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Volume 81 ◆ Issue 3
Th u r s d ay, O c t o b e r 1 , 2 0 1 5
New clubs struggle for approval from SGA
Volleyball beat Anna Maria College on Tuesday for their 12th straight win. Read page 8 for the story.
By Idalis Foster
Senior News Editor
Photo by Tiearra Henson/The Beacon
Senior Angelica Perfido goes up for a spike against Baypath University last weekend.
Holbrook wishes to enhance student experience and embrace campus size By Harmony Birch Managing Editor
Catherine Holbrook, vice president of student affairs, wants to work in a small community with a focus on the Liberal Arts. She believes her job is to enhance the students’ experience and figure out what is important to them. Since taking up her post in July, Holbrook has been busy immersing herself in the MCLA community. Holbrook has worked 23 years in Massachusetts Public Higher Education as the former associate vice president of student affairs at Bridgewater State University. Since coming to MCLA, she has been trying to figure out the specific circumstances of its student community. “Each institution has its own culture,” Holbrook said. She meets regularly with SGA President Alexandra Kadell and Student Trustee Nicholas Hernigle. Every week, she shares a meal where randomly chosen students are invited. “No one has come in saying ‘I’m really concerned about this or that,’” Holbrook said. “Everyone’s been highly positive about their experiences.” What’s special about MCLA,
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according to Holbrook, is it’s a warm and welcoming community. “I felt it the first day I drove on campus, parked, and got out of the car,” she said. Director of Student Accounts, Jennifer Macksey, greeted Holbrook right away as Cathy, rather than “Ms. Holbrook.” “It’s nice and personal,” Holbrook said. “People care and that’s important.” Her pet peeves are rudeness and lack of kindness. “It’s very easy to be kind to people, in my experience,” she said. A particular example of MCLA’s kindness could be seen in the student, staff, and faculty responses to the Berkshire Tower (BT) evacuations last weekend. “There’s no way you can look at what happened in the Berkshire Tower Evacuations and not have a positive memory,” Holbrook said. Though she has only been here a short period of time, Holbrook has noticed spots the College needs improving upon. During the BT evacuation she acknowledged that communication could have been stressful for students and families. “Families expected information,” Holbrook said. She added that new information was not being conveyed to
Six clubs were approved last semester by SGA, but their approval only goes so far. Sociology Society and African Student Association had to prove themselves last semester as being their own separate entities from other clubs, and now they have to prove themselves able to function without a budget. With the new activation of a club, a budget is not issued by SGA in order to give the club a chance to demonstrate its need for financial assistance, as well as its survival rate on campus. Sociology Society, a club for students looking to discuss sociology as it relates to every part of life, has looked into bringing club members to conferences for sociologists and inviting guest speakers to campus to present on their findings. However, since they are only receiving funds from the Sociology Department right now, they are unable to do as much as they’d hoped. “It’s been difficult because we want to promote our club, but it’s hard,” Paul Groff, president of Sociology Society, said. “The department is very supportive of the club but they haven’t given us a set amount because they have
students and family consistently throughout the evacuation, partly because there was no new information to include. “A lot of energy and resources have gone into beefing up communication,” she said. “That’s one aspect of safety.” Among the projects, she said the “Information Technology (IT) folks” are working on improving the Internet infrastructure and technology to get better cellphone signals and updated web pages, along with the Rave system for emergency situations and further training for the College’s emergency task force. Holbrook is on the board for the emergency task forces. Their job is to determine response protocols for hypothetical emergency situations. While Holbrook said there was no plan that had predicted the BT incident, the task force and staff drew from other response plans, like what to do in the case of a chemical spill. One of the improvements Holbrook is working on is increased lighting on campus. On Wednesday, she will be attending a campus safety walk along with Charles Kimberling, director of Facilities, and a group of students chosen by Kadell, to determine where more lighting is needed.
During a change in leadership, one might say an organization could fall apart, but Interim President James Clemmer came forth with his six-week report declaring, “Things work very well here.” “I’m here to lead and push the tide,” Clemmer said, acknowledging the current state of the College at an open discussion for the faculty and staff on Tuesday. “We do know what’s going on during this time of leadership.” “How can we use the resources we have and prioritize?” he said. “We can’t keep waiting for the day to get resources. We have to find a way to do what we want with existing resources, and maybe that means saying no to certain things.” Two of Clemmer’s priorities
Arts & Entertainment
Sports
Cheer Squad and Film Club revived
Gallery 51 exhibits video art
Volleyball stands at 2-0 in the MASCAC
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Page 8
News
other expenses.” Groff mentioned that he and the club’s vice president, senior Jenna O’Connor, have put up their own money to get food and snacks for the ice cream social and meetings. They hope to get a big enough budget next year to be able to send members to conferences like the Eastern Sociological Society’s Annual Conference. They have both gone to these events on their own in the past and benefitted from them greatly. “You get such great feedback from people who have pursued a degree and get to go to workshops,” O’Connor said. “It’s just overwhelmingly awesome.” Despite the lack of budget, the club has big plans for this year, including inviting guest speakers through the departments of social work, anthropology, and sociology. They also hope to hold a Columbus Day discussion in conjunction with other clubs and host a Horror Movie Event on Halloween to analyze the sociological concepts behind horror movies. The African Student Organization has had to get along without a budget for a couple of years now, as they have had their African Night event two years in NEW CLUBS continued on page 3
Clemmer’s agenda: Increase retention and enrollment rates By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Co-Editor-in-Chief
are increasing enrollment and retention rates. Admissions is addressing them by researching why accepted students choose to go elsewhere. Students do so because they consider the College’s quality of programs, the conditions of buildings, and the ability to get a job postgraduation, Denise Richardello, executive vice president said. Less than 40 percent of students will graduate in four years at the College. Seventy-seven percent of May 2015 graduates finished within four years, (up 2 percent from the previous year) however, that includes transfers and nontraditional students. For fall 2014, the retention rate was at what Clemmer considered too low, 75 percent. In five years the College should be at 82 percent, he added. “There are larger drops every year and students usually drop within their third or fourth INTERIM OPEN DISCUSSION continued on page 3
News Features Arts & Entertainment Sports Campus Comment Local Events Photo Essay
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2 Police Logs
Campus News
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Architecture firm hired to change townhouses and additonal new furniture. In Hoosac Hall heating is now regulated by individual floors, rather than the entire building. In the townhouses a number of renovations were made, including the replacement of toilets in twelve apartments and repainting steps.
Week of 9/20-9/26 By Harmony Birch
Public Safety responded to 155 total calls Sunday, September 20
◆ 1:57 p.m. – Public Safety
found property near Berkshire Towers. A report was completed. Lost and found is located in the Campus Police office at 277 Ashland Street.
Monday, September 21
◆ 2:12 p.m. – Public Safety
responded to a larceny/forgery/fraud incident. Services were provided and a report was completed.
Tuesday, September 22
◆ 10:55 p.m. – Public Safety
responded to a call regarding suspicious activity. The individual was given a warning.
Wednesday, September 23
◆ 8:08 p.m. – Public Safety
responded to a call regarding an individual being harassed. A harassment report was completed.
◆ 10:36 p.m. – Public Safety responded to a medical call in Venable Hall. The individual was transported to the hospital.
Managing Editor
responded to a call regarding a possible drug offense in Venable Hall. The building was checked and no further report was needed.
◆ 10:16 p.m. – Public safety responded to a call regarding malicious destruction of college property. A report was completed totaling the damages under $250. Friday, September 25
◆ 3:00 p.m. – Public Safety responded to a safety hazard call in the Amsler Campus Center. The officer removed the hazard from the premises.
