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Volume 81 ◆ Issue 10
Th u r s d ay, N o v e m b e r 1 9 , 2 0 1 5
Candidate Rogerson idolizes a liberal arts education By Nick Swanson Co-Editor-in-Chief
Andrew Rogerson spoke to the MCLA community as the second finalist candidate in the search for the next president of the College. He has worked at eight universities around the world and dedicated his undergraduate education toward studying in Scotland to be a microbiologist. His Ph.D. was earned in microbial ecology from the University of Stirling in Scotland. Rogerson’s current position is provost and vice president for academic affairs at Sonoma State University in California. He said his greatest accomplishment is being a professor for 25 years and gaining millions of dollars in research grants. Students are now able to complete anonymous surveys providing feedback on the candidates that have come to campus. Surveys are found on the Office 365 portal page. A student Q&A session was held with Rogerson in Sullivan Lounge on Nov. 10. Samwise Fox 16’ Q: What interests you about MCLA and what ideas or plans
would you implement to succeed at the College? A: There is a huge potential here that I’ve seen, because MCLA is a recognized COPLAC institution. It’s a different world now, and students need the skill sets and mindset to embark on a life long journey to continue improving yourself and that is what we can teach you through a liberal arts education. Nick Hernigle 16’ Q: How would you get more students to want to stay here or expand the student population? A: I think it’s important to share the uniqueness of the institution and to inform prospective students that undergraduates here are getting the same type of education with a better experience. Colby Harvish 16’ Q: Today there is a heavy emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) at the College. How do you think we could increase interest in other disciplines as well? A: Many universities are recognizing a new acronym ROGERSON continued on page 3
Standing United
Photo by Isabel McKenzie/The Beacon Black Student Union members and other students stood united on Friday in the Amsler Campus Center recognizing last week’s racial tensions at several colleges across the country and at the University of Missouri in particular.
Kurzweil: Looking to future of technology By Torin Gannon Staff Writer
Ray Kurzweil is a man who claims he can see the future. In a lecture presented last week, Kurzweil stated that in our lifetime we could be seeing some incredible advancements in technology. “Our brains were designed to
see the future,” Kurzweil said. Kurzweil is a celebrated inventor, thinker, and author, and is known for his works in the field of futurism. Some of his many inventions include the first textto-speech synthesizer, and the first music synthesizer capable of recreating the sounds of various orchestral instruments. He has received a Technical Grammy
Award, the National Medal of Technology, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Many were gathered in the Church Street Center that night to see Kurzweil’s lecture, entitled, “The Web Within Us: When Minds and Machines Become KURZWEIL continued on page 3
Bright Ideas Brewing to establish home at MASS MoCA Microbrewery cofounders have a philanthropic mind-set to benefit local culture By Nick Swanson Co-Editor-in-Chief
Photo by Nick Swanson/The Beacon
Co-founders Orion Howard (left) and Eric Kerns (right) stand in front of the future Bright Ideas Brewing taproom and microbrewery at MASS MoCA. It will be open in March.
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When co-founders Orion Howard and Eric Kerns first launched the Bright Ideas Brewing (BIB) Facebook page, it received over 500 likes in 10 hours. In March, BIB will open a new taproom and microbrewery on the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts (MASS MoCA) grounds. “It’s really about creating a brand, creating a culture in this place, which people are going to want to be a part of,” Kerns said. The industrial-style taproom can accommodate up to 70 people and will have a traditional long bar, high-top tables, and tables with seating. Vintage speakers, turntables, and amplifiers will add to the ambience, according to Howard. “The reason we put out a Facebook presence when we did was [because] we had a sense that all the pieces were falling
News
into place and this was a go,” Howard said. Since creating the Facebook page, the co-founders have received their state and federal licenses to brew and distribute their beer, purchased the vintage sound equipment for events, and began construction of the space to house the microbrewery. Howard said the microbrewery and taproom will be on the first floor of MASS MoCA’s Building 1. “It’s just over 3,000 sq. ft. and will be half brewery and half taproom. Taproom means we will brew in Building 1, and we will serve the beers made on site in the taproom at retail prices,” he said. A see-through glass wall will be built between the taproom and microbrewery for customers to view its daily operations, he said. A few outside windows are being removed for an outdoor awning and seating area as well. The taproom will have a small stage for performances and events. Events at the taproom will not compete or interfere with correlating performances at MASS MoCA, and welcomes anyone who will want to perform, including MCLA students. The co-founders have been given permission within their licenses to keep
BIB open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. every day. Howard said the taproom’s grand opening will host six flagship beers, including a porter, IPA, pale ale, wheat, and red ale. Two taps will be reserved for seasonal craft beers, and another for a destination beer. “We’re looking at brewing something that’s a quaffable, super populous lager, [as well as] golden ale and blonde ale, [which will be] light but fresh, and made with love. We hope we can knock the PBR [Pabst Blue Ribbon] out of some of the hands in town,” Kerns said. Some attractions BIB plans to implement are naming beers in recognition of important events and guests. “Say MCLA is having an event it would like beer served at, we’ll sell our beer and can name it something like MCLA Lite. MCLA can have events and sell our product, and we can sell them that product at very competitive rates,” Howard said. He said BIB will have a lot of extra beer they will need to sell, and they have no super profit motive for that beer. BIB has a philanthropic and inclusiveness
Arts & Entertainment
Sports
Shawn McIntosh brings diverse experience to courses
New Bond movie not perfect, but worth seeing
Women’s and Men’s Basketball kicks off season
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BREWERY continued on page 3
News Features Arts & Entertainment Sports Campus Comment Local Events Photo Essay
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Campus News
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Check it Out!
Upcoming events on campus
SGA urges students to consider candidate survey
By Harmony Birch
Thursday, Nov. 19 SAC Spring Concert Voting Marketplace 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Presidential Candidate: Alan Ray Student Q&A Session Sullivan Lounge 1 - 2 p.m. Inter Greek Council Open Mic Night Murdock 218 7 - 9 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 20 Women’s Basketball Fundraiser Venable Gym 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 21 FPA’s Theater Program: Romeo and Juliet (Final Performance) Venable Hall 8 - 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 22 Free Movie Screening: The Walking Dead North Adams Movie Plex 9 - 10 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 23 Figure Drawing Collective Makers’ Mill 73 Main St. 7 - 9 p.m. Members - $5 Drop-Ins - $10
Tuesday, Nov. 24 Vote for Levitt AMP MCLA Website: MCLA Cultural Offerings Final Voting Day: Nov. 30
Wednesday, Nov. 25
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Managing Editor
SGA parliamentarian Tyler Spencer suggested at Monday’s meeting that SGA should hold a special election next semester to fill seven vacant seats. Senator Tim Williams agreed and stressed the need for both Senate and class council seats to be filled. He stated that the class of 2017 treasurer seat is vacant, and suggested that elections be held sometime between Jan. and Feb. SGA agreed on this motion.
New Senate Secretary SGA’s Senate chose sophomore Lauren Tomaszczuk to be the next Secretary. This is a result of the secretary Jamie Burdick resigning, opting instead to be a Senator at large. “After trying to be secretary for three semesters, I’m ecstatic to finally,” Tomaszczuk said. “Getting this position makes me feel like I can officially be seen in a professional light.” Diane Collins to retire Diane Collins, the SGA office manager, will retire next month. Officer Kadell showed her sadness while announcing Collins departure. There will be a party held in Collins’ honor on Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. in Murdock 218.
Constitution committee returns Parliamentarian Spencer announced that the constitution committee is back up and running. The SAC constitution is the first on the agenda to be pushed through and approved by SGA. Since being elected parliamentarian, Spencer has had five meetings with five different clubs about their constitutions. Presidential Candidate visits today Today, the final presidential candidate Dr. Alan Ray will be visit campus. Ray served as president and professor of religion and society at Elmhurst College for seven years. He will meet with students at 1 p.m. in Sullivan Lounge. “It’s really important, if you can, to go to the student sessions,” SGA adviser Jenifer Craig said.
She emphasized that the choice for who is elected president would mostly impact the students. Trustee Nick Hernigle asked students to fill out the surveys on MCLA Portal after they saw a candidate, so that the trustee board could factor in student opinions when deciding who to choose. The candidate surveys are on an individual basis, not a summary of all visits, Hernigle clarified. Student Leadership Conference proposals Craig mentioned that there will be a call for programs for the Student Leadership Conference. The theme this year is ‘leaders through the decades.’ All students are welcome to submit a proposal by Dec. 4.
