April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12 by MCLA Beacon

Volume 86

T hu r s day , A p r i l 26, 2018

Issue 12 Campus Unions

Struggles are not uncommon BY NICK BASSETT DESIGN EDITOR

Photo by Rae Ross

Students at this year’s Undergraduate Research Conference presented on a variety of topics.

16th annual conference sees 149 presentations BY MAYA MCFADDEN STAFF WRITER

This year’s 16th annual Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) was the largest in MCLA’s history. A record-high 248 students participated, developing their research and creativity skills with presentations held throughout the campus’ main academic buildings on Thursday, April 19. All morning and afternoon classes were canceled for the event, which included 149 presentations. A total of 45 faculty members mentored the student presenters throughout their research processes. While seemingly a day off from classes, attending the URC was highly encouraged to students by professors. “It’s not a ‘day off,’ but a ‘day on’—that is, a day full of fasci-

nating presentations, conversations and learning opportunities,” said English/Communications professor Zachary Finch in an email. Students shared their research results with posters, performances and presentations, challenging their peers to explore different perspectives and discover new disciplines. “I am thrilled that I was able to participate in the URC because I felt that I was able to make a contribution to the psychology department, the Women’s Center, and MCLA, in general,” said Ilana Kittrell, who began her URC project at the start of this semester. “The URC offers students an amazing opportunity to express the work and research they have done this year,” said Mark Guarino, who began his

URC project titled “Mrs. Mazie Hirono” in March. Start dates vary for each student presenter, but many said they began reaching out to faculty mentors last semester to participate in this year’s event. “I began working on this project last semester for my Culture, Health and Illness class,” said Margaret Dobson. “I want to continue my research into this topic when I graduate this May.” In some cases, students approached faculty mentors with ideas first and in other cases mentors reached out and invited students to present. “When considering who to invite or to encourage to present at the URC, I typically look back on the courses I taught over the previous year, then invite a few students who did

URC page 5

While there has been a large focus on the ongoing negotiations with the Massachusetts State College Association (MSCA) faculty union contract which has just reached a tentative agreement, there are also three other unions on campus, all of which have also been locked in negotiations. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) represents the employees in the clerical and secretarial professions. The other

union is the Association of Professional Administrators (APA) for the staff employed in Student Affairs, Student Accounts, Residential Services, CSSE, the Registrar’s Office and Financial Aid. Lastly, there is the DGCE union, which is the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education and holds classes in the evenings, weekends and summer. While MSCA, DGCE, APA and AFSCME are all important in their own rights, the AFSCME and APA unions are closer to each other much like MSCA and DGCE are.

Union page 4

Athletic Training major

Phasing out set to begin soon

BY JACOB VITALI A&E WRITER

As early as fall 2018, the College could welcome its final incoming class of athletic training majors. The decision to end the athletic training major came about this year and came as a surprise to Peter Hoyt, director of athletic training education and associate professor of biology. Athletic training is a major inside of the biology department. “I guess I should say I’ve never gotten a good explanation. I’ve heard a couple different things but none of it really made sense to me,”

said Hoyt. In an email, Dean of Academic Affairs Monica Joslin said that the decision to end the major is due to accreditation being moved to a master’s program. “According to CAATE (Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education), which accredits athletic training programs, programs may not admit, enroll, or matriculate students into the athletic training program after the start of the fall term 2022,” Joslin said. “The CAATE standards for accreditation of professional athletic training programs will be

Athletic Training page 3

Enrollment

MCLA works on maintaining numbers

BY LISE MANSARAY FEATURES WRITER

Every year as new students come to MCLA, close attention is payed to those enrollment numbers. MCLA takes pride in its image as a small liberal arts school and has established a progressive plan to target specific recruitment and improve overall student experience. According to MCLA.edu, the total enrollment number for fall 2017 was 1,588 students, which is a 3.4 percent decrease from the year before. Enrollment has been dropping for several years; since

2010, there has been a 19.5 percent decrease. A total of 1,201 full-time undergraduate students were enrolled for fall 2017. This is a 4.5 percent decrease from 2016 and a 25 percent decrease from 2010. However, according to Director of Admission Gina Puc, college officials are not worried about enrollment. It’s estimated that MCLA will have similar enrollment numbers to last year for fall 2018. “We won’t have a good sense on exact numbers until orientation, but they should be around the same as last year,” said Puc.

Currently, the administration has no predictions for the “ideal enrollment number,” as it’s something they try not to practice, according to Puc. Former President Mary Grant, who left MCLA in 2014, had a goal of about 2,000 students by 2010 when she was hired in 2002. “We did achieve this enrollment back in 2008, I believe,” said Denise Richardello, executive vice president at the College. “This was a direct result of the strategic plan that we initiated at that time.” A new strategic plan for 2017-2022 has been in the making that focuses on things

such as post-college success, strengthening diversity, and responding to community and student needs, along with many others. These goals reflect more on improving the overall student body and education as opposed to focusing heavily on enrollment numbers. According to Puc, college enrollment is running even with last year with 450-500 new students that the enrollment office is currently working on to recruit. “A lot of our indicators show that we are running in line with last year but I can’t speak to where we are with

returning student numbers,” Puc said. MCLA Admission focuses its recruitment generally on the East Coast in places such as New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts, all places where they have had success with recruits in the past. According to Puc, 70 percent of high school students stay within 200 miles of their hometown for college. Admission uses this as a guide for recruitment. There is a lot of work that goes into recruitment with over 800 visits to high school fairs. There is also a heavy

Enrollment page 3

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April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

NMENT A VER SSO GO CI

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’21. “As the people who voted on campus, which is roughly 30 percent of campus that voted, we have like a 50-50 split, there’s eight more votes in one direction.” “We could just take the data and kind of have the SGA adapt the role of knowing about the policy. Knowing what it is, knowing to contact people, and knowing the plans,” Giffen said. Once they swore in new members, SGA moved into an executive session to decide on who would be the senate chair and senate secretary. At the conclusion, it was decided that Senator Fabienne Bogardus-Street ’20 would continue her position as senate chair and a reluctant Senator Connor Ogborn ’20 was ap-

mentation with our office we develop an accommodation plan for them which details each accommodation they will receive,” Tate said. “That one is a really quick email for us and the law is pretty clear there so that professor should acquiesce without concern.” The SGA placed two referendums on their spring ballot, one on whether to keep MCLA’s or MASSPIRG chapter and another gauging student attitude toward smoking and the new tobacco policy set to take effect on August 1. The MASSPIRG results mean they still will be on campus next semester, but what came out of the smoking referendum is not so clear. “What we got back was inconclusive data,” said Dean Little

The Student Government Association (SGA) met on Monday for their last meeting of the 2017-2018 academic year. President Samantha Giffen ’18 swore in Declan Nolan ’19 as SGA’s new president. Nolan then swore in the other SGA and class council members who will be operating in the fall. Preceding the affair was guest speaker Christopher Tate, access adviser in CSSE/Disability Resources. During his time he opened the floor to discussions regarding campus accessibility and special accommodations. “We also look at it as our place on this campus to advocate for students with dis-

abilities,” said Tate. “We have a sort of a ‘go at your own pace’ campus so to speak. You know, some buildings are newer than others and there’s some things we can’t necessarily augment right now.” Many questions directed at Tate involved the campus layout’s unfriendliness toward students who can’t use stairs. “If the elevator’s not working in a certain building there’s no way for them to get to class,” said Shannon Esposito ’18. “I’ve been in classes before, I have to take the elevator because of a condition I have, where I haven’t been able to get to class and the professors have been understanding but I know a couple friends have professors who haven’t been.” “When a student files docu-

N IO AT

BY COREY MITCHELLLABRIE STAFF WRITER

ST UD

Members sworn in, guest speaker Chris Tate talks disability accommodations

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pointed as senate secretary. ARAMARK will have Late Night Breakfast on Monday, April 30 in the Centennial Room. In addition, students are encouraged to give feedback on their website in order to better serve MCLA in the fall. SGA meetings will continue in the fall and information regarding their first meeting in the fall semester will be on posters and Facebook.

SGA election

Communications major Nolan wins awaiting state approval BY NICK BASSETT DESIGN EDITOR After almost two years in the making, and pending approval from the state, the English/ Communications department of MCLA will be branching out into two majors. “The department is not splitting,” said English/Communications Chair Paul LeSage. “That’s a misconception.” “It will work like a triangle. We will still have one department, under one chair, but with the two majors branching off,” explained Jennifer Dermady, the English/Communications department office manager. “It’s similar to what FPA did a few years back. Within the Fine and Performing Arts department there are the two branches of the department in

the form of the performing arts major and the arts management major.” The department developed the two majors over the last two years and recently received approval from the Curriculum Committee and All College Committee (ACC). The state Board of Higher Education must also approve the change. English/Communications professor Shawn McIntosh explained that if approved by the state board by June of this year the new changes will take effect by fall 2018, and if not it will most likely happen by fall of 2019, though the department is hoping for the former. LeSage stated that there will not be very noticeable changes with only one new course in media writing. However, in some of the other courses that

English/Communications has to offer, like Writing and Reporting the News levels I and II, will have a COMM designation. McIntosh also explained that when the changes take effect current students with an ENGL major will be able to easily switch to a COMM major and focus on fulfilling its requirements. McIntosh also said that the largest difference between the two majors would be that those in the COMM major would only need to take one literature class versus those in the ENGL who need four. “There will be English classes in COMM and vice versa. The majors will work together. You could be a literature concentrator with a digital media minor. There are lots of opportunities for students,” LeSage said.

BY COREY MITCHELLLABRIE STAFF WRITER

Declan Nolan ’19 was sworn in on Monday, April 23 as the newest president of MCLA’s Student Government Association (SGA). The new E-board consists of several SGA members from spring 2018. “I really enjoyed what I was able to do with the position,” said former president Samantha Giffen ’18. “There’s connections that I had in the position both with administrators and students, and also being able to bring ideas that I had… and then just the people, everyone I met, especially the freshmen who I would’ve never met or known otherwise.” Dean Little ’21 will be moving from his position as parliamentarian to coordinating

vice president. His position will be taken over by Duncan Hay ’20. Celine Manigbas ’19 will be the new executive vice president and her previous place as senate secretary will be taken over by Connor Ogborn ’20. “I actually did [SGA] my freshman and sophomore year,” said Nolan. “It was a great opportunity, to be in a leadership position on campus, and I feel like now that I’ve really gotten to know the campus, gotten to know the community, I think that this is a really good position for me to be in and I really look forward to making some positive changes.” “I want to change what people think about when they think of SGA,” said Little. “I want people to want to be here to actually say things. We’re supposed to talk to

More SGA page 12

Smoking policy turns to ash BY RAE ROSS PHOTOGRAPHER

MCLA will prohibit the use of cigarettes and other tobacco products on campus beginning August 1. This change will apply to all individuals on campus as well as any property that MCLA owns such as Gallery 51 downtown. In addition to banning cigarettes on campus, the policy will prohibit the use of smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes along with pipes, cigars and the use of any unregulated nicotine product. This plan was aided by a $15,000 grant from the American Cancer Society which was used for research and surveys of students during the crafting of the policy. MCLA will join over 1,700 colleges nationwide that aim to

be 100 percent tobacco-free. According to statistics gathered by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), smoking is a declining habit in adults in the United States. The CDC’s fact sheet on smoking in adults puts current cigarette smoking among adults with an undergraduate degree at about 8 percent in 2016. In adults aged 18-24 that number is only slightly higher at 13.1 percent. The overall percentage of smokers was 15.5 percent in both 2015 and 2016. “Our purpose is to have a cleaner, healthier campus,” said Catherine Holbrook, vice president of Student Affairs. Holbrook emphasized that this change in policy was not to target tobacco users on campus but to benefit the MCLA community as a whole. While the policy applies to all prop-

erty that is owned by MCLA and prohibits the use of tobacco in private vehicles on campus, it does not apply to the sidewalks and city streets of North Adams. “We have no ability to regulate a city street,” Holbrook said. While the administration claims the policy has been put in place to improve the overall health of campus, some students feel that the policy unfairly targets them. “I think it’s unfair that the policy was put in place with such little student input since it’s the students that the policy is essentially affecting,” said Sophia Player, a sophomore on campus. “As a tobacco user, this seems like it has more to do with a moral disagreement than an actual health concern.”

