Student Newspaper of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, Mass.
The Beacon
For more content, visit online at: Beacon.MCLA.edu Volume 78 ◆ Issue 8
Th u r s d ay, M a r c h 2 7 , 2 0 1 4
North Adams Regional Hospital to close Friday By Nick Arena Editor-in-Chief
The news broke Tuesday afternoon that North Adams Regional Hospital (NARH) would be closing its doors tomorrow, after 129 years, leaving the city of North Adams and the College without easily accessible emergency care. “The Northern Berkshires need a hospital. Everyone in the region - patients and employees, most acutely - will be impacted by the Board’s decision today,” Senator Benjamin Downing said in a statement released on Tuesday. “I firmly believe this could have and should have been avoided. In the coming days, I will do everything in my power to ensure access to critical healthcare services, to support the community and the workers and to help answer the many questions we all have.” Members of the campus community also expressed their concern over the loss of jobs and health care in the area. “I feel very sad for the community and for the over 500 people who lost their jobs,” Dana Rapp, graduate education professor and union representative said. “It’s just another sign that this economy is not producing a recovery for most of us. We must continue to struggle with our neighbors and friends and community members to see that we have livable wages
Photo by Gabriel Kogel/The Beacon
North Adams Regional Hospital has served the College and local communities for over a century. and jobs for people, including college graduates.” The hospital announcement came as a shock to many, and left a good deal of the MCLA community questioning what will happen should a medical emergency arise. The issue that students will face is getting to the hospital, the nearest one being Berkshire Medical Center (BMC) in Pittsfield, which is 21 miles from the College, according to Google Maps.
An announcement from President Mary Grant released yesterday afternoon stated that: ambulance service would still be provided to BMC, health and physician services would be continued on campus, and that Public Safety and the Health Services Department will continue to address immediate concerns. “First off, as a student, I don’t like how the closest hospital is 30 or 40 minutes away,” Hannah Sterrs, senior and coordinating
vice president of SGA, said. “If I were to hurt myself or god forbid was in a life threatening situation and I’d have to take an ambulance about half an hour or forty minutes that’s not very comforting.” The MountainOne Wellness Center is currently only open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., which would limit emergency care services provided to students outside of BMC. According to Sterrs, Charlotte
Degen, vice president of Student Affairs, met with SGA to talk about what the College plans to do moving forward. “They’re working on creating a whole new emergency plan for the school,” Sterrs said. “The designated hospital will be Berkshire Medical Center.” While Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, VT, is closer to the school by roughly two and a half miles, Sterrs said that the Mass Health insurance plan that the school provides would not cover visits to this hospital. “A couple of months ago, I got pneumonia and in the middle of the night around 2:30 in the morning I had to go to the hospital,” Sterrs said. “I couldn’t breathe so they picked me up in an ambulance. I can’t imagine going 30 minutes doing that, and luckily public safety came and got me at four in the morning when I was done.” Sterrs added that she is unsure how transportation would be provided to students looking to return from the hospital. “They have taxis that will take you to [and from] the hospital, they don’t know if they’ll be able to do that now,” she said. “A one way trip to BMC is around 40 dollars.” A number of people are
NARH, continued on page 3
SAC to host first ever spring concert release party By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Staff Writer
Student Activities Council (SAC) will host their first release party on Saturday in the Amsler Campus Center from 6 until 7 p.m. to reveal the musical artist for their annual spring concert. All tables in the Campus Center will be taken over by SAC for the party, presenting a nacho bar, pizza, a photo booth, extreme musical chairs, giveaways and a raffle to win free concert tickets. “I think that [free tickets] is a big incentive for people to come out to this event,” SAC President Allison Conlon said in an email. “It’s something we have never done before in the past.” Conlon said that usually, the reveal was posted on Facebook right after spring break, but having a party will get the word out more about the concert and make it more exciting. Her expectations for the event are high, and she also mentioned that a video promoting the release party will be out soon. “There will be two openers this year and one main artist,” SAC Concert Chair Joelle Dumont said. “It’s going to be a big concert.” When musical guest ideas were posted on Facebook earlier in the year, she said about 3,000 people viewed the
twitter.com/ MCLA_Beacon facebook.com/ MCLABeacon
list, and after two weeks of voting there were a total of 284 submissions. Previously, there has been one genre performing at the spring concert, but Dumont talked about how the guest(s) this year reflect a variety. “Everyone is pumped that it wasn’t one genre to choose from,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of participation this year as opposed to past years.” During the party, attendees will have the opportunity of voting on what charity the concert money will go toward, because not all of the proceeds are paid to the artists. A list of charities will be compiled, but suggestions are also welcome. “This concert is for the students,” Dumont said. “The charity voting is so they feel more involved with the concert process.” Saturday Night Spotlight events are also being planned for the rest of the semester, according to Devon O’Dowd, cosponsor for the release party and Saturday night spotlight chair. “I’m really looking forward to the last two events,” she said via email. “I will be having Big Prize bingo during Spring Fling since that has become a tradition for that week. My last event is a luau party. We had one a few years back and it was a huge success.” The luau party will be on May 3, the same day as the Mr. and Ms. MCLA event.
Beacon File Photo
Student Activities Council members Joelle Dumont, Samantha O’Brien, Anthony Olivares, and Devon O’Dowd will host a release party on Saturday at 6 p.m. The spring concert will be on April 21 at 8 p.m. and tickets will go on sale April 17 and 18. The cost is $5 for students with ID and $7 for guests; students are allowed up to two guests each.
The sophomore experience
Dance company premiers
Baseball comes up short at Clark
The campus community makes plans for transitioning freshmen
Shows begin tomorrow at Mass MoCa
The Trailblazers drop their fifth game in a row
Arts & Entertainment, page 6
Sports, page 8
News, page 3
News Arts & Entertainment Sports Campus Opinion Local Events Photo Essay
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Campus News
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Weekend Committee seeks location for student union Weather By Jess Gamari Managing Editor
Forecast from Weather.com
Today, March 27
Mostly Sunny High: 40° Low: 30° Precip. Chance: 0%
Friday, March 28
Showers High: 47° Low: 35° Precip. Chance: 60%
Saturday, March 29
Senator Lucas McDiarmid met with Senate chair Taylor Krowitz during Sunday’s ad hoc committee meeting to discuss the possibility of creating a student union. This recreational area would be equipped with a projector system and either a ping pong table or pool table. Vice President Brendan Peltier said that he has been working with Dean Charlotte Degen for the past two years to make something like this happen. “It’s something the school wants to do, and Degen said she would make funds available through her office” he said, but space is an issue. “As of right now, seeing as how space is so limited on campus, students need this as a general meeting space.” Sullivan Lounge has been proposed as a potential location, but the room is constantly booked for other clubs and events. After Bowman Hall is restored, Peltier said other options may become available. Mountain Lion mascot limited to Athletics Department During a discussion regarding the club jackets for SGA members, several students in the cabinet inquired about the possibility of including the mountain lion mascot on the jackets. Aside from the additional $2 cost per jacket to include an emblem, Peltier said that the mascot is an official trademark of the athletics department, and use of the mountain lion image is restricted to the Athletics Department only. “Since it used primarily for athletics, it wouldn’t make sense to use another logo when we have our own,” President Jake Powers said, referring to the official SGA
gavel logo. “I think we should use the mountain lion because we should see ourselves as a whole,” said Senator Nicholas Hernigle. Senator Stephan Rochefort proposed the SGA look into the use of the mascot expanding to the entire student body. “It’s kind of disappointing to hear that [the mascot search committee] put all this effort into a logo we can only use for certain things.” The mountain lion mascot was officially adopted in the beginning of the fall 2013 semester, primarily for the college to have a character to cheer on teams and walk around at games. “As of right now, technically the mountain with the swoosh is still the official logo of MCLA,” said Peltier, who served as a member of the mascot search committee.
