Spring 2015 - Issue 12

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Volume 80 ◆ Issue 12

Th u r s d ay, A p r i l 3 0 , 2 0 1 5

Research conference showcases student work Keynote speaker and MCLA alumna Alicia Girgenti talks about her graduate school experience

By Rominda Debarros and Idalis Foster Staff Writers

The College’s Thirteenth Annual Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) was held last Thursday. The campuswide event celebrated the hard work of students doing independent research in the natural and social sciences, humanities, or in original creative works.

“Presenting at the URC provides students an opportunity to present their work to the campus community,” URC Board Member Bentley Munsell said. “It gives each student an opportunity to show their fellow students and faculty their complete synthesis of knowledge regarding a particular topic.

To be able to explain your project during a poster session or oral presentation is one of the best ways to really highlight your understanding.”

At 8:30 a.m. in Venable Gym, over 30 poster presentations were showcased, covering a wide range of topics. Students Haily Kelliher, Monique Lemay, Gregory Wilson and Amy Bird presented on “How Perfectionism Relates to College Satisfaction,” a study examining the

Photo by Liz Quirk/The Beacon

Alicia Girgenti, an MCLA alumna, presents at the Undergraduate Research Conference on her studies in Criminal Justice and Criminology. relationship between socially-prescribed conduct data and find out more about the perfectionism and academic success. campus.”

“It was really interesting to see how Student Sarah Robinson focused her these relationships played a role in college study on the art of wooden masks in a satisfaction,” Wilson said. “I really like presentation titled “Hideta Kitazawa, doing data analysis, so it was really fun to the World’s Last Noh Traditional Mask

Maker.” Robinson, who personally got the opportunity to meet Hideta Kitazawa during an Ambassador Program, said the experience was enriching.

“I love anything Japanese-related and since I’m interested in theater, I decided to look into Japanese theater,” Robinson said.

Student Justina Jordano presented on “Skin Bleaching in Ghana,” which covered the epidemic and talked about how factors such as race, gender, status and constructed beauty standards played a part in the issue. Jordano specifically looked from the perspective of the women who were affected by skin bleaching.

Following the poster session were paper presentations held in Murdock Hall. The session’s included History, Influence and Intertextuality in Literary Studies, Signifying Jazz, Artist Talks and a Philosophy Mini-Conference.

At 12:30 p.m. Keynote speaker Dr. Alicia Girgenti gave her address to an audience of campus and local community members in the Campus Center Gym. Girgenti, who is also an MCLA alumna, talked about her college experience and how it led to her research interests today.

URC, continued on page 3

College to celebrate 116th commencement Annual Day of Service to Managing Editor

In the Amsler Campus Center Gym on Saturday, May 16, the class of 2015 will sit in the same space together for one last time.

The College will celebrate its 116th Commencement ceremony at 11 a.m. with the Baccalaureate ceremony the day before at 3 p.m. in the Church Street Center.

Delivering the keynote address will be award-winning Boston Globe columnist Derrick Z. Jackson, who will also receive an honorary Doctor of Journalism degree.

Other honorary degrees include John Wadsworth, receiving an honorary Doctor of Business and Susy Wadsworth receiving an honorary Doctor of Public Service. Additionally, Jani Maselli Wood ’85 will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws, according to the MCLA Web site.

“We try to choose someone who has had a local or national impact, but isn’t star struck,” said Interim President Cindy Brown. “We want the students to see what these people are doing in the world and to influence them through their work and by talking about their

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experiences.”

Honorary degree recipients will have books placed in their names in Freel Library for recognition.

“This day is an opportunity for celebration as well as for thought and reflection,” Brown said. “I hope the students hold a sense of accomplishment. Just seeing their faces walking through the gates as freshmen and now leaving is truly meaningful.”

Jackson is a long-time friend of the college, Brown said, and his son is even a graduate.

clean up North Adams

she said. “He’s a genuine person and I hope that he reminds people of what’s important.”

Jackson is an award-winning columnist, 2001 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, a two-time winner from the Education Writers Association of opinion awards and a nine-time winner from the National Association of Black Journalists, according to the Boston Globe.

John Wadsworth, a graduate of Williams College, retired from Morgan Stanley in 2001, on top of supporting educational programs in Berkshire County and around the world. Susy Wadsworth serves on the board of MASS MoCA and worked at the International Institute of Education, Summerbridge while living in Hong Kong, according to the MCLA website.

The keynote speaker is determined by the Board of Trustees and is someone who can give the class food for thought about what’s next in their life, Brown said.

In the days leading up to Baccalaureate and Commencement, the class of 2015 has the option of taking part COMMENCEMENT, continued on page 3

The 23rd Annual Community Day of Service will take place on Saturday, May 2. Students are welcomed to get involved and sign up either as a team, group or individual to help clean up the North Adams community.

“The Community Day of service really represents the culture and expectations of the College,” Spencer Moser, Coordinator at Center for Service and Citizenship, said. “There’s a real emphasis on community. It’s a powerful day where MCLA joins with the community to make it a better place.”

In partnership with local organizations, the Community Day of Service allows student volunteers to improve upon problem areas within the community. Sites and activities this year include The Louison House Transitional Shelter, the local hockey rink, painting at the YMCA, neighborhood and city park clean ups, trail maintenance, and trash picking at river banks.

Moser says for many students,

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Students collaborate to discuss art programs

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This day is an opportunity for celebration, as well as for thought and reflection...I hope the students hold a sense of accomplishment.

Cindy Brown

“

By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney

“I hope to hear his story and his experiences as well as his son and how he viewed MCLA before his son attended, during, and after,”

News

By Rominda DeBarros Staff Writer

the Community Day of service has become a major part of their college experience. Clubs, Sports Teams, and individuals usually sign up every year.

“The Community day of service really connects students with their community and really allows them to rethink it,” Moser said. “Students are able to make connections with the people they are servicing as well, which impacts not only the parents and kids but also the volunteers.”

This year’s event will begin at 9:30 a.m. at Church Street Center Social Hall. Volunteers will be out to sites by 10 a.m. and will return around 1 p.m. for lunch at MCLA. “I encourage all students to get involved in this event,” Shelby Gauthier, point person for the Community Day of Service said.

“The overall goal for the project is for students to get involved and have an amazing time.”

To join in, visit the Community Day of Service Tabling in the Amsler Campus Center Marketplace. To share project ideas, contact Spencer Moser at spencer.moser@mcla.edu.

Deadlines for signups are today.

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Campus News

Thursday, April 30, 2015

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Weekend Clubs approved at final senate meeting Weather

By Idalis Foster Staff Writer

Thursday, April 30

Cloudy High: 61° Low: 44° Prec. Chance: 20%

Friday, May 1

During their last formal meeting of the school year, the former Student Government Association members approved of five constitutions for four new clubs: American Sign Language Club, Film Club, Sociology Club, Wildlife Society and Cheer Squad, which has been reinstated.

Representatives from all five clubs answered questions about what their clubs will aim to do and how they will add to what already exists on campus.

Although two of the clubs went through without much discussion, confusion was cleared up about Sociology Club and Wildlife Society, determining that they are separate from clubs or organizations that already exist, such as Campus Conversations On Race and Environuts, respectively.

“What separates us is that Environuts is more focused on the environment in general but we [have] more of a focus on wildlife specifically,” said sophomore Taylor Jae Taber, president of the Wildlife Society.

The club will plan trips to zoos and aquariums so members can learn about how animals are trained and how employees work with wildlife.

The Sociology Club determined that members will focus on the sociological perspective of topics dicscussed on campus.

“We want to look at the specialties of sociology, including mathematics and religion, through sociological perspectives,” said senior Paul Groff, vice president of the Sociology Club.

Cheer Squad’s president, junior Kenya Joseph, answered questions about how the club will be successful considering issues former members had before becoming inactive in 2014.

“Do you have numbers of how many people are interested to avoid disinterest and being disbanded?” asked Senator Jamie Burdick.

According to Joseph, 15 people are currently interested but more publicizing of the club could bring in more members. She also attributed future membership to whether or not the club has leaders who will motive members.

Fee increase for next year

James Stakenas, vice president of Administration and Finance, visited SGA’s meeting to address the fee increase for students next semester.

“The board of higher education suggested a budget and the governor’s budget was significantly less than that,” Stakenas said.

Stakenas anticipates that the likelihood of the fee is close to $500 extra, $250 each semester.

The housing costs will increase by $200 and food service will see a two percent increase, $40 increase for the biggest plan.

The masterplan unveiled by Stakenas for major building renovations on campus is still in effect and will cost $6-8 million over the next eight to ten years.

“What buildings are prioritized right now?” asked said Senator Lucas McDiarmid.

“Mark Hopkins is at the top of the priority list, then Venable and Freel Library,” said Stakenas.

Stakenas also stated that new food services will be available in Bowman Hall similar to the Grab and Go that is currently in the Fei-

genbaum Center for Science and Innovation. However, in response to Senator Shirley Jules’ inquiry about possible new franchises instead of Subway, Stakenas said that would be up to the students in the next few years when the contract with Subway expires.

Late Night Breakfast & Library Snacks During Finals Aramark is providing food for the MCLA United Festival this Sat., May 2 which students can pay for using dinner swipes and declining balance. They will also be continuing late night grill next week with Late Night Breakfast on Wed., May 6 in place of the grill options.

Snacks will be available to students in the Freel Library during finals days. The Centennial Room will be closing by May 12 at 6 pm.

“On graduation day, the Trailblazer Café will be open and selling coffee, sandwiches, candy, chips and any other leftover items from the POD market,” said Executive Vice President Alexandra Kadell.

Education perspective stressed in race conversation

By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney

Cloudy High: 54° Low: 42° Prec. Chance: 20%

Saturday, May 2

Cloudy High: 61° Low: 44° Prec. Chance: 20%

Sunday, May 3

Partly Cloudy High: 70° Low: 49° Prec. Chance: 20%

Managing Editor

The best response to racial tensions is to incorporate entire communities to rebuild and educate on race relations, according to a case study presented by Harvard researchers.

The study about Riverview Gardens, Jennings and FergusonFlorissant School Districts set the stage for a campus conversation on structural racism hosted by former Pittsfield High School principal, Tracey Benson and System-level leader, Veronica Benavides on Monday night. The focus of the conversation was the perspective of education and how society views prevention; all the while riots in Baltimore were un-

raveling over the death of Freddie Gray in police custody last week.

When the shooting of Michael Brown occurred on August 9, 2014, each school district chose to cancel first-week classes. They also took their own strides in continuing education, training staff and faculty and bringing the community together to serve meals.

According to Benavides, structural racism is “a system of hierarchy and inequity that supports preferential treatment, privilege and power for white people of the expense of racially oppressed people.”

Jennings’ superintendent Tiffany Anderson led a cleanup day in the community immediately after the shooting so that teachers wouldn’t be scared when addressing the students on the issue,

The Beacon staff for Fall 2015 Co-Editors-in-Chief Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Nicholas Swanson Managing Editor Harmony Birch Senior News Editor Idalis Foster Arts & Entertainment Editor Mitchell Chapman Features Editor Gionna Nourse Sports Editor Jesse Collings Co-Web Editors Jake Mendel and Matt Aceto Photography Editor Agnella Gross Copy Chief Brittany Gallacher Business Manager Sam Stuhler

Staff Writers Veronica Colacurcio Torin Gannon Joseph Carew Matt Hotaling A&E Writer Chris Riemer Features Writer Nicholas Tardive Sports Writers Tyler Bacon Jake Mendel Copy Editors Caitlin O’Neill Paige Vincent Lauren Levite Photographers Erin McNulty Isabel McKenzie Liz Quirk

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according to the case study. Jennings also served about 400 meals over two days and allowed students to journal and write poetry in regards to the unrest.

