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Volume 81 ◆ Issue 4
Th u r s d ay, O c t o b e r 8 , 2 0 1 5
Annual Clery report published By Torin Gannon Staff Writer
As per federal law, MCLA has published the annual Clery Report. This report outlines Campus safety and security procedures and crime statistics. Students should have received the report in their student e-mail on October 1st. The report contains detailed sections regarding on-campus security, as well as outlining their drug, alcohol, and sexual assault policies. These sections also offer resources students can use to find more information or seek assistance. In regards to keeping the campus safe, the role of community members is always emphasized, and it those who are victims of or witnesses to crimes are encouraged to report what they’ve seen. After these sections, the report
contains tables documenting crime statistics. For 2014, the most prolific crime on campus was burglary, with four reported cases. This is a good deal lower than previous years, with eight reported cases in 2013, and twelve cases in 2012. The report indicates that in 2014, there were no crimes reported in non-campus buildings. There were also no criminal offenses taking place on public property. There were also no hate offenses reported. On-campus arrests are up from the past two years. There were four arrests in total, one for illegal weapons possession, one for drug law violations, and two for liquor law violations. In the previous two years, there were no arrests on campus. There was a total of 59 disciplinary actions/judicial referrals in 2014. Of those, 19 were for drug law violations and
40 for liquor law violations. This is down from previous years, with 87 in 2013, and 234 in 2012. For each of those years, liquor law violations make up the majority of disciplinary actions. There were no arrests or disciplinary actions reported for non-campus buildings. This is consistent with the previous two years. Following the crime statistics, the fire safety report is given. This goes over the schools fire safety policies and procedures. Evacuation plans for the residence areas are given, as well as fire prevention tips. Fire statistics are also provided. Only one fire occurred on campus last year, which happened in the townhouses and was caused by cooking. For the full report, either check your student email, or go to http:// www.mcla.edu/Student_Life/ publicsafety/clery-report/index
Parading u p s
Jeff Speck urges North Adams to be more “walkable” Speck believes a city layout has a direct impact on the community By Idalis Foster
standard for city streets which are 30 miles per hour on average, and twelve foot lanes, the usual standard for highways which is Making North Adams more slowly becoming the width of city walkable was the topic of Jeff streets. Speck accredited this ever Speck’s lecture about his ideas growing lane width to the speed of from “Walkable City.” The author cars increasing and the sidewalks gave a lecture Thursday, Oct 1st in along those streets the Church Street Center shrinking. which directly addressed With River Street, some of the issues with Speck pointed out the current walkability of that there used to be a the downtown area. parallel parking lane, Speck’s book was the but now the lanes first-year reading for are both as wide as freshmen this summer, the Mass Pike lanes, and as with authors from making walking past years, he was invited along that sidewalk to give a lecture on the “harrowing.” book. However, he chose “With just paint not to speak about the and a ten foot book, assuming most of standard instead of a the audience had read it, but instead focused on the Photo by Tiearra Henson/The Beacon twelve foot standard, or whatever the city of North Adams. Author Jeff Speck met with students at a Q&A standard is now, “I was going to give session before his lecture on Thursday. you’d have a much the same talk I gave at Williams last night, but I actually restriping the roads can slow safer downtown,” Speck said. He also suggested bike lanes had some time to walk around traffic down and create a safer that connect the college to the North Adams today,” Speck said. walk for citizens. “One study has suggested downtown area with parallel “I realized that I could give a more helpful talk than the one I that increased lane widths are parking to separate the bike lanes responsible for about 980 deaths from the driving lanes so that originally planned to give.” Speck broke down the talk into per year,” said Speck. “So my bikers feel safer. Speck referenced four criteria for a city to become question is how long do we have a street in New York City which did so and found that bicycling more walkable: it must be useful, to keep doing this?” He broke down the difference tripled and the traffic moved at a safe, comfortable, and interesting. Through these sections, he between ten foot lanes, the safer speed. Senior News Editor
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proposed ways to achieve these things and thus motivate more people to walk around as opposed to always having to drive. Specifically, Speck used the examples of River Street and Holden Street in the downtown area when speaking on how just
News
Photos by Isabel McKenzie/The Beacon
Two big dogs dresssed in banana costumes (top) strut their stuff at the annual dog parade Saturday. On the bottom, two pugs dressed at Micky and Minnie Mouse take part in the parade as well.
Students ask about Speck’s writing strategies By Nick Swanson Co-Editor-in-Chief
Jeff Speck, author of “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time,” explained the writing strategies used in his book during his talk at a lecture and Q&A session in Church Street Center and Murdock Hall last Thursday. Despite the many questions students and faculty members asked, the discussion was shaped around Speck’s experience with constructing his book, TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) talks he gave, and advice toward writers. “What was your favorite part about writing the book?” Jordan
Arts & Entertainment
Sports
Students take preventative measures against bed bugs
Campus radio station enhances students’ skills
Volleyball team’s streak comes to an end
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Darling asked. “When others ask me if I enjoy writing, I often say I enjoy having written,” Speck said. “Writing can be painful and sometimes exhausting but I always end up taking much pleasure from writing; when it goes well.” He said a technique frequently used while writing “Walkable City” was to read aloud to his wife each night to ensure a sense of rhythm was applied to his writing. It wasn’t the day-to-day writing that was his favorite, but the end of the day reciting is what he looked forward to, Speck said. “After applying these complex writing strategies using separate SPECK Q&A continued on page 2
News Features Arts & Entertainment Sports Campus Comment Local Events Photo Essay
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Campus News
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Athletics seeks to establish GPA requirement
Week of 9/27-10/03 Public Safety responded to 132 total calls Sunday, September 27
◆ 4:52 p.m. – Public Safety
responded to a medical call at Berkshire Towers. The individual was transported to the hospital for further medical care.
Monday, September 28
◆ 1:59 p.m. – Public Safety
responded to a call concerning a potential domestic disturbance at the Flagg Townhouses. No further action was required.
Tuesday, September 29
◆ 1:29 a.m. – Public Safety
responded to call regarding suspicious activity at 100 Porter Street. The building was checked and secured.
◆ 1:16 p.m. – Public Safety responded to call in order to jumpstart a vehicle on Church Street. The officer completed the call successfully.
Wednesday, September 30 ◆ 3:30 p.m. – Public Safety responded to a call regarding larceny/forgery/fraud in the Amsler Campus Center. A specific report was filed.
Thursday, October 1
◆ 11:01 a.m. – Public Safety responded to call regarding a possible harassment near Berkshire Towers. A specific report was filed.
By: Harmony Birch Managing Editor
The SGA discussed endeavors initiating new space for clubs and organizations, increased GPAs, and to better the acceptance rate for high school students. Club space at Press Gallery idea dismissed Celia Norcross was supposed to attend the Student Government Association (SGA) meeting Monday night to talk about possibly renting Press Gallery space for club use. The college is no longer interested in the Press Gallery space, leaving Norcross no longer involved. “That does not mean we will not continue looking for spaces off campus,” SGA President Alexandra Kadell said.
