Volume 85
T hu r s day , O c tob e r 26, 2017
COPLAC CONFERENCE
MCLA GOES TO COPLAC
Issue 6 MASSPIRG
Bee-ing a savior: MassPirg “Save the Bees” campaign BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE STAFF WRITER
photo courtesy of Haliemae Smith
As the leaves change and autumn sets in, MCLA’s MASSPIRG chapter refuses to simply let the year buzz by as they begin to launch their newest campaign, “Save the Bees.” The “Save the Bees” campaign will work toward transforming the MCLA campus into a bee-friendly campus by taking actions like cutting the grass later and having specific pollinating plants. “MASSPIRG helps people get involved in volunteering and helping out things that affect their area and themselves,” said Lindsey Vachon ’20, the student spearhead for the project. “When I heard MASSPIRG was doing a bee campaign I was like, ‘Yes!’” MASSPIRG, Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, is a nonpartisan activist group both run and funded by college students. The organization itself is part of the larger Student PIRG, and works on some of the biggest issues facing the newest generation. Each college chapter is run by its own individual campus organizer given to them by MASSPIRG. Their job is to monitor and aid the students in their passions and keep their
MASSPIRG page 3
Senior Halimae Smith presented her artwork and connected with fellow art majors at COPLAC.
Students present artwork and research BY HANNAH SNELL STAFF WRITER
Golub, also the chair of MCLA’s Undergraduate Art, biology, literature Research Advisory Group, and political science stu- along with Associate Chair dents alike were given the and English/Communicaopportunity to present their tions Professor Jenna Sciuundergraduate research to, joined students at the the and interact with students conference. across the Northeast at this One of the many students year’s COPLAC Undergrad- who presented research at uate Research Conference the conference was senior at Mansfield University in Kaitlin Wright. Mansfield, Pa. Wright presented her reOn the weekend of Oct. search at the conference en14 and 15, Professor Justin titled, “Too Little, Too Late: Golub, assistant professor Is Political Representation of biology, drove a group Suffering Due to Suffrage of students in an MCLA Laws?” Wright had been shuttle van five hours to the working on the research conference. Previously held topic since she was enrolled at MCLA, Mansfield Uni- in Women in Politics, a versity is a member of the course taught by Professor Council of Public Liberal Samantha Pettey, assistant Arts Colleges (COPLAC). professor of political science
and public policy. Wright, wanting to challenge herself in preparation for graduate school, tackled a topic that would require more research and analysis. “I wanted to write a more complex political science research which would include data analysis and statistics to better prepare me for the work that I would encounter in graduate school,” Wright said. “I felt that this topic should be researched because it is quite obvious that there is a lack of women in elected office and I felt that it was important to conduct research that may shed light on this discrepancy.” Biology student Laura Netti also presented her summer research on a virtual diagnostic lab
Hardman Lecture
Byron Pitts touches on personal struggles BY EMILY SIENKIEWICZ SPECIAL TO THE BEACON
Byron Pitts encouraged the audience to “step out on nothing” as he discussed his struggles with illiteracy, poverty and a stutter for most of his childhood in an inspiring Hardman Lecture on Oct. 18 at the Church Street Center. Growing up, Pitts was told that he was mentally retarded by experts, and that he should drop out of college, yet today he is a co-anchor on ABC’s “Nightline.” During his lecture, he acknowledged that he wouldn’t be where he was today if it weren’t for hard work, prayer, and good people “stepping out on nothing” for him. “I’ve written two books but didn’t learn to read until I was twelve, almost thirteen,” Pitts said. “I stuttered until I was a junior in college; I’m still a stutterer but I’ve learned to manage it so it doesn’t overwhelm me as often as it did growing up, certainly a few years in college.” Pitts was born in Baltimore, Maryland and was raised by a single mother. Growing up, Pitts often had trouble reading and had a persistent stutter that plagued him through
Pitts page 2
COPLAC page 2 VADNAIS LECTURE
Joanna Ballantine and a century of preservation BY MITCHELL CHAPMAN FEATURES EDITOR Tonight, Joanna Ballantine, the vice president of Trustees of Reservations for the western region, will present the Elizabeth and Lawrence Vadnais Environmental Issues Lecture at 7 p.m. in Murdock 218. The event is free and open to the public. Ballantine follows last year’s speaker John Harris, who authored “Returning North with the Spring,” which retreaded Edwin Teale’s foundational “North with the Spring.”
This will be the first Vadnais lecture since former North Adams State College professor Lawrence Vadnais passed away in February. Vadnais was responsible for the establishment of the Center for Responsible Living, which existed at the College from 1975 until 1981, and is considered by Harvard University as “one of the nation’s first interdisciplinary sustainability programs.” Ballantine’s installment of the series is titled “A Century of Preserving Nature and Culture for Future Generations: What’s Next?” As vice president of Trustees of Reserva-
tions for the western region, she is responsible for overseeing regional properties for the Trustees, including Stevens-Coolidge Place, the Old Manse, Fruitlands Museum, Powisset and Chestnut Hill Farms, Farandnear, Doyle, Tully Lake Campground, Naumkeag, Notchview, Field Farm, Monument Mountain and Bartholomew’s Cobble, the last of which is considered a national natural landmark. She is also in charge of stewardship, business and enterprise performance, engagement and visitor services, and field
Vadnais page 4
photo from MCLA.edu
Joanna Ballantine is the current vice president of Trustees of Reservations for the western region
CAMPUSNEWS
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Oct. 26, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 6
MCLA to be Smoke free starting Sept. 2018 BY JOSEPH CAREW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Student Trustee Stephanie Collins reported that, starting September 2018, MCLA will be a smoke-free campus. The College has received a $15,000 grant from the American Cancer Society to provide resources such as a part-time health services coordinator, educational materials and access to smoking cessation tools. This is far from the first mention of a smoke-free campus. The Beacon reported in November of 2016 that the campus-wide smoke-free date was suggested to be pushed back from Fall 2017 to the following fall semester. And when presidential candidates were being interviewed, before President Birge was selected, a common question from students was
their individual thoughts on the current policy. Students interested in sharing their viewpoints on the College’s smoking policy were recommended to speak with Cathy Holbrook, vice president of student affairs. The Academic Policy Committee was represented by Executive Vice President Victoria Muñoz at this meeting. The report given by Muñoz mentioned an idea discussed by the committee of adding a day to the spring semester specifically for diversity training. Muñoz likened the idea to that of the Undergraduate Research Conference, meaning that there would be no classes that day and, instead, there would be diversity and inclusion workshops spread throughout the campus. The Queer Student Union
was granted a request of $500 from the supplemental budget in order to help send one of its members on the Queer San Francisco travel course. The course will be for the spring semester and the student will be presenting the knowledge they gained to the club at the end of the experience. The vote to approve this was nearly unanimous bar one abstention. Members of the gallery spoke about a rally scheduled for the one year anniversary of President Donald Trump’s election. Nov. 7 in the Campus Center is the date and location of the event where students are encouraged to write about the actions the President has taken and their disagreements with him. President Birge presented a portion of the College’s proposed Strategic Plan for the
next five years. Specifically dealing with retention rates, Birge’s PowerPoint stressed that within the last four years the College had improved its ability to retain students and that the six year data had worked to mask some of the progress that had already been made. Specifically being compared was the percentage of students who graduate MCLA in four years (40 percent in comparison to 36 percent for all other state public colleges) and those who graduate in six years (54 percent compared to 58 percent for all other state public colleges). The documentation that the College has worked on for the past year is available on students’ home page for viewing. Holbrook encouraged stu-
dents to review the materials and contact Student Affairs with any concerns or comments. Without Parliamentarian Jacob Vitali, this week’s SGA meeting saw over a dozen rule violations including speaking out of order and sitting while addressing the meeting. Despite this, the meeting was less than an hour in length.