Rock the Block funding allocated Treasurer Kelley Bryant and the budget finance committee (BFC) met with students in the performing arts management class to discuss funding for the Rock the Block 2.0 event planned for Sunday, May 4. The Rock the Block event is similar to a street fair festival which closes down Main Street for the entire day. According to Coordinating Vice President Hannah Sterrs, the first Rock the Block held in 2012 was very successful and drew in over one thousand campus and community members. SGA members voted in favor of funding $500 from the supplemental budget. This money will be used toward a stage for student dancers and performers. Club of the Week winner announced The Anime Club is the first recipient of the MCLA Club
Photo by Jess Gamari/The Beacon
Senator Lucas McDiarmid, seated, and Senator Stephan Rochefort discuss issues at Monday’s SGA meeting. Member of the Week contest, organized by Sterrs. The club was nominated by Treasurer Kelley Bryant who was impressed at how organized the club presented themselves to the BFC during the budget allocation process. The club received a gift card to WalMart. Shuttle hours extended, Nomination papers available Powers announced the shuttle service has extended their hours for Mondays from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. He is continuing to meet with various members on campus to discuss the issue of parking permit costs and will return with as much information as he can in the coming meetings.
Nomination papers are now available for students interested in running for student government positions. These papers will be due April 8 and can be found in Diane Collins office in the Campus Center. Budget Finance Committee to advise clubs on allocations Bryant and the BFC plans to meet with clubs to discuss allocations of funds and give club members more information on applying for supplemental funds for last minute events or emergency needs as they arise next semester. Any club is welcome to email Bryant or other members of the BFC to schedule a meeting.
Campus Police Logs Week of 3/9 - 3/15
Showers High: 50° Low: 35° Precip. Chance: 60%
Sunday, March 30
Sunday, March 9 ◆ 3:26 p.m. - Public Safety responded to alarm trouble in the Amsler Campus Center. No action was required. Monday, March 10 ◆ 12:47 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a medical call at the Flagg Townhouse Complex Apartment 52. The call was investigated. Tuesday, March 11 ◆ 3:36 p.m. - Public Safety
Showers High: 40° Low: 30° Precip. Chance: 50%
responded to a supervisory alarm at the Flagg Townhouse Complex Apartment 64. The alarm cause was unknown. Wednesday, March 12
◆ 1:31 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a past breaking and entering issue at Bowman Hall. A report was filed. Saturday, March 15 ◆ 9:16 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a call about suspicious activity at Venable Hall. The subject could not be located.
Corrections:
In the March 20 issue, the photo on page four features journalist Kevin Moran and English Major Imara Renaud-Krutulis.
3 Easing the transition to sophomore year Thursday, March 27, 2014
Campus News
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Members of the Student Affairs Committee and the campus community met to formulate a plan to help students work their way into each academic year By Alexander Moore
“I think it might help, but it has to be more serious than what peer advisors are expected to do right now,” Kadell said. The Student Affairs Committee hopes to creA program to reach out to students with midate a plan to ease the transition from freshman term warnings was suggested. to sophomore year. Kadell suggested that in future years, a proIn a meeting held Friday, two sophomores gram could be developed to show the sophoand members of the committee discussed ways mores that they have resources such as CSSE to improve the sophomore experience. and their professors if they need help. “Our job was to compile information and The Student Affairs Committee wants to start come up with possible suggestions,” Chris Cozwith sophomore year experience and expand zaglio, senate secretary for the Student Governthe suggestions to juniors and seniors. ment Association (SGA), said. Kadell suggested a possible new course be According to Brendan Peltier, executive vice created, similar to the First Year Experience president of SGA and chair of the Student Afcourse but for sophomores, wherein a professor fairs Committee, the suggestions will be writmight have students go out into the commuten into a resolution and sent to the All College nity and write about various activities such as Committee. The All College Committee will eisporting events, getting the sophomores more ther approve or deny the resolution. involved in both the community and campus. Photo by Gabriel Kogel/The Beacon Alexandra Kadell, parliamentarian of SGA “I look at this as creating the framework for and a peer advisor, said she didn’t expect much Students and committee members gathered in Murdock 218 Friday a college experience, where starting from our support going into sophomore year, and she to discuss methods of keeping students engaged from freshman to freshman year to our senior year, each transiknew she wasn’t going to have her hand held sophomore year. tion goes smoothly and fewer students are lost,” like she did freshman year. Cozzaglio said. “We need our resources to con“After I had the first year experience, I expected the gen- get help from,” Kadell said. “I knew places like CSSE were tinue reaching out to our students and not expect the stueral stuff and not anything specific,” Megan Chanowitz, a there for me if I needed them.” dent to always know how to get access to the resources.” first year sophomore majoring in psychology, said. Chanowitz said her transition wasn’t huge or difficult. In a follow-up email interview, Kadell said she wished Kadell said she expected resources such as the Center Kadell said if a second year peer advisor implementation more students had shown up to give their perspectives. She for Student Success and Engagement (CSSE) to be her sup- was a good idea, the goals of the advisor should be different said she hopes the Committee can work together with the port during her sophomore year, rather than the orienta- and focus more on academic needs and questions rather College Council to figure out a way to make the trantion leaders and peer advisors of the previous year. than social issues. She said if a second year peer advisor sition from freshman to sophomore year easier for students on “My transition wasn’t too hard. As the year went on, I were assigned, they should be really serious about things campus. kind of relied on myself and other places I knew I could and find out what sophomores want out of life. Staff Writer
NARH to close doors NARH, continued from page 1
planning to protest the closing of the hospital. Elizabeth Manns, a clerk IV in the copy center and mailroom, plans to stand beside the protesters. Manns added that her opinion does not reflect the College’s opinion or disposition, it is her personal opinion as a representative of the April Fourth Coalition of Northern Berkshire County and as a steward of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1067. “I think the hospital board of trustees have done a great disservice to the community by giving such a short notice of its closing and that, if their intention was truly to care about their patients and the staff, they should’ve given the 60 day notice that the law requires,” Manns said. “I believe this community has every right to protest, and to vent their feelings, and to seek answers to why this hospital is closing in such a sudden fashion.” According to Manns, a rally
will be held at the hospital on Friday. “Under the April Fourth Coalition, and other community partners, we are holding a rally demonstration to begin around 9:30 a.m. at the hospital with the intent to not only discover answers and to obviously protest the closing of the hospital, but to try and draw attention to the issue and to maybe get our legislators more active in trying to prevent it or to find another solution for the medical needs of the [community],” Manns said. Manns said that while AFSCME does not really hold a vested interest in the hospital closing, she will be standing by the Massachusetts Nurses Union and Service Employees International Union employees that will be losing their jobs. According to Brian Fitzpatrick, junior and one of the founders for Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), an emergency SDS meeting has been scheduled tonight at 5 p.m. in the Mark Hopkins Honor’s Center to discuss what students can do to get involved.