Policy awareness e-mail details student guidelines The series has covered smoking and sexual violence, the next topic is hazing By Idalis Foster
Senior News Editor Catherine Holbrook, vice president of student affairs, provides a better understanding of campus policies through emails sent out on Policy Awareness Wednesdays. The series will highlight one policy outlined in the student handbook every week, which students should read up on for their own safety and general knowledge. The first email was sent out on Oct. 28 and included a link to the smoking policy, as well as the residence student handbook, which has a small excerpt about the designated smoking areas for all dormitories. “MCLA adapted and came up with these areas, which they shared last year,” Holbrook said. “But folks have been noticing this year that not everyone’s following the policy. It was recommended by SGA that I remind the students [about it].” The second email, sent on Nov. 4, was in regards to the sexual violence policy, which is a state policy that came with multiple sources for students to look at. Included in the message were links to the full text, a summary of the
full text, and a PDF attachment of information about how to handle sexual assault. “I believe it’s important to be more proactive about those really critical things, which talk about your rights and responsibilities as a student and part of a community,” Holbrook said. Holbrook’s email series is just one of many ways the school
Students can contact anyone in Student Affairs if they are unsure of how to find a policy or want a policy to be explained in full. They can direct the student to the right person if more expertise is needed. The same applies for students who would like to bring up concerns or issues with existing policies. First year orientation has done a skit that introduces students to the dangers and preventative measures to take in order to be safe on campus. Although -- Jasmine Garcia students are advised to has tried to bring attention to read the student handbook every these policies so students can year, many do not actually do so. be aware of their rights and “No one reads it, and if they resources on campus. There are do, they probably only read the at least two more policies to be first paragraph,” junior Nicolas covered through the email series, Colon said. “It’s a good move by including the hazing policy. them because, particularly with “People think hazing [and the sexual violence one, there are say], ‘oh that’s got to be a sports so many factors to the situation, team or a letter organization,’ but like drugs and alcohol. Students it’s any organization,” Holbrook need to know when it’s too much said. “A band could haze, a club or and when they are crossing a line.” organization could haze.” Senior Jasmine Garcia agreed
I think it’s very unrealistic for students to be expected to remember the policies. Students don’t pay attention as much between freshman and senior year.
with Colon’s sentiments that the handbook is not a source students use often. She mentioned the fear students had during this semester about sexual violence and that bringing students’ attention to that is important. “I think it’s very unrealistic for students to be expected to remember the policies. Students don’t pay attention as much between freshman and senior year,” Garcia said. “I think it’s good for it to come in waves to try to catch their attention.” Students generally seem glad for this extra attempt to bring awareness, particularly the one on sexual violence. “Sexual violence awareness is a very strong topic in itself, and isn’t talked about as much as it should be on college campuses, as well as in the ‘real world,’” senior Khalill Dancy said. “People of all different identities are targets of sexual violence. By bringing up the issue, we can start a dialogue to help and not just prevent it, but ultimately stop sexual violence altogether.” Dancy went on to say that the student body “could use a refresher on how we should conduct ourselves and build a stronger community.”
Weekend Weather Thursday, November 19
Friday, November 20
Saturday, November 21
Sunday, November 22
Rain High: 57° Low: 45° Precip. Chance: 90%
Scattered Showers High: 49° Low: 31° Precip. Chance: 60%
Partly Cloudy High: 47° Low: 29° Precip. Chance: 10%
Nighttime Snow Showers High: 43° Low: 28° Precip. Chance: 50%
Tree Lighting Ceremony Monument Square on Main Street 5:30 p.m. Campus Police Logs have been moved to Page 11
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Campus News
Digital journalism prof. with diverse experience makes MCLA new home By Joseph Carew Staff Writer
Product of the land of lumber and mining that is northern Idaho, Professor Shawn McIntosh believes in a liberal arts style of higher education and looks to make MCLA home. McIntosh brings to MCLA a varied background of writing, editing, publishing, and educating that saw him co-author books, educate numerous students, and impact the idea of Zombie studies. He didn’t necessarily see himself teaching when he was younger, however. “I’d always been interested in writing, ever since high school,” McIntosh said. “But for some reason I never felt like it would be a practical way to make a living, and so I was studying microbiology.” It was after joining his college paper and attending a media conference in New York City that McIntosh decided to stay in the writing field. “I knew I wanted to do writing, but I didn’t like a lot of the aspects of journalism,” McIntosh said. “I’ve always been very critical about journalism.” A writer at heart, McIntosh has co-authored the current book used for MCLA’s Introduction to Mass Media class, “Converging Media” (soon to be in its 5th edition), and even a book known as “Zombie Culture: Autopsies of Living Dead.” McIntosh spent several years in Japan, where he took on a myriad of positions in the fields of editing, KURZWEIL continued from page 1 One.” The audience seemed evenly divided between students, faculty and members of the community. Junior Allie Martineau came to the lecture for a class, but enjoyed it all the same. “I thought it was really intriguing, especially his predictions for the future of technology,” Martineau said, “I appreciated the graphs and charts he used to translate his ideas to people like me, who don’t have his science vocabulary.” During his lecture, Kurzweil spoke at great length about his “Law of Accelerating Returns.” According to this idea, information technology is developing at an exponential rate, and that these new technologies will be affordable. He gave the example that by 2030, we could see cell phones the size of a bloodcell that are inside the body, and that almost every American will be able to buy them. Kurzweil gave a great many predictions that evening. He
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writing, teaching English, and even publishing his own magazine for two years. This publication, titled “Lost and Alone,” ended up on the shores of the United States through the distribution of Tower Records. McIntosh, after meeting the woman who would later become his wife, decided to move back to the United States and increase his educational prowess. He began studying at Columbia University in New York City and Rutgers, State University of New Jersey. He has taught and lectured at various higher Photo by Jay Tocco/The Beacon education institutions, New digital journalism professor from Columbia Shawn McIntosh has traveled from University in New York Idaho to New York City and Japan and to New York University back to finally reach the Berkshires. (NYU). He has focused Typography. McIntosh also on digital journalism, advises Th e Beacon. strategic communications, and McIntosh, after spending media ethics courses. signifi cant time in two continents, “I’ve always been more looks to settle into the MCLA intrigued, I think, with the community. educational aspect that “To me, a place like MCLA is journalism can play,” McIntosh exactly what higher education said. “It’s always really frustrated should be, ” McIntosh said. “I [can] me that journalism doesn’t seem really see the value in a liberal arts to live up to what it should be education. ” doing, or what it claims to do.” McIntosh says that some of his McIntosh will teach the best students at Columbia were courses Data Journalism, liberal arts majors. Literary Journalism, and Senior “Th ey knew how to think, they News Practicum for Spring knew how to write, knew how Semester 2016, and is currently to speak clearly…how to write teaching Issues in Journalism clearly, think critically, ” McIntosh and Publication Design and said. “You could see that.” suggested everything from 3D printed clothes, to nanobots in the bloodstream keeping people healthy, to being able to experience virtual reality without the use of clunky headsets. Another major topic of the lecture was the neocortex. The neocortex is a part of the brain that deals with higher functions like abstract thought and sensory perception. Kurzweil has been working with Google, which he jokes is the first job he’s ever had, to develop a synthetic Neocortex to create more advanced web browsing. “Eventually we want you to be able to talk things over with your web browser,” he said. Kurzweil also believes this technology could allow us to one day connect our brains directly to the cloud, giving us access to huge amounts of information. If all this information is confusing, don’t worry. He promises that as technology develops exponentially, so will our understanding of it. During the Q&A session, Kurzweil was asked to address
some of the most pressing issues of our time, such as climate change and lack of oil. He was confident that innovation could start to amend these issues within our lifetime. Kurzweil was also questioned on the possible problem of developing technology-eliminating jobs. To this, he cited the example of 19th century weavers whose jobs were threatened by the industrial revolution. “These people did lose their jobs, but employment actually went up, not down,” Kurzweil said, “The resulting prosperity created new industry.” Kurzweil is optimistic about the continuation of innovation, and he hopes we can “see the remarkable century ahead.” Kurzweil was part of this year’s Michael S. and Kitty Dukakis public policy lecture. This lecture series is held in honor of the former Governor of Massachusetts and his wife, and is made possible through the Ruth Proud trust.
The MCLA Beacon Online
Beacon.MCLA.edu BREWERY continued from page 1 BIB has a philanthropic and inclusiveness motive for North Adams to get people to want to visit, and will be exclusively sold in Williamstown and North Adams only. Howard plans to implement a food service idea, which customers will be able to make food orders for delivery from local food businesses that are interested in participating. There will not be any food sold directly from BIB, he said. “We’re not going to take food [business] from North Adams; we’re actually going to give them volume,” Howard said. He added that BIB does not want take people from bars and pubs, but rather encourage those bars and pubs to sell their beer at retail price. “We want to get people excited about drinking something that’s made right here in North Adams, and have it really become the hometown product,” he said. The co-founders plan to attract four diverse markets through BIB’s establishment toward their product including MASS MoCA’s 150,000 average visitors annually,
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local and regional craft beer drinkers, and beer tourism. “Certainly we benefit by being here in MASS MoCA, but at the same time, we also think we are going to benefit MASS MoCA and the city by bringing different people here,” Kerns said. While the microbrewery will be finished in mid-December, the taproom will not be open until mid-March because it takes at least two months to produce enough beer in order to open. BIB founders reached out to Specific Mechanical Systems in Vancouver, Canada last year to build the microbrewery for their establishment. The equipment is now finished and ready to be shipped to MASS MoCA when the space is completed, Howard said. Howard graduated from Williams College and currently works as an oncologist in Bennington, Vt. Kerns has lived in North Adams for 15 years and has worked on numerous projects to better the community. “At the end of the day, I want people to be surprised by this place, and I want it to be better than their expectations,” Kerns said.