Press Gallery club space SGA is looking into leasing out the previous storefront that housed Press Gallery to operate as a space for clubs on campus. “A lot of clubs on campus have been complaining that they don’t have a space to perform,” SGA president Alexandra Kadell said. “It’s a great opportunity to get clubs out in to the community.” The space would be monitored by interns and booked like any other campus space. Senator’s at large Tim Williams and Mackenzie McCarthy expressed concern about how the space would be monitored by Public Safety officers and it’s convenience to students. Clubs
would be able to rent vans or carpool. According to Kadell, the space would be on Public Safety’s route. “We own it [the space]. If we lose it, we lose it to the community,” Kadell said. She emphasized that it was the most affordable option for space that they have looked at, and since the money is coming out of SGA’s operating budget, it would not impact club budgets.
Diane Manning, director of residential programs and services, Alumni Connections announced that MCLA has SGA president Kadell and hired a architectural firm to help coordinating vice president redesign the townhouses. Kelsey McGonigle attended The redesign is intended to an alumni board meeting last work with the original townhouse weekend. footprint. One of the ideas being “They need more young alum considered is to create connected particpatation,” Kadell said. The residents halls and to increase alumni board plans to target security, according to Manning. undergraduates early, as soon as The opportunity could provide they are freshmen. One of the students with more singles. The ways they successfully engaged addition would include a central with undergraduates in the past building that connects B Block is by selling graduation chords. to C Block, which would have a They will continue to sell chords required security check point like this year. the other residents areas. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing If students were good at being in charge of their own security,” Manning said. Manning noted that the project would require a lot of funds, and would likely not be started during current undergraduate careers. Over the summer, RPS renovated the student lounges in Berkshire Towers, which involved the installation Photo from the Beacon archive of fire sprinklers The Flagg Townhouses were first constructed in the 1970s.
Corrections: •
•
•
In issue 1, the SGA article stated that Gale Candaras would attend the MASSPIRG kick-off meeting. It should have read Gailanne Cariddi. In issue 2, the MASSPIRG article about Subway using antibiotics read a quote from Mitchell Chapman that read “70% of animals are given antibiotics.” It should have read“70% of antibiotics in the US are given to livestock to fatten them up.” Another quote stated “...died from consuming animals that have been fed antibiotics.” It should have read “Twenty-three thousand people have died from antibiotics resistant infections last year. Many of these cases can be connected to overuse on farms.” Lastly, the sidebar incorrectly stated “twentythree hundred,” and should have stated “twenty-three thousand.” In issue 2, the financial aid announcement was incorrectly worded. It should have read: First time borrowers must complete the online entrance counseling and the master promissory note (MPN) at www. studentloans.gov. Check with the financial aid office in Eldridge Hall to make sure your requirements are complete. Free scholarship search fastweb.com
Vote in upcoming SGA elections
Thursday, September 24
◆ 8:53 p.m. – Public Safety
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Vote for the next: Senate at Large (2) Greek Seat Commuter Seat Resident Seat
Class of 2016 - 2 Representatives Class of 2017 - 1 Representative Class of 2019 - 2 Representatives
SGA final elections are on Oct. 7 and Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
2017 Class Counil – Treasurer 2018 Class Council – Treasurer 2019 Class Council – President/ Vice President/Secretary/Treasurer
The voting table is located in the Market Place of the Amsler Campus Center.
Weekend Weather Thursday, October 1
Friday, October 2
Saturday, October 3
Sunday, October 4
Mostly Cloudy High: 59° Low: 44° Precip. Chance: 20%
Mostly Cloudy High: 54° Low: 44° Precip. Chance: 20%
Steady Rain High: 60° Low: 50° Precip. Chance:90%
Partial Rain High: 62° Low: 47° Precip. Chance: 50%
Saturday, September 26
◆ 12:33 a.m. – Public Safety responded to a disturbance call near the Flagg Townhouses. The call was investigated and no further report was needed.
Campus News
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Beacon.MCLA.edu
3
Castro: take time Cheer and Film club reactivated to mentor students Film club reestablished after one year without a budget By Joseph Carew Staff Writer
The importance of mentorship, undergraduate research, and encouraging students were among the topics discussed by Dr. Ingrid Castro in her Brown Bag Lecture on Friday in Bowman Hall, where she emphasized the importance of graduate work and the benefits to be had from it. To an audience of faculty and students, Castro opened with her beginnings in higher academia at a large university and focused on her lack of mentorship at the undergraduate level. While in grad school, Castro found her first experience being mentored by someone in her discipline of sociology. A fellowship around the same time brought about more experience working with professors and
experts in her field. Castro expressed her love of teaching but said that mentoring is, in some ways “even better for me.” Speaking to the professors in the room, Castro mentioned how difficult it is to take the time to mentor students. “It’s actually not easy for us to do that,” Castro said. “[But] if we make time, it really does pay off in the end for both of us.” Ingrid Castro Ph. D., studied at the University of Delaware and Northeastern University, earning both her master’s degree and doctorate at the latter. The Brown Bag Lecture series takes place on Fridays at 3 pm in Bowman 121 and will continue on October 16th with Dr. Anthony Gengarelly continuing his lecture known as Southwest Journey.
CLEMMER AGENDA continued from page 1 semester,” Monica Joslin, dean of academic affairs said. “Each student is engaged on campus at a different level.” Clemmer said that athletes have a higher retention rate possibly due to their level of engagement. This also goes for clubs, study abroad and Center for Service opportunities. “The times are changing and people don’t want to live far away from their parents anymore,” Richardello said. “Fifty percent stay within 25 miles of home. If we go out [recruit] 100 miles, the population isn’t there. Richardello added that simple
things can be done to campus to be more marketable to prospective students. Flowers can be planted along with applying fresh coats of paint. The new web page design, (featuring stories of graduates, undergraduates and staff accomplishments) helps as well. “We have to move the pot around to fund things properly. Use our resources instead of stretching too far to apply too many Band-Aids,” Clemmer said. “There will be decisiveness and creative upbringing. We need to sell our message by the people who leave here; let students speak for themselves.”
NEW CLUBS continued from page 1
October as their first official club event, but their main focus is making African Night just as successful as in the past. She emphasized that the club knows its resources well and has been able to succeed without a budget through the help of other clubs and departments. “We’re trying our best to show them we are a club that won’t be going away any time soon,” Forson said. “We’ve spoken to people who are interested in becoming an e-board member; I want to make sure the club stays strong after I leave.” Both African Student Alliance and Sociology Society meet Thursdays at 8pm, ASA in Campus Center Room 324A and SS in Bowman Hall Room 103.
a row under the Black Student Union. It was with the first African Night that the president of the club, junior Bridget Forson, recognized the need for students of African background to have a separate club in order to share their culture with the campus. “After the first Africa Night, alumna Marie Anojo and I talked about how we didn’t have a club that represented the African part of the student body,” Forson said. “We only talked about black people in America, but we wanted to focus on African culture not being the typical stereotype people see on television.” According to Forson, the club is hoping to have a potluck in
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Senior News Editor Cheerleading Squad and Film Club both existed before on campus, but not the way they do this year. Cheerleading Squad was formerly known as Cheer Club, which became inactive a couple of years ago until senior Kenya Joseph reactivated the club last semester. “Last year, we talked over the idea of re-opening the club because we just felt like MCLA was lacking a little bit of school spirit at games and other functions,” junior Sasha Bain, vice president of Cheerleading Squad, said. “We just believed that cheer club would be the perfect [opportunity] to bring that liveliness back into MCLA.” The club held its informational meeting last semester, during which all the rules and requirements were explained, including mandatory study halls and a high emphasis on attendance at practices. As with any reactivation of a
club, it is technically considered new by the Student Government Association (SGA), meaning they do not receive a budget for the first year they are reactivated. However, Bain said they plan on raising funds for the club regardless, to afford the equipment and uniforms they need. “We are currently planning for a car wash fundraiser within the next two or three weekends,” Bain said. “We are hoping that this will give us the kick start we need to get this club off the ground and running smoothly.” Film Club, on the other hand, is not as worried about their finances in terms of the budget rule regarding new clubs. According to club president, sophomore Mitchell Chapman, they don’t currently need a budget, although it would aid their growth next year. “In the future we could help people pay for the movies, and there is a film festival in Williamstown we would like to go to,” Chapman said.
