October 5, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 3

T hu r s day , O c tob e r 5, 2017

Volume 85

Issue 3

Magic Comes to the Berkshires

photo by Alyssa Call

MCLA was represented at the Fall Foliage Parade with clubs like Yorick (pictured above) and the College Republicans. President James Birge also marched in the parade and was joined by MCLA’s mascot

North Adams’ 62nd Annual Fall Foliage Parade Blends Community and College

BY HANNAH SNELL AND COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE STAFF WRITERS North Adams celebrated its 62nd annual Fall Foliage Parade on Sunday with the theme “Magic in the Berkshires!”

The parade was the capstone of a week full of community events, including the Northern Berkshire Mineral Club’s 54th annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show, the 7th annual Dog Show Parade and the Greylock Federal

Credit Union’s Fall Classic 5K race which directly preceded the parade.

This year’s theme included references to J.K. Rowling’s Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry atop Mount Greylock, the Adams Faery Festival and the area’s landscape as the leaves change color.

The parade is organized by the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, spearheaded by 1Berkshire’s Danielle Pellerin, their program and event specialist.

“We didn’t want the theme

to be just about Harry Potter,” Pellerin said. “That’s a big thing happening here; however, [the theme] is not just about what’s written about being here, it’s about really being here. All of that sort of folds into play.

“The Berkshires in general is just a magical place, the different seasons, the way the leaves change and the way things happen here that people just don’t even know exist.”

The parade started around 1 p.m. and included representatives from Drury and

Hoosac Valley high schools as well as veterans, police officers and firefighters.

MCLA was represented in the parade by student organizations, such as College Republicans and Yorick. President James F. Birge joined students in the march down Main St. The marching line for the parade started on the Curran Memorial Highway and finished on Ashland St. with most of the crowd centered on the two corner turns on and off Main St. Various vendors set up

stands along the sidelines.

There were stands for restaurants like Christo’s Famous Pizza and Marki’s French Fries and Fried Dough.

Organizations, such as the Order of the Eastern Star also had tables where they sold pie by the slice, homemade crusts and filling made by their Naomi chapter.

“It’s always been super exciting,” said Maggie Gardener, who ran the stand for Christo’s Famous Pizza. “My mom never liked the loud and obnoxious noises like when

Fall Foliage page 3

Strategic Planning Meeting Sets Goals for next 5 years

BY HANNAH SNELL STAFF WRITER According to MCLA President James F. Birge, the 2017-2022 Strategic Plan is a call for the College to “think differently” in order to become the nation’s top public liberal arts college by 2022.

This academic year marks the launch year of the 2017-2022 Strategic Plan, a plan that has been in process since September 2016. On September 26, members of College administration held a meeting laying out goals for the College and different departments for the next five years, as the planning phase of the

process came to a close.

The 2017-2022 Strategic Plan was led by an 18-member steering committee, led by Co-Chairs Director of Admission Gina Puc and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Adrienne Wootters, representative of a wide range of academic and administrative departments, faculty and students.

The ultimate goal of the strategic plan is that by 2022, MCLA will be the top public liberal arts college in the country.

Although the plan has already been written, it will be officially reviewed for final approval by the Board of

Higher Education on Oct. 31. However, Birge reported at the meeting that he is confident that the Board of Trustees-approved plan will approved, as it has already received positive feedback.

The agenda for the Strategic Planning Open Forum was organized into seven different parts, with each one building off the other and connecting to the how to achieve the overall goals of the plan.

The first presentation by President Birge, “MCLA Today and Beyond,” summarized the progress that MCLA has made and where the College currently stands, including past strate-

gic planning initiatives that have already been made, such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives such as the hiring of a chief diversity officer, the launch of safe zone training, inter-group dialogue training and Supportive and Inclusive Community (SIC) surveys.

In terms of academic progress, Birge cited the creation of Design Lab at 49 Main St. and four new academic programs that were created, including a three-year business degree, Community Health education, Health Science and a Public History

Strategic Plan page 4

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CAMPUSNEWS SGA Food Forum; Approves GPA requirement changes Oct. 5, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 3

2

The change sees the minimum requirement set at 2.3 for serving on class councils or the senate and at 2.5 for holding an e-board position.

BY JOSEPH CAREW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF With a week to review the revised document, the Student Government Association’s Senate passed their altered Constitution.

The previous week’s SGA meeting saw the senators apprised of the changes made to the association’s constitution over the summer. These were focused on grade point average (GPA) requirements for holding positions on class councils and in student government. The change sees the minimum requirement set at 2.3 for serving on class councils or the senate and at 2.5 for holding an e-board position.

Food Forum Also at the meeting, two representatives from Aramark presented possible changes to MCLA students’ meal plans to the Student Government Association.

The representatives found

Strategic Plan from page 1

minor.

The presentation was then divided up according to recruitment, financial stability, funding the strategic plan and how to implement short and long-term goals.

Optimal Enrollment: The Key to Meeting Strategic Planning Goals According to Director of Admissions and Steering Committee Co-Chair Gina Puc, the most efficient way to meet these goals in five years is to achieve optimal enrollment.

“There are a swirl of things happening nationally that we need to keep in mind and address with our nitty gritty strategies as we implement a plan. . .they affect 5,000+ institutions nationally,” Puc said.

According to Puc, some of

that students registered for their meal plans used up 60 percent of their meal swipes and 98.6 percent of their declining balance on average.

These numbers were said to be relatively typical for comparable schools.

Renovations to the Amsler Campus Center were among topics discussed with hints made toward improving access to the Centennial Room.

These would be funded through a joint venture of State, College, and Aramark funds.

Subway’s place in the Campus Center was given an uncertain future as students expressed interest in Aramark partnering with a different business. A Mexican themed restaurant or Panera Bread were among the most welcomed suggestions made.

Among the specific newstyle plans requested to be investigated by Aramark for feasibility at MCLA in-

cluded an unlimited plan, an overhead-centered plan, and a blend plan. The first of these would most likely be more expensive than current block plans but would allow students the ability to eat in the Centennial Room without worry of reaching a maximum set number.

The overhead-centered plan would allow students the opportunity to know exactly how much of their money would be going to the overhead of the company while also granting a specified amount of declining balance to the user. A blend plan is as simple as the name implies: it would be a different blend of meal swipes and declining balance.

Updates and Events Executive Vice President Victoria Muńoz reminded the SGA that the annual Sam Gomez race will be held Oct. 15.

Senate Secretary Briana

O’Rourke will no longer hold the position of secretary as of Oct. 16 as she has resigned her position.

Secretary O’Rourke is set to graduate this December and the SGA thought it would be wise to have a consistent person in that position for the entire year. She will remain part of the senate but without secretarial duties.

Senator Wheelock, as the Inter-Greek Council representative, disavowed sexual violence and sexual assaults in the wake of a recent email sent out to all MCLA students about rumors of hazing rituals. The email reads: “The MCLA Campus Police and the College’s Title IX officer have received a number of reports suggesting that some of the College’s athletic teams and other student organizations have engaged in hazing rituals which include allegations of planning

the factors affecting admissions are the increased cost to recruit students, as well as a larger financial need, “free” tuition programs (such as new ones in New York, where many MCLA students are from) and tuition discounting at private institutions.

“How Do We Make All Students Successful?”

The central question at the core of Dean of Academic Affairs Monica Joslin’s presentation was how to make all students at MCLA successful, regardless of background or previous academic history, and which opportunities have been working in retaining academically successful students.

Joslin presented data that non-returning student typically had high financial need,

a high school grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or less and in some cases, were undeclared majors.

However, Joslin noted programs that have been working in retaining successful students that should be continued, improved and expanded on, such as internships, first-year experience (FYE) programs, undergraduate research and other student success programs, such as tutoring and SI sessions.

Pivoting from LongTerm to Short-Term Focus: Next Steps President Birge and Executive Vice President Denise Richardello concluded the meeting with ways to prioritize task force and steering committee opportunities.