Photo courtesy of Bright Ideas Brewing
Bright Ideas Brewing will use Specific Mechanical Systems, a brand of brewhouse supplies that uses stainless steel and copper processing equipment. ROGERSON continued from page 1 adapted, which is not STEM, but STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Students with a liberal arts education go to the top, get jobs, go into management, and really capitalize in the workforce they’re in. I’m fond of a liberal arts education because when you look at the data of those students after 10 years, you see that liberal arts students are ahead of everyone else. Q: What is your opinion about the use of open source textbooks and experience with working with the residency areas? A: Today universities are pushing open source textbooks like crazy, and I favor them. I also believe a three year housing agreement is unusual for a university to have; one or two
years, I think, should be the policy. Jackie Kelly 17’ Q: What’s your opinion on greek life on campus and how would you encourage them to stay involved? A: Greek organizations are a good thing because the two local chapters MCLA does have are more beneficial than others. I would have more conversations to find out ways to keep them involved. Alexandra Kadell 16’ Q: How do you plan to engage with students on campus? A: If the president is not listening to the students, then [he or she] is really failing the institution because that is when you find out how well the institution is doing. Associating with students at events and wearing a MCLA t-shirt are the small things that are important.
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Campus News
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Missy Alexander captures students’ attention Alexander has worked her way up the ranks in the higher education realm from visiting professor to her current dean position at Western Connecticut State University By Idalis Foster
Senior News Editor Opening up with her experience as a non-traditional undergraduate, Mary “Missy” Alexander, dean of the Macricostas School of Arts and Sciences at Western Connecticut State University, hooked the crowd from the start. She is one of the five candidates in the final stage of the Presidential Search and was on campus Thurs. Nov. 13 and Fri. Nov 14, her student session being held on Friday from 1-2pm. Alexander is a graduate of Hunter College, in New York City, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and New York University, where she earned a PhD in Media Ecology. But it was her story that students felt they were able to connect with most. “She wanted to become a singer, realized she didn’t want that as a career so she went back to school got and education and then began teaching as a professor,” senior Alexandra Kadell, a member of the Presidential Search Committee, said. “Her story was inspirational and connects with students.” In terms of her career path, Alexander has had experience as a faculty member having been an associate professor at Marist
College for nine years. She also taught as an adjunct or visiting instructor for five years prior to her nine years at Marist. “She has a positive background with faculty and curricula, which would be great for a president,” senior Colby Harvish said. “She also has a positive background in enhancing FYE and assisting students in developing a four year plan.”
were answers Alexander had to his questions that worried him despite her many positive attributes. He asked about how she would go about enhancing the traditional humanities being that there is a nation-wide push for STEM in the past decade, to which she responded that she would revamp the disciplines to incorporate more contemporary topics or issues. “Oftentimes, at MCLA, I witness professors in disciplines in the traditional humanities already incorporating contemporary topics,” Harvish said. “Her response did not address any kind of financial or advocacy support, which I believe the traditional humanities deserve and need.” Alexander was not very familiar with open source textbooks, which Harvish was surprised to hear based on her higher education experience, and was very hesitant to take a stance on regulating smoking on campus. When asked about how she would maintain and progress the changes already made for trans and queer students on campus,
She has a positive background with faculty and curricula, which would be great for a president -- Colby Harvish Within this First Year Experience background, Alexander spoke to the needs to bridge the gaps some students have when first coming to college early on whether they be in their writing or their mathematics. She referenced our four year plan on the MCLA site as being something she liked about our college and its ease of access for students. Harvish did express that there
Alexander was very honest in her answer by admitting that she would need to look into the issues that face students of the LGBTQIA+ community. “She seemed very supportive of the changes already made on campus and commented on how her current institution could benefit from having students being able to change their name to their preferred name,” senior Sam Photo from MCLA Website O’Brien said. Alexander has a long term focus on K12 educa“ Tr a n s / q u e e r tion through bridge programs on campus. She safety is crucial has focused on easing the bureaucratic process on campus and and transition to college for students at WCSU. it was reassuring Hernigle, student trustee, to take that she didn’t dismiss the into account, there is a link on issue completely due to lack of the MCLA Portal Page when you knowledge, but instead will do log into Outlook under Latest more research to find a proper Students Announcement. solution.” The search continues this week Alexander was the third and the final decision is hoped to candidate to visit campus with be made by January. two candidates remaining. If you (Full disclosure: Idalis is a would like to give your feedback member of the Presidential Search on a candidate for senior Nicholas Committee.)
MoCA strengthens Sansone’s love of visual arts By Nick Tardive Features Writer
“I’ve figured out that I don’t really have to figure it out,” Kathleen Sansone said with a near shrug and a smile, “I think that wherever I go, I can find work.” Ever since her freshman year, Sansone had her heart set on an internship at Mass MoCA. The road was long for Sansone, who is expecting to graduate in the Spring ’16 semester as an Arts Management major. What began by simply volunteering to help out with certain festivals, such as the FreshGrass Bluegrass events held each September, expanded into work as an overhire with MoCA. It was all part of a plan to build up her resume, not just as a whole, but specifically with Mass MoCA. Over the summer, she got exactly what she had been working toward for over three years. And it was exactly what she had hoped it would be. “It was just so good,” she said, almost fawning at a highlight reel she had stored in her memory. “It was such a relief. It was so good…it was so good.” Sansone got to work three different festivals at Mass MoCA (Solid Sound, Bang On A Can and FreshGrass), as well as with multiple different artists coming in to perform at the contemporary art museum throughout the summer. As she explained it, there was a lot of hospitality work involved, interacting with the artists to make sure they were happy, setting up their temporary housing, etc., as well as making programs for shows and doing general in-
house work. been as interested in During the Solid learning about before Sound festival, the internship, “There Sansone worked is never a point in the as the “runner” arts world where you for Wilco; picking think you’ve learned them up from everything.” the airport, going Despite all of this, on errands, just and now armed with making sure they the experience of what had everything she believes to be an they need. She incredibly valuable and talked about it as lightening one, Kathleen a big test, going so Sansone is still torn. She far as to say she was often works as stage given slightly less manager in MCLA’S responsibility with Fine and Performing handling the band Arts theater shows, because they just so and is also the happen to be one of President Photo by Jay Tocco/The Beacon Vice her favorites. Harlequin, a Senior Kathleen Sansone explored of “Before I started her love for the arts through an student-run musical working in arts internship at Mass MoCA. troupe that puts on services there an annual Musical was this mystique around these bands,” Revue each Fall semester, as well as a Sansone said, “but that started to break major production in Spring. away. They’re [Wilco] a bunch of dads.” “I feel split about my love of theater All of this started to come together for and arts management,” Sansone said Sansone eventually. Now she’s aware that succinctly. working in this field is possible for her. The arts management major knows, What she experienced at Mass MoCA over however, that when she graduates the summer opened her up to new forms school there will be something for her of art that she hadn’t quite been as aware out there in the real world. Whether it of before. It helped “challenge [my] tastes” be a continuation of her work as an overand “broaden” her definition of the arts. hire at MoCA’s festivals, or working “I’ve never considered myself visual wherever she can out in Portland, arts based, but it was really cool to be Oregon (another dream of hers). That introduced to that,” she said, glad to be was a realization she came to that struck opened up to things she might not have Sansone as equally important to her as
an increased professionalism and work ethic gained interning at MoCA. “I’ve figured out that I don’t really have to figure it out,” She said with a near shrug and a smile, “I think that wherever I go, I can find work.” Sansone stressed her desire to really play the “field” for a few years, try and find work on her own merit before even beginning to think about going to graduate school. For now though, her goals are to graduate, and give more time to focus on her needs instead of catering to the needs of work and her peers.
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Features
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STEM Fellow enjoys helping incoming freshman Kayla LaVoice shares how her passion for helping other students blossomed during her time on campus By Gionna Nourse Features Editor
Aspiring to work in student affairs one day, Kayla LaVoice ’18 chose to work with MCLA’s third annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Academy, taking on the position of a STEM Fellow. The academy is a summer program that introduces incoming students to the college and its environment. During the program, students get to take classes with professors in MCLA classrooms, go on trips in the surrounding towns to museums, colleges, and local scenic attractions. They also get to experience dorm life for a
Photo courtesy of Kayla LaVoice
LaVoice participated in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Academy this summer, working as a STEM Fellow. short period of time before the start of the fall semester. After participating in the Leadership, Education, Action and Development (LEAD) Academy her freshman year, LaVoice decided she wanted to work with students in the incoming class, and make their transition from high school to college more comfortable.