He mentioned that the current Film Club is considerably different from the former one in that it used to be a film production club. Its current purpose is to get students to discuss a film they have all seen that week. Chapman worked on this idea last year, a difficult process because he did not have much assistance at the time. “Right now they’re good about giving constitutions and the steps for it, but with me they didn’t really do that,” Chapman said. “But second semester they gave me an intern to help through the process.” Chapman is optimistic for the club based on interest shown by students last semester, including 20 members for just their first meeting, and the “core of very good e-board members this year.” The club is looking forward to the possibilities of collaborations and their treasurer has already reached out to the Women’s Center to co-sponsor a film series.
Freel’s services extended to community Learning programs run out of Freel’s basement reaches more than just students on campus By Torin Gannon Staff Writer
Even those who enter the Freel Library on a daily basis realize that it’s not just for the benefit of students. The basement of the library is currently home to the Northern Berkshire Adult Education Program. The program offers free secondary education courses for residents of Berkshire County. These courses are primarily intended for people who have either dropped out of school or have been away from it for some time. Photo from Panoramio.com/Kevin Bean “We have students that range in age from 16 to 60,” Program Freel Library’s basement is home to several programs benfitting students and community members. Advisor Bob Bouquet said. Bouquet’s duties are similar Education Diploma, or the GED. employment opportunities for to that of a student advisor. He “It’s a way for the student who North Adams residents who meet also coordinates the technology left high school for any number certain qualifications. program, the distance learning of reasons to continue their On why he enjoys working for program, and he teaches a college education in an environment that this program, Bouquet said it is and career readiness course. isn’t the traditional classroom great, “working with students “I have multiple hats within setting,” Bouquet said. “For a lot who maybe didn’t think they the program, that keep me very of individuals that come through involved,” Bouquet said. our program, the traditional could go to college or understand Bouquet has been a member of school environment just didn’t math, and it’s hearing the students the MCLA family for quite some work, so this is a way for them when they get that math problem time, having worked with the to work on their skills in a semi- they’ve struggled with for a week. program for 18 years, and before [It’s when] they understand how structured way.” that working in the Center for The program is also catering to to do that, and seeing the little Student Success and Engagement. those who as adults are thinking steps they take and the small (CSSE). The program receives its of changing careers, or perhaps successes they make toward funding from the Department going to college for the first time achieving their goals.” The program has been affiliated of Elementary and Secondary and need some preparation. The Program also recently with the school for about 25-30 Education and is designed to provide HiSET preparation. The received a grant from the years, by Bouquet’s estimation. It HiSET is the current high school city of North Adams to offer provides services to about 100equivalency credential, once career training programs and 110 students annually. commonly known as the General
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Campus News
Thursday, October 1, 2015
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Senior uses snowboarding as spring semester stress-relief By Nick Tardive Features Writer
Everybody needs a method of escape. Whether it be knitting, painting, or in this case, snowboarding, people need a means of clearing their mind of the daily stresses of life. Physics major Cody Gawle ‘16 knows quite a bit about stress. So he takes to the slopes and lets his mind float like his body does when gracefully gliding in the air from a ramp built into the
mountainside. “You escape reality,” Gawle says, gazing off toward the Campus Center from his position on the bench right outside the Freel Library. “The only thing that matters is you, the board, and the view.” “I wonder what would maximize how much I spin [when taking a jump],” Gawle suggests, reaching for his answer like he would reach for his board if performing a grab trick. Physics majors have quite
Photo by Liz Quirk/The Beacon
Senior Cody Gawle reflects on ways snowboarding reduces his stress levels during the semester.
a bit to think about. It is only reasonable for somebody such as Gawle, a senior hoping to graduate by the end of the Spring ’16 semester, to look for a way to forget about the intricacies of his major and all the implications of it. Gawle has been snowboarding since he was fourteen. Around eight years of his life have been dedicated to this very unique art, which helps define who he is as a person. Not only has it aided in his escape from the reality of physics, but it has helped create and supplement friendships as well. Friends since freshman year, Gawle and Ian Angell have spent countless hours together, between intense library crusades and laid back adventures on the slopes. Angell credits Gawle with kick-starting his tapered-out affection for snowboarding. He also admits that Gawle is his superior in the sport. “He’s nasty,” Angell says with a chuckle, sitting on the same bench Gawle had just vacated, “He’s one of the most motivated people I know. He’s constantly pushing himself to do better, to keep learning.” Gawle swiftly moves from his seat on the bench, almost daydreaming about his sport of choice, to return to his physics books and homework with the same motivation that drives him when snowboarding. “He’ll spend seven hours just binging in the library, studying,” Angell remarks, as if stunned by the dedication it takes to do so,
Photo from Facebook
Senior Cody Gawle performs a snowboard trick on a railing in the winter. “Sometimes it feels like we don’t see him for days at a time.” Physics is, by no stretch of the imagination, a difficult subject to grasp. Despite Gawle’s initial inability to think of much connecting his major to his time on the slopes, he does admit that occasionally connecting the sport to certain concepts being
New presidential search firm meets with students The College hired Korn-Ferry to locate a fresh set of cadidates to potentially lead the institution By Nick Swanson Co-Editor-in-Chief
Students expressed their desire to appoint a new college president who is community oriented, personally enthused by the campus, and stresses the importance of safety. When Korn-Ferry (KF) search firm sent Senior Client Partner David Mead-Fox to speak with students last Thursday in Murdock Hall, he asked what issues they are hoping to see the new MCLA president address. “Safety on campus has been really important lately because of attacks around and on campus.” Senior Alexandra Kadell said. “It would be nice having a president willing to say you’re safe in this community even though this (attack) happened. This (action) will be done to ensure your safety even though it might be a unique situation.” Mead-Fox said the new president might have a form of
action towards safety in their current position, but that plan might not be best for MCLA. The candidate might be a good role model or president elsewhere, but that doesn’t exactly mean they will be a good MCLA president, he continued. “I think it would be really great for the president to have new ideas for the benefit of the community, as in, how the city (North Adams) can make MCLA better and how MCLA can make the city better,” Sophomore Casey-Martha Messina said. “I want them to want to be here because it’s important to have the new president live near campus and in this community,” Mead-Fox said. It has always been a negative indication when a candidate is visiting campus and they say ‘I suppose I could see myself living here,’ he added. Junior Colby Harvish said it would be essential for the next president to treat us all equally and speak to us in a person to
person manor instead of student to (MCLA) president. Similar to the first search for the twelfth MCLA president, all potential final candidates will visit and speak with the college community. Kadell asked if candidates will research MCLA and be prepared to answer specific questions regarding the college when they visit campus. Mead-Fox said it’s ultimately the candidate’s choice whether or not to research in order to learn more about the college, but if they are aware of specific situations that are happening, then they will have that knowledge to comment on. He said some qualities being sought in potential candidates are someone who is well-statured or a scholarly figure, a person who connects well with groups and clubs on campus, has high credibility from working closely with faculty, and has much experience in higher education. “We will create a list of about 100 prospective candidates, but that
number will be quickly reduced down to about 12 more serious candidates,” he added. He said one goal of the search firm is to find a candidate who will help students become an adult learner. If this is possible, then more individuals will be well-prepared to go into the real world. Mead-Fox said the next college president is predicted to start the presidential role in the spring due to the reality that many people in higher education cannot leave their current job in the middle of an academic year because of prior responsibilities. He said another meeting will be held mid-October with the search committee to collect more information. However, initial preparations for the search began last summer. The candidates will most likely be a department Chairmen or Provost, according to Mead-Fox.
introduced in physics class can help him grasp the material. “It’s the concepts that are intertwined, not so much the equations or any of that,” Gawle says, still looking off at the Campus Center, as if envisioning it to be a trail he could be boarding down.
