T hu r s day , F e b rua ry 22, 2018
Volume 86 Women of Color Dinner
Students promote unity
Issue 4
WinterFest
North Adams sees warm weather and family fun BY COREY MITCHELLLABRIE STAFF WRITER
Once a year the unmistakable sounds of chainsaws fill the air around North Adams’ Main Street. But this is no moonless night, nor is it some Halloween celebration. This is WinterFest. “It’s amazing, you know?” said Robert Markey as he stood before his sculpture. “What would take me a month with marble, a few weeks with wood, I can do it in an afternoon with ice.” Markey is an artist and one
of the people selected to participate in WinterFest’s ice sculpting event. He began competitive ice sculpting five years ago and has participated in similar events in Greenfield and Northampton. This marks his first year coming to North Adams. “The sun, warm weather it’s nice,” said Markey. “But it makes the ice brittle, harder to sculpt without taking big chunks off it.” Markey has experience with several international art projects and has done work in Brazil, India, Sri
WinterFest page 2
Fine and Performing Arts
Photo by Maya McFadden
From left to right: Abigail Dumo, Stevelyn Desire, Yamiles Urena, Eva Weeks, Brittany Watson, Celia Norcross. BY MAYA MCFADDEN arrangements in the Church and become support systems STAFF WRITER Street Center’s Social Hall. for one another through colSerrano-Moore extended lege and even after,” said CaThe Multicultural Edu- invitations to women of color brera. cation Resource Center at Williams College by conSerrano-Moore invited ap(MERC) and the Susan B. An- tacting Shawna Patterson- proximately 145 students and thony Women’s Center host- Stephens, director of the Da- had a turnout of almost 90 ed MCLA’s first-ever Women vis Center. students and faculty of color of Color Dinner to celebrate Sisterhood, a women’s em- attend the dinner. and bring together women of powerment group for self“My hope was to have evcolor on MCLA’s campus and identifying women of color eryone walk away being invited guests from Williams on the Williams campus, had proud of who they are and see College on Thursday, Feb. 15. student members Yaznairy that being someone of color Mikaela Serrano-Moore, an Cabrera, Valerie Oyakhilome is a beautiful thing,” said Serintern for MERC, received and Mia Herring-Sampong rano-Moore. “With so many donations and sponsorships attend the event. issues regarding race and culthat totaled approximately “I think it’s important es- ture these days it’s very easy $1,000 from MERC, stu- pecially for institutions that to feel frustrated and discourdent development and the are predominantly white, to aged. I wanted everyone to Student Government Asso- provide women of color with walk away feeling good.” ciation (SGA) for the dinner’s spaces to see that they matter WoC page 2
Season set to begin with “Rhinoceros” BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR
The fine and performing arts department (FPA) will be performing their third show of the school year, “Rhinoceros” by Eugène Ionesco. In a press release sent to the Beacon, FPA said the play shows both comedy and tragedy in a dark, political way that is appropriate for today. Described as being loosely set between WWI and WWII, the play “treads into the world of psychological horror, playing with the ideas of possession and psychological thrillers,” the press release stated. The play is also described
as not only featuring a take on politics, but “heavily utilizes the student performers’ explorations of the psychological foundation of their characters’ deep inner-fascist roars within the rhinoceros transformations that Ionesco conjures.” Guest artist and Director David Lane describes it as a “dark reminder of our very human fallacies.” “Rhinoceros” will be shown at 8 p.m. on Feb. 23 and 24 and March 2 and 3, and on Feb. 24 and March 4 at 2 p.m. A talkback will be hosted after the show on March 3. The show will take place in Venable Theater. Tickets can be reserved at ma.ticketleap. com.
Hardman Journalist-in-Residence
Emmy winner Habiba Nosheen selected BY FABIENNE BOGARDUS-STREET STAFF WRITER
MCLA announced Habiba Nosheen will be the spring semester’s Hardman Journalist-in-Residence. The English/ Communications department chose Nosheen because of her expertise in telling important stories through a wide variety of media, such as TV, film and radio. “The English/Communications Department is currently expanding from traditional media production into convergent and digital media production, and to this end, Nosheen will be able to talk with our students about what it means to be a journalist today working across media platforms,” said Zachary Finch, associate professor of English, Hardman Scholar and co-director of the
Honors Program. Nosheen is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning investigative journalist and filmmaker. She has worked for “60 Minutes” where she reported on stories such as the death penalty in the United States, wrongful convictions and corruption in the banking system. Her reporting with “60 Minutes” is where she landed her Emmy and was named a finalist for The George Foster Peabody Award. In 2016, she announced that she would be joining the CBC as their new co-host of Canada’s leading investigative news magazine show, “The Fifth Estate.” She also teaches reporting at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. In 2013, Nosheen shot, directed and reported the film “Outlawed in Pakistan” which was aired on PBS FRONTLINE and premiered at the Sundance Film
Festival. She also did a radio documentary that year called “What Happened at Dos Erres.” Nosheen has won many other awards for her stories whether it be for radio, film or television. Some of her achievements include the Emmy Award for Outstanding Research and the David A. Andelman and Pamela Title Award by the Overseas Press Club, which honors “the best international reporting in the broadcast media showing a concern for the human condition.” She has also won The Dart Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma, the Third Coast Radio Award, the New York Radio Festival and was a finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. “We invited her because of her formi-
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Photo from WikimediaCommons
Habiba Nosheen accepting the Peabody Award for “This American Life: What Happened at Dos Erres.”
CAMPUSNEWS
Feb. 22, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 4
Student Trustee Mitchell Chapman
Tor Bashista Caleb Giard Sam Kelley Jacob Vitali
Class of 2020 Representative
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WoC from page 1 Serrano-Moore began the dinner by introducing herself and thanking the students and faculty who helped her plan and set up the event. “I want to recognize and thank the students who are here who don’t self-identify as women but still came in support of women empowerment,” said Serrano-Moore. Seating arrangements for the guests were selected randomly as each person entered. “People tend to sit with people they already know. I wanted people to make new connections and talk to people they may have never met before,” said Serrano-Moore. “It’s really important to promote unity and community in such a removed space like North Adams. It was nice to know that I’m not alone as a woman of color in this struggle of being in college and being a minority” said senior Adazae Shepherd-Edwards.
MCLA student Don’Jea Smith read a poem of her own titled “Renew, Repair, Restore” for the audience and later a montage video was played of students’ responses to the question, “What do you enjoy about being a woman of color?” Many students agreed that the event was successful and should be done more often at MCLA. “I’ve been at MCLA for four years and I’ve never really been celebrated for being black. I’ve been reflected on, studied, and illuminated but never celebrated,” said ShepherdEdwards. “I came because I like the idea of spending time with people who are similar to me,” said sophomore Nia Little. “I feel like the school doesn’t really have events like this, and so I was instantly interested because I thought, will I ever get another opportunity like this at MCLA?” said
Photo by Maya McFadden
Students gathered to share in experiences and delicious food for the dinner.
Photo by Maya McFadden
Around 90 students attended the first-ever Women of Color Dinner. sophomore Henrietta Koramoah. Michael Obasohan, assistant director of diversity programs, said he will be hosting a Men of Color Dinner celebration on Thursday, Feb. 22, with invited alumni and the students involved in the Men of Color Initiative group that Obasohan put together last semester. “From what I saw today I like the sense of sisterhood, and I’d like to incorporate more interactions within the tables to create that sense of brotherhood for the Men of Color Dinner,” said Obasohan. Some students from Obasohan’s Men of Color Initiative group volunteered at the dinner to help serve and clean up throughout the night. In hopes for similar events in the future, students gave ideas for additions and changes.
“I would’ve liked to see more youth from the community, so they can see women of color on a college campus coming together,” said Shepherd-Edwards. “I wish it wasn’t on a Thursday at 6 p.m. because I skipped class to be here,” said Little. After the dinner, Serrano-Moore put together a movie screening of the film “Girls Trip” in Sullivan Lounge for guests to join in a more casual setting. “The movie was funny so we all got to laugh together over cookies and cupcakes,” said Serrano-Moore. MERC’s upcoming Black History Month events include Soul Food Dinner Night on Feb. 21 and the “Higher Learning” movie screening on Feb. 28.