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Thursday, March 27, 2014
Campus News
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Students experience alternative spring break Students across multiple departments ventured to Hawaii and Belize to learn about the native cultures and provide community service
By Nick Swanson Staff Writer
During spring break, ten students traveled the islands of Hawaii, while eighteen others embarked on a service-learning trip to Belize in Central America. Anthropology professor Sumi Colligan led the trip to Hawaii while Spencer Moser, coordinator of the Center for Service and Citizenship, headed the Belize trip. “The Hawaii trip went really well,” Colligan said. “Its focus was examining their dependence on their plantation economy, as well as the existing myth of Hawaii being multicultural paradise.” Colligan led the trip with an assistant and a recent graduate from the College. The group stayed in Honolulu at the University of Hawaii, Manoa in student dorms. The three-credit Hawaii travel course required students to record a daily journal as well as complete a paper based on the trip. According to Colligan, the course was an opportunity to look at Hawaii’s colonial economy and to gain exposure to their contemporary native culture and politics. She explained that the Hawaiian economy is very complicated. The group took part in a tour
around O’ahu Island, which according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority website is the third largest Hawaiian island, and is home to the majority of Hawaii’s diverse population. The group got a closer look into the plantation type of economy by working on the taro fields with a Hawaiian service learning coordinator. According to Hawai’iSeed website, taro is the staple of the Native Hawaiian diet and is at the core of the Hawaiian culture. Some Hawaiians believe the taro plant to be sacred. The students also visited the Island of Hawaii, where they spent time exploring around active volcanoes Mauna Loa and Kīlauea, within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. “Although the volcanoes were active, the lava changed courses so we didn’t see it at all, but they were spewing gasses frequently,” Colligan said. The students from MCLA made friends with Hawaiian students, some of whom invited the New Englanders into their homes off campus. “It was pleasing to know that the students were able to foster a personal relationship far from home,” Colligan said.
Photo courtesy of Sumi Colligan
Students pose at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. She noted that one student brought his guitar from home, and during the visit he was able to play alongside his new friend’s grandmother as she played a ukulele. “Through meeting people and then talking, observing, participating, and engaging in their cultural practices, the students got a sense of the complexities that are within different cultural identities,” Colligan said. The students led by Moser were also immersed in the unfamiliar. In three days, they successfully built a cement path between the school buildings at St. Matthew’s Government Primary School in St. Matthew’s Village. The path
will make it easier for the children at the primary school to travel to and from school when rain floods the area, as it does seasonally. Moser noted that many homes are built on pillars and stilt-like structures for protection from the flooding. “The service-learning project was fantastic and gratifying all the way to completion,” he said. “There were students learning for the first time, ‘roll-up sleeves’ kind of work, but it was truly a labor of love.” Moser said the students dedicated time to interact with the children by helping them with their schoolwork and talking with them about their future.
Every night during the group reflection session, students discussed their experiences so far. “A new appreciation towards the level and value of education was realized by the students, because they work hard, but others in the world don’t have the same opportunity at all,” Moser said. Students also refurbished broken classroom desks to make them usable again. According to Moser, a lot of the economy in Belize is based on farming and vegetation, so teaching conservation efforts is prominent since the country’s number one resource is the environment. The group saw natural aspects of Belize by canoeing down the Sibun River, snorkeling on the coral reef, and climbing to the top of Mayan ruins. Moser, along with mathematics professor Elizabeth Hartung, also brought the students to the Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Moser said that canoeing with crocodiles in the waters beneath them was exciting for students. A constant symphony of gorgeous birds provided a soundtrack for the trip. The group will be gathering all their information to give a formal presentation at the Undergraduate Research Conference, in April.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Arts & Entertainment
Beacon.MCLA.edu
5
Circus performer addresses social issues By Rachel Fitterman
Arts & Entertainment Writer Performance artist Jennifer Miller stunned and surprised her audience with circus tricks and a healthy dose of humor during her visiting solo act March 24 in Sullivan Lounge. Miller, who hails from New York City, is the founder of Circus Amok, a queer-oriented, noanimal, one-ring circus that uses its performances to address social issues. Miller herself sports a beard, but rejects the title of “The Bearded Lady.” “If I called myself The Bearded Lady, it would suggest that I’m the only bearded woman in the world, and that is not true. I’m just a woman with a beard,” she said. The performance began with an articulate, if somewhat eccentric, modern dance, with Miller emerging in a full-body Gumby costume. She tossed handmade flyers bearing only the word “She” into the crowd before her talent was apparent even under the bulky fabric, and her dance was alive with passion and purpose, especially after removing the costume to include frantic facial expressions in her sporadic routine.
Miller does not remove herself from the audience as a remote performer on a stage, but instead interacts with them, addressing them casually without hiding any of her personal quirks. She finished her dance routine with one last soulful look, then changes disposition immediately, smiling broad and chirping “That’s it!” as she turned to change onstage into her circus character, Xenophobia. In huge glitter heels and a pink fur coat, Miller moved into her sword juggling act with a humorous but informative intro about street harassment, with the three machetes she bears as the pointed punch line. Miller gains the audience’s trust by clumsily dropping the swords for the first few times, only revealing her talent when she apologizes and seamlessly slips into flawless juggling, with tricks that included throwing knives under her legs, switching hands, and bouncing one knife off the other into the air. This is Miller’s preferred (and genius) way of keeping the shock value in her performance. Rather than come outright with a circus routine, she takes her time setting up each act, all the while talking with the audience and playing
down her talents. By the time she had been fitted in a straightjacket and bound in chains, with hilarious help from students volunteers, she joked with the audience, “I’m trying to beat my personal record of escaping within an hour and fortythree minutes. Watch carefully for the first five minutes, then talk amongst yourselves and check back in about forty-five or so.” Instead, she shook off her binds in an impressive choreographed routine to Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” just three minutes later. Miller rounded off her performance by shutting the lights and eating fire, a feat that requires much less of a jovial introduction to still be jaw dropping. She dropped lit torches one by one into her mouth to the gasps of the audience, then bowed to a wild round of applause. But Miller’s act came with more meaning than the average circus performer. She played videos of Photo by Kayla Degnan/Photo Editor Circus Amok’s past performancJennifer Miller juggles machetes while explaining how her life es, where a social justice theme is different from typical gender norms. is chosen each year and turned into an entertaining show that New York’s problematic stop-and- hand gestures—is easily rememstill educates its spectators. The frisk law by listing what to do if bered. first shown is a song called “Let’s stopped by a police officer. The To learn more about Circus Have a Frisky,” which addresses upbeat tempo—complete with Amok, visit www.circusamok.org.
Norweigan composer to perform at the College Norwegian composer Bjorn Bolstad Skjelbred of Oslo, Norway, will perform a concert of new music in the Church Street Center auditorium on today at 12:30 p.m. The concert – in which Skjelbred will premiere his newest work, “ConVergEnce” for cello and banjo, as well as works by Magnar Am and Wolfgang Plagge – will be preceded by a “meet and greet” with Skjelbred from 11 a.m. to noon. Both events are free and open to the public. The ensemble for this event also includes The College’s guitar instructor Eric Despard on classical
guitar, Jared Shapiro on the cello and Rocco Anthony Jerry on the bayan. This event is part of Professor Michael Dilthey’s music history course “Meet the Artists.” As part of the course, students discuss a variety of music genres, and then attend concerts that feature each type of music they examine. “In the mix, students meet with the performing artists or, in this case, the composer, and ask them questions regarding their thoughts on the repertoire and style of music, their preparation short and long term, the audience,
the state of music in society today, and more,” Dilthey said. So far, the class has discussed Blues and Funk with New Orleans artists who performed concerts with MCLA’s Annual Blues and Funk Festival, film music with the filmmakers of a new documentary of the Colorado River shown at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), and met with a drummer from Ghana. This concert is being presented by the Norwegian Composers Fund, Norwegian Association of Composers and Music Norway.