Athletics aims for students to have a higher GPA The new director of athletics, Laura Mooney, intends for athletics to collaborate more with other departments to raise the GPA of student athletes. Mooney, who came to the College in early April, used to be the associate director for administration at State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime. As an undergrad, she attended SUNY Potsdam. “I was a former two sport athlete at a division three liberal arts college,” Mooney said. Her vision is for all student athletes to reach a 3.0 GPA. It’s not a requirement; however, student athletes currently have no minimum. Mooney intends to add a 2.0 requirement for next year. “Typically at most college’s athletes have a higher GPA than the rest of the population,” Mooney said, “We do not currently have that.” ASA donation approved A request made by the African Student Association last meeting called for a $150 donation from SGA so that the club could hold a potluck fundraiser for food for their African Night event that
SPECK Q&A continued from page 1 indexes, footnotes, endnotes; what was the benefit in the outcome?” English/ Communications professor Jennifer Augur asked. The use of two indexes, a normal and a geographical index, made it easier for a reader to locate in the book exactly where they are interested in learning about or where they are from, according to Speck. He said footnotes and endnotes were used strategically to separate the important information in the footnotes and then direct citations equipped into the endnotes; this contributed to the clarity of each page. At first, there was a lack of first person in the book but Speck’s agent suggested adding more personal experiences and family interests. “I found it really made the book well done because when you start to tell things from your own perspective it eventually allows the reader to relate more to the writer,” he said. “How do you deal with getting stuck while
would be held in the spring. The motion passed with three against, four in favor, and three abstentions. The $150 will go toward utensils, paper plates, and food. The fundraiser will feature African dishes and is open to the campus. POD prices decrease Prices in the POD convenience store have gone down, according to Kadell. She spoke on behalf of the food committee, who works with Aramark to represent student’s interests. The prices decreased because of a student survey Aramark had received giving them critical feedback about food prices. Aramark is attempting to bring more student interaction to the cafeteria. The company is campaigning for students to write down suggested recipes to serve during meal times. Kadell emphasized the importance of filling out online surveys to give Aramark feedback. Higher education committee proposes new bills Student Trustee Nicholas Hernigle met with Senator Eileen Donoghue, the vice chair on the Mass. higher edducation
you are writing?” Political Science professor James Taylor asked. When writing about a topic that comes to a point where there’s nothing left to say, Speck said he simply ends it. “When I write something I re-read the last two sentences I wrote over and over again,” he added. Speck claims this strategy works well because it enables him to know when a topic is finished. On a normal day when constructing “Walkable City,” Speck wrote from 9a.m. in the morning until about lunch time. “That’s all the [writing] time I can handle and it’s always important to keep yourself occupied [elsewhere].” Speck also spoke about his TED talk experience. “It’s either your best talk ever or you might freak out,” he said. He made more money from performing a free TED talk than almost any other job he has completed, Speck added. He said preparation before the talk was filmed is intimidating and because production
Committee. The Higher Education Committee will propose new bills that deal with: •tax incentives to hire new graduates •shortening degree times through increased acceptance of community college credit •creating financial aid courses in high school •requiring financial aid packages to be uniform and to explain and specify grants, loans, and scholarships •tax incentives for saving for college •putting caps on fee increases in state schools •reforming the John & Abigail Adams scholarship to increase funds •encouraging public loan forgiveness in lower wage careers The Board of Higher Education is attempting to make online courses uniform across the state to allow one professor to teach one online course for credits to transfer over to other colleges, according to Hernigle.
values are held high, which made it nerveracking. Between Speck’s two TED talks he has a combined total of over 888,000 views. Similar to preparing an actor, Speck was brought into a greenroom with fruit, coffee, and other amenities before the production team coached him. He also was expected to write a script and rehearse it via Skype weeks prior to the talk. “The main advice I give to people is that all things matter, the circumstances you are born into and the walk that you get moving through life matters,” he said. “But none of that matters near as much as falling in love with something that you love to do.” He said one could watch thousands of TED talks but in the twenty minutes you are just skimming the surface. “Watch the TED talks to see what interests you then you can dive deep into the subject matter. The more you are aware, the more experiences you have, the more you engage and try, you’re going to fall in love with something and if you don’t keep looking.
Weekend Weather
Friday, October 2
◆ 2:30 p.m. – Public Safety responded to a call in order to jumpstart a vehicle on Blakinton Street. The call was completed successfully.
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Thursday, October 8
Friday, October 9
Saturday, October 10
Sunday, October 11
Sunny High: 61° Low: 41° Precip. Chance: 10%
Scattered Showers High: 63° Low: 39° Precip. Chance: 90%
Partly Cloudy High: 55° Low: 35° Precip. Chance: 10%
Mostly Sunny High: 61° Low: 40° Precip. Chance: 0%
Saturday, October 3
◆ 1:26 a.m. – Public Safety responded to a potential alcohol offense at Hoosac Hall. No further action was required.
◆ 8:09 p.m. – Public Safety responded to a call regarding lost property on the MCLA campus. A specific report was filed. Lost and found is located at the Campus Safety office located at 277 Ashland Street.
Campus News
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Bed bug problem in Hoosac resolved By Torin Gannon Staff Writer
Sophomore Kaleigh Hayes was quite shocked to wake up with a series of painful red bites on her back. After some research, she started to suspect that these were from bed bugs. Hayes approached Hoosac Hall Residence Director Griffin Labbance about the issue. Labbance attempted to find evidence of the bugs, but turned up no results. Hayes eventually found one of the pests in her mattress protector. “I felt really gross. I didn’t want to be in my room at all,” Hayes said. Unfortunately for Hayes, she made this discovery in the midst of the BT evacuation, and was not able to see a maintainer until the following Monday. That Saturday night, she recounts having to sleep on a friend’s floor, there being nowhere else for her to go. Eventually help did arrive, an exterminator came to kill off the pests, and Hayes was given a new mattress. Dianne Manning, director of Residential Programs and Services, believes this was an isolated and uncommon occurrence. “Maybe over the past eight years or
so we’ve had four or five cases, and they’ve all been isolated to a particular room or space,” Manning said. Manning expressed confidence that the College’s methods are sufficient in getting rid of bed bugs. She said when a student reports seeing bed bugs, the school’s first action is to find evidence of them, as bed bugs can be confused for other insects like fleas. Once evidence is found, maintenance brings in an exterminator to eliminate the problem, and afterwards the room is monitored to ensure a successful extermination. “We’ve never had a situation where anything spread outside an individual room,” Manning said. Manning urged students to be aware of where they’ve been and of who’s been in their room, when it comes to taking preventative measures against bed bugs. “Bed bugs don’t exist in a space, they are brought in,” Manning said. She also said that if students believe they may have bed bugs, they should immediately report to their RD, who will report to her. When that happens, the situation can be handled quickly. According to Livescience.com, the common bed bugs are small, brown, and feed off of human blood. They
cannot fly or jump, so crawling is Bed Bug tips their only form of transportation. •Bed bugs leave molted skin and eggs in bedding. This is They do, however, like to hitch the best evidence to prove you have them. rides on people’s clothing and bags. •If you think you have them, do not move belongings to They also like to hide in furniture, another room. This can spread the bugs. particularly beds. •If you do have them, you will need to wash your bedding, Students should be relieved to and potentially your clothes in hot water. If some clothes know that bed bugs are not known cannot be washed, put them in the dryer. to spread or carry disease, and •Bed bugs do not care if your room is clean or dirty, they other than the uncomfortable bites will not discriminate based on how you keep the area. they leave, they pose no real health •If you have bites but find no sign of bed bugs, go to threat. The bites come from a sharp health services, as something else may be causing this. proboscis that they use to feed on blood. They are attracted to warmth, moisture, and the carbon dioxide that humans exhale. These bites can be mistaken for other types of bites, and not everyone gets the allergic reaction from the bites, leaving them with no distinct evidence. If you believe you may have bed bugs in your room, whether you are getting bites or have seen physical evidence, immediately report it to Photo from Iberkshires.com your RD. Interim Public Safety Director Daniel Colonno presented
Canvas redesign pleases students By Joseph Carew Staff Writer
Canvas has changed dramatically since the end of the spring 2015 semester. Having gone through eight upgrade cycles between then and now, there have been many alterations to the College’s preferred learning management system (LMS). “Year-round, canvas upgrades every three weeks,” Gerol Petruzella, philosophy professor and assistant director of academic technology said, “Once spring 2015 ended mid-May, that was the season for big changes.” The list of upgrades and alterations is quite lengthy, but the most noticeable of these differences is the redesigned look of Canvas. “It looks spiffier, but really there were two functional reasons they did this,” Petruzella said. “Reason number one was consistency and mobile friendliness. Reason number two is responsive design.” The creators of Canvas were focused on having the website and app share similar designs, increasing the functionality of the app and allowing the website to change with the size of the window you have it opened in. “I like it,” sophomore Samantha Smith said. “The changes are nice. It’s more organized.” Some of the highlights to this comprehensive change include new polling features for live web conferences, the ability for students to “like” posts and comments on canvas, and a new global “download submissions” option. The latter allows for any student to retrieve all the work they have ever submitted on canvas. “As a student you now can just
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go into your settings and say ‘Canvas, give me everything I’ve ever submitted,’” Petruzella said. “So this is a way for you to keep hold of the things you’ve written.” Also, in the interest of students, professors now have the ability to excuse students from participating in specific assignments. For the educators using this system, a “mark as done” option has been added to the Modules tab. This allows the professor to limit the amount of assignments seen by students and prevent anyone from ignoring Photo from canvas.instructure.com previous assignments. The learning management system Canvas “There is a way a underwent design changes since last faculty member can set semester. up modules to make learning content, consolidate it so that there are prerequisites,” training initiatives on scalable Petruzella explained. “You have to web-based platform, support do this thing before you can move portability and standards, allow to the next [one].” personalization of content, As mentioned before, Canvas and enable knowledge reuse, is categorized as a Learning according to Ryan Ellise’s Field Management System (LMS). This Guide to Learning Management title, in its more basic form, means Systems. this is a software application Instructure Incorporated, the that automates administration, company behind Canvas, was tracking, and reporting of training founded in 2008 and established events. Canvas formally in 2011. Josh Basically, this system should Coates is the current Chief assist educators and businesses in Executive Officer of Instructure. understanding how the students, To date, Instructure has for the former, and associates, connected millions of teachers for the latter, are operating, how and learners at more than 1,400 they are doing, and if they require educational institutions and assistance. corporations throughout the More complexly, LMS systems world, according to softwaredev. should centralize administration, itbusinessnet.com. use self-service and self-guided services, assemble and deliver
former director Joe Charon with a badge when he retired over the summer.