Vice President of Adminis-

tration and Finance Lawrence Behan noted, during a brief Q&A session, that he doesn’t want good ideas to be “stifled” and that resources come secondary to ideas.

“The strategic plan drives the budget, not the other way around, the budget should reflect priorities,” Behan said.

During the Q&A session, it was asked how strategic plans are going to be chosen and prioritized. Richardello responded that administrative divisions should work and collaborate with each other, based on what’s going to be the most efficient.

“It’s meant to be inclusive, but [we] need to be realistic and prioritize,” Richardello said. “What is it that’s going to get us there the fastest?” “[MCLA’s] mission guides

sexual assault. At this point, there is absolutely no information corroborating any of these rumors.”

In response to another email sent by College officials, President Samantha Giffen explained that all pieces of furniture in the library had been sanded down and cleaned during the summer meaning that any reported graffiti is new.

the strategic goals that advance MCLA: Excellence in Teaching and Learning; Supportive and Inclusive Community; Responsive and Intentional Stewardship; and Public Purpose and Engagement,” according to MCLA’s mission statement and values statement adopted in 2013.

According Birge, progress on the plan with be posted and shared with the public over the next few years. If any MCLA students or community members seek more information on strategic planning, a PowerPoint from the open forum and a guide on Canvas are available online at http://www.mcla.edu/ About_MCLA/mission/strategic-plan/index.

ATTENTION DECEMBER GRADUATES The deadline for December Graduation Applications is October 15th Apply online on Banner Self-Service under student records or apply by submitting a paper Graduation application.

If you have any questions contact Registrar’s office at 6625216

Oct. 5, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 3

CAMPUSNEWS

Swastika found on library desk

BY MITCHELL CHAPMAN FEATURES EDITOR Last Wednesday, the staff of MCLA’s Freel Library discovered a swastika carved onto a library desk on the second floor. The graffiti was new, and the desk it appeared on has been removed.

An investigation conducted

by Student Affairs and Public Safety is currently underway to identify the culprits.

“We as individuals, and as a community, refuse to allow hate to take root in any way that defaces our campus or causes harm to any member of our community,” President James Birge said in an email sent to all members of students and staff.

“After a visitor alerted staff to a swastika graffiti on a desk, we notified Public Safety and the Vice President of Academic Affairs,” Maureen Horak, associate dean of Library Services, said. “We removed the desk and put up a sign and message on our e-board stating

that libraries are for everyone and asking students to please let us know if they notice graffiti, anyone writing on the furniture, or any offensive language or symbols. The library staff is now doing daily checks for graffiti, but we may not notice everything, so we are asking students to let a staff member know if they notice anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.”

According to Horak, graffiti has been a constant problem with the library, but the library staff are dedicated to keeping the building an open and inclusive space.

The graffiti comes just after a recent refurbishment that brought new study carrels to the second floor.

“Our goal is to keep the library graffiti-free. But we don’t want to just react to incidents like this -- we want to actively create an inviting and productive learning experience. We are trying to acknowledge and celebrate

our diverse community in our collections, our book displays, by partnering with other campus groups, and also by being the kind of space where students feel respected and welcomed.”

However, despite its struggles to remain graffiti-free, Horak does acknowledge that many students do still see it as an open and inviting place.

“The library belongs to everybody, and everybody should feel the library is a place where they belong. In last year’s Supportive and Inclusive Community Survey the overwhelming majority of students felt the library was a welcoming place and we’d like to keep it that way.

Please let us know at the library if you have any suggestions for making the library better.”

Anyone with information in regards to the graffiti is encouraged to contact Public Safety at (413) 662-5281.

Fall Foliage from page 1

the bands come through.

That’s my favorite part.”

Kevin Drawec, a vendor for Marki’s French Fries and Fried Dough, was optimistic about the turnout and business as the parade began.

“It’s beautiful out and should be a good turn-out,” Drawec said. “Now we’ve got cotton candy this year, those are flying right off the shelf.”

The parade, although focused in the Berkshires, also became an opportunity to connect to events nationwide. A youth-run group, Students Organizing Change (SOC), also had a set-up. They had a large variety of foods spread out in the hopes of raising money for hurricane relief.

“My favorite part is just seeing all the youth organizations that are coming out and participating,” said North Adams Police Officer Jonathan Beaudreau, Beaudreau is a North Adams native who’s “lost track” of how many Fall Foliage parades he’s been to.

He noted that attendance for the parade has fluctuated throughout the years.

“It has kind of slacked, but the turnout has been low and light these past few years. I thought mainly because of weather, but it’s a beautiful day today and a lot of people came out,” he said.

One attendee, Julie Gardner was very glad for the day’s good weather. Gardner runs three to four 5Ks annually and has participated in Greylock Federal’s Fall Classic 5K since 2000.

This year, she entered competitions as a part of “Team Pupper,” with her partner a

photo by Alyssa Call

MCLA’s mascot greeting some of the children who went to the Fall Foliage Parade.

Poodle-Terrier mix named Pupper. “[I’ve been coming] since I was just knee-high to a grasshopper. My family was very active in the Children’s Parade, and then throughout the years it became a family tradition,” said Gardner. “I just hope to get some of the magic back, the manufacturing and the families, the state of the city is unfortunate, but it’s getting better and I like that type of magic.”

“In the past we’ve had thousands and thousands of people,” said Pellerin. “It’s died down a bit because of economy changes. We’re now seeing it growing again it’s like 2,000 or 3,000, but sometimes we see around 8,000. It depends on how exciting the scene is or how the economy is or stuff like that.”

Despite its drop in atten-

dance in the previous years, family traditions have remained constant.

“When the parade first started way back in the ‘60s,

3

Community Reading

BY JOSEPH CAREW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Author and Educator Jana Laiz is scheduled to give a lecture and sign books on October 5th at this year’s Community Reading event. Author of this year’s shared book for freshman, Weeping Under this Same Moon, Laiz will be in MCLA’s Church Street Center at 7 p.m. It is open to all First Year Experience (FYE) students and other community members but, the event website warns of limited seating.

Weeping Under this Same Moon details the connections made between a Vietnamese refugee and an American high school student. The story invokes themes such as the importance of civic knowledge and engagement, the significance of intercultural knowledge, as wells as the value of empathy while

considering ethical reasoning and action, according to mcla.edu.

Laiz lives in the Berkshires and is the current Writer-In-Residence at Herman Melville’s Massachusetts home, Arrowhead and holds a Master’s degree in Education. She has written numerous books and the subject of this talk has received numerous awards including ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year Gold Medalist and was an International Reading Association Notable Book.

In the previous two years Sherry Turkle’s Reclaiming Conversation:The Power of Talk in a Digital Age as well as Jeff Speck’s Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time have been utilized in this process, respectively.

every organization had a float,” said Gene Neal who sat with her daughter, Linda. “Now it’s just certain people. I think it’s because of the expense, the inflation has gone up and people can’t afford it.”

Both women graduated from MCLA and have attended the city’s Fall Foliage Parade nearly every year for the past 40 or 50 years.

Gene’s daughter, Linda, graduated as one of the College’s first FPA majors with concentrations in music and arts management.

“Whether it’s big or small, we always come down,” said Linda. “I like anything that’s going to draw people in. I love it when we have the festivals, the Grassroots [Freshgrass] and Wilco [Solid Sound]. I just love seeing people come into town. It [the parade] is one of the highlights of my year and it’s always a family function.”

One float which payed a particular homage to Harry Potter fans was run by Northern Berkshire Pediatrics. It was a replica of the Hogwarts’ Great Hall, with floating candles and the four house flags.

“With ‘Magic in the Berkshires,’”said Jackie Latimer. “We kind of insinuated that there would probably be a lot of Harry Potter fans and wanted to take that and bring it in.”

Latimer is a registered nurse at Northern Berkshire Pediatrics. She, along side several of her co-workers, spent over two weeks planning and developing their float for the parade.

“We had a beautiful day,” she said. “We had a great crew and the kids were awesome. I think everything went really well today.”