Photo by Richard LaRocque/ Beacon Staff
The Common Folk Artist Collective organized a free show at The Parlor Cafe featuring folk-punk musician and poet, Greg McKillop, and blues-folk musician Conor Ryan Henness.
5 O’Clock $5 Nachos!!! Weekend entertainment
Dine-In and Take-Out menu online. Gift Certificates & Discount Programs Available
www.TheParlorCafe.com fb.com/TheParlorCafe (413) 346-4279
Arts & Entertainment 6 “Avenue Q” lives up to its cheeky reputation Thursday, March 27, 2014
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Photo by Shannen Adamites/The Beacon
Jimmy Dunn plays Rod, a closeted gay man, who sings a song about his mysterious girlfriend who lives in Canada during a performance of “Avenue Q.”
Review by Raanan Sarid-Segal
Arts & Entertainment Writer “Avenue Q” is one of the more popular plays to hit Broadway and the theater community in a long time, and it is easy to see why. The play easily combines feel-good charm with a veneer of ironic detachment and “edgy” humor, to create a play that seems perfectly engineered to appeal to high school and college age people. It would be easy to coast on the material, but luckily the Harlequin production performed admirably, fully committing to the play and understanding just what makes it work. A play like “Avenue Q” lives
and dies on its cast’s ability to sell the rapid-fire dialogue as well as the songs, which can be difficult while also handling a puppet, but the cast delivered precisely what was required of them. An easy chemistry existed between the cast members, who batted jokes back and forth as if they were in a Howard Hawks movie. In addition to selling the characters, the cast performed all the songs without a hitch. In particular, the interplays between James Dunn, playing both Princeton and Rod, and Emily Hebert, who played Kate Monster, were good examples of comedic performance on the stage. Each actor was in tune with each other’s rhythms and managed to sell
the jokes as well as the, admittedly somewhat unserious, emotional beats that the play requires. The other truly notable performance was that of Victoria Fernandez as Gary Coleman. Fernandez made the character stand out even in a cast comprised entirely of larger-than-life stereotypes. There is a temptation to go truly hammy with a character like that, but the performance did not depend on anything so hacky, just solid energy. In addition to the performances, the production as a whole was a success. The music was well performed by the stage band, but there were a few moments in which the songs were drowned out, which stepped on the occa-
sional joke. The set was solid and functional and the lighting was consistently well done. For those who don’t know, “Avenue Q” can be and has been boiled down to being a send-up of “Sesame Street,” with disaffected 20 to 30-year-olds learning “real” life lessons. It seeks to be a wakeup call to a generation raised on phrases like “dream big” or “you are special,” and it aims to do all of this through crude and “unPG” humor. There is a place for that stuff, but it can rub people the wrong way. However, the source material is not fundamentally doing anything too transgressive. The play is a pretty simple story of self-actualization and feel-good corn, which people sometimes
overlook due to its surface-level qualities. All of which is not necessarily bad. People who normally cannot stand this kind of thing, but are willing to look past the scatological humor, will find a well done show that will not offend the senses as much as the premise may have you believe. Those looking for something truly nasty should adjust their expectations. This play is the embodiment of the soft cynicism which is really just a cover for the earnest wish that things be like they were on “Sesame Street.”
For more photos of “Avenue Q,” see the photo essay on page 12
Graduating senior prepares for last Dance Company show at MoCA By Shannen Adamites
Arts & Entertainment Editor Senior Dance Company CoPresident Alexa Hebard is graduating this spring, and finishing off her last dance of her college career to be shown at the annual performance at Mass MoCA. “It hasn’t really hit me yet that this is my last show, but I’m sure I’ll feel it when I take that final bow on Saturday afternoon,” she said. Patrons can look forward to, amongst many other pieces, an action-packed swashbuckling pirate-themed dance choreographed by Deanna Boucher, an artistic modern dance number by newcomer and future Dance Company treasurer, Bryanna Bradley, and a knight’s dance chorographed by Lily Urquhart. “What’s so great about this piece is that it’s not just about nights storming the castle in an epic battle, but she also dedicated it to her mother which makes it an extremely special piece for her,” Hebard said.
Hebard has enjoyed bonding with her dancers and watching them grow. She commented on how one of her dancers is “a ray of sunshine, always on time, and ready to dance.” She thanks her dancers for their patience and collaboration, and their willingness to rework or retry different things to ensure the highest quality of the dance. “It’s a group effort. It’s working together to make one girls vision come alive, and I could not be more proud of my dancers this semester. They really helped make my final piece special.” Along with focusing on her own dance, Hebard is involved with Boucher’s pirate dance, Urquhart’s knight dance, and a lyrical piece choreographed by Colleen Regal and Jackie Kelly, who will step up to the e-board as co-president and secretary, respectively. Despite the increase of workload from transitioning from the school to the museum, Hebard commented that the museum staff has been accommodating,
with assisting the Company with lights and costumes, and welcoming by ensuring everyone knows where they’re going and guaranteeing their safety. The show is tomorrow at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2pm. Tickets are free for students and $5 for general admission, this includes nonMCLA students, faculty and staff and parents.
For Your Information... What: Dance Company Spring Performance Where: Mass MoCA When: Tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. Saturday at 2:00 p.m. How much? Free for students, $5 general admission
Beacon file photo
Dancers strike a pose at the annual Spring Dance Co. Performance in Spring 2011.
7 BETTY performs MCLA Presents! to feature intimate show at thoughtful puppetry Arts & Entertainment
Thursday, March 27, 2014
MoCA’s Club-B10
BETTY provides smooth sass and a cool atmosphere to Mass MoCA’s club venue.
Photo by Jenna O’Connor/Beacon Staff
BETTY performs their unique punk/chamber pop sound at Mass MoCA’s Club B-10.
Review by Jenna O’Connor
Arts & Entertainment Writer With smooth, harmonious vocals and memorable guitar riffs mixed with the palpable sounds of the cello, alternative rock group, BETTY, performed at Mass MoCA Saturday night in the cozy and intimate Club B-10. Known for their strong vocal harmonies and their tough attitudes, BETTY consists of sisters Amy (vocals, cello) and Elizabeth (vocals, guitar) Ziff, and their close friend Alyson Palmer (vocals, bass). The crowd was singing and dancing along to the sound of one of BETTY’s hits—Did U Tell Her, (a song about sex scandals)—and the energy of the club was immediately evident. Making music for more than 25 years, BETTY has been following their creative impulses, and in result the all-girl group has morphed into something between an in-your-face pop-punk band, a postmodern chamber ensemble, and a musical platform for unheard political voices. Along with their musical following, BETTY has been effecting change since the start of their careers. Champions of human rights and civic action, the girls are particularly vocal on the issues of women’s rights, the fight against HIV/AIDS and
LGBTQA+ rights. The audience was crippled with laughter between songs when Amy, Elizabeth and Alyson spoke about how they loved to eat, play music, have sex and “how many nooks and crannies were perfect for hooking-up” in MASS MoCA. The lighting changed frequently in Club B-10, and each time it did, it directly reflected the mood of each song BETTY was performing, to which the audience responded with dancing, cheering, singing, and clapping along. On behalf of programs of the U.S. State Department, BETTY has travelled globally as a part of the U.S. Arts Envoy Program and most recently, the band travelled to India on a four-city tour in an effort to fight gender-based violence and homophobia. BETTY has written the theme music for numerous television shows including the iconic opening tune to Showtime’s The L Word, and the band has also delved into the world of theater with their musical “BETTY RULES!” With evident tough attitudes, the trio conversed with th audience briefly about these issues and made it clear—through their songs and their words—that it was, in fact, not okay to discriminate in any way, to which the audience responded with loud cheers and a standing ovation.