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Features
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5
BT evacuation brings hardships to students Students share thoughts on the BT evacuation, which left over 250 students displaced for nearly three days
Mart,” Nolan DeLeone ’19 shared. Others asked their family for help because they didn’t have any money on them at the time. “I took Features Editor what I could get from what they offered. I bought myself personal hygiene items and a charger,” It was only the second week Andrea Martin ‘16 said. of classes at MCLA. Freshman The evacuation was also a major disruption students were getting used to the flow of classes, affecting curriculum for to “college life,” settling in professors and homework assignments for and unpacking their last few students, especially for those who didn’t normally belongings. It was a typical early keep up with their classes. September night at MCLA. “I am always someone that has trouble staying On Sept. 19 around 5 p.m. on top of things, so getting knocked back 4 days a strange smell was reported of homework didn’t help,” Delisle said. “I need to from students on the fifth floor stay on top of things as they come for me to be of Tower A. Soon after, all of the able to do them at all, so it’s been really hard for residents in the towers were told me.” to go to the main lobby and were Some students were so unprepared that they felt then evacuated for what many there was no point in going to classes, while others assumed was a fire drill. attended their classes feeling completely lost. Residents quickly learned re“I rolled into class Monday without a pen, paper, entry to their rooms was not or shoes. They should have cancelled classes, it allowed until further notice, at was just too much,” Delisle said. “I started to fall which point the college offered behind in class for a few days because I did not alternative locations for those have any of my notes and couldn’t review anything who didn’t know someone willing to accommodate them. Photo by Mitchell Chapman/The Beacon that we had [previously] talked about in class.” Finding somewhere to stay Berkshire Towers residents were evacuated to Venable Gym and fed Pizza from Pizza “I was lost all day Monday in classes,” Robinson said. Robinson’s friend even lost their job due to on the first night was a main Works as emergency personnel examined the towers. unpreparedness, which led to her calling out for concern for students. “I went to friend’s townhouse, or in Hoosac Hall. “I was lucky enough two days. “One of my suitemates couldn’t get Williams Inn with my friends the first night, and then I went home the second night,” Tower to stay with my friends in a townhouse, they let me shower anything she needed for her job. She had to call out twice there and offered me food,” Paige Brosofsky ‘17 said. which affected her because her boss ended up firing her A resident Nikki Tanzi said. “For showers, I had access to the townhouse shower on and it wasn’t her fault.” “I was in Venable gym for the first night after I was Generally speaking, most students were pleased with brought back from the hospital, and then I stayed in the second night,” Tower B resident McKenzie Robinson said.Resident Advisors (RA’s) and others made multiple how the school handled the situation, with some minor Hoosac Hall for two nights,” Ericka Delisle ‘19 said. The evacuation lasted a total of three nights for Tower trips to the local Wal-Mart to accommodate students with complaints and at least one major complaint. “[The A students and two nights for those living in Tower B. clothing and toiletries. “For clothes, we went shopping to College] was giving away all sorts of free stuff, they made the best of a bad situation,” Resendes said. Some stayed at the gym for the first night, and found other get clean underwear, shirts, and sweats,” she continued. While the College did everything it could to help students places to stay for subsequent nights, while others stayed during such a chaotic time, there were a few that felt more at hotels, townhouses, or with friends on or off campus. I rolled into class Monday without a could have been done. Twenty-seven students were sent to the hospital due to pen, paper, or shoes. They should have “I just wish there was better communication about what physical symptoms such as throat irritation, but they were cancelled classes, it was just too much. was going on,” Delisle said. “I felt like we were kept in the all evaluated and came back to campus the same night. Ericka Delisle’19 dark, and the school was telling us to check our email, but Personal hygiene issues and no access to their belongings people didn’t have phones or phone chargers.” proved to be extremely disruptive for many. Students Some students had no choice but to buy things on their “It wasn’t a preventable event, but it could have been were without items such as toothbrushes, floss, towels, own, or rely on friends and family to help them. “I had to handled better,” DeLeone said. deodorant, and their own clothes for a least one night. “The first day I bathed in the river,” Sam Resendes ’19 go to Wal-Mart and spent $200 there because I didn’t know This story was compiled by Gionna Nourse and if I was going to have a place to stay or not,” Tanzi said. said. “I didn’t shower for like a day and a half,” Tanzi said. “The first day back, I had to purchase clothing at Wal- students from the Writing and Reporting the Other students were luckier, and were able to shower at a
By Gionna Nourse
News II class.
Oh Crepe! offers local food, study space By Gionna Nourse Features Editor
Located at 57 Main Street in North Adams, Oh Crepe! is connected to a 15 thousand square foot antique store, which “adds a whole other level of coolness,” according to co-owner Ben Lamb, an ’07 MCLA graduate in business. Complete with almost exclusively up-cycled décor, Oh Crepe brings what Lamb affectionately calls a “hipster chic DIY” vibe to those who enter. Some of the up-cycled material includes roofing slates for menus, old pallet wood for the front of the service bar, locally harvested trees for the counters and tables and mason jars for the lights “The day doors opened we wanted it to feel like we had been there forever, so including all of these upcycled elements contributed to bringing the history and warmth of North Adams into our shop,” he said. Lamb’s inspiration for the café stems from a visit he and co-owner Emily Schiavoni, who earned her master’s from MCLA in 2013, made to “an awesome little crepe shop” in Martha’s Vineyard. “We fell in love with the decor and feel and thought it would be an amazing fit in a small blossoming arts environment like we have here in North Adams,” he said. “When I was a student, I would have LOVED something like this to have been in town. We want to be a place where students can come and do work as well as engage with downtown more.” Lamb and Schiavoni would also love to partner with students that want to hold events and such at a downtown location. Oh Crepe!’s mission is to bring “new, fun, delicious locally
sourced food options to the downtown area that people can eat in or take with them to see the beauty of the Berkshires.” “For me personally, offering local food to locals is key,” Lamb said. “We see this as a big social investment in downtown. This is and can be a community that we can live, work and play in, and Oh Crepe! aims to make that as obvious as possible to locals and visitors alike.” Offerings include a variety of sweet and savory crepes, as well as artisan coffee, tea and baked goods. Oh Crepe! is passionate about serving locally sourced, fresh ingredients at a relatively affordable price. “A crepe and a coffee or bottled drink would run about $11 after tax, and you will walk away full and caffeinated,” Lamb said. They are also looking at offering smaller Photo by Isabel McKenzie/The Beacon plates in the near future that may be a good Patrons observe the unique location of Oh Crepe! in downtown fit for the typical college student’s budget. North Adams. “Crepes are great!” Lamb said. “They are delicious and they can be filled with With their grand opening on April 30, the café has done basically anything. They’re a fun, walking friendly food quite a bit of business over the summer. “[Business was] that people can take and go with, and they offer limitless good, about what we expected,” Lamb said. “It is super numbers of puns for our social media,” he added. unpredictable, but it’s fun because we are able to try new While their menu is mostly consistent, it certainly changes things, see what works, meet lots of awesome people, and with the season due to availability of local ingredients. get our feet wet. We are always looking for feedback and One unique feature they offer is their “Crepe of the Month potential customers, so if there is something you would Competition,” which is run on Facebook. “Folks can pitch like to see, tell us!” ideas, we pick the top three, and Facebook votes to select For more information on Oh Crepe!, please visit: www. the winner. Some of our best sellers have been from the ohcrepecafe.com or facebook.com/OhCrepeCafe Crepe of the Month competition!” Lamb said.
