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Volume 80 ◆ Issue 4
Th u r s d ay, F e b rua r y 2 6 , 2 0 1 5
Aramark chef brings international cuisine By Idalis Foster Staff Writer
North Adams residents enjoy sleigh rides through town
Photo by Liz Quirk/The Beacon
Check out page 12 for more photos of Saturday’s Winterfest in downtown North Adams
Senator Ben Downing presents on energy and climate change in the commonwealth Staff Writer
Senator Ben Downing told MCLA students of his two “AHA!” moments that led him to want to make a difference in the MA energy policy at his lecture on Feb. 19. A Pittsfield native himself, Downing grew up in a family that was focused on politics. His father ran for District Attorney when he was nine and since, Downing has fallen in love with politics. Downing’s first environmental policy class at Providence College was a “fluke” of sorts, meaning he took the class simply because it fit perfectly into his schedule. “This was one of the happier mistakes I have made,” he said. This class introduced Downing to the challenges of clean energy, and he wanted to make a change. “This class really woke me up to the challenges we faced moving forward if we wanted to make sure that our communities were sustainable, and moving forward in a way that was going to leave our communities, our commonwealth, and this planet better off for generations to come,” he said. After his time at Providence College, Downing interned for a few congressmen in Washington D.C., and eventually returned to Massachusetts. During his time in D.C., he focused on the intersection between environmental policy and economic development. “I wanted to make sure we were
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creating jobs and opportunities in our communities, but at the same time, making sure we weren’t doing it in a way that was sacrificing the future,” he said. Downing has very distinct memories of the PCB contamination of Silver Lake in Pittsfield, due to the dumping of chemicals by industry-giant General Electric (GE). “I remember friends’ parents finding out about the fact that they had PCBs in their backyard,” he said. The GE shut-down terminated thousands of jobs, and sent Pittsfield into a downward spiral. Downing promised himself that
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I am going to do everything I can to make sure we have a more forward-looking energy policy
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By Gionna Nourse
Senator Ben Downing if he ever had the chance to play a role in policy making, he would strive to create clean, sustainable jobs with eco-friendly companies. “I didn’t want to simply be creating jobs that would be creating problems,” he said. Not very long after Downing became Senator, three local paper mills called him regarding a rate increase they couldn’t afford to pay. They ultimately would have been shut down, which would
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have led to roughly 750 jobs vanishing. “At that point, I said to myself: I am going to do everything I can to make sure we have a more forward-looking energy policy,” he said. Downing didn’t want to put jobs that paid the middle class at risk anymore, since four large companies had already terminated hefty amounts of jobs in Berkshire County. “I started to appreciate the beauty of this community, and realize how lucky I was to grow up here, and committed myself to try and do everything I could to make sure future generations have the same natural beauty and incredible environment to enjoy and pass on for years and years to come,” he said. “Climate change is a very big issue that we face today, and I think it is important for communities to start lowering their greenhouse emissions as best as they can,” Berkshire county local and MCLA junior Artleta Mongue said. “Downing is doing a fantastic job for present and future outlooks on a healthy environment, and I really enjoyed his speech,” she said. The progress that was made after Downing made this decision was outstanding. “We have taken some significant steps to be a leader among the states when it comes to combatting climate change through an aggressive clean energy and conservation set of policies,” he said. ENERGY AND CLIMATE, continued on page 4
Aramark has been making many new changes to the Centennial Room’s offerings, including a spice station and fresh rice served every day. But one of the major changes they have made this semester is the addition of a new member of their team: head chef, Tony Fiorentino. Fiorentino comes to MCLA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is in his seventh year with Aramark. He has 22 years of experience in the culinary field 15 years of which were spent in private restaurants. “I spent 10 years of my restaurant experience in a fine dining restaurant in Wilbraham MA called Horizons Restaurant,” said Fiorentino. “While there I was trained in classic cuisines from such countries as Spain, Italy, France and so on.” In terms of the menu, the new head chef plans on modeling some of the changes after ones his
team at UNC Chapel Hill made. “I am looking to take some of the things we did there and incorporate them into the menu here such as the California Roll station we did on 2/19/15,” said Fiorentino. He also intends on getting direct student feedback by interacting with customers to get a better idea of what they would like to see on the menu. “While at UNC I have gained a working knowledge of how [Aramark] works and also how to interact with customers and get them to talk about what they would like to see on the menu or as a special sometime,” Fiorentino said. “Your feedback is what I need to help further this program in a way that all parties involved will be happy with.” Students have been taking note of past improvements in certain areas including the new pasta station and the pizza station but many are still disappointed with the other options they are left with. ARAMARK CHEF, continued on page 3
Cheryl Jacques to speak on LGBTQ+ civil rights movement Jacques is a national leader in the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement and was the first openly gay State Senator in Massachusetts history, serving a consecutive six terms ending in 2004, according to CherylJacques.org. Jacques has previously been named by Boston Magazine as one of the 100 most powerful women in Boston, Mass. Photo from the MCLA Web site and by OUT Magazine as one of the 100 most influential By Nick Swanson gay leaders in the country. Staff Writer “The pressing thing on college campuses today should be that Civil rights activist Cheryl the gay civil rights movement is Jacques will be speaking about the not over,” Jacques said. current civil rights movement for She suggests that LGBTQ+ lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, people and their allies should queer, and other marginalized continue together in this (LGBTQ+) people next week for movement. the Spring Public Policy Lecture. The Supreme Court will be “This battle [for LGBTQ+ carrying forth a case this summer rights] is far from over,” Jacques that will ultimately decide for all said. “It will be an interesting and 50 states if it’s unconstitutional to dynamic conversation. I will talk ban gay marriage on a state level. about where we’ve been, where we are, and what’s ahead for gay CHERYL JACQUES, civil rights.” continued on page 3
Arts & Entertainment
Sports
Conference encourages leadership and community
Catch Me If You Can promises plot twists
Basketball seasons come to an end
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News Features Arts & Entertainment Sports Campus Comment Local Events Photo Essay
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Campus News
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Weekend Weather Thursday, February 26
Partly Cloudy High: 16° Low: -8° Prec. Chance: 10%
Friday, February 27
Beacon.MCLA.edu
SGA funds new device for WJJW Winter Week begins, club budgets finalized and residence halls will remain open for spring break By Idalis Foster Staff Writer
The Student Government Association (SGA) approved a supplemental budget request from WJJW for an automation device for the studio. The device, which WJJW needs $800 for, will enable the station to continue to play prerecorded shows for the public between the hours of 12-8 AM when the Amsler Campus Center is closed. “The device will help us hit the ground running next year,” Senator At-Large Timothy Williams said. “With the device we will be able to fill the gaping holes in our broadcast.” “Over the three years I’ve been at the radio station, we’ve always had an issue filling in spots in the early morning, late at night, and on the weekends when students are really busy,” said Sean Kelleher, secretary of WJJW. Treasurer Nicholas Hernigle suggested using money from the supplemental budget for both the Beacon and WJJW. However,
Williams clarified that those funds could only be accessed every five years for items of large monetary value, so they do not have access to that reserve again for some time. Senator At-Large Ryan Robison also questioned whether the device was worth its cost considering the viewership at the station. WJJW’s treasurer Ryan Walters emphasized that MCLA’s radio station is one of only three in North Adams, and the addition of the device would allow for commuters and residents of North Adams who are listening to the radio to access our station. SGA kicks off Winter Week with French theme Monday was the start of SGA’s Winter Week festivities with fondue in the Campus Center Marketplace supplied by Aramark. The following night, they held a free skate at the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink from 10 PM -12 AM with shuttles that ran peri-
odically from the townhouse fire lane to the rink. Wednesday they held a “Pie an SGA Member” event in the Marketplace where students were allowed to pie an SGA member if they answered a trivia question correctly. Tonight in the Centennial Room SGA will be working with Aramark staff in what they call “SGA Serves You,” wearing Eiffel Towers to indicate that they are SGA members and can be approached with any questions students may have. The last activity will be tomorrow from 10 AM – 2:30 PM in the Centennial Room: French Toast Friday. This will lead into their tabling at STAGE’s Sextival Event on Saturday, Feb. 28 from 1-4 PM. Club budgets have been finalized According to Treasurer Hernigle, the Budget Financing Committee (BFC) concluded their meetings with club e-boards on
Monday evening. The BFC contacted clubs earlier this week with the exact numbers of the budgets of their clubs for the fiscal year 2016. Treasurer Hernigle provided eboard members with office hours to meet with him to discuss their budgets if there are any questions about the amounts provided. The amounts chosen for each clubs budget will be final after this week and any changes to the budgets as they were proposed earlier this week will be sent out to those clubs affected. Residence halls will be open during spring break According to Senator At-Large Colby Harvish, at the request of many residents, the residence halls will remain open over spring break, though there will be no Aramark services during that time. Overnight guest passes will not be allowed over the break for residents who choose to stay on campus.