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“Who’s Hungry” provides a creative look on the history of hunger and homelessness. MCLA Presents! will offer a night of thought-provoking, experimental puppetry based on the oral histories of homeless and hungry. The College’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (BCRC) presents “Who’s Hungry,” Saturday, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, at 3:00 p.m. in the North Adams Puppet Lab at 107 Main St. A Bessie Award-winning professor at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), Dan Froot, has collected interviews from Santa Monica, Calif., residents to transpose real life experiences of hungry and homeless individuals into a puppet show that’s presented in a banquet setting. The puppets tell their story while moving around a 24-foot long ‘dinner’ table. Obie Award-winner Dan Hurlin, known for his exquisite puppet theater, directed the show that Froot created. This project is about people’s lives - people who, at times, happen to go without food,” Froot said. “They have some truly beautiful, moving and hilarious stories that might otherwise go untold.” The artists made a goal to keep the mood light, while still educating their audience. According to Frank Tamborella, executive director of Hunger Action Los Angeles said, “’Who’s
Photo courtesy of BCRC
Dan Froot premieres “Who’s Hungry” this weekend. Hungry’ opens up the full spectrum of the lives of homeless and hungry people - the humorous side and the triumphs large and small that make life worth living... This play goes much further to humanize the situation of poor people than dreary photos.” Froot added, “It’s not about feeling sorry for anybody - each of these people is sharing their unique oral history with us, their lives - with dignity and a fair amount of humor.” “Hunger and homelessness plagues innumerable parts of the world, but this production will remind the local community of similar issues that some in the City of North Adams face on a
daily basis,” said Spencer Moser, coordinator of the Center for Service and Citizenship. “Hunger and all related issues and challenges exist in North Adams, and this is evident through how many people access the resources that allow them to eat and get food,” Moser said. “It’s not art for art’s sake,” he continued. “This is art not only with a message, but art that makes a difference and serves a societal need. It’s extremely important.” Those who attend will have an opportunity to purchase photos during the evening to directly benefit the Berkshire Food Project.
you closer to her,” she said. Boutelle has also written from perspective of the sixteenth-century Italian painter Michelangelo Caravaggio and the characters that surrounded him. “There is great freedom in writing in another’s voice. It gives you the opportunity to be someone else. When else would you get the chance to do that?” she added. Yet Boutelle does not shy away from writing about personal experiences. Her poetry collection Nest of Thistles recalls her childhood in Scotland. She read her lighthearted poem “Haggis,” about the traditional Scottish meal of oatmeal combined sheep’s liver, heart and lungs and cooked in the stomach of the animal, to audience that wrinkled their nose, but couldn’t help but smile. Doré Watson also has written in the voice of historical figures, including Robert Frost’s neighbor in the snarky poem “Mrs. Napoleon Guay Has At Robert Frost.” Doré Watson is currently working on a set of poems centered around the 1704 Raid on Deerfield, where Native American and French forces attacked an English colony in Deerfield, Mass. The poems are written from the perspective of Eunice Williams, a nine-year-old
reverend’s daughter who is taken captive. Additionally, Doré Watson discussed how she often had to bring herself into another perspective in order to write about her own deeply personal experiences. Her poem “The Person You Cannot Love,” which centers on her mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s, is written in second person. “I almost had to write it as if I weren’t myself,” Doré Watson said. “One of the ways that I revise my poems is by changing the ‘person,’ in order to see what works and what doesn’t,” she added. Dryansky’s poems are not told from realistic historical events, but instead draw from fairy tales and invented speakers, surrounding the ideas of motherhood and femininity. “[The poems discuss] my concerns, my issues, my craziness, but they come through in a variety of voices,” Dryansky said. Her poem “The Pea Under the Mattress” reinvents the classic fairy tale. “Women are written about too much, between fairy tales and stories and even magazine articles, and I wanted to take that back,” Dryansky added.
Women writers share their processes at G51.
By Rachel Fitterman
Arts & Entertainment Writer Three poets gathered in Gallery 51 last Saturday to discuss literary identity in “Woman Talk: The Voices We Write,” as part of the month-long Berkshire Festival of Women Writers. The event, hosted by Tupelo Press, featured Annie Boutelle, Ellen Doré Watson and Amy Dryansky, all published poets and professors at Mt. Holyoke and Smith Colleges. “We write poems where it’s less obvious if the speaker is constructed or not, but we contain multitudes. We want the reader to ask ‘Which “us” is that?’” said Dryansky. Boutelle’s has a range of identities in her work. Her book of poems Becoming Bone is written from the view of Celia Thaxter, a nineteenth-century writer who grew up on the Isle of Shoals off the coast of Maine and New Hampshire. Boutelle vacationed on the Isle with her husband and children, and used her experiences as part of her research for the book. “We used to stay at the house where Thaxter lived, and to look out the window and see what Thaxter would have seen brings
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Sports
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Fair territory
Baseball drops fifth straight By Kelsey Marini Sports Writer
The kids are alright By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
Part of the thrill of the NCAA Tournament is that stars that are made during the tournament will soon be seen playing at the next level. With the 2014 NBA Draft supposed to be the most starstudded draft in the last several years, the NCAA Tournament was going to be the showcase for all these future NBA superstars. Well, it turns out that maybe all these future stars were not quite ready to surge into the spotlight during the tournament. Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker are predicted to be the top three overall picks in the draft this summer. Parker was erratic as Duke was bounced in the first round by Mercer, making as many field goals as he did turnovers. Wiggins was invisible during Kansas’s upset loss to Stanford, and a back injury prevented Embiid from even competing in the tournament. The failure for most of the future top picks to make it into the Sweet 16 certainly put a damper on the tournament from an entertainment standpoint. We all wanted to sit around the television and watch as Embiid strung together a, 30-point, 15-rebound game while we clamored on about what a stud this kid was. I think in today’s world of neverending sports coverage and Youtube videos and Twitter and constant news alerts, we sometimes forget that most of these players are incredibly young. Expectations are raised so high for these kids that for the average person, the pressure would be insurmountable. A 19-year-old kid is told to go out in front of tens of thousands of people and millions more watching around the globe, and play the best game of his life against elite competition. The tournament being so popular is arguably the biggest detriment to its talent. Wiggins knows that everyone is watching, from friends and family, to professional scouts, to endorsement representatives. At 19, I get nervous whenever the Patriots face a third-andlong. I couldn’t imagine actually playing in a game like that, let alone playing well. I would be passed out in the corner of the locker room on a bag of balls before shoot-around. College is all about growth, both as a player and as a human being, and the disappointment that the top players faced after losing will only strengthen their ability to become stars at the next level.