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Thursday, October 1, 2015
Arts & Entertainment
Beacon.MCLA.edu
60th Annual Fall Foliage Para By Mitchell Chapman A&E Editor The Mohawk Trail turns 101 years old in conjunction with the 60th Annual Fall Foliage Parade and, as usual, MCLA students are taking action. They have the chance to earn community service hours by participating in events leading up to the parade. “I would like to emphasize [how] MCLA participates in the spirit of community building,” Spencer Moser, coordinator for the Center for Service and Citizenship, said. “We are an important institution in this region, and part of that is engaging in community events.” Moser added that on average, students who participate in the parade will earn 4-5 hours of community service. “This is a great opportunity to represent the college,” Moser said. “Students will have a great understanding of the city, its values, and what makes it what it is.” Some of these opportunities include serving on committees and participating in festival events such as the Fall Foliage Dance, the Craft Fair, and the fifth annual Dog Parade. Students can also get involved through the cheerleading club and the men’s basketball team, as well as other units who are looking for
banner carriers. The official marching unit is being facilitated by the Center for Service and Citizenship. Last year, 68 groups joined the parade, which was a vast improvement from the 46 that participated in 2013. This year, 11 new groups signed up, bringing in a grand total of 79 unique organizations participating in the event. A typical Fall Foliage Parade has over a thousand participants scattered across the town, either standing or relaxing in fold-up chairs, enjoying the parade from the side of the road. “This is
the largest event of the year,” Danielle Thomas, coordinator of events and programs for Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, said. “This is a great way for the community to get together. MCLA students are more than welcome to march in the parade, though we have other great ways to get involved,
too.” The Sunday event will follow its traditional route: starting near Ocean State Job Lot’s North Adams location and ending on Ashland St, starting “promptly” at 1p.m. For more information, contact Christopher Hantman on Office 365. Students interested in participating in the MCLA unit should contact Spencer Moser, who coordinates the parade. Those interested in holding parade banners or getting involved in events as part of the Fall Foliage should contact Danielle Thomas at dthomas@1berkshire.com or at 413-449-4000 extension 126. Scheduled for tomorrow, October 2, is the annual children’s parade, followed by the Fall Foliage Craft Fair and fifth annual Dog parade, in which owners dress up their dogs and receive prizes in different categories. Closing out the festival is the actual parade, which starts at 1 p.m., though those who choose to participate through the Center for Service will meet at 9 a.m. in Sullivan Lounge. For more information, visit www. Enthusiastic MCLA students represent the college in last ye fallfoliageparade.com. banner-holders this year.
Gallery 51: A peek behind the art Torsten Zenas Burns holds special exhibition By Mitchell Chapman A&E Editor Video art is hardly a new concept, but one that has in no way been perfected. Many would argue that all videos, in some way, are art, though few have been created for the sole purpose of making art. Gallery 51 offered an interesting stab at this notion with a special one-night-only event in conjunction with the final day of DownStreet Art and its current exhibition “eat me alive so that I may see you from the inside.” “This was a sort of behindthe-scenes look as to what went on behind the art,” Torsten Zenas Burns, one of the minds behind the gallery’s “eat me alive” exhibition, and host of the event, said. The form of this look came in an 82 minute looped program that inspired “eat me alive.” It consisted of video footage, songs, images, and internet research, according to Burns. It was profound that the “research” footage communicated the spirit of the exhibition on its own. In a way, Burns and his counterparts created a short film which, while it has no
comprehensive considered “high” narrative, art, which would put conveyed it on the same level emotions. as the pieces sitting In the age in the gallery that it of the Internet, inspired, though less splicing videos refined. They both for meaning certainly displayed has become similarities; like the a common “eat me alive” exhibits, practice. the video displayed S e v e r a l vibrant colors and mediums, including those abstract pictures informally cobbled together known as the from familiar images, “ Yo u Tu b e though it is worthy Poop” (YTP), to note that the video Photo by Mitchell Chapman/ The Beacon have relied on lacked in intestinal video splicing The Gallery showed an 82 minute short film entirely imagery. and editing composed of the artist’s inspirations. Art can inspire solely as a exhibition did that, displaying art. There’s no way to make meaning, many of clips drenched in subconscious denying that, and as technology which were never intended by the original content creators. Burns value. They ranged from anything progresses, it will be interesting and company, by creating this as mundane as a documentary to see more pieces such as this film, have done just that, though clip of an octopus struggling with that capture the thought process without modifying the original a coconut, to (very skillfully) of artists, for those inspirational meanings of the clips. It is by edited “image chunks” that can be pieces themselves are art. In a making them a part of a collective described as references and pieces day filled with closing receptions, that they have communicated the of art themselves. it was nice to have something spirit of what “eat me alive” was all One could argue that this that got you thinking about the about. “research media curation” exhibit process of making art and where It is very rare to get a peek itself was art (it communicated on it comes from. as pure as this into an artist’s an emotional level independent creative process, and the special films often do). It could even be
‘The Visi
‘Signs’ director By Chris Riemer A&E Writer M. Night Shyamalan has a reputation for making a certain kind of film. His model is probably best described as cheap uncanniness: the sort of movie that piles on jump-scares and sudden loud noises, and has a twist ending you can spot from a mile off. I had never seen one of his films before last Tuesday, but despite fairly positive reviews, I’ll admit that I expected a forgettable horror flick. Would The Visit surprise me with a fresh take on the genre, or would Shyamalan continue to rely on the lame tropes that earned him his reputation? I’ll spoil this review’s ending: it was a bit of both. The protagonists are two children, Becca and Tyler, who, against their mother’s wishes, go on a trip to visit their estranged grandparents. The grandparents seem normal at first, but over the course of their stay they exhibit increasingly odd and dangerous behavior. Becca, a precocious preteen, uses the opportunity to film a documentary about her grandparents’ relationship with her mother. The film is presented
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Arts & Entertainment
Beacon.MCLA.edu
ade brings people together
Photo from the Center for Service
ear’s parade. Many groups are looking for
sit’ Underwhelms
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Photos from the Center for Service
The Parade brings togethor people of all ages, from Sophomore Alex Switzer (above) to Sophomore Adazae Shephard (left) to children.
‘Romeo and Juliet’ marries old and new
r has another “shocking” twist as her finished product, and if one can suspend disbelief to allow for professional shooting/editing, it’s a style that serves the film well. Olivia DeLonge and Ed Oxenbould, who play Becca and Tyler, are the film’s saving grace. Their easy chemistry and humor (especially Tyler’s mannerisms and internet slang) keep the plot somewhat light, although the story is disturbing throughout. The Visit is billed as a horrorcomedy, which can be a difficult tone for the writers and director to nail down. Parts of the movie are genuinely funny, while other parts are funny despite the best efforts of Shyamalan et al to make them spooky. On the whole, the filmmakers struck decent balance between humor and horror. Naturally, there’s a Shyamalan “big reveal” near the end, but it’s done with a good degree of subtlety. Despite occurring during a fairly innocuous scene, it’s probably the most frightening part of the movie. Moments like these are few and far between, but they serve to demonstrate the possibility of Shyamalan someday making a decent film. Sadly, the gimmicks get old long before the movie ends. The grandparents are frustratingly
obvious, as if they were in on the secret that it’s a horror film. Their aloof explanations of each other’s strange behavior are insultingly unsubtle. The real problem isn’t their flawed performances, though: it’s the fact that Shyamalan thought the “insane old person” horror movie villain was an acceptable crutch in 2015. When will we eliminate from pop culture the false belief that someone elderly or with a mental illness is more dangerous than a young, neurotypical person? It’s a baffling oversight that viewers as young as 13 are still being exposed to this harmful idea in wide-release movies. All that aside, The Visit is a cheaply exploitative, though surprisingly entertaining, movie. Viewers going to see an M. Night Shyamalan movie aren’t expecting nuance or class, and they certainly won’t get it here, but they will get a fun and often hilarious horror film with two talented young leads. Just don’t see it if you’re visiting your grandparents any time soon.