Campus Police Logs Partly Cloudy High: 18° Low: -4° Prec. Chance: 0%
Saturday, February28
The week of - 2/15 - 2/21 Sunday, February 15 ◆ Public Safety responded to an alarm at Townhouse 64. It was determined to be a false alarm.
◆ Public Safety responded to suspicious activity at Bowman Hall. A report was filed.
◆ Public Safety responded to a call for an escort at Townhouse 5. Individual was escorted by cruiser.
◆ Public Safety responded to larceny/forgery/fraud call at the Amsler campus center. A report was filed.
Monday, February 16
◆ Public Safety responded to a building check on MCLA Campus. Building was checked and secured.
◆ Public Safety responded to a medical call at Hoosac hall Services were rendered.
Sunny High: 27° Low: 6° Prec. Chance: 10%
Sunday, March 1
◆ Public Safety responded to a medical call atHoosac hall. The individual was transported.
◆ Public Safety responded to a building check on MCLA Campus. Building was checked and secured. ◆ Public Safety responded to a report of vandalism. A report was filed.
Tuesday, February 17
Wednesday, February 18 ◆ Public Safety responded to a call for medical transport. The individual was transported to the hospital. ◆ Public Safety responded to a building check on MCLA Campus. Building was checked and secured.
The MCLA Beacon Online Sunny/Snow High: 36° Low: 28° Prec. Chance: 70%
Thursday, February 19 ◆ Public Safety responded toa medical call at Berkshire Towers. The call was completed. ◆ Public Safety responded to assist a citizen on Montana st. The call was completed. ◆ Public Safety responded to a parking enforcement issue in the Hoosac hall resident lot. A citation/warning was issued.. ◆ Public Safety responded to a parking enforcement issue in the Berkshire Towers lot. Services were rendered.
Friday, February 20 ◆ Public Safety responded to a bank deposit/money escort at Eldridge hall. Services were rendered. ◆ Public Safety responded to a building check on MCLA
Campus. Building was checked and secured. Public Safety responded to a fire aloarm at the Flagg Townhouse apartments. The alarm was false.
Saturday, February 21 ◆ Public Safety responded to an alcohol offense at Berkshire Towers. Individual was transported to the hospital. ◆ Public Safety responded to a building check on MCLA Campus. Building was checked and secured. ◆ Public Safety responded to a medical transport call at the amsler campus center. Individual was transported to the hospital. ◆ Public Safety responded to a building check on MCLA Campus. Building was checked and secured.
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Campus News
Thursday, February 26, 2015
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Conference encourages leadership, community MCLA’s 20th annual Student Leadership Conference featured speakers and activities designed to develop interpersonal and communication skills By Nick Swanson Senior News Editor
Students from multiple colleges arrived last Saturday to participate in the Student Leadership Conference: Cruise Toward Leadership. Frank C. Kitchen was the keynote speaker at the cruisethemed conference, which ran all day from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The conference was filled with student leadership sessions directed by student leaders from MCLA, other colleges, and MCLA staff. The students who traveled to attend the conference came from Bay Path University, Greenfield Community College, RPI, South-
ern Vermont College, University of Connecticut, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Kitchen gave the opening speech titled, ‘It’s OK to P.L.A.Y.’ to start off the conference. “P is for participate, which you must do to keep getting better. L is for Learn, because if you learn then you can find out ways to improve from what is going on around you. A is for appreciate, therefore, you must appreciate the process and what you are going through because it will get you to your final goal, and Y is for you, meaning it is all about the attitude you bring and choose to have,” Kitchen said. Kitchen’s past experiences list
Photo by Isabel McKenzie/The Beacon
Sophomore Anthony Basile takes the Pig Test, a personality test and icebreaker activity based on participants’ spontaneous drawings of pigs.
Photo by Isabel McKenzie/The Beacon
Student Leadership Conference attendees participate in an icebreaker game aimed to foster teamwork and clear communication. him as an actor, author, coach, educator, entertainer, entrepreneur, fundraiser, master of ceremonies, and professional model. “Life is a game you must play to win, and in order to make your life better and to be a leader you must participate,” Kitchen said. He said the underlying message in the speech was to get others to believe in themselves. “I learned that in life you have to be yourself, have confidence in yourself, because the fact is there are other people who have confidence in you, and never forget to do what pleases you most,” student Elizabeth Roche said. “The big one you must do is participate, if you are doing nothing, then nothing is going to happen,” Kitchen said. Students attended leadership sessions during the conference where they were taught various
leadership skills. Kitchen explained at the second leadership session that it is more valuable for everyone to sit and share information rather than lecture the entire time. He provided a substantial amount of advice and guidance for students yearning to become leaders and public speakers. Kitchen shared his own stories, from being in Australia and scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, to being in front of a large audience giving a speech with thousands of people watching. Students also responded with their own similar stories. Many attendees participated in the game that included a ball of yarn being passed around after stating a complication one goes through in college. After each person stated a complication they have encountered,
they kept a hold of the yarn before passing the ball, so every time it got passed again, it became more intertwined. Kitchen said the purpose of the game was to build teamwork and communication skills. Students mentioned problems such as a lack of self-confidence, lack of motivation, fear of failure, and being uninvolved. Kitchen said each string of yarn acted as a roadblock to being great a leader. “Everyone has a dream in their mind they want to come true, but there is something always in the way,” Kitchen said. “It’s all about getting idea or thought across and you need people around you to help out,” Kitchen continued, “If we work together we can make things beautiful.”
Students discuss food options with Aramark staff Public Policy lecture to cover NEW ARAMARK CHEF,
equality beyond marriage
continued from page 1
“I think the main entrees section next to the grill could be improved,” said sophomore Abigail Baker. “The food in general needs more variety and better quality.” Sophomore Katie Hickey agreed with this sentiment saying that the food at the home cooked section “looks good, but then it’s not cooked through or it’s really dry and gross.” Hickey was amongst the group of students who met with Aramark during the fall 2014 semester in a discussion that led to the introduction of the spice station and fresh rice. “I would definitely go to the café more often if I knew I was guaranteed to enjoy the food, but when I don’t know if it’s going to be good it just doesn’t seem worth it to go outside and walk there,” Hickey said. When it comes to how the new head chef could improve the food overall, junior Trey Coryell pointed to a chef who is often talked about on campus. “They all need to care as much as Rose [Aramark staff member Rose Blessing] does,” Coryell said. “If I ask Rose for a burger
CHERYL JACQUES, continued from page 1
Photo by Meg Gugarty/The Beacon
California rolls are among new head chef Fiorentino’s proposed new offerings for the Centennial Room. I know it won’t be burnt or undercooked.” The students interviewed also commented on the newest item on the menu, the sushi station, one of Fiorentino’s additions to the menu. “I’m not too sure about the sushi because I haven’t tried it yet but I heard it wasn’t bad,” said sophomore Lexi Valentin. “But I’m glad they are trying new things. I would want to see more healthy options and more soup variety!” Fiorentino is planning on taking
the menu further by changing up some of the stations already in place and bringing on more new items like the sushi. “I will be working with all of the team managers this summer to come up with a menu that will showcase more “action” (made to order) at some of the stations like World Fair and Deli,” Fiorentino said. “Also, just like the California Roll station, we can do some items at the pizza stations as well.” Fiorentino also plans on having some of the back of house cooks do more exhibition cooking on the stations out front.
That will be a critical moment, according to Jacques. “Marriage is not the only thing that it comes down to,” Jacques said. “When it comes to equality, it’s a very important symbol of equal treatment for LGBT people.” Jacques’ lecture will be important for students because she is a true trailblazer for LGBTQ+ rights, particularly marriage equality, according to Political Science professor James B. Taylor. “If we think about the evolution of the LGBT civil rights movement, there is no doubt that Massachusetts’ legalization of same-sex marriage in the late 1990s turned the tide toward growing LBGT equality; more to the point, the struggle is not over,” Taylor said. According to Jacques, one misconception on college campuses is that major prejudices and homophobia do not exist. She said today’s generation of young people have grown up very comfortable with having a LGBTQ+ roommate, friend, cousin, ally, sister, or teammate. Therefore, they may not carry so many prejudices or realize their impact.
“On a different note, students at other colleges are aware of how difficult it still is for many members of the [LGBTQ+] community, such as transgender people,” Jacques said. Jacques has experience on college campuses from serving as adjunct professor of Law at Suffolk University Law School, The George Washington University Graduate School of Public Management, and other universities over 20 years. She said there are several other problems that target LGBTQ+ civil rights in society that will be discussed during the lecture. Jacques was president and executive director of the nation’s largest gay civil rights campaign, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). As head of HRC she gained a record $30 million budget and membership exceeding 600,000 people, according to CherylJacques.org The upcoming lecture will take place on Tuesday, March 3, in Murdock Hall’s Sammer Dennis room 218, beginning at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public The Public Policy Lecture Series began in 2008 and is funded through the Ruth Proud Charitable Trust.
