T hu r s day , D e c e mb e r 7, 2017
Volume 85
Issue 11
Annual Fundraiser
“Cops on top” aims high BY REBECCA SHANKMAN AND MAYA MCFADDEN SPECIAL TO THE BEACON The Berkshire County Law Enforcement aimed to raise $60,000 during the fundraiser, Cops on Top this past Saturday, Dec. 2, in support of the Torch Run Program for Berkshire’s Special Olympics athletes. Cops on Top has been an annual event held in December for the past seven years in Pittsfield, but was expanded for the first time to North Adams this December. This year’s event was organized by North Adams officer Nick Penna and officers and members of the Special Olympics committee Jacob Gaylord, Jason Roy, and Joe Wilk. It was the first time volunteering for some officers of the North Adams Police Department and MCLA’s Department of Public Safety, and many officers agreed that it will not be their last. Many officers and attendees
photo by Rebecca Shankman and Maya McFadden
The fire department placing the police officers on top of the Walmart in North Adams. said that Walmart was the best location for the event because of its centrality and busy atmosphere during the weekend. “We are helping people who need help and the do-
nations stay here, which a lot of the time, the fundraising donations for other programs leave the place they came from, so it never helps the town, but this does,” said Wilk.
This was the first year many North Adams officers and MCLA public safety personnel were involved in the Cops on Top fundraiser. “I love fundraising. I think it’s definitely good to do it
at a big place like Walmart because then you could get your big donations,” said officer Maryann King. The Cops on Top fundraiser supports the Law Enforcement Torch Run Program (LETR). LETR is a law enforcement driven organization dedicated to raising awareness and funds to support Special Olympics athletes. Berkshire County raised over $550,000 in the past seven years during its Cops on Top events. Last year alone, they raised $57,000 during the two-day event. This year, their goal is to raise $60,000. Every year, all the proceeds are used to provide yearround programming for local Special Olympics athletes of all ages. “I’m still fairly new, but I love fundraising and I love to show my support. I would love to get involved again for a great cause like this one,” said officer Samantha Haines. The North Adams event went from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cops on top page 3
MSCA Update
Sustainability committee
Professors and students Faculty still without contract after 160 days seek eco-friendly MCLA BY JACOB E. VITALI SPECIAL TO THE BEACON Today marks 160 days since the Massachusetts State College Association (MSCA) has had a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The MSCA is the union which represents faculty and librarians at MCLA, in addition to the nine other Massachusetts state colleges. Since June, the MSCA has been negotiating a new CBA with the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE). On Nov. 13, 2017, Graziana Ramsden, president of MCLA’s MSCA chapter, forwarded an email to faculty members from MSCA President C.J. O’Donnell stating that there had been 16 formal negotiation sessions with the BHE and more were expected. O’Donnell’s email also detailed the issues preventing a deal, including across-the-board raises for fulltime and part-time faculty. The current proposal from the BHE gives full time faculty a one percent increase in the first year, with an additional 1
percent on July 1, 2018 if state revenues reach $27.072 billion in fiscal year 2018 and increases of 2 percent in the second and third years of the contract. The MSCA believes that the proposed pay increases are not realistic. “The Board of Higher Education (BHE) has made the MSCA a poor financial offer, which includes salary increases that are significantly lower than the projected cost of living for the next three years,” said Ramsden in her Letter to the Editor last week. Instead, the MSCA would like to see yearly raises of 3.5 percent with an additional $1,000 base to offset insurance costs for full time faculty and increases of 16 percent for adjuncts in year one of the contract, 11 percent in year two, and 10.5 percent in year three. Other concerns are centered around benefits and adjunct professors. The MSCA claims that college presidents initially wanted the option for 100 percent of classes to be
MSCA page 2
BY JULIA PARKER SPECIAL TO THE BEACON A new sustainability committee at MCLA looks to implement ecofriendly programs on campus. In efforts to reach out to more individuals, Women’s Soccer Coach Deborah Raber introduced the committee in the most recent StudentAthlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) meeting. “[The committee] has got a couple students on it who are clearly very interested and passionate,” said Raber. “The things they are talking about, everything from composting, to what they do with food waste, to working with Aramark about things going on at Late Night [Grille], they are all doing a great job.” The committee still remains to be a very quiet organization on campus, though they have gotten a lot done with Aramark. With the company, they have talked about imposing a system for food waste. In fact, many other colleges and universities have their own sustainability offices. Worcester State Uni-
versity runs a very successful program on their campus, where they compost four tons of food every month, and 25 tons a year. They also host LED bulb giveaways, free e-cycling events, treeplanting days, and more eco-friendly activities on their campus.
Sustainability page 3
photo courtesy of Julia Parker
A food waste processing system in the Worcester State University Sheehan Dining Hall
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Dec. 7, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 11
SGA Discussion
CSSE plans and proposal for Multicultural Lounge BY COREY MITCHELLLABRIE STAFF WRITER The Student Government Association (SGA) was given a presentation from Dale Osef, career development specialist for the Center for Student Success and Engagement (CSSE) at the beginning of their meeting on Dec. 4. This presentation, originally scheduled for Nov. 27, included plans for a new formula designed to help with students’ ability to network, make resumes, and take on internships. “The Career Trail” is a four-year plan aimed at helping every student really get involved with their majors. It includes a new app which will provide students with easier access to their information. The program will be heavily orientated to getting students internships and opportunities to experience their subjects in real world settings and, eventually, helping them secure career
placement beyond MCLA. Executive Vice President Victoria Munoz ’19 asked about juniors and seniors and their place within the new plan. To bring them up to speed with the new layout, Osef suggests setting up appointments with CSSE. President Sam Giffen reminded everyone that last Friday was this semester’s final meeting for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion task force. The candidates for their Chief Diversity Officer will be on campus for the next few
weeks. They’ll be attending Open Student Forums which will be held in Sullivan Lounge on Tuesdays and Thursdays up until Dec. 14 and will take place at 1:00 p.m. Students are encouraged to join to meet and learn about the different candidates. By-law additions were presented including changes to the powers of class council members. Confusion arose about where they would go and unanimously was tabled and sent back to discussion for the constitution committee to amend. Once they moved to open forum, SGA was met with Mikaela Serrano ’18, who set forth a proposal for $5,600 to renovate Venable room 5 into a Multicultural Lounge. This would differentiate itself from the Multicultural Education room on the Campus Center’s 3rd floor as the latter is formal office space. Senator Yahya Abanoz ’20 was worried the incorporation of a lounge specifically dedicated to minority students
would eventually become an exclusive minority only area. Serrano explained that while everyone would be allowed use it, the lounge would be geared towards mainly to minority students. Senator Drew Burdick expressed concern over the proposed funding for the project. Consequential questions were asked about specifics on furniture and utilities. The proposal was tabled to allow time for senate members to consider it and develop questions. Lastly, a proposal involving crosswalks was brought to SGA to gauge student opinions. The idea of would be to add a crosswalk to Montana Street near where the townhouse message board stands. Coordinating Vice President Kolumbia Cook ’18 spoke briefly on her beliefs on how the presence of the crosswalk wouldn’t change student habits. Others, including Senator Austin Sirois, Senator Andrew Baillargeon, and Senator Celine Manigbas, liked the idea and voiced their approval.
MSCA from page 1 be taught by adjunct professors. However, they have since backed off and are now asking to increase the cap on adjuncts from 15 percent to 25 percent. According to O’Donnell, “they propose the computation be aggregated among all departments with six or more full-time faculty (the cap would be university-wide, not by department).” Adjunct professors are considered part-time faculty and do not receive benefits, nor are they on the
tenure track. They are only hired for one semester at a time, something the MSCA would like to see changed to one year. The MSCA has also expressed opposition to the hiring of academic administrators with tenure. In their eyes, it is a threat to tenure for faculty members because they have seen an increase in temporary, fulltime faculty who are not on the tenure track. “The presidents want to allow full-time temporary
faculty and librarians to be hired from two years to five years. More than 50 percent of the full-time hires in the last four fall semesters were temporary, nontenure-track hires,” said O’Donnell. Despite a lack of progress, faculty members have continued showing up to work due to the “Evergreen Clause” which allows them to continue working under the previous CBA. However, students may have noticed fewer faculty
members involved on campus. Ramsden addressed this in her Letter to the Editor last week. “We have not ‘checked out’ of MCLA’s activities because of indolence or a temper tantrum. We are adopting a strategy called Work to Rule, which means we are adhering strictly to the letter of the (expired) Collective Bargaining Agreement in hopes for a timely settlement of an overdue contract.”
MCLA Campus Safety Police Log 11/24/17-11/30/17 BY ERICKA DELISLE SPECIAL TO THE BEACON
The initiated investigation was completed, and no report was filed for it.
Friday, November 24th, 2017 • 5:08 p.m. and 10:46 p.m.-Campus Safety responded to two separate emergency phone calls made from the Emergency Callboxes on campus. It was not specified if these calls required any actions, nor which boxes the calls were made from. • 11:06 p.m.-Campus Safety responded to a report of suspicious activity. The proper report was filed following an investigation of the suspicious activity. Refer to Incident: 17-441-OF.
Sunday, November 26th, 2017 • 2:08 a.m.-Campus Safety initiated a motor vehicle stop. The individual involved in the stop received a verbal warning. • 11:39 p.m.-Campus Safety responded to a medical call. The individual was transported to the hospital. Refer to Incident: 17-442-OF.
Saturday, November 25th, 2017 • 10:14 a.m.-Campus Safety responded to a walk-in request for community caretaking. The walk-in request was completed. • 4:56 p.m.-Campus Safety responded to an emergency phone call made from an Emergency Callbox on campus. There was no specification as to which box was used to make the call, but the call was completed. • 6:40 p.m.-Campus Safety initiated a motor vehicle stop. The individual involved in the motor vehicle stop was issued a verbal warning. • 10:19 p.m.-Campus Safety initiated an investigation into a suspicious activity.