Interim Public Safety Director Colonno takes over for Charon Former police officer looks for a new experience rather than a retirement job By Joseph Carew Staff Writer
Daniel J. Colonno, interim director of Public Safety, has spent 34 years as a police officer and looks forward to future years here at MCLA. Born and raised in Albany, N.Y., Colonno began life as a graphic designer, but through the influence of a mentor, looked to law enforcement as a career. While printing in his youth, Colonno met a gentleman who was a retired chief of detectives. It was from this friendship that Colonno was inspired to seek a future in police work. “He would talk about police work and…” He paused. “It sounded magical, it really did.” Once Colonno turned 21, there was no looking back. But with his home city in the midst of a hiring freeze, his dream job had to be put off for some time. He found work in his field that allowed him to establish himself as a professional in smaller towns within his state. “I went to work for Lake George. I was there for three years and went to the police academy,” Colonno said. “I went to work for another small village closer to my house for three years, and then when Albany lifted its hiring freeze in 1987, I went to work [there] in 1988.” Once Colonno had the chance to work for the Albany Police, he took it, holding that career for 24 years. From serving as a senior police training instructor
to working for New York State’s division of Homeland Security, Colonno had a lengthy history with law enforcement before joining MCLA. “I believed that there was life after,” said Colonno. “I figured it was time for a second career.” Having become accustomed to working with colleges in Albany and having seen a position opening for lieutenant at MCLA, the interim director applied with his intentions upfront. “I wanted it to be clear that I wasn’t looking for what might be referred to as a cushy retirement job,” said Colonno. “I wanted to give the sum substance of my life experience and assimilate into the campus community here.” Interim Director Colonno has been a part of MCLA for over a year now, and outlined his policing philosophy and some of his aspirations for the department. “I am a believer in making yourself available; walking around, doing property checks, engaging the community,” Colonno said. “Make yourself available, be out there, be a part of the community because, really, we are.” His agenda includes issuing business cards for officers to hand out, having more college events checked up on by members of the department, and increasing lighting and safety on campus. “I had a lot of good role models along the way. Then I ended up living my life’s dream for 24 years,” said Colonno. “I’m very blessed. I have no complaints whatsoever.”
Campus News 4 Club dances overhauled Thursday, October 8, 2015
By Idalis Foster
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Bigger than biceps
Eat what you want to get lean
Senior News Editor After all of the recent altercations and off-campus assaults, the Department of Student Affairs has decided to change the policy on school dances, at least temporarily, to be less often and more collaborative across clubs and organizations. This past Friday, October 2, Celia Norcross, coordinator of student affairs, met with e-board members from a handful of clubs to discuss the new plan for school dances and get feedback. “We want you all to be excited about it,” Norcross said. “It needs all of you to be excited about it so that people come and have fun.” Clubs will now bid on the three dates for parties, collaborate to come up with a theme and provide money towards the overall cost. This is to combat the series of parties and put more resources into one party than putting all of the work on one club. Michael Obasahan, coordinator of the Campus Center and events management, and Jennifer Craig, coordinator of student activities, will be working with Norcross as the advisors to these parties and help the clubs involved in the party with planning. “One thing that I had mentioned to Michael is that we’d have criteria for these dances,” Norcross said. “First is that you have to use a DJ that is sourced through us because they come with the whole equipment, they know what we’re expecting from campus, and then that you would have to have food.” She encouraged clubs to still
By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Co-Editor in Chief
Photo by Osakpolo Igiede
Students dance in Venable Gym at Latin American Society’s Halloween Party last fall. hold their traditional events that they would have before the dances; instead of basing these events around having a dance afterwards, it was suggested to have the dinners and events separately. “We can’t continue to keep an environment that is unproductive and unsafe for you guys,” Norcross said. “I won’t have dances, I’m not afraid to say no to you, but I want to have an atmosphere where you can come and dance and be free. We just can’t go on working the events the same way they have been done.” Norcross then welcomed suggestions from the students in attendance of what they would like to see at the dances. The ideas included photo booths, a mocktail bar, strobe lights, a mechanical bull and a juke box. She stressed that with multiple clubs working the event it would work much more smoothly and give the e-board members of
these clubs enough time to enjoy the party that they got to plan. Obasohan asked the group about musical preferences to which everyone agreed that a variety of music would be best. The idea for a guest DJ was brought up but eventually was nixed as it was agreed that it would just complicate the process if there were multiple DJs. “There’s a saying that ‘Insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,’” senior Giovani Dulcio, president of the Black Student Union, said. “I feel like some things are traditions but we need to make new traditions and better traditions than before.” The launch to the new parties will be a Halloween party which is open to be bid on from any of the clubs. SAC has already shown interest in this date but more clubs are being waited on to co-sponsor and make contributions towards the planning and costs.
FINANCIAL AID ANNOUNCEMENTS Refunds will be occuring soon!! Check with the financial aid office and student accoutns in Eldridge Hall to make sure your requirements are complete!! **************************** Interested in studying abroad for a semester or going on the National Student Exchange within the USA. Start the process in career services in CSSE today! Financial Aid may help you pay for it! Register on FastWeb.com for a free scholarship search.