COPLAC from page 1 which would interact with patients through virtual reality (VR), according to Golub. Sciuto also worked with a student from her African American Literature class, helping her develop a paper from that class into a presentation. Student artists also had the chance to display their work at the conference. Senior Haliemae Smith presented her artwork, which included two
charcoal drawings, at the conference. Smith reported that she had the opportunity to interact with other artists at the conference and exchange ideas and feedback with like-minded students. “I got to connect with a lot of art majors and it was cool to get their feedback on my work and to hear about their journeys with their artwork,” she said. Smith emphasized the
importance of networking and making connections at events such as the COPLAC conference. “I learned that connections can be made anywhere and how important it is to put yourself out of your comfort zone,” Smith said, reflecting on what she took away from the experience. Last year’s COPLAC Conference was held at MCLA. In the spring semester, the College will
host its annual Undergraduate Research Conference (URC), which will give MCLA students the opportunity to present their research to the campus community. In the beginning of this semester, a call for papers and submissions for the conference was released. In February, the next call for papers for the MCLA URC in the spring will be released and submissions will be accepted.
photo courtesy of Kaitlin Wright
Senior Kaitlin Wright presented on the effects of Suffrage laws at the conference.
Pitts from page 1 his childhood. As a result of this, he struggled in school. However, this all begin to change for him when he entered as a freshman at Ohio Wesleyan University. Even though he had been struggling since his first semester, he eventually found strength and support in two people; his roommate and a college professor. Pitts planned to drop out of school after he failed freshman English and a professor told him to essentially drop out of school. Another professor saw him sitting outside one day and gave him words of encouragement, working with Pitts to help him pass the class. His roommate was also a big help in that both made an agreement that they would graduate together and that the roommate would help Pitts overcome his reading struggles by making sure that he learned one new word every day until he graduated. Through the help of both the roommate and the professor, Pitts would graduate with a degree in journalism and speech communication in 1982. “I believe that there are angels on this Earth. There are
angels out there who can help you endure a difficult moment. This world needs you,” Pitts said. In a world where only 6.7 percent of the population is college educated, Pitts encouraged the audience to recognize and use their privilege. He said students are “living the dream” of their ancestors who worked hard to get them here, so they should step out on nothing for others and inspire them to do the same. While he shifted away from the topic of his lecture, titled “Mass Media and Democratic Governance: The American Experience,” Pitts acknowledged the troubling state journalism is in today in regards to “fake news.” Despite the attacks against his profession, he remains optimistic. He recognized that while stakes are high for journalists, the current climate encourages them to return to the classic days of journalism where sources needed to be checked, checked, and checked again. He said, “I didn’t study journalism to be a professional liar… Nothing is sexier in journalism than facts...My job is to shed light in dark places, com-
fort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” He hopes that people in his profession can make the world a better place by reporting the truth to the masses. While many believe that hard-news factual stories just don’t sell these days, Pitts explained that ratings have never been higher in modern journalism because of such stories. He detailed how it was reporting serious things like the riots in Charlottesville that got ratings, more so than entertainment news. He explained that “indifference can be a deadly weapon,” and that in today’s world we can’t afford to be indifferent. We have the capacity to make this world a better place, and although things seem bad, we will endure as we always have in the past, Pitts explained. He closed his talk with those words of inspiration for the crowd. “I want to get students in general excited and encouraged about what a phenomenal opportunity it is to go to college in this country,” Pitts said. “It can be transformative to not only the individual, to their families and to their community, whatever that looks
photo courtesy of MCLA
Byron Pitts spoke about his humble beginnings and the struggles he faced while trying to get an education. like. For the students who are frustrated with themselves-academically, financially--[I want] to say, ‘Hey, you can do it. Just look at me.’” Pitts recently published a book titled “Be the One” which features six true stories of
teens overcoming hardship. He is the recipient of four Associated Press Awards and two national Emmy Awards. (additional reporting from Corey Mitchell-Labrie and Julia Teixeira)
Oct. 26, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 6
CAMPUSNEWS
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DEI task force talks goals and Chief Diversity Officer
Intergroup dialouge and increased training also discussed BY HANNAH SNELL STAFF WRITER The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) task force introduced new chairs and allowed members and attendees to brainstorm goals of DEI working groups and subcommittees at the task force’s second meeting of the semester on Oct. 20. The organization of the DEI task force has changed, as it is now led by three leadership divisions under faculty, students and Student Affairs, according to the MCLA November 2017 newsletter. The new student co-chairs include sophomores Emery Bibbins and Eamon Hanlon, as well as senior Falyn Elhard. The Student Affairs branch is represented by Michael Obasohan, assistant director of Student Activities and ALANA coordinator, and the faculty branch by Kerri Nicoll, assistant professor of sociology, anthropology and social work. Professor Frances Jones-Sneed announced that she had been in contact with President Birge about the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO). To select a CDO, Jones-Sneed said, a search committee comprised of about three students, three faculty and two staff members will be formed. There are now about 20
applications in the pool. In addition, SGA and the DEI task force will recommend one student each for the committee. The faculty association deadline to recommend students is Oct. 23. “The DEI continues to work to prepare for the coming of a Chief Diversity Officer, by examining the program, curricular, and organizational needs of MCLA in its aspiration to be an inclusive, welcoming community for all,” the College newsletter stated. Obasohan then listed and gave a brief description of each subcommittee of the task force. Obasohan explained that the purpose of the subcommittees, or working groups, is to “dig deeper” into each of the topics and bring it back to the general DEI meetings. “The committees are supposed to be an internal thing, so if you sign up to be part of the committee, then you are automatically part of DEI and should be required to come to the meetings just to make sure that we all know what’s going on,” Bibbins said. Obasohan gave attendees the opportunity to brainstorm goals and suggestions for each working group by writing on Post-It notes and attaching them to a poster with the respective group category. The current DEI categories include Programming and Training,
Policy Review, Recruitment and Support for Students, MCLA/North Adams Collaboration and Supportive and Inclusive Community (SIC) survey. Obasohan expressed an interest to bring back and increase intergroup dialogue and training. During the spring 2017 semester, Obasohan, professor Nicoll and two other students participated in a three day training of intergroup dialogue. “Intergroup dialogue basically is a structure to create a safe, yet challenging space for difficult conversations,” Obasohan said. “[Intergroup dialogue is] focused on listening to understand rather than respond to someone.” According to Obasohan, intergroup dialogue training has been a first-year student requirement at other colleges, including those in the Commonwealth, and he hopes to add more members to the group of 15. Student co-chairs announced at the meeting the possibility of holding a rally on Nov. 7 in the Amsler Campus Center Marketplace for the one-year anniversary of the election. The meeting concluded giving working groups, subcommittees and other representatives the opportunity to update the task force what they have been working on to promote diversity and
inclusion. Student Government Association (SGA) President Samantha Giffen shared that SGA has added pronouns to Senators’ plaques and name tags used during meetings. Giffen also announced that SGA will be holding an open forum on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. in Murdock 218. The open forum will be focused on how SGA can be more effective and inclusive. In addition, the forum will also allow community members the opportunity to offer feedback on the possibility of two new Senate seats: the Multicultural and LGBTQIA+ chairs. In addition, Obasohan expressed a desire to hold more movie nights, as previous ones have engendered effective discussions surrounding the themes of the films. Obasohan also said that he hopes to create a student-run Multicultural Resource Center Facebook page to increase participation and engagement in events. Any student, member of faculty or administration or community member who wishes to receive updates about DEI meetings and information can be added to the email list via the MCLA website at http://mcla.edu/About_ MCLA/mission/diversitytaskforce/ index.
