s not another guaranteed championship. When is it ever? There’s no more Terry Francona. He was Boston’s savior as a Manager, wining a World Series, his first year with the team. However, new manager John Farrell has proved himself worthy of being compared to Francona, ending his first regular season just one win behind Francona’s first season with the Red Sox.
Alternating wins and losses the last four games, the Women’s Soccer team came up short this past Saturday against conference rivals Salem State, 2-1. Salem State, coming off a four game win streak, controlled the tempo of the game. Senior Jen Ferrari scored the only goal for the trailblazers in the 29th minute. Freshman Kayla Lingel sent a corner kick into the box and Ferrari took care of the rest, giving the trailblazers a 1-0 lead. That was the only shot MCLA had on net all game. Right before the half, Salem freshman Victory Clancy scored her second goal of the season, making it an even 1-1 at half. Brianna Dandurant says conference play is pretty competitive this year. “We match up pretty good with them. The conference is up in the air this year; each team is equal to each other in one way or another,” Dandurant said. Having possession of the ball majority of the second half, Casey Connolly scored the winning goal for Salem. “I think that we did not play to our full potential,” freshman Natalie Caney said. “I think in both games we got too comfort-
able after we scored and we kind of let things slip.” “There were some really great things and there were some not so great things that happened in the game. But I think that we just have to play our game and not forget what we can do.” The Trailblazers came off a shutout against SUNY-IT with a 4-0 victory. Caney lead the way for the team, capitalizing on opportunities to earn an impressive hat trick, dominating the second half of the game. The Women’s Soccer team evens their record at 4-4. “We were all very confident because of our previous performance. We knew that if we played our game that we would give our opponents a run for their money,” Caney said. Two minutes into the second half, Caney took the ball from a SUNY-IT Wildcat defender and moved around goalkeeper Margaret Werenczek. Eight minutes later, Caney scored again; getting a pass from sophomore Justine Cozza to have a 2-0 lead. To continue their scoring, in the 66th minute of the game, Rebecca Pike scored her first goal of the season. Caney was there to top things off with her impressive hat trick, netting her eighth goal of the season to put the game out of reach at 4-0. The Trailblazers play this Saturday October 5th at Fitchburg State at 12 p.m.
Photo by Gabriel Kogel/The Beacon
Freshman Kayla Lingel hustles for control of the ball. “We won’t focus on all the negative things, we will just focus on what we do the best and use it to our advantage. We just have to come out with a lot of energy
and don’t get too content when we have a lead,” Caney said. “I think we just need to play the game of soccer like I know we can and just have fun. We can’t get frustrated.”
Women’s tennis struggles By Jesse Collings Sports Writer
Women’s tennis had a tough week, losing all three of their games. The girls opened the week with a loss at home to The University of St. Joseph last Wednesday, 9-0. They then went on a weekend road swing, where they lost in Maine to Thomas College on Saturday, 8-1, and finished up the week with a loss in Paxton, Mass., to Anna Maria College. The losses continued a long losing streak that now has stretched to nine games, as the team’s record has tumbled to 1-9 on the year. The team has also fallen to a 0-3 record in conference play. The team started the week with their lone home game against USJ, where they were outplayed by a team that improved to 3-3 on the season. USJ did not drop a set the entire day as they wrapped up the victory quickly against a disappointing MCLA squad. The Trailblazers had a little more luck Saturday as they took on Thomas College, although they still lost 8-1. Thomas College improved to 3-5 overall, and to 2-2 in the conference. In what is becoming a reoccurring theme for the ‘Blazers, freshman Rebecca Waterhouse was the lone bright spot for MCLA, winning her singles match against Thomas freshman Logan Bruneau, 6-3, 6-4. It was Waterhouse’s third singles victory out of her last four matches, and she was very excited about her string of success. “I’m more than satisfied with my individual play so far. It was my goal this season to win one singles match, since I usually consider
