Student Newspaper of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, Mass.
The Beacon
For more content, visit online at: Beacon.MCLA.edu Volume 79 ◆ Issue 10
Th u r s d ay, N o v e m b e r 2 0 , 2 0 1 4
MoCA to get $25 million expansion
The first snow
Museum to be largest contemporary art venue in U.S. By Rachel Fitterman
Arts & Entertainment Editor Mass MoCA will double the size of its campus thanks to a $25.4 million state grant. Governor Deval Patrick spoke at the museum Monday praising the investment for long-term thinking and focus on improving the education and infrastructure of North Adams. “Art completes us and makes us full citizens and full human beings,” Patrick said. “[Mass MoCA] is an economic engine. It will soon be the largest contemporary art museum in America.” He added, “We need to make this investment the type that expands the museum to people who don’t consider art a necessary or everyday part of their lives.” The expansions will double the size of the museum, according to Mass MoCA director Joe Thompson. Additions to the Sol Lewitt gallery, as well the west branch of the museum, will both be part of the renovation. More outdoor spaces will also be created. “Every walkway and branch on the campus will be open to the public,” Thompson said. “Even though Mass MoCA is doubling in size, it will seem like it is quadrupling.” The new space will call for collaborations and exhibits that “take into account the humanity of the space,” Thompson said. “We will be working with artists who can exploit our space. We need artists who can deal with the size of the building and ask for a large amount of space [for their work]. We need artists who have a sense of place, and will create exhibits that you can’t see in Los Angeles or Paris – that you have to come to North Adams to see,” he added. These include graphic artist Robert Rauschenberg, performance artist Laurie Anderson, Bang on a Can founder Gunnar Schonbeck, and sculptor Louise Bourgeois, according to Thompson. Immersive exhibits by James Torrell and Jenny Holzer will also be featured.
MOCA, continued on page 7
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Poet embraces her own differences
Clash of the seasons
By Harmony Birch
Special to the Beacon
Photo By Osakpolo Igiede/The Beacon
Snow coats the lower quad area of campus on Friday morning.
Cheryl Savageau, a Native American poet, grew up in the 50s; a time where being an “Indian” wasn’t as accepted as it is today. “A lot of times I didn’t realize that what we called ourselves was French Canadian which was a way to cover up what we really were,” Savageau said of feeling as though she had to hide her Indian heritage. She expressed three important aspects of her identity including her heritage, bisexuality and bipolar disorder at the “Coming Out X 3” poetry event Tuesday night. The event was sponsored
SAVAGEAU, continued on page 4
New FHL hockey team in town hits the ice
Berkshire Batallion players have experience with college and professional teams By Juanita Doss
Slovakia U20, as well as Slovak Juniors and Slovakian University Champion. He was also a champion of the MOL Liga, an international league based in Hungary, Romania, and Rock music blared through the speakers as Slovakia. players fled through the locker room doors Springfield native Ian Reopel first pushed and onto the ice, hitting black pucks into around a hockey puck when he was three years white netted goals. old. From that moment on, hockey became his The Berkshire Battalions are the newest passion. He played for Cathedral High School, franchise in the Federal Hockey League, with the Winchendon School (a prep school), and players from all over the world. Westfield State. Now he’s playing in Their coach Dan Farrell, who the pro league for the first time. calls himself a “full-contact nerd,” “This is a great experience so far. started the Battalions for fun. I’m learning off-ice as much as on,” “This is a fantastic league and it’s Reopel said. a great opportunity,” he said. “I’ve He hopes to grow into a better been involved with the game at the player as the season progresses pro level for many years. It’s the and use his mental game to his right fit.” advantage. Farrell sees his players as a “It’s not about survival of the fantastic group of athletes with a fittest, but the survival of the great attitude for the game. smartest,” Reopel added. “Hockey is a high speed game of Matthew Hamilton of Thunder full contact chess,” he added. Bay, Ontario, Canada started Twenty-one-year-old forward playing hockey when he was Matthew Rosebrook, a native seven. He played in a junior of Ottawa, Canada, wasn’t used hockey league team for three years to packed stands and unlimited until leaving for Finland, where he cheering from fans. This season he played for a year. hopes that he and his teammates Hamilton has high hopes will continue to work hard and win for the team to make it to the games. championship and take home the “No one expected us to do well, trophy. but we won our first three games,” “The more we practice and play, Rosebrook said. “We just have to the more we grow,” Hamilton said. continue to power through and “Nothing beats experience. keep striving.” The Battalions will play their This is Rosebrook’s first year home games at the Peter W. Foote playing in the professional league. Veterans Memorial Martin Uhnak, a forward from Photo By Nick Arena/The Beacon Vietnam Nitra, Slovakia has been playing During a practice, Matthew Rosebrook (center) slips between Skating Rink. Tickets for adults are $12 and $9 for kids under 10. two other players to take a shot at a goal. Staff Writer
News
professional hockey in Europe since he was sixteen, making him the youngest player on his team. “In Slovakia, it was more about technique and thinking,” Uhnak said. “Here in America, it’s about passion and hard work.” He embarked on his journey to the states because he fell in love with the passion that Americans have for hockey. Uhnak was the captain of National Team
Arts & Entertainment
Sports
Two clubs co-sponsor a video game release party tomrow
Senior Butfilowski has passion for art in various media
Men’s basketball starts season with the first win
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News Arts & Entertainment Sports Campus Opinion Local Events Photo Essay
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Campus News
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Weekend Weather
SGA discusses plans for Spring
Thursday, November 20
By Nick Swanson Senior News Editor
Mostly Sunny High: 32° Low: 16° Prec. Chance: 0%
Friday, November 21
Mostly Sunny High: 26° Low: 15° Prec. Chance: 10%
The Student Government Association (SGA) is looking forward to execute new ideas for next semester. Plans include an increased discipline for the smoking policy, representation on Campus Safety Advisory board committee, and extension of withdrawal period. Advisory Board and Smoking Policy According to SGA treasurer Nicholas Hernigle, Public Safety Director Joseph Charon wishes to have at least one student, a member from faculty and staff on the committee. Hernigle is accepting requests for possible members to represent SGA and choose someone by the end of the semester. He said a new implementation of the policy may result in being the same consequence as if the student were to get caught with
Mostly Sunny High: 32° Low: 24° Prec. Chance: 10%
Sunday, November 23
AM Clouds/PM Sun High: 44° Low: 36° Prec. Chance: 20%
alcohol. Therefore the student would then need to provide the public safety officer with their student ID and could potentially be put on General Probation 1. “As a part of SGA it is part of your obligation for you tell others and enforce the policy,” SGA president Brendan Peltier said. “We should be abiding by all of the policies as members of SGA,” Senator-At-Large Colby Harvish agreed. “Lets make it available for students and clubs to volunteer and help educate.” The Smoking Task Force plans to organize training sessions for students in order to educate smokers on campus to where designated smoking locations are and the consequences. If this policy is not followed the extreme action will be to make this campus completely smoke free, according to Hernigle. “The only reason the campus isn’t already smoke free is because students voted against it during the administration conversation about the smoking policy,” Alexandra Kadell, SGA executive vice president, said. New signs were recently ordered that are bigger to clearly indicate the no smoking locations. Hernigle suggested that health services to attend an SGA meeting to fully understand the steps one should provide to another on how to quite smoking. He said health services pro-
vides pamphlets and other means to educate but it is a possibility that they can also give nicotine patches and gum for students trying to quit. Withdrawal period extension Another discussion put forth by Hernigle was the possibility of extending the withdrawal period for students. “We are attempting to extend the period by a week or possibly even ten days around the time midterm warning come out,” Hernigle said. “This way [students] you have enough time to meet with your adviser and withdrawal from a class if you absolutely need to.” The new terms will be decided, and put into effect next semester, according to Hernigle. SGA to help Inter Greek Council (IGC) SGA Greek Seat Taylor Krowitz read a proposal formulated by the IGC executive board to ask for help fund their yearly insurance payment. “I’ve been at MCLA for four years and a member of the greek community for two,” Krowitz continued, “There are currently two organizations affiliated with MCLA, Pi Upsilon Pi and Beta Lambda.” According to Krowitz, both organizations hold many philan-
thropic events and the students are involved in leadership positions in several clubs on campus. Krowitz said we are becoming unable to pay our insurance due to the number of members decreasing. “We are required to pay money every year and the cost is rising and we have to pay out of pocket for the insurance service, it is financial burden to handle on our own,” Krowitz said. He asked SGA for help to pay the insurance that sometimes exceeds $5,000. Hernigle has agreed to schedule a meeting with Krowitz and the rest of the Budget Finance Committee. They will go over the standards of the SGA constitution standards that go along with providing funding to a selective organization. Krowitz states, however according to Section IX of the SGA constitution: “The SGA as a means of courtesy shall assist an outside organization as the student senate deems necessary.” The reason SGA has not provided funding for IGC before is because they cannot directly give funds to any organization that is gender or selective by any means. “We have never been given any outside funding, but this situation can result in how society and the community views Greek life,” Krowtiz said. “Through this we can start to revamp greek life on this campus when it is at a low point.”