“I really want to do things that help out the environment,” said Vachon. “I was involved in a bee book in high school, so I already sort of knew about bees already.” During her junior year in high school, Vachon worked alongside author Dede Cummings to publish the book “The Good Living Guide to Beekeeping, Secrets of the Hive, Stories from the Field, and a Practical Guide That Explains It All”. “She wanted to do her own beekeeping,” Vachon said. “She actually came down with shingles while we were writing it so and I actually took up most of her sections, and did the research, and wrote it for her. Obviously though she did write part of the
book.” “On the faculty side of things,” she said, “we actually have Professor Kiley helping us, Erin Kiley.” Dr. Kiley, an Assistant Professor of Mathematics, attended MASSPIRG’s kickoff meeting on Sept. 20. There she expressed her own passion for bees and beekeeping, including examples taken from her own hives. She pitched several ideas during the meeting including a possible partnership with the Bee Friendly Williamstown group, citing a pollination lecture given by a biology professor at Williamstown College. “In November, I believe the 6th through the 10th we’re having a pollinator awareness week,” said Vachon.
“We’re going to be tabling, probably with games, we’re gonna try to have cookies and stuff, bee shaped cookies. And eventually trying to coordinate a dining hall event.” MASSPIRG is always open for new student members, either just as volunteers or active participants in their campaigns. Popular campaigns of theirs include movements helping to reduce Hunger and Homelessness, 100% Clean Energy and Textbook Affordability. Students interested in MASSPIRG and the “Save the Bees” campaign can contact Vachon through email at LV6122@mcla.edu, or drop into one of their meetings at 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday in Bowman 206.
MASSPIRG from page 1 their ideas moving forward. MCLA’s assigned Campus Organizer, Jinnah Griffin, will not be joining the group this year. In her place will be both Lindsay Mitnik, the Campus Organizer for UMass Amherst, and Samantha Gibb, their Organizing Director for the state. “Our main focus is that we want to train the students to run everything,” said Mitnik. “So in a perfect world the Organizer can come and go and the campus chapter will run itself. “It’s an entry level position,” she added. “Usually an Organizer will be on the ground for one year, then a new organizer will come in.” Despite this, the MCLA chapter appears undeterred.
FINANCIAL AID ANNOUNCEMENT FAFSA UPDATE FOR 2018-19!! It’s time to complete your 18-19 FAFSA now! January 1, 2018 priority date for available funds. ***********************
Manage your finances while in school:
1.Spend within your limits. 2.Use your meal plan instead of eating out 3.Take advantage of public transportation/campu shuttle instead of using your own car. 4.Take advantage of free and low cost activities for entertainment on and off campus. 5. Maintain a budget and stick to it.
NATIONALNEWS
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Oct. 26, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 6
New digital ‘hurricane’ to land blow on the internet BY TIM JOHNSON McCLATCHY WASHINGTON BUREAU (TNS)
WASHINGTON _ Just as hurricane trackers chart storms in the Atlantic before they make landfall, cybersecurity researchers track viral infections that threaten mayhem. They’ve found a doozy. A massive zombie robotic network, or botnet, has expanded to infect “an estimated million organizations” and could bring corners of the internet to its knees, an Israeli cybersecurity company, Check Point Software, says. “The next cyber hurricane is about to come,” Check Point says. Several cybersecurity researchers Monday confirmed Check Point’s findings, saying the botnet could replicate, and perhaps dwarf, the Mirai botnet that almost exactly a year ago took down major websites on the Atlantic Coast, crippling a part of the internet’s backbone and slowing traffic to a crawl.
The botnet, which has been named either “Reaper” or “IoTroop,” was first detected in mid-September. A Chinese cybersecurity firm, Qihoo 360, says the botnet is swelling by 10,000 devices a day, forcibly recruiting foot soldiers in an ever-larger invisible rogue army. Cybercrime gangs form botnets by infecting internet-enabled devices, often wireless cameras or routers with weak security features. Once corralled, controllers can send commands for the botnet to overwhelm a target, knocking its website off line or crippling the internet. The new botnet has spread across the United States, Australia and other parts of the globe, researchers say, although Check Point notes that “it is too early to assess the intentions” of those propagating the infection. “It could be something that’s meant to create global chaos,” Maya Horowitz, threat intelligence group manager at Check Point, said in a telephone interview
Vadnais from page 1 operations conducted in the region. On her role as vice president of the Trustees of Reservations, Ballantine said, “We want to engage the public, especially families, in order to grow the number of conservationists and preservationists who love and are deeply connected with these sites in our state,” in a 2015 Berkshire Eagle article. The Trustees of Reservation is the largest conservation organization in Massachusetts and operates more than 100 locations encompassing 25,000-plus acres of land in the state. Ballantine holds a Master of Social Work from Univer-
sity of Maryland, an Master of Arts from Baltimore Hebrew University in Middle East Studies and a Bachelor of Arts from Hampshire College. She also serves on the board of the Brookfield Farm. Prior to her appointment as vice president of the Trustees of Reservations, she served as the organization’s regional director for three years. She also served as the executive director of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation for 12 years, a nonprofit that focuses on Jewish programs, grants and operations. She is a resident of the town of Amherst in Hampshire County.
photo by Alex Milan Tracy/Sipa USA/TNS)
A map compiled by British company Malware Tech displays the geographical distribution of the WannaCry ransomware cyber-attack over the past 24 hours on May 12, 2017, as seen on a computer screen in Portland Ore. from Israel. “But it could be something that’s more targeted,” perhaps aimed at a country or industry. She said it is unlikely that cybersecurity experts will be able to halt an eventual attack. “The chances are pretty low for that,” Horowitz said, adding that like an epidemic of infectious disease, “each infected device is looking for other devices to compromise.” Criminal hackers are assembling increasingly powerful botnets. “They are getting bigger and badder,” said Robert Hamilton, director of marketing at Imperva Incapsula, a Redwood Shores, California, cybersecurity firm that offers technology to mitigate botnet attacks. “The motive more than ever is money,” he said, adding that criminal gangs send ransom demands to companies threatening to hit them with a distributed denial-ofservice, or DDoS, attack un-
less paid off. “We had a client that received a letter that said ‘if you don’t pay us, we are going to bring your websites down with a DDoS attack,’” Hamilton said. “This was a client that you’d definitely recognize their name,” declining to specify the company. Last year’s Mirai botnet attack hit Dyn, a New Hampshire company that provides backbone services for the internet. Imperva says it found 49,657 infected devices spread over 164 countries. The top infected countries were Vietnam, Brazil and the United States. Scores of major companies were hit in that Oct. 21, 2016, attack, including Netflix, Twitter, Spotify, HBO, Amazon, CNN, ancestry.com and Comcast. The new botnet is based on the source code for Mirai, Horowitz said, “but about 100 different functions have been added ... and it has the potential to reach many, many more devices.”
The malware creating the botnet is infecting a variety of Internet of Things (IoT) devices but has been found with functions to target networking gear or routers manufactured by D-Link, TPLink, AVTECH, NETGEAR, MikroTik, Linksys and Synology, Check Point said. “Since Reaper is exploiting a number of known vulnerabilities in different IoT devices, this botnet could definitely be much more disruptive than Mirai,” said Merike Kaeo, chief technology officer at Farsight Security, a San Mateo, Calif., cybersecurity firm. “Known security issues in cameras, televisions, home routers, and any other internet-connected devices need to be addressed and fixed.” Consumers can do their bit by checking to ensure that “all of their internetconnected devices, especially home routers, have the latest firmware upgrades and security patches installed,” Kaeo said.