myself a doubles player, but now that I have won three it has really shown how far I’ve come since joining the team in the fall,” Waterhouse said. “I couldn’t be happier with how I’ve played, and getting some wins out of it has just been a bonus.” The Trailblazers saw some improved play by sophomore Kylie Dumas, who played one of the team’s most competitive matches against Thomas sophomore Katie McAllister. Dumas took the first set 7-5, and then dropped the second set 6-1. In the third and deciding set, Dumas and McAllister traded the lead back and forth, with McAllister scraping together the win, 7-6. Despite the loss, Dumas was very proud and upbeat about Photo by Sam Thomson/The Beacon her performance. Sophomore Stephanie Giardina makes a nice serve. “I feel positive that I did match handily, 8-5, and sophomore Stephathe best I could and put up nie Giardina capped off the scoring with an a good fight. Of course winning would have exciting defeat of Anna Maria junior Nicole been nice, but I did the best I could, and my Goudreau, 5-7, 6-4 and 10-8. Anna Maria opponent was a great competitor,” Dumas improved to 6-1 on the season. said. The ‘Blazers will close out the season this MCLA closed out the week with another weekend with two conference games. On Satroad loss to Anna Maria College Sunday. The urday they will travel to Johnson State, before team made some improvements, but lost the finishing the year at home, hosting Colbygame 7-2. Sawyer on Sunday at the Joseph Zavattaro Sophmore Ama Adwetewa-Badu and freshAthletic Complex at 1 p.m. man Shelby Gauthier won their doubles
Sports
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Blazers fall to Vikings By Kaleigh Anderson Special to the Beacon
The College lost five games in a row, falling to 0-2 in MASCAC play after losing to the Salem State Vikings 2-1 on Saturday. “Both teams really showed up to play today here at Shewcraft field,” Jake McCall, a former player, said. “ It’s tough loss for MCLA as they go down losing [another] game in the MASCAC, but I think they can learn from this and come back.” Salem came into the game 0-1 in the conference, losing to Mass Maritime Academy; their 2-1 victory over the Trailblazers puts the Vikings at 1-1 in MASCAC. Only two minutes into the first half, Salem State’s Eryk Fernandez netted the first goal of the game after a throw-in and an assist by Kevin Gallo. Forward Max Mondestin placed the ball at the top of the box, where it was then assisted to Fernandez by Kevin Gallo who attempted to shoot the ball but instead gave Fernandez the amount of time and space needed to make the shot. Fernandez is the Vikings’ captain, and currently one of the team’s leading goal scorers this season. Both teams produced opportunities to score on net the first half, but the Trailblazers were outshot on six attempts to the Vikings’ 11. “MASCAC games are very important. It’s tough for the team to come out of this with a loss,
Photo by Emily Boughton/The Beacon
Freshman Edward Boateng fights for a shot. but they attempted a comeback Romeo Grey had a great scorand didn’t give up,” Assistant ing opportunity in the second Athletics Director Kaylyn Smith half; Salem State’s keeper Nonsaid. das Kargakis came out of the net Salem State doubled its lead and failed to get possession of when Saimir Zepaji scored in the ball, but Grey couldn’t get a the beginning of the second half. shot off. Zepaji was assited by Ralph BerSalem State’s Zepaji also had tand, whose pass allowed Zepaji a look at an empty net after to place the ball in the corner of beating Trailblazer keeper Matt the net from 20 yards out. Robinson, but missed when he However, 57 minutes into the placed the ball outside the left game, MCLA’s Dylan Pereria post. scored off of a long ball over the “It was a great game today. We top from senior defender Tyler played well. There were things Guzzi. Guzzi’s assist lead to the we could have done better, but Trailblazer’s lone goal. great game either way,” said Pereria’s goal gained some Keem Samuel, the team manmomentum for the Trailblazager for the Trailblazers. ers. MCLA outshot Salem in the The Trailblazers’ next home second half 13 – 10. game is Saturday against FitchBoth teams missed multiple burg State, where they look to easy opportunities, failing to clench their first MASCAC vicscore on empty nets. MCLA’s tory.
Sports recap for the week
Last Thursday the Trailblazers placed 5th in the Westfield Invitational at Tekoa Country Club. Freshman Cam Boraski shot best for the Trailblazers at 79. Teammate Taylor Dunn was right behind with an 80. With freshman Patrick O’Neil alongside three other Owls shooting in the 70s, the Westfield White Team shot a total of 303. RIC, which also had four players shoot in the 70s, finished at second with a 305 total. Westfield’s Rory Wilkowich and Scott Walker shot 76 and 77. Carding a key round of 77 was Westfield senior Joe Cooper. Three RIC players – Partrick Ford, Tim Leigh, Corey Patalano - tied Wilkowich for runner-up medalist honors with 76s. Ryan Butler shot a 77 for the Anchormen. Led by junior Brandon Stanowicz’s 78, the Westfield Blue Team placed third with a 334 total. Worcester State placed fourth in the seven-team invitational with a 339, followed by MCLA with 348, Wentworth with 349, and Becker
Scores Women’s Cross Country 9/28, 14th at Elms College
Blazer Wrap-up Men’s Golf
Beacon.MCLA.edu
with 359.