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NATIONALNEWS

4

For the first time, the Supreme Court seems receptive to putting limits on partisan gerrymanders

By David G. Savage Tribune Washington Bureau WASHINGTON _ The Supreme Court heard a powerful plea for reining in partisan gerrymandering, and a majority on Tuesday seemed to lean in favor of a potential landmark ruling that for the first time would limit politicians from entrenching their party in power by clever drawing of legislative or congressional district lines.

The court has never before struck down election maps simply because they lock in an advantage for one party.

But now is the time, the justices were told.

“Politicians are never going to fix gerrymandering.

You are the only institution in the United States that can solve this problem,” Paul M. Smith, an attorney for Wisconsin Democrats, who brought the current case, told the justices. “And this is really the last opportunity” to act before the next round of redistricting following the census of 2020.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who likely holds the deciding vote on the issue, appeared to agree. He told a Wisconsin state lawyer that he thought extreme partisan gerrymanders could by challenged on First Amendment grounds because they deny voters in the disfavored party a right to have their views represented.

That won’t work, the state attorney replied. “Let’s assume that it does,” Kennedy said.

If Kennedy holds to the position that he appeared to favor, the court would have five votes for a ruling

later this term that would limit gerrymanders. That would have the potential to undermine Republican control of the House of Representatives as well as several state legislatures. Although Democrats also have practiced gerrymanders, they’ve had fewer opportunities in the current decade because they control fewer state legislatures.

Kennedy asked questions only of the lawyers defending the map drawn by Wisconsin’s Republicans. At one point, he asked one of them to imagine that a state passed a law saying its election maps will always “favor party X or party Y. Is that constitutional?” he asked.

The lawyer ducked an answer. Kennedy tried again and still got no answer.

“Well, it’s a little hard to say at this point,” said the lawyer, Erin Murphy. Certainly, the Republicans had not proclaimed they were drawing maps to favor their party, she added.

Kennedy was undeterred: “I’d like an answer to the question.”

“Yes, it would be unconstitutional,” she relented.

Kennedy said nothing further in the hourlong argument, but it was clear that he believed the Constitution would prevent one party from writing a law that kept it in power for a decade. The only remaining question was whether he believed Wisconsin’s Republicans had done essentially that when they went behind closed doors in 2011 and used computerized maps to assure their hold on the state legislature.

In 2010, Republicans na-

tionwide scored big wins at the polls and took full control in at least half a dozen closely divided states. They used that power to draw election maps that strongly favored their party’s candidates. Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina, for example, have 61 representatives among them in the U.S. House, of which 44 are Republicans and only 17 are Democrats, even though voters in those states are closely divided between the two parties.

In Wisconsin, the election map assured the GOP would have a supermajority of at least 60 seats in the 99-member state Assembly, even in elections such as 2012 when Republican candidates won just 48 percent of the vote. Last year a threejudge court struck down the map, leading to the current case, Gill v. Whitford.

Gerrymandering has been part of American politics since the earliest days. The word, itself, comes from the name of an early 19th-century governor of Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry, whose party drew a legislative map with a district that resembled a salamander.

In recent years, as computer technology has enabled parties to draw lines more precisely to maximize their advantage, discontent with the practice has increased. Several states, including California, have taken the power to draw legislative boundaries away from lawmakers and handed it to independent commissions. And legal advocates have repeatedly challenged

Gerrymander page 11

Oct. 5, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 3

Republicans face messaging battle on tax overhaul

By Joe Williams CQ-Roll Call (TNS) WASHINGTON _ The messaging battle over a pending overhaul of the U.S. tax code has begun. And while Republicans say they feel confident they will overcome the opposition this time around, a lingering defeat on health care continues to concern proponents.

The administration and congressional GOP leaders last week unveiled a framework for the still unreleased tax legislation. It immediately set off a cascade of reaction _ positive and negative _ as Republicans labeled it a middle-class tax break and Democrats called it a giveaway for the rich.

It is round two of a clash over the major tenets of the GOP agenda.

As they tried to repeal and replace the 2010 health care law earlier this year, Republicans found it difficult to overcome opposition from Democrats and major health care stakeholders. Democrats framed nearly every proposal from the GOP as a blow to coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions and a massive, if not fatal, funding cut to the Medicaid program.

Public opinion was further swayed by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who spent significant airtime assailing legislation from Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. As a guest on Kimmel’s show in May, the Republican senator had promised to advance a bill that would pass the “Jimmy Kimmel test” _ an informal measure of whether people with pre-existing conditions would be jeopardized.

Now Republicans know they have to be more vigilant in framing the debate. After fighting with Democrats for years on tax issues, several GOP members say they are prepared to combat the message that the tax legislation will benefit only the rich.

“For Republicans, it’s more traditional. We’re used to that. Every time there’s been a debate about taxes here, that’s the argument that Democrats make,” Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune of South Dakota said. “The public is almost kind of numb to that. They know this is what the Democrats are going to say.”

Other members cautioned that Democrats might have the upper hand in the early stages of the debate.

“Anytime you’re developing policy, there are challenges in messaging because the full details of the policy have not been fleshed out.

Which means the Democrats can be unified in attacks,” Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said.

“Until the policy details have been resolved, it’s difficult to have unity in a message defending the legislation.”

Even if Republicans ultimately believe the advantage is on their side, they face a potentially tumultuous next few months as they work to advance a major tax bill that is ripe for varied interpretation.

Opposition to the GOP framework is already fierce, and several recent analyses have given Democrats ammunition.

A report by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center predicted that some lower income individuals, but not all, could see a decrease in

Taxes page 11

Weekend Weather Thursday, October 5

Friday, October 6

Saturday, October 7

Sunday, October 8

Mostly cloudy High: 72° Low: 50° Precip. Chance: 5%

Cloudy; Rain in afternoon High: 68° Low: 50° Precip. Chance: 50%

Shower in the Morning High: 72° Low: 64° Precip. Chance: 44%

Showers in evening High: 77° Low: 63° Precip. Chance: 25% Images from WikimediaCommons

FEATURES

The Voice of Voices

5

BY MITCHELL CHAPMAN FEATURES EDITOR

Interested in slam poetry? Sophomore and “Voices” Co-President Meadow Voisine sure is, as her club enters its second year under its new name.

“Voices is not too much different than last year,” Voisine said.

“We still do a bi-weekly system of meetings, one meeting is a workshop and the next week is a reading. One new thing we are starting up is journaling. Voices will be using what small budget we have to purchase ‘Voices Journals’ for our members and we will then host a ‘journal decorating’ meeting -- Most likely this week or next week!”

Voisine was one of the founders of Voices, which revamped the already-existing Slam Poetry Club under the ALANA banner. According to Voisine, the creation of Voices happened over a lunch with friends.

“It began at a lunch date with some friends in the Spring semester of my Freshmen year,” she said.

“We spoke with some students we knew in SGA. I was surprised at how helpful everyone was and how easy it was to actually start a club here at MCLA.” Voisine and fellow student Megan McGinley took over as CoPresidents after last year’s president, Taylor Parece, transferred schools. As such, Voisine has seen her involvement with the community grow as the club has.

“Since Voices creation, I feel that my role in my MCLA community has gotten broader,” she said.

“Thanks to being on an E-board,

Provided Photo

Sophomore Meadow Vosine has seen her role in the community grow since joining Voices, just as the club itself has grown. An average Voices meeting attracts around 10 to 12 people, and has a keen focus on workshopping.

I have met friends and administrators whom I benefit from having that connection with. It’s truly amazing to be the creator of a special club like Voices.”

This semester, Voices is looking to expand, build off and create new relationships with clubs it has forged partnerships with via Open

Mics, such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy and Spires. And although it is a young club, Voisine hopes that it will become a staple of MCLA. “By the end of the year, I hope for Voices to be a well-known club on campus that is very involved in both the MCLA and North Adams

community,” she said. “I would like for Voices to be known by students as a place of inclusion and safety.

Poetry can be very personal, and we provide the environment where sharing our stories doesn’t have to be so scary and overwhelming.”

Voices meets every Thursday night at 6pm at Bowman 218.

SereniTea Cafe one year later: What has changed?