The policy sent to students does not outline clear guidelines for enforcement. The information provided to students says that disciplinary measures will be “reserved for repeat infractions or infractions that interfere with the College’s academic or workplace needs or responsibilities.” “It creates a better environment for the people who live here, work here and study here,” Holbrook said. Students who don’t smoke or use other forms of tobacco are more skeptical of the policy. “It doesn’t particularly affect me,” said Gianna Vigliatura, a sophomore and a non-smoker. “I don’t think they’re going to have much luck enforcing it. People barely stay in the smoking sections as it is.”

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April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

MCLA’s impact on the local economy BY SOPHIE PLAYER SPECIAL TO THE BEACON MCLA has had a positive impact on the North Adams local economy in recent years. According to MCLA’s 2016 economic impact study conducted by Jason Canales in the Office of Institutional Research, $140 million from MCLA students, visiting parents and other determining factors makes its way back into North Adams and the greater Berkshire area yearly. These figures are calculated by estimating the total spending for each of the seven categories: operating budget, employee spending, undergraduate spending, graduate spending, visitor spending, major renovations and volunteer time and multiplying it by the Massachusetts average output multiplier of two. This means that for every dollar spent by someone at MCLA, it is estimated that would double the amount of money outputted into Berkshire economy. It is approximated that undergraduate and graduate students spent roughly $3.1 million in 2016, which produces $6.2 million in yearly commerce for the Berkshire region. This includes spending on food, retail items, services, transportation and other miscellaneous spending costs. Per student, $1608 alone is spent annually on miscellaneous personal purchases and transportation. This cost is

photo from the Beacon files

“Imaginarium” mural by Yu-Baba. $300 for graduate students. “I spend like $200 a month. It’s bad. It’s because some months I spend so much and some months I spend nothing,” said sophomore Emma Nordby. “I spend it mostly on food and entertainment, with an emphasis on food. Dunkin’ Donuts is definitely my vice.” Employee spending takes an even larger chunk with a roughly $20 million annual output ($10 million input) between the school’s 294 full-time and 117 parttime employees. Many faculty live in the Berkshire area year round, and with the inclusion of annual salary and benefits, employee spending greatly exceeds student spending. Salary and benefits alone

cost MCLA roughly $17 million per year, meaning that 60 percent of employee paychecks are spent in and around Berkshire region. Visitor spending is also responsible for $3.4 million of the total spent. MCLA draws nearly 27,000 visitors yearly through programs like Gallery 51, athletics, admission, performances and presentations, commencement, alumni events and orientation. Many also take part in the local offerings of North Adams like restaurants, museums and other tourist-friendly destinations. With each visitor spending roughly $63, the input amount reaches a staggering $1.7 million, which creates an output of $3.4

million annually. “When I do have a visitor, which happens a few times a semester, we usually go to MASS MoCA,” said sophomore Alyssa Call, “or we go to one of the restaurants in town like Freight Yard or The Hub.” MCLA also contributes a significant budget to its own renovations. These improvements are meant to have a positive impact on enrollment and, as a byproduct, contribute to higher graduate and undergraduate spending in the region. Capital projects like renovations to Bowman Hall, the Energy Performance Project (CIP), TV Studio equipment upgrades, and others contributed to the school’s nearly $7 million renovation budget in 2016. These major renovations are estimated to contribute nearly $14 million in total output to the Berkshire region. MCLA’s operating budget takes the most significant portion of the school’s economic impact at $96 million out of the total $140 million output. The operating budget is funded by student tuition and fees and funding by the state and is used to pay employees, operating and maintenance costs, academic support, student services and many other smaller costs adding value to the property and increasing admissions, which contribute to its significant output value.

Enrollment from page 1 emphasis on allowing students to capture the feel of MCLA and see if they like the small campus environment. “We host a number of on-campus events,” said Puc. “Scholarship overnight is one of the most popular on-campus events and we host four of those a semester. There’s also Accepted Students Day with 107 students listed to come, and we are expecting even more.” Recently, Admission has been involving social media in its recruitment process. “We have been working on videos for every academic department,” Puc said. “We’ve been making better use of technology and using software. We’re also making sure we [advertise] print and media which is something that wasn’t in the admissions world five or 10 years ago.” According to an email sent to faculty and staff in fall 2018, MCLA hopes to again make U.S. News and

World Report’s list of Top 10 public liberal arts colleges in the country. The last time MCLA made the list was in 2013. The email indicated that enrollment could help that effort, but did not specify how. Richardello believes the new strategic plan administration has put together could provide MCLA with a strong foundation to be a top liberal arts college. “Academic excellence and student opportunities, in and outside of the classroom, are the main tenets of the plan,” Richardello said. “Including but not limited to expanding internship and high impact opportunities, adding new programs both majors and minors. Exploring new athletic teams (hockey is not decided upon, there are others also in the mix) and living in learning communities within the residence halls are key to student life. There are some discussions relative to new sports but not determined yet.” However, Puc believes that enrollment numbers are only a small factor in making the list.

Athletic Training from page 1 changed to include a requirement that professional programs be at the master’s degree.” Despite the decision to end the major, the department is currently in the process for reaccreditation, something the department applied for during the fall 2017 semester. “Just this fall we went through another re-accreditation cycle, so we’ll be hearing soon about that, which will be another fiveyear accreditation,” Hoyt said. Because of the accreditation process, the College could continue accepting students into the major until 2022. Students currently in the major will be allowed to finish out their program, regardless of how long it takes. “We are tentatively looking at

fall 2018 as the last class to accept into the athletic training major,” Joslin said. The accreditation board is now requiring athletic training to be done through a master’s program. Plans were submitted over the summer to follow through on this, however Hoyt says that the College has now abandoned this. “They chose not to go with a master’s and so they’re going to eliminate everything. Something doesn’t fit in there, but I don’t know why,” Hoyt said. “From our undergrad program, since I’ve been here for 13 years, probably over 80 percent of our students have gone to master’s programs or have gone to a program of advanced study in health care,” Hoyt said. “We’ve also had students

where they’ve done their clinical placement get hired by those places,” Hoyt said. With the College putting a larger emphasis on allied health majors, Hoyt believes that athletic training is the best option for students to interact directly with patients. “This is the only major where students are getting over 1,000 hours of direct patient care,” Hoyt said. “Our pre-physical therapy, our biology, our health sciences majors aren’t getting that patient care.” “It’s not easy, you have to be a special kind of student to do all this coursework and then do over 20 hours a week in clinical,” Hoyt said.

“[The list] is based on a number of factors and is not really enrollment driven,” Puc said. “It looks at everything from reinvention, SAT scores, alumni donations, and other factors. MCLA has been on the list before; we could likely end up there again. They started working on a planning process last year and they are on phase one, which is exciting.” Although there is hope that MCLA once again makes the list, Puc is more focused on the academic experience provided for students. “I think at the end of the day it is important to make sure we are providing the best academic experience, and we don’t have to be put on a list to prove that,” Puc said. Part of the strategic plan for 2017-2022 mentions how the school would like to attract and retain great talent, which could be related to recruiting new athletes. MCLA still intends to maintain the image of a small liberal arts school, which it has fought hard to obtain. “MCLA is never looking to have 10,000 students,” Puc said. “We would sort of lose the core of who we are.” She also expressed that with increased enrollment, students might become concerned about losing the small student-faculty ratio and course availability. Instead the school wants to maintain enrollment numbers, as compared to significantly increasing them, according to Puc. MCLA has not always had the image it currently has. MCLA was previously known as North Adams State College before it was renamed in 1997. The College had a reputation as an overcrowded “party school.” The College’s president at the time, Thomas D. Aceto, believed the school needed to scale down and improve the overall student body. He was able to convince the state board to move from a state college to a public liberal arts college, giving us the name Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Puc believes Aceto’s changes helped rebrand us for the better. “We were able to market ourselves as different and focus on what a liberal arts education means for other students such as our undergraduate program, which does set us apart from other schools,” Puc said.

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April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

Student Debt

Higher costs lead to higher debt BY NICHOLAS WEBB COPY EDITOR

With a college education increasingly being a prerequisite for landing a career, students need to find a way to finance that education. However, it is easy for students to get over their heads with student loans. There are 44.2 million Americans with student loan debt, contributing to a nationwide total of $1.49 trillion as of 2017, according to Student Loan Hero. This total has increased by 30 percent since 2013. The student loan delinquency rate is 11.2 percent, which means that many borrowers have either defaulted on their loans or are 90 or more days late on their payments. For some, student loans are the only way for them to finance their education. “[Student loans] are not always necessary, but many students are going for a four-year degree and many are going on for a graduate degree,” said Elizabeth Petri, director of Financial Aid at MCLA. “For

many jobs, more education is required, and for students and families nowadays, loans are how they have to finance their education.” One part of the issue is that the interest rates on student loans are currently higher than many other types of financing, such as mortgages. The average interest rate for an undergraduate student is 4.45 percent, according to Federal Student Aid. Scholarship Hunter argues that student loans have a high interest rate because student loans have no collateral. This means there is nothing that can be taken away if a student defaults on their loan. Another part of the issue is that state colleges are getting their budgets cut. When a state college loses funding, it makes up the losses by increasing tuition and fees. According to an article from Inside Higher Ed, for every $1,000 a college loses in state funding, each student has to pay an average of $318 more in tuition. In Massachusetts, for example, tuition and fees have increased from about $1,000 in the mid-

1980s to about $10,000 now. According to Petri, “The typical total debt after graduation for undergraduate borrowers who complete college at MCLA is $24,659.” Choice of college also affects amounts of loans students take. Private colleges cost more money, causing the student to owe more in student loan payments. For the 20172018 school year, the average yearly cost of tuition and fees for a four-year public institution is $9,970, according to the College Board. In contrast, the yearly cost of tuition and fees for a four-year private institution is $35,260. In 2017, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., reintroduced a bill that would allow students to refinance their loans based on 2016-2017’s interest rates. The bill was originally introduced during the 113th Congress, but did not pass due to a Republican filibuster. In January, Warren led a group of Democratic senators in a letter directed to the U.S. Department of Education.

They made a statement in the letter condemning the Department of Education’s practices of incentivizing private debt collectors for aggressively pursuing students in default, according to a press release from Warren’s office. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the College for All Act, which included several student loan reforms. This act would enable prospective students to obtain a loan with an interest rate of 2.32 percent. It would also allow current students to refinance their loans to this interest rate. The act is still going through the legislative process. Other organizations, such as the Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) and National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), are combating student loan debt by lobbying on the state and federal levels, as well as making it easier for students to get grant assistance, according to Petri.

“A lot of organizations, including financial aid organizations, are doing their best to lobby on the federal and state levels,” Petri said, “and organizations are offering more grant funding.” Students may be able to either cancel or delay payment of their student loans, as long as they are not in default, according to the National Consumer Law Center. By law, students are eligible for some protections if they have a federal loan. However, those who have a loan from a private lender do not have the same protections. Also, those who are under bankruptcy protection will have more difficulty in discharging their loans, government or private. According to the American Federation of Teachers, students working in the public service field can apply for student debt forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Students are required to make 120 on-time payments in order to qualify for this program.

Water they doing to the Campus Center? BY NICHOLAS WEBB COPY EDITOR Plans to convert the Campus Center pool area into a fitness center and sports medicine facility are still on track, but delays have caused a new opening date of September 2019. The electrical and mechanical infrastructures are being decommissioned, according to Lawrence Behan, vice president of administration and finance at the College. The pool has not been drained yet, because of the water main leak outside of Venable Hall. “Additional water could not be placed in the external drainage system until that leak was repaired,” said Behan. However, the pool will be drained by the end of the semester. In September 2016, SGA voted in approval of the administration’s plans to replace the Campus Center pool with a new fitness center and sports medicine facility.

The soon-to-be-gone pool located in the Campus Center

Photo from Beacon Files

Beginning in May, work will begin on the decking of the pool, according to Behan. In addition, work will be done on the pool area spaces including all electrical, plumbing and mechanical work. This will be ongoing for the next 16 months.