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Campus News
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Green jobs have jumped to 87,000 in Massachusetts
ENERGY AND CLIMATE, continued from page 1 Downing also explained that Massachusetts endured an enormous transition when going from an economy built around fossil fuels to one built around and driven by clean energy efficiency and conservation. “That was a time when the policy and politics were aligned,” he said. “This was maybe the most active legislative session we have ever seen around energy policy,” he added. Throughout the years that Downing has been Senator, numerous bills were passed to create a new energy policy. Some of the bills include the Green Communities Act, the Global Warming Solutions Act, and the Green Jobs Act. These bills set up the most aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals of any state in the country, as well as the start of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. “Massachusetts as a state wanted to try and do all they could to capture all of the economic benefits of doing the right thing by the environment,” Downing said. “We also made significant investments in land acquisition and preservation,” he said. Downing then explained the
“concrete progress” that has been made in Massachusetts since 2006, and the results were enormous. “When Patrick was sworn into office in 2007, we had two megawatts of solar energy, and today we have 752 megawatts of solar energy,” he said. Jobs in this industry have also increased tremendously. “We had between five and sixthousand jobs in clean energy and conservation at that time, and now we have 87,000 jobs in that area,” he said. “We also have almost 6,000 clean energy firms, and those jobs have increased north of ten percent per year ever since the Green Opportunities Act was passed,” he said. Other major cities in Massachusetts, including Boston, have even adopted a “greener way of living” by awarding specific restaurants and hotels a “green title.” Downing closed by encouraging MCLA students to make a difference in things they are passionate about, because the voice of young people is very powerful. “Even if a student doesn’t have a connection, they can still start their own campaign in the community, and become
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Fink: Recess great for young students By Rominda DeBarros Staff Writer
Opening up the Brown Bag Lecture series for the 2015 spring semester, Education Professor, Dale Fink, presented on the topic of school recess in his talk last Friday titled “Elementary School Recess: Essential or Expendable? Insights from Local Teachers and Students.” Fink spoke about the three month long study he conducted at three local schools in the Berkshire area. During this study Fink was able to get a better sense of the important role school recess played in the lives of elementary students and the issues that arose when it was reduced. “Six key findings done by a national study show that recess has a positive impact on achievement and learning,” Fink continued, “And yet despite this one out of five schools have reduced recess to allocate more time for testing. As well, a solid majority reported that recess was taken away as punishment.” These results, in addition to other studies, were proof that the topic of school recess reduction had become a bone of political contention in recent years. They also motivated Fink to set out and collect data on the topic and answer some of his own questions. One question that Fink explored in his data was how educators felt
about recess in terms of its importance to the wellbeing of students. When asked what the benefits of recess were, educators agreed that social development, physical health, and autonomy were in the top three. However 80 percent of educators said they still took recess away despite this. “A number of states do have policies regarding school recess such as Vermont,” Fink said. “They have a policy that says that educators cannot deprive any student of recess as a punishment for academic reasons.” In studying special educators as well as general educators, Fink found that the results varied greatly. Special educators were less likely to take it away for academic reasons, while general educators were more likely to, and both were equally likely to take it away for behavioral reasons. “One of the things that emerged were how much the results between special and general educators differed,” Fink said. “Had I realized how interesting the data for special educators was I would have gone into one of their classrooms and found out more.” Afterwards, Fink shared essential pieces of data that proved to be very interesting findings. Fink found that many educators felt that ultimately student’s behavior did not improve when recess was taken away, but most agreed that it
motivated other students to not misbehave. As well, some general educators felt that it was altogether counterproductive. Looking then from the perspective of students, Fink found that the children greatly valued being able to be active and have breaks from academic work during the day. Students also expressed that they felt deprived when it was taken away because their academic work was so overwhelming. They also responded negatively to the question of what if recess being taking away forever. “One of the things that came through was student’s need to be active and social,” Fink said. “They made it very clear to me how important interacting with other students and being active was for them.” The lecture sparked a few questions from those in the audience, having to do with Fink’s findings and most importantly what implications were being made from his data. “If recess time is reduced to accommodate time for assessment, what does that say about the value of recess?” Academic Advisor, Harris Elder, asked. “In theory it says that assessment is more important,” Fink responded. “And I would certainly say just from the three classrooms I spent time in, each teacher struggled with the idea of taking it away. You have really caring teachers who in most cases are not doing this but feel that it’s
PUBLIC POLICY LECTURE SERIES
CHERYL JACQUES Former Massachusetts State Senator and National Speaker on Gay Civil Rights and Politics
TUESDAY, MARCH 3 / 7 PM MCLA MURDOCK HALL
FURNISHED FOUR BEDROOM APARTMENT $1500- includes all utilities 2 Bathrooms, Kitchens, Lounges Trash and Snow Removal Washer/Dryer Fast Wifi and New Beds Located near BIG Y and Main St.
PREVIEW WEBSITE: tenminor@yolasite.com
Sammer Dennis Room (218) Cheryl Jacques has written and spoken nationally on issues of diversity, civil rights and politics. She is a seasoned advocate and leader in politics, social justice and LGBT equality. She appears frequently as a commentator on such shows as the CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, ABC’s World News Tonight, CNN, NPR and many other television and radio broadcasts
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Made possible through the generosity of the Ruth Proud Charitable Trust.
Henry Gates Call: 617-460-2711 Email: hjgates@comcast.net “8 years serving MCLA” THINK AHEAD MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS 375 Church Street, North Adams, MA 413 662 5391 MCLA.EDU
5 Professor Gillian Jones publishes her first book Features
Thursday, feburary 26, 2015
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“B is for Berkshires” is a children’s book that will be released on March 10
Photo from Islandportpress.com
“B is for Berkshires” is the third book to be published in the series of New England themed alphabet books for children.
By Juanita Doss Features Editor
Growing up she was a shy kid who wouldn’t say much to anyone. When she turned 10 years old her father gave her a camera, and from that moment on alumna Gillian Jones, ’91 revolved her life around capturing the beauty in the Berkshires. Jones as a child spent a lot of time with her aunt who was an
artist. Her aunt would take her on adventures and point at different objects in nature that she should take a photo of. “My aunt gave me an opportunity to observe things,” Jones said. “She helped me find my eye for photography.” Jones who is a full-time photo journalist with The Berkshire Eagle, a professor in the English department, and an advisor with The Beacon, is set to publish her first book “B is for Berkshires”
with children’s book author Joannie ‘Joan’ Duris The book will be released March 10, along with a book signing at The Parlor Cafe on Sat. March 28 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. “B is for Berkshires” is the third in the series of New England themed alphabet books for children. “A is for Acadia (Maine)” and “C is for Cape Cod” are the other books a part of the series, which are published by Islandport Press in Yarmouth, Maine. Despite the book having a target audience for children ages 3 to 10, Jones thinks it would be a book that people would want for their coffee table, or for tourists to take back with them as a souvenir. Jones has always dreamed to have a book of her photos published, but working full time and teaching photography classes at MCLA left her little to no time to actually pursue it. However, having her own book never left the back of her mind. “On my computer I have a folder with an idea for an alphabet book,” Jones said. “A is for apple,
c is for cow.” Her dream came true when she received a phone call from Melissa Kim, the publisher at Islandport Press who has been familiar with her work in the newspaper. “I was like wow, the stars are aligning,” Jones said. Taking photos for the book allowed her to explore outside of her comfort zone and discover places she’s never been before. She also received permission from The Berkshire Eagle to use photos she took for them, which allowed some local children to be a part of the book. Jones dedicates her book to her mother, aunt, The Berkshire Eagle for reprinting rights, and her former professor Fred Johns who was a big influence on her and her photography. “I don’t think I’d be where I am without him,” she said. “He influenced my life I wanted to have a way I could honor him.” She also gives a big thank you to Professor Harris Elder who helped her book her first wedding shoot in 1992.
Jones has been promoting “B is for Berkshires” by creating a Facebook page as well as spreading word to her friends and colleagues in hopes to help the book sell. “This is a dream come true for me to have a book on the Berkshires,” said Jones. “It’s a nice legacy to leave.”
Photo from Islandportpress.com
Gillian Jones (above) and Joan Duris will be signing books at The Parlor Cafe from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sat. March 28.
Barbosa creates Assist Program Sophomore documents undergrad The Men’s Basketball team mentors youth through basketball
Photo by Jay Tocco/ The Beacon
Anthony Barbosa’s goal for the Assist Program is to give kids someone to look up to.