“The LEAD Academy really put me ahead when I came in on my first day here! I love helping people so when I got the opportunity to help incoming students I applied,” she said. “At the Academy, students work with ‘STEM Academy Fellows ,’ current or recently graduated MCLA students who are majoring in STEM fields, on skills they’ll need to be successful, such as time management and organization, as well as ways to help them study and be prepared for classes,” according to a news article published by the College on Aug. 5. LaVoice stated that becoming a STEM Fellow this past summer helped her build confidence, as well as lead her into a future direction: helping incoming students in student affairs. As a double major in English and math, LaVoice was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to simultaneously take classes in both departments. “I decided to become a double major in English and math because I have always loved how powerful words can be and math has always been my favorite subject,” she said. “I love how easy it was for me to become a double major, and how even though I did not directly connect the two majors, it was completely possible to take classes in both departments.” LaVoice graduated from Chicopee High School in Springfield, MA, and was quite involved in extracurricular activities there, to say the least. “I worked with the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), and the swim team for all four years,” she said. She was the captain of the swim team for two years, and held various positions within the Student Government Association (SGA), such as secretary and vice president. She was also the head of her school’s prom committee during her senior year. “At MCLA I am a resident advisor, a coordinator for the Center for Service, a volunteer at the Adams Youth Center, and the treasurer of the Math Society,” she said. “I believe [my time at the STEM academy] will help me to be a role model through my years at MCLA because the academy students will always be here and I want them to see me as a
Photo courtesy of Kayla LaVoice
Sophomore Kayla LaVoice enjoys helping students on campus and the community at large by volunteering in multiple community service programs. resource,” she said. LaVoice hopes to continue her role as a STEM Fellow this upcoming summer. She also plans on taking leadership courses to aid her goal in working in student affairs. “I want to be able to help them whenever they need it, and [this experience] has helped me decide what I want to do and who I want to work with!” she said. LaVoice chose MCLA because of the wonderful sense of community it offers. “I felt welcomed from the moment I stepped foot on campus,” she said. “I love the opportunities MCLA gives to its students, and I feel like anything is possible here.”
Transfer student drawn to small campus community Junior Molly Gurner sacrificed her major in Chinese studies but gained a well-rounded college experience By Gionna Nourse Features Editor
In search of a school where she could thrive academically while majoring in Chinese language, which many schools do not offer, Molly Gurner ’17 chose Roger Williams University (RWU) in Rhode Island. She highly considered MCLA during her college search process, but after applying, she was accepted into Roger Williams and knew she should attend. After spending her freshman year at Roger Williams, she realized it was “not for her”, and began attending MCLA in the fall of 2014. As a Boston native, RWU was only about an hour away from Gurner’s home, while MCLA is almost four. Gurner says it was well worth the distance though, and is very happy with her decision. “The sense of a tight-knit and friendly community is really what attracted me to MCLA from the beginning,” she said. Although RWU is a smaller university, it houses almost double the students that MCLA does. “It’s not a huge school, but it’s about double the size of here,” Gurner said. She was also drawn to the small classes MCLA offers, as many students are. “I believe I thrive in a discussion-based classroom, where it is clear that I have to participate and others are listening to what I have to say,” she said. Knowing that she is encouraged to participate, and that other students truly value her input is something that is very important to Gurner. “[In regards to class size] definitely for me, the smaller the better,” she said. At RWU, she fully immersed herself in academics, but didn’t really focus on any extracurricular activities the school offered. Here, she still remains focused on her studies, but enjoys being a part of the women’s soccer team as well as tutoring for an Italian class and giving campus tours to prospective students and their families.
Photo by Liz Quirk/The Beacon
Junior Molly Gurner reflects on her time as a student at Roger Williams University and explains her decision to come to MCLA. As an art major with a concentration in graphic design, Gurner is somewhat following in her family’s footsteps. “I’ve been into art my entire life,” she said. Her father went to art school and her brother also majored in visual arts in college. “I just wanted to figure out where I could thrive [within the art field].”
She doesn’t regret her time at Roger Williams at all, because that is where she discovered and developed her passion for art and graphic design, especially. After she took an introduction to graphic design course, followed by a typography class, she was “hooked”. “After that, I was set. I knew that was what I wanted to do,” she said. Once she found her love for graphic design, she knew she could carry it out anywhere, and chose MCLA. At MCLA, she has a few classes in the design lab in the newly renovated Bowman Hall, complete with a letter press space, and all the art supplies students can dream of. In the past, students had to go downtown for specialized classes such as the ones Gurner took, but now the supplies are all on campus. “It is nice not to have to go downtown for class,” she said. “I want to focus on designing labels or logos in the advertising industry, and I am really interested in typography and the placement of it,” she said. Although language studies are something she is very interested in and great at, she unfortunately had to drop her major in Chinese because it isn’t offered at the College. “I knew I would have to sacrifice something either way, and here I can major in art with a concentration in graphic design, whereas at Roger Williams I would have had to minor in it,” she said. “I am taking other language classes here, but Chinese is something that I’ve always had a weird passion for, ever since I began studying it in middle school.” Although it was “a little heartbreaking” to drop the Chinese major, Gurner says it was well worth it. “To lose [the Chinese major] and gain a solid group of friends and friendly professors made it worth it in a way,” she said. Gurner stressed how friendly the campus community is here. “Walking around campus, it’s really nice to see familiar faces,” she said. “Here, I feel like I am getting a more well-rounded college experience.”
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Arts & Entertainment
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Beacon.MCLA.edu
“Spectre,” a sequel worth seeing
Though Daniel Craig’s last outing as Bond was not perfect, “Spectre” includes enough action and fun to keep general audiences pleased By Torin Gannon Staff Writer
It may be the end of an era for those of us who grew up knowing Daniel Craig as James Bond, but this film won’t leave fans disappointed. “Spectre,” is the 4th and possibly final entry in Craig’s tenure as James Bond, and the 24th film in the series. The film follows Bond as he goes on one last mission for his deceased superior M (Dame Judy Dench), which brings him up against the shadowy organization Spectre, headed by the mysterious Franz Oberhauser, and digs up painful memories from the agent’s past. Bond also finds his job on the line as outside forces try to take over MI6 and take him out of the field. Audience members may find themselves a little thrown by the collision of old and new. On one end, the film tries to tell a very modern story about espionage, but it seems director Sam Mendes couldn’t keep away from some of the tropes that would probably have felt more at home in one of the original Bond films. These very tropes, more often than not,
take away more from the film then add to it. Another issue the film has is with its plot. Overall the story is a pretty interesting one that will keep the viewer involved, but there are too many leaps in logic and unanswered questions to go unnoticed, and it definitely detracts from the film’s enjoyability. There were also a few missed opportunities to develop the more personal elements of the film’s story. One thing “Spectre” isn’t missing is thrills. The action scenes in the film are incredibly exciting and well done, featuring car chases, gunfights, and plenty of explosions. One scene that stands out features Bond going toe-to-toe with wrestler turned actor Dave Bautista (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) on a speeding train. Mendes brings the excellent visuals that made his previous entry in the series, “Skyfall” stand out. The cinematography is on top of its game, and the film goes to some gorgeous locales. The cast also does a good job at carrying on the film. Daniel Craig still delivers Bond’s tortured humanity, accented with his dry
Photo from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures
humor, making him someone you love to watch. French actress Lea Seydoux (“Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”) holds her own against Bond, playing a Bond girl for the modern age. Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, and Ben Whishaw, all do a great job as Bond’s supporting team of agents. The one disappointment
was Christoph Waltz (“Django Unchained,” “Inglorious Bastards”) as Oberhauser. Waltz does a serviceable job as the villain, but simply isn’t given enough screen time to really flourish. “Spectre” is a very fun movie, and if you could want one thing from a James Bond movie, it’s
just that. It has plenty of nods to the larger Bond mythology to make fans happy, and enough innovation to stand out on its own. It’s a movie entertaining enough to make audiences forgive its faults and embrace it for what it is. “Spectre” serves as a strong conclusion to Daniel Craig’s run as Bond.
Actor/author recreates classic “Paranormal Activity” 6 speeches as they were first given should be last in the series By Chris Riemer A & E Writer
By Mitchell Chapman A & E Editor
Found footage movies need to stop. It can be a powerful genre when done properly, but when done poorly, man are they terrible. I find myself at a loss of words for the latest entry in the “Paranormal Activity” series. It’s as if all who were involved knew fully well how the “Saw” franchise had become, pumping out yearly sequels like found footage was going out of style (which it is). I am flabbergasted that this movie had four writers, (Jason Pagan, Andrew Stark, Adam Robitel, and Gavin Heffernan) or rather, any humans at all. I am not the first to call out how corporate the found footage genre has become, but “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension,” is a prime example of how polluted the style is. The film focuses on a family moving into a new house, where the father (Chris J. Murray) finds a “spirit cam,” which can detect poorly composited computer animated sparklies, or energy in the air. The film doesn’t really do a good job explaining what this energy is; it’s just a lazy plot device to explain that the camera can see things not of this dimension. They had to write in an excuse for all of the movie to be recorded in-universe after all. This time around, a demon, who had killed the previous house owners and is the subject of worship by a local cult, is the main antagonist. He needs a sacrifice in order to materialize in physical form, and I guess the little girl character (Ivy George) fits the bill. She also conforms
to the psychic child cliché common in horror films, as she is the only one who can see and understand the monster. Well, without the camera, that is. Speaking of which, let’s comment on their use of that camera. It’s terrible. It reminds me of M. Night Shyamalan’s pseudo found footage. Everything is just too clean to be believable, and the camera motions seemed staged rather than natural. The film is an odd marriage of professional and amateur photography. The first 20 minutes gave me a headache, and I really wish the director decided to shoot the script like a proper film. Not that the script is golden, I just feel like most of the movie panders to cheap scares only possible through found footage. I was never legitimately scared by any of it. Ninety-nine percent of all the “spooky bits” I saw coming, and the few I didn’t left me feeling cheated because of their cheapness. The ghost is a doofus for the first two-thirds of the movie, only showing its claws in the last 20 minutes, where it kills everyone there. I would’ve strongly preferred these executions to be sprinkled throughout the piece, but I guess that is a convention of “Paranormal Activity.” I feel like I sat through one hour and 10 minutes of boring for 20 minutes of excitement. I do not recommend this movie to any fan of found footage (if those exist) or horror, or just anybody who has watched a movie ever. It is very clear that this movie was made with one dimension of cinema in mind: profitability. It’ll be interesting to see how much money the studio manages to squeeze out of this until audiences gets bored.