Monday, November 27th, 2017 • 5:22 a.m.-Campus Safety responded to a call of a mental health issue. The individual was transported to the hospital. Refer to Incident: 17-443-OF. • 6:05 a.m.-Campus Safety responded to a phone call requesting general transport. The individual was transported via cruiser. • 8:57 a.m.-Campus Safety initiated a motor vehicle stop. The individual was issued a written citation. • 9:09 a.m.-Campus Safety responded to a phone call requesting medical transport. The call was completed. • 10:25 a.m.-Campus Safety responded to a phone call about a drug offense on campus. The call was investigated and a report was filed. Refer to Incident: 17444-OF. • 10:51 a.m. and 11:34 a.m.-Campus
image from pixabay
Safety received two phone calls requesting transport, one general and one medical. Both calls were referred to outside agencies. • 9:45 p.m.-Campus Safety received a phone call requesting for an officer escort. The call was completed. Tuesday, November 28th, 2017 • 12:43 p.m.-Campus Safety received a 911 hang-up call. No action was required for this call. • 7:38 p.m.-Campus Safety received a phone call report of suspicious activity. The call was completed, and no proper report was filed for this call. • 9:06 p.m.-Campus Safety initiated a motor vehicle stop. The individual received a verbal warning.
Wednesday, November 29th, 2017 • 11:36 a.m.-Campus Safety responded to a medical call. The individual was transported to the hospital. Refer to Incident: 17-445-OF. • 1:20 p.m.-Campus Safety received a walk-in request for a vehicle jump start. The jump start was unsuccessful. • 3:05 p.m.-Campus Safety received a walk-in report of harassment. The proper report was filed for this incident. Refer to Incident: 17-446-OF. • 9:30 p.m.-Campus Safety received a phone call about a disturbance on campus. The call was investigated and the proper report was filed. Refer to Incident: 17-447-OF. Thursday, November 30th, 2017 • 1:13 p.m.-Campus Safety responded to a 911 call. There was no entry gained for this call. • 8:59 p.m.-Campus Safety initiated an investigation into a suspicious activity on campus. An individual was transported to the hospital, and the proper report was filed for this incident. Refer to Incident: 17-448-OF. • 9:26 p.m.-Campus Safety received a radio call about a hazard on campus. The call was informational only, and no action was required.
Dec. 7, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 11
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Sick of finals: linking stress and illness BY MATT DELSON SPECIAL TO THE BEACON
during finals,” Krzanik said. “Many students are probably more prone to viruses and illness because of poor As the shadow of finals looms, sleep and diet. When cramming for more students seem to fall ill than finals, students taking good physical during other times of the semester. care of themselves is probably at the According to Psychology Today, bottom of their list.” stress can reduce your white blood Krzanik warned of an even more cell count, thus making it harder common sickness: the flu. “Last for your body to fight disease, and year after everyone got back from the stress of finals alone can make winter break, they brought along one more susceptible to illness. the flu with them,” stated Krzanik. Some scientists even say that stress She added that not nearly enough contributes to as much as 90 percent people get their flu shots, and “if of sickness such as cancer and heart there’s one piece of advice I could disease. give you, it would be to get your flu There are a number of ways to shot before you come back for the reduce stress when studying for spring semester.” finals, such as breathing exercises, Krzanik listed ways that people can social interaction, and even positive keep themselves from contracting thinking. illness. She said it’s important to MCLA’s director of health remember to always have a proper services, Nurse Practitioner Jackie diet and maintain an exercise Krzanik, explained why illness is routine. She stressed that students more common during finals, and should try to get enough sleep, how to reduce your chances of since not doing so can be very bad getting sick. for your immune system. In order “Usually we see an increase to avoid spreading illness to others,
she stressed the importance of hand hygiene and proper coughing and sneezing techniques, such as coughing or sneezing into the crook of your arm rather than your hands. Krzanik said that students are “more than welcome to come to Health Services, and we can provide treatments and recommendations.” They also have limited amounts of medication for anything serious. All visits are completely free, so students don’t need to worry about being charged for any care the health center provides. It is important to note, however, that health services does not provide excused absence forms, and that “it’s up to the student to communicate with their faculty about absences,” said Krzanik. Students should be aware of the increased risks of illness when finals come around, and take appropriate steps to avoid it, as hard as that may be. While an all-nighter or two may be inevitable during finals, remember to sleep so that you
don’t end up unable to study for an extended period of time. Also, with all of the free food available, do not forget to have a balanced meal.
photo from the NOAA Fisheries West Coast flickr
The bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus adhere to chitin expressed by diatoms. Though not related to the flu, this is a prime example of the small things that can easily affect out lives.
Cops on top from page 1 Several officers were on the roof of Walmart throwing free shirts to young children and students. Other officers stood at the entrances to collect donations. “The outcome has been fantastic. Kids are so excited to see the fire trucks and most people come up to see what’s going on and end up donating,” said Wilk. There were home-made treats for sale along with many raffles that included donated gifts and items from local businesses in the Northern Berkshire County. Gimme’ Some Sugar, a bakery in Pittsfield, provided baked goods to sell during the event and show their support.
Cops on Top has been a national charity fundraiser for many years. In the past, many places like Connecticut, North Carolina, Illinois, and even Hawaii, have fundraised in support of the organization. “I think the aim is to get more community involvement and to raise awareness,” said Tawny Gaylord, the wife of one of the organizing officers. With the amount of success from past years, many officers, participants, and attendees said they plan to continue this event next year in both North Adams and Pittsfield.
photo by Rebecca Shankman and Maya McFadden
Gimme Some Sugar, a Pittsfield-based bakery, sold baked goods at the event to help show their support. Every year, all the proceeds raised for this event are used to provide year-round programming for local Special Olympics athletes of all ages.
Sustainability from page 1 “In order to get something Altogether, the commitgoing on our campus, the tee is hoping to further their word needs to be spread work on the MCLA campus about the committee,” said and gain the support from Raber. Raber herself believes fellow students. that “raising awareness is super important, and [she] would love to see everyone spend more time with even just basic recycling.” One idea that had been brought up in the SAAC meeting was the idea of providing recycling bins up at the Athletic Complex. As simple enough as it is, more work needs to be done. “We also need to be cognizant and working with the facilities, because there is no place for people to dump photo courtesy of Julia Parker [the recyclable materials],” Illustrations outlined on a WSU Raber said. “They must sort wall informing students about out the best way for them to food waste in America. process through the material.”
Join the Beacon! All applicates welcome to apply and all positions open! Join for Beacon Web News, our new Audio department or for the newspaper itself! Applications are open until December 11th 2017
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Dec. 7, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 11
A week in history: scenes from the past December 7th
43 BC – Cicero, Roman philosopher, lawyer, and politician dies. 1787 – Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the United States Constitution. 1941- The Japanese Empire launches an attack on Pearl Harbor sending the United States headfirst into the Second World War.
Franklin D. Roosevelt declares December 7 to be “a date which will live in infamy”, after which the U.S. declares war on Japan. 1980 – John Lennon, English singer-songwriter and guitarist. 1991 – The leaders of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine sign an agreement dissolving the Soviet Union and establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States.
tutional monarchy, under Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah. 1896 – Alfred Nobel, Swedish chemist and engineer, inventor of Dynamite and founder of the Nobel Prize dies.
December 12th
1098 – First Crusade: Siege of Ma’arrat al-Numan: Crusaders breach the town’s walls and massacre about 20,000 inhabitants. After finding themselves with insufficient food, they reportedly resort to cannibalism. 1941 – World War II: The United Kingdom declares war on Bulgaria. Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States. India declares war on Japan.
December 9th
1594 – Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden is born. 1688 – Glorious Revolution: Williamite forces defeat Jacobites at Battle of Reading, forcing flight of James II from the country. 1835 – Texas Revolution: The Texian Photos from WikimediaCommons Army captures San Antonio, Texas. The USS Arizona during the attack on 1965 – A Charlie Brown Christmas, Dec. 7. first in a series of Peanuts television specials, debuts on CBS. 1956 – Larry Bird, American basketball player and celtics legend is born.
December 8th
1912 – Leaders of the German Empire hold an Imperial War Council to discuss the possibility that war might break out. 1925 – Sammy Davis, Jr., American actor, singer, and dancer 1941 – World War II: U.S. President
December 10th
1864 – American Civil War: Sherman’s March to the Sea: Major General William Tecumseh Sherman’s Union Army troops reach the outer Confederate defenses of Savannah, Georgia. 1884 – Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is published. 1963 – Zanzibar gains independence from the United Kingdom as a consti-
wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States, in turn, declares war on them. 1994 – First Chechen War: Russian President Boris Yeltsin orders Russian troops into Chechnya.
A portait of Alfred Nobel.
December 11th
361 – Julian enters Constantinople as sole Emperor of the Roman Empire. 1920 – Irish War of Independence: In retaliation for a recent IRA ambush, British forces burn and loot numerous buildings in Cork City. Many civilians report being beaten, shot at, robbed and verbally abused by British forces. 1941 – World War II: Germany and Italy declare war on the United States, following the Americans’ declaration of war on the Empire of Japan in the
December 13th
1867 – A Fenian bomb explodes in Clerkenwell, London, killing six. 1925 – Dick Van Dyke, American actor, singer, and dancer is born. 1937 – Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanking: The city of Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, falls to the Japanese. This is followed by the Nanking Massacre, in which Japanese troops rape and slaughter hundreds of thousands of civilians.
This week in audio Listen to Jacob E. Vitali’s in-depth coverage on the faculty union’s contract situation. Vitali sat down with the College’s MSCA chapter president Graziana Ramsden and his interview is available on WJJW’s Soundcloud.