WinterFest from page 1 Lanka, and is soon expecting to go to Afghanistan. Other sculptures included a “playable” guitar, a unicorn chess piece, and even an icy dog carved by North
Adams City Councilor Benjamin Lamb. In addition to the ice sculpting event was the coveted chowder competition, which took place at The
Corrections In last week’s SGA coverage an inaccurate quote was published. This quote alleged that President Birge had made a suggestion along the lines of burying problems during a diversity activity. Here is his official response: “During the February 8 Diversity Fellows activity I participated in a small group exercise where the group needed to construct a wall made up of blocks with words describing various social injustices. The group task was to arrange the wall of blocks without using the blocks that conveyed the social injustices. My suggestion was to turn the blocks over to symbolize the goal of eliminating these injustices in society. At no point that evening did I state we should “bury the problem.”
Green shared space. Nine restaurants competed, with the majority producing variations on clam chowder. Grazie won first place for “People’s Choice” with 467 votes, closely followed by Boston Seafood Restaraunt with 460, and finally The Hub with 206. North Adams also hosted a special farmer and artisan market at 66 Main St. Local businesses like Bright Ideas Brewing were there, but so too were vendors from all over western Massachusetts. Their stands sold a variety of products ranging from art pieces to food and even wands. “This is the third year I’ve done this,” said Reneé Speyer of Milltown Beadworks in
Adams. “I saw it on social media, sent in an application and boom here I am.” “See, I live in Easthampton,” said Tracie L. Beasley. “But I love North Adams, so I’ve come up here for three or four different events.” Beasley is a life coach looking to spread her ideals of powerful word association and positive energy to everyone, regardless of if they purchased something from her stand or not. “What’s really important to me is helping people connect with themselves, with others and with the community,” said Beasley. “I’ve always done very well locally,” said Speyer. “North Adams is a hopping place these days and it’s good to
see, you know, a good wave of people coming through.” WinterFest began around 10 a.m. with events scattered throughout the day until 4 p.m. Some of the other events included free skating rentals at the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink, hot cocoa and cookies in the Mountain One lobby, and horse-drawn carriage rides around the Main Street loop. Most participants and volunteers arrived around 9 a.m. and included help from MCLA’s fraternity group, Pi Upsilon Pi, who took charge of both the community campfire and supervision of the chowder competition.
Feb. 22, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 4
INTERNATIONALNEWS
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Magnitude 7.2 earthquake slams Mexico’s Oaxaca state
BY KATE LINTHICUM Los Angeles Times
MEXICO CITY - A powerful, magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck south and central Mexico on Friday afternoon, damaging buildings and sending panicked residents fleeing into the streets. There were no immediate reports of deaths, but officials said some homes and businesses near the quake’s epicenter in Oaxaca state had been damaged. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake originated about 225 miles south of Mexico City, near the town of Pinotepa in Oaxaca state. A magnitude 5.9 aftershock also centered in Oaxaca struck about an hour later. Local media reports out of Oaxaca showed a partially collapsed hotel and other buildings with partially collapsed roofs or walls split open by deep fissures. The Oaxaca state government said via Twitter the worst damage was in the towns of Pinotepa and Santiago Jamiltepec, and said shelters were opened for those fleeing affected homes. In the nation’s capital, buildings swayed and minor damage was reported, but Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said the city was mostly un-
reported. In Juchitan, the area hardest hit in the Sept. 7 quake, “no serious damage is reported so far,” he said. That the damage wasn’t more severe came as a great relief to earthquake-wary Mexicans as well as vacationers. Ricky Pierce, a Houston man staying Mexico City’s Buenavista Holiday Inn, was on the fourth floor when the quake struck. “I felt like I was on a boat in rough water,” said Pierce, who was briefly evacuated before he was let back into the hotel. (Staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II in San Francisco and Cecilia Sanchez in the Mexico City bureau contributed to this report.) A scared crowd gathers outside the Holiday Inn along Insurgentes Avenue in Mexico City after an earthquake on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS) scathed. Many residents, still shaken from the Sept. 19 earthquake that killed more than 360 people, lingered in the streets instead of returning to their office buildings and homes. “We’re totally traumatized,” said Maria Eugenia Angulo, 48, who was eating ice cream with her children and grandchildren in the leafy Condesa neighborhood when the earth started swaying. Friday’s earthquake occurred
in a seismically active section of Mexico, where the Cocos plate is sliding underneath the North American plate. Its epicenter was about 140 miles southeast of the origin of the Sept. 19 earthquake and 275 miles northwest of the origin of a magnitude 8.1 quake that struck on Sept. 7, killing nearly 100 people in Oaxaca and the neighboring state of Chiapas. U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Jana Pursley said
Friday’s earthquake was not related to either of September’s temblors. Damage near the epicenter was a given, Pursley said. “It’s a strong earthquake,” she said. “In the immediate area, it is likely to cause damage.” Oaxaca Gov. Alejandro Murat said in a television interview that 100,000 residents had lost power across the state and that some buildings had been damaged but no deaths had been
Poland says no apology needed for premier’s comments BY MAREK STRZELECKI Bloomberg News WARSAW, Poland – Poland’s government refused to apologize on Monday for Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki’s comments about “Jewish perpetrators” during World War II, escalating a row that’s upended the country’s relations with Israel and is alarming the U.S. When confronted during a conference in Munich on Saturday over Poland’s new law that criminalizes suggestions that the Polish nation bore any responsibility for the
Holocaust, Morawiecki listed Jews among nations that along with Germans were “perpetrators” of Nazi-era crimes. His list included Ukrainians, Russians and Poles. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the comments were “outrageous,” while Yair Lapid, an opposition politician, called on Israel to recall its ambassador from Poland. Morawiecki’s intention was to list nations that collaborated with the Germans, Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said on Monday, adding that use of the word “perpetrators” was a “linguistic mistake” for
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki speaks at the Munich Security Conference. The MSC was held at the hotel Bayerischer Hof from Feb. 16 to 18, 2018 in Munich, Germany. (Alexander Pohl/NurPhoto/Sipa USA/TNS)
which there’s no need to apologize. Last month, Poland’s ruling party passed the Holocaust law despite U.S. warnings that it censors free speech and may weaken the east European nation’s “strategic interests and relations.” The prime minister’s “remarks were not aimed at denying the Holocaust or hiding its real perpetrators,” Czaputowicz told private broadcaster Polsat News on Monday. “One has to be ill-willed to look for a willingness to put an equal sign between the suffering of Jews and other nations under Nazi occupation.” The Union of Jewish Communities in Poland said in a statement that while there were “Jewish criminals and Jewish police in the ghettos” set up by the Nazis during the war, Morawiecki’s comments signaled a “moral blindness and historical ignorance” by putting those “who acted under the greatest duress in one sentence with Polish perpetrators and Ukrainian and German criminals.” Relations between Poland and Israel have dete-
riorated over legislation that makes suggestion of Polish complicity in the Shoah a crime punishable by up to three years in jail a move seen by critics as an attempt to whitewash history. It also marks a U-turn in reconciliation efforts, which included an apology by thenPresident Aleksander Kwasniewski in 2001 for anti-Se-
mitic incidents like a wartime massacre of Jews by their Polish neighbors in the village of Jedwabne in 1941. “My heart has been broken for the last two weeks,” Michael Schudrich, Poland’s chief rabbi, told private Radio Zet on Monday. “This is the worst moment in Polish-Jewish relations in the last 30 years.”