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Have you ever wanted to eat the whole batch of brownies? Or cold pizza for breakfast? Well now you can, by following ‘if it fits your macros,’ or IIFYM/flexible dieting. Except you can’t eat all the brownies, just some. Flexible dieting is based on the concept “calories in, calories out.” This means you won’t gain weight no matter what is consumed, as long as you don’t exceed your daily caloric intake, according to Muscle & Fitness. A typical clean eating lifestyle calls for five meals a day (eating every three hours) with a combination of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. These are considered macronutrients, which are nutrients that provide calories or energy, and these are the only three ingredients you should be reading on the nutrition label. However, watch the sodium (bad) and fiber (good). Flexible dieting is a matter of analyzing what you put in your mouth through calculations and selfcontrol. It may seem like an easy way out, but instead, you get out what you put in. You’re allowed freedom, but it requires dedication. I’m sure some college students don’t even think about following a diet because the café offers all
the wonderful things a diet tells you not to eat. A diet contains restrictions and an expensive grocery list that some can’t even attain because there’s only access to a mini-fridge. It also sets you up for failure from cutting out foods you love to enjoy. Some diets include clean eating during the week with a cheat day on the weekend, which also isn’t ideal because, coming from experience, a cheat day turns into a cheat weekend and then last week’s progress is wiped away. Flexible dieting allows you to incorporate nutrient dense foods that are clean, and save your carbs and fat for the junk. Searching #iifym on Instagram will plague you and make it seem like flexible dieting is too good to be true. However, many bodybuilders and powerlifting athletes use flexible dieting. Clean food is something you’ll find in nature, i.e. chicken, milk, carrots, apples, beans, salmon, etc. Foods under our own creation are considered bad because they are processed and filled with sugar that will turn into fat if not used for energy. What I found is that most athletes load up on tasty carbs before a heavy lifting workout for energy and recover with protein. In order to calculate how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat you need each day, it’s important to know that 1 gram of protein and 1 gram of carbs equals 4 calories, and 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories. To get a caloric intake number, Google an IIFYM calculator to measure your activity level, weight, body mass index, and goal. GET LEAN continued on page 11
Features
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Beacon.MCLA.edu
5
Enrollment remains at average Within the past three years, the number of incoming freshman has fluctuated lightly
By Gionna Nourse
as Saturday tour days, accepted students’ days and open houses,” Richardello added. According to Richardello, 33 percent of the incoming MCLA students come from Usually, the 7th floor of Hoosac is nearly a “diverse” background, 15 percent study full of freshmen, but this year it is not being abroad, and 94 percent are employed or in used for housing. However, it did come in graduate school one year after graduation. handy at the time of the Berkshire Towers In addition, 23 percent of incoming (BT) evacuation because the overflow of students received the academic merit students stayed in the vacant rooms. scholarship this year. About 20 students were housed there “Most of the scholarship recipients during the evacuation, which lasted two were contacts made through travelling nights for some, and three for others. admissions counselors,” Puc said. Once the last group of residents settled “Travel is certainly our best return on back into BT, the 7th floor of Hoosac was investment.” left deserted. Compared to last year, the Although the college’s admission college brought in about 50 less students counselors “blanket the Northeast”, this fall, but still remains at an average as Puc puts it, they meet students and level of enrollment. families from all states and end up The incoming freshman class this fall connecting with some great applicants. consisted of 450 students, which is about average for the college. Last year, the Photo from Degrees of Urgency/2014 Vision Project Annual Report One student came all the way from incoming class consisted of about 500 The above graph shows Massachusetts college enrollment rates in comparison the District of Columbia, while others came from various states including students, but numbers tend to fluctuate to national college enrollment rates. The lighter grey triangle represents the New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maine, from year to year. national average, and the darker grey represents the leading state percentage. Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, “[Enrollment] was a little soft this fall The dark line in the middle represents Massachusetts’ percentage. Florida, New York, and, of course, compared to last, however it was right at “Since 1970, the population in the us to fill seats in our classrooms, plus more Massachusetts. the level we were the year before,” Executive According to Richardello, one of the best Vice President Denise Richardello said. Berkshires has declined from 149,402 and more students are staying closer to “We have dips up and down, but we are in a to just 131,219 in 2010. In 50 years, the home, the average within a 100 mile radius ways to recruit students and their families population trends show the county would of their hometown.” is to put them in front of a faculty member highly competitive market.” Despite these challenges, the admissions in the department they wish to major in, let One of the demographics that is most be down to 80,695 if the decline continues,” highly tracked by college admissions according to an article on iBerkshires.com. team was able to recruit students from them experience the student resource fair, The article explains the Berkshire County all over the country and worked hard to and set them up with a student tour guide. counselors is the number of high school birth to death ratio, stating that “there ensure their placement at MCLA this year. “MCLA has that personal touch,” she said. graduates. “Our admissions counselors visit over 800 “I think students that are looking at MCLA “New England is one of the most are about 1,288 births per year but 1,519 competitive markets in the country, and people are dying per year, decreasing the high schools and colleges nationwide each want a little bit of a smaller campus feel, and want to be in an area that is naturally has seen one of largest population declines,” population by some 250 per year. Births fall,” Puc said. have been declining while deaths have been “Another thing the college does really well beautiful and has cultural attractions.” Director of Admission Gina Puc said. is offer visitation programs on campus, such Students from Massachusetts and New staying relatively stable.” Features Editor
York make up about 75 percent of MCLA’s college population, and both states are currently suffering from a population decline. “Massachusetts will see an 8 percent decline by 2022, and New York will actually see a 10 percent decline,” Puc added.
Due to this massive decline in population, as well as applicants applying to 10 schools on average, colleges across the country find it much more challenging to recruit new students. “This makes the competition fierce,” Puc said. “There is a shrinking market for all of
Junior plans to pursue career in political speech writing Kate Rowell wrote a mock speech for Hillary Clinton after attending a leadership conference this summer By Gionna Nourse Features Editor
The list of clubs and activities Kate Rowell ‘17 participates in is endless. From Yorick to Her Campus Magazine to Students for a Democratic Society, she does it all. Rowell is a double major in political science and history, and hopes to enter politics someday. The six days she spent at the New England Women’s (NEW) Leadership New England conference this summer not only taught her leadership skills, but also offered her an incredible opportunity to grow as a writer. “It was just such an amazing experience, and it gave me a much better sense of direction pertaining to my career choice,” Rowell said. “Before, I really only knew that I wanted to get into politics and policy, but now I want to go into either political speech writing or social policy work, maybe even pursue an internship this summer.” The conference focused on successful women from various professional fields and was held at the New Hampshire Institute for Politics at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. “The conference was so great,” Rowell said. “We were able to talk to panelists, women in business, politics, media, and mainly just women who were successful.” Carole Alfano, New Hampshire judicial branch public information officer was one of the panelists Rowell was grateful to meet. Alfano even offered to critique Rowell’s mock speech for Hillary Clinton. “She didn’t know too much about me before she offered me the opportunity,” Rowell said. “I told her I was interested in political speech writing, and she said ‘okay, write up a mock speech for Hillary Clinton, send it to me, and I’ll rip it apart!’” Rowell gladly accepted, and
said the editing process went rather well. Aside from attending the conference, Rowell has other roles in the political science world here at MCLA. She currently holds the title of Vice President of MCLA’s chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). SDS is a student activist group that advocates for egalitarian values and student rights. “We attend relevant rallies and events such as ‘Jobs not Jails’ and the ‘Global Climate March’ in New York City,” Rowell said. “We look at all different types of inequalities; we discuss them and do tabling at various events in hopes to educate more people about them.” Rowell is excited about the upcoming opportunity SDS has facilitated to attend a speech by Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator. “We are working with Students for a Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) to bring people to the speech,” Rowell said. “It is pretty awesome. I am so excited!” Rowell’s most recent venture is her involvement in MCLA’s ‘Her Campus’ online magazine. Two other students, Harmony Birch and Maggie Kase, who are friends of Rowell, helped make the magazine a possibility. The first issue was released online Sept. 29. Rowell is currently a writer for ‘Her Campus’, with her first series focusing on body positivity while in college. She plans to write another series focused on becoming a politically active student in the future. Throughout her time at MCLA, while involved in all of these organizations, Rowell has learned one very valuable and important lesson: “If you are going into politics, you don’t always have to agree, but you have to be agreeable, because it is never onePhoto by Makayla-Courtney McGeeney/The Beacon sided,” she said. “You need to work with Junior Kate Rowell reflects on her experience at the NEW Leadership New Eng[and listen] to people that have all different land conference she attended this summer. points of view, because it makes you more aware, and helps you to look at things in
Arts & Entertainment 6 WJJW’s increased programming is trending Thursday, October 8, 2015
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Radio station allows students to experiment By Jarred Clapp A&E Writer
MCLA’s radio station, 91.1 FM WJJW, features a variety of different shows, styles of music, and commentary. This year marks the highest amount of programming in the station’s history with over 106 hours of content over the course of the week. From metal to top 40 pop hits, WJJW provides listeners with an exceptionally broad range of music and shows dedication to sports both on campus and national. The station aims to provide content for every type of listener. “We just try to play great music and have a great time,” Timothy P. Williams, club president and host of the show MCLA Pre-game, said. “We recently surpassed 500 likes on Facebook, which may not sound like much but is great for such a small station and school.” Williams is a junior double major in sociology and political science. This is his fourth semester working with the radio station and his second as the club president.