Weekend Weather Thursday, October 26
Friday, October 27
Saturday, October 28
Sunday, October 29
Cooler; Rain High: 54° Low: 36° Precip. Chance: 65%
Mostly Sunny High: 58° Low: 36° Precip. Chance: 5%
Partly Cloudy High: 63° Low: 43° Precip. Chance: 14%
Mild; Partly Cloudy High: 61° Low: 54° Precip. Chance: 65% Images from WikimediaCommons
FEATURES
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WILDLIFE SOCIETY PRESIDENT JORDAN TEIXEIRA
Leading a new generation BY MITCHELL CHAPMAN FEATURES EDITOR
Entering its third year of existence, MCLA’s Wildlife Society is filled with many new faces under the direction of an entirely new EBoard led by junior Jordan Teixeira. “We are a club that likes to learn about wildlife conservation efforts [and] different techniques to use to manage wildlife and just have some fun, and get Teixeira some experience in the field – enjoy ourselves,” said Teixeira. Teixeira now serves as the club’s president, after serving as treasurer last semester. Teixeira was introduced to the Wildlife Society last year as a transfer student. “The president last year graduated,” he said. “I stepped into the treasurer position second semester, and it just went from there. People thought I’d been in the club for a while and they made me president.” And while all of the club’s E-Board are new to their positions – Teixeira was the only E-Board member who did not graduate last semester – the club’s founder and former president TaylorJae Taber began working with the new E-Board as early as March of last semester to ensure that the club successfully transitioned. Under Taber’s direction, the club not only secured a $1,500 budget but won two SGA awards; it was named the October 2015 SGA Club of the Month and won an award for Club Organization Excellence for the 2015-16 school year. “They definitely directed me,” Teixeira said. “We knew I was stepping into this position a couple of months beforehand, so over that two-month period we talked, we met – and we kind of talked about
Provided photo
A tagged field mouse from a two-week field course Wildlife Society President Jordan Teixeira attended on behalf of the club. Teixeira hopes to make the club affiliated with The Wildlife Society, a national organization based in Bethesda, Md. how to run the club and where to go from there.” But even with all the direction, Teixeira admits that being a club president is new to him and admits that he’s always learning. “It’s definitely learning over time,” he said. “Learning what we can do, how to fill all of the paperwork in on time.” For Teixeira, much of the learning comes with figuring out what the club can physically do, given that many con-
servation activities require permits and resources the club simply doesn’t have, as well as initiating the process of becoming nationally-affiliated with The Wildlife Society – a process that can take three years. “Hopefully, within some point in the next two years, we’ll become nationallyrecognized with The Wildlife Society,” he said. “We just want to spread the awareness of wildlife conservation.” The club is waiting to establish a solid
base of members before initiating the affiliation process, which will involve creating a constitution through The Wildlife Society and communicating with their financial committee. However, in order to start this process, it requires that the club have a certain number of consistent members, which the club is working on. “We need a minimum of 12 consistent members, and right now we have a member-base of people that come, and then they miss a week, and then they come back – so I want to get a more consistent basis before I start [the] paperwork,” he said. “We also need a professional in the wildlife field, which I haven’t reached out to yet, because this is all new to me.” According to Teixeira, the club maintains an email list of about 70 or 80 people, but around 12 to 15 people come to meetings – and they’re different people each time, which doesn’t help the club’s need for members. Most SGA clubs define members as active MCLA students who attend two consecutive meetings, or three non-consecutive ones, but if the Wildlife Society were to become nationally-affiliated, they would require members to pay dues, which is why committed members are important to the club. Going forward, Teixeira is looking into getting hunter and trapper education programs through the school, as well as learning from other organizations to see how they help with conservation – such as zoos, which he admits many people have a negative perception of. “[Zoos] are often misconceived as being bad for wildlife, but a lot of time they’re good for conservation efforts,” he said. The club will also be hosting trips, such as hikes to Mount Greylock. With any luck, the Wildlife Society will continue to expand MCLA’s horizons when it comes to wildlife conservation. The MCLA Wildlife Society meets every
NEW PROFESSOR ON CAMPUS
Dr. Hannah Noel: Thinking ‘beyond common sense’ BY MEGHAN COOK FEATURES WRITER Joining MCLA this fall as an assistant professor in the English/Communications department, Dr. Hannah Noel is a welcoming new face on campus. Noel is a professor of multi-ethnic studies and digital communications. Noel is actually a returning face to the hills of Berkshire County, where she attended Drury High School and received her bachelor’s degree from Williams College. She then traveled halfway across the country to continue her education and earned her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Noel brings some of her interests like: cultural studies, media studies and Latinx studies, which she will be teaching in her upcoming spring Senior Seminar: Media and Immigration course. “I encourage my students to think beyond ‘common sense’ or traditional ways of thinking while promoting a bridge between theory and practice,” said Noel. This fall, Noel is teaching Introduction to Literature and College Writing II, the latter of which she will be continuing to teach come spring. “[Professor Noel] is very open-minded and encouraging of her students,” said Mary Fucci, class of 2021, who is taking College Writing II. “She has vast knowl-
edge of American history which is what we have been focusing on in class.” In a recent article on the College website, Dr. Noel discusses her enthusiasm to be back in the Berkshires. “I’ve taught at a few institutions, and I think MCLA students so far are my favorite. I find the students here to be really welcoming, warm, and eager to learn,” said Noel in the article. Before coming to MCLA, Noel was a visiting assistant professor of Latin American, Caribbean and Latino studies at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. When she graduated from University of Michigan, she recieved her B.A. in American studies, with honors in Latina/o studies, and some of her specialties are exhibited even in her writing courses. “She has quite the knowledge of American history which helps when trying to understand things throughout the course,” said Caitlyn Maloney, class of 2021, who is taking College Writing II with Noel. “She tries to make lectures as entertaining as possible.” Noel also has been published, most recently: “Representing Immigration Crisis: Latinos, Crime, and Race in the Obama Era.” “My research interests include media and cultural studies, race, ethnicity, new racism and immigration,” explains Noel in regard to this book project.
Even when putting her best foot forward in the classroom and giving her students the best education she can, Noel still balances time to work on her upcoming research and publications. “My next book project will study participatory internet memes and white ethno-racial formation,” says Noel. While enjoying her experience being back in North Adams and the students in her classrooms, Dr. Noel is serious about giving her students the tools to think critically inside and outside of the classroom. She explains in the recent MCLA article what she wants most for her students to take away from her classes. “Whether you’re writing a college essay, analyzing literature, studying a cultural theory or you are consuming media, being a careful thinker will help you in your daily life,” said Noel in the article. In a 2015 report the percentage of students who attend MCLA and live in Massachusetts was 75%. Therefore the majority of students come from the same state, so more opportunities to learn about different cultures and Provided photo places is a good thing. And with interThe Berkshires is a familiar site for Dr. ests and degrees in varying cultures, Dr. Noel is a wonderful asset and re- Hannah Noel, who is a graduate of both Drury High School and Williams College. source to campus.
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Arts & Entertainment
Bryanna Bradley: A performer’s life after graduation BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER MCLA alumna Bryanna Bradley is one of this semester’s Artists-inResidence, and took on the role of Mother and position of choreographer for FPA’s production of “Passing Strange.” She also worked alongside other Artist-inResidence, Rodney Creech, who portrayed the Narrator in the production. As an artist and performer, Bradley wanted to do something creative, but wasn’t sure what to do after graduation. “Then, Laura Standley and Jeremy Winchester approached me about choreographing “Passing Strange”, and I said I would love to do it,” said Bradley. Theatre professors Standley and Winchester later on asked Bradley if she would also consider being the role of Mother in the show. Bradley explained that it took her a longer time to consider
this offer, before finally accepting it. “It came out of a vein of necessity, as well as the thought that I might as well be in a place I’m familiar with trying something new,” Bradley said. “I never acted before, never sang in front of an audience. I think it’s a good opportunity postgraduation to do something you are comfortable with but also have time to assess yourself and your bearings.” The Sunday after Bradley graduated last year, she auditioned for a dance company but did not get accepted. Soon after, though, Bradley got the chance to perform at Poe Park in New York City. She also recently got into a residency at Gibney Dance Company, also located in the city. Bradley admitted being nervous applying to places in New York City, saying it was so much different, with a larger pool of individuals, as well as being scarier to
navigate when someone is not necessarily in the loop. “I love MCLA, but it’s not Juilliard or CalArts. And when you go to these big theatre schools you are instantly connected with those kinds of environments, and I wasn’t so I felt nervous,” Bradley said. Being a native of New York City, Bradley didn’t like not feeling at home there. But with the new residency at Gibney Dance, she feels that this is the start of something good, pointing in the right direction to connect with the world of performing arts. Bradley said she was very grateful to be invited back to MCLA for this opportunity, allowing time to assess things and banish any self doubt. She is, however, ready for the challenges life is ready to throw at her. “Life isn’t easy after graduation. I’m not going to lie. And as much as I love it here, I don’t want
Dianne Manning, director of Residential Programs & Services (RPS). “We thought it [the Church Street Center] might be better because it’s a bit bigger than Berkshire Towers (BT) has been. It does take away the floor trick-ortreating we used to do but it concentrates everybody in the same room which is also a good thing for management.”