Photo by Jarred Clapp/The Beacon
The production features a large cast.
By Jarred Clapp A&E Writer MCLA’s Fine and Performing Arts Theatre department (FPA) will be putting on a presentation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” this November. The titular characters will be played by senior FPA Theatre majors Crysta Cheverie and Marcus Neverson. “Romeo and Juliet,” while no doubt a classic, often receives criticism for sticking with stiffness, rigidity, and what now is seen as cliché. Director Laura Standley means to give a new spin on the production. The play will feature a mix of traditional and contemporary traits. The majority of the cast will be dressed in Shakespearian garb while Romeo and Juliet’s costumes will elicit a more contemporary vibe, according to Standley. There will also be a push to give the lead characters more depth than their typical one-
dimensional characterizations. “I’m looking forward to taking the characters and making them more sophisticated and layered,” Cheverie said, “as well as getting a chance to work on a classic, but not in a cliché way.” Some of Standley’s other directorial endeavors at MCLA include María Irene Fornés’ “Mud” and “The Succesful Life of 3,” David Ives’ “The Liar,” and Tony Krushner’s “Angels in America.” “Personally, I’m blown away by the opportunity to play Romeo for a director who is bringing the play out of the classical view, making it for a more modern audience,” Neverson said. “It’s been about two years since we’ve done a show with an ensemble this large,” Neverson continued. “It’s great for the future of the program to have so many people.” “Romeo and Juliet” will be performed in Venable Theatre Nov. 18-21 at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Nov. 21. Tickets are $2 for students, $5 for non-MCLA students/faculty, and $12 for general admission.
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Thursday, October 1, 2015
Sports
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Volleyball spikes Anna Maria Trailblazers crush Anna Maria at home, sweep weekend trimatch to post 3-0 record over last week and extend win streak to 12 By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
The Trailblazers have set a program record with 12 straight victories and currently sit at 13-3 overall on the season with a conference record of 2-0. MCLA defeated Anna Maria College on Tuesday, defeating the Amcats 3-1 in North Adams. With the loss, Anna Maria slipped under .500 and now have a record of 7-8 on the season. The Trailblazers dropped the first set to Anna Maria, losing a 21-14 lead and allowing the Amcats to take a 1-0 lead. Anna Maria was led by the strong play of middle-hitter Jessica Goulet, who led the Amcats with 11 kills on the day, as Anna Maria took the first set 25-23. MCLA would recover to take the second set, 25-14 to knot the game at 1 set apiece. The third set would prove to be the decisive one as MCLA would rally back from being down 22-19 to take the next six points to win the set 25-22. Sophomore Maggie Allen was huge in the final stretches of the third set, earning two blocks and a kill to lead the Trailblazers to a 2-1 lead. The fourth and final set went down to the wire as MCLA before the Trailblazers pulled away in end and took the set 25-19. The Trailblazers were led by junior Allison Clark, who had 12 kills, bringing her MASCAC leading season total to 209. Clark is on pace to shatter the MCLA record for most kills in a single season,
set by Kayla Bromback, who had 258 kills in 2011. Junior Sam Anderson was huge on the defensive end for MCLA, coming up with five blocks on the night. MCLA swept a home tri-match for the second Saturday in a row, defeating conference rival Mass. Maritime and Bay Path University, each by the score of 3-0. The Blazers picked up easy victories in all three sets during the first match of day against Mass. Maritime, taking them by the scores of 25-14, 25-15 and 25-9. The visiting Buccaneers fell to 1-9 on the season and 0-2 in MASCAC play. MCLA was led by Clark who had 14 kills and by senior Angelica Perfido who led all players with 17 digs. MCLA didn’t have much trouble in the second game either, disposing of the Bay Path University Wildcats for the second time this season, taking all three sets by the scores of 25-17, 25-14 and 25-17. Clark again led the Blazers in kills with 12, while Chanielle Enomoto recorded 19 digs and senior Courtney Parent had 13 digs combined with freshman Beatrice Lechler for 18 assists. The Blazers have not only won 11 games in a row; nine of those 11 victories have been sweeps by the score of 3-0. Head coach Amanda Beckwith talked about the benefits of winning games in three sets. “It is a long season. We have had some stretches where we are playing seven games in seven days, so winning games in three sets has been important to us be-
cause it reduces wear and tear and there is less opportunity for injuries,” Beckwith said. Beckwith also stressed the importance of having a team with a lot of depth. “We have been able to play a lot of our bench and win easily,” Beckwith said. “We can go to our bench players at any time during a game and I have complete confidence that they can get the job done. We have had a lot of competition in practice. Angelica [Perfido] is a senior, but she knew she had to come out and win her spot on the team.” Although the team is now just 3 wins away from tying the program record for most wins in a season, the success does not come as a surprise for Beckwith. “This team committed to winning a championship last spring. There has been an increased focus by everybody, working harder in practice and in the fitness room with Coach [Deb] Raber. We are a veteran team and we know what our goal is.” The Trailblazers will face a tough challenge this weekend as they will play four matches over a 24 hour span on Friday and Saturday. against top competition when they visit Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. MCLA will face Elmira College (7-4) and Nazareth College (10-6) on Friday and Hartwick College (4-13) and Morrisville State (7-10) on Saturday. MCLA will then prepare for a huge conference game against Framingham State on Oct. 13.
Photo by Tiearra Hanson
Freshman Beatrice Lechler provides service for MCLA during their game Tuesday against Anna Maria College.
Men’s soccer picks up first Women’s soccer two wins of the season beaten at home By Tyler Bacon Sports Writer
The MCLA Men’s Soccer team fought back from an early deficit to defeat Elms College on Tuesday. The win pushed the Trailblazers record to 2-4-2 on the season. Elms got on the board early scoring in the 4th minute of the game, putting the Trailblazers into an early hole. The Trailblazers answered back in the 10th minute when junior Dylan Pereira knocked in a cross from Edward Boateng to even the score. The Trailblazers took the lead in the 26th minute when Anthony Basile knocked in the go-ahead goal from a Pereira pass. The Trailblazers went into halftime with a 2-1 lead. MCLA did not look back and added two more goals in the second half to put the game away. In the 62nd minute, Kwadwo Kusi’s pass found Pereira to make it a 3-1 game. Pereira finished with two goals and one assist on
the day. Senior Sean Kenney joined in on the action with a goal of his own in the 68th minute to secure the victory for the Trailblazers. The goal was scored when Christopher Shea took a free kick and sent the ball into the box where it found the head of Kenney. He knocked it passed the Elms goalkeeper for the fourth and final goal. The Trailblazers have scored seven goals in the last two games. They only scored five goals in the first six games of the season. When asked if the offense has done anything differently in the last two games, Pereira said, “Nothing really changed. The things that we’ve been working towards is finally coming together and it’s all paying off. Hopefully we keep this run of form going in practice and it’ll keep paying off in the games.” The Trailblazers secured their first win of the season when they beat Salem State on Saturday by
a score of 3-1. They evened their conference record at 1-1 with the win. Basile was the source of offense scoring a hat trick. His first goal was only a minute into the game when he scored off of a pass from Boateng to make it 1-0. Basile added his second goal of the day in the 20th minute, making it 2-0. Salem State finally got on the board six seconds before halftime when Eseosa Okunmwendia knocked a goal passed MCLA keeper Kamron Anderson to make it 2-1. Basile provided an insurance goal in the 66th minute to complete the hat trick. The goal was assisted by Pereira. Basile’s three goals were enough to earn him MASCAC player of the week honors, and his 7 goals on the season are the most in the conference. The Trailblazers look to continue their goal scoring and push their win streak to three when they play Westfield State on Saturday.