Phoio by Jarred Clapp/ The Beacon
Junior Timothy Williams on the set of his show, Pre-game, which previews MCLA sports. In addition to hosting three shows, Williams is also the club President. “The WJJW studio is my home away from home in a sense,” Williams continued. “If I’m having a bad day I come here and just hang out. It’s a great
environment.” “The radio station is one of the things that got me involved here at MCLA,” Emma Monahan, sophomore host of Get Warped,
said. “It was the first club that I joined and really got involved with. Now I’m part of the e-board. I’m loving every minute of it.” The future of WJJW looks
bright, especially if it continues its trend of increased programming. “We can only get better. We can only add more programming,” James Niedbalski, faculty advisor to the station and adviser of the radio practicum course, said. “We are working on an automated system that can play pre-recorded shows, allowing us to be on the air 24/7.” College radio is not only important to student affairs, but it is also a very valuable resource. It is non-commercial and independent; they do not have to pay for their songs or feature advertisements. “Students like to experiment,” Niedbalski said. “You don’t get that freedom on any other stationing.” WJJW can be found on 91.1fm seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. An online streaming service can be found online at mcla.edu/wjjw. They are active on Facebook at facebook.com/ WJJWradio, on twitter with the tag @WJJWFM. For a complete list of programming, visit: http:// www.mcla.edu/Student_Life/ studentmedia/wjjw/
MCLA undergrad releases first album Sophomore Izzy Heltai showcases new CD at the Parlor By Mitchell Chapman A&E Editor
Photo by Mitchell Chapman/The Beacon
Izzy Heltai previewed his music Saturday at the Parlor. Also present were the bands A Day Without Love and Heart of Gold.
Whatever medium you work in, your first published work is always special. Such is the case for sophomore Izzy Heltai, who has just released his first album “Black Sheep” under the independent record label “Sounds and Tones.” “I made this to show a range of different styles I can do,” Heltai said. “It’s basically a solid body of work to show what I’m about.” Heltai, who showcased the contents of his CD at the Parlor last Saturday, had a great deal of control over the project. His label, Sounds and Tones records, helped with the marketing and production aspects of the album, but did not interfere with the actual development of the songs. “It was kind of amazing to have that sense of control over the project, but it can get a little frustrating, especially when you have to listen to sections of the same track over and over again,” Heltai explained. “I’ve been planning on doing this since the summer. I came in with a set list of songs I wanted to do and I scrapped them all.” He recorded the album in what he describes as a do-it-yourself studio, which consisted of him finding the quietest place in his house and setting up blankets. This is very reminiscent of how many video game voice actors and YouTubers do their work. According to Heltai, his album is all about being college-aged with the misdirection as to what to do with one’s life. It certainly
makes his songs relatable, as the problems he describes in his songs are common. His titular song, “Black Sheep,” for example, is all about the feeling of sticking out after something heartbreaking has happened to you, a feeling of being the “black one amongst these white sheep.” According to the Parlor’s website, Heltai is “the kind of musician who plays his songs with casual, skillful strength—songs that will get stuck in your heart.” From hearing him in person and his CD, I can say that is absolutely true. One of the great joys of listening to his music is noticing how expertly placed his lyrics are. The music simply has a nice, clean, flow to it that good folk relies on. There is substance to his work, one that I hope carries over to his future endeavors. Heltai said music allows him to say what he really wants to, and it really shows. Heltai hopes to work with a professional studio in the future. He will appear later this week at FODfest in Pittsfield on Oct. 10, from 1:00-1:20 p.m.,and at the Pitcher’s Mound Pub on Oct. 22 from 7-8 p.m. His album can be purchased at https:// soundsandtonesrecords.bandcamp.com/ album/black-sheep for $2 digitally and $5 for a physical CD, though only 100 copies are currently in print, according to Sounds and Tones’s bandcamp page. Heltai will also have physical copies for sale during his events and when he is at school.
7 FPA’s ‘Dog Sees God’ opens on Wednesday
Arts & Entertainment
Thursday, October 8, 2015
‘Maze Runner 2’ a decent thrill By Mitchell Chapman A&E Editor
Sometimes a few good characters can make an awful trilogy worth watching. This is the case of Wes Ball’s “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.” I wasn’t a fan of the original “Maze Runner” flick. I thought that there was too much going on and none of the performances were memorable enough for me to care. Like “Divergent,” it seemed to be hopping on the Young Adult Dystopian craze 2011’s “The Hunger Games” started. To an extent, that’s true; the Maze Runner sequel is indeed a survival thriller, though unlike its counterparts (Catching Fire and Insurgent), this flick fails to connect to its original film. Greater context is (sort of) provided for the events of the first movie. Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and gang were quarantined in the Maze because they are immune to a certain type of disease that has nearly wiped out the human race. They were to be under careful control until the day they could be harvested for a specific enzyme that stops the spread of the disease. This disease turns people into zombies. That single statement may just very well be what doomed this franchise. As former editor of “Destructoid,” Jim Sterling puts it: “if you’re going to use zombies, bring something new to the table.” Aside from expensive set pieces, “Scorch Trials” fails to do this. The original “Maze Runner” lacked moxie, yes, but at least it did its own thing. I felt as if I were watching a film version of “Metro: Last Light” combined with “The Last of Us” (minus its stellar writing) filled with enough stuff on screen to put the “Total Recall” remake to shame. However, for what it is, “Scorch Trials” is a much more competent flick than its predecessor, though at a cost. By rising above the first, it disconnects from it. Much of this largely has to do with the fact that they are two completely different movies. Believe it or not, zombies come with their very own codes and conventions that Ball was not wise enough to break. Perhaps the most intriguing concept of the film has to do with the back and forth between our heroes and the WCKD (an acronym for a shady organization never explained in the film). One would think that the humans would be united under a common cause (find a cure for the “Flare” virus that has zombified the populace), but there is a difference of opinion as to
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Photo from the Fine and Performing Arts Department facebook page
By Chris Riemer Photo from 20th Century Fox
how to go about doing that. WCKD leader Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson) is under the impression that it is acceptable to turn those immune into vegetative enzyme factories as long as it’s a short term measure. Her opponent, Mary Cooper (Lili Taylor), leader of the “Right Arm” resistance, is in staunch opposition to this. The kids essentially get caught in the crossfire, seeking asylum in Cooper’s Right Arm, while on the run from Paige’s WCKD. However, what really steals the film are newcomers Brenda (Rosa Salazar) and Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito). They bring such an energy to the film that makes it exciting. Jorge is a gangster who has learned to not only survive, but thrive in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Brenda is his adopted daughter whom he has taught all that he knows. Together, they not only give Thomas and company a shot of survival, but have fun while doing it. That is what differentiates this movie from the original. “Scorch Trials” is fun. Though it has pacing issues, it has satisfying action, high stakes, and enough likeable characters to make the generic parts bearable. Like the first movie, the viewer never quite knows what’s going on by design, though in this film, I actually have some interest in finding out what happened to the world. “Maze Runner: Scorch Trials” is a decent flick worthy of becoming Netflix fodder, though I can’t quite recommend it at full price.