During the discussion on campus, questions included which superintendent made the better decision and how it impacted different members of each community. A mock town hall meeting was played out, with the room split as their chosen member: student, parent, school board, media, salary worker or hourly-wage worker.

In an audience poll after first reading the case study, the Jennings school district won popularity for their efforts in a time of crisis. The faculty and staff also had social justice training two years prior, while other school districts opened up to train during days when classes were cancelled. Ferguson-Florissant received no votes, with Riverview Gardens coming in second.

Junior Giovani Dulcio expressed his concern for structural racism and commended the style in which the conversation was run.

“It was a good platform to debunk issues surrounding racism,” he said. “[Some] people aren’t clear on racism and it showed them what it is and how to go about fixing it.”

According to the case study, 99 percent of Ferguson’s population was white in 1970, and in 2010 it dropped to 29 percent due to forced integration. Additionally, surrounding governance is predominately white and 93 percent of arrests occur amongst the African American population.

“We need to learn when something like this happens,” Benson said. “We need to be aware of who we’re serving, like Anderson learned. Jennings saw the need for social justice training prior to

the crisis. Race neutral is not race neutral and we need not just prepare for an incident to take place.”

The Jennings district is 4 miles long and didn’t segregate issues, which is significant. Anderson was quoted in the case study saying Jennings is a community district and they focus on building a community and addressing issues of privilege.

“The conversations need to take place in both black and white spaces,” Benson said. “We must identify racism as a problem and talk about the gaps in between, but address racism at its core and implement programs.”

A retired correctional officer and criminal justice professor at Berkshire Community College also enjoyed the platform of discussion.

“I thought it was a great opportunity for students to hear others’ thoughts on a tough issue,” Mike McMahon said. “I was intimidated at first by the setup, but I became comfortable and it got people to take chances and talk.”

Lessons from Ferguson, as told

by Benson, include looking at the community being served, and what role one plays mobilizing change as well as the preparedness for faculty to support communities and prepae students to navigate racism.

Aside from Ferguson-Florissant’s low popularity, a school for peace was implemented in the days the district was closed. According to the study, art teacher Carrie Pace drove into Ferguson looking to help clean up. but ended up in the library as a tutor to any students who wished to continue learning. After word of mouth and social media, Pace and over 100 volunteers joined her initiative and assisted about 140 students.

Campus News

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Hernigle selected as SGA Student Trustee

By Nick Swanson Senior News Editor

All votes are in and counted to finalize the new students who will be taking on the roles as leaders in the Student Government Association (SGA).

Nicholas Hernigle ’16 was elected as SGA’s Student Trustee for the upcoming fall ’15 – spring ’16 academic year. He was sworn in with the rest of the newly elected members on Monday, Apr. 27.

However, he will not start full responsibility until the Board of Trustees’ first meeting in September.

“I decided at the beginning of the year that I wanted to be Student Trustee instead of treasurer again, so I sat in on the Board of Trustees meetings from then on,” Hernigle said. “Over the year I sat back and learned all the ways they do things,” he said.

He said overall this would benefit him because an extended amount of time will not be required to understand how the board operates.

“It’s an important role sitting with them on the board because they make very long-term decisions for the school and since I went to those board meetings I know they run differently than SGA meetings, which has more short-term plans,” he said.

He said as student trustee he will make it his duty to ensure the future plans from the Board of Trustees will be would be closely minded to what the SGA is preparing.

“I’m not dealing with people around my own age, they are professionals who are very successful in what they do, they are all very smart and well-respected,” Hernigle said, “So, I figured that I should learn all about them to make sure if I was elected I would do a great job at it,” he added.

He will soon meet with the In-

Beacon file photo

Senior Nicholas Hernigle currently serves as treasurer on the Student Government Association and has been named Student Trustee for the Fall ‘15 - ‘16 semester. terim President Cynthia Brown, and other presidential executive cabinet members by the end of the semester to go over more responsibilities his job entails.

Hernigle shows a strong interest towards wanting to sit on the search committee for the continuation of the search process for the next college president.

Hernigle spent a valuable amount of his time organizing his campaign with slogan lollipops that read ‘stick with Nick’, buttons, other candy, and matchbox cars.

He ran against Colby Harvish ’16 with a poll result of 204 to 120 votes.

Hernigle was the SGA treasurer over this past year and is working on a double major in Business Administration and Economics and then in Sociology.

“One of the good things is I wont be leaving the college yet, whoever the next treasurer is will be able to see me regularly,” Hernigle said. “I would like to again sit on the budget finance committee, if they want me to, and be there to help with anything they need,” he said.

According to Hernigle, being treasurer helped him develop into a number oriented person where he is able to be more analytical through different ways of thinking.

He will be working with the new SGA president to search and appoint the next SGA treasurer.

The SGA finalized votes name Alexandra Kadell as president, Dan Wohler as executive vice president, and Kelsey McGonigle as coordinating vice president.

SGA Senators At-Large are Jamie Burdick, Rachel Durgin, Idalis Foster, Alison Gilbert, Mackenzie McCarthy, Even Pirnie, Lauren Tomasszcuk, and Timothy Williams.

Athletic senate representative seat is Svetlana Morrell, Class of ’17 senate representative seat is Bridget Forson, Class of ’18 senate representative seat is Shannon Esposito and Jessica Lovellette.

Vacant positions yet to be filled are: Greek senate representative, commuter senate representative, resident seat, and the class of ’16 senate representative.

Students prepare for Baccalaureate Tradition includes a reading of Ivy poems to recognize the history of MCLA

COMMENCEMENT, continued from page 1

in Senior Days, which is a series of activities on and off campus and a class trip during the week after classes and exams ended.

“I want to help honor the accomplishments of the students,” Brown said. “I know the class and worked on projects with them. I’m not just dropping in.

The ceremony has a community approach. It’s a party but personal.”

Baccalaureate The day before commencement, students have the opportunity to share memories, reflect on past years, and offer a sprig of ivy to whoever impacted or enlightened their academic career.

In the past, ivy was planted each

year at the base of Murdock Hall to grow and live on beyond years of graduation, according to alumni relations coordinator Jamal Ahamad. Since the building’s renovations, the tradition has changed to giving the gift of ivy.

“This is the oldest tradition we do for the college, similar to convocation.” Ahamad said. “It’s a moment of reflection for students, faculty, and staff.”

Ahamad said that last year he suggested the students look at their first Facebook picture that was taken when they arrived at the college and to remember what their dreams were then.

“During senior days the emotion hasn’t hit yet, but with the Ivy Poems and precession, the emotions will come,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave MCLA. The ceremony was heartwarming and

I felt nostalgic.”

Senior Class Council elects some students to read past Ivy Poems to recognize the history of the alma mater. Each year one person from the current body contributes a new poem to be read aloud.

“Some people have a plan, and some don’t. You get that moment to take everything in,” he said.

“MCLA has a rich history of tradition that we want the students to understand.”

Other customs include the hike up Mt. Greylock for freshmen, convocation and entering through the gates for the first time.

“It’s never going to be the same again,” he said. “You’re never going to walk out of your townhouse and see people or walk on campus and to class and see all of the same people again. It’s a time to reflect socially and academically.”

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Girgenti urges students to author their own stories URC, continued from page 1

Being the author of your own story and ignoring criticism or obstacles, are the messages that the Undergraduate Research Conference Keynote Speaker Alicia Girgenti left the audience with.

Girgenti is an alumna of MCLA from Adams, MA and during her undergraduate career she was involved with Dance Company while studying psychology.

Her studies helped her discover her passion for criminal justice and criminology, leading to her earning a Ph.D. in Criminology & Justice Policy from Northeastern University.

The importance of examining intersectionality in the criminal justice system, particularly in cases of capital punishment, was a topic that Girgenti passionately evoked thought on in the audience before her.

But overall, Girgenti emphasized balancing your passions and surrounding yourself with supportive people as being the way to move forward without leaving behind any parts of yourself.

“I began dancing when I was three years old and I truly believed that it would be my life’s work,” said Girgenti. “From the time that I was old enough to walk, I wanted to be a dancer,” Girgenti said. “I had dreams of moving to New York City and dancing on Broadway. I never thought in a million years I would be standing in front of you today. My time at MCLA was one of self-discovery.”

She appreciated the small classes that helped her develop relationships with professors.

Her interest in graduate school began with a professor’s acknowledgement of her hard work and their encouraging words about her paper being “indicative of graduate-level work.”

Through many opportunities here on campus and in the community, including the URC, Girgenti believed she gained an advantage in preparation for graduate school.

Her senior year thesis, supported by professors of psychology Deb Foss and Maria Bartini, was titled “Racial Discrimination in Support and Opposition of Capital Punishment.”

She found that capital punishment was often supported when the victim of a homicide was a Caucasian female, but opposed when the victim was a black male.

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Factors in the decisions made by the jurors in such cases included empathy for one over the other and assumptions made about innocence based on race and gender.

“Through my teaching and scholarship I wanted to be a voice for those who are silenced by intolerance and discrimination in our society and advocate for equal rights and justice for everyone under that law,” she said.

Girgenti is currently an assistant professor of criminology at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA and recently published her own article in Criminal Law Bulletin about intersectionality’s importance in decisions in terms of the death penalty.

She also looks at how the intersections of race, gender and social class affect the experiences of those in the criminal justice system.

Girgenti met with students after the keynote luncheon to answer any questions about her speech or her experience in school and in life.

The questions ranged from inquiries about how she separated her dancer self from her professional self to whether graduate school is right for everyone.

“Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to be so certain [about graduate school],” said Girgenti.

“I didn’t even know but I went at it full force.”

She also addressed the misconceptions of higher education programs for inmates and how they work.

“If they are not educated they are far more likely to reoffend,” said Girgenti. “50 percent do so if they do not have higher education whereas less than five percent will if they have higher education.”

Girgenti ultimately emphasized that her passion in criminal justice did not diminish her passion for dance but they coincide with one another in her life. She credits opportunities like internships and the URC with helping her discover the passion she has for criminal justice and intersectionality.

“This is about being the author of your own story. The teller of your own truths,” she said. “Be proud of where that story leads you.”

The URC takes place every April and all students are encouraged to attend.

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Campus News

Thursday, April 30, 2015

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QSU hosts Live Out Loud conference Students gave community the opportunity to discuss gender equality with more than 70 participants during day-long event on Saturday

By Nick Swanson Senior News Editor

Members of the Queer Student Union (QSU) addressed common issues within the pursuit for gender equality and provided solutions to form a more inclusive community.

The second-annual LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual, etc.) Live Out Loud community conference featured gender-related discussion and education sessions where many shared personal experiences.

“I believe this conference will make a difference,” QSU President Oliver Freda said. “Having people come from all over the county brings a real mix of people who are learning every second.”

The QSU session was titled ‘LGBTQIA+: The Community and Beyond.’ They conveyed a safespace theme implemented during their presentation session. According to QSU’s slide show presentation, a safe-space is a place where anyone can fully express themselves without being made to feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, or unsafe.

QSU’s plan was to make the Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation (CSI) a safe-space. In this process they changed signs on restrooms from reading men or women to being gender equal.

In addition, they had a transgen-

Photo by Agnella Gross/The Beacon

Justin Adkins answers an audience member’s question while members of the Trans*/Gender Non-Conforming Panel look on. der and non-binary clothing swap station at their session.