BY MEGHAN COOK FEATURES WRITER Trivia Night. Karaoke. Wine-Tastings.

These are just a few of the new events The SereniTea Cafe has added in the past year.

Since opening in September of 2016 Leanna and Hamilton have changed a few things as well have tacked on some new events to bring in a crowd of people with varying interests.

However, there is one thing that gets almost everyone’s attention. The SereniTea Cafe just recently got their full liquor license.

“After being open for a year, we decided to expand to night events, and delicious cocktails, beer and wine,” says Leanne Hamilton With the addition of the liquor license the cafe has regular cafe hours during the day and on Fridays and Saturdays is now opening from 8pm-midnight. Along with a selection of beer, wine, and there will be the usual bar food to accompany them.

Not to leave out the under 21 years old group, the Hamiltons also have “mocktails” on the menu, drinks designed the same way as an alcoholic beverage, but without the liquor.

With the new school semester underway Leanne Hamilton decided that to attract more student population there needed to be more of an allure.

“I also am super excited by karaoke, and we have a dinner and a movie event coming up Thursday October 5,” says Leanne Hamilton.

The wine-tastings that took place on

Photo by Meghan Cook — Features Writer

Since opening last year under SereniTea, the restaurant has expanded its event offering to include Karaoke and Trivia Nights.

Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 served to give the Hamiltons an opportunity to know what the customers liked and wanted to see being served at the bar.

“I knew what types of wines I wanted

to have, but I wasn’t sure on the specific brands,” says Leanne. “So we bought a bunch of wines and we’re having people taste them and tell us their favorite.”

Trivia Night is a staple at most bars so

according to Hamilton to bring it to the SereniTea Cafe is a must. On Fridays the people of North Adams now have a place to come and “drink and think” with the theme of 90’s television.

“I enjoy watching people have fun at trivia night,” explains Todd Hamilton, co-owner of the Cafe. “Oh, and the Beer and Board Games night we had was great.”

According to the Hamiltons the past year has given them an opportunity to learn more about owning a business and giving the customers what they want.

“I learned that people don’t like having too many choices,” explains Leanne.

“When I first made our menus I had [so many] options for everything, now we just focus on the stuff we know is delicious and highlight that.”

After a year the SereniTea is still a popular place among MCLA students.

“It’s perfect here, wonderful food and the milkshakes are fantastic!” writes Eliza Randazzo, junior at MCLA in a Facebook post on the cafe’s page.

The Cafe serves breakfast all day and provides a delivery service as well. The menu has kept its wide variety since its opening, only adding on instead of taking away. The brightly colored tins of tea still line the wall over the bar, and more have appeared since last September.

“We want to listen and give them what they’re looking for,” explains Leanne. “I really want to be the place people go because they know the owners want to give them a great experience.”

6

Arts & Entertainment

Yellow Bowl Project shows true American history

By Nora Hones A&E Writer The Freedom from Fear/Yellow Bowl Project created by local artist Setsuko Winchester was put on display at MCLA’s Gallery 51 and opened last Thursday at 5 p.m. to the public.

The Freedom from Fear/Yellow Bowl Project consists of 120 yellow tea bowls made and photographed by Winchester at each of the JapaneseAmerican internment camps. The 120 bowls represent 120,000 JapaneseAmericans who were forcibly removed to 10 internment camps during World War II.

Photo by Ron Leja

Setsuko Winchester, the artist behind the yellow bowl project, stands along side several of her works.

W i n c h e s t e r couldn’t help but see the parallels between this and the current immigration bans, providing the inspiration for her project.

“It’s a very special exhibit about a very shameful time in our lives,” said Rose Marie Thomas, a North Adams native who works at Gallery 51.

Thomas’ favorite piece at the exhibit was one of the photographs featuring the yellow tea bowls at Gila River, Ariz.

In the photo the bowls were placed in a semicircle on a Photo by Alyssa Call concrete slab in what Winchester’s exhibit will be featured in Gallery 51 now until Nov. 19 seems to be the middle of nowhere, which He explained how the piece was His favorite was a photograph from alludes to the out of sight, out of mind supposed to act as a warning and a Amache, Colo., which had a brick attitude people had toward Japanese- thought piece for what may happen building and two towers standing in Americans at the time. to people, especially those of Latin- the background with the yellow tea “The way they have the bowls, American descent, with these new bowls cluttered in the browning grass beautiful,” Thomas said while quietly immigration laws in our current po- foreground as if there wasn’t enough staring at the piece, almost mesmer- litical climate. room for them all. ized by it, when asked why it was her Weisse’s favorite piece was the “I like that it’s real,” Locke said, favorite. photograph of the guard tower from which seemed to be the opinion of The exhibit had a handful of ped- Manzanar, Calif. It had the yellow tea many people attending the exhibiestals holding examples of the yellow bowls stretched out far in front of it tion. It’s one thing to know Japanesetea bowls running along the middle of and the viewer can see a barbed wire Americans were put in internment the room with the photographs of the fence running along the side creat- camps, but it’s another thing to see bowls at actual encampments lining ing an ominous feeling of the bowls, photos of those camps and be faced the walls. which represent the incarcerated Jap- with our country’s shameful past.

Senior Drew Weisse, a history ma- anese-Americans, being trapped.

The Freedom From Fear/Yellow jor, works every first Thursday of the “I wonder what it was like to be Bowl Project will continue to be on month at Gallery 51 and happened to there,” said senior Oliver Locke, paus- view at Gallery 51 until Nov. 19. be working the information desk dur- ing for a moment when talking about ing the exhibition. his favorite piece at the show.

Fresh Check Day brings large crowd and new knowledge

By Emma Monahan A&E Editor The academic quad was full of students and faculty members on Wednesday, Sept. 27 thanks to Fresh Check Day, an event that raises awareness about mental health on college campuses originally created by the Jordan Porco Foundation.

Counseling Services, Residential Programs and Services and the

Student Government Association all sponsored the event in hopes of starting conversations about mental health and breaking the stigma around it.

Counseling Services Director Heidi Riello sat down with the Beacon a few days before the event, expressing her excitement for Fresh Check Day and the importance of having con-

versations about mental health.

“It was something I wanted to bring to MCLA,” Riello said, “and it’s important for students to have.”

Riello first heard of the event earlier this year, when she attended one at Berkshire Community College. She commented on an increase in mental health concerns on campus, mainly in regard to more students coming

QSU’s “Be Yourself” intersection web that students could participate in.

Photo by Samantha Giffen

to Counseling Services and an “increased demand.”

With Fresh Check Day, Riello talked about how this event is not only to raise awareness, but also to decrease the stigma around seeking help.

“What I think is most important about it is the peer to peer support and messaging,” Riello said, “so how can students help each other and support each other.”

An estimated 200 students attended the event on Wednesday. Riello commented in an email the next day about the overall turnout and feedback.

“I’m just really pleased with how it went and received a lot of positive feedback, students seemed to really enjoy the event.”

Clubs such as Association for Neurodivergent Awareness (ANA), Psychology Club, and Queer Student Union (QSU) participated in the event, each with their own table that focused on a certain mental health coping mechanism.

Junior Erica Wilcox, secretary of ANA, worked with her peers at the Paint Your Art Out table, where students had three tries to throw darts at balloons filled with paint. Wilcox commented on how art is a good coping skill, and their table seemed full of students each second.

Students were able to learn about mental health at every table. In order

to enter the 32 inch TV raffle, all participants were required to participate in the 9 out of 10 table, which focused on suicide prevention. The name comes from the statistic of how 1 out of 10 college students contemplate suicide, so there are nine people who can help and make a difference within someone’s life.

Freshmen Emma Bayle and Emily Gulbrandsen both attended the event, simply stopping by while walking through the quad.

“It sounded like fun,” they both said.

Another popular table was hosted by the Psychology Club. The Uplift table featured coloring books as a stress reliever, and students were able to make motivational bundles.

Paper clips, rocks, elastic bands, erasers, and more were spread out along the table, each trinket having some sort of meaning to remind those that there’s always something to keep you together.