In summer 2019, the new fitness center, track, and athletic office spaces will be built. In addition, the Centennial Room will be undergoing refurbishments. After both the new fitness center and refurbished Centennial Room open

ing sure they communicate as much as possible due to the fact that, “whatever affects one of us can affect the others.” Elizabeth Manns expressed similar sentiments saying, “If you don’t have a united voice then things become much harder to accomplish.” The AFSCME and APA contracts last for three years, with the APA lasting from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016 most recently and AFSCME lasting from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2017. Depending on the given year, it can take more or less time to be renegotiated. Manns explained that there is always some degree of lateness that is to be ex-

pected with the contract because of how long the negotiations take and when they choose to start the negotiations, which is three months before the end of the current contract. MSCA President Graziana Ramsden explained, “The DGCE contract was settled recently after almost a two-year delay, so these new negotiations are not focusing on changes that are too, too dramatic. Because negotiations are not over, however, I cannot divulge any more details.” According to Cianfarini, the APA union’s last contract expired on December 31, 2016, and they are currently

in fall 2019, the previously occupied spaces will be repurposed. “There will be a process whereby the student community will have the opportunity to suggest ideas for this space,” Behan said. The project has been delayed in part by the water main leak, but also by a long planning stage. “The process to get final cost estimates and identify financial resources for the project has taken a little longer than originally anticipated,” said Behan. Behan ensures that the work being done is of the best value to MCLA students, and that there will be minimal disruption to the campus. “Because of the complex nature of this work, I want to ensure the College is getting best value for our students,” Behan said. “And we must do the work in a manner that causes the least amount of disruption to a very active campus during the academic year.”

Union from page 1 This is due to the fact that they do not employ faculty members who need to worry about uncompensated overtime and issues like working to order, as explained by Charlie Cianfarini, administrator of network services at MCLA, MCLA APA chapter president and statewide APA vice-president. Elizabeth Manns, a representative for AFSCME, and Cianfarini said their contracts revolve around issues that are similar to one another but are also different than those that MSCA is dealing with. However, Cianfarini did say that the unions all have a good relationship with one another and work hard at mak-

working on negotiating to getting back on the same timeline as the MSCA and AFSCME contracts, meaning that their next contract would expire on June 30, 2020. Cianfarini also stated that APA’s negotiations have completed and they are working on getting a memorandum of agreement signed and then there will be a contract ratification vote. AFSCME has also reached a tentative agreement that will last them until June 30, 2020 according to its webpage and is working on getting its memorandum signed and contract ratification voted on.

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5 Therapy Pets

April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

College revises policy

BY JACOB VITALI A&E WRITER This academic year, the College experienced a significant increase in the number of applications for emotional support animals. In 2014-2015, the College had three requests, and for 2017-2018 there have been 15. Some students have had difficulty getting their requests approved. Sophomore Mikayla Gocinski said she was denied the ability to have her emotional support animal on three separate occasions. For close to three months she was left without her dog Hazelnut, who comforts her as she manages anxiety and depression. Gocinski said that she was offered the option of having either a cat or a guinea pig. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, the College is not allowed to discriminate against the type of animal unless it poses a significant risk to others. “They were very uncomfortable with the fact that it was a dog, even though she’s the same size as a cat, and probably more well-behaved than a cat,” said Gocinski. “They asked me if I would rather have a cat or a guinea pig and I looked at them and said, ‘I know what helps me.’” “You can’t designate certain animal species,” said Catherine McKeen, associate dean in the Center for Student Success and Engagement. “They do have to be the sorts of animals that can live in somebody’s room and be cared for within somebody’s room.” McKeen oversees the College’s policy regarding emotional support animals. She has been working closely with Catherine Holbrook, vice president of Student Affairs, to revise the current policy. The College’s revisions do not focus so much on the actual policy concerning emotional support animals as much as

it does making the application process more transparent. The College has revised the forms so that students can better understand the information that they need to provide. It will also be easier to find forms and when the deadlines are. In addition, they want to emphasize that there is an opportunity for students to appeal their decisions, something students may not have known about previously. “It’s as if the provider is writing a prescription. So, it needs to be clear in the documentation that the provider is somebody who’s qualified to make that determination and there needs to be enough supporting documentation to say that this is a necessary thing to accommodate that person’s disability,” said McKeen. Still, for Gocinski it proved to be a difficult experience. She felt that the College gave her a run around when it came to the appeals process. “I applied last semester for one and it got denied because I was lying about having anxiety and depression. So, they denied me and I fought back and appealed it because that’s what they told me to do, and when I appealed it they told me that was the wrong thing to do, even though that’s what they told me to do, and then I had to reapply, so I basically went through the process three times just to have my dog for a month and a half,” said Gocinski. In addition, Gocinski said that the College was hesitant to trust the recommendations of her therapist. “They thought that my mom was pretending to be my therapist from back home, when they spoke to her on the phone,” said Gocinski. Holbrook said that she was unable to address this accusation due to not being the one to have the conversation with Gocinski.

When it came to the type of animals students are allowed to have, Holbrook stated that the College was not in the business of telling students what animals they can and cannot have. “There’s no reason beyond a dangerous animal for us to care what animal it is,” said Holbrook. There are two categories of animals that are allowed on campus: service animals, which help accommodate physical disabilities and are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and emotional support animals, which are covered under the Fair Housing Act. Service animals can only be dogs or miniature horses. As with requests in the classroom, students are required to provide documentation stating the need for an emotional support animal. The College prefers that students apply for an animal during the housing application process so that they can ensure ample time to review the request. Dominique Stevenson-Pope was also denied the ability to have her bearded dragon on campus. “I was never informed of when the deadlines were or where I would find the forms,” said Stevenson-Pope. “So, my mother and I talked to Dianne Manning and she had said you need to fill out the forms and get back to me, so we can see what we can do.” Stevenson-Pope was unable to have the paperwork approved until late summer because she was in the process of changing health insurance and finding a new therapist. She was under the impression that the paperwork would be approved but was ultimately denied for the fall semester, requiring her to wait until spring. The increase in requests has proven difficult for staff to handle, as McKeen addressed.

URC program. The day was scheduled into blocks providing student presenters with a time and location to exhibit their work to guests. “I think URC is a great chance to hone in your presentation and research skills. Both are very valuable skills for any career you choose,” said Victoria Muñoz. “By the end of it, I actually wished I had longer to present!” said Sestito in an email. The special session, “The History of MCLA’s People,” included research conducted by students in Katherine Carroll’s course, Arts & Collective Identity. Students created historical markers around the campus of snapshot displays of the first African-American graduate of MCLA. The URC this year had record-breaking numbers of participants and presentations. “There were more participants this year than in any year previous. This is because the conference continues to expand the definition of ‘research,’” Finch said. The event also included representation of all of MCLA’s academic departments. “The Sciences tended to be most well represented, but over the years, students in the Humanities, the Arts, and the Social Sciences have increasingly gotten involved,” Finch said. Students were also given the opportu-

nity to meet with keynote speaker and MCLA alum James Chapman for a question and answer session about his MCLA experience and life after graduation. “I would totally recommend presenting to everyone even if you think you never want to pursue research or grad school because I think there are many skills you can build by participating,” Muñoz said. Both new and returning students participated in presentations this year. “I presented last year, twice this year, and I definitely want to present again next year,” Muñoz said. “Being able to participate in the URC was life-changing for me. I was able to use my current presentation skills to showcase two presentations,” Dobson said. Student presenters also talked about the sense of community they felt when their peers attended their presentations to support them. “It allows for people to learn something new while simultaneously showing support and acknowledgment for the research other people have done,” said Mikaela Serrano-Moore. After presenting, many students stayed to watch other presenters as well. “Learning about what other people researched was quite fascinating and it was incredible how intricate the presentation topics could be,” Sestito said. “I felt like

Photos courtesy of Mikayla Gocinski

Mikayla Gocinski and her dog Hazelnut. “I think that like a lot of colleges that because we’ve seen such an increase, that was taxing our capacity, and we were trying to figure out how we accommodate these requests,” said McKeen. In addition, there are a number of concerns that come with housing an animal on campus. Residential Programs & Services takes into account where these animals are housed due to students’ allergies, which can present a challenge for students living in the animal’s general vicinity. In addition, students are responsible for taking care of their animals and ensuring that they have appropriate vaccinations and licenses. Disclosure: The author of this article has lived in the same townhouse as Mikayla Gocinski since November 2017.

URC from page 1 excellent and noteworthy final research projects for the course,” Finch said. Many students said that while conducting their research for their projects, they developed new passions and interest in their topics and others. “I feel that I am now closer to figuring out how I would like to continue in the field of psychology,” said Kittrell. “Participating in the URC provides you with the experience of presenting on knowledge you truly found fascinating and sharing that with an audience of people who are most likely unfamiliar with the topic you chose,” said Tessa Sestito. Paper presentations and special sessions took place in Bowman Hall. Posters were displayed and presented in Venable Hall Gym. The creative writing reading and the 24th Annual Philosophy MiniConference took place in Murdock Hall. “I think the URC is an excellent event for students looking to either use or gain skills when it comes to presenting and speeches in front of the public,” Dobson said. A student art exhibit was also on display in Bowman’s third floor corridor, put together by faculty mentor Melanie Mowinski. “Today’s URC highlights the sharing and learning across disciplines which is a core of MCLA’s liberal arts education,” stated President James F. Birge in the

each presenter I watched was very passionate about their topic and was excited to share their wealth of knowledge with others.” “Another benefit I found when I participated in the URC is the fact that I was able to connect with other students on campus that I never thought I would beforehand,” Dobson said. Many students and faculty agreed that the URC is a great experience for all students to develop beneficial skills with any interest. “I think it is important to note that attending, not just participating in the URC is really important,” Sestito said. “It was a great experience for me and I’ll definitely be looking to participate in it again next year.” As a faculty mentor, Finch talked about the importance of having the URC annually at MCLA specifically because it is a liberal arts community. “One of the reasons I love the URC is that students and faculty alike get the opportunity to see the kinds of research and scholarship being conducted in departments other than their own ‘home’ departments,” Finch said. “The URC is a great way to experience and to celebrate the full spectrum of work being done in courses at MCLA. I think the conference embodies what is best about a liberal arts education.”

FEATURES

April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

Caretaker Farm - commitment to sustainability and community BY MEGHAN COOK FEATURES EDITOR Within long rows of tilled earth there sat halves of potatoes in the sun, waiting and ready to be planted. MCLA students in their environmental lab were the ones who got the opportunity to plant the potatoes at Caretaker Farm. Caretaker Farm is nestled in a corner of Williamstown, tucked between the New York and Vermont borders. It also is a sustainable farm and is managed by Don Zasada and his partner Bridget Spann. “We used sustainable farming practices and techniques,” said Zasada. “The purpose of this is to ensure that the land will continue to be used and farmed for for future generations.” MCLA students in the Environmental Resources: Science and Management class went to Caretaker Farm as part of their lab. Throughout the semester they have learned about different ways of managing land and resources.

Photo courtesy of Meghan Cook

A view of the road leading down to the fields of vegetables of Caretaker Farm where CSA members help in the farm’s upkeep. “The purpose of this class is to provide students with a body of knowledge relevant to management of the

natural world,” said Dan Shustack, the instructor for the lecture portion of the class.

The farm uses a 9.9 KW photovoltaic system that provides 100 percent of the electricity for both the farm and the home of the farm’s owners. The farm also is home to chickens. Other sustainable methods are the portable electric chicken fences used in the fields and pastures that are powered by solar panels. The students had the opportunity to do some labor out in the field on Tuesday by planting this year’s potato crop. This also highlighted a large part of the farm, its community supported agriculture program. According to the farm’s website, community supported agriculture is a partnership between the farm and the community of supporters from the local area. The members of the program purchase a share of the crops that are grown. In exchange, Caretaker Farm provides a supply of healthy produce. “People come and help around the farm while learning about our sustainable methods and getting produce in return,” Zasada said.