Journalist from page 1 “We invited her because of her formidable international perspective also: she covered under-reported stories in Pakistan, Guatemala, Canada and the USA. Nosheen shines a necessary light on deeply troubling and complex issues, including gender-based sexual violence, the death penalty, and corruption in the financial industry,” Finch said. “Because of her brave, courageous, and penetrating journalistic voice, I think she will be both an inspiration and a resource for MCLA students interested in the intersection of social justice issues and multi-media storytelling.” During Nosheen’s threeday visit to campus, which will be April 9-11, she will be
visiting a number of classes and meeting with students and faculty. The department also plans to offer a public screening of her Emmy Award-winning documentary “Outlawed in Pakistan.” This is a film about one girl’s fight for justice against the men who raped her when she was 13 years old. The department wants to extend a clear trigger warning for anyone interested in attending this screening, given the nature of the subject matter. Nosheen will be there during the screening and will be conducting a Q & A with students afterward. If you would like to learn more about Habiba Nosheen visit her website: http:// www.habibanosheen.com/.
NATIONALNEWS
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Feb. 22, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 4
A week in history: From Cortés to Wilson February 22nd
1732 – George Washington, American general and politician, first President of the United States is born. 1819 – By the Adams–Onís Treaty, Spain sells Florida to the United States for five million U.S. dollars. 1847 – Mexican–American War: The Battle of Buena Vista: Five thousand American troops defeat 15,000 Mexicans troops. 1889 – President Grover Cleveland signs a bill admitting North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington as U.S. states. 1909 – The sixteen battleships of the Great White Fleet, led by USS Connecticut, return to the United States after a voyage around the world.
February 23rd
1778 – American Revolutionary War: Baron von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to help to train the Continental Army. 1903 – Cuba leases Guantánamo Bay to the United States “in perpetuity”. 1927 – U.S. President Calvin Coolidge signs a bill by Congress establishing the Federal Radio Com-
mission (later replaced by the Federal Communications Commission) which was to regulate the use of radio frequencies in the United States.
February 24th
303 – Galerius publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Roman Empire. 1868 – Andrew Johnson becomes the first President of the United States to be impeached by the United States House of Representatives. He is later acquitted in the Senate. 1917 – World War I: The U.S. ambassador Walter Hines Page to the United Kingdom is given the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States. 1980 – The United States Olympic hockey team completes its Miracle on Ice by defeating Finland 4–2 to win the gold medal.
February 25th
1901 – J. P. Morgan incorporates the United States Steel Corporation.
1919 – Oregon places a one cent per U.S. gallon tax on gasoline, becoming the first U.S. state to levy a gasoline tax. 1956 – In his speech, “On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences,” Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union denounces the cult of personality of Joseph Stalin.
Photos from WikimediaCommons
Nikita Khrushchev and Joseph Stalin in 1936. 1976 – Rashida Jones, American actress, producer, and screenwriter, is born.
February 26th
1815 – Napoleon Bonaparte escapes
Weekend Weather
Thursday, February 22
Wintry Mix to Snow High: 33° Low: 25° Precip. Chance: 90%
from Elba. 1919 – President Woodrow Wilson signs an act of Congress establishing the Grand Canyon National Park. 1802 – Victor Hugo, French author, poet, and playwright, is born.
February 27th
1782 – American Revolutionary War: The House of Commons of Great Britain votes against further war in America. 1844 – The Dominican Republic gains independence from Haiti. 1991 – Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that “Kuwait is liberated.” 272 – Constantine the Great, Roman emperor, is born.
February 28th
1525 – Aztec king Cuauhtémoc is executed on the order of conquistador Hernán Cortés. 1922 – The United Kingdom ends its protectorate over Egypt through a Unilateral Declaration of Independence.
Full force fun
Friday, February 23
PM Rain High: 37° Low: 34° Precip. Chance: 90%
Saturday, February 24 Sunday, February 25
LIVE MUSIC
SINKANE Saturday, February 24, 8pm CLUB B10 | $10 STUDENTS | $14 ADVANCE $20 DAY OF | $26 PREFERRED
Cloudy High: 43° Low: 33° Precip. Chance: 20%
Rain High: 41° Low: 32° Precip. Chance: 90%
TICKETS: massmoca.org or 413.MoCA.111 | North Adams, Mass.
Our 45 Year Anniversary Show starts March 24th 7pm in Sullivan Lounge w/ SAC & TFS
Feb. 22, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 4
FEATURES
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Valentine’s Day at Grazie
BY MEGHAN COOK FEATURES EDITOR
Frank Sinatra crooned in the background as soft lights fell across the patrons of Grazie on Valentine’s Day. The Italian restaurant was brimming with couples and friends alike and was done up right for the holiday. Located in North Adams’ downtown Mulcare Block, which is directly across from MASS MoCA, Grazie has been in business since late 2015. The restaurant was opened by David Moresi and Matt Tatro. Moresi manages the construction and operation of the restaurant, while Tatro is in charge of the hospitality and food service. “Grazie has been very well received since its opening two years ago,” explained Tatro. “This is big, in part, to the consistency in food and service provided.” Customers were greeted by a vision of crimson that was Mj Shannon, an MCLA alum and a hostess at the eatery, who decided to celebrate the holiday in style. The wait staff had their work cut out for them as the steady flow of Valentine’s Day patrons poured through the door. Reservations for Grazie can be made online and were available even just two days before the big day. Even at 5:30p.m. the restaurant was crowded and filled with chatter and clinking
Photo provided by Grazie
Grazie’s special Valentine’s Day dessert, red velvet cake with fresh whipped cream and strawberries. of glasses, which continued well into the night. Grazie put together a special menu for Valentine’s Day as well as having the everyday menu as an option. Patrons could choose the signature “Grazie Bruschetta” from the traditional menu or fried cheese ravioli from the special menu.
The chef, Matt Tatro, spent 10 years in Boston where he worked to become an executive chef. His special bean dip spread is a staple of the restaurant and is sent out alongside the warm bread every table receives. Exclusive Valentine’s Day entrees by Tatro included lobster ravioli and a surf
and turf spread. “Planning for a busy night is all in preparation,” said Tatro. “From food to staff, you will need a lot of both and to have a solid team in place to handle any situation.” The food at Grazie is known for being fresh and served with the duo’s shared
vision of a homemade Italian meal, and Valentine’s Day was no different. As a dish of the sea scallop risotto arrived to the table, its creamy texture and zing of fresh lemon impressed. In true Valentine’s Day fashion, Tatro included on the special menu a red velvet cake topped with cream cheese frosting and accompanied by fresh whipped cream and strawberries. While the romantic holiday put the pressure on the eatery, the atmosphere remained relaxed and warm, allowing diners to enjoy their evening together. The staff both in and out of the kitchen stayed cool under the pressure and ran the night smoothly. The holiday provided good practice for staff in the off season of the restaurant. “[Our] busiest seasons are summer and fall,” said Tatro. According to an article by iBerkshires, the owners of Grazie explained that the restaurant is for the people of Northern Berkshire County. While the tourists come by default, Tatro and Moresi opened Grazie for the locals. Upon receiving their bills customers also received a complimentary heartshaped box of chocolates. After pulling the Valentine’s Day chaos off with grace, Grazie is ready for anything, students, tourists and lovers alike.