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The men’s team fell short of a victory over Clark University, giving up seven runs in the final innings. The final score was 5-9. This marked the team’s fifth consecutive loss of the season, making their record 2-7. Clark earned an early run, scoring in the first inning. In the fifth inning, Cody Weaver scored off a single hit by Alon Willing. Ryan Oiumet and Jared Gersch drove in two more runs to boost the Trailblazers into a 3-1 lead. Tyler Benoit earned his first collegiate home run, driving in two runs and giving the Trailblazers a bigger lead. Although Clark would gain another run in the sixth, the Trailblazers still lead 5-2 going into the final innings. The men, however, could not hold onto their steady lead in the last three innings. “We are hitting the ball well this season,” said Alon Willing, “but there were many simple errors which ultimately cost us the game.” Clark was able to gain six runs in the seventh inning and a final run in the eighth. The Trailblazers did not score, making the final score 5-9. “Our main problem is finishing the game with the same intensity we start with,” said Willing. Despite this loss, the Trailblazers are pushing forward with high hopes. It may not have been the record with which they wanted to start the season, but they are holding their heads high and putting in extra effort to fix errors. The men have had to transition back into the New England weather after spending a week in
Florida for spring training. The team has been stuck practicing in the gym because their field is not ready to be played on. This may have an effect on the team as they go through their season. “Practicing in the gym has its pros and cons,” said Cody Weaver. “We are able to work on our batting and bunt defense, but we can’t work on things such as pop flies.” Although MCLA has the record of 2-7, the team agrees it does not show their true ability. Most games were nail-biting rallies which ended with tough losses, but the men are keeping their heads high. According to Cody Weaver, the coaching staff is excited about this year’s team dynamic. Coach Rizzo expressed that this is the most talented team he has seen in the past couple years and he has high hopes for them. One dynamic that will help in Photo from MCLA Athletics the team’s success this year is Junior Tyler Benoit hit a home run and drove in a pair the chemistry among the play- of runs, but it was still not enough to end the Trailblazers. The team is working togeth- er’s skid. er to improve, which will help The Trailblazers’ double headers against them reach their goal of making Norwich and Anna Maria were postponed it into MASCAC playoffs. due to weather and lack of access to fields. The “We have good team chemistry this year,” men are scheduled to play their first MASsaid Derek Lescarbeau. “Everybody picks each CAC conference double header at Worcester other up, and that will help us have a successState this Saturday. ful season.”
Quackenbush strikes for MCLA By James Hunter Sports Writer
Rachel Quackenbush, sophomore, has been a dominant player for the Trailblazers in her first two seasons on the team. Rachel has garnered attention since she first got to the program. In 2013, she was named Rookie of the Year, Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) First Team, and also Team MVP all in one season. Softball has become second nature for Rachel. “Growing up, my parents would always show me articles about the local varsity athletes and I always wanted to have my name known and have my picture in the paper,” Quackenbush said. “They inspired me to work hard and become the athlete that I had admired all those years growing up.” Quackenbush attended Hoosick Falls Central. In high school Quckenbush learned to embrace the attention. She realized early on that hard work and dedication is what it takes to become successful. Making it to the finals and winning the championship this year is her main focus. Photo by Kayla Degnan/The Beacon “Our expectations this year are to get back to where we were last year,” Quackenbush Quackenbush ‘s 75 strikeouts this season are the 14th most in the nation at the Division III said. Quakenbush has been a great addition to level. the team. Not only does she produce results New York runner up twice, a 4-time Wasaren on the field, but off the field she is just great to League MVP, second all-time in strikeouts in be around, according to Coach Mike Ameen. New York, and has a total of 1,509 strikeouts “Rachel has been great for us. She is an exin her high school career. cellent teammate and her performance on the When asked why she chose to attend Masfield speaks for herself. She has a tremendous sachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) resume,” Ameen said. she responded, “I was previously at Siena ColQuackenbush, from Hoosick Falls, N.Y., has lege on a full scholarship but did not finish the a few accomplishments that have gotten her to whole year there and transferred to MCLA in where she is today. Her stat line is incompathe spring of 2013. I chose this school because rable, and the dominance with which she perit was closer to home for me since I commute formed in high school shows that hard work to campus, also it is a small school and very has paid off. In 2009 and 2011, she was selectconvenient for me.” ed as Section 2 All-Star in New York, was the Quackenbush took an interest in softball
at the age of 10. From traveling around New York with different teams and receiving offensive awards for her pitching performances, her success as a child carried through her high school and college career. Influenced by her family, Quackenbush is grateful for such a great support system. “My biggest influences have definitely been my family because they have always been there for me and supported the decisions I’ve made leading up to all my success. It took a lot of hard work, time and dedication,” Quackenbush said. “I also had a lot of support from my family, especially financially because my parents paid for all the hotels, gas and tournaments to allow me to experience a variety of competition levels. My parents also would spend countless hours taking me to pitching lessons and playing catch in our backyard.” With the success she has had and will continue to have throughout her softball career, Quackenbush just enjoys the game itself and the company of her teammates. The bond with her teammates will continue into long lasting friendships. For Quackenbush, softball carries many life lessons to take away from the field. “The many things that I enjoy most about playing softball are the atmosphere of it all. Everyone is caring and yet so competitive. Playing softball I have created many lasting friendships,” Quackenbush said. “Softball has also taught me many life lessons like not to ever give up and that hard work along with dedication will pay off in the long run. All of this also applies to my experience here at MCLA, because everyone on this team is close and we have good chemistry among the team creating a great atmosphere.” The Trailblazers will play a double-header Saturday, March 29 against Worester State University at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. They will have another double-header, Sunday, against Skidmore College at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Sports
Coming up big at short Shortstop Michael Sullivan uses work ethic to lead MCLA. By Kaleigh Anderson Sports Writer
Michael Sullivan has worked hard to become a force to be reckoned with in the MASCAC conference. Pegged as one of MCLA’s top players this season, Michael has played baseball for 15 years, starting his career at age 6 in Wareham, Mass. Currently playing shortstop and pitching for the Trailblazers, he is considered a valuable player on the field this season. “I started in little league, then went to Babe Ruth; I was playing in the little league and Babe Ruth all-stars almost every summer until I hit high school,” Michael said. He played for Wareham high school and the Wareham legion baseball team and began his college career at Massasoit Community College before transferring to MCLA for his sophomore year. “I would say the greatest achievement in my baseball career so far would have to be holding the stolen base record at my high school,” he said. After returning from his first spring train-
“These guys are like family to me now. The team chemistry is like something I have never experienced.” ing trip with MCLA, Michael faced a few setbacks, including tearing his ACL, an injury which required surgical treatment. He fought
back, and after being red shirted for his first season as a Trailblazer, was able to recover and start practicing again with the team in the winter. This struggle helped him realize the potential that he had as an individual player, as well as what he could bring to the team with his return. “These guys are like family to me now,” he said. “The team chemistry we have is like something that I have never experienced.” Currently Michael looks to improve both his individual skills and the team’s skills this season. After a successful trip to Florida to start off his senior year, Photo by Kayla Degnan/The Beacon Michael has high hopes for conference play. The Sullivan is third on the team in hitting, second in runs batTrailblazers left Florida ted in, and tied for the team lead in stolen bases. He has only with a starting record struck out twice despite also leading the team in plate appearof 2-6, but still have a ances. lot of time left to turn ing to build off of that,” he said. “I think I am things around in regular season play. part of a great baseball team, and I know all of “The Florida trip is spring training; we go my teammates want to win just as badly as I down there to work on the little things we lack do. The last two years that I have been here we as a team. This trip we found out a couple of have struggled, but I believe this is going to be things we need to improve on and we are go- the year our program turns around.”