Caretaker Farm page 7

New faces help Spires reach for the skies BY MITCHELL CHAPMAN BUSINESS MANAGER Every year, the College puts out one print literary journal – “Spires,” a name that has populated the desks and reading spaces of Mark Hopkins Hall and beyond for nearly two decades. It’s coming off its second year of rebranding and a new staff, which refocused its contents from a literary magazine to a journal. “I joined Spires as a transfer to MCLA in my junior year,” said Callie Higgins, Spires assistant managing editor. Higgins is part of a triumvirate of editors responsible for the overall operations of the journal, including managing editors Katherine DuVal and Ian Cappelli. “I attended every club meeting my schedule allowed in the first few weeks of school and Spires proved to be an experience I wanted to dive into, even though I had never worked on anything like this before,” Higgins said. “My involvement started in the beginning of the fall semester when I volunteered to work alongside Ian and Katherine as a managing editor. I’ve learned from both of them throughout this year and will hopefully be able to continue this position in the coming year.” In the spring 2017 semester, Spires saw a complete refreshment in terms of staffing and focus, as the fall editors, Shannon Cahill and Brody Torres, did not return. Under the direction of the club adviser, English/Communications professor Zachary Finch, the club selected DuVal and former Beacon managing editor Jon Hoel to lead the club, and amid this new staff was a renewed focus, as Spires officially changed its name from a literary magazine to a journal. The design of the print

journal and the Spires website got revamped, also led by largely new faces. At the end of that semester, Spires had a new focus, a new journal (“Spires Twenty Seventeen”) and a new group that it hoped to build off of and further develop in the coming year. It did, and as a result, Spires is proud to present this year’s edition of its journal, “Spires Twenty Eighteen.” “This year is new to me but I am very proud of the work that has been done on this journal,” Higgins said. Unlike Cappelli and DuVal, Higgins is a newcomer this year to the journal. “I am excited to see its production coming to an end.” And this year’s journal has a renewed focus on its website, mclaspires.com, which is entering its second year since it was relaunched. This year’s publication will publish seven pieces of web-exclusive content alongside the print journal. The website allows Spires to branch out from the limitations of the print journal, where competition is fierce. The website is led by another new face in a new position, Spires webmaster Brigid Downey. “I work as a webmaster for Spires designing and maintaining the website,” Downey said. “The deadlines vary week by week as this is a fairly new position and Prof. Finch needs to see what’s possible to be done in a week. Ideally, we hope to be at the point where we can post three to five new works a week in the next few years.” In the new position of webmaster, Downey has built off of the website established last semester, tightening it up to improve navigation, while also creating an archive of previous editions of Spires – which

Photo provided by Spires

Spires flyer advertising for the launch of the 2018 journal. is now available to view. “I archive the old work, design the site, make sure everything looks good on mobile, and update the visiting writers and events pages as people send me new things,” Downey explained. “My day varies as it depends what I have in my inbox to do. Somedays will be working out design kinks, some days are hours of mindlessly archiving and updating information in front of Netflix, and some days are really fun because I get to build different parts of the website and be really creative.” Downey’s main task ahead is preparing the online publication of all of the content associated with “Spires Twenty Eighteen,” whether it will appear in print of not. The journal hopes to launch the journal and its online content on Reading Day, which is Tueday, May 1. The launch of the print journal will be the end result of a long process that started last semester, including

content review, in which every club member is allowed to comment on and vote on what pieces get into the journal. The design of the journal starts with a dialogue between the Spires design editors and the rest of the club, and ends with the creation of a 96-page document. Then, copy editing is undertaken by the prose, poetry and art editors in one phase and finished by the club adviser and managing editors in another with finals edits before it is shipped to the press. And as this process raps up, many new members look forward to seeing their first journal come to fruition. “It is an amazing opportunity to work firsthand with creating a journal,” Higgins said. “It is a commitment that gives you as much as you are willing to put into it.” “Spires Twenty Eighteen” will launch Tuesday, May 1 at 7 p.m. in Murdock 218. Pizza and refreshments will be provided. Free copies of the journal will be available to everyone, and contributors to the journal will be reading aloud, with a few musical interludes. Spires is the official literary journal of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, founded in 2001. It succeeded Kaleidoscope as the College’s official literary magazine. In 2017, Spires rebranded as a literary journal, sharpening its focus on literature. Spires is not affiliated with the Student Government Association, and is funded directly by the English/Communications department. Mitchell Chapman is a design editor for Spires. This feature was written in conjunction with professor Paul LeSage’s Public Relations class, as part of its service learning initiative.

April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

FEATURES

Write Stuff

MCLA’s impact on local youth BY CASEY POTTS SPECIAL TO THE BEACON MCLA plays host to several after school programs for North Adams. The programs involve activities like art, writing, and sports, keeping kids active for a bit longer after school lets out. They are run by students of MCLA with Center for Service staff overseers. The Center for Service and Citizenship Director Spencer Moser oversees the H.A.L.F. Times Program, which is run by students Bri Higgins and Mariza Sfakianaki. Community Engagement Coordinator Christopher Hantman oversees the Write Stuff program, Berkshire After School Arts Program, and College Cadets. These programs take place once the local elementary schools- Colegrove, Brayton and Greylock Elementary- are done with academics for the day. The students are bussed over to MCLA and arrive around 3:30 pm for their after school activities. Once the kids are done, they are bussed back over to their respective elementary schools and have the option of eating dinner there at 5:15 pm. The Write Stuff program is run by Reagan Smith and focuses on creative writing and logic; Julianna Henault is the student coordinator for Berkshire ASAP; Connor Ogborn is the student coordinator for College Cadets. “[The after school programs] all stemmed from a previous service learning course that was offered or students cre-

Photo provided by Reagan Smith

Members of Write Stuff working in Sullivan Lounge. ated themselves.” The after school activities accommodate both MCLA students as well as the North Adams youth, in hopes that it would be a good thing for the community as a whole. “It certainly has been very rewarding and inspires the college students and the youth,” Moser said. Hantman was a student coordinator for the Write Stuff program from 2010-2014, and was employed after graduation by MCLA, serving as the Community Engagement Coordinator. “It has been rewarding to my development as a student and professional,” he said. “It helped me learn how to control a room, hone my public speaking skills, as well as to learn the strengths of others and help them to connect with challenges that will push them

further.” He inspired a student who, at first, was against writing. That all changed after Hantman worked with the student who attended the Write Stuff program, and upon seeing him six years later the student is 600 pages into an epic novel he is writing. Hantman said, “I can’t say that Write Stuff directly caused this love for writing to develop, but I do believe the exercises in encouraging the pursuit of creativity helped to remove the stigma the student originally had.” The goal is to connect MCLA students with the younger students of North Adams, to enlighten them with art, or sports, give them an outlet to express themselves positively. Moser said the programs are a positive influence on both MCLA and the youth. “The ex-

Caretaker Farm from page 6 The students, lab instructor Kenn Clark, and two of the farm’s apprentices worked for an hour and a half. They dug holes and planted three different types of potatoes - red, white and purple. Kneeling among the rows and surrounded by green hills and sunshine, the students were not afraid to get their hands, or their pants, The chickens of Caretaker Farm. dirty. “By my estimates and cal- of students learned from Zaculations, the 10 of us plant- sada was one on the proper ed 4,500 potatoes in one and way to plant the potatoes. a half hours,” Clark said. “The potato halves have “[Everyone] did great work! ‘eyes’ on one side and you The students finished the want to keep that side up day covered in dirt, with when you plant them behands bearing a few blisters, cause that’s where they’ll and feeling accomplished. sprout from,” Zasada ex“I really liked learning plained. “So you just have to about all the sustainable remember ‘eyes on the prize’ practices they used,” said while planting.” freshman Meghan Haynes, Caretaker Farm is open to an environmental major. “I anyone in the community also liked that I got to work who would like to buy a comwith my hands.” munity supported agriculA popular fact the group

perience of the student leader provides them with acquiring skills that are absolutely applicable and transferable wherever they find themselves after MCLA. It allows them to be able to document and articulate what they’re interested in at an interview or job fair. It gives them a better sense of who they are as a person. The college is a resource, it’s a partner, helping address the needs in the community which it exists in.” Moser also shared a story about the experience of being involved with these programs. “At my kid’s soccer game, a parent came over and said, ‘my fourth grader has been receiving one on one mentoring once a week and it made such a difference in my kid’s life. He’s excited to go to school now.’ These are things that don’t

make the press, but that’s the potency of these after school activities.” Henault said it’s important to expose kids to art in a community that values art so much “It’s important to expose kids to art. [Berkshire ASAP] is a program that builds a lot of confidence, especially in the social and artistic abilities,” Henault said. “It familiarizes them with MCLA and the secondary school and the students. We want kids in this area to go to college. It’s also helpful for parents who work full time and are single, and that can’t afford other after school programs,” Julianna Henault expressed. She glowed when talking about the kids because “they’re able to goof off and let loose because it’s not at school.” “[The programs] bridge the gap between the community and MCLA; it’s great having MCLA involved in the community and not just confined to the university.” The College Cadets program gets the kids involved with things on campus as well. The students get an hour on campus on Tuesdays. “I like showing the teens different parts of campus to make them more comfortable in a college atmosphere while also showing them different activities as well!” Ogborn said. “While doing this, I also have them do different activities that work to grow leadership and communication skills to grow their character and equip them for the future.”

Unstoppable multi-music dance party, up in the club

Photo provided by Meghan Cook

ture share and provides numerous opportunities for helping at the farm as well. “During the months of June until October we have ‘weeding parties’ where members come and we all weed the fields and get to know one another,” Zasada said. “We offer workshops for members too. Past workshop included food preservation, sustainable living discussion courses, and movie nights on the farm.”

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Arts & Entertainment

A Little Bit of Sound with booming basslines and frantic feet BY WYATT MINEAU A&E WRITER The April showers have begun - gloomy gray skies, puddles of rain and ridiculous winds that could easily blow away your umbrella. However, fighting the urge to spend the entire day sleeping was more than rewarding on Monday, April 16 thanks to the Student Activities Council (SAC) and their Little Bit of Sound Festival. An over four-hour event is nothing to sneeze at, but SAC brought their best with the line-up for Little Bit of Sound and gave everybody a little something they could enjoy. First to take the stage was Allegrettos, MCLA’s acapella group, followed by Quincy, a six-piece band from North Adams with a blend of many different influences. Both Allegrettos and Quincy absolutely rocked the house

with their respective musical mastery. After Quincy wrapped up, DysFUNK took the stage and absolutely blew everybody away with their dancing prowess. The MCLA alumni’s coordinated movements were stunning and their routine was definitely something worth seeing. MCLA’s Dance Company performed afterward, followed by NeXXus. The night finished off with performances from Ceschi Ramos and Kam Anderson. So many different genres of music and entertainment woven into one afternoonlong event made for a great way to spend an otherwise boring and uneventful day, away from the rain and wind. Even if you just stopped by to grab some free food and poke your head in, there’s no doubt that SAC went above and beyond with Little Bit of

photo by Rae Ross

Quincy performing at A Little Bit of Sound on April 16 in Venable Gym. Sound. have a few more bands in Erika Lucia, SAC concert the lineup, but then it came chair and one of the many around that they had other heads behind making Little events to do. This lineup and Bit of Sound and the PaintU this festival has been going event, was able to comment amazing, the hard work on what went into the definitely shows, but it took a planning of both events. lot of time, a lot of patience, a “A lot of blood, sweat, little bit of everything.” and tears,” said Lucia. “I’ve Lucia also talked about been planning this since last how interested students can semester in October. We did become involved and how

April 27:

Into the Woods | 8 p.m.Venable Theater

April 28:

All Around the World | 6 p.m.Venable Gym

April 30:

Late Night Breakfast | 9 p.m. Centennial Room

This Is: lady jane

BY WYATT MINEAU A&E WRITER

Words such as artistry, creativity, and expression come to mind when listening to any song by lady jane, this week’s talent artist and musician. Hailing from Northampton, lady jane is a one-piece band composed of Esperanza Friel. Friel started playing music as early as 2009, before graduating from high school and college. After she graduated, she began the band and has published multiple albums and singles on Bandcamp. Lady jane’s sound could best be described as a relaxing story on a rainy day. Since the band is one-piece, the only instruments are a guitar and her voice. She does an excellent job of telling stories with her lyrics, intonation and rhythm. You don’t need to be overly fancy or a showboat if you’re great at what you do, and Friel is great at relaxing, acoustic sounds and sweet stories drenched in metaphors. While still a relatively un-

photo from lady jane’s Facebook page

Lady jane has been performing since 2013 after college. known artist, lady jane proves that sometimes good things come in small, simple packages. Lady jane can be found on her Bandcamp or Face-

Book page. She will be performing at Rootstock: Lakas in Holyoke on Saturday, May 19 from 8 to 11 p.m., with tickets costing $10 in advance or $12 at the door.

community members can support SAC. “We meet every Friday in Campus Center 324 at 3:15, where we tell general members of the events coming up,” Lucia said. “If you’re a general member, you always get first-come firstserve, you get to volunteer, and the T-shirts, and you get the cool things that go along with it. Just getting involved, come to the SAC events and you’re part of the SAC family.” While the semester is wrapping up, the music and fun haven’t ended yet. On Monday, April 30, SAC will be hosting a Late Night Breakfast event in the Centennial Room at 9 p.m. For more information about this event, check out SAC’s Facebook page. “I hope in the future, more things like this can happen,” Lucia said.