Allegrettos
Singing to the tune of the MCLA Allegrettos BY LISE MANSARAY FEATURES WRITER The MCLA Allegrettos, one of the biggest clubs on campus, will be performing for the Berkshire Towers Gala on Friday, Feb. 23, at 5 p.m. The gospel section will be performing two songs, “Revolutions” and “Everything.” They also will be performing at the Dance Company show on March 3. Aside from those performances, the only choir on campus frequently performs at other events here on campus such as halftime shows at games. They also perform off campus, as they sing at local churches and nursing homes. Allegrettos features two sections, the gospel choir and acapella choir. The gospel director, Koree-Woodley Adjei, expressed how they eventually plan to expand beyond locally, although plans are not finalized. “We are trying to go to Boston for concert competitions in the future,” said Adjei. Adjei encourages people to join the singing group, welcoming anyone with even just a little singing experience. “They don’t even need a lot of experience to join the group,” Adjei said. “If you can sing and do a pitch and range test you are good to go.” Auditions take place during the first semester of every school year. “Each person has to sing a 30 second song of their selection and we’ll shoot them an email before the week ends with their assigned group,” said Adjei. People have the option to choose between the gos-
“The gospel group sings mostly gospel songs and they are mostly worded songs,” said Adjei. “Depending on the director it’s either performed acapella or with a backtrack. However, the acapella group is usually vowels like ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaaahs’. It’s mostly sound-based as compared to words, except for the soloist. Everyone else backs the soloist up.” The group tries to be flexible with their hours as they meet three times a week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. “Allegrettos is an opportunity for singers to showcase singing ability, an opportunity through a choir that isn’t affiliated with FPA,” Adjei said. “It’s not a really hard core schedule like theater so people have time to work it in their schedules.” For more information or if you are interested in joining, feel free to contact the gospel director, Koree Woodley-Adjei, or acapella directors, Dirk Correia and Dan Berk. Photo courtesy of MCLA Allegrettos
The logo of the MCLA Allegrettos. pel group, acapella group, or if they have no preference at all when they audition. They are open to all people and are simply looking for anyone who can sing and do a pitch and range test. The directors of the acapella group are Dirk Correia and Dan Berk. There is a difference between the two singing sections, although they are both formally addressed as the MCLA Allegrettos.
Upcoming shows Berkshire Towers Gala - Friday, Feb. 23, at 5 p.m. Dance Company PerformanceMarch 3.
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Arts & Entertainment
Dance Company returns to MASS MoCA BY JACOB VITALI A&E WRITER
photo from Dance Company
Dance Company is open to all students who want to join, with experience or not. Styles of dance include tap, ballet, hip-hop, and more.
This spring, Dance Company will be taking a wide array of dance styles, including contemporary, to the nation’s largest contemporary art museum. Dance Company wants to use their spring show to highlight new faces, old faces and the importance of dance, as Co-President Maggie Whited explained. “For this semester the theme would definitely be about bringing new faces and returning faces because bringing in all these special guests is not only a good opportunity for them but it’s a good opportunity for us to learn what you can do once you graduate with dance as well as giving us a chance to give back and see different styles,” said Whited. The company’s spring show will take place on March 3 at 2 p.m. and feature a variety of dance styles ranging from jazz, hip-hop, contemporary and more. The show will also feature dances from first-time choreographers, many of them freshmen. However, one new choreographer comes from outside MCLA.
“Dance Company has been working closely with a high school student this semester and he’s actually been coming into our companies and has been co-choreographing with Miesha Adams,” explained Taylar Jackson, co-president of Dance Company. Dance Company will also be featuring various guest collaborators including NeXXus, Dysfunk, and the Allegrettos. These groups also performed at the fall show. “MoCA is an awesome opportunity that we have. We’re trying to think bigger and we’re looking at simple things like formations and even bigger things. It’s one of the reasons why we want to bring in so many special acts, to just celebrate that we have this awesome space and to bring in the community and that MoCA is inviting us into their community,” explained Jackson. The decision to host the show at MoCA comes from an inherent appreciation of the space. “MoCA gives us the opportunity that it’s going to reach probably more people than we would normally get to having it in Venable, a lot of people are going to hear about it and
be able to attend so I think the lesson is to learn about the community that you’re in and how we can best bring everyone together,” said Jackson. “We have very much come to appreciate the space because MoCA is so big, we’re very fortunate to receive it,” said Whited. While Dance Company utilized Mass MoCA for their spring show in 2017, dancing there will be a first for many of their members, as Whited explained. “I think the fact that it’s a lot of people’s first time dancing at MoCA is really exciting,” said Whited. Dance Company has also elected a new co-president for the 2018-2019 school year, Emmy Resabala, and she will shadow incumbent E-Board members as they prepare for the show. Whited was also reelected. The show will take place at MASS MoCA on March 3 at 2 p.m. The club will be tabling in the Campus Center on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 11-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m., and Thursday and Friday 11-1 p.m. Disclosure: The author of this article served as the emcee of Dance Company’s fall 2017 show.
The 50 Card Project showcases a political roller coaster BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR
Associate Professor of visual arts Melanie Mowinski has debuted her highly anticipated The 50 Card Project, which runs now through March 24 at Gallery 51 on Main Street. Mowinski began the project suddenly, and in a description of the exhibit that’s handed out at 51, it’s described that Mowinski, “felt the need to create something positive” after President Donald Trump’s inauguration. The cards, made during each week of Trump’s first year as president, run from Jan. 20, 2017 to Dec. 29, 2017. Alongside each card is a description, an explanation of what Mowinski felt was the need to create this specific card. The cards titles are simply the week they are made. “Week Three, February 3, 2017” features a print of the Statue of Liberty, with the words “We the people. We are all immigrants.” This card was inspired by Trump signing an executive order on immigration. Mowinski’s description of
this print explained how she wasn’t quite sure how to portray what was on her mind. “The words I printed are problematic… I wasn’t sure it was the messaged I wanted to portray. While many of us in the United States are here because we or our ancestors were immigrants, there are others here who were brought against their will, and others native to this land who have seen their regions raped and destroyed by hungry explorers. Yet I still made this print. I see the dent in the copper that cuts across Lady Liberty as a symbol of the problems facing all of us right now, as the metaphor that all is not right in our country and that we have to work together.” Each description almost seems like a diary entry, and these are Mowinski’s thoughts and feelings about Trump’s first year as president. She expresses her thoughts and concerns with what has been happening during the past year through art, a way that can be vocal in the most subtle ways. Other cards represent the firing of FBI Director James Comey, Trump’s tweets about NFL player Colin Kaepernick, and fake news.
“I have lived from the assumption that art changes lives,” Mowinski said in the printed statement shown at Gallery 51. “That is not a common understanding… How do I use the art to change this assumption? Art is accessible to anybody.” From viewing her exhibit, it’s clear that Mowinski hopes to inspire other artists to express their views, whether political or not, through art. Hers is the perfect example.
photos by Emma Monahan
The 50 Card Project will be shown in Gallery 51 on Main Street now until March 24. Each card represents Melanie Mowinski’s thoughts and feelings about Trump’s first year as president.
Arts & Entertainment
This Is: Hyde
7
Feb. 22:
Resume Workshop | 6 – 9 p.m. Murdock 120 Face Masks w. ANA | 8 p.m. Campus Center 324A
Feb. 23:
Spires Reading | 7 p.m. Murdock 218
Hyde performing in New York City in 2010. BY WYATT MINEAU A&E WRITER If you’re an anime or Japanese music fan, you’ve no doubt heard of L’arc-en-Ciel, potentially most famous for their single, “Ready Steady Go,” being used as the second opening theme for the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime. While L’arc is no doubt an amazing band, this week’s article is specifically about their vocalist, Hyde, sometimes stylized as HYDE. HYDE is incredibly big in the Eastern Rock community (potentially known in the West as J-Rock). He’s been a member of at least four different bands, including his
self-named band, L’arc-enCiel, Vamps and Jerusalem’s Rod. Hyde is both a guitarist and vocalist, a songwriter and a producer, and the creator of the production company Vamprose. L’arc’s music has been used for anime such as the aforementioned “Fullmetal Alchemist,” “Mobile Suit Gundam 00” and “Rurouni Kenshin” for a short time. Hyde’s music has a lot of heavier tones and covers topics such as religion consistently. His voice is at this point iconic, as he’s even been a voice actor in several anime. While he doesn’t have a very wide range, his vocals and lyrics are memorable and can vary from mild
photo by Wikimedia Commons
to truly impressive shouts, and there is a very distinct grungy and moody but emotional sound that’s prevalent throughout all of his endeavors. Of course, because he is a Japanese musician and all of his bands are of Japanese origin, the majority of his music is in Japanese, though, like many other famous musicians, he inserts some basic English, such as the leitmotif of repeating “Jesus Christ” in the song of the same name, or “Evergreen,” which is entirely in English. If you’re a fan of rock, heavier grunge, or anime, there’s no doubt that you’ll enjoy his music.