“We’re promoting self-care,” said junior Bri Sarno, president of the club.

ARAMARK provided smoothies, popcorn, and ice cream, free t-shirts were being handed out, as well students seemed to be enjoying themselves overall. There’s definitely hope that in the future, more events like this will be making their way on campus.

Arts & Entertainment

7

Downstreet Art concludes 10th anniversary season

By Brianna Lamb A&E Writer Downtown North Adams came alive with sound and creativity at the last Downstreet Art event of the season last Thursday.

Musicians, galleries, and performances all offered something unique to the experience.

Mural Ribbon Cutting One of the many events that took place was the official ribbon cutting for the city’s newest mural, “Imaginarium”, created by Yu-Baba, a native of Belarus and Brooklyn-based muralist.

Mayor Richard Alcombright and President James Birge spoke of the importance of these murals to the community, engaging citizens and making art come alive.

Director of the Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (BCRC) Michelle Daly spoke of the artist’s vision of the piece. The fox pictured encircling the woman’s face

was a bodyguard, full of ideas and inspiration for the creative artist.

This is symbolic of North Adams, Daly said, representing its community of dreamers and hard workers.

Daly explained the origin of Downstreet Art and the impact that it has for the people of the city.

“This is the 10th year of Downstreet Art. It was established in 2008 by the BCRC and was created in order to increase foot traffic to the downtown North Adams area,” she said.

The mural idea was introduced in 2012 as fewer storefronts became available. This year there was an open call for artists and Yu-Baba was chosen.

Yu-Baba completed the mural on Center Street in only three days in late August, with the help of a partner.

“Public art makes the com- House Sparrow performing at Downstreet Art.

A student takes a photo with the Downstreet Art frame.

Photo by Alyssa Call

Upcoming Events: Jana Laiz: “Weeping under This Same Moon” discussion Thurs. Oct. 5 7-8:30 p.m.

Church Street Center

Passing Strange Fri. Oct. 13 & 14 8-10 p.m.

Venable Theater

2017 Hardman Lecture: Byron Pitts Wed. Oct. 18 7-9 p.m.

Church Street Center

Wellness Fair Thurs. Oct. 19 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Campus Center Marketplace

munity livable and vibrant,” Daly said. “Our mission is to make this a point of connection within the community.”

The unveiling celebration concluded with performances by local improvisational rap artist and humorist Seth Brown, as well as Marafanyi, a drum, dance, and song group founded by international musicians.

The group performed an interpretation of Alla Awad’s “Justice” mural using song, dance, and spoken word.

The Yellow Bowl Project Gallery 51 hosted an opening reception for artist Setsuko Winchester’s exhibit, “Freedom from Fear/The Yellow Bowl Project.”

Winchester explained the

concept of this project on her website. She handmade 120 ceramic yellow tea bowls and traveled with them to 10 World War II Japanese internment camps.

“My project may throw light on a discomfiting part of American history – but I hope not to condemn or blame, but help gauge where we are in this ever-evolving experiment we call ‘America,’” Winchester said.

Local Musicians Music under the Mohawk Marquee featured many artists, including solo artist Chad Tarves, two-person band House Sparrow, and alternative indie rock group 8 Foot River.

Francesca Shanks of House Sparrow talked about what Downstreet Art means to her

Photo by Alyssa Call

and what it does for the community.

“We are really happy to live in a city where everyone is making art all the time. I think it is such an affirmation of our values as a place,” Shanks said.

“North Adams is such a welcoming community for creative people, especially young creative people. The way Downstreet Art brings all that to Main Street is really beautiful and amazing to me!”

Plenty of other events and attractions were available, including a weaving demo hosted by Makers’ Mill, a bike decorating station, a Halloween Magic-Lantern Show, and many gallery exhibits and installations, all linking the community together through their art.

This Is: Luke O’Brien

By Brianna Lamb A&E Writer MCLA junior Luke O’Brien may be studying abroad in Ireland this semester, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t thinking of what music and songs he will write next.

“I have been writing since I got here and I might record something while I’m here to document my time,” O’Brien said in a text interview.

Music has been a large part of O’Brien’s life. He has always been surrounded by it.

“Growing up my dad would always have music playing when he was working on the house and his taste initially rubbed off on me,” said O’Brien. “But since then I’ve definitely developed my own taste.”

He credits his dad for being a big initial inspiration, but he eventually branched off and listened to song and band suggestions from friends in high school and college. Excited to discover new music, O’Brien also gains inspiration from suggestions his own favorite bands and musicians give.

For the most part, O’Brien’s music consists of guitar and vocals, although after taking a piano class last semester, he is looking to incorporate it into future songs. He also played clarinet from third grade un-

Photo by Domonique Ackley

O’Brien performing in Sullivan Lounge. til his high school graduation.

“I think I wrote my first song when I was just around 16, but that was before I really knew what I was doing,” O’Brien said. “Starting in the middle of freshman year of college I started seriously thinking about writing my own songs. That’s when I wrote my first EP, ‘Angst All Over!’”

Now, O’Brien has another album planned which he began writing and recording before leaving for Ireland.

“Those are mostly full band pieces that I can’t really work on by myself here,” O’Brien said. “When I get

back home though, I really want to finish recording.”

O’Brien has two “projects”; Crashing Sunset is the name used for collaborations and working with others in a band. When doing solo work, he goes by the name Lucifer O’Brien.

“Most of my shows have been at open mics in the old Parlor Café and at bars back home where I live,” O’Brien said about his performances. “I’ve also played two WJJW sponsored events on campus as well as Figment this past spring.”

He has done features at both the Bent Water Brewery in Lynn, MA and the Gulu-Gulu Café in Salem, MA. One of O’Brien’s biggest motivators to keep creating music is the wish to make a difference in people’s lives, creating art that affects his audience and helps them or shifts their perspectives.

“I guess that feeling to be heard by someone I don’t know and having a profound effect on them is a big motivation for making music,” O’Brien said. “I know how great a feeling it is to be touched by music that means a lot to me, and I want to be able to bring that feeling to other people.”

O’Brien will be releasing a new song on Fri., on luc i f e ro b r i e n . b a n d c a mp. c o m .

SPORTS

8

Sept. 28, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 2

The power behind Indians’ Francona rests with relationships built in his office, clubhouse

BY RYAN LEWIS AKRON BEACON JOURNAL WIRE SERVICE CLEVELAND - As the 2012 regular season came to a merciless close, the Indians were in disarray.

They had just finished a disaster of a 68-win season and a week earlier had fired manager Manny Acta. It was their third 90-plus loss season in the past four.

Top prospect and hope for the future Matt LaPorta, the centerpiece of the CC Sabathia trade, had flamed out, never to again reach the majors. Roberto Hernandez, the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona, had lost the success he had found earlier in his career. And on and on.

Three days after the Indians hobbled to the conclusion of that season, they hired Terry Francona away from a short stint on ESPN to be their next manager. The Indians haven’t had a losing season since, came within one run of winning the World Series and are now entering the 2017 postseason among the favorites to win it all.

Of course, that isn’t to say a manager is the lone reason for that success. Far from it. The Indians have developed their prospects, acutely signed their core in-house players to club-

photo by John Sleezer

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona (Black) removes starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (Left) against the Kansas City Royals on May 7, 2017. friendly and market-friendly long-term deals and recently, owner Paul Dolan has brought out his checkbook to supplement the roster with higher-priced free agents and expensive trade targets. All of it has come together to mold the Indians’ success. All of it has been vital.

But at the epicenter of the fluid ecosystem that is a baseball clubhouse housing a team that finds and then holds on to success has been Francona.

Francona has his principals, views and mantras, like any manager. He isn’t a big fan of routinely holding the big team meeting, unless he thinks a specific message will do the club

good. Otherwise, he won’t yell just to make himself feel better.

In fact, he won’t do anything if it can’t be turned into something the Indians can use to their advantage _ if it doesn’t help, throw it out.

He doesn’t like to talk about himself, and he absolutely will not judge other managers on their decisions or abilities.