Campus Police Logs
The week of 11/9-11/15
Saturday, November 22
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Sunday, November 9 ◆ 9:14 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a medical call from the Berkshire Towers Complex. Services were rendered.
Lot. Services were rendered.
◆ 10:37 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a call regarding suspicious activity at the Amsler Campus Center. The subject was issued a warning.
Monday, November 10
Wednesday, November 12
◆ 1:02 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a medical call from Bowman Hall. Services were rendered.
◆ 1:17 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a call regarding a disturbance of the peace at Eldridge Hall. The subject was gone upon arrival.
◆ 6:46 p.m. - Public Safety responded to an animal issue at the Campus Police Office. Animal Control was notified. Tuesday, November 11 ◆ 11:51 a.m. - Public Safety responded to a call to jumpstart a broken down vehicle at the Hoosac Hall Resident Student
◆ 3:06 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a call requesting a medical transport at the Berkshire Towers Complex. The subject was transported via taxi. ◆ 10:57 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a threat to com mit a crime at the Berkshire
Towers Complex. A report was filed.
ment Complex Apartment 8. Services were rendered.
Thursday, November 13
◆ 12:53 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a mental health issue at the Berkshire Towers Complex. The issue was referred to another campus.
◆ 1:14 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a medical call from the Freel Library. The subject was transported to the hospital. ◆ 6:28 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a medical call from Hoosac Hall Complex. A report was filed. ◆ 10:47 p.m. - Public Safety responded to an issue of larceny, forgery, or fraud at the Flagg Townhouse Apartment Complex. A report was filed. Friday, November 14 ◆ 10:24 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a drug offense at the Flagg Townhouse Apart-
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Saturday, November 15 ◆ 12:36 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a medical call from the Hoosac Hall Complex. The subject was transported via taxi. ◆ 3:32 p.m. - Public Safety responded to a mental health issue at the Hoosac Hall Complex. The subject was transported to the hospital. ◆ 4:17 p.m. - Public Safety responded to an issue of larceny, forgery, or fraud on campus. A report was filed.
The MCLA Beacon Online
3 Gaming and computer Vargas: Change in culture clubs join forces requires political change A co-sponsored release party for two popular video games News
Thursday, November 20, 2014
By Nick Swanson
will launch tomorrow
Staff Writer
The Gaming Alliance and Computer Society have come together to put on a release party for Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and Super Smash Bros. video games. The event will take place tomorrow in Murdock 218 at 5pm. The two clubs collaborated to co-sponsor the release party, and so have the ability to offer both games. “When we heard that Smash Bros. for the WiiU was coming out on the same day as Pokémon, we knew that we wanted both events,” president of the Computer Society Patrick Kelly said. “We didn’t have the resources to host two parties, so we went to our friends at the Gaming Alliance and we were excited to find they were very interested in cosponsoring.” According to Kelly, Pokémon and Super Smash Bros. have been popular gaming series for a long time. In the past, the Computer Society has held successful Pokémon release parties. “We hoped that with the addition of Super Smash Bros., we could reach a broader audience in the campus community,” Kelly
said. He also added that the Computer Society plans to provide a place for Pokémon players to gather, get to know each other, and play the game. The club will also raffle off two copies of the game. Kaź Lukacs, treasurer of the Gaming Alliance, said the same of the Super Smash Bros. players. “We’re planning to have people take turns playing Smash and hanging out with other students,” Lukacs said. “We will also be providing food for the event, as well as raffling off two copies of the game, one for the 3DS and the other for the WiiU.” The Smash game is available for both systems, although the event will promote the WiiU release. “We hope that people will have a good time, have fun playing a new game with a chance to win a copy, and expose new people to Gaming Alliance and all our club can offer,” president of the Gaming Alliance Samantha Thomson said. According to Kelly, the Computer Society hopes the event is entertaining for those who attend. “We hope to hear that it was an enjoyable experience and the campus community will want more release events in the years to come,” Kelly said.
Senior News Editor
Jose Antonio Vargas is an undocumented immigrant living in America who arrived from the Philippines in 1993, at the age of 12. Last summer he was arrested by border control when attempting to board a plane to leave Texas. The authorities brought him to a detention center, which he called a jail, and was placed in a cell with 10- and 11-year-old kids, both male and female. He spent eight hours in the detention center before being released. According to Vargas, each day 34,000 beds must be filled in U.S. detention centers. A Bloomberg article stated that Congress has pressed to ensure the beds are full, and lawmakers say it forces U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to find and deport the millions who are in the country illegally. This year an estimated 70,000 unaccompanied children migrate to the U.S., according to Vargas. Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) report on unaccompanied children immigration states. These children are placed in deportation proceedings with no right to government-appointed counsel, and more than half do not have attorneys. Unable to make their case before an immigration judge and against a government attorney, many of these children can be sent home to dangerous, even life-threatening, situations. Vargas’s story began when he turned sixteen and went alone to the Department of Motor Vehicles to take the exam to receive a driving permit. When he presented his green card to the DMV worker, they realized the green card his family paid $4,500 for and gave him was a fake. Vargas’s earliest American memories are of singing the national anthem and reciting the pledge of allegiance with classmates in school. When his class was scheduled to go on a field trip, his choir teacher became the first person to know he had no legal documentation. In response, the teacher changed the field trip so that Vargas could attend. He also recalls memories of the OJ Simpson trials and watching Seinfeld. “I’m an American; I’m just waiting for my country to recognize it,” Vargas said. He promoted Facebook and YouTube as platforms used by undocumented individuals to tell their stories, which can be used as a way to listen to others as well.
“ Photo courtesy of Margaret Gugary
A release party will be held tomorrow promoting the new video games Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and Super Smah Bros.
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I’m an American; I’m just waiting for my country to recognize it.
“
By Isabel McKenzie
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He is currently working on and directing a television series that will premiere on MTV. According to Vargas, the series is based off what it means to be young and white in post-Obama America. “This country invented black and white. In the Philippines, we just called all of you Americans,” Vargas said. He said this is the first year white (children) students are now the minority in U.S. schools where
Photo by Osakpolo Igiede/The Beacon
Jose Antonio Vargas sits with students during a Q&A last Thursday in the Church Street Center. people of color are combined. Now, 50 percent of kids in America are not white. “I am a firm believer in cultural change, but that goes with a change in politics,” Vargas said. Vargas founded DefineAmerican.org to further the discussion and inform others on the topic of immigration. His documentary, titled, ‘Documented: A film by an undocumented American’ goes further into conversation and detail on those statistics. Vargas was first introduced to journalism at the age of 18. “I figured if I didn’t have the right papers, I would just get my name on the (news) papers,” Vargas joked. His journalism career has expanded and led him to work for news organizations including the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Philadelphia Daily News, and the Huffington Post. He also wrote for The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Times magazine. He has covered over 350 events in 45 states over the past three years. He said these experiences gave him a cultural and political standpoint on matters concerning immigration reform. He graduated from San Francisco State University, where he double majored in Political Science and African American Studies. He received the Pulitzer Prize Award, the Sidney Award, and the Freedom to Write Award. The Michael S. and Kitty Dukakis and Spring Public Policy lectures are funded through Ruth Proud Charitable Trust.
Supporting facts on immigration •Nearly one out of every four people in the United States in 2008 was either an immigrant or the child of an immigrant. •Immigrants make up 14% of the population and 17% of the Massachusetts labor force. •The population of Massachusetts and Berkshire County is declining. New immigrants moving into this area help stimulate our
economy. •Berkshire County has shown a shrinking labor force over the past few years and is dependent on immigrant labor to fill jobs. •Immigrants pay taxes: The typical immigrant and their descendants pay an estimated $80,000 more in taxes than they will receive in benefits over their lifetimes. All immigrants pay sales,
property, and income taxes. Undocumented immigrants can pay state and federal taxes using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) issued by the Internal Revenue Service. Social Security funds contributed by undocumented immigrants amount to nearly $6 billion annually. •There are more than 3 million US citizen children with one or both parents undocumented.