While campaigning for the 1912 presidency, Theodore Roosevelt was shot in the chest just before giving a speech to a large crowd in Milwaukee. Rather than go to the hospital, Roosevelt chose to speak for over an hour with the bullet still inside him. Last week, in front of a crowd of students and North Adams locals, actor and author Timothy Mooney performed an excerpt from Roosevelt’s now-famous speech, among sections from several other historically notable speeches. Mooney’s performance, titled “The Greatest Speech of All Time”, sought to present each speech as it might have looked to its original audience: his mannerisms, vocal inflection, and demeanor changed depending on the individual he was portraying. Selections included Socrates’s speech after having been sentenced to death, Frederick Douglass’s “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery,” Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and Martin Luther King’s “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” Mooney kicked off the event by showing a video of Republican Phil Davison, who was running for Treasurer of Stark County, OH in 2010. In Davison’s speech, he moves around constantly, fumbles his words, and yells things like “I’m coming. Both barrels. Guns loaded!” at his audience. Later on, Mooney joked that he’d shown the video “to set the bar as low as possible” for his upcoming performance. At the end of the event, Mooney conducted a poll to determine the audience’s favorite speech via applause. Although it was close, it was concluded that attendees enjoyed King’s speech (which he gave the night before his assassination) the
most. The following is a quote from that night: “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!” (Martin Luther King, April 3, 1968) Near the beginning of the event, Mooney performed an impassioned rendition of Mark Antony’s “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech, which occurred during Caesar’s funeral in Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar”. Mooney projected pages from the play on a wall behind him so that the audience could read their lines, encouraging Antony to continue speaking on the behalf of Caesar. Although some of the pieces like the Gettysburg Address were fairly ubiquitous as far as famous speeches go, others like FDR’s inaugural address and Douglass’s talk at the Rochester Anti-Slavery Sewing Society were less well-known. When asked after the performance why he hadn’t chosen more controversial speeches, Mooney disagreed. “Douglass was controversial. I had to softpedal him a little bit because he was really incendiary!” he said. Mooney also explained that he’d read and practiced a couple speeches by female orators, including one by Emma Goldman, but had chosen to cut them from the performance either because they overlapped thematically with other speeches, or because he didn’t feel like he could properly perform a woman’s role. Mooney often travels to give speeches and performances from a wide variety of theater genres. His website is www. Timmooneyrep.com.
Arts & Entertainment
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Colegrove Park Concert continues to seek votes to fund music event
Beacon.MCLA.edu
See it tonight!
Students and community members are encouraged to vote through grant.levittamp.com By Mitchell Chapman A & E Editor
MCLA’s Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (BCRC), MASS MoCA, and the city of North Adams are trying to bring 10 consecutive weeks of music to Colegrove Park, but they need help to make it happen. The coalition is applying for one of 15 Levitt AMP Grants and are one of 40 proposals being considered by Levitt Pavilions. Cities with up to 400,000 people are considered for the AMP Grants, which are up to $25,000 each. In order for North Adams to be considered for the grants, they must be among the top 25 vote-getters by 8 p.m. Nov, 30, when voting ends. Anyone can sign up and vote through https://grant. levittamp.org/events-page/. Theresa Miller, director of corporate and foundation relations at the College, said in a statement that the series will need everyone’s help to be successful. According to the “top votes” module on Levitt Pavilions’s website, the Colegrove proposal is doing strong, ranked at number five as of Nov. 15, but there is still a lot of time left before voting ends. Ahead of it
are proposals from the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Friday After 5, Inc. of Owensboro, Kentucky, Jacksonville Main Street in Jacksonville, Illinois, and Delta State University’s Delta Music Institute in Cleveland, Mississippi. The majority of proposals are from New York, Mississippi, Texas, and California. The only other in-state proposal is from New Bedford, Mass., and is currently ranked 37 in terms of votegetting. Though the competition might be stiff, North Adams has a good chance of getting a grant, as well as its very own Levitt AMP Music Series, if it keeps up its current voter turnout. After Colegrove secures a place within the top 25 vote-getters, it is up to the nonprofit Levitt Pavilions to decide the winners. “The goal of Levitt AMP is to celebrate community through music, using community spaces,” Miller said in the statement. “They want to bring back and enliven spaces in communities that will benefit from that cultural infusion. Levitt AMP’s mission is to transform underutilized public spaces. Colegrove Park has been under-utilized for the last
60 years, and is ideally situated to launch a new concert series in North Adams.” The Colegrove renovations have cost $30 million and largely include major renovations to the former Silvio O. Conte Middle School, now Colegrove Elementary School. The performance space for the concerts will most likely be a small acoustic shell, funded by private donors, according to Mayor Alcombright in an interview with the Berkshire Eagle. If the shell gets funded, it can be a venue for performances outside of the Levitt AMP Music series, such as other concert series, theatre productions, and movies. If the concert series gets funded, it will be free and open to the public. Though no concrete dates or tentative band names exist, the series will try to launch later in the season to accommodate MCLA students, according to the Berkshire Eagle. MCLA has approximately 1,800 undergraduate and 450 graduate students, all of whom are eligible for voting. Full-time residency in the area is not a requirement to vote.
Showtimes: Thursday 8 p.m. Friday 8 p.m. Saturday 2 & 8 p.m. Order tickets through ticketleap All performances held at Venable Theater
Gallery 51
on Main Street in North Adams
Thursday Nov. 19
at 7 PM
Poetry Reading Jessica Fisher by
MCLA's CreaƟve WriƟng Reading series is sponsored by Hardman Special IniƟaƟves and coordinated by the English/CommunicaƟons Department.
Jessica Fisher is the author of two poetry collec�ons: Frail‐Cra�, which won the 2006 Yale Younger Poets Prize, and Inmost, which received the 2011 Nightboat Poetry Prize. Her poems and transla�ons have appeared in such journals as The American Poetry Review, The Believer, The Colorado Review, McSweeney’s, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Threepenny Review and Triquarterly. Recipient of the 2012‐13 Rome Prize in Literature, Jessica is an Assistant Professor of English at Williams College.
7
Sports 8 Men’s basketball victorious in double OT Thursday, November 19, 2015
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Hannah-Wornum’s huge game gives MCLA the edge over Lyndon State on Tuesday
By Tyler Bacon Sports Writer
The MCLA Men’s Basketball team won a double-overtime thriller Tuesday evening when Dakari Hannah-Wornum blocked a potential game-winning shot as they defeated Lyndon State 96-95. The win moved the Trailblazers record to 2-1 early in the season. Hannah-Wornum played a big part in the win for the Trailblazers both offensively and defensively. He scored with a little over a minute left in the second overtime to put the Trailblazers up 96-93, then made the game-saving block at the top of the key to preserve the win. Hannah Wornum finished the game with 14 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 blocks in 31 minutes. He was a perfect 6-6 from the field. In the first overtime, MCLA tried to hold onto a slim three point lead, 87-84, but Lyndon State’s Raymond Monroe nailed a three pointer with 37 seconds left to tie the game once again. Lyndon State had a chance to win the game as time expired, but they turned the ball over to force double overtime. MCLA’s Collin Parrott believes it was a great second half and resiliency that led to the big win for the Trailblazers.