Feb. 27:
Student Cookoff | 4:30 p.m. CC Marketplace
Feb. 28:
Wellness Fair | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.Venable Gym “Higher Learning” Viewing | 7 p.m. Sullivan Lounge
March 1:
Writing Workshop w. Jana Laiz | 4 – 6 p.m. CC 323
March 3:
Archery Airstrike | 6 – 10 p.m. Campus Center Gym
March 6:
Student Cookoff Finale | 4:30 p.m. CC Marketplace
Campus Cook-Off : a recipe for success
BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER
The Campus Center was alive with sights, sounds and, most importantly, mouthwatering smells during the first round of the third annual Campus Center Cook-Off held on Tuesday, Feb. 13. White tablecloths covered the cooking station tables while each of the four student chefs donned white coats. A separate table stacked with colorful fresh fruits, vegetables and other various food items the chefs would use to help create their dishes stood opposite the panel of three judges. The four competing chefs were sophomore Leslie Tayi, senior Stefanie Nieves, sophomore Morrison Robblee and senior Adazae Shepherd-Edwards, all eager to show their cooking skills and to have a good time. The Cook-Off is based on the popular Food Network show “Chopped,” in which contestants are given a basket of mystery ingredients with which to make their culinary dishes. MCLA’s version followed the same pattern, as each
chef was handed a basket and beef and Tayi worked on ting ingredients you haven’t containing four mystery in- making a gravy. worked with before,” said gredients: a pound of beef, Within 15 minutes, deli- Nieves, a three-year veteran baby pineapple, Belgian en- cious smells filled the air, of the campus competition. dive and grape soda. the judges moved around the “It’s a great learning experiContestants had one hour space to look at the prepara- ence and a lot of fun and I to prepare three identiwould definitely encourage cal dishes using all of the other students to particimystery ingredients. They pate.” would be judged on taste, After plating their dishes, creativity and presentation the chefs delivered them to by the three judges: Area each of the judges to taste Coordinator Griffin Laband score. Each dish was bance, Community Engageunique in its plating, conment Coordinator Chris struction and ingredients, Hantman and RPS Director representing the culinary Dianne Manning. imaginations of the four With a winner chosen, the contestants. Cook-Off will then move to Tayi’s dish consisted of its second round on Feb. 20. curry fried steak with a There will be three finalists grape soda gravy over enin all. dive-pineapple fried rice “I’m very excited. This is with mushrooms, topped my second year in the comwith a fried egg. photo by Brianna Lamb petition,” said Robblee with Shepherd-Edwards exa smile. “I made it to the fi- Students competing in the plained how she used the nal round last year and lost Campus Cook-Off. soda’s acidity to enhance so I’m here to redeem my- tion, and small crowds began the beef, pairing this with a self.” to form, with friends of the teriyaki cinnamon vegetable As the timer counted down, chefs cheering them on. medley with pineapple, sunall four chefs hurried around Some fun for the audience dried tomatoes and parmetheir workstations chop- was woven into all the excite- san cranberry rice. The dish ping, sautéing and stirring. ment, with crowd members was decoratively topped with Nieves and Shepherd-Ed- answering food trivia ques- a slice of endive, to be eaten wards brought some vibrant tions to win prizes like a T- cold with the vegetable medvegetables back to their sta- shirt, Twizzlers, or a Subway ley. tions, while Robblee added coupon. Robblee created a dish of some lime juice to the soda “It’s nerve-wracking get- beef sautéed in grape soda
and lime juice with a pineapple sauce over pasta and shredded vegetables. Nieves personalized her dish by using soda, pineapple, and teriyaki for a beef sauce, and endives, peppers, cabbage, rice and soy sauce for what she called a “Stef fry.” Many members of the crowd were jealous of the judges as they sampled the dishes. Then came the decision. The winner of the first round was Azadae ShepherdEdwards, who was ecstatic at the news. “I was just cooking to have fun and not really looking to win,” she said. “The grape soda was actually the easiest thing for me to incorporate into the dish. I found the pineapple to be the hardest.” Shepherd-Edwards said that a lot of her love for cooking came from playing Chopped with her siblings; her dad is also a bit of a cook. While Shepherd-Edwards was declared the winner, it was clear that all four competitors had a great time and enjoyed themselves immensely.
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SPORTS
Feb. 22, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 4
Yearsley leads MCLA to MASCAC semifinals in 63-52 win
BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The Trailblazers men's basketball team was led by freshman Noah Yearsley's 19-point effort in a 63-52 win over the Framingham State University Rams in the opening round of the 2018 MASCAC Men's Basketball Championships on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The 'Blazers entered the tournament with the third seed after going 6-6 in the MASCAC over the season. The Rams entered as the sixth seed in the tournament after finishing with a conference record of 2-10. Yearsley was very effective in the win, as he shot 6-11 from the floor and 3-6 from beyond the arc on the night. He added five rebounds, two assists and a steal in the win. The 'Blazers started the game hot and didn't look back. They broke out of the gate and scored the first seven points of the contest to quickly get an advantage. The 'Blazers came out of the gate firing from beyond the arc as they took six threes in the first seven minutes of play, setting the pace on offense for the night.
photo by MCLA Athletics
MCLA freshman Noah Yearsley driving to the basket in a game earlier this year. Yearsley recorded 19 points, five rebounds, and two assists in the 63-52 win over Framingham State in the opening round of the 2018 MASCAC Men's Basketball Championships. The 'Blazers ended up shooting 13 total three-pointers in the first half of play and made six of them to shoot an impressive 46.2 percent from deep for the first half. The 'Blazers were able to dominate the first part of the game, as they were up 20-7 with
just 10 minutes left to play in the half. The lead would eventually grow to 30-14 for the 'Blazers with only 4:18 to play in the first half. Ending the half on a 9-0 run, the Rams were able to bring it back within reach going into the break down seven at
30-23. The second half of play was no different from the first, as the 'Blazers jumped out to another early lead, going up 43-27 five minutes into the second half of play. The Rams attempted one last run as they went on a 7-0
surge to cut the lead to nine points with 10 minutes left in the contest, putting the score at 37-46. MCLA senior Keiland Cross then converted on a three-point play to end the 7-0 run and push the lead back to 12 points in favor of the Trailblazers. The Rams were able to cut the lead down to nine points one last time, but were unable to get any closer as the 'Blazers rode their lead to the finish line. Cross ended with eight points for the 'Blazers and added a game-high 12 rebounds. Freshmen Mike Demartinis and Hayden Bird both came off the bench to add eight points apiece in the win. The Rams were paced by Kenny Seitz's team-best 14 points, going 5-12 from the field and 4-10 from the three. Manny Payton also scored 10 points in the loss for the Rams. The Rams ended their season at 6-20, while the 'Blazers are now 10-15 on the year and look to face off with the second seed Bridgewater State today at 7 p.m. in an away game to compete for a spot in the finals of the 2018 MASCAC Men's Basketball Championships.