“This is an opportunity for them (LGBTQIA+ people) to swap their clothes for clothes they like without feeling different and can express the gender that fits them,” Carissa Sacherski, QSU member and President of Students Taking Action for Gender Equality (STAGE), said.

The session inspired many to speak positively about negative situations, allowing them to relate and learn from others’ past experiences. This gave various methods to overcome certain gender stereotypes and stigmas.

QSU’s slideshow presentation structured a list of guidelines to appropriately ask a person their

preferred pronouns in a way that is neither harmful nor disrespecting towards that person. Sacherski noted intentionally using the wrong pronouns towards someone is in fact a hate crime.

“Years ago the term ‘queer’ was a slur, now it’s being embraced in to the community,” Laura Lefebure, MCLA Public Safety police officer, said. “It’s the next generation and I’m overly glad to see all of this happen,” she added.

Joan Rubel, Berkshire Area Health Education Center (AHEC) member, organized a session based on information supporting the harsh reality of tobacco use in LGBTQIA+ individuals. She uncovered statistics that show the average number of smokers in the

LGBTQIA+ community is greater than the average from the regular population.

She said tobacco companies are taking advantage of the reoccurring social justice issue in today’s society by targeting the LGBTQIA+ community. She offered several solutions to break the cycle of allowing tobacco companies to manipulate the community through various means.

We should be training children at a young age about the media’s influence on our way of life and that it is not based on scientific explanations, according to Rubel.

“You should promote people to make healthy choices,” she said.

“Through being a supportive and conscious person, to encourage

others not to smoke could motivate them to not do it again,” she said.

More than 70 people participated in the day-long event starting in the MCLA Church Street Center on Saturday, Apr. 25. Berkshire AHEC sponsored the event where artwork was displayed and multiple gender information help resources were available.

“I think it’s very important to build an LGBTQIA+ community in the Berkshires,” Conference Founder Bear McHugh said, “When I was the Youth Suicide Prevention project director it was one of our biggest goals to build resilience for LGBTQIA+ population.”

Spirit cords aim to help fund scholarships

A new program from Alumni Relations will grant blue and gold cords to graduating students who make a donation to the College matching their graduation year

By Gionna Nourse Staff Writer

The Student Philanthropy Program has been introduced this semester by Alumni Relations Coordinator Jamal Ahamad. Any graduating senior who donates in the amount of their class year (i.e. $20.15 for the class of 2015) receives blue and yellow spirit cords to wear at commencement.

According to the Alumni Association’s website, “This year, 91% of all students applied for financial aid. Of those students, 75.6% received some sort of financial support.”

Due to the massive gap between students who need aid, and those who are actually receiving it, the association asks students to “please consider designating their gift to student scholarship aid.”

According to Ahamad, the donations go to the Alumni Fund in support of student scholarship aid. “This program is an opportunity for the Alumni Association to create a culture of giving here at the college,” he said. The Alumni Association’s website also states “At MCLA, it has always been one of our core values to instill a culture of giving back and making a difference in the lives of others. When you choose to join our alumni in supporting the Alumni Fund, you are showing your pride in this institution and making a difference in the lives of your peers and those who will follow in your footsteps.”

“I have given money for the cords, and I personally think it is a fantastic idea,” Senior Rhea Werner said. “Some people do so much during their time here, but their grades may not [put them] in an honorary [position] to receive cords upon graduation. By donating money, [students] not only show that they [have given] back to the institution,

but they also get to wear cords when graduating.”

The website also includes an important message from MCLA alumni, which reads: “Our alumni give so that you and your peers can receive scholarship aid and opportunities to expand upon your experiences here at the College.

“The cords are symbolic of graduating seniors’ school spirit and commitment to their alma mater,” according to Ahamad. “The spirit cord represents the importance of philanthropy and is a symbol of commitment to support the college, through the donation of a gift as a graduating senior and future member of the Alumni Association,” he said.

“What is also good is that when [students] donate, they decide where they want the money to go,” Werner said.

“For example, I donated to student scholarships,” Wer

ner said. “The Student Philanthropy Program embeds the practice of student giving and the impact that philanthropy made on their educational experience,” Ahamad said.

Participating students will be acknowledged by the Alumni Association Board president and vice president during Senior Days at the Senior/Alumni welcome on Wednesday, May 13th, 2015 at 5:30pm, at Gallery 51.

“Those who have made a donation will receive their cords at this event so that they can wear them at commencement,” Ahamad said.

For more information on the Alumni Association, The Student Philanthropy Program, and to make a donation, visit https://alumni.mcla.edu/student-gift .

Photo from MCLA Alumni Association Web site

Navy and gold cords show school spirit for any graduating senior who donates in the amount of their class year, such as $20.15 for the class of 2015.

Thursday, April 30, 2015

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Fitness Center gears up for Co-generation overdue space expansion project aims to save Crowded workouts and old equipment calls for a face-lift energy on campus

By Darien Quick Staff Writer

The air is thick and hot, weights are being slammed down, every cardio machine is taken, all of the free weight bars are occupied, and to top it off, there isn’t any room to even put your bag down: the nightmare of every MCLA fitness center user.

The college’s fitness center in the Campus Center has certainly become quite popular over the past few years, ultimately leading to over-crowdedness and unhappy students and faculty who use the facility regularly.

“It wasn’t until this year that I have had to leave the gym because there was not enough equipment,” junior Courtney Parent said. “It has happened a handful of times.

Normally I would try to wait and share with everyone, but there have been a few times that it has been unbearable.”

Sophomore Andrew Haier finds himself avoiding the fitness center nearly all day to ensure he can get in a quality workout.

“I usually do not go to the gym during the day because it can be too crowded and I cannot use the machines or weights that I need,” Haier said, “so I end up going to the gym at 9 at night to avoid the gym being crowded.”

Fitness Center Expansion on its Way

Things will change next year, as the fitness center is scheduled for an expansion in 2016. There are other renovations on campus that must be completed first, such as finishing the reconstruction of Bowman Hall and the remodeling of the top floor of Venable Hall, where the ATC academics (athletic training) will move to from adjacent to the fitness center, according to Deb Raber, fitness center director and Women’s Soccer coach.

Once these expansions are completed, the wall between the fitness center and the athletic training classroom will be knocked down, creating an “L” shaped facility.

The facility is currently 2,100 square feet, but after the wall is taken down, the new fitness center will be roughly 3,200 square feet, an increase of about 50 per-

cent in the space.

“I’m very excited to see and use the new fitness center,” freshman Mele Enomoto said. “I think it will attract more people on campus than just the regulars. I know that a lot of people like to workout at Planet Fitness (in downtown North Adams), but that’s only because the gym is too small and there isn’t enough equipment. I think maybe that people will start coming back once the expansion is complete.”

In regards to new equipment, Enomoto has a wish list that is likely to be granted.

“I would really like to see more treadmills and other cardio machines since there always seems to be a wait to use them,” Enomoto said.

Senior Olivia Repula agrees that there is certainly a need for more cardio machines.

“I think the MCLA fitness center should have at least one more free-weight rack, two or three more treadmills, two more ellipticals and another bike,” Repula said.

Repula has a different idea in mind for the fitness center expansion.

“I think that the expansion is a waste of money. The money spent on this expansion should be saved and an entirely new facility should be built, or the pool should be filled in and install a running track around it. This will allow for much more room for equipment and users.”

Repula acknowledges her idea is on the pricier side; however, she feels that filling in the pool would eliminate the possibility that the 2016 expansion will soon become too small and outgrown.

Raber is working hard with engineers and equipment representatives to ensure the layout will utilize as much space as possible, accommodating both the facility users and the new equipment everyone is demanding.

“More cardio and a few weight machines are the priority,” Raber said.

To help save money when possible, some equipment may be updated, not necessarily entirely replaced.

Although no final financial figures are set yet, Raber does not foresee the 1,100 square foot ex-

Photo by Agnella Gross/The Beacon

Juniors Tim Mello and Will McKay wait for Josh Reynolds,’16 to finish squatting.

pansion taking long to complete.

In addition to more workout equipment, students have also been hoping to see some other additions to the expansion of the fitness center.

Haier expressed some concern for a larger, more organized space to store personal belongings.

“The storage area in the fitness center is very small. I usually just put my stuff on the floor since all of the space is taken up. If we had a bigger storage area it would be great,” Haier said.

Parent has also run into the problem of having to leave her belongings on the floor.

“It’s kind of annoying, because we are expected to abide by footwear rules and change our sneakers, but there is no place to change into them, let alone store them,” Parent said.

Raber has plans to add more cubbies and coat hooks to eliminate the clutter of piles of book bags and clothing in the storage area. She also has a request of inseason student-athletes to help out with this ongoing problem.

“I wish in-season athletes would leave their big bags in their lockers [that are provided to them in the team locker rooms] instead of cramming what space we do have,” Raber said.

Although it seems to be a tedious process for some, signing into the facility on the computer at the entrance is imperative to help monitor how many people use the facility per day.

“On average there are 110 people [signing into the facility] per week,” Raber said. “From memory, the highest I have seen is 160 per week, and all together I think last year we saw 16,000 uses in total.”

Signing in the computer also allows for tracking the busiest periods of the day. Through some analysis, Raber has come to notice that the crowds come in waves.

“It’s normally busy mid-morning until just after lunch , then it slows down until 3 p.m. when it picks up then dies off around 5 p.m. for dinner. Then it picks back up around 7 p.m.,” Raber said.

Students are not hesitant to let Raber know of their difficulties with trying to find a more ideal time to work out, or the lack of equipment.

“I get complaints all the time, and it’s good to know the school recognized the need for more space,” Raber said.

Freshman Tayler Wiese is excited to be able to watch the expansion take place, as she is not set to graduate until Spring 2018.

“I’m so happy I get to watch the expansion happen, and then utilize it,” Wiese said. “I feel bad for the upperclassmen though, they’re the ones who have been fighting for this and voicing their opinions, and they won’t even get to enjoy it.”

Beacon file photo

The campus power plant, located behind next to the back-side of the campus center on Montana street, will move toward cogeneration.

According to Stakenas, the powBy Gionna Nourse er plant supplies heat to a number Staff Writer of buildings on campus: Hoosac, The college is currently working The Campus Center, Murdock, on a cogeneration project in the etc. The power plant basically power plant which will consider- controls 50 percent of the energy ably reduce energy usage and cost needed on campus, [and] the othon campus. Cogeneration is the er 50 percent are direct meters, burning of one fuel to create two according to Stakenas. The Scisources of energy: heat and elec- ence Center, some properties on tricity.

Blackinton Street and the Church The approximate $4.5 million Street Center are not connected to project received multiple sources the power plant. of funding, including a $600,000 “We are basically using electricgrant from Lead by Example ity off the street, [but] when we (LBE), a $1.3 million [boiler re- get the co-gen, anything that is placement] from the Division hooked to the power plant will be of Capital Asset Management able to provide electricity for [the and Maintenance (DCAMM), above listed] buildings,” he said. $730,000 in National Grid ReThe cogeneration plant will burn bates on certain equipment the natural gas, and in addition to college is buying, as well as a $2 heating, have the capacity to genmillion loan from the state, which erate 500 kilowatts of electricity is expected to be repaid with es- at any given time. Stakenas told timated $140,000 in annual sav- The Berkshire Eagle the system ings from MCLA’s utility bill, ac- will produce about 1,000 megacording to James Stakenas, vice watts (a million kilowatts) durpresident of Administration and ing the heating season of October Finance. through May. “Probably about 90 percent of For perspective, the average what we save will go back to repay home in the U.S. uses about this loan,” he said.