“We went on a great run as a team in the second half and didn’t back down,” Parrott said. “Punches were thrown at us, and instead of playing down and hanging our heads, we pulled together and got the win as a team.” MCLA’s Joe Wiggins lead the Trailblazers off the bench with 21 points on 8-12 shooting from the floor before collecting his fifth foul and fouling out. Khalil Paul added 16 points of his own, all in the second half, before he fouled out as well. Careem Kirksey matched Paul with 16 points of his own. Paul Maurice struggled shooting going 6-18 from the field for 13 points, but added 6 rebounds and 5 assists while playing 48 out of the 50 minutes. MCLA battled and overcame 19 turnovers to earn the win. The Blazers shot 47% from the floor and held Lyndon State to 38% and 3-22 from behind the arc. MCLA got their first win of the season on Sunday when they defeated Norwich University by a score of 86-76. The victory marked the first win in the career of head coach Anthony Skiffington as the Trailblazers evened their record at 1-1. Hannah Wornum led the Trailblazers with a team high 19 points and 14 rebounds. He was joined in double figures by Paul with 16 points, Wiggins added 13 points,
Maurice with 12 points and Adam Conquest with 11. MCLA ended the first half with a large 23 point lead with a score of 53-30. In the second half, Norwich stormed back to make it a single digit game with two minutes to play. The Trailblazers made their free throws to ice the game and win by 10 points. MCLA once again overcame a lot of turnovers, 20, to earn the victory. They shot 45% from the floor and held Norwich to 37% including 3-20 from three point range. MCLA shot a solid 71% from the foul line. The Trailblazers opened their season with a loss against Photo from MCLA Athletics Southern Vermont MCLA junior Dakari Hannah-Wornum is averaging 14.6 rebounds per game, College on Friday which is tenth in the nation in Division III. His 4.7 blocks per game are fourth evening by a score of nationally. 102-72. sey chipped in with 12 points of from the floor and 7-21 from the Southern Vermont used a solid his own. Hannah Wornum had 6 three point line while SVC shot first half to cruise for the 30 point points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks 48% from the floor. victory. They led 44-25 at the end for the game. MCLA is back at home tomorof the first half. Paul led the TrailThe Trailblazers only shot 32% row when they look to win their blazers with 13 points and Kirk-
Women’s basketball tips off season By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
The Women’s basketball team dropped both of its games last weekend during the Smith College tip-off tournament. On Saturday, MCLA was defeated in the first round of the tournament by the Rochester Institute of Technology, 71-50. On Sunday, the Trailblazers were dropped in the third place game by Curry College, 67-45. During the opening contest, RIT shot 55 percent from the floor and its starting five combined for 60 of the teams’ 71 total points. Sophomore Jessica Glaz scored 21 points on 9-12 shooting and freshman Tara Lynch scored 20 points and grabbed 8 rebounds to lead the Tigers. The Trailblazers lacked an interior presence during the game, getting outrebounded by RIT 4027 and scoring only 2 points in the paint during the contest. The Trailblazers were led by junior Brayleigh Hanlon, who scored 15 points off of the bench. MCLA tried to rebound in the third place game against Curry, but the Colonels used a 16-0 run in the second half to sink the Trailblazers. Curry got 19 points from senior Christina Deiorio and 11 points, 10 rebounds and 5 steals from senior Kerry White. The Trailblazers were hampered by poor outside shooting, as they only shot 1-12 from beyond the
arc during the game. MCLA was the team in rebounds with 9.4 like to see her become one of the led by junior Kayla Hotaling’s 12 rebounds per game and averaged best players in the conference. points, and they got a boost from over 2 blocks per game. She has to do that through hard freshman McKenzie Robinson “Kayla has been a mainstay on work and understanding that it is who had 8 points and 5 steals in the boards for us; I would really okay to be physical with people,” only 13 minutes of play. McGovern said. MCLA looks to rebound afSupporting Hotaling are fellow ter two difficult seasons where juniors Courtney McLaughlin, they only managed to win one Brayleigh Hanlon and Courtney MASCAC game. The TrailblazDurivage. Both McLaughlin and ers return their entire startHanlon averaged 10 points per ing lineup and all of their key game and 1.5 steals per game bench players, as they had no last season, while Durivage avseniors last season. A lot of eraged 5 points and 5 rebounds success will depend on the per game for the Trailblazers. maturation of the Class of “Courtney McLaughlin is a 2017, a unit that has made up really explosive slasher; she the bulk of the program since changes the game for us dethey arrived in 2013. fensively with her ability to get “I think the wonderful nature into the passing lanes. Brayleigh of what we have been going is a good three point shooter, I through is that they have had would like to see her do a lita lot of experience as a group; tle bit more defensively for us we are that veteran layered this year but she can definitely team and we are ready to go shoot the basketball. Courtney out there and they are ready to Durivage is a workhorse for our challenge each other out there program. She shows up every on the court,” head coach Holly day ready to embrace the team McGovern said. and our philosophies,” McGov“They have been in a lot of ern said. close games, some of which Junior Ashley Clawson will we have won, but I think one once again shoulder a bulk of of the struggles for us has been the ball-handling duties for the on the road; that is something Trailblazers, but she will likewe certainly have to figure out. ly get some support from the For the veterans on the team, freshman Robinson. it is time for them to turn the “Ashley has done a wonderful corner.” job as our point guard, I think The Trailblazers were led in having Mackenzie, a freshman scoring last season by Hotalwho is also a point guard, comPhoto by Isabel McKenzie/The Beacon ing in and having her and Ashing who averaged 11.8 points per game, while also leading Brayleigh Hanlon was third last ley on the floor at the same time season in scoring, averaging 9.8 ppg.
is something that is going to be beneficial for us. Mackenzie can shoot the ball very well and Ashley has done an extraordinary job getting to the basket.” The Trailblazers are also breaking in a new class of freshmen, and McGovern is enthusiastic about the potential of the unit. “When you have five sophomores as we did last season starting, now you have freshman and other sophomores who are ready to play and step into those roles. At this point we look at everybody as a possible starter,” McGovern said. “All five of our freshmen can contribute for us this season in some way. One of our focuses this year in recruiting was three points shooting and we brought in some really good offensive players that have range. Courtney Pingelski is a good offensive player that can go inside and out, Sam Gawron, once she comes back from her shoulder injury has the potential to be a wonderful shooter in our conference. Karina Mattera is an offensive threat and L’Rae Brundige improves every day. In high school she was more of a low post player but she can play in the high post, she can shoot the high post jumper, she can pass and she can put the ball on the floor.” MCLA played on Wednesday at Daniel Webster, and will have their first home game on Saturday against SUNY-Cobleskill, with tip-off set for 4 p.m. They then travel to Becker College Tuesday.
Sports
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Fair Territory
NFL Power Rankings By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
Week 10 saw one of the three unbeaten giants slain and also saw two the league’s earlyseason elite fall back into pool of mediocre teams vying for a playoff spot. 1. New England PatriotsTough road win for New England against a very capable Giants team. We all know how good Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are, but it was kicker Stephen Gostkowski who saved the day for New England with a clutch 54 yard kick to clinch the game for the Patriots. Gostkowski has converted all 21 of his field goals this season, as well as all 34 extra points this season, the only kicker in the NFL who is perfect in both categories. Gostkowski also leads the league in touchbacks with 45. 2. Carolina PanthersThe resident bullies of the NFC beat up on an overmatched Titans squad to advance to 9-0. Cam Newton has six games this season where he has thrown and ran for at least one touchdown, no other quarterback in the league has more than two of those games. Carolina’s remaining games come against four teams under .500, plus two games against the fading Atlanta Falcons and one game on the road against the New York Giants. 3. Cincinnati BengalsAndy Dalton finally turned back into a pumpkin on Monday night football, as Cincinnati’s undefeated season came to end with a bad loss to the lowly Texans. Still, Dalton ranks in the Top 10 in most passing categories and one game does not change the fact that Cincinnati has had an outstanding season so far. 4. Arizona CardinalsThe Cardinals picked up an impressive comeback victory on the road against Seattle, fully asserting themselves as the team to beat in the NFC West. Carson Palmer has rebounded from his knee injury last season to lead the league in yards per attempt at 8.9 at age 35. 32 year old Larry Fitzgerald is fifth in the league in receiving yards and is second in receiving touchdowns, proving that all he needs to succeed is a good QB.
5. Minnesota VikingsTeddy Bridgewater was cleared to play from his concussion and the Vikings ran for over 200 yards for a huge victory over Oakland. The two top rushers in the NFL (Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson) are both on the wrong side of 30. 6. Pittsburgh SteelersDespite catching the injury bug, Pittsburgh hammered Cleveland 30-9, and remain the top wild card contender in the AFC. Antonio Brown is already over 1,100 yards receiving 10 games into the season and is second in the league with 79 receptions. Also, Ben Roethlisberger is Jason Vorhees and should wear the hockey mask before every game to scare other teams. 7. Green Bay PackersGreen Bay lost to Detroit at home for the first time in my lifetime, snapping a 24 game losing skid at Lambeau for the Lions. Even worse for Green Bay, Detroit really tried to give the game away, botching an onside kick recovery before rallying to block Mason Crosby’s would-be game winning field goal. 8. Denver BroncosDepending on who you listen to, Peyton Manning is either injured or just really old. Either way, the Bronco’s quarterback was horrific on Sunday, completing nearly as many passes to the other team (4 interceptions) as his own (5 completions). With unproven backup Brock Osweiler set to start this Sunday for Denver, the onus is on the defense to carry Denver into the playoffs. 9. New York GiantsDespite coming up with a loss on Sunday, New York played arguably their best game of the season against New England, nearly ending the Patriots’ perfect season once again. Eli Manning looked unfazed in big moments and Jason Pierre-Paul has revitalized the New York defense since returning from injury. If the Giants play every week like they did against New England they are a real Super Bowl contender. 10. Kansas City ChiefsAfter a rocky start, Kansas is back up to 4-5, and also own a point differential of +29 and are second in the league in turnover differential at +8. Coming off of a bye week, head coach Andy Reid is 15-2 all-time. 11. Seattle SeahawksSeattle isn’t dead yet, but a tough loss at home to a division rival and watching your secondary get shredded by Arizona for 363 yards is lessening the room for error. 12. Chicago BearsSince Jay Cutler has come back from injury, Chicago is 4-2 and host the reeling Denver Broncos on Sunday before getting a crack at the also stumbling Packers the following week on Thursday.