April 28:

Step Up: Empowering Ourselves | 9 a.m. Church Street Center

May 3:

Ice Cream Hand Out | 12 p.m. Quad

Arts & Entertainment

Follow FPA ‘Into the Woods’

BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR

The Fine and Performing Arts (FPA) department is going in the right direction with their production of “Into the Woods.” The cast brought in humor with the classic fairytales. Focusing on different characters’ challenges and triumphs, the moral of the story is that you can’t always get what you want without consequences. “Into the Woods” tells the

stories of the Baker and his wife, played by Braxton Vittori and Alex Sasso, Cinderella, played by Stephani Bauduccio, Rapunzel, played by Elizabeth Rodio, Jack, played by Declan McDermott, and Little Red Riding Hood, played by Amanda Gilmore. As the characters all want or need something, each is on their own personal journey into the woods to find what they’re looking for, but the Witch, played by associate professor of theatre Laura Standley, turns everything

photo by Emma Monahan

Left, Cinderella, Stephani Bauduccio, tries to reach out to her mother, while the Narrator, Tom Truss III, continues the story.

upside down for the Baker and his wife. With every FPA performance there are always standouts, and this spring semester it was hands down the freshmen. Bauduccio and McDermott shined throughout the night, with their solos showing just what the next group of FPA students have to offer in the coming years. Four seniors starred in their final performance with the department - Sasso, Danielle DeLamater, Maggie Winslow, and Julie Castagna. As the actresses always shine in their roles, whether in Harlequin or Yorick, the play was obviously bittersweet for them, and the audience could see how much they were putting into their performances. Musicals aren’t typically done by the department, but because so many of the students are also a part of Harlequin, they were able to pull it off. “Into the Woods” is a classic that many people know of and it was a smart decision to produce a musical such as this one where the students can show off their talent. In the background, narrator Tom Truss III played away on the piano, keeping the audience up to date with

photo by Emma Monahan

Declan McDermott as Jack, singing his way up a beanstock. what has been going on. Also playing the Mysterious Man, his multiple roles throughout were entertaining but sometimes confusing. With a small school like MCLA, casting can be an obvious problem, but nevertheless it did draw attention away from the actual story. Sophomore Devin Gibbs played both Rapunzel’s Prince and the Wolf, which was different. His solo as the Wolf was spot on, but the song was uncomfortable. Gibbs, though, who also stole the show in “Passing Strange,” has a powerful

voice, which worked with the scene. Many musicals are hard to follow, mainly because there is so much singing, but “Into the Woods” isn’t like that and the cast fell into their roles so easily that everything felt natural throughout the night. “Into the Woods” will run its final performances this weekend, Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 29 at 2 p.m. in Venable Theater. Tickets can be purchased at mcla.ticketleap.com.

Laughs and gasps as Ben Seidman takes the stage BY JACOB VITALI A&E WRITER In the Church Street Center Social Hall, Ben Seidman got almost as many laughs as he did gasps of amazement. The event held by the Student Activities Council on Wednesday, April 18 gathered an audience of current and prospective students, as many were in attendance for the Admissions scholarship overnight program. Seidman is a comedian and a magician - he combines the comedy in each of the

tricks that he does through setting up the background. Seidman also gave attendees the opportunity to join him on stage. The most notable moment was when he was joined by senior Andy Pelico. Pelico was involved in a trick that saw his credit cards and wallet being taken from him without even realizing it. “I was pretty shocked about it. There was some things I didn’t even realize, especially the ending where my wallet was taken,” said Pelico. Jordan DeGaetano, SAC comedy stop and incoming

photo by Jacob Vitali

Seidman with senior Andy Pelico, telling jokes and causing trouble.

president, met Seidman at the National Association for Campus Activities conference in the fall and was immediately impressed by his work. “He performed and I met him. He works for an agency I really trust, the Summit Comedy agency,” said DeGaetano. “He was there and I talked to the Summit agent and he performed the safety pin trick and I thought he was really good and really professional. When I went to talk to him he was very down-to-earth and he was in our price range.” Seidman became interested in magic at an early age and later developed his interest in comedy when he was in middle school. “I saw magic when I was a little kid. I saw someone do a simple trick and it hit me really hard and later, when I was in middle school someone gave me a copy of a George Carlin book and it blew my mind. I didn’t know people could be so funny,” said Seidman. “Comedy and magic kind of stuck in my brain.” Seidman has performed

photo by Jacob Vitali

Seidman’s combination of magic and comedy is a well thought out one. on some of the biggest stages, including in Las Vegas. He has come up with magic tricks for Criss Angel and performed for Penn and Teller on their program “Fool Us.” He came to MCLA out of a love for performing. “I do shows all over the country, sometimes even internationally, and I like performing, I like travelling,” Seidman said. Another notable moment was when Seidman brought SAC Concert Chair Erika Lucia on stage and did a trick involving human perception. The trick showed Seidman clearly throwing tissues into the air but, due to her seating position, Lucia was unable to see that he was throwing them. After Lucia returned

to the audience, he played several notes on a glass bottle which he dedicated to her. Near the end of his set was a trick that involved random audience members picking numbers between one and 10. The number was then called on a phone and as an audience member pulled out a card that said Dan, a person named Dan was on the line. The performance ended with a message in a bottle that turned out to be a 20 dollar bill Pelico had put his name on at the start of the show in magic marker. He revealed a document that had not been touched since setup with several predictions about the show that came true.

SPORTS

April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

Pitching staff struggles; MCLA baseball drops doubleheader to Westfield St. BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The Westfield State Owls baseball team defeated the Trailblazers 14-0 and 10-6 in a doubleheader on Tuesday April 24, behind a solid day at the plate and a strong pitching performance. Game one of the doubleheader saw a slow start as the Owls put up a lone run in the first inning. Brett Dooley was the only run of the inning as he advanced to third on a single from Anthony Crowley, eventually reaching home on an error by the outfielder. The Owls did most of their work in the third and fourth innings, putting up nine runs over the span. Colin Dunn recorded a three-run homer in the third inning to highlight the run. The Owls got a complete game effort from starting pitcher Jamie Butler as he allowed five hits and struck out just as many. 'Blazers pitcher freshman Brandon Condon took the loss, dropping to 2-2 on the year. Condon was credited with five of the 10 runs scored

photo by MCLA Athletics

MCLA sophomore Joe Toledo (right) swinging at a pitch in a game earlier this season. Toledo went 1-5 with one RBI, a home run, and scored one run himself over the two games against the Westfield State Owls. Westfield shut out the Trailblazers in game one winning 14-0, while comfortably winning the second game 10-6. during his four innings on the mound. Game two of the contest saw both offenses come out of the gates hot as neither starting pitcher made it past the second inning.

'Blazers junior Bobby New pitched two innings, allowing six hits and runs, giving up one home run and walking three batters. On the Owls side, pitcher Nate Barnes went 1.1 innings

Trailblazers continue to add to their 6 game losing streak BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS WRITER The MCLA Trailblazers women's softball team added to their six-game losing streak with 8-0 and 12-9 losses to the Westfield State Owls on Tuesday, April 24 at the Zavattaro Complex in North Adams. The Trailblazers' record drops to 6-20 overall and 2-10 in the MASCAC. The Owls' record improves to 12-16 overall and 8-4 in the MASCAC. In the first game, the final score was 8-0 in seven innings. Pitcher Emily Arredondo led the Owls with three hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. Westfield's offense was driven by Caitlyn Hughes with one run, two hits, four RBIs and one walk, followed by catcher Angelica Banning with one hit, one run, and two RBIs. MCLA's pitcher Samantha Feinstein had a rough day at the mound with nine hits, eight runs, seven errors, two walks and zero strikeouts. In the nightcap, the Trailblazers put on a rough fight but came up short with the final score 12-9 in eight innings. MCLA freshman Alanza Quinones hit two homers in a game, tying her with her teammate Kaylyn Holiday with three home runs on the season.

photo by MCLA Athletics

MCLA sophomore Kayla Baker warming up in a game earlier this season. Baker went 2-8 with one run and three strikeouts in the two games against Westfield State. Baker is batting .308 with 12 runs scored going into the final doubleheader against Salem State on Saturday. Catcher Nevada Nelsen contributed with two runs, two hits, and four RBIs. Feinstein pitched one walk, two strikeouts, six errors, six runs and eight hits. Relief pitcher Kara Adams threw eight hits, six runs, four RBIs, two walks and one strikeout. The Westfield State Owls pitcher Emily Woodworth threw ten hits, six runs, six errors, one walk and two strikeouts. Her reliever Michaela Leblanc had three hits, one run, and error while Kara Fluet finished with two runs, errors, walks, and

strikeouts. Coach Erica Li is happy about her team being willing to exceed their abilities to the next level on the field. "They are all excited to improve, and huge culture change that we are trying to make is that them just understanding that we are a good team and we are going to win some games," Li said. The Trailblazers' final doubleheader will be hosted by Salem State on Saturday, April 28 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

being credited with three of the five runs scored in his time on the mound. Barnes gave up six hits and struck out one. After the starters were removed from the game, only one run was scored between

both teams until the final two innings of play. Going into the sixth inning of play, the Owls were holding onto a 6-4 lead and the game was still up in the air. The 'Blazers made a pitching change, replacing junior Brian Kelly with senior Frank Rickus. Rickus started the inning giving up a single to Dooley followed by a double to Alex Lafayette. Rickus then intentionally walked Crowley and walked two of the three batters that followed him. Crowley found his way around the bases as he stole home to score the final run of the inning to put the score at 10-5. The 'Blazers were able to respond with one final run before the Owls closed out the win. The Owls improved to 1814-1 on the season and remain atop the MASCAC at 8-4. The 'Blazers fall to 12-13-1 overall and sit at 5-6-1 in the MASCAC and are back in action on Saturday, April 28 when they travel to Salem State for another doubleheader.

Despite men's tennis being swept, clinched 3rd seed in NAC playoffs BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS WRITER Despite the 9-0 blowout loss against Colby-Sawyer Chargers on Monday, April 23 the MCLA Trailblazers men's tennis team clinched for the NAC playoffs as the third seed. The Trailblazers' record dropped to 4-5 overall and 3-2 in the conference. The Chargers remain undefeated in the conference with a standing of 5-0 and 6-10 overall. The Trailblazers were dominated in the singles competition. Senior Aaron Goldsmith led the Trailblazers in the first singles match against Gustav Jigrup, who defeated Goldsmith 6-0, 6-0. In the second and third matchup, Alex Wright (CS) defeated senior Jared Freeman (MCLA) 6-1, 6-0, and Matt Burke (CS) defeated freshman Charles Najimy (MCLA) 6-1, 6-2. In the last three singles matchups, Cam Lynch (CS) defeated freshman Matt Bluteau (MCLA) 6-0, 6-0, Erik Antonacci (CS) defeated sophomore Mohamed Mahrous (MCLA) 6-0, 6-0, and Matt Williamson (CS) defeated Nick Castle (MCLA) 6-3, 7-5. Additionally, the Trailblazers could not hold on

in the doubles competition. Jigrup and Ross Kenney defeated Freeman and Goldsmith 8-0. Burke and Lynch defeated Bluteau and Najimy 8-2 and the last match Antonacci and Mike White defeated Mahrous and freshman Reydel Santana 8-0. Goldsmith spoke about how tennis taught him life lessons and how he developed into the person he is today. "Definitely is patience because tennis is an extremely frustrating sport, even the smallest little mistake that you do not even realize you are making and things does not go as you planned," Goldsmith said. Goldsmith compared the team's mentality and explained the most significant improvement the team has made throughout the years he has been here. "My sophomore year was the first time our team made the playoffs in school history, between freshman and sophomore year we saw the mindset change: Our biggest improvement of the team realizes our potential," Goldsmith said. The Trailblazers will play in the semifinals match against Thomas at Castleton University on Saturday, April 28 at 10 a.m.