10,000 kilowatt hours of electricty “When you do an energy proj- in a year, according to the U.S. ect, the expectation is you want to Energy Information Administrabe able to have sufficient savings tion. in order to pay for it,” he said. “As The college has not yet comwe produce our own energy, we pleted the analysis pertaining to won’t have to buy energy.” how much the co-gen will reduce The money the college has bor- our carbon footprint. When you rowed to complete this co-gen is produce energy with steam, you for 15 years, but it would not have have a significant heat loss, acbeen feasible without grants and cording to Stakenas. The college other resources. “We have been plans to use that heat loss to heat talking about this project for three the buildings on campus, so that years, and we have waited until we we are no longer wasting any heat. had sufficient resources to pay for “We have to balance how much it,” Stakenas said. electricity we can produce, beMCLA had studied ways of sav- cause the colder it is outside, the ing energy over the last few years, more electricity we will be able to considering biomass, solar and produce,” Stakenas said. wind energy. Stakenas said none “Until we actually get a handle of those options would have pro- on our level of our energy produced enough electricity. duction, we can only guess what The college currently has a main it will do to our carbon footprint,” preface electrical that comes to he said. Although our carbon the power plant. Electricity comes footprint has been stable, the coloff the street and goes to the pow- lege was able to reduce its carbon er plant, according to Stakenas. footprint by 16 percent three The college is currently in the years ago. process of ordering the boiler “When the science building and the generator, which take 40 came online, Bowman Hall came weeks to assemble. “We expect offline, so in order to re-calculate this process to be operational by our carbon footprint, we need December of 2015, or January of to make sure all of our buildings 2016,” Stakenas said. are operational again, [which] is “Cogeneration is really quite going happen around the same amazing because we make enough time we get the co-gen up and steam to heat campus, but we pass running,” Stakenas said. “We it through the generator before will be re-calculating our carbon it goes to heat campus,” Stakenas footprint about a year from now, said. “Cogeneration means you [and] we hope that the co-gen will are getting two things for the reduce it even more.” price of one.”

6

Campus News

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Beacon.MCLA.edu

College considers new options for wi-fi, cell service

bile standards like 3G. Unlike 3G, 4G LTE uses radio waves, which Special to the Beacon works to have better penetration in remote areas and to have a greater coverage span.

Students at the college are conStudents who use Verizon and sistently complaining about one AT&T explained their frustration of two things: It’s either the lack of about their cell phone service on cell phone reception and/or Wi-Fi campus. Junior, Ian Angell uses connection on campus.

AT&T and has 4G. “Being connected” on campus – “I can’t get any cell reception in that is, a strong, reliable connecthe campus center or the new scition - is a continuing concern ence center, which is frustrating at MCLA. Although the Wi-Fi because, being a Math major, I connection on campus has been spend a lot of my time there. I can improved since summer, there are get OK service in my townhouse efforts still being made to fix the but I usually get low reception issue of cell service coverage. when I’m anywhere on campus,” According to Chief InformaAngell said. tion Officer Curt King, cell radio Junior Kathleen Sansone uses technology is based on the carVerizon, has 3G and seemed to rier (AT&T, Verizon) and how the have more complaints than stucarrier wants to use the frequency dents using AT&T. they have been given through cell “I have really disappointing cell towers. service. I get none in the townWireless is a purely digital format houses and I always notice dead carried and connected through spots while I’m on campus. The routers and is a standard that was only areas that I can get a good created for computers to commucell connection is upstairs Church nicate with each other.

Street Center and some of the When it comes to the issue of cell upstairs townhouse stairwells, service coverage, King says it has but who is going to want to stand to do with the location of the coloutside in the cold or rain when lege. you have to make one silly phone “It is a geographic issue because call?” Sansone said. the closest tower is on top of FlorSansone also said that the camida Mountain, from which we are pus center is a dead zone when it blocked off by a big hill located comes to cell reception. behind Berkshire Towers. BeJames Stakecause of this, cell nas, vice presservice is not the ident of Adgreatest on camministration pus,” King said. and Finance, According to a explained that director on the he has been Verizon Wireless working on Corporate Comthe issue for munication team, 10 years tryChuck Hamby, ing to find there are more a cost effecfactors that affect tive solution cell service covthat is benerage. eficial to stu“Many factors dents. influence wireless “We have an performance, not interesting just the network Photo by Liz Quirk/The Beacon communicatechnology but The hill in the foreground casts a ‘shadow” over the cam- tion problem also the device, adverse weather, time pus from the cell tower on Florida Mountain, located on here but have ways around of day, whether you the ridge in the background. it,” Stakenas are inside or outpeople that have upgraded phones said. side, etc.,” Hamby said.

This includes the campus Wi-Fi The hill behind Berkshire Towers using 4G LTE can take advantage poses a problem because it creates of that to get better cell service connection issue.

“We’ve had a plan to replace the a kind of shadow that makes cell coverage,” King said.

According to About.com, LTE network since summer, for core service coverage spotty in areas.

This phenomenon is called topo- stands for Long Term Evolution buildings like Murdock, The Freel and is a new 4G wireless broad- Library and The Center for Scigraphic shading. ence and Innovation [CSI]. We’re “Six year ago we were actually band standard.

The advantages it proposes are trying to finish up wireless and close to getting a new cell tower.

The problem is that those phone better than existing wireless mo- right now we are on phase four of

By Liz Quirk

companies, especially Verizon, have bigger fish to fry. Unfortunately the college does not have enough people for Verizon to consider the issue a priority,” King said.

The last time the college was in contact with the two top leading cell phone providers on campus, AT&T and Verizon, was three months ago when Verizon representatives came to the college to discuss alternatives to fix the cell reception issue.

King also mentioned that it was a problem financially as well.

“When the Verizon representatives came, they were investigating the top of the campus center to see if we could install some repeaters, but it became too expensive,” King said.

According to Techopedia.com, repeaters are network devices that retransmit a received signal with more power to an extended geographical boundary. In other words, repeaters amplify the signal to an ideal or near-ideal strength so that the destination can receive the data. They are also known as signal boosters.

However, King mentioned an exciting opportunity that may have one possible solution to the issue.

“The Holiday Inn recently had an array of antennas installed on top of their building that uses LTE so

Photo by Liz Quirk/The Beacon

Junior Ian Angel stands in the Amsler Campus Center Marketplace searching for cell service reception. the process. We will start wireless in Bowman the start of the next fiscal year and we hope it to be strong enough to reach outside the buildings,” King said.

The residence halls currently get reliable Wi-Fi, according to students.

“The Wi-Fi is pretty good in my townhouse as long as I can connect to hotspot,” Angell said.

“I can get great Wi-Fi in the townhouses as long as I can connect to a router, but it can be spotty on campus and in Murdock,” Sansone said.

Both Stakenas and King mentioned a Voice Over IP app for students who use 3G. “The Voice over IP is our 4G LTE backup plan,” King said.

According to About.com, Voice over IP is abbreviated to VoIP and is commonly called Internet Telephony or IP Telephony. By using Voice over IP, all there needs to be is an Internet connection or be in an IP network range and the person will be allowed to start making free calls on that Internet connection.

“The Voice over IP app is a homerun upgrade for students

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still using 3G,” Stakenas said.

Smartphones these days are really mini computers and use the Wi-Fi standard as well as the Cell technology. According to King, Voice over IP (VoIP) translates your analog voice into digital fragments and puts it back to analog on the other end. Because it is a digital format it works great over Wi-Fi. “So in MCLA’s case, here we can use the VoIP as an App on a smartphone to use our existing Wi-Fi to get around the poor 3G cell performance,” King said.

Students should feel engaged to explore this option by contacting Curt King about testing out the Voice over IP app.

The City of North Adams and the college “piggyback” off each other according to King. The Holiday Inn’s array of antennae’s has helped the college and the City so far by providing 4G LTE and there are hopes that the Voice over IP app will boost the help that the college and City of North Adams can provide for each other to fix the issue of cell phone reception and improve continuous Wi-Fi connection on campus.

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Campus News

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Beacon.MCLA.edu

7

Sexual assault training met with mixed response

By Mitchell Chapman Staff Writer

Nearly 90 percent of staff and faculty and 90 percent of undergraduate students have completed the mandatory Sexual Assault Training, according to Director of Human Resources Mary Ellen Olenyk, though their experiences were far from identical.

“Faculty and staff training revolved more around scenarios and handling different situations such as reporting, as they have different responsibilities than students,” Olenyk said. “We are still in the follow-up phase of getting back to people who have not yet completed this appropriate action. I remain hopeful that everyone’s going to comply.”

The Sexual Assault training introduced this semester will be an annual requirement, as is required by the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination (SaVE) Act. In addition, all incidents of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking will be disclosed in an annual crime statistic report, with all related investigations conducted by officials who have annual training on the matter. The Clery Act, which the SaVE Act amends, only required the reporting of such acts. The report is available Oct 1 of each year and covers three years of campus activity. How-

ever, the way in which the training is carried out to students will change next semester for a multitude of reasons.

“We want the best training possible, and it just doesn’t make sense for students to take the exact same training again,” Olenyk explained. “In addition, incoming students will have a different experience with the training than older students, as will nontraditional students. Everyone needs something different, and we’re looking into the products that are available that will go through the whole four-year cycle. We want it to be meaningful to people.”

Olenyk said follow-up trainings will be set up with the faculty as a means to set a foundation for discussion about Sexual Assault. She has received generally positive feedback from faculty, exceeding her expectations for the program.

“I’m really pleased with it,” Olenyk said. “All people I talked to said they learned something from the training.”

However, some faculty believe the program can go one step further.

“In my opinion, the sexual assault training was a good move in the right direction of raising awareness of this important issue on campus,” English/Communications professor Jenna Sciuto said. “I think it is also important

that as a community we cultivate safe spaces where these types of conversations can happen in person as well.”

All types of training are being considered.

A young program One of the challenges of these programs is that they’re all relatively new, even if they are part of older websites. Public schools have only been required to provide sexual assault training since the SaVE Act was passed in 2013.

Mystudenbody.com, the site used for the student training, has existed since 2004 and has received popularity not because of the act, but because of its other modules, such as its alcohol education training, which is a requirement for first year students at institutions such as UMass Amherst, SUNY Oswego, and Stevenson University.

It is very possible that the “four year” cycle program that Olenyk wants may not be developed, or at least not perfected yet, given the short timeframe the act has existed.

However, over time the college will look at products as they become available, according to Olenyk, though, the relative freshness of the SaVE act should not protect existing programs from criticism.

President Obama proposes free community college

By Matt Hotaling Staff Writer

In his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama explained a proposed program that would allow students to attend two years of community college for free.

While the President’s proposed program is very unlikely to pass during his presidencyit is important to consider what may happen to state colleges like MCLA if such a program was made into law.

The President and his team roughly outlined their program, which would make the cost of community college free for two years for students who are enrolled at least half-time and maintain a GPA of at least 2.5.

The President stated that the federal government would pay for 75 percent of the cost for the program and the remaining 25 percent would fall to the individual states participating in the program.

“Any federal program that provides access to a college education for all students should be applauded and recognized as one that would help open the doors to higher education for those that may not have considered enrolling in college,” Denise Richardello, executive vice president of academic affairs said.

MCLA was named with the top 100 best values in public colleges nationally out of a pool of 1,200 institutions. The College’s management feels that MCLA is an exceptional value for the programs and close attention it can provide to students.

Richardello also pointed out that regardless of any federal program it is quite possible to attend MCLA for much less than usual tuition. The college offers many merit-based scholarships which reward excellent students, but also meets close to 80% of needbased financial aid.