By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
The Women’s soccer team is still looking for their first conference victory of the season, as they were trumped by the Salem State Vikings at home on Saturday, falling 2-0. The Trailblazers are now 1-7 on the season and 0-2 in MASCAC competition, while Salem State earned their first conference win of the season and now have an overall record of 2-6 and are 1-1 in conference play. The two teams came into the game with identical 1-6 records and during the first half it was clear that the two squads were evenly matched. The Vikings outshot the Trailblazers 11-3 in the first half, but junior goalkeeper Kathryn Daly made five saves and the teams were tied at zero. The score remained tied for most of the second half as both team’s defenses tightened and the game became very physical. Play
was stopped for several minutes half-way through the second half when Salem State defender Talia Frazier suffered a separated shoulder, and MCLA’s Marisa Sprague suffered an ankle injury. Salem State got on the board in the 73rd minute when freshman forward Ashley Leboeuf put a curving shot on goal from about 10 yards outside the box. Daly was able to get a glove on the ball but was unable to keep it out of the net, as it ricocheted off of her hand and found its way into the back right corner. Leboeuf would find the net again just seven minutes later on another goal that came from outside the box. Salem State held offensive advantages across the board, outshooting MCLA 21-6 and earning 6 corner kicks to MCLA’s 1. MCLA will get a chance to earn their first conference win this season on Saturday when they travel to Westfield State.
Sports
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Fair Territory
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Men’s Soccer
7. Carolina PanthersProbably the least impressive of all the 3-0 teams, having beaten Houston, Jacksonville and a rapidly imploding New Orleans team.
NFL Power Rankings By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
After a big week where the strong got stronger and the weak got weaker, my power rankings return to assess the league’s hierarchy. 1. New England PatriotsA few teams have a strong case for the number one spot, but it would be hard to have New England drop after beating a team by 34 points. 2. Green Bay PackersGreen Bay gets the nod over Arizona due to a better quality of opponents, Green Bay looks like the class of the NFC. 3. Arizona CardinalsArizona holds the best point differential in all of football, but have also played Jimmy Clausen and Colin Kaepernick over the last two weeks. 4. Cincinnati BengalsDoubt also seems to follow Marvin Lewis’ team, but Cincy has reeled off three straight wins to start the season against decent competition. 5. Denver BroncosPeyton Manning showed greater signs of life in the their victory over Detroit and Denver might have the very best defense in all of football. 6. Atlanta FalconsIt hasn’t always been convincing, but rookie head coach Dan
8. Seattle SeahawksSeattle earned their first victory of the season and while shutting out a Jimmy Clausen led Chicago team isn’t the most impressive feat, Seattle got a necessary victory under the belt. 9. Buffalo BillsBuffalo dominated a dissappointing Miami team to go along with their solid victory over Indianapolis. Losing to New England isn’t that shameful and Rex Ryan clearly has his team motivated to make the playoffs for the first time this century. 10. Minnesota VikingsAfter a puzzling loss at San Francisco to open the season, Minnesotas defense has looked dominant over the last two weeks against Detroit and San Diego, Minnesota looks to be a prime contender for a wild card spot in the NFC. Getting Adrian Peterson back to full strength and running over defenses is a great sign for the Vikings. 11. Pittsburgh SteelersProbably a top five team in football when healthy, but right as Pittsburgh began to get their offensive pieces back, Ben Roethlisberger goes down with an injury. Mike Vick will be lessthan inspiring at quarterback, but Pittsburgh still has enough offensive fire power to put up points. 12. Oakland RaidersNobody expected Oakland to get off to such a good start, and they are not only 2-1 but have looked pretty good in those two victories. Second year quarterback Derek Carr has completed 63 percent of his passes so far this seaosn and is averaging 8.1 yards per attempt, both huge improvements over last season.
Golf competes in Elms Invitiational MCLA competed against 20 other teams at the Elms College Invitational over the weekend, finishing the tournament in 19th place. Sophomore Nick Young once again led the Trailblazers, shooting an 82 on the first day of the tournament and a 79 on the second day for a cumalitive score of 161, good enough for 42nd overall in the tournament. Freshman Cooper Gavin and sophomore Sam Slocombe finished second and third for the Trailblazers. Senior James Clark shot a 111 on the first day by shaved nearly 20 points off
of his score during the second day, shooting a 93 and coming in fourth for MCLA. Occidental College of Los Angeles claimed first place in the tournament, as teammates Colton Bares and Will Mansfield tied for the low medalist with a cumalitive score of 146. Salem State, Trinity College, Babson College and Worcester State rounded out the top five. MCLA comepeted on Wednesday in the Westfield State Invitational, and are off until next weekend when they compete in the North Atlantic Conference Championships.
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Scores
Quinn is off to a 3-0 start for Atlanta and Julio Jones is off to a historically great star for the dirty beers.
Saturday, Sep. 26 MCLA @ Salem State 3-1, W Tuesday, Sep. 29 MCLA @ Elms College 4-1, W Photo from MCLA Athletics
Sophomore Emily Deaso winds up to return a shot for MCLA.
Tennis drops key home game By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
The Women’s tennis team fell to NAC rival Johnson State at home on Saturday, losing to the Badgers, 6-3. With the loss, MCLA is now 5-4 overall with a record of 2-2 in conference play. Johnson won their 4th straight match and is now 5-5 overall and 3-2 in the NAC. The Trailblazer’s top duo of sophomores Emily Deaso and Mariza Sfakianaki took the point in number one doubles play, defeating the Johnson pair of Annette Kaminski and Katherina VonWoerkom, 8-6. The Badgers were able to rally back and take the next two doubles matches. Nicole Monick and Jana Somero defeated MCLA freshman Taylor Turner and junior Shelby Gauthier , 8-3 and the team of Kali Covell and Ashley Fogg defeated the Trailblazer pair of juniors Rebecca Waterhouse and Anna Despart, 8-6. Deaso would earn another point for the Trailblazers in number one singles play, thoroughly defeating Kaminski, 6-4, 6-1. Sfakianaki earned the other point for MCLA, defeating Covell in a tight three set game, taking it 6-7, 6-3, 10-3. MCLA is currently fifth in the NAC and will need to finish in at least fourth place to qualify for the playoffs. The Trailblazers had a non-conference game against Anna Maria postponed due to
rain and played NAC powerhouse Colby-Sawyer on Wednesday. The Trailblazers will wrap up conference play this weekend with two huge games. MCLA will travel to Thomas College at 1 p.m. They will play Husson College on Sunday at Husson. Husson is one of the team’s ahead of the Trailblazers and MCLA will be in a good position to make the playoffs if they defeat the Eagles, who are 4-1 in NAC play. Deaso stressed that practice and focus were going to be key factors in these make or break games. “I believe that it is extremely important for us to be as prepared as we can be as a team,” Deaso said. “We need to focus in on certain skills and try different tactics to play our best and beat these two teams.” Senior Kylie Dumas agreed, saying that remaining mentally resilient is critical for the team’s success. “Preparation is huge for any match but with major conference matches it’s just that much more of a component to our success. Physical preparedness is important but I think we need to focus on specifically our mental readiness,” Dumas said. “I’ve been told Husson is very good. I think that intimidates us from the start and we ultimately let our preconceived notions run the match. If the entire team can prepare themselves both mentally and physically anything can happen. They’re good teams but so are we.”