Weekend Weather Thursday, December 7
Friday, December 8
Saturday, December 9
Sunday, December 10
Sunshine; some clouds High: 39° Low: 21° Precip. Chance: 13%
Mostly cloudy High: 35° Low: 21° Precip. Chance: 17%
Partly cloudy High: 36° Low: 21° Precip. Chance: 35%
Spots of clouds High: 31° Low: 23° Precip. Chance: 29% Images from WikimediaCommons
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Dec. 7, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 11
Smoking Policy
Smoking Spots set to evaporate in Fall 2018 BY COREY MITCHELL-LABRIE STAFF WRITER The smoking spots around campus are classically social areas, especially during the warm seasons. It’s perfectly common to see students and the occasional professor here, but these areas may soon become non-existent. Policy work is in place to make MCLA a smokefree campus and the movement is backed with a $15,000 grant from the American Cancer Society. With this money it has been suggested that they could provide specialized health service councilors and anti-smoke educational services. Twice a semester, MCLA meets with its Board of Trustees Student Affairs Committee to discuss matters like these. The first meeting took place on Oct. 12, 2017 on which Theresa O’Bryant, Associate Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator, gave an update on the plans towards a smoke-free campus. The policy is planned to take place in September 2018, though it was previously planned to take effect in fall of 2017. A complete draft of the policy is to be released later this year. It’s speculated that the students won’t take well to this new rule. The Beacon newspaper released an editorial earlier this year stating beliefs that students would continue their smoking habits regardless of the rules. Enforcement of even the current smoking rules is a difficult task for the college, with nearly every
student on campus having accounts of different violations to these policies. The smoke-free policy affects many student groups but none so much as the Students for Sensible Drug Policy, SSDP, and their president Cedar Robideaux ‘18. “SSDP does not condone or condemn drug uses but we encourage learning about what you might choose to take or not,” said Robideaux in an email interview. The SSDP mainly works on combatting the “War on Drugs” through education and positive policy changes instead of simple eradication and banning of substances from college campuses. “In the upcoming semester we hope to bring speakers to campus,” Robideaux said. “We also are planing to have a panel discussion and film screening on clean injection sites to help address and educate about the ever growing opioid crisis in the US.” Earlier this year they hosted a special training session on Narcan, a lifesaving drug used to help those in overdose situations. A smoke-free college brings interesting potential for the SSDP. A chance to do more than just educate students, but to actually change the college and its drug policies. “For me personally I’ve always been involved in different types activism and social change and when I came to MCLA my RA, who was SSDP’s former president, told me to check out the club,” said Robideaux.
photo by Joseph Carew
Starting Fall 2018, the whole MCLA campus will be a smoke-free zone. Anyone interested in getting involved with the SSDP may contact Cedar Robideaux with questions, visit their MCLA chapter Facebook page, or attend one of their weekly meetings on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in Bowman 208.
Same-sex wedding cake case
Lawmakers add to the mix in controversy BY TODD RUGER CQ-ROLL CALL WASHINGTON _ Lawmakers weighed in on the legal issues before the Supreme Court’s oral arguments Tuesday about whether a Colorado baker who calls himself an artist can decline to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding. As Republican lawmakers led by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said in a brief filed with the court, “This case, of course, goes beyond a cake.” It is the most closely watched item facing the justices this term. The case pits LGBT rights against the free speech and free exercise rights of those with religious objections _ the latest front in a social debate that has unfolded in courts across the country in recent years. Dozens of civil rights, religious, legal and other groups filed briefs to sway the justices. People lined up to save a spot in the courtroom days in advance. Lawmakers plan to speak at rallies in front of the Supreme Court all morning. While the court filings argue whether a Colorado antidiscrimination law requires Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips to design a custom wedding cake against his religious beliefs, the Republican brief brings some cakerelated artistry of its own. Take this line: “Cake carries within itself a message of bounty and plenty.”
The US Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. (Dreamstime/TNS) Cruz and the Republicans are suggesting that a custom wedding cake is protected speech under the First Amendment because the design and the cake itself say something and have meaning. The GOP brief includes references to a “Cake Wrecks” blog that documents bad cakes, a description of the 2012 wedding cake of the duke and duchess of Cambridge, and photographs of Phillips using an artist’s brush to adorn the cake with a flower. “In fact, society so expects customized messages in wed-
ding cakes, deviating from expectations in the tiniest way is often seen as a message about the parties,” the Republican brief states. “The cake’s message transcends food.” Beyond the flowery language, the 11 senators and 75 representatives who signed the Republican brief argue that leaving in place lower court rulings _ which found Phillips in violation of Colorado’s civil rights laws _ “would trample the rights of all Americans, by placing a special burden on those Americans trying to earn a livelihood consistent with
photo from MCT campus
their religiously informed beliefs.” On a Democratic brief that includes Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, 36 senators and 175 representatives argue that the case will decide whether commercial enterprises that do business with the public “have a constitutional right to discriminate.” They argue the decision could have serious implications for laws with public accommodation provisions, such as the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Dis-
abilities Act. The Colorado law works in tandem with those federal laws. “These laws ensure that membership in a historically marginalized community is not synonymous with exclusion and protect members of these communities from the indignity and humiliation that comes from being denied service on a discriminatory basis,” the Democrats argue in the brief. “These laws make it possible for everyone to participate in public life.” The use of “indignity” is likely a key word to try to influence Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who is expected to play a decisive role in the case and who spoke to dignity in some of the landmark opinions he has authored on cases dealing with civil rights. Legal experts say the Supreme Court will be forced to draw a line between protecting the dignity of same-sex couples and protecting an artist and his free speech and religious rights. The case pits two of Kennedy’s hallmark issues against each other. He authored the court’s recent gay rights rulings, including the legalization of same-sex marriage, but has also been a strong defender of free speech rights even within that 2015 opinion. All eyes and ears will be on him Tuesday.
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LOUISON HOUSE
Ending the stigma of homelessness
Provided photo
The Lousion House’s new location in North Adams. The organization moved here after their previous location was damaged by a fire. BY MEGHAN COOK FEATURES WRITER Being without a home or shelter is unfathomable to some people. Yet, it continues to be a pressing issue right here in Northern Berkshire county. Organizations like the Louison House are helping to address this issue. “We constantly have a waiting list, which speaks sadly to the volume and the need in the county,” says Maureen Clark, Services Coordinator. “And in Northern Berkshire country, besides Pittsfield, we’re it.” Louison House is at higher demand to the residents coming from the now closed shelter after the 2016 closing of Turner House in Williamstown. Turner House serviced veterans. Adorning the walls of the offices of the House are inspirational phrases and words. They are aimed at encouraging the residents to continue to work on achieving the goals they set. Louison House encourages achieved stability as well as assurance to the residents. “We are obviously very excited on our ‘chaotic move-out days,’” says Clark. “But we tell our residents that even though they’re moving on, the door is not permanently closed to them, it’s always open.” Louison House transitioned from their building in Adams to Flood House in North Adams after a fire in June 2016. With aid from the community and loans from the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Louison House is preparing for restoration. The original Adams house will see a return in 2018. The Flood House will see
Photo by Mitchell Chapman — Features Editor
The Louison House’s previous location. The organization is rebuilding, hoping to reopen in 2018. a future as a second set of apartments and offices. “There were things that needed to be done [at the Adams house] before the fire happened, so we have to have those things done before we can go back in,” said Kathy Kesser, Executive Director, in a Berkshire Eagle article after the fire. It is 2017 and there is still a stigma surrounding homelessness, something the Lousion House attempts to change. “When people think of ‘homelessness’ they think of a man sitting on the corner asking for money,” explains Clark. “Your person who is homeless today is not just that typical image anymore.”
Clark explains that homelessness in North Adams is not like in the movies or even in cities like New York City and Boston. “A person can have a car and children, and be employed, contributing that way,” says Clark. “But there is that one disconnect where they can only make what they make stretch so far and housing is expensive.” According to the AreaVibes website, housing in North Adams is $600 for rent and $158,400 for a house on average. Clark explains that many homeless people are employed, and many have children. This makes it extremely difficult to make a job that pays minimum wage support housing.
“Even if you do have a job and it’s just yourself, it’s difficult to pay for rent, utilities, groceries,” says Clark. “We’re here to provide any support to those who need it.” Louison House has provided homelessness prevention and housing services to over 3,500 individuals and families throughout Berkshire County. “The image of a homeless person has changed,” says Clark. “They can wear nice clothes from donations, they can drive a car, look put together and be hanging on by a thread.” For more information on the Louison House, visit louisonhouse.org or call 413-663-6323.
FEATURES
Dec. 7, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 11
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DEBATE CLUB
Meet the club of the month
BY MITCHELL CHAPMAN FEATURES EDITOR
MCLA’s Debate Club is no stranger to the SGA’s Club of the Month competition; in their inaugural year, they won the honor for September 2016. Now a year later, they have nabbed their second such award, for the month of November. “It’s awesome,” Club President Andrew Baillargeon said. “It’s a phenomenal way to close out the semester. We had been planning an end-of-the-semester party anyway, but this will make that even sweeter. This tells our membership that their hard work and attendance is paying off. This is going to make working towards our goals this year easier and more fulfilling.” The award serves as a strong sendoff for two Debate Club members who will have to leave the club next semester: Treasurer Corey Powers, who will be studying abroad, and Huikang “Hank” Fu, who will be heading back to China after studying at MCLA as part of the College’s foreign exchange program. According to Baillargeon, who was an original member of the club, the Debate Club of September 2016 and November 2017 are like “night and day,” as the club has a keen focus on being a competitive debate team. “We’ve got aspirations, we’re gonna represent ourselves and the College in a regional competition within the next semester,” he said. “We’re molding ourselves into a true, competitive, actual debate team. Not that we were anything less than that in 2016 by any means, but we have a totally different initiative now and this will fuel our motivation even further.” According to Baillargeon, a Debate Club general meeting is comprised of just that — debate.