April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

SPORTS

Buccaneers outgun Trailblazers; MCLA Lacrosse falls 18-4 BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buccaneers defeated the MCLA Trailblazers women’s lacrosse team 18-4 on Friday, April 20 behind a solid offensive unit that out-shot the ‘Blazers 39-9. The ‘Blazers came out of the gates hot, when sophomore Kim Granito netted her ninth goal of the season just over a minute into the contest. The Buccaneers were quick to retaliate as Casey Sullivan was able to score the first of her nine goals 25 seconds later off of a pass from Stephanie Hunt. The Buccaneers turned Sullivan’s tying goal into six more going on a 7-0 run after falling behind 1-0. The ‘Blazers were able to snap the run with 18 minutes left in the first half as senior Mackenzie Cutler recorded the first of her three goals on the night via a free position shot. Despite Cutler scoring again off of another free position shot with 13 minutes left in the first half, the Buccaneers were able to outscore the ‘Blazers 5-1 over the last 18 minutes of the half. Going into the second half, the ‘Blazers were trailing 12-3 looking for any way back into the game. Despite their efforts, the Buccaneers were able to run up the score as Sullivan opened the second half with a goal a minute and a half in. Sullivan’s goal was followed up by three straight goals off of free position

SCORE BOARD MCLA Lacrosse MCLA (4), Mass. Maritime (18) Mackenzie Cutler (MCLA) 3 Goals, 3 SOG

Casey Sullivan (Mass. Maritime) 9 Goals, 11 SOG, 1 Assist

MCLA Baseball MCLA (6), Westfield State (10) Joe Toledo (MCLA) photo by MCLA Athletics

MCLA senior Mackenzie Cutler controlling the ball in a game earlier this season. Cutler recorded three of the four goals for the Trailblazers in the 18-4 loss to Mass. Maritime Academy. shots over the next 13 minutes of just seven shots, while also collecting play to put the score at 16-3. Hunt six assists and six groundballs. recorded two of the goals over that Mikayla Correia earned the win in span and also assisted Sullivan on her goal notching one save. goal to open the half. The ‘Blazers were paced by Cutler’s Cutler scored once again off a free three goals while junior goalie Zoe position shot with just under eight Elwell recorded 14 saves in the loss. minutes to play to claim her third The Buccaneers improve to 6-7 goal of the night and put the score at overall with the win, and are 1-4 16-4. in league play this season. The Cutler’s goal was the last bit of Trailblazers drop their seventh offense the ‘Blazers had left as the straight contest as they’re now 1-7 Buccaneers went on to score two overall and 0-5 in the league. more goals before the game’s end to The ‘Blazers are back in action on give the final score of 18-4. Saturday, April 28 when they will Sullivan collected her nine goals on play their final game of the regular 13 shots and added one assist. Hunt season against Framingham State at filled the stat sheet with five goals on 1 p.m.

Why LeBron James leaving Cleveland would benefit the Cavaliers

“Wait, what?” short few years later, he becomes That’s probably the first thing a primary three-point shooter. that came across your Look at the rest of the roster. mind when you read that Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkheadline. son, George Hill, Kyle KorHow could the best NBA ver, J.R. Smith, all guys with player in the world leaving colorful, varying skill sets that a team be considered a have a lot to offer to a team. good thing? All of them are relegated To clarify, LeBron Andrew into being LeBron’s “kick-nJames is absolutely Baillargeon shoot” henchmen. When you deserving of that designacombine this with how much The Call tion. He’s also immortal in leverage LeBron has on the Cleveland for bringing the team, and how badly his using city its first NBA champiof said leverage has affected onship ever a few short years ago. the team from a cap space perspecSo why, then, would his departure tive, and the team is in absolute be viewed as a good thing? cap hell. Were it not for general It’s really quite simple..... manager Koby Altman’s trade If you’ve ever watched a Cavs deadline magic, the team would game, and you know about players also be dealing with an extremely such as Jordan Clarkson, George old roster. Hill, Rodney Hood, and even Kevin You can tell the players are not Love, and knew them from before content working with LeBron for their days with Cleveland, you a couple different reasons. First, may yet understand my point a bit the whole Kyrie Irving fiasco that more. happened this past offseason that Think about the types of playresulted in him getting traded to ers they were with their former the Celtics. Second, if you’ve been teams. Love was a utility superstar keeping track of the Cavaliers’ in Minnesota, he could play post, series against the Indiana Pacers, he could be a rim protector, he had have a look at how lethargic and (and still has) a great mid-range lifeless the team has been, espegame to work with, and could go cially in game one. Sure, that cantoe-to-toe with virtually anybody not be solely blamed on LeBron, the opposition decided to have but the fact of the matter is that guard him. LeBron is an extremely ball-domLove comes to Cleveland, and a inant player who is a toxin to his

teammates’ skill sets. A Cavaliers team without LeBron would be more energetic, have better depth, be a lot younger, be in a better financial situation, and might be just about as successful in the Eastern Conference as they are now, as the No. 4 seed in the conference. The team today, with LeBron, stands no real chance at challenging whoever comes out of the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. That is assuming, of course, Cleveland even gets that far to begin with. A lot of that is LeBron’s own doing: holding the team hostage to give his buddies big fat contract extensions, forcing his teammates to play to his own skill set, and having said skill set be extremely self-oriented and extremely susceptible to play lacking fundamentals and refinement. LeBron is no longer the fit on the Cavaliers he was when he initially returned to the team. With Cleveland receiving the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft (thus, being able to launch a rebuild immediately if necessary with a useful asset), and with LeBron being a free agent this offseason, perhaps the two parties will part ways once again. If they do, the Cavaliers will have a much better sense of direction, as a franchise, than the last time.

1-2, RBI, Run, HR

Brett Dooley (Westfield) 3-3, 2 Runs, 2 BB, 2B, SB4 Ast, 2 Blk 16 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl

MCLA Softball

MCLA (1), Westfield State (6)

Alanza Quinones (MCLA) 2-4, 4 RBI’s, 2 Runs, 2 HR 10-12. 100 yds, 0 TD

Maddy Atkocaitis (Westfield) 2-5, RBI, Run, 2B

MLB

Toronto Blue Jays (4), Boston Red Sox (3)

Hanley Ramirez (Bos) 3-5, RBI, Run ,

Curtis Granderson (Tor) 3-5, 3 RBI’s, Run, Game winning HR in 10th

NBA Playoffs

Boston Celtics (92), Milwaukee Bucks (87) (Boston leads 3-2)

Al Horford (Bos) 22 PTS, 14 REB, 3 AST

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) 16 PTS, 10 REB, 9 AST

NHL Playoffs Washington Capitals (6), Columbus Blue Jackets (3) Alex Ovechkin (Wash) 2 Goal’s, 3 SOG Ast, 2 Stl

Nick Foligno (Col) 2 Goal’s, 2 SOG 22 Reb, 3 Ast

LOCALNEWS

April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

More From Arts & Entertainment

Sean Rowe performs stirring and gripping concert BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER It may have been a blizzard outside, but that didn’t stop a large crowd from gathering downtown to hear musician Sean Rowe perform at The Green. Common Folk hosted the concert on April 19, with Rowe performing a mix of original songs and covers for the enthusiastic group. Rowe is originally from Albany, New York and has traveled around the country performing at various venues. High Road Touring stated, “The intimacy and rarity of Rowe’s songs can prove jarring or entrancing, depending on your point of view.” Many audience members have said that the soulful and thunderous sound gave them chills. Rowe’s musical selections varied, with some being stirring ballads with a softer tone and others being a little more rock and roll, changing guitar playing techniques to suit the tone. He even added a harmonica to the mix for some songs. Audience members were treated to a few new songs of Rowe’s not yet released on any album, including a song entitled “You Don’t Have To Worry.” In addition to this, Rowe played some songs off of his new album “New Lore” such as “The Very First Snow,” as well as from past records

photo by Brianna Lamb

Sean Rowe perfomed to a packed audience at The Green in downtown North Adams. including the rhythmically upbeat song “Desiree.” As heavy as some of Rowe’s music was, he added some humor in between songs, making mention of going skiing after the show was over. He also spoke to the audience about his love of house shows. “I’ve done so many house shows, I count them by the number of pets I meet. I saw

More SGA from page 2 people, bring those ideas here because we’re the people who can do something about it.” Joining SGA as senators for the fall are returning members Shon Loftus ’21, Trevor Wheelock ’20 and Sarah Groux ’20. SGA welcomed new members Nia Little ’20 and Jabari Shakir ’21 to their rankings as well. Eva Weeks ’19 will be SGA’s new student trustee. “I think a lot of things were started at the end of the semester so I hope those are continued and completed,” Giffen said. “There have been a few things that came up this year that I hope is taken on like improved budget process, because the past two years we’ve realized that’s not working.” New class council members were also sworn in with Allison Thienel as class of 2019 president and Josephine Burlingame as class of

2020 treasurer. “Students need to be able to voice their minds more and have those voices heard,” Little said. “I also feel like more could be done as a greater conversation. We are great ‘parts’ of a campus. You look around and you see a lot of individual communities, we need to become united.” “I want more communication,” Nolan said. “I want more people to get involved and to realize that being a part of public service can be interesting and exciting and you can really make raw changes on this campus.” “I really want SGA to come together as a whole,” Giffen said. “I know a lot of people did stuff successfully individually, like on the E-board and some others individually, but I hope they come together more and accomplish something even if they’re small.”

a nice cat at one house. I’ve seen some strange pets,” said Rowe amidst amused laughter. On his website, Rowe gives a more definitive reason as to why he enjoys house shows so much. “I want to connect. I want to eat your chips and drink your beer. I want to take you on an intimate musical journey that you and your

friends will remember forever. Do I love club shows? Hell yes. But this is a different beast. Maybe a gentler, more homey beast,” Rowe said. Some of the night’s most moving numbers were covers of songs by artists Rowe greatly appreciated and counted as his influences. He performed a gripping rendition of Leonard Cohen’s

“Leaving The Table” as well as “Luckenbach Texas” as a tribute to Waylon Jennings. “I draw a lot from Leonard Cohen, Howlin’ Wolf, and Van Morrison,” Rowe said. “I first picked up a bass guitar when I was 12 and moved to an acoustic when I was 14. The first song I learned how to play was ‘House of the Rising Sun.’” Rowe originally ended the concert with a cover of an AC/DC song, but, after a standing ovation and vast amounts of applause and cheering, he came back to perform two more songs, both being brand new and not on any album yet. After the show, Rowe graciously signed albums and talked with audience members. For more information on Sean Rowe, his music, merchandise and where he will be performing next, visit his website at seanrowe.net. His music can also be found on YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes, and you can even hear one of his songs “To Leave Something Behind” in the movie “The Accountant.” With this event done, Common Folk is setting its sights on one more event before the end of the school year. The last Shut The Folk Up event of the season will be taking place on May 4, featuring House Sparrow and lady jane.