The College is partnered with every community college in Mass. and community

colleges in neighboring states like New York. The mass transfer articulation programs allows for students who complete a two-year program at a community college to be guaranteed enrollment at MCLA with maximum transferability of credits towards a bachelor’s degree.

In theory, the more students enrolled in community college, the most students will potentially transfer to MCLA and other state colleges. The only question is will students opt out of starting at four-year colleges like MCLA if they can get two years for free somewhere else?

“Doing community college first was a big money saver,” senior Alexander Moore said. “Starting in a two-year program really helped me learn some independence.”

Moore is a student who transferred to MCLA from Mt. Wachusett Community College after completing a two-year liberal arts program. Moore said he would absolutely recommend starting at a community college to his fellow students.

“I was started at MCLA with my entire core done,” Moore said. “I was able to jump right into taking courses in my major.”

For others like junior Kaź Lukacs, going straight into a four-year college was the right idea. Lukacs decided to come to MCLA because he sees value in a four-year program.

“For me going to a community college was never really a consideration,” Lukacs said.

“At my high school it was sort of assumed that everyone was going to a four year college. The college counselors never really talked to us about community college.”

Lukacs says that he’s glad he made the choice he did and would do it again.

“I feel like I’ve had a lot more time to take the courses I really wanted to take, courses that I’m actually interested in,” Lukacs said.

“I feel like just by being at a four year college I’ve had a lot more opportunity than I would have had at a community college.

Unlike the faculty and staff module, which focused more on how to resolve individual circumstances under this new law, the student module was comprised of an identical pre-test and posttest made up of 10 questions, with reading material flushed in between both tests. Students needed to answer eight out of 10 questions correctly to pass the training.

This was met with mixed user reaction, as the reading material could easily be skipped or skimmed as long as they knew the answers to the test, which did not cover the majority of the material in the module. Such is the experience of junior Morgan McCarthy.

“I personally think that it’s important for people to know,” McCarthy said. “I just felt the survey wasn’t effective because I already knew all the information.”

Though the most common concern was about the actual content of the module, as there was confusion as to what its function was.

“I thought the training was ok, though I don`t think it was very effective,” junior Christian Kennedy said. “A lot of the questions and information posed should be common sense for most people. It might’ve helped people be more aware of what to do when something is happening, but it won`t stop any serious criminals.”

Another concern that arose was the penalty for not completing the module, which put a hold on offending students’ accounts ,which could only be lifted upon the training’s completion.

“I can see and understand why the training is important in order to build awareness on serious topics such as sexual assault and inform students what resources the school will now be mandated to provide students if such situations occur,” junior Joelle Dumont said. “I also understand why the college would need to make it mandatory to complete it in order to get everyone’s participation, though it seems a bit extreme to make it a graduation requirement and be used as restriction on your student account if not completed, although I completely understand why they’re framing it in this manner.”

Freshmen Carly Borelli is one such student who had to appeal the hold. A commuter student, she did not do the module as she was not planning on attending the college next fall, and was one such student in the “follow-up” phase with Olenyk.

“They said once I completed the module and emailed them they would remove the hold on my account,” Borelli said. “I completed the module yesterday and emailed them as I was asked to.”

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8

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Arts & Entertainment

Beacon.MCLA.edu

URC features literary presentations

Photo by Shirin Hijab/The Beacon

Deven Philbrick spoke about jazz and literary philosophy amidst equally fascinating topics on good, evil, British literature, and the history and influence of jazz.

Of the presentations on good

By Shirin Hijab and evil in British literature, the A&E Editor presentations that stood out the The students who presented on most were those done by DeMiltonic ideas of good and evil ven Philbrick’s (“The Beacon of and on the history of jazz gath- the Wise”: Shakespeare as Phiered at the front of the room, losopher) and Kathryn Donsemi-anxiously, waiting for nelly (Sympathizing the Sinister: “showtime” (as Roseanne Den- Reader and Writer Relations hard, the presentations’ organiz- between “Frankenstein”’s Creature and “Paradise Lost”’s Saer, said) to start.

tan). Philbrick argued for a more literary-philosophical approach to reading literature, saying that “there needs to be a new methodology for what qualifies as philosophy and what doesn’t. He placed Shakespeare in the philosophical tradition because of the way Shakespeare’s sonnets have endings that allow the reader to draw their own conclusions as is done with a lot of philosophy.

Donnelly made the argument that for us today, Milton’s Satan “goes too far.” It is difficult, she claims, for us to romanticize or humanize the Satan of Milton because his negative qualities of pride, vengeance, and violence are not appealing. The other half of her presentation focused on a comparison between the Creature from “Frankenstein” and Milton’s Satan. She claims that we can sympathize with the Creature up to the point when he commits murder.

Alexandria Jackson took on the perennial subject of whether or not Milton himself was writing a misogynistic poem while Brett Delcastro also focused on

‘Too Much Light’ to be ferociously fast-paced MCLA’s MCLA’s FPA FPA Collboration Collboration Class Class Presents Presents

Photo by Alzie Mercado/Courtesy of FPA Department

According to neofuturists.org, the show is performed from a perspective of absolute honesty.

By Matt Aceto A&E Writer

Forget tomatoes, have you ever had the urge to chuck tennis balls on stage? If so, tonight may be your lucky night. Cast members of “Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind” (TMLMTBGB) will battle the clock as they attempt to perform 30 plays in less than an hour.

“The goal is to perform 30 plays in 60 minutes,” said junior Kathleen Sansone. “If we fail to do so, the audience gets to throw tennis balls at the entire cast.”

“TMLMTBGB” is self-directed by theatre’s collaboration class, and has required very little teacher involvement. The free play runs at 8 p.m. tonight, 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. tomorrow, and 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Saturday night. All

performances will be held in The Black Box in Venable, a tight environment that allows for lots of audience interaction.

“There are opportunities for the cast to talk to the audience, or the audience to come into the show,” said cast member Erin D’Entremont.

“This is the most interactive show during the [Fine & Performing Arts] season,” Sansone added.

Along with talking to the cast, the audience is able to determine what skit be performed next.

Hung on a clothesline will be several numbered plays, which audience members will shout out for the cast to enact.

“We never know what play we’re going to perform next,” Sansone said. “The audience decides that.”

This fast-paced performance will test the endurance of the cast, both mentally and physically. In only 60 minutes, 30 plays will potentially be executed.

“It’s challenging, it takes a lot of energy,” said sophomore Victoria Fernandez.

“TMLMTBGB” first premiered in 1988, written by the Neo-Futurists theatre group. “[The skits] range from funny to really, really personal,” said cast member Marcus Neverson.

There will be no made-up characters in the show. Rather, “TMLMTBGB” presents cast members exactly how they appear.

“We play ourselves, but the situations aren’t actually real,” Brianna McDermott said. “It’s very relatable.”

With no entree costs, expect The Black Box to be packed-shut come showtime.

“It’s basically first-come-first serve,” Szczygiel said. “In previous years, we’ve had lines of people at the door.”

a literary-philosophical exchange between Plato’s “Dialogues” and Milton’s poem. Elizabeth Davies extrapolated on the theory of “Wuthering Heights” being a retelling of “Paradise Lost” and Virginia Graves gave us a biographical study of Mary Shelley’s life in comparison to her novel.

Gerol Petruzella, the Coordinator of Academic Technology and professor of philosophy, asked about the application of ethics in literary philosophy. The question was naturally difficult to answer however Philbrick thought that there might be room for it; the only difference he sees between literature and philosophy is the presence of formal logic in philosophy. Metaphysics, ethics, and all the rest are shared between the two.

In a refreshing contrast, the presentations following these were about jazz, all coming from inprocess works from students of his Signifying Jazz class. The stand-out presentations were Ryan Walter’s on the jazz-like work of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Ama Beema Adwetewa Badu’s on Louis Armstrong’s

“When It’s Sleepytime Down South” and its subversive quality. Walters was particularly energetic because of his work and association with slam poetry and that art form’s improvisational quality. Badu’s presentation focused and a myriad of complex concepts, from DuBois’s idea of double consciousness in which black Americans live in a fragmented identity under the gaze of white Americans to her argument that Armstrong’s music is truly subversive despite what some say about his politics.

Alisia True did her presentation on T.S. Eliot and the Jazz Age, drawing connections to Modernism while Deven Philbrick tried to read music with the methodologies used on literature. They focused on the self-sacrificial quality of the heroine addiction and unrelenting devotion of the artist to their art. And an overall, empowering theme was how jazz worked in contradiction to Modernism and was truly a subversive force—a kind of reassurance that is commensurate with the times we live in.

‘Mud’ and ‘Successful Life’ show value in minimalist cast and designs Review by Mitchell Chapman A&E Writer

Variety is always a novel thing to have, especially in terms of theater, though is not the easiest thing to execute. Thankfully the FPA Department’s production of Maria Irene Fornes’s “Mud” and “The Successful Life of Three” lacked no talent in bringing these two very different experiences into one cohesive spectacle, combining the best of vaudeville with the frustration of rural life and lack of education in a way that highlights the genius of the source material.

Part of what makes this combination so effective was that both plays only required three characters; “Catch Me If You Can” lead Marcus Neverson plays the roles of Lloyd and He respectively, Courtney McLauren takes on the roles of Mae and She, and Brendan Jennings tackles the roles of Henry and Three. More or less, this serves as the glue between the two plays, as they involve typecasting of the very same kind; “a handsome young man, a sexy young lady, and a middle-aged man,” to quote directly from the program.

This forces the actors to be multifaceted, especially in terms of “The Successful Life of Three” where character development happens in the blink of an eye. Jennings, for instance, goes from a fasttalking womanizer to a wealthy entrepreneur to a Mexican crime lord (sombrero and all) throughout the play. McLauren has the privilege of playing a sex-addicted young woman who chooses the pudgy Three over Neverson’s He, despite being married; a marriage which fittingly happens in a span

of minutes.

The three actors have a profound chemistry with each other, which is crucial to “The Successful life of Three.” The humor is fast-paced and energetic, reminiscent of the silent film era when actors had to accommodate for varying frame rates from hand-cranked cameras.

And it really works. Sure, it might be ridiculous, but the play revels in its ridiculousness, for that’s the point. Sure, there’s a plot (surprisingly cohesive), but where “The Successful Life of Three” truly shines is its ability to garner audience reaction, which there was plenty of.

“Mud,” on the other hand, strikes a little closer to home. Described as one of Fornes’s “hyper-realistic works,” the play centers around Mae, a hardworking southern girl trying to make a life for herself through education. She is hampered by Lloyd, a brute of sorts that has lived with her since childhood. The household’s equilibrium is upset when Henry, a comparative intellectual, moves in, serving as a mentor and boyfriend to Mae, who has a keen thirst for knowledge, though the inability to retain it.

The play is particularly effective especially after an introduction from Chrysta Cheverie and Callen Gardner featuring the highenergy “Successful Life” characters. “Mud” very much plays host to the gritty reality of living in this particular part of the South, and it shines through not only in the production values, such as the minimalist living room, but in the mannerisms of Lloyd and Mae. Since matriculating here last September, I have not had a piece of MCLA theater disappoint.

Arts & Entertainment

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Beacon.MCLA.edu

‘Woman in Gold’ a fascinating portrait

Photo from i.ytimg.com

A flashback sequence that shows a child Maria and her aunt Adele who is in Klimt’s famous painting “Woman in Gold” which is the basis for the court battle throughout the film.

Review by Shirin Hijab A&E Editor

“Woman in Gold” shows us the joy of mainstream filmmaking; the camera, of which a suitable number of types were used to get the desired gold and shining effect in the movie in combination with pristine lighting, never seems to stop moving.