Campus News 4 Langston shares case study of secularism Thursday, November 20, 2014
By Idalis Foster Staff Writer
“If the U.S. were to insert the Indian theory of secularism into its legal system, then prostate Mormons could practice polygamy, or religious institutions like colleges and/or Hobby Lobby could exclude birth control and abortion coverage from health care insurance,” said English/Communications Professor David Langston. Langston analyzed both possible effects of the secularism debate in India and the opposing sides of this ongoing dispute throughout the globe. This was the focus of his lecture “What Anthropology Taught the Humanities,” the last part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series, on Friday, November 14. Connecting the debate to literature, Langston referenced two excerpts from the book “Sacred Games” by Vikram Chandra, which depicts a faceoff between two characters, a detective and a gangster, and includes religious symbolism and references. According to Langston, Detective Sartaj Sikh is post-secular and post-modern and Ganesh Gaitond
Beacon.MCLA.edu
is anti-secular and modernist. “If Vikram Chandra’s picture of the various ways to play “Sacred Games” is persuasive, then the current vogue for explaining religiously-inspired terrorism by pointing to a restless and alienated socio-economic underclass as the population from which arise the recruits for religious jihad and vicious terrorism is mistaken,” said Langston. He added that “Terrorists, in [Chandra’s] view, are petty bourgeois introverts and outsiders, rather than frenzied hordes of single-minded proletariat.” English/Communications professor Jenna Sciuto was very engaged in the lecture, asking a question afterwards about the use of point of view in the book to portray the characters differently. “I was struck by Professor Langston’s skillful maneuver between theory, historical, and political context and then close reading the text as well,” Sciuto said. “I thought it was very helpful that he was able to incorporate multiple lenses into the text.” Junior Deven Philbrick, who also asked Langston a question, agreed with Sciuto’s evaluation of
Savageau’s poetry reveals struggles with heritage and personality issues
SAVAGEAU, by the department continued from page 1 of sociology,
anthropology, and social work, the interdisciplinary studies department, and QSU. Her poem “French Girls are Fast,” describes the discrimination she faced calling herself French, and the reluctance to call herself Indian. A line from the poem says, “I will not tell her now my father was Indian.” She further describes discrimination based on her Indian heritage with an anecdote about a friend who told her she should take all of her Indian poems out of her first manuscript, or else she might be labeled a political poet. “And I said ‘what poem isn’t political?’” Savageau said. Being Indian wasn’t the only aspect of Savageau’s identity that she had to learn to embrace. In her poem “You Bring Out the Butch In Me,” she describes falling in love with a woman for the first time. “It was true,” she said, “I’d been falling in love with women my entire life.” When Savageau grew up she wasn’t aware of what being bisexual meant or that anyone else in the world could love both a man and a woman. She did not realize that the way she felt was valid until reading D.H. Lawrence’s Woman in Love. Once she had accepted her sexuality, Savageau found that the rest of the world was going to judge her if she came out. “If your bisexual you’re a slut, as in you’re sleeping with everyone, as if you were promiscuous,” Savageau said of other people’s perceptions of bisexuality. When she was older, Savageau discovered that she had bipolar disorder. She is currently working on her memoir about it called “Out of the Crazywoods.” Originally Savageau was unaware of her outbursts and would experience “black outs.” “I was walking around wondering why people were mad,” said Savageau. Savageau concluded that being Indian, bisexual, and bipolar weren’t the only identities being oppressed. “There’s not just those three things I was talking about, there’s class and being a woman.”
the lecture. “As someone who hasn’t read the text, I was still able to engage with it in a way that was fruitful, and, additionally, I think he was able to discuss socio-political issues without doing any sort of violence to the text itself,” Philbrick said. Both Sciuto and Philbrick were interested in the subject matter, which was the main reason behind their attendance at the event. Sophomore Margaret Kase was also very enthusiastic about the topic of the lecture and its speaker. “Langston is my favorite professor at this school and I do try to never miss a chance to hear him speak,” said Kase. “I have a very strong personal interest in history and culture as well.” “I am in his American Renaissance class, so there are a lot of direct ties between what he is teaching in class and what he was writing about in that paper; it was very interesting to see those concepts we were learning about applied to a very different piece of literature, especially when you add the whole secular/non-secular argument into that,” said Kase.
Photo by Agnella Gross/The Beacon
English professor David Langston gives a lecture on the intersections between anthropology and humanities at the Center for Science and Innovation. Langston also made reference key contributor to his case study to Professor of Interdisciplinary of “a narrative addressing the studies Rita Nnodim as being a conflict between sectarian plural-
On behalf of all faculty, staff, and students at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, we would like to recognize and thank the following faculty and staff for their dedicated service: 10 Years of Service John Brown, Facilities Marianne Drake, Advancement Dr. Susan Edgerton, Education Bonnie Howland, Student Accounts Joshua Mendel, Admissions Spencer Moser, Student Affairs Dr. Paul Nnodim, Philosophy Dawn Schrade, Athletics Dawn Shamburger, Fine and Performing Arts Dr. Christopher Thomas, Mathematics 15 Years of Service Dr. Susan Birns, Sociology/Anthropology/Social Work Laura Brown, Administration and Finance Bruce Laperle, Facilities Donna McConnell, Residential Programs and Services Norbert Miller, Facilities Michael O’Neill, Physics Donna Poulton, CSSE/Academic Support 20 Years of Service Annette Allen, Advancement Diane Collins, Student Government Rita Karhan, Counseling Services 25 Years of Service Frederick Ferris, Residential Programs and Services Elizabeth Manns, Administration and Finance Sgt. Richard Pothier, Public Safety/Campus Police Sylvia Proud, Library 30 Years of Service Dr. Sumi Colligan, Sociology/Anthropology/Social Work Thomas DeGray, Facilities Janice Dzbenski, Public Safety/Campus Police John Greenbush, Facilities Andrew Hoar, Fine and Performing Arts Elaine Hoar, Biology 35 Years of Service Ben Kahn, Business Administration 45 Years of Service Dr. Jerry Smosky, Biology Dr. Carl Wolf, Physics
Please join us in celebrating our honorees at the Giving Thanks reception on Monday, November 24th at 3:00 pm in Murdock Hall, Room 218.
U.S. & World News
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Nation
Climate science behind textbook battle on Texas Several textbook publishers have withdrawn passages from social studies textbooks that could have led middle school students to think that climate change is not caused by human activity, an advocacy group said Monday. The move comes a day before elected Texas school officials vote on whether to approve the books.
High ocean temperature endangering seabirds Small seabirds are washing up dead on local beaches, an unusual phenomenon that suggests high ocean temperatures are causing starvation. The hardy gray birds, call Cassin’s auklets, are rarely sighted in offshore waters. They normally live in the distant open ocean. But this month, large numbers of thin, dying or dead birds are appearing along the California coast.
Doctor treated with experimental Ebola drug
A frantic, 36-hour effort to save the life of Dr. Martin Salia at the Nebraska Medical Center included a rare dose of the experimental Ebola drug ZMapp, hospital officials disclosed Monday. The 44-year-old surgeon contracted the virus while treating patients in Sierra Leone and arrived in Omaha Saturday in “extremely critical condition,” doc-
World
Four worshippers killed at Jerusalem synagogue Two Palestinians wielding knives, an axe and a pistol attacked Jewish worshipers at a Jerusalem synagogue during morning prayers on Tuesday, killing four people and wounding six others before they were shot dead by police, an Israeli police spokesman said. Three of the slain worshipers were identified as dual IsraeliAmerican citizens. The attack, part of a wave of violence fueled by rising tensions over a contested holy site in Jerusalem, indicated that the latest spike in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is taking on increasingly religious overtones.
Obama’s Asia tour focuses on legacy issues After word reached the White House staff who had gathered for a drink in the hotel bar one night last week that President Barack Obama was working out an aggressive climate deal with the Chinese president, the first toast was to the planet.