Twitter flexes muscles behind revenue, monthly user gains BY REX CRUM THE MERCURY NEWS SAN FRANCISCO - Growth in ad sales and monthly users outside the United States were among the key figures that spurred a strong quarter for Twitter as the social-media company on Tuesday reported first-quarter sales that exceeded Wall Street’s expectations. Twitter, which put out its results before the stock market opened Tuesday, said it ended the first three months of 2018 with 336 million monthly active users, an increase of 6 million such users over the fourth quarter of 2017. Five million of those new users came from international markets, while Twitter added 1 million new users in its U.S. home base. Wall Street analysts had expected Twitter to finish its first quarter with 334 million monthly active users. The company has been working on more methods to keep visitors on the site for longer than it takes to post a tweet. Live programs, including sports and information shows, have helped Twitter in its efforts to sell more video ads, which are fueling the

photo by Tribune News Services

Twitter application (Dreamstime/TNS) company’s revenue gains. Twitter said it ended the quarter with a profit of $61 million, or 8 cents a share, on revenue of $664.9 million. Revenue from advertising reached $575 million, up 21 percent from a year ago. Excluding onetime items, Twitter said it earned 16 cents a share, to top the estimates of analysts, who had forecast the company to earn 12 cents a share on $606.9 million in total sales.

April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

OPINION View from the Bridge

Editor’s note:

The adjacent piece, known as View from the Bridge, is the second installment in a series of columns written by or about students between the ages of 16 and 70 who are pursuing their HiSet/GED, high school diploma certification. Linda E. Neville is an ELA Instructor in the Northern Berkshire Adult Basic Education Program that operates at MCLA.

Let me tell you about the Northern Berkshire Adult Basic Education (NBABE) program at MCLA. NBABE has been based at the College for more than 30 years. In that time, it has helped many area adult learners achieve their academic and career readiness goals. This is the continuing mission of the program. Graduating from high school is often seen as a rite of passage by most of us, a stepping stone to college or a career. Respect. For those who have dropped out, it can affect their future happiness and success and how they see themselves. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) provides dropout rates in Massachusetts schools as an overview, over a period from 2010-2017, and as district rates by grade, gender and race/ethnicity for 2016-2017. Per DESE statistical reports, the dropout rate for students in North Adams was 7 percent in ninth grade, 10 percent in 10th, 11.9 percent in 11th and 7 percent in 12th. The breakdown by race/ethnicity was 15.4 percent black, 23.8 percent Hispanic, 9.5 percent multi-race non-Hispanic and 7.3 percent white. The gender dropout rate was 7.8 percent female and 10 percent male. The dropout rate from 2009-2017 range is 6.2 percent in 2009 to 8.8 percent in 2017, representing a total of 29 students. There is a real need to help this group of students as well as other older students who come to the program to improve their skills. “Drop in” students call for an inter-

Stricter gun laws mean less shootings

In most states in the U.S., it is not difficult to legally obtain and own certain types of firearms, such as rifles. Based on current laws, a buyer needs to be 18 years of age or older to purchase a rifle from a licensed dealer, as well as pass a federal background check, according to the Giffords Law Center. There were 90 mass shootings in the U.S. between 1966 - 2012, according to CNN. The ease of obtaining and owning a gun contributed to these shootings. In order for these shootings to decrease in frequency, our nation needs to strengthen its gun control laws. To this effect, a package of gun laws was signed into law on April 11 by Vermont Governor Phil Scott, according to

The Hill. This measure raised the legal age for gun purchases in Vermont by those who have not taken a safety course from 18 to 21. It also banned bump stocks and high capacity magazines. These measures are steps in the right direction. Currently, when one purchases a firearm, they have to fill out Federal Form 4473, which asks the applicant various questions, including those on marijuana usage, criminal background and military discharge status. However, this form does not prevent legal but questionable applicants from obtaining and misusing a firearm. In addition, only 12 states require this background check at the point of sale, according to Giffords Law Center. In tandem with what Vermont did, we need to do the following: form a national gun registry, limit the purchase of

the Northern Berkshire Adult Basic Education Program

By Linda E. Neville with Thelma Margulies, Coordinator NBABE Program at MCLA

Comic

BY NICHOLAS WEBB COPY EDITOR

ammunition per customer, perform additional background checks upon purchase of ammunition, increase the punishment of illegally owning a gun, and ban the sale of assault-style (like the AR-15) as well as semi-automatic weapons to civilians. In addition, every state should require a background check at the point of sale of each weapon. Some might argue that such laws would be unconstitutional. However, we’ve always had some form of gun laws since our nation’s conception, and those were constitutional. Having a few more should not be unconstitutional. Also, our founding fathers did not foresee the number of mass shootings we have experienced. We have evolved as a society, and so should our laws. We need stricter and more effective gun control laws to minimize mass shootings.

view (413-662-5330) or walk into Freel Library’s lower level for help. NBABE offers leveled ability classes to meet students at their current reading and math levels. Adult Basic Education (ABE) assists students fill in the gaps in their learning to improve reading and math literacy. ASE/PASE classes prepare students for the official high school equivalency exam and pre-college skills. ESOL teaches English for speakers of other languages. New initiatives include Adult Career Pathways classes that advise and help adult learners plan and build skills needed to transition to college and careers, Bridge to College classes to strengthen academic and readiness skills needed to transition to college and career, employability skills, Personal Care Attendant (PCA) pre-employment readiness for students interested in preparing for this entry level healthcare position, and distance learning, an option to prepare for the high school equivalency exam using online resources and classroom support. Achieving the high school equivalency certification is not easy. Students must pass five tests in the following areas: reading, writing, science, social studies, and math. HiSet testing is available at MCLA’s NBABE program site. A dedicated, experienced staff of 11 includes MCLA instructors, public school teachers and a licensed mental health counselor, who all value providing access to educational opportunities for all community members. The program is funded by DESE and all classes, books, academic and career advising and access to computers are free.

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OPINION

April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

Empowerment Lounge BY LISE MANSARAY FEATURES WRITER Creating an inclusive and comfortable campus environment is something MCLA has claimed to push for on campus, however many students of color feel MCLA has made little efforts toward multicultural representation. The Empowerment Lounge was a step toward multicultural representation, but the creation of the lounge raises the question of whether or not this further separates students of color from white students. The Empowerment Lounge opened Friday, March 23. According to the grand opening flyer, it is “geared towards giving multicultural/students of color a comfortable space here on campus.” The grand opening was welcome to all. A number of students and administrators came in not only to support the opening of the new lounge, but to also support diversity as well. This is groundbreaking as there has not been a designated safe space offered for multicultural students at MCLA in years. With a predominantly white campus (about 75 percent of MCLA students are white), it is important to represent people of color to show that their voices are heard and that their presence is acknowledged. Senior Mikaela Serrano-Moore created the lounge, with the guidance of Celia Norcross, assistant dean of student

development and engagement. SerranoMoore created the lounge as a response to complaints from other students of color. “I came up with the idea of the lounge because it was a requested need for students of color here on this campus and there wasn’t anyone to take the lead on it,” said Serrano-Moore. “I, as a person of color, really wanted to see this space happen and felt it was needed so I took the initiative in making it happen.” However, students have mixed opinions about the lounge. Some believe the lounge is a step forward to the unity the campus needs; others believe it to be doing the opposite. Senior Nicholas Webb spoke to how the lounge may not be promoting unity in the best way. “By having only a certain group of people in one space, it limits who they can meet,” said Webb. “In order for a society to reach a state of unity, people need to meet and connect with other people, regardless of their origin or race.” Don’Jea Smith, president of the Black Student Union, advocates for more diversity and representation for students of color on campus. “Diversity does not exist at all on this campus and this space was only a step toward diversity,” said Smith. “Just one step though.” The concern with the lounge is that labeling it as a “student of color” lounge

may cause some separation. Instead, Webb believes there are other ways the school can promote unity, such as hosting events involving everyone where all students can be social and interact. “The key is that while we may all be different physically, we are all people,” said Webb. “People are naturally social, and we just need an opportunity to get to know each other.” Although Webb’s steps towards unity would be ideal, attacking the issue of unity is much more complex than that. In order for unity to be created, underrepresented groups must obtain equal representation before any unity can truly ever be formed. “I don’t really have too many thoughts on the students who think this room is creating more separation than unity, honestly,” said Serrano-Moore. “I have an understanding as to how that can be the center of discussion for the space but I didn’t provide the room seeking approval from those who are the majority.” She created this lounge in response to the complaints from students of colors about feeling invisible on campus and not having much representation on campus. The lounge’s intent was to fulfill these needs and act as just one step toward representation, although there is still work to be done. “During that time there was very little discussion and very few people on our side [about representation],” said Serra-

no-Moore. “However, now that we have a chief diversity officer and a lounge, people have a whole lot to say. It’s interesting.” Because Serrano-Moore is graduating soon, sophomore Maya McFadden is taking responsibility for the lounge. She believes it is receiving a lot of positive attention and is not solely for students of color. “I think the lounge is a really comfortable space space for everyone,” said McFadden. “I feel like it’s had a lot positive attention since its opening and the school is starting to realize its significance.” MCLA recently had an overnight event for incoming multicultural students to visit the school. During that visit, the students were welcomed to the lounge where many of them hung out. The lounge makes the campus more inviting to multicultural students, which may eventually lead to more students of color enrolling into MCLA. As a person of color, it is important to not only see people who look like yourself on campus, but to also feel as if your group is represented. This all ties into creating a comfortable and welcoming campus environment. “[The goal is] really just maintaining the space’s value and keeping the conversation going on about diversity and representation,” said McFadden.

The end of three and a half years on The Beacon

Today, my three and a half year career on the college newspaper is coming to an end, as I prepare to graduate on May 12. I am the last person from the Beacon staff of spring 2015, and since that time I have grown from a staff writer, to the entertainment section editor, to your managing editor, to your editorin-chief, features editor, and now your business manager. This college newspaper gave me a career, one that I will pursue on a full-time basis after college, continuing my tenure as a page designer/copy editor at The Berkshire Eagle, and it gave me the skills I needed to relaunch Her Campus at MCLA, and to step up as your student trustee this semester, something I view as the last hurrah in my college career. The Beacon has always had a special place in my heart, and it has been a paper that I deeply care about. I remember stumbling onto this staff all those years ago, fresh out of Writing and Reporting the News I, where I was taught the basics of newswriting by former Beacon adviser Jen Augur and former Beacon editor-in-chief Nick Arena, who was the teaching assistant, not knowing that my path through the paper would follow a similar course to Arena’s. A bright-eyed me with all these ideas as to how to improve the paper came onto the scene, and I screwed up a lot, but never let those follies keep me down. The point of the student newspaper is to learn, and I think a lot of student journalists get discouraged, especially considering that the college population is not understanding of the fact that The Beacon is a class. Everyone on staff gets credit and a grade, and student journalists aren’t supposed to know everything about their craft, or they would do so elsewhere and get paid for doing it. I came into The Beacon at a point in

life where I didn’t know where to go. I I want to write about taking a stance had nothing but drive to improve my- on issues you believe in, even if it loses self and to improve whatever I became a you friends, because the friends you’d part of. The Beacon made me into some- lose really weren’t your friends in the body, someone whose words resonate first place. Don’t ever get complacent, throughout the entire campus, some- get up and make some noise. Get in necbody who could shape the conversation essary trouble. And never lose sight of on various issues that affect students, the world you want to build. It might be and somebody who would time and easy to fade into the crowd, to let indetime again be presented with the oppor- fensible behavior or policy or whatever tunity and privilege to defend slide so long as you keep your the First Amendment of the relationships or status intact, Constitution and the people’s but like I said before, those who right to know what is happenaren’t with you when you need ing in their community amid them are friendships and relaignorance, limited communitionships made of glass. cation, and backlash against I want to warn about partisan unpopular opinions, among fighting. We’re all attached to other challenges. I learned very our own littles groups on camMitchell pus, but the truth is none of it quickly that what is popular isn’t always right, and sticking Chapman matters. We’re all students, up for what you believe in will None of your in the open boat, and it can not gain you many friends, but tip over at any time. We need business the ones that you do get are into start working together and valuable. learn to put aside our petty drama, and So what’s the point of this column? I I know Facebook doesn’t make that easy could get back at and rebut parties I’ve at all. We need to be able to sit down, been dying to address for years, giving a have a conversation, and find common sort of middle finger before I leave, but ground, if we want this institution to that’s not worth my time. Unlike some progress in the ways we hope it will. of the parties I’ve come into contact with Our media polarizes us to one side or over the years, when I read an opinion the other, when in fact most of us find I don’t agree with, I don’t feel the need ourselves somewhere in the middle, and to do everything in my power to have it we need to realize the full extent of our removed. Freedom of the press means actions, knowing full well what should freedom to write about anything that burn a bridge and what shouldn’t. If exists in any capacity necessary, so long your first instinct to someone criticizas it is not libelous or a danger to the ing you is to attack the critic, you have a public. Generations of American sol- lot of growing to do, and I urge anyone diers have fought and died for this prin- who tries to undermine the press to take ciple, and this is a freedom I will defend a crash course in media law first. The until my dying breath. truth is, we’re all comrades, and anyone But let’s get back on track, here. In the who tells you differently most likely has words of “Hamilton,” that’s not what an ulterior motive. Remember the wise this is about. This is about me, writing words of Bernie Sanders: “When we all to you guys. One last time. come together, there is nothing we can-