SAAC hosts roundtable discussion on student-athlete achievement By Jesse Collings
Sports Editor Former MCLA student-athletes met with current student-athletes on Sunday to discuss the way studentathletes can use what they learned as atheltes, and apply it to the working world after graduation. The second annual alumni round table panel discussion took place at the Feigenbaum Science Center. The event was attended by alumni from a wide array of sports that led to a wide array of careers. In attendance were Camilo Bermundez (Class of 2008) a men’s soccer player and education major, who now works as a high school teacher and coach. Also attending were former men’s basketball player Mike Callahan (‘09) a business major now working in the administration office Photo from MCLA Athletics for a collegiate atheltic program, and Former MCLA student-athletes met with current student-athletes to discuss pathways to sucKris McLaughlin, (‘11) also a former cess after graduating. men’s basketball player who majored in sociology and is now employed as a journey from MCLA into the real world workstudent athletes to relate to their current correctional officer. force,” Athletics Department adminstrator MCLA experience & see what the real world Former women’s basketball player Lucy Kaylyn Smith said. can offer our students post MCLA,” Smith Tremblay (‘13) a business major now workThe event was hosted by the Student Athlete said. ing as an assistant women’s basketball coach Advisory Committe and each alumini had a In addition to the group speeches, alumni at Bard College and business major and golf chance to speak in front of current student- also got a chance to work individually with team member Simon Zelazo (‘08), now work- athletes and disccuss the various details of current student-athletes in more personal ing as a lead software developer, rounded out joining the workforce. one-on-one sessions. The wide range of sports the group. “Each alumni spoke of resume & interview and employment that the alumni were in“This event gave current MCLA student ath- building, networking, professional develop- volved in gave each student-athlete the chance letes the opportunity to engage, connect & ment & real life examples to allow our current to find an alumnus that was relatable to them. network with our athletic alums about their
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9
Scores Baseball March 21st, 2014 Clark 9, MCLA 5
Schedules Saturday, March 29th Softball MCLA @ Worcester State 12 PM MCLA @ Worcester State 2 PM Baseball MCLA @ Worcester State 12 PM MCLA @ Worcester State 2:30 PM Tennis MCLA @ Green Mountain 1 PM Sunday, March 30th Softball MCLA vs Skidmore 1 PM MCLA vs Skidmore 3 PM Tennis MCLA vs Johnson State 1 PM Tuesday April 1st, Softball MCLA @ Bay Path 3:30 PM MCLA @ Bay Path 5:30 PM Baseball MCLA vs Southern Vermont 3:30 PM Thursday, April 3rd Softball MCLA @ Southern Vermont 3:30 PM MCLA @ Southern Vermont 5:30 PM Baseball MCLA vs Skidmore 4 PM Saturday, April 5th Softball MCLA @ Salem State 1 PM MCLA @ Salem State 3 PM Baseball MCLA @ Salem State 1 PM MCLA @ Salem State 3:30 PM
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Opinion
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Beacon.MCLA.edu
“What do you think of North Adams Regional Hospital closing its doors this Friday?” “It’s not good for the North Adams community because so many jobs will be lost.”
“I think it’s extremely devastating, it’s going to affect so many families in the city.”
—Zoe Schwartz, 2015
—Ramon Viches, 2014
The Beacon 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. Editorials Policy Unsigned editorials that appear on these pages reflect the views of The Beacon’s editorial board.
“It will be a sad, sad day, one that’s going to live on in infamy.”
“I think it’s absolutely terrible, there’s already too many crazy people running around that need medical help.”
—Phil McInerney, 2014
—Ally Fanning, 2015
“I think it’s awful, it’s a terrible thing for students.”
“One of my friends has an outstanding hospital bill. I blame him.”
—Michael Obasohan, Student Development
—Chris Tate, 2014
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. Letters must be signed by the writer and include a phone number. Letters may be dropped off at the office or e-mailed to Beacon@mcla.edu. Contributions Policy The Beacon accepts stories, photos, and opinion pieces for publication. Submissions should be dropped off at the office by Monday at noon or e-mailed to Beacon@mcla.edu. Advertising Policy The Beacon reserves the right not to publish any advertisement it deems to be libelous, false. or in bad taste.
Editorial Board
Photos compiled by Richard LaRocque
Letter to the Editor
Frustrating wait for Steinem lecture
I would like to express my concern about the reputation of MCLA when it concerns invitations to community events. As you probably have heard, there was an exceptionally long wait for entrance into the Gloria Steinem presentation. I arrived 40 minutes before the event was to begin and waited way too long before the doors were open. Why couldn’t the audience have been allowed to enter the building even if the lights or sound or whatever was completely ready? Better to let people suffer through a sound check than stand in
Under the bodhi tree
Worry and stress: tough it out, or accept it? By Gabriel Kogel Senior News Editor
If you’re anything like me, it’s this stretch of the semester when pressure begins to rise and worry becomes an unwelcome companion. When I worry, I often think
such bitter cold. I would like to suggest MCLA institute some kind of ticketing procedure to allow people to obtain tickets before an event, which works very well at events at Williams College (even free ones.) Or have these events at a bigger venue so that so many people are not disappointed (and angered) to be turned away. Kay Canavino Adams, Mass.
about the old expression: “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I’ve always wanted to be tough, but I’m starting to realize nobody really is, instead, we’re just faking it convincingly. There’s a strain of thought that says feeling pressure and worry is a sign of weakness. Instead of contacting our feelings, we’re’ told to tough it out, or keep busy. Basically, stay one step ahead of what’s worrying us. The problem here, is we’re ignoring the message our feelings are trying to tell us. Consider the feelings that come with doing cardio. Whether running, biking or using an elliptical trainer, the feelings involved can be downright uncomfortable. Indeed, we speak of this form of exercise as endurance training. Endurance, or having to endure something painful, is usually reserved for experiences in our lives we’d avoid if possible. It’s normal to withdraw from our bodies dur-
Editor-in-Chief Nick Arena
The Beacon welcomes all letters to the editor.
Let us know your thoughts and concerns about campus and community events. Please include name and location. No anonymous submissions will be printed.
ing uncomfortable moments in life, while we cling to pleasurable moments, hoping they would last longer. For a long time, I’d ignore the achiness of certain muscles when I ran. I’d go somewhere else mentally, perhaps thinking of taking a hot bath later as a reward for enduring the discomfort. Over time, I came to understand endurance doesn’t require suffering. While in the past I’d pull away from uncomfortable sensations, now I focus on the achyness with all my attention. The sensations might begin as a dull ache, while beneath that there’s tightness, or heat and tingling. After truly feeling the sensations, they unravel into much more manageable parts. If we pull away, however, we perceive them as a foreboding, knotted mass of pain. The same holds true for worry and stress. We instinctively think pulling away from these feelings is the way to handle them, yet
they only return with more intensity. Just like the achiness of physical training, the only way to reduce the power of uncomfortable sensations is to fully feel them. Does the worry make your heart feel heavy? Does the stress create tightness in your chest or stomach? What is asking for your attention? The next step is to listen to what your feelings are telling you. Are you afraid of failing, or letting others down? Thoughts don’t represent the truth, they come and go like all temporary things. Try to be thankful and forgiving, even toward negative thoughts and feelings. I find it useful to put my hand on my heart and accept what comes, just as it is. When worry and stress arise, rather than rejecting the feelings or escaping by doing something, stay with the feelings in your body as long as you can. In time, you may find your perceptions of these feelings change. Namaste.