A&E Writer
MCLA’s FPA students are preparing for a mid-October performance of the Bert V. Royal play “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead.” The play, which first premiered as an Off Broadway reading in 2004, has since been fully performed in Canada, the UK, and across the US. “Dog Sees God” is a modern high-school drama that borrows its cast and certain devices from the Peanuts comic strip and cartoon. The names of the characters have been changed, but it’s not hard to tell who’s who based on their attitude and relationship with the protagonist, CB. The story begins with the funeral of CB’s beloved dog, who was euthanized after murdering Woodstock in a rabiesinduced frenzy. If you haven’t guessed, the subject matter is extremely dark. Anyone with a strong emotional response to subjects such as sexual abuse, bullying, and depression would do well to research the play before purchasing a ticket. In this story, CB (played by Zack Page) struggles with greater issues than misplaced footballs. There’s the question of life/afterlife brought on by Snoopy’s violent demise, and he also deals with a surprising paradigm shift in sexuality. Matt, or Pig-Pen (played by Mitchell Macauley) is CB’s best friend, but his intolerance and rudeness makes him hilariously contemptible. Maxwell
Teplansky plays Van (Linus) whose blanket has become a one-hitter, and who clumsily pursues CB’s sister throughout the play. CB’s sister (Brianna McDermott) is having an identity crisis of her own. While Tricia/Peppermint Patty (Danielle Lamater) and Marcy/Marcie (Alex Sasso) get drunk and have fun, she’s reinventing herself over and over to comical effect. Van’s sister (Crysta Cheverie) and Beethoven (Callen Gardner) are vital elements in the machinery of the story, but any explanation of their roles would spoil the surprise. Suffice to say, their relationships to CB are barely affiliated to those of their Peanuts counterparts. To prepare for their roles, each member of the cast examined their own highschool experience for instruction on the situations their characters would be dealing with. Though their roles in “Dog Sees God” often vastly differs from their actual high-school background, it was a useful exercise to set the tone and context for each scene. They also attempted to uncover the mindsets of their characters by approaching them as children, briefly putting aside the intense and often obscene circumstances of the play for more lighthearted scenes. The show will premiere on October 14 and performances go until the 17th. See the event’s Facebook page for details on time and pricing.
Free Film Festival! 2015 Wind-Up Fest Schedule Thursday, Oct 15
7:00 PM OLMO AND THE SEAGULL ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance
Friday, Oct 16
Live Music ―
Dr. Dog saturday, October 10, 8pm Hunter center Standing only $25 adVanCE | $30 day oF
TickeTs: massmoca.org or 413.662.2111 87 Marshall street, North Adams, Mass.
2:30 PM Three short films Mass MoCA
7:30 PM VERY SEMI-SERIOUS Mass MoCA
Saturday, Oct 18 10:00 AM SHORT & SWEET Images Cinema
3:00 PM UNCERTAIN ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance 5:30 PM SONG FROM THE FOREST ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance 8:15 PM BREAKING A MONSTER ’62 Center for Theatre and Dance
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Sports
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Men’s Soccer Volleyball smacks Lyndon drops tough game State, tie program record to Westfield State Win streak comes to an end, but MCLA beats Lyndon to win 15th game of the season; ties school record
Photo by Kasey Conklin/The Beacon
Maggy Allen had 11 kills to lead all players on Tuesday. balanced attack from sophomore By Jesse Collings Margaret Allen and juniors Sam Sports Editor Anderson and Rachel Mills. Allen led all players in kills with 11 MCLA defeated the Lyndon while Mills and Anderson had State Hornets on Tuesday, 3-2, to 10 each. Sophomore Brittney tie the program record for most Pihl had 13 digs and 4 service victories in a season. The Trailaces, freshman Beatrice Lechler blazers are now 15-6 overall and had 12 digs and 20 assists and are 2-0 in the MASCAC. Lyndon sophomore Taylor Wiese had 17 State falls to 3-8 overall on the assists. season. Lyndon State was led by KelThe Trailblazers traveled all leigh Murtagh who had 10 kills the way up to Caledonia County and by Laura Drake who had 17 Vermont to take on the Hornets, assists and 13 digs. and took the first two sets by the MCLA saw their school same score, 25-20. Lyndon State record 13 game winning streak was able to avoid elimination come to an end and finished off a in the next two sets, edging the weekend on the road with a 1-3 Trailblazers 25-21, and 31-29 in record. The Trailblazers are now the third and fourth sets. 14-6 on the season and remain In the fifth and decisive set, 2-0 in MASCAC play. MCLA was able to finish off the The Trailblazers traveled to Hornets, taking the set and the Hartwick College to take place game 15-11. in two tri-matches, playing four The Trailblazers were led by a
games in a 24 hour span. MCLA won their first game of the tournament on Friday, defeating Elmira College 3-1. Junior Allison Clark had 18 kills for the Trailblazers and senior Courtney Parent had 14 assists. MCLA would see their winning streak stopped later in the evening, when they were defeated by Nazareth College, who dropped MCLA in three straight sets and improved to 12-8 on the season. On Saturday the Trailblazers were defeated by the hosts Hartwick College, 3-1. Clark had 8 kills and 10 digs for MCLA, while freshman Beatrice Lechler had 16 assists. The Trailblazers finished the weekend against Morrisville State, falling to the Mustangs, 3-2. Clark had 15 kills and was named to the all-tournament team. MCLA knew they were going to face a big challenge over the weekend, and despite the 1-3 record over the break, MCLA remains optimistic about the team’s performances. “It is a little disappointing that our winning streak came to an end, but I like to see the positives in things and I think that we learned a lot from this weekend and it will only made us stronger,” Parent said. “Losing is a part of the sport and I think the team will rebound well. We have goals for our season that we want to accomplish and we won’t give up on those goals.” MCLA plays at Sage today and will be on the road Tuesday against conference rival Framinham State, who is first in the MASCAC (14-4, 3-0).
Photo by Kasey Conklin/The Beacon
Sophomore goalkeeper Kamron Anderson had nine saves on the day for the Trailblazers.
By Tyler Bacon Sports Writer
The MCLA Men’s Soccer team lost a tough conference game 3-1 against Westfield State on a windy Saturday afternoon. Westfield State got on the board early with a goal in the second minute by Sean Lathrop. The first half was a back and forth contest with both teams getting their shots, but the score would remain 1-0. In the second half, Westfield once again got off to a quick start by scoring a goal eight minutes into the half, making it 2-0. The Trailblazers fought back and got on the board in the 59th minute when Edward Boateng took a free kick and knocked it by the goalkeeper to make it a 2-1 game. The goal injected life
into the Trailblazers and they followed with a couple of good scoring chances attempting to tie the game. The Trailblazers’ best chance came when Dylan Pereira dribbled the ball down the field and juked a couple of Westfield defenders to get a good shot. The shot went for the top corner of the net but wound up a little high and went over the goal. The then momentum shifted when the Trailblazers’ Anthony Basile received a red card, forcing MCLA to play down a man. Westfield capitalized on this in the 82nd minute to score their third goal of the game. They held on for a 3-1 win. MCLA goalkeeper Kamron Anderson made a bunch of nice saves and tallied nine stops for the game.