Manning explained there was not any pressure from students in any of the residential halls to move the event to the Church Street Center. The reason for the move was wanting to have somewhere larger since it always gets so crowded, especially when entering or leaving the event and to make it a safer and more controlled environment for the children. The event always involves some form of trick-or-treating, games, costume contests and food according to Manning, and is open to children ages 5-12 and their chaperones who must be 18 years of age or older and cannot chaperone more than four guests. The event is made possible by the help of the Center for Service. The actual Boo Bash event takes place at MCLA, but the legwork of getting information out about the event to local children and their families is done by the Center for Service. The Center for Service distributes
photo courtesy of Bryanna Bradley
Bradley worked alongside Rodney Creech in “Passing Strange.” to keep coming back as an escape,” Bradley said. “I want to try to put myself in uncomfortable positions and challenge myself as an artist and performer. And I might as well do it in NYC,
Boo Bash not playing tricks BY NORA HONES A&E WRITER
The 23rd Annual Boo Bash, a Halloween party for neighborhood and community children put on by MCLA, took place last Wednesday in the Church Street Center Social Hall this year instead of one of the residential halls. “It’s a new format,” said
photo by Samantha Giffen
Students volunteering at last year’s Boo Bash in Berkshire Towers.
invitations to the event and helps coordinate bussing people in for it. There are also quite a few people who Manning calls “walk-ins” who attend the event and are people who either work at the College who have children or grandchildren, people who are friends of friends, or even younger siblings of students who live nearby. Boo Bash has been around for a long time according to Manning, even longer than the 23 years it claims. BT always had something, like a window painting contest, that went on for years and years before Boo Bash started. Early on in the formation of Boo Bash, the event took place in all three residential areas. People would go from one to another with trick-or-treating at BT, a party at Hoosac Hall, and a haunted house at the Flagg Townhouses, for example. This tradition stopped early on because the resources were
a place that’s home for me. This is a second home where I know I can always come back, but I really want to try to jump in the pool.”
spread too thin and if weather was bad people had to walk outside and small children’s costumes weren’t always accompanied with coats, an issue that needed addressing since it has snowed during Boo Bash multiple times. Boo Bash was moved into a single residential hall, once Hoosac Hall and BT in more recent years. “It [Boo Bash] came from a student interest in doing something for kids, resident student interest in particular,” said Manning. Students who volunteer end up helping with every aspect of the event from driving buses to pick up the kids, to getting the kids in safely, to running tables where the games are. If students or even clubs or organizations are interested in participating in Boo Bash in the future, all they have to do is contact RPS. Without student involvement, Boo Bash would not be able to happen.
Upcoming Events:
Oct. 26: Oct. 27 & 28: Oct. 30:
Zombie Laser Tag Dance Company Show Grilled Cheese Fndraiser 7-8 p.m. Venable Gym 7 p.m. & 2 p.m. 8-11 p.m. NRHH Facebook Venable Theater
Oct. 27: Oct. 29: Oct. 31: Movie Night: Moonlight 13 Nights at Jiminy Peak 7-9 p.m. Sullivan Lounge 5:30 p.m. Campus Center
Tarot Card Reader 4-6 p.m. CC Marketplace photo from Pixabay
Arts & Entertainment
Houghton Mansion terror comes to an end
photo from Wikimedia Commons
The Houghton Mansion was built in the 1890s. BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR There won’t be any more ghost tours at the Houghton Mansion, located at 172 Church St., this Halloween. The 19th century home of former North Adams Mayor Albert Charles Houghton has been sold. Formerly owned by the Lafayette-Greylock Freemasons, the members were unable to keep the building up to code, which would cost around $1 million. According to member Nicholas Mantello, a
North Adams resident and a part of the Berkshire Paranormal group, it became overwhelming to finance the building. Although Mantello could not give out any information in regard to the realtor or the buyers of the mansion, he did say that the new owners are not planning on continuing with any sort of ghost tours. Mantello did hear the new owners may possibly turn the building into a residence or a gallery, but was not certain.
This Is: Luke Tobin BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER
Local musician and MCLA junior Luke Tobin has always had music in his heart. His inspiration came at a young age, surrounded by family with the same love of music. “A few of my uncles on my dad’s side were in a family band, and my mom’s brother played as well. My brother Chris started to learn guitar and then drums, and my brother Adam picked up guitar as well,” Tobin said in a text interview Tobin recalled learning the foundations of guitar from his brothers and uncles at the age of 7 or 8. “My cousin Jake picked up guitar as well, around the same time as me, so we were always jammin’ together,” Tobin said. Tobin vividly remembered his first songwriting experiences, including writing a song for his 5th grade’s D.A.R.E. program highlighting the negative effects of using drugs. Besides occasional songs such as these, he started writing seriously in
the 6th grade. The singer/songwriter has played at Freshgrass with one of the bands he is in, named Quincy. He has also played at The Design Lab in North Adams, The Log in Williamstown, The Dream Away Lodge in Becket, The Midway Café and the Middle East in Cambridge and Cafe 939 in Boston. “Music is a means of expression I can’t tap into really with anything else. But it’s also really easy to lose motivation. I get writer’s block a lot and sometimes it takes months to finish a song,” Tobin said. “My motivation is the enjoyment and release of it.
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Just the creative process.” Tobin’s goal is to keep writing and playing, saying that some recording is being done and new material would be out soon. “As for long term goals, I’d love to play out more and maybe release a 4 or 5 song EP at some point. Regardless, I plan on playing music anyways even if its cooped up in my room. I couldn’t live without it,” Tobin said. Luke Tobin’s music can be found on YouTube, as well as on his Bandcamp page: Luketobin. bandcamp.com.
photo courtesy of Luke Tobin
Luke Tobin began writing music in the sixth grade.
Scared SACless, attendance best ever BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR
A friendly vibe is what you get when entering any meeting or event the Student Activities Council (SAC) hosts on campus. With their annual Freak Week taking place this week, SAC has been nonstop busy, but the executive board took a moment out of their meeting to sit down with the Beacon. Senior and SAC President Shannon Esposito talked highly of the club she has been a part of ever since her freshman year, speaking about the changes that the club has gone through and how they’re dealing with a large budget cut from SGA. “The semester has been going really great,” Esposito said . “We basically started from scratch, and our goal this year was to get as many people to realize how amazing SAC is, and we’ve been achieving that with every single event that we’ve put on.” So far, SAC has had over 700 people attend their events this year, and their general meetings usually bring in about 20 people every Friday afternoon.
All nine members of the E-Board, including advisor Natty Burford, sat in a circle in the cramped office on the third floor of the Campus Center. Each member has a specific role, like Saturday Night Spotlight chairperson or Comedy Stop chairperson, and handled a specific part of Freak Week. Sophomore Jordan DeGaetano, who is this year’s Comedy Stop chair, explained her planning for the open mic night on Oct. 30. “I have to bring a comedian in every month,” said DeGaetano, “and our first comedian took over half of my budget, so I wanted to create an event in October that didn’t cost anything and was more about student expression.” SAC’s budget was cut by $13,000 for this school year and although the club fought hard to make a change, SGA wouldn’t budge. This doesn’t mean SAC is going to have less events. The club has been, and will continue, co-sponsoring events with other clubs in order to use their budget wisely.