Sports Editor Jesse Collings
Managing Editor Jess Gamari Photography Editor
A&E Editor Shannen Adamites
Kayla Degnan Web Editor Michael Dahlroth
Copy Chief Avery Finnivan Advertising Manager Darcie Sosa
Senior News Editor Gabriel Kogel
Staff Staff Writers Kaleigh Anderson Rachel Fitterman
James Hunter Marc Latour Chunyu “Judy” Leng Kelsey Marini Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Alexander Moore Jenna O’Connor
Photographers Nathan Buchanan Richard LaRocque Amy Modesti Andrew Ricketts
Design Team
Shannen Adamites* Nick Arena* Jess Gamari* Raanan Sarid-Segal Nicole Ngoon Nick Swanson Copy Editors Yvonne Camacho Rominda DeBarros Nicole L’Etoile
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Online at: Beacon.MCLA.edu Facebook.com/MCLABeacon Twitter.com/MCLA_Beacon
Opinion & Announcements
Thursday, March 27, 2014
NASA astronauts to perform tonight National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts Catherine “Cady” Coleman, Ph.D., and Daniel C. Burbank will combine a musical performance with a presentation on living and working in space at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ (MCLA) Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation on Thursday, March 27, at 5:30 p.m. This Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) event, “STEAM: A Space Odyssey,” is free and open to the public. In addition to being astronauts with NASA, Coleman, a flutist who received an honorary Doctor of Science from MCLA in 2004, and Burbank, a guitarist, are amateur musicians who share their talents with various astronautrelated, musical groups. They have performed across the United States to inspire students through their music. After their musical performance, Coleman and Burbank will give a presentation, to be followed by a question and answer session. This presentation is made possible by Bryan McKay – the parent of an MCLA student – and One Giant Leap, a non-profit organization devoted to help students
learn about space exploration and encourage them to pursue their studies in science and math. One Giant Leap also aims to educate the public about space exploration. “This will be an exciting event,” said Monica Joslin, dean of academic affairs at MCLA. “Cady Coleman and Dan Burbank will be an inspiration to our students. We are grateful to Bryan McKay of ‘One Giant Leap’ for bringing them to campus.” Coleman has logged more than 4,330 hours in space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia and the International Space Station. She coached “Gravity” star Sandra Bullock during Expedition 27 on the Space Station about what it’s like to live in space, to help the actor prepare for her role in the film. Coleman’s Space Shuttle training includes serving as a mission specialist on STS-73. She trained as a backup mission specialist for an injured crewmember on STS83, and was the lead mission specialist on STS-93 for the deployment of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. On the Space Station, Coleman acted as the backup U.S. crewmember for Expeditions 19, 20 and 21 and served as a backup crewmember for Expeditions 24
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Bigger than biceps
Too quick to quit By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Staff Writer
The term “willpower” can mean anything. To me, it iss the ability to keep going and refusing to quit. It is your energetic determination, and if there’s one important characteristic to have, it is willpower. Unfortunately, willpower goes hand-in-hand with the desire to quit. During a really hard workout, the two constantly bump heads. I find it easier to push the quitting idea out of my head and finish up a workout with full energy and strength. If you are voluntarily attending a group exercise class at a gym, then you are there for a reason, which is to better yourself. The second you stop because you are tired, you are giving up on yourself. Stopping for a medical or injury-related reason is understandable. But if the idea of quitting enters your mind, exercising or not, remember why you are doing it. If it’s worth it, then fight for it. There really is only one way to avoid quitting during a workout: push through it. I wish there was
a way around it, but there isn’t. Some people assume that eating healthy for a few days will make them lose weight overnight, which isn’t the case. The mind and body have to be on the same track, and it takes time. It may seem harder to keep to a routine in college, but it’s not hard to find inspiration. There are blogs and Instagram and Twitter accounts focused on motivating people to stay healthy and active. I never really cared about these platforms until I started working out myself. Students are constantly on the Internet and smart phones anyway, so why not use those to provide yourself with useful tips? The more consistently it enters your mind, the easier it will be to maitain a healthy lifestyle. Technological platforms can provide healthy recipes for pre and post-workout snacks and meals, as well as delicious, nonguilty desserts. When searching for information, use keyword tags on Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter, where hundreds of these accounts can be found. It’s important to note that this is for willpower and inspirational purposes, not to get obsessed over healthy eating and working out. Your body needs fuel and food as much as it needs physical activity, so never overwork it, and remember to rest when needed. Exercise of the week: Reverse plank tap – Lie on your back with arms and hands under your shoulders and push up into a reverse plank position. Your body should be a straight slope from head to toe. Your feet are straight out and up on your heels. With triceps and core engaged, tap each foot out to each side and back in, alternating. Do this three to five times, for thirty seconds, for a good, high-intensity cardio move.
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Check it out! Upcoming events on and off campus!
Today, March 27 One of Us Murdock Conference Reception Room 218 7 -9 p.m. MCLA Puppet Fest! Who’s Hungry? Venable Gym 8-midnight LGBTQ Health Awareness Amsler Campus Center Marketplace 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Green Living Seminar Murdock Conference Reception Room 218 4:30 -6:30 p.m. The Write Stuff Amsler Campus Center Sullivan Lounge 3-5 p.m. Gallery 51: Exchange 5 p.m. MCLA’S Advanced Museum Studies students curated a visual art exhibition exploring exchange. Community Day of Service Amsler Campus Center Marketplace 1-7 p.m.
Friday, March 28
Relay for Life Amsler Campus Center Gym 7 p.m. -7 a.m. Human Trafficking Murdock Conference Reception Room 218 6:45 -9 p.m. Community Day of Service Campus Center Marketplace 1-7 p.m. Art Sale Campus Center Marketplace 9 a.m.- 6 a.m.
Saturday March 29
SAC Spring Concert Release Party Campus Center Marketplace 6- 7 p.m. MCLA Puppet Fest! Who’s Hungry? Church Street Center Auditorium 6:30 -8:30 p.m. NBA 2K14 Tournament Amsler Campus Center Sullivan Lounge 2 -6 p.m.
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Photo Essay
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Beacon.MCLA.edu
From left: Conner Noblit, Jimmy Dunn, Brittney Gerber, Emily Hebert, and Victoria Fernandez start an enthusiastic kickline in the opening number.
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Come on down to
Avenue Q! Photos by Shannen Adamites
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Above: Trekkie Monster (Joshua Lapierre) cannot handle the amount of hotness in the comedy club when Lucy appears. Below: The homeless Nicky (Callen Gardener) tries to convince Princeton (Jimmy Dunn) to donate to him. Patrons participated in “The Money Song” by donating their spare change, which benefited Barrington Stage Company’s KidsAct.
Courtney McLaren plays “Lucy the Slut,” Avenue Q’s superstar temptress.