5
For some students, virtual labs replace traditional experiments By Carla Rivera
Los Angeles Times/TNS LOS ANGELES — Cal State L.A. biology students are breeding fruit flies to learn how mutations, such as white eyes or curved wings, are passed to future generations. On other campuses, subjects on treadmills are monitored for changes in blood pressure and heart rate. These are fairly common lab experiments, except for one thing: They are being conducted via computer. At colleges and universities across the country, students increasingly are using online simulations, animation and other technologies to replicate — and, some say, improve upon — the handson experience of a typical lab. Spurred by the popularity and potential cost-savings of online learning, virtual labs have infiltrated nearly every scientific field, to the chagrin of some who insist that the practical skills learned through conventional lab work are needed to conduct more advanced research. Proponents say they’re not suggesting that the sensory experiences of a traditional lab should be abandoned, but virtual labs can be a valuable tool to impart basic scientific concepts while allowing campuses to reduce staff and equipment costs. The California State University system, the largest in the nation, is planning to dramatically expand
the use of virtual labs for general education science courses, which are typically populated by nonscience majors who are required to take a course with lab work to graduate. Last spring, a pilot project at Cal State L.A. compared the success of students participating in traditional labs with those using an allonline format and a “flipped” lab model, where online students met in the classroom every two weeks. Students in the flipped model maintained their interest and got better grades, the study found. Perhaps equally important, the virtual labs were able to accommodate more students and proved less expensive to operate. A typical introductory biology course might include eight lab classes with 192 students, said Robert Desharnais, a biology professor at the campus who directs Cal State’s Virtual Courseware Project. Virtual labs have allowed the university to double the number of sessions offered while using the same number of instructors and rooms, Desharnais said. Helping students enroll in required classes sooner in their academic careers and move on to graduation is a key objective for California’s public colleges, which lost billions in state funding during the recession. Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers have called on educators to make up for those losses in part through greater use of new technologies. “When we look at the rapid
Obama pledges billions for climate work By Anita Kumar
McClatchy Foreign Staff/TNS BRISBANE, Australia — President Barack Obama announced Saturday that the United States will contribute $3 billion to an international fund designed to help developing countries cut carbon emissions and prepare responses to the effects of climate change. The U.S. commitment follows pledges to the Green Climate Fund from other countries including $1 billion each from France and Germany and $500 million from Sweden. Created in 2009, the fund was set up to help developing countries turn away from inexpensive but carbon-producing energy sources such as coal, while also helping them prepare for the effects of climate change such as rising sea levels. Obama made the pledge as he attended a meeting in Brisbane of the G20, leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies. Environmentalists applauded the announcement, noting that it came just days after Obama reached an agreement with China
to curb carbon emissions in the two countries. “The Obama administration’s historic agreement with China, and now this major financial commitment to help address the climate crisis builds momentum toward a global climate deal in Paris at the end of next year,” said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters. But Republicans criticized it as defying the midterm elections that punished Obama’s Democrats. “President Obama’s pledge to give unelected bureaucrats at the U.N. $3 billion for climate change initiatives is an unfortunate decision to not listen to voters in this most recent election cycle,” said Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The U.S. money will not exceed 30 percent of the total, the White House said. “We expect that the U.S. share will decline over time as the range of countries contributing to the GCF expands,” the White House said.
Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times/TNS
Students Ynah Veniegas, 24, left, Ariany Torres, 20, middle, and Luis Garicia, 23, right, do lab work on laptops at Cal State. growth in the number of students versus science lab facilities, it’s just not enough,” said Gerry Hanley, assistant vice chancellor for academic technology services for the Cal State system. “Students end up taking these courses later or delaying graduation. Facilities bottlenecks are one reason we’re looking at the virtual labs idea.” Those bottlenecks led Cal Poly Pomona officials to schedule a full day of lab classes on Saturdays and Sundays; the weekend sessions quickly filled to capacity, said Sepehr Eskandari, chairman of the biological sciences department. The campus now offers 26 biology lab classes each week — “You can imagine the wear and tear on physical resources,” Eskandari said — and this fall is experiment-
ing with virtual labs in some of those classes. Computer simulations are now the standard for a vast array of research, such as studying the effect of earthquakes, Hanley said. In a biology laboratory at Cal State L.A., students recently conducted a group exercise in evolution online — designing experiments to test concepts of natural selection. The computer program allowed them to change physical traits, such as the size of a bird’s beak, introduce predators and change the environment. The program then provided instant feedback. “The idea that virtual labs are a poor substitute” for the work that students will go on to do as professionals “is not actually true anymore,” Hanley said.
“Facebook at Work” takes aim at Microsoft, LinkedIn, Google By Tracey Lien
Los Angeles Times/TNS Facebook could soon compete with Microsoft Office, LinkedIn and Google Drive on workplace collaboration tools, according to a company source who was not authorized to speak on the matter.
“
Blurring the lines between employees and customers might be that value proposition. Rob Koplowitz, analyst at Forrester Research
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Nation and World Briefs
Beacon.MCLA.edu
The toolset is called “Facebook at Work,” and lets users communicate with their co-workers using the social network’s traditional tools, such as news feed, messaging and groups, the source said. The product would also allow users to keep their personal Facebook profiles separate from work accounts. While little is publicly known about the features of Facebook at
Tribune News Service (formerly MCT) is a content source for college and high school newspapers. TNS stories are selected and edited by Beacon staff for quality and relevance to MCLA students.
Work, analysts say if the platform can be used as an online business networking tool and allow users to collaborate on a range of document types, it could compete directly with services such as Microsoft Office, LinkedIn and Google Drive. It could also take market share from companies such as LinkedIn, which currently has 90 million monthly active users. Facebook, in comparison, currently has 1.35 billion monthly active users. Rob Koplowitz, an analyst at firm Forrester Research, said companies such as Microsoft, Google and IBM, which currently sell products to enterprises, will certainly take notice of Facebook at Work when it launches, especially if it can offer something that existing products can’t. “I think that blurring the lines between employees and customers might be that value proposition,” Koplowitz said. Facebook declined to comment for this article, and LinkedIn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Arts & Entertainment 6 Senior Arts Management major branches out Thursday, November 20, 2014
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Alex Butfilowski balances his love for the arts with advertising, photography, and business
By Nicole L’Etoile
Arts & Entertainment Writer Alexander Butfilowski, a senior, photographer, and Arts Management major, has taken full advantage of all the things MCLA has to offer and made the most of his college experience. Butfilowski grew up in Greenwood Lake, N.Y., and came to MCLA as an undeclared major, eventually hoping to become a secondary education major. After only one semester, however, he made the decision to become an Arts Management major, and he never looked back. “This major has taken me all over the place,” Butfilowski said. “I’m doing new things, things I never would have done back home.” Bufilowski participated in the Berkshire Hills Internship Program (B-HIP) this past summer, working for outdoor music venue Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. He was a marketing intern for the company, making advertisements and working on various other tasks. One major accomplishment he had while working at Tanglewood was an advertisement for “The Wizard of Oz”, a show that was happening at the time. The ad ended up being featured on the venue’s website. “People from arts organizations
Photo by Alexander Butfilowski
Butfilowski captures a scene from the Oneonta Punk concert in New York. were coming up to me, thank- rently working with oth- er stu- said. “MCLA has introduced me ing [everyone in B-HIP] for what dents on a show, which he is to people who made me much they do for the area,” Butfilowski doing lighting for. He h o p e s better at taking photos and have said. to continue working w i t h given me multiple opportunities In addition to participating MCLA Presents! all the way up to take photos.” in B-HIP, Butfilowski has done, until graduation. During a topics course he was and continues to do, lighting for Butfilowski is also a photogra- taking earlier in his college caMCLA Presents! shows and has pher who has been taking photos reer, Bufilowski went to Boston been a part of them throughout for five years. He was given the to do research for the course and his years at MCLA. chance to show his work at an went to a non-profit organization “It’s really cool to look back MCLA Presents! show last spring called Zumix – an afterschool at all that I’ve done, and I don’t at Gallery 107, located at 107 program for at-risk kids, where know how to top that right now,” Main Street. they worked with music. He was he said. “I take photos of live events able to interview people while beHe plans to continue working primarily, but do a slew of other ing there and experiencing a lot of with MCLA Presents! and is cur- types of photography, too,” he different things.
“I have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I’m graduating so soon,” he said. Butfilowski is very enthusiastic about the Arts Management program at the College and speaks highly of it. He believes it is very important for Arts Management students to look into the possibility of getting a minor in Business Administration if that interests them, because it is only two extra classes on top of the required coursework for Arts Management, and it opens up a whole other set of doors after graduation. “The Arts Management program is really cool here,” he said. “I like that the professors are involved with the students’ progress and they make you go out and do field work. You really leave here knowing what you’re doing.” However, he does remember what it’s like to struggle going through the program and college in general. He added that sometimes, it can feel as though there is no end in sight. “My best piece of advice would probably be to keep level-headed and don’t get too stressed out,” he said. “The coursework is tough, but it pays off in the end. Get through it; you’re going to be fine.”