By Kaliegh Hayes Features Writer
Captain of the men’s basketball team, Anthony Barbosa ‘15 isn’t only guiding his team to victories; he’s guiding the youth of the North Adams community to a better future through the Assist Program. The Assist Program, which was created this year, is a mentor program for children in low-income families that may not have a good home environment, pairing youths with mentors from the college. “The goal of the program is to give the kids a leader,” said Barbosa. “To give them an opportunity to express themselves to someone who is not a teacher or a parent.” Every day after the school day, Barbosa and the Men’s Basketball team go to Brayton Elementary School to talk to the kids and play games and sports. Barbosa plans to expand the program to high schools in the area through their basketball teams.
“I needed community service hours and I noticed that there weren’t any programs like this,” said Barbosa. “So I brought it up to my coach, and after having the talk with him we emailed local schools and after-school programs about starting a mentor program.” Focused on giving opportunities to the youth, Barbosa has planned a Festival for them on May 2 in the Academic Quad. Groups like NEXXUS will perform with other entertainment. “My goal is to have the school community come together for the event and be MCLA United,” he said. Barbosa traces his leadership skills back to his hometown of Worcester, Mass., where he was a member of the Boys and Girls Club. Similar to the Assist Program, the Boys and Girls Club was a place where he was able to mentor children. “In the past, we threw a Christmas party for the children,” said Barbosa. “One of the kids in the program came up to me and told me that he hadn’t Christmas in two years. So that brought the idea to me.” Barbosa looks back and thanks Luis Ohjeda, Ike McBride and Coach Hadley for being great mentors to him. After the end of this year’s basketball season, Barbosa plans to become more involved with the program, and plans to pass it down to sophomore Joshua Hall after he graduates. Not only is Barbosa inspiring children in his program, but he is also inspiring his younger family members, as he is the first in his family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. “Lately a lot of family members have been telling me that they’re proud of me,” he said. Barbosa plans to stick around the North Adams area and hopes to keep mentoring after graduation. “Brayton Elementary is talking to me about an internship as a program coordinator,” said Barbosa. “Ever since I started this program the positive responses I’ve been getting from the community is that they love it, they love the idea.”
experience through “21 Voices”
herself growing and opening up about things she could never talk about anywhere else. “I think the people who I’ve made art with are the most important things to me, more than the art I’ve made,” she said. “I only really started developing my own style my senior year of high school when I was building my portfolio for AP art, and even now it’s changing as I change, grow and learn.” Patterson who is a double major in fine and performing arts and arts management, now documents her everyday undergraduate expePhoto by Isabel McKenzie/ The Beacon riences through “21 Voices”, which is a research program through Rebecca Patterson is one of twenty-one stuCengage Learning. The program dents in the country selected to participate aims to understand and empathize in “21 Voices”. with college students in order to gain insight of their daily lives. By Juanita Doss Patterson is one of 21 students across the Features Editor United States who was chosen to particiBefore she was old enough to attend kin- pate in the program. According to Cenage. dergarten, Rebecca Patterson ’17, would com, students are drawn from differsit at her kitchen table with her father ent regions, genders, and socioeconomic and learn how to draw trees, funny faces, backgrounds, and they represent a mix of cubes, and other doodles. She would refer different majors, as well as academic and to her father’s paintings around the house extracurricular interests. She applied to “21 Voices” about a year for inspiration. From that moment on Patterson found ago because the idea of using art as a her love in art. When she entered fourth method of reporting was intriguing to grade, she started to get the hang of draw- her. She started submitting her reports at ing. Her class was instructed to draw a the beginning of last semester. Not only plant from observation and she noticed does she write her reports to them, but she sends in videos, too. hers was better than everyone else’s. Along with painting scenes from around “My sixth to eighth grade art teacher was really encouraging, about art and my per- campus and North Adams, Patterson is a sonality in general,” Patterson said. “She resident advisor in Hoosac Hall and vice president of the Christian Fellowship club. helped me get through middle school.” In high school, Patterson thought of her She is currently trying to get more inart class as family. It was her favorite thing volved with arts management and honors about the day and it was where she saw program.
Arts & Entertainment 6 ‘Catch Me If You Can’ will shock audience Thursday, September 18, 2014
Beacon.MCLA.edu
The play promises continuous plot twists and laughter as ‘Catch Me’ premieres on March 4 By Shirin Hijab A&E Editor
The FPA department’s first show of Spring, “Catch Me If You Can” written originally by Robert Thomas and adapted by Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, will premiere March 4-7 under the direction of Douglas Jenkins. The essential plot is that Daniel Corban (Marcus Neverson) and his wife Elizabeth arrive at a hotel for their honeymoon and get into an argument. Elizabeth mysteriously disappears. Inspector Levine (Breana Gladu) investi-
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We haven’t really seen a mystery on this stage in a while so I feel like that new aspect will be fun for [students of MCLA]. Marcus Neverson
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gates and a woman shows up pretending to be Elizabeth who isn’t (played by Julie Cimaomo). All the cast members and crew kept promise a surprising ending and a show that will leave the audience guessing until the last minute. Most of the cast, especial-
ly stage manager Victoria Perry, encouraged people to come to the show. The cast is doing the show in a six-week timeframe which is unusual for college productions, according to Emma Hodgson. Jake Bonenfant plays an Irish priest named Kelleher who provides comic relief and is a peculiar crux in the play. “Honestly, my favorite part [about playing him] is the accent. It’s a blast. Pretending to be a nice, Irish priest.” Bonenfant credits priests he knew when he was younger with helping him portray to role well. “It’s the complete opposite of myself,” Cimaomo said of her character, “because I get to be bitchy where I’m not as much in real life. The thing I love and hate is the amount of lines [100 in the first act] since this is my first real lead role ever. It’s a different directing style than I’m used to. We’reThe play presents a small cast but promises to be explosively funny. and static character. Neverson “Motherf***er with the Hat” last working on movement and enjoys playing a crazy character semester. “You’d see someone like then the character.” “You never know what he’s go- but at the same time likes playing Corban on the street.” “We haven’t really seen a mystery ing to do next,” Neverson said of a character who is more relatable Corban, who he thinks is many and realistic instead of being over on this stage in a while,” Nevercharacters in one and a crazy the top like Neverson’s role in son added, “so I feel like that new
PRESS Gallery to open new exhibit on Sunday By Shirin Hijab A&E Editor
This Sunday, PRESS Gallery will open its new exhibit: “ILSSA It’s about Time: A Workbook for the Working Person.” The reception will be at 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. The exhibit is a display
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Everyone has problems with time these days.
Melanie Mowinski
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of 48 books in which there are questions about time and the responses to the questions by the members of Impractical Labor in Service of the Speculative Arts
(ILSSA). The responses in the booklets are varied and creative in an exciting number of ways. It’s a collection of human thoughts that can create connection. ILSSA is an organization that makes artwork (their definition of art is very broad and inclusive) with obsolete technology, such as the printing presses at PRESS Gallery. But ILSSA also tries to help people through the artwork in a social manner, whether it’s getting people to think in a new way or presenting a new craft to someone. Emily Larned, Aaron Co-
Photos from ILSSA It’s about Time Preview flickr
How the exhibit will look in PRESS Gallery, with apparent conformity but aexciting number of differences.
hick, and Bridget Elmer are the artists leading the project. Larned and Elmer are also the founders of ILSSA. Larned and Melanie Mowinski, the founder of PRESS: LetterPRESS, will print the cover of a compilation book on Saturday which will then be published for Sunday’s opening. “Everyone has problems with time these days,” Mowinski said, “or thinks about time or considers time, has enough time, doesn’t have enough time, is worried about time.”
Photo courtesy of Emma Hodgson
aspect will be fun for [students of MCLA]. And I think the unpredictiveness of Corban is what the audience will like about him. I think it will be fun to see him run around the stage going nuts.”