In regard to Freak Week, the club has planned some spooky events, with the theme of the week being “Scared SACless.” These events are new and fresh, not ones that fit the “status quo,” as Esposito said, like events that students have seen in the past. “It wasn’t so much that we wanted to throw our old events out the window, we wanted to start fresh, and see what kind of events will bring people in,” said Esposito. Besides Freak Week being underway, the event that is on everyone’s mind throughout the school year, Spring Concert, is already being put in place. Spring Concert chair Erika Lucia said that she has been in contact with the person who usually helps them with the concert, and voting will take place around mid-November. If you’re interested in being a part of SAC, the club meets every Friday at 3:15 p.m. in CC324A. Freak Week wraps up on Oct. 31 with a Halloween costume contest in the Centennial Room from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
photo courtesy from SAC
Freak Week continues through Oct. 31, featuring a trip to 13 Nights at Jiminy’s Peak, an open mic night, a tarot card reader, and a costume contest.
SPORTS
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Oct. 26, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 6
Volleyball Handily Defeats SUNY Cobleskill 3-1, Playoffs in Sight
BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The MCLA Volleyball team defeated the SUNY Cobleskill Tigers 3-1 in a home match on Tuesday in the Amsler Campus Center Gym to improve their record to 9-17 overall and 3-3 in the MASCAC with only two matches left in the season before playoffs. MCLA is currently tied for fourth place in the MASCAC and plays their final matches against seventh place Mass. Maritime Academy on Saturday, Oct. 28 in a double header. Sophomore Sara LaFreniere was solid for MCLA recording a match best 12 kills on 28 attacks, while also adding eight digs and two aces. The ‘Blazers started the match slowly falling in the first set 25-19 after getting out to a 12-8 lead early in the first set. The Tigers racked up eight
unanswered points after the ‘Blazers got said lead and then followed that up with six unanswered points to lead to the eventual set win. MCLA then fired back and won a close second set 25-18. The roles seemed reversed in the second set, as the Tigers got out to a 9-2 lead early in the set. After falling down 9-3 the ‘Blazers answered with eight straight points to put it at 9-10 in favor of the ‘Blazers. After the Tigers answered back with a few points, the ‘Blazers recorded another eight straight points and the match was at 18-13 in favor of the Blazers. The teams then traded pairs of points until the ‘Blazers eventually won the set 25-18 The ‘Blazers proceeded to run away with the final two sets of the match, recording a 25-12 win in set three and an impressive 25-7 win in the final set of the match. In the final set of the
photo by MCLA Athletics
MCLA sophomore Sara LaFreniere serving a ball in Tuesday’s match. LaFrenier recorded a match best 12 kills on 28 attacks, while also adding eight digs and two aces in the 3-1 match the ‘Blazers never let the Tigers score consecutive points, while racking up consecutive points almost the entire set. Sophomore Brooke
Women’s Volleyball carries home two defeats from Tri Match at Keene State BY JEFFREY MAYOTTE SPORTS WRITER The women’s volleyball team left the MCLA campus this weekend to face off against the Keene State University Owls and Rhode Island College Anchormen. They returned defeated by the Keene State 3-0 and by Rhode Island 3-1. The Trailblazers returned to the Berkshires with a double loss and 8-17 season record. What started off at 2 p.m. with persistence and promise for the Trailblazers turned to defeat as the Anchormen took the first set 20-25. The Anchormen then tasted defeat in the second set after Trailblazer Maggie Allen shot a service ace. This set, 27-25, was the first and only match the Trailblazers won up in New Hampshire in the tri-match. The teams were even for the first half of the match, trading points, but in the last two sets the Anchormen held a steady lead against the Trailblazers. The third set, 18-25, put the Anchormen back in the lead as the afternoon carried on. It was a steady match, but in the end the Anchormen sailed away with a 3-1 victory in the
photo from MCLA Athletics
The entire MCLA Women’s Volleyball team in a team picture earlier this year. MCLA lost both of their matches in the Trimatch at Keene State, 3-0 to Keene State, and 3-1 to Rhode Island College. tri-match after ending the fourth set 17-25. At 4 p.m., Keene State rolled onto the court looking well-rested while the Trailblazers were a little worn from the previous match. Call it the home turf advantage or better performance, the score tells us that MCLA was brutally defeated by the Owls that night. It was a hoot in the first set when the Owls took the lead 25-8. The Trailblazers
fell behind again from attack errors and kill shots, giving the Owls a second win 25-7. The final match showed improvement for the Trailblazers, but again the Owls swooped in for the kill with a 12-25 loss for the Trailblazers. The women’s volleyball teams last home game will be against Mass. Maritime Academy on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the end of the season.
Queripel added ten kills for MCLA while also adding 6 digs. Setting up the offense all night were freshman Natasha Stewart and senior Taylor Wiese. Stewart
recorded a game-high 26 assists while Wiese added 16 assists respectively. Stewart also notched a double double with 19 digs for MCLA while Wiese added 8 digs of her own. Mele Enomoto collected 19 digs and three aces to lead the defense. For the Tigers, they were led by Emily Potter’s eight kills and 15 digs, both team highs. Kendra Webb and Dani Webb each notched 14 digs in a losing effort. The ‘Blazers will close out the regular season on Saturday with a doubleheader with Mass. Maritime beginning at 1 p.m. in the Amsler Campus Center Gym. The ‘Blazers will look for a win over Mass. Maritime on Saturday as well as a Salem State loss to Bridgewater State on Saturday to catapult them into fourth place heading into the MASCAC playoffs.
Men’s Soccer Blanked by Salem State BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The MCLA Trailblazers were defeated 4-0 by the Salem State Vikings on Saturday night at Salem State’s Alumni Field, after Salem received a combined two goals and four assists from Mayele Malango and Nahuel Aligbay. The Vikings used a surge of four goals throughout the second half to put the ‘Blazers away in both teams’ second to last MASCAC game before playoffs begin. With the win, the Vikings have won the MASCAC title outright with a perfect 6-0 record in league play and a 9-5 record overall. Freshmen Malango and Aligbay both recorded solid games. Aligbay scored the first goal between the two in the 66th minute of play. Malango set up Aligbay as his shot from just outside the box was saved by MCLA goalie Kamron Anderson, however the rebound went right to Aligbay, who knocked in the shot for his sixth goal of the season. Aligbay returned the favor only a few minutes later as he passed the ball to Malango along the left sideline, who then beat the Trailblazers keeper with a shot that snuck just inside the lower right post. Aligbay and Malango both finished with a goal and two assists on the night, each having been involved in three of the four Viking goals.
photo by MCLA Athletics
MCLA senior Romeo Grey kicking the ball in a game earlier this year. Gray was held to one shot in the 4-0 loss. For MCLA’s Anderson, he recorded four saves in the game. The ‘Blazers struggled to get anything going on the offensive end, being out-shot 11-6, and the Vikings having a severe corner kick advantage 5-0. The Trailblazers go to 5-10 overall after the loss and 2-4 in conference putting them in seventh place with their final game being against Bridgewater State (the sixth place team) at home on Friday for their final regular season and MASCAC match of the 2017 season. Salem State, now 9-5 and 6-0 atop the MASCAC, will face off with Westfield State on Saturday at their home as well for their final match of the year.
SPORTS
Oct. 26, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 6
Senior Night for Women’s Soccer turns Sour against Salem State
BY JEFFREY MAYOTTE SPORTS WRITER Senior Day for the MCLA women’s soccer team went down as a defeat as Salem State’s Casey McFall pocketed a goal with ten minutes left in the second half. Despite the defeat, the Trailblazers played with great spirit and raw strength. Before the kickoff seniors Molly Gurner, Ally Ferrell, Sychiah Johnson, Brittany Whitford, Aleah Sangiovanni and Allison Davey were honored by the MCLA community and families for their commitment to the Trailblazers over the past years. About 150 supporters attended the event. The first half of the game didn’t show much movement for the seniors. Passes and shots on goal were the average play-byplay. With nine shots in the
photo by MCLA Athletics
The MCLA Women’s Soccer team honored its seniors before Saturday’s game. MCLA honored six seniors in Molly Gurner, Ally Ferrell, Sychiah Johnson, Brittany Whitford, Aleah Sangiovanni, and Allison Davey. (Not in order in picture) first half, Salem outshot MCLA but they did not get past MCLA goalie Megan Richardson. The scene remained the same for the rest of Senior Day. The Salem State Vikings tightened their offensive in the MCLA zone. It all came down to Casey McFall and Megan Richardson, and with one shot to the left corner,
McFall scored. This put the Vikings in the lead with only ten minutes left. The victory had the Vikings improve to 9-5-1 overall in the season while the Trailblazers fall behind 3-10 for the season. Richardson blocked five goals for the Trailblazers. Both teams fouled five times. Salem had four corner kicks
and MCLA had one. For offsides, Salem held the only two of the game. The seniors of the women’s soccer team will have another chance to win before they graduate. The Trailblazers will play at Bridgewater State University at 1 p.m. on Saturday for their final game of the regular season.