Chrusciel reads contemporary Polish poetry By Christopher Johnson Arts & Entertainment Writer
Ewa Chruściel began reading in a solemn but sincere voice that soon became the eloquently and intricately repetitive, alliterative, detailed poetry that is her trademark. As she says in one poem: “repetition is innovation.” Her work deviates from many of the traditional Polish poets, like Czesław Miłosz or Zbigniew Herbert. A simplistic comparison would be to write Chruściel as being directly influenced by Wysława Szymborska but this is not the case; Chruściel’s poetry is modern in a way that none of these poets have understood. She has said that this older generation of poets had a missionary purpose and wrote poetry as “bread for the hungry” or standing for the nation of Poland, but the younger generation of poets are sick of this and want to “have poetry as a lifestyle but not as this huge responsibility.” Having read Frank O’Hara, they wanted to write about ordinary life. Chruściel writes in a similar mode about quotidian life and she writes very often in a conversational way, especially in “Strata” where there are different situations that echo several common iterations from all the poems. During the reading, she got
laughs from some of her ironic situations like having an undeclared sausage at customs. But mostly, her poems seemed to put the audience deep into thought and gave them a new perspective on immigration and exile. She frequently explained references within her poems or the original ideas for the poems. “You know, I’m not an exile,” Chruściel said, “so I would be an imposter to say I’m an exile. But it became this metaphor of the human condition for me that we are all in a sense exiles because we are always seeking for truth about ourselves or beauty in our lives or we want to live reality intensely without preclusions and we cannot. So in that sense we are exiles from ourselves.” “I shifted my conceptualization of the world from Polish to English,” Chruściel said. “I just had ideas in English.” “We can’t escape politics,” she continued, “So we make statements we didn’t even intend.” She said that her writing on immigration and exile is political, but organic. She also referred to Zbigniew Herbert’s idea that poets are not ideologists, they only have unfaithful clarity. She mentioned how her first collection of poems, “Furkot,” was made up of “very short poems, sort of epigrammatic, no adornments” and a lot were inspired by paintings. She
mentioned how a lot of her early poems were inspired by the theme of annunciation. “I was attracted to very strong endings,” Chruściel said regarding her second collection “Sopiłki,” “surprising, but in a sense I wanted to have some sort strong closure but not a closure that would define something and click the poem. It was something that would linger in your mind but it was nevertheless closure.” Her poems from “Strata” and “Contraband of Hoopoe” are very different. She noted that Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Bishop, and Zbigniew Herbert are some of her favorite poets, but she goes through many different poets, both in English and Polish. This reading series is sponsored by the Hardman Family Special Initiative Funds and is organized by Professor Zack Finch. Last month featured poet John Murillo and there are further readings in the spring. More information can be found about Chruściel on her website: http:// www.echrusciel.net/ and her books in English are available on Amazon. Photo by Agnella Gross/The Beacon
Right: Polish poet Ewa Chrusciel reads to a crowd from her new book “Contraband of Hoopoe” on Nov. 17 at Gallery 51.
Arts & Entertainment
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Expansion will help school, economy MOCA, continued from page 1
Mayor Dick Alcombright also spoke at the conference, thanking Governor Patrick for his help with funding in the past, including improving the elementary school and restoring emergency medical services after the closing of the North Adams hospital. Alcombright stated, “We can’t picture a city without Mass MoCA, and now we’ll have Mass MoCA times two, which will have significant benefits [to North Adams.]” The yearly attendance of Mass
MoCA is on the rise, but those who come to visit the museum rarely stay to explore downtown, Thompson explained. “We want visitors to stay longer and spend more money in the area,” he said, noting the industrial profit inherent in the expansion. Construction of the new branches is expected to start in late spring 2015, and the museum additions are projected to open on Memorial Day of 2017.
NORTH ADAMS — Idaho-native singer and guitarist Josh Ritter has a literary disposition and an affinity for the likes of Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, and Paul Simon. The New York Times placed him “among the cream of the young singer-songwriter crop.” His songs are playfully erudite, equally dense with clever metaphor and whimsical turns of phrase. On Saturday, he will play in an intimate acoustic setup to try out new material for an as-yet unnamed forthcoming album.
“About six months ago I was hit by a song on the New York Thruway,” Ritter recently wrote. “The whole thing. Verses, bridge, a witty one-liner or two. Nothing like that had ever happened with such force. It was the first raindrop in a thunderstorm that I’m thankful continues unabated. I don’t normally go in for showing songs before they’re fully done, but what the hell, you only live once.” Walter Martin, founding member of beloved post-punk revivalists The Walkmen, stepped into a surprising solo career after that
band’s indefinite hiatus: his first album is an all-ages affair featuring friends and fellow musicians Karen O, Kat Edmonson, Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Matt Berninger (The National), Alec Ounsworth (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah), and Hamilton Leithauser (Martin’s Walkmen bandmate and cousin). On Saturday Martin will play a grownup set of sweetly tuneful pop to set the table for Josh Ritter. Standing room only. Limited chairs will be available on a first come, first served basis.
Josh Ritter
Saturday, Nov. 22
Hunter Center
Thompson assured that Mass MoCA will continue to hold a focus on performing arts with the new space. He also noted the educational benefits of adding on to the museum. “We have two institutions of higher learning [in the community], and it will be great to see year after year of scholars and future curators in training come to Mass MoCA,” he said.
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DON’T MISS
“The Liar”
Nov. 19-22 @ 8 p.m. (2 p.m. matinee on Saturday)
Singer-songwriter to perform at Mass MoCA
8p.m.
$29 advance $35 day of
‘A Winter’s Tale’ brings dramatic twists
‘Mockingjay’ lacks energy Tribune News Service “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” the first installment in the last chapter of the popular franchise, is all coil and no release. It’s a taut, dark portrait of a universe upended by revolution, one where the flashy bread-and-circuses of the
first two films have been replaced by anger and despair. As the movie opens, the nation of Panem is in an uproar. In the wake of the act of defiance at the end of “Catching Fire” from Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and her well-placed arrow, everything is falling apart. The districts are in revolt. Even the Capitol, the elite beating heart of an evil empire that forces its young people to compete in its deadly hunger games, is in trouble. Their mission is to rain down blows against the empire, though Katniss has her own personal mission of trying to save her fellow tribute and games partner Peeta Melark (Josh Hutcherson). He remains in the Capitol and is being used by the government in a media propaganda war against the those involved in the rebellion. Katniss thinks he’s being forced into being a mouthpiece; others, such as her old friend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), think he has just sold out. Director Francis Lawrence,
who directed “Catching Fire” but not the first movie, manages to keep things moving. There are moments that rise above being a mere setup: a rebel incursion into a darkened Capitol is intriguingly suspenseful, while the issues of political control and media manipulation bear obvious correlations to our own world. Lawrence delivers her best “Games” performance as Katniss struggles to make the transition from player to power broker, from a woman who can’t bear to leave her boyfriend behind to fronting an uprising. And make no mistake, this is Lawrence’s movie. Providing what few hints of comic relief there are is Elizabeth Banks as the formerly flamboyant Effie Trinket. Now living in the more austere and spartan surroundings of District, Effie can only dream of her previous sartorial glories. But her fashion options fit “Mockingjay’s” mood: grey and grim. For the conclusion, she, and the audience, could do with a pop of color.
Photo by Shawn Minarik
Joslyn Eaddy as Autolycus in Yorick’s ‘A Winter’s Tale.’