Women’s Soccer Saturday, Sep. 26 MCLA vs Salem State 2-0, L Women’s Tennis Saturday, Sep. 26 MCLA vs Johnson State 6-3, L Tuesday, Sep. 29 MCLA @ Anna Maria PPD Golf Sunday, Sep. 27 MCLA @ Elms Invitational 18th Volleyball Saturday, Sep. 26 MCLA vs Mass. Maritime 3-0, W MCLA vs Bay Path 3-0, W Tuesday, Sept. 29 MCLA vs Anna Maria 3-1, W
Schedules Friday, October 2 Volleyball MCLA vs Elmira @ Hartwick 4 p.m. MCLA vs Nazareth @ Hartwick 8 p.m. Saturday, October 3 Volleyball MCLA @ Hartwick 10 a.m. MCLA vs Morrisville State @ Hartwick 2 p.m. Women’s Soccer MCLA @ Westfield State 11 a.m. Men’s Soccer MCLA vs Westfield State 1 p.m. Women’s Tennis MCLA @ Thomas College 1 p.m. Cross Country MCLA @ Keene State Women Start: 11 a.m. Men Start: 11:45 a.m.
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Opinion
Thursday, October 1, 2015
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What are your thoughts on the increasing use of solar panels? “I haven’t looked much into it but I feel that it would be good for the environment.” -Stephanie Jimenez, 2017
“I think it’s a great idea because it’s beneficial to everyone.” -Alayna Lucaroni, 2018
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“It seems like a good alternative to other sources of energy.” Nikki Logiudice, 2017
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Spiritual healing and the seven chakras
By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Co-Editor in Chief
Everyone has their own beliefs. Some believe in God, and some don’t, and some believe in eating a whole pint of Ben & Jerry’s in one night, and some don’t. Some like to hold pretty rocks in their hands while thinking about nothing, and some think it’s crazy. I’m here to introduce you to a spiritual healing method through meditation and balancing your chakras. No, this won’t give you muscles or make you lose weight by tomorrow, but it’s an alternative to cleansing your body after a crazy weekend or messy week. Chakra is a Sanskrit word which means wheel, and it is a spinning vortex that whirls in a circular motion forming a vacuum in the center that draws in anything it encounters on its particular vibratory level, according to chakraenergy.com. The various chakras our body holds operate our being. If you’ve ever heard anyone said ‘good vibes,’ it’s because our chakras vibrate energy, which governs an organ or gland. The energy could be considered good or bad, and you can meditate with a specific crystal to rebalance the bad
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“I think it’s a great way to save money and I think I will help out the environment a lot.” -Alyssa Dame, 2016
Bigger than biceps
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Health & Fitness
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energy that chakra is vibrating. The seven main chakra centers connect our being on different levels, including physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. A color vibrational frequency is connected to each chakra, which is connected to every organ, gland and body system. The heart chakra (green color) governs the thymus gland and also functions as the heart organ, lungs, bronchial system, lymph glands, secondary circulatory system, immune system, and the arms and hands. These chakras are aligned along the spinal column: the crown of the head is violet and controls the pineal gland, the brow is indigo and controls pituitary, the throat is blue and controls the thyroid gland, the heart is green and controls the thymus gland, the solar plexus (above belly button) is yellow and controls the pancreas gland, the spleen is orange and controls the gonads, and the root (tailbone) is red and controls the adrenal gland. When one chakra is out of sync, it may affect its other parts or neighboring chakras. When this happens, it means that the chakra center is overactive or underactive, congested or blocked and can be felt on a mental, emotional or physical level. There’s a lot more behind
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this science, and I was introduced to it 303 Ashland St. The Parlor after meditating in Oct. 3rd 7PM FREE! Cafe yoga classes. Sure, you can meditate without IZZY HELTAI knowing about chakras and crystals, but it’s CHRISTOPHER an additive. I know some people like to HANTMAN have a corner of their A bedroom, or a shelf to DAY WITHOUT display their healing LOVE tools on, such as Buddha figures, crystals, incense, candles, etc. HEART OF GOLD You can meditate on a noisy street (for a WYNDWOOD challenge) or in a sacred place surrounded by the and physically by exercising tools. If all of this isn’t gibberish, frequently, eating fresh foods and then kudos to you. Take care of checking in with your chakras to yourself mentally, emotionally remain balanced.
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Announcements, Events, & Opinion
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Check it Out!
Upcoming events on campus
MASSPIRG to host Zombie Textbooks
Beacon.MCLA.edu
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Financial Aid Announcements Refunds will be occurring soon!!
How long can you survive against the Zombie Textbooks? Enter the arena in the Quad today from 3:30-5:30pm to Check with the financial aid office and student find out! Prizes will awarded for the best times! accounts in Eldridge Hall to make sure your Textbook prices are so high, it’s scary. Textbooks have requirements are complete!! increased in cost at 3x the rate of inflation, and The College Board now recommends that students budget Interested in studying abroad for a semester or going $1200 per year in books and supplies! on the national student exchange within the USA? That’s why MASSPIRG is advocating for open textbooks, which are free to download, free to share, and cheap to Start the process in Career Services in CSSE today! print! Financial aid may help you pay for it! So come show your support for cheaper textbooks today Register on fastweb.com for a free scholarship search. and see how long you can last against the hoard!
Thursday, Oct. 1
Zombie Textbooks MassPIRG Event Academic Quad 3- 5:30 p.m. Jeff Speck Q &A Murdock Hall 4:30-5:30 p.m.
MCLA LECTURE SERIES
JEFF SPECK
Jeff Speck presents “Walkable City” Church Street Auditorium 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 2
Her Campus Launch Party 7-10 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 3
Saturday Night Spot Light Flapjacks and Lumberjacks Venable Gym 8 p.m. Fall Dog Parade Veterans Memorial Park 10 a.m.
Sunday, Oct. 4
Fall Foliage Parade Downtown North Adams 1 p.m.
Keep us updated on club events!
We want to cover you!
City Planner and Author of “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time”
THURSDAY OCTOBER 1 7:00 PM CHURCH STREET CENTER Jeff Speck is a city planner who advocates internationally for more walkable cities. His latest book, Walkable City, was the best-selling cityplanning book of 2013-14. Per information released by the author, Jeff Speck has dedicated his career to determining what makes cities thrive. And he has boiled it down to one key factor: walkability.
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Seating is limited. Made possible through the generosity of the Ruth Proud Charitable Trust.
MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS 375 Church Street, North Adams, MA 413 662 5391 MCLA.EDU
20%
Off Coupon
Email your press release and information on Office 365 to beacon@mcla.edu
FOR A Burger, ApPEtizer, or entree
The
Freight Yard Pub
“Berkshire's Best Burger” 3 Furnace Street North Adams, MA (413) 662-6547
Offer Valid Until 12/31/2015, Limit One Per Customer
NO CARD MINIMUMS M-W: 7:30am - 10:00pm Th&F: 7:30am - 11:30pm Sat: 9:30am - 11:30pm
Dine-In and Take-Out menu online. Gift Certificates & Discount Programs Available
www.TheParlorCafe.com fb.com/TheParlorCafe (413) 346-4279
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Thursday, October 1, 2015
Photo Essay
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Bridgman | Packer Dance’s Truck. The dance is performed in the space of a 17-foot box, combining creative movement with video.
Izzy Heltai performs folk music outside the Mohawk Theatre.
DownStreet Art Photos by Isabel McKenzie
Junior Isaac Wood sells printed bags at Makers’ Mill - a makerspace in North Adams that encourages members of the community to get together, be creative, and support print making and fiber arts.
Dee Davis and Hannah Houston enjoying the performance of Truck. Art on display in the Common Folk Arist Collective Gallery.