“We’re a club that’s on the rise, and I would strongly encourage anyone who’s articulate, opinionated, and wants to get or has good speaking and critical thinking skills to come on by... We take care of our members, but our members also take care of us. It’s going to be a lot of fun.” Debate Club President Andrew Baillargeon
Photo provided by Andrew Baillargeon
In the back, from left to right: Huikang “Hank” Fu, Sam Kelley, Andrew Baillargeon, Austin Sirois, Eric Wilson In the front row: Off to the left, extremely hard to identify, is Bianca Lascase, and after that: Treasurer Corey Powers and Vice President Alec MacLean Not pictured: General member Tor Bashista, General member Steve Davila, Secretary Darnell Henriquez, and Adviser Gina Puc. The club randomly selects the topic the week beforehand, and uses the week to research the topic in preparation for the debate. Sometimes, members are even assigned stances on certain issues. “Sometimes, they get to be on
the side they agree with, other times they don’t,” he said. “They can really learn how to play the devil’s advocate this way, a crucial skill in debating.” As such, the club’s hardest task this semester has been se-
lecting and agreeing upon the weekly debate format. “It used to be retention, but our attendance lately has been great,” he said. “Honestly, finding a debate format won’t even be too, too difficult either, but that would probably
be our toughest task.” While many clubs suffer from inconsistent attendance and membership, this is not the case for Debate Club. Baillargeon described it as being a close-knit community that cares about the club and each other. “We’re a club that’s on the rise, and I would strongly encourage anyone who’s articulate, opinionated, and wants to get or has good speaking and critical thinking skills to come on by,” he said. “We recently got club based apparel, and we’re going to, as a result of winning Club of the Month, be throwing a pizza party that we would’ve thrown either way. We take care of our members, but our members also take care of us. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Amidst student concerns, health services says staffing not an issue BY KIKI WRIGHT SPECIAL TO THE BEACON As the last few weeks of school approach, many students are feeling the pressure of final projects and exams and mental health has taken a big toll. Many students have noticed a major change in the mood around campus over the last few weeks, as the most stressful time of the semester hits. There have been many cases of class sizes suddenly shrinking and dorm rooms that had been full of personal items now are left barren. A surprisingly large number of students have either decided to drop out or are taking a semester off once finals end. “I want to stay,” one student said about their decision not to return to MCLA this spring. “If not for my mental health, I would have.” A study done by the American Psychological Association found that over 40 percent of college students struggle with anxiety, followed closely by depression which covers over 35 percent of students. These statistics cover almost half of the population, sometimes more, depending on how they overlap, of college campuses. With a little less than two thousand undergraduate students and roughly half of the MCLA campus dealing with anxiety and depression, there are not nearly enough resources
Illustration from Wikimedia Commons
to help each student who needs it. “The school needs to do better with their thoughts on mental illness,” another student said. “There are not enough therapists, too many kids are dropping out because of it and the school is not doing anything.”
Lots of other students on campus have similar concerns, worrying that while the school is making an effort, there are not enough therapists to see all the students who need to be seen on campus while also seeing them as often as each student needs. With such a prevalent problem on cam-
pus, what is MCLA doing to handle this issue? The school’s Counseling Services department offers free and confidential sessions for all students who are enrolled at MCLA. “She wanted to see me every week but she was too overbooked and could only see me once every two weeks,” said one student who was seeing a therapist. “We are actually an extremely well-staffed college counseling center,” Heidi Riello, director of MCLA Counselling Services, said. She also mentioned that the International Association of Counseling Services recommends one counselor per fifteen hundred students and MCLA has four counselors for its thirteen hundred students. Riello also commented that “adding staff is not the issue.” Counseling Services does not plan to expand the number of therapists on campus, though they are planning on adding a nurse practitioner for three hours a week to help with the high demand. Counseling Services does its best to see to every student who comes in through the door. However, there are only four counselors available to see and only one psychiatrist that is there once a week and only sees students for very short periods of time. The Counseling Services Center is located on the second floor of the Student Wellness Center and offices are open every weekday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:45 p.m.
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Arts & Entertainment
“Tartuffe” shows a spin on politics today BY NICK BASSETT SPECIAL TO THE BEACON
Adapted from Molière’s original play, which first premiered in 1664, MCLA’s Fine and Performing Arts Department adds some modern commentary on an otherwise timeless, theatrical comedy. The entirety of the play takes place within the House of Orgon, a beautifully created and tungsten-lit set comprised of four large doorways, two chairs, a large desk, and a large window and cross in the very back of the stage. At the start of the play, we are introduced to almost the entire cast of mostly likeable characters, all of whom are trying to convince Madame Pernelle, played by Joe Sabin, that Tartuffe, a seemingly pious man that
has been allowed to move into their home, is a liar and hypocrite. The invitation came from the nice though easily manipulated Orgon, played by Braxton Vittori and son of Pernelle. As the play progresses, shenanigans ensue between the family members and lovers, and Orgon becomes more influenced by Tartuffe, and his family must unite to expose the true nature of the con man. The audience also gets the long awaited answer that the posters have been asking: Who is Tartuffe? One of the most notable stars of the play is Meri Mauro, who played the only speaking servant, Dorine. It must be noted that she is sassy, witty, and funny in the role, always making her presence on the stage known even when not speaking. Braxton Vittori’s role must
also be considered as one of the best for his booming onstage presence and great chemistry with other actors. This is especially noticeable when he is onstage with Mauro or Tartuffe himself, Morrison Robblee. While funny, well written, and brilliantly performed some might feel that the political turn or comments that this adaptation of the play takes might not be for them. While not badly performed and funny throughout, the problem with the adaptation is that at times it feels forced and doesn’t always fit the style or narrative of the play. Tartuffe is definitely an FPA play worth seeing. It is funny, goofy and weird in almost all the right places – though sometimes moving a little too close to modernday issues.
Upcoming Events Dec. 7: Faculty/Staff Cookoff Campus Center Marketplace 4:30 p.m.
Dec. 8: Holiday Cookie Decorating Campus Center Marketplace 11 a.m.
Dec. 9: Ginger Bread House Competition Sullivan Lounge 8 p.m.
Dec. 11: Late Night Breakfast Centennial Room 9 p.m.
Dec. 13-15: Hot Chocolate in the Quad Academic Quad 12:30 p.m. photo from Pixabay
“Fire At Sea” sparks discussion of global issues BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER The Global Film Series returned last Wednesday with the Italian documentary film “Fire At Sea.” The film follows this semester’s theme of highlighting issues in the world today. Professor Jenna Sciuto introduced the film and gave background for the issues the film focused on. These included the dangers migrants face crossing the Mediterranean Sea to safety, set against a background of normal life on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa. The documentary was followed by a discussion in which audience members brought up questions, analyses of the film and what message the film held for them personally as well as for our society. “Fire At Sea” begins with a silent scene of a young boy climbing a tree and cutting branches. This changes to a sense of urgency as the scene cuts to that of a distress call – 250 people need rescue. The film follows this back and forth pattern of following the lives of a family on Lampedusa who uses the sea as a way of life, and of migrants from countries like Syria, Nigeria, and the Ivory Coast as they endure emotional and physical suffering while trying to reach freedom. Most of the documentary is silent, with no music being used. This makes some very powerful moments stand out. Close ups on the faces of those being rescued told entire stories. In another instance, one
photo courtesy of mcla.edu.
“Fire At Sea” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2017. man told of fleeing Nigeria, going through the Sahara, escaping Libyan prison, and making it to the sea, only to have many people die on the way to safety. In speaking about this migration, the man said, “It is risky in life not to take a risk, because life is a risk.” Another moving moment came with the doctor examining a pregnant woman after the trauma she suffered on the ship, as well as his statement that it is everyone’s responsibility to take care of these people, despite the depression and emotional pain that goes along with the job. The documentary contrasted the two worlds by highlighting the major prob-
lems of the migrants, arriving dehydrated with chemical burns, with the minor problems of the boy and his family, such as his visits to the doctor and his seasickness. Michael Obasohan helped to facilitate the questions and comments after the film. Senior Falyn Elhard spoke to the infrequency we hear about such incidents, as well as the volume of refugees the tiny island brings in. “We are huge and we aren’t nearly as welcoming,” said Elhard. “It really speaks to the different views on the two sides of the Atlantic.” The words the doctor spoke were brought up in the discussion, with Obasohan pointing to our country’s actions.
“We are kicking them out when we are supposed to be a powerful nation,” said Obasohan. Senior Erica Barreto brought up another point regarding how we receive our news. “If you want to be aware, you discover information. But not everyone wants to. There is the fear of the other,” Barreto said. The discussion focused on other ideas as well, including the connections found between the boy’s family and the refugees. Many audience members reflected on the idea that the sea was the tie between them – an obstacle for one and a job for the other.
There was also a connection made between the grandmother’s story of wartime at sea and the incidents that are currently going on. A disconnect exists in the boy’s mind between these stories of the past and current events. Others commented on the symbolism of the sea being pure but also destructive, as well as the lack of narration setting the tone. This documentary was not a feel good film and did not advertise itself as such, but it did leave its audience with a powerful message about what is happening in the world today, sparking conversation about what we can do and what has to be done in order to solve this.
Arts & Entertainment
“The Iron Trials” shines, but not so bright
BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR
Popular young adult novelist Cassandra Clare, author of The Mortal Instruments series, and Holly Black, known for The Spiderwick Chronicles, team up for a new middle grade series, but that doesn’t mean it’s limited to kids. “The Iron Trials,” book one of the Magisterium series, introduces readers to a new world of magic, but one that may seem similar to a certain wizarding school. Main character Callum (Call) Hunt has always known he was a potential Mage, but his father, who has personal reasons against the Magisterium school, wants Call to fail the Iron Trial, where first year students test into the school. As hard as Call tries to fail, he ends up passing, and is taken away from his home to practice magic he’s never used before. For Call, his life back
home was never the best. His relationship with his father is somewhat odd, and because of his injured leg from birth, he doesn’t really have any friends. When he entered the Magisterium, his life basically changes for the better. He has friends, he’s enjoying school, and everything his father has told him about how the school is evil doesn’t reflect his own opinion. Throughout the first half of the book, there are so many similarities to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. Students are assigned Master Mages (Hogwarts houses), and there are certain years. There’s a trio of friends that stick together, Call, Aaron, and Tamara (Harry, Ron, and Hermione), and challenges that they face. The other big similarity between the two series is that Call learns about an evil Mage who was known to be dead, but is in fact alive, in him. He learns at the end of the book that when he was a baby, Constantine
Madden was killed, but was able to move his soul into Call’s body (Harry and Voldemort). Although the two stories are different, the similarities are hard to ignore, and doesn’t really help the new middle grade series come to life itself like Harry Potter did. Clare and Black have made names for themselves respectably in their own fantasy series, but seem to have gained too much inspiration for the Magisterium series. Three other books in the series, “The Copper Gauntlet,” “The Bronze Key,” and “The Silver Mask” (as well as a fifth, “The Golden Tower,” that has not been released yet), are now in bookstores. The series is worth the read, because despite the similarities to Harry Potter, it’s intriguing to find out what’s going to happen to Call, since he decides not to tell anyone what he learned about himself, wanting to fight this (literal) internal battle.
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photo from Amazon.
Authors Cassandra Clare and Holly Black are both well-known within the middle grade and young adult novel worlds. Both authors have said they reside in Amherst, MA.