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Thursday, November 20, 2014
Sports
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Men’s basketball set for a rebound By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
The Men’s basketball team began its season on Saturday when they hosted the University of MaineFort Kent at 1 p.m., defeating the visiting Bengals 68-,55. The team looks to rebound after a dissapointing 2013-2014 campaign. After being picked to win the MASCAC in the pre-season coaches’ poll, MCLA never got off the ground and ended the season with 9-17 record (5-7 in conference play) and a second round playoff exit to Salem State University. MCLA will try to get things back on track this season, but they will have to deal with the loss of several senior players, including starters Ray Viches and John Jones. Jones led the team in scoring and rebounding last season, while Viches was a key contributor on both offense and defense, as well as being a leader in the locker room. Head coach Jamie Morrison talked about players stepping up to fill the void left by the seniors. “Ruben DelRosario is our leader and sets a great example for everybody,” Morrison said. “I really like how [senior] Tyriq Rochester has approached the season off the court and in practice in regards to the team. [Senior] Anthony Barbosa has matured and stepped up his leadership in recent weeks, so I’m not worried about the locker room. We are looking for [sopho-
more] Careem Kirksey to play a bigger role than last year on the court as well as some newcomers.” Last season, Morrison was able to get solid contributions from transfers Todd Hunt and Kraig Page, as well as from freshmen Kirksey and Isshiah Colemen. To help soften the blow of the departing seniors, Morrision will again look to new players to have an impact on the team. “I like some of our new guys, but they are unproven,” said Morrison. “Adam Conquest and Khalil Paul have demonstrated the ability at the junior college level to do some good things and have looked good in practice early, but we will have to see what they look like when the games count for real. We have a couple of other new guys as well who look like they could contribute, but again they have to demonstrate a consistent approach and effort.” A big issue for the team last season was defense. MCLA finished second in MASCAC in scoring, averaging 73.5 points per game. However, that was mostly nullified because they gave up the second most points in the conference, allowing nearly 80 points per game and letting opponents shoot 45.8 percent from the field last season. “We were a bad defensive team last year. You can have decent individual defenders, but that doesn’t mean they play the team concept well,” Morrison said. “The defense is going to be a work-in-
Oregon surges ahead to #1 in College Football power rankings By Tyler Bacon Sports Writer
1.Oregon Ducks (9-1, 6-1 Pac12) Oregon has already clinched the North Division, and since there are only games against teams with losing records remaining before the Pac-12 title game Dec. 5, it’s all about keeping momentum and holding onto its current playoff ranking. The Ducks are fourth in the nation in scoring, at 46 points per game, and they rank fifth in total offense at 531.2 yards per game. Quarterback Marcus Mariota is a Heisman frontrunner thanks to his 3,304 yards of total offense, with 29 passing touchdowns, eight rushing scores and a receiving touchdown. 2. Alabama Crimson Tide (9-1, 6-1 SEC) Alabama seemed left for dead a month ago after losing at Ole Miss, then narrowly beating Arkansas. Since then the Crimson Tide have done nothing but win,
often impressively, and now have knocked off the last remaining unbeaten team in the conference. The Tide jumped out to a 19-0 lead, thwarting Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott while also moving the ball effectively. The Tide held on to a 25-20 win against Mississippi State. 3. Florida State Seminoles (100, 7-0 ACC) Trailing 16 points twice in the second quarter, the defending national champion put together another late rally to win their 26th straight game. It marked the seventh time this season they have trailed, including three times in the fourth quarter, yet in the end they made the plays to come through. In the game against Miami on Saturday, Florida State got a huge break late in the third quarter when Jameis Winston’s pass was batted in the air but right into the arms of Karlos Williams for an 11-yard touchdown that made it 23-17 Miami. Florida State came back to win 30-26.
Due to a production error, Page 8 of The Beacon was not published correctly in last week’s issue. The Beacon regrets this error and apologizes for any confusion it may have caused.
progress and we have emphasized it a lot here in the pre-season. We have our system in place, its just a matter of repetition and getting guys to understand the team framework.” This marked a dramatic shift for the Trailblazers, who were the top defensive team in MASCAC during the previous year. Morrison believes this team has the potential to be more like the 2012-13 team and less like the team from last season. “Two years ago we were the best defensive team in the league and it took us to the finals of the MASCAC, but we had a tough defender at the point of attack in Bilal Shabazz. We had a center in Richard Johnson who could block shots, but more importantly understood the position. We lost two other smart defenders in Vern Cross and Mike Muller, who were significant losses and you saw the results. This group right now is probably somewhere in between the finals team and last years team, and we still have a lot of work to do on that side of the ball, but I see improvement.” The Blazers will have their work cut out for them right from the get-go, as they will be facing top competition in non-conference play. On Tuesday, November 25, the men will travel to Williams College to take on the Ephs, who are currently ranked 5th in the country. On December 12, they will travel to Worcester Polytechnic Institute, who are ranked
Beacon File Photo
Senior guard Ruben DelRosario is the team’s leading returning scorer and the top playmaker, averaging over 3 assists per game. 12th. After starting off slow last pre-season poll and a third in the season, Morrison has no regrets top 40,” Morrison said. “We could about playing a tough schedule choose to play an easier schedule again this season. and our record would probably “Every year we play one of the look a lot better. I’m not sure in top non-conference schedules actuality that makes us better. We in the region. Our strength of are going to have to do a better schedule was number one in the job out of the gate of executing MASCAC last year because of our our game plans and limiting our tough schedule out of the league. turnovers so that we have a better This year is no different; we are chance of winning some of these playing two teams ranked near early season match-ups.” the top 10 in the country in the
Men’s soccer falls to Bears in MASCAC playoffs, 4-1 By Tyler Bacon Sports Writer
The Bridgewater State University Men’s Soccer team scored three first half goals on the way to a 4-1 victory over the visiting Trailblazers in the semifinals of the MASCAC Tournament. Andrew Chenard, Jonathan Pires, and Justin Kachadoorian each scored first half goals for the Bears. Chenard started the scoring in the ninth minute as he collected a long pass from Chris Naughton and blasted a shot inside the left post from twenty yards out. Pires headed in a cross from Sawyer Fleck in the 13th minute. In the 34th minute, Kachadoorian gave Bridgewater State the quick 3-0 lead. The goal came off of a cross from David Wilson, which snuck inside the right post. Conor Murtagh scored his MASCAC-leading tenth goal of the season when he knocked home a long cross from Wilson in the 61st minute. The goal increased the Bridgewater State lead to 4-0. The Blazers scored their long goal in the 69th minute when Dylan Pereira took a corner kick.
He sent a cross towards the goal and a Bridgewater State defender deflected the ball into the goal in an attempt to clear the ball. Ryan Baker talked about how disappointing it was to come up short against Bridgewater. “The loss to Bridgewater was heartbreaking,” Baker said. “We knew it was going to be a fight. We had to overcome some adversities, but in the end we came up short.” The loss ended the Blazer’s season, but they made it into the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Dylan Pereira talked about how the season was a success. “We had our goals of reaching the playoffs and doing better than we did last season,” Pereira said. “That goal was reached.” Baker talked about what he thought of the season and how it went. “I am very proud of how this season went. We were projected to finish 7th in the MASCAC and we’re proud that we could be a worthy contender this season,” he said. “We are a very close knit group and I am very proud of my family.” Next season the Blazers look to improve and Coach Adam Hil-
dabrand believes it starts with a culture shift. “We should expect to be in the top 4 of the conference, not be happy to be in the top 4,” Hildabrand said. “As a program, we are going to improve our strength of schedule to give us a chance to be a top level program in the New England Region.” Pereira thinks that the team will remain strong next season but could be great with a little improvement. “Next season we will have our core back, and we will remain strong,” Pereira said. “I think we need to finish our scoring chances a lot better next year. That’s the one thing that we need to improve on. But if we do we will be unstoppable.” Baker is looking forward to next season if they work on their energy from the start of the game. “Looking towards next season, we really only need to improve on coming out with high energy at the start of every match and we need to improve on non-conference matches,” Baker said. “This will not only boost our confidence, but it will get us ranked in New England as well.”
Sports
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Men’s basketball opens season with victory
Photo by Jesse Collings/The Beacon
Sophomore Adam Conquest drives to the basket for two of his game high 16 points.
By Tyler Bacon Sports Writer
The Men’s Basketball team won its season opener against Maine
Fort Kent on Saturday by a final score of 68-55. Adam Conquest scored game highs of 16 points and 11 rebounds in his first game in a Trailblazer uniform.
Paul Maurice came off the bench to score 11 points, while Ruben DelRosario, Tyriq Rochester, and Khalil Paul all had 10 points. Maine Fort Kent was led by Joe McCloskey’s 14 points, and Jake Rioux added 12 points. The first half was a back-andforth battle where neither team led by more than five points. The Blazers went into halftime leading just 32-31. With the score tied at 42 midway through the second half, MCLA pulled away. Maurice scored nine straight points for the Blazers to extend their lead to 51-42 with 7:22 remaining in the game. The Blazers would continue to pour it on from that point and eventually had a lead of 65-48 after a Conquest jumper. Maine Fort Kent would trim the lead to eleven points, but never made it any closer as the Blazers held on to the lead. The Blazers shot 45 percent from the field in the game compared to Maine Fort Kent shooting 30 percent. MCLA also had a commanding rebounding advantage of 50-33. However, the Blazers did commit 15 turnovers in the game. Coach Jamie Morrison talked about how the Blazers need to cut down on the turnovers. “I wasn’t pleased with our turnovers,” Morrison said. “Fifteen is too many against a team that is not pressuring or extending much, though we did only have 6
in the second half.” “I thought our game on Saturday was a great start to the season,” Conquest said. “We were able to see where we are at as a collective unit so we can target our areas of strength and weaknesses.” There were three players inactive for the game: Todd Hunt, Joshwa Hall, and Isshiah Coleman. “The boys were all out with flulike symptoms because it has been going around the team a bit lately,” Morrison said. “I am hopeful they will all be ready to go on Friday.” Senior Anthony Barbosa talked about how starting off 1-0 is good, but it’s going to be a tough schedule the rest of the way. “It feels good to open up with a win,” Barbosa said. “But we know starting Friday we have a tough schedule, so we need to take it game by game.” Tomorrow the Blazers travel to Castleton as they look to improve their record to 2-0. Morrison believes it will be a good test to see where the team is since Castleton went 16-2 in their league and won 19 games overall. “They will be a tough test for us at their place. We are going to have to get off to a good start and we have to control the glass,” Morrison said. “If we can do the job defensively against a talented team, then we will have a chance to win.”