The movie’s topic though, if addressed in reality, would be very boring. It takes a courtroom

drama (like “12 Angry Men” or “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”) and makes it into something we’d like to be involved in. But it takes away the slowness of everyday life and while this is undeniably good and exciting, I can’t help but think the history and real human aspect of this film is being erased through its marketability.

It also is a slow movie, in the same way that Stephen Frears’s “Philomena” is a slow movie and has a similar model: a young man

helping an old woman with her past. There seems to be something genuinely unfun about traveling around with someone who ambiguously wants to remember and forget the past.

The leads of Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) and Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) are charming but not entirely convincing.

We’re not entirely sure that Reynolds cares or puts himself entirely into his role of a lawyer gone rogue to help this woman. There’s

also the Austrian investigative reporter Hubertus (Daniel Brühl) who seems to be the most sympathetic character in the movie and has more understanding of Maria’s situation because his father was a Nazi and he lives with this memory every day.

In Maria’s situation, she had to leave her parents behind and leave for Switzerland, then the US. It’s obnoxiously disturbing how the US is approached as a place that would actually treat Jews or any immigrant for that matter as human beings.

The flashback sequences to Nazi Germany are shot but with a historical blur that gives the viewer the impression that everything happened extremely fast when history in fact proceeded achingly slow and was not two-sided.

In speaking of Austrian history, an excellent point of reference is Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” when one of the town members simply says to another that Archduke Ferdinand had been assassinated, with a voice completely devoid of sensationalism.

That sensationalism that keeps me away from historical films brushes against the borders of tolerability in the film. However, one notable, unadorned moment

Hugo Award for Science Fiction not looking so progressive this year

By Matt Hotaling A&E Writer

The Hugos are an annual set of awards granted to the best science fiction in literature, short stories, graphic novels, and film.

This year’s Hugo Award finalist list struck many people as unusual, because it seemed in many ways to be a step back from what had been considered a progressive decade of works and authors who dared to try and make sci-fi that broke the mold.

With the exception of the “Best Novel” and a couple of the other major categories, the list of finalists matches a list created by a group known as the Sad Puppies. The reasoning behind the Sad Puppies’ takeover of the Hugos was a belief that the Hugos were no longer representative of the best work in the genre.

“In the last decade... we’ve seen the Hugo voting skew ideological, as Worldcon and fandom alike have tended to use the Hugos as an affirmative action award,” Sad Puppies leader Brad Torgersen wrote in a blog post earlier this year. “Giving Hugos because a writer or artist is (insert underrepresented minority or victim group here) or because a given work features (insert underrepresented minority or victim group here) characters.”

Hugos are awarded based on votes from members of the World Science Fiction Society (Worldcon). To be a voting member of WSFS, one must simply pay the attendance fee for

“

In the last decade... we’ve seen the Hugo voting skew ideological, as Worldcon and fandom alike have tended to use the Hugos as an affirmative action award.

Brad Torgersen

Photo from thehugoawards.org

The Hugos have been key to sci-fi.

discourse have been harassed, issued threats, and after almost a year of back-and-forth neither side seems close to ‘winning’ or willing to compromise.

At the end of the end of the day and when all the hate and bile is removed from the conversation, the core of what both sides want doesn’t sound too unreasonable. The conservative nerds simply demand excellence from their media, they want the very best that the great wide geekdom has to offer; they recognize work on all of its merits, what it does, not just what it contains. The conservative nerds have no problem if their media contains progressive themes or characters, or if it comes from creators of diverse backgrounds, they simply feel that everything should get its fair shake, nothing should elevated simply because it has progressive representation. The new liberal nerds simply want broader, equal representation of all genders, races, and creeds. They want to create a climate where is it is not just acceptable to play with progressive content, but encouraged. They don’t want representation to be pandered to, they want representation done well and recognized.

The two ideologies at the base of each side of the argument are not mutually exclusive; the only thing standing in the way from the two sides making truly great sci-fi together is that the most vocal members of each group are also the most toxic.

Sad Puppies’ coup of the Hugos went too far; its list is not just a slap in the face to progressive works, but is an outright regressive move as it includes more than one openly homophobic writer.

In the short term, many of the over 10,000 voters are expected to vote “No award”, abstaining as opposed to casting a vote for one of Sad Puppies candidates. Winners of the 2015 Hugo Awards will be announced Aug. 22.

”

one of the Worldcon events: a very reasonable $40. The low membership fee and general low voting turn out, (only about 20% of WSFS 10,000 eligible members cast votes in the nomination process) Sad Puppies simply rallied troops behind a single list of nominees and was able to overcome raw thinly-spread favoritism with concerted voting effort.

Sad Puppies rode into prominence on the coattails of a larger schism that has been occurring in the overall nerd ecosystem. GamerGate, an internet firestorm that began last summer with a scandal between an indie game developer and several members of the gaming press escalated into a culture war still raging between more conservative “traditional nerds” and the more liberal “new nerds”. Harsh rhetoric has been used on both sides of the debate, opinionated and outspoken members of the

9

is when Maria and her husband are fleeing Nazis (literally running, with them only several meters away) to get to a car and then on a plane. They are on the rooftops trying not to be seen, and then notice a woman doing laundry, obviously Christian, who tells them the best way to go. She then tells the Nazis they went in the opposite direction.

This is the most emotional scene in the movie because of how this civilian bravery is repeated throughout history and cinema: in “Omar,” there is a scene where Israeli police pursue Omar and he bursts into a Palestinian family’s home. They immediately bring him to the back entrance before the police have time to break in.

Ultimately, “Woman in Gold” is a worthy experience and in great technique. But honestly, there was not enough attention to detail in how the actors worked together—they felt as detached as many actors do in historical films. The crowning achievement here is the cinematograph.

Often, gold is a hideously gaudy color that I don’t like seeing in films but this film uses many of its shades and applies those nuances to the movement of the story. It’s a film worth seeing for the excellent quality of its image.

Arts management students create SmART blog Victoria Page

Arts Management Blogger The arts management program has created an arts and culture blog that will feature the voices of students and alumni.

Sm[ART] Commons will be run by students, featuring interviews and resources for current and prospective students, alumni, and interested people in the field.

Students have written interview profiles on business professionals, alumni and students, as well as reviews, advocacy and “think” pieces to explore issues and ideas in the field of arts management.

According to Sam Thomson, current student and the designer of Sm[ART] Commons, “Sm[ART] Commons is a blog that gives outside people a glimpse into what MCLA students are doing, while giving MCLA students a place to showcase their best work”. The blog serves as a platform to highlight and record the accomplishments of students. The blog is currently managed by arts management major Victoria Page.

Arts Management Faculty Advisor, Lisa Donovan believes that the blog “will act as a bridge between students, alumni, and the community.”

You can check out the blog by visiting smartcommons@ squarepace.com. The blog will also be linked to the arts management homepage.

For more information or to submit an idea for the blog email fpa@mcla.edu.

10

Features

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Beacon.MCLA.edu

Mary Ellen Cohane to retire after 29 years of teaching Common Cohane’s most memorable moments are her experiences with students Folk: art, poetry, music

By Nick Swanson Senior News Editor

Mary Ellen Cohane has a softspoken voice while sharing past accomplishments during her career, but when speaking about student success she is overcome with pride and excitement.

“What’s really true is that you will remember some (students) for the rest of your life,” she said.

“I can still remember many students from 25 years ago and it’s astonishing how different every student can be.”

Cohane works in the English/ Communications department at MCLA. She became an educator 37-years ago and uses diverse experiences to signify her teaching and writing. She said much of her experience comes from a folklore background that further strengthened her attention and writing towards social activism.

“She has a cultural background that gives her orientation to have an open mind to be able to deal with different types of people,” professor of English/Communications Joseph Ebiware said. “She is a personal friend, and on the work side she is a very good colleague who is very sociable, supportive, and a team player for the department.”

Remembering things that inspired her, she said meeting briefly the 35th President John F. Kennedy was a remarkable time, as was hearing his inaugural address. She was also inspired from a childhood of communicating

with her schoolteachers at catholic school who attended marches organized by Martin Luther King Jr. in Alabama.

By Kaliegh Hayes Features Writer

“

What’s really true is that you will remember some students fot the rest of your life

”

Mary Ellen Cohane

“After this way of life it felt natural to find problems I care about and to work on them, which was very fulfilling,” she said. “I think the thing I’m proudest of in all my years of teaching is 13 years of running the English society.”

She taught students how to operate a club, and the clubs she directed eventually became the anime, film, cheerleading, and running clubs. She said a big joy about her experience was that students often find themselves here, get solid in their ambitions, and end up doing wonderful things.

“My first job in graduate school was walking around the hoods of Philadelphia finding hip hop artists,” she said. “You go to unexpected places to see talented, unique people.” she added, “I

Photo by Agnella Gross/ The Beacon

Mary Ellen Cohane became an educator 37 years ago and uses diverse experiences to signify her teaching and writing. think my training as a folklorist abled me to see what was precious in every person.”

“I always felt my job was to connect teaching in a way that would be useful for each person, partly because I have three kids and being a mom, it even takes a long time to know your own kids because they become so independent,” she said.

She recalled living in Ireland like first settlers did 500 years ago using stone cottages and thatched roofs, fishing for salmon, raising cattle, farming for potatoes and speaking primarily Gaelic.

“It was a part of hanging on to a way of life that has disappeared in most places,” she said. “What I learned is those ways of life through music and a lot of storytelling were both environmentally sound and very satisfying.”

She has succeeded in doing re-

search studies in Colorado and Alaska helping the economy through various means. In Alaska, they brought her to the annual First Nations People of Alaska meeting to speak on environmental studies. She dedicated time to a two-year study in order to better the Alaskan salmon trade.

“The Native American cultures couldn’t remain strong unless their environment was protected, so I started writing a lot about that and then I realized their environment wouldn’t be protected unless the economic system is skewed towards preservation of environment rather than short term exploitation,” she said. “I truly believe that the wisdom of the past is still relevant and can guide us in making surprising choices for a better society, and better world.”

50 years of teaching comes to an end Aside from teaching physics, CarlWolf writes poetry and stories

Photo by Isabel McKenzie/ The Beacon

Professor Carl Wolf began his teaching career 50 years.

By Harmony Birch Staff Writer

“I really enjoyed it, teaching here,” Carl Wolf, professor of physics, said. He sipped from a Styrofoam, Cumberland Farms coffee cup, his smile nearly reached his ears.

Wolf has been teaching for 50 years. He started his career as a professor at UMASS Lowell and before that he taught at Harvard during the summer for five years.

“It’s flattering to be able to teach here,” Wolf said. A larger school seemed too competitive and he enjoys the natural beauty of the Berkshires.

“The city is so impersonal,” Wolf said. Wolf enjoys the country. For the past twenty years he’s been engrossed in research and publishing but his hobby is writing. Wolf writes poems. It’s easy to imagine that the Berkshire setting lends a hand to inspiration.

For his own enjoyment Wolf has written two books, “Back to the Earth” and “100 Years Later.”

100 Years later, Wolf says, is dedicated to a family reunion 100 years after his grandparents came from Belgium. He pulled out a large worn photograph sporting dozens upon dozens of people with large 70s hair, gathered together in a field.

Wolf admitted that he couldn’t keep in touch with everyone, but his family still seems to play a rel-

evant role in his life today. Wolf has four kids and a wife, who he met when he moved to the Berkshires.

“My heart always goes back to Jersey because of my family, and the writings produced.” Wolf was born in New Jersey and attended William Paterson University. He remembers New Jersey fondly, being in Paterson, playing sports, “suffering” through high school.