A spotlight on WJJW, MCLA’s radio station BY NORA HONES A&E WRITER When you hear “You’re listening to WJJW, 91.1 FM, North Adams,” you know that it is our school’s radio station, but if you don’t know the shows put on by it, you really should. WJJW officially began in 1973, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission as an FM station. There are 49 individual shows with 45 DJs in total. Most are student
volunteers, but there are 10 students who have shows in the Radio Practicum class. There are also six members of the local community who have shows. Writing a little blurb on each of these shows would be spectacular, but way too long of an article for anyone to actually want to sit down and read. There are two shows to spotlight, not only because they are great but because the reasoning and intentions behind them. The Vagabond Variety
photo from WJJW’s Facebook.
WJJW is known for their variety of shows and concerts throughout the year.
Show airs on Tuesdays from 4-6 p.m. Creators Jacob Valenti and Morrison (Mo) Robblee or, known by their DJ Names, ‘Jukebox Jake’ and ‘Hair Metal Mo,’ play, as you could guess, a variety of music. They mostly stick to punk and 80’s hair metal, but they do branch out into the wider scheme of music as well. “I love music. I’ve always loved music,” said Valenti when asked why he wanted a radio show. Robblee had mentioned the school’s radio station to him and they decided they wanted to start a show. They didn’t manage to get their show until their second semester at MCLA, but since then it has become a hit. The duo have been talking about possibly starting to do some radio drama on their show next semester. As a writer, Valenti is interested in writing a radio drama and the great thing about having a radio show is you can talk about and do the things you’re interested in, whether it be politics or science or history. There’s always a place for your interest according to Valenti. Second, Coffee and Candles, or, more well known by its unofficial name, Dark Roast Radio by the the Beacon’s own Hannah Snell, which airs
photo from WJJW’s Facebook.
You can tune into WJJW seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to midnight. on Monday mornings from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. It’s also a mostly music based show where Snell is trying to create a mellow and relaxing environment playing a lot of lo-fi music but also includes a lot of singer-songwriter, folk, bedroom/dream pop, and a little grunge once in awhile. Having a radio show is something Snell wanted to do since her senior year in high school. “When people hear about a radio show they think it’s this big techy, kind of complicated thing, or they think ‘I’m too shy or awkward’ or ‘I don’t like hearing my own voice’ but it’s really not like that,” said Snell. “It’s not as complicated of a process
as you might think and if you’re shy I can say I’m like the most awkward person when talking but it becomes more natural over time.” Snell wants to have more live performances and interviews with local musicians and even student musicians on her show and talk about the musical process that takes place and plans to try to implement that in the upcoming semester. Don’t forget to check out when other shows are being put on at mcla.edu/wjjw. If students are interested in having a radio show they can contact James Niedbalski who is the Adviser to WJJW at james.niedbalski@mcla. edu.
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Arts & Entertainment
Gallery 51’s Affordable Art Show Draws Crowds BY BRIANNA LAMB A&E WRITER People crowded into Gallery 51 last Thursday for the annual 99 Cent Affordable Art Show featuring colorful and creative pieces by local and regional artists. All the artwork displayed in the gallery was priced between 99 cents and $99.99, available to take home on the day of purchase. Participating artist and curator of Gallery 51 Arthur De Bow spoke about the importance of this event. “It really does bring together diverse artists and shows off their beautiful work,” said De Bow, citing this as one of his favorite shows. “The goal is to make the art more approachable, both in its display and its price.” The vibrant colors of the artwork and its displays contrasted with the white of the gallery, making the space a bright and enjoyable place to browse around. Some of the pieces offered
to the public included ceramic cups and bowls, framed prints and paintings, notebooks and notecards, knitted scarves and hats, photography, figurines, holiday ornaments and fiber arts. One artist used vinyl as their medium of choice, creating earrings, bracelets, necklaces, bowls and even fortune cookies. Refreshments were also offered for shoppers and spectators. Senior Shannon Cahill helped out at the gallery, assisting shoppers in purchases. “We had an amazing turn out and it was great to see the MCLA community, the artist community, and the North Adams community coming together to enjoy each other’s work and company,” said Cahill. “Pieces have been flying off the walls and it’s been really great to see this show succeed.” This was De Bow’s first Affordable Art Show as curator. He wanted to
emphasize broadening the reach of artists that displayed their pieces. The number of artists grew from 26 to 35 for this year’s show. De Bow feels as though the show works as a representation of MCLA to the public, as well as a representation of the talent in the surrounding areas. “We have work by MCLA students, alumni, staff and faculty as well as local and regional artists, some of whom come from within a 60 mile radius. We have artists that have come from Albany and Hadley,” De Bow said. The show attracted young and old from the community, as they shopped for others, as well as themselves. Some community members said that they look forward to the show every year. De Bow will be working on making the show an even bigger presence in the community for next year, following the lead of the community’s love for the event.
Vinyl jewelry by Casey Albert.
photo by Brianna Lamb
Aramark creates more events for students BY NORA HONES A&E WRITER
Aramark and the dining services at MCLA putting on events is not something new or unheard of, but the school and company’s reasoning behind them is something most of us might not know. These events make it possible for Aramark and dining services to showcase their talent and try to put on something for the students that they will enjoy. “It’s really about making it more about a community than photo courtesy of Betty LeSage a dining service,” said catering Events such as Game of Thrones dinner, pumpkin fest, and manager Betty LeSage. “A lot of times, unless you come to more have been featured this semester. the cafe, you don’t see a lot of MCLA, but Aramark does lend marshmallows in the quad are these things and what there a helping hand when it comes done not only as something is.” to supplying a lot of the actual to be different from the status Each semester, the food for these events, which is quo but as an olive branch of management team sits down budgeted in each semester. friendship being extended to create these calendars for These events, such as the from dining services to the events. The initiative Game of Thrones dinner, the students. behind these events taking pumpkin fest and roasting “It gives us a chance to place really comes from
interact with students we might not see or know all the time,” said director of dining services John Kozik. “It’s a lot of work but it is also a lot of fun. It’s nice to see smiling faces when you get the end result.” A lot of the management staff end up working and running these events around campus because there isn’t extra labor or money to put on these events. The management staff really want them to continue so often they end up working them themselves as a way to make them possible. There is a lot of talent in MCLA’s staff that is not always able to be put to use, but because of these events, their talent is finally being able to be put on display and have its own chance to shine. For instance, the Jazz Brunch put on at the end of the 2017 spring semester in which employee and saxophone player Jake
Rafferty performed during the brunch is a good example of this. “What we are looking forward to doing is trying to work with groups, individuals, so on and so on, for ideas,” said chef Tony Fiorentino. If there are individuals or groups who are interested in getting involved, there is a suggestion board they can post ideas on or they can email Kozik, LeSage or Fiorentino or even just flag them down in person. They want more student involvement and are willing to listen to all ideas. Future events include: cookie decorating in the market place which is a cooperative effort with student affairs on Dec. 8 from noon - 2 p.m., late night breakfast which is also in cooperation with student affairs on Dec. 11 from 9 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., and hot cocoa in the quad on Dec. 13, 14, and 15 from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
This Is: NF BY EMMA MONAHAN A&E EDITOR
Michigan rapper NF brings his upbringing and troubles forward in emotionally written lyrics and intriguing music videos. Raised by his father and losing his mother due to overdose, NF’s music career began in 2010 with his debut album “Moments” under his name, Nathan Feuerstein (hence NF). Feuerstein didn’t
officially take the name NF until his 2014 EP, “NF.” NF describes his “story” through “lyrical vulnerability complimented by raw energy.” His music draws from many real life struggles, including being abused as a kid, struggling with anger issues, and losing his mother to a drug overdose,” as stated on his Facebook page. His recent release, “Perception,” includes “Let You Down,” which peaked at
48 on the Billboard charts. The album also reached number one on the Billboard 200 in October. Many of NF’s songs focus on mental health and growing up in a small town where rap isn’t really popular, saying in his song “Outcast” that he’d rather be alone, be himself than someone else, an outcast. If you’re a fan of other rappers such as Logic, Eminem, and Machine Gun
Kelly, NF should be next on your list. His albums have charted on the Christian charts, but NF doesn’t identify as a Christian artist. Although his lyrics may not seem influenced by his faith, his song “All I Have” definitely shows it. NF will be going on tour across America in January, already having five sold out shows. photo from Wikipedia
SPORTS
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Dec. 7, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 11
Bird drops 22; leads MCLA past Elms 77-72 for teams second win BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The MCLA men’s basketball team earned its second win on Saturday Dec. 2 in a close 7772 win over Elms college. The team was led by freshman Hayden Bird’s game and career high 22 points. Bird exploded for 22 points on 9-13 shooting while going 3-6 from three point land in his career night. Although the season is only starting, Bird’s previous high for points was nine in a loss to local rival Williams college. The 22 point performance is hopefully a sign for things to come out of Bird and the rest of the Trailblazers. The ‘Blazers opened the second half down 37-31 to Elms after a slow start to the game. The ‘Blazers came out of the locker room with intensity and went on an 11-5 run. The run tied the game at 42 with 16:26 left to play in the half. The ‘Blazers then later gained their first lead since the beginning of the game after sophomore Antoine Montgomery hit a three to put the game at 45-42 in favor of
‘Blazers never looked back and kept the lead for the remainder of play. The ‘Blazers moved out to their
biggest lead when Bird converted a short jumper to make it 67-55 with only four minutes left to play. Elms wouldn’t go silently; they used an 8-0 run over the next three minutes to slice the deficit to just 67-63 with 1:13 left to play. The ‘Blazers were able to fight off the rest of Elms’ run at the lead with free throws. Elms began intentionally fouling the ‘Blazers, but the ‘Blazers were able to make enough to survive with a five point lead at the end of regulation. Four other Trailblazers scored in double figures, including three with 12 apiece; Montgomery, freshman Noah Yearsley, and junior Corey Jackson all recorded 12 points in the win. Freshman Mike Demartinis chipped in with ten points for the Trailblazers. The ‘Blazers improved to 2-4 with the win and are now 2-5 after their loss to RPI on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The ‘Blazers are back in action Thursday, Dec. 7 as they take on Rivier University at 8 p.m. in the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium.