Beacon.MCLA.edu
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Volleyball wraps Scores up season with ECAC Tourney Men’s Basketball
Record setting season comes to an end with a loss in the ECAC New England Championship Tournament to Endicott College, 3-0 By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
For two weekends in a row, the volleyball team hosted a postseason tournament on Saturday, and for the second time, MCLA advanced to the championship round only to be swept in the final, falling to the Gulls of Endicott College in the championship round of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference New England Championship tournament. The Trailblazers began the day as the number two seed in the tournament, and were named the hosts of the tourney when the number one seed Endicott could not host due to a scheduling conflict with their gymnasium. MCLA opened up the competition with a first round matchup against the thirdseeded Lynx of Lesley University. The Lynx picked up 12 kills and committed only 3 errors in the first set to pick up a 25-18 victory in the opening set. MCLA rebounded in the second set, as they took advantage of two errors late from Lesley to take the set 2826. In the third set, the Trailblazers took advantage once more of Lesley errors, as sophomore Ciara Bruning’s attack went into the net to give MCLA the set, 25-22 and put the Trailblazers in the driver’s seat with a 2-1 lead. The Lynxes did not go quietly however, picking up a 25-22 victory in the fourth set when sophomore Sarah Hollis smashed home a kill to force a 5th and decisive set. In the fifth and final set, the Trailblazers got out to a 7-2 lead and never looked back, getting the decisive 15th point on a kill from junior Allison Clark, to give MCLA a 15-10 victory in the final set and a 3-2 victory for the match. Clark led MCLA with 20 kills, while senior Angelica Perfido and sophomore Margaret Allen each had 11. Senior Courtney Parent and sophomore Beatrice Lechler combined for 51 assists, and sophomore Chanielle Enomoto had 25 digs. Lesley was led by sophomore Kaylee Deluga’s 20 kills and senior Emily Marden’s 41 assists. In the second first-round matchup, Endicott swept Anna Maria College in three straight sets to advance to the championship round. Endicott cruised through all three sets, taking them by the scores of 25-11, 25-19 and 25-18, taking advantage of their superior length and athleticism up front. Anna Maria was led by senior Jessica Goulet’s 7 kills, while
fellow senior Samantha Parker led the team in both assists with 15 and digs with 17. The Gulls were led by senior Lexi Watts’ 11 kills, while senior Alleigh VandeMerkt had 21 assists and junior Tori McIntyre led all players with 18 digs. The Gulls and the Trailblazers squared off in the finals, and Endicott got off to a strong start when junior Kelli Sugrue smashed home an assist from VandeMerkt to give Endicott the first set by the score of 25-22. In the second set, Endicott continued to dominate the game, opening a 17-11 lead. Coming out of a timeout, MCLA would go on a 10-4 run and tie the game up at 21 after a kill from Perfido, who got an assist from Lechler. The Trailblazers opened up a 2524 lead after an attack error by junior Hayley Knapp, putting them one point away from taking the second set. However, Endicott went on a 3-0 run, culminating in an attack error from Enomoto, as they snuck away with the second set 27-25. The Gulls finished off the Trailblazers without too much trouble in the third set, getting the championship kill from Watts and taking the set 25-16. Endicott was led in the championship game by sophomore Lauren Sheehan who had 11 kills while Watts added 7. VandeMerkt had 23 assists and 12 digs and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Clark had 11 kills and 13 digs to lead the Trailblazers. Perfido had 7 kills, and Parent had 17 assists in 8 digs in what was the final game in a Trailblazer uniform for the two seniors. Enotomo had 15 digs and junior Sam Anderson had six blocks. The Traiblazers finish the season with a record of 24-11, by far the most wins in program history (the previous record was 15 wins). Clark set a program record with 470 kills, which was also the 13th highest total out of all Division III volleyball players in the country. Allen was second on the team with 225 kills while Perfido had 160 kills in her senior season. Parent had 549 assists to lead the Trailblazers while the freshman Lechler had 436. Defensively, the Trailblazers were led by the duo of Enomoto and sophomore Brittney Pihl. Enomoto had 467 digs while Pihl stepped up into the libero position and finished the season with 324 digs. Anderson led the Trailblazers with 107 blocks, which put her in the top 50 nationally.
Friday, Nov. 13 MCLA @ Southern Vermont 102-72, L Sunday, Nov. 15 MCLA vs Norwich 86-16, L Tuesday, Nov. 17 MCLA vs Lyndon State 96-95, W 2OT Women’s Basketball Saturday, Nov. 14 MCLA vs RIT @ Smith College 71-50, L Sunday, Nov. 15 MCLA vs Curry @ Smith College 67-45, L Volleyball Saturday, Nov. 14 MCLA vs Lesley 3-2, W MCLA vs Endicott 3-0, L Cross Country MCLA @ NCAA Champ. Women: 56th Men: 55th
Schedules Friday, Nov. 20 Men’s Basketball MCLA vs Castleton State 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21 Women’s Basketball MCLA vs SUNY-Cobleskill 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24 Women’s Basketball MCLA @ Becker College 6 p.m. Men’s Basketball MCLA vs Williams College 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29 Men’s Basketball MCLA @ NYU 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30 Women’s Basketball MCLA @ Lassell College 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2 Women’s Basketball MCLA vs Utica College 7 p.m.
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Opinion
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Beacon.MCLA.edu
“Do you agree with the media’s coverage of the Paris attacks?”
“No. It doesn’t seem fair. Why were the European problems given prominence over African countries? I understand that things are different there. In Paris, it’s more of a shock because these things happen all the time in other places but that doesn’t demean the human lives that were lost. Bad things are happening to everyone everywhere, and we only reacted…there’s only Snapchat filters and Facebook filters for France. Bad things happened to a lot of other people and a lot of other lives were lost, they all have the same value. It’s not fair that it was treated as a secondhand crime.” -Dee Davis, 2019
“We care so much about the Europeans and their problems, but what about the world? What about everyone else? There’s so many people dying, and it just shows how the media cares more about white lives than black lives. That’s why the black lives matter campaign is so important. People of color come in all different shades; we’re Muslims, we’re Spanish, we’re Chinese, all those people are people of color as well. We all individually have our own issues. For example, there were almost 200 university students killed in Kenya. There was a mass killing of Haitians due to the political election in Haiti. There’s just various other issues going on and I think that each issue needs the same amount of coverage. You don’t just focus on the European issues; you focus on the world issues.” -Giovani Dulcio, 2016
“I think the media did well on covering it, as much investigation as they did. Also, I do believe that Kenya was devastated with events too, but if we have to focus on every single problem there is in the world, I feel like the news would be more depressing. That stuff in Kenya happens all the time…Even though I believe they should get as much coverage as Paris, it’s just sad because Paris doesn’t get those attacks but Kenya does.” -Aaron Lopes, 2018
“I don’t think one should be chosen over the other. But, with any media, they have to make a choice about what to show. They don’t show everything. They always have to choose what stories to show, they never show every side of a situation. They never show every situation.” -Milena Casamassima, 2017
Photos compiled by Isabel McKenzie
Editorial
What the Paris attacks mean for you Over the weekend the city of Paris, France, suffered a massive terrorist attack. Eighty-nine people were murdered at an Eagles Of Death Metal concert on Friday. Not long after, social media avidly took to posting updates about the crisis. Users decided to stand in solidarity with Paris by sharing peace sign pictures with the Eiffel Tower in the middle, and changing Facebook profile pictures to have a French flag mask. News outlets devoted constant coverage to the attacks. In addition to this attack, the story of 147 students getting massacred at a university in northeast Kenya by al-Shabaab militants began to circulate; however, it occurred on April 2, according to Quartz. Simultaneous to the Paris attack, a double suicide attack took place in Beirut that killed over 40 people. Both instances neglected to make the international news cycle, perhaps because of their overlooked regions. What’s Next? Many radio and morning talk shows have touched on whether or not we should live in fear and paranoia now that Paris has responded to the potential ISIS threat. As students temporarily living in Mass, none of this may appeal to you, especially if you’ve never visited a different country. However, the idea of situational awareness surfaces again. With Thanksgiving around the corner, the most popular traveling holiday, it’s important to watch out for yourself and each other. If
changing your Facebook profile picture makes you feel like you’re promoting solidarity, that’s fine, but it’s also fine to understand other global happenings and to realize the extremity of them. In several states, governors are taking their fear of terrorism and safety to the next level by requesting from federal officials the opportunity to prevent Syrian refugees from coming to their states, according to USA Today. The article later says that governors have little power to stop this issue. By living in fear, the terrorist group gets what they want. As for the United States, Obama stated that he would not increase the number of aircrafts targeting ISIS or insert more troops into Iraq and Syria, while at the same time, France intends to destroy ISIS. Close to Home Even though this is another country, its amazing how quickly the rest of the world responded with support. The same happened to the U.S. after 9/11 and the Boston Bombings. The unity amongst existing tensions in the states is surprising, but its also reassuring when in a state of emergency. Also this weekend, military weapons went missing from an Army Reserve in Worcester, Mass. It almost seemed like online news outlets pumped out more stories once the terrorists made the scene. A man is wanted for the theft of 16 weapons. PARIS continued on page 11
Health & Fitness Bigger than biceps
Rethink your post-workout sports drink
By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Co-Editor in Chief In order to successfully manage any workout, hydration is crucial to replenish electrolytes. I’m sure you’ve heard the word before when someone is helping nurse your hangover. Electrolytes deplete when your body is dehydrated; simply put, it’s thirsty. Ways electrolytes can be depleted include heavy and intense or long, strenuous workouts, eating disorders, consuming a large portion of alcohol, vomiting, diuretics, diabetes and kidney failure. As you grow, your body starts with roughly 80 percent water and decreases to 60 percent and even lower. Signs of electrolyte imbalance include nausea, lethargy, or retaining fluid. You can reverse this effect by drinking water, Pedialyte and Gatorade. Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade were designed for professional sports players who spent long hours practicing in the heat.