Volleyball The volleyball team had a rough week, dropping two games on the road, bringing their record down to 7-7 on the season. The team opened the week on Sept. 24 with a loss against Sage in a game that was played in Troy, N.Y. Sage swept all three sets, dominating the Trailblazers each time by scores of 25-9, 24-14 and 25-14. Sage improved to 5-13 on the season with the victory, and snapped a two-game losing streak. The ‘Blazers were led by freshman Sam Anderson’s five kills, while freshmen Rachel Mills, junior Darien Quick, and junior Allie Chang each finished with four kills apiece. MCLA was severely hampered by attack errors, as they committed 18 of them throughout the game. The ‘Blazers tried to right the ship on the road against Worcester State on Saturday, however they were unable to open up con-
ference play with a win as they fell 3-0. MCLA slipped to 0-1 in MASCAC, while Worcester State improved to 2-0 in MASCAC and 5-9 overall. MCLA will continue conference play Tuesday as they travel to Framingham State, who leads the conference with a 2-0 record in MASCAC, and is 11-3 overall.
Women’sXC Women’s Cross Country finished 13th on Saturday at the Elms College invitational 5k. Martha Pratt and Claire Simmons were the top finishers for the Trailblazers, coming in 50th and 51st place. UNE placed first with an overall 23 points, followed by Trinity (57). UNE runners had the top three finishers, including Brittney Sorbello’s winning time of 19:57; Tianna Thomas (20:20); and Natalie Hardman (20:29). MCLA will run at Westfield State this weekend for the James Early Invitational.
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Men’s Soccer 9/28 v. Salem, 2-1, 10/1 @ Cobleskill, W 5-0
Women’s Tennis 9/28 @ Thomas, L 8-1. 9/29 @ Anna Maria, L 7-2 Women’s soccer 9/28 @ Salem, L 2-1, 10/1 @ Mount Holyoke, L Women’s Volley- 3-2 ball @ Worcester, L 3-0 Golf 9/26 @ Westf ield Invitational 5th
Schedules Women’s Tennis 10/5 @ Johnson, 11:00AM, 10/6 v. Colby-Sawyer, 1:00PM Men’s Soccer 10/5 v. Fitchburg, 1:00PM Women’s Soccer 10/5 @ Fitchburg, 12:00PM, 10/9 @ Western New Eng, 4:00PM Women’s Volleyball 10/8 v. Norwich, 7:00PM
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Opinion
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Beacon.MCLA.edu
The Beacon
What is the best place to go in town? “Tie between the antique shop and dollar tree, because they have amazing Halloween decorations and they are cheap.”
“I Got Goodies, because they got goodies and I have a wicked sweet tooth!” -Chris Cozzagilo, 2016
-Paige Brosofsky, 2017
The Beacon is published Thursdays during the academic year and is distributed free to the College community. The Beacon is funded by the Student Government Association, the English/Communications department and from ad revenues. Contact information: News desk number: 413-662-5535 Business number: 413-662-5404 E-mail: Beacon@mcla.edu Web site: beacon.mcla.edu Office: Mark Hopkins Hall, room 111 Mission Statement The Beacon strives to provide timely and accurate news of campus and local events.
“I am torn between Brewhaha! and the antique shop. I love that place!”
“Brewhaha! Their coffee and pastries are good. I really like the pastries”
-Abby Torrey, 2016
-Samantha Quinn, 2016
Editorials Policy Unsigned editorials that appear on these pages reflect the views of The Beacon’s editorial board. Signed columns and commentaries that appear on these pages reflect the views of the writers. Letters Policy The Beacon welcomes Letters to the Editor. Deadline is noon on Mondays for that week’s newspaper. Letters should be kept to 500 words or less and are subject to editing for grammar and content. The Beacon will not publish anonymous or libelous letters.
“Luma’s that place is super awesome!”
“I love walmart because it is really cheap.”
-Andrew McNamara, 2014
-Tonya Jeffers, 2014
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Editorial Board
Photos compiled by Emily Boughton
Shutdown!