BY JEFFREY MAYOTTE SPORTS WRITER The MCLA women’s basketball team defeated the Southern Vermont Mountaineers 65-29 in the Amsler Campus Center Gym. The Trailblazers took a strong lead 17-0 early into the game. MCLA’s Samantha Gawron and Emily Moulton contributed a total of 13 points during the first quarter. MCLA led 17-2 at the end of the quarter. MCLA continued to keep SVC in check as they entered the locker rooms at halftime 31-5. Maddy Main of the Mountaineers sunk in a three pointer for her team, but that wasn’t enough to come close to the Trailblazers’ overall performance. The Trailblazers continued to score and push their way through the third quarter, which ended 46-13. Odds were starting to point to the Trailblazers winning the match, as they were never threatened throughout the game. The match ended with a brutal defeat for the Mountaineers. They hiked home with a few gains, however.
Maddy Main, who was the main star for the Mountaineers, held the most shots with 16. Main also had 14 rebounds and added 4 blocked shots. SVC finished shooting just 23 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 28 times. Four players had one assist for the Mountaineers and the team shot a 23 percent in the loss. MCLA shot 34 percent in the win and had 16 turnovers. MCLA had 32 points from the paint and 29 bench points. Emily Moulton added six blocked shots to her career and scored her 10 points on 4-8 shooting. The senior also grabbed a team high of nine boards. Erika Ryan came off the bench to score eight points and grab eight boards for MCLA. Courtney Pingelski and Sam Gawron each added 10 points with Pingelski collecting six steals as well. MCLA makes a comeback 3-3 overall this season, as the Mountaineers fall to 1-6 overall. Looking ahead, MCLA women’s basketball will face Simmons College at the Amsler Campus Center on Thursday at 6 p.m.
photo by MCLA Athletics
MCLA Freshman Hayden Bird pictured taking a free throw in the teams 77-72 win over Elms college. Bird recorded a game high 22 points in the win. Bird’s previous high was nine points in a loss to rival Williams College. the ‘Blazers. Montgomery’s bucket started what ended up being a 9-2 run for the ‘Blazers which
ended in freshman Quran Davis scoring the last five points of the teams run. From that point on, the
Utica undermined as Women’s Women’s Basketball swipes victory Basketball team wins 53-52 against SVC 65-29
BY JEFFREY MAYOTTE SPORTS WRITER The Trailblazers women’s basketball team rose to victory against Utica College 53-52 on Nov. 29 in the Amsler Campus Center. With the win, the Trailblazers improve to 2-3 overall while the Pioneers are tied but set back 2-3 overall. Starting off in the first quarter, the Trailblazers took the lead with a few shots. Halfway through the quarter, the Pioneers started to gain momentum but neither side would gain a significant lead as the first quarter closed at a score of 14-14. MCLA came back to battle on home turf as they took the second quarter 30-26. From the audiences point of view, the players seemed to have it out for missing the basket as a variety of bad shots plagued both teams. However, MCLA’s Courtney Pingelski had 12 points in the half to help propel the team. Utica held MCLA ahead for most of the third quarter until Pingelski shot and sank a three pointer at 7:38. MCLA’s Kylah Langston banked in a triple and Pingelski knocked down one of her own towards the end of the third quarter. Heading to the fourth quarter, MCLA held the game to a
photo by MCLA Athletics
MCLA junior Courtney Pingelski taking a free throw in a game last season. Pingelski recorded a game and career high 26 points in the teams 53-52 win. slight advantage 41-40. This was anyone’s game. After Utica’s Coralynn Maxwell converted a layup with 1:07 the Pioneers led 50-49. Following up was Pingelski who answered with a shot from the paint with 45 seconds left for the Trailblazers. As the clock was ticking, the crowd gasped as Utica’s Alaina Tripp pushed down the middle for another layup. With 18 seconds on the clock, it seemed as if the Pioneers would win the game. After a quick timeout from the Trailblazers, L’Rae
Brundige drew a foul. She drained the first and then scored the second for a 5352 lead with just 11 seconds remaining. The Pioneers then called their own timeout. In desperation, The Pioneers attempted to drive the lane but couldn’t convert and after a loose ball, Utica was awarded possession with just 2.7 seconds on the clock. Passing the ball back into the court gave the Pioneers a chance, but MCLA got control of the ball and the clock expired before Utica could score.
SPORTS Mens basketball falls to RPI 98-62; falls to 2-5 with MASCAC play approaching Dec. 7, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 11
BY BRADY GEROW SPORTS EDITOR The MCLA men’s basketball team was defeated 98-62 by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Engineers. RPI was led by Tom Horvat’s game high 27 points in their route of the ‘Blazers on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Engineers started the game out on a quick 9-0 run and seemed to never look back from there. The Engineers never gave up the lead to the Trailblazers from the time they scored their first two points until the final buzzer sounded. The ‘Blazers went into the locker room down 18 points with the score being 44-26 halfway through the contest. Horvat scored 17 of his 27 total points in the first half of play. Horvat went 11-15 from the floor
for his 27 points on the night. MCLA hoped to come out of the gates hot and turn things around, but were met with more dominance from the Engineers. The Engineers opened the second with a huge 15-2 run to move out to a 5928 lead and continued to pour it on. The Engineers coasted for the rest of the game, as the ‘Blazers were only ever able to cut the deficit to 28 points. The Engineers were also paced by Rohan Harrison who came off the bench to score 16 points on a perfect 7-7 shooting. Mitchel Wayand added 12 points while Marcus Giese added 11 points and Asa Barnhilll added ten respectively for the Engineers. The Trailblazers were paced by sophomore
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SCORE BOARD MCLA Men’s Basketball MCLA (62), RPI (98) Antoine Montgomery (MCLA) 15 Pts, 2 Reb, 1 Stl Pts, 7 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk
Tom Horvat (RPI)
27 Pts, 2 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 BlkReb, 4 Ast, 2 Blk
MCLA Women’s Basketball MCLA (52), Keene State (59) photo by MCLA Athletics
MCLA sophomore Antoine Montgomery pictured driving with the ball to the basket. Montgomery netted a team high 15 points in the teams 98-62 loss to RPI. Antoine Montgomery’s team high 15 points on 6-10 shooting. Montgomery went a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc in the loss. Freshman Quran Davis notched a season high 12 points off the bench while
fellow freshman Noah Yearsley added ten points. MCLA, now 2-5 on the year, is back in action on Thursday night when they host Rivier University at 8 p.m. in the Amsler Campus Center Gym.
How and why Ben McAdoo will be shown the McA-door (Editor’s Note: At the time of such as Dominique Rodgerswriting this column, Giants head Cromartie leave a practice following coach Ben McAdoo had not yet a dispute with McAdoo that been fired. He and general McAdoo easily instigated and manager Jerry Reese could’ve avoided, or whether were both dismissed on it’s yet another instance of Monday, Dec. 4, 2017.) McAdoo wrongly deferring It’s been a long season blame to some player on for the New York Giants. the team for a loss they just Following another suffered, McAdoo has been the Andrew epitome of unprofessionalism depressing, ugly loss, they now sit at a poor record of Baillargeon this year. 2-10. A team that was once Yet, even through all the The Call viewed as a dark horse locker room problems, all Superbowl contender has the mishandling of his press had quite the forgettable season. conferences, and all the ugly games Yet, there are teams such as the San McAdoo has coached, with his Francisco 49ers or Chicago Bears stubbornness and adamant stance where, while they have been far against giving someone else playfrom successful this season, still calling duties, in spite of his own have plenty to be optimistic about. being woefully dull and easy to And yet, the Giants have little defend against, McAdoo had a very to look forward to. This season small chance of still returning next has been an abysmal wash, where year as New York’s head coach. essentially nothing has been At that point, he had angered and gained, and everything (I do mean disappointed a lot of the team’s everything!) has been lost. fanbase, and had likely drawn the The compelling question now ire of a number of fans, and even becomes, who’s to blame for this players, but his job was still not mess? totally dead yet. While, as I mentioned last What will end up finalizing week, there is no “I” in team, in McAdoo’s demise in New York this instance there is one person will be his decision to bench Eli who’s primarily responsible for the Manning for the team’s recent 24-17 tremendous regression the team has loss to the Oakland Raiders. suffered since last season. While, yes, Eli Manning has not That man is the now league-wide had the greatest of seasons for hated head coach, Ben McAdoo. New York, he can hardly shoulder The only thing Ben McAdoo as much of the blame as McAdoo has going for him is that he has would have you believe. Manning a last name that is extremely has had to work with receivers easy to make fun of (as you likely who are either rookies or players noticed in this article’s headline) with little to no experience in pro because otherwise, all he’s Ben is football in general. Before the McAdepressing this year for Giants season, Manning was preparing fans. to deal with the likes of Odell Losing tons of games and having Beckham Jr, Sterling Shepard, a team ravaged by injuries has been and Brandon Marshall, targets bad enough. But Ben McAdoo has who were reliable and proven to easily lost the locker room and has be effective. With all three of them created plenty of turmoil there, as done for the season with injuries, well. Whether it’s having players the latter and former one having
been down for the count since early in the season, Manning has had the uninspiring likes of Roger Lewis, Tavarres King, and Travis Rudolph to work with for targets, although he has also had the presence of the up and coming Evan Engram. But while you could still argue that Manning’s poor performance warranted his benching, the parts of this decision that make this egregious are the timing and the player selected to start in Manning’s stead. It would have made sense if the Giants were right in the thick of a playoff contention and needed a quarterback who could produce more for them than Manning had in the world of today. It would have made sense if the Giants wanted to start a young, up and coming quarterback who could be their long term QB (Davis Webb?) but the Giants weren’t in the former situation, nor did they take part in the latter. This is a team with nothing left to play for that started Geno Smith in Manning’s stead. Geno Smith is historically known to be a very lackluster QB. He isn’t the team’s future. If anything, he is, at best, a guy who figures to be a journeyman backup. All of this is even more of a spit in the face when you consider that this benching snapped Eli Manning’s amazing consecutive starts streak, which came to a disappointing end at 210. Knowing his time with the Giants was likely coming to an end, McAdoo did the most spiteful, unprofessional, and nasty thing he could have done. That, to me, is very McAdeplorable. 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/.