Relevance of ‘Frank’ Review by Shirin Hijab A&E Editor
Lenny Abrahamson’s latest feature “Frank” maybe hasn’t received as much attention as it should. Films about musicians always seem better than those about writers, painters (Mike Leigh’s “Mr. Turner” could defy this), and other artists partly because of the relationship film has with music. David Chase’s “Not Fade Away” and Bennett Miller’s “Whiplash” are only a couple films in recent memory to have analyzed the role of artist, struggling. “Frank,” since Abrahamson is Irish and uses the setting of Ireland with its gray sunrises and sunsets, has a wonderfully Irish tone of comedy that is neither dark, nor normal, but weird, in the sense that the term of “New Weird” critics put on Greek films by Yorgos Lanthimos and Athina Rachel Tsangari is applicable. It gets at modern existence very sharply and knows how this generation feels and deals with depression or doesn’t. Its central character Jon (Domhall Gleeson) joins a band headed by Frank (Michael Fassbender) who wears a giant head-mask which he never takes off. Frank is a perfectionist and they spend a year or more recording their first album. The cinematography is a bit boring because the view, if it moves, always seems to be staying in place; but this isn’t all bad; It’s comforting to know that someone stood there as a witness and
brought the film to us. The lightning is what the film really has going for it. There’s the perpetual feeling that all the characters have Vitamin-D deficiency and their starkness emphasizes the contradictions they all have with each other. Clara (Maggie Gylenhaal) loves Frank and despises Jon, who Frank thinks is a great musician (he’s not). Around the characters, the lightning is changing or being obscured with smoke or steam, presenting a general punk feel to their whole existence. What’s also interesting is that none of the band members are Irish; three have US accents, one British, and two French. And the whole time, the mask is both bothersome and comforting because of the sense of happiness it exudes. Tied with Abrahamson’s slow-moving comedy that goes over a bump from time to time and causes the viewer to curve their eyebrows in a “Huh?” The film is ultimately extremely frustrating because, more so than with any other film, we do not get any of the character’s thoughts. Or we do; we get Jon’s but only through his Tumblr and Twitter posts. Frank maintains a steady silence and speaks with eloquent laconicity. When they go for their gig in the US, Jon points out that the desert reminds him of “Paris, Texas,” the Wim Wenders film. We are left with a very similar sadness at the end of this film too. (“Frank” is available to view on Netflix).
Arts & Entertainment
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Beacon.MCLA.edu
‘Kingsman’ delivers camp, parody, fun Review by Mitchell Chapman A&E Writer
Squeezed in between box office successes like “50 Shades of Grey” and “The Spongebob Movie,” “Kingsman: The Secret Service” certainly does not disappoint. Centering on Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a candidate for the secret spy organization “Kingsmen”. Directed by Matthew Vaughn (“Kick-Ass”, “X-Men: First Class”), right from the get-go the audience knows that this is a very different spy movie. “[Vaughn] was rejected by the Broccoli family that controls the [James Bond] franchise,” critic Susan Granger said. “So he got this idea of spoofing the concept of dapper gentlemen involved in international intrigue. There are bulletproof blazers, programmable wrist darts, poison-spiked shoes, etc.” Based off a comic book of the
same name, “Kingsman” emulates and at times parodies previous films of the genre. As such, Colin Firth’s Harry Hart or Galahad fills the role of the deadly, suit-clad secret agent and mentor to Eggsy, while billionaire Valentine (Samuel Jackson) plays the Bond villain. There is a refreshing lack of a definitive Bond girl, but if there was one it would probably be Sophie Cookson’s Roxie, whose skills arguably surpass even the main characters, though a case could be made for Princess Tilde (Hanna Alström). “It’s worth noting that the film’s creators set a rare standard for gender parity with (Sophie Cookson’s) role,” Critic Rick Krisonak said. “She beats the boys at their own game. She doesn’t fall in love. She simply rocks, and undue fuss is not made of the fact.” Valentine is perhaps one of the strongest parts of the film. “He’s like a classic Bond villain except he spouts profanity, favors baseball caps, and thinks Big Macs are
gourmet food,” Peter Raine of the Christian Science Monitor said. “Camping it up, Jackson is hilarious.” Of course a villain is only as good as his scheme, and of which “Kingsman” delivers a plan to solve global warming by committing genocide. This is somewhat ironic, as Valentine can’t bear the sight of blood, which he justifies as his machine has people “kill themselves” by superimposing homicidal rage onto them. Galahad and company does his best to stop him but quickly learns that Valentine’s influence runs deep, as even the Kingsman Leader, Arthur (Michael Caine), falls in his pocket. Like Bond in “Skyfall”, agents in “Kingsman” are mortal, and they take far more than a single bullet. This brings a surprising amount of seriousness to an otherwise light-hearted film. As such, the film has receievd some criticism. “The film struggles to find its tone,” Nathan Lerner of express-
Two exciting free games Review by Matt Hotaling A&E Writer
For gamers living on a budget, freeware games—games whose developers have made them available for free for anyone to download—are always appreciated. Two excellent freeware games available on PC are “Cave Story” and “Iji”. “Cave Story” was originally released in Japanese over 10 years ago as “Dokutsu Monogatari”, by single developer Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya. The game was very wellreceived, and thanks to a team of dedicated fans was translated into English. “Cave Story” is celebrated for its strong sense of design, its well-tuned controls, and surprisingly deep story. “Cave Story” plays like classic games from the original Super Nintendo, most closely inspired by platforming adventure games like “Metroid” and “Castlevania”. The player controls an unnamed robot armed with an arsenal of different weapons, traversing a mysterious floating island. The game has a difficulty that is in line with the retro games it’s inspired by; the game is difficult, but fair. For game that places so much on its focus on tight gameplay, “Cave Story” has deep characters, drama, and even branching endings depending on certain decisions the player makes. It’s story-driven, but there is lots of potential for exploration where a player can find hidden upgrades and extras, and it is likely many players won’t see all the game has to offer on their first play through. “The story, world and gameplay of ‘Cave Story’ are all amazing,” junior Sean Kelleher said. “It’s astounding that it was all done by just one guy in his spare time.” What truly sets “Cave Story” apart from other indie games is its sense of refinement. Everything
about “Cave Story” was carefully designed and executed with excellence. Ayama made the original release in his spare time over the course 5 years, and as a result it feels like nothing was rushed, no shortcuts were taken. In 2011 Ayama teamed up with independent developer Nicalis to create a retail version with enhanced graphics and a re-mastered soundtrack entitled “Cave Story+” which was released to PC, Nintendo Wii, and the Nintendo DS. Not all freeware games have gotten the same notoriety and fame as “Cave Story.” Others which
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It’s astounding that it was all done by just one guy in his spare time. Sean Kelleher
to fight their way through the game with guns blazing or take a pacifist route, the player character and other characters in the game will drastically change their actions. For a game that on the surface looks like a simple 2D shooter “Iji”’s story raises a lot of thematic discussions like the inherent issue in waging a war for peace. The game’s character undergoes a great crucible as she fights to save her world from alien invaders, but after saving her world she is faced with the personal consequences of her actions. “Given that I don’t own any consoles, and don’t typically have money to spend on games, it’s especially great that [they were] made as freeware,” Kelleher said. “Cave Story” is available for free download at www.cavestory.org on PC and other platforms. It may also be purchased digitally on PC, Nintendo Wii, and 3DS. “Iji” available for download at www.remar.se.
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exhibit excellence in design are often overlooked like “Iji” developed by Daniel Remar. “Iji” shares some of its design inspiration with “Cave Story”, but is slower-paced and much more tactical. “It’s basically ‘System Shock 2 in 2D,” Remar said in an interview with PopMatters.com. “iji” contains RPG elements, where the player must choose how the game’s titular character, a young woman who has been enhanced with nanotechnology, must upgrade herself in order to survive. While “Iji” is a linear game, its levels are large and expansive, with many secrets for a player to find and multiple routes to advance. Not only does the player have choices in Photo by Matt Hotaling/The Beacon how they play the game, their “Cave Story” (Top) has vibrant choices will also affect the way SNES-style graphics while “Iji” the game’s story unfolds. De(bottom) relies on solid colors and pending on if a player chooses strong profiles.
milwaukee.com said. “It is debatable whether it pays homage or is an unintentional parody.” Still, a great deal of people have found enjoyment in the film, such as critic Mark R. Leeper. “The story makes little sense but moves fast enough that the viewer hardly notices,”Leeper said. “This film is astonishing and fun. What
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could have come off as a bunch of cheap shots poking fun just add to the class of the production.” “Kingsman: The Secret Service” has already made roughly $70 million in box office ticket sales and is currently playing in local theaters.
Photo from 20th Century Fox
The film is a fun parody of the typical spy thriller.