not do.” As this column draws to a close, the other part of that “Hamilton” song comes to mind: “We’re gonna teach them how to say goodbye.” Goodbye MCLA Beacon. Goodbye MCLA. It has been an honor being able to serve as your editor in various different roles, even if it meant the pot got stirred every now and again. I will always look at my years on The Beacon as some of the most important years of my life, and as I embark into the real world, I know what I learned here will come in handy. And I’d like to thank you, even those of you that made this experience difficult. It is through hardship and challenges that we learn who our real friends are, and where we stand in this world. Before I end, here are some shout outs and thanks to those who made my Beacon experience worthwhile. Thank you Shirin Hijab, for being my first Beacon editor. Thank you Jen Augur, for helping me find my passion in newswriting. Thank you Jim Niedbalski, Gillian Jones and Shawn McIntosh for helping me to sharpen my craft and grow as a professional and a human being. Thank you Makayla McGeeney, Gionna Nourse and Harmony Birch for teaching me what is possible through a collaborative relationship. And thank you to any staff I had the privilege of managing over the years for being awesome – and yes, that includes you, Joe Carew, the editor of this very paper, who kept The Beacon alive after I stepped down as editor last spring. It’s been a blast, and now this column, and my time on The Beacon, is done. I’ll see you guys on the other side of graduation.

April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

OPINION

Ain’t college fun? Emma’s farewell I have to admit college was hard, ible events - it was a win-win situalike really, really hard. Mental break- tion. downs, panic attacks, stress that Probably one of my favorite moreached the moon and back - some- ments working for The Beacon was times it felt like more negatives than being able to talk to different people positives. Except that wasn’t the about the type of art they were creatcase. Despite the depressing side of ing, whether it was a poetry reading it all, I made amazing memories and or a play being put on. Every person friends. I interviewed showed the pasYes, it’s a cliché, but true sion they had for their project nevertheless. Here at The and were always so happy to Beacon, the past two years have their story in the paper. seemed to slip by. When I Even though we’re small, was trying to figure out what I publicity is publicity, and I wanted to major in my senior think people appreciate when year of high school, I had no The Beacon acknowledges Emma clue. Writing? Music? SciMonahan them. ence? Oh God no, not science. Being an editor was an exWhen I finally figured it out, Arts & Emma tremely difficult challenge that journalism was the one this past year, but I learned for me, joining The Beacon so much from it. For starters, just seemed to make sense. Obvious- I don’t want to be an editor any time ly I needed experience, and it was a in the future (this is obviously not a graduation requirement, but I never diss on The Beacon or my writers, so knew I would venture out into the don’t even go there). The Beacon is MCLA and North Adams community a learning process; we’re all here to like I did. I also never knew I was go- learn how to become better writers ing to be arts & entertainment editor, and better leaders, and I’ve learned but what a ride it’s been. that being an editor isn’t for me. I It’s really hard to sum up my time like writing and I like connecting here at The Beacon. It’s been a roll- with people, not calling the shots. ercoaster. Okay, another cliché, but Who knows, maybe one day I’ll go it has! I’ve made some great friends back to it, but not right away, aland amazing connections, have had though I highly doubt a publication the chance to speak to amazing jour- would hire a recent college grad for nalists and experience some incred- an editor’s position.

I feel like I need to give some necessary shout-outs to some people who have really helped me these past four years. First, Jim Niedbalski, who’s basically been by my side since freshman year. He introduced me to radio and helped me love it just as much as he does. He was also super helpful when it came to advice, whether on radio, journalism or life in general. Next, Jen Augur. She may not be here anymore (as in retired, don’t jump to conclusions), but she helped me become a better writer, both in reporting and fiction. Her bubbly personality and helpful advice helped me become the writer I am today. Lastly, I can’t forget our wonderful Beacon adviser, Shawn McIntosh. I’m basically the reason he got hired, because I sat in on his mock class during his hiring process (you’re welcome). He’s always told me to tighten my writing, and I think that’s still something I’m working on, but it’s advice that never leaves my brain when I write, even if it’s not an article. For everyone from The Beacon, whether new or old, thanks for making these last two years a blast, and I hope you all do well. To the class of 2018, I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re ready to leave.

A welcome to next year’s staff Eboard Editor-in-Chief – Ronald Leja BWN Executive Producer – Julia Teixeira Managing Editor – Jacob Vitali Senior News Editor – Maya McFadden A&E Editor – Nora Hones Sports Editor – Jabari Shakir Deputy Sports Editor – Brady Gerow Copy Chief – Elizabeth Haight Web Editor – Allison Thienel Business Manager – Gabrielle Kernozek

Staff A&E Writer – Jennifer VanBramer Staff Writer – Hannah Snell, Dalaina Yamawaki Copy Editor – Lily Schaub Columnist – Andrew Baillargeon Beacon Web News Admin – Victoria Weichel Producer/Reporter – Allison Thienel, Andrew Strout

The Beacon is published Thursdays during the academic year and is distributed to the MCLA community. The Beacon is funded by the Student Government Association, the English/ Communications department and ad revenue. Single copies are free and additional copies can be purchased at 50 cents each. If you wish to purchase additional copies, please contact a member of staff.

Contact News desk number: 413-662-5535 Business number: 413-662-5204 Email: beacon@mcla.edu Website: theonlinebeacon.com Office: Mark Hopkins Hall, room 111

Policies Letters: The Beacon welcomes Letters to the Editor and columns on issues of interest to the campus. Deadlines are 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Strive for 500 words or less. Editorial: Unsigned editorials that appear in these pages reflect the views of The Beacon. Signed columns and commentary pieces reflect the views of their writers. Contribution: The Beacon accepts stories, photos and opinion pieces. Submit to beacon@mcla.edu. Advertising: The Beacon reserves the right to not publish any advertisement it deems libelous, false or in bad taste.

Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Joseph Carew

Features Editor

A & E Editor

Meghan Cook

Emma Monahan

Sports Editor

Copy Chief Mary Kate Lynch

Brady Gerow

Design Editor

Business Manager

Nicholas Bassett

Mitchell Chapman

BWN Executive Producer Samantha Kniskern

NICE 3-BR APARTMENT NEAR MCLA AVAILABLE FOR SUMMER AND/OR FALL RENTAL

Staff

We have a beautiful 3 bedroom apartment available. If you are looking for a nice off-campus place for either this Summer or for next year please call us. Literally a three (3) minute walk to the center of MCLA. 3 BR’s, Living Room. updated Kitchen and Bath. Modern kitchen includes dishwasher, refrigerator and stove. Off-street parking for 2 or 3 cars. Free laundry in building. Locally managed. $725/month (plus utilities) for a one year lease. Other terms available. This is a quiet building. We only accept responsible tenants with good references. First & last month’s rent and security deposits are required. Call or text Ross at 908-766-7677.

Audio Reporters Photographers Jacob Vitali

Rae Ross

Copy Editors

A&E Writers Jacob Vitali Brianna Lamb Wyatt Mineau

Nicholas Webb Aryel Brosnan

Tune in to Your Radio Station! Celebrating 45 Years of Great Radio.

Staff Writers

Sports Writer Jabari Shakir

Fabienne Bogardus-Street Corey Mitchell-Labrie Maya McFadden

Features Writer Lise Mansaray

Adviser

Shawn McIntosh

Columnist Andrew Baillargeon

IN OTHER NEWS

What a ride

I can’t say I thought this was go- helped ground me freshman year ing to be easy but I never dreamed and inspired me to take steps toward it would be this hard. I have spent more responsibility. I have her to three years/six semesters on The thank for the endless headaches I’ve Beacon and done just about every- dealt with as well as the pure joy I thing possible in it. I started as a feel seeing people read the newspanervous staff writer, added a column per every week. She challenged me to to that, moved on to being a staff- go as far as possible and I hope I met friendly feature writer, took her expectations. I can’t ever on the role of managing edithank her enough for all the tor, then ascended to the glohelp she has given me. rious throne that is reserved Our current adviser Shawn only for the editor-in-chief. McIntosh has been the perIt has been absolutely wild. son who has kept me sane I did the math the other day throughout disasters, small Joseph and figured out that I have staffs, and personality condesigned over 100 pages, flicts. He has helped make Carew written at least 50 articles as WheelsSpun me not only a significantly well as over 30 columns and better journalist but a better cried only four times while person as well. His words of working for the paper. I’m not advice and encouragement sure if there are any records broken have made the impossible achievin that little summary but I’m hoping able. for at least a building to be named after me. I’ll settle for a solitary brick Some of the current crew in the campus center though. I could not have reached the mount Along the way I have worked with without the assistance of my current some tremendous people and, hope- staff. Sam Kniskern was the dream fully, have made as much of a positive BWN neighbor and her rise to the impact in their lives as they have made top and strength puts me to shame; in mine. It feels weird to look back on Emma Monahan and her positive my time not only at The Beacon but attitude kept me away from the deat MCLA and not mention at least a spair on crazy Wednesdays; Brady few of these people so here we go. Gerow had me laughing and smiling even after seemingly endless E-board Advisers meetings (sorry you couldn’t make it Our former adviser Jen Augur to this semester’s meetings, man);

Mitchell Chapman made sure I stuck to my guns on the things I believed in; Nicholas Webb and Aryel Brosnan made sure I didn’t horribly misspell anything and saved everyone on staff’s behinds on multiple occasions; Ron Leja and the Presidents of the United States gave me a much needed boost when it was crunch time; Mary Kate Lynch made sure I wasn’t overwhelmed come deadline this semester and I hope she knows how much I appreciate that; Meghan Cook brought some humor and great energy to the newsroom this semester; Nick Bassett cut down my work load and was the last piece needed for a great newsroom. Thank you all for making my tenure as editor-inchief an enjoyable experience. Some of the old guard should get some credit here too. Makayla-Courtney McGeeney was my first editorin-chief and her ability to command is something I will never reach but always strive to match; Brittany Gallacher became one of my best friends on the paper and her energy and give-no-crap attitude is something I admire and attempt to channel daily; Jacob Mendel and Liz Quirk were the cool older friends every underclassman should have; Harmony Birch and Gionna Nourse instilled in me the belief that a staff only works as well as it works together; My boy Matt Aceto was a legend. You all gave

April 26, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 12

me the skills to survive on top and I hope we can all keep in touch. Faculty Of course I can’t forget to mention the likes of Professors Daly, Cupery, Sciuto, LeSage, Ebiware and countless others who have been there for me throughout my college career. I’ve interviewed some of you, had courses with others, and hopefully became friends with all over these four years. I have definitely spoken to them as if we all were best friends and I trust they can all forgive me. Just couldn’t help it. Conclusion If I’m honest I probably didn’t sweat over the decision to come here nearly as long as I should have. It was small, located in a mountainous area, and had a journalism program. That was all I was looking for and it took me one search to find it. I applied nowhere else because it felt as though something was drawing me here. With just a few weeks left I know I made the right call. Too many things have worked out for me to believe otherwise. Thank you to everyone I have been able to meet here and thank you to everyone who has ever read this column. You indulging my love of cars is much appreciated. Goodbye and wish me luck.

Thank you MCLA Campus

For your continued support and interest in the news and allowing us to continue to practice and perfect the craft of journalism