Courtney Pingelski (MCLA)
16 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl
20 Pts, 7 Reb, 3 Stl Pts, 7 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk
Sandi Purcell (Keene)
20 Pts, 4 Stl, 3 Ast3 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Blk
NFL
New England Patriots (23), Buffalo Bills (3)
Rob Gronkowski (Pats) 9 REC, 147 YDS 10-12. 100 yds, 0 TD
LeSean McCoy (Buf) 15 CAR, 93 YDS
NFL
Seattle Seahwaks (24), Philadelphia Eagles (10)
Russell Wilson (Sea) 20-31, 227 YDS, 3 TDts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl,
Carson Wentz (Phil)
29-45, 348 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT
NBA
Boston Celtics (111), Milwaukee Bucks (100)
Al Horford (Bos) 20 PTS, 9 REB, 8 AST
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Mil) 40 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST, 3 Reb, 2 Stl, 2 Blk
NBA Washington Wizards (106), Portland Trail Blazers (92) Bradley Beal (Wash) 51 PTS, 3 REB, 2 ASTs, 8 Ast, 2 Stl
Damian Lillard (Por)
30 PTS, 8 REB, 9 ASTPts, 22 Reb, 3 Ast
SPORTS
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Dec. 7, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 11
Noah Yearsley; In honor of a lost friend BY JABARI SHAKIR SPECIAL TO THE BEACON Despite the loss of his best friend, MCLA’s Noah Yearsley finds his motivation and success on the men’s basketball team. Ryan Bielawa, was killed in a hit and run while crossing the street on October 29, 2016. Yearsley pays tribute to him every basketball game. “The loss of my best friend motivated me to make him proud, and I work extra hard each day for that reason,” said Yearsley. After beginning with a rough start in the season, the win on Saturday against Elms College shows Yearsley is serious about his goals and actively wants to make an impact on his new team. He decided to play basketball when he was four years old in his hometown Averill Park, NY when he was allowed to play with his brother and his friends at a basketball camp. Yearsley is striving for the best and wants to bring his skills to have a significant influence on the men’s basketball team after the previous year only finishing the season with a record of 2-22. “I chose MCLA because
photo by MCLA Athletics
MCLA freshman Noah Yearsley preparing to take a free-throw in the 97-71 loss to NYU this season. Yearsley lost his best friend Ryan Bielawa last year. Yearsley is motivated to make his best friend proud by working as hard as he can to be successful on the court. they were 2-22 last year and I felt that I could make an immediate impact on the team, and program,” Yearsley said. In addition to MCLA being
his top choice, he chose MCLA because he wanted to be able to drive home and be with his family. The final score was 7772 with Yearsley scoring
and having 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and one steal, which proves his dedication and love to the team and his best friend.
“My success shows how driven I am to be successful and how hard I work to be as successful as possible,” Yearsley said. Yearsley’s dream after college is to become a sports agent for a high school or college while majoring in sports management. His favorite basketball player is Russell Westbrook because of his aggressive athleticism, and he wants to play like him every game. Yearsley’s inspiration off the court allows him to stay focused, go to class and complete all of his homework which ultimately allows him to play basketball because, “without school, there’s no basketball.” Yearsley averages 15.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting a percentage of 90.9 percent free throws and 40 percent from the field. Just remember every time Yearsley is on the court playing basketball, he is representing more than his team but a game to honor his best friend who shows his big heart. The men’s next basketball game is a home game against Rivier University on Thursday, Dec. 7.
Courtney Pingelski; juggling school, basketball, and extracurricular interests while being successful BY ANDREW CLARKE SPECIAL TO THE BEACON On Nov. 29, Courtney Pingelski scored a whopping 26 points, leading MCLA to a victory over Utica College on the women’s basketball court. She performed at her highest level so far this season, yielding a total of eight rebounds, two steals, and nearly half of the team’s baskets. For the first quarter, both teams played fairly evenly, ending the first ten minutes of play tied at 14. During the second quarter, MCLA took the lead and retained it for the remainder of the game. In an exclusive interview, Pingelski gave credit to her teammates as she recalled the game. “My teammates led me to success; making sure I was open and finding me when I was,” Pingelski said. She went on to say that she had to take each opportunity as it presented itself and “drive when she had the drive.” Despite the team’s previous struggle with a three-game losing streak, Pingelski’s personal career at MCLA has a bright future especially after experiencing her notable success in the victory over Utica. This is her junior year both as a scholar and student athlete here at MCLA, but
photo by MCLA Athletics
MCLA junior Courtney Pingelski taking a shot in a game earlier in her career. Pingelski recorded a career high 26 points in the teams win over Utica. Pingleski is an active member of SAAC as well as she has upheld at least a 3.0 GPA during her years at MCLA. basketball has been more than a hobby for her for most of her life. Pingelski said in a statement that she’s been playing basketball since the third grade and was inspired by one of her older cousins who coached a local
team in her hometown of Mechanicville, New York. She looked up to her cousin who taught her the tools of the trade, which influenced her decision to pursue basketball at the college level. Pingelski found some of her inspiration to walk the path that she’s
chosen for herself from her cousin and coach who went on to play basketball at Sacred Heart College. Throughout high school, Pingelski played soccer and softball in addition to basketball. The close-knit community that she found on
the teams that she played on in Mechanicville led her right to MCLA, which offers a very similar small and close-knit atmosphere. Here at MCLA, Pingelski is involved in the StudentAthlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). In the words of Pingelski, the SAAC focuses on a wide range of internal sports issues like fan attendance and retention, for example. While she does not hold a seat on the executive board, she is still heavily involved in the activities of the organization. Pingelski’s performance both on and off of the court is worthy of celebration. Not only has she upheld a GPA of above a 3.0, but she’s had a tremendous collegiate athletic career which even won her a scholarship her freshman year. She is currently pursuing a health sciences major and a minor in business. She received the MASCAC scholarship award, which is an extremely coveted award granted to only the best athletes of the institution, so it goes to show how much support Pingelski has in her endeavors. Pingelski has shown her grit through her achievements and accolades and is sure to achieve even greater things in the future.
OPINION
14
Featured Photo
This week’s photo comes from the lens of the Editor-in-Chief, Joseph Carew. This photo was taken on the slopes of Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire and shows Mount Lafayette as clouds move past.
Letter to the Editor
On being a “good Greek”
To the Editor, As a proud alumnus of the College, I was taken aback to see the column “Greek letters: what do they mean?” by Mitchell Chapman posted by The Beacon on November 28, 2017. While I believe Mr. Chapman’s intention (albeit misguided) was to share a positive perspective on Greek life, it’s more like he kicked the hornet’s nest. Perhaps a better approach would have been to do some research and cite facts that support his claims. Instead, he chose to make backhanded comments and jabs at his fellow Greeks. While it might not be a big deal to him, throwing your peers under the bus to promote your own agenda is classless. If it wasn’t bad enough to create divisiveness amongst each other at the College, insulting alumni is not a smart move. One sticking point is this column’s promotion of a fraternity that is not affiliated with the College. As a member of the Alumni Board I have often faced resistance in having my own Greek letters (earned rightfully and correctly) used, as my organization is no longer affiliated with MCLA. You can imagine my surprise to find the school newspaper publishing an article about a current, non-sanctioned fraternity and its presence on campus. (I certainly hope that, in the name of fairness, the other nonsanctioned student groups - every single one of them - will be provided the same opportunity.) I find it hypocritical that the Sigma fraternity can use the school newspaper as a platform to boast its agenda, but as a Director on the Board, my attempts to vocalize my opinion on Greek life or positively promote Greek Alumni Relations are dismissed. It was likely unbeknownst to Mr. Chapman that the College is currently facing an uphill battle as alumni engagement and donations steadily decrease. Denigrating alumni as “echoes of the past” who are about to “fade away” just threw gasoline on the fire. For a variety of reasons, the relationship between the College and its Greek alumni has become severely strained over the past two decades. What Mr. Chapman (and perhaps a lot of people) don’t realize is that negative relationships with the alumni not only hurt the College, it hurts Greek life. Part of a school’s ability to market and promote itself to potential students is based on the rankings that school receives. A portion of those rankings are based on alumni engagement and donations. When
alumni are unhappy, many not only withhold financial contributions, but also stop promoting the school within their personal and professional networks. When the College starts losing out on highly desirable applicants and potential students due to poor rankings and a lack of alumni promotion, it also decreases the pool of highly desirable students to recruit into Greek life. The relationship between the College, current students, alumni, and potential students is cyclical. Mr. Chapman – whether intentionally or unintentionally – has hurt all of us with his column. I have spent more than a decade donating my time and money to the College because I believe in it. I am incredibly thankful for the many blessings in my life that are a direct result of my experience at MCLA – Greek life being a huge part of that. But it’s no secret that many of my peers do not share in this philosophy. I eagerly took a position on the Alumni Board of Directors with the hope that I could be part of rebuilding the fractured relationship between the school and many of its alumni. I’m extremely proud of some of the progress that has been made. One example includes organizing an alumni event at the College this spring, which included over 100 alumni from four different decades. Another is the most recent alumni magazine, which was the largest in its history and filled mostly with former Greeks. Building and nurturing these delicate relationships between Greek alumni and the College has been a long and arduous process to say the least, but Mr. Chapman’s article swiftly helped to un-do all of that. Despite being just “an echo of the past” (in Mr. Chapman’s words), I’m still here. I will still work to tirelessly advocate for MCLA. I will support and promote its goals and mission, even when it won’t do the same for me, as a Greek alumnus. Working towards the greater good of an organization over the needs or wants of its collective individuals is what we do. It’s what being a “good Greek” is all about. Sincerely, Erin Fielding Baffuto ‘05 Pi Upsilon Omega, Spring 2002 Inter-Greek Council President, 2003-2005 Pi Upsilon Omega Alumni Board President 2016-present MCLA Board of Directors, 2016-present
Dec. 7, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 11
Getting Meta