Typically, you wouldn’t take a Gatorade with you to the gym unless you plan to do serious work, not just lifting a few weights, running and leaving. If anything, you’re consuming more sugar because you’re not working hard enough for energy to burn off. Electrolytes hold a positive or negative charge to carry chemical signals throughout your body, some of which include sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphate, and bicarbonate, according to healthline.com. Losing electrolytes is something you can feel happen, like when your blood sugar drops, or when your fingers and body gets bloated from too much sodium. Sometimes it will cause a headache and overall soreness in the body. Electrolytes regulate bodily fluids and are found in blood and cells. Sodium and chloride support the muscle and nerve functions, while the latter assists in muscle contraction, healthy cell function, and help to regulate energy and pH balance, according to Web MD. Next time you go for a light jog or do yoga, think about sipping water instead of a sugary sports drink. It certainly aids in a number of recoveries, but it should not be a first-choice workout beverage.
The Beacon 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Co-Editors in Chief Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Nicholas Swanson Co-Web Editors Jake Mendel Matt Aceto
Sports Editor Jesse Collings A&E Editor Mitchell Chapman
Senior News Editor Idalis Foster Features Editor Gionna Nourse Buisness Manager Sam Stuhler
Copy Chief Brittany Gallacher Photography Editor Agnella Gross Managing Editor Harmony Birch
Staff Staff Writers
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Jarred Clapp Chris Riemer Torin Gannon Joseph Carew Matt Hotaling Tyler Bacon Nick Tardive
Isabel McKenzie Tiearra Henson Elizabeth Quirk Jay Tocco
Cartoonist
Caitlin O’Neill*
Copy Editors
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Caitlin O’Neill* Paige Vincent Lauren Levite Veronica Colacurcio
Jenifer Augur Gillian Jones Shawn McIntosh
*Holds more than one position
Online at: Beacon.MCLA.edu Facebook.com/MCLABeacon Twitter.com/TheBeacon_MCLA
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Police Logs Week of 11/8- 11/15 Public Safety responded to 135 total calls Sunday, Nov. 8
◆ 2:31 a.m. – Public Safety
Announcements & Opinion
PARIS continued from page 10 The break-in occurred between 6p.m. on Saturday and 1a.m. on Sunday, according to WHDH. When minor situations like this hit trending topics, it causes anxiety, as many students at the College are from eastern Mass and Worcester areas. Being a responsible, good citizen it is important to be aware of yourself and your surroundings in this confusing, and unfortunate time of political differences.
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responded to a disturbance reported in the Flagg Townhouse Apartments. A warning was issued.
◆ 9:52 a.m. – Public Safety responded to a medical call on campus. The subject was transported to the hospital.
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Monday, Nov.9
◆ 12:16 &12:35 p.m. – Public Safety responded to two wellbeing checks at the Flagg Townhouse Apartments. One subject was referred to another campus service. The check resulted in a Well Being Check Report being filed. ◆ 3:16 p.m. – Public Safety responded to a Fire alarm going off in the Amsler Campus Center . The cause was unknown.
Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Composts in Training with Nick Tardive 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The Gas Station with Matt Aceto 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. A bailar con Tangie (Early afternoons with Tangie) with Tangie Mendez This show is in Spanish 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. On Air with Devin with Chris Riemer 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. The Squirrel with Alison Gilbert 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Current with Tim Williams 8:00 - 10:00 p.m.The Bucket with Becky and Courtney 10:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. On Air With Devin with Chris Riemer Friday 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Bumpin’ with Britt with Brittany Whitford 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Music Variety 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Hazards of Love with Kathleen Sansone
Wednesday, Nov. 11
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. The Squirrel with Alison Gilbert
◆ 10:03 a.m., 12:29 p.m., &
3:00 -5:00 p.m. On Air with Devin with Chris Riemer
3:01 p.m. – Public Safety responded to three alleged suspicious activity reports on Church St., the Freel Library, the Church St. Center Parking lot. The last subject was warned.
5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Unitarian Radio with Alex Hicks-Courant
Thursday, Nov.12
◆ 10:01 p.m. – Public Safety responded to an alleged suspicious activity reported at the Bond St. Parking lot. The activity was investigated.
Friday, Nov. 13
◆ 6:37 p.m. – Public Safety responded to a wellbeing check at Hoosac Hall. No further action was required.
Saturday, Nov. 14
◆ 1:38 a.m. & 7:13 p.m.
– Public Safety responded to two alleged suspicious activities reported at the Public Safety building, and the Amsler Campus Center. The last subject was warned.
Sunday, Nov. 15
◆ 2:23 a.m. – Public Safety responded to a disturbance reported at 227 Ashland St. The disturbance was investigated.
7:00 - 9:00 p.m. MCLA Pregame with Tim Williams and Erika Flannery 9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Metal Heart with Micky
Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. FolKenS.uch with Ken Swiatek 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. Metal Heart 2.0 with Micky 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. The Generic Show with DJ Generico 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Outrage with Aaron Lopes, Messaoud Kerris and Leland Harper 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Grab the Bull By the Horns with Ben Harvish 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Potts on the Rocks with Casey Potts and Dylan Burkhart 9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. North Adams Hip-Hop with Matt Aceto and Guy Francois
Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Ry-Guy Polka Time with Ryan Pause 12:30 - 2:00 p.m. Eclectic Mix With Iz and Nick with Isabel McKenzie and Nick Cross
FINANCIAL AID ANNOUNCEMENT WIN A TRAILBLAZER CAFÉ GIFT CERTIFICATE!! HAVE YOU COMPLETED A FREE REGISTRATION FOR SALT YET??? SALT LETS YOU: *KEEP TRACK OF STUDENT LOANS *LOOK FOR JOBS/INTERNSHIPS *SEARCH FOR SCHOLARSHIPS *FIND BUDGETING TIPS LOG IN OR SIGN UP AT WWW.SALTMONEY.ORG AND BRING A COPY OF THE WELCOME PAGE TO THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE IN ELDRIDGE HALL BY NOVEMBER 23. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE IN BY NOVEMBER 23rd. WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED AFTER THANKSGIVING BREAK
Commentary
Academic advising system needs to be reformed By Mitchell Chapman
Arts & Entertainment Editor As many of us have just gone through advising, it makes sense to reflect back on the process, to see if it was more helpful than hurtful. An Academic Advisor can provide a great amount of guidance to a student, especially in their first year, often preventing them from making “rookie” mistakes when setting up their schedule for the Spring Semester. Going forward, they can be a resource for students who are more than capable of making their own schedule; the kind of student who knows just exactly what they need to take and when to take it. However, we have a system at MCLA that never quite gets out of this “hand holding” phase common in freshmen year. I see no reason why successful sophomores, juniors, and seniors should be barred from registration access codes unless they set up a meeting with their advisors. Setting up a meeting is obvious at that point, as you might otherwise not have enough information about classes, and it is a bit condescending for the school to remind us of this. I also find a great deal wrong with the matriculated registration forms at this school. Not only do they require signatures of the course teachers, which can be difficult enough to get, but they also require your advisor’s signature, which can be often hard to get. If a student has more than a few classes on such a form, that one, arbitrary sign-off can often be the difference between making your registration period
and not, especially if they have limited office hours. There is also the issue with new and part-time faculty, who might not necessarily have the experience or knowledge others have, which by default puts certain students, especially freshmen, at a disadvantage. It is understandable that these faculty members need to learn, but the college needs to ask “at whose expense?” This can easily be limited by having a mandatory period of prior employment before advisees are assigned (for instance, two years), and new faculty could shadow their peers in this preliminary period. Overall, I am not impressed with this system. I found it very helpful freshmen year, and my advisor has been a great resource to me, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to make a single professor “in charge” of anyone’s whole academic experience. Guide them, yes, but when this system has become a hindrance, for so many, it tells me that this is an area that needs serious reform within the College. As a student and member of this college community, I want a system that can guide those who need guidance, and that doesn’t penalize those that don’t. In the end, the success or failure of a student’s college experience is up to them. If MCLA wants to compete on the national scale with other public institutions, it makes sense to start fixing obvious issues like our current advising system. Don’t bar students from taking a class or graduating because they need a signature. We’re smart people. Treat us with respect.
The last day to submit to Spires Literary Magazine is tomorrow! Visit Spires.mcla.edu/submit to upload poetry, prose or art!
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Thursday, November 19, 2015
Photo Essay
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Curious Encounters at Gallery 51
Curious Encounters is an exhibition featuring over forty works created by members of the Massachusetts Art Education Association. Left to right: “You Must Descend for a View from Tabletop” by Erin Sutton, Wavey “Bowl” by Daniel Nicholson, and “Bundles” by Lisa Jacobson.
Michael Frassinelli’s “Last of the Pianistas” combines acrylic on wood with piano cabinet parts and cast iron.
“Arrow” by Bob Hepner of Smith College Campus School. Mariel Daniels’ “Minded” is composed of acrylic, graphite, and varnish.
Photos by Jay Tocco