Even when he required a heart procedure, which forced his exit from the team and prevented him from managing the All-Star Game, Francona still didn’t want to talk about it much, mostly saying he was just embarrassed he had to go through it. To the end, he’ll brag about his players

and change the subject when it turns to him.

He’s also widely viewed as one of the biggest player’s managers, one who will defend his guys to a fault. Managers are prime suspects to be second-guessed with every pitching change and lineup card they fill out, but few managers would be secondguessed less than Francona, who boasts a strong resume already. But none of those things are what the players inside the Indians’ clubhouse view as his biggest strength.

That’s his ability to relate with people. It’s something that can’t be quantified with numbers, of course. But to a man, that’s what

has stood out.

“It’s the fluidity of how he handles things and the way he gets the best out of players, and how he respects players, understands them and how he speaks the players’ language,” said Josh Tomlin, who plays cribbage in Francona’s office nearly every day. “He’s just got that feel for what players think and how to manage and how to push the right buttons and what to say to get the best out of them.”

Francona came to Cleveland already with a Hall of Fame resume with the two World Series rings he won in Boston, ending the Curse of the Bambino there. He’s now a two-time American League Manager of the Year, and guiding the depleted Indians to within one game of winning it all a year ago was universally praised. After all, the Indians somehow won an ALCS game in Toronto with a bullpen game after Trevor Bauer and his bloody pinkie had to exit in the first inning.

When he first took over in Cleveland, he brought with him a sense of “awe,” as Cody Allen put it. He wasn’t an up-start manager _ he had already found success. But none of the clout from his resume came with him to Cleveland, something that quickly became apparent.

Here’s how evenly matched Sparks, Lynx are heading into decisive Game 5 of WNBA Finals

BY LANCE PUGMIRE LOS ANGELES TIMES WIRE SERVICE LOS ANGELES - The game to decide the 21st WNBA champion features two teams so evenly matched and knowledgeable of each other that Los Angeles Sparks guard Alana Beard says there’s no reason to even feign having a secret victory plan.

“Absolutely not, there is nothing you can change at this point,” Beard, the WNBA’s defensive player of the year, said Tuesday. “It’s about how much you want it and how hungry you are to get what you really want.”

The Sparks return to Minnesota, where they beat the Lynx in Game 5 of last year’s WNBA Finals, on Wednesday night.

In their 12 meetings dating to Game 1 of last year’s Finals, the Sparks and Lynx each have scored 908 points with four games decided by one or two points.

“I don’t think this is going to end in a draw,” Sparks coach Brian Agler joked.

Now is not the time to consider the missed chances to win the series before a fifth game, Sparks forward-center

photo by Aaron Lavinsky

Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore (23) celebrates after scoring a layup while being fouled by Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker (3) for an and-one opportunity in the fourth quarter of game four of the WNBA Finals on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.

Candace Parker told reporters Tuesday.

“We can look at it as a disappointment ... or we can look at it as an opportunity,” Parker said. “If you poll anyone

anywhere around the league that if you have one game and an opportunity to win a championship, would you take it? I’m pretty sure everybody would take that. So that’s the

mentality we have to have going in. It’s not going to be easy.”

The Sparks could repeat as champions a second time, after Lisa Leslie led them to titles in the 2001-2002 seasons.

Minnesota, with past Finals MVPs Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles and Seimone Augustus on its roster, has won WNBA titles in 2011, 2013 and 2015.

The series is being hailed by some league observers as one of the best in WNBA history.

The Sparks won Game 3 because guards Odyssey Sims and Chelsea Gray outscored Minnesota’s starting backcourt by a combined 30-0, but the Lynx responded by limiting Parker to three-of-eight shooting in Game 4.

There was champagne near the locker room before Game 4 at Staples Center, but Minnesota surged to a lead that reached 19 points.

Fowles overcame being temporarily blinded in her right eye by a collision to help the Lynx get 16 offensive rebounds, combining with Rebekkah Brunson for 27 of Minnesota’s 48 rebounds. The Sparks had just 28.

“It’s rebounding and fouling,”

said Parker, averaging 14 points and eight rebounds in the series. “It would have almost been better for them to shoot a better percentage from the freethrow line, because when they missed, it was another offensive rebounding opportunity.

“We weren’t necessarily in our best flow offensively, even with taking the ball out of bounds. We have to do a better job of controlling the glass and making things difficult for them.”

Wednesday’s winner likely will be decided by who flexes its strength best, according to the Sparks’ Nneka Ogwumike.

“At this point, playing each other 12 times in the past two years, we know each other inside and out, so you really have to rely on those plays that you don’t necessarily see on the stat sheet,” Ogwumike said.

“It speaks to the rivalry ... which I think is pretty spectacular,” she said. “That speaks to the evolution of the game, the evolution of this competition that we have between each other. I would hope that everybody enjoys watching it as much as we love playing it.”

Sept. 28, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 2

SPORTS

Coach K has strong ideas about what’s wrong with college basketball

BY LUKE DECOCK THE NEWS & OBSERVER WIRE SERVICE DURHAM, N.C. - Mike Krzyzewski has built a career and a legacy and yes, a fortune, from the sport of college basketball. And yet there he was Tuesday, posing questions with answers few of his peers would want to consider _ essentially saying, at least as strongly as he could, that maybe this game he loves is being played by the wrong rules.

In response to questions about the ongoing federal investigation into shoe companies and basketball recruiting that has already cost Rick Pitino his job at Louisville, the Duke coach painted a picture of college basketball that, while entirely accurate, will make NCAA purists cringe. And he called for consideration of changes that, while entirely necessary, will make NCAA purists apoplectic.

The fact that college basketball is stuck in the middle of two bigmoney enterprises _ shoe companies and the NBA _ that play by different rules is not something anyone seems to want to acknowledge, even as that conflict infects every aspect of the sport.

Tuesday, Krzyzewski dove in headfirst.

“This is a great game,”

Krzyzewski said. “I’ve lived my life with this game. I’ve stayed in college basketball.

I believe in it and I’m not alone. There are thousands of coaches and players who have been involved with it.

That’s a slap in the face last week. And it’s continued. But it has forced dialogue about this middle _ amateurism.

Do you pay them? Do you do this? Do you do that?

Whatever. I think those are good discussions.”

With nary a “studentathlete” to be heard, in a matter of (several) minutes Krzyzewski pointed out that the college game is unequipped to handle all the money swirling around players before and after they’re in college (true), that there’s nothing illegal or unethical about shoe companies recruiting elite players with financial incentives (true), that college basketball is a billion-dollar industry (true), that no one in college basketball has the power or platform to fix any of this (true), that one-and-dones should be free to turn pro straight out of high school (true) and that the NCAA is basically funded by men’s college basketball revenue (true).

None of these concepts are novel. But it’s rare to hear anyone this deeply entrenched in the business

mentally strong and there’s not much that can bring them down.

“These guys are mentally strong, great guys. They’ll handle this well.”

The status for the remainder of Speight’s 2017 season appears to at least be in some doubt, which means O’Korn _ for the first time since his transfer to Michigan from Houston _ will be the unquestioned starter under center.

He won’t be subbing in briefly to hold someone else’s spot. He won’t be coming in for garbage time snaps.

His two backups are a redshirt freshman (Brandon Peters) and a true freshman (Dylan McCaffrey). The job is his now.

And while the circumstances may be unfortunate, O’Korn’s opportunity has arrived.

“John performed at (an impressive level) at quarterback (at Purdue),” Michigan senior fullback Khalid Hill said. “And

SCORE BOARD MCLA Men’s Soccer MCLA (1),Western Conn. St. (2) Oscar Castro (MCLA) 1 Goal, 4 Shots, 1 SOG2 Pts, 7 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk

Mikey Sciortino (Conn) 1 Goals, 1 Assist, 1 Shots, 1 SOGts, 3 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Blk

MCLA Women’s Soccer MCLA (1), Mass. Maritime (2) photo by Chuck Liddy

Duke men’s head basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski gives his annual summer briefing to the media on May 31, 2017, at his basketball camp on the campus of Duke University in Durham, N.C. openly question the NCAA’s cherished anachronism of amateurism like this.