‘Fan of a Fan’ masterful Review by Matt Aceto A&E Writer
Joint albums are a hard stunt to pull off. It’s no easy task for two artists to be completely on the same page for an entire project, especially when their styles are on opposite sides of the spectrum. On “Fan of a Fan: The Album”, club rapper Tyga collides with radio superstar Chris Brown for a project that is fun at its foundation, and respective of its roots. Over its history, west coast hiphop has changed dramatically. In the early 1990s, Southern California gangster rappers like Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube ruled the game, and when that sound began to fade, San Francisco’s hyphy scene took over. From the album’s get-go, it is evident that Tyga and Brown are heavily influenced by both styles of Golden State hiphop. Tyga, a native of Compton, CA, draws influence from Dr. Dre’s classic single “Forgot About Dre” on “D.G.I.F.U.”, a song that features fiery verses from Brown and Pusha T. Later on the album, Tyga and Brown rip a page out of
DJ Mustard’s book for “B*tches & Marijuana”, a track that would fit perfectly on YG’s criticallyacclaimed album “My Krazy Life”. Though Tyga and Brown attack these already-established concepts with confidence and swagger, their best work comes when they stick to their own formula. As a duo, there may not be a better hit-crafting pair in all of hiphop. On “Ayo”, the album’s first single, Tyga and Brown shine by adhering to what succeeds in today’s industry: a catchy chorus and an infectious beat. Currently gaining speed on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, “Ayo” is the ideal song to blast with your sunroof down this spring. Another highlight is “Remember Me”, where Tyga and Brown rap double-time over the pounding beat. Known primarily as an R&B singer, Brown’s verses are some of the most pleasant surprises on the album. “Fan of a Fan: The Album” is an entertaining body of work that will likely dominate dance floors across the country. Tyga and Brown masterfully conquer the challenges of a joint album.
Photo from 2dopeboyz.com
The album pulls off the difficult feat of a joint album.
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Thursday, February 26, 2015
Sports
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Women’s season comes to an end Trailblazer’s season comes to an end with tough road loss to Salem State By Jake Mendel Sports Writer
Salem State ended MCLA’s season with a 69-64 victory on Saturday. This game was a one game playoff as the winner would advance to the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. Heading into the game the Blazers were 1-10 in conference while Salam State was 2-9. If the Blazers were to win, they would have had made the tournament because of the tiebreakers, as MCLA’s lone conference victory came against Salem State back on January 29 in North Adams. Despite a slow start that involved 16 first half turnovers, MCLA was able to keep it close. They leaned on sophomore Brayleigh Hanlon’s hot start, as she had 11 first half points and took advantage of her free throws as she was 6-6 from the line. If it wasn’t for Viking’s guard Rachael Carter scoring 15 points while shooting 60 percent in the first, the ’Blazers may have had a commanding lead. Kayla Hotaling and Courtney Mclaughlin combined for 14 in the first half on 6-12 shooting for the ’Blazers. With a little under two minutes left in the first half the Blazers were down 25-31 but were able to go on a 6-2 run to end the half as Hanlon scored all six points (all of which came from the free throw line) to cut the Viking’s lead to just two. The ’Blazers started the second
half strong with McLaughlin and Hotaling scoring five straight points, giving MCLA a 36-35 lead (their first lead since the four minute mark in the first half). The game would stay close for the entire second half as neither team had a lead larger than five. After a Hanlon layup with 4:28 left in the game the Blazers had a three point lead. From there on out the Vikings took over as they finished the game on a 10-2 run. The ’Blazers seemed to be out of gas by the end of the game as four of the five starters played the entire second half. The Blazers had five players who played at least 32 minutes (all five starters) while Salam state only had two who played 32 minutes or more. The Vikings were able to take advantage of their bench as they used ten players in total, compared to only six for the ’Blazers. Salem State led MCLA in bench points, 8-2. For the Vikings, Rachael Carter finished the game with 25 points while bringing down 11 rebounds. Carter finishes the season as the leading scorer in MASCAC, averaging better than 19 points per game. Sarah Callahan and Malissa Saad combined for another 24 on 7-20 from the field. Trailblazers forward Kayla Hotaling finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds giving her eight double-doubles on the season. Hanlon lead the team with 23 points, finishing 10-10 from the free throw line as McLaughlin added another 11 in the season finale.
Photo by Isabel McKenzie/The Beacon
Despite a dissapointing season, sophomore guard Brayleigh Hanlon did have something to smile about: she scored 23 points to lead the Trailblazers in their final game of the season.
2022 World Cup continues to raise questions Fair Territory
By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
Ever since soccer’s international governing body, FIFA, announced Qatar as the host for the World Cup in 2022 it has puzzled soccer pundits the world over. Out of the finalists for the bid, Australia, Japan, Qatar, South Korea and the United States, Qatar stuck out like a sore thumb. Qatar was the only nation to never have qualified for a World Cup and be awarded the hosts for the event. In addition, as significantly smaller nation, Qatar lacked the infrastructure to host the event, meaning that they would be forced to complete a radical campaign to build the
facilities necessary for the event. Since then, the event has been met with controversy after controversy and it still has 7 years to go. Qatar winning the bid was a surprise to nearly everyone, so it should come as no wonder that there has been an almost comical amount of allegations concerning the authenticity of the vote by the FIFA Executive Committee. Perhaps the most telling is the allegations heaped at Jack Warner, a former member of the Executive Committee from Trinidad and Tobago. Warner allegedly received $4 million from Qatar in exchange for his vote. Warner denied the allegations, but was suspended from his position. Reacting to his suspension, Warner said that FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke had also told him that Qatar had bought the 2022 World Cup. Allegations of fraudulent voting might end up being the least of FIFA’s problems. The selection of Qatar has also drawn criticism from the LGBT community. Officially, homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, which of course has drawn the ire of various civil rights groups, demanding that FIFA
reconsider its selection. When questioned about the rights of homosexuals who may be traveling or participating in the event, FIFA President Sepp Blatter callously joked, “I would say they should refrain from any sexual activities.” Yeah. The biggest and most visible problem so far has been the weather. The World Cup is traditionally held during the summer, during June and July. In Qatar, which is located in the Middle East, it can reach 122. Recently, it has been suggested that the event could be moved to the cooler, winter time, as it is just going to be too hot to hold the event during its traditional time. Apparently, the geniuses at FIFA couldn’t figure out that it got really hot in the desert during the summer time. Holding the event in the winter time causes a terrible confliction between club and country. A majority of the world’s club teams hold their season during the winter, with international tournaments taking place in the summer. If the World Cup were to take place in the winter, that likely means postponing the club season for at least half a dozen weeks.
Lastly, Qatar has recently come under fire for the slave-like conditions that workers who are constructing the buildings necessary for the World Cup are allegedly working under. According to a report conducted by The Guardian, migrant workers from Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh are working in unsanitary and dangerous conditions, as defined by International Labour Organisation. According to the report, nearly 1,000 workers have already perished in the construction process, with the death toll estimated to rise to nearly 5,000 by 2022. Most of the deaths are attirbuted to exhaustion or accidents. A video report accompanying The Guardian’s story showed men living in labor camps with unsanitary and dilapidated conditions. Workers told The Guardian they were promised high salaries before coming to Qatar and then their contracts were destroyed upon their arrival to Qatar. Some said they hadn’t been paid in months, but the construction companies denied them their worker IDs or passports, rendering them trapped. Workers described having to beg for food
and being beaten. They could try to escape, but if caught without proper papers, they would be arrested. According to the story, Qatar recruits workers from the pooerest areas of other Asian countries, with a majority coming from Nepal. These workers are so desperate for work that they are willing to travel to Qatar, where their passports are allegedly taken away from them, and they are not given them back until their work contract has been fulfilled. The Qatari government as denied these allegations, although they indicated that they are committed to reforming migrant working conditions in time for the World Cup. FIFA has a recent history littered with allegations of indecency, but the decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar is the worst one yet. From the lack of human rights, to the absurdity of realizing 4 years into construction that it might just be too hot in the Middle East, to the allegations of bribery, FIFA has created a dangerous cocktail of impropriety that threatens to derail the world’s largest sporting event.
Sports
Thursday, February 26, 2014
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Men elimanted from MASCAC playoffs
Photo by Isabel McKenzie/The Beacon
Junior guard Paul Maurice finishes the season first on the team in three point field goals made, and third in free throws made.
By Jake Mendel Sports Writer
The Trailblazers lost in the MASCAC quarterfinals at Salam State 78-63 on Tuesday. In a matchup between the fourth and fifth seed, the Vikings leaned on four players who scored in double digits to advance to the next round. They will play Westfield State tonight, with the winner advancing to the finals of the MASCAC Championship, according to the MCLA Athletic’s website. Two free throws by Todd Hunt and a layup by Ruben Delrosario gave the Blazers a quick 4-0 lead three minutes into the game, it was the last lead they would have for the remainder of the game.