By Nick Arena
Managing Editor With the debate continuing about whether or not The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, should be funded, the GOP has forced the government into a shutdown. Blame is being tossed back and forth between the president and the GOP, meanwhile the question remains: how exactly does this affect us? According to an article released by Mother Jones titled ’48 Ways a Government Shutdown will Screw You Over,’ most non-essential government employees will be furloughed until a resolution can be made and the shutdown’s over. Here are some of the basics. 1: The shutdown will not be cheap. Despite the fact that pay is being cut for a number of government
employees, past shutdowns have proven to be far more costly than just cutting a funding deal. “President Clinton reported that the combined shutdowns cost taxpayers $1.5 billion; the Congressional Research Service pegged it just under, at $1.4 billion,” Forbes recently reported, looking at the adverse effects of the 1995 – 1996 shutdown. 2: A lot of important offices will be locking their doors. Looking to visit a national park or zoo? Don’t count on it. Applying for social security? You’re just going to have to wait on that. Applying for a passport? You’re going to be waiting for a little bit. 3: Oil, guns, and benefits for military families will all be affected. (And I bet you thought the GOP cared about those things!) “Death benefits for military families will be delayed,” Mother Jones reported. “During the 1990s shutdown, applications for gun permits were delayed due to furloughs at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Bureau of Land Management will stop processing permits for oil and gas drilling on federal lands.” I could go on, but for a longer list check out MotherJones.com. Here’s hoping that the Conservatives will drop their assault on the well-being of the American people and make this shutdown a short one.
Cool places!
Each week, look for a local place to visit in the area
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Photo by Kayla Degnan/The Beacon
Tannery Falls in Savoy MA. is an 80-foot waterfall split into two sections. From downtown North Adams follow MA Rte. 2 east for 5 miles. Turn right onto Central Shaft Road, 0.4 miles from the Florida town line. Keep right at the next 2 forks, continuing to stay on Central Shaft Rd. From Rte. 2 the park headquarters is 2.8 miles, North Pond day-use area is 3.3 miles, and the campground is 3.7 miles.
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Local Events
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Beacon.MCLA.edu
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Sam Gomez 5K Classic sign-ups available Benefit the Windsor Lake Playground Project in North Adams
SGA will hold its 36th annual Sam Gomez Classic road race on Sunday, Oct. 20, beginning at 11:30 a.m. The USA Track and Field certified race, named for the late Dr. Samuel Gomez, former Philosophy professor and cross-country coach at MCLA, is open to everyone. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Windsor Lake Park Project. The Classic will include a 5K (3.1-mile) race, and also a onemile optional walk, beginning at Church and Pleasant Streets and ending at Church and Davenport Streets. MCLA Intramurals will cover the entry fee for college students. Contact Adam Hildabrand to preregister. Awards will be presented to individuals in various age categories. Complimentary refreshments will be served for racers and family following the race. Applications are available in the SGA office in the Amsler Campus Center, by calling (413) 6625401, or online at www.mcla.edu/ Student_Life/samgomez/. A signup also will be held from 9:30 to
Hopscotch challenge “Word Becomes Flesh” The World Record Breaking Club (WRBC) plan to draw, then hop, their way into the Guinness World Record books, as they attempt the world’s longest hopscotch this Saturday, Oct. 5. The public is invited to participate in this event, which will begin at 9 a.m. at the Harriman and West Airport on Route 2. According to Nicholas Hernigle ’16, president of MCLA’s WRBC, the hopscotch—which the students will draw with chalk —must be four miles long to break the current world record. Hernigle and men’s cross country team members formed the new club last year. Since then, other students have joined them. The event was planned with the help of Celia Norcross, director of Student Development and Activities, and Lt. David Sacco of the North Adams Police Department.
Ideally, between 50 and 75 people will participate, but Hernigle feels the record can be broken with as few as 10. “The more we have, the faster it will go. I don’t want more than 75, because then people will be standing around, and I want everyone to feel they did something to contribute to the record,” Hernigle said. “When we finish, we must construct visual evidence,” Hernigle explained. “We need video footage of two people completing all four miles of hopscotch, playing it the whole time.” Photographs and several signatures also must serve as verification of the achievement. After the evidence is sent to Guinness’ headquarters, members of the club expect to receive a certificate recognizing them as the world record breakers.