Trailblazers topple Daniel Webster By Jesse Collings Sports Editor
The Women’s Basketball team shook off a quiet first half and used a strong second half to open its season with a victory, defeating Daniel Webster College at home on Saturday, 61-53. Both teams started off the game cold, with MCLA holding a slim lead, 7-4 with 17 minutes left in the first half. The Trailblazers then entered a prolonged cold spell, going nine minutes without scoring while Daniel Webster took the lead, 14-7, with 8:41 to go in the first half. MCLA went 0-8 from the field during that stretch, but the real damage came from the 9 turnovers the Blazers committed during that time period. They ended the drought, and thanks to the strong play of junior transfer Emily Castle were only down by two, 22-20, heading into the half. As the second half began, MCLA worked hard and were much more aggressive at getting to the basket. While they settled for jump shots from the outside in the first half, the Blazers attacked the basket and got to the free throw line with ferocity in the second half. Sophomores Kayla Hotaling and Brayleigh Hanlon were instrumental in the change of pace for MCLA, with Hotaling controlling the glass and Hanlon diving for loose balls and getting to the free throw line. Hanlon talked about the change of their offensive philosophy after the game.
“I believe as a team, we realized that we needed to make it to the basket in order to break the defense they put on us,” Hanlon said. “Going into the second half we had our minds set on being aggressive and breaking them down. With that in mind, the flow of the game went on. We attacked and grinded it out as a team the whole game.” MCLA started the second half with a 7-0 run and went on to more than double their offensive output in the first half, outscoring Daniel Webster 41-31. Both MCLA and Daniel Webster were very physical on defense in the second half, and both teams were in the bonus with 12 minutes to go in the second half. MCLA buckled down in the later stages and Daniel Webster was unable to keep MCLA off the free throw line. Daniel Webster shot 10 free throws during the second half, while the Blazers shot a whopping 27. MCLA was led by Hotaling, who had a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Hanlon also added 14 points, sophomore Courtney Durivage had 10 points and 11 rebounds off of the bench, and Castle had 8 points and 7 rebounds during in her debut as a Blazer. Daniel Webster was led by junior guard Ashley England, who converted some difficult layups on her way to a 23 point game on 9-14 shooting. Hotaling, who missed the first half of last season recovering from an injury, talked about getting the season started on a
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Scores Men’s Basketball Saturday, November 15 MCLA vs UM- Fort Kent 68-55 Women’s Basketball Saturday, November 15 MCLA vs Daniel Webster 61-53
Standings Men Team
W-L
Fitchburg St. Framingham St. Salem St. MCLA Bridgewater St. Westfield St. Worcester St.
2-0 2-0 2-0 1-0 1-1 1-1 1-1
Women Team
W-L
MCLA Bridgewater St. Framingham St. Worcester St. Fitchburg St. Salem St.
1-0 1-1 1-1 1-1 0-0 0-0
Schedules Thursday, November 20 Women’s Basketball MCLA @ Western New England 5:30 p.m. Friday, November 21 Men’s Basketball MCLA @ Castleton State 7 p.m. Saturday, November 22nd Women’s Basketball MCLA @ Fisher College Noon Monday, November 24th Photo by Jesse Collings/The Beacon
Sophomore Brayleigh Hanlon fends off a Daniel Webster defender during a drive to the basket during Saturday’s game. strong note, both as a team and to the win, along with my teampersonally. mates’ efforts as well.” “It feels great to start the season MCLA will be back in action tooff with a victory,” Hotaling said. night when they travel to Western “I think this win will help set the New England, before heading to tone for the our season and hav- Fisher College on Saturday. The ing this kind of “grind it out win” team will host its second home will give our team good experi- game of the season on Monday, ence in seeing how hard we have when Becker College comes to to work and how much we have North Adams. The game will be to focus on Coach’s game plan at the Campus Center Gym and for us to win. Personally, it felt tip off at 6 p.m. awesome to positively contribute
Women’s Basketball MCLA vs Becker 6 p.m. Tuesday, November 25th Men’s Basketball MCLA @ Williams 7 p.m. Saturday, November 29th Men’s Basketball MCLA vs NYU 2 p.m.
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Opinion
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Beacon.MCLA.edu
What do you have planned for Thanksgiving break? “I’m going home with my girlfriend and celebrating my birthday before Thanksgiving.”
“I’m going home to have dinner with my dad and my sister. Then I’m having “friendsgiving” with my friends from home.”
– Ben Hoyt, 2016
–Julia Castagna, 2018
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.
“I’m going home and eating food, then seeing my family for the first time since getting on campus.”
“I’m going to go home, eat food, and sleep a lot..”
Editorials Policy Unsigned editorials that appear on these pages reflect the views of The Beacon’s editorial board.
–Sam Fox, 2016
Signed columns and commentaries that appear on these pages reflect the views of the writers.
– Joslyn Eaddy, 2018
Letters Policy The Beacon welcomes Letters to the Editor. Deadline is noon on Mondays for that week’s newspaper.
“I plan on going home and seeing family and friends.”
“I’m going home and having two Thanksgivings – one at home and one at my high school. Then I’m hanging out with friends.”
-Greg Wilson, 2015
– Yoela Koplow, 2018 Photos compiled by Agnella Gross
In my humble opinion...
Health & Fitness
Bigger than biceps
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 Editor-in-Chief Makayla-Courtney McGeeney
How much cardio is enough? Capitalism at its finest By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Editor-in-Chief
Last week I visited the campus’ fitness center during a fitness class and I realized that their only task for the day was to complete 35 minutes of cardio (i.e. running, elliptical, bike, rowing, etc.). Two or three days of the week is a reasonable amount of time to devote to cardio compared to the amount of time most people dedicate to weight lifting. Generally, fitness-goers are of great diversity. Some are bikers, some are boxers, some are class takers, and some use free-weights only; some do only cardio and ab exercises, and some are a part of sports teams and follow a scripted workout. It’s difficult to measure how a person performs cardio because sometimes the action of cardio will vary, whether it’s running, jump-roping, swimming, or running in a soccer game. The amount of cardio also depends on one’s goals, and should reflect a sense of balance amongst all fitness activities. So, is 35 minutes of cardio per class a reasonable workout? Maybe, but only if the opposite days use a strength training method, because otherwise muscle can be lost quickly from a cardio-only regime. A Men’s Journal article warned that “Muscle withers away if you’re not constantly building it, and muscle withers faster as a
man ages.” It went on to say that this unfortunate decline can be avoided by becoming stronger to gain lean muscles, which protect your body. A few ways I’ve motivated myself to manage cardio time is by watching Netflix or reading a book during that time. It flies by so quickly that I still have 25-30 minutes to lift weights or stretch. Also, during that cardio time you can plan out what exercises to do once you’re done. And it’s great to get in the habit of making a schedule or planning what muscles you’ll work later in the day. Typically I like to work two muscles a day and follow an order of legs, chest and triceps, and shoulders and biceps; many people have their own pairs for certain reasons. Such pairs require working two muscles that won’t overlap during exercises. If push-ups use biceps at the same time, it will be exhausted more quickly than having just performed one set for each muscle. Try to dedicate two or three days a week to cardio and the same to the fitness class, and use the off days for lifting weights, stretching, or other body weight exercises. On the cardio-only days, eat lighter meals and fewer carbs so your energy can be easily used during the workout. For heavier lifting days, load up on carbs because the fuel will be used more efficiently and at random intervals.