Krzyzewski is speaking truth to power, except there are few in the sport more powerful than him and when it comes to the issues he’s addressing, there really isn’t anyone who has the power to fix them.

“We are not running this the way a billion-dollar industry should be run,” Krzyzewski said. “We try to put a circle into a square.

That’s what men’s college basketball is. It’s not a bad circle. But it can’t be done like the square.”

Perhaps the most interesting among all of

his comments was his condemnation of the NBA’s one-and-done policy, since Krzyzewski has been among the most active college coaches in recruiting oneand-done players over the past decade and won a national title in 2015 with a team built around them (albeit with less success in tournaments before and since).

His argument: Players are getting paid before they get to college, so if they’re going to end up in the NBA anyway, why make them adhere to the NCAA’s amateurism rules for one year for essentially no reason?

Michigan players rally around QB John O’Korn as Michigan State nears

BY NICK BAUMGARDNER DETROIT FREE PRESS WIRE SERVICE This won’t be John O’Korn’s first start in a Michigan uniform. It won’t even be his first extended stretch of playing time.

But considering the stage this week, O’Korn’s Michigan moment is about to officially arrive.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters Monday that fourth-year junior quarterback Wilton Speight will be out “multiple weeks” as he continues to recover from a hit he suffered against Purdue two weeks ago.

With that, quarterback O’Korn will start for the Wolverines when they host rival Michigan State on Saturday night in Ann Arbor (7:30 p.m., ABC).

“We have all the confidence in (O’Korn),” senior left tackle Mason Cole said Monday. “John’s ready.

Wilton, he’ll get healthy.

Both these guys are so

9

that gives you confidence.

Hopefully he can do the same thing this week.

“I know he’s preparing to have the best game of his life.”

O’Korn’s day at Purdue two weeks ago was impressive, as he finished 18 of 26 for 270 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception in a 2810 comeback victory over the Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Ind. That performance was much better than what Michigan saw in his first start, where he went 7 of 16 for 59 yards in the snow during a 20-10 home win over Indiana last November.

Players say they noticed an improved level of play from O’Korn all offseason and they say the fifth-year senior was able to show it two weeks ago at Purdue.

“The transition was really effortless,” Cole added. “He came in like he’d been in there all year. We all knew he’d be ready to play if he had to. And he was.”

Two weeks ago, O’Korn found plenty of success against a Purdue secondary that now ranks second-tolast in the Big Ten against the pass.

Michigan State, meanwhile, ranks No. 2 in the league with just 152.3 passing yards allowed per game. The Spartans have only surrendered a 200-yard game once this season, last week against Iowa (202).

Still, Michigan is confident its offense can find a way this week with a new face.

“John’s done a fantastic job ever since he got here,” Harbaugh said. “In every role he’s been in, he’s acquitted himself very well. Including coming off the bench and leading our team to a victory against Purdue. I think that speaks volumes.”

Michigan doesn’t believe its in an impossible spot here. The Wolverines have lost a starting quarterback, but they do have the benefit of bringing in a backup who has done this before.

Aleah Sangiovanni (MCLA)

16 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl

1 Goal, 4 Shots, 2 SOG Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl

Madison Taylor (MMA)

2 Goals, 6 Shots, 6 SOG

MCLA Women’s Volleyball MCLA (3), Southern Vermont (1) Brooke Queripel (MCLA) 13 Kills, 10 Digs 10-12. 100 yds, 0 TD

Liv Sowles (SVC) 15 Kills, 21 Digs Rec, 67 yds, 1 TD

NFL Patriots (30), Panthers (33) Tom Brady (Pats) 32-45, 307 Yards, 2 TD15 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl,

Cam Newton (Panthers)

22-29, 316 Yards, 3 TD, 1 Int 15 Pts, 1 Reb, 1 Stl

NFL

Chiefs (29), Redskins (20)

Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Stl, 2 Blk

7 Rec, 111 YDS, 1 TD

Kirk Cousins (Redskins) 14-24, 220 YDS, 2 TD

MLB: AL WILD CARD New York Yankees (8), Minnesota Twins (4) Aaron Judge (NYY) 2-4, 3 Run, 2 RBI, 1 BB, HR41 Pts, 8 Ast, 2 Stl

Brian Dozier (Min) 2-4, 1 Run, 1 RBI, 1 BB, HR28 Pts, 22 Reb, 3 Ast

10

WORLDNEWS

Oct. 5, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 3

Spanish leader unrepentant for crackdown on Catalan referendum

By Esteban Duarte and Maria Tadeo Bloomberg News (TNS) BARCELONA, Spain –– Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Sunday that his government’s efforts to disrupt a referendum on independence in Catalonia had succeeded, despite hundreds of injuries as police tried to stop the voting.

While pledging to bring parties together with talks starting Monday, Rajoy made no apology for the crackdown. He blamed separatist leaders in the Catalan government for insisting on the illegal referendum and putting the sides on a collision course. Rajoy praised police for their “calmness” in defending the constitutional order.

“We’ve proved that our rule of law has the resources to repel an attack on democracy of this magnitude,” Rajoy said in a televised statement late Sunday. “Look for no culprits other than those who organized an illegal act and broken our common bonds. We’ve witnessed the type of behavior that would be repugnant for any democrat: the indoctrination of children, persecution of judges and journalists.”

Rajoy is facing Spain’s

Image from WikimediaCommons

Catalonia (darker) is located on Spain’s North East border with France. Spain has worked to prevent this province from voting on an independence referendum. biggest constitutional crisis since the political settlement that followed the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. That gave regional administrations control of areas such as health, education and, in Catalonia’s case, the police, within a centralized system for collecting and distributing tax revenue.

Many Catalans complain

they get a raw deal from that system. But Rajoy, backed up by the courts, said a referendum is unconstitutional. To back up his position, the prime minister deployed thousands of police from outside the region to enforce the court rulings.

The rift is already shaking Rajoy’s minority government. The prime minister

withdrew his budget from parliament last week after his Basque Nationalist allies signaled they would shoot down the bill in protest at his handling of Catalan demands. His job isn’t under any imminent threat, but his authority is compromised by his inability to legislate and some of his European partners may be shocked by the

images from Barcelona today.

As polling stations prepared to open at 9 a.m., officers in riot gear smashed in the doors and dragged protesters away by the hair, beating some with batons and firing rubber bullets at others. Despite the police brutality, Catalan government said 73 percent of polling stations were open.

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said the crackdown had been an “unjustified, excessive and irresponsible use of violence.”

“It didn’t end Catalans’ desire to vote and decide freely about their future, but it has helped to answer all the questions we had to address today,” he said at a voting site near Girona that had been raided by the Civil Guard. “Today, the Spanish state lost.”

Though those who voted are likely to come overwhelmingly from the proindependence camp. In a nonbinding vote in 2014, also held in defiance of the Spanish courts, 80 percent backed a split from Spain on turnout of about 30 percent.

In the most recent Catalan government poll in July, 35 percent of respondents said the region should become independent.

Merkel wins 4th term as German chancellor but far right gains foothold in government

By Patrick Donahue, Rainer Buergin and Birgit Jennen Bloomberg News BERLIN _ Angela Merkel won a fourth term as German chancellor in a federal election that lifted a farright party into parliament for the first time since the immediately after World War II, according to exit polls that point to growing polarization in Europe’s biggest economy.

Merkel’s Christian Democrat-led bloc took 32.5 percent to defeat Martin Schulz’s Social Democrats, whose 20 percent is its worst result since the war, the exit polls for national broadcasters ARD and ZDF showed Sunday.

Merkel’s bloc dropped about 9 percentage points from the last election in 2013 to record its worst result since 1949.

The principal beneficiary was the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which joins the probusiness Free Democrats, the Greens and the postcommunist Left in the Bund-

estag after it channeled voter rage at Merkel for allowing 1.3 million migrants to enter the country since 2015.

The AfD’s 13.5 percent in the exit poll means it stands to become the main opposition party in the lower house, the Bundestag.