FINANCIAL AID ANNOUNCEMENT REFUNDS WILL BE OCCURING IN A FEW WEEKS! DON’T DELAY YOUR REFUND!! CHECK WITH THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE AND STUDENT ACCOUNTS IN ELDRIDGE HALL TO MAKE SURE YOUR PAPERWORK IS COMPLETE! ********************* THINKING OF TAKING A SPRING TRAVEL COURSE OR STUDYING ABROAD NEXT SEMESTER? CHECK WITH THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE TO SEE WHAT AID ELIGIBILITY YOU MAY HAVE FOR IT! ********************* START YOUR SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH NOW FOR NEXT YEAR!! REGISTER ON FASTWEB.COM FOR A FREE SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH!
On Saturday, Oct. 5, MCLA Presents! will bring to North Adams the work of Award-winning director/choreographer Marc Bamuthi Joseph in “Word Becomes Flesh.” Co-presented with Williams College, “Word Becomes Flesh” begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Church Street Center auditorium. The show will be preceded with a discussion at 6 p.m. entitled “Trayvon, Race and Being a Black Man in America.” A fully staged production currently touring the United States, “Word Becomes Flesh” is played out through a series of performed letters to an unborn son, using spoken word, dance and live music to document nine months of pregnancy from a young, single father’s perspective. “Originally performed as a one person production featuring Marc Bamuthi Joseph, this production is cast with six exceptionally talented poet/performers, all well know in their own fields,” said Jonathan Secor, director of the Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (BCRC). “They fuse tender stories, playful wit, and, at times, purposeful rage, giving voice to race and gender issues—issues facing these soonto be fathers, and issues facing our young people today,” Secor added. The play integrates hip-hop and contemporary dance to deconstruct black male identity in the 21st century through the sharing of one man’s experience of fatherhood. According to Joseph, “Word Becomes Flesh” director, his theatrical and teaching processes are expressed through hip hop. “That’s because that’s where I’m
from. The way that I curate is of hip hop, because that’s my origin. And so, I just don’t represent a way of looking black culture, I represent a different way of looking at hip hop through a creative lens that’s also positive, compassionate, political and provocative,” Joseph said. “The people that I looked up to when I was young—Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King—they weren’t great by virtue of having a record deal. They were great by virtue of having a struggle and overcoming it. There are a series of underreported, under-documented narratives around the black male experience. We’re not any one thing. We’re all of the above,” he added. Each member of the ensemble cast are emcees and spoken word artists who release music independently online and travel around the world with their own projects. However, they are very diverse; some have multiple Ivy League college degrees, others are high school drop outs. As a result, Joseph explained, the show draws from this spectrum of experience – not only as African American men, but also as artists and actors, as they explore the idea that African American “malehood” is not a monolith. Prior to the performance, all are invited to a free panel discussion featuring MCLA and Williams professors and students, as well as Berkshire residents. Entitled “Trayvon, Race and Being a Black Man in America,” the panel will explore issues facing African Americans in the Berkshires and beyond. Tickets to “Word Becomes
Photo from MCLA Presents! Flickr page
Flesh” are $10 for general admission. Tickets for MCLA and Williams alumni are $8, and tickets for staff, faculty, and non-MCLA and non-Williams students are $5. Tickets for members and MCLA and Williams students are free. Tickets may be reserved by calling MCLA Presents! at (413) 662-5204. For more information, call (413) 664-8718, or go to www. mcla.edu/presents. MCLA Presents! is a program of the BCRC, a collaborative project with Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and the City of North Adams. The BCRC provides professional development training, resources and support to the artists, art managers and creative workers of Berkshire County. Through its multiple programs and presentations, BCRC brings the best of performance and art to the Berkshires and showcases the best of the Berkshires to the world.
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Thursday, October 3, 2013
Photo Essay
Beacon.MCLA.edu
The Inter Greek Council along with Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Spires host an open mic night which has many students in attendence.
Open Mic Night By Sam Thomson
Above: Sophomore Cidney James entertains the audience by playing and singing a song. Below left: Alex the Poet takes a break from reading poems to sing a song on the ukelele. Below right: Nikki Kratounis recites poetry. Bottom: Adam Tobin plays a couple songs during the open mic night last Wednesday.
Above: Mike Vogt reads poetry that informs students to be sensible. Below: Sean Kelleher plays the flute.