#25 Salem State holds Moulton scores her last double-double as a Trailblazer off MCLA wins 91-81 BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS WRITER MCLA senior Emily Moulton returned from a painful ankle injury and scored her fourth double-double in her career during her last home game as a Trailblazer. The Trailblazers lost their final game 62-52 to the Framingham State Rams. Their overall record for the season is 6-18 and 2-10 in the MASCAC. Emily Moulton led her team with 15 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal. Following her, Mckenzie Robinson, and Kylah Langston both scored 10 points, four rebounds and one steal. Robinson continued with four assists while Langston had one assist. Samantha Gawron finished with seven points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal and block. The Blazers completed the game with 46 rebounds, 15 assists, eight steals and six blocks while shooting 18 points in the paint. Additionally, they had a shooting percentage of 31.4 percent (22-70), a free throw percentage of 40 percent (4-10), and a three-point percentage of 18.2 percent (4-22). The Rams were led by Mary Kate O'Day and Tiphani Harris,
both leading their team with a double-double. O'Day scored 18 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Harris and Emily Velozo had 11 points apiece. Harris had 10 rebounds, one assist, steal and block while Velozo had one assist and five rebounds. The Rams had 43 rebounds, 13 assists, 10 steals and scored 26 points in the paint. They shot 35.5 percent (2262) from the field, 20.8 percent (5-24) from the three-point line and 72.2 percent (13-18) from the free-throw line. Before halftime, Gawron scored a buzzer-beater to cut the 12-point lead from the Rams to a 10-point lead at halftime. In the second half, Moulton scored her last free throw with 1:04 in the fourth quarter and received a standing ovation for her achievements as a Trailblazer. Moulton finished her Trailblazer career with a total of 398 points, 80 blocks, 66 steals, 56 assists and 361 rebounds. Moulton's dream is to become a special education teacher. She will receive her Bachelor of Science in psychology and will be striving to get her master's degree. The Trailblazers finished 6-18 overall, 2-10 in the MASCAC. They shot 36.7 percent from the
field, 27.9 percent from threepoint range, and 61.9 percent from the free-throw line. They averaged 40.8 rebounds per game, 13 assists, 7.8 steals and 4.6 blocks. Comparing from last year's team, they improved on more rebounds, assists, and blocks. Although Coach Loren Stock is heartbroken by not making the playoffs, she loved "building the culture of the program, MCLA, and the future." Stock's major plan for this offseason is recruitment. She would like to "bring in new bodies, and who are interested in changing the future at MCLA." "In hindsight, this gives us time to focus on next year, bringing in recruiting is probably the biggest piece for me," Stock said. Stock learned a lot from herself as a coach and from her team. She learned the team faced adversity and used that experience to be able to learn and grow. "There are always learning points for me, and how to push the girls, how to make them better, to be better," Stock said. Overall, the women's basketball team had a great season and Coach Stock will be looking and creating opportunities for the future of the women's program at MCLA.
BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR Behind senior Drew Healy's 16 second half points, the Salem State Vikings were able to hold off the visiting MCLA Trailblazers in a 91-81 victory in the Vikings' final Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) game this season. The Vikings were led in the game by Healy and junior Alex Santos. Santos put up a careerhigh 26 points with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals to round out a solid game. Healy ended the game with a double-double, putting up 17 points, 15 rebounds and adding four blocks on the defensive end. The 'Blazers went into the second half down five to the Vikings, having fought back from a 10-point deficit from earlier in the half. After senior Keiland Cross started the half with a layup for the 'Blazers to bring the lead down to three, the Vikings exploded for seven straight points in thirty seconds to build the lead back to 10 at 47-37 early in the half. Santos had the hot hand in the second half for the Vikings. Santos scored 17 of his 26 points in the second half off of a very efficient shooting effort. Santos shot 6-8 from the field and 3-5 from beyond the arc in the
second half while adding five rebounds and a steal to his stats. The Vikings were then able to pull out another run to push the lead to 59-43 with just over 14 minutes left in the contest. The 'Blazers then took advantage of a cold streak from the Vikings and went on an 18-6 run to put the game at 60-67 with eight minutes left. The Vikings were able to ride out their lead to the end, trading bucket after bucket with the 'Blazers until the game's end. The 'Blazers tried one last push in the final few minutes, but four straight points by Santos kept the Vikings far enough away. The 'Blazers were led in scoring by senior Adam Conquest who recorded 15 points and five rebounds in the loss. He was followed by sophomore Ki-Shawn Monroe who scored 13 points and recorded four rebounds. The 'Blazers finished their season at 9-15 overall and 6-6 in the MASCAC to claim third place in the league going into the MASCAC tournament. The Vikings finished at 22-3 overall while going undefeated in the MASCAC at 12-0. The Vikings entered the D3hoops.com top 25 as the #25 Division III men's basketball team in the country.
Feb. 22, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 4
SPORTS
Senior Day support earns playoff spot BY JABARI SHAKIR SPORTS WRITER MCLA senior Adam Conquest dropped his fourth double-double in his last home game, earning a playoff spot with the 68-54 win over the Framingham State Rams. The three seniors, Adam Conquest, Keiland Cross and Joseph Wiggins, received love and support from their families and friends as they came together to congratulate them in their last home game as Trailblazers. MCLA Coach Derek Shell realizes the support system from their families and friends “gives him a perspective on how this is a bigger part of their life and all those people to share that with them.” The powerful encouragement built the players up with confidence to beat Framingham. The Trailblazers are 2-0 against the Rams, defeating them in their first encounter on Jan. 25 58-40.
Noah Yearsley led the team with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Conquest finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Ki-Shawn Monroe had 10 points, four rebounds, six assists and one steal. Seniors Cross and Wiggins both tied with five points apiece, while Cross continued for nine rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. Wiggins had seven rebounds. Also, Mike Demartinis scored nine points and four rebounds and Hayden Bird scored eight points, two rebounds and one assist. The Trailblazers overall had 44 rebounds, four steals, two blocks, 15 assists and 22 points in the paint. They shot 100 percent (5-5) from the free throw line, 44.3 percent (2761) from the floor, and 45 percent from the threepoint line.
The Rams were led by Manny Payton with 15 points, two rebounds, four assists and two steals. Charles Valbrun had 14 points, seven rebounds, two steals, one assist and block. Benjamin Roache and Kenny Seitz both scored nine points apiece. Roache had seven rebounds, one assist and two steals. Seitz had five rebounds and one assist. The Rams overall had 26 rebounds, nine assists, seven steals, two blocks, and they scored eight points in the paint. They shot 50 percent from the free-throw line, 34.5 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three-point line. In the first half, MCLA was trailing by one point at 32-33. At 5:27, the Trailblazers scored 28 points, holding the Rams to 23 points for two minutes. At halftime, Payton led the Rams with 13 points, two rebounds, two assists
and one steal. Charles Valbrun scored eight points and five rebounds. Yearsley led MCLA with 10 points, four rebounds and one assist, followed by Mike Demartinis with seven points and Adam Conquest with six points. In the second half, the Trailblazers and the Rams continued the back and forth scoring session until the Blazers extended to a 22-point lead with 1:36 left to secure the win. After the game, Coach Shell was prepared and knows his game plan for the playoffs. “We need to focus on the defensive ends, take care of the basketball and being efficient on both ends,” Coach Shell said. The third seed Trailblazers clinched themselves a playoff spot and hosted the sixth seed Framingham State on Feb. 20 for the MASCAC Quarterfinals.