The Vikings took a 28-20 lead going into halftime with forward Drew Healy and guard Hamed Akanni combining for 14 points on 7-13 from the field. The 20 point first half by the Blazers was their second lowest point total in a half this season. They just weren’t able to get anything going as they shot 30 percent from the field. At the half, Anthony Barbosa led the team with five off the bench while Delrosario, Isshiah Coleman, and Kenny Suggs each had four points. The second half was a different story as both teams picked up the pace, and both MCLA and Salem State shot above 40 percent. The ’Blazer’s 43 point second half is their fourth highest scoring half
of the year, while their 50 points allowed is also the fourth most they have given up this year. Delrosario finished with 11 on 4-6 shooting to lead the Blazers. Barbosa and Khalil Paul combined for another 19 on 5-17 shooting. Guard Nicholas Grassa and Akanni both scored 13 and combined for 11 rebounds and six assists to lead the Vikings. The game was the last time we will get to watch seniors Ruben DelRosario, Anthony Barbosa, Kenny Suggs, Kraig Page, and Todd Hunt play in MCLA jerseys. MCLA met Salem State earlier in the week on Saturday, in a game that was originally scheduled to take place earlier in the
season, but was postponed due to inclimate weather. The Trailblazers traveled to Salem, where they spoiled a hot first half by allowing 51 points in the second half, as Salem cruised to 88-78 victory. The Trailblazers had a redhot first half, shooting 44 percent from the field, including 6-14 from beyond the arc. Maurice and Paul led the way for the Trailblazers, scoring 11 and 10 points respectively in the first half, as MCLA took a 42-37 lead into the half. Salem State responded boldly in the second half, shooting a sizziling 55 percent from the field in the second half, while holding MCLA to just 31 percent shooting. The Vikings were led by Healy, who was simply dominant for Salem. The Trailblazers simply did not have an answer for the 6’9” Healy in the paint, as he had his way with the MCLA interior throughout the game. Healy finished the game with 16 points, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks and 2 big slam dunks. He was supported by guard Bryan Ortiz, who scored 17 points, 10 of which came from the free throw line. Maurice finished with 23 points and 7 rebounds, while Paul added 18 points and 5 rebounds. The game proved pivotal for Salem State, as the victory secured home court advantage over MCLA for the playoff game on Tuesday. MCLA finishes the season with an overall record of 8-18 and a conference record of 5-8. The Trailbalzers finished 5th in the conference in scoring, averaging 67.2 ppg, but were hampered by a lackluster defense, as the Trailblazers gave up a conferenceworst 74.5 ppg. On the bright side, Delrosario topped all MASCAC players in assists per game, averaging 3.3 apg. Sophomores Dakari Hannah-Wornum and Coleman finished the season second and third in MASCAC in blocks per game. Hannah-Wornum averaged 1.9 bpg in just 14.5 minutes per game, while Coleman averaged 1.5 bpg in 15.9 mpg. While key offensive contributors such as Delrosario and Barbosa are graduating this year, MCLA will likely see the returns of their top three scorers, as Paul, Adam Conquest and Maurice are all set to return next season.
ESPN suspends Olberman for Penn State tweets By Neil Best Newsday KRT Campua
ESPN Tuesday suspended Keith Olbermann from his daily television show for the remainder of the week in the wake a series of harshly worded tweets aimed at the Penn State community Monday night. It began with a post on Twitter that opened with the start of the familiar Penn State chant “We Are!” and tagged @KeithOlber-
mann and pointed to a link about the $13 million raised over the weekend at the school’s annual dance marathon, called THON, to raise money for pediatric cancer research and care. Olbermann responded with “... Pitiful.” Later, he asserted he was not calling the fundraising effort pitiful, but rather calling Penn State that by completing the “We Are” prompt using the word pitiful. “I’d like to thank the students and alums of Penn State for prov-
ing my point about the mediocrity of their education and ethics,” Olbermann eventually posted. Last month, he was sharply critical of the NCAA and Penn State on his ESPN2 show after the resolution of penalties associated with the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Just after ESPN announced the suspension, Olbermann wrote on Twitter, “I apologize for the PSU tweets. I was stupid and childish and way less mature than the students there who did such a great fundraising job.”
ESPN’s statement read, “We are aware of the exchange Keith Olbermann had on Twitter last night regarding Penn State. It was completely inappropriate and does not reflect the views of ESPN. We have discussed it with Keith, who recognizes he was wrong. “ESPN and Keith have agreed that he will not host his show for the remainder of this week and will return on Monday.” Olberman was rehired by ESPN in 2013 after a 16 year absence from the cable giant.
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Scores Men’s Basketball Saturday, February 21 MCLA @ Salem State 88-78 L Tuesday, February 24 MCLA @ Salem State 78-63 L Women’s Basketball Saturday, February 21 MCLA @ Salem State 69-64 L
Standings
Men’s Basketball Team
W-L
Westfield St. Bridgewater St. Fitchburg St. Salem St. MCLA Worcester St. Framingham St.
11-1 10-2 6-6 6-7 5-8 3-9 2-10
Women’s Basketball Team
W-L
Westfield St. Bridgewater St. Framingham St. Worcester St. Fitchburg St. Salem St. MCLA
12-0 8-4 7-5 7-5 4-8 3-9 1-11
Schedules Sunday, March 1 Baseball MCLA vs Lassell College @ Northborough, MA 11:00 am MCLA vs Lassell College @ Northborough, MA 1:00 pm Friday, March 13 Baseball MCLA vs SUNY-IT @ Winter Haven, FL 1:30 pm MCLA vs SUNY-IT @ Winter Haven, FL 4 pm Saturday, March 14 Softball MCLA vs Smith @ Clermont, FL 9 am MCLA vs U. of New England @ Clermont, FL 11 am
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Opinion
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Beacon.MCLA.edu
How do you feel about the new mystudentbody.com survey? “It’s smart and ridiculous because I don’t have enough time to dedicate to the survey.”
“I believe it should have clearer information.” -Jennifer Baptiste 2018
-Imara Renaud-Krutulis, 2017
-Jasmine Garcia, 2016
Mission Statement The Beacon strives to provide timely and accurate news of campus and local events. Editorials Policy Unsigned editorials that appear on these pages reflect the views of The Beacon’s editorial board.
-Josh Reynolds, 2016
Signed columns and commentaries that appear on these pages reflect the views of the writers. Letters Policy The Beacon welcomes Letters to the Editor. Deadline is noon on Mondays for that week’s newspaper.
“The survey is annoying and I don’t have enough time to take it.” -Lauren Tomaszczuk, 2018
“Feel it’s good if it educates people on what assault is and prevention.”
Letters should be kept to 500 words or less and are subject to editing for grammar and content. The Beacon will not publish anonymous or libelous letters.
-Zack Page, 2016
Letters must be signed by the writer and include a phone number. Letters may be dropped off at the office or emailed to Beacon@mcla.edu.
Photos compiled by Osakpolo Igiede Health & Fitness
Bigger than biceps
Manly muscles
By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Managing Editor
They’re ugly and dirty, heavy and loud, and make women look like men. It’s heavy weight lifting. I’m here to debunk the fear of looking like a man when you only want to “tone,” whatever that means. Everyone has muscle and it just takes a little bit of digging to help them come out from hiding. No you don’t have to eat raw eggs and get up at the crack of dawn to run 5 miles, unless you want to. It’s a magical formula including a little bit of knowledge, some proper gym attire, and confidence. That’s the most important factor of all, because unless you have a gym in your basement, you have to have courage to get on the floor and curl some weights. Defining muscles can go two ways, in my opinion: Protein and heavy lifting or a combo with cardio and Plyometrics. Plyometrics occur when the intensity of the forced involuntary eccentric contraction upon landing is greater than the muscles can withstand. Some people want to just build muscle because they hate cardio or because they don’t have a lot of fat to lose, therefore they’ll turn it into muscle by lifting frequently with a regular diet. But to lose fat
and define muscles at the same time, try incorporating body weight Plyometrics movements in addition to performing cardio twice a week and lifting weights. The advantages of defined muscles are increased strength in everything you do. Weighted exercises should mimic common weighted behaviors such as squatting down to pick something up or reaching up high to get something. By strengthening your body now, maintenance will be much easier in the long run. If you’re new to strength training, some simple movements are dumbbell bicep curls, barbell row, shoulder raises or presses, walking lunges holding kettle bells and chest press with Dumbbells. In order to build muscle, set mini goals record how much weight you used each week to track progress. I’ve heard before that people who train get their winter coat and bulk up, and then switch their workouts for the spring to lean down. However it’s done, females should be able to lift weights without because scared or because they’re worried. In the end it’ll build confidence and strengthen your body as a whole to always push forward. Even if lifting weights isn’t your thing, by experimenting with it, you can decide if that’s the case. Some people start there and end up at enjoying yoga or just running instead. You never know until you sweat a little.
The Beacon is published Thursdays during the academic year and is distributed free to the College’s community. The Beacon is funded by the Student Government Association, the English/Communications department, and ad revenues. Single copies are free, additional copies may be purchased at 50 cents each. Contact information: News desk number: 413-662-5535 Business number: 413-662-5404 Email: Beacon@mcla.edu Web site: beacon.mcla.edu Office: Mark Hopkins Hall, room 111
“It’s a good attempt at educating people. Good to see the College starting.”