“This is a bitter defeat for the SPD, and at the same time it’s a historic watershed in our democracy,” Thomas Oppermann, the Social Democrats’ caucus chairman, said on ARD television. The SPD has decided to go into opposition and not renew the coalition with Merkel’s party that has governed for the past four years, he said.

The result offers Merkel just one route to govern: adding the environmentalist Greens to a coalition with the Free Democrats, her party’s traditional allies with whom she governed from 2009 to 2013, in a so-called Jamaica coalition _ so named as the party colors of the CDU/CSU, the Greens and FDP match those of the country’s flag.

While it’s a combination pre-

viously untested at national level, such a government was formed this year in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, and the chancellor has kept tabs on the region’s progress ever since.

“Jamaica is doable,” Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the CDU state prime minster of Saarland, told broadcaster ZDF. Even as she faces the most splintered parliament in modern German history, Merkel’s record-equaling fourth consecutive victory in a national election marks a revival of sorts of her political fortunes from the depths of the refugee crisis. It puts Germany’s first female leader and the first from the formerly communist east on track to match Helmut Kohl’s record of 16 years in office.

The first task for Merkel is to forge a coalition that enables her to govern, a process that’s likely to take months. Once a government is in place, Merkel will face huge global expectations,

such as shoring up the eurozone together with France, setting Europe’s tone in its dealings with the U.S. under President Donald Trump, and dealing with the dieselemissions crisis that threatens Germany’s dominance in producing luxury cars.

The better-than-forecast performance of the Free Democrats allows them to re-enter the Bundestag after a four-year absence.

Schulz’s defeat to Merkel means the Social Democrats haven’t won an election since 2002, and raises question about his future as party leader. Schulz, a former president of the European Parliament, appeared to be a formidable contender when the SPD pulled virtually even with Merkel’s bloc soon after he entered the race in January.

But his surge quickly faded and he failed to persuade voters to turn their backs on Europe’s longest-serving leader, who projected herself as a force for stability in a world buffeted by concerns

like North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and uncertainty over the U.S.’s direction under Trump.

The AfD’s two lead candidates, Alice Weidel and Alexander Gauland, reveled in provocations as they capitalized on the legacy of Germany’s biggest refugee influx since the war.

Founded as an anti-euro party opposed to financial bailouts for Greece and other southern European nations, the AfD narrowly missed winning Bundestag seats four years ago. With new leadership and a campaign focused on immigration _ its platform demands shutting the border to new asylum seekers and calls Germany’s Muslim majority “a great danger to our state” _ it succeeded in tapping into discontent with Merkel’s policies.

Oct. 5, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 3

NATIONALNEWS

11

Campus Comment

In the spirit of October and all things spooky..what is your BIGGEST irrational fear?

Samantha Feinstein, Freshman “ I really don’t like clowns. they’re creepy in general, but the Clown in IT was super scary!

Carol Fagan, Freshman “ I’m terrified of spiders..They’re really creepy, and I’ve heard they crawl in your mouth in your sleep!”

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Mckenna Jordan, Freshman “ Tomatoes! It’s not so much a fear of them, I just think they’re disgusting.

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Gerrymander from page 4 ically, however, a ruling in their favor could help the GOP in the next round of redistricting. Democrats tend to do better in presidential election years, and they could score big wins in the closely divided states. If so, they could redraw election maps after the 2020 Census in their favor.

The last time the issue was before the court, in 2004, the justices declined to plunge into the issue. But Kennedy, at the time, suggested he might be willing to consider the issue in a different case.

In Tuesday’s argument, the rest of the eight justices sounded split along the usual ideological lines.

The conservatives, led by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., said the court should not get in the business of deciding partisan battles.

“We will have to decide in every case whether the Democrats win

or the Republicans win,” he said.

“That is going to cause very serious harm to the status and integrity of the decisions of this court in the eyes of this country.” Roberts dismissed the statistical measures of gerrymandering devised by lower court judges as a “sociological gobbledygook.”

Justice Samuel A. Alito agreed.

“Is this the time for us to jump into this?” he asked, suggesting the answer was no. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said he did not see anything in the Constitution that authorized the court to intervene.

The four liberal justices were more certain that the court needed to act.

What about the “precious right to vote”? asked Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “If they can stack the Legislature in this way, what incentive is there for a voter to exercise his vote?”

Justice Stephen G. Breyer said he did not need any “gobbledygook” to rule against the Wisconsin plan.

“If Party A wins a majority of votes, Party A controls the Legislature. That seems fair. And if Party A loses a majority of the votes, it still controls the legislature. That doesn’t seem fair,” he said. Justice Elena Kagan said computers allow party officials to try out hundreds of maps to get the most advantage.

It has “become extremely sophisticated” and can “entrench a party in power,” she said.

Smith used his closing argument to focus the justices on 2020 and beyond. If partisan gerrymandering is upheld, “you are going see people slicing and dicing a very polarized electorate to the point where oneparty control will be guaranteed,” he said. “That’s going to become the norm.”

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Executive Board Editor-in-Chief

Taxes from page 4 “In 2018, all income groups would see their average taxes fall, but some taxpayers in each group would face tax increases,” according to the report.

In a blow to Republican talking points, the report also found that by 2027, roughly 30 percent of taxpayers with incomes between $50,000 and $150,000 would experience tax increases.

Individuals in the top 1 percent of income earners in the country would receive 80 percent of the total benefit from the proposal, the Tax Policy Center estimated. The proposal to eliminate the estate tax would also affect only the wealthy.

Democrats pounced.

“Republicans may talk a good game to the middle class, but they cannot deny the math: Their plan would raise taxes on hardworking Americans and their families, while adding trillions to the mounting debt burden they so often decry,” House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland said in

Joseph Carew

a statement.

But Republicans were ready with their rebuttal.

They employed a tactic similar to the one the party used during the health care debate: discredit the opposition.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office on Tuesday blasted out a series of messages that sought to paint the Tax Policy Center as a partisan organization that has a record of opposing GOP plans.

“The Tax Policy Center is a joint project of the left-leaning Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute that the media routinely labels ‘nonpartisan,’” one email read, quoting a Wall Street Journal editorial. “Its record of hostility to any GOP tax reform that cuts tax rates shows the opposite.”

The messaging hurdles Republicans face don’t end with whom the legislation will benefit. The party is also preparing for a major battle over what impact the bill will have

on the federal deficit.

GOP members say the proposal will spur economic activity through reduced taxes, ultimately resulting in a revenue driver. Key to their analysis is the use of dynamic scoring, which takes into account macroeconomic effects of the bill.

But there is significant debate over the use of such scoring, and some recent reports that rely on more traditional methods of analysis could be major headaches for Republicans.

The Tax Policy Center, for example, estimated that the framework would reduce federal revenue by $2.4 trillion over 10 years.

Another report from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said it could cost $2.2 trillion.

The impact on the deficit appears to already be a concern for some Senate Republicans.

“If it looks like to me ... we’re adding one penny to the deficit, I am not going to be for it, OK? I’m sorry.

It is the greatest threat to our nation. The greatest

threat to our nation,” Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee told NBC’s Chuck Todd last week.

The GOP is facing a tight margin on the tax effort.

In the Senate, the party can afford to lose only two votes _ calling in Vice President Mike Pence to break the tie _ to pass the measure under the fasttrack budget procedure known as reconciliation.

And with Republican House members from states such as New York and New Jersey expressing initial hesitation over the possible removal of individuals’ ability to deduct state and local taxes, advancing the legislation in that chamber could be equally as tough. Other high-tax states with significant GOP representation include California, with its 14 Republican House members.

In short, the battle over the tax overhaul is only getting started, and it’s already heated.

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The Annual Fall Foliage Parade Photos by Alyssa Call

The girls of Studio North Dance Arts dancing along the street in Harry Potter costumes.

President Birge joined in on the parade along with several MCLA students.

The Clarksburg firefighters handing candy out to the children in the crowd.

The Uncle Sam Chorus singing to the crowd as they're pulled behind a pickup truck.