Women’s soccer beaten at Westfield State By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
The Women’s soccer team was beaten soundly Saturday, falling on the road to the Westfield State Owls, 4-0. With the loss, MCLA falls to 1-8 on the season and 0-3 in the MASCAC. Westfield State improves to 5-4 on the season with the victory, and moved into first place in the MASCAC with a 3-0 record in the conference. Westfield got on the board early when junior Kate Matroni scored in the 12 minute. Freshman Nicole Chretien of Westfield got into the Trailblazer box and fired a shot on the net. The shot was deflected by MCLA goalkeeper Kathryn Daly but the ball bounced to Matroni, who tapped it in for her second goal of the season. The score would remain 1-0 until the 53rd minute, when Matroni scored her second goal of the day, this time scoring a
header off of a corner kick from freshman Lexi Kulik to put Westfield ahead by two goals. The Owls would put the game away in five minutes, scoring twice as the Trailblazers desperately tried to mount a rally. Sophomore Michaela St. Cyr would score in the 85th minute off of a cross from junior Nicole Gay to give Westfield a 3-0 advantage. In the 89th minute, St. Cyr would put a cross right to the feet of senior Ashley Bovat, who fired a shot past Daly to cap the scoring attack for the Owls. Westfield held an offensive advantage for the entirety of the match, outshooting the Trailblazers 17-4 and earning 5 corner kicks to the Trailblazers’ 1. Despite the rough 0-3 start in MASCAC competition, MCLA still has a chance to turn things around, as they have four MASCAC games remaining on their schedule. Senior Paige Fairman believes that to improve MCLA must create more offensive open-
Photo by Agnella Gross/The Beacon
ings. “We need to make our connections from the midfield to the forwards to create more attacking and goal scoring opportunities,” Fairman said. “Our back line continues to work hard in minimizing the scoring opportunities of the other teams as much as possible.” MCLA has been outscored 16-3 so far on the season and over the last four games have been outshot by opposing teams 84-26. Sophomore defender Courtney Hayer agrees with Fairman, stating that is the defenses responsibility to start the offensive attack. “We obviously need to score more goals. Our midfield and forwards have been working hard in practice to make those connections,” Hayer said. “As backs we are working hard to find options forward to create more opportunities for goal scoring threats.”
Junior back Marisa Sprague mentioned that the team as a whole needs to play with greater aggression. “More than ever it is crucial to continue to play as a team and not get discouraged. We need to consistently execute every effort and give 100%, whether we are on the field for 5 minutes or 90 minutes. We need to play the game with a higher level of intensity. Our team has all the tools to win and be great, but now we have to put it all together,” Sprague said. The Trailblazers played at Western New England University on Wednesday and will get a chance to earn their first MASCAC win of the season on Saturday when they host Worcester State. The Lancers will come into the game with a 2-0-1 record in the MASCAC and a record of 5-3-2 overall. The game will begin at 1 pm.
Sports
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Fair Territory
NFL Power Rankings By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
Out of the seven undefeated teams heading into Week 4, six of them advanced to Week 5 still unbeaten. The biggest change in this week’s rankings comes from one elite team being idle last weekend. 1. Green Bay PackersNew England and Green Bay have been relative equals so far, but Green Bay slides ahead of New England simply because they have played more games than the Patriots. Green Bay defeated San Francisco on Sunday night 17-3, showing they can win with their defense as well as with their potent offensive. 2. New England PatriotsThe Patriots have picked up right where they left off last season, dominating their first three games before taking an early bye week. New England is a near lock to advance to 4-0 this week, as they play Dallas on Sunday and Bill Belichick has two weeks to prepare for Brandon Weeden. 3. Cincinnati BengalsAndy Dalton continued his strong 2015 last Sunday, but more importantly for Cincinnati they got their powerful running game untracked and picked up a convincing victory over Kansas City. 4. Denver BroncosPeyton Manning still doesn’t quite look right for Denver, and his consistency as the season goes on will remain a question mark, but the Denver defense has been the best unit in football after four weeks, manhandling opposing offensive lines, shutting down top recievers and stuffing the run. If Manning can control the ball and avoid turnovers, this defense can carry him to his elusive second championship. 5.Atlanta FalconsWhat’s not to like about Atlanta? Former Seahawks defensive cordinator Dan Quinn has the defense playing consistently and Devonte Freeman provided Atlanta’s offense with the type of balance they have been searching for since Michael Turner was in the backfield. Atlanta has shown the abilty to win close games and to finish off weaker opponents.
6. Carolina Panthers4-0 is 4-0, but Carolina has built that record upon facing the following quarterbacks: Blake Bortles, Ryan Mallet, Luke McCown and Jameis Winston. A big test will be in Week 6 after the bye when they travel to Seattle. 7. Arizona CardinalsBruce Arians squad came back down to earth when they were beaten by St. Louis at home Sunday. Arizona had gotten off to a historically great start, so some regression to the mean was to be expected. This is still a very strong football team that should compete for a top seed in the NFC. 8. Seattle SeahawksSeattle had a real chance to move up in these rankings, but failed to do so thanks to a very unconvincing outing against Detroit. Seattle was careless with the football late and likely would have lost if the referees had called illegal batting on KJ Wright. Kam Chancellor’s return has lived up to the hype and sparked the defense, but the offense looks like a mess. 9. New York JetsLaugh all you want, the Jets are 3-1. Although they may not be a great football team, the Jets have shown the ability to take care of business against bad teams, and considering their schedule, 10-6 and a wild card spot are very in play for first year head coach Todd Bowles. Ryan Fitzpatrick remains unspectacular but at least he has shown the ability to get the football to top playmakers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Running behind an underrated offensive line, Chris Ivory is third in the league in rushing and is averaging five yards a carry. 10. Minnesota VikingsTeddy Bridgewater is still seeing Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware every time he closes his eyes, but the trendy preseason pick to make the playoffs is 2-2 and has shown the ability to do some things very well. Minnesota doesn’t turn the ball over very frequently, rushes the passer very well and can control the clock with a strong running game and a conservative passing attack. 11. St. Louis RamsLosses against a Washington and a Roethlisbergerless Steeler team are not great resume builders, but they also beat Seattle in Week 1 and the Cardinals last Sunday in the desert. Tavon Austin and Todd Gurley both had breakout games for the St. Louis offense, and the defense features the most fearsome front four in football. 12. Buffalo BillsBuffalo had a chance to go to 3-1 but instead dropped a terrible home game to the Giants. In a situation that has surprised absolutely nobody, Rex Ryan’s team commits a lot of bad penalties that have cost them dearly in close games.
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9
Women’s tennis Scores falls short of NAC playoffs Men’s Soccer
Saturday, Oct. 3 MCLA vs Westfield State 3-1, L Volleyball
By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
The Women’s Tennis dropped a must-win match against Husson University on Sunday, 6-3, just one day after staving off playoff elimination with a victory against Thomas College. With the loss on Sunday, the Trailblazers were officially eliminated from playoff contention. MCLA finishes their North Atlantic Conference season with a 3-4 record and a fifth place finish. To qualify for the playoffs, a team must finish in the top four in the conference. Colby-Sawyer once again finished in first place, while Castleton State finished in second, Husson in third and Johnson State in fourth. Sophomores Emily Deaso and Mariza Sfakianaki earned all three points for the Trailblazers on Sunday. Deaso won again in the number one singles position, defeating Husson’s Meridith Blessard in a hard fought three set victory, taking it 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. Sfakianaki dropped the first set in the number three singles position to Charlotte Bednarz, but rallied back and took the next two sets, earning the second singles point on the day for MCLA, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Sfakianaki and Deaso teamed up in the number one doubles position and defeated the Husson team of Blessard and Katie Pratt, 8-3. The Trailblazers nearly earned a second point in the num-
ber three doubles position, but the duo of juniors Rebecca Waterhouse and Anna Despart came up just short against Husson’s Kelsey Pelletier and Elizabeth Adley, falling 9-7. With the victory, Husson improved to 6-2 overall with a 5-2 record in NAC play and cinched a postseason berth. MCLA was able to keep their playoff hopes alive on Saturday, when they defeated Thomas College on the road, picking up their third NAC victory of the season and defeating the Terriers 7-2. MCLA swept doubles competition on Saturday, as all three teams picked up victories. Deaso and Sfakianaki defeated Lindsey Allen and Olivia Mora 8-4, freshman Taylor Turner and junior Shelby Gauthier defeated Ameila Guimond and Katie McAllister 8-4, and Waterhouse and Despart defeated the Thomas pair of Miangelik Navarro and Rachel Gillis 8-3. In singles competition, Deaso and Sfakianaki both defeated their opponents in straight sets. Despart was shut-out in the first set by Navarro in the number four singles position, but rallied back to take the next two sets to earn the point, 0-6, 6-4, 6-0. Senior Kylie Dumas also earned a point in the number six singles position, defeating Gillis 6-4, 6-4. MCLA will wrap up their season today at 3 p.m. when they travel to Anna Maria College to play a game that was postponed in September due to inclement weather.