“I apperciate the school’s effort in trying to ensure the campus is a safe place.”
The Beacon
Art & Politics
Notes on Unknown Places
Alternative film awards
By Shirin Hijab
Arts & Entertainment Editor You may have watched something on Sunday night. There were many things to watch, in many ways better and in many ways worse. You may have been enthusiastic about this event. You may have heard Neil Patrick Harris (NPH) joke about how white this event was. You may have thought that this was funny and inventive. You may have thought that jokes like this change nothing—they only reinforce old oppressions. Did you have your Tumblr open while you watched? What were people saying on Facebook or in the room around you? Is your Twitter conscious to the Oscars? What have you learned about the films and their makers by watching this? If you knew nothing about these films, or didn’t know which ones would be good, do you know now? Where do you get your information about the films you want to watch? From the dictators of taste? From Entertainment Weekly? Have you ever heard of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)? Maybe; maybe not. The awards for this year are set for June. They collect the best movies from the whole continent. It works the same way the Oscars and a lot of other award ceremonies do. It just doesn’t seem to have the pompous air the Oscars
do. And it’s only been doing ceremonies since 2005. It’s a more commercial awards ceremony, instead of being a festival that has awards at the end which seems to be the format of indie and art films in the circuit. All of AMAA’s movies seem interesting; I’d like to watch “B for Boy,” Nigeria’s win for Best Film in an African Language in 2014. Am I a bad person if I watch the Oscars? Not unless I was a bad person before watching them. It’d be lovely to be able to write the Oscars off as meaningless and quote Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) from “Whiplash”: “There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job.’” But I can’t. The Oscars really are a dictator of taste and while they’ve selected some very good movies, they’ve selected a tiny portion of U.S. movies and other movies from around the world. What is this thing about being the best? Would you watch a film that is called bad? Maybe if it’s a Bad Movie Night that you’re hosting. But why is this necessary? Don’t you think that maybe there’s something worthwhile in the bad film that you’re watching? Can we assume that you assume that since the best films have been chosen at the Oscars that there are very few, maybe no other great films from that year? Can you say what your favorite film is and if it’s an Oscar-winner? Ingmar Bergman said that going to film festivals to collect an award was a horrific waste of his time. I wonder how many of the filmmakers and actors at the Oscars felt that way during the ceremony; maybe afterwards, they regretted attending and felt a little bit cheated by the award.
Contributions Policy The Beacon accepts stories, photos, and opinion pieces for publication. Submissions should be dropped off at the office by Monday at noon or emailed to Beacon@mcla.edu. Advertising Policy The Beacon reserves the right not to publish any advertisement it deems to be libelous, false. or in bad taste.
Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief Brittany Gallacher Sports Editor Jesse Collings
Managing Editor Makayla-Courtney
A&E Editor Shirin Hijab
McGeeney Web Editor Osakpolo Igiede
Copy Chief Caitlin O’Neill Photography Editor Agnella Gross Design Editor Meg Gugarty
Senior News Editor Nick Swanson Features Editor Juanita Doss
Staff Staff Writers
Photographers
Gionna Nourse Rominda DeBarros* Harmony Birch* Idalis Foster
Isabel McKenzie Liz Quirk Jay Tocco
Design Team Tyler Bacon Osakpolo Igiede* Kaliegh Hayes Shauna Gilardi Jake Mendel Mitchell Chapman Videographers Matt Aceto Kaleigh Anderson Matt Hotaling Copy Editors Darien Quick Rominda DeBarros Harmony Birch
Advertising
Sam Stuhler Shauna Gilardi*
Cartoonist
Nikki Kratonis Advisers
Jenifer Augur Gillian Jones Jim Niedbalski
*Holds more than one position
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Events & Announcements
Thursday, February 26, 2014
Check it Out!
Upcoming events on campus
Today, Feb. 26 Baked by Beta Marketplace 2-4 p.m. Green Living Seminar Murdock 218 4:15-7 p.m. Recycling Fashion Show Tabling, Marketplace 11 a.m.-2p.m. & 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Beth Piantoni Fitness Classes Dance Complex 5:30-6 p.m. African Night Dance Rehearsal Sullivan Lounge 10 p.m.-12 a.m.
Friday, Feb. 27 SGA Winter Week: French Toast Friday Marketplace 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dominican Independence Day Trivia, Marketplace 12-2:30 p.m. Resume Party Sullivan Lounge 4-6 p.m. Making Connections from the Past to the Present Sullivan Lounge 7-9 p.m.
Alumna to present tonight at Green Living Seminar The Green Living Seminar series will continue on climate change at 5:30 p.m. tonight with a lecture by Lauren Gaherty ’80, a senior planner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC). Gaherty, who is an alumna of the College, will speak on “Municipal Planning to Meet Challenges of Climate Change.” This lecture will be held in the Sammer Dennis Room (218) in Murdock Hall. It is free and open to the public. In the regional planning field for more than 15 years, Gaherty focuses on planning for the natural world. She is the author of the “Massachusetts Buffer Manual,” a statewide guide for lakefront and riverfront property owners, and is working on community bicycle path projects in North Adams and Lee. Over the years, Gaherty has worked with several Berkshire County municipalities on open space and recreation planning. For the BRPC’s “Sustainable Berk-
shires,” a master plan intended to improve the quality of life across the Berkshires, she was the lead developer for the resource and recreation section, as well as a contributing editor to the energy and climate section of this initiative. In addition to her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the College, Gaherty holds a Master of Science degree in resource management and administration from Antioch University New England in Keene, N.H. This spring’s Green Living series focuses on contemporary issues of climate change and features experts speaking on various facets of climate change. Weekly topics include science, energy, carbon foot printing, planning and adaptation. Green Living Seminars will continue on Thursdays through April 30. For more information, visit www.mcla.edu/greenliving or contact Dr. Dan Shustack.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announces a new exhibition, “It’s about Time,” to open on Sunday, March 1, in the PRESS: Letterpress as a Public Art Project Gallery, at 49 Main St. The public is invited to a free opening reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 1, in the PRESS Gallery, when a book based on the exhibition will be released. Refreshments will be served, and a book raffle will take place for $5 a ticket.
This exhibition, “ILSSA, It’s About Time: A Workbook for the Working Person,” will showcase 48 completed workbooks published by the Impractical Labor in Service of the Speculative Arts (ILSSA). ILSSA is an organization for makers who use obsolete technology in conceptual or experimental ways. This socially engaged art project, which consists of a union and a research institute, was founded in 2008 by Bridget Elmer and Emily K. Larned.
SPIRES Literary
SAC Barn Babies Church Street Social Hall 8-10 p.m.
Arts Magazine
Sunday, Feb. 29
Good Vibes Yoga 8-10 p.m.
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“It’s about Time” exhibit to open March 1 at the PRESS Gallery
Saturday, Feb. 28
African Night Dance Rehearsal Sullivan Lounge 7-10 p.m.
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Submit to Mclaspires@gmail.com or Spires.mcla.edu
Submission Deadline is February 27th We Accept Prose Poetry Art/Photography
Questions? Contact Avery Woodbury on Office 365
Training Classes for March and April
For this exhibition, workbooks containing the responses to questions about the concept of time, provided by 48 ILSSA members, will hang on the wall much like paintings. Visitors can take each of the workbooks down to read them, or sit down to go through the responses before clipping each book back up on the wall, explained Melanie Mowinski, an ILSSA member and PRESS Gallery founder.
Keep us updated on club events! We want to cover you!
Email your press release and information on Office 365 to beacon@mcla.edu, or message us on Facebook.
World’s greatest street dancer.
Now Hiring: Relay Operators No Experience Necessary - will receive 3 weeks paid training Relay text and voice telephone calls to and from individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking. Preference for excellent typing, speaking, spelling and reading skills, and High School Diploma or GED is required. Hamilton offers a competitive wage, incentives and bonuses Part time Shifts include a Weekend rotation Apply Online at www.workforhamilton.com
Dance Performance
STORYBOARD P AND THE WARRIORZ Saturday, February 28, 8pm Club B-10 / $5 member / $8 student / $12 advance /$18 day of / $24 preferred
Tickets: massmoca.org / 413.662.2111 87 Marshall Street, North Adams, Mass.
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Thursday, february 19, 2015
Photo Essay
Reindeer sulpture in progress downtown North Adams for Winterfest!
Michelle Daly sculpts her “abstract icicle� outside of Gallery 51.
Little girl observes the funky blue octopus sculpture downtown North Adams.
Beacon.MCLA.edu
W I N T E R F E S T
Photos by Liz Quirk
Chowder tasting during Winterfest on Saturday.
North Adams Commons present their chowder station during the Chowder Tasting down town on Saturday.