SCORE BOARD MCLA Women’s Soccer
MCLA Men’s Soccer
MCLA Women’s Volleyball
MCLA (0), Nichols College (1)
MCLA (0), Salem State (4)
MCLA (3), SUNY Cobleskill (1)
Katie Mancini (MCLA)
Oscar Castro (MCLA)
Sara LaFreniere (MCLA)
2 Shots, 1 SOGPts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl
2 SOG, 3 Shots2 Pts, 7 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk
12 Kills, 8 Digs 10-12. 100 yds, 0 TD
1 Goal, 2 Assists, 3 SOG, 3 Shots, s, 3 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Blk
8 Kills, 15 Digs Rec, 67 yds, 1 TD
Lauren Macgray (Nichols) 1 Goal, 1 Shots, 1 SOG
Nahuel Aligbay (Vikings)
Emily Potter (Tigers)
League Manager 101 - Vetoing Trades
The fantasy baseball season Beverley to another for Carmelo Anrecently came to a close. Fantasy thony and Darren Collison. While football has been the rage this trade seems (and quite for almost two months, and frankly is) horrible, there’s fantasy basketball is just no evidence that there was getting underway. Given any coercion involved, and that fantasy basketball’s the trade is not bad enough trade market has statistiwhere the balance of the cally been more active than Andrew league is threatened through the former two sports this its processing. So, I decided to Baillargeon uphold the trade, even though decade, that brings up an The Call intriguing topic that typiI wouldn’t have accepted it, cally tends to get debated as the side sending John Wall around this time of the and Patrick Beverley, in a milyear. lion years. It’s the subject of vetoing trades. 2. Uphold trades in a timely Thankfully, only owners of manner private fantasy leagues need to This isn’t usually a problem, worry even slightly about this, since but it is worth noting that leagues ESPN-run leagues do not use a veto where the LM processes trades that system. However, fantasy leagues you not only have a responsibilthat go beyond the casual level all ity to play the role of a third party employ the use of League Manager arbitrator, you also are how these (LM) managed trade processing. So trades get completed. Ideally, teams it becomes important to know how, shouldn’t be forced to wait days as the LM, to use this power. to receive and send their players; 1. It is important, as the LM, uphold or veto the trade as soon to take note of the following: as you can, so that it either may be Let people make their own deciprocessed or the teams can discuss sions how to remodel their trades as soon Every now and then, questionable as possible. trades will be agreed to. In fact, 3. Keep an eye out for collupulling from a personal example, I sion recently had to decide on how to act Seems a little absurd, doesn’t it? on a trade where one team agreed Why would one team essentially to send John Wall and Patrick give up their season so that another
could get stronger, especially in money leagues? It’s actually a lot more common of a tactic than you think! The idea is that the team willfully accepting a bad trade will agree to split the earnings with the team they are powering up, in exchange for agreeing to a deal that clearly favors them. This is a very unfair and scummy practice. As the LM, it is your moral duty to veto trades that seem to have been colluded. Of course, you aren’t going to be told when a trade has been colluded, so it’s important to use your best judgment. Clearly, if it’s a not a money based league and it’s a league full of friends and family, this becomes a much lesser problem. In money leagues, especially leagues where you aren’t necessarily close with everyone involved, this can be an issue. Make sure to look out for any telltale signs of collusion, with the most common being a bottom seeded team making a questionable trade or trades with either a top seeded team, or a team on the verge of playoff berth. Andrew Baillargeon is the host of The Call, a weekly program broadcasted by WJJW. Tune in on Sundays from 7-10 PM. Listeners can also tune in via 91.1 WJJW or our website, http://www.mcla.edu/ Student_Life/studentmedia/wjjw/.
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A Stand on Taking a Knee
BY ALEXANDER STEWART HER CAMPUS On August 2016, Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers made headlines for his protest of taking a knee. Kaepernick’s protest as a response to the racial inequality that people of color face in the United States today. Despite the protest being non-violent, he has received criticism from many conservative commentators like Tomi Lahren. The protests came up recently this year when President Trump addressed the issue at an Alabama rally by asking, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a b---- off the field right now. Out. He’s fired. He’s fired!’” The statement led to many players taking a knee or joining their teammates in solidarity. Throughout social media, people were split on the protests, between supporting these protests and burning NFL memorabilia and tickets in effigies. And despite the criticism, these players holding this protest are in the right. It is a nonviolent way to get the message across; and the outrage is just another way to frame the right to protest as a negative thing to the public. As mentioned earlier, the protest is entirely nonviolent. None of the players are throwing anything during the national anthem or shouting over the singer. They are taking a knee and simply happen to do it during that time. However, many critics of the protest have framed the narrative to portray the athletes who take a knee during the anthem as ingrates who take the sacrifices the military makes each day for granted. Despite the accusations, no one who’s engaged in this protest has ever made a claim like that. This has been proven to be similar to claiming that sit-ins are protesting hallways and offices. The backlash towards these protests is yet another case of taking a cause, and boiling it down to the means, while ignoring the goals. This was just one of the many cases happening in recent years, including the Black Lives Matter movement being seen as anti-police to liberal college students called out as entitled “special snowflakes.” This is also juxtaposed when the same critics call out whenever the tension at protests today have escalated. The NFL protests are the perfect gift for those who claim to be against the civil disobedience for being “too forceful.” John F. Kennedy once said that “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” And in that regard, many of these critics are proving to allow the same riots that they claim that protesters are engaging in today. The outrage is nothing more than a petty double standard that is trying to keep the status quo. And this should not be seen as much of a travesty, given that the average NFL lineup has the same moral purity as ... an actual lineup. Alexander Stewart is the Opinion section editor for MCLA’s chapter of Her Campus. To read more of his work, go to https://www.hercampus.com/school/mcla.
OPINION
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Featured Photo
Oct. 26, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 6
Comics Section
This photo of clear skies overlooking the MCLA grounds was taken by James Conroy for Gillian Jones’ Intro to Photography class.