Friday, Oct. 2 MCLA vs Elmira @ Hartwick 3-1, W MCLA vs Nazareth @ Hartwick 3-0, L Saturday, Oct. 3 MCLA @ Hartwick 3-1, L MCLA vs Morrisville State 3-2, L Tuesday, Oct. 6 MCLA @ Lyndon State 3-2, W Women’s Soccer Saturday, Oct. 3 MCLA @ Westfield State 4-0, L Women’s Tennis Saturday, Oct. 3 MCLA @ Thomas 7-2, W Sunday, Oct. 4 MCLA @ Husson 6-3, L
Schedules Thursday, Oct. 8 Women’s Tennis MCLA @ Anna Maria 3 p.m. Volleyball MCLA @ Sage 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 Golf MCLA @ NAC Championships Noon Saturday, Oct. 10 Cross Country MCLA @ James Early Invit. Women Start: 11 a.m. Men Start: 12 p.m. Women’s Soccer MCLA vs Worcester State 1 p.m. Men’s Soccer MCLA @ Worcester State 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12 Men’s Soccer MCLA vs Mt. Saint Vincent 3:30 p.m.
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Opinion
Thursday, October 8, 2015
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Editorial
A voice for a new generation
Comparing a Bernie Sanders rally to the larger political spectrum amongst students By Nick Tardive Staff Writer
Political rallies are similar to rock concerts. Everybody shuffles in to a venue, in this case the Mass Mutual Center, home of the Springfield Falcons. And in this case, the person performing will be Bernie Sanders; Democratic underdog and Senator from Vermont. For nearly two hours people wait, huddled in separate cliques from different cities. Rarely do these groups intermingle, unless to praise the man they’re anxiously waiting to see. These people are young. Millennials who view the exBurlington Mayor as their last bastion of hope to be saved from drowning in debt. These people are Baby Boomers who view him, the only Senator who voted against the Iraq War, as their last chance to save programs their lives depend on, such as Social Security and Medicare. Together they see not another politician whose morals are beholden to his politics, but a man whose politics are beholden to his morals. For once, an honest politician, or as honest as one can get. Sanders doesn’t come on until quarter after two, fifteen minutes behind his scheduled speaking time. Another classic trope of rock concerts: Nothing ever starts on time. “We want Bernie!” The crowd clamors in between chants organized by not-so-subtle campaign volunteers.
“This is what Democracy looks like!” the instructed cries of defiance claim. “A people united will never be divided!” The crowd randomly stomps and cheers, similar to how those at a rock concert hoot and holler every now and again. It sounds like the storm that is the proclaimed Sanders “political revolution.” People look at one another. It is 1:30. Is Sanders coming on already? No. But the chaos crescendos time and again. It takes another forty-five
be even stronger. The crowd eats it up. “And now I introduce to you, if we continue to work hard enough and don’t give up, the next President of the United States,” Bill says, his statement dripping with unintentional irony. The crowd explodes with pent up excitement and anxiety. Political rallies will not sway you into voting for a candidate. The rhetoric is aimed at people who have already bought into it ad nauseam. Rallies are to reinvigorate the converted.
People say my ideas are extreme, but they aint. Bernie Sanders, presidential candidate minutes or so for someone to rush onto the stage and speak. First it is a woman named Karen, who can barely look over the podium. She speaks of corporate greed and has pauses built into her speech every sentence to give the audience time to cheer or boo, given the topic. Then a college student named Lexi talks student debt. She says she will forty thousand dollars in debt when she graduates. Some people in the crowd call her lucky. Finally an environmentalist named Bill steps on stage. The final warm up to the event’s headliner. In one moment Bill decries the evils of the Keystone Pipeline; the next he cracks a joke about Hurricane Joaquin, saying that Hurricane Bernie is going to
Bernie Sanders, as expected, says nothing new. Yet the fire in his eyes, in his words, and his body language are stirring. It’s as if he believes every person in the auditorium can change the world with him. Expectedly, some people even look bored at points. Behind him, slightly to his right, a large section of the audience in stadium bleachers don’t react until he mentions climate change. When he does they burst out of their seats and are suddenly as angry as the rest of the crowd. It is nice to be included in a revolution that is meant to be peaceful and democratic. “People say my ideas are extreme, but they ain’t.” Sanders wags a disappointed finger, never
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Photos compiled by Isabel McKenzie
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smiling but not unhappy. How could he be with the support he has? “My ideas existed in America 40, 50 years ago, when our middle class was the envy of the world. Now it’s disappearing.” He oversells his hypothetical power as President of the United States. He is clearly of a much different generation than those fervently supporting him. He doesn’t even touch on foreign policy and the state of the middle east, outside of the fact that he voted against the Iraq War. Most importantly, he overblows the uniqueness of a grassroots campaign aimed at the people. The Sanders campaign is incredibly similar to that of the George McGovern campaign in 1972. At a time when the Vietnam War was ending, but seemed endless, McGovern fed off of the anger of the new age of voters. He organized a successful primary campaign utilizing grassroots practices, even when the media would rather focus on the possibility of Ted Kennedy’s possible run for the Presidency (which is eerily similar to how the media treats Vice President Joe Biden now). Against all odds, McGovern and his impossibly left wing ideals won the primary in 1972. And McGovern lost in a landslide to Richard Nixon.
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Editorial Board Co-Editors in Chief Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Nicholas Swanson Co-Web Editors Jake Mendel Matt Aceto
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For example, if you need 2,700 calories a day that means you need 80 grams of fat, 300 grams of carbs and 200 grams of protein. In order to track this, manually add up each meal, or use MyFitnessPal to scan barcodes. It also automatically calculates your macros and tells you how much you have left. Flexible dieting is not the number one answer to a person with doubts, but it’s a great way to enjoy the “bad” foods while still losing weight or gaining muscle. It also offers freedom to add more fattening things to healthy meal. As long as you keep track, you will stay on track.
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Check it Out!
Upcoming events on campus
Thursday, Oct. 8
Gender Equity Bakesale Marketplace 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Study Away Mix and Mingle Sullivan Lounge 4-6 p.m. Class of 2016 Ice Cream Bar Murdock Fitzpatrick Room 8-9 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 10 Friday, Oct. 9 Flu Shots Marketplace 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Harlequin Group Rehearsals Church Street Center 12:00-1:30 p.m. Christian Fellowship Meeting Sullivan Lounge 7:00-9:00 p.m.
NO CARD MINIMUMS
Sunday, Oct. 11
Cheerleading Carwash Carr Hardware 11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
M-W: 7:30am - 10:00pm Th&F: 7:30am - 11:30pm Sat: 9:30am - 11:30pm
Dine-In and Take-Out menu online. Gift Certificates & Discount Programs Available
www.TheParlorCafe.com fb.com/TheParlorCafe (413) 346-4279
SAM GOMEZ CLASSIC ROAD RACE Sunday, October 18, 2015 Race starts at: 11:30 AM
Check in begins at 9:30 AM in Sullivan Lounge
5K (3.1 miles) WALKERS WELCOME (1 Mile) To BeneÞt: United Neighborhood Organization (North Adams) Students run FREE Sponsored by Intramurals Register with Diane Collins, Campus Center, room 317 or on the SGA website > Sam Gomez Classic Road Race Free T-shirts to the Þrst 100 runners
Sponsored by: Student Government Association Student Runners Sponsored by: Intramurals
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Thursday, October 8, 2015
Photo Essay
Beacon.MCLA.edu
First Baptist Church’s float features Anna and Elsa from ‘Frozen’ on one side and a replica of ‘Splash Mountain’ on the other.
Fall Foliage Parade Photos by Elizabeth Quirk
North Adam’s annual Fall Foliage Parade celebrated its 60th anniversary this year.
North Adams police ride horses during the parade. Canine Connection’s dogs march in costumes as Disney’s ‘101 Dalmations.’
Hoosac Valley High School’s cheerleaders lead the marching band.
Mayor Alcombright greets spectators with a friendly wave.