As the semester winds down my admiration for Capaldi’s and with the last issue of The Doctor, and the principles he Beacon hot off the press, it is stands by, which I have found a great time to reflect on the to be very compatible through school year thus far, and think a journalistic standpoint. about the long break ahead. “Winning?” he said. “Is that With this in mind, I thought what you think it’s about? I’m my last column of the not trying to win. I’m not semester would be a doing this because I want great time to get a little to beat someone, or bemeta; to explain the cause I hate someone, or name of this very colbecause, because I want umn. to blame someone. It’s not “Not on my watch,” because it’s fun and God is derived from a quote Mitchell knows it’s not because it’s from the popular tele- Chapman easy. It’s not even because vision show, “Doctor Not on My it works, because it hardly Who,” specifically from ever does. I do what I do, Watch an episode from Peter because it’s right! Because Capaldi’s run as the it’s decent! And above all, titular time-traveling it’s kind. It’s just that. Just alien, The Doctor, titled “The kind… Hey, you know, maybe Zygon Inversion.” The episode there’s no point in any of this deals with themes of human- at all, but it’s the best I can ity and conflicting cultures, do, so I’m going to do it. And with its central conflict focus- I will stand here doing it till it ing on an uneasy relationship kills me… Who I am is where I between mankind and the stand. Where I stand, is where shape-shifting Zygon species, I fall.” who were forced to live among Here, Capaldi is talking about man. However, when a terror- character as it relates to princiist subsect of the Zygons starts ples, as he begs his friend, Misattacking humans, the world is sy/The Master (the show deals thrown into an uproar, all boil- with multiple incarnations of ing down to an intense scene the same character[s]) to help where a representative of man him save a group of people (Beverley Cressman’s Kate trapped on a colony ship that Stewart) and a representative is under attack, who have very of the Zygons are presented little odds of surviving, even with two devices, which, when with The Doctor’s help. I find pressed, would give each race journalism to often be similar a 50/50 chance of annihilation to that, i.e. just because jouror salvation, in which Capaldi’s nalists hold powerful entities Doctor gives a chilling mono- accountable for what they do, logue: it does not prevent such enti“I don’t understand?” he ties form doing damage to the said. “Are you kidding? Me? Of public, nor can it repair it. The course I understand. I mean, only place journalists are aldo you call this a war? This lowed to take a stand on issues funny little thing? This is not are through opinion pieces, a war! I fought in a bigger war and even then, that’s just writthan you will ever know. I did ing at the end of the day, it does worse things than you could not hold anywhere close to the ever imagine. And when I close weight of official legislation. my eyes I hear more screams But that doesn’t mean journalthan anyone could ever be able ists shouldn’t try to make the to count! And do you know world a better place. what you do with all that pain? The notion of “Who I am is Shall I tell you where you put where I stand,” also greatly apit? You hold it tight till it burns peals to me, because to me, you your hand, and you say this: are your principles, and I have No one else will ever have to great respect for those who live like this. No one else will can stand up to fight for what have to feel this pain. Not on they believe is right, especially my watch!” when they potentially have a The last part of which strikes lot to lose by doing so. me, and is a main reason why Daniel Pearl, who wrote for I enjoy Capaldi’s Doctor so The Berkshire Eagle and North much, and this is a quote I of- Adams Transcript before ten think about as a journalist. moving on to The Wall Street We all see things we don’t like Journal, died standing up to in the world and things that are powerful interests, and in the wrong. We’ve all experienced same vein as that Capaldi line, pain, sometimes as a result of I also look up to him as a major those things, and it can be easy role model for what I do. I can to let that pain control us, ei- only hope I can live up to those ther in a way that debilitates principles. us or in a way that sees us lashBecause, as Capaldi says, it is ing out. Capaldi’s Doctor chan- right. It is decent. And above all nels his pain in a constructive else, it is kind. I think even critway, to do his best at fixing the ical opinion pieces are kind in wrongs in the universe, even if a way; they give their subjects it doesn’t always work. necessary hell and critique they That is a principle I can re- can use to better themselves. spect and live by. More strongly, his monologue during the season 10 finale concretizes
OPINION
Dec. 7, 2017 Vol. 85 Issue 11
15
Time for new Christmas movie?
Everyone loves a Christmas movie, TV specials such as “A Charlie Brown especially me. Even before ThanksChristmas,” “Santa Claus is Comin’ to giving arrived I was Town,” and “Frosty the Snowman” watching “Elf” on my put a smile on everyone’s faces, no couch back home with matter what their age. my cousin and my I think everyone can agree, mom, eating snacks though, that no modern Christmas and laughing at Buddy movie or TV special has lived up to the Elf while patiently the classics. Channels like Freeform Emma waiting for my favorite and Hallmark, even Netflix, dip season to arrive. There’s Monahan their toes in the mix of hoping to nothing like a classic Arts & Emma create a new Christmas classic, but Christmas movie to get whenever I watch one, I just think, you into the holiday “Oh, cute.” spirit. Within 24 hours, I watched two Other classics like “White Christdifferent Christmas movies: the fan mas,” “Miracle on 34th Street,” and favorite “White Christmas” and the “The Santa Clause” captivate viewers new Netflix original, “A Christmas and make them believe in Santa and Prince.” They’re completely opposite the spirit of Christmas all over again. when it comes to their stories and
their following, of course, but when it comes down to it, the modern Christmas movie was, well, cute. I don’t think any new movie can live up to “White Christmas,” and I kind of want to give Netflix a pat on the back and say, “You tried.” Will I watch it again? No. Do I regret watching it? No, I’m not that cold. My point is this: although networks try their best to bring along a new, fresh Christmas movie, they will never live up to the ones that people watch over and over again. I think Bing Crosby would agree. With that, I wish all readers a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and the best of luck on finals. Thank you for reading my rants every week.
Pines, alums respond to column
To the Editor: Many things have come to our attention regarding Mitchell Chapman’s article “Greek Letters: What do they mean?” Sigma Chi Beta is not a recognized fraternity in the eyes of MCLA, meaning their organization does not have a charter or affiliation with the school, therefore they are not a credible or legal fraternity. This is a clear abuse of power and manipulation of the press, in order to push forth his own personal agenda to further improve how the school sees their “organization.” This is downright inappropriate and disrespectful. This article is unfair to other organizations without affiliations or charters, since they are also unable to advertise on campus or do anything on campus. A charter or affiliation allows the organization to use campus resources such as having an advisor, renting out any space on campus, sponsoring with any other organization/club and the list goes on. Every three years affiliated member organizations have to submit their materials through an official and legitimate process of re-affiliation. The other “Greek” organization’s on campus have either never had an actual charter, or have lost it through this exact process. Brothers of Pi Upsilon Pi take pride in the fact that we have a charter, that we have the ability to display our-
our brotherhood has included members from an array of religious backgrounds. And I’m happy and overwhelmingly proud the current membership has continued this tradition of inclusion. Pi Upsilon Pi is thriving and will continue its exemplary tradition of service and brotherhood long after Mr. Chapman’s “watch” is over. During my time at the college, my other social group was the staff at the Beacon. As I do with my Pi Upsilon Pi brothers, I continue to remain in contact with many of my old friends from the paper, fondly recalling the long Wednesday nights we spent in the office in the basement of Murdock Hall. One of those friends from the Beacon even became my wife. Under the tutelage of professors Paul LeSage and Sarah Bassett, both of whom were enormous influences, I learned to become a reporter and about the importance of responsible journalism. To find out the Beacon became a forum for a staff member’s bizarre vendetta was troubling and discouraging. Sincerely, Gordon Vincent NASC Class of 1988 Pi Upsilon Pi Fall 1984
selves on campus for what our organization stands for. Sigma Chi Beta, and other “Greek” organizations do not share such privileges. Unfortunately, this article might make you think otherwise. He claims to know what it means to be Greek and understands all the values that go with it, yet throughout his entire article, he insults all other organizations as well as his own, by calling all Greek life at MCLA an “echo” of the past. This is a falsehood. Members of Greek life in national statistics include presidents, lawyers, actors, etc., and even here at MCLA, Greek Alumni are doing great things. The latest edition of the alumni newsletter, The Faces of MCLA, showcases the ideals of what it meant and still means to be Greek here at MCLA. That publication is dominated by the happenings of Greek alumni, especially Pi Upsilon Pi. Chapman claims to believe that he, along with members of his organization, are above everyone else with values and standards in today’s progressive world. Yet he uses one of their new members, who happens to be transgender, as a mere token to further improve their image. This mention, neither further or adds anything to this argument. He states “If your organization largely performs acts that create an unhealthy community, such as lies, condescension and disregard for the law, that is what your letters will come to mean.”
Contact News desk number: 413-662-5535 Business number: 413-662-5204 Email: beacon@mcla.edu
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor: As an NASC/MCLA alumnus and a proud Pi Upsilon Pi brother, I was disappointed by the content of Mitchell Chapman’s column entitled “Greek letters: What do they mean?” that appeared in the November 28, 2017, edition of the Beacon. As an equally-proud former staff writer at the Beacon and a 30-year veteran of the newspaper profession, I was further disappointed by the decision to publish it. Mr. Chapman is, of course, entitled to his opinion. But he owes it to his readers to provide an informed opinion, not one that was apparently forged out of rage, envy and ignorance. If Mr. Chapman had undertaken even a meager amount of research, he would have learned the “echoes” which he dismisses so cavalierly still reverberate loudly among the Pi Upsilon Pi community. As a Greek organization, Pines has a tradition of service and diversity that is unmatched in the NASC/MCLA community. Since our inception in 1980, our commitment to helping find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis has been unwavering. We were the first fraternity at the college to welcome an African-American brother. We were the first fraternity at the college to pledge a Hispanic member. Traditionally,
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The Inter-Greek Council is confused by this one. Beta Lambda Sorority has been affiliated with MCLA since 1975 and Pi Upsilon Pi Fraternity has been affiliated with the College since 1980. Sigma Chi Beta has never held this distinction. This statement is not to discredit the Sigma organization. Everyone has the right to assemble and associate with whomever they please, but to call your organization a Fraternity in the College’s newsletter with no repercussions is absolutely shameful. Pi Upsilon Pi and certainly the Inter-Greek Council, will not tolerate this kind of egregious disrespect. This article is completely false and should not have been authorized for publication. Chapman’s article is just another significant example of unnecessary divisive rhetoric that tries to implement beliefs that are false. There is enough of that in this country. Being Greek at MCLA is an honor and we are only strongest when we are strong together. This article has been a thorn in the sides of active Greeks and alumni alike. Even Greek alumni on the board of directors have taken time to vocalize how shameful this article is. What matters is the content of someone’s character, not the Greek letters they wear. Pi Upsilon Pi Fraternity
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Executive Board Editor-in-Chief Joseph Carew
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Mitchell Chapman
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MCLA Pride What makes us great
The Beacon Photography staff takes a lot of photos throughout the semester. Unfortunately, not all of them can make it in to the paper. For our last issue, we chose to take a look back through our photo catalog, and showcase photos that we feel express the mentality and character of the student body. See you next year!
Camaraderie
Determination
Spirit
Volunteerism
Friendship
Team work