Though he attended Grad school at Harvard, Wolf wasn’t always the braniac he is today. As a teenager, Wolf describes himself as a goof off. He spent most of his time chasing girls and playing ball. When the Vietnam War started, in 1954 according to the History channel, Wolf ’s parents gave him a choice, do better in school or go to war.

Wolf chose school, and soon he was out of Grad school and looking to teach. Why come here though? A Harvard grad could have any pick, couldn’t he?

“First of all it was a tough time, people were getting drafted,” Wolf said. “It wasn’t easy getting a job.”

Most of Wolf ’s classmates had

trouble. It was the 60s and Wolf described it as nearly impossible to get a job.

“It wasn’t all to avoid the war,” Wolf said. “I just wanted to get out of the academic environment.” He had been going to school for the majority of his life at this point, and there were options here that couldn’t be found at bigger schools. “[At big schools] you really have to fit into the mold can’t have hell of a lot of freedom,” Wolf said. He needed to get away from the competitive, city environment. He was feeling claustrophobic.

“Geographic claustrophobia,” Wolf nods to himself with a chuckle. “That’s a good term.”

Since being here Wolf marvels at the changes the schools made.

“The school has really progressed in leaps and bounds,” Wolf said. “It’s much more professional than days of yesteryear.”

He feels grateful that, even though he’s retiring he still gets to teach a few courses.

“I care about the contact, being in touch with the kids and having a place to work,” Wolf said.

From creating works of art, to singing songs, to reciting poetry, the Common Folk Art Collective does and shares it all.

Founded in June 2013 by MCLA alumna Jessica Sweeny, Common Folk is a team of artists that is working to help increase the creative economy of North Adams by exploring ways of addressing community needs through the arts, according to their Facebook page.

Kayla Degnan ’15 has been a member of Common Folk for the past two years. Degnan paints, does photography, and writes poetry. She recalls being roped into it by her friend and now-roommate Jessica Sweeny.

“She kind of just roped all of our friends into because we all like art,” said Degnan. “We all had the same goal for the group.”

Alumnus Chris Hantman is another member of the group. You can catch him working behind the scenes, setting up events and putting together compilations. He, like Degnan, has been a member since the birth of Common Folk and is impressed with its progress over the years.

“It has grown greatly in that short time,” Hantman said. “Our events have become more varied, and we have a larger member base and audience.”

According to Degnan, the group hopes to get a space with DownStreet Art, which is a public art project located in downtown North Adams. The organization helps to promote existing art organizations and events by transforming vacant and open spaces into art destinations, according to berkshirevisualarts.org/downstreetart.

But until they get a space, Common Folk holds a free event on the second Thursday of every month at The Parlor Café. In the past they have also held an event at the Elks Lodge.

According to their Patreon page, Common Folk encourages any artist, whether you’re a singer, poet, painter, photographer, or even not an artist at all, to join the group. Common Folk holds public meetings on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Monday of the month at 61 Main Street, North Adams.

“My personal goal for the group is to create a more sustainable local arts scene that is open and accessible to anyone who may be interested,” said Hantman.

Check out Common Folk Online at: Facebook.com: Commonfolkart Blogspot.com: wearecommonfolk

Features

Thursday, April 30, 2015

The face behind the chalk Kevin Hill-Willams ‘16 inspires himself to continue drawing

Photo from Facebook.com

Kevin Hill-Williams ‘16 draws around campus with chalk to express himself.

By Juanita Doss Features Editor

Have you ever noticed the chalk art, which covers the cement walkways every sunny spring day, as you walked to class and captured the beauty through your camera’s lenses?

Many people don’t know the face that hides behind the variety of chalk art around campus. His name is Kevin Hill-Williams ‘16 and creating drawings is something he does to express himself and stay in touch with nature.

“I chose chalk as a thing to do because I already know how to draw,” he said. “Chalk is temporary so it’s not a problem, like

spray paint.”

It’s a good art medium and a lot you can do with chalk, according to Kevin. “You can blend in colors with water on the ground, as well as using large pieces of charcoal to bring the black chalk to life.”

Kevin comes from a family who has history in art. His grandmother makes jewelry and his mother is a muralist, who is well known in the Saratoga Springs area. When he was about 11 years old, his mother would let him join her in finishing up her latest projects.

During his senior year of high school, he took art classes at the Museum of Fine Arts, which lead him to attending Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Mass Art) for his first year and a half of college.

“Mass Art is very intense on art and education,” Kevin said. “Even though the professors taught everything well and had good methods, it was a little too much for me.”

Kevin took away great art skills from Mass Art, but found MCLA to be a place where he truly belongs. He is now an Interdisciplinary Studies major and finds the program to be the perfect fit.

However, he always wonders if he’ll ever go back.

Even though his mother introduced him to art, his inspiration comes from within.

“No one inspires me to keep go-

Beacon.MCLA.edu

11

From playing softball to coaching the youth

By Juanita Doss Features Editor

Photo by Isabel McKenzie/ The Beacon

(Above) “April low wall” is one of the many pieces of artwork Kevin has created. ing,” he said. “I just really want to continue drawing because it’s something I enjoy doing.”

According to Kevin, art is everywhere and it’s always helpful. It doesn’t have to be good to classify as art, because the standards of it can change.

“I feel like even though people say they can’t make art, they can.”

As a fifth grader, she sat on the silver bleachers as she watched her best friend hit softballs, run bases and work the outfield.

It wasn’t too long until she suited up in her red jersey marked with the number nine and black shorts and took on second base, short stop and center field.

Mickayla Riddle ’18 found her passion for softball after watching several of her best friend’s games at Doyle Field in Pittsfield.

“I enjoyed the games, and became interested so I signed up,” she said.

Riddle played softball all the way up to her senior year in high school. However, she didn’t play for her school; she played for the Pittsfield Women’s League.

She currently doesn’t play, but she recently received an offer from her previous coach to help teach youth in grades 8-12 how to play softball this summer from late May to mid-August.

This is her first time working with the youth and she hopes she can have fun while teaching the fundamentals of softball, and give them a fun and exciting season.

“I want them to see me as someone they can look up to,” she said.

“They don’t have to hide from me; they can come up to me for anything.”

Riddle is accustomed to having people look up to her. When she

Photo Courtsey of Mickayla Riddle

Riddle will begin coaching youth this summer. played in high school she was the oldest person on her team, so her teammates would see her as a role model.

When she first started playing she would strike out every game.

Instead of letting the fear of striking out bring her down, every day after school she would teach herself how to hit the ball.

“I had fun teaching myself and learning on my own instead of being taught,” Riddle said. Teaching herself drove her to become the best player she can be.

She reflected on her greatest accomplishment during her softball season in ninth grade. When the opponent hit the ball it came straight her way. She jumped up and caught the ball in her brown glove, threw it to first base and got the batter out and then the ball made its way to second base eliminating the other opponent.

Baker spreads love and creates friendships on campus Women’s soccer coach Deb Raber’s yellow labrador, Baker, serves as a therapy dog for students

By Allie Martineau

Special to The Beacon As he trots down the halls of the Campus Center you might spot one of the hard working individuals who work on the MCLA campus, Coach Deb Raber’s yellow Labrador, Baker.

Baker works mainly as a therapy dog and friend to students.

He has been a part of the campus community for almost eight and a half years, crawling across the mats in the Dance Complex at six weeks old to catch up with his tennis balls.

During his interview Baker is quiet, calm and collected. Twisting twice and sitting down with ears alert, he made eye contact and smiled with his pink tongue hanging to the side, ready for any question.

Organizations such as Therapy Dogs of Vermont require therapy dogs to be obedient and relaxed, good with people and well socialized in many environments.

These traits are essential for any dog ready to be a companion or guide for those who need it, and Baker is a serene soul.

An immediate source of tranquility, he approaches new people without a sound, just bright, excited eyes, wagging tail and a genuine interest in their actions.

Raber took classes from the Delta Society at Berkshire Medical Center and trained Baker herself to be a therapy dog.

She explains the only reason her dog is not certified is because the test took place in the finished basement of The Berkshire Humane Society, and Baker was very nervous in this new environment, tail immediately down between his legs, panting, paws trembling.

“I just thought, I’m not putting him through this,” Raber sighs, scratching Baker’s neck as he tilts his head back to look at her. “Huh? What?” she inquired.

The dog looked at her for a long moment before licking his own nose and leaning further into her touch, content with her decision.

It was a good decision too, because it is clear Baker trusts his owner completely. At ease in his environment he wanders their office, plays, naps, and investigates new sounds without any sign of anxiety, only a love for new friends and treats.

On campus, Baker’s role is mainly as a friend to those who need it. Any student who is homesick, missing their pet at home, or needs to be with someone who is happy to see them, is encouraged to come to Raber’s office in the Campus Center to pay him a visit.

Sophomore Brianna McDer-

Photo Courtesy of Deb Raber

Baker, who was adopted by Women’s Soccer Coach Deb Raber, has been apart of the campus community for eight and a half years. mott calls herself a ‘huge dog person’ and stops to see Baker when she passes Raber’s office. She is especially thankful for him at final exam time.

“I first met Baker right outside the Dance Complex while waiting for one of my classes to begin,” she said. “He immediately put a smile

on my face and made my day 10 times better.”

Baker was born to a litter of nine puppies, six black and three yellow, and he is named after Mount Baker Ski Area in Washington, a facility his owner visited around his adoption time.

“I really wasn’t planning on getting a dog,” Raber said. “Then the soccer coach over at Williams [College] bred her dog and convinced me to come over and visit and I was hooked, I basically gave in and decided my life was where I could have one.”

After she bought Baker, Raber found she did not have the will to leave him at home because he might be sad without her. He commutes with her every day and always has, even when they lived as far away as Northampton.

Out of respect for the school’s maintainers, students, and other staff Baker’s travels are mostly limited to the Campus Center, though he has made trips to Eldridge Hall, and traveled to visit students at counseling services.

There is nothing on campus he doesn’t enjoy.

Baker spends his days off swimming, hiking, and sitting on the front of his owner’s paddle board, enjoying the water. He also loves visiting CSSE and his friends Bonnie Howland and Jennifer

Macksey who spoil him with treats and ear rubs.

“We get excited,” Howland said.

“The students don’t mind, he’s very friendly.”

Baker is loved by all who meet him, but his absolute favorite activity is visiting and helping MCLA students.

Back when the Centennial Room was open on both sides, Baker had more visiters pass by his room.

One of Raber’s favorite memories is when two shy freshmen girls, a baseball player and a soccer player all ended up on the floor of her office together, an interaction she insists would not have happened without this patient dog.

While he waits for the yoga class next door to let out, Baker sits, lies down, stands and stares at the door, listening intently to any sound that means a new friend could be approaching. His paw rests on his amputated monkey chew toy, his tail drumming on the carpet.

After watching him sit and wait, and seeing the excitement in his face when the door to the Dance Complex clicked open, it is clear any student looking for Baker for hugs or comfort should know he is waiting patiently; tail wagging, for them to find him.

14

Opinion

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Beacon.MCLA.edu

What are your plans for the summer?

“I’m going to spend time with my friends, work as a waitress, play tennis, and I’m going to Greece for six weeks.”

-Mariza Sfaklanaki, 2017

“I’m interning for Tom Alexander the law office, taking 3 summer courses, one being offered by a Chinese exchange professor (Global Chain Management), and working.”

- Giovani Dulcio, 2016

“I’m going to lay out in the sun all day long, go swimming, and read a few books.”

- Shelby Gauthier, 2017

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 planning on going to the beach and working a lot so I have money to spend in Colorado when I’m there for National Student Exchange at University of Colorado Colorado Springs.”

- Jared Crane, 2016

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.