Forecasting the NFL offseason: The three most notable things to expect The NFL season is over. With the being what Philadelphia paid LeGarPhiladelphia Eagles reigning victo- rette Blount. A good running back rious in Super Bowl 52, the other is a necessity, but these two teams 31 teams in the NFL now have proven you don’t need to have their eyes toward the spend top dollar on one. Comoffseason, a grace period bine that with the turmoil Bell for everyone to modify created discussing his future their teams with the hopes days before the team’s seasonof dethroning the Eagles, ending loss against the Jaguars, or in Philadelphia’s case, and the writing is on the wall. defending their title. 2. The Philadelphia Eagles Andrew Some teams in the NFL will trade Nick Foles. Baillargeon will likely stay with what Simply put, the Eagles are in The Call they’ve got, with little an extremely enviable position. to no notable shakeups, Normally, the mere thought such as those Eagles and of trading a Super Bowl MVPthe Patriots, but there will be other winning quarterback in a quarterteams, and players, who take full ad- back-starved league would seem vantage of the offseason and make blasphemous. However, even with headlines with their actions. Below Nick Foles’ heroic efforts taking over is a list consisting of the three most for Carson Wentz, Wentz is still the notable things predicted to occur team’s future and will gather the this offseason: entirety of starts under center for 3. Le’Veon Bell will leave the games in which he is healthy. That Pittsburgh Steelers and sign said, the Eagles could easily snag a huge contract with another a first-round draft pick for Nick team. Foles. Frankly, there is no shortage Why? The Steelers are a sound of teams with a quarterback need, bunch, led by the Rooneys, among and given that Foles is somewhat the best owners in sports, and have expendable, the Eagles can cash in a reputation for consistently field- on their backup quarterback in a ing competitive and respectable way that will make them even more rosters. How do they do that? They dangerous when the season kicks off keep things real: they don’t deal again. with drama, and the organization is 1. Kirk Cousins will sign a quite frugal and isn’t trigger-happy contract with the Denver Bronon signing individual players to cos. massive contracts. Le’Veon Bell will While the Broncos haven’t enter free agency this offseason. The emerged as *the* favorite for Cousstar running back will command a ins, on paper, the arrangement is huge salary wherever he goes. Look simply too mutually beneficial for for Pittsburgh to model their team it not to be incredibly likely to haparound their rival New England and pen. Cousins has stated that he dethe Eagles in this regard. Between sires a winning team more than he the two Super Bowl attendants, they desires a huge salary. Right now, paid out just $12 million between there are four teams that will prove six running backs, with eight of that to be serious contenders for his ser-
vices: the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. Between the four, the Cardinals can’t offer him a ton of money, and their situation is fairly unstable with Head Coach Bruce Arians having retired coming off of another losing season. The Browns were easily the worst team in the league last year, but they have a whopping $110 million in cap space, meaning they can make Kirk Cousins into not only the highest-paid QB in the NFL, but the highest-paid player in NFL history. Of course, the team is coming off of a laughably bad 0-16 season, meaning Cousins would not be finding himself in a particularly enviable situation from a winning perspective. The Vikings cannot offer Cousins too much money, but definitely boast the best winning situation of the four, coming off a season that saw the team reach the NFC Championship with an extremely large majority of their core pieces returning next season. Enter Denver. Denver can offer Cousins a lot of money. Not as much as the Browns, but enough where Cousins would probably consider them over the Browns when you consider how dangerous the Broncos would become with him. With a Kirk Cousins-type quarterback, the Broncos become a 12-4 team and can very feasibly challenge the Patriots’ defending AFC Champions status. With Denver, Cousins gets the best of both worlds, and given that General Manager John Elway will definitely show interest in getting Cousins on board once free agency begins, the arrangement is too mutually beneficial for either side to pass up.
9
SCORE BOARD MCLA Men’s Basketball MCLA (63), Framingham State (52) Noah Yearsley (MCLA) 19 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 StlReb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk
Kenny Seitz (Framingham) 14 Pts, 1 Reb
MCLA Women’s Basketball MCLA (52), Framingham St. (62) Emily Moulton (MCLA)
16 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl
15 Pts, 11 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk Blk
Mary Kate O’Day (Framingham)
18 Pts, 10 Reb, 3 Ast Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Blk
NBA All-Star Game
Team LeBron (148), Team Stephen (145)
LeBron James (Team LeBron) 29 PTS, 10 REB, 8 AST 10-12. 100 yds, 0 TD
Joel Embiid (Team Stephen)
19 PTS, 8 REB, 1 AST
NCAA Men’s Basketball
#2 Michigan State (81), Illinois(61)
Miles Bridges (Mich) 19 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 Ast, 2 Stl,
Leron Black (Illinois) 20 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST
NHL
Edmonton Oilers (2), Boston Bruins (3)
Noel Acciari (Bruins) 1 Goal, 2 SOG
Jujhar Khaira (Oilers) 1 Goal, 2 SOG
NHL Tampa Bay Lightning (4), Washington Capitals (2) Brayden Point (Lightning) 2 Goals, 3 SOGs, 8 Ast, 2 Stl
Alex Ovechkin (Capitals) 1 Goal, 9 SOGts, 22 Reb, 3 Ast
OPINION
10
Four-wheel-drive can’t perform miracles There are moments when slippery conditions and fool you realize that mistakes have around off-road with less fear been made: When you first feel of getting stuck because you a cold breeze and you remem- have four spots of contact ber your coat is at home, when working to get you through you see anger grow on any rough stuff. the face of someone Snow, sleet, and you thought would enrain all make tracjoy your joke, when you tion hard to come misjudge the timing by and any vehicle and you make direct working with only eye contact with your two spots on contact teacher as you pass a with the ground is Joseph note. For the Carew going to struggle sigCarew family it happens most nificantly. Doubling memorably while driv- WheelSpin that contact zone ing something. decreases the risk of There is a saying spinning tires and repeated at moments cursing the muddy, just before that realization of wet, or snowy ground. But as a mistake: “You city-folk come much as this option can imup here with your four-wheel- prove your capabilities, it can drive, think you’re gonna per- also get you into trouble. form miracles.” When you I was sitting next to my fahear those words, you know ther in our aforementioned that the Chevy Tahoe my fam- Tahoe a few years ago and we ily uses has just been switched were parked outside our uninto four wheel-drive. And we plowed campground. I said, are about to test the limits of “your call,” when asked if I our beloved behemoth. thought we could make it. The Essentially four wheel-drive snow was roughly a foot and is exactly as its name implies: a half deep and we were towthe vehicle is now utilizing all ing a snowmobile trailer when four wheels in order to drive he shifted back into drive. It the car and torque is provided only took about 50 feet until to all of the vehicle’s wheels the wheels began to slip. The at the same time. Think of Tahoe slowed to a halt and we torque as a force like a twist of were doomed. an object rather than a push I assure you no miracles were or a pull. So you can take on performed that day by the four-
Feb. 22, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 4
Comic
wheel drive. We rocked it back and forth and inched it around until the Tahoe was able to move out of the park. Hours. We spent hours throwing sand underneath the wheels, digging some of the snow up from around the beast, and switching from drive to reverse. It was a bold (some may have another word for it) move to take on the challenge driving into this campground presented but it also took a lot of strength of will and determination to bail ourselves out. To contrast that story, just a few months back my family was in almost the exact same situation. Same vehicle, roughly the same amount of snow, and almost the same cast of characters. The statement was uttered: “think you’re gonna perform miracles” and by gosh we cruised in over mounds of snow made by plows and drove through the park without problem. We moved in and out several times without even the slightest struggle by the Tahoe throughout the weekend. The point of all this? Well, there are no flawless systems in cars. Four-wheel drive can get you places you never thought possible and through conditions most would shy away from, but it isn’t a cureall.
The dangers of thinking short term Today more than ever, the business to a finite amount of oil and the rising environment and economy are incred- prominence of clean energy, are prime ibly fast-paced. CEOs come and go, as suspects of thinking short term out of do many executives, and this rings true necessity. Though, as a result, their effor many businesses, on every level, forts have had shocking long-term efwhich can lead to a focus on short-term fects on government and the planet. We goals versus thinking about the long- now have a president who thinks it’s a term goals, about your company and good idea to build a costly and environmentally-dangerous pipeline, career. while also wishing to impose a In many sectors, specifically in 30 percent tariff on imported tech, it is impossible not to do this. solar panels. Additionally, he Companies like Google, Amazon decided to pull out of the Paris and Facebook did not exist thirty Agreement – a measure that aryears ago, and as we have seen guably already was not enough with the likes of MySpace and to save our planet from the adVine, no matter how large these verse effects of climate change tech companies become, their fu- Mitchell caused largely by fossil fuels tures are not guaranteed, mostly Chapman – all a result of powerful lobbybecause of how quickly the indusNone ing on behalf of an increasingly try changes. This and last year saw obsolete, harmful and dying inof your a craze for cryptocurrency, which dustry that needs to change, but you have to invest in on a day-to- business doesn’t want to. day basis because of how unstable The video game industry also and unpredictable it can be. has prime examples of the dangers However, in many ways, only think- of only thinking short term, specifiing short term can have dire con- cally with “triple-A” game companies. sequences, and we have seen many Over the last few years, it has become prominent examples of this. The oil in- popular to litter premium $60 games dustry, whose days are numbered due
Who Took it Best?