Are you a student with a passion for photography? If you would like to see your photo featured in a future issue of the Beacon, please email your submissions to our Photography Editor Ron Leja at rl2670@mcla.edu
Comics from MCT Campus
Off-campus living: the ultimate freedom For three years of my col- over quantity of space. lege experience, I have lived However, the benefits on campus, through largely end there. Residential Programs As an off-campus stu& Services. I’ve lived dent, I don’t have to in all three dormitory worry about giving my areas: Hoosac Hall, landlord two weeks noBerkshire Towers and tice before having comthe Flagg TownhousMitchell pany over. I don’t have es. to worry about random I don’t miss it at all. Chapman room inspections, or For many students, Not on My judgment from ResiWatch RPS provides a good dential Advisers about living structure, eshow clean my room pecially for those aught to be. Sans RPS, who have never lived away the agreement between my from home before. There are landlord and I is not that of rules, mostly meant to fos- a benevolent overseer who ter values of good commu- feels the need to take it upon nity and courteousness, and themselves to advise me on the buildings themselves are how to live my life, so long better than anything you can as how I live my life does find in town, granted the av- not end up in damage to the erage dorm room you’ll get house, or my ability to pay through RPS is much smaller my bills. than one you’d get through And in the end, I now pay an apartment. The best way less money to live in a much I’d describe the state of the larger space. And I have living spaces themselves in my own kitchen, and I have the dorm areas is quality some control over the heat
in my house. Granted, the dormitories have polish, but I do not miss being packed into a floor of 15 to 20 people, especially now that flu season is up and about. But perhaps the thing I appreciate the most this year is not having an RA or RD. Some of them do do amazing work, but virtually everyone who lives on campus is an adult – old enough to put their lives on the line for their country – and in my three years living on campus, with multiple RAs and RDs, there seemed to be this half realization that their residents were responsible for their own lives and interactions with others. RAs and RDs can serve as great mediators when issues arise between residents, but truthfully I have wondered if their interference end up being more harmful than helpful – there are no such entities in most living situations
during life after college, and I think it’s important for students to learn how to resolve issues with those they live with early on rather than later. Qualifications are also something to consider, especially with RAs. Given that the college is limited to hiring students for RA positions, it is not uncommon for students to be advised by those only a year ahead than them, or even in the same graduating year than them. Worse yet, given the finite number of students interested in these positions, from the already small pool of total (approximately) 1,000 students that live on campus, RPS often can not be as selective as it needs to be during the hiring process. Also something to consider is the amount of students an RA has to oversee – 15, 20 students per RA is not an uncommon occurrence, which,
when factored in with the fact that virtually all RAs are full-time students held to full course loads, often leave RPS residents with situations in which they are assigned to a student RA not much older than they are, who has a fair amount of power over their lives, and has no hope of getting to know them all well enough to responsibly use that power. And unfortunately, it’s hard for many students to leave RPS, as many first-semester freshman are locked into questionable 3-year housing contracts, that arguably benefits RPS’s profit margin more than it benefits the students it affects. In many ways, leaving an RPS-directed living situation makes me feel like I’ve taken off training wheels, and unreliable ones at that. It’s time to bike.
OPINION
Oct. 26, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 6
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Editorial: Is MCLA Safe? North Adams and MCLA have been intertwined since 1894. When one succeeds, the other benefits and, when one starts to slump, the impact is felt in both. In September the FBI released a Uniform Crime Report for 2016 and it said that North Adams, the city we live in, had the highest violent crime rate in the entire state. In a state with cities like Boston, Worcester, and Lowell one would assume they would all be more prone to violent crime than our own backyard, but the numbers don’t lie. North Adams had the highest violent crime rate at 1.38 percent, based on its 13,162 population. This figure combines 20 rapes, 152 aggravated assaults,
and nine robberies that were reported in 2016. Worcester, with a population of 184,595, had a violent crime rate of .89 percent. Boston’s was ranked at .71 percent. It begs the question, with this report should students trust North Adams? The College has always stressed and encouraged students to venture out into the larger community, but when is this too much of a risk? The reason as to why North Adams was first is unclear but, as previously mentioned, a problem in the city easily becomes a problem for the College. Just earlier this month, there was an armed home invasion dur-
ing the day. Last year, there were reports of robberies on campus. Like it or not we are members of that wider community by default and it is almost impossible to never leave campus. We care about our safety, our friends and classmates’ safety, and our fellow citizens’ safety. Are MCLA students going to have to warn incoming freshmen not to leave campus? It’s definitely debatable and something that the North Adams mayoral candidates should consider. They will be our mayor too. Whoever wins will need to ensure that the city is safe for its own citizens as well as for MCLA students.
meme featuring Buddy the Elf, people agree with me! See? I’m not too early to start. Plus, how can you not enjoy Christmas music? I love classics like “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey and “A Holly Jolly Christmas.” Every time “Jingle Bell Rock” comes on, I can’t help but think of “Mean Girls.” There’s no shame in my love for Christmas and the holidays. I think I get it from my Nana, who loved them just as much as I do. She decked out for the season just as
much as I do. My mini Christmas tree, window stickers, and wall décor is up by the day after Thanksgiving. I think it’s just the feeling of joy I get during this time of year, the sense of home I get whenever I hear a classic Christmas song, and knowing that sooner rather than later I’ll be making my way back to little North Brookfield where my friends and family are. And my mom’s cooking, that’s the most important. So, sorry guys, you’ll be hearing “Jingle Bells” for the next month or two.
Insanity on wheels: the Corvette It was 1953 when Chev- wildly, pouring smoke rolet rolled out its first out from the rear wheel Corvette. It had a beauti- wells. One of the reasons ful engine under the hood, for this is that one of the was rear-wheel drive and heaviest bits (the engine) looked quite different is situated away from the than any of the follow- rear wheels. Less weight ing models. In the years keeping the tires on the road means any that followed the excessive accelshape of the Coreration will have vette was forged the tires spinning and the formula really quickly was perfected; a but gripping relong nose, filled ally poorly. So it with a loud V8, Joseph will make the car that slopes up crazier but slowto tight passenCarew er and harder to ger compartment WheelSpin drive. where the drivIt seems we ing wheels almost might be apend the car. Despite all of the minor differences proaching an end of an between every Corvette era however. Over the for the past 64 years that past few years automofront-engine, rear-wheel tive magazines have been drive setup has been the publishing spy photos of something they call the constant. This set up makes the C8 (eighth generation car absolutely insane to Corvette). Some believe drive and that is the high- this will be mid-engine est compliment possible. (the engine is situated The power that each mod- roughly in the middle el produced almost inevi- of the vehicle) with alltably meant that the rear wheel-drive and therefore wheels would spin like a crazy jump from the tra-
ditional. Now, it could be that this is going to be an entirely different model (as I hope) but if not than we may be seeing the end of the Corvette. Before I say anything else I would like to point out that it is almost a guarantee that a mid-engine layout with all-wheel-drive would be significantly quicker than the current topof-the-line Corvette. In fact, it would probably destroy any rear-wheel drive version with similar horsepower in almost any competition. Having an engine placed in the middle and distributing the power more evenly around the car’s four wheels would be a lethal and more clinical combination. Despite this I think the Corvette should always have the original formula option. It has been too good for too long and the last thing this world needs is less joy. Chevrolet has always worked to turn its great-
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Too early for Christmas Music? I’ll say it: I’ve already Not just yet do I listen started to listen to to Frank Sinatra’s Christmas music. I smooth voice sing know you’re think“The First Noel” ing, “Emma! It’s or Michael Bublé only October!” I dominate every am aware of this, holiday tune on his but the chilly days “Christmas” album Emma and sense of joy out in public. I Monahan listen in the safety that have been making their way Arts & Emma of my car or my through the air get bedroom (silently to me. so then my houseSome may think this is mates won’t judge me). a problem, but others are I know for a fact I’m all for it this time of year. not the only one who’s Trust me, I love fall, Halalready in the Christloween, and Thanksgiving mas spirit. Whenever I just as much as anyone express my excitement else, but Christmas music on social media, like a is just SO GOOD. countdown or some funny
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est vehicle into a track master and, as the lap times continue to tick down with each iteration and special edition, the car seems to be missing its essence. It is a trend that has consumed the sports car world for decades and the Corvette will never be immune to it. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with a Corvette going around a track exceptionally quick but when it comes at a cost to the lunacy that was in its DNA from the beginning that is when we have a problem. I was just a kid when I first sat in a Corvette. It looked wild, sounded incredible and drove like nothing I’ve been in since. I want that for the next generation. We need that vehicle that is straight-up loony to inspire the next generation of gear heads.
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Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Joseph Carew
Features Editor
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Emma Monahan
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Kristen Perkins acquired her first tattoo, an arrow, alongside her twin brother over the summer. He recieved the same design.
Jarret Garland has the blink-182 logo on his upper arm featuring the same colors from one of their album covers.
History major KiLee Fortier displays her fandom for Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ in this unique hip tattoo.
Edie Sherburne’s tattoo; her best friend’s zodiac constellation and her friend’s handwriting saying “For Good”. This is meant as a promise between her and her best friend that no matter where they go in life, they will be always be friends. L’Rae Brundige has a heart on her wrist and an ornate floral design on her left side.