By Nick Arena
Multimedia Editor The holidays are coming on fast with Thanksgiving rapidly approaching. Soon we will all be home enjoying massive homemade meals with our loved ones. Oh and let’s not forget Black Friday, who could forget the day that we go out to buy excessive amounts of material possessions the day after we count ourselves thankful for all we have. Could there be a more ridiculous exercise in our capitalist, marketbased society? People will quite literally leave their families at midnight on the dot to rush off to their local malls and outlets to spend exorbitant amounts of money on “holiday gifts” for others, which more often than not turns out to be something for themselves. I suppose I don’t really care what someone’s shopping habits are, but there are multiple negative things that go hand in hand with Black Friday that I feel it is irresponsible to ignore. First, some poor kid who was probably just a few hours beforehand enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with his or her family is now stuck dealing with a stampede of customers all looking to buy the same oversized, flat-screen television. Oh, and let’s not forget he or she is only making minimum wage. I have filled that position many
times in my life, waking up at the crack of dawn after Thanksgiving simply so I could stand in a store half asleep while I watched customers tear apart shelves of clothing and accessories trying to find that perfect steal, and for what? Something that would get worn once or twice or more than likely returned later. Second, and I feel that this one is pretty self-explanatory, the amount of deaths and injuries on Black Friday have earned their own website. If you have any spare time, poke on over to www.blackfridaydeathcount. com, which was recommended to me by one of my favorite news sources, Buzzfeed. According to the website the current stats, as of 2006, are: seven deaths and 90 injuries. Is that any more than an average day, well probably not, but most of the time people are dying from sickness or natural causes and being injured in car accidents, not being trampled by hundreds of other people in the middle of Wal-Mart. I know the sales are hard to resist, especially in these tough economic times, but I have a plan. I know this is going to sound a lot like my “don’t vote” argument, and that is because it is essentially the same: just don’t go Black Friday shopping. If we all stop partaking in the sales, I bet the retailers would start spreading them out a little bit more throughout the year rather than ripping you off for 364 days and making you trample each other on one.
Sports Editor Jesse Collings
Web Editor Jenna O’Connor
A&E Editor Rachel Fitterman
Senior News Editor Nick Swanson
Copy Chief Avery Finnivan Multimedia Editor
Design Editor Meg Gugarty
Nick Arena
Staff Staff Writers
Photographers
Isabel McKenzie Agnella Gross Idalis Foster Osakpolo Igiede* Juanita Doss Christopher Johnson Design Team
Nicole L’Etoile Tyler Bacon Copy Editors
Brittany Gallacher Caitlin O’Neill
Advertising
Ryan Robison Angel Baez Contributors
Osakpolo Igiede* Videographers
Kaleigh Anderson Cartoonist
Nikki Kratonis Advisers
Jenifer Augur Gillian Jones Jim Niedbalski
Aaron Crawford Kasey Conklin *Holds more than one position
Online at: Beacon.MCLA.edu Facebook.com/MCLABeacon Twitter.com/MCLA_Beacon
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Check it Out!
Upcoming events on campus
Today, Nov. 20 College Against Cancer Sullivan Lounge 5-5:30 p.m. Book Club Meeting, CC 324B 6-7 p.m. History Society Meeting Venable 3 7-8 p.m. Intramural Sports 8-11:30 p.m. ALANA Club Council CC 324B 9:30-10:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 21 Admissions Fall Open House Campus Center Gym 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. SAC Meeting, CC 324A 6-8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 22 Christian Fellowship Saturday Night Chat, Sullivan Lounge 7-9 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 23 A Day of Disney, Sullivan Lounge 12-6 p.m. Intramural Sports, Venable Gym 6-11:30 p.m. Good Vibes Yoga, Dance Complex 8-10 p.m.
Events, Announcements & Horoscopes
Feigenbaum president and CEO of General Systems dies at 92 Pittsfield native, local philanthropist and developer of the “Total Quality Control” concept, Armand Feigenbaum passed away last Thursday, Nov. 13 at age 92. Feigenbaum and his late brother Donald founded General Systems Co., according to the Berkshire Eagle. The college received a $5 million pledge in 2013 in honor of Don-
ald Feigenbaum to focus on his innovation and leadership. President Mary K. Grant said in the Berkshire Eagle Friday that the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation will live on as a legacy of the brothers’ history. The Beacon acknowledges and appreciates the Feigenbaum’s novelty and support for academia.
way Soviet Russia did not have a market economy because you might be able to choose between two different state-owned bakeries for your bread. Why is it our generation refuses to vote? Because we know that there is no alternative to more of the same. We are ready for democracy and we are deeply proud of the soldiers, suffragettes, civil rights activists, unionists, etc. who have come before us. We know that by voting we are giving legitimacy to a government that does not represent us, controlled by a class of people that does not have our interests at heart. Mr. Arena, and many millennials, stand on the shoulders of those who fought for democracy when we reject a farce in order to focus on building movements for real self-governance. Quite sincerely, Brian Fitzpatrick ‘15
Keep us updated on club events! We want to cover you! Email your press release and information on Office 365 to MCLA Beacon Submissions, or message us on Facebook.
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Letter to the Editor
Millennials search for true democracy To the Editor: I was disappointed to encounter Mr. Thomas Whalen’s shallow reading of Nick Arena’s ‘Why Bother?’ in the letters to the editor section last week. Mr. Arena was not arguing against the American republic, but rather for greater democracy. Mr. Whalen argued that many soldiers and activists have died to give us our current form of government, but the fact that in the past there have been successful movements to expand enfranchisement and moments of successful defense of our republic does not entitle us to censure the very valid feeling that there is something deeply wrong with American democracy today. To say that we live in a democracy simply by virtue of a yearly ballot erases the very possibility of true democracy. We cannot say we govern ourselves based on choosing between two highly vetted corporate candidates, the same
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Writer supports columnist’s decision to not vote in recent election To the Editor: I must respectfully disagree with Professor Whalen, who took issue last week with Nick Arena’s views on voting in the latter’s column, “Why Bother” (11/6/14). Many voters DO feel they are choosing between “the lesser of two evils” and that “our two-party system is deeply flawed,” as Nick put it. As activist Angela Davis has long argued, voting alone does not a democracy make when the choices do not represent the needs of large segments of the populace. Deciding not to vote is itself a political referendum that – if chosen by the majority – may indeed serve as a wake-up call of sorts. The problem is: we the people would still go unrepresented in that case, so it’s hardly a solution. The bigger issue is that even with high voter turnout, our winner-take-all system denies the “losers” any representation, from local to national politics. This is why there is growing interest in proportional representation (PR), a system followed by many other countries (Google “Doug Amy why do we need proportional” for an expert summary of PR and links to other educational resources on this topic). PR is likely to improve representation of, and participation by, minorities and women, no doubt one of the reasons it faces resistance by the power elite. Just last week, my WMST 201 students discussed the persistent underrepresentation of women in American politics and the broader reasons why women across fields don’t “lean in,” to use Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg’s phrase. The answer lies in a complex combination of hiring
and promotion bias, inhospitable organizational cultures, internalized sexism and socialization that limits female ambition, and inflexible social structures: unlike many other countries, the U.S. does not as a matter of public policy support the work of maintaining a household, raising a family, caring for elders, or volunteering in the community –while women historically did all of these things, the great majority now work in the visible public economy without readily available support for meeting these ostensibly “private” labor needs. No wonder many women don’t lean in: they might just fall over from exhaustion! If you are uninspired by your current political choices, consider getting involved with the PR movement as well as running for (any) office yourself. In addition, get educated! Besides relevant courses in Political Science, those in the Women’s Studies minor illustrate how social constructions around race, gender and sexuality limit individual and societal potential and thus require reconstruction, while courses in the new Leadership Minor, particularly Introduction to Leadership Studies, reveal that transformative leaders display a variety of effective styles and emerge from all social locations. You don’t need to be a CEO or President to effect change. You need only to identify a real social need, and respond to it in whatever ways make the best use of your own commitments and talents. Karen M. Cardozo, Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Studies
FINANCIAL AID ANNOUNCEMENTS IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!! FAFSA and Financial Aid information packets for the 15-16 academic year will be distributed outside the cafeteria in the CC Marketplace from 11-1 on Dec. 1-4. DON’T FORGET TO PICK ONE UP!! ************ Have you signed up for SALT yet?? FREE membership to: *Keep track of student loans *Look for jobs/internships *Search for scholarships *Budgeting Sign on at www.saltmoney.org today! Any questions? Call the Financial Aid Office at 413-662-5219 ********** SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY: STEM Scholarships Apply at www.asee.org/smart December 15, 2014 deadline date
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Thursday, November 20, 2014
Photo Essay
Beacon.MCLA.edu
Winter is coming MCLA saw its first real snowfall on Friday, signalling that the winter season is just around the corner. Here is a view of the snowfall from all around campus. Photos by Osakpolo Igiede
Snow sticks to the trees lining the walk to Berkshire Towers.
The gates collected snowfall.
The lawns of Murdock, above, and the Church Street Center, below, were blanketed with white for the start of the weekend.