“I’m going to do some gardening, traveling, and reading.”

- Nicole Feijoo, 2016

“I’m going to work, work out, and eat all of mama’s food.”

- Sean Kenney, 2016

Photos compiled by Jay Tocco Health & Fitness

Bigger than biceps

The healthy transition back home

By Makayla-Courtney McGeeney Managing Editor

Some of you might remain on campus over summer, but others are already packing to return home. Whether or not you eat well and exercise while living on campus, you may be the opposite at home. For myself, it’s give or take, everyone has their off days…weeks…seasons…

Well, whatever type of person you are, don’t lose any motivation you’ve gained since reading these sassy articles. Summer time is an advantage to get in shape for fall, to restart a lifestyle or switch up the one that already works. No matter what it is, my first piece of advice is to continue buying your own groceries when you go home. Unless of course, you make bad shopping decisions at school and can’t get away from cheap ramen and boxes of pop-tarts.

I find that my grocery shopping choices are pretty decent at school, but not so much at home.

My mom barely has my kind of food stocked, but there are almost always eggs and milk and water, so I tend to survive. I also find that the best and most creative meals come from the least amount of supplies. Also, before I continue, you all better cook and make your own food to begin with. All of my rambling would

be pointless if you visit Jack’s Hot Dogs every day. I know it’s cheap, but how does that bloated stomach feel an hour later? Hello, its bikini season.

Anyway, the cost is always an issue, but if you budget right and coupon (a little) and learn where your basics are, then you’ll be set.

I used to be all about food prepping for the week on Sunday, but it’s easier to make two or three meals at a time. For example, a container of lean ground turkey and peppers will last me three dinners. It all depends on your weekly schedule too, so figure out what meal prep style fits your routine.

With summer comes day drinking, festivals, and barbeques, or a ton of extra calories. But, instead of being discouraged, remember that it’s warmer out and random activities count for exercise (as told by me last week). So, even though you’re eating a hamburger and two hotdogs, you may be walking down the street a few blocks to the house that’s hosting the shindig. Try and compensate for loaded condiments and bread by opting out, or having one hotdog with a bun, but anything else without. It sounds weird, but try a lettuce bun and you’ll feel more satisfied from a meal rather than finger food.

Don’t quit the healthy streak now if you’re running one. Don’t halt your bad habits immediately, rather ease into a self-launch come May. Don’t hesitate at the dinner table if mom’s feast doesn’t fit your macros. Be the bikini bod you want to achieve, or not. That’s all.

Art & Politics

Notes on Unknown Places Optimism for the future of cinema

By Shirin Hijab

Arts & Entertainment Editor Already, 2015 has been a great year for movies, with some of the best having shown up at the tail-end of 2014. Some films in 2015 to look forward to are Aleksei German Jr.’s (son of the other Aleksei German who made some of the most challenging films in the late Soviet period) “Under Electric Clouds.” Chen Kaige who made the highly memorable “Farewell My Concubine” comes out with “The Monk” and looks to be a very nuanced martial-arts action film.

A couple of the films I’m most excited about is Cristi Puiu’s “Sierra Nevada” which has been pushed back to 2016. Then there’s Joachim Trier’s “Louder Than Bombs” (who also directed “Reprise”—one of the most curious films in recent Scandinavian cinema). Then there’s Kivu Ruhorahoza’s “Thing of the Aimless Wanderer.” And finally, a supposed, unnamed Abbas Kiarostami feature that comes out this year.

Admittedly, there are so many more films I’m excited about that I don’t want to just continue to list off. Some critics are less optimistic for the future of cinema and some have more hope. I’d put myself in the territory of those who have more hope. The beginning of the 21st century kind of reminded us that cinema still has

many centuries to go and gave us a decade of hundreds of masterpieces.

On all tiers of cinema, things are changing in a tremendous way in terms of the decade we’re in the middle of right now. Different technology is being used and ideas that haven’t been explored in cinema enough or at all are being explored and completely opened up. And my favorite part about the new directions in cinema is that there is, mostly among young people, an acceptance of the differing media and modes that can be considered part of cinema.

If I could ask for more of certain things, I’d say that we should have more young people making films, and lift the restrictions imposed by capitalism on film. Because while film is one of the most interesting art forms, it is also the most dependent on money. I’d like to see more people unafraid to make a film that they love but critics hate. It might be possible to do this after a while but it’s a long process because it’s so complicated. Everything about the cinema is complicated; nothing has ever really been simple, except maybe the technology. But as it evolves, that too, while in a basic structure, assumes a more complex form.

I think the notion that films are just entertainment and a symptom of laziness should finally be buried. I think the more films that young people see the better; but people of older generations can learn a lot from them. I’d like to see more socially conscious filmmakers but most of all I’d like to see films made without apathy.

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Thursday, April 30, 2015

Check it Out!

Upcoming events on campus

Announcements, Events, & Opinion

Patriot Act Section 215 should be repealed

By Mitchell Chapman Staff Writer

Today, April 30 Cans for Candy Marketplace 4-9:30 p.m.

Green Living Seminar Murdock 218 4:15-7 p.m.

Friday, May 1

Body Positive Picnic Academic Quad 12-4 p.m.

Get Internship Sullivan Lounge 4-5 p.m.

Student Development OL Meeting Murdock 202 5-7 p.m.

Take Back the Night Academic Quad/Venable Gym 6-9 p.m.

Ever since the broad powers given to the National Security Agency (NSA) were leaked by Edward Snowden in 2013, the legislation that allowed such provisions to happen, the Patriot Act, has come under fire. Much of this scrutiny is on Section 215 of the Act, which allows the NSA and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to access and store the phone records of millions of Americans under the guise of national security.

In June, three of the act’s provisions, including Section 215, will be voted on by Congress for reauthorization. This will dictate the size and power of the NSA and their operations, but also how much money it’s costing the nation.

According to The Washington Post, the “Black Budget,” or intelligence budget, for the United States is $52.6 billion. The NSA receives $10.8 billion of that, which is more than the entire budget of Puerto Rico.

It’s not encouraging that a mas-

sive amount of its funds are going towards a single facility in Utah.

“The $1.7 billion facility, two years in the making, will soon host supercomputers to store gargantuan quantities of data from emails, phone calls, Google searches and other sources,” reporter Rory Carroll wrote in an article for The Guardian. “Sited on an unused swath of the national guard base, by September it will employ around 200 technicians, span 1 million square feet and use 65 megawatts of power.”

Distressing still is the limited usefulness of the base. Much of the information the base handles will be encrypted, meaning all such information will be unreadable until it is “decoded.” This process can seriously hinder the practical applications such data can have, especially in time-sensitive cases. That’s not even touching the fact that the vast majority of data collected is from innocent Americans who have nothing to do with national security. Unsurprisingly enough, the NSA is having trouble storing all this data.

“The intelligence people I’ve spoken are warning of data crunch

– a polite way of saying they’re drowning,” intelligence historian Matthew Aid told The Guardian.

“They say they don’t have enough capacity and will be back to Congress looking for more money to expand.”

This could potentially be a big step forward in terms of government relations with the public if the act is allowed to expire June 1. Not only would it end the bulk collection of American’s telephone records (though it would not end bulk collection of American communications entirely), but it would save the nation billions of dollars. The NSA justifies this giant collection on the basis of its relevance in the fight again terror, however, the President’s Review Board found the opposite to be true.

“Our review suggests that the information contributed to terrorist investigations by the use of section 215 telephony meta-data was not essential to preventing attacks and could readily have been obtained in a timely manner using conventional orders,” the Board said in a report titled “Liberty and Security in a Changing World.”

Saturday, May 2

Community Day of Service Church Street Center 7 a.m.-3 p.m.

W. MA Middle School Science Fair Campus Center Gym 7 a.m.-4 p.m.

End of the Year Festival Academic Quad 12-7 p.m.

Cinco De Mayo Pool Party Campus Center Pool 5-9 p.m.

Mr and Miss MCLA Venable Gym 7-9 p.m.

Sunday, May 3

Community Meal Church Street Center 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Peer Advisor End of the Year Celebration Sullivan Lounge 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

The MCLA Games Taconic Lawn 12-10 p.m.

Bard Bash Academic Quad 12-5 p.m.

BBQueer Campus Center Upper Patio 1-3 p.m.

Allegrettos Acapella and Gospel Concert Church Street Center 7-11 p.m.

NICE 3-BR APARTMENT NEAR MCLA AVAILABLE JUNE 2015 Special summer rent reduction 3 min walk to Campus Center. 3 BR’s, Living Room, updated kitchen and bath.

Modern kitchen includes dishwasher, refrigerator and stove. Off-street parking. Free laundry in building. Locally managed. 1 year lease preferred. $725/ month. Tenants pay heat, hot water, and electricity. Cable avail. Quiet building responsible tenants ONLY. Refs & credit check required. First & last month’s rent and security deposit are required. Email ross@irismanagement.com for info, or call or text 908-766-7677

First MCLA United Festival to launch Saturday

On Saturday from 12-7 in the academic quad, Anthony Barbosa and Kenya Joseph, with the help of many clubs on campus have created the MCLA United festival.

This will include many performances including Dance Company, Slam Poetry, Nexxus, and other enter-

tainment. There will also be a cookout, bouncy house, dunk tank, face painting, and henna tattooing as well as many other events.

The goal of this festival is to bring together the whole campus community for one big event.

Want to read more?

Scan the code to read on at Beacon.MCLA.edu

Beacon.MCLA.edu

15

Students prefer Canvas, but not all professors

By Darien Quick

Special to the Beacon What’s the point of the college using Canvas by Instructure and having a space for professors to post grades if some of the teaching staff does not utilize this tool?

Students have heard all of the excuses as to why, whether it be the “I don’t have time or patience for it” line, or “I’m not tech savvy enough”. Well, let’s face it, students have to find the time to complete assignments, professors should find the time to post the grades. And just because this is the younger generation does not mean everyone is tech savvy.

If professors regularly post grades, students will be able to better monitor their progress in class and stay on top of upcoming assignments.

In addition to the lack of regular use of Canvas by professors, another problem students face is the grading turn-around time.

“I have had to wait around for grades numerous times, and what is even worse than the waiting is not knowing my grade status in the class,” said Senior Allie Chang.

“One of my Psychology professors took 6 and a half weeks to grade a 3 page paper and 5 weeks to grade one test!”

Yes professors could be reading 70 plus papers on the same exact topic, but that does not suffice as an excuse as to why it takes up to 6 and a half weeks to grade a paper and make the post on Canvas.

For those professors who hand back graded assignments, students may have a rough idea as to how they’re doing in class. But by using Canvas, each type of assignment can be properly weighted, allowing students to “test” how a specific grade will affect their overall grade mark, and students will even receive an automatic email notifying them a grade has been posted.

If students are supposed to balance a personal, academic, social and/or a extra curricular life and are expected to meet deadlines, so should educators in regards to grading and utilizing the technology available to them. A reasonable amount of time to grade assignments may vary on the length and depth of the assignment, but turning around assignments in one to two weeks certainly sounds more reasonable than six.

16

Thursday, april 30, 2015

Photo Essay

Beacon.MCLA.edu

SPRINGFEST Photos by Liz Quirk

Students enjoy free food and get henna tattoos in the quad.

Tausha Rocke and Cassie Goulette take selfies at the outdoor photobooth.

Bernadette Dineen waves at friends while waiting for her graffiti painting. Artists also decorated baseball hats during the event.

Students watch while Tiarra Dias dips her hand in wax at one of the arts and crafts stations.

Free food was available during Saturday’s Springfest, including popcorn, pizza and cotton candy.