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with microtransactions that are critical in order to get the full experience of the game, a model companies find attractive because it allows players to keep paying even after they’ve initially bought the game (turning “players into payers,” as the pricing engine, Scientific Revenue, puts it). That’s all well and good, as many players have accepted that for better or worse, because the cost of making games has gone up, and microtransactions (to many) are seen as a way of offsetting those costs (though this notion is up for debate). Where the game industry went wrong is when it started implementing gambling mechanics into its games, which theoretically could increase revenue earned by games exponentially, but has had some serious long-term ramifications on individual companies, brands and the industry as a whole. This was epitomized by Electronic Arts’s debacle with “Star Wars: Battlefront II” whose gambling mechanics in their microtransactions were so blatant and negatively affected the game’s experience to such an extent that it garnered the attention of domestic and foreign
governments, who started a conversation about regulating and possibly banning gambling mechanics in premium games, as well as Star Wars brand owner Disney itself, who ordered EA to pull all microtransactions from the game for fear of tarnishing the Star Wars name (to put this in perspective, Star Wars is one of the strongest and most resilient brand names since its birth in 1977). While the above examples are some of the most extreme cases of only thinking short term from a business perspective, they should still be taken into consideration. Companies might exist primarily to make money, but that does not mean they have to throw ethics or decency out the window to do so, especially if they want a business to be successful long term. A way I like to see it is this: you can cheat a man out of $30 today (this amount is arbitrary), or you can have him supply you thousands of dollars over the course of his lifetime through his continued business. Right now, I think a lot of companies are focused on the $30, when they could be getting thousands.
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OPINION
Feb. 22, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 4
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Editorial
Little steps can lead to big changes It’s understandable that every college campus needs to do some sort of construction. Here on ours, we have to make do with tunnels that may be closed, sidewalks that may not be paved, and roads that may be blocked. This semester, it seems as though there’s more going on than normal, and that can cause a lot of issues. Current problems include the stairs outside of the Campus Center, the recent construction outside of Murdock, and we can’t forget the potholes. With the cold weather, and the fact that, like many colleges, nighttime is not the safest time of day for some students, these roadblocks can be a problem. For students who work late into the night, whether doing homework in the library or another friend’s
room across campus, or working in one of the dormitories, we may not feel safe making that trip across campus. Just going from Hoosac Hall to the Townhouses is more unsafe because of the stairs being closed off. This can be an issue for the Residence Area Security Monitors (RASMs) that sit at the front desk at Hoosac and Berkshire Towers. The students who have to work the graveyard shifts can’t cut through the Campus Center because it’s locked, can’t use the stairway outside because it’s taped off, and can’t go down the Hoosac hill because it’s either a sheet of ice or a swamp. A solution? Maybe these RASMs who work these late shifts should be allowed to park in the faculty spots nearby, because no one’s
using them at 3 a.m. There is also the option of calling Public Safety for an escort, but sometimes they could be tied up dealing with incidents. There may also be the problem of clubs wanting to use certain rooms after hours. What if the radio station wanted to extend their streaming times to the middle of the night if some DJs are willing? That would then include walking all the way to Public Safety to gain access to the key to the station, then back to the Campus Center. There’s no complaining here about the walking across campus. Heck, we could be as big as UMass Amherst, but in regards to student safety, little changes like the ones stated above could definitely go a long way.
Should Olympic athletes receive more than a medal? Every two years, there we seem to recognize and are the Olympic Games. celebrate these athletes Whether the summer or every two to four years? winter games, every perAthletes like Shaun son in the world White and Lindsey can agree on one Vonn have been thing, something household names, that doesn’t cause but it’s the newany conflict. Alcomers like figure though at the end skater Adam Ripof each games there pon and snoware winners and boarder Chloe Kim Emma losers, one thing is Monahan that we’ll probably for sure: the Olymonly hear from evpics are awesome. Arts & Emma ery four years. Every time the It’s kind of upOlympics take setting, because place, something comes these athletes are repreacross my mind. Why do senting our country, do-
ing the seemingly impossible, and they don’t get the spotlight as often as they deserve. A month from now, we won’t know what some of these athletes are up to. These athletes are celebrities just like any other athlete who competes professionally. They’re right up there with Tom Brady, LeBron James, ARod and many others, so shouldn’t they be treated the same as well? I may be biased, but I also just want to see a little more of Shaun White
from time to time. It’s kind of hard to pinpoint what exactly we can do to help these athletes get more recognition, but supporting them outside of the Olympic seasons seems like a nice start. With the Olympics wrapping up in a few days, show support for Team USA, or other teams if that’s what you want to do. These athletes are the best of the best; the Olympics are no longer an amateur’s game.
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IN OTHER BEACON NEWS
This week in Beacon Web News
Feb. 22, 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 4
This week on Beacon Web News we take a look at MCLA’s annual cook-off. Gaming Alliance will be having a club feature. There will also be a look at our 7-day weekly forecast. Additionally, we look into students’ plans for Valentine’s Day last week, as well as the effect of winter on the roads.
Barn Babies brings smiles and snuggles By Meghan Cook Features Editor
Student Activities Council’s (SAC’s) most anticipated and fluffy event, Barn Babies, was held in the Venable Gym over the long weekend. “You come [to the event] and it’s one big petting zoo,” said Joe Bellas, SAC coordinator of the event. “You pet the different animals and it’s a great stress relieving activity.” Among the furry visitors were bunnies, puppies, a goat and even a pig. There were gated corrals for some of the larger animals as well as rambunctious puppies, while Photo courtesy of Karina Mattera the smaller animals were kept in A puppy from SAC’s Barn Babies. cages waiting to be snuggled by students. Students were given 15 students. minutes to see and pet the ani“I heard there were going to mals. They also were encouraged be pigs and I’ve always wanted to by SAC to get back in line to do cuddle a little baby pig,” said Serit again. ena Calix, an MCLA student. “My Wrapped up in baby blankets, dreams are coming true, so I’m kittens, bunnies and Asian chick- really happy right now.” ens were handed out to eager Students look forward to this students like hot cakes. With the event as a way to forget their anxiblankets tucked carefully around eties and not have to think about each animal, they were all snug studying. and students did not have to worA study in the “International ry about escapees, although some Journal of Environmental Reanimals did appear to be almost search and Public Health” found free of their blankets with some that therapy dogs help in the pro-
motion of stress management for students on university campuses. “Barn Babies was a great event. I loved having the opportunity to de-stress and spend some time with lots of adorable animals,” said Colleen Madden, a UMass Amherst student who attended the event with an MCLA resident she was visiting. “Who doesn’t love cuddling with bunnies and puppies?” Barn Babies made the decision to do things differently this time around. In previous years, students had to wait in line to get a sticker with their allotted time on it. They could then leave and come back at the time labeled on the sticker. Students could even wait inside the gym on the bleachers, watching the other students take their turns with the animals. This year, instead, students had to wait in the line until their turn, and no one was allowed in the gym beforehand. Shannon Esposito, president of SAC, made it clear to those waiting in line that it was not a SAC decision, but a Barn Babies one. She assured everyone that they would still get their chance to see the animals. “We go through a lot of stress throughout the semester and it’s a great way to relieve that stress,”
said Bellas. Henry the goat had a certain affinity for trying to eat the stickers on students’ clothing. Many stickers were lost to Henry, but Henry, decked out in his diaper, lost no fans. Some students visited with every animal in the gym and some students were perfectly content
to sit on the ground and hold the same blanket-wrapped kitten the entire time. “They have a lot of varieties and I like the ones that are in the little blankets,” said Calix. “It looks like you’re carrying a little baby and it’s so adorable. It’s like your own little non-responsibility that you get to cuddle with.”
Photo courtesy of Zuri Durham
A bunny from SAC’s Barn Babies